subs. (old: now recognised).—Nonsense; raillery; pleasantry; a jest or matter of jest. As verb, with numerous derivatives: e.g., BANTERER, BANTEREE, BANTERING, BANTERY, etc. [SWIFT says the word was ‘first borrowed from the bullies in White Friars, then it fell among the footmen, and at last retired to the pedants’ (Tale of a Tub, 1710); O.E.D.: ‘of unknown etymology: it is doubtful whether the verb or the sb. was the earlier: existing evidence is in favour of the verb: the sb. was treated as slang in 1688].
1676. D’URFEY, Madame Fickle, v. 1. (1677) 50. BANTER him, BANTER him Toby. ’Tis a conceited old Scarab, and will yeild us excellent sport.
1678. WOOD, Life, 6 Sept. The BANTERERS of Oxford (a set of scholars so called, some M. A.) who make it their employment to talk at a venture, lye and prate what nonsense they please, if they see a man talk seriously, they talk floridly nonsense, and care not what he says.
1687. T. BROWN, The Saints in an Uproar [Works, i. 93]. To BANTER folks out of their senses.
1688. SHADWELL, The Squire of Alsatia, i. 1. 15. He shall cut a sham, or BANTER with the best wit or poet of ’em all.
1690. LOCKE, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, III, ix. 7. He that first brought the word BANTER in use, put together as he thought fit, those Ideas he made it stand for.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. BANTER, a pleasant way of prating, which seems in earnest, but is in jest, a sort of ridicule, What, do you BANTER me? i.e., do you pretend to impose upon me, or to expose me to the Company, and I not know your meaning.
1700. Church of England’s Loyalty [SOMERS, Tracts, II, 562]. ’Tis such a jest, such a BANTER, to say, we did take up Arms, but we did kill him; Bless us, kill our King, we wou’d not have hurt a Hair on his Head.
1705. WHATELY [W. S. PERRY, Historical Collections Relating to the American Colonial Church, I. 172]. I know no better way of answering bombast, than by BANTER.
1709. STEELE, Tatler, 12. 1. Gamesters, BANTERERS, biters are, in their several species, the modern men of wit.
1710. SWIFT, Tatler, 230. 7. I have done my utmost for some years past to stop the Progress of Mobb and BANTER. Ibid., Tale of a Tub (Apology), 11. Peter’s BANTER (as he calls it in his Alsatic phrase) upon transubstantiation…. If this BANTERING as they call it be so despicable.
1722. WODROW, Correspondence (1843), II, 659. Such plain raillery, that unless I should learn BANTER and Billingsgate, which I still thought below a historian, there is no answering it.
1741. RICHARDSON, Pamela (1824), I, 112. ‘You delight to BANTER your poor servant,’ said I.
1754. CHATHAM, Lett. Nephew, IV. 24. If they BANTER your regularity, order, and love of study, banter in return their neglect of them.
1815. SCOTT, Guy Mannering, li. Somebody had been BANTERING him with an imposition.
1823. Blackwood’s Magazine, XIII, 269. Fixing the attention of the BANTEREE … and amusing the company with his perplexity.
1844. DICKENS, Martin Chuzzlewit (C.D.), 249. She took it for BANTER, and giggled excessively.
1849. MACAULAY, The History of England, iii. 369. An excellent subject for the operations of swindlers and BANTERERS.
1865. CARLYLE, Frederick the Great, IX, xx. vi. 116. Poor Quintus was BANTERED about it, all his life after, by this merciless King.
1865. CARLYLE, Frederick the Great, IV, ii. iii. 54. Its wit is very copious, but slashy, BANTERY. Ibid. (1867), Remin., II. 51. Cooing BANTERY, lovingly, quizzical.
1883. Harper’s Magazine, Oct. 702. 1. ‘Perhaps you intend to embark for Australia?’ she added BANTERINGLY.
2. (American).—A challenge to a race, shooting-match, etc. [BARTLETT, (1848)]. Also as verb.
