subs. (old).—1. ‘A Salesman’s Servant that walks before the Shop, and cries, Cloaks, Coats, or Gowns, what d’ye lack, sir?’ (B. E.). 2. A tout of any description; a DOORSMAN (q.v.): Fr. aboyeur.
1822. HAZLITT, Men and Manners, II, xi. (1869), 232. As shopmen and BARKERS tease you to buy goods.
1828. BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Living Picture of London, 109. Mock-auctions and ‘selling-off’ shops are not the only pests where BARKERS are kept at the doors to invite unwary passengers to ‘walk in, walk in, sale just begun.’
1866. The London Miscellany, 5 May, 201, 1, ‘London Revelations.’ He said he had been in the habit of frequenting ‘mock auctions.’… They generally had what was called a ‘BARKER’ at the door to entice people in.
1888. Texas Siftings, 13 Oct. I am a BARKER by profession. The pedestrian agility required to pace up and down before the ‘Half-dime Museum of Anatomy and Natural History,’ soliciting passers-by to enter is of itself enormous; but where it gets in its base hit is when it increases the appetite.
3. (old).—See quot.
1879. GREENWOOD, Outcasts of London. But what was barking? I … could arrive at no more feasible conclusion than that a BARKER was a boy that attended a drover, and helped him to drive his sheep by means of imitating the bark of a dog.
4. (common).—A noisy (or assertive) disputant; a spouting demagogue; a querulous fault-finder. As verb, to clamour; to menace; to abuse. Spec. (5) a big swell (i.e., one asserting himself or putting on SIDE (q.v.), and (6) a noisy coward; a blatant bully; a LAMB (q.v.). Whence TO BARK AT (or AGAINST) THE MOON = to clamour uselessly; to agitate to no effect; to labour in vain; cf. proverb, ‘BARKING dogs bite not.’
1483. CAXTON, Golden Legend, 273. 4. Whiche sometyme had ben a BARKER, bytter, and blynde, ayenst the lettres.
1549. J. OLD, Erasmus, Paraphrases, 1 Tim. iv. 11. Feare not any mens BARKINGES.
c. 1555. LATIMER, Sermons and Remains (1845), 320. It is the scripture and not the translation, that ye BARK against.
1581. J. BELL, trans. Haddon’s Against Osorius, 81b. Neither Ierome Osorius, nor any other braulyng BARKER can from henceforth disquyet or molest him.
1599. GREENE, George-a-Greene [DODSLEY], Old Plays (REED), iii. 43. That I will try. BARKING DOGS BITE NOT the sorest.
1617. COLLINS, The Defence of Bishop Ely, Epistle Dedicatorie, 8. The aduersaries, and BARKERS, against Soueraignty.
1655. HEYWOOD and ROWLEY, Fortune by Land and Sea, i. 2.
| He hath such honourable friends to guard him, | |
| We should in that but bark against the moon. |
1663. Lauderdale Papers (1844), I. 131. It … is intended that that letter shall be a great BARK if not a byt.
1672. RAY, Proverbs, 76. The greatest BARKERS bite not sorest; or, dogs that BARK at a distance bite not at hand.
1763. CHURCHILL, The Apology [Poems, I. 68]. Though Mimics BARK, and Envy split her cheek?
1842. DE QUINCEY, Cicero [Works. VI. 184]. The BARK of electioneering mobs is WORSE THAN their BITE.
1857. RUSKIN, The Political Economy of Art, 35. To launch out into sudden BARKING at the first faults you see.
1862. HELPS, Organization in Daily Life, 123. A review which I delight in … because it always BARKS on the other side to the great BARKER.
5. See BARK, subs. 3.
6. (old).—Generic for firearms. Spec. (in navy), a duelling pistol; also a lower deck gun. BARKING IRON is, historically, the older term (GROSE).
ENGLISH SYNONYMS, blue lightning, dag, meat-in-the-pot, my unconverted friend, one-eyed scribe, pop, peacemaker, whistler.
FRENCH SYNONYMS. Aboyeur; bayafe; burettes; crucifix (or crucifix à ressort); mandolet; pétouze, pied de cochon; pitroux; soufflant.
1789. G. PARKER, Life’s Painter, 173. Pistols, BARKING-IRONS.
1815. SCOTT, Guy Mannering, xxxiii. ‘Had he no arms?’ asked the Justice. ‘Ay, ay, they are never without BARKERS and slashers.’
1834. W. H. AINSWORTH, Rookwood, II. vi. ‘And look you, prick the touch-hole, or your BARKING-IRON will never bite for you.’
1837. DICKENS, Oliver Twist, xxii. ‘BARKERS for me, Barney,’ said Toby Crackit. ‘Here they are,’ replied Barney, producing a pair of pistols.
1842. COOPER, The Wing-and-Wing, I. v. Four more carronades, with two BARKERS, for’ard.
1847. LE FANU, The Fortunes of Colonel Torlogh O’Brien, 63. Put up your BARKING-IRON, and no more noise.
1857. C. KINGSLEY, Two Years Ago, xxiv. I’ll give you five for those pistols … being rather a knowing one about the pretty little BARKERS.
1871. Echo, 9 Jan. 5. 1. The deep BARK of our monster war-dogs.
1884. N. GOULD, The Dark Horse, xviii. ‘Well, this little fellow will BARK to more purpose next time,’ and he handled his revolver tenderly, as though it were a faithful friend.
1896. OPPENHEIM, False Evidence, xv. ‘Put your BARKER down, you fool!’ he shouted.
1900. GRIFFITHS, Fast and Loose, xxxiii. The BARKERS may shoot, but they’ll hardly hit me.
1901. W. S. WALKER, In the Blood, 156. Never use a BARKER unless you’re bailed up and there’s no other way out.
