subs. (old).—1. A warm drink: spec. wine, orange (or lemon) peel, and sugar—but variously compounded; similar to FLIP and PURL (q.v.).
1738. SWIFT, Women Who Cry Oranges, wks., 1755, IV., i., 278. Well roasted, with sugar and wine in a cup. They’ll make a sweet BISHOP.
1753. The World, No. 37. Punch, BISHOP, cool tankard, and negus are equally denied me.
1825. C. M. WESTMACOTT, The English Spy, 255. Most noble cracks, and worthy cousin trumps—permit me to introduce a brother of the togati, fresh as a new-blown rose, and innocent as the lilies of St. Clement’s. Be unto him, as ye have been to all gownsmen from the beginning, ever ready to promote his wishes, whether for spree or sport, in term or out of term—against the Inquisition and their bull-dogs—the town raff and the bargees—well BLUNTED or stiver cramped—against dun or don—nob or big wig—so may you never want a bumper of BISHOP.
1836. DICKENS, Pickwick Papers, xlviii., p. 421. He and the landlord were drinking a bowl of BISHOP together.
2. subs. (American).—A bustle: see BIRD-CAGE.
1848. THE BUSTLE [quoted in BARTLETT, Dictionary of Americanisms, p. 42]. I sing the BISHOP, alias the bustle.
1845. J. G. SAXE, Progress.
| If wrong may not, by circumstance, be right— | |
| If black cravats be more genteel than white— | |
| If, by her ‘BISHOP,’ or her ‘grace’ alone, | |
| A genuine lady, or a church is known. |
3. (common).—A chamber-pot; a JERRY; a JORDAN: see IT.
4. (Winchester College).—The sapling with which a fagot is bound together.
5. (old).—See quot.
1598. FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Farfalla, a flie that hovering about a candle burnes itselfe, of some called a BISHOP, which is probably a smaller insect.
1598. FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Fungo, that firy round in a burning candle called the BISHOP.
6. (provincial).—A pinafore or bib.
Verb. (horse-copers’).—1. To burn marks into a horse’s teeth, after he has lost them by age; or, by other deceptive arts to give a good appearance to a bad horse. By BISHOPPING, a horse is made to appear younger than he is. The expression is derived from the name of a person who initiated the practice, and has no connection with ‘to bishop’ = ‘to burn.’ Fr., masquer en alezan; also maquiller un gayet.
1727. R. BRADLEY, Family Dictionary, vol. I., s.v. ‘Horse.’ This way of making a horse look young, is by Horse Coursers called BISHOPING.
1884. Illustrated London News, 23 August, 171, col. 2. TO BISHOP … a term … signifying the use of deceptive arts to make an old horse appear like a young one.
2. (common).—To murder by drowning. The term, now obsolete, is (like BURKE and BOYCOTT) from the name of an individual. A man named Bishop drowned a boy in Bethnal Green, in 1831, to sell the body for dissecting purposes.
1837. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends, ‘Some Account of a New Play.’ I burked the papa, now I’ll BISHOP the son.
1864. Athenæum, p. 559, col. 1. We have ‘to burke’, and ‘TO BISHOP.’
3. (printers’).—To water the balls (HALLIWELL).
4. (old).—To Confirm.
[?] MS. Cantab, Ff v. 48, f. 2.
| And also within the fyfte ȝere, | |
| Do that thei BISCHOPED were. |
5. (old).—To burn milk, porridge or the like; to over-roast meat etc.; usually ‘the bishop has put his foot in it’ (see quot. 1520).
1520. TYNDALE, Works, i. 304. When a thing speedeth not well, we borrow speech, and say, ‘the BISHOP hath blessed it’; because that nothing speedeth well that they meddle withal. If the porridge be burnt too, or the meat over-wasted, we say, ‘the BISHOP hath put his foot in the pot,’ or ‘the BISHOP hath played the cook’; because the bishops burn whom they lust.
1641. MILTON, An Apology for Smectymnuus [Works (1851), 192]. Spare your Ladle Sir, it will be as bad as the BISHOPS FOOT in the broth.
c. 1710. SWIFT, Polite Conversation, i. Lady Ans. Why sure, Betty, thou art bewitcht; this cream is burnt too. Lady Sm. Why, Madam, the BISHOP has set his foot in it.
1863. GASKELL, Sylvia’s Lovers, iv. Have an eye to th’ milk, and see as it does na’ boil o’er, for she canna stomach it if it’s BISHOPPED e’er so little.
