Bob

subs. (popular).—1.  A shilling: see RHINO. [MURRAY: There was an old French coin called a bobe, but its survival in English slang is very unlikely. Others think it a corruption of ‘baubee’ or ‘bawbee,’ a debased Scotch coin, issued in the reign of James VI. of Scotland, equal in value to a halfpenny]. A spurious plural is sometimes formed of BOB, thus BOBBER—TWO BOBBER = a two-shilling piece.

  1819.  J. H. VAUX, A Vocabulary of the Flash Language. BOB or BOBSTICK, a shilling.

  1821.  W. T. MONCRIEFF, Tom and Jerry, iii., 3. Tom. Now then, what’s to pay, landlord? Mace. All out, will be fourteen BOB and a kick, your honour. Tom. Well, there’s a flimsy for you; serve the change out in max to the covies. (Gives money.)

  1837.  R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends (Misadventures at Margate). I changed a shilling—(which in town the people call a BOB).

  1853.  BULWER-LYTTON, My Novel, IV., v. ‘Well, please yourself,’ quoth the tinker; ‘you shall have the books for four BOB, and you can pay me next month.’ ‘Four BOBS—four shillings: it is a great sum,’ said Lenny.

  1882.  Punch, LXXXII., 74, col. 1. ACCOMMODATION. Swell. ‘Haw—’no small change about me.’ Minstrel. ‘Oh, don’t mention ’t sar. A BOB will do, sar. And if you’ll call at my club to-morrow, sar, the hall portar will give you sixpence back, sar. My kyard, sar, etc.!!’

  1893.  P. H. EMERSON, Signor Lippo, xx. I gets sixteen BOB a week … and I get my kip for nenti here for helping old Blower tidy up.

  2.  (old).—A shoplifter’s assistant; one who received and carried off stolen goods: Fr. nonne (or noune).

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. BOB, c. a Shop-lift’s camrade, assistant, or receiver.

  3.  (old).—Gin: see quots. under BOBSTICK and DRINKS.

  1749.  ‘The Humours of the Fleet,’ quoted in J. Ashton’s The Fleet, p. 286. H’had strain’ed his Credit for a Dram of BOB.

  4.  (military).—An infantry soldier; generally LIGHT-BOB, i.e., a soldier of the light infantry.

  1844.  W. H. MAXWELL, Sports and Adventures in Scotland, xxxv., 282. Me, that never … listened to a LIGHT-BOB.

  1848.  THACKERAY, Vanity Fair, xxiv. Mr. Stubble, as may be supposed from his size and slenderness, was of the LIGHT-BOBS.

  5.  (Winchester College).—A large white jug used for beer, and containing about a gallon in measure.

  1866.  MANSFIELD, School-Life at Winchester College. 85. Each end and Præfect’s mess had their beer served up in a large white jug, or ‘BOB.’ The vessel used for the same purpose in Commoner’s was called a ‘Jorum.’

  1888.  T. A. TROLLOPE, What I Remember, v. Only those ‘juniors’ attended whose office it was to bring away the portions of bread and cheese and ‘BOBS’ (i.e., huge jugs) of beer for consumption in the afternoon.

  6.  (old).—‘A very short Periwig’ (B. E.).

  7.  (old).—‘For Robert’ (B. E.).

  8.  (old).—A thump: also as verb.

  1576.  GASCOIGNE, The Steele Glas [ARBER], 80. [Apes rewards are] a peece of breade and therewithal a BOBBE (modern ‘kicks and halfpence’ = monkey’s allowance).

  1608.  ARMIN, A Nest of Ninnies (1842), 30. In an enuious spleene, smarting ripe runes after him, fals at fistie cuffes with him; but the fellow belaboured the foole cunningly, and got the foole’s head under his arme, and BOB’D his nose.

  1655.  Francion [NARES]. Suppose then you see Francion enter into the school, his lynings hanging out of his breeches down unto his shoes, his gown wrapped about him, his book under his arm, undertaking to give a fillip to one, and a BOB unto an other.

  9.  (old).—A taunt; a scoff: hence TO GIVE THE BOB = to give one the door; to dismiss summarily and without ceremony: see BOBBER 2.

  1591.  J. LYLY, Alexander and Campaspe [DODSLEY, Old Plays] (REED), ii., 113. I have drawn blood at one’s brains with a bitter BOB.

  1600.  SHAKESPEARE, As You Like It, ii. 7.

  1632.  MASSINGER, The Maid of Honour, iv., 5.

  1633.  FLETCHER, Purple Island, vii., 25. Oft takes—his mistress by—the bitter BOB.

  Adj. (old).—Generic for O.K. (q.v.); nice; in good spirits; safe; secure; as right as may be.

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. BOB.

  1721.  CIBBER, The Refusal, i. Yesterday, at Marybone, they had me all BOB as a Robin.

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. [ALL’S BOB is defined as foregoing.]

  1839.  W. H. AINSWORTH, Jack Sheppard. 12. A moment afterwards, the street was illumined by a blaze of torchlight, and a tumultuous uproar announced the arrival of the first detachment of Minters. Mr. Wood rushed instantly to meet them. ‘Hurrah!’ shouted he, waving his hat triumphantly over his head. ‘Saved!’ ‘Ay, ay, it’s ALL BOB, my covey! You’re safe enough, that’s certain!’ responded the Minters.

  1864.  YONGE, The Trial, I., 113. ‘That’s a nice girl.’… ‘BOBBER than bobtail.’  [M.]

  Verb (old).—1.  To cheat; to trick; to disappoint: also TO BOB OUT OF.

  1580.  SIDNEY, Arcadia, ii. 203.

  1602.  SHAKESPEARE, Othello, v. 1.

  1605.  The Tryall of Chevalry, I., in Bullen’s A Collection of Old English Plays, iii., 273. I had rather dye in a ditch than be BOBD of my fayre Thomasin.

  1613.  R. TAILOR, The Hog hath Lost His Pearl, v. [DODSLEY, Old Plays (REED), VI. 386]. Disgrace me on the open stage, and BOB me off with ne’er a penny.

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. BOB’D, c. Cheated, Trick’d, Disappointed, or Baulk’d.

  1707.  WARD, Hudibras Redivivus, II. ii. 19. They would BOB their Ladies of a merry Job.

  1748.  T. DYCHE, A New General English Dictionary (5 ed.). BOB (v.), to jog, touch, or give notice by some such like sign; also a cant word for to trick or cheat.

  2.  (old).—See subs. 8.

  Intj. (common).—Stop, That’s enough! a dovetail to the phrase, ‘Say when,’ in helping to water, etc.

  1889.  Modern Society, June 6. ‘Say when,’ said Bonko, taking up a flagon of whiskey and commencing to pour out the spirit into my glass, ‘BOB!’ replied I.

  DRY BOB, subs. phr. (venery).—1.  Coition without emission: a single drop (or blob) = a SNOWBALL (q.v.).

  d. 1680.  ROCHESTER, Works.

  2.  (Eton College).—A cricketer or footballer: that is one addicted to land sports as distinguished from a WET-BOB who favours rowing and aquatics.

  1844.  B. DISRAELI, Coningsby, I. ix. ‘It is settled, the match to-morrow shall be between Aquatics and DRYBOBS,’ said a senior boy.

  1874.  The Saturday Review, Aug., 212. The friendly rivalry between England and America led some while ago to a contest between the WET BOBS, to use an Eton phrase, of either country, and it was only fair that the DRY BOBS should show what they could do.

  BEAR A BOB! phr. (common).—Be brisk! look sharp!

  1705.  WARD, Hudibras Redivivus, I. vi. 6. All strain’d their Throats TO BEAR A BOB.

  1772.  BRIDGES, A Burlesque Translation of Homer, 85.

  1809.  MALKIN, Gil Blas [ROUTLEDGE], 94. The conversation became general, lively, jovial … We all of us BORE A BOB.

  BOB A NOD, phr. (common).—A shilling a head.

  S’HELP ME BOB, phr. (low).—A street oath: ‘So help me God.’ ‘So help’ is pronounced swelp. Also S’HELP THE CAT; MY GREENS; THE TATURS, etc.

  1837.  R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends (The Dead Drummer).

  1880.  PAYN, A Confidential Agent, xix. ‘Not another word will I say, S’HELP ME BOB.’ And John rolled over in his bed like an indignant porpoise.

  TO SHIFT ONE’S BOB, verb. phr. (common).—To go away: cf. TO BOB AROUND = to go expeditiously from place to place.