Crack

subs. (old).—A crazy person, or soft-head. [From CRACK = to impair, or to be impaired.] For synonyms, see BUFFLE and CABBAGE-HEAD.

  1609.  DEKKER, Lanthorne and Candlelight, in wks. (GROSART) III., 212. A Foyst nor a Nip shall not walke into a Fayre or a Play-house, but euerie CRACKE will cry looke to your purses.

  b. 1672, d. 1719.  ADDISON (quoted in Annandale). I cannot get the Parliament to listen to me, who look upon me as a CRACK.

  2.  (old).—A prostitute, see sense 4. For synonyms, see BARRACK-HACK and TART.

  1698.  FARQUHAR, Love and a Bottle, Act v., Sc. 3. You imagine I have got your whore, cousin, your CRACK.

  1705–7.  WARD, Hudibras Redivivus, vol. II., pt. II., p. 27. Old Leachers, Harridans, and CRACKS.

  1715.  VANBRUGH, A Country House, II., v. For you must know my sister was with me, and it seems he took her for a CRACK, and I being a forward boy he fancied I was going to make love to her under a hedge, ha, ha.

  1748.  T. DYCHE, A New General English Dictionary (5 ed.), s.v.

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.

  1811.  GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.

  3.  (old).—A lie. Cf., CRACKER (the modern form), and for synonyms, see WHOPPER.

  1773.  GOLDSMITH, She Stoops to Conquer, Act ii., Sc. 1. Miss N. There’s something generous in my cousin’s manner. He falls out before faces to be forgiven in private. Tony. That’s a damned, confounded—CRACK.

  4.  (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms, see MONOSYLLABLE.

  5.  (thieves’).—A burglary. Cf., CRACK A CRIB, and for synonyms, see PANNY. [The term originated about the beginning of the present century. Fr., une fraction.]

  1834.  W. H. AINSWORTH, Rookwood, p. 120 (ed. 1864). We’ll overhaul the swag here, when the speak is spoken over. This CRACK may make us all for life.

  1837.  DICKENS, Oliver Twist, p. 124. The CRACK failed, said Toby, faintly.

  1841.  G. W. REYNOLDS, Pickwick Abroad, ch. xxvi.

  1841.  LEMAN REDE, Sixteen-String Jack, Act i., Sc. 5. Come on, then! A sweet ride of a dozen miles, just to cool one’s head, then for the CRACK; and then back to London.

  1889.  Answers, 13 April, p. 313. Such inscriptions as ‘Poor Joe from the Dials in for a CRACK,’ meaning ‘Poor Joe from Seven Dials in for a burglary,’ are numerous.

  6.  (thieves’).—A burglar. [See sense 5, and cf., CRACKSMAN.]

  1749.  R. GOADBY, The Life and Adventures of Bampfylde Moore Carew, ‘The Oath of the Canting Crew.’

  1857.  Punch, 31 Jan. (from slang song).

  7.  (colloquial).—An approach to perfection. Cf., sense 8.

  1825.  C. M. WESTMACOTT, The English Spy, 255. Most noble CRACKS, and worthy cousin trumps—permit me to introduce a brother of the togati.

  1864.  Glasgow Herald, 5 April. ‘Report of R. N. Y. Club.’ This vessel (one of Fyfe’s CRACKS) being almost new, and coppered, will be free from the objectionable fouling which is so great a drawback to the use of iron yachts.

  1871.  London Figaro, 17 Oct. Does it mean that the CRACK is a thing of the past, and that the learned author is no longer to be considered as a CRACK?

  1889.  Answers, March 23, p. 265, col. 3. Warders are not, thank goodness, first-rate shots, but even a CRACK would find it difficult to hit a man’s head appearing for only a moment or two in probably a heavy fog.

  8.  (turf).—A racehorse eminent for speed. Hunting: a famous ‘mount.’ [An extension of the usage in sense 7.]

  1853.  Diogenes, II., 271. ‘The Betting Boy’s Lament.’

  1864.  Derby Day, p. 38. Sir Bridges Sinclair would not scratch a horse—no, not if it was ever so, let alone a Derby CRACK.

  1871.  Standard, 6 Nov. Unlimited gossip as to the welfare and chances of forthcoming CRACKS.

  1883.  The Echo, Feb. 7, p. 3, col. 6. I give below a few of the probable starters for the Waterloo Cup, including all the CRACKS.

  1884.  HAWLEY SMART, From Post to Finish, p. 155. Of course he was au courant with all the rumours concerning the Panton Lodge CRACK.

  9.  (vagrants’).—Dry firewood.

  1851–61.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, vol. I., p. 358. The next process is to look for some CRACK (some dry wood to light a fire).

  Adj. (colloquial).—Approaching perfection; used in a multitude or combinations. A CRACK hand is an adept or ‘dabster’; a CRACK corps, a brilliant regiment; a CRACK whip, a good coachman; etc. As a connecting link between the adjective and the earlier use of CRACK, cf., THE CRACK.

  1836.  W. H. SMITH, The Individual, ‘The Thieves’ Chaunt.’

  1839.  THACKERAY, The Fatal Boots (July). And such a CRACK-shot myself, that fellows were shy of insulting me.

  1859.  WHITTY, Political Portraits, p. 106. But he [the Earl of Shaftesbury] has insisted on a recognition of the facts of our appalling civilisation, and that was a good deal to do, which none other than a Peer and CRACK Christian could hope to do. Ibid., p. 288. The whippers-in will never receive instructions to find the addresses of the brilliances of Union debating clubs, bar messes, and CRACK newspapers.

  1865.  M. E. BRADDON, Henry Dunbar, ch. xx. Who was moreover a CRACK shot, a reckless cross-country-going rider, and a very tolerable amateur artist.

  Verb (old).—1.  To talk to; to boast. [The verb was once good English, and in the sense of to talk or gossip is still good Scots. The modern form TO CRACK-UP, is well within the borderland between literary and colloquial English. The following quots., together with those under CRACK-UP, form an unbroken series.]

  1597.  G. HARVEY, The Trimming of Thomas Nashe, in Works (GROSART), III. 31. So you may CRACKE your selfe abroad, and get to be reported the man you are not.

  1621.  BURTON, The Anatomy of Melancholy, I., II., III., xiv., 199, (1876). Your very tradesmen, if they be excellent, will CRACK and brag, and show their folly in excess.

  1654.  Witt’s Recreations.

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.

  2.  (thieves’).—To force open; to commit a burglary. [A shorter form of CRACK A CRIB (q.v.).]

  1837.  DICKENS, Oliver Twist, ch. xix. The crib’s barred up at night like a jail; but there’s one part we can CRACK, safe and softly.

  3.  (American thieves’).—To forge or utter worthless paper. [An extension by analogy of ‘to crack,’ i.e., ‘to force,’ and ‘cracksman,’ a burglar.]

  4.  (colloquial).—To fall to ruin; to be impaired. Cf., subs., sense 1.

  b. 1631, d. 1701.  DRYDEN [quoted in Annandale]. The credit of the exchequer CRACKS when little comes in and much goes out.

  5.  (thieves’).—To inform; to PEACH (q.v. for synonyms).

  c. 1850, but date uncertain.  Broadside Ballad, ‘Bates’s Farm.’

  TO CRACK A BOTTLE or A QUART, verbal phr. (colloquial).—To drink. Analogous and equally old is ‘to crush a cup.’ Fr., etouffer une négresse or un enfant de chœur. For synonyms, see LUSH.

  1598.  SHAKESPEARE, 2 Henry IV., v. 3. 66. Shal. By the mass, you’ll CRACK A QUART together.

  1711.  Spectator, No. 234. He hems after him in the public street, and they must CRACK A BOTTLE at the next tavern.

  1750.  FIELDING, Tom Jones, bk. VIII., ch. vii. ‘What,’ says the wife, ‘you have been tippling with the gentleman! I see.’ ‘Yes,’ answered the husband, ‘we have CRACKED A BOTTLE together.’

  1817.  SCOTT, Rob Roy, ch. viii. ‘You have CRACKED MY SILVER-MOUNTED COCOA-NUT OF SACK, and tell me that you cannot sing!’

  1853.  THACKERAY, Barry Lyndon, ch. xvii., p. 221. I chose to invite the landlords of the ‘Bell’ and the ‘Lion’ to CRACK A BOTTLE with me.’

  TO CRACK A CRIB, SWAG, or KEN, verbal phr. (thieves’).—To commit a burglary; to break into a house. [From CRACK, to force open, + CRIB, a house.]

  ENGLISH SYNONYMS.  To stamp a ken or crib; to work a panny; to jump a house (also applied to simple robbery without burglary); to do a crack; to practice the black art; to screw; to bust a crib; to flimp; to buz; to tool; to wire; to do a ken-crack-lay.

  FRENCH SYNONYMS.  Faire un cassement de porte (thieves’); faire une condition (thieves’); faire copeaux (thieves’: in allusion to the splinters from a forced door); écorner une boutanche or un boucard (thieves’) = to enter shops burglariously); faire un vol à l’esquinte (thieves’); maquiller une cambriole (thieves’: maquiller = to do, to ‘fake’—an almost universal verb of action); faire fric-frac; nettoyer un bocart (thieves’).

  GERMAN SYNONYMS.  Aufnollen (to ‘burgle’ with skeleton keys); aufplatzen (literally ‘to wrench’ or ‘break open’); aufschränken (schränken [from Schranke, O. H. G. screnchan, M. H. G. schranne, schrange, schrand] = a burglary with violence. Schränker = burglar. Up to the middle of the present century burglars used to be called Schränker a zierlicher; Schränkmassematten = a burglary with violence; Schränkzeug, Schränkschaure, Schränkschurrich = burglars’ tools); blaupfeifen (Viennese thieves’); Cassne handeln or melochenen (to commit burglary with open violence); einen Massematten handeln (Massematten is a word whose Hebraic components very nearly correspond to the English ‘debit and credit’; it signifies commerce and activity—of the kind that pertains to cracksmanship; e.g., einen Massematten baldowern, to make an opportunity for theft; einen Massematten stehen haben, to have ‘dead-lurked’ a crib, or prepared a burglary; Massematten bekoach a burglary with violence).

  1830.  BULWER-LYTTON, Paul Clifford, p. 297, ed. 1854. And you ’members as how I met Harry and you—there, and I vas all afeard at you—cause vy? I had never seen you afore and ve vas a going to CRACK a swell’s CRIB.

  1841.  LEMAN REDE, Sixteen-String Jack, Act i., Sc. 5. Jer. Now comes the grand spec; we go to CRACK A KEN; Kit’s in, so’s the captain. Steady’s the word; I go first, you all follow.

  1871.  Standard, 26 Dec. If their pals outside, the gentry who hocus Jack ashore in the east, pick the pockets of Lord Dundreary in the west, and CRACK CRIBS in the lonely outskirts could only realise how miserable the Christmas-day was for them, we might look out for a needful retrenchment in the estimates of penal expenditure.

  1871.  Morning Advertiser, 11 May. ‘Leader.’ He took to burglary, employing professional burglars to assist him, whenever it became necessary to CRACK A CRIB.

  1887.  W. E. HENLEY, Villon’s Straight Tip to all Cross Coves. Dead-lurk a crib, or do a CRACK.

  TO CRACK A JUDY (or HER TEA CUP), verb. phr. (common).—To deflower a maid.

  TO CRACK A CRUST, phr. (common).—To rub along in the world. A superlative for doing very well is, TO CRACK A TIDY CRUST.

  1851–61.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, vol. III., p. 445. I am now just managing to CRACK AN HONEST CRUST; and while I can do that I will never thieve more.

  TO CRACK A KEN, verb. phr. (thieves’).—To commit a burglary; to CRACK A CRIB (q.v.).—[See CRACK, verb, sense 2 and KEN.]

  TO CRACK A WHID, verb. phr. (thieves’).—To talk. [WHID (q.v.) = a word: old cant.] Cf., CUT, verb, sense 1. For synonyms, see PATTER.

  1876.  C. HINDLEY, ed. The Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack, p. 21. The ‘WHIDS,’ as the words or set phrases used by Cheap Johns in disposing of their articles are called, are very much alike … many little circumstances occur when they (the WHIDS) are being ‘CRACKED’ which are lost to a reader.

  TO CRACK ON, verb. phr. (common).—To ‘put on speed’; increase one’s pace.

  1835.  HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), The Clockmaker, 1 S., ch. xi. ‘I shot a wild goose at River Philip last year, with the rice of Varginny fresh in his crop; he must have CRACKED on near about as fast as them other geese, the British travellers.’

  1876.  Broadside Ballad [quoted in C. G. Leland’s Captain Jonas].

  TO CRACK UP, verbal phr. (colloquial).—To praise; eulogize. A superlative is TO CRACK UP TO THE NINES. Fr., faire l’article (commercial travellers’), and faire son boniment or son petit boniment (cheap jacks’ and showmen’s).

  1843.  DICKENS, Martin Chuzzlewit, ch. xxxiii. ‘We must be CRACKED-UP,’ [said Mr. Chollop, darkly].

  1856.  T. HUGHES, Tom Brown’s School-days, I. vi. p. 139. Then don’t object to my CRACKING UP the old Schoolhouse, Rugby.

  1878.  PAYN, By Proxy, ch. i. ‘We find them CRACKING UP the country they belong to, no matter how absurd may be the boast.’

  THE CRACK, or ALL THE CRACK, phr. (general).—The GO (q.v.); ‘the thing’; the ‘kick’; the general craze of the moment.

  IN A CRACK, phr. (colloquial).—Instantaneously; in the twinkling of an eye. For synonyms, see BEDPOST.

  1725.  RAMSAY, The Gentle Shepherd, i., 1 [Works, II. 55].

  1763.  FOOTE, The Mayor of Garrett, Act i. Nic Goose, the taylor, from Putney, they say, will be here IN A CRACK.

  1819.  BYRON, Don Juan, ch. i., st. 135.

  1842.  Punch, vol. III., p. 136.