subs. (vulgar).—Abuse; chatter; impudence; any sort of talk. HOLD (or STOW) YOUR JAW = hold your tongue. ALL JAW, LIKE A SHEEP’S HEAD = nothing but talk.

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  ENGLISH SYNONYMS.  Chin-music; gab (or gob); lingo; lip lobs; patter; snaffle.

2

  FRENCH SYNONYMS.  Le debérage (popular); une coup de gaffe (general); la jactance (thieves’); la jappe (popular); le jaspin (thieves’).

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  ITALIAN SYNONYMS.  Canzonamento; contrapunto (= counterpoint).

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  SPANISH SYNONYMS.  Champarrado; chapurrado; dichido.

5

  1748.  SMOLLETT, Roderick Random, iii. ‘None of your JAW, you swab’ … replied my uncle.

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  1751.  SMOLLETT, Peregrine Pickle, xxxii. Desiring him to do his duty without farther JAW.

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  1753.  FOOTE, The Englishman in Paris (1783), 15. Hold your JAW, and despatch!

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  1771.  G. A. STEVENS, Songs, Comic and Satyrical, ‘A Pastoral.’ Oh, my love, tho’f I cannot well JAW.

9

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

10

  1825.  TODD, English Dictionary, s.v. JAW. In low language, gross abuse.

11

  1830.  BULWER-LYTTON, Paul Clifford, xvi. Hand me the brandy and cease your JAW.

12

  1836.  M. SCOTT, The Cruise of the Midge, 256. Bring the felt, you spalpeen, and no JAW.

13

  1852.  H. B. STOWE, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, viii. ‘Stop that ar JAW o’ yourn, there,’ said Tom gruffly.

14

  1859.  H. KINGSLEY, Recollections of Geoffry Hamlyn, xxvi. Stop your JAW about him!

15

  1874.  E. L. LINTON, Patricia Kemball, xxi. ‘Dora, I and my father have had a JAW,’ Sydney began.

16

  1876.  C. HINDLEY, ed. The Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack, 41. He’s ALL JAW LIKE A SHEEP’S HEAD.

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  1883.  Daily Telegraph, 5 Jan., 2. 2. He had audibly expressed his disgust that some fellows should have all the JAW to themselves.

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  1883.  W. C. RUSSELL, Sailors’ Language, s.v. JAW.

19

  1892.  SYDNEY WATSON, Wops the Waif, i. I’ll hev yer run in … if yer don’t hold yer JAW.

20

  1892.  MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, 68. These stuckuppy snipsters as JAW about quiet and peace.

21

  Verb. (vulgar).—To chatter; to abuse; to use violent language. Fr. faire péter son grelot or jouer du mirliton.

22

  1748.  SMOLLETT, Roderick Random, xxiv. They JAWED together fore-and-aft a good spell.

23

  1760–61.  SMOLLETT, Sir Launcelot Greaves, Bk. II. i. You might give good words, however: an we once fall a-JAWING, d’ye see, I can heave out as much bilgewater as another.

24

  1825.  TODD (JOHNSON, English Dictionary, s.v. JAW. In low language, to abuse grossly.

25

  1843.  THACKERAY, The Irish Sketch-Book, ii. Why should four waiters stand and JAW, and gesticulate among themselves, instead of waiting on the guests?

26

  1862.  J. R. LOWELL, The Biglow Papers, ii. p. 61.

        But, neighbour, ef they prove their claim at law,
The best way is to settle, an’ not JAW.

27

  1883.  Daily Telegraph, 8 Feb., p. 3, col. 1. If I was to JAW till a blue moon, I couldn’t tell you more about her.

28

  1888.  Detroit Free Press, 8 Dec. She’ll lick both of us and JAW father all the evening.

29

  TO JAW ON THE TOBY (or DRUM) verb. phr. (tramps’).—To go on the road.

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