subs. (old: now recognised in most senses).—1. A professional rider; also a horse-dealer. Hence (see quot. 1696) a sharper. Also (colloquially) JOCK and GENTLEMEN-JOCK and JOCKER.
1638. R. BROME, The Antipodes, i. 5.
| Let my fine Lords | |
| Talke o’ their Horse-tricks, and their JOCKIES that | |
| Can out-talke them. |
1684. R. HEAD, Proteus Redivivus, 306. There are such plenty of JOCKEYS in this bungalow, they swarm everywhere.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. JOCKEYS, rank Horse-Coursers, Race Riders; also Hucksters or Sellers of Horses, very slippery Fellow to deal with.
1725. A New Canting Dictionary, s.v.
1725. N. BAILEY, trans. The Colloquies of Erasmus, i. 412. You know what cheating tricks are play’d by our JOCKEYS, who sell and let out Horses.
1815. SCOTT, Guy Mannering, vii. The tribes of gipsies, JOCKEYS, or cairds,—for by all these denominations such banditti were known,—became few in number.
1836. HOOD, Miss Kilmansegg and Her Precious Leg [Works (1846), i. 252].
| And what with keeping a hunting-box | |
| Following fox … | |
| Shooting blue rocks, | |
| Trainers and JOCKS.… |
1841. G. BORROW, Zincali, or The Gypsies in Spain, p. 4. The word JOCKEY is neither more nor less than the term (chukni), slightly modified, by which they (the gypsies) designate the formidable whips which they usually carry, and which are at present in general use amongst horse-traffickers, under the title of jockey whips.
2. In pl. (commercial).—Top-boots.
1851. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, V. II. p. 43. Top boots (they’re called JOCKEYS in the trade and sold in the streets).
3. (old).—A Scot.
d. 1529. SKELTON, Against the Scots, line 92. King Jamy, Jemmy, JOCKEY, my jo.
Verb. (colloquial).—1. To cheat; to ride foul. Generally, to use dishonest means to a profitable end. For synonyms, see BAMBOOZLE.
1748. J. THOMPSON, Letter to Mr. Paterson, May (in H. NICOLAS’S Life, 4). ‘Coriolanus has not yet appeared on the stage, from the little dirty jealousy of Tullus (Garrick) towards him (Quin) who alone can act Coriolanus. Indeed, the first has entirely JOCKEYED the last off the stage, for this season, like a giant in his wrath.’
1833. NEAL, The Down-Easters, vi. p. 84. Fair traders terrible skase—most every body JOCKIES for themselves now.
1839. LEVER, Harry Lorrequer, II. He seemed to think that probably he … might be merely JOCKEYED by some bold-faced poacher.
1840. THACKERAY, The Paris Sketch Book, p. 173. Have we penniless directors issuing El Dorado prospectuses, and JOCKEYING their shares through the market?
1865. E. DUNBAR, Social Life in Former Days, 217. They did not see it necessary to be JOCKYING one another.
1890. W. C. RUSSELL, An Ocean Tragedy, p. 3. To suffer your passion to JOCKEY your reason.
2. (Winchester College).—(i) to supplant; (ii) to appropriate; (iii) to engage: e.g., ‘He JOCKEYED me up to books’; ‘Who has JOCKEYED my baker’; ‘This court is JOCKEYED.’ Probably an extended use of the word borrowed from turf slang. JOCKEY NOT = the Commoner cry claiming exemption, answering to ‘feign’ at other schools: of which the college ‘finge’ seems a translation. The opposite of JOCKEY UP = to lose down.—Notions.
TO JOCKEY (or BAG) THE OVER, verb. phr. (cricketers’).—To manage the running in such a manner as to get all the bowling to oneself.
