subs. (colloquial).—1. Anything exceptional: e.g., ‘a LUMP of a man’; ‘I like that a LUMP’; ‘that’s a LUMP.’
2. (vagrants’).—The workhouse; the PAN (q.v.). Also LUMP HOTEL.
3. (colloquial).—A party; an association.
Verb. (old).—1. To beat. For synonyms, see TAN.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
1811. GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.
2. (colloquial).—1. To dislike: ‘If he does not like it he may LUMP it’ = if he isn’t satisfied he may do the other thing. Also, (2) to take without choice (i.e., to swallow ‘whole’).
1833. NEAL, The Down-Easters, vii. Let ’em LUMP it if they dont like it.
1837–40. HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), The Clockmaker, p. 6, preface (ed. 1862). A man that would be guilty of such an action is no gentleman, that’s flat, and if you don’t like it you may LUMP it.
1864. DICKENS, Our Mutual Friend, Bk. IV, ch. iii. If you don’t like it, it’s open to you to LUMP it.
1878. H. B. STOWE, Poganuc People, xi. And if anybody don’t like it, why they may LUMP it, that’s all.
1887. F. R. STOCKTON, The Hundredth Man, ch. iv. If old Stull didn’t like it, he could LUMP it. And to know that he LUMPED it would be a rare joy to Mrs. People.
1888. BRET HARTE, Five O’clock in the Morning. And I told him, if he didn’t like it he might LUMP it, and he travelled off on his left ear, you bet.
1888. Detroit Free Press, 20 Oct. If the white folks didn’t like it they could LUMP it.
3. (colloquial).—To take off at a draught.
4. (racing).—To stake heavily; TO PLUNGE (q.v.).
1864. Derby Day, 12. Acting upon the gamblers’ favourite axiom, that if you venture nothing you win nothing, he LUMPED it all upon an outsider, and backed him to win the Chester Cup.
1891. Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, 3 April. Had laid against Cortolvin for the Grand National while LUMPING it down on Lecturer had not done much to repair his losses.
TO KNOCK LUMPS OUT OF, verb. phr. (theatrical).—To command a great deal of applause.
1885. ‘CORIN,’ The Truth about the Stage, i. 12. We KNOCK LUMPS OUT OF them in these parts, don’t we, Mac?
TO LUMP THE LIGHTER, verb. phr. (old).—To be transported.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
1811. GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.
