or nap, subs. (old cant).—1. The head: also NAPPER. See TIBBY.—B. E. (c. 1696); COLES (1706); BAILEY (1728); GROSE (1785); JAMIESON (1880).
1567. HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors, (E.E.T.S.), 86. Now I tower that bene bouse makes nase NABES.
1609. DEKKER, Lanthorne and Candlelight [GROSART, Wks. (1886), iii., 203]. The Ruffin cly the NAB of the Harmanbeck.
1610. ROWLANDS, Martin Mark-all, 39 [Hunterian Club’s Reprint, 1874], s.v.
1611. MIDDLETON and DEKKER, The Roaring Girle, v. 1. So my bousy NAB might skew rome bouse.
1622. FLETCHER, Beggar’s Bush, iii. 4. Hig. I crown thy NAB with a gage of bene-bowse.
1632. DEKKER, English Villanies [GROSART, Wks. (1886), iii]. He carries a short staff … having in the NAB or head of it a ferme.
1671. R. HEAD, The English Rogue (1874), I., v., 50, s.v.
1893. P. H. EMERSON, Signor Lippo, xiv. A long-sleeve cadi on his NAPPER, and a pair of turtles on his martins finished him.
2. (old).—A hat; a cap: also NAB-CHEAT and NAPPER. See GOLGOTHA.—B. E. (c. 1696); COLES (1708); BAILEY (1728); DYCHE (1748); GROSE (1785); MATSELL (1859).
1531–47. COPLAND, The Hye-way to the Spyttel-hous [HAZLITT, Remains of the Early Popular Poetry of England, IV. 69]. His watch shall feng a prounces NOBCHETE.
1567. HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors [E.E.T.S. (1869), 85]. I toure the strummel upon thy NABCHET and Togman.
1622. FLETCHER, Beggar’s Bush, i., 1.
| Thus we throw up our NAB-CHEATS first, for joy, | |
| And then our filches. |
1671. R. HEAD, The English Rogue, i., v. 51 (1874), s.v.
1688. SHADWELL, The Squire of Alsatia, ii. [Works (1720), iv., 47]. Belf. Sen. … Here’s a NABB! you never saw such a one in your Life. Cheat. A rum NAB: it is a Beaver of 5 l.
1706. FARQUHAR, The Recruiting Officer, ii., 3. Ise keep on my NAB.
1754. FIELDING, Jonathan Wild, ii., vi. Those who preferred the NAB, or trencher-hat with the brim flapping over their eyes.
3. (old).—A fop: see DANDY.—MATSELL (1859).
1848. E. Z. C. JUDSON (‘Ned Buntline’), The Mysteries and Miseries of New York, iv. I don’t know nothin’ about no persuits, ’cept the NAB’S persuits. Ibid., s.v. NAB, an officer or constable.
Verb. (old cant).—1. Primarily, to catch; but also a general verb of action. E.g., TO NAB THE RUST = (1) to take offence, to turn rusty; (2) to receive punishment unexpectedly; TO NAB THE SNOW = to steal hedge-linen; TO NAB THE STIFLES = to be hanged; TO NAB THE STOOP = to stand in the pillory; TO NAB THE TEIZE = to be whipped; TO NAB IT ON THE DIAL = to get a blow in the face; TO BE NABBED = to be arrested; TO NAP A COG = to cheat (at dice); TO NAP THE BIB = to cry; TO NAB THE REGULARS = to divide a booty; TO NAP A WINDER = to be hanged; TO NAP IT AT THE NASK = to be lashed at Bridewell; etc. See BIB, REGULARS, and RUST.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS (see also COP and PRIG when = to take or receive). To bag; to bone; to box; to claw; to collar; to cop; to grab; to nail; to nap; to nibble; to nick; to nim; to nip; to pinch; to pull over; to rope in; to scoop; to smug; to snabble; to snaffle; to snake; to snam; to sneak; to snitch.
FRENCH SYNONYMS. Aganter (popular: agenter une claque = to warm the wax of the ear); agrafer (= to hook); arcpincer (or arquepincer); attrimer (thieves’); cintrer en pogne (thieves’); colletiner (thieves’); coltiger (thieves’); enflaquer (thieves’); graffinger (common); griffer (a falconry term = to claw); grifler (thieves’); gripper (RABELAIS); harper (popular); harponner (= to harpoon); pagourer (thieves’).
1609. DEKKER, Lanthorne and Candlelight [GROSART, Wks. (1886) iii. 233]. This hearbe being chewd downe by the Rabbet-suckers almost kils their hearts, and is worse to them then NABBING on the neckes to Connies.
1676. A Warning for House-keepers [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896), 30].
| But if the cully NAP us, | |
| And the lurries from us take. |
1688. SHADWELL, The Squire of Alsatia, iii. [Works (1720), iv., 56]. Our Suffolk Heir is NABB’D, for a small Business; and I must find him some Sham-bail.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. NAP and NASK.
1708. Memoirs of John Hall, s.v. NAP and NASK.
1723. CAPT. ALEX. SMITH, Lives of Bailiffs, 5. The bailiff, though he had long waited for him, could not NAP him.
1728. BAILEY, English Dictionary, s.v. NAB. … to surprise, to take one NAPPING; also to cog a dice.
1733. FIELDING, Tom Thumb, ii., 1. Were he a bully, a highwayman, or a prizefighter I’d NAB him.
1748. SMOLLETT, Roderick Random, xxiii. They embraced the prisoner … and asked how long she had been NABBED, and for what.
1754. POULTER, The Discoveries of John Poulter, 34. NAP my kelp (hold my hat) whilst I stall at the jigger.
1755. JOHNSON, A Dictionary of the English Language, s.v. NAB. To catch unexpectedly; to seize without warning. A word seldom used but in low language.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. NAB. TO NAB THE RUST. A jockey term for a horse that becomes restive. Ibid. (1796). TO NAB THE SNOW; to steal linen left out to bleach or dry. TO NAB THE STOOP; to stand in the pillory.
1781. G. PARKER, A View of Society, II. 230, note. NAP THE STOOP, pilloried. Ibid., ii., 75. TO NAP THE TEIZE is to receive this correction (whipping) privately.
1789. G. PARKER, Life’s Painter, 153. NAPT a couple of bird’s eye wipes. Ibid., 163. NAP THE BIB, a person crying.
d. 1817. J. G. HOLMAN, Abroad and Home, iii., 2.
| Bravo! NAB ’em, have ’em tight, | |
| Merry then we’ll be at night. |
1819. J. H. VAUX, Memoirs, I., 190, s.v. NAP THE BIB, to cry; as, the mollisher NAP’D HER BIB, the woman fell a crying.
1821. P. EGAN, Life in London, 227. Dirty Suke began now to NAP HER BIB. Ibid. (1824), Boxiana, iv., 145. Josh NAPPED again on the other eye.
1830. BULWER-LYTTON, Paul Clifford, xvi. NABBING, grabbing all for himself.
1833. MARRYAT, Peter Simple, I. x. ‘Well,’ cried she, ‘they’ve NABBED my husband.’
1837. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends, ‘The Black Mousquetaire.’
| Once he prevail’d … | |
| On the bailiff who ‘NABBED’ him, himself to ‘go bail’ for him. |
1838. The Comic Almanack, April, ‘The Darby Day.’ Don’t NAB THE BIB, my Bet, this chance must happen soon or later.
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, iii., 139. I give him the NAP and knock him on the back.
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, ‘A Hundred Stretches Hence,’ 124. Some rubbed to wit had NAPPED a winder.
1867. London Herald, 23 March, 221, 3. We’re safe to NAB him; safe as houses.
1885. Bell’s Life, 3 Jan., 8, 4. Johnny led off with his left, but NAPPED IT in return from Bungaree’s left on the temple, which raised a bump.
1886. Daily News, 3 Nov., 5, 6. In one corner, four boys are learning how to KNAP a fogle fly.
1888. Sporting Life, 1 Dec. In endeavouring to reach his opponent’s ribs with the right, NAPPED it on the dial.
1892. MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, 21. He NAPPED me.
2. (old).—See quot.
1775. ASH, Dictionary, s.v. NAB (a colloquial word). To bite, to bite with repeated quick but gentle motion.
HIS NABS. See NIBS.
