subs. (old).—1. A detective: specifically one employed by omnibus and (formerly) by stagecoach proprietors to check receipts. [See verb.]
2. (common).—A girl or young woman of pleasing parts; cf. PLUM.
Verb. (once literary: now colloquial or slang).—To inform; to betray; TO SPLIT (q.v.): TO ROUND ON (q.v.). [From ‘impeach.’] Hence PEACHER = an informer.—GROSE (1785).
ENGLISH SYNONYMS. To bust; to blow the gaff; to cast up accounts; to cackle; to castell; to crab; to crack; to clipe; to chirp; to come it; to hedgehog; to dick; to inkle; to leak; to let on; to let out; to lip; to make a song; to nose; to give the office; to put away; to put up: to put a down on; to be rusty; to ruck on; to round on; to scream; to snap; to snitch; to stag; to squeal; to squeak; to split; to tip; to tip the wink; to whiddle; to whittle. [For other synonyms, see SPLIT.]
c. 1362. York Plays, XL.
| For-thy as wightis þat are will þus walke we in were, | |
| For PECHYNG als pilgrymes þat putte are to pees. |
1554. FOXE, Martyrs. Accusers or PEACHERS of others that were guiltless.
1598. SHAKESPEARE, 1 Henry IV., ii. 2. If I be ta’en, I’ll PEACH for this. Ibid. (1603), Measure for Measure, iv. 3. Then is there here one master Caper, at the suit of master Three-pile the mercer, for some four suits of peach-colour’d satin, which now PEACHES him a beggar.
1607. W. S., The Puritaine, iv. 3. George, look to’t; I’ll PEACH at Tyburn else.
1607. MIDDLETON, The Phœnix, v. 1. Let me have pardon … and I’ll PEACH ’em all.
1632. JONSON, The Magnetic Lady, iv. 2. Go PEACH, and cry yourself a fool.
1639. BEAUMONT and FLETCHER, The Bloody Brother, iii. 2. You PEACHING rogue, that provided us these necklaces.
1641. EVELYN, Diary [Century]. If I did not amidst all this PEACH my liberty.
1663. BUTLER, Hudibras, I. i.
| Make Mercury confesse and PEACH | |
| Those thieves which he himself did teach. |
1713. ARBUTHNOT, The History of John Bull, III. i. Your Ptschirnsooker came off, as rogues usually do upon such occasions, by PEACHING his partner.
1731. FIELDING, The Letter Writers, ii. 11. Mr. Wisdom. … It were good for you to resolve on being an evidence, and save your own neck at the expense of his. Risque. Well, sir, if I must PEACH, I must, I think.
1830. BULWER-LYTTON, Paul Clifford, xxxi. You will not PEACH, I suppose! I PEACH! devil a bit!
1839. W. H. AINSWORTH, Jack Sheppard [1889], 31. He … only escaped the gallows by IMPEACHING his accomplices.
1849. C. KINGSLEY, Alton Locke, x. Now … no PEACHING. If any man is scoundrel enough to carry tales, I’ll ———
1857. T. HUGHES, Tom Brown at Rugby, I. 8. He … used to toady the bullies by offering to fag for them, and PEACHING against the rest of us.
1884. The Saturday Review, 9 Feb., 178. Known to the police, as likely to PEACH.
1890. Pall Mall Gazette, 8 Feb., i. If some fellow was to go and PEACH, how would he prove the case?
1901. The Sporting Times, 27 April, 1, 4. A sea-green, incorruptible navvy was offered half a sovereign for his vote, which he accepted. At the same time, he felt that it was an outrage on his honour and integrity, so he PEACHED, and became a valuable witness in the unseating of Mr. Barker.
