Queer

or quire, quyer, subs. and adj. (old cant: now in some senses colloquial or accepted).—A generic depreciative: criminal, base, counterfeit, odd (B. E., c. 1696, and GROSE, 1785): cf. RUM. Later usages are (1) = out of sorts or SEEDY (q.v.) from drink, sickness, or accident; (2) unfavourable or unpropitious; and (3) strange or CRANKY (q.v.): whence also QUEERS (subs.), QUEERED, and QUEERY. Thus (old) QUEER-BAIL = fraudulent bail, STRAW-BAIL (q.v.); QUEER-BIRD = a jail-bird, a convict; QUEER-BITCH = ‘an odd, out-of-the-way fellow’ (GROSE); QUEER-BIT (-COLE, -MONEY, -PAPER, -SCREENS, -SOFT, or QUEER) = base money, coin or notes (whence QUEER-SHOVER; TO SHOVE THE QUEER = to pass counterfeit money; and QUEER-BIT MAKER = a coiner); QUEER-BLUFFER = a cut-throat innkeeper; QUEER-BOOZE = poor lap, SWIPES (q.v.); QUEER-BUNG = an empty purse; QUEER-CHECKER = a swindling box-keeper; QUEER-CARD (FELLOW, or FISH) = a person strange in manner or views (also, in pl. = QUEER-CATTLE); QUEER-CLOUT = a handkerchief not worth stealing; QUEER-COLE-MAKER = a coiner; QUEER-COLE-FENCER = a receiver (or utterer) of base coin; QUEER-COVE (-BIRD, -CULL, or -GILL) = (1) a rogue, thief, or gaol-bird, (2) a fop, (3) a fool, and (4) a shabbily-dressed person; QUEER-CUFFIN = (1) a magistrate, a BEAK (q.v.), and (2) a churl; QUEER-DEGEN = a poor sword; QUEER-DIVER = a bungling pickpocket; QUEER-DOXY = (1) a jilting jade, and (2) an ill-dressed whore; QUEER-DRAWERS = old or coarse stockings; QUEER-DUKE = (1) a decayed gentleman, and (2) a starveling; QUEER-’EM (QUEER-’UN or QUEER-’UM) = the gallows; QUEER-FUN = a bungled trick; QUEER-KEN (or QUEER-KEN-HALL) = (1) a prison; and (2) a house not worth robbing; QUEER-KICKS = tattered breeches; QUEER-MORT = a dirty drab, a jilting wench, a pocky whore; QUEER-NAB = a shabby hat; QUEER-PEEPER = (1) a mirror of poor quality, and (2), in pl. = squinting eyes; QUEER-PLUNGER = a cheat working the drowning man and rescue dodge; QUEER-PRANCER = (1) a foundered whore, and (2) an old screw; QUEER-ROOSTER = a police spy living among thieves; QUEER-TOPPING = a frowsy wig; QUEER-WEDGE = base gold; QUEER-WHIDDING = a scolding; QUEER-GAMMED = crippled; TO QUEER = to spoil, to get the better of; TO BE QUEERED = to be drunk; TO TIP THE QUEER = to pass sentence; TO BE QUEER TO (or ON) = (1) to rob; (2) to treat harshly; IN QUEER STREET = (1) in a difficulty, (2) = wrong, and (3) = hard-up.—AWDELEY (1560); HARMAN (1567); ROWLANDS (1610); HEAD (1665); B. E. (c. 1696); COLES (1724); BAILEY (1726); PARKER (1781); GROSE (1785); VAUX (1812); BEE (1823).

  1560.  AWDELEY, The Fraternitye of Vacabondes, 4. A QUIRE BIRD is one that came lately out of prison, and goeth to seeke seruice.

  1567.  HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors, 85. It is QUYER BOUSE (it is small and naughtye drynke).

  1592.  GREENE, A Quip for an Upstart Courtier [GROSART, Works (1881), xi. 283]. You can lift or nip a bounge like a QUIRE COUE, if you want pence.

  1608.  DEKKER, Lanthorne and Candlelight [GROSART, Works (1885), iii. 203], ‘A Canting Song.’ To the QUIER CUFFING we bing. Ibid., 196. In Canting they terme a Iustice of peace, (because he punisheth them belike) by no other name than by QUIER CUFFIN, that is to say a Churle, or a naughty man. Ibid., 203. Then to the QUIER KEN, to scowre the Cramp-ring.

  1610.  ROWLANDS, Martin Mark-all, ‘Towre out ben Morts.’

  1622.  FLETCHER, Beggar’s Bush. We the CUFFINS QUERE defy.

  1707.  J. SHIRLEY, The Triumph of Wit [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896), 36].

  1712.  Spectator, No. 474. I beg you would publish this letter, and let me be known all at once for a QUEER FELLOW, and avoided.

  1752.  SMOLLETT, A Faithful Narrative, Wks. (1901, xii. 184). The very cull who hath a warrant against me for snabbling his peeter and QUEER Joseph.

  1772.  BRIDGES, A Burlesque Translation of Homer, 59.

  1789.  G. PARKER, The Happy Pair [in Life’s Painter].

  1818.  SCOTT, The Heart of Mid-lothian, xxv. “He knows my gybe [pass] as well as the jark [seal] of e’er a QUEER CUFFIN [justice of peace] in England.”

  1821.  P. EGAN, Life in London, II. i. The Duke and the “Dealer in QUEER”—the Lady and her Scullion, &.

  1822.  SCOTT, The Fortunes of Nigel, xxiii. “You would be QUEERED in the drinking of a penny pot of malmseys.”

  1824.  Sonnets for the Fancy [P. EGAN, Boxiana, iii. 622]. The QUEERUM QUEERLY smear’d with dirty black. Ibid. The knowing bench had TIPPED her buzer QUEER.

  1825.  T. JONES, The True Bottom’d Boxer [The Universal Songster, ii. 96]. Till groggy and QUEERY.

  1826.  J. BRUTON, My Mugging Maid [The Universal Songster, iii. 103].

  1827.  BULWER-LYTTON, Pelham, lxxxiii. Oh, my kiddies, cried Bess … you are in QUEER STREET.

  1829.  MARRYAT, Frank Mildmay, xx. ‘You Englishmen go to work in a QUEERISH kind of way,’ said he, ‘you send soldiers to live on an island where none but sailors can be of use.’

  1834.  W. H. AINSWORTH, Rookwood (1864), 180. Rum Gills and QUEER GILLS. Ibid., 194, ‘Jerry Juniper’s Chaunt.’ Readily the QUEER SCREENS I then could smash.

  1836.  DICKENS, Pickwick Papers, lv. 482. “If you had gone to any low member of the profession, it’s my firm conviction … that you would have found yourselves IN QUEER STREET before this.”

  1837.  R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends, ‘Grey Dolphin.’ Things … were looking rather QUEERISH.

  1837.  B. DISRAELI, Venetia, xiv. QUEER CUFFIN will be the word yet if we don’t tout.

  1844.  THACKERAY, Barry Lyndon, xvii. I could tell tales of scores of QUEER DOINGS there.

  1848.  DICKENS, Dombey and Son, xl. ‘A fair friend of ours has removed to QUEER STREET.’ ‘What do you mean, Major?’ inquired Mr. Dombey. ‘I mean … that you ’ll soon be an orphan-in-law.’

  1855.  C. KINGSLEY, Westward Ho! “‘Go away,’ I heard her say, ‘there’s a dear man;’ and then something about a ‘QUEER CUFFIN’ (that’s a justice in these carter’s thieves’ Latin).” Ibid. (1857), Two Years Ago, xiv. I am very high in QUEER STREET just now, ma’am, having paid your bills before I left town.

  1862.  THACKERAY, The Adventures of Philip, iv. ‘We’ve seen his name—the old man’s—on some very QUEER PAPER, says B. with a wink to J.

  1865.  DICKENS, Our Mutual Friend, II. v. Put it about in the right quarters, that you’ll buy QUEER BILLS by the lump.

  1866.  The London Miscellany, 5 May, 202, 1, ‘London Revelations.’ I don’t think I told you all the business. A precious QUEER START it was.

  1871.  Figaro, 20 Feb. He established a saloon in New York which became the headquarters of all the counterfeiters and SHOVERS OF THE QUEER in the country.

  1876.  C. HINDLEY, ed. The Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack, 218. Consumption—‘was QUEERING him.’

  1886–96.  MARSHALL, ‘Pomes’ from the Pink ’Un [1897], 16. It is true her descent was in some respects QUEER.

  1888.  Missouri Republican, 4 March. The police are looking for the QUEER-SHOVER, and are confident of effecting his capture. Ibid., 25 Jan. Moulds for making the QUEER having been found on his premises.

  1894.  GEORGE MOORE, Esther Waters, xli. It was not his habit to notice domestic differences of opinion, especially those in which women had a share—QUEER CATTLE that he knew nothing about.

  1898.  BINSTEAD, A Pink ’Un and a Pelican, 240. He hardly ever uttered the spurious coins himself … and, consequently, seldom had any ‘QUEER’ about his person.

  2.  (old).—See quot.

  1818.  P. EGAN, Boxiana, II. 423 [Note]. ‘QUEER.’ A term made use of by the dealers in soot, signifying a substitute imposed for the original article, inferior in point of value 4d. per bushel.

  3.  (common).—A QUIZ (q.v.); a look; a hoax: also QUEER-QUISH. As verb. = (1) to ridicule, and (2) to distinguish or divine, TO SPOT (q.v.); QUEERER = a QUIZZER (q.v.).

  c. 1790.  Old Song, ‘Flash Man of St. Giles’ [The Busy Bee, II. 123]. And QUEER’D the flats at Thrums, E, O.

  1812.  COLMAN, Poetical Vagaries, 144, ‘Two Parsons.’

  1818.  SCOTT, The Heart of Mid-lothian, xxvi. “Wha is he, Jeanie?—wha is he?—I haena heard his name yet—Come now, Jeanie, ye are but QUEERING us.”

  1823.  BYRON, Don Juan, xi. 19.

  1844.  Puck, 13. I’m as happy o’er my beer as anyone that’s here, And if need comes can QUEER a bargee again.

  1857.  Punch, 31 Jan., p. 49, ‘Dear Bill, This Stone-jug.’ In the day-rooms the cuffins we QUEER at our ease.

  1892.  W. E. HENLEY and R. L. STEVENSON, Deacon Brodie, v. 15. Have a QUEER at her phiz. Ibid., Tab. II. 2. Let’s have another QUEER at the list.

  2.  (old).—Cute; knowing; FLY (q.v.).

  1789.  G. PARKER, The Sandman’s Wedding, ‘Air,’ ii. For he’s the kiddy rum and QUEER.

  Verb. (common).—1.  See subs. 3.

  2.  (common).—To spoil; to outwit; to perplex. Hence TO QUEER A PITCH (cheap Jacks and showmen)—to spoil a chance of business; TO QUEER THE NOOSE OR STIFLER = to cheat the hangman; TO QUEER FATE = to get the better of the inevitable; TO QUEER THE OGLES = to blacken the eyes.—GROSE (1785); VAUX (1819).

  1818.  SCOTT, The Heart of Mid-lothian, xxiii. I think Handie Dandie and I may QUEER THE STIFLER for all that is come and gone. Ibid., xxx. If the b— QUEERS THE NOOSE, that silly cull will marry her.

  c. 1819.  Old Song, ‘The Young Prig’ [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896), 83]. There no QUEERING fate, sirs.

  1836.  H. M. MILNER, Turpin’s Ride to York, i. 2. I can QUEER these brither blades of the road.

  1843.  W. T. MONCRIEFF, The Scamps of London, ii. 3. I’ll QUEER them yet.

  1875.  T. FROST, Circus Life and Circus Celebrities, 278. Any interruption of their feats, such as an accident, or the interference of a policeman, is said to ‘QUEER THE PITCH.’

  1886.  Referee, 21 Feb. Endeavours made to QUEER A rival’s or an antagonist’s PITCH. Ibid. (1889), 26 May. Why should not our non-professors’ little game be QUEERED?

  1891.  Morning Advertiser, 27 March. His PITCH being QUEERED he marched to another point, but here he found the police in possession.

  1900.  Free Lance, 6 Oct., 20, 2. That’s the third show she’s QUEERED this season. I believe she’d sink a ship.

  QUEER (FINE, ODD, or TIGHT) AS DICK’S (or NICK’S) HATBAND, phr. (old).—Out of order or sorts, not knowing why: also AS QUEER AS DICK’S HATBAND THAT WENT NINE TIMES ROUND AND WOULDN’T MEET.—GROSE (1785).