subs. (colloquial).—1. An obstacle; a disputable point; a difficulty: also (old cant) = a hard shift (B. E., GROSE). Hence, as verb. = to hinder, to obstruct. Also RUBBER.
1590. NASHE, Pasquils Apologie [Works, i. 214]. Some small RUBS, as I heare, haue been cast in my way to hinder my comming forth, but they shall not profit.
1599. SHAKESPEARE, Henry V., ii. 2.
| We doubt not now, | |
| But every RUB is smoothed on our way. | |
| Ibid. (1602–3), Hamlet, iii. 1. | |
| To die, to sleep; | |
| To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the RUB. | |
| Ibid. (1605), King Lear, ii. 2. | |
| ’Tis the duke’s pleasure, | |
| Whose disposition, all the world well knows, | |
| Will not be RUBB’D nor stopped. |
1606. JOHN DAY, The Ile of Guls, ii. 4. The duke is comming to bowles, and I would not for halfe mine office you shuld be a RUB in the way of his patience.
1613. PURCHAS, Pilgrimage, 243. Perceiuing that their power and authority would bee a perillous RUBBE in his way.
1684. BUNYAN, Pilgrim’s Progress, II. We have met with some notable RUBS already, and what are yet to come we knew not.
1724. J. HARPER, ‘Frisky Moll’s Song’ in THURMOND’S Harlequin Sheppard [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896), 41]. He broke thro’ all RUBBS in the whitt.
1762. GOLDSMITH, The Life of Beau Nash [Works, 552 (Globe)]. But he experienced such RUBS as these, and a thousand other mortifications, every day.
1840. DICKENS, The Old Curiosity Shop, vii. ‘Look at the worst side of the question then,’ said Trent…. ‘Suppose he lives.’ ‘To be sure,’ said Dick, ‘There’s the RUB.’
1880. A. TROLLOPE, The Duke’s Children, lxxi. He who lives on comfortable terms with the partner of his troubles can afford to acknowledge the ordinary RUBS of life.
2. (military).—A loan: as of a newspaper.
Verb. (venery).—1. To masturbate; TO FRIG (q.v.): also TO RUB UP (or OFF); also subs. = an act of masturbation. Hence RUBBER-UP = a masturbator; RUBBING-UP = masturbation; TO DO A RUB UP = to masturbate. Fr. se branler, se coller une douce, &c. Also (2) to copulate: see RIDE.
1599. JONSON, Every Man out of his Humour, iv. 4. Carlo. Let a man sweat once a week in a hot-house and be well RUBBED and froted, with a good plump juicy wench, and sweet linen, he shall ne’er have the pox.
1656. R. FLETCHER, Martiall, xi. 30. Thus Phillis RUB ME UP, thus tickle mee.
1700. CONGREVE, The Way of the World, i. 9. They must wait a RUB OFF, if I want appetite.
1772. BRIDGES, A Burlesque Translation of Homer, 5.
| Thou that RUBS UP the girls of Lilla. | |
| Ibid., 42. | |
| Ever since I saw … Thetis, stroking | |
| Your knees, as on the ground you sat, | |
| And RUBBING UP, the Lord knows what. |
3. (old).—To run or take away. Also to RUB OFF; TO RUB TO THE WHITT = to send to Newgate (B. E., GROSE).
1550. C. BANSLEY, A Treatyse, Shewing and Declaring the Pryde and Abuse of Women Now a Dayes [HAZLITT, Remains of the Early Popular Poetry of England, IV. 238]. RUBBE forthe, olde trottes, to the devyl worde.
1676. Warening for Housekeepers [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896), 30]. O then they RUB us to the whitt.
1688. SHADWELL, The Squire of Alsatia, i. The Captain whipt his Porker out, and away RUBB’D Prigster and call’d the watch.
c. 1704. W. DARREL, The Gentlemen Instructed, 351. In a huff he … RUB’D OFF, and left the field to Eusebius.
1712. J. SHIRLEY, The Triumph of Wit, ‘The Black Procession.’
| Toure you well; hark you well, see | |
| Where they are RUBB’D. |
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, ‘A Hundred Stretches Hence,’ 124. Some RUBBED to whit had napped a winder.
COLLOQUIALISMS.—TO RUB ALONG (ON or OUT) = (1) to manage somehow, to live indifferently, and (2) = to live tolerably well (B. E., c. 1696); TO RUB DOWN = 1 (police) to search: the prisoner’s arms are raised, the vest unbuttoned, and the officer’s hand passed over the body: also TO RUN THE RULE OVER; (2) to scold, rate, or take to task; TO RUB IN = (1) to nag, annoy, or aggravate persistently: Fr. monter une scie; (2) to peg away, insist, or exaggerate; TO BE RUBBED ABOUT = to be made a convenience; TO RUB OUT (tailors’) = to cut out, also (2—colloquial) to forget old grievances, to cancel a debt: also TO RUB OFF; TO RUB OUT = to kill: hence RUBBED OUT = dead; TO RUB UP = (1) to refresh the memory (B. E., c. 1696, GROSE), (2) to polish (B. E., c. 1696: now recognised), and (3) to touch a tender point or remembrance: hence TO RUB UP THE WRONG WAY = to irritate, to annoy: also TO RUB ON THE GAULE; TO GIVE A RUB OF THE THUMB = to explain or show the way.
1461–73. Paston Letters. I wyll RUBBE on.
1546. HEYWOOD, Proverbs. RUB HIM ON THE GALL.
1610. Mirror for Magistrates, 463. Enough, you RUB’D the guiltie ON THE GAULE.
d. 1704. T. BROWN, Letter to Dr. Baynard, in Works, i. 193. Our affairs have made a shift TO RUB ON without any great conjuring. Ibid., ii. 118. With a little RUBBING UP my memory I may be able to give you the lives of all the mitred hogs.
1778. SHERIDAN, The Rivals, iii. 4. I must RUB UP my balancing, and chasing, and boring.
d. 1790. FRANKLIN, Autobiography, 73. We had nearly consumed all my pistoles, and now just RUBBED ON from hand to mouth.
1816. SCOTT, Old Mortality, xliii. Evandale is the man on earth whom he hates worst, and … were he once RUBBED OUT of the way, all, he thinks, will be his own.
1842. Punch’s Almanack. You see Jinks with a three days’ beard—you RUB OUT the slates—forget his action, and—.
1848. RUXTON, Life in the Far West, 65. Inarticulate words reached the ears of his companions as they bent over him. RUBBED OUT at last, they heard him say.
1850. TENNYSON, In Memoriam, lxxxix. We RUB each other’s angles down.
1863. C. READE, Hard Cash, i. 46. What I have got to RUB UP is my Divinity and my Logic—especially my Logic. Will you grind Logic with me?
1868. WHYTE-MELVILLE, The White Rose, I. xxv. It is no unusual drawback to married life, this same knack of RUBBING THE HAIR THE WRONG WAY.
1870. Daily News, 26 May. ‘Metropolitan Police.’ RUBBING it IN well is a well-known phrase amongst the doubtful portion of the constabulary.
1877. BESANT and RICE, The Golden Butterfly, vii. Clawed I should have been, mauled I should have been, RUBBED OUT I should have been, on that green and grassy spot, but for the crack of Mr. Dunquerque’s rifle.
1879. H. JAMES, A Bundle of Letters, No. IV. She’s for ever throwing Boston up at me; I can’t get rid of poor deal little Boston. The other one RUBS IT INTO me too, but in a different way.
1883. J. HAWTHORNE, Dust, 291. Philip … was always RUBBED THE WRONG WAY by Lady Flanders.
1888. BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, xxix. I suppose he’d RUB THEM OUT, every mother’s son, if he could.
1892. HUME NISBET, The Bushranger’s Sweetheart, 86. We managed to RUB ALONG on our fifteen shillings per week.
1898. BINSTEAD, A Pink ’Un and a Pelican, 163. Jubber was neither hard or remorseless as a rule, unless they RUBBED HIM THE WRONG WAY.
1900. PERCY WHITE, The West End, 24. I knew this was the aspect which he desired to see, so I RUBBED it as bright as I could and held it up [speaking of patronage].
1902. Pall Mall Gazette, 24 Jan., i. 2. Mr. Rowe … will RUB this fact INTO them before they are much older.
