subs. (common).—A bellyful—liquor or food.
1600. W. KEMP, Nine Daies Wonder [ARBER, English Garner, vii.]. [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, The New English, ii. 52. A man takes a jump; he may have his SKINFULL of drink.]
1640–50. HOWELL, Familiar Letters, iii. 5. [Howell calls his body A SKINFULL OF BONES.]
1773. GOLDSMITH, She Stoops to Conquer, i., 2.
| I’ll wager the rascals a crown, | |
| They always preach best with a SKINFUL. |
1868. W. S. GILBERT, Bab Ballads, ‘Sir Macklin.’
| He wept to think each thoughtless youth | |
| Contained of wickedness a SKINFUL. |
1888. J. RUNCIMAN, The Chequers, 85. They were reasonably anxious to secure a SKINFUL, and they feared lest my powers might prove abnormal.
1897. Daily Mail, 25 Sept., 7, 3. The elastic skin man comes over here for the first time, and the Custom House authorities will need to look out that he is not employed for smuggling purposes—he has certainly been known many a time to have his SKINFUL.
