subs. (common).—1. Severe weather: as a hard frost or a violent gale. Whence (2) = anything exceptional—a stiff glass, a knock-out blow: see WHOPPER. Also (army) = a martinet.
c. 1816. Old Song, ‘The Night before Larry Was Stretched’ [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896), 79].
| But he’d pawn all the togs that he had, | |
| Just to help the poor dog to a SNEEZER. |
1837–40. HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), The Clockmaker, viii. Its awful to hear a minister swear; and the only match I know for it, is to hear a regular SNEEZER of a sinner quote scripture.
1882. S. G. W. BENJAMIN, Steam-Yachting in America, in The Century Magazine, xxiv. Aug., 602. Caught in a north-west ‘SNEEZER.’
1902. R. DOWLING, Tempest-Driven, xxiv. ‘It will be a SNEEZER,’ said the boatman.
2. (common).—The nose: also SNEEZE: see CONK. Whence (3) = a pocket-handkerchief; and (4) = a snuff-box: also SNEEZING COFFER (GROSE and VAUX).
1834. W. H. AINSWORTH, Rookwood, ‘Jerry Juniper’s Chant.’
| Fogies and fawnies soon went their way, | |
| Fake away, | |
| To the spout with the SNEEZERS in grand array. |
1838. DICKENS, Oliver Twist, xliii. To think of Jack Dawkins—lummy Jack—the Dodger—the Artful Dodger—going abroad for a common twopenny-halfpenny SNEEZE-BOX!
1861. H. KINGSLEY, Ravenshoe, xxxv. ‘But what is cly-faking?’ said Charles. ‘Why a-prigging of wipes, and SNEEZE-BOXES, and ridicules, and such.’
