subs. (colloquial).—1. A turn of work [BAILEY: ‘A sea term’]. Hence 2. (spec. Australian) a turn of rest. Also (3) a period of love, weather, adventure, sickness, luck, temper, and so forth (see quot. 1869). As verb. = (1) to relieve; and (2) = to rest.
c. 1586. HAKLUYT, Voyages [ARBER, English Garner, 5, 514] [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, The New English, ii. 6. Men work by SPELLS … there was an old English spelung (turn, change)].
1602. CAREW, Survey of Cornwall, fol. 11. Their toyl is so extreame as they cannot endure it above foure houres in a day, but are succeeded by SPELS.
1706. WARD, The Wooden World Dissected, 25. He … believes there is no more Sin in taking a SPELL with a Whore, than in pumping a leaky Vessel.
1775. WASHINGTON, Letter ‘To J. Reed,’ 25 Dec. Nothing new has happened … except the setting in of a severe SPELL of cold weather, and a considerable fall of snow.
1823. Jamaica Planters’ Guide, 340. Sometimes there are two ostensible boilers TO SPELL and relieve one another. When one is obliged to be SPELLED for the purpose of natural rest, he should leave his injunctions to a judicious negro.
1829. B. HALL, Travels in North America, I. xii. 358–9. A poor old negro, whose woolly head was turned to be grey, though scarcely able to move, begged to be taken in, and offered to give me a SPELL when I became tired.
1834. C. A. DAVIS, Letters of Jack Downing, Major, 55. It is raly curious to see how much more easy and simple all the public affairs go on, than they did a SPELL ago, when Mr. Adams was President.
1835. CROCKETT, Tour to the North and Down East, 90. When he come home from down to south, where he had been pedling a SPELL.
1846. J. L. STOKES, Discoveries in Australia, II. i. 42. In order … to SPELL the oars, we landed at a point on the east side.
1856. KANE, Arctic Explorations, I. 182. A gentle, misty air … makes me hope that we are going to have a warm SPELL.
1869. H. B. STOWE, Oldtown Folks, xvi. When Hepsy does get beat out she has SPELLS, and she goes on awful, and they last day arter day.
1873. A. TROLLOPE, Australia and New Zealand, I. 84. Having a SPELL—what we should call a short holiday.
1877. R. W. DIXON, History of the Church of England, xix. After a grievous SPELL of eighteen months on board the French galleys.
1880. G. N. OAKEY, Victoria in 1880, 114.
| He ‘SPELLED’ upon the ground; a hollow gum | |
| Bore up his ample back and bade him rest. |
1887. C. D. WARNER, Their Pilgrimage, 145. No, I hain’t got a girl now. I had one a SPELL, but I’d rather do my own work.
1888. W. D. HOWELLS, Annie Kilburn, xvi. Don’t you want I should SPELL you a little while, Miss Kilburn?
1890. BOLDREWOOD, A Colonial Reformer, xxiv. 328. There’s a hundred and fifty stock-horses there, SPELLING for next winter’s work.
1896. BALDWIN SPENCER, Horne Expedition in Central Australia, 48. Beside a water-pool … we SPELLED for a day.
Verb. (thieves’).—To advertise: SPELT IN THE LEAR = WANTED (q.v.).
TO SPELL FOR (or AT), verb. phr. (colloquial).—To desire; to hanker after: indirectly.
1821. COMBE, Dr. Syntax, III. iv.
| Syntax, with native keenness felt | |
| At what the cunning tradesman SPELT. |
