verb. (common).—1. To marry: of the agent; and 2. (venery) = to copulate. TO BE SPLICED = to get married. Also SPLICE, subs. = a wife (GROSE).
1751. SMOLLETT, Peregrine Pickle, vii. Trunnion! Trunnion! turn out and be SPLICED, or lie still and be d—ed.
1839. W. H. AINSWORTH, Jack Sheppard (1889), 20. To-morrow we’ll go to the Fleet, and get SPLICED.
1852. C. BRONTË, Villette, lxii. We never meant to be SPLICED in the humdrum way of other people.
1857. WHITTY, Friends of Bohemia, II. xvi. 205. ‘Is this the confidence of married life?’ ‘Not SPLICED yet, you know.’
1858. BULWER-LYTTON, What Will He Do with It? IV. ix. If you advise me to be SPLICED, why don’t you get SPLICED yourself? … A handsome fellow like you can be at no loss for a heiress.
1897. MARSHALL, Pomes, 31. He’s fond of something tasty, so to speak, For me and him was SPLICED last Monday week.
1901. W. S. WALKER, In the Blood, 282. Suppose a feller goes on the racket when e’s young, what’s to prevent ’im SPLICING ’imself to ’is own daughter when she gets to years o’ discretion or indiscretion?
2. (Winchester).—To throw; to fling.
TO SPLICE THE MAIN BRACE, verb. phr. (nautical).—To drink: orig. to serve out extra grog. WITH MAIN BRACE WELL-SPLICED = drunk: see SCREWED.
