subs. (common).—A sharping trick: a pea placed on a table is quickly covered, in irregular succession, by three small cups, the operator betting against the discovery of the pea; as this is easily ‘palmed,’ a successful guess is at the option of the sharper and only allowed for the due ‘landing’ of the victim. Hence such derivatives as THIMBLE-RIG (or -MAN), THIMBLE-RIGGING, and as verb.
1835. HOOK, Gilbert Gurney, I. vii. I will appear to know no more of you than one of the cads of the THIMBLE-RIG knows of the pea-holder.
1843. J. F. MURRAY, The World of London, I. vii. Buttoners are those accomplices of THIMBLERIGGERS … whose duty it is to act as flat-catchers or decoys, by personating flats.
1843. DICKENS, Martin Chuzzlewit, xxxvii. Tom’s evil genius did not … mark him out as the prey of ring-droppers, pea and THIMBLE-RIGGERS, duffers, touters, or any of those bloodless sharpers, who are, perhaps, a little better known to the Police.
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, III. 121. Then the THIMBLE-RIGGER turns to the crowd, and pretends to be pushing them back, and one of the confederates, who is called a ‘button,’ lifts up one of the THIMBLES with a PEA under it, and laughs to those around, as much as to say, ‘We’ve found it out.’ [Abridged.]
1864. Glasgow Daily Mail, 9 May. All kinds of cheats, and THIMBLE-RIGGERS, and prigs.
1868. WHYTE-MELVILLE, The White Rose, II. iv. A merry blue-eyed boy, fresh from Eton, who could do ‘THIMBLE-RIG,’ ‘prick the garter,’ ‘bones’ with his face blacked, and various other accomplishments.
1877. GREENWOOD, Dick Temple, II. ix. The poor trumpery beggars—converted clowns, and dog-stealers, and tramps, and THIMBLE-RIGGERS—a poor out-at-elbows crew.
1884. J. BURROUGHS, Arnold on Emerson and Carlyle [The Century Magazine, xxvii. April, 926]. The explanations of these experts is usually only clever THIMBLE-RIGGING.
1887. Daily Telegraph, 15 March. THIMBLE-RIGGERS abounded, and their tables were surrounded by ‘bonnets.’
