subs. (B. E. and GROSE: now recognised).—1. A short voyage or journey, an excursion: not in general use till 18th century: as verb (modern), or TO TRIP IT = to make short journeys; also TRIPPER (or TRIPPIST) = (1) an excursionist: often in the combination CHEAP TRIPPER. Also (2) a tram conductor, railway guard, or driver who gets paid by the trip (American).
c. 1360. York Plays, 142.
| And sertis I dred me sore | |
| To make my smale TRIPPE. |
1698. FARQUHAR, Love and a Bottle, Epilogue.
| She, to return our foreigner’s complaisance, | |
| At Cupid’s call, has made a TRIP to France. | |
| Ibid. (1699). The Constant Couple, or A TRIP to the Jubilee [Title]. |
1753. RICHARDSON, The History of Sir Charles Grandison, v. 255. It will be but what mariners call a TRIP to England.
1886. Modern Society, 16 Jan., 117. With returning appetite came the desire to the convivial ocean TRIPPISTS to set sail again for the Mediterranean.
1887. Referee, 30 Oct. The unpromising outlook did not affect the attendance, which, as regards its day TRIPPERS, would not be stalled off by weather.
1890. The Academy, 4 Jan., 3. 1. The dialect is dying out in Manx before the inroads of the ‘TRIPPER.’
1890. BESANT, Armorel, ii. There are two men in her, and they’ve got no oars in the boat. Ignorant TRIPPERS, I suppose.
2. (old colloquial: now recognised).—A failure, mistake, or error: spec. the result of inadvertence or want of thought; ‘an Error of the Tongue or Pen, a stumble, a false step, a miscarriage, or a Bastard’ (B. E. and GROSE): e.g., She has made a TRIP = She has had a bastard.
1628. MILTON, Vacation Exercise, 3. And mad’st imperfect words with childish TRIPS.
1677. WYCHERLEY, The Plain Dealer, v. 1. Oliv. How, Cousin! I’d have you know before this faux pas, this TRIP of mine, the World cou’d not talk of me.
3. (old).—A moment; the ‘twinkling of an eye.’
1726. VANBRUGH, The Provoked Husband, 59. They’ll whip it up in the TRIP of a minute.
4. (thieves’).—A thief’s woman; a FANCY PIECE (q.v.): see TART.
1887. J. W. HORSLEY, Jottings from Jail, i. It was at one of these places down Whitechapel I palled in with a TRIP and stayed with her until I got smugged.
1888. G. R. SIMS, A Plank Bed Ballad [Referee, 12 Feb., 3].
| My TRIP—cuss the day as I seen her— | |
| She sold off my home to some pals in her mob, | |
| For a couple of foont and ten deener. |
5. (theatrical).—The pas de deux by which harlequin and columbine introduce each scene in the harlequinade.
6. (American).—Threepence; 3d.: cf. THRIP, THREP, etc.
[?]. HILLS, Vulgar Arithmetic [Century]. The same vingten is woorth our TRIP, or Eng. 3d., or woorth halfe a Spanish royall.
