1595. Shakspeare, Romeo and Juliet, iii. 1. I am peppered, I warrant, for this world.
1598. Shakspeare, 1 Hen. IV., ii. 4. 'Pray God you have not murdered some of them.' 'Nay, that's past praying for: I have peppered two of them.'
1607. Dekker, Northward Hoe, ii. 1. Hor. Hold up, my fine girl—what ghosts haunt thy house? Doll. I have a clothier's factor or two, a grocer that would fain pepper me . . . a Dutch merchant that would spend all . . . to take measure of my Holland sheets when I lie in 'em.
1615. Stephens, Essays and Characters [Nares]. You snarle . . . As if you had beene pepperd with your wench.
1622. Massinger, Virgin Martyr, iv. 1. Gone, gone; he's peppered. It is thou Hast done this act infernal.
1652. Shirley, Brothers, v. 3. I have made him sure too, I have pepper'd him . . . I have cut his throat.
c.1696. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Pepperd off, Damnably Clapt or Poxt. Ibid. Pepper proof, not Clapt or Poxt.
c.1707. Durfey, Pills to Purge, &c. (1707), ii. 211. Their Tails are pepper'd with the Pox, And that you're welcome
1712. Swift, Journ. to Stella, Feb. Letter 20, 41. Sir Thomas Hamner is . . . drawing up a representation of the state of the nation to the queen . . . I believe it will be a pepperer.
1764. Hara, Midas, ii. 4. And I'll warrant we'll pepper his jacket.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, . . . Showers of Randall's shot . . . fell peppering hot.
1836. M. Scott, Tom Cringle, i. The French, . . . are . . . sufficiently strong to pepper us very decently in the outgoing.
1851. Mayhew, London Lab., iii. 109. I felt it when the doctor dressed it, for it gave me pepper taking the plaster off.
1856. Hughes, Tom Brown's Schooldays, i. iv. What do they do with the pea-shooters? inquires Tom. Do wi'em! Why, peppers every one's faces as we comes near.
1856. C. Reade, Never Too Late, xxxiv. Now don't you be so peppery, father, said she. There is nothing to make a quarrel about.
1863. Literary Times, 14 Mar. There were several shops, where, under pretence of a small purchase, you could get pepper to a 'pony' on any pending race.
1865. Dickens, Mutual Friend, i. vi. It's my way to make short cuts at things. I always was a pepperer.
1868. Ouida, Under Two Flags, iii. Some peppering one or other of the favorites, hotly.
1882. Athenæum, 28 Nov. The peppery governor promptly refused to see such people.
1884. Field, 6 Dec. The peppering of the rain on the tent.
1885. Cassell's Sat. Journal, 19 Sep. The vessel at which we were now peppering away.
1891. Gould, Double Event, 135. It seemed to be an understood thing that the horse was a 'dead un,' and they peppered him accordingly. Ibid. 183. Messrs. Isaacs and Moss peppered Caloola to their heart's content.
1888. Sporting Life, 15 Dec. Gower sent his man down twice, and, following up, administered pepper. Ibid. 6 Dec. Continued to pepper his canister with his left.
1891. Russell, Ocean Tragedy, 23. Will she be armed, I wonder. It would then make the oddest of all peppering matches.
1892. Anstey, Voces Populi, 'At the Military Exhibition,' 72. Never mind. You peppered 'im. I sor the feathers floy!
1897. Mitford, Romance Cape Frontier, ii. xii. Twenty of the best shots are told off to pepper the retreating enemy.
2. Verb. (University).—To mark-in the accents of a Greek exercise.
3. Verb. (common).—To humbug; to gammon (q.v.). Also to throw pepper in the eyes (or to use the pepper-box).
