Napkin. See Dish-clout.
TO BE BURIED IN A NAPKIN, verb. phr. (common).—1. To be asleep; and (2) to be half-witted.
Knight of the Napkin, subs. phr. (common).—A waiter; a GRASSHOPPER (q.v.)
Napkin-snatching, subs. phr. (old).—See quot. Also NAPKIN-SNATCHER.
1823. Grose, Vulg. Tongue [Egan], s.v. Napkin-snatching, or Fogle-hunting. Sneaking pocket-handkerchiefs.
Nap-nix, subs. phr. (theatrical).—An amateur player of minor parts for the sake of experience.
Napper, subs. (common).—1. See Nab, subs., senses 1 and 2.
2. (old).—A cheat or thief. Whence napper (or naper) of naps = a sheep-stealer.—B. E. (c. 1696); Bailey (1728); Grose (1785); Jamieson (1880).
c.1712. Old Ballad, 'The Black Procession' [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 39]. The sixteenth a sheep-NAPPER.
3. (old).—A false witness.
4. (old).—See Rain-napper.
Nappy, subs. (old).—Strong ale: also napping-gear. Hence as adj. (1) strong or heady; and (2) drunk.
1593. Harvey, Pierces Super. [Grosart, Works, II., 51]. The nippitaty of the nappiest grape; that infinitely surpasseth all the Invention . . . in the world.
1593. Harvey, New Lett. Notable Contents [Grosart, Works, i., 283]. The very steame of the nappy liquor will lullaby thy fine wittes.
1594. Lochrine, ii. 1. The can stands full of NAPPY ALE.
c. 1600. My Wife Will Be My Master [Collier, Roxburghe Ballads (1847), 87]. A cup of nappy ale and spice of which she is first taster.
1602. Cooke, How a Man may Choose a Good Wife [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), ix., 64]. And from the pond and river clear Mak'st nappy ale and Good March beer.
c. 1630. Parker, Harry White, his Humour. M. P. wisheth happy Successe and ale nappy, That with the one's paine He the other may gaine.
1662. Rump Songs, ii., 59. The body being eaten, we strive for the Tayl, Each man with his Kanikin of nappy brown Ale, Doth box it about for the Rump.
b. 1685. The King and the Miller of Mansfield. Nappy ale, good and stale, in a browne bowle.
c. 1696. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Nappy Ale. Very strong, heady.
17 [?] Old Ballad, Pattie's Wedding Herd, ii., 191]. The auld wives sat and they chew'd, and when that the carles grew nappy, they danc'd as weel as they dow'd, Wi' a crack o' their thumbs and a kappie.
1714. Gay, Shepherd's Week. Tues. In misling days, when I my thresher heard, With nappy beer I to the barn repair'd.
1762. Wilson, The Cheats, i. 5. This is napping gear . . . but pray no more of this bowl.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
d. 1796. Burns, Twa Dogs, 18. An' whyles twa pennie worth o' nappy Can mak the bodies unco happy. Ibid., Tam O'Shanter. While we sit bousing at the NAPPY.
1867. Latham, Dict., s.v. Nappy Old epithet applied to ale: (this is the entry in the previous editions, and the present editor is unable to give greater definitude to it.)
Nare. See Never.
Nark (or Copper's-nark), subs. (common).—A police spy; a common informer.
English synonyms (See also Beak and Copper). Buz-man; D; dee; deeker; fox; marker; nose; noser; peach (omnibus spy); pig; piper (omnibus spy); queer-rooster; rat; rosser (or rozzer); setter; shadow; shepherd; snitcher; split; spotter; squealer; stag (or stagger); tec; teck; worm.
