Pilate-voice, subs. phr. (old).—A big ranting voice. [Brewer: In the old mysteries all tyrants were made to speak in a rough ranting manner. Thus Bottom the Weaver, after a rant "to show his quality," exclaims, "That's 'Ercles' vein, a tyrant's vein;" and Hamlet describes a ranting actor as "out-heroding Herod."]
1383. Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, 3126. In Pilate voys he gan to cry, And swor by armes, and by blood and bones.
1530. Palsgrave, Lang. Francoyse, 442. A haulte voyx . . . a Pylate's voyce.
1564. Udall, Apophth., 382. He heard a certain oratour speaking out of measure loude and high, and altogether in Pilate's voice.
Pilch, verb. (American thieves').—To
pilfer: see Prig.
1557. Tusser, Husbandrie, 33. Some steale, some pilch, Some all away filch.
Pilcher, subs. (Old Cant).—A
scabbard. [The word is used
nowhere in English save in Romeo
and Juliet. It seems to be a
'literal' due to an Elizabethan
'comp.' Perhaps Shakspeare
wrote 'pilch, Sir'; perhaps he
didn't. Anyhow 'pilch' = a
leathern coat, or overall, and was
good enough business for a
leathern sheath.]
1595. Shakspeare, Romeo and Juliet, iii. 1. Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears?
Pile, subs. (American and colonial).—A
large sum of money; a fortune:
see Rhino. Hence, to
make one's pile = to make a
fortune; to go the whole pile
= to stake everything.
1732-57. Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, Ap. Rash mortals, ere you take a wife, Contrive your pile to last your life.
1858. New York Tribune, 25 Oct. I dug 25 dollars worth of gold dust, and my expenses were about 300 dollars; however, I have clung to the pile, and intend to keep it as a memorial of my trip. Ibid. (Dec, 1861). The jobber has made his pile, and what does he care?
1877. Black, in North Am. Rev., July, 8. While the carpet-baggers . . . were making enormous piles, petty larceny ruled supreme.
1888. Bryce, American Commonwealth, ii. 704. Great fortunes grow with the growing prosperity of the country, and the opportunity it offers of amassing enormous piles by bold operations.
1897. Mitford, Romance Cape Frontier, i. xxi. Didn't care what they did, so they made their pile quickly.
To pile on. See Agony.
To pile in, verb. phr. (American).—(1) To take part; (2) to eat.
1887. Roberts, Western Avernus [S. J. and C.]. They . . . asked up to sit down with them and pile in.
To pile out, verb. phr. (American).—To come forth.
Pile-driver, subs. phr. (venery).—The
penis: see Prick. Whence
pile-driving = copulation: see
Greens and Ride.
Pilgarlick, subs. (old).—1. An outcast; see quot. 1785.
1483. Cath. Anglicum [E. E. T. S.], s.v. Vellicare . . . pille garleke.
d.1529. Skelton [Dyce, Works, i. 122, 68]. Your pylled garleke hed.
1619. Fletcher, Humourous Lieutenant, ii. 2. And there got he a knock, and down goes pilgarlick.
1708-10. Swift, Polite Conversation, i. Col. Was your Visit long, Miss? Miss. Why, truly, they went all to the Opera; and so poor Pilgarlick came home alone.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Pill, or Peele Garlick. Said originally to mean one whose skin or hair had fallen off from some disease, chiefly by the venereal one; but now commonly used by persons speaking of themselves; as, there stood poor pill garlick: i.e., there stood I.
