1612. Dekker, O per se O [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 11]. And prig and cloy so benshiply, All the dewsea-*vile within.
1622. Fletcher, Beggar's Bush, v. 2. Higgen hath prigged the prancers in his days.
[?]. Drant, Horace, 'To Julius Florus.' A pridgeman from him pryuillie his money did purloyne.
1712. Shirley, Triumph of Wit, 'The Black Procession.' The nineteenth's a prigger of cacklers who harms, The poor country higlers, and plunders the farms.
1724. J. Harper, 'Frisky Moll's Song' in Harlequin Jack Sheppard. From priggs that snaffle the prancers strong.
1743. Fielding, J. Wild (1893), 17. The prig . . . the vulgar name for thief. Ibid., 28. An undeniable testimony of the great antiquity of priggism. Ibid. Without honour priggery was at an end.
1749. Goadby, Bamfylde Moore-Carew, 'Oath of Canting Crew.' Prig of cackler, prig of prancer.
1772. Bridges, Burlesque Homer, 160. A staring, gaping, hair-brain'd prig, Came up to steal his hat and wig.
1789. Parker, Life's Painter, 158. In order to give them an opportunity of working upon the prig and buz, that is, picking of pockets.
1821. Egan, Life in London, 11. iii. Cadgers; . . . fish-fags; . . . and the prigs, spending the produce of the day; and all . . . happy and comfortable.
1827. Lytton, Pelham, lxxx. Well, you parish-bull prig, are you for lushing jackey, or pattering in the hum box?
1828-9. H. T. R., Vidocq's Memoirs, Tr. of Un Jour a la Croix Rouge. When twelve bells chimed, the prigs returned.
1829. Maginn, The Pickpocket's Chaunt, i. As from ken to ken I was going, Doing a bit on the prigging lay.
1834. Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard (1889), 20. I'll give him the edication of a prig—teach him the use of his forks . . . make him . . . as clever a cracksman as his father.
1838. Dickens, Oliver Twist, xviii. I suppose you don't even know what a prig is? said the Dodger mournfully. 'I think I know that,' replied Oliver, looking up. 'It's a th—; you re one, are you not?' inquired Oliver, checking himself.
1840. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, 'Jackdaw of Rheims.' They can't find the ring! And the Abbot declared that, "when nobody twigg'd it, Some rascal or other had popp'd in, and prigg'd it!"
1841. Hewlett, Peter Priggins [Title].
1850. Thackeray, Policeman X [Misc. (1899), 213]. Prigs their shirts and umbrellers, Prigs their boots and 'ats and clothes.
1851. Borrow, Lavengro, xxxi. We never calls them thieves here, but prigs and fakers.
1864. Glasgow Daily Mail, 9 May. All kinds of cheats, and thimble-riggers, and prigs.
1870. London Figaro, 19 Feb. They came and prigg'd my stockings, my linen, and my store; But they couldn't prig my sermons, for they were prigg'd before.
1891. Clark Russell, Ocean Tragedy, 87. She prigged the furniture.
2. (old colloquial).—A superior person, i.e., a person esteeming himself superior; in dress, morals, social standing, anything; and behaving as such. [The connotation is one of deliberate and aggressive superiority: you must get that, or you get no prig: see quot. 1836.] Also a bore. Whence prigdom, priggery, priggishness, and priggism.—B. E. (c.1696); Dyche (1748); Grose (1785).
1676. Etherige, Man of Mode, iii. 3. What spruce prig is that?
1686. Dorset, Faithful Catalogue. Her Court (the Gods be prais'd) has long been free From Irish Priggs, and such dull Sots as he.
1688. Shadwell, Sq. of Alsatia, i. Thou shalt shine, and be as gay as any spruce prigg that ever walked the street. Ibid. If you meet either your father, or brother, or any from those prigsters, stick up thy countenance.
1695. Congreve. Love for Love, v. What does the old prig mean? I'll banter him, and laugh at him.
c. 1697. Tom Brown, Satire on the French King [Works (1715), i. 66.] Thou that hast look'd so fierce, and talk'd so
