1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., v. 290. The Abbot also every Saturday was to visit their beds, to see if they had not shuffled in some softer matter or purloyned some progge for themselves. Ibid. Pandulf, an Italian and Pope's legate, a perfect artist in progging for money.
1688. Shadwell, Sq. of Alsatia, 11. So, here's the prog, here's the dinner coming up.
1730. Swift, Directions to Servants, ii. You can junket together at nights upon your own prog, when the rest of the house are a-bed.
1795. Cumberland, Jew, ii. 2. Jabal. I have not had a belly-full since I belong'd to you. You take care there shall be no fire in the kitchen, master provides no prog upon the shelf, so between you both I have plenty of nothing but cold and hunger.
1818. Moore, Fudge Family [Works (1854), 406]. There's nothing beats feeding, And this is the place for it, Dicky, you dog, Of all places on earth—the head-*quarters of prog.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends (1862), 191. Och! the Count Von Strogonoff, sure he got prog enough.
1845. Disraeli, Sybil, 111. vii. Ayn't you lucky, boys, to have reg'lar work like this, and the best of prog!
1871. Morning Advertiser, 11 Sep. So we'll cut down their full rations, and knock off all their grog, Whilst I feast at home with sleek lord mayors on aldermanic prog.
1893. Milliken, 'Arry Ballads, 18. See old mivvies with prog-baskets prowling about. Ibid., 27. Lots o' prime prog in the bag.
Verb. (printers').—To prognosticate.
See Prog, subs.
Progger (or Proggins), subs.
(University).—A proctor: whence
to be progged = to be proctorised;
and progging = a
proctorial discipline.
Prognostic, subs. (literary).—An
artistic feeder. [Prog (q.v.) +
Gr. gnosis.]
Project, verb. (American).—To
play tricks; to monkey (q.v.).
1847. Chronicles of Pineville, 181. I'll blow 'em all to everlastin' thunderation, if they come a projectin' about me.
Prom, subs. (common).—A promenade
concert: cf. Pop.
1902. Free Lance, 4 Jan., 358, 1. Musically speaking, there is never one of the programmes at the Proms, that is unworthy of the attendance of the most cultured music lover.
Promoter, subs. (old).—See quot.
1509, and Putter-on.
1509. Barclay [Jamieson (1874), ii. 50], Ship of Fools. [Oliphant, New English, i. 378. There is the word promoter used for a lawyer; fifty years later it was degraded to mean an informer.]
1563. Foxe, Acts and Monuments [Cattley]. [Oliphant, New English, i. 550. Barclay had used promoter for a lawyer; Foxe constantly uses the word to signify an informer, and this last word is also employed.]
1608. Yorkshire Tragedy, i. 2. My second son must be a promoter; and my third a thief.
2. (colloquial).—A fool-catcher.
Promoss, verb. (Australian).—To
talk rubbish; to play the fool;
to gammon (q.v.).
Promotion. On promotion,
adv. (common).—1. On approval;
(2) unmarried.
1848. Thackeray, Vanity Fair, xliv. 'You want to smoke those filthy cigars,' replied Mrs. Rawdon. 'I remember when you liked 'em, though,' answered the husband. . . . 'That was when I was on my promotion, Goosey,' she said.
Prompter, subs. (Merchant Taylors'
School).—One of the second
form.
Proof, subs. (University).—The
best ale at Magdalen, Oxford.
