1707. Shirley, Triumph of Wit, 'Rum-Mort's Praise,' &c. A quacking cheat, Or tib-o'-th'-buttry was our meat.
2. See Quacksalver.
Verb. (old booksellers').—See quot.—Bailey (1726).
1715. Centlivre, Gotham Election, . . . He has an admirable knack at quacking titles . . . they tell me when he gets an old good-for-nothing book, he claps a new title to it, and sell off the whole impression in a week.
In a quack, phr. (Scots').—In the shortest time possible: cf. crack.
Quackle, verb. (American).—To
drink; to gobble; to choke:
Bartlett (1847): 'provincial
in England, and colloquial in
America.'
1627. Rev. S. Ward, Sermons, 153. The drink, or something . . . quackled him, stuck so in his throat so that he could not get it up nor down, but strangled him presently.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Revolution, ii. i. 1. Simple ducks in those royal waters quackle for crumbs from young royal fingers.
Quacksalver (Quacksalve or
Quack), subs. (old: now recognised).—Originally
a charlatan; a
travelling empiric who cackled
about his salves: shortened by
Wycherley to quack, which now
= any noisy, specious cheat. Also
as adj. and verb.—B. E. (c.1696);
Grose (1785). Whence quackery
= professional humbug.
1579. Gosson, School of Abuse [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 604. He has the substantive quacksalver].
1596. Jonson, Ev. Man in Humour, iii. 2. All mere gulleries . . . I could say what I know . . . but I profess myself no quacksalver.
1608. Middleton, Mad World, ii. 6. Tut, man, any quack-salving terms will serve for this purpose.
1625. Massinger, Parl. of Love, iv. 5. What should a quacksalve, A fellow that does deal in drugs . . . do with so fair a bedfellow.
1672. Wycherley, Love in a Wood, iii. Quacks in their Bills . . . do not disappoint us more than gallants with their Promises.
Quad, subs. (colloquial).—1. A
quadrangle. Hence as verb.
(Rugby) = to promenade Cloisters
at 'calling over' before a football-match.
Also quod (q.v.).
1840. Collegians' Guide, 144. His mother . . . had been seen crossing the quad in tears.
1855. Trollope, Warden, v. The quad, as it was familiarly called, was a small quadrangle.
1884. Daily News, 14 Oct., 5, 1. His undignified nickname is carved in the turf of the college quad.
2. See Quod, subs. and verb.
3. (common).—A horse; a 'quadruped.'
1885. Eng. Ill. Mag., April, 509. The second rider . . . got his gallant quad over, and . . . went round the course alone.
4. (cyclists').—A bicycle for four.
Quædam, subs. (old).—A harlot: see Tart.
1692. Hacket, Life of Williams, ii. 128. A seraglio of Quædams.
Quæ-gemes, subs. phr. (old).—A
bastard: cf. Johnny Quæ-Genus,
a character title.
Quaff, verb. (old: once and still
literary in the weakened sense 2).—1.
To carouse (B. E., c.1696):
also to quaff off; and (2) to
drink with gusto. Quafftide
(Stanyhurst) = the time of
drinking.
Quag, subs. (old).—Marsh-land; a quagmire.—B. E. (c.1696); Grose (1785).
