1708-10. Swift, Polite Conversations, i. Miss. Lord! Mr. Neverout, you are as pert as a Pearmonger this Morning. Neverout. Indeed, Miss, you are very handsome. Miss. Poh! I know that already; tell me news.
New Settlements, subs. phr.
(old Oxford Univ.).—See quot.
1823. Grose, Vulg. Tongue [Egan], s.v. New Settlements, Final reckoning.
Newtown-pippin, subs. (common).—A
cigar: see Weed.
Newy, subs. (Winchester College).—The
'cad' paid to look after
the canvas tent in 'Commoner'
field.
New York grab, subs. phr.
(American).—
1858. W. W. Pratt, Ten Nights in a Bar-room, i., 1. First throw, or New York grab?
N.F., subs. (printers').—A knowing
tradesman. [An abbreviation of
'no flies'].
N.G., phr. (common).—'No go';
'no good'; of no avail.
1888. Cincinnati Weekly Gazette, 22 Feb. His claim was n.g.
N.H. (That is, Norfolk Howard),
subs. phr. (common).—A bug.
[From one Bugg who, it is said,
so changed his name in 1863].
Nias, subs. (old).—A simpleton.
[From the Fr. niasis].
1616. Ben Jonson, The Devil's an Ass, i., 3. Laugh'd at, sweet bird! Is that the scruple? come, come, Thou art a niaise.
Nib (or Nib-cove), subs. (beggars').—1.
A gentleman. Whence
half-nibs = one who apes gentility
(Fr. un herz); Niblike (or
nibsome) = gentlemanly; Nibsomest-cribs
= the best houses.—Vaux
(1819); Grose (1823).
Cf. Nibs.
1834. Ainsworth, Rookwood, iii.,
v. He's a rank nib. Ibid. And ne'er was
there seen such a dashing prig, . . . All
my togs were so niblike.
1839. Reynolds, Pickwick Abroad, 223. Betray his pals in a nibsome game.
2. See Neb.
3. (printers').—A fool.
Verb. (old).—1. To catch; to arrest; to nab (q.v.).—Vaux (1819); Goose (1823).
2. See Nibble.
Nibble, verb. (old).—1. To catch;
to steal. Also to cheat. Whence
nibbler (or nibbing-cull) = a
petty thief or fraudulent dealer:
see quot, 1819.
1608. Middleton, Trick to Catch the Old One, i., 4. The rogue has spied me now: he nibbled me finely once.
1775. Old Song [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 54]. For nibbing culls I always hate.
1819. Vaux, Memoirs, s.v. Nibble, to pilfer trifling articles, not having spirit to touch anything of consequence.
1823. Bee, Dict. Turf, etc., s.v. Nibble. I only nibbled half a bull for my regulars [= I only got a half-crown for my share]. There now I feel you nibbling: said by thieves when they are teaching each other to pick pockets.
1823. Grose, Vulg. Tongue [Egan], s.v. Nibbler. A pilferer, or petty thief.
1843. W. T. Moncrieff, The Scamps of London, iii., 1. You are spliced—nibbled at last—well, I wish you joy.
2. (venery).—To copulate. Also to do a nibble. See Greens and Ride.
3. (colloquial).—To consider a bargain, or an opportunity, eagerly but carefully: as a fish considers bait.
To get a nibble, verb. phr. (tailors').—To get an easy job.
