= nothing; nix (q.v.): e.g. to work for shice = to get no payment. Spec. Shice = base money; and, as adj., (1) spurious, shabby, bad: also shicery and shickery; and (2) = tipsy.
1851-6. Mayhew, Lon. Lab., 1. 472. The hedge crocus is shickery togged.
1871. Illus. Sydney News, 21 Jan., 'The Digger.' The ne'er-do-wells . . . are . . . the first to rush to a new field, scrape it of its surface gold and then too lazy to seek further by deep sinking denounce the rush as a shicer.
1877. Five Years' Penal Servitude, iii. 240. I ascertained while at Dartmoor that a very large 'business' is done in shise. Ibid., ii. Seeing how the fellow was acting he sent him two shise notes, which gave him a dose that cooked him.
1899. Binstead, Hounsditch Day by Day, 46. She comes over Shikkur and vants to go to shleeb.
1901. Walker, In the Blood, 260. 'You're a damned good plucked un, Toby!' muttered Squiffy, 'an' ye're no shicer.'
Shickster (Shickser, or
Schickster), subs. (common).—A
woman: specifically (among
Jews) = (1) a female servant not
of the Jewish faith; and (2) a
woman of shady antecedents.
Shickster-crabs = ladies' shoes.
1857. Snowden, Mag. Assistant (3rd Ed.), 446. A lady—A shikster.
1899. Binstead, Hounsditch Day by Day, 91. 'No Mr. Motzaberger' says the schveet young shiksa.
1891. Carew, Autobiography of a Gipsy, 414. As I was leavin' the court a reg'lar 'igh-flying shickster comes up.
Shif, subs. (back slang).—Fish.
Shift, verb. (common).—1. To eat;
and especially to drink. Hence
shifter = a drunkard.
2. (old).—To change one's smock; to change one's clothes.
1695. Congreve, Love for Love, i. 4. Bid Margery put more flocks in her bed, Shift twice a week, and not work so hard, that she may not smell so vigorously.
To do a shift, verb. phr. (common).—1. To go away; to change one's quarters.
1892. National Observer, 27 Feb., 378. But if you arst me, do I ever do a shift? Am I particklerly partial to a fuss?. . . Speaking as one man to another,—Yuss!
2. (common).—To evacuate.
To shift one's bob. See Bob.
Shifter, subs. (old).—1. An intriguer:
shifty-cove = a trickster
(Grose). Also (2) = a thief;
(3) a sharper; and (4) a drunkard.
Whence shifty (or shifting) =
tricky (now recognised); shifting
= (1) shuffling, stealing,
swindling; and (2) = drinking.
1567. Awdeley, Fraternitye of Vagabonds. As well as of rufling Vacabondes, as of beggerley, . . . with a Description of the Crafty Company of Cousoners and shifters. [Title.]
1584. Robinson, Pleasant Delights [Arber], 14. Maids must be manerly, not full of scurility, wherein I see you excel. . . . You are a trim shifter.
1593. Shakspeare, Com. of Errors, iii. 2, 187. I see a man here needs not live by shifts.
1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes, Bazaro . . . a shifter, a conicatcher . . . a haltersacke.
1601. Jonson, Poetaster, iii. 1. Thou art an honest shifter; I'll have the statue repealed for thee.
1607. Common Council Enactment. Shifters, people lyvinge by Cozeainge, Stealinge, and Imbeazellinge of Men's Goodes as opportunitye may serve them.
1608. Withals, Dict. A shifter whome they call a cunny-catcher.
1610. Mir. for Mags., 144. Nought more than subtill shiftings did we please, With bloodshed, craftie undermining men.
1616. Richard Cabinet [Nares], Shifting doeth many times incurre the indignitie of reproch, and to be counted a shifter, is as if a man would say in plaine tearmes a coosener.
