1609. Heywood, If you know not me [Works, i. 207]. Const. The Queene must hear you sing another song. . . . Eliz. My God doth know I can no note but truth.
1753. Richardson, Grandison, 1. 120. I must myself sing small in her company.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, xxviii. "But old Meg's asleep now," said another; "she grows a driveller, and is afraid of her own shadow. She'll sing out* some of these odd-come-shortlies, if you don't look sharp." Ibid. [Note]. *To sing out, or whistle in the cage, is when a rogue, being apprehended, peaches against his comrades.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, 24. His spunkiest backers were forced to sing small.
1830. Lever. Harry Lorrequer, xvi. When the call-boy would sing out for Captain Beaugarde . . . we'd find that he had levanted.
1836. Scott, Tom Cringle's Log, i. Who's there? sung out the lieutenant.
1837. Barham, Ingolds. Leg., 'Row in an Omnibus Box.' So after all this terrible squall, Doldrum and Fal-de-ral-tit sing small.
1848. Ruxton, Far West, 3. They made 'em sing out.
1884. Russell, Jack's Courtship, xiii. 'Read the letter aloud, Sophie,' said my uncle. 'Sing it out, my love.'
1885. Clement Scott [Ill. Lon. News, 3 Oct., 339, 1]. There would not be so much reason for complaint, if heroism and virtue were not made to sing small, by the side of this apotheosis of iniquity.
1902. Headon Hill, Caged, xvi. Go and have a wash and sing out for that breakfast.
Singed-cat, subs. phr. (American).—See
quots.
1839. Haliburton, Old Judge, i. 44. That critter is like a singed cat, better nor he seems.
1858. New Orleans Bulletin, May. Parson Brownlow has found an antagonist in the Rev. Mr. Pryne, of Cincinnati. . . . We reckon there'll be fun, as a Cincinnati paper says Pryne is a perfect singed cat!
1859. Bartlett, Americanisms, s.v. Singed-cat. An epithet applied to a person whose appearance does him injustice.
1876. Clemens, Tom Sawyer, 20. You're a kind of singed cat, as the saying is.
Single-broth (or -tiff) subs. phr.
(old).—Small beer: see
Screwed.
d.1635. Corbet, On Dawson, the Butler of Christ Church. And as the conduits ran with claret at the coronation so let your channels flow with single tiff.
1654. Witts Recreations, 154. Sack's but single broth; Ale's meat, drink, and cloth.
Single-peeper, subs. phr. (old.)—A
one-eyed person (Grose).
Single-Pennif, subs. phr. (back
slang).—A five-pound note: see
finnup.
1891. Carew, Auto. of Gipsy, 416. I gets clean off with the scawfer and 'bout 'er thirty quid in single pennifs and silver.
Single-soldier, subs. phr. (old).—A
private.
1816. Scott, Old Mortality, viii. I'se e'en turn a single sodger mysell, or may be a sergeaunt or a captain.
Singleton, subs. (B. E.).—1. 'A
very silly, foolish Fellow.'
2. (old).—A corkscrew: from the name of a Dublin cutler famous for his tempering (Grose).
3. (gaming).—A single card of any suit in a hand: whist. Also a hand containing such a card.
1885. Field, 12 Dec. Nor was it to prove that the lead of a singleton was sometimes good play.
1885. Proctor, How to Play Whist, Pref. Outside . . . modern signalling . . . and the absolute rejection of the singleton lead there is very little difference between the whist of to-day and the whist of Hoyle and Mathews.
Single-woman, subs. phr. (old).
See quot. and Tart.
