3. (old).—In pl. = a tanner (Grose).
4. (American). See Skinner.
5. (American).—A translation; a crib (q.v.); a bohn (q.v.). Also as verb. = to copy a solution; and skinner = one using an irregular aid to study.
1851. Bristed, Five Years, 394. Barefaced copying from books and reviews in their compositions is familiar to our students, as much so as skinning their mathematical examples. Ibid., 457. Classical men were continually tempted to skin the solution of these examples.
1855. Yale College Songs. 'Twas plenty of skin with a good deal of bohn.
18[?]. Yale Lit. Mag. [Bartlett]. Never skin a lesson which it requires any ability to learn.
1856. Hall, College Words and Customs, 430. In examinations . . . many . . . cover the palms . . . with dates, and when called upon for a given date they read it off . . . from their hands. Such persons skin.
18[?]. Trumbull, Story of the Sheepskin [Bartlett]. But now that last Biennial's past; I skinned and fizzled through.
6. (American).—Punch made in the glass: as a whiskey-skin, a rum-skin, &c.
1871. Hay, Little Breeches. Says he, 'Young man, the Phins, know their own whiskey-skins.'
7. (common). See Skinflint.
Verb (old colloquial).—1. To rob; to strip; to clean out (q.v.): spec. (racing) to win all one's bets; (bookmakers') skin the lamb (or have a skinner) = to win with an unbacked horse; (2) = to swindle; and (3) = to take toll (q.v.). Hence skin-game (e.g., skin-faro: see quot. 1882) = a swindle: skin-house
a gambling den; skinner
(1) a sharping cheat, a thief: spec. (American) a looter infesting both camps; (2) a pirate; and (3) a race, which being won by a rank outsider, skins the ring.
1821. Cooper, Spy, i. This poor opinion of the skinners was not confined to Mr. Cæsar Thompson.
1836. Milner, Turpin's Ride to York, ii. 5. Sam. Peel my skin and dub up the browns! What do you mean? Bal. Just this—that if you do not hand over your money I shall blow out your brains!
1855. Irving, Wolfert's Roost, 17. The Skinners and Cowboys of the Revolution, when they wrung the neck of a rooster, did not trouble . . . whether they crowed for Congress or King George.
1851-61. Mayhew, London Labour, ii. 81. Perhaps he gets skinned . . . and sells them for what he can.
1869. Bradwood, O.V.H., xix. And a carefully roped and bottled animal, that dropped like a meteor upon the racing public for the Chester Cup, skinned the lamb for Mr. Bacon, landed every bet standing in his book.
1882. McCabe, New York, xxxix. 545. Skin-faro the only game played here, offers no chance whatever to the player. In skin-faro the dealer can take two cards from the box instead of one whenever he chooses to do so.
1883. Sat. Review, 28 April, 533, 2. His victory proved a gold mine to the professional bookmakers, many of whom did not bet against the horse at all, thus performing the profitable operation technically known in the betting-ring as skinning the lamb.
1883. Graphic, 21 April, 410, 2. The Ring are enormous winners on the race, the majority having skinned the lamb.
1883. Greenwood, In Strange Company. Amongst themselves they are skinners, knock-outs, odd-trick men, and they work together in what . . . their profession calls a "swim."
1884. Referee, 10 August, 1, 1. The winner being found in Quilt, who had sufficient support to leave the result anything but a skinner for the bookmakers. Ibid. (1889), 2 June. They had made a
