4. (old).—A bastard: cf. slink = to miscarry (of beasts).
1702. Comberbatch, Byron and Elms, Comberbatch, 391. What did you go to London for but to drop your slink.
Slip, subs. (old).—See quots.:
also slip-coin. Whence to be
nailed up for slips = to be
tried and found wanting.
d. 1592. Greene, Theeves Falling Out [Harl. Misc., viii. 399]. Certain slips, which are counterfeit pieces of money, being brasse, and covered over with silver, which the common people call slips.
1594. Lyly, Mother Bombie, ii. 1. I shall goe for silver though, when you shall be nailed up for slips.
1595. Shakspeare, Romeo and Juliet, ii. 4. Rom. What counterfeit did I give you. Mer. The slip, sir, the slip: can you not conceive?
d. 1637. Jonson, Epigrams, 64. First weigh a friend, then touch and try him too, For there are many slips and counterfeits.
d. 1655. Adams, Works, i. 247. To take a piece of slip-coin in hand.
2. (old).—A miscarriage; an abortion. Also as verb. = to miscarry.
Phrases.—To slip one's cable (breath, or wind) = to to die: see Aloft; to give the slip = to escape unobserved; a slip (or fall) 'twixt cup and lip = a thing not done may spoil in the doing; to slip into = (1) to attack, and (2) to execute with vigour; to slip up = to err, to trip; a slip of the tongue = an inadvertency in speech; to make a slip = to give chastity the go-by: whence see Slip, ante 2.
1563-4. Edwardes, Damon and Pithias [Dodsley, Old Plays (Reed), iv.]. [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 565. Among the verbs are give him the slip . . .]
1570. Lambarde, Peramb. of Kent, Many things happen betweene the Cup and the Lippe.
1596. Jonson, Ev. Man in Humour, ii. 3. It's no matter . . . if I cannot give him the slip at an instant.
1599. Chapman, Hum. Day's Mirth [Works (1874), 39]. He gave us the slip before dinner.
d. 1704. Brown, Works, ii. 14. He had no sooner turn'd his back, but I pluck'd too the wicket, and gave him the slip.
1726. Vanbrugh, Provoked Husband, ii. 1. A plague on him, the monkey has gin us the slip. Ibid., v. 1. While she stood gaping, I gave her the slip.
1751. Smollett, Peregrine Pickle, lxxiii. I told him [a doctor] as how I could slip my cable without his direction or assistance.
1772. Bridges, Homer Burlesqued, 109. Both those blades had slipt their wind, And in their rough fir coffins bound, Were safe from brabbles under ground.
c. 1796. Wolcot, P. Pindar, 69. And for their cats that happed to slip their breath, Old maids, so sweet, might mourn themselves to death.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas [Routledge], 177. The sequel proved . . . that many things fall out between the cup and the lip.
1827. Lytton, Pelham, lxxvii. Oh, oh! Sir Reginald thought of giving me the slip, eh?
1856. Reade, Never Too Late, &c., x. Give him the right stuff, doctor . . . and he won't slip his wind this time.
1883. Century Mag., xxxvi. 279. Slip up in my vernacular? How could I? I talked it when I was a boy with the other boys.
1886. Field, 25 Sep. In agonies of fear lest our stag should give us the slip.
Slip-along. See Slipshod.
Slip-gibbet (-halter, -rope,
-string, or -thrift), subs. phr.
(old).—A prodigal; one deserving
of (or who has cheated) the gallows
(Grose).
[?]. MS. Bright, 170, f. 1. Such a slippstring trick As never till now befell us heretofore.
