1775. Old Song, 'The Potato Man' [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 55]. I'm up to all your knowing rigs.
1782. Cowper, John Gilpin, 25. He little dreamt when he set out Of running such a rig.
1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, ii. 6. We haven't had a better job a long vile nor the shabby genteel lay. That, and the civil rig told in a pretty penny.
1836. Marryat, Japhet, ii. Sometimes I carry on my rigs a little too far.
1837. Dickens, Pickwick (1857), 351. One expressed his opinion that it was "a rig," and the other his conviction that it was "a go."
1848. Lowell, Biglow Papers, . . . Who ever'd ha' thought sech a pisonous rig Would be run by a chap thet wuz chose fer a Wig?
1857-61. Mayhew, London Lab., iii. 144. You're up to the rigs of this hole; come to my hole—you can't play there!
1851. Chamber's Journal, xv. 103. A pawnbroker contributes the linen, an exuberant quantity of which is generally one of the characteristics of the Rig Sale.
1855. Tom Taylor, Still Waters [Dicks], 13. We must rig the market. Go in and buy up every share that's offered.
1892. Pall Mall Gaz., 28 Oct., 6, 2. Mr. Burr, without the knowledge of Mr. Westmacott, issued underwriting agreements, and proceeded to . . . rig the market.
1892. Henley and Stevenson, Deacon Brodie, I. vii. That's the rig, Deacon.
1901. D. Telegraph, 29 April, 4, 4. He never thought of running such a rig as that which caused his appearance before Mr. Sheil, at Westminster Police-court, on Saturday. Ibid., 21 Dec., 2, 7. Yesterday the rig in Scotch pig-iron collapsed.
2. (common).—Dress; style: whence = a turn-out, or outfit: also rig-out and rigging. As verb = to equip; rigged = dressed; to rig a bloss = to strip a wench; rum rigging = fine clothes.—B. E. (c. 1696); Grose (1785).
1594. Nashe, Unf. Traveller [Wks. v. 164]. Her wardrop was richly rigd.
1625. Jonson, Staple of News, ii. 1. She is not rigged, sir; setting forth some lady Will cost as much as furnishing a fleet.
1639. Massinger, Unnatural Combat, iv. 2. But if you will look on the malecontent Belgarde, newly rigg'd up, with the train that follows him, 'twill be an object worthy of your noting.
1677. Wycherley, Plain Dealer, iv. 1. You shall see how I rigged my 'squire out, with the remains of my ship-*wrecked wardrobe.
1709. Centlivre, Busie Body, ii. Buy a Lady's Favour at the Price of a thousand Pieces, to rig out an Equipage for a Wench.
1729. Gay, Polly, i. 2. She is in most charming rigging; she won't cost you a penny, Sir, in cloaths at first setting out.
1757. Foote, Author, i. He's very young, and exceedingly well rigged.
1789. Parker, Life's Painter, 62. We shortly after rigged her with an entire new and very neat change of wearables.
1818. Byron, Beppo, v. Such as in Monmouth Street, or in Rag Fair, would rig you out in seriousness or joke.
1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, 5. This toggery will never fit—you must have a new rig-out.
1878. Besant & Rice, By Celia's Arbour, ch. ix. I was saluted in the street—it was on the Hard—by a tall and good-looking young sailor, in his naval rig, the handiest ever invented.
1899. Whiteing, John St., xvii. A fad every week at the 'osiers shops . . . and . . . a new rig-out for every fad.
Riggen. To ride the riggen,
verb. phr. (provincial).—To be
very intimate.
Rigger, subs. (Durham School).—A
racing boat.
Right, adj. and adv. (old colloquial).—Very;
just; quite.
Colloquialisms are numerous:
Right as rain (as ninepence,
my leg, anything, a fiddle,
trivet, &c.) = absolutely dependable;
to rights = com-
