Spondulics (Spondoolicks or Spondulacks), subs. (American).—Money: generic: originally (Century) paper money.
1863. Sala [Illust. Lond. News, 1883, 8 Dec. 547]. I first became acquainted with the word in the United States just twenty years ago. Spondulics was . . . an enlarged vulgarisation of greenbacks. It may also have been applied to the nickel cents used in small change.
1876. Harper's Mag., April, 790. Now let's have the spondulicks, and see how sweet and pretty I can smile on you.
1884. Clemens, Huck. Finn. I'm derned if I'd live two mile out of town . . . not for his spondulics.
1897. Marshall, Pomes, 113. Spondulics quite sufficient to ensure her a position.
1901. Walker, In the Blood, 329. 'Thish place fair schmells of blooming spondulicks!' said Ikey.
Sponge (Sponger, or Spunge),
subs. (old).—1. A parasite (B. E.
and Grose); also (2) = 'a thirsty
fellow' (B. E.), a drunkard. As
verb. = to take kicks and lick
dishes for a living. Whence
sponging = (1) cadging (q.v.);
and (2) extortion: e.g., a sponging-house
= a bailiff's pound in
which arrested debtors were
squeezed (q.v.) pending transfer
to a regular prison.
1598. Shakspeare, Mer. Venice, i. 2. 101. I will do anything, Nerissa, ere I'll be married to a sponge.
1640. Two Lancashire Lovers, 24. Or from the wanton affection, or too profuse expense of light mistresses, who make choice of rich servants to make sponges of them.
1641. Milton, Ref. in England, ii. Better a penurious kingdom then where excessive wealth flowes into the gracelesse and injurious hands of common sponges to the impoverishing of good and loyal men.
1692. Lestrange, Æsop [Ency. Dict.]. A generous and rich man, that kept a splendid and open table, would try which were friends, and which only trencher flies and spungers.
1697. South, Sermons, I. xii. How came such multitudes of our own nation . . . to be spunged of their plate and money?
1709. Ward, Terræfilius, ii. 9. [Works, i.]. I'll warrant he has been spunging a Morning's Draught out of the Poor's Box.
1727. Swift, Richmond Lodge and Marble Hill. Here wont the Dean, when he's to seek, To spunge a breakfast once a week.
1749. Smollett, Gil Blas (1812), III. iii. 'Gil Blas,' said he, 'who is that tall spunger in whose company I saw thee to-day.
1762. Goldsmith, Citizen of the World, xxvii. They spunged up my money while it lasted, borrowed my coals and never paid for them, and cheated me when I played at cribbage.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas [Routledge], 89. We went there . . . both in ecstasy at having an opportunity of spunging on a citizen. Ibid. (174). One of your shabby fellows always spunging on his friends.
1814. Austen, Mansfield Park, x. 'What else have you been spunging,' said Maria.
1843. Carleton, New Purchase, II. 240. These preachers dress like big bugs, and go riding about on hundred-dollar horses, a-spungin' poor priest-ridden folks.
1848. Thackeray, Book of Snobs, xxi. Bull passes the season in London, sponging for dinners, and sleeping in a garret near his club.
1849-61. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., ii. From all the brothels, gambling-houses, and spunging-houses of London, false witnesses poured forth to swear away the lives of Roman Catholics.
1862. Browne, Artemus Ward, His Book [Works (1870), 51]. He leaves orf workin . . . and commensis spungin his livin out of other people.
1879. Chambers' Jo., July, 408. He . . . had no business to come sponging on Mr. King.
1887. Henley, Villon's Good-Night, i. You sponges miking round the pubs.
To throw up the sponge, verb. phr. (orig. technical: now general).—To acknowledge de-
