Sprunt. To sprunt up, verb. phr. (American).—To bristle up; to resent suddenly.
Sprusado, subs. (nonce-word).—A
dandy.
1665. Com. on Chaucer [Quoted in Todd's Johnson]. The answer of that sprusado to a judge . . . a rigid censor of men's habits; who, seeing a neat, finical divine come before him in a cloak lined through with plush, encountered him.
Spry, adj. (American).—Active;
lively; smart (q.v.).
Spud, subs. (common).—1. A potato:
see Murphy. Hence spuddy
(costers') = a baked-potato man.
1887. Field, 12 Mar. But it was evidently a 'speed the plough,' a speed the spuds, and the seeds day.
1901. Troddles and Us, xix. Enough to revolt an Irishman's pig, and set him against spuds for the rest of his natural life.
1901. Sp. Times, 27 Ap., 1. 4. Annie used to fetch the spuds and greens.
2. (common).—A dwarf; a short thickset person.
3. (nursery).—A baby's hand.
4. (American).—In pl. = money: see Rhino.
5. (common).—A spade.
Spudgel, verb. (American).—To
decamp: see Absquatulate.
Spunk, subs. (old).—1. Mettle;
spirit; pluck (Grose). Hence
spunkie (Scots) = (a) a plucky
fellow, a lad of mettle; and (b) a
will-o'-the-wisp; spunky =
spirited; to spunk up = to show
fight.
1772. Bridges, Burlesque Homer, 262. Whether quite sober or dead drunk, I know, my dear, you've too much spunk.
1773. Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer, i. 2. The Squire has got spunk in him.
1784. Burns, Jolly Beggars, Sir Violino, with an air That show'd a man of spunk. Ibid. (1786), Address to the Deil. An' aft your moss-traversing Spunkies, Decoy the wight that late and drunk is. Ibid. (d. 1796), Prayer to Sc. Reps. Erskine, a spunkie Norland billie.
1789. Parker, Happy Pair [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 68]. With spunk let's post our neddies.
c. 1790. Ireland Sixty Years Ago, 88. We saw de poor fellow was funkin', De drizzle stole down from his eye, Do we tought he had got better spunk in.
1796. Wolcot ('Peter Pindar'), Works, i. 245. In that snug room where any man of spunk Would find it a hard matter to get drunk.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, 24. His spunkiest backers were forced to sing small.
1838. Becket, Paradise Lost, II. They'll show more spunk, And fight much better when half drunk.
1853. Landor, Imag. Conv. 'Wm. Penn and Lord Peterborough.' Grave dons . . . grown again as young and spunky as undergraduates.
1869. Stowe, Oldtown, 67. Parsons is men, like the rest of us, and the doctor had got his spunk up.
1896. Lillard, Poker Stories, 143. I admire your spunk . . . most women faint when they see me.
2. (street and Scots).—In pl. = matches. Spunk-fencer = a match-vendor. Hence = a spark.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, xi. A spunk o' fire in the red room.
3. (venery).—The seminal fluid; mettle (q.v.).
Spur, verb. (thieves').—To annoy.
To get the spur = to be annoyed:
see Needle.
1877. Horsley, Jottings from Jail. The only thing that spurred me was being such a flat to bring them home.
Spy, subs. (old).—The eye.
1590. Spenser, Fairy Queen, III. i. 36. With her two crafty spyes She secretly would search each daintie lim.
1609. Shakspeare, Tempest, v. 1. 259. If these be true spies which I wear in my head, here's a goodly sight.
