. . . St. George for England, Part II. But George he did the dragon fell, And gave him a plaguy squelch.
1853. Bradley, Verdant Green. There's a squelcher in the bread-basket that'll stop your dancing, my kivey!
1866. [Quoted by Browne in Artemus Ward Among the Fenians, 'Preliminary.'] Squelched, exterminated . . . and extinguished the cantankerous Senators.
1886. J. W. Palmer, After his Kind, 120. Luke gazed shamefaced at the nosegay in his button-hole and was squelched.
1902. Pall Mall Gaz., 4 Dec., 2, 2. Politicians in Dublin have been experiencing a delirious titillation of the bump of combativeness by an announcement that Mr. Redmond is to descend upon Dundalk with a design to squelch Mr. Healy.
Squench, verb. (vulgar).—To
quench.
1600. Contention, I. 59. Fetche pitch and flaxe, and squench it.
Squib, subs. (Grose).—1. 'A
small satirical or political temporary
jeu d'esprit, which, like
the fire-work of that denomination,
sparkles, bounces, stinks,
and vanishes.'
2. (artists').—A brush.
3. (old).—See quot.
1731. St. James's Evg. Post [Sydney, Eng. in 18th Century, i. 229], 'List of Officers attached to Gaming-houses'. . . . 4. Two Puffs, who have money given them to play with. . . . 6. A Squib who is a puff of a lower rank, who serves at half salary while he is learning to deal.
4. (costers').—In pl. = asparagus.
Verb. (old).—To lampoon.
Squibob, subs. (American).—A
finniking, fussy person: in contempt.
Squiffed, adj. (colloquial).—Drunk:
also squiffy: see
Screwed.
1900. Kipling, Stalky & Co., 17. I never got squiffy but once . . . an' it made me horrid sick.
1901. Walker, In the Blood, 256. He had often been outspoken enough about anybody being squiffy.
Squiggle, verb. (American).—To
evade; to wriggle; to squirm
(q.v.).
Squinny-eyes, subs. phr. (old).—A
squinting man or woman: also
squin-eyes, squint-a-pipes,
and squint-a-fuego. As adj.
= squinting; to squinny (or
squin) = to squint; and (American)
to laugh, wink, or smile.
1602. Heywood, How to Choose a Good Wife. Gold can make limping Vulcan walke upright, Make squin-eies looke straight.
1605. Shakspeare, Lear, iv. 6. I remember thine eyes well enough. What, dost Thou squiny at me?
1609. Armin, Ital. Taylor and his Boy. As doctors in their deepest doubts, Stroke up their foreheads hie; Or men amazde, their sorrow flouts By squeaning with the eye.
1692. Dryden, Persius, v. 271. The timbrel, and the squintifego maid Of Isis, awe thee.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Squint-a-pipes . . . said to be born in the middle of the week, and looking both ways for Sunday; or born in a hackney coach, and looking out of both windows; fit for a cook, one eye in the pot, and the other up the chimney; looking nine ways at once.
Squinsy. Hempen squinsy, subs.
phr. (old).—A hanging: see
Hempen fever and Ladder.
Squint, verb. (tailors').—To lack:
food, material, money, anything.
Squinter, subs. (common).—In pl.
= the eyes: see Glim.
Squint-minded, adj. (old).—Deceitful;
crooked; with twisted
vision (q.v.).
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, II. xxxiv. You and I both are far more worthy of pardon than a great rabble of squint-minded fellows, dissembling and counterfeit saints.
