Squirish, adj. (Grose).—Foolish.
Squirm, subs. (public schools').—A small obnoxious boy: cf. squirt.
Verb. (colloquial).—To wriggle; to shudder: mentally or physically. Whence (American) to get a squirm on = to bestir oneself; and squirmy = (1) crooked, deceitful; and (2) all-overish (q.v.).
1859. Hon. Mr. Pitt [Bartlett]. We have declared an intention, and now, when we come to publish it, some gentleman is suddenly seized with the "retrenchment gripes," and squirms around like a long red worm on a pin-hook.
1857. Holmes, Autocrat, v. You never need think you can turn over any old falsehood without a terrible squirming.
1862. Browne, Artemus Ward, His Book, 44. I give Uriah a sly wink here, which made the old feller squirm like a speared eel.
1874. Siliad, 205. I rage, I squirm . . . I say rude things, but no one cares a bit.
1902. Kernahan, Scoundrels and Co., v. I squirm under the cold kiss that a revolver's ugly lips press to my forehead.
Squirrel, subs. (old).—A harlot;
'because she (Grose), like that
animal, covers her back with her
tail.'
Squirt, subs. (American).—1. A
dandified puppy (q.v.); an upstart;
a cad. Whence squirtish
= dandified, self-assertive, caddish.
In contempt.
1844. Major Jones's Courtship, 160. If they won't keep company with squirts and dandies, who's going to make a monkey of himself?
1847. Robb, Squatter Life, 73. It's my opinion that these slicked-up, squirtish kind of fellars ain't particular hard baked, and they always goes in for aristocracy notions.
1854. North, Slave of the Lamp, 25. He's a galvanized squirt, and, as the parson said, "the truth ain't in him."
2. (public schools').—An obnoxious boy: cf. squirm.
3. (old colloquial).—A spurt.
1759-67. Sterne, Tristram Shandy, iii. 28. How different from the rash jerks, and hare-brained squirts thou art wont, Tristram, to transact it with in other humours.
4. (old).—(a) In pl. = diarrhœa: cf. squitters; and (b) a chemist or apothecary.
1551. Still, Gammer Gurton's Needle, i. 2. Hodge. See, so I am arrayed with dabbling in the dirt! She that set me to ditching, I would she had the squirt.
1678. Cotton, Virgil Travestie (1770), 12. As if . . . troubl'd with the squitters.
1696. Motteux, Rabelais, 'Pant. Prog.,' iii. Troubled with the thorough-go-nimble, or wild squirt.
1712. Gay, Trivia, ii. 563. Pleas'd sempstresses the Lock's fam'd Rape unfold; and Squirts read Garth till apozems grow cold.
18[?]. Dispensary, Dram. Pers. Squirts, an apothecary's boy.
5. (Harvard).—'A showy recitation' (Hall).
Verb. (old).—To blab (q.v.).
To squirt one's dye, verb. phr. (American).—To seize an opportunity.
To do a squeeze and a squirt, verb. phr. (venery).—To copulate: see Greens and Ride. Also to squirt one's juice.
Squish, subs. (public schools').—1.
Marmalade; also (Winchester)
= weak tea.
Squishop, subs. (common).—A
bishop who is also a landed proprietor:
cf. squarson.
Squit, subs. phr. (provincial).—A
young woman not over pleasing
and small (Halliwell).
