1843. G. P. R. James, Forest Days. If yonder cooks have not done their duty and got all ready, I will fry them in their own juice.
Steward, subs. (American Cadet).—A
doctor.
Stewed Quaker. See Quaker.
Stibber-gibber, adj. phr. (Old
Cant).—Used as in quot.
1560-1. Awdeley, Fraternitye of Vacabondes, 'XXV. Orders of Knaues,' 12. Proctour is he, thai will tary long, and bring a lye, when his Maister sendeth him on his errand. This is a stibber gibber knaue, that doth fayne tales.
Stibbler, subs. (Scots).—A clerical
probationer; a guinea-pig
(q.v.). See Stickit.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, xlvi. Listen, ye stickit stibbler, to what I tell ye, or ye sail rue it.
Stichel, subs. (old).—A term of
contempt.
c.1620. Lady Alimony, 1 4b. Barren stichel! that shall not serve thy turn.
Stick, subs. (old).—1. In pl. = furniture;
marbles (q.v.): also
sticks and stones (grose,
Vaux, Bee).
1883. Sims, How the Poor Live. To tide over till then is a work of some difficulty, but the sticks and the "wardrobe" of the family have paid the rent up to now.
1883. Greenwood. Tag, Rag, & Co. None will permit him to occupy a room in a private house, unless he has at least a few sticks by way of security for the payment of a week's rent.
1890. Whiteing, John St., ii. What rent kin yer affawd . . . have yer got any sticks?
2. (Old Cant).—In pl. = pistols; pops (q.v.); 'Stow your sticks' = 'hide your pistols' (Grose and Vaux).
3. (colloquial).—An awkward, dull, or stupid person: in contempt. Usually poor stick. A rum (or odd) stick = an oddity.
1803. Edgeworth, Belinda, xx. "You . . . will go and marry, I know you will, some stick of a rival." . . . "I hope I shall never marry a stick."
1814. Austen, Mansfield Park, xiii. I was surprised to see Sir Henry such a stick; luckily the strength of the piece did not depend upon him.
1847. Bronte, Jane Eyre, xvii. The poor old stick used to cry out, "Oh you villains childs," and then we sermonised her on the presumption of attempting to teach such clever blades as we were, when she was herself so ignorant.
1855. New York Tribune, 4 Sep. About the poorest stick for a legislator ever elected.
1886. D. Teleg., 13 July. A great actor may not exhibit himself as a stick for half-an-hour together, and claim to redeem his fame by a few magnificent moments.
1899. Kernahan, Scoundrels, xxi. The stick will find himself . . . cold-shouldered, and the assumer of 'side' may think himself lucky if he be allowed to depart unbaited.
1900. White, West End, 131. 'Elsenham's a stick.' 'He is rather,' said my aunt. 'But he is heir to one of the oldest earldoms in the kingdom.
4. (thieves').—A crowbar; a jemmy (q.v.).
1877. Horsley, Jottings from Jail. "What tools will you want?" "We shall want some twirls and the stick."
5. (silversmiths').—(a) A candlestick; and (b) a candle.
6. (cricketers').—In pl. = the stumps.
7. (common).—In pl. = the legs; stumps (q.v.).
8. (printers').—A hard or otherwise badly printing ink-roller.
9. (athletic).—In pl. = hurdles. Hence stick-hopper = a hurdle-racer.
