1850. Tennyson, In Memoriam, lxxxix. We rub each other's angles down.
1863. Reade, Hard Cash, I. 46. What I have got to rub up is my Divinity and my Logic; especially my Logic. Will you grind Logic with me?
1868. Whyte Melville, White Rose, I. xxv. It is no unusual drawback to married life, this same knack of rubbing the hair the wrong way.
1870. D. News, 26 May. 'Metropolitan Police.' Rubbing it in well is a well-known phrase amongst the doubtful portion of the constabulary.
1877. Besant and Rice, Golden Butterfly, vii. Clawed I should have been, mauled I should have been, rubbed out I should have been, on that green and grassy spot, but for the crack of Mr. Dunquerque's rifle.
1879. James, Bundle of Letters, No. IV. She is for ever throwing Boston up at me; I can't get rid of Boston. The other one rubs it into me, too; but in a different way.
1883. J. Hawthorne, Dust, 291. Philip . . . was always rubbed the wrong way by Lady Flanders.
1888. Rolf Boldrewood, Robbery Under Arms, xxix. I suppose he'd rub them out, every mother's son, if he could.
1892. Nisbet, Bushranger's Sweetheart, 86. We managed to rub along on our fifteen shillings per week.
1898. Pink 'Un and Pelican, 163. Jubber was neither hard nor remorseless as a rule unless they rubbed him the wrong way.
1900. White, West End, 25. I knew this was the aspect which he desired to see, so I rubbed it as bright as I could and held it up [speaking of patronage].
1902. Pall Mall Gaz., 24 Jan., i. 2. Mr. Rowe . . . will rub this fact into them before they are much older.
Rubbacrock, subs. (colloquial).—A
filthy slattern; a puzzle (q.v.).
Rubbage (or Rubbidge), subs.
(vulgar).—Rubbish.
Rubber, subs. (gaming).—1. A
round of three games: also rub
(B. E., Grose).
1635. Quarles, Emblems, i. 10. It is the trade of man, and ev'ry sinner Has play'd his rubbers; every soul's a winner.
1680. Aubrey, Eminent Men [Oliphant, New Eng., ii. 121. Among new words are . . . rubber (of a game. . . .)].
1753. Adventurer, 35. Mrs. Overall, the housekeeper, having lost three rubbers at whist running.
1843. Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit, xi. I've seen him play whist, with my father for a partner; and a good rubber, too.
1869. Thackeray, What Makes my Heart to Thrill and Glow? 7. Why was it that I laughed and grinned at whist, although I lost the rub?
2. (old).—A slight reproof; 'reflections upon any one . . . a rencounter with drawn swords.'—B. E. (c. 1696). Also rub.
3. (American).—In pl. = India-rubber over-shoes; goloshes.
1888. Detroit Free Press, 8 Dec. When I was a young man I had to slosh around dark, wet nights in rubbers that didn't fit.
4. (old).—See quot.
1606. Decker, Seven Deadly Sinnes, 32 (Arber's Ed.). A number of poore handy-crafts-men, that before wrought night and day, made stocks to themselves of ten groates, and crowns a peece, and what by Betting, Lurches, Rubbers, and such tricks, they never took care for a good daies worke afterwards.
Rubber-neck (or rubber), verb.
phr. (American).—See quots.
Also to rubber around.
1901. Flynt and Walton, The Powers that Prey, 34. He was perfectly at a loss what to do next, except as he phrased it to rubber around, which is technical and esoteric for keeping his eyes and ears open. Ibid., 60. They rubber so that they aint thinkin' 'bout their leathers . . . they'll screw their necks till you'll think they was never goun' to get 'em in shape again. Ibid., 121. You rubber too much with your neck, you do.
1902. Pall Mall Gaz., 8 Mar., 10, 1. It required considerable craning and stretching, or, as the Americans pithily describe it, rubber-necking, to allow even an occasional glimpse.
