1838. Wright, Mornings at Bow Street. In plain words he fairly tipp'd 'em the double, he was vanished.
1839. Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard [1889], 13. If he don't tip the cole without more ado, give him a taste of the pump, that's all.
1851-61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. . . . Just by sweetening them, and then they don't mind tipping the loaver.
1862. Artemus Ward, His Book (1899), 158. 'Tip us yer bunch of fives, old faker!' said Artemus Junior.
1881. Stevenson, Treasure Island. Tip us a stave.
1884. Clemens, Huck. Finn. If I could tip her the wink, she'd light out and save me.
1897. Marshall, Pomes, 45. Our jockey pal tipped us the wink To denote that he'd done in the physic.
1899. Whiteing, John St., xxi. So Bill tips me the wink not to tumble to their lingo.
1900. Savage, Brought to Bay, v. The Frenchman, however, tipped Ross a wink, which . . . was the beginning of a secret alliance.
1901. Walker, In the Blood, 20. I TIPPED 'im ONE ON THE SMELLER, as soon as 'e said it. Ibid., 21. I'll tip my push the wink when you come up.
On the tip of the tongue, phr. (colloquial).—On the point of speech; about to be said.
1843. Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit, xxix. It was ON THE TIP OF THE BOY'S tongue to relate what had followed; but . . . he checked himself.
Tipper, subs. (old).—1. A special brew of ale: named after Mr Thomas Tipper: also Brighton Tipper.
1843. Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit, xxv. If they draws the Brighton Tipper here, I takes that ale at night.
d. 1876. Lower [Century Dict.]. The peculiarity of [tipper] arises from its being brewed from brackish water, which is obtainable from one well only; and all attempts to imitate the flavour have hitherto failed.
2. See Tip, subs. 1 and 2.
Tipperary Fortune, subs. phr. (old).—'Two town lands, Stream's Town (=cunt, q.v.) and Ballino-cack (=ARSE-HOLE, q.v.); said of Irish women without fortune' (Grose): cf. Tetbury Portion.
Tipperary-lawyer, subs. phr. (Irish).—A cudgel: cf. PlyMOUTH-CLOAK.
Tippet, subs. (old).—A hangman's rope: also hempen (St Johnstone's or Tyburn) tippet. See Hemp (with all derivatives) and Horse-collar.
1586. Marlowe, Jew of Malta, iv. 4. When the hangman had put on his hempen tippet, he made such haste to his prayers as if he had had another cure to serve.
1816. Scott, Old Mortality, vii. Then it will be my lot . . . to be sent to Heaven wi' a St Johnstone's tippet about my hause.
1899. Century Dict., s.v. Tippet. St Johnstone's tippet . . . said to be named from the wearing of halters about their necks by Protestant insurgents of Perth (formerly also called St John's Town, St Johnston) in the beginning of the Reformation, in token of their willingness to be hanged if they flinched.
To TURN TIPPET, verb. phr. (old).—To change right-about: cf. TURNCOAT and TURN CAT-IN-THE-PAN.
1562. Heywood, Epigrams [Oliphant, New English, i. 561. Amongst the romance words are] turn his tippet.
c. 1600. Merry Devil of Edmonton [Temple], iii. 2. 137. Well, to be brief, the nun will soon at night turn tippet; if I can but devise to quit her cleanly of the nunnery, she is my own.
1609. Jonson, Case is Altered, iii. A saint, Another Bridget, one that for a face Would put down Vesta; . . . You to TURN TIPPET!
1609. Fletcher, Monsieur Thomas, ii. 2. Ye stand now As if y' had worried sheep. You must turn tippet, And suddenly, and truly, and discreetly, Put on the shape of order and humanity.
