Verb. (old).—1. To hang; to swing (q.v): see Ladder. Stretching (stretching-match, or stretching-bee) = a hanging (B. E. and Grose).
1623. Mabbe, Spanish Rogue (1630), 7. He should stretch for it.
c. 1816.] Mayer, Song, 'The Night Before Larry was Stretched.' The rumbler jugg'd off from his feet, And he died with his face to the city.
2. (old).—To exaggerate; to lie: 'He stretched hard' = 'He told a whistling lie' (B. E. and Grose). Hence stretcher = an exaggeration, a falsehood.
d. 1844. Field, Drama at Pokerville. Whenever Mrs Oscar Dust told a stretcher, old Waters was expected to swear to it.
d. 1879. Clifford, Lectures, 1. 229. It is only by a stretch of language that we can be said to desire that which is inconceivable.
On (or at) a stretch, adv. phr. (colloquial).—Continuously; at one and the same time.
c. 1832. Haliburton, Traits of American Humour. Chunky used to whistle three days and nights on a stretch.
1841. Bulwer, Night and Morning, ii. 8. She could not entertain the child long ON A STRETCH.
1885. St James's Gaz., 23 Sep. Drivers and others frequently make twenty-four hours AT A STRETCH.
TO STRETCH LEATHER, verb. phr. (venery).—To possess a woman: see Ride. Leather = mutton (q.v.); LEATHER-STRETCHER = the penis: see Prick and cf. Kid-stretcher.
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, 1. vi. note. The vigour and stretching-leatherness of the suffering part; for we see but very few women, however weakly they be, but what happily get over the condition you are in.
1678. Cotton, Virgil Travestie (1725), iv. 74. If they once do come together, He'll find that Dido's reaceing LEATHER.
TO STRETCH ONE'S LEGS ACCORDING TO THE COVERLET, verb. phr. (old).—To adapt oneself to circumstances; 'to cut one's coat according to the cloth' (Ray).
To stretch (or strain) a POINT, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To exceed a limit: see Point.
Stretcher, subs. (common).—1.
In pl. = braces. Hence
stretcher-fencer = a vendor
of braces.
2. (University).—A University Extension student.
3. See Stretch.
4. (B. E.).—'The piece of Wood that lies cross the Boat where on the Water-man rests his Feet.'
Stretch-halter (or Hemp), subs.
phr. (old).—A scoundrel; one
who badly needs a hanging: cf.
Crack-rope, Wag-halter;
Scape-gallows, etc.
1604. Heywood, If You Know Not Me [Pearson, Works (1874), 1. 283]. Look here, I know this is the shop, by that same stretch-halter.
1629. Schoole of Good Manners [quoted by Nares]. To mocke anybody by blabboring out the tongue is the part of stretch-halters and lewd boyes, not of well mannered children.
Stretchy, adj. (colloquial).—Sleepy;
languid; inclined to
stretch and yawn.
1872. Clemens, Roughing It, xxvii. In the night the pup would get stretchy and brace its feet against the old man's back.
'Strewth, intg. (common).—'God's truth!'
1892. Kipling, Barrack Room Ballads, 'C. B.' Drunk and resistin' the guard! 'Strewth! but I socked at 'em 'ard.
