d. 1536. Tyndale, Works, ii. 313. [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 431. The priests propose to trim Queen Katherine.]
1611. Chapman, May-day, iii. 2. I'faith we shall trim him betwixt us.
1772. Bridges, Homer, 157. But after that, I know it fact, He fifty blust'ring bullies thwack'd . . . He trimm'd their jackets every one.
1773. Foote, Bankrupt. [A severe leading article is called a trimmer].
1778. Sheridan, Rivals, ii. 1. Fag. So! Sir Anthony trims my master; he is afraid to reply to his father; then vents his spleen on poor Fag.
1778. Burney, Evelina, xlvii. His mouth was wide distended into a broad grin at hearing his aunt give the beau such a trimming.
18 ..] Hood, Trimmer's Exercise. You've been spelling some time for the rod, And your jacket shall know I'm a trimmer.
2. (old).—To cheat; hence trimming = 'Cheating People of their Money' (B. E.): cf. shave.
3. (venery).—To deflower, to possess a woman: see Ride: also to trim the buff. Hence untrimmed = virgin, undeflowered.
1596. Shakspeare, King John, iii. 1. 209. The devil tempts thee here, In likeness of a new untrimmed bride.
1611. Chapman, May-day, iv. 4. Twenty to one she is some honest man's wife of the parish, that steals abroad for a trimming, while he sits secure at home, little knowing, God knows, what hangs over his head.
c. 1620. Fletcher and Massinger, False One, ii. 3. An she would be cool'd, sir, let the soldiers trim her.
1772. Bridges, Homer; 110. And he . . . has liberty to take and trim The buff of that bewitching brim. Ibid., 112. Let him with Nell play tit for tat, And trim her till I eat my hat.
See Trimmer.
Trimmer, subs. (old).—1. Orig.
nautical. Figuratively = a moderate
man, one taking a middle
course between two extremes.
Hence (2) a waverer, apostate
(Grose), or time-server. Also
to trim, verb. and such derivatives
as trimming, etc. [In Eng.
politics a party which followed
the Marquis of Halifax (1680-96)
in trimming between the Whigs
and the Tories: see quot. infra].
c. 1680. Halifax, Character of a Trimmer, Pref. The innocent word trimmer signifies no more than this: That if men are together in a boat, and one part of the company should weigh it down on one side, another would make it lean down as much to the contrary, it happens there is a third opinion, of those who conceive it would do as well if the boat went even without endangering the passengers.
c. 1680. North, Lives of the Norths. [A certain party are called Trimmers.]
1682. Dryden, Duke of Guise, Epilogue. A trimmer cried (that heard me tell this story), Fie, Mistress Cooke! faith, you're too rank a Tory! Wish not Whigs hanged, but pity their hard cases.
c. 1680. [Macaulay, Hist. Eng., ii.] He was the chief of those politicians whom the two great parties contemptuously called Trimmers. Instead of quarrelling with this nickname, he [Halifax] assumed it as a title of honour. . . . Everything good, he said, trims between extremes. . . . Thus Halifax was a trimmer on principle.
c. 1696. B.E., Dict. Cant. Crew. Trimmer, a moderate Man, betwixt Whig and Tory, between Prerogative and Property. To Trim, to hold fair with both sides. Trim the Boat, poise it. Trim of the Ship, that way she goes best.
1707. Ward, Hud. Rediv., ii. iv. 18. Let me know Whether . . . like Trimmers now-a-days . . . You equally extend both ways.
1710. Hughes, Hudibras Imitated, 19. A creature of amphibious nature, That trims betwixt the land and water, And leaves his mother in the lurch.
