1887. D. Tel., 28 Feb. We had not steamed two miles from that berg when it split in three portions with thunderous sounds, and every portion turned turtle.
1887. St. James's Gazette, 19 Dec. The doctors hope I have now turned the corner, which has been a sharp one.
1887. Field, 19 Feb. [The manufacturers] turn out somewhere about 5000 tons weekly.
1887. Scribner's Mag., Aug., 492. We were thinking of turning in for the night.
1888. Besant, Fifty Years Ago. 105. The schools turned out splendid scholars.
1903. Sporting Times, 7 Sep., 1. 3. He had given instructions, when they came to a certain point, to let go the anchor. In the meantime he had 'turned in.'
Turnabout, subs. (old).—1. An
innovator.
1692. Hacket, Williams, ii. 36. Our modern turnabouts cannot evince us but that we feel we are best affected, when the great mysteries of Christ are celebrated upon anniversary festivals.
2. (provincial).—A disease in cattle; the staggers (q.v.).
d. 1618. Sylvester, The Furies, 610. The turnabout and murrain trouble cattel.
3. (common).—A merry-go-round; a run-around.
1889. Harper's Mag. lxxix. 560. The high swings and the turnabouts, the tests of the strength of limb and lung.
Turn-back, subs. phr. (old).—A
coward.
Turncoat, subs. (old).—A renegade,
an apostate, 'he that quits
one and embraces another party'
(B. E.), 'one who has changed his
party from interested motives'
(Grose). Hence to turn coat
(or a coat) = to change, to
pervert.
1576. Tomson, Calvin's Serm. Tim., 107. 2. We shall see these backesliders whiche knowe the Gospell, reuolt and turne their coates.
1600. Shakspeare, Much Ado, i. 1. 125. Beat. Courtesy itself must convert to disdain if you come in her presence. Ben. Then is courtesy a turncoat.
d. 1674. Milton, Ans. to Salmasius, Pref., 13. Crafty Turn-Coat! Are you not ashamed to shift hands thus in things that are sacred?
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., viii. The Chief Justice himself stood aghast at the effrontery of this venal turncoat.
1871. Grenville Murray, Member for Paris, xx. They blackguarded him . . . said he only wanted to get into the House to finger the salary and then turn his coat.
1888. Westminster Rev., cxxviii. 526. Mr. Bright should be the last man to charge a political opponent with turning his coat.
Turning-tree. See Turn, subs.
2.
Turnip, subs. (old).—A watch:
spec. an old-fashioned silver watch
which in size approached a
turnip: also frying-pan (see
Warming-pan).
Phrases.—To give turnips = to get rid of a person by hook or by crook; to get turnips = to be taken in, jilted: a play on turn-up; one's head to a turnip = a fanciful bet: cf. Lombard Street to a China orange, etc. Also see Cry.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, v. ii. You would have laid your head to a turnip that they had been mere men.
Turnip-pated, adj. phr. (old).—White
or fair-haired (B. E. and
Grose).
Turn-out, subs. phr. (colloquial).—1.
A parade. Also (2) an
assembly: spec. a number of
people gathered together in the
open air.
