1858. Mayhew, Paved with Gold, iii. ii. One of the men . . . had only taken three twelvers.
Twenty, subs. and adj. (old).—1.
An indefinite number: also
twenty and twenty.
1593. Shakspeare, Venus and Adonis, 575. Under twenty locks kept fast.
1623. Bacon, Hist. Hen. VII., 350. As for Maximillian, upon twenty respects he could not have been the man.
1704. Brown, Works, i. 153. The tallowchandlers such dutiful and loyal subjects that they don't care if there were twenty and twenty birthdays in a year, to help off with their commodity.
1748. Richardson, Harlowe, ii. 145. I have hinted it to you twenty and twenty times by word of mouth. Ibid. (1753). I could satisfy myself about twenty and twenty things that now and then I want to know.
2. (Rugby).—The Sixth Form.
Twenty-two and Twenty-two,
subs. phr. (Winchester).—Football:
twenty-two a side.
Twibill, subs. (Old Cant).—A
street ruffian; a roaring-boy
(q.v.): seventeenth century.
Twice. At twice, adv. phr. (old
and still colloquial).—On a second
trial; in two distinct attempts:
cf. 'You've guessed it in once.'
1611. Coryat, Crudities, i. 220. I could hardly compasse one . . . at twice with both my armes.
1628. Middleton, Widow, iv. 2. I'll undertake your man shall cure you, sir, At twice i' your own chamber.
[?]. Ballad of Goulden Vanitee [Mrs. Gordon (quoted by), Christopher North, 433]. He took out an Instrument, bored thirty holes at twice, As they sailed to the Lowlands low.
1860. Eliot, Mill on Floss, iii. 3. 'Did Mr. Tulliver let you have all the money at once?' said Mrs. Tulliver. . . . 'No; at twice,' said Mrs. Moss.
1860. Trollope, Phineas Redux, xxv. His Grace should have . . . a glass and a half of champagne. His Grace won't drink his wine out of a tumbler, so perhaps your ladyship won't mind giving it him at twice.
Twice-laid, subs. phr. (common).—A
hash-up of fish and potatoes:
cf. resurrection-pie.
Twicer, subs. (printers').—A
printer who works at press as
well as at case.
Twiddle (or Tweedle), verb.
(colloquial).—1. To finger idly
and lightly: usually in phrase, 'to
twiddle one's fingers'; to
fiddle (g.v.), wriggle, or twist
about; to be busy about trifles;
to wheedle, to coax: e.g. 'She
can twiddle him round her
little finger': cf. Twirl.
1540. [Collier, Dramatic Poetry, ii.]. [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 482. There is the verb twydle, which seems to be connected with twirl.]
1568. Wit and Science. What unthryftnes therein is twydlyngs?
1676. Wiseman, Surgery [Century]. I pressed close upon it, and twidled it in, first one side and then the other.
1715. Addison, Freeholder, 3. A fiddler brought in with him a body of lusty young fellows, whom he had tweedled into the service.
d. 1800. Cowper, Pairing Time. Dick heard, and tweedling, ogling, bridling. . . .
1847-8. Thackeray, Vanity Fair, xiv. 'Look out,' . . . said the mustachio twiddler. Ibid. (1848), Snobs, xxiv. All the bugles in her awful head-dress began to twiddle and quiver. Ibid. (1862), Philip, xiv. Twiddling a little locket which he wore at his watch chain.
1851-61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab., i. 481. Marm, I seed him a twiddling with your gown.
1880. P. Robinson, Under the Sun, 72. Straw-coloured crickets that sit and twiddle their long antennæ.
