Phrases: To warm a house = to celebrate incoming by a feast: hence house-warming; to warm to (a thing, one's work, etc.) = to become enthusiastic, to do vigorously; warm with = 'warm with sugar': cf. cold without; 'Out of God's blessing into the warm sun' = from better to worse. Also see Warming.
1581. Lyly, Euphues, Z. 3. b. Therefore if thou wilt follow my advice, and prosecute thine owne determination, thou shalt come out of a warme sunne into God's blessing.
1605. Shakspeare, Lear, ii. 2. Good King! that must approve the common saw, Thou out of heaven's benediction com'st to the warm sun.
1608. Harington, Catal. of Bishops; Carlyle. Marks—removed from Carlisle to Lamos in Greece; viz. out of God's blessing into a warme sunne, as the saying is. Ibid. (1615); Epigrams, ii. 56. Pray God they bring us not, when all is done, Out of God's blessing into this warm sun.
1616-25. Court and Times James I., s.v. [We see] warm a house [with a feast].
1836. Dickens, Sketches by Boz. Two glasses of rum-and-water warm with.
1894. Baker, New Timothy, 73. As the minister warms to his sermon, there come through these cracks frequent exclamations.
1885. Home Tidings, 369. The two contestants put up their dukes and soon warmed up to their work.
Warming, subs. (common).—A
beating, flogging, thrashing.
Hence to warm (or warm one's
jacket, q.v.) = (1) to beat,
drub, tan (q.v.); and (2) to
rate, abuse roundly, 'call over
the coals.' To warm the
wax of one's ear = to box the
Warming-pan, subs. phr. (common).—1.
A substitute; a
locum tenens; a person occupying
another's office, situation or post
during absence or while qualifying
for it. Also W. P.: spec. a
clergyman holding a living under
a bond of resignation; also as
adj., e.g. a warming-pan rector:
see Warm.
1883. Pall Mall Gaz., 21 Jan. It is not usual to inform a man that you propose to use him as a warming-pan, however excellently suited he may be for such a purpose.
2. (old).—A large,old-fashioned gold watch: cf. frying-pan (q.v.) or turnip (q.v.) = a. large silver watch (B. E. and Grose).
3. (old).—A female bed-fellow (B. E. and Grose); a night-*piece (q.v.). Also Scotch warming-pan = a wench: spec, a chambermaid.
1672. Ray, Proverbs [Bohn], 61. The story is well-known of the gentleman travelling in Scotland, who desiring to have his bed warmed, the servant-maid doffs her clothes, and lays herself down in it a while. In Scotland they have neither bellows, warming-pans, nor houses of office.
Warm-sided, adj. phr. (naval).—Said
of a fort or ship mounting
heavy batteries.
War-paint, subs. phr. (common).—Official
costume, evening dress,
or (theatrical) make-up (q.v.).
1884. Haggard, Dawn. She. 'Have you seen the hero of the evening?' He. 'Who? Do you mean the Portuguese governor in his war-paint?'
1888. St. James's Gaz., 9 Ap. Sir William Jenner in his war-paint as president of the Royal College of Physicians.
