1840. Haliburton, The Clockmaker, 3 S. vi. How is a colonist able to pay for this almighty swad of everlasting plunder, seein' he has no gold or silver?
1865. Major Downing's Letters, 35. There was a swad of fine folks, and the house was well-nigh upon chuck full.
1869. Overland Monthly, iii. 131. A Texan never has a great quantity of any thing, but he has scads of it or oodles or dead oodles, or scadoodles, or swads.
Swadder, subs. (Old Cant).—1.
See quot.
1567. Harman, Caveat, 72. These Swadders and Pedlars be not all evil, but of an indifferent behaviour.
2. See Swad.
Swaddle, verb. (old).—To cudgel;
to rope's end (B. E. and Grose);
to swathe round with lash or
stick. Hence swadler (Old
Cant) ='The tenth Order of the
Canting Tribe' (B. E.) 'who not
only rob, but beat and often
murder passengers' (Grose).
c.1570. Wife Lapped in Morels Skin, 845. [Hazlitt, Early Pop. Poet., iv. 214]. I sweare by God, and by saynt John, Thy bones will I swaddle, so have I blisse.
1611. Cotgrave, Dict., s.v. Chaperon. Hee bangde, belammed, thumped, swadled her.
1612-3. Fletcher, Captain, ii. 1. Were it not for taking So just an execution from his hands, . . . I would swaddle ye, 'Till I could draw off both your skins like scabbards.
1636. Davenant, Wits, iii. 1. (1673). How now, housewife? Do you slight authority? Behold this staff! in very truth I shall swaddle you with the King's wand of office.
1663. Butler, Hudibras, I. i. v. 23. Great on the bench, great in the saddle, He could as well bind o'er as swaddle.
d.1701. Dryden, Counter-Scuffle [Misc., iii. 347]. Behind the door he stood to hear, For in he durst not come, for fear of swadling,
Swaddler, subs. (Irish).—1. A
Methodist (Grose). Hence spec.
(2) those who in winter play
the Protestant, for the sake of
the blankets, coals, etc., given
by proselytisers. Also (3), in
America, a street preacher, spec.
(American thieves') a preaching
confederate.
1820. Southey, Life of Wesley, ii. 153. It happened that Cennick, preaching on Christmas Day, took for his text these words from St. Luke's Gospel, 'And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes, lying in a manger.' A Catholic who was present, and to whom the language of Scripture was a novelty, thought this so ridiculous that he called the preacher a swaddler in derision.
1845. Coke and Moore, Life of Wesley, 288. Butler and his mob were now in higher spirits than ever; they scoured the streets day and night, frequently hallooing as they went along, 'Five pounds for a swaddler's head!'
1889. Academy, 11 May, 317. To revive Sir W. Petty's Colony by importing Northern Presbyterians and Cornish swaddlers.
2. See Swad and Swaddle.
Swag, subs. (Old Cant).—1.
A shop: spec. a mart for stolen
goods. Whence a rum-swag = 'a
shop full of rich goods' (B. E.);
and swag-barrow = a coster's
cart. Hence (2) generic for
property; spec. booty: see quots.
1785, 1819, and 1823. Also
swag-chovey bloke = a marine
store dealer; swagsman = (1) a
receiver of stolen goods, and (2)
a miscellaneous dealer in 'City
penn'orths' and other cheap stuff,
wholesale or retail.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Swag, a bundle, parcel, or package; as a swag of snow, etc. The swag, is a term used in speaking of any booty you have lately obtained, be it of what kind it may, except money, as Where did you lumber the swag? that is, where did you deposit the stolen property? To carry the swag is to be the bearer of the stolen goods to a
