2. (common).—A term of contempt: e.g. 'What a sweep the man is'; 'You dirty sweep.'
To sweep the board, verb. phr. (orig. gaming: now general).—To take everything; to pocket all the stakes. Also to make a clean sweep = to clean out (q.v.); to remove entirely. Also sweep = at whist, taking all the tricks in the hand; a slam (q.v.).
1680. Cotton [Singer, Hist. Cards (1816), 346]. He who hath five cards of a suit . . . sweeps the board.
1711. Pope, Rape of Lock, iii. 50. Spadillio first . . . Led off two captive trumps, and swept the board.
1822. Scott, Fort. Nigel, xxi. 'Tis the sitting gamester sweeps the board.
1868. Blunt, Ref. Church England, 316. The clean sweep which had been made of so many ancient rights.
1869. Stowe, Oldtown, 163. They [Indians] burnt thirty-two houses in Springfield . . . made a clean sweep on't.
The Sweeps, subs. phr. (military).—The Rifle Brigade. [Their facings from formation (1800) have been black.]
Sweep's-Frill, subs. phr. (common).—Beard
and whiskers worn
round the chin, the rest of the
face being clean shaven.
1892. Tit Bits, 19 March, 421, 2. The sweep's frill would, I imagine, have made the Antinous, or the Apollo Belvedere, look undignified and slovenly.
Sweet, adj. (old and thieves').—1.
Gullible; easily deceived. 2.
Expert, dextrous, clever: e.g.
'Sweet's your hand' (said of a
clever thief). Hence, to sweeten
a victim = to allay his suspicions
(Grose); to decoy, draw
in, and bite (B. E. and Grose):
see Sweetener.
Sweetbread, subs. (old).—A
bribe; a tip (q.v.).
1692. Hacket, Williams, ii. 163. A few sweetbreads that I gave him out of my purse.
Sweetbriar, subs. (venery).—The
female pubic hair: cf. Grove
of Eglantine (Carew). See
Fleece.
Sweeten, subs. (Old Cant).—A
beggar. Also as verb = to give
alms (Grose).
Verb. (cards: espec. poker).—To contribute to the pool. Hence sweetening = money paid into the pool or kitty.
1896. Lillard, Poker Stories, 191. Then along came a big jack pot that had been enlarged by repeated sweetenings.
To sweeten and pinch, verb. phr. (old).—See quot.
1678. Four for a Penny (Harl. Misc., iv. 147). A main part of his [a bum-bailiff's] office is to swear and bluster . . . and cry, 'Confound us, why do we wait? let us shop him'; whilst the other meekly replies, 'Jack, be patient, it is a civil gentleman, and I know will consider us'; which species of wheedling, in terms of their art, is called sweeten and pinch.
Sweetener, subs. (Old Cant).—1.
A guinea-dropper (q.v.): [A
coin is planted (q.v.), and a
likely passer-by is offered a share
because present at the discovery;
to get change, 'drinks' are suggested,
and the victim goes out
fleeced].—(B. E. and Grose).
1699. Country Gentleman's Vade Mecum, 97. Guinea dropping or sweetning is a paultry little cheat that was recommended to the world about thirty years ago by a memorable gentleman that has since had the misfortune to be taken off, I mean hang'd, for a misdemeanour upon the highway.
