1728. Pope, Dunciad, ii. 237. 'Twas chatt'ring, grinning, mouthing, jabb'ring all.
d.1745. Swift, [quoted by Johnson]. We scorn, for want of talk, to jabber Of parties.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Jabber . . . also to speak a foreign language; he jabbered to me in his damned outlandish parlez-vous.
1853. Thackeray, Barry Lyndon, vi. p. 82. A couple more of the same nation were jabbering oaths and chattering incessantly.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Jabber. To talk in an unknown language.
1884. W. C. Russell, Jack's Courtship, xvii. We sallied forth arm in arm, he jabbering incessantly.
1888. Daily Chronicle, 19 Oct. The woman said that he was a perfect stranger to her, and . . . jabbered something she did not understand.
Jabberer, subs. (old: now colloquial).—One
who jabbers (q.v.).
1678. Butler, Hudibras, III, c.2. T'out-cant the Babylonian labourers, At all their dialects of jabberers.
Jabbering, subs. (old: now colloquial).—Nonsense;
indistinct and
rapid speech; Patter (q.v.).
1690. Durfey, Collin's Walk, C. IV, p. 183. With which, and wild Egyptian jabbering, She got her Living without Labouring.
1720. Defoe, Capt. Singleton, I, xi. Pray what are we the wiser for all their jabbering?
Jabberingly, adv. (old: now colloquial).—Indistinctly;
nonsensically.
Jabberment, subs. (old: now
colloquial).—Nonsense; gibberish;
Jabber (q.v.).
1645. Milton, Colasterion [quoted in Enc. Dict.]. At last, and in good hour, we are come to his farewel, which is to be a concluding taste of his jabberment in law.
Jabbernowl. See Jobbernowl.
Jabers (or Jabez). Be (or by) Jabers
(or jabez), intj. (common).—An
oath.
1821. Haggart, Life, 118. By jappers! we were tould he was the boy.
1890. Hume Nisbet, Bail up, p. 265. A head wind, be jabbers!
1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger's Sweetheart, p. 152. Arrah, be jabbers! but that's the foinest song I have listened to since I left Ould Oirland.
Jack, subs. (old).—1. A farthing;
also (American thieves'), a small
coin.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew. s.v. Jack.
1714. Memoirs of John Hall, p. 12, s.v.
1725. New Cant. Dict. s.v. Jack. He wou'd not tip me a jack, Not a farthing wou'd he give me.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
2. (old).—The small bowl aimed at in the game of bowls.
1605. Shakspeare, Cymbeline, ii. 1, 2. Was there ever man had such luck! when I kissed the jack upon on upcast to be hit away!
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew. s.v. Jack.
1726. Butler, Human Learning, Pt. 2. Like bowlers strive to beat away the jack.
d.1742. Bentley, [quoted by Johnson, 1755]. But if it, [a bowl] be made with a byass . . . it may . . . run spontaneously to the Jack.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Jack.
1811. Lex. Bal. s.v. jack.
3. (old: now recognised).—A contrivance to assist a person in taking off his boots; a bootjack.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew. s.v. Jack.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Jack.
4. (old: now colloquial).—The Knave in any of the four
