Obs. [app. f. WHIP v. 6. + JACK sb.1] A vagabond or beggar who pretends to be a distressed sailor. Also gen.
a. 1556. Ponet, in Maitland’s Ess. Ref. (1849), 74. One Boner (a bare whippe Iacke) for lucre of money toke vpon him to be thy father.
1561. Awdelay, Frat. Vacab. (1869), 4. A Whypiacke is one that by coulor of a counterfaite Lisence doth use to beg lyke a Maryner.
1608. Dekker, Belman of London, Wks. (Grosart), III. 102. Another sort of … knaues … are called Whipiacks: who talke of nothing but fights at Sea, piracies, drownings and shipwracks.
1753. Richardson, Grandison, VI. xxv. 142. Sir Charles Grandison is none of your gew-gaw whip-jacks.
[1834. Ainsworth, Rookwood, III. v. ‘And a rum’un he be,’… returned the whip-jack, or sham sailor.]
b. Humorously applied to a book in blue binding. nonce-use.
1624. in Cosin’s Corr. (Surtees), I. 33. He also sent me a little whipjack in a blew jackett, caled A Gagg for the newe Gospell.
