Also 5 wryggle, 6–7 wrigle, 7–9 riggle. [a. (M)LG. wriggeln (LG. dial. also friggeln, vriggeln, = Du. wriggelen, WFris. wriggelje, Norw. vrigla, rigla), frequentative of wriggen: see WRIG v., and cf. WIGGLE v.]
1. intr. To twist or turn the body about with short writhing movements; to move sinuously; to writhe, squirm, wiggle: a. Of reptiles, etc.
1495. Trevisa’s Barth. De P. R., XVIII. ix. 758. The adder Alphibena … glydeth and wryggleth [MSS. wigleth, -eþ] wyth wrynkles.
1558. Phaër, Æneid, V. M iv b. As whan some serpent … wrigling wreathes his limmes about.
1591. [see WRENCH v. 1].
1606. Marston, Parasit., II. i. C j b. How the poore snake wriggles with this suddain warmth.
1665. Phil. Trans., I. 43. The Snake … by turning and wriggling laboured … to avoid it.
1821. Q. Rev., XXIV. 490. As clearly as you may see … a serpent wriggle in the grass.
1882. Besant, All Sorts, xx. Eels … are used to being skinned. Yet they wriggle.
b. Of things.
1567. Golding, Ovid’s Met., VI. 77. The tip of Philomelaas tongue did wriggle to and fro.
1583. Melbancke, Philotimus, Bb j b. Philomelaes tongue, which being cutte of, wrigled vp and downe a longe season.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, IV. xxxiii. 227. The severall parts of Insecta being cut asunder, may wriggle and stirre for a while.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), I. 471. The pieces of an eel cut asunder continue to wriggle.
1831. G. P. R. James, Phil. Augustus, III. v. His nose at the same time wriggling with most portentous agitation.
1867. F. Francis, Angling, iii. 65. The float will often bob and wriggle about … before the bite is confirmed.
fig. 1611. Tourneur, Ath. Trag., IV. i. [It] makes the spirit of the flesh begin to wriggle in my bloud.
c. Of persons (or animals): To twist, turn or move uneasily.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1873), 111. If sheepe or thy lambe fall a wrigling with taile.
1602. [see WRAGGLE v.1 2].
1610. B. Jonson, Alchemist, V. iv. Here shee is come. Downe o’ your knees, and wriggle.
1657. Thornley, trans. Longus’ Daphnis & Chloe, 125. The Lambs came under the damms, to riggle and nussle at their dugs.
1732. Swift, To a Lady, 90. Then apply Alecto’s whip Till they [sc. villains] wriggle, howl, and skip.
1735. Somerville, Chase, IV. 460. On pointed Spears they lift him [sc. an otter] high in Air; Wriggling he hangs.
1856. Miss Yonge, Daisy Chain, I. i. Ethel … wriggling fearfully on the wide window-seat.
1895. S. Crane, Red Badge, vi. He wriggled in his jacket to make a more comfortable fit.
transf. and fig. 1577. [see WREST v. 8].
1787. Best, Angling (ed. 2), 10. Observe that … when put together they may not wriggle in the least.
1825. Carlyle, Love-Lett. (1909), II. 159. Self is a foundation of sand…. Fools writhe and wriggle and rebel at this.
2. To move, proceed or go with a writhing or worming movement. Const. with advs., as along, away, in, out, or preps., as from, into, through, up.
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., IV. ii. These vinegar tart spirits are too pearcing…. Finde they a chinke, they’l wriggle in and in.
1630. J. Taylor (Water P.), Jack a Lent, Wks. 117/2. The Eele … would wriggle vp and downe in his muddy habitation.
1647. Trapp, Comm. Mark ix. 25. Devils run and wriggle into their holes, as worms use to do in time of thunder.
1709. T. Robinson, Vind. Mosaick Syst., 67. Talons fit to hold fast the Live Prey that it wriggle not from them.
1830. W. Taylor, Hist. Surv. Germ. Poetry, II. 375. No lizard wriggles through the brake.
1857. Mrs. Gatty, Parab. fr. Nat., Ser. II. (1868), 129. The eels wriggled away in the mud.
1891. C. L. Morgan, Anim. Sk., 235. Wriggling and squirming up a dark green vertical wall.
fig. and in fig. context. 1734. Swift, Lett. to Faulkner, Wks. 1841, II. 726/1. Is it not sufficient to see with what pain and shame he wriggles along.
1762. Warburton, Doctr. Grace, Pref. Truth … forbids us to riggle into her sacred presence through by-paths.
1840. Hare, Mission Comf. (1846), 47. That the Understanding is over-ready to … riggle along the crooked paths of evil.
1859. Habits Gd. Society, vii. 246. His words come cautiously and suspiciously wriggling up to you.
b. To flow or run sinuously; to meander.
1640. [see WRIGGLING ppl. a. 3].
1682. W. Richards, Wallogr., 34. A Rivulet which wrigled along with a crooked current.
1760. H. Walpole, Lett. to G. Montagu, 1 Sept. The Trent wriggles through a lovely meadow.
1861. Reade, Cloister & H., lxxiv. Little paths wriggling among the antiquities.
1894. Evans, Freeman’s Hist. Sicily, IV. 388. The southern Himeras, whose salt waters wriggle to and fro in the broad dale.
3. a. To insinuate oneself into favor, place, etc.; to advance, ‘creep’ or get in, by wheedling or ingratiation.
(a) 1598. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., I. iv. Now dos he creepe, and wriggle into acquaintance with all the braue gallants.
1633. Shirley, Gamester, I. (1637), B 3 b. The Courtiers make Us cuckolds; marke, we wriggle into their Estates.
a. 1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), I. 235. By low ignoble Offices … To wriggle into Trust and Grace.
1745. Young, Nt. Th., VIII. 457. Earth’s subtile serpents … Which wriggle into wealth, or climb renown.
c. 1853. Kingsley, Misc. (1859), I. 39. A scheme by which to wriggle into Court favour.
1871. Dixon, Tower, III. iv. 29. Lake had crept and wriggled into place and pay.
(b.) 1636. Massinger, Gt. Dk. Flor., II. ii. This courtier … perhaps, by his place, Expects to wriggle further: if he does, I shall deceive his hopes.
a. 1652. Brome, Queenes Exch., I. i. He’s the King’s Favourite;… we may fear he’l wrigle in Twixt him and us.
1691. Satyr agst. French, 9. If they but wriggle in his Lordship’s Ear,… they learn to domineer.
1789. Wolcot (P. Pindar), Imit. Horace, I. xii. He … Who, wriggling to the Hanoverian Guards, Kept the poor Prince of Brunswick out.
b. To make use of shuffling or sinuous means; to get out of, escape from, a condition or position by evasion, mean artifice or contrivance.
a. 1646. Burroughes, Exp. Hosea, v. (1652), 240. This affliction that thou doest so riggle to get out of.
1690. T. Burnet, Theory Earth, III. 29. Men will wriggle any way to get from under the force of a text.
1848. W. H. Kelly, trans. L. Blanc’s Hist. Ten Y., II. 223. Certain to … wriggle out of its inevitable results by … dangerous artifices.
1858. Doran, Court Fools, 315. He wriggled out of his bargain.
1871. Blackie, Four Phases, i. 114. You are wriggling cunningly out of the position.
4. trans. To cause to writhe, twist or bend tortuously; to move or turn writhingly or with quick jerks. Also with advs., as aloft, away, down, out, up, or preps., as from, into.
1573. Tusser, Husb., I. (1878), 109. Sheepe wrigling taile hath mads without faile.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, ii. (Arb.), 50. Their tayls … they [sc. two serpents] wrigled.
1648. Gage, West Ind., 97. Wrigling his elbowes and shoulders scornfully from me.
1684. trans. Bonet’s Merc. Compit., X. 365. The wretched Patient cannot lie down,… wrigling his body all manner of ways.
1729. Swift, Direct. Serv., ii. Make room for the sauce-pan by wriggling it on the coals.
1806. Southey, Lett. (1856), I. 381. If you can conceive a blue-bottle fly wriggling his tail.
1862. Miss Yonge, C’tess Kate, ii. She wriggled her legs away from that of the chair.
1887. Eggleston, Graysons, xv. He tried to pull and wriggle his trousers-legs down to their normal place.
refl. 1665. Phil. Trans., I. 35. These [insects] would … wrigle themselves up to the top of the water again.
1739. Mrs. Delany, Life & Corr. (1861), I. 45. With violent squeezing … we riggled ourselves into seats.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. V. iv. Besenval is painfully wriggling himself out, to the Champ-de-Mars.
fig. 1712. Odes of Horace, II. 12/2. Et might easily riggle it self into the place of ut.
b. To bring into a specified state, form, etc., by writhing or twisting. Const. with advs., as asunder, off, or preps., as into, to. Occas. refl. Also fig.
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., ii. 18. With your Fingers and Thumb … wriggle it quite asunder.
1857. W. C. Stewart, Pract. Angler, vii. (ed. 3), 138. The worm … being free to wriggle itself into any shape.
1858. [see WRENCH v. 10].
1878. O. W. Holmes, Motley, xvii. 115. Slavery is wriggling itself to death.
5. To introduce, insert, or bring in (something) by wriggling; to insinuate (into something).
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, E 4 b. A snaile coulde not wriggle in her hornes betwixt them.
1692. R. L’Estrange, Fables, I. lv. 55. A Slam, Thin-Gutted Fox made a Hard Shift to Wriggle his Body into a Hen-Roost.
1766. Museum Rust., VI. 374. As to the width of the gates,… the men … could … easily incline the roller on one side, and … wriggle it in.
1828. Lytton, Pelham, II. 313. Power … is a snake that when it once finds a hole into which it can introduce its head, soon manages to wriggle in the rest of its body.
fig. 1702. Vanbrugh, False Friend, I. i. I’m afraid … they’ll riggle you into some ill-favour’d affair.
1767. A. Campbell, Lexiph. (1774), 71. When you have wriggled in … a new-fashioned long-tailed word.
b. To insinuate or introduce (a person) gradually (into favor, office, etc.), esp. by subtle or shifty means. Also with in. Chiefly refl.
1670. Cotton, Espernon, I. IV. 180. He by the means of the Mistriss … wriggles himself into the company of the Duke’s Baker.
1677. Gilpin, Demonol. (1867), 355. By these arts doth Satan, like a cunning serpent, wriggle himself into the affections of men.
1710. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 5 Dec. While he was wriggling himself into my favour.
1754. H. Walpole, Lett. to Mann, 28 March. She would have wriggled herself into the best clause in the will. Ibid. (1766), Lett. to Mann, 18 July. He might have wriggled his brother in [= into office] afterwards.
1847. Alb. Smith, Chr. Tadpole, xvi. He wriggled himself into the good opinion of the coachman.
1874. L. Stephen, Hours in Library (1892), I. x. 359. [He] wriggled himself into a peerage.
c. To make (one’s way) by sinuous motion. Also in fig. context.
1863. W. Phillips, Speeches, viii. 214. Cunning statesmen who have wriggled their slimy way to wealth.
1891. Century Mag., March, 649/1. The Pi-Utes … wriggled their way out through the passages in the rocks.
1899. E. Callow, Old Lond. Tav., I. 119. Whitebait seem to have wriggled their way higher up the river.
6. † a. To cut or carve (something) with a wriggly or sinuous pattern; to slash. Obs.
1610. B. Jonson, Alch., IV. iii. 274. A collar of brawne, cut downe Beneath the souse, and wriggled with a knife.
1654. Gayton, Pleas. Notes, I. i. 4. Many more … by prowesse of the Captain Joneses of our times … have been hackt, hew’d, wriggled and utterly confounded.
b. To form in a tortuous or sinuous manner.
1760. H. Walpole, Lett. to Mann, 20 June. Stanhope … has … wriggled a winding-gravel walk through [the groves].
1896. Voice (N. Y.), 8 Oct., 2. Be content to wriggle pretty patterns on the mud of spoils!
† 7. To twist, pervert. Cf. WREST v. 5. Obs.
1593. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., Wks. (Grosart), II. 52. Sinister construction, that wreasteth and wrigleth euery sillable to the worst.
1637. J. Williams, Holy Table, 2. Which when it is in writing,… is no more by a disputant indeed to be wrigled and wrested.
Hence Wriggled (rig’ld) ppl. a.
1572. Bossewell, Armorie, II. 100. They haue … a wrigled tayle, and croked tethe like to a Bore.
1611. Cotgr., Fringotteries, frets; cranklings, wrigled flourishings, in caruings, &c.
a. 1643. Cartwright, Ordinary, II. iii. Your hollow thumb join’d with your wriggled [dice] box.
1899. A. Lang, in Contemp. Rev., March, 403. At each side are two-circled and one-circled specimens with the wriggled line, and two cups and circles with no wriggle.
