Forms: 5 iustil, 6 iussell, iustell, ioustle, 6–7 iustle, 7 jussel(l, jusle, josle, jostel, 7– justle, jostle. [f. JUST, joust v. + freq. suffix -LE. Justle was usual in the 17th c.; and the main form in the 18th (Johnson has justle as the main form and jostle as a variant); it has now largely yielded to jostle.]
I. intr. † 1. To come into collision in the tournament; to just or tilt. Obs.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, S’Entr’essayer à la jouste, to trye one an other at iustling.
1600. R. Cawdray, Treas. Similies, 398. No man iustleth with two Speares together.
1706. Phillips, To Just, or Justle, to run a Tilt.
1759. trans. Adanson’s Voy. Senegal, 289. The horsemen themselves greatly added to those sports … feigning by their gesture and attitude, sometimes a combat, and other times a justling, a chace, or dance.
† b. transf. To encounter sexually. Obs. rare–1.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 12738. Engest, with his Iapis, hade Iustilet hir with, And getyn in his gamyn on the gay lady, A doghter þat was dere.
2. To knock or push against, to come into collision with; also absol. to push and shove; to push one against another as in a crowd.
1546. J. Heywood, Prov., II. v. Ech of his ioyntes agaynst other iustles.
1591. Durham Depos. (Surtees), 332. One that, having a burthen of wood on his back … did then jussell upon a strainger … which then was rydeing out of the towne.
1611. Bible, Nahum ii. 4. The charets shall rage in the streets, they shall iustle one against another in the broad wayes.
1699. Pomfret, Eleazar’s Lament., 49. The num’rous throng Was forc’d to jostle as they pass’d along.
1795. Burke, Lett. to W. Elliot, Wks. VII. 367. Nor am I of force to win my way, and to justle and elbow in a crowd.
1817. Scott, Rob Roy, v. All tramped, kicked, plunged, shouldered, and jostled.
1893. Times, 18 May, 5/6. Her Majesty’s justices jostled with mayors and aldermen.
fig. 1639. Fuller, Holy War, II. ii. The clergy of that age, who counted themselves to want room except they justled with princes.
1876. Green, Stray Stud., 190. The old world of feudalism jostling with the new world of commerce.
a. 1894. Froude, Counc. Trent, iii. (1896), 54. As in most human things, the commonplace jostled against the sublime.
b. To contend for a place, the best path, or the wall, by pushing another away from it; hence, to vie or struggle with some one for some advantage.
1614. T. Adams, Serm. Ps. lxvi. 12, Wks. 608. It were more braue for them to iustle with champions that will not giue them the way.
1681–6. J. Scott, Chr. Life (1747), III. 369. With whose legislative Power it never justled for the Wall.
1726. De Foe, Hist. Devil, I. x. (1840), 133. Nations and tribes began to jostle with one another for room.
1822. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. Decay Beggars. None jostle with him for the wall, or pick quarrels for precedency.
3. To make one’s way by pushing or shoving; to push one’s way. Also to jostle one’s way.
1612–5. Bp. Hall, Contempl., O. T., XVII. i. Adonijah … will underworke Salomon and justle into the not yet vacant seat of his father David.
1687. Dryden, Hind & P., III. 1186. Eager of a name, He thrusts about, and justles into fame.
1790. A. Wilson, Poems, to Andrew Clarke. While bustling business justles through the mind.
c. 1819. Scott, in Croker Papers (1884), I. v. 139. It requires a strong man to jostle through a crowd.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Homes Abroad, ix. 122. Condemned to jostle their way in the world.
II. trans. 4. To shake or drive by pushing; to come into rough collision with, to knock or push against; to elbow, hustle.
1575. R. B., Appius & V., in Dodsley, O. Pl. (1825), XII. 361. What if case that cruelty should bussell me and jussell mee.
1591. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. ii. 533. Som boistrous winde, with stormy puff Joustling the clouds.
1610. Shaks., Temp., III. ii. 29. I am in case to iustle a Constable.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 454, ¶ 4. The Coachmen took care to meet, jostle, and threaten each other for Way.
1717. Prior, Alma, III. 177. Each still renews her little labour, Nor justles her assiduous neighbour.
a. 1861. Clough, Early Poems, xi. 6. Who standeth still i’ the street Shall be hustled and justled about.
1870. Mrs. Riddell, Austin Friars, xii. When a woman mixes among a crowd, she must expect to be jostled and pushed by the sterner sex.
fig. 1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 430. Enuie not thy betters, justle not thy fellowes.
a. 1764. Lloyd, Temple Favour, Poet. Wks. 1774, II. 143. Far from the colleges of taste, I jostle no poetic name.
1880. A. H. Huth, Buckle, I. iv. 224. Rampant theories jostled each other in the race for power.
5. To push, drive, or force, roughly or unceremoniously, from, out of, or into some place, condition, etc. lit. and fig.
1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., II. Wks. 1856, I. 25. It would … Justle that skipping feeble amorist Out of your loves seat.
1610. Shaks., Temp., V. i. 158. Howsoeu’r you haue Beene iustled from all sences.
1645. Fuller, Good Th. in Bad T. (1841), 5. Must the new foe quite justle out the old friend?
1692. Bentley, Boyle Lect., ii. 25. That dead senseless Atoms can ever justle and knock one another into Life and Understanding.
1713. Addison, Guardian, No. 106, ¶ 4. We justled one another out by turns, and disputed the post for a great while.
1871. Tyndall, Fragm. Sc. (1879), I. i. 9. One atom can jostle another out of its place.
6. Racing. To push against (a competitor) so as to retard him. Often in to cross (cross the path of, get in front of) and jostle. Also absol.
1723. Lond. Gaz., No. 6167/8. Jostling allowed on by the two foremost Horses for these Plates and no other Horse.
1747. Gentl. Mag., 536. He marks, what dog sagacious vies, And just’ling strains to win the prize.
1754. Articles rel. to H. M.’s Plates, in J. Pond, Sport. Kalendar, xxiii. As many of the Riders as shall cross, jostle, or strike … shall be made incapable of ever riding any Horse, Mare or Gelding, for any of his Majesty’s Plates hereafter.
1776. Mrs. Harris, in Priv. Lett. Ld. Malmesbury, I. 348. They all rode exceedingly well…. Jostling was allowed, and Mr. Hanger declared he would jostle and whip whoever came near.
1858. Rules Racing, § 42, in Blaine, Encycl. Rur. Sports (1870), 374. If in running for any race one horse shall jostle or cross another, such horse is disqualified for winning the race, whether such jostle or cross happened by the swerve of the horse, or by the foul and careless riding of the jockey, or otherwise.
fig. 1807–8. W. Irving, Salmag. (1824), 139. We must be crossed and jostled by these meddling incendiaries.
1850. Merivale, Rom. Emp. (1865), I. ii. 71. A thousand intrigues crossed and jostled one another in the forum.
7. To cause (one thing) to push against another; to bring (things) into collision. lit. and fig.
1641. Milton, Reform., I. (1851), 66. Where do the Churches … clash and justle Supremacies with the Civil Magistrate?
1678. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., No. 6 § 35 (1683), I. 102. You must jostle them one upon the other, that the Glew may very well touch and take hold of the Wood.
1765. A. Dickson, Treat. Agric., II. (ed. 2), 246. They are justling the furrow-cattle upon the plowed land.
