Forms: 4–5 iogly(n, 4–6 iogel, 5 iugille, 6 iogyl(l, iuggel, -yll, iugle, iugul, 6–7 iuggle, 7 jugle, 7– juggle. [ME. a. OF. jogler, jugler (later jougler) = It. giocolare:—late L. joculāre for L. joculārī to jest.]
† 1. intr. To act as a JUGGLER (sense 1); to amuse or entertain people with jesting, buffoonery, tricks, etc. Obs.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XIII. 232. I can noither … Iape ne iogly [1393 C. XVI. 207 Iapen ne Iogelen] ne gentlych pype.
1483. Cath. Angl., 199/1. To Iugille, ioculari.
1608. Armin, Nest Ninn., 47. Will Sommers watcht to disgrace him, when he was jugling and jesting before the king.
2. To practise the skill or art of a JUGGLER (sense 2) in magic or legerdemain; to play conjuring tricks; to conjure.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 263/2. Ioglyn (K., P. iogelyn), prestigior.
1530. Palsgr., 592/2. Mathewe iogyled the cleanest of any man in our dayes.
1727. De Foe, Hist. Appar., ix. 187. He [the Devil] can juggle and play scurvy tricks.
1883. Standard, 21 June, 2/2. He … painted, acted, juggled, and mesmerised.
1885. R. L. Stevenson, in Contemp. Rev., April, 550. The conjurer juggles with two oranges.
3. transf. and fig. To play tricks so as to cheat or deceive; to practise artifice or deceit with.
1528. Tindale, Obed. Chr. Man, To Rdr. Why shall I not se the scripture … that I maye know whether thyne interpretacion be the right sence, or whether thou iuglest and drawest the scripture violently vnto thy carnall and fleshly purpose?
1533. Frith, Another Bk. agst. Rastell, Wks. (1572), 63. Here he iuggeleth wyth me and would make me beleue that he tossed me mine own ball agayne, but when I beholde it, I perceaue it to be none of mine.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., X. 437. A grievous thing to see incapable men, to jugle with the high mysteries of mans salvation.
1660. Milton, Griffith’s Serm., Wks. (1851), 394. Prime Teachers, who to thir credulous Audience dare thus juggle with Scripture.
1821. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. Mackery End. She never juggles or plays tricks with her understanding.
4. trans. To deceive by jugglery; to deceive, trick, cheat, beguile; to cheat out of something.
1531. Tindale, Exp. 1 John ii. 33. God can not but let the deuell … iuggle oure eyes to confirme us in blyndnesse. Ibid. (1533), Lord’s Sup., 26. He neuer thus iugled nor mocked hys so dearely beloued discyples.
a. 1654. Selden, Table-t. (Arb.), 29. If Men at first were juggled out of their Estates, yet they are rightly their Successours.
a. 1764. Lloyd, The Poet, Poet. Wks. 1774, II. 19. When near his latest breath The patient fain would juggle death.
1850. Blackie, Æschylus, I. Pref. 21. The Spirit of Error … juggles the plain understandings of men that they become the sport of every quibble.
1866. Bright, Sp., Reform, 13 March (1876), 344. They have no system of compounding which would juggle men out of their franchise.
b. To bring, get, convey or change (away, into, etc.) by, or as by, magic or conjuring, or by trickery or deceit.
c. 1590. Greene, Fr. Bacon, I. 99. He can make women of devils and he can juggle cats into costermongers.
1618. Bolton, Florus, III. xix. (1636), 233. He juggled a nut into his mouth, filled with brimstone, and fire, and … spat fire as he spake.
1813. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1830), IV. 216. Our debt was juggled from forty-three up to eighty millions.
18[?]. G. Meredith, Poems, Juggling Jerry, viii. Now from his old girl he’s juggled away.
Hence Juggled ppl. a., done by jugglery.
1536. Protest. Lower Ho. Convoc., in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1721), I. App. lxxiii. 179. Item, That halowed water is but iogelled water.
1618. T. Gainsford, P. Warbeck, in Select. fr. Harl. Misc. (1793), 71. The fame of this juggled miracle was … blown over Flanders.
