the stem of SPOIL v.1 in comb. with sbs., as spoil-five, a round game of cards which is said to be ‘spoiled’ if no player wins three out of a possible five tricks; † spoil-paper, a petty author or scribbler; spoil-pudding slang (see quot.); spoil-trade, one who spoils trade. Also SPOIL-SPORT.
1839. Carleton, Fardorougha, xvi. Busy at the game of *‘spoil five.’
1841. Lever, C. O’Malley, lxxv. What do you say to a little spoil five, or beggar my neighbour?
1610–1. in J. Davies (Heref.), Paper’s Compl., Wks. (Grosart), II. 81/2. Nor list I purchase penance at that rate, As some *Spoile-Papers haue deerely done of late.
1788. Grose, Dict. Vulgar T. (ed. 2), *Spoil Pudding, a parson who preaches long sermons, keeping his congregation in church till the puddings are over done.
1705. Hickeringill, Priest-cr., II. viii. 77. Go on, I’ll be no *Spoil-Trade, go Cheat and be Cheated, to the end of your Lives.
1854. Poultry Chron., I. 222/1. Thinking it best in such barefaced cases to become a ‘spoil-trade,’ I have forwarded you the particulars.
1885. A. Dale, Jonathan’s Home, 99–100. They will ‘shine’ you for five cents, which causes their American brothers to look upon them with considerable malevolence, as spoil-trades and unscrupulous bargainers.
