[f. SQUEEZE v.]
1. An act of squeezing; an application of strong or heavy pressure, or of force sufficient to compress.
1611. Cotgr., Escachure,… a squash, crush, knock, or squeeze, (wherby a thing is flatted, or beaten close together).
1708. J. Philips, Cyder, II. 75. Let the tuneful Squeeze Of labouring Elbow rouze them [sc. ‘imprison’d winds’ of the bagpipes], out they fly Melodious.
1806. A. Hunter, Culina (ed. 3), 63. When sufficiently stewed, give it a gentle squeeze.
1835. Sir J. Ross, Narr. 2nd Voy., viii. 121. In attempting to pass between two large pieces of ice, they suddenly closed, so as to give us a considerable squeeze, but without any injury.
1843. Holtzapffel, Turning, I. 134. The final squeeze is given by the entire force of three men.
1869. Rankine, Machine & Hand-tools, Pl. P 20, The punch;… as it retires, after having given its squeeze, the point is lubricated.
b. In fig. use.
1711. Swift, Lett. (1767), III. 227. A rogue that writes a newspaper … has reflected on me in one of his papers; but the secretary has taken him up, and he shall have a squeeze extraordinary.
1835. T. Mitchell, Acharn. of Aristoph., Introd. p. viii. A squeeze and a gripe too often advertised the towns beneath, that … Athens had as much need of external as of native resources.
1850. Longf., Life (1891), II. 182. It begins again, the old pressure and squeeze of books and old routine.
1887. Spectator, 21 May, 675/2. A gentle squeeze to the Sultan might effect some improvement.
c. The pressure of a crowd of persons; a crush.
1802. Beddoes, Hygëia, V. 55. Tea and coffee … are frequently taken in the very stew and squeeze of a fashionable mob.
1805. B’ness Bunsen, in Hare, Life, I. iii. 72. I never could have imagined what a real squeeze was until I found myself in the passage.
1854. Poultry Chron., I. 141. I shall never again believe what ladies say against a mob, after witnessing how many high-born, gentle, and feeble old ladies endured the squeeze at Birmingham.
d. colloq. A strong financial or commercial demand or pressure.
1890. Daily News, 26 June, 2/2. The middlemen who happened to have provided themselves with money in view of a ‘squeeze.’
1894. Times, 7 March, 5/4. The business of the New York Stock Market was marked to-day by a ‘squeeze’ in Sugar Trust certificates.
2. A strong or firm pressure of the hand as a token of friendship or affection.
In quot. 1736 with allusion to the surreptitious passing of money in order to bribe.
1736. Fielding, Pasquin, I. i. I never had a civiller squeeze by the hand in my life…. Ay, you have squeezed that out pretty well.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), III. 133. Harry seized him by the hand, and gave him … the squeeze and the look of love.
1819. Byron, Juan, I. cxi. Yet there’s no doubt she only meant to clasp His fingers with a pure Platonic squeeze.
1841. Thackeray, Gt. Hoggarty Diamond, iii. Lady Fanny … held me out her little hand, and gave mine such a squeeze.
1888. Burgon, Lives 12 Gd. Men, II. 265. Giving him an honest, hearty squeeze of the hand.
b. A close embrace; a hug.
1790. Wolcot (P. Pindar), Epist. J. Bruce, Wks. 1812, II. 354. What bade the charming Lady Mary fly Marchesi’s squeeze, for Pacchierotti’s sigh?
1818. Keats, Endym., III. 574. My tenderest squeeze is but a giant’s clutch.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, xlvi. Drying the tears upon her shrivelled face, and giving him a tender squeeze.
1899. Conan Doyle, Duet, 207. She threw her arms round his neck and gave him a hearty squeeze.
3. a. A (small) quantity or amount squeezed out; a few drops pressed out by squeezing.
1761. Ann. Reg., Characters, 4/2. A little pimento, and the squeeze of an orange their only sauce.
1819. Macaulay, in Trevelyan, xii. (1913), II. 233. They are more than sufficiently eulogistic. In both there are squeezes of acid.
1864. Reader, 12 March, 324/3. It is much relished with a squeeze of lemon-juice.
1907. Westm. Gaz., 12 April, 4/2. For the nearer colouring he would still serve himself out a liberal squeeze of burnt-sienna.
b. techn. in Screw-cutting (see quot.).
1846. Holtzapffel, Turning, II. 587. It appears … to be quite impolitic, entirely to expunge the surface-bearing, or squeeze, from the taps and dies, when these are applied to the ductile metals.
c. A forced exaction or impost made by Asiatic officials or servants; a percentage taken upon goods bought or sold; an illegal charge or levy.
1858. Merc. Mar. Mag., V. 42. The Transit Levies, or Mandarin ‘Squeeze.’ Ibid., 44. We should get our teas at a duty of … one thirty-fifth part of the present ‘squeeze.’
1880. Miss Bird, Japan, I. 51. The practice common among native servants of getting a ‘squeeze’ out of every money transaction.
c. 1890. [A. Murdoch], Yoshiwara Episode, 10. In his foolishness he was dreaming of ‘squeezes,’ of looting temples, of marrying Japanese Princesses.
4. colloq. A crowded assembly or social gathering.
1779. Mrs. Barbauld, Wks. (1825), II. 22. There is a squeeze, a fuss, a drum, a rout, and lastly a hurricane, when the whole house is full from top to bottom.
1793. [Earl Dundonald], Descr. Estate of Culross, 53. Scots Coal and Wax Tapers forming two of the indispensably necessary attendants of Drums, Routs, and Squeezes.
1808. Lady S. Lyttelton, Corr. (1912), i. 13. The weather is getting terribly hot for squeezes.
1818. Lady Morgan, Autob. (1859), 191. Morgan swears I’ll suffocate them all, as the French are wholly unused to a squeeze.
1893. F. F. Moore, I Forbid Banns (1899), 149. He said he’d be hanged if he’d go to Madame Darius’ squeeze—meaning this joyous entertainment.
5. Coal-mining. a. A gradual coming together of the floor and roof of a gallery or working; a place where this has occurred; a creep or nip.
1789. J. Williams, Min. Kingd., I. 348. They are always sure that the vein will open again,… when they have cut through that squeeze or twitch.
1881. Raymond, Mining Gloss., Squeeze, the settling, without breaking, of the roof over a considerable area of workings.
1898. Daily News, 5 July, 2/5. Squeezes and falls are taking place in the levels and headings throughout the coalfield.
b. (See quot.)
1882. Standard, 19 Aug., 3/5. There is no room for doubt that the explosion … was caused by the diffusion of a sudden ‘squeeze’ or outburst of gas.
6. slang or Cant. a. The deck.
1812. in J. H. Vaux, Flash Dict.
1821. Sporting Mag., IX. 27. A prime yellow-man round his squeeze.
1828. Egan, Boxiana, IV. 158. Abbot appeared on the ground, with a blue bird’s-eye round his squeeze.
c. 1866. in Farmer & Henley, s.v. Squeezer.
b. Silk; an article made of this, a silk tie. Also attrib.
1839. ‘Ducange Anglicus,’ 34. Squeeze, silk.
1877. [W. H. Thomson], Five Yrs.’ Penal Servitude, 240. He’d tog himself up in black, with a white ‘squeeze,’ on a Sunday.
1877. in Farmer & Henley s.v., We got some squeeze dresses, and two sealskin jackets.
1888. Times, 1 Dec., 4/4. He there saw Fife, who said, ‘Did you hear about the load of “squeeze” (meaning silk) that was lost?’
c. (See quot.)
A few other slang uses are given by Farmer & Henley.
1865. Slang Dict., 241. ‘Precious rum squeeze at the spell,’ i. e. a good evening’s work at the theatre.
7. A molding or cast of an object obtained by pressing some plastic substance round or over it; spec. in Archæol., an impression or copy of an inscription, design, etc., taken by applying wet paper or other soft material in this way.
1857. Birch, Anc. Pottery (1858), II. 277. Lamps were manufactured by means of moulds, which were modelled from a pattern lamp, in a harder and finer clay than the squeeze or pattern.
1870. Geo. Eliot, in Cross, Life, III. 112. I saw squeezes of this [Moabite] stone for the first time.
1884. W. Wright, Hittites, iv. 45. Professor Sayce visited these sculptures. He made careful squeezes and copies of the inscription.
1890. W. J. Gordon, Foundry, 213. The wood … is used merely as a source of electrotypes. A squeeze in wax or some such substance is taken from it.
fig. 1894. Chamberlain, in Times, 14 March, 7/3. Now we know that the policy of Lord Rosebery is the ‘squeeze’ of the policy of Mr. Gladstone.
8. Without article: The action of squeezing or the fact of being squeezed; pressure; constraint used to obtain a concession, gift, etc.
1862. Thackeray, Philip, xxvi. After four-and-twenty hours of squeeze in the diligence.
1898. Westm. Rev., May, 479. It is on the knowledge of this fact that the policy of squeeze is based.
9. colloq. a. An escape, a ‘squeak.’
1875. Wood & Lapham, Waiting for Mail, 24. Jack had had … a still more narrow squeeze, for, had he been one minute sooner at the windlass, nothing could have saved him.
b. At or upon a squeeze, at a pinch.
1892. W. S. Gilbert, Mountebanks, I. I assist As soloist, Upon a squeeze.
1897. Windsor Mag., Jan., 277/2. The … garden … contains only one … tennis-court, but at a squeeze could almost take in two.
10. attrib. and Comb. in sense 7, as squeeze impression, -taker; in sense 3 c, as squeeze system; squeeze clout Cant (see quot.); squeeze room, a room in which ‘squeezes’ or assemblies are held.
1795. Potter, Dict. Cant (ed. 2), Squeeze clout, a neckcloth.
1850. Mrs. Trollope, Petticoat Gov., 157. She ventured to whisper as they stood together in the squeeze room.
1871. Q. Statem. Amer. Palest. Explor. Soc., We did not succeed in getting squeeze impressions.
1883. Lady Sophia Palmer, in Quiver, Dec., 89/1. Since the publication of ‘The Ancient Egpytians,’ Bengal lights (for illumination!), tourists’ fingers, squeeze-takers, and the whole body of destroyers have done their work.
1898. Morning Post, 9 Nov., 5/5. The official class, which religiously adheres to the time-honoured ‘squeeze’ system.
