Also 6–9 swinging, 7–9 swindging. [f. SWINGE v.1]
1. That swinges; scourging, flogging. rare.
1674. D. Dyke, Myst. Self-Deceiuing, xvii. 229. He tels him of the seuere schoole-master, of the swindging roddes, of the hard feruler. Ibid. (1618), True Treat., School of Affliction, 339. The first Schoolemaster is Affliction. A sharp, and seuere and swinging Schoolemaster indeed.
2. Very forcible, great, or large; huge, immense. Chiefly, now only, colloq. or slang; mostly arch. or dial. (Cf. thumping, whopping.)
c. 1590. Greene, Fr. Bacon, xv. 34. May not a man haue a lustie fier there, a pot of good ale, a paire of cardes, a swinging peece of chalke, and a browne toast?
1597. Tofte, Laura, xiii. Thicke swinging showers.
a. 1600. Flodden F., viii. (1664), 80. And swindging swaps made many swelt.
1677. W. Hughes, Man of Sin, II. vii. 111. Many other of those foolish and childish Penances may be seen in the Author quoted…. There is one swinging one, I can’t pass over.
1678. Dryden, Limberham, V. i. I dream’d … that a great swinging Thief came in, and whipt ’em out.
1691. Mrs. D’Anvers, Academia, 30. I had a swinging mind to go, And hear the Organs.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, IV. xii. My Gentleman must pay him such swindging damages, that his acres may bleed for ’t.
1706. Hearne, Collect., 17 Feb. (O.H.S.), I. 187. That Swinging Orthodox G. Burnett Bp. of Sarum.
1711. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 13 Nov. I … now have got a swingeing cold.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa, VII. 19. Lady Sarah Sadleir and Lady Betty Lawrance, will also die, and leave me swindging legacies.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, VII. iii. He hath devoured two swinging butter-toasts this morning for breakfast.
1771. Goldsm., Haunch of Venison, 82. At the top a fried liver and bacon were seen; At the bottom was tripe, in a swinging tureen.
1844. Dickens, Mart. Chuz., xxviii. To make a swingeing profit.
1857. Borrow, Romany Rye, xliii. The horse fetched a good swinging price.
1876. R. Bridges, Growth of Love, xxvii. Old Leviathan … Had never rib nor bray nor swindging fan Like his iron swimmer of the Clyde or Tyne.
1904. Times (Lit. Supp.), 15 July, 218/3. The jury gave swinging damages.
b. as adv. Hugely, immensely.
1690. Dryden, Amphitryon, I. i. He has sent me to will and require you to make a swinging long night for him.
1706. Hearne, Collect., 16 Sept. (O.H.S.), I. 288. A swinging fat Wife.
1711. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 7 June. At dinner there fell the swingingest long shower.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., VI. v. Our vicar still preaches that Peter and Poule Laid a swinging long curse on the bonny brown bowl.
1836. Haliburton, Clockm. (1862), 20. A swingeing big Pig.
1872. C. D. Warner, Backlog Studies, 246. Christmas Eve was … a placid, calm, swingeing cold night.
† 3. (After SWINGE sb.1 1.) Powerful, authoritative. Obs.
1567. Turberv., trans. Mantuan’s Ecl., iii. 18. I wote not who doth rule the winds and beares the swinging swaye.
Hence Swing(e)ingly adv. (colloq. or slang), very greatly or forcibly, hugely, immensely.
1672. Dryden, Assignation, III. iii. I have sin’d swingingly, against my Vow.
1691. Shadwell, Scowrers, I. i. We drunk swingingly last night.
1703. De Foe, Misc., Freeholder’s Plea, 172. Only we find we are swingingly tax’d; and they tell us ’tis done by the Parliament.
1720. Swift, Poems, Excellent New Song, 31. This wicked rogue Waters … if swearing can do’t, shall be swingingly mawl’d.
1778. Foote, Trip Calais, I. Wks. 1799, II. 341. I reckon, your lordships were swingingly sous’d on the road.
1903. Kipling, Five Nations, The Lesson, 6. This was not bestowed us under the trees, nor yet in the shade of a tent, But swingingly, over eleven degrees of a bare brown continent.
