[f. SWINGE v.1 + -ER1.]
† 1. One who acts vigorously or forcibly; a vigorous performer; a powerful fellow. Obs.
1583. Melbancke, Philotimus, L iij. The three Sisters Litæ … were left a loofe behind her far out of sight, not able to keepe pace with such a swinger.
1679. Dryden, Limberham, I. i. Before George, a proper fellow! and a Swinger he shou’d be, by his make! Ibid. (1679), Troil. & Cress., I. ii. Is’t not a brave Man that? he’s a Swinger, many a Grecian he has laid with his Face upward.
1684. Southerne, Disappointm., II. i. I’ gad I was a Swinger in those days; let me see,—I could have done—I don’t know what I could have done.
2. Something forcible or effective; esp. something very big; a ‘whopper.’ colloq. or slang; now rare or local. Cf. SWINGEING ppl. a. 2.
1599. Warn. Faire Wom., II. 1524. I am sure there is a gallowes big enough to hold them both … ’tis a swinger yfayth.
1648. Herrick, Hesper., Twelfe Nt., 24. And thus ye must doe To make the wassaile a swinger [rhyme ginger].
1677. 2nd Pacquet Advices, 42. They are likely to give us nothing New but a New Parliament, and that shall be a Swinger, as the Dissolver hath promised us.
1712–3. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 25 Jan. I saw a hundred tiles fallen down; and one swinger fell about forty yards before me, that would have killed a horse.
a. 1734. North, Lives (1826), II. 70. This motion at that time was indeed a swinger; for, in consequence, the execution of it by such a pardon of all convictions had lost the King irrecoverably. Ibid. (a. 1734), Exam., II. iv. § 10 (1740), 236. We had … diverse [plots] of most desperate Reach; witness that of Fitzharris, which was a Swinger.
1853. C. B. Mansfield, Paraguay, etc. (1856), 425. I started off … with a tremendous toothache, one of my old swingers.
1872. Schele De Vere, Americanisms, 557. In Virginia … boys have for more than two centuries called a large snake or other formidable creature a swindger.
† b. spec. A great or bold lie, a ‘bang.’ Obs.
1671. Eachard, Observ. Answ. Cont. Clergy, 153. How will his puling Conscience be put to it, to rap out presently half a dozen swingers to get off cleaverly?
1727. Swift, Art Polit. Lying, Wks. 1755, III. I. 122. The Whig-party do wisely to try the credulity of the people sometimes by swingers.
1781. M. Madan, Thelyphthora, III. 148. Is it possible that, when St. Bernard told this swinger, he could believe it, himself?
c. A forcible blow or stroke.
1836. E. Howard, R. Reefer, xxv. He applied across my shoulders one of the most hearty … swingers that ever left a wale behind it.
1841. J. T. Hewlett, P. Priggins, II. xi. 169. Another pleasant occupation was having to jump two or three feet from the ground, and then to be knocked down by his master, who stood on a form for the purpose. This was called ‘tipping a neat swinger.’
1890. Barrère & Leland, Slang Dict., Swinger (Charterhouse), a box on the ears.
3. A tool with a raised point, used for levering timbers, etc.
