[f. TRIM v. + -ING1.] The action of the verb TRIM.
1. Making trim, putting in order, equipment, preparation; repairing, putting right; spec. Naut. the fitting out, repairing, or cleaning the bottom of a ship: see TRIM v. 2–6.
1519–20. Rec. St. Mary at Hill, 304. Paid for Trymmyng of the courten of our ladys tabernacle…. Paid to a carpenter for Trymmyng of the peyse of the pyx.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., II. vi. 36. The trimming and gathering of the mastick.
c. 1595. Capt. Wyatt, R. Dudley’s Voy. W. Ind. (Hakl. Soc.), 30. Such things which wee weare to have from the carvells for the speedie dispatchinge of our admeralls trimminge.
a. 1642. Sir W. Monson, Naval Tracts, II. (1704), 254/2. Upon the return of the clean Squadron to Sea, whilst the other Squadron is in Trimming.
b. Adornment, decoration, dressing up; making neat or smart; also cutting, clipping, shearing (lit. and fig.); † spec. cutting of the hair (obs.).
c. 1536. Calisto & Mel., A iij b. What trimyng what payntyng, to make fayrnes.
1554–5. in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Mary (1914), 176. Counterfet pearle for the trymynge & garnishing of the womens hedpeces and fruntes of their visars.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. (1882), 50. They [the barbers] haue inuented such strange fashions and monstrous maners of cuttings, trimmings, shauings.
1638. Archdeaconry Essex Min., lf. 3 b (MS.). Edwardus Geary presentatus for trymeing of men on the Saboath day in tyme of divine service.
1693. Vestry Bks. (Surtees), 258. For the Beadle’s blew cote triming and making, 19 s. 6 d.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Trimming, Cheating People of their Money.
1723. Mandeville, Fab. Bees (1733), I. 320. To have them all whole and tight in the same Cloaths and Trimming must add to the comliness of the sight.
1886. C. Scott, Sheep-Farming, 171. Trimming is the modelling or clipping from time to time of the already rough shorn sheep.
c. pl. Pieces cut off in trimming something; parings, cuttings, scraps.
1805. R. W. Dickson, Pract. Agric., I. 116. Where there are coppices of young wood,… fences … may be formed at very small expence by the trimmings from them.
1846. Soyer, Cookery, 27. The trimmings of any description of game … may be used for making the above sauce.
1857. Miller, Elem. Chem., III. 667. The strongest glue … from the ears and refuse trimmings of thick hides in general.
1881. Daily Tel., 23 Feb. The scraps and trimmings of joints,… good meat, true meat, often cut from the primest parts of the animal.
1912. Daily News, 21 March, 4. The bodger’s fire of beech trimmings.
2. concr. Adornment, array; esp. a. Any ornamental addition to the bare fabric of a dress, etc. Also fig. Chiefly pl.
In quot. 1625 = the trappings of the sacrificial victim. Cf. quot. 1697, in TRIM v. 7.
1625. K. Long, trans. Barclay’s Argenis, IV. v. 255. Must this pompe, this attire, this beauty, be the trimmings to offer mee a Sacrifice to Sicilies infernall gods?
c. 1654. Selden, Table-T., Relig. (Arb.), 102. Every Man has a Doublet: So every Man has his Religion: We differ about Trimming.
1684. Contempl. St. Man, II. v. (1699), 178. What Fool is so sottish as to bestow precious Trimming upon a Penitential Garment?
a. 1713. Ellwood, Autobiog. (1765), 24. Those unnecessary Trimmings of Lace, Ribbands, and useless Buttons.
1850. H. Rogers, Ess., II. iv. 205. Discourses … garnished with a trimming of French terms and phrases.
1906. Temple Bar Mag., Jan., 33. Tunics … of darker grey with ‘trimmings.’
b. pl. Accessories, usual accompaniments; e.g., to the bare fabric of a house, to a joint of meat, etc.
1612. T. Bodley, Will, in Macray, Ann. Bodleian (1880), 407. There shelues, deskes, seates, and other needeful trimings.
1828. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. III. 47. The leg of mutton and trimmings had been paid for over and over.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., xxxvii. A boiled leg of mutton with the usual trimmings.
1858. Gen. P. Thompson, Audi Alt., II. lxx. 11. Style, which is only the trimmings of the dish.
1884. St. James’ Gaz., 29 April, 4/2. Agricultural and mechanical implements, house trimmings, locks, latches, and hinges.
3. A beating, a drubbing; a sharp censure.
a. 1518. [see TRIM v. 10].
1675. V. Alsop, Anti-Sozzo, Pref. They … would doubtless interpose, and bestow a deserved Trimming upon the Book, and make it doe Penance in its own sheets.
1763. Ld. Halifax, Lett., 24 Sept., in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. I. 360. That superficial pert Gentleman has got a thorough trimming from the Duke.
1787. Mrs. Trimmer, Two Farmers (1789), 21. It was a cruel trick, and he deserves a good trimming for it.
1833. Pyne, Wine & Walnuts (1824), I. xviii. 215. He expected another trimming on the usual topic, his vanity.
4. Naut. The adjustment of a ship’s balance, load, sails, etc., as in TRIM v. 13, 14.
1627. Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., viii. 34. The Master is to see the cunning of the ship, and trimming of the sailes. Ibid., xi. 54. The trimming of a ship doth much amend or impaire her sailing…. To finde her trim, that is, how she will sail best.
5. The action of balancing or poising; the stowing or arrangement of cargo or coal in the hold of a ship in such a way as to keep her trim.
c. 1796. T. Twining, Trav. Amer. (1894), 96. The wagon … was so often depressed in the soft ground and old ruts on one side, that the passengers were obliged to press towards the other. Without this perpetual trimming we should certainly have been overturned.
1893. Times, 10 July, 13/6. The apparatus … has a working capacity of 100 tons per hour, and by it all trimming of the cargo is obviated.
1911. Act 1 & 2 Geo. V., c. 41 § 1. Work done … in connection with the stowing or discharging of cargoes … or the trimming of coal on board that ship.
6. fig. Balancing between opinions or parties so as to remain in favor with both sides: see TRIM v. 16.
1696. C. Leslie, Snake in Grass (1697), 223. Having themselves serv’d all turns, that ever happen’d in their time,… they had the Face to upbraid others for their Changing and Trimming.
1760. Law, Spir. Prayer, II. 91. Management, prudence, or an artful trimming betwixt God and mammon, are here all in vain.
1827. Scott, Jrnl., 22 Dec. An attempt to govern par bascule—by trimming betwixt the opposite parties.
1882. A. Bain, Jas. Mill, iv. 194. The opposition was founded on Brougham’s trimming to the Church.
7. attrib. and Comb., as trimming-blade, -hook, -tool; in sense 2 a, trimming-maker, -manufacturer, -merchant, -shop. b. Special combs. (in some of which trimming may be the ppl. a.), as trimming-basin, a barber’s basin; trimming-board, a board on which paper is trimmed; trimming-can: see quot.; trimming-joist, a joist into which the end of a trimmer (sense 4) is fitted; trimming-machine: see quot.; trimming-piece = trimming-joist; trimming-room, -shear: see quots.; trimming spout, a jointed spout delivering grain, sand or the like from an elevator into a ship or truck, so as to distribute it over the available space (Cent. Dict., Suppl., 1909); trimming-tank, a water-tank in the bow or stern of a ship that is filled or emptied as the trim of the ship demands.
1683. Lond. Gaz., No. 1820/4. A Silver *Trimming-Bason and a Pot, two Silver Candle-sticks.
1868. Rep. U.S. Commissioner Agric. (1869), 255. Figure 8 represents the *trimming hook, and Figure 9 the *trimming blade.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, *Trimming-can, a small tin vessel with a spout, for pouring oil into a table-lamp.
1667. Primatt, City & C. Build., 81. Binding-Joysts with their *Trimming-Joysts.
1679. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., viii. 137. These Joysts, Trimmers and Trimming Joysts, are all to be pinned into their respective Mortesses.
1877. Knight, Dict. Mech., *Trimming-machine, 1, a species of lathe for trimming the edges of stamped hollow-ware, such as sheet metal pans…. 2. (Boot-making), a machine for trimming the edge of uppers.
1819. Lond. Post Off. Direct., 84. Crooks’ & Co. *Trimming makers, 98 Wood-street.
1896. C. K. Paul, trans. Huysman’s En Route, II. vi. 262. The religious trimming-makers could trim these watered and plain silks with silver and gold.
1833. Loudon, Encycl. Archit., § 234. The trimmer arch, w, is shown abutting against the *trimming piece.
1881. Guide Worcester Porcelain Wks., 27. The ware … is then taken … into the *trimming room, where any superfluous glaze is taken off.
1877. Knight, Dict. Mech., *Trimming-shear, a machine for trimming wool borders on … mats.
1837. Essex Co. Stand., 27 Jan., 5/2. The stable of White Hart Inn, Woodford, was visited by some persons, who carried off a pair of *trimming shears, [etc.].
1854. M. T. Morrall, Hist. Needle Making (ed. 2), 22. Which soon brought them [needles] into demand in the *trimming shops of London.
1903. Q. Rev., July, 119. The trimming-tanks … assist in keeping the boat on an even keel.
