or hain’t, an’t, verb. (vulgar).—That is, ‘are not,’ ‘am not,’ ‘is not,’ ‘have not,’ [O.E.D., ‘in the popular dialect of London, Cockney speech in Dickens,’ etc.]. See A’NT.
1701. FARQUHAR, Sir Harry Wildair, i. 1. Dick. Why, I HA’N’T tasted a bit this year and half.
1706. WARD, Hudibras Redivivus, I. i. 24. But if your Eyes A’N’T quick of Motion.
1734. FIELDING, An Old Man Taught Wisdom, 17. Ha, ha, ha! AN’T we! no! How ignorant it is!
1763. FOOTE, The Mayor of Garratt, i. Ve HA’N’T been married a year. Ibid., ii. May be ’tis, and may be ’TAN’T.
1778. BURNEY, Evelina, I. xxi. Those you are engaged to A’N’T half so near related to you as we are.
c. 1800. DIBDIN, Song, ‘Poor Jack.’
| A tight little boat and good sea-room give me, | |
| And T’AINT for a little I’ll strike. |
1812. H. and J. SMITH, Rejected Addresses, 69. No, that A’NT it, says he.
1828. BULWER-LYTTON, Pelham, lxii. A’N’T we behind hand?
1829. LAMB, Life and Letters, I. 348. AN’T you glad about Burk’s case?
1864. TENNYSON, Northern Farmer, xiii. Joänes, as ’ANT a ’aäpoth o’ sense.
1865. DICKENS, Our Mutual Friend, iii. ‘You seem to have a good sister.’ ‘She AIN’T half bad.’
