or bibble, verb (old).—To tipple: see LUSH: also as subs. = drink. Hence BIBACITY = drunkenness; BIBATION (or BIBBERY) = drinking; BIBBED = drunk: see SCREWED; BIBBER (or BIBBLER) = a tippler: see LUSHINGTON.

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  d. 1577.  GASCOIGNE, Works, C. 1. I perceive you are no great BYBLER, (i.e., reader of the Bible) Pasiphilo. Pas. Yes, sir, an excellent good BIBBLER, ’specially in a bottle.

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  1598.  FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Bombo. … BIBBE is a child’s term for drink.

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  c. 1570.  THYNNE, The Debate between Pride and Lowliness (1841), 58.

        Your lycour is so mightie and so strong,
  And therewithall it goeth down so soft,
That of your guestes some BIBB therof so long,
  Till from the ground it lifteth them aloft.

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  1600.  PHAER, Virgil.

        What horses Diomedes brought, how great Achilles was,
She learned all too soone, and of love she BIBBES (alas).

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  1578.  T. NORTH, Plutarch, 1047. And that the common people did nothing all day long unto darke night, but BYBBE, and drink drunke.

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  1633.  FLETCHER, Purple Island, v. 17.

        And through a wide mouth’d tunnel duly strains
Unto a BIBBING substance down conveying.

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  1650.  HOWELL, Familiar Letters

        As soon a little little ant
  Shall BIB the ocean dry,
A snail shall creep about the world,
  Ere these affections die.

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  1653.  URQUHART, Rabelais, I., xl. I never eat any confections, page, whilst I am at the BIBBERY.

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  18[?].  NAYLOR, Reynard the Fox, 4. Royal cheer and deep BIBATION.

10

  TO NAP A BIB (or ONE’S BIB), verb phr. (common).—To weep; to BLUBBER (q.v.); to SNIVEL (q.v.).

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  1789.  G. PARKER, Life’s Painter, 153. NAPT a couple of bird’s eye wipes. Ibid., 163. NAP THE BIB, a person crying.

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  1819.  J. H. VAUX, Memoirs, I., 190, s.v. NAP THE BIB, to cry; as, the mollisher NAP’D HER BIB, the woman fell a crying.

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  1821.  P. EGAN, Life in London, 227. Dirty Suke began now to NAP HER BIB. Ibid., Boxiana (1824), iv., 145. Josh NAPPED again on the other eye.

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  1838.  The Comic Almanack, April. Don’t NAB THE BIB, my Bet, this chance must happen soon or later.

15

  BEST BIB AND TUCKER, subs. phr. (common).—Best clothes.

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