subs. (old).—1. Strong drink of any kind: spec. malt liquor. As verb (or to BUB AND GRUB) = (1) to eat and drink; (2) see verb sense: to KNOCK ABOUT THE BUB = to pass round the drink: BUBBER and BUBBING.
1671. R. HEAD, The English Rogue, I., iv., 36 (1874). In a short time these four return’d laden with BUB and food. Ibid., vi., 54 (1874). We straight betook ourselves to the Boozing Ken; and having BUBB’D rumly, we concluded an everlasting friendship.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. BUB, c. Drink. RUMBUB, c. very good Tip.
d. 1742. SOMERVILLE, Occasional Poems, etc., (The Fortune-Hunter), canto iii. (CHALMERS, English Poets, 1810, xi., 221.)
| Drinks double BUB, with all his might, | |
| And hugs his doxy every night. |
1748. DODSLEY, A Collection of Poems, III., 262.
| Tho’ beef twice-boil’d his meal, with P—n’s BUB, | |
| And six-pence chang’d defrays the frugal club. |
1781. G. PARKER, A View of Society, I. 212. They went away seemingly very well satisfied, leaving master and man KNOCKING ABOUT THE BUB.
1781. G. PARKER, A View of Society, I. 171. How did you procure your GRUB AND BUB?
1789. G. PARKER, Life’s Painter, 149. BUB AND GRUB. A mighty low expression, signifying victuals and drink.
1837. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends (The Wedding Day).
| A mighty magnificent tub | |
| Of what men, in our hemisphere, term ‘HUMMING BUB,’ | |
| But which gods,—who, it seems, use a different lingo | |
| From mortals,—are wont to denominate ‘Stingo.’ |
1839. W. H. AINSWORTH, Jack Sheppard, II., xi. Och! many a mug o’ BUBB have I drained wi’ the landlord.
1818. MAGINN, Vidocq’s Slang Song Versified. Ay, BUB OR GRUBBY, I say.
2. See BUBBY.
3. (old).—A brother.
4. (American).—An endearment: also BUBBY: of a little boy. [Said to have originated in Pennsylvania from the German Bube. Also (5) a familiar address.
1872. S. L. CLEMENS (‘Mark Twain’), Roughing It. The cayote turns, smiles blandly upon him once more, and with a something about it which seems to say: ‘Well, I shall have to tear myself away from you, BUB—business is business, and it will not do for me to be fooling along this way all day.’
1888. San Francisco Weekly Examiner. When she was ready to go home, she did so without carriage or baby. Shortly after, BUBBY kicked up high jinks, and the joker clerk was sent for to take him away.
6. (old).—BUBBLE (q.v.).
Verb. (old).—1. See subs.
2. (old).—To bribe; to cheat: see BUBBLE.
3. See subs., supra.
