subs. (colloquial).—1. A blow, thrust, punch, or poke; in pugilism = a ‘straight left-hander’ delivered under the guard on the ‘mark.’
1819. T. MOORE, Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress, p. 51. While ribbers rung from each resounding frame, and divers DIGS, and many a ponderous pelt.
1876. C. H. WALL, trans. Molière, vol. i., p. 80. The DIGS in the ribs I gave you with such hearty good will.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS.—Auctioneer; biff; bang; buck-horse; buster; chatterer; chin-chopper; chopper; clip; click; clinker; clout; cock; cork; comber; cuff; cant; corker; dab; downer; douser; ding; domino; floorer; ferricadouzer; fibbing; facer; flush-hit; finisher; gooser; hot ’un; jawbreaker; lick; mendoza; muzzler; noser; nobbler; nose-ender; nope; oner; punch; stock-dollager; stotor; spank; topper; twister; whack; wipe.
FRENCH SYNONYMS.—Un coup d’encensoir (popular: a tap on the nose; ‘one on the smeller’); un coup de tampon (pop.: tampon = buffer); un coup de Garibaldi (thieves’: a butt in the stomach); un moule de gant (popular: ‘a mould for a glove’); une mornifle (colloquial: ‘a wipe in the jaw’); une mandole (popular); une gnole (popular: from torgnole); un coup de gilquin (popular); un cataplasme de Venise (popular); un gnon (popular); une dariole (pop.: also, a cream-cake); une beugne (popular); une dandine (popular: ‘a twister’); une baffre (popular); des castagnettes (military: punches); une châtaigne (popular); une couleur (popular); une bouffe (popular: bouffée = gust or blast); un cabochon (popular); un estaffion (popular); une estaphe (popular); une accolade; une balle de coton (thieves’).—See also TAN, verb.
GERMAN SYNONYM.—Azkes malaikes (Viennese thieves’: = a blow with the fist on the throat. The derivation may be: azke from Heb. osak, to quarrel + malaikes from Heb. melocho, work).
SPANISH SYNONYMS.—Duros (whip-strokes; also = harsh, merciless); tapaboca (a ‘corker’: also any action or observation which cuts one short); pasagonzalo (a quick hit); capon (generally colloquial); chamorrada (a butt with the head); mojada (a stab); zumbido or zumbo (literally, a humming or buzzing); tantarantin (a thwack; also = beat of a drum); tarja (also = a target).
ITALIAN SYNONYM.—Ramenghi d’alta foia (blows with a stick).
2. (American).—A diligent student. [By implication from the verb (q.v.); also study; e.g., To have a DIG at Cæsar or Livy.
Verb (American).—To work hard; especially to study.
1876. L. M. ALCOTT, Little Wives, ch. ix. He … turned studious, and gave out that he was going to DIG, intending to graduate in a blaze of glory.
DIG A DAY UNDER THE SKIN, verb. phr. (common).—To make a shave serve for two days.
TO DIG UP THE HATCHET.—See BURY.
