verb (old cant, in some senses).—Used as a colloquialism (as in Scott) it signifies to knock, to strike down, to pound or (as in quot., 1786) to give way: while in slang it means to get rid of; to pass to a confederate; ‘to steal by a single effort.’ TO DING A CASTOR = to snatch a hat and run with it: the booty being DINGED if it has to be thrown away. GOING UPON THE DING = to go on the prowl. DING THE TOT! = Run away with the lot!
c. 1340. RICHARD ROLLE OF HAMPOLE, Prick of Conscience, 7015 (ed. Morris).
| Right swa þe devels salle ay DYNG, | |
| On þe synfulle, with-outen styntyng. |
1600. Sir John Oldcastle, Act III., Sc. ii. For the credit of Dunstable, DING down the enemie to-morrow.
1610. JONSON, The Alchemist, V., iii. Sur. [without]. Down with the door. Kas. [without]. ’Slight, DING it open.
1773. GOLDSMITH, She Stoops to Conquer, Act ii., Sc. 1. If I’m to have any good, let it come of itself; not to keep DINGING it, DINGING it into one so.
1786. BURNS, A Dream. But facts are chiels that winna DING.
1821. P. EGAN, Tom and Jerry [ed. 1890], p. 78. Oh I took him such a lick of his mummer, and DINGED his rattle clean out of his hand.
b. 1793, d. 1872. DEAN RAMSAY. Our meenister’s DINGED the guts out of twa Bibles.
1846. DICKENS, Dombey and Son, ch. ix., p. 74. These were succeeded by anchor and chain-cable forges, where sledge hammers were DINGING upon iron all day long.
