subs. (old).—1. A contemptuous speech or piece of conduct; a sneer; a jest.
1553. T. WILSON, The Arte of Rhetorique, p. 137. [He] shall be able to abashe a right worthie man, and make him at his wittes ende, through the sodaine quicke, and vnlooked FRUMPE giuen.
1589. GREENE, Menaphon, p. 45. For women’s paines are more pinching if they be girded with a FRUMPE than if they be galled with a mischiefe.
1598. FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Bichiacchia, jestes, toyes, FRUMPS, flimflam tales, smackrings.
1606. T. DEKKER, The Seven Deadly Sinnes of London, p. 44 (ed. ARBER). The Courtiers giues you an open scoffe, ye clown a secret mock, the Cittizen yat dwels at your threshald, a ieery FRUMP.
1630. TAYLOR (‘The Water Poet’), Works, ‘Laugh, and be Fat.’
| But yet, me thinkes, he giues thee but a FRUMPE, | |
| In telling how thee kist a wenches rumpe. |
1662. Rump Songs, ‘’Arsy-Varsy,’ etc., ii., 47.
| As a preface of honour, and not as a FRUMP, | |
| First with a Sir-reverence ushers the Rump. |
1668. DRYDEN, An Evening’s Love, Act IV., Sc. 3. Wild. Not to be behind hand with you in your FRUMPS, I give you back your Purse of Gold.
2. (common).—A slattern; more commonly a prim old lady; the correlative of FOGEY (q.v.). Fr., un graillon.
1831. PLANCHÉ, Olympic Revels, Sc. i. Cheat, you stingy FRUMP! Who wants to cheat?
1837. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends (Legend of Hamilton Tighe), I., p. 157. Get into the hands of the other old FRUMPS.
1857. THACKERAY, The Virginians, ch. xxxi. She is changed now, isn’t she? What an old Gorgon it is! She is a great patroness of your book-men, and when that old FRUMP was young they actually made verses about her.
3. (old).—A cheat; a trick.
1602. ROWLANDS, Greenes Ghost haunting Conie-Catchers, 37. They come off with their ouerworne FRUMPS.
Verb (old).—To mock; to insult.
1589. NASHE, Martin’s Months Minde in Works, Vol. I., p. 158. One of them … maketh a iest of Princes, and ‘the troubling of the State, and offending of her Maiestie,’ hee turneth of with a FRUMPING forsooth, as though it were a toie to think of it.
1593. G. HARVEY, Pierce’s Supererogation, in Works, II., 107. That despiseth the graces of God, flowteth the constellations of heaven, FRUMPETH the operations of nature.
1609. The Man in the Moone. Hee … FRUMPETH those his mistresse frownes on.
1757. GARRICK, Irish Widow, I., i. Yes, he was FRUMPED, and called me old blockhead.
