interject. (Irish).—See quot.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. HARP.… HARP is also the Irish expression for woman, or tail, used in tossing up in Ireland: from Hibernia being represented with a harp, on the reverse of the copper coins of that country; for which reason it is in hoisting the copper, i.e., tossing up, sometimes likewise called music.
TO HARP ON, verb. phr. (old, now recognised).—To dwell persistently and at any cost upon a subject.
1596. NASHE, Have with You to Saffron-Walden. As if I had continually HARPED UPON it in every tenth line of my book.
1596. SHAKESPEARE, Hamlet, ii. 2. Still HARPING ON my daughter.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. HARP-UPON a business, to insist on it.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
1886. R. L. STEVENSON, Kidnapped, p. 291. He was back HARPING ON my proposal.
