subs. (old cant).—1. A kind of strong liquor: probably a mixture of beer and spirits, but see quot. 1696. Also HUM-CAP.
1616. JONSON, The Devil is an Ass, i., 1.
| Car-men | |
| Are got into the yellow starch, and Chimney-sweepers | |
| To their tabacco, and strong-waters, HUM, | |
| Meath, and Obarni. |
1619. FLETCHER, The Wild-Goose Chase, ii., 3.
| Bel. Lord, what should I ail! | |
| What a cold I have over my stomach; ’would I had some HUM! |
1622. FLETCHER, Beggars’ Bush, ii., 1.
| Except you do provide me HUM enough, | |
| And lour to bouze with! |
d. 1645. HEYWOOD, Drunkard, p. 48 [GIFFORD]. Notwithstanding the multiplicity of wines; yet there be stills and limbecks going, swelting out aqua vitæ and strong waters, deriving their names from cinnamon, balm, and aniseed, such as stomach-water, HUMM, etc.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. HUM-CAP, old, mellow and very strong Beer.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
2. (common).—A trick; a delusion; a cheat. Also a lie.
1756. The World, No. 164. Now if this be only a HUM (as I suppose it is) upon our country apes, it being blown in the World will put an end to it.
d. 1764. R. LLOYD, Poems (1774), ‘A Tale.’ There, my good critics, lies the HUM.
1806. LAMB, Letters, in Wks. (Ed. 1852), ch. v., p. 81. I daresay all this is HUM!
1820. REYNOLDS (‘Peter Corcoran’), The Fancy, ‘King Tims the First.’ You or your son have told a bouncing HUM.
1823. BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Dictionary of the Turf, etc., s.v. HUM—a whispered lie.
1837. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends, ‘A Row in an Omnibus (Box).’ It ’s ‘No Go!’—it ’s ‘Gammon!’—it ’s ‘all a HUM!’
1848. Punch, vol. XIV., p. 37. ‘Ye Frenche Goe Up to London.’
| That ye French threats were all bouncing; | |
| That ye muster was a HUM, | |
| And they ’d never dare to come. |
1885. T. E. BROWN, The Doctor, p. 49.
| A HUM and a huff, | |
| And none o’ the juice o’ the rael stuff. |
1892. MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, p. 76. Married life may be ticketed honey, but I know it’s more of a HUM.
3. (old).—See quot.
1725. A New Canting Dictionary, s.v.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. HUMS. Persons at church. There is a great number of HUMS in the autem; there is a great congregation in the church.
Verb (old).—1. To cheat; to bamboozle; TO QUIZ (q.v.).
1762. GOLDSMITH, The Life of Beau Nash, in Wks., p. 552 (Globe). Here Nash, if I may be permitted the use of a polite and fashionable phrase, was HUMM’D.
1796. J. G. HOLMAN, Abroad and at Home, i. It is queer enough that his father, Sir Simon Flourish, should be HUMM’D so as to think he is going the Tour of Europe, when, all the while, he never got a step farther than St. George’s Fields.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
1811. POOLE, Hamlet Travestie, iii., 1. Go seek him there: I fear he’s only HUMMING.
1819. T. MOORE, Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress, p. 4. While you HUM the poor spoonies with speeches, so pretty.
d. 1840. BURNEY, Diary, ii., 153 [ed. 1842]. I don’t mean to cajole you hither with the expectation of amusement or entertainment; you and I know better than to HUM or be HUMMED in that manner.
1858. W. ELLIOTT, Carolina Sports by Land and Water, p. 122. I HUMMED him, my stripping was all a feint.
2. (old).—To mumble.
1818. MAGINN, Vidocq’s Slang Song Versified. And old Cotton HUMMING his pray.
TO HUM AND HAW, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To hesitate, to raise objections.
1469. Paston Letters, II., 347 (ed. GAIRDNER). He wold have gotyn it aweye by HUMYS and by HAYS, but I wold not so be answeryd.
1594. NASHE, The Unfortunate Traveller (GROSART, Works, v., 96). Hee made no more HUMMING or HAULTING, but in despite of her husbandes kinsfolkes, gaue her her Nunc dimittis.
1610. JONSON, The Alchemist, iii., 2.
| Sub. You may be any thing, and leave off to make | |
| Long-winded exercises; or suck up | |
| Your HA! and HUM! in a tune. |
1614. JONSON, Bartholomew Fair, i., 1. A sober-drawn exhortation of six hours, whose better part was the HUM-HA-HUM.
1620. MASSINGER, The Fatal Dowry, iv., 1. Do you stand HUMMING and HAHING now?
d. 1680. BUTLER, Remains (1759), ii., 103. He HUMS AND HAHS.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. HUM AND HAW, to Hesitate in Speech; also to delay, or difficultly to be brought to Consent.
1706. CENTLIVRE, Love at a Venture, iv., 2, Wks. (1872), i., 304. That was the first excuse that came at my tongue’s end—and you know there is no HUMMING AND HAWING with my old master, sir.
1729. SWIFT, Intelligencer, No. 14, p. 165 (2nd ed.). If any person … shall presume to exceed six minutes in a story, to HUM OR HAW, use hyphens between his words, or digressions.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
1861. H. KINGSLEY, Ravenshoe, ch. vi. Lord Ascot HUMMED AND HAWED, and told him to tell his father he had been a good boy.
TO MAKE THINGS HUM, verb. phr. (American).—To force the pace; to keep moving.
1888. San Francisco Weekly Examiner, 23 Feb. Ever since he has taken the newspaper reins in San Francisco he has MADE THINGS HUM.
1890. Punch, 22 Feb. If I was flush of the ochre, I tell you I’d make the thing HUM.
1891. Pall Mall Gazette, 28 Aug., p. 2, c. 3. With their advent things begin to HUM.
1893. W. T. STEAD, Review of Reviews, p. 152. In the opinion of both foes and friends we make things HUM.
TO HUM AROUND, verb. phr. (American).—To call to account; TO CALL OVER THE COALS (q.v.).
