subs. (old cant: now colloquial).—1. Specifically, robbery; generally, any unfair arrangement, or effect of nepotism: e.g., the obtaining of an office, or a contract, by secret influence, or the undertaking of a piece of business ostensibly for public but really for private ends.
1667. PEPYS, Diary, April 10. And for aught I see likely only to be used as a jobb to do a kindness to some lord, or he that can get to be governor. Ibid., 1665, Aug. 31. My late gettings have been very great to my great content, and am likely to have yet a few more profitable JOBBS in a little while.
1712. ARBUTHNOT, The History of John Bull, Pt. III. App. ch. iii. Like an old favourite of a cunning Minister after the JOB is over.
1730. JAMES MILLER, The Humours of Oxford, iv. i. p. 54 (2nd ed.). But I have another JOB for you; and if my stratagem takes there, my fortune’s made.
1738. POPE, Epilogue to the Satires, i. 104.
| No cheek is known to blush, no heart to throb, | |
| Save when they lose a question or a JOB. |
1788. G. A. STEVENS, The Adventures of a Speculist, i. 67. In our august House of Parliament, the word JOB is never made use of but to express an action thoroughly base.
1815. SCOTT, Guy Mannering, xxxiii. ‘But, Hatteraick, this,—that is, if it be true, which I do not believe,—this will ruin us both, for he cannot but remember your neat job.’
1819. T. MOORE, Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress, p. 10.
| C—nn—g came in a JOB, and then canter’d about | |
| On a showy, but hot and unsound, bit of blood. |
1827. TODD, Johnson’s Dictionary, s.v. JOB. A low word now much in use, of which I cannot tell the etymology.
1848. THACKERAY, The Book of Snobs, iii. Who shall hold the first rank, have the first prizes and chances in all government JOBS and patronages.
1859. Political Portraits, p. 219. His (Mr. Disraeli’s) representation of the Reform Bill of 1832 as a Whig JOB is a silliness.
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v. JOB. ‘To do a JOB,’ to commit a robbery.
1864. THOMAS HUGHES [in Spectator, 26 Nov.]. The present JOB (and a very stiff one it is, though not in the Standard’s sense) was offered to and accepted by me as a mere piece of conveyancing.
1877. W. H. THOMSON, Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ii. 135. The third day after his discharge he got drunk, joined some old associates, entered with them into a ‘JOB,’ and was captured ‘redhanded.’
1889. Star, 3 Dec., 1. 5. The whole thing was probably a put-up JOB.
1889. Daily Telegraph, 25 Jan. JOBS abounded and contracts were corrupt.
2. (colloquial).—A piece of work; an occurrence, fortunate or otherwise; a situation or place of employment. A BAD JOB = an unlucky occurrence, a misfortune, an unsuccessful attempt. Hence JOBBER = one who does piece or occasional work.
1658. R. BROME, The New Academy, in Wks. (1873), ii. 97 (Act v. 2). He confest receipt of fifty pounds my wife has lent him (false woman that she is!) for horn-making, JOB journey-work.
1661. MIDDLETON, The Mayor of Quinborough, iv. 1.
| And yet not I myself, I cannot read; | |
| I keep a clerk to do those JOBS for need. |
1787. GROSE, A Provincial Glossary, etc. JOB, a piece of labour, undertaken at a stated price. Norfolk.
1857. LORD DUFFERIN, Letters from High Latitudes, vii. Giving it up as a bad JOB.
1895. W. E. HENLEY and R. L. STEVENSON, Macaire, iii. 1, in The New Review, June, 701. Macaire. Blinding dark; and a good JOB.
3. (old).—A guinea: also JOBE.—B. E. (1690); A New Canting Dictionary (1725); GROSE (1785); Lexicon Balatronicum (1811).
4. (American thieves’).—As subs. = patience; as intj. = take time; ‘don’t be in a hurry!’—MATSELL (1859).
5. (colloquial).—See JAB.
1827. TODD, Johnson’s Dictionary, s.v. JOB.
1885. The English Illustrated Magazine, April, 505. Some say that if a fish takes fairly, he will and must hook himself. Others that it requires a good JOB to drive the point of a large hook in beyond the barb.
6. (venery).—See BY-JOB.
Verb. (colloquial).—1. To do work, or perform duties, ostensibly pro bono publico but in reality for one’s private ends or advantage.
1731–35. POPE, Moral Essays, iii. 141. And judges JOB and bishops bite the town.
1833. MACAULAY, Letter to Sister [in Life and Letters, by TREVELYAN, v. 241 (1884)]. We shall be suspected of JOBBING if we proceed to extremities on behalf of one of ourselves.
1838. BULWER-LYTTON, Alice, III. i. No JOBBING was too gross for him. He was shamefully corrupt in the disposition of his patronage.
1848. THACKERAY, The Book of Snobs, iii. A man becomes enormously rich, or he JOBS successfully in the aid of a Minister, or he wins a great battle … and the country rewards him for ever with a gold coronet.
2. (colloquial).—To thrust violently and suddenly; to prod; TO JAB (q.v.).
1557. TUSSER, Five Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandrie, ch. 37, st. 12, p. 89 (E.D.S.).
| Stick plentie of bows among runciuall pease | |
| to climber thereon, and to branch at their ease. | |
| So dooing, more tender and greater they wex, | |
| if peacock and turkey leaue iobbing their bex. |
1560. SLEIDANUS, Commentaries, Book x. fol. cxxx (trans. DAWS). Then caught he a boore speare out of a young mans hande that stode next him, and as he laie IOBBED him in with the staffe heade.
1692. SIR R. L’ESTRANGE, Fables. As an ass with a gall’d back was feeding in a meadow, a raven pitch’d upon him, and there sate, JOBBING of the sore.
1843. DICKENS, Martin Chuzzlewit, xxxiii. p. 326. He … was greatly beloved for the gallant manner in which he had JOBBED OUT the eye of one gentleman.
1852. DICKENS, Our Bore [in Reprinted Pieces, p. 298]. As if he were being stabbed—or, rather, JOBBED—that expresses it more correctly—JOBBED—with a blunt knife.
1883. Daily Telegraph, Jan. 11, p. 3, col. 7. There was a disturbance at his door early on Christmas morning, and on going out to see what was wrong the prisoner JOBBED a lantern into his eye.
1891. Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, 17 April, 247. i. Following up his advantages, Jem JOBBED his adversary terrifically in the face with the left till Giles was bathed in blood.
1892. T. A. GUTHRIE (‘F. Anstey’), Voces Populi, 60. I’ll JOB the ’helliphants ribs, and make ’im gallop, I will.
3. (colloquial).—To chide; to reprimand: also JOBE.
1685. SIR JOHN BRAMSTON, Autobiography (Camden Society, 1845, p. 205). The Kinge had talked earnestly to the Duke, and JOBED him (that was the word) soe that the teares stood in his eyes.
1754. B. MARTIN, English Dictionary, 2nd ed. s.v.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
1794. Gentleman’s Magazine, p. 1085. I heard a lively young man assert that, in consequence of an intimation from the tutor relative to his irregularities, his own father came from the country to JOBE him.
1811. GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.
1837–40. HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), The Clockmaker [ed. 1862], p. 471. I am as weak as a child, and can’t stand JOBBING.
1537. Thersites [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1874, i. 422]. Jenkin Jacon, that JOBBED jolly Joan.
1786. BURNS, ‘What Ails Ye?’ (BOHN, 1842, p. 253).
| Cry’d three times, ‘Robin, | |
| Come hither, lad, and answer for’t, | |
| Ye’re blam’d for JOBBIN!’ |
TO BE ON THE JOB, verb. phr. (general).—To mean honestly; to be genuine; to ‘run straight’; to work quickly and steadily; to achieve complete success; to be bent on.
1891. Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, 23 Jan. Of course, there was a long wrangle over the choice of referee, for no one cared to occupy that thankless post when the Lambs were ON THE JOB.
1892. MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, 3. ’Arry is fair ON THE JOB.
1892. HUME NISBET, The Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 64. I was ON THE JOB.
1893. P. H. EMERSON, Signor Lippo, ch. v. Being ON THE JOB we hoped to improve.
TO HAVE GOT THE JOB, verb. phr. (racing).—To have a commission to back a horse.
TO DO THE JOB FOR ONE, verb. phr. (common).—To ‘finish’ or kill.
TO DO A WOMAN’S JOB FOR HER, verb. phr. (venery).—To do smock-service.
