1. See NAB, subs. and verb. in all senses.
2. subs. (common).—‘A short sleep.’—B. E. (c. 1696).
1600. The Maydes Metamorphosis. I’ll take a NAP and come annon.
1625. MASSINGER, The Parliament of Love, ii., 3. I here shall take a NAP.
1664. COTTON, Scarronides, 102.
| And whilst he taking was a NAP, | |
| She laid him neatly in her Lap. |
d. 1796. BURNS, Awa, Whigs, Awa. Grim Vengeance lang has ta’en a NAP.
1842. TENNYSON, The Day-Dream, 156. ’Twas but at after-dinner’s NAP.
3. (colloquial).—See quot. 1867.
1858. BULWER-LYTTON, What Will He Do with It? 309. He would not have crossed a churchyard alone at night for a thousand NAPS.
1867. LATHAM, Dictionary, s.v. NAP. Abbreviation for Napoleon, i.e., the coin so called.
4. (Scots’).—See quot. 1808; an abbreviation of NAPPY (q.v.).
1804. W. TARRAS, Poems, p. 24.
| Nor did we drink o’ gilpin water. | |
| But reemin NAP wi’ houp weel heartit. |
1808. JAMIESON, An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language, s.v. NAP. A cant term for ale, or a stronger kind of beer. Aberd.
5. (old).—See quots. Also as verb.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. NAP, a clap or pox.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. NAP. You have NAPT it, you are infected.
Verb. (old).—1. See quots.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. NAP. By cheating with the Dice to secure one chance.
d. 1704. T. BROWN, Works, III., 60. Assisting the frail square die with high and low fullams, and other NAPPING tricks.
1728. BAILEY, English Dictionary, s.v. NAP, to cheat at dice.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. NAP.
TO CATCH (or TAKE) NAPPING, verb. phr. (colloquial).—1. To take unawares; to take in the act.
1587. GREENE, Morando: the Tritameron of Loue, II. [GROSART, Works (1886), iii.], 167. With that Panthia, & the rest, TOOKE THĒ NAPPING.
1593. SHAKESPEARE, Taming of the Shrew, iv., 2. Nay, I have TA’EN YOU NAPPING, gentle love.
1606. The Return from Parnassus, iv., 2 [DODSLEY, Old Plays, ix., 186].
| Now may it please thy generous dignity | |
| To TAKE this vermin NAPPING, as he lies | |
| In the true trap of liberality. |
1663. BUTLER, Hudibras, I., iii. I TOOK THEE NAPPING unprepared.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v.
d. 1727. DEFOE, A Tour through the Whole Island of Great Britain, III., 143. HAND-NAPPING—that is when the criminal was taken in the very act of stealing cloth.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. NAP. He caught him NAPPING as Morse caught his mare.
1847. W. T. PORTER, ed., A Quarter Race in Kentucky, etc., 120. They’d caught the old man NAPPING once.
TO GO NAP, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To risk everything on a single point; ‘to go the WHOLE HOG’ (q.v.). [From the game of cards.]
1880. J. GLOVER, Racing Life, 38. Look here, you GO NAP—now, hear that? NAP—on Royal Angus.
1883. W. BLACK, Yolande, xxxix. After dinner the familiar and innocent sixpenny nap was agreed upon. But even at this mild performance you can lose a fair amount if you persistently GO NAP on almost any sort of a hand that turns up.
1888. Barnet Press, 1 Dec. He could say that Elstree and Shenley would GO NAP for Mr Todhunter.
1891. Answers, 28 March. In the innocence of my heart, I adjured all readers of the paper to GO NAP on Nostrils for the 2.30 race!
1898. Pall Mall Gazette, 20 Sept., 2, 2. It is permissible to doubt whether it was wise to GO NAP—if an Orleans can GO NAP—on Dreyfus’s guilt and the infallibility of the court-martial which condemned him.
TO NAP TOCO FOR YAM, verb. phr. (old).—See quot.
1823. BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Dictionary of the Turf, etc., s.v. NAP … to get more beating than is given.
