subs. (old).—1.  A sharper; a thief.

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  1821.  P. EGAN, Life in London, 138. Amongst the NEEDLES at the West end of the town.

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  2.  (venery).—The penis: see PRICK. Whence NEEDLE-WOMAN = a harlot (see quot. 1849).

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  1638.  NABBES, Covent Garden, i., 6. Susan. The loadstone of my heart … pointing still to the North of your love. Jeffery. Indeed, mistris, ’tis a cold corner; pray turne it to the South, and let my NEEDLE run in your DIALL.

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  c. 1680.  EARL OF DORSET, Poems, ‘On Dolly Chamberlain.’

            In Revenge I will stitch
    Up the Hole next her Breech,
With a NEEDLE as long as my Arm.

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  d. 1680.  ROCHESTER, Poems, ‘A Satire which the King took out of his Pocket.’

        The Seamen’s NEEDLE nimbly points the Pole,
But thine still turns to ev’ry craving Hole.

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  c. 1720.  D’URFEY, Wit and Mirth; or Pills to Purge Melancholy, vi., 92.

        But if by chance a Flaw I find,
In dressing of the Leather;
I straightway whip my NEEDLE out,
And I tack ’em close together.

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  1849.  CARLYLE, The Nigger Question [Centenary ed. xxix. 366]. We have thirty-thousand Distressed NEEDLEWOMEN … who cannot sew at all … on the street with five hungry senses.

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  Verb. (common).—1.  To annoy; to irritate; TO RILE (q.v.). TO GIVE (or GET) THE NEEDLE = to annoy (or be annoyed).

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  1881.  G. R. SIMS, Dagonet Ballads (‘Polly’). There, he ’s off! the young warmint, he ’s NEEDLED.

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  1884.  Daily Telegraph, 4 Sept., 2, 2. I felt a bit NEEDLED at the sort of sneering way Teedy had spoken.

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  1887.  Punch, 30 July, 45, ‘On Angling.’ It GIVE ’im THE NEEDLE in course, being left in the lurch in this way.

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  1889.  The Sporting Times, 3 Aug., 3, 1. He’s seen a girl, one of his old flames, pass the door. He doesn’t want to NEEDLE her, as she’s a good little sort.

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  1891.  Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, 3 April. This seemed to NEEDLE Gideon, who, determined not to be outdone, offered 900 to 100 on the field.

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  1897.  Evening Standard, 24 Dec., 4, 5. When one, or both, of two proficient antagonists at any sport have taken the NEEDLE … the result, nine times out of ten, is an improvement in the exhibition.

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  1898.  Illustrated Bits, Xmas No., 50.

        Then Maudie gets the NEEDLE, and she jumps across the floor,
And ketches me a fair ole rousin’ socker on the jore.

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  2.  (old).—To haggle over a bargain.—VAUX (1819).

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  Also see SPANISH NEEDLE; ST. PETER’S NEEDLE, Knight.

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