subs. (colloquial).—1. A pinch.
2. (old).—A thief: specifically a cut-purse.—B. E. (c. 1696); GROSE (1785).
1592. GREENE, The Third Part of Conny-catching, in Works, x., 174. Away goes the young NIP with the purse he got so easily.
1608. DEKKER, The Belman of London, in Wks. (GROSART), III., 154. He that cuts the purse is called the NIP.… The knife is called a cuttle-bung. Ibid., Sig. H. 3. They allot such countries to this band of foists, such townes to those, and such a city to so many NIPS.
1611. MIDDLETON, The Roaring Girle [DODSLEY, Old Plays, vi., 113]. One of them is a NIP, I took him in the twopenny gallery at the Fortune. Ibid., vi., 115. Of cheaters, lifters, NIPS, foists, puggards, curbers, With all the devil’s black guard.
1658. BRATHWAITE, The Honest Ghost, p. 231.
| Pimps, NIPS and ints, Prinado’s, highway-standers; | |
| All which were my familiars. |
3. (colloquial).—(a) See quot. 1808: hence (b) a sip; a small drink; a GO (q.v.). Also NIPPER.
1606. ROLLOCK, on 2 Thes. 140. If thou hast not laboured … looke that thou put not a NIP in thy mouth. Ibid., 150. The Lord vouchsafes not a NIP on them unless they worke.
1788. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. NYP or NIP. A half pint, a nip of ale; whence the nipperkin, a small vessel. Ibid., NYP-SHOP. The Peacock, in Gray’s-Inn-lane, where Burton ale is sold in NYPS.
1808. JAMIESON, An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language, s.v. NIP. A small quantity of spirits; as a NIP of whiskey.—generally half a glass. Ibid. A small bit of anything, as much as is NIPPED or broken off between the finger and thumb.
1848. J. R. LOWELL, The Biglow Papers [BARTLETT].
| Then it wuz ‘Mister Sawin, sir, you ’re middlin’ well now, be ye? | |
| Step up an’ take a NIPPER, sir; I ’m dreffle glad to see ye.’ |
1853. Harper’s Magazine, May. One of our Western villages passed an ordinance forbidding taverns to sell liquor on the Sabbath to any persons except travellers. The next Sunday every man in town, who wanted a NIP, was seen walking around with a valise in one hand and two carpetbags in the other.
1861. JAMES CONWAY, Forays among Salmon and Deer, 71. Having discussed a Scotch breakfast … preceded by a NIP of bitters as a provocative of the appetite.
1868. WILKIE COLLINS, The Moonstone, I., 15. Mrs. Yolland … gave him his NIP.
1873. W. BLACK, A Princess of Thule, xxiii. Young Eyre took a NIP of whiskey.
1888. J. RUNCIMAN, The Chequers, 86. The missus ’ll fetch me some corrfee, and, hear you, put a NIP o’ that booze in.
4. (old).—A hit; a taunt.
1556. HEYWOOD, The Spider and the Flie. Wherwith thought the flie: I haue geuen him a NYP.
1567. EDWARDS, Damon and Pithias [DODSLEY, Old Plays (1876), iv., 27]. From their NIPS shall I never be free?
1581. J. LYLY, Euphues, D 3 b. Euphues, though he perceived her coie NIP, seemed not to care for it.
1589. PUTTENHAM, Art of English Poesie, 43. The manner of Poesie by which they vttered their bitter taunts and priuy NIPS.
Verb. (colloquial).—1. To pinch. See quot. 1696.
[16?]. Little John and the Four Beggars, 49 [CHILD, Ballads, v. 327]. John NIPPED the dumb, and made him to rore.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. NIP. To Press between the Fingers and Thumb without the Nails, or with any broad Instrument like a pair of Tongs as to squeeze between Edged Instruments or Pincers.
1859. TENNYSON, Merlin and Vivien, 200.
| May this hard earth cleave to the Nadir hell | |
| Down, down, and close again, and NIP me flat. |
1886. A. W. GREELY, The Years of Arctic Service, 73. The launch … was NIPPED between two floes of last year’s growth.
1887. W. E. HENLEY, Villon’s Straight Tip to all Cross Coves [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896), 177].
| It ’s up the spout and CHARLEY WAG | |
| With wipes and tickers and what not. | |
| Until the squeezer nips your scrag, | |
| Booze and the blowens cop the lot. |
2. (old).—To steal: specifically, to cut a purse.
1567. EDWARDS, Damon and Pithias [DODSLEY, Old Plays, (1874), iv., 19].
| I go into the city some knaves to NIP | |
| For talk, with their goods to increase the king’s treasure. |
1573. HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors (1814), p. 66. To NYP a boung, to cut a purse.
1592. GREENE, The Third Part of Conny-catching, in Works, x., 157. Oft this crew of mates met together, and said there was no hope of NIPPING the boung [purse] because he held open his gowne so wide, and walked in such an open place.
1600. Sir John Oldcastle, v. 2.
| Be lusty, my lass; come, for Lancashire, | |
| We must NIP the Boung for these crowns. |
1608. DEKKER, Lanthorne and Candlelight [GROSART, Works (1886), iii., 203]. Or NIP a boung that has but a win.
1610. ROWLANDS, Martin Mark-all, 39 [Hunterian Club’s Reprint, 1874]. To NIP a Ian, to cut a purse.
1620. A Description of Love [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896), 15]. Then in a throng, I NIP his bung.
c. 1636. The London Chanticleers, Sc. i. I mean to be as perfect a pickpocket, as good as ever NIPPED the judge’s bung while he was condemning him.
c. 1658. CLEVELAND, Cleivelandi Vindiciæ, 74 (ed. 1677). He is in the Inquisition of the Purse an Authentick Gypsie, that NIPS your Bung with a Canting Ordinance: not a murthered Fortune in all the Country, but bleeds at the Touch of this Malefactor.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v.
1712. J. SHIRLEY, The Triumph of Wit, ‘The Black Procession,’ 4.
| If a cull he does meet, | |
| He NIPS all his cole. |
1714. Memoirs of John Hall (4 ed.), p. 13. NIP, to pick.
1736. RAMSAY, Scotch Proverbs, 87 [JAMIESON]. Yet was set off frae the oon for NIPPING the pyes.
1740. Poor Robin.
| Meanwhile the cut-purse in the throng, | |
| Hath a fair means to NYP a bung. |
1768. A. ROSS, Helenore, 126.
| Frae your ain uncle’s gate was NIPT awa’ | |
| That bonny bairn, ’twas thought by Junky Fa. |
3. (common).—To go. TO NIP ALONG = to move with speed; TO NIP IN = to slip in, etc.
1885. Daily Telegraph, 2 Jan., 2, 2. I NIPPED OUT of bed.
1892. MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, 66. Managed to NIP IN first-class.
1892. T. A. GUTHRIE (‘F. Anstey’), Voces Populi, ‘At the Tudor Exhibition.’ Jove—my Aunt! NIP OUT before she spots me.
4. (common).—To take a dram.
1888. BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, xxiv. You never saw a man look so scared as the passenger on the box-seat, a stout, jolly commercial, who’d been giving the coachman Havana cigars, and yarning and NIPPING with him at every house they passed.
1889. The Lancet, 26 Oct., No. 3452, 863. In the homes alike of rich and poor the women have learned the fatal habit of ‘NIPPING,’ and slowly but surely become confirmed dipsomaniacs.
5. (old).—See quot., NIP, verb., sense 1, NIP-CHEESE, and NIP-LOUSE.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. NIP. To pinch or sharp anything.
6. (old).—To taunt; to wring.
1599. J. STOW, Survey of London, 55. There were some, which on the other side, with Epigrams and rymes, NIPPING & quipping their fellowes.
1581. B. RICH, Farewell to Militarie Profession. These cogitations did so NIPPE hym, that he could not so well dissemble his greef.
7. (thieves’).—To arrest; TO PINCH (q.v.).
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, iii., 147. They’d follow you about, and keep on NIPPING a fellow.
NIP AND TUCK, adv. phr. (common).—Touch and go; neck and neck; equality or thereabouts. Also NIP AND TACK, NIP AND CHUCK, &c.
1847. W. T. PORTER, ed., A Quarter Race in Kentucky, etc., 17. It will be like the old bitch and the rabbit, NIP AND TACK every jump.
1869. Putnam’s Magazine, Jan. It was NIP AND TUCK all along, who was to win her.
1888. Detroit Free Press, 20 Oct. We had some pretty running. It was NIP AND TUCK. We kept about an equal distance apart.
TO NIP IN THE BUD, verb. phr. (old: now recognised).—See quot.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. NIP. TO NIP IN THE BUD. Of an early Blast or Blite of Fruit; also to crush anything at the beginning.
1725. A New Canting Dictionary, s.v.
