subs. (common).—1. A lad.
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, i., p. 37. Such lads, however, are the smallest class of costermongering youths; and are sometimes called ‘cas’alty boys,’ or NIPPERS.
1888. J. RUNCIMAN, The Chequers, 54. They calls it a stream, but I dussn’t say wot I thinks it is afore the NIPPER.
1888. Referee, 11 Nov. Other NIPPERS—the little shrimps of boys—were sometimes the best part of an hour at a stretch, from the time they left till they returned to the paddock to weigh in.
1892. CHEVALIER, Idler, June, p. 549, ‘A Coster Song.’
| I’ve got a little NIPPER, when ’e talks | |
| I’ll lay yer forty shiners to a quid | |
| You’ll take ’im for the father, me the kid. |
2. (old thieves’).—See quot. 1785.
1659. JOHN DAY, The Blind Beggar of Bednal Green, I., 3, p. 21. Had. Your NIPPER, your foyst, your rogue, your cheat, your pander, your any vile thing that may be.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. NYPPER, a cut-purse, so called by one Wotton, who in the year 1585, kept an academy for the education and perfection of pick-pockets and cut-purses: his school was near Billingsgate, London. As in the dress of ancient times many people wore their purses at their girdles, cutting them was a branch of the light-fingered art, which is now lost, though the name remains…. There was a school house set up to learn young boys to cut purses: two devices were hung up; one was a pocket, and another was a purse; the pocket had in it certain counters, and was hung about with hawks bells, and over the top did hang a little sacring bell. The purse had silver in it; and he that could take out a counter, without noise of any of the bells, was adjudged a judicial NYPPER: according to their terms of art, a foyster was a pick-pocket; a NYPPER was a pick-purse, or cut-purse.
3. (navvys’).—The serving lad attached to a gang of navvies, to fetch water and carry tools.
4. in pl. (thieves’).—Handcuffs or shackles.—HAGGART (1821); GROSE (1823); MATSELL (1859).
5. in pl. (thieves’).—A burglar’s instrument used from the outside on a key. Also AMERICAN TWEEZERS.
6. (Marlborough School).—A boy or ‘cad.’
Verb (old).—To arrest; to catch. See NAB, and NIP.
1823. BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Dictionary of the Turf, etc., s.v. NIPPERED. What d’ye think? My eyes, if Bill Soames warnt NIPPERED only for a fogle little better than a wipe; and he was there upon transported.
1824. P. EGAN, Boxiana, iv., 150. The Pope being NIPPERED and brought to face the Beak.
