subs. (provincial).—A fool. See BUFFLE and CABBAGE-HEAD.
Adj. (colloquial).—1. Smart; elegant; fashionable. Also NOBBISH, NOBBILY, and NABBY.
1808. JAMIESON, An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language, s.v. NOBBY. Neat, trim, well dressed; hence applied to a person who dresses above his position.
c. 1810. Broadside Ballad.
| And all the coves said, what around did stan’, | |
| That he were a werry NOBBY dog’s meat man. |
1844. C. SELBY, London by Night, ii. 1. My togs being in keeping with this NOBBY place.
1847. ALBERT SMITH, The Natural History of the Gent., x. 67. He would think that he was not NOBBY if he did not have some wretched champagne.
1852. DICKENS, Bleak House, liv. The NOBBIEST way of keeping it quiet.
1857. DICKENS, Our English Watering-Place, in Reprinted Pieces, 167. So far from being at a discount as to company, we are in fact what would be popularly called rather a NOBBY place. Some tip-top ‘NOBBS’ come down occasionally—even dukes and duchesses.
1897. The Sporting Times, 13 March, 1, 1. Who says a GO O’ NOBBY whelks?
