Prig

subs. (old cant).—1.  A thief: also PRIGGER and PRIG-MAN; as verb. = to steal. Whence PRIGGER OF PRAUNCERS (or PALFREYS) = a horse-thief; PRIGGER OF CACKLERS = a poultry-thief; PRIG-NAPPER = a thief-taker; PRINCE PRIG (or (PRIG-STAR) = ‘a King of the Gypsies, also a Top Thief, or Receiver General’ (B. E.); TO WORK ON THE PRIG (or PRIGGING-LAY) = to thieve; TO PRIG AND BUZ = to pick pockets; PRIGGISH = thievish; PRIGGERY (or PRIGGISM) = thievery.—AWDELEY (1560); HARMAN (1563); DEKKER (1608); HEAD (c. 1665); B. E. (c. 1696); HALL (1714); GROSE (1785).

  ENGLISH SYNONYMS.—To angle; to annex; to bilk; to bite; to bone; to bounce; to bunco; to bust; to buz; to cabbage; to chouse; to claim; to clift; to clink-rig; to cloy (cligh or cly); to collar; to collect; to convey; to cop; to crack; to crib; to cross-fam; to curb; to cut; to dip; to dive; to drag; to draw; to ease; to fake; to filch; to file; to find; to flap; to fleece; to flimp; to fop; to fork; to fraggle; to free; to frisk; to glean; to haul; to hook; to jump; to klep; to knap; to knuckle; to lag; to lap; to lurch; to mag; to make; to maltool (or moll tool); to manarvel; to mill; to mug; to nab; to nail; to nap; to nibble; to nick; to nim; to nip; to palm; to parlor-jump; to pay with a hook; to pinch; to poach; to poll; to pug; to pull; to purchase; to ramp; to rent; to respun (tinker); to ring; to shake; to shark; to shoulder; to smouch; to smug; to snabble; to snaggle; to snake; to snam; to snap; to snatch; to sneak; to snipe; to speak; to spice; to swipe; to tool; to touch; to trot; to wolf; to work.

  FRENCH SYNONYMS.—Agripper; aquiger (or quiger); aumôner (or roler à l’aumône, giving small articles stolen from counters as alms to a confederate); barboter (= to TURN OVER [q.v.]); barboter les poches; barboter la caisse; bijouter (= to purloin jewels); faire le bobe; cabasser; rincer une cambriole (= ‘to clean out a crib’); caribener; casser la hane (= ‘to buz a skin’); chambrer; chaparder (military); grincher à la chicane (= picking pockets with your back to the pocket picked); choper (or faire un chopin); comprendre; décrasser; décrocher; défleurir la picouse; dégauchir; dégraisser; dégringoler (also dégringoler à la carre = to shoplift); doubler; faire en douceur; entiffler; fabriquer (also fabriquer un gas à la flan, fabriquer à la rencontre. or fabriquer à la dure = to rob with violence); fabriquer un poivrot (= to ‘jump a lushington’): faire; faire le bobe; faire la bride (= ‘to buz slangs’); faire la retourne des baguenaudes (= ‘to fake a cly’); faire la souris (= to do the mouse); faire la tire (= ‘to cut a bung’); faire le barbot dans une cabriolle (= ‘to crack a crib’); faire le saut; faire le morlingue (= ‘to cut a bung’); faire le mouchoir (= ‘fogle-hunting’); faire un coup à l’esbrouffe (‘to flimp’); faire un coup d’étal (= to shoplift); faire un coup de fourchette (= to fork); faire un coup de radin; faire un coup de roulette (= ‘to claim a peter’); faire grippe-cheville; faire la soulasse sur le grand trimar (= HIGH-TOBY); faucher; filer; acheter à la foire d’empoigne (= buying at Pinching-Fair); fourliner; fourlourer; fourmiller (= ‘to cross-fam’); goupiner; graisser (also gressier); gratter (= ‘to cabbage’); greffer (= ‘to nip’); griffer; grinchir; tirer la laine (Old Fr.); lever (= LIFT); marner; matriculer (military: le numero matricule = a soldier’s mess number, his sole proof of ownership); mettre de la paille dans ses souliers; mettre la pogne dessus; taper un mome; pagoure; pegrer; piger; poisser (also poisser les philippes or poisser l’auber; ramastiquer; retirer l’artiche; ribler; sauter; savonner (also savonner une cambuse (= ‘to mill a ken’); faire la savoyarde (= ‘to claim a peter’); secouer la perpendiculaire (= ‘to snatch a slang’; also secouer un chandelier = ‘to rob with violence at night’); solicer (also sollicer); soulever; travailler (= ‘to work’).

  1591.  GREENE, The Second Part of Conny-catching [Works, x. 78]. He bestrides the horse which he PRIGGETH, and saddles and bridles him as orderly as if he were his own.

  1610.  ROWLANDS, Martin Mark-all [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896). 5. That did the PRIGG good that bingd in the kisome.

  1611.  SHAKESPEARE, Winter’s Tale, iv. 3. Clo. Out upon him! PRIG, for my life, PRIG: he haunts wakes, fairs, and bear-baitings.

  1612.  DEKKER, O per se O [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896), 11].

  1622.  FLETCHER, Beggar’s Bush, v. 2. Higgen hath PRIGGED the prancers in his days.

  1567.  T. DRANT, Horace, ‘To Iulius Florus.’ A PRIDGEMAN from him pryuilie his money did purloyne.

  1712.  J. SHIRLEY, The Triumph of Wit, ‘The Black Procession.’

  1724.  J. HARPER, ‘Frisky Moll’s Song’ in THURMOND’S Harlequin Sheppard [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896), 41]. From PRIGGS that snaffle the prancers strong.

  1743.  FIELDING, Jonathan Wild (1893), 17. The PRIG … the vulgar name for thief. Ibid., 28. An undeniable testimony of the great antiquity of PRIGGISM. Ibid. Without honour PRIGGERY was at an end.

  1749.  R. GOADBY, The Life and Adventures of Bampfylde Moore Carew, ‘The Oath of the Canting Crew.’ PRIG of cackler, PRIG of prancer.

  1772.  BRIDGES, A Burlesque Translation of Homer, 160.

  1789.  G. PARKER, Life’s Painter, 158. In order to give them an opportunity of working upon the PRIG and buz, that is, picking of pockets.

  1821.  P. EGAN, Life in London, II. iii. Cadgers;… fish-fags;… and the PRIGS, spending the produce of the day; and all … happy and comfortable.

  1827.  BULWER-LYTTON, Pelham, lxxx. Well, you parish-bull PRIG, are you for lushing jackey, or pattering in the hum box?

  1828–9.  H. T. R., Vidocq’s Memoirs, Tr. of Un Jour à la Croix Rouge. When twelve bells chimed, the PRIGS returned.

  1829.  MAGINN, The Pickpocket’s Chaunt, i.

  1834.  W. H. AINSWORTH, Jack Sheppard (1889), 20. I’ll give him the edication of a PRIG—teach him the use of his forks … make him … as clever a cracksman as his father.

  1838.  DICKENS, Oliver Twist, xviii. ‘I suppose you don’t even know what a PRIG is?’ said the Dodger mournfully. ‘I think I know that,’ replied Oliver, looking up. ‘It’s a th—; you’re one, are you not?’ inquired Oliver, checking himself.

  1840.  R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends, ‘The Jackdaw of Rheims.’

  1841.  HEWLETT, Peter Priggins, the College Scout [Title].

  1850.  THACKERAY, Policeman X [Miscellanies (1899), 213], ‘The Ballad of Eliza Davis.’

  1851.  BORROW, Lavengro, xxxi. We never calls them thieves here, but PRIGS and fakers.

  1864.  Glasgow Daily Mail, 9 May. All kinds of cheats, and thimble-riggers, and PRIGS.

  1870.  London Figaro, 19 Feb.

  1891.  W. C. RUSSELL, An Ocean Tragedy, 87. She PRIGGED the furniture.

  2.  (old colloquial).—A superior person, i.e., a person esteeming himself superior; in dress, morals, social standing, anything; and behaving as such. [The connotation is one of deliberate and aggressive superiority: you must get that, or you get no PRIG: see quot. 1836.] Also a bore. Whence PRIGDOM, PRIGGERY, PRIGGISHNESS, and PRIGGISM.—B. E. (c. 1696); DYCHE (1748); GROSE (1785).

  1676.  ETHEREGE, The Man of Mode, iii. 3. What spruce PRIG is that?

  1686.  EARL OF DORSET, A Faithful Catalogue of our Most Eminent Ninnies.

  1688.  SHADWELL, The Squire of Alsatia, i. Thou shalt shine, and be as gay as any spruce PRIGG that ever walked the street. Ibid. If you meet either your father, or brother, or any from those PRIGSTERS, stick up thy countenance.

  1695.  CONGREVE, Love for Love, v. What does the old PRIG mean? I’ll banter him, and laugh at him.

  d. 1704.  T. BROWN, A Satire upon the French King [Works (1715), i. 66].

  1702.  STEELE, The Funeral; or, Grief à-la-Mode, iv. Trim sounds so very short and PRIGGISH—that my name should be a monosyllable! Ibid., Tatler, No. 77. A cane is part of the dress of a PRIG.

  1714.  Spectator, No. 556. His companion gave him a pull by the sleeve, begging him to come away, for that the old PRIG would talk him to death.

  1749.  ROBERTSON OF STRUAN, Poems, 83. T’other unperforming puny PRIG Could only with his Page retire and f——.

  1749.  SMOLLETT, Gil Blas [ROUTLEDGE], 265. He is a young barrister, with more of the PRIG than the lawyer about him.

  1752.  The Adventurer, No. 12. He placed more confidence in them, than he would in a formal PRIG, of whom he knew nothing but that he went every morning and evening to prayers.

  1752.  FOOTE, Taste, ii. How I adore the simplicity of the antients! How unlike the present PRIGGISH, prick-eared puppets!

  1836.  DICKENS, Sketches by Boz, 23. Little spare PRIGGISH men, who are perfectly satisfied with their own opinions, and consider themselves of paramount importance.

  1849.  THACKERAY, Dr. Birch and His Young Friends (The Doctor). A more supercilious little PRIG … a more empty, pompous little coxcomb I never saw.

  1851.  BORROW, Lavengro, lxvii. The subjects being, if I remember right, college education, PRIGGISM, church authority, tomfoolery, and the like.

  1857.  A. TROLLOPE, The Three Clerks, xlvii. I think I’ll take out that about official PRIGGISM—hadn’t I better?

  1857.  T. HUGHES, Tom Brown’s School-days, i. 2. Your great Mechanics’ Institutes end in intellectual PRIGGISM.

  1861.  H. KINGSLEY, Ravenshoe, lv. Lord Hainault, who was accused by some people of ‘PRIGGISHNESS,’ was certainly not PRIGGISH before Lord Saltire. He was genial and hearty.

  1870.  EMERSON, Clubs. One of those conceited PRIGS who value nature only as it feeds and exhibits them.

  1871.  G. ELIOT, Middlemarch, xi. A PRIG is a fellow who is always making you a present of his opinions.

  1884.  R. L. STEVENSON The Character of Dogs [English Illustrated Magazine, Feb., 303]. One is even stirred to a certain impatience with a character so destitute of spontaneity, so passionless in justice, and so PRIGGISHLY obedient to the voice of reason.

  1885.  OXENHAM, Short Studies, Ethical and Religious, 150. There is a deficiency, a littleness, a PRIGGISHNESS, a sort of vulgarity.

  1885.  Notes & Queries, 7 S. II. 438. All but the … very PRIGGISH admit that the folk-lore of the people can teach us several things that are not to be learned in any other manner.

  1892.  J. MCCARTHY, and R. CAMPBELL PRAED, The Ladies’ Gallery, 53. Fancy a fellow studying Homer when he was camping out in the bush! Not that he is a PRIG. It slipped out quite naturally when we were talking.

  1898.  The Saturday Review, 10 Dec., 769, 2. Courteous even at the risk of being branded as PRIGGISH.

  3.  (old cant).—A tinker.

  1567.  HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors (1876), 59. These droncken Tynckers, called also PRYGGES.

  Verb. 1.  See subs. 1.

  2.  (old).—To ride.—HARMAN (1573); DEKKER (1608); ROWLANDS (1610); HEAD (1665); B. E. (c. 1696); COLES (1724); GROSE (1785).

  3.  (venery).—To copulate: see verb., sense 2, and RIDE.—B. E. (c. 1696); GROSE (1785). Whence, as subs. = a fornicator.—BEE (1823).

  1707.  J. SHIRLEY, The Triumph of Wit, ‘The Maunder’s Praise of His Strowling Mort.’

  4.  (Scots’).—To haggle; to cheapen. Hence PRIGGER and PRIGGING.

  1512–3.  DOUGLAS, Virgil, Prol. 238, b. 55.

  1613.  WEBSTER, The Devil’s Law-case, i. 2.

  1765.  S. RUTHERFORD, Letters, II, 11. The frank buyer who cometh near to what the seller seeketh, useth at last to refer the difference to his will, and so cutteth off the course of mutual PRIGGING.

  d. 1796.  BURNS, Briggs of Ayr, New Brig. Men wha grew wise PRIGGIN’ owre hops an’ raisins.

  1800.  RAMSAY, Poems, i. 439.

  1818.  SCOTT, The Heart of Mid-lothian, xxiv. Took the pains to PRIGG for her himself.