subs. (common).—In pl. = a baker: see BURNCRUST. Also MASTER OF THE ROLLS.
Verb. (old).—A verb of spirit: generic (1) = to gad; (2) to rollick in one’s walk; and (3) to swagger: also TO ROLL ABOUT. Whence TO ROLL IN BUB (or GRUB) = to have plenty to eat (or drink); TO ROLL IN GOLD = to be monstrous rich; TO ROLL IN ONE’S IVORIES = to kiss; TO ROLL IN EVERY RIG = to be “up-to-date”; TO ROLL THE LEER = to pick pockets; TO HAVE A ROLL ON = to swagger, to put on SIDE (q.v.); TO ROLL ONE’S HOOP = to go ahead, to be on the safe side: ROLLING = smart, ready; ROLLING KIDDY = a clever thief; ROLLICK (or ROLLOP) = to romp along.
1383. CHAUCER, The Canterbury Tales, ‘Prologue to the Wife of Bath’s Tale,’ 6235. Man shal not suffer his wif go ROULE about.
1542. UDALL, The Apophthegmes of Erasmus, 243 [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, The New English, i. 490. A bombastic orator ROLLS (exults) in painted terms; hence our ‘ROLL IN WEALTH,’ and the later ROLLICK].
1567. HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors, 20. These unruly rascals in their ROLLING disperse themselves into several companies.
1775. Old Song, ‘The Potato Man’ [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896), 55]. I am a saucy ROLLING blade.
1780. R. TOMLINSON, A Slang Pastoral, st. viii. TO ROLL IN HER IVORY, to pleasure her eye.
1789. G. PARKER, Life’s Painter, ‘The Happy Pair.’ Moll Blabbermares and ROWLING Joe. [Note, a kind of fellow who dresses smart or what they term natty.] Ibid. Then we’ll all ROLL IN BUB AND GRUB. Ibid. Up to St. Giles’s they ROLL’D, sir.
1790. Old Song, ‘The Flash Man of St. Giles’ [The Busy Bee]. We ROLL IN EVERY knowing RIG.
c. 1824. P. EGAN, Boxiana, iii. 621, 622.
| The boldest lad, | |
| That ever mill’d the cly, or ROLL’D THE LEER. | |
| Ibid. | |
| With ROLLING KIDDIES, Dick would dive and buz. |
1830. BULWER-LYTTON, Paul Clifford (1854), 18. He merely observed by way of compliment, that Mr. Augustus and his companions seemed to be ROLLING KIDDIES.
1836. DICKENS, Sketches by Boz, ‘Characters,’ vii. That grave, but confident, kind of ROLL peculiar to old boys in general.
1837. T. E. HOOK, Jack Brag [LATHAM]. He described his friends as ROLLICKING blades.
1865. G. MEREDITH, Rhoda Fleming, xxix. He had not even money enough to pay the cabman, or provide for a repast. He ROLLICKED in his present poverty.
1877. PASCOE, ed. Everyday Life in Our Public Schools, 165. Anything approaching ‘swagger’ is severely rebuked; there is no more objectionable quality than that understood by the expression, “He’s GOT such a horrid ROLL ON.”
1893. MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, 62, ‘On Angling.’ It sets a chap fair ON THE ROLL.
