subs. (common).—Nonsense; BOSH (q.v.): also TOMMY-ROT (q.v.). As verb. = to humbug; to bully; ROTTER = a good-for-nothing.

1

  1861.  H. CHOLMONDELEY-PENNELL, Puck on Pegasus, ‘Sonnet by M. F. Tupper.’ A monstrous pile of quintessential ROT.

2

  1879.  M. E. BRADDON, The Cloven Foot, iv. I thought he despised ballet-dancing, yet this is the third time I have seen him looking on at this ROT.

3

  1888.  BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, xliii. Half what them fellows puts down is regular ROT.

4

  1891.  LEHMANN, Harry Fludyer at Cambridge, 106. Everybody here would have ROTTED me to death.

5

  1892.  W. E. HENLEY and R. L. STEVENSON, Deacon Brodie, III. i. 30. Oh, ROT, I ain’t a parson.

6

  1894.  GEORGE MOORE, Esther Waters, xxxix. All bloody ROT; who says I’m drunk? Ibid., xi. A regular ROTTER; that man is about as bad as they make ’em.

7

  1899.  Critic, 18 March, 13, 2. ROTTER, at both our seats of learning, is applied indiscriminately to all persons prone towards intellectual levity. But the word must have an elastic meaning; for it embraces quacks and impostors who pass through existence with their tongue in their cheek.

8

  ROT IT (or ROT ’UM), intj. phr. (common).—Hang it! damn it!

9

  1664.  COTTON, Scarronides, or, Virgil Travestie, 75.

        Where once your what shals’ cal’ums (ROT ’UM,
It makes me mad I have forgot ’um).

10

  1682.  DRYDEN, Prologue to SOUTHERNE’S The Loyal Brother. 5. Both pretend love, and both (plague ROT THEM!) hate.

11

  1742.  FIELDING, Joseph Andrews, III. x. I don’t care to abuse my profession; but, ROT ME, if in my heart I am not inclined to the poet’s side.

12

  1759.  STERNE, Tristram Shandy, I. xvi. ROT the hundred and twenty pounds—he did not mind it a rush.

13

  1806.  LAMB, Mr. H——, i. Mr. H. ROT his impertinence! Bid him put in Nebuchadnezzar, and not trouble me with his scruples.

14

  1854.  MARTIN and AYTOUN, Bob Gualtier Ballads, ‘The Lay of the Lovelorn.’ Sink the steam-boats! cuss the railways! ROT, O ROT the Three per Cents!

15