verb. (common).—To cry: usually as a threat to a crying child, ‘I’ll give you something to SING for.’
PHRASES.—TO SING OUT = (1) to raise the voice; (2) to cry, or call out, from excess of emotion; and (3), see quot. 1815; TO SING SMALL = to lessen one’s pretensions, to eat humble pie (GROSE); TO SING (or PIPE) ANOTHER SONG (or TUNE) = to modify one’s conduct, manner, &c.; TO SING THE SAME SONG = to repeat the weakness; TO SING IT = to exaggerate, to swagger, ‘to chant the poker’; TO SING OUT BEEF (thieves’) = to call out ‘stop thief!’ (GROSE). Also proverb, ‘He could have SUNG well before he broke his left shoulder with whistling.’ See BLACK PSALM; PLACEBO; TE DEUM.
1383. CHAUCER, The Canterbury Tales, ‘The Friar’s Tale.’
| But certes, lechours dide he grettest wo; | |
| They sholde SINGEN, if that they were hent. |
1530. PALSGRAVE, Langue Francoyse. SYNGE OUT, chanter a playne voyx.
1609. HEYWOOD, If You Know Not Me [Works, i. 207].
| Const. Madam, | |
| The Queene must heare you SING ANOTHER SONG, | |
| Before you part with vs. | |
| Eliz. My God doth know, | |
| I can no note but truth. |
1753. RICHARDSON, The History of Sir Charles Grandison, I. 120. I must myself SING SMALL in her company.
1815. SCOTT, Guy Mannering; xxviii. “But old Meg’s asleep now,” said another; “she grows a driveller, and is afraid of her own shadow. She’ll SING OUT, [TO SING OUT, or whistle in the cage, is when a rogue, being apprehended, peaches against his comrades.] some of these odd-come-shortlies, if you don’t look sharp.”
1819. T. MOORE, Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress, 24. His spunkiest backers were forc’d TO SING SMALL.
1839. LEVER, Harry Lorrequer, xvi. When the call-boy would SING OUT for Captain Beaugarde … we’d find that he had Levanted.
1836. M. SCOTT, Tom Cringle’s Log, i. Who’s there? SUNG OUT the lieutenant.
1837. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends, ‘A Row in an Omnibus (Box).’
| So, after all | |
| This terrible squall … | |
| And Dol-drum and Fal-de-ral-tit SING SMALL! |
1848. RUXTON, Life in the Far West, 3. They made ’em SING OUT.
1884. W. C. RUSSELL, Jack’s Courtship, xiii. ‘Read the letter aloud, Sophie,’ said my uncle. ‘SING IT OUT, my love.’
1885. CLEMENT SCOTT [Illustrated London News, 3 Oct., 339, 1]. There would not be so much reason for complaint, if heroism and virtue were not made to SING SMALL, by the side of this apotheosis of iniquity.
1900. F. E. GRAINGER (‘Headon Hill’), Caged! xvi. Go and have a wash, and SING OUT for that breakfast.
