intj. (old).—An angry, contemptuous, or jesting address: also (modern) SIRREE! (or SIRREE, BOB!).
1526. RASTELL, Hundred Merry Tales, 74. [The Sir is lengthened into] SIRRA.
1570. P. LEVINS, Manipulus Vocabulorum, i. 6. SERRHA, heus, io.
1600. JONSON, Cynthia’s Revels, ii. 1. Page, boy, and SIRRAH: these are all my titles.
1608. SHAKESPEARE, Antony and Cleopatra, v. 2. 229. SIRRAH Iras, go!
1617. MINSHEU, Guide into the Tongues. SIRRA, a contemptuous word, ironically compounded of Sir and a, ha, as much as to say ah, sir, or sir boy, &c.
1615. S. DANIEL, Hymen’s Triumph, 313. Ah, SIRRAH, have I found you? are you heere.
1688. SHADWELL, The Squire of Alsatia, ii. Look on my finger, SIRRAH, look here; here’s a famble.
d. 1721. PRIOR, Cupid and Ganymede.
| Guess how the goddess greets her son: | |
| ‘Come hither, SIRRAH: no, begone.’ |
1848. RUXTON, Life in the Far West, 3. No SIRRE-E; I went out when Spiers lost his animals.
1857. Baltimore Sun, 30 March. ‘Sir, are you drunk?’ The juror … in a bold, half-defiant tone replied, ‘No, SIRREE, BOB!’ ‘Well … I fine you five dollars for the ‘REE’ and ten for the ‘BOB.’
1900. R. H. SAVAGE, Brought to Bay, ii. ‘So, the title is secure!’… ‘Yes, SIR-EE!’
