subs. (colloquial).—1. Iced brandy and water.
2. (common).—Mashed vegetables: potatoes, turnips, and the like (GROSE).
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, I. The sweep asked him what he was going to have. ‘A two-and-a-half plate, and a ha’p’orth of SMASH.’
3. (prison).—Tobacco: hence TO SLING THE SMASH = to pass tobacco to a prisoner.
Verb. (thieves’).—To utter base coin. Hence SMASHER = (1) base coin or paper; and (2) one who passes base money into circulation (GROSE and VAUX). Also 2. (common) = to give change (BEE): as subs. = loose change.
1823. BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Dictionary of the Turf, etc., s.v. SMASHED … SMASHERS—passers of bad money were so called during the pest of the old smooth coin. The term was soon extended to bad notes of the Bank of England; and their occupation was called SMASHING from the resemblance each bore the other in morals.
1834. W. H. AINSWORTH, Rookwood, ‘Jerry Juniper’s Chant.’ Readily the queer screens I then could SMASH.
1840. BULWER-LYTTON, Paul Clifford, xxxi. Stretched for SMASHING queer screens.
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, II. 488. Every coin … was bad—all SMASHERS.
1883. GREENWOOD, Tag, Rag, & Co., ‘Planting the “Sours.”’ The individual mentioned on the paper was a ‘SMASHER,’ or, in other words, a dealer in counterfeit coin, or ‘sours.’
1886. Evening Standard, 11 Jan. Paper of a kind commonly used by SMASHERS to wrap up their coins, to prevent their rubbing against each other.
1887. W. E. HENLEY, Villon’s Straight Tip to all Cross Coves, I. You … pitch a snide? or SMASH a rag?
2. (common).—To ruinate, to go bankrupt: also (military) to be reduced or broke. As subs. (or SMASH-UP) = ruin, destruction, bankruptcy; ALL TO SMASH = all to pieces, completely.
1849. C. BRONTË, Shirley, ii. Your hellish machinery is shivered to SMASH on Stilbro’ Moor.
1850. THACKERAY, Letters, 120. I have made an awful SMASH at the Literary Fund and have tumbled into ’Evins knows where.
1861. REV. E. BRADLEY (‘Cuthbert Bede’), Our New Rector, ch. x. p. 105. There isn’t a Fellow at School can match me, Miss Moore! I beat them ALL TO SMASH!
1885. Daily Telegraph, 28 Dec. If it … comes to out-and-out SMASH, and selling up.
1887. St. James’s Gazette, 22 Jan. There was a final SMASH-UP of his party as well as of his reputation.
1895. LE QUEUX, The Temptress, iv. May this SMASH bring me good luck in the future. Ibid., v. I tell you it is pay or SMASH with me.
3. (pugilists’).—To beat badly; to double up (BEE). Hence SMASHER = a settling blow.
1832. P. EGAN, Book of Sports, s.v. All of a heap, and all of a lump, unmistakably doubled up by a SMASHER.
1866. The London Miscellany, 5 May, 202, 1. Doubled you up, I mean, sir. SMASHED you.
4. (old).—To kick downstairs: e.g., ‘The chubbs toute the blosses, they SMASH, and make them brush’ = The sharpers catch their Mistresses on the hop, kick them downstairs and make them clear out (B. E. and GROSE).
