subs. (old cant).—1. A bill of exchange; negotiable paper; THICK (q.v.). TO TAKE (or GIVE) THE STIFF = to receive (or pay) in paper (GROSE); TO DO A BIT OF STIFF = to accept a bill.
1828. BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Living Picture of London, 258. [He] could not otherwise obtain his share of the plunder … than by taking paper … i.e., STIFF in the form ‘I promise to pay.’
1854–5. THACKERAY, The Newcomes, vi. I wish you’d DO me A BIT OF STIFF, and just tell your father if I may overdraw my account, I’ll vote with him.
1889. R. MARSH, The Crime and the Criminal, xviii. ‘I must be unknown to him, or he would never lend.’ ‘Can’t you DO anything on A BIT OF STIFF?’
2. (thieves’).—Forged bank notes.
3. (old).—A corpse: also STIFF ONE (GROSE).
1871. JOHN HAY, The Mystery of Gilgal.
| They piled the STIFFS outside the door; | |
| They made, I reckon, a cord or more. |
4. (racing).—A horse certain not to run, nor if it run, to win: also DEAD-UN, SAFE-UN, STUMER, &c. (q.v.). BOOKMAKERS STIFF = a horse nobbled at the public cost in the bookmakers’ interest. Also as adj. (Australian) = dead certain to win; e.g., ‘Grand Flaneur is STIFF for any race for which he may enter.’
1871. “HAWK’S-EYE,” Turf Notes, 11. Most assuredly it is the bookmakers that profit by the safe uns, or STIFF UNS, as, in their own language, horses that have no chance of winning are called.
1897. MARSHALL [Advt. on front fly of Pomes]. The Rialto … Do not invest money Until you read The Rialto. Never on STIFF ’UNS, wrong ’uns, or dead ’uns.
5. (prison).—A clandestine letter.
1900. GRIFFITHS, Fast and Loose, xxxiii. ‘Will your pal trust me,’ says I. ‘Yes, if I send him a bit of a STIFF.’
Adj. and adv. (colloquial).—A general intensive: cf. STEEP, TALL, WIDE, &c. Thus a STIFF (= a strong or long) drink; a STIFF (= a cramped) style; a STIFF (= a formal) manner: also crusty, whence TO CUT UP STIFF = to turn testy; a STIFF (= strong and steady) breeze; STIFF (= incredible) news; a STIFF (= difficult) examination; a STIFF (= high) price: cf. STEEP: also, a price (or a market) STIFFENS = goes higher: TO PAY STIFFLY = to pay expensively; a STIFF (= firm, unyielding) market; a STIFF UPPER LIP = courageous; TO CUT UP STIFF = to leave a large estate: cf. WARM and supra.
1608. SHAKESPEARE, Antony and Cleopatra, i. 2, 104.
| Mess. Labienus | |
| (This is STIFF news) hath with his Parthian force, | |
| Extended Asia from Euphrates. |
1620. FLETCHER, Philaster, iii. 1. With a STIFF gale their heads bow all one way.
1711. ADDISON, The Spectator, No. 119, 17 July. This kind of good manners was perhaps carried to an excess, so as to make conversation too STIFF, formal and precise.
1784. COWPER, Tirocinium, 671.
| And his address, if not quite French in ease, | |
| Not English STIFF, but frank, and form’d to please. |
1855–7. THACKERAY, Miscellanies, II. 272. The old gent CUT UP uncommon STIFF.
1885. Daily News, 28 Sept. The STIFFNESS of country rates also tends to give firmness to the attitude of staplers.
d. 1892. TENNYSON, Will Waterproof’s Lyrical Monologue.
| But tho’ the port surpasses praise, | |
| My nerves have dealt with STIFFER. |
1887. Daily Chronicle, 21 March. Yarns were very STIFF.
1888. J. F. HURST, Hyderabad and Golconda, in Harper’s Magazine, lxxvi. Feb., 447. We now left the carriages and began a STIFF climb to the top of the hill.
1899. WESTCOTT, David Harum, xvi. He’s got a putty STIFF UPPER LIP of his own, I reckon.
2. (venery).—(1) Wanton: e.g., A STIFF QUEAN = a harlot (RAY); and (2) priapic: see STAND. THE STIFF DEITY (or THE STIFF AND STOUT) = the penis in erection.
1653. URQUHART, Rabelais, i. xi. And some of the women would give these names, my Roger … my STIFF AND STOUT. Ibid. (MOTTEUX), iv. v. The STIFF DEITY, Priapus … remained sticking in her natural Christmas box.
1720. D’URFEY, Wit and Mirth; or Pills to Purge Melancholy, vi. 201. And may Prince G——’s Roger grow STIFF again and stand.
