or swop, subs. (colloquial).—An act of barter; an exchange. As verb = to exchange; to strike a bargain. (B. E.) GROSE [= ‘Irish Cant.’] and BEE.
1360. Sir Gawayn [E.E.T.S], 35 [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, The New English, i. 58. The old SWAP gets the new sense of ‘make an exchange’].
1594. J. LYLY, Mother Bombie, v. 3. Accius. Soft, Ile not SWAP my father for all this. Sil. What, do you thinke Ile be cosned of my father?
1692. DRYDEN, Cleomenes, iv. 1.
| I would have SWOPP’D | |
| Youth for old age, and all my life behind, | |
| To have been then a momentary man. |
1707. WARD, Hudibras Redivivus, II. ii. 5. Those, who to preserve their Health, Had SWOP’D their little Store of Wealth.
1725. SWIFT, A New Song on Wood’s Halfpence. Like a fine lady SWAPPING her moles for the mange.
1781. G. PARKER, A View of Society, II. 248. The hostler then says he has a choice nag or daisy-kicker to sell or SWAP.
1819. SCOTT, Bride of Lammermoor, xxvi. For the pouther, I e’en changed it … for gin and brandy … a gude SWAP too.
1830. COBBETT, Rural Rides, (1886), I. 199. It is barter, truck, change, dicker, as the Yankees call it, but as our horse jockies call it, SWAP, or chop.
1853. C. READE, Gold! i. Carry out a cargo of pea-jackets and four-penny bits to SWAP for gold dust.
1862. J. R. LOWELL, The Biglow Papers, 2 S. v.
| We ’d better take maysures for shettin’ up shop, | |
| And put off our stock by a vendoo or SWOP. |
1870. W. M. BAKER, The New Timothy, 187. Not even the greasy cards can stand against the attractions of a SWAP of horses, and these join the group.
1887. EGGLESTON, The Graysons, x. Farmers frequented the town, to meet old friends and get the better of them in SWAPPING horses.
1899. R. WHITEING, No. 5 John Street, xiv. You two countries ought to SWAP grandmothers, and then you’d match.
1900. R. H. SAVAGE, Brought to Bay, ii. Don Andrès proposes to SWAP, herd for herd, taking our cattle as they run, at fifteen dollars, and giving us half-bred sheep, at three.
TO GET THE SWAP (or SWOP), verb. phr. (common).—To be dismissed.
TO SWAP OFF, verb. phr. (American).—To cheat; TO SELL (q.v.).
1880. J. C. HARRIS, Uncle Remus, iv. Den Brer Fox know dat he bin SWOP OFF mighty bad.
