subs. (old).—In various colloquial or semi-colloquial usages denoting instability or eccentric movement. Thus (1) a glass rounded or pointed at the bottom, so that it could not be set down except when empty—a silent reminder of ‘no heeltaps!’ and to ‘pass the bottle’: orig. ‘a low Silver Cup to Drink out of’ (B. E., c. 1696): nowadays applied to any glass that is cylindrical in shape, without a stem; (2) a variety of pigeon: in flight the bird often drops without wing-play; (3) a dog used in coursing rabbits, ‘a Coney Dog’ (B. E.): it tumbles about in a careless fashion until, within reach of its prey, it seizes it with a sudden spring; (4) a porpoise; (5) a variety of printing machine: from the rocking or tumbling movement of the cylinder towards the impression surface; etc. etc.
1616. W. BROWNE, Britannia’s Pastorals, ii. 4.
| I have seene | |
| A nimble TUMBLER on a burrow’d greene, | |
| Bend cleane awry his course, yet give a checke, | |
| And throw himselfe upon a rabbit’s necke. |
1635. J. SWAN, Speculum Mundi, ix. 1. The TUMBLER and Lurcher ought to be reckoned by themselves.
1707. FARQUHAR, The Beaux Stratagem, iv. 2. Bag. … The plate stands in the wainscot cupboard in the parlour. Bon. Ay, ay,… knives and forks, and cups and cans, and TUMBLERS and tankards.
1837. DICKENS, Pickwick Papers, iii. Mr. Stiggins, walking softly across the room to a well-remembered shelf in one corner, took down a TUMBLER, and with great deliberation put four lumps of sugar in it.
1862. THACKERAY, The Adventures of Philip, xxxviii. She … reminds him of days which he must remember when she had a wine-glass out of poor Pa’s TUMBLER.
1885. Daily Telegraph, 17 Nov. The little TUMBLER flashing downward in the sunlight is something to watch and admire.
1901. W. S. WALKER, In the Blood, 262. ’Arf our ’ard-earned money goes that way. It’s melted inter pewter pots an’ TUMBLERS.
6. (old cant).—A cart: properly ‘tumbrel.’ Whence TO NAP THE FLOG AT (or TO SHOVE) THE TUMBLER = to be whipped at the cart’s-arse (B. E. and GROSE): see SHOVE, adding quot. 1721.
1721. Remarkable Tryals, 2. He was ordered to SHOVE THE TUMBLER.
1815. SCOTT, Guy Mannering, viii. Behind them followed the train of laden asses and … TUMBLERS.
7. (old).—‘A sharper employed to draw in pigeons to game’ (B. E. and GROSE).
8. (turf).—A worthless horse; a SCREW (q.v.).
9. (old).—A German Baptist or Dunker. [The sect was founded by Alexander Mack about A.D. 1708. Persecution drove them in 1723 to the United States, where they founded a church at a German town in Pennsylvania. They separate the sexes in worship, are vegetarians, and are called TUMBLERS from their mode of baptism, which is by putting the person whilst kneeling head first under water.]
10. (old).—A street rowdy: early part of the eighteenth century: see quot.
1712. STEELE, Spectator, No. 324, 12 March. A third sort are the TUMBLERS, whose Office it is to set Women on their Heads.
