ETYMOLOGY
from fire (n.) + flaught (a flash; a flash of lightning)
EXAMPLE (for n. 1.)
“… Bot lo, onon, a wonder thing to tell!
Ane huge bleys of flambys braid doun fell
Furth of the clowdis, at the left hand straucht,
In maner of a lychtnyng or fyre flaucht,
And dyd alicht rycht in the sammyn sted
Apon the crown of fair Lavinias hed; …”
From: The Æneid of Virgil
Translated by Gavin Douglas, a1522
ETYMOLOGY
from Greek κακόδοξος (kakodoxos) (of the wrong opinion)
EXAMPLE
“… But that Cacodox Alastor has not only abandon’d the true Principles of Reason and Religion, as identify’d with those of the Protestant Reformation and Church of England, but also those of their fore-Fathers of High-Church …”
From: Athenæ Britannicæ: or, A Critical History of the Oxford and Cambridge writers and writings
By Myles Davies, 1716
ETYMOLOGY
apparently from air (n.) + -ling
EXAMPLE (for n. 1.)
“… Some more there be, slight ayrelings, will be wonne,
With dogs, and horses ; or, perhaps, a whore ;
Which must be had : and, if they venter Hues,
For vs, AVRELIA, we must hazard honors
A little. Get thee store, and change of women,
As I haue boyes; and giue ‘hem time, and place, And all conniuence : be thy selfe, too, courtly ;
And entertayne, and feast, sit vp, and reuell ;
Call all the great, the faire, and spirited Dames
Of Rome about thee ; and beginne a fashion
Of freedome, and community. …”
From: Catiline His Conspiracy
By Benjamin Jonson, 1611
ETYMOLOGY
of obscure origin
EXAMPLE (for n. 1.)
“… They ‘re fly’d at the heart, it’l be a black Bargain for poor Scotland: for the Engleses are owr auld farren for us, and there’s little Ground to think, they ‘ll gee
us a seen Vantage wee their will, they neer liked us sae well; and its naе forgotten yet, the foul Plisk they play’d us about our Caledonia Business; …”
From: The Scottish Antiquary Or Northern Notes and Queries
Volume XII, January 1898
A Copy of a Letter from a Country Farmer To His Laird, a Member of Parliament, 1706
ETYMOLOGY
of uncertain origin;
possibly from quiz (n.) + -by
EXAMPLE
“… Alibi. What wou’d I do then?
Air. Aye, Sir, what wou’d you do then?
Soph. Cou’dn’t he push a little feeble old quisby like you down into a chair?
Alibi, How, pray?
Soph. Shew him how, Robin?
Air. Why there – (puts him into a chair) Just that way
Alibi. Well, now Old Quisby’s down in the chair – what wou’d he do then?…”
From: The Toy
By John O’Keeffe, 1789
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin ientaculum (breakfast); (from ientare (to breakfast)) + -ar
EXAMPLE
“… I wonder that you did not, under this head, acquaint us with that wise injunction, which you have caused to be promulgated within your dominions, against the consumption of tea and coffee; a fashionable vice, which tends only to squandring away money, and mispending the morning, since (as you once ingeniously express’d it) nothing more can be expected from those jentacular confabulations. …”
From: Terræ-filius; or, the secret history of the University of Oxford
By Nicholas Amhurst, 1721
ETYMOLOGY
possibly an alteration of rumbustious (boisterous, unruly);
or perhaps an alteration of obsolete English robustic (robust, robustious),
from robust + -ic + -al
EXAMPLE
“… I will, your worship: but I am glad his honour, the Major, is not to be jocum tenus for your worship, he’s so much upon the roguish order with the women, now and ten. I did not care to mention it to your worship before; but as true as I’m alive he was a little rombustical to our Bridget, no longer ago than last Sunday was se’night, as she was coming home from church. …”
From: The Flitch of Bacon; a comic opera
By Henry Bate Dudley, 1779
ETYMOLOGY
from slidder (to slide, to slip) + -y
EXAMPLE (for adj. 3)
“… Full slyddrie is the sait that thay on sit,
And for thair fault till Hell sune sall thay flit,
For suddanlie thay sall die with mischeif,
Thair distructioun salbe without releif. …”
From: A compendious book of godly and spiritual songs : commonly known as ‘The gude and godlie ballatis’
By John Wedderburn , Robert Wedderburn
Reprinted from the edition of 1567
Edited by Alexander Ferrier Mitchell, 1897
Quam bonus Deus Israell. Psal. lxxiij
ETYMOLOGY
compound of jocose and facetious
EXAMPLE
“… “Yes, you have, you saucy baggage, and I will have them again from your ruddy lips,” at the same time smacking them with great glee. The girl was glad to find the ‘squire so jococious, and particularly too, as he gave her a shilling, and a chuck under the chin. …”
From: The Child of Providence
Or, The Noble Orphan, A Novel
By Miss H. L. Porter, 1820
ETYMOLOGY
from crab (the common name of the wild apple) + stick
EXAMPLE (for n. 2.)
“… Yes, I remember. I was remarking that sangaree and calipash, mangoes and guava jelly, dispose the heart to love, and so they do. I was not more than six weeks in Jamaica when I felt it myself. Now, it was a very dangerous symptom, if you had it strong in you, for this reason. Our colonel, the most cross-grained old crabstick that ever breathed, happened himself to be taken in when young, and resolving, like the fox who lost his tail and said it was not the fashion to wear one, to pretend he did the thing for fun, determined to make every fellow marry upon the slightest provocation. …”
From: Charles O’Malley
The Irish Dragoon
By Charles Lever, 1840
Lexicophilia 