Grub-stake, subs. (American).—Food and other necessaries furnished to
mining prospectors in return for a share in the ‘finds.’ Hence, to
grub-stake = to speculate after this fashion.
1884. Butterworth, Zig-zag Journeys. When miners become so poor
that they are not able to furnish the necessary tools and food with
which to ‘go prospecting’, a third party of sufficient means offers
to furnish tools and provisions on condition that he is to have a
certain interest in anything that may be found.
1891. Gunter, Miss Nobody of Nowhere, p. 100. He grub-staked us and
we used to work on the Tillie mine together.
Grub-street, subs. (colloquial).—The world of cheap, mean, needy
authors. [Originally a street near Moorfields, changed in 1830 to
Milton Street.]
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Grub-street news, false,
forg’d.
1728. Pope, Dunciad, iii., 135. Shall take through grub-street his
triumphant round.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. A Grub-street writer means a
hackney author, who manufactures books for the booksellers.
1813. J. and H. Smith, Horace in London, ‘The Classic Villa.’
Grub-street, ’tis called.
1821. Egan, Life in London, i. Few, if any, writers, out of the
great mass of living scribblers, whether of Grub-Street
fabrication, or of University passport ... possess souls above
buttons.
1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 119. We are going
it, have got our agents in Grub Street.
Gruel, subs. (common).—1. A beating; punishment (q.v.). For synonyms,
see Tanning. Hence, to get (or give) one’s gruel = to castigate, or be
well beaten; also killed. In the prize ring = to knock a man out for
good. Gruelled = floored; also Gruelling.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, ch. xxviii. He gathered in general,
that they expressed great indignation against some individual. ‘He
shall have his gruel,’ said one.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends. ‘Babes in the Wood.’ He that was
mildest in mood gave the truculent rascal his gruel.
1849. C. Kingsley, Alton Locke, ch. xii. They were as well gruelled
as so many posters, before they got to the stile.
1888. Sporting Life, 15 Dec. Preferred to be easily knocked out to
taking his gruel like a man.
1891. Licensed Vict. Gaz., 23 Jan. Both men were badly punished,
but George had, of course, the lion’s share of the gruel.
1891. Licensed Vict. Mirror, 30 Jan., p. 7, c. 3. All the advantage
rested with the same side for some little time, Paddock getting
such a gruelling that his head swelled out like a pumpkin.