1768. Lord Carlisle, in Jesse’s Selwyn, II., 238 (1882). I hope you
have left off hazard. If you are still so foolish, and will play,
the best thing I can wish you is, that you may win and never throw
crabs.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends (Hard Times), p. 4, ed. 1851. Well,
we know in these cases Your crabs and ‘Deuce Aces’ Are wont to
promote frequent changes of places.
1874. G. A. Lawrence, Hagarene, ch. iii. ‘My annuity drops with me;
and if this throw comes off crabs, there won’t be enough to bury
me, unless I die a defaulter.’
To turn out crabs or a case of crabs, verbal phr. (common).—A matter
turns out crabs when it is brought to a disagreeable conclusion. [Cf.,
Crab, verb, in the sense of to interrupt; to get in the way of; to
spoil.]
Crabshells, subs. (popular).—Shoes. [From crabs, subs., sense 1 (q.v.),
+ shells, an outer covering.] For synonyms, see Trotter-cases.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1851–61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. III., p. 210,
‘Now these ’ere shoes,’ he said ... ‘even now, with a little
mending, they’ll make a tidy pair of crab-shells again.’
1889. Answers, July 20, p. 121, col. 2. The state of my crabshells,
or boots, pointed to the fact that I had come down in the world.
Crack, subs. (old).—A crazy person, or soft-head. [From crack = to
impair, or to be impaired.] For synonyms, see Buffle and Cabbage-head.
1609. Dekker, Lanthorne and Candlelight, in wks. (Grosart) III.,
212. A Foyst nor a Nip shall not walke into a Fayre or a
Play-house, but euerie cracke will cry looke to your purses.
b. 1672, d. 1719. Addison (quoted in Annandale). I cannot get the
Parliament to listen to me, who look upon me as a crack.
2. (old).—A prostitute, see sense 4. For synonyms, see Barrack-hack and
Tart.
1698. Farquhar, Love and a Bottle, Act v., Sc. 3. You imagine I
have got your whore, cousin, your crack.
1705–7. Ward, Hudibras Redivivus, vol. II., pt. II., p. 27. Old
Leachers, Harridans, and Cracks.
1715. Vanbrugh, Country House, II., v. For you must know my sister
was with me, and it seems he took her for a crack, and I being a
forward boy he fancied I was going to make love to her under a
hedge, ha, ha.
1748. T. Dyce, Dictionary (5 ed.), s.v.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vul. Tongue, s.v.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.
3. (old).—A lie. Cf., Cracker (the modern form), and for synonyms, see
Whopper.
1773. Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer, Act ii. Miss N. There’s
something generous in my cousin’s manner. He falls out before faces
to be forgiven in private. Tony. That’s a damned confounded crack.