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QUIBBLE.
1711 ADDISON Sfcct. No. 61 p 2 Nothing is more usual than
to see a Hero weeping and quibbling for a dozen Lines
together. 1751 CHKSTKKK. Lett. (1792) III. 121 Were I inclined
to quibble I would say [etc. a ; pun on air}.
2. ttitr. To argue in a purely verbal way; to
evade the real point by a quibble.
1656 CROMWELL Sp. 17 Sept. in Carlyle, Needlessly to
mind things that are not essential ; to be quibbling about
words, 1839 JAMES Louis II. XIV) 83 Mazarin proceeded
to irritate I)e Retz . . by quibbling upon the words of his
bargain. 1854 tr. Lu>nartine's Celebr. C/tar. II. 26, I shall
not quibble between the titles of King or Protector. 1864
BOWEN Logic ix. 393 A satirical disputant quibbling about
the meaning of words.
b. To wriggle out to trifle or deal
o/t unfairly
with, by quibbling, rare.
1842 DICKENS Airier, Notes (1850) 99/1 The simple warriors
..who only learned .. from white men how to break their
faith, and quibble out of forms and bonds. 18590. MEREDITH
R. Fcverel xxxiv, Sensible that she had been quibbled with.
1
Qui'bbly, fl. rare . Of the nature of a quibble.
1895 Cath. News 28 Dec. 4/3 The arguments small,
quibbly and lacking of elemental foundation.
Quibe, variant of QUIB sb.
Quibib(e, -bibbe, obs. forms of CUBEB.
tQuibibble, obs. var. QUIBBLE sb. (Cf. next.)
1606 Choice^ Chance, etc, (1881) 40 You are so full of
ijuibibbles, that I feare you meane knauery.
tQuibi'be. Obs. rare- 1
. [?A fanciful extension
of quibe QUIB cf. = ; prec.] QUIBBLE sb. 2.
ai$$o Image Hypocr. in Skelton's Wks. (1843) II. 440
Lawyers and scribes With many quibibes.
tQuibi'ble.
06s. Also6-byble. [Of obscure
origin.] ? A pipe or whistle. Alsoyf^.
a 1529 SKELTON Dk. Albany 389 Your braynes are ydell
It is time for you to brydell, And pype in a quibyble. 164*
SHIRLEY Sisters u. i, MoriUIa. I'll try what I can do !
[Draws her knife.] Piperollo. Oh ! my quibibles !
Quible, -ler, obs. forms of QUIBBLE, -LEB.
Qniblet (kwi-bli't). Obs. exc. U.S. [f. QUIB or
QUIBBLE: see = -LET.] QUIBBLED.
1630 J. TAYLOR (Water P.) Wit f, Mirth Wits. 181/2 A
. . quiblet Nay, then I cannot blame you
to be angry. 1636
ABP. WILLIAMS Holy Table (1637) 128 This Quiblet is
grounded upon a mere Errour of the Printer. 1681 T.
FLATMAN Hcraclitm Kiiiens No. 46 (1713) II. 43, I cannot
admire the Quiblet of the Influences of a Half-moon. 1890
BARHERE & LULAND S/aiii? Diet., QniMsls^ (American), a
kind of witticism much in vogue in negro minstrelsy.
tQui'blin. O/>s.
[f. QUIB or QUIBBLE; cf.
QUIBBLING.] A pun or quibble ; a trick.
1605 CHAPMAN, etc. Eastu>. floe in. i, Tis a trick rampant ;
'lis a very quiblin. 1610 B. JONSUN Alch. iv. 'I
vii, 'lik is
some trick ; Come, leave your quiblins, Dorothee. 1614
Barth. Fair I. i, When a quirk, or a quiblin do's scape thce.
Quibling, obs. form of QUIBBLING ///. a.
: Quibyb(e, -byble see CUBEB, QUIBIBI.E.
Quic, obs. f. QUICK a. ; see also QUETCH v.
51
t Quice. Oi>s. rare. In 5 qwyoe. [Of obscure
origin.] Only in quice-tree = gorse, whin.
c 1440 Promp. Parv. 162/1 Fyrrys, or qwyce tre, or gorstys
tre, ruscus. Ibid. 204/1, 421/1.
Quice, Quich, variants of QUEEST, QUETCH.
obs. forms of WHICH.
Quich(e,
Quick (kwik), ., ji.l, and adv. Forms : a. i
cwio(u), o(w)ucu, cue-, cwyc, 1-2 owuc, (2
cwuoe), 1-3 cwic, 3 cwioo, ewi(c)k-, 4 kuio,
kuik ; 3-4 quic, 3-5 quick-, 4 quyc, 5 quyck,
5-6 quycke, (5 qw-), 5-7 quicke, (5 qw-), 5quick;
3-6 quik, quyk, (5-6 qw-), 4 quiyk-,
4-5 quikke, quyk(k)e, (5 qw-), 5 quike, quikk,
(qw-) ; 4-5 quek, 5 qu-, qweke. &. Sc. and
north. 5 quhyk, qwhick, -ikke, -yke, 5 whik,
whicke, whyk, 6-9 whick, 9 wick. y. 5 whyt, 7
whitt. [Coram. Teut. : OE. cwicu, c(w)ucu and
3. trans, with advbs. : To cheat or bring out of,
waste or explain away, by quibbling.
1713 BIRCH Guard. No. 36 p 4 Who ever lost his estate in
Westminster Hall, but complained that he was quibbled out
of his right? 1768 BOVER Diet. Royal II. s.v., He endeavoured
to quibble away, (to elude,) the sanctity of an
oath. 1857 TOULMIN SMITH Parish 101 This Act has also,
in many cases, been quibbled away.
Qui'bble, z>- 2 Obs. exc. dial.
[? Onomatopoeic :
cf. QUIVER.] intr. To quiver; to shake.
1726 BAILEV, Quibble, to move as the Guts do. 1886
ELWORTHY W. Sam. Word-bk. s.v., I be afeard I've a catcht
a chill, I do quibbly all over.
Qurbbleism. rare" 1
,
[f. QUIBBLE sb. + -ISM!.]
The practice of quibbling.
1836 Mew Monthly Mag. XLVI I. 417 The use he may make
of the most ordinary words for the purposes of quibbleism.
Quibbler (kwi-bba). [f. QUIBBLE z;. 1 + -KR*.]
One who quibbles, in senses of the verb.
a 1680 BUTLER Rent. II. 206 A (1759) Quibbler is a Jugler
of Words, that shows Tricks with them, to make them . .
serve two Senses at once, 1737 LAW Demonstr. gross En:
of late Bk. (1769) 227 If your heart is shut up in death and
dryness, your reason will be a poor quibbler in words and dead
images. 1807 Med. Jrnl. XVII. 42 M. C.,. .asall Quibblers
do, works in words which are not mine. 1883 Law Times
27 Oct. 231/2 A race of astute quibblers, and not a body of
scientific lawyers.
Quibbling (kwi-blig), vbl. sb. [-ING!.] The
action of the verb QUIBBLE. Also with a and//.,
an instance or specimen of this.
1628 SHIRLEY Witty Fair One in. ii, I have made a quibbling
in praise of her. 1658-9 Burtons Diary (1828) IV. 36
You say you will bound, and you will not bound. It looks
like quibbling. 1681 \V. ROBERTSON Phraseol. Gen. (1693)
487 There's nothing which these disputants will not oppose
by their niceties ana quibblings. 1831 BLAKEY Free-wilt 172
The various quibblings, shufflings, reservations, and qualifications,
.must be abundantly evident to everyone. 1855
MACAULAY/^/J^. Eng, xv. III. 514 In spite of this quibbling,
he was pronounced guilty.
Quibbling (kwrblirj),///. a. [-INQ2.] That
quibbles ; characterized by quibbles.
1657 J. JORDAN Walks Islington n. ii, Pox on your Cobling
jeasts, you quibling Coxcombe. 1675 BAXTER Cath. Theol.
ii. ii. 250, I have detected the fraud of their quibling distinction.
177* Junius Lett. Ixviii. 353 A cunning quibbling
attorney might, .discover a flaw. 1875 to JOWETT ^(ed. 2)
I. 266 The quibbling follies of the Sophists.
Hence Qui'bblingly adv.
1657 J. SERGEANT Schism Dispach't Post-scr., Their old
method of talking preachingly, quotingly, and quibblingly.
cwic, c(w}uc-, = OFris. quik, quek (mod.Fris. quick,
queck), OS. quik (MDu. quic, Du. kwik), OHG.
quec, quecch- and chec, checch- (MHG. quec, queckand
kec, keck-, G. keck lively, pert, bold ; also dial.
queck, quick}, ON. kvik-r, kvikv- and kyk-r, kykv-
(MSw.avi&,fve&,Svt.gvic&; Da. kvik,&\sokva'g sb.,
'cattle and , kvxg-, kvik- in combs, as kvxg- or
kviksancT) : OTeut. *kwikwo-z. The origin of the
second k is obscure ; it is absent in the Gothic
*qius (in pi. qiwai) -."kwiwo-s, from the common
Aryan *g w iwo- which appears in Skr./ftxf, L. vtvus
(for *gvivus), Lith. gyvas, OSlav. Sivit, Olr. alive, living, Gr. 0ios life. An ablaut-variant
of the Teut. stem is found in ON. kveikja to kindle.]
A. nil/.
I. Characterized by the presence of life.
1. Living, endowed with life, in contrast to what
is naturally inanimate. Now dial, or arch.
eod & alle cwike shaffte. c 1300
St. Brandan 163 As a quic thing hupte and down.
up 1387
TREVISA Higden (Rolls) I. 383 Goddes heste, bat heet be
erbe brynge forb gras and quyk bestes. 1422 tr. Secreta
Secret. 208 Sowne of thynges that bene not quycke as the
Sowne of watyr, & brekynge of trees, thundyr [etc.]. 1523
FITZHERB. Hush, 102 The bottes .. be quycke, and stycke
faste in the mawe-syde. i6xz SPEED Hist. Gt. Brit. ix. xiii.
(1623) 741 They could see no quicke things left but onely
Owles. 1820 SHELLEY Witch Atl. ix, Where the quick
heart of the great world doth pant. 1857 E. WAUCH Lane.
Life 29 There isn't a wick thing i' this world can wortch as
it should do, if it doesn't heyt [= eat] as it should do.
f b. Of possessions or : property Consisting of
animals live ; (stock). Freq. in phrases quick cattle,
good(s, stock, etc., and hence, by analogy, quick
beast. Obs. Cf. also OE. cwicsht, -feoh.
871-89 Charter 45 in Sweet O. E. Texts 451 Ic .. sello
. . werburje has lond mid cwice erfe & mid earoe. 971 Blickl.
Horn. 39 pone teoban dael on urum wzestmum & on cwicum
ceape. 1297 R. GLOUC. (Rolls) 11108 Sir Ion gifiard nom to
himisquiceijteechon. n,-nE.E. Wills 95 Alle my goodes
& catelles, bothe quike & dede. 1523 FITZHERB. S-urv. xu.
(1539) 29 He that hath no quycke good, shall giue his beste
deed good. 1526 Lane, Wills I. 15, I bequeth ffor my
mortuarye my best qwyk beast. 1592 WEST ist Pt. Symbol.
25 Houses and landes and quicke beastes, as sheepe and
oxen. i49 Bp. HALL Cases Come. ix. (1654) 62 If they be
quick commodities, as horses, sheep, kine and the like, 1686
R. P. in Phil. Trans. XX. . . 383 Houshold-goods lost ;
besides many quick Goods. 1745 W. STOUT A utobiog. (1851)
ad fin., A public sale of all his quick goods and cattle.
c. Applied to things properly inanimate in
various transf. vcfig. uses (cf. II).
cyx> tr. Bzda's Hist. IV. xx. [xviii.] (1800) 314 He..beaw
)*es songes cwicre staefne . . sangeras laerde. c gup Lindisf.
blode in a quyke veyne. 1513 DOUGLAS &neis vtn. viii. 69
Quhill quyk mouthis dyd deyd moulhis kys. 1527 L. ANDREW
tr. jf. Bntnswyke's Distyl. Waters C ii, The lame lyimm-s
and membres . . become quycke agayne. 1603 FLORIO tr.
Montaigne II. iii. (1807) III. 51 To cut and slice great
mammocks of their quicke flesh. 1649 DRUMM. OF HAWTH.
Poems Wks. (1711) 1/2 My wasted heart, Made quick by
death, more lively still remains.
d. transf. and jig., chiefly of qualities, feelings,
etc. (cf. II).
c 1200 Trin. Coll. Horn. 171 po unbileffule men be bi here
quica Hue here sunnes ne forleten. 1380 WVCLIF Wks.
(1880) 369 suffre
pai
not criste to be alyue in be sowlis of
his peple bi qwike faythe. 1547 Hotnilies i. Faith i. (1640)
2 As the other vaine faith is called a dead faith, so may
POPE Dune. I. 59 Hints, like spawn, scarce quick in embryo
He. 1895 I. ZANGWILL The blaster n. vii. 213 Not . . only
the glamour of the dead past, but the poetry of the quick.
3. Of plants or their :
parts Alive, growing. See
also QUICKWOOD.
c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Th.) ciii. 16 Cwice cederbeamas. c 1200
ORMIN 10002 pe}} waerenn o be treo All cwike & grene
bo}hess. 1552 HULOET, Arboure or place made with quicke
springes. 1577 Nottinghai Kec. IV. 168 Dressyng of the
hedge of quycke grose. 1626 BACON Sylva 514 Dividing
a Quick-Tree downe to the Ground. 1647-8 COTTERELL
Dtivila's Hist. Fr. (1678) 27 If there be any quick roots left,
which may send forth new sprouts. 1802 W. FORSVTH Fruit
Trees (1824) 214 If any of the old dead snags remain they
should be cut off close to the quick wood.
b. Composed of living plants, esp. hawthorn, as
quick fence, \frith, hedge (cf. Du. kwikhaag),
mound. Cf. QUICKSET.
1467 Bury Wills (Camden) 45 The qwyk heige set frame
the gate on to the hall doore. 1563 HVLL A rt Garden. ( 1 593)
7 A quick hedge, which we cal a quickset hedge. itfaMS.
Ace. St. John's Hasp., Canterb., To enclose the vij acres
of land . . wyth a quyk fryth. 1627 F. LITTLE Man. Chr.
Munif. (1871) 93 They fenced it with a quick mound. 16*9
WORLIDGE Syst. Ayic. (1681) rs A thousand Acres of Land
divided with good Quick-fences. 1719 DE FOE Crusoe i. viii,
A quick or fiving hedge. 1804 J. T. FOWLER Adamnan
Introd. 38 On the top a palisade and quick hedge.
4. Const, with.
a. Quick with child, said of a female in the stage
of pregnancy at which the motion of the foetus is
felt. Now rare or Obs.
(This use has app. arisen by inversion of the phr. with
the well of lyfe. 1586 J. HOOKER Hist. Irel. in Holinshed
II. 101/2 To rush through such quicke iron walles [armed
Galloglasses]. 1732 POPE Ess. Man I. 234 See ^thro'.. this
earth All matter quick, and bursting into birth. 1894
CROCKETT Raiders 13 Young green leaves breaking from
the quick and breathing earth.
2. Of persons and animals: In a live state,
living, alive. Now dial, or arch.
c 888 K. ^ELFRED Boeth. xxxvi. 7 [Ne] ma Se we mason
habban deadne mon for cwucone. c xooo Sax. Leechd. I.
362 WiS miltwrsce, cwices hundes milte abred of. a 1225
Leg. St. Kath. 63 pe riche reooeren & schep. .brohten to
lake, be poure cwike briddes. (11300 Cursor M.Z&4S M I
quik child has bou stoln . . And has bi ded barn laid bi me.
1362 LANCL. f. PI. A. 11. 14 Ther nis no qweene qweyntore
that quik is alyue. c 1450 Two Caokcry-bks. 11. 99 1 ake
a quyk lamprey, And lete him blode at be nauell. a 1329
SKELTON Elynoiir Rummyng 431 A cantell of Bssex
chese . . well a fote thycke, Full of maggottes quycke. 1584
R. SCOT Discov. Wilchcr. v. vi. (1886) 81 marg., To hold
a quick eele by the taile. a l6l FULLER Worthies (1840)
I. v. 212 Not the quick but dead worthies properly pertain
to my pen. 1790 MRS. WHEELF.R WatmU. Dial. (1821) 08
Worthor giants alive? Mary. Nay, nay, .. they er net
whick I racken. 1873 Spectator 23 Aug. 1069/1 Q