Smeekit, subs. (Scots).—Drunk: see Screwed.
Smell, verb. (old colloquial).—To
investigate, to search; to nose
(q.v.): also to smell out.
Hence smelling committee
= an investigating committee.
[Bartlett: 'the phrase originated
in the examination of a
convent in Massachusetts by
legislative order.']. See Smeller.
d.1555. Latimer, Sermons, 335. From that time forward I began to smell the word of God, and forsook the school-doctors and such fooleries.
1600. Shakspeare, Much Ado, iii. 2. Can you smell him out by that. Ibid. (1602), Twelfth Night, ii. 3. I smell a device. Ibid. (1604), Winter's Tale, iv. 3. I smell the trick of it. Ibid. (1605), Lear, i. 5, 22. What a man cannot smell out he may spy into.
1626. Fletcher, Noble Gentleman, ii. 1. Come, these are tricks; I smell 'em; I will go.
1702. Steele, Grief-a-la-Mode, iv. 1. I like this old fellow, I smell more money.
Phrases and Colloquialisms.—See Cork; Elbow-grease; Footlights; Grease; Ink-*horn; Lamp; Rat; Roast.
Smeller, subs. (common).—1.
The nose: see Conk (B. E. and
Grose): in pl. = nostrils. Also
2 (pugilists') = a blow on the
nose; a nosender, q.v. (Bee).
1678. Cotton, Scarronides, 64. For he on smellers, you must know, Receiv'd a sad unlucky blow.
1840. Cockton, Val. Vox, xxviii. There's a conk! there's a smeller.
1853. Bradley, Verdant Green. . . . Come on, half-a-dozen of ye, and let me have a rap at your smellers.
1901. Walker, In the Blood, 20. I tipped 'im one on the smeller as soon as 'e said it.
3. (common).—In pl. = a cat's 'whiskers' (Grose).
4. (common).—A spy; a Paul Pry (q.v.).
Smell-feast, subs. phr. (old).—1.
A parasitic glutton; as adj. =
sharking for victuals. Also (2) =
a point (q.v.)-feast.
1599. Hall, Virgid, vi. i. 47. Nor now no more smell-feast Vitellio, Smiles on his master for a meal or two.
1609. Holland, Amm. Marcell [Nares]. Mercurius called commonly captaine of smell-feasts, for that like unto a dogge . . . wagging his taile, he used to thrust himselfe often into feasts and companies. Ibid. These smell-feast parasites.
1621. Burton, Anat. Melan., II. iii. viii. No smell-feasts . . . parasites, bawds, drunkards, whoremasters.
1633. Harrington, Epigrams. What manner sprite these smellfeasts had possest.
1648. Herrick, Hesperides, 'Vpon Burr.' Burr is a smell-feast, and a man alone That (where meat is) will be a hanger on.
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, i. liv. Fat chuffcats, smell-feast knockers, doltish gulls.
d.1704. Lestrange, Works [Ency. Dict.]. An intruder, and a common smell-feast that spunges upon other people's trenchers.
Smelling-cheat, subs. phr. (Old
Cant).—1. The nose: see Cheat
and Smeller (Harman, Dekker).
2 (Old Cant) = an orchard,
garden, or nosegay (Harman,
Dekker, B. E., Bailey, Grose).
Smell-smock. See Smock.
Smelly, adv. (colloquial).—Offensively
odorous.
1863. Kingsley, Water Babies, 186. Nasty, dirty, frowzy, grubby, smelly old monks.
Smell-powder, subs. phr. (old).—A
duellist (Bee).
