Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. any form of cheat or schemer.

1565		J. Jewel A replie vnto M. Hardinges ansvveare n.p.: Rasshe, Presumptuous, VVicked, Vnlearned, Ignorant, Peeuishe, Lucians, Scoffers, Coggers, Foisters [...] Newe Fanglers, False reporters, Sclaunderers of the Churche.
1576		J. Woolton Of the conscience n.p.: For commonly suche fathers doe deliuer like children, who being Coggers, foysters, and at the last banckeroute: inioy not commonly [...] goods so racked.
1582		Stanyhurst Of Virgil his Æneis II: A lyer hym neauer may she make, nor cogger unhonest.
1593		J. Eliot Ortho-epia Gallica Eliots fruits for the French 59: You are a cogger of dice. These dice are horned, they are false. They are full of quick-[s]iluer, or gold within. What a villanous theefe art thou?
1603		S. Harsnett A declaration of egregious popish impostures 148: [T]heir [...] hideous out-cries, against the deuill-priests, the coggers, coyners, mynters, and actors of this wicked lewd play.
1619		671: [They that] with knauery and deceipt maintayned themselues, as Minstrels, Ruffians, Dicers, Carders, Iuglers, Coggers, Foyster, Coseners of men, and filching knaues, with other loytering vagabonds and rogues.
1629		M. Sutcliffe A true relation of Englands happinesse 336: May not we then with more reason say, O coggers, O cosiners, O Scogans, O cods-heads!
1637		R. Clerke Sermons 406: Tis Sathan is the cogger; he is the right cheater, tis he that is the cosener.
1649		S. Rutherford A free disputation against pretended liberty of conscience 355: [D]oth [the Lord] foretell of such coggers and jugglers, and yet presupposeth none on earth shall be able to know them?
1658		J. Cotton A practicall commentary 173: [T]hey are as Coggers of Dice, so that their trade is but to deceive and cheat men.
1661		T. Blount Glossographia Patelin (Fr.) a Cogger, Colloquer, flatterer, soother, cousener, pratler.:
1675		J. Briggs Sound considerations for tender consciencies 104: {T]hey have a great deal of cunning even such as cheats and coggers at dice do use, much craft to beguile and circumvent them that they deal with.
1683		R. Dixon Canidia 87: Dy-Coggers, / Betters and Wagers. / Fallacious Sophisticators, / Abominable Adulterators. / Pragmatical Agitators, / Busie-body Innovators [...] and Tale-Bearers. Cursers, Blasphemers, Dammers and Swearers, Ranting-Rory-Tory-Ground-Tearers.
a.1790		C. Dibdin ‘Is’t My Storey’ in Collection of Songs I 92: I’ve sat up all night in the morning, / ’Mongst black legs, and coggers, and pigeons, and noodles.
1835		‘Cock-Eyed Sukey’ in Cove in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) IV 218: Tell me, ye jolly coggers, tell me true, / Is my man Willium nail’d among your crew?
1845		Thackeray Misc. II (‘Leg of the Rhine’) 88: He is a cogger of dice, a chanter of horse-flesh [F&H].
1873		J. O’Connor Wanderings of a Vagabond 180: Dice-coggers, three-card throwers, red and black dealers, strap players and their ilk, with their cappers, generally of the worst rowdy order, have been met with at fairs and other public gatherings.
1888–94		‘Walter’ My Secret Life (1966) VI 1220: There are great difficulties in getting at a woman privately on board large ships [...] But it’s done. Cunt and cock are craft coggers.
1907		Mercury (Hobart, Tas.) 4 May 7/5: Schoolboy Slang [...] The master has ‘jerried to the cogger’s lurk,’ ‘tumbled to his dart,’ or ‘dropped to his game’ .
1954		‘Flann O’Brien’ ‘Nescience’ in Hair of the Dogma (1989) 60: The other big [...] thing about cogging is that the great majority of coggers are incapable of discharging this simple chore accurately.

2. a card-sharp.

a.1618

J. Harington Epigrams III No. 14: As first, a Broker, then a Petty-fogger, / A Traueller, a Gamster, and a Cogger.