dabster n.
1. (also dapster) an expert.
London Guide 178: Another of the ir-reverends is a dabster at backgammon. | ||
Jack Randall’s Diary 7: Dick Welborn [...] That mighty dabster at his Pen. | ||
Kentuckian in N.Y. I 64: I’m not much of a dabster at it, but if the stake ain’t too high, I don’t care if I take a fling or two. | ||
Dict. Americanisms 107: dab, or dabster. One who is expert in anything; a proficient. A vulgar colloquialism in England and America. | ||
Paul Pry 22 Jan. n.p.: [S]ome mustachioed sharper, who is a dabster at dominoes, and throws dice to a marvel. | ||
N.Y. Pick (NY) 29 Apr. n.p.: He’s a dabster at fencing. | ||
Bell’s Life in Sydney 3 June 3/3: Every dirty three-up player, and dabster at high, low, Jack and the Game. | ||
, | Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. | |
Dick Temple I 102: Not in the least like the performance of an amateur dabster. [...] Much more like the work of an old master for style and finish. | ||
Sporting Times 14 Feb. 1/3: The heroine of this romance / [...] / A dabster at song and dance. | ||
Mirror of Life 11 May 6/2: Bill was reckoned a ‘dapster at the nine,’ [i.e. skittles] and some even went so far as to say Bill was a ‘fiddle’ (sharp) at the game. | ||
A Pink ’Un and a Pelican 236: Joe’s old woman was a dabster at book-keepin’. | ||
Marvel XV:377 Jan. 8: You’re a dabster at the bunking business. | ||
Sporting Times 3 Dec. 2/2: The Chancellor, knowing they’re open to ’ank, / Is a dabster at ladling it out. | ‘Telling ’Em Something’||
Sport (Adelaide) 21 June 9/4: They Say [...] That Punch M. thinks he is a dabster at toeball. | ||
(con. WWI) Soldier and Sailor Words 70: Dabster, A: A skilful fellow. | ||
Record Hackensack (NJ) 8 Sept. 45/2: [In] a special section of Australian slang I learned [...] that instead of being a ‘dabster’ (expert) I am only a ‘dag’ (humorous fellow) who is ‘giving a fly’ (making an attempt) at talking ‘fodder’ (nonsense) [...] I assure you that this is all ‘square dinkum’. | ||
Oh! To be in England (1985) 355: She handles the piebald like a real dabster. All my kids are good with horses. | ||
Western Words (2nd edn). |
2. attrib. use of sense 1.
Aussie (France) XI Feb. 5/1: Our Batt. owns a Babbling Brook who is a dabster cook, but has one great failing, common to most of his kind [...] – he doesn’t like shaving. |
3. something excellent.
Bulletin (Sydney) 22 Nov. 17/2: Occasionally one hears of a dabster (a variety of boshter) and a bontoshter, which denotes something abnormal in the boshter line. | ||
(con. 1940s) Power of Joy 204: ‘Try a full toss!’ someone shouted. Bock: ‘Zat!’ ‘A dabster, Terry.’. |