trooper n.1
1. a prostitute.
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Mercurius Fumigosus 16 13–20 Sept. 146: The City Knockers the last Night going the rounds, at Hide-park Corner met with a Regiment of Shee-Troopers. | |
| ‘Charley The Buzzman and Mot!’ in Flash Casket 67: The cove look’d queer — the trooper fly, / Her flashman, sneaked out of an Area by. | |
| Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Maledicta IX 149: The compilers ought to have looked farther afield and found: […] trooper. |
2. a prostitute’s customer.
| ‘The Four-legg’d Quaker’ in Rump Poems and Songs (1662) i 358: In Horsley Fields near Colchester / A Quaker would turn Trooper; He caught a Foal and mounted her / (O base!) below the Crupper. |
3. (also trouper) a brave or stalwart person [backform. f. like a trooper ; apparent confusion in sp. of SE trooper, a soldier (epitomizing courage) / trouper, an actor (‘the show must go on’), but meanings of cits. are identical].
| [ | | (trans.) Adventures of Gil Blas I 126: For shame! (said he) a man of your humanity would make a bad trooper]. |
 | in W. Scott and C.K. Sharpe Letters to R. Chambers (1904) 33: I wish you would alter ‘more like a trooper.’ It is a colloquial phrase that sounds very vulgar in print. | |
| [ | | Merton of the Movies 179: Hello, old Trouper! You’re just in time to help me hunt for something]. |
| Rough Stuff 134: When I came up before him [the judge] she was playing her part like a little trouper, and as only a trouper could do. | |
| World to Win 163: He has to go on with the show though his heart is breaking for he’s a trouper. | |
| ‘Sobstuff Sister’ in Billy Bennett’s Third Budget 20: She’s a trier, a trooper, some gel. | |
| in Erotic Muse (1992) 316: The first mate’s name was Cooper. / By Christ, he was a trooper. | |
| ‘Summer Tryout’ in Amer. Dream Girl (1950) 53: Papa’s a trouper, an old trouper. | |
| Scene (1996) 282: You should see the way her kids take care of themselves. Regular troupers. | |
| Cutter and Bone (2001) 135: She took the news like a real trooper. | |
| Ladies’ Man (1985) 31: She did plow through it like a real trouper. | |
| London Embassy 29: Buffles was a real old trooper. | |
| Times Square Hustler 44: They’re goin’ to kill you one way or the other, so you might as well go out like a trooper. | |
| Never a Normal Man 301: Trouper personified, he returned in time to close the show. | |
| Indep. 11 Aug. 10: Jennifer was a good friend, a great trooper. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | ‘Small Mercies’ in Turning (2005) 85: Well, he said. She’s a trouper. |
4. (UK teen) a member of a gang or group.
| Arizona Dly Star (Tucson, AZ) Youth Beat 26 Dec. 8/4: Trouper: Member of the posse. He who hangs out. |
In phrases
vigorously, energetically; thus swear like a trooper, eat like a trooper, lie like a trooper.
| Guardian No. 454: A few moments after this Adventure, I had like to been knocked down by a Shepherdess for having run my Elbow a little inadvertently into one of her sides. She swore like a Trooper and threatned [sic] me with a very masculine Voice. | |
| Pamela I 239: Bless me! she curses and storms at me like a Trooper. | |
| Englishman Returned from Paris in Works (1799) 102: [To] swear like a trooper. | |
| Burlesque Homer (3rd edn) 33: But he with full intent to leap her / Swore like a trooper he would keep her. | |
| Drunkard’s Looking Glass (1929) 63: Here, the Barbers and Bakers were swearing like troopers. | |
| Hermit in America on Visit to Phila. 2nd Ser. 107: He must attend scrub races [...] and swear like a trooper. | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | ‘Mogue Bolger’ Dublin Comic Songster 218: The shebeen and whiskey came now in galore; / Mogue paid like a trooper, till he had no more. | |
| Handy Andy Ch. xli: Jack was heard below, swearing like a trooper. | |
| Following The Drum 223: ‘Swearing like a trooper’ is a very graphic expression. | |
| Hillyars and Burtons (1870) 258: I heard that she was a mulatto woman [...] and swore like a trooper. | |
| Hull Packet 10 Feb. 8/2: When apprehended he was very violent, and swore like a trooper. | |
| First Fam’lies in the Sierras 89: He had lied like a trooper. | |
![[Scot]](/static/img/flags/sco.png "Scotland") | Dundee Courier 13 Sept. 3/4: [Queen Elizabeth I] swore like a trooper and drank beer. | |
| Forty Years a Gambler 10: So at it I went, and worked like a little trooper. | |
| Bushranger’s Sweetheart 199: She could drink like a fish [and] swear like a trooper. | |
| Berkshire News 1 Mar. 4/1: Mrs Fizzletop heard her son Johnny swear like a trooper. | |
| Eve. Post 4 Apr. 6/6: In his letters home he grumbles like a trooper about getting made a navvy. | |
| De Omnibus 29: Well, ter think of it – two respeckerble-lookin’ nicely-dressed ole lyedies and both of ’em lyin’ like troopers. | |
| Eve. Teleg. 11 Aug. 4/5: Jarvie’s wife is deaf and dumb, but Gibb said she could ‘swear like a trooper’. | |
| Manchester Courier 18 Sept. 10/5: A Minister holding Cabinet rank footing it like the veriest trooper has inspired astonishment. | |
| ‘Little Sunset’ in Ten-Thousand-Dollar Arm 92: He can cuss like a trooper. | |
| letter in Dear Folks at Home (1919) 236: I smoke cigarettes (when I have them) like a trooper. | |
| Bath Chron. 3 Oct. 10/4: His habits are filthy. He can swear like a trooper. | |
| Man’s Grim Justice 50: All the while Red was swearing like a trooper. [Ibid.] 59: I lied like a trooper on the stand. | |
| Tropic of Capricorn (1964) 152: Though he was only fourteen or fifteen he smoked like a trooper. | |
| Of Love And Hunger 107: Over the coffee I borrowed two quid. Straker paid up like a trooper. | |
| Guardian Editor 3 Sept. 10: She swears like a trooper. |
SE in slang use
In compounds
(Aus.) some form of treatment for lice, fleas, etc.
| Aus. Sl. Dict. 89: Trooper’s Ointment, vermin destroyer. |