Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (UK Und.) clothes; thus rum rigging, fashionable, expensive clothes; under-rigging underclothes.

1616		Jonson Devil is an Ass II i: Why is all this rigging and fine tackle, mistress, If no your neat handsome vessels, of good sail, Put not forth [...] Abroad into the world?
1678		Four for a Penny 4: Mrs. Joan when she is minded to see her Sweet-heart, and Gammer Blew-bottle going to a Christening, muster up the Pence o’th’ Saturday-night to redeem their best Riggings out of Captivity.
1688		T. Shadwell Squire of Alsatia II ii: Sirrah, behold me: here’s rigging for you!
1696		J. Dunton Night-Walker Oct. 8: We would appear as first-rate Beaus, dazzle the Eyes of the Ladies with our Rigging.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Rigging c. Cloaths. I’ll Unrig the Bloss, c. I will Strip the Wench. Rum rigging, c. fine Cloaths. The Cull has Rum Rigging, let’s Ding him, and Mill him, and Pike, c. the Man has very good Cloths, let us Knock him Down, Rob him, and Scour off.
1705–07		N. Ward Hudibras Redivivus II:4 19: ’Till with her Rival, Joan fell out, / And left her Dancing, to attack / The Rigging of her Spouse’s Crack.
1707		Swift ‘Answer by Mr. F--r’ in Chalmers Eng. Poets XI (1810) 378/1: In rigging he’s rich, though in pocket he’s poor; He cringes to courtiers, and cocks to the cits.
1729		J. Gay Polly I ii: She is in most charming rigging.
1734		C. Johnson Hist. of Highwaymen &c 353: Fine Gowns, hoop’d Petticoats, and other curious Rigging.
1751		Smollett Peregrine Pickle (1964) 40: Why, look ye, brother, replied the commodore, mayhap you think me an odd sort of fellow, seeing me in this trim, especially as I have lost part of my rigging.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Rigging [...] Rum Rigging; fine clothes. The cull has rum rigging, let’s ding him and mill him, and pike; the fellow has good clothes, let’s knock him down, rob him, and scour off, i.e. run away.
1797		Hants. Chron. 27 May 4/1: Some are all for the breastwork, and some for the rigging, / And some for the cut of her jib.
1797		H.H. Brackenridge Modern Chivalry (1937) Pt I Vol. IV Bk I 293: I sal gar this stick crack o’er the riggin o’ the loons.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1818		‘A. Burton’ Adventures of Johnny Newcome I 24: But of his Rigging we’ll say no more.
1829		‘The New Police’ in Bell’s Life in London 25 Oct. 2/5: Hollo! New Police [...] Who would e’er suppose, / In such handsome rigging / [...] / Men would go a prigging?
1836		T. Haliburton Clockmaker (1843) I 96: There she was the pretty critter, with all her upper riggin standing as far as her waist, and nothin left below but a short linen undergarment.
1837		‘Bill Hart and Kitty Miles’ in Icky-Wickey Songster 21: Bill’s rigging vos all bran span new.
1851		Bell’s Life in Sydney 12 Apr. 3/1: When he came to look for his rigging and found lt was running gear [...] he was compelled to send under bare poles [...] to look for a land shark.
1856		M. Griffith Autobiog. of a Female Slave 48: Jerk off that gal’s rigging.
1858		A. Mayhew Paved with Gold 252: [They] know every house where you can get ‘scran’ and ‘riging,’ or food an clothes.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 151/1: We stepped out with the intention of purchasing a few changes of under-rigging.
1867		‘Ladies Don’t go Thieving’ in Henderson Victorian Street Ballads (1937) 46: This lady in her rigging / Went out so grand.
1870		E. Greey Queen’s Sailors III 65: Well, am I all square? Rigging all right?
1884		(con. 1717) A. Griffiths Chronicles of Newgate 140: The State prisoners were soon ‘very busy in getting new rigging, and sending away their boxes and trunks’.
1895		C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 66: Rigging, clothiing.
1911		G. Stratton-Porter Harvester 443: Have I got this rigging anywhere near right?
1931		R.E. Howard ‘Sign of the Snake’ Action Stories June 🌐 kneeling on his chest was a slant-eyed devil in native riggings.
1938		C.M. Martin ‘Powdersmoke Showdown’ in Real Western Nov. 🌐 Nobody but Dave Carew wears fancy rigging like that.

2. (US) the female or male genitalia.

1848		Satirist & Blade (Boston, MA) 19 Feb. n.p.: Schooner Big Thunder, loaded with lard oil and gimblets, was run foul of [...] by a sloop loaded with starch, by which she suffered some in her lower rigging.
1988		D. Woodrell Muscle for the Wing 185: It’s better if a girl’s talkin’ about a man’s rigging, Tommy.

3. a party, an event.

1960

Mad mag. June 49: No swinging bopster gigging / Ever yet has piped a rigging like the action near my door.