Green’s Dictionary of Slang

drink in general, esp. strong ale.

1517		Skelton Elynour Rummynge line 102: She breweth noppy ale.
1546		J. Heywood Proverbs I Ch. xi: Let us be trudgeyng, / Where some noppy ale is.
1555		J. Heywood Epigrams upon Proverbs cxxviii: Measure is a mery meane. / Which fylde with noppy drynke. / When mery drynkers drynke of cleane; / Then merely they wynke.
1568		U. Fulwell Like Will to Like 25: Marry, here is a pot of noppy good ale.
1593		‘Philip Foulface’ Bacchus’ Bountie in Harleian Misc. II (1809) 303: Every morning warme and colde, Nappie liquor, stout and bolde.
1595		‘W.S.’ Lamentable Tragedie of Locrine II ii: The can stands full of nappie ale.
1600		Weakest goeth to the Wall line 222: The poore may haue a pot of Ale for a penney, fresh Ale, firme Ale, nappie Ale, nippitate Ale.
1605		Life and Death of Gamaliel Ratsey 27: [He] staide not in the towne somuch as to tast a cuppe of nappie ale.
1609		Pimlyco, or Runne Red-Cap 7: His Elynor whose fame [?] saile, / All England for Nappy Ale.
1616		R.C. Times’ Whistle Sat. V 2222: He daily gleanes His pot of nappy ale.
1628		Robin Goodfellow, His Mad Pranks and Merry Jests A3: I lapt in so much of this nappy liquor, that it begot in me a boldnesse to talke.
1637		J. Taylor Drinke and Welcome 10: Ale is rightly called Nappy, for it will nap upon a mans threed bare eyes when he is sleepy.
1651		T. Randolph Hey for Honesty V i: One glass of sack or cup of nappy.
1661		Antidote Against Melancholy in Ebsworth Choyce Drollery (1876) 113: The more to procure me, he then did adjure me / If the Ale I drank last were nappy and stale.
1662		Jack Adams his perpetual almanack 16: A vicious appetite of a brown toast and nappy Ale.
1663		J. Wilson Cheats II i: This is napping gear.
1671		‘L.B.’ New Academy of Complements 117: But of you Ale, / Your Nappy Ale, / I would I had a Ferkin.
1685		G. Meriton In Praise of York-shire Ale 14: This Town is Famous for strong Ale and Beer; And for the sake of this good Nappy Ale, Of my great favour it shall never fail.
1691		N. Ward ‘The Poet’s Ramble after Riches’ Writings (1704) 2: I treat you with a Merry Tale, / Spun o’er a Cup of Nappy Ale.
1700		T. Brown Amusements Serious and Comical in Works (1744) III 98: Her mother sold nappy ale in black pots under a thatch’d roof.
1714		J. Gay Shepherd’s Week 2nd Pastoral 16: In milling Days when I my Thresher heard, With nappy Beer I to the Barn repair’d.
c.1717		‘A Petition to the Ladies’ in A. Carpenter Verse in Eng. in 18C Ireland (1998) 102: A cup of good Nappy.
1720		C. Shadwell Irish Hospitality I i: He would not only supply me with the best Nappy, but let me smoak all Weathers in the Pantry.
1729		Life of Thomas Neaves 36: Bread, Cheese, and a Cup of good nappy Ale.
1731		Prisoners Opera 11: Buy Nappy to liquor your Chaps.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict.
1741		Witchcraft of Love 57: Adod, Master Trusty keeps rare nappy Ale. Well, a Pot in the Pate is a Mile in the Gate.
1750		Hist. of Jack Horner 10: A jug of nappy liquor brown.
1750		Friar and Boy Pt I 2: A cup of nut-brown nappy ale.
1788		‘The Vicar & Moses’ Chap Book Songs 2: O’er a jorum of nappy, quite pleasant and happy.
1797		Bridges Burlesque Homer (4th edn) I 278: Flock and herds, and good brown nappy.
c.1810		‘Exciseman Outwitted’ in Holloway & Black II (1979) 98: Having handed his nappy, with right merry glee.
1815		‘Poor Joe’ City of London Collection 6: He lov’d his Poll, and swigg’d his nappy.
1822		(con. early 17C) W. Scott Fortunes of Nigel I 58: With her own hands, also, [she] drew a jug of stout and nappy ale.
1825		Pierce Egan’s Life in London 27 Nov. 347/1: [R]aising a cup of nappy to his frost-chapped lips.
1828		‘Humours of Glasgow Fair’ [broadsheet ballad] Now Gibbie was wanting a toothfu: / Says he ‘I’m right tir’d of the fun; / I say, lads d’ye think we’d be the waur o’ a mouthfu / Of guid nappie Yill and Bun’.
1860		Spirit of Democracy (Woodsfield, OH) 25 July 4/1: Synonyms [for drunk] [...] slewed, fuzzled, [...] swamped, raddled, nappy, [...] having a brick in one’s hat, limber, tired [...] toddled, slung-shot.
1867		Latham Dict.