rib v.
1. lit. or fig., to hit someone in the ribs; thus ribber n., a boxer.
Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Rib, or Ribroasting, a Dry-basting. | ||
New Brawle 1: She was made of that crok[o]ked thing call’d a rib, but she hath ribb’d me with a vengeance. | ||
Sporting Mag. Oct. V 6/1: My Kitty, who, if any man does but squint at, I’ll plump and rib him. | ||
Jack Randall’s Diary 54: When your bunch of fivetickled his muns, and then ribb’d him. [Ibid.] 66: That doughty Ribber Burst on them, an electrifying Fibber. |
2. (US, also rib up) to annoy or threaten, to pressurize (someone).
Arizona Republican (Phoenix, AZ) 12 Nov. 8/1: The board of supervisors is being ‘ribbed up’ in certain quarters to throw out the voice of the second ward. | ||
Us Boys 15 Mar. [synd. cartoon strip] I’ll rib him up to hold out for fifty magesia [sic] bottles this season. | ||
‘Und. “Lingo” Brought Up-to-Date’ L.A. Times 8 Nov. K16: RIB: To influence; to goad. | ||
Fast One (1936) 104: What do you think I put on that act for - ribbed Grandquist into taking the fall? | ||
Bruiser 193: You ribbed us hard before the fight – readin’ you, a fellow’d of thought Torpedo threw mountains around like pebbles. |
3. (US, also rib up) to discredit, to incriminate or arrest under false pretences.
Coconino Sun (Flagstaff, AZ) 10 Apr. 6/3: They got us ribbed up for the council. And we never done nothin’ to nobody. | ||
Red Harvest (1965) 27: ‘[I]f Max Thaler means anything to you, you ought to pass him the word that Noonan’s trying to rib him’. | ||
Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 193: rib up To accuse falsely; to sentence or convict unjustly; to give false evidence. |
4. (Aus./US Und., also rib up) to prepare a victim for being swindled; to cheat.
Mr. Jackson 50: What’s the sense of us rubbin’ some mug up, an’ devotin’ time to it, an’ then not goin’ clear troo wit’ the job. | ||
Taking the Count 118: They’ve got a sucker ribbed up to bet on a fake fight. | ‘The Spotted Sheep’ in||
TAD Lex. (1993) 69: Say, he ribbed us up here, had us bet dough, and buy tickets to see the wonderful Medor. | in Zwilling||
Continental Op (1975) 36: He was getting him all ribbed up to unload a fake invention on him. | ‘The Tenth Clew’ in||
🌐 At first he had you tagged as some rich sap who was ready to be ribbed up and rolled for the bundle. | ‘Tight Spot’ in Complete Stories 15 Sept.||
Prison Community (1940) 335/1: rib, vt. To prepare a ‘sucker’; to convince a victim that he is going to get something for nothing. | ||
Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 193: rib To beguile. | ||
DAUL 177/1: Rib, v. 1. To prepare victim in a confidence swindle by smooth and persuasive talk. | et al.
5. (US) to tease, to make fun of; thus ribber n.
Ten-Thousand-Dollar Arm 94: Jollying him along [...] and generally ribbing him up. | ‘Little Sunset’ in||
Great Magoo 70: Am I being ribbed? | ||
Really the Blues 237: He would rib Zutty now and then about leaving Louis. | ||
11 Mar. [synd. col.] Vince Barnett, the renowned Hollywood ribber, listed as dead. | ||
Playback 21: I can rib him later on. | ||
Pimp 94: He started to rib me, call me a square. | ||
Go-Boy! 51: The guys ribbed him about not being able to swing a longer stall. | ||
Muscle for the Wing 13: The gent would now have a common Twelfth Street beak he would be ribbed about [...] from here ’til the grave. | ||
Mr Blue 340: [He] likes to rib me that I’m the only guy doing a second-degree burglary who is ‘behind the screen’. | ||
(con. 1964–8) Cold Six Thousand 285: ‘Are you ribbing me?’ ‘Absolutely not.’. | ||
Running the Books 43: Large groups of officers came and went, ribbing each other loudly. | ||
Widespread Panic 101: Eddie ribbed me. ‘Must bring back some memories’. | ||
To Die in June 175: After Cooper had finished ribbing McCoy about his new suit [etc]. |
In phrases
1. to prepare .
S.F. Chron. 6 June 11/5: He [i.e. a con-man’s victim] beefs an’ de bull con tries make a stall. It didn’t go, so I ribbed de rummy up to blow. | ||
Apaches of N.Y. 28: You heard what he said about comin’ ’round ag’in? Take my tip an’ rib yourself up wit’ a rod. That Spanish is a tough kid! | ||
Story Omnibus (1966) 159: I got a Chink ribbed up t’ get the dope. | ‘Dead Yellow Women’
2. to convince onself, to pluck up one’s courage.
Thieves Like Us (1999) 1: I can rib myself up to do anything. |