Green’s Dictionary of Slang

tib (of the buttery) n.

a goose.

c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 83: a Roger or tyb of the buttery a Goose.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching [as cit. c.1566].
1608		Dekker Lanthorne and Candle-Light [as cit. c.1566].
1622		Beaumont & Fletcher Beggar’s Bush V i: fer.: Or surprising a boor’s ken, for grunting-cheats? / prig.: Or cackling-cheats? / hig.: Or Margery-Praters, Rogers, / And Tibs o’ th’ buttery.
1637		Dekker ‘Canting Song’ in Eng. Villainies (8th edn) O3: A quacking cheate or Tib ath’ Buttery was our meate.
1641		R. Brome Jovial Crew II i: Here’s Grunter and Bleater, with Tib-of-the-Buttry, / And Margery Prater, all dress’d without sluttry.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 53: Tib o’ th’ Buttery, a Goose.
1674		Head Canting Academy (2nd edn) 4: Some are sent [...] to filch Tybs of the Buttery, Cackling cheats, Margery Praters, Red-shanks, and Grunting cheats.
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Tib of the Buttry, a Goose.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Tib of the Buttery A Goose.
1707		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit 186: The Foragers go out, and fetch in Crackling Cheats, Grunting Cheats, Margery Praters, Red Shanks, etc, that is, Chickens, Pigs, Hens, and Ducks; some at the same time breaking the Ruffman’s Hedges, that is, for Firing; Nor does Tib of the Buttery, that is, the Geese escape them.
1725		‘Retoure My Dear Dell’ in Dodsley (1826) 45: On redshanks and tibs thou shalt every day dine.
1734		C. Johnson Hist. of Highwaymen &c. 105: Thou art entered onto our Fraternity, thou must not scruple to act any Villainies, which thou shalt be able to perform, whether it be to nip a Bung, bite the Peter Cloy, the Lurries Crash, either a Bleating Cheat, Cackling Cheat, Grunting Cheat, Quacking Cheat, Tib-oth-buttery, Margery Prater, or to cloy a Mish from the Crackman’s; that is to cut a Purse, steal a Cloak-Bag, or Portmanteau, convey all Manner of Things, whether a Chicken, Sucking Pig, Duck, Goose, Hen, or steal a Shirt from the Hedge.
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 26: Tib o’th’ Buttery was our Meat.
1785		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Lastly, I will cleave to my doxy wap sliffly, and will bring her duds, margery praters, goblers, grunting cheats, or tibs of the buttery, or any thing else I can come at, as winnings for her wapping.
a.1790		H.T. Potter New Dict. Cant (1795).
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum n.p.: Tib of the Buttery. A goose.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 85: Tibs, a goose.