sparkler n.
1. usu. in pl., a bright or sparkling eye.
 | Meditations and Contemplations (1855) 45: The eye, that outshone the diamond’s brilliancy, [...] where is it? where shall we find the rolling sparkler? | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Duenna II ii: One glance of those roguish sparklers would fix me again. | |
| Sporting Mag. XXIII Feb. 284/1: A very beautiful woman, with a pair of bright sparklers. | |
| Morn. Chron. 29 May 3/3: Battle Between the Wolf and Brummagem Brutus [...] The Wolf’s [...] right gave the enemy a nota bene on the left sparkler. | |
| Life in London (1869) 220: Suke swears by her precious sparklers that she will have a fight for Jem. | |
| ‘Tylney Hall’ Works (1862) III 215: I never read. It spoils one’s sparklers, and makes a fellow shortsighted. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Satirist & Sporting Chron. (Sydney) 11 Mar. 1/3: A gleam, as of lightning, shone forth from a lovely sparkler. | |
| Bell’s Life in Sydney 19 Sept. 3/2: Spencer [...] she had blackened her left sparkler. | |
| Punch 23 Feb. n.p.: And she tipped me a look from her lamps, as was sparklers and fair in a glow. | |
| ‘Deceptive Labels’ Sporting Times 4 Mar. 1/4: She is masked, but you’re convinced her eyes are sparklers by her glance. |
2. (also sparkly) usu. in pl., jewellery, spec. diamonds.
| She Stoops to Conquer Act III: Consult your glasses, my dear, and then see if, with such a pair of eyes, you want any better sparklers. [...] Does your cousin Con want any jewels in your eyes to set off her beauty? | |
| ‘I Am A Knowing Blade’ Universal Songster I 16/2: The girls would all run after me with their sparkling eyes, [...] But then they’re not the sparklers I should ever prize. | |
| Paul Clifford III 51: ‘Look at this ring, – a diamond of the first water!’ ‘Oh, the sparkler! it makes one’s mouth water as much as itself.’. | |
| Wild Boys of London I 183/2: ‘Diamonds!’ said the Dolphin, ‘real bright sparklers, and lots o’ lumps o’ gold!’. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Bushrangers 55: I have a good mind to divide the sparklers, and let you run with your share. I would if I didn’t fear that you would get caught and peach. | |
| Forty Years a Gambler 192: There was nothing mean about Bill, and he didn’t refuse to take gold watches and sparklers. | |
| Bulletin (Sydney) 6 Sept. 24/1: The last man they sent me as a clerk was a swell mobsman, lagged for twisting a sparkler.* [...] [*‘Lagged for twisting a sparkler’ – transported for stealing diamond rings from a jeweller’s counter while inspecting other goods with a pretended view to purchase]. | |
| Mirror of Life 27 July 14/2: To the slopes of Alexandra Park There came one day a stone. / He came there with his sparklers, And he came there all alone. | |
| Artie (1963) 55: Some of ’em have got their sealskins and their sparklers, but this little girl, with that new make-up and the flowers, beat the best of ’em. | |
| Marvel 12 Nov. 1: Snide [...] slided the iron partition of a jeweller’s shop to get at the sparklers within. | |
| Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 24 Aug. 3/6: But nobody seemed to take the slightest notice of Mr. Aaron Melchisdek Guldenstein’s sparklers. | |
| A. Mutt in Blackbeard Compilation (1977) 22: When I flash the engagement sparkler she’ll thaw out. | |
| Bulletin (Sydney) 12 Dec. 40/3: ‘Chuck it, stop yer foolery!’ / ‘’Ow’d ye like them sparklers, too?’ / False the ‘dimon’s’ ev’ry one, / But her sparkling eyes shine true! | |
| ‘Canada Kid’ in Beef, Iron and Wine (1917) 179: When I last see her she’s rollin’ in sparklers. | |
| Smith’s Wkly (Sydney) 11 Aug. 15/1: A bookie’s better-half is not a happy one, unless adorned with sparklers, smothered In furs, or creped to the chine. | |
| ‘Tom, Dick, or Harry’ in Nightmare Town (2001) 249: The Toplin sparklers came to light piece by piece when we had plumbers take apart the drains and radiators in apartment 702. | |
| ‘Alleys of Peril’ Fight Stories Jan. 🌐 Let’s cop the sparkler for ourselves and shove out! | |
| Thieves Slang ms list from District Police Training Centre, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwicks 10: Sparks or sparklers: Diamonds. | |
| On Broadway 24 May [synd. col.] A blonde Des Moines nurse is featuring a 3-Karat sparkler on her right paw. | |
| Really the Blues 91: Buxom madams of both races jammed in there, sporting big sparklers and fancy corsages. | |
| Playback 104: The girl had a diamond and emerald sparkler. | |
| (con. 1920s) Burglar to the Nobility 7: She didn’t touch anything trashy — only sparklers or stuff that could be melted down straight. | |
| Dead Butler Caper 29: I’d not ruled out the possibility that an underworld cracksman had screwed the peter and lifted the family sparklers. | |
| (con. 1950s–60s) in Little Legs 12: These business people always like to feel they’ve got a sparkler on the cheap. | |
| How to Kiss a Crocodile 86: [of ear-rings] She looked the full bit complete with tailored jacket, sparklers adorning each ear, big bright red lips and the medicinal glass of scotch. | |
| Guardian Sport 27 Dec. 27: David Beckham’s [...] got off to a good start with the purchase of a million pound sparkler. | |
| Man-Eating Typewriter 80: [T]he dolly palones joshed-up festive with sparklies. |
3. a drink of liquor; thus as v. in cit. 1861.
| Man o’ War’s Man (1843) 97: A muzzler of his superb Teneriffe, or a sparkler of his Madeira. | |
| (con. 1840s–50s) London Labour and London Poor III 139/2: This [...] is the slang for ‘Give me a glass of beer,’—‘Your nabs sparkle my nabs,’ – ‘a drop of beware’. |
4. (UK Und.) a match.
| Autobiog. of a Gipsey 423: Some ‘dumb sparklers,’ or silent matches. |
5. an admirable person.
| Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 23 Sept. 3/2: Theo is a sparkler and a success, but ‘she have a temper of her own she have’. | |
| ‘’Arry in the Witness-Box’ in Punch 5 Feb. 61/2: Thinks I, now then ’Arry, my sparkler, you want to strike one, — ’ere’s your chance! | |
| ‘’Arry on the ’Oliday Season’ in Punch 16 Aug. 74/1: Life’s greatest pulls, dontcherknow / Are to look up to sparklers above us, and down on poor duffers below. | |
| Truth (Sydney) 17 Feb. 6/2: [of horses] Tom Payton has [...] a couple of sparklers in Projectile and Chsterman. |
6. (US) (high-value) coins.
| Baltimore Sun (MD) 20 Sept. 17/5: ‘Jinglers’ [...] ‘shiners,’ and ‘sparklers’ betoken the physical delight [of high-value coins]. |
7. (US teen) a class ring.
| in Indianapolis Star (MD) 6 Feb. pt 4 22/3: Sparkler — a class ring. |
8. (drugs) amphetamine.
| Faggots 308: I’ve got rockets, Dinky’s got sparklers, and that will have to do. | |
| ONDCP Street Terms 20: Sparklers — Amphetamine. |