crossbite, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

crossbite v.

[SE cross + bite v. (2). The image is of fleecing someone who had hoped in their turn to get ‘something for nothing’, although in the case of the crossbiting law, the client had merely hoped for some illicit, commercial sex; note supposed ‘King of the Beggars’ Laurence Crossbiter, fl. 1491-6]

(UK Und.)

1. to cheat, usu. in cards or dice, esp. when the victim is another cheat.

1552		G. Walker Detection of Vyle and Detestable Use of Dice Play 30: If ye lack contraries, to crosbite him withal, I shall lend you a pair of the same size that his cheats be.
1581		B. Riche Farewell to Military Profession n.p.: She was such a devill of her tongue, and would so crossebite hym with suche teuntes and spightful quippes [F&H].
1592		Greene Blacke Bookes Messenger 7: Let mee tell you a mery iest how once I crosse-bit a Maltman.
1664		Etherege Love In A Tub Epilogue: If y’are displeas’d w’are all cross-bit to day, And he has wheadl’d us that writ the Play.
1672		Wycherley Love in a Wood V i: Fortune our foe, we cannot over-wit, / By none but thee, our projects are Cross-bit.
1681		Dialogue Between Sam, Ferry-man etc. Upon a Parliament at Oxford in Harleian Misc. II (1809) 126: I take him to be a cross-biter; but if he chance to be hanged, as he is like to be, it is doubtful if he will be cross-bitten himself. [viz. a trepanner].
1691		J. Wilson Belphegor V iii: I’ll tell ye my design — cross-bite it if you can.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Crossbite, to draw in a Friend, yet snack with the Sharper.
1718		M. Prior Almas in Works (1959) I iii 509: As Nature slily had thought fit, For some by-Ends, to cross-bite Wit. Circles to square, and Cubes to double, Would give a Man excessive Trouble.
1725		New Canting Dict. n.p.: crossbite to draw in a Friend, yet snack with the Sharper; also to countermine or disappoint.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. 1725].
1740		R. North Examen 294: If there was ever such a devillish Model of a Sham-plot, I am mistaken. Cross-bite upon a Spy, and so close as Husband and Wife!
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1822		(con. early 17C) W. Scott Fortunes of Nigel II 289: I know – I know – ugh – but I’ll cross-bite him.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.

2. spec. to practise the crossbiting law

1576		implied in crossbiting law
1592		Greene Blacke Bookes Messenger (1924) 8: I was not to seeke for a quicke inuention, and resolued at his comming to crosse-bite him [...] Monsieur the Maltman comming according to his custome, was no sooner secretly shut in the chamber with the wench, but I came stepping in with a terrible looke.
1602		Rowlands Greene’s Ghost Haunting Coniecatchers D1: A whore that crosbit a Gentleman of the Innes of Court.
1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn) n.p.: Cross Bite. [...] This is peculiarly used to signify entrapping a man so as to obtain crim. com. money, in which the wife, real or supposed, conspires with the husband.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

In compounds

crossbiting cully (n.) [cully n.¹ (5)]

a swindler, a cheat.

1700

T. Brown Amusements Serious and Comical in Works (1744) III 60: [They] practise the old trade of cross-biting cullies, assisting the frail square dye with high and low fullums, and other napping tricks.

crossbiting law (n.) (also crossbiting) [law n. (1)]

(UK Und.) the robbery of a prostitute’s client by her pimp or other male accomplice, usu. posing as an aggrieved ‘husband’ or ‘lover’ (in modern times, the Murphy (Game), the n.).

1576		G. Whetstone ‘Ortchard of Repentance’ in Rocke of Regard 204: Crosbytinge, a cusnage, under the couler of friendship.
1591		Greene Notable Discovery of Coosnage in Grosart (1881–3) X 39: The Cros-biting law is a publique profession of shamles cosenage, mixt with incestuous whoredomes, as it was practised in Gomorha or Sodom.
c.1592		Marlowe Jew of Malta IV iii: He [...] looks like one that is employ’d in catzerie, And crosbiting; such a rogue As is the husband to a hundred whores.
1593		G. Harvey Pierce’s Supererogation 141: Such a nipping Comedie, as might be made in English, of some leaguers in the queint practiques of the Crosbiting Art .
1610		Rowlands Martin Mark-all 53: This Lawrence [...] first used that art which now is named Crosbiting [...] The manner in breefe is thus: Some base rogue without the feare of God or man, that keepeth a whore as a friend, or marries one to be his maintainer, consents or constraines those creatures to yeelde the use of their bodies to other men, that so taking them together, they may strip the leacher of all the money in his purse or that he can presently make.