babouiner (popular); charger la canonnière (popular: canonnière = the breech); gousser (popular); gouffier (obsolete). German Synonyms.—Achile, Achelinchen, or Acheliniken (from Heb. Ochal); Achelputz (from Heb. ochal + putzen from O.H.G. bizan or pizzan = to eat). Italian Synonyms.—Artibrio; and, verbally, sbattere (= to beat, to struggle); intappare il fusto (= to bung the cask); smorfire. Spanish Synonyms.—Papar (colloquial: from papa = pap); hacer el buche (low: buche = craw or crop); echar (colloquial); manducar; meter. 1659. Dialogue betwixt an Exciseman and Death, transcribed from a Copy in British Museum, printed in London by J. C[lark]. I’ll pass my word this night Shall yield us grub before the morning light. 1725. New Cant. Dict. Grub, s.v., victuals. 1781. G. Parker, View of Society, I., 171. How did you procure your grub and Bub? 1789. Geo. Parker, Life’s Painter, p. 149. Bub and Grub. A mighty low expression, signifying victuals and drink. 1836. M. Scott, Tom Cringle’s Log, ch. iii. Poor Purser! de people call him Purser, sir, because him knowing chap; him cabbage all de grub, slush, and stuff in him own corner. d. 1842. Maginn, Vidocq’s Song. Any bubby and grub, I say? 1857. Thackeray, Shabby Genteel Story, ch. i., p. 9. He used to ... have his grub too on board. 1877. Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. i., p. 45. I at once congratulated myself on not being a large eater, as there was no doubt but my grub would run very short if it depended on my oakum-picking. 1889. Star, 3 Dec., p. 2, c. 6. Of course it was grub. It was for food, the food for which they beg, and steal, and go willingly to prison, for a certain good square meal of meat. 1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 154. That sad, sad secret about Mary would keep him in grub for the next day or two at ‘The Rose in Bloom.’ 2. (old).—A short thick-set man; a dwarf. In contempt. For synonyms, see Hop-o’-my-Thumb. 3. (colloquial).—A dirty sloven; generally used of elderly people. 4. (American).—A careful student; a hard reader. 1856. Hall, College Words and Phrases, quoted from Williams’ Coll. Quarterly, ii., 246. A hard reader or student: e.g., not grubs or reading men, only wordy men. 5. (American).—Roots and stumps; whatever is ‘grubbed up.’ 6. (cricketers’).—A ball delivered along the ground; a grounder (q.v.); a daisy-cutter (q.v.). For synonyms, see Lob-sneak. 1823. Bee, Dict. of the Turf. Grub, s.v. Verb. (old).—1. To take or supply with food. For synonyms, see subs. sense 1. 1725. New Cant. Dict. Grub, s.v., to eat. 1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue. Grub, s.v., to dine. 1836. Dickens, Pickwick, ch. xxii., p. 184. I never see such a chap to eat and drink; never. The red-nosed man warn’t by no means the sort of person you’d like to grub by contract, but he was nothin’ to the shepherd.