Smoke, subs. (old).—1. A chimney. Hence (modern) the smoke = any large city: spec. London: also the great smoke.
d.1687. Petty, Pol. Surv. of Ireland, 9. Dublin bath Houses of more than one smoak.
2. (common).—A cigar: also the act of smoking. Dry-smoke = an unlighted cigar or pipe between the lips.
1860. Russell, Diary in India, xxvii. Soldiers . . . lounging about, taking an early morning smoke.
c.1885[?]. Jenny Hill, Arry.' 'Arry likes a twopenny smoke.
3. (colloquial).—Idle talk; vanity; anything of little or no value. To end in smoke = to serve or come to no useful end.
1594. Shakspeare, Lucreece, 1027. This helpless smoke of words doth me no right.
1603-15. Court and Times of Jas. I., 291. [A project] goes away in smoke.
Verb. (old).—1. To examine; to suspect; to observe; to discover; to understand; to twig (q.v.): cf. smell, nose, &c. Whence smoky = (1) suspicious, inquisitive; and (2)= jealous (B. E., Grose, Bee).
1280. Ancren Riwle, 316. Schrift get schal beon naked; thet is naked liche imaked, and nout bisaumpled feire, ne hendeliche ismoked. [Confession must be naked, that is made nakedly, not speciously palliated, nor gently touched on.]
1596. Jonson, Ev. Man in His Hum., iv. 8. I'faith, I am glad I have smoked you yet at last. Ibid. (1622), Masque of Augurs [Works] (Moxon), 230. Sir, we do come from among the brew-houses, . . . that's true, there you have smoked us.
1598. Shakspeare, All's Well, iii. 6. He was first smoked by the old Lord Lafew—when his disguise and he is parted, tell me what a sprat you shall find him.
1607. Dekker, Jests, &c. [Grosart, Works, ii. 329]. Kinchen, the coue towres, which is as much as, Fellow, the man smokes or suspects you. Ibid. (1620), Lauthorne, &c. The two freebooters, seeing themselves smoak'd.
1611. Middleton and Dekker, Roaring Girl [Works] (1873), iii. 220. Wee are smoakt . . . wee are boyld, pox on her!
1614. Chapman, Odysseys, iv. 337. And yet through all this difference, I alone smoked his true person.
1624. Massinger, Renegado, iv. i. All's come out, sir. We are smok'd for being coney-catchers. Ibid. (1659), City Madam, iii. i. I'll hang you both . . . you for a purse you cut In Paul's at a sermon; I have smoaked you, ha!
c.1650. Brathwayte, Barnaby's Jl. (1723), 21. An apt one . . . Punk unto a Captain; I embrac'd . . . But Door creak'd and Captain smoak't it.
1693. Congreve, Old Bach., iii. 6. I begin to smoke ye: thou art some forsaken Abigail. Ibid. (1694), Double Dealer, iii. 3. Should she smoke my design upon Cynthia I were in a fine pickle.
1705. Vanbrugh, Confederacy, iii. I'm thinking—hum—she'll smoke that though. Ibid. (1726), Vanbrugh and Cibber, Prov. Husband, ii. He seems a little smoky.
1708-10. Swift, Pol. Conv. i. Pray, madam, smoke miss yonder, biting her lips, and playing with her fan.
1715. Addison, Drummer, iii. i. Thou'rt very smart, my dear. But see! Smoke the doctor.
1715-16. Addison, Freeholder [Ency.]. I began to smoke that they were a parcel of mummers.
1733. Swift, Ans. to Sheridan's New Simile. With which he made a tearing show; And Dido quickly smok'd the beau.
1753. Foote, Eng. in Paris, i. i. A smoaky fellow this classic. Ibid. (1762), The Liar, i. i. People in this town are more smoaky and suspicious.
1772. Bridges, Burlesque Homer, 75. The witch of Endor, Soon smok'd th' affair, and like a prophet, Got up and told the meaning of it.
1774. Kelly, School for Wives, iii. 5. Who the devil could think that he would smoke us in this disguise.
d.1859. De Quincey, Works, xi. 86. The orator grew urgent; wits began to smoke the case, as active verbs—the advocate to smoke, as a neuter verb.
