1900. Free Lance, 6 Oct., 16. 1. Lady Dashout. 'The pity of it is that we can't always keep the swim to ourselves. The rich third-raters will dive in, make the waters muddy, and copy our frocks. I should like to make my own swim!'
In the swim, phr. (common).—Participant in the times. Hence (2) = in the 'inner circle' or the know (q.v.); (3) = associated in any undertaking; and spec. (4) = a long time out of the hands of the police (thieves'). Fr. dans le mouvement (or le train).
1869. Macm. Mag., Nov., 71. 2. A man is said to be in the swim when any piece of good fortune has happened, or seems likely to happen, to him. To have rowed one's college-boat to the head of the river, to have received a legacy, to have made a good book on the Derby, are any of them sufficient to have put one in the swim. The metaphor is piscatorial, 'swim' being the term applied by Thames fishermen to those sections of the river which are especially frequented by fish. The angler who casts his bait into these may depend upon sport, whereas his neighbour at a little distance may not have a nibble, being out of the swim.
1874. Siliad, 30. 'He's in the swim,' another Swift replies: 'Hot wather, thin, he loiks,' Obroian cries.
1889. Harper's Mag., lxxviii. 313. His neighbourhood is getting into the swim of the real-estate movement.
1897. Ouida, Massarenes, 24. Never remind me of anything I said. I can't endure it: I believe you want to get in the swim.
1900. Free Lance, 6 Oct., 16. 1. Hon. Mrs. Worldley. 'Sounds distinctly appetising. Well, wherever I go, I want to be in the swim.'
To swim in golden grease (oil, lard, etc.), verb. phr. (old).—To 'roll' in bribes: see Grease.
1605. Jonson, Fox, i. 1. When you do come to swim in golden lard.
To make a man swim for it, verb. phr. (thieves').—To cheat a pal out of his share of booty.
How we apples swim, quoth the horse-turd (Ray). See Apples.
Swimmer, subs. (Old Cant).—1.
'A Counterfeit (old) Coyn' (B. E.
and Grose).
2. (old).—See quot. (also to have a swimmer).
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Swimmer, a guard-ship, or tender; a thief who escapes prosecution, when before a magistrate, on condition of being sent on board the receiving-ship, to serve His Majesty, is said by his palls to be swimmered.
Swimming, adj. (common).—Generic
for plenty: thus a
swimming (= a full or brisk)
market: cf. sick; a swimming
(= an overfull) dish; a swimming
(= an extremely pleasant)
time, etc. Hence swimmingly
= successfully, prosperously.
1622. Fletcher, Prophetess, i. 3. Max. Can such a rascal as thou hope for honour?. . . Geta. Yes; and bear it too, And bear it swimmingly.
1774. Bridges, Burlesque Homer, 180. Thus swimmingly the knave went on, And killed two birds with every stone.
1809. Irving, Knickerbocker, 233. And now, for a time, affairs went on swimmingly.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas [Routledge], 441. Your business is going swimmingly.
Swindle, subs. (common).—1.
Originally (and properly) a fraud
or imposition (in which sense see
Swindler). Also 2 (loosely
and frequently), any speculation
or matter of chance: e.g., a
lottery, a toss for drinks, a
sweepstakes, a race, etc.; also
(more loosely still) any transaction
in which money passes: e.g.
'What's the swindle' = 'What's
to pay (or the damage)?'
