whiting-mop

English

Noun

whiting-mop (plural whiting-mops)

  1. (UK, obsolete) A young whiting.
    • 1869 [1620], John Taylor, Works of John Taylor the Water-Poet‎[1], The Spenser Society, "Taylors Travels to Prague in Bohemia", page 99:
      ...his silence must be, that though he beare and understand himselfe wronged, yet he must be as dumbe as a Gudgeon or a Whiting mop: and though his mouth be shut...
    • 1996 [1638], Thomas Heywood, edited by Paul Merchant, Three Marriage Plays‎[2], Manchester University Press, The Wise Woman of Hogsdon, act I, scene II, page 48:
      Chartley. Fear not, girl. Though I revel abroad o' days, I'll be with thee to bring o' nights, my little whiting mop.
    • 1813 [1647], John Fletcher, The Works of Beaumont and Fletcher‎[3], volume Thirteen, Edinburgh: John Ballantyne and Co., Doig and Stirling, w:The Maid in the Mill, act II, scene I, page 199:
      Bustopha. [Reading.] The thund'ring seas whose wat'ry fire
      Washes the whiting-mops,
      The gentle whale, whose feet so fell
      Flies o'er the mountains' tops—
  2. (UK, obsolete) A pretty girl; a young or innocent woman.
    • 1830 [1604], Thomas Dekker, John Webster, The Works of John Webster‎[4], volume III, London: William Pickering, Westward Ho, act II, scene II, page 37:
      Mistress Birdlime. I see bashful lovers, and young bullocks, are knocked down at a blow. Come, come, drink this draught of cinnamon-water, and pluck up your spirits; up with 'em, up with 'em. Do you hear? the whiting mop has nibbled.
    • 1813 [1633], Philip Massinger, edited by W. Gifford, The Plays‎[5], 2nd edition, volume IV, London: G. & W. Nicol et al., The Guardian, act IV, scene II, page 207:
      Camillo. If 'twere a fish-day, though you like it not, I could say I have a stomach, and would content myself With this pretty whiting-mop.
    • 1641, Thomas Jordan, Pictures of Passions, Fancies, & Affectations, Poetically Deciphered in variety of Characters.‎[6], London: Robert Wood, A Sea-man.:
      The mightiest Whales are but his Play-fellows: Sharks are bis best Familiars, but (the more His grief) his pretty Whiting Mop's on shore...

References

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