▪ I. shover1
(ˈʃʌvə(r))
[f. shove v.1 + -er1.]
a. One who or something which shoves, in senses of the vb.
| 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxiii. 49 Schulderaris, and schowaris that hes no schame. 1893 Cycl. Rev. Current Hist. III. 287 A difference between the lumber shovers and the lumber⁓men. Ibid., The lockout of the shovers continued. 1901 Daily Chron. 12 Dec. 6/3 The Cambridge forwards were ‘shovers’ and nothing else. |
| Comb. 1876 Life Cheap Jack (ed. Hindley) 232 A pair of the best brass candlesticks, with a patent shover-up and a good pusher-down. |
b. slang. One who passes base coin.
| 1859 National Police Gaz. (U.S.) 14 May 4/3 A ‘shover’ named Flynn,..obtained a quantity of ‘queer’ and went with it to Mrs. Beemer's house and left it on her table. 1889 Harper's Weekly 21 Sept. 768/1 Eight persons, mostly ‘shovers’ or passers, were arrested in Russo's gang. |
▪ II. shover2
(ˈʃʌvə(r))
Also shovver, shuv(v)er.
Jocular alteration of chauffeur. Hence (as back-formation) shove v.2 intr., ˈshoving vbl. n.2
| 1905 S. A. Barnett Let. 17 Aug. in H. Barnett Canon S. A. Barnett (1918) II. xli. 192 Dick Batston had to leave us and we are waiting here till a ‘shover’ comes from London... Dick drives splendidly. 1912 World 5 Nov. 707/2 She can drive as well as any ‘shuver’. 1914 Professional Chauffeurs' Club Jrnl. May 15/2 When Tommy, the bad boy of the family, has received the Order of the Boot..his fond mama..says, ‘Let us make him a shuvver.’ 1925 Chambers's Jrnl. Feb. 146/1 Joseph—our ‘shover’—was in the back of the car. 1932 E. M. Keate Mimic vi. 77 ‘Paulett come and shove for me on Monday... My shover's ill.’ Timothy enjoyed ‘shoving’. 1953 J. Trench Docken Dead ix. 127 Sir R. went out first to tell the shuvver to bring the car round to the front. 1974 E. Lemarchand Buried in Past v. 95 It was class, for one thing. His Dad had been shovver to old Mrs P's mother and father. 1976 ‘J. Charlton’ Remington Set xiii. 63 Rabbiting on with the Pritchards' shover. |