spoil-
the stem of spoil v.1 in comb. with ns., as spoil-five, a round game of cards which is said to be ‘spoiled’ if no player wins three out of a possible five tricks; † spoil-paper, a petty author or scribbler; spoil-pudding slang (see quot.); spoil-trade, one who spoils trade. Also spoil-sport.
| 1839 Carleton Fardorougha xvi, Busy at the game of ‘*spoil five’. 1841 Lever C. O'Malley lxxv, What do you say to a little spoil five, or beggar my neighbour? |
| 1610–11 in J. Davies (Heref.) Paper's Compl. Wks. (Grosart) II. 81/2 Nor list I purchase penance at that rate, As some *Spoile-Papers haue deerely done of late. |
| 1788 Grose Dict. Vulgar T. (ed. 2), *Spoil Pudding, a parson who preaches long sermons, keeping his congregation in church till the puddings are over done. |
| 1705 Hickeringill Priest-cr. ii. viii. 77 Go on, I'll be no *Spoil-Trade, go Cheat and be Cheated, to the end of your Lives. 1854 Poultry Chron. I. 222/1 Thinking it best in such barefaced cases to become a ‘spoil-trade’, I have forwarded you the particulars. 1885 A. Dale Jonathan's Home 100 Their American brothers look upon them..as spoil-trades and unscrupulous bargainers. |