† crambe Obs.
(ˈkræmbiː)
Also 7 cramb.
[a. L. crambē, a. Gr. κράµβη a kind of cabbage.]
1. Cabbage: only fig., and usually in reference to the Latin phrase crambe repetīta cabbage repeated, renewed, or served up again, applied by Juvenal (vii. 154 Occidit miseros crambe repetita magistros) to any distasteful repetition. So in med.L. crambe bis cocta, bis posita, cabbage twice sodden, twice served up.
| 1565 J. Calfhill Answ. Treat. Crosse (1846) 320 (D.), I marvel that you, so fine a feeder, will fall to your crambe. 1600 Abp. Abbot Exp. Jonah 301 This never cometh, but for want of other matter, being a crambe, oftentimes sodde. 1660 Gauden Antisacrilegus 17 That Boanerges..hath so oft..killed the world with the poysonous cramb of his Paradoxes. 1711 G. Cary Phys. Phylactic 329 It is nauseous to the strongest Stomach to have the Crambe bisconcocted so often drest up. a 1713 T. Ellwood Life (1765) 289 It was indeed a Hash of ill-cooked Crambe. |
2. Hence, (Distasteful) repetition.
| 1611 W. Sclater Key (1629) 330 That Crambe, Zach. 9. 11, etc. 1638 Chillingw. Relig. Prot. i. vii. §18. 397 You obtrude upon us this Crambe no fewer then seven times. 1641 Milton Animadv. ii, Can we not understand an order..of praying, reading, expounding, and administring, unless our Prayers be still the same Crambe of words? 1721 Bailey, Crambe, a Repetition of Words, or saying the same Thing over again. 1757 J. Byrom Poems, Rem. Pamphlet 36 Forbid the Gallic Namby Pamby Here to repeat its crazy crambe. |
3. = crambo 1 b, 3.
| 1616 B. Jonson Devil an Ass v. v, F. Joule, owle, foule, troule, boule. P. Crambe, another of the Diuells games! 1630 ― New Inn i. iii, Where every Iouial Tinker, for his chinke, May cry, mine host, to crambe! giue vs drinke; And doe not slinke, but skinke, or else you stinke. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Crambe or Crambo, a Term us'd among School-boys, when in Rhiming, he is to forfeit, who repeats a word that was said before. 1801 Strutt Sports & Past. iv. iv. 353. |
4. attrib. and Comb.
| 1658 Sir T. Browne Gard. Cyrus 72 Nauseating crambe verities, and questions over-queried. 1681 Hickeringill Vind. Naked Truth ii. 21 A Crambee-Pun and Quibble. |
Hence † crambe v., to play crambo.
| 1633 B. Jonson Tale Tub iv. i, Change my name of Miles To Guile's, Wile's, Pile's, Bile's, or the foulest name You can devise, to crambe with for ale. |