nobbler

English

Etymology

nobble +‎ -er

Pronunciation

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Noun

nobbler (plural nobblers)

1. A person who interferes with a racehorse or greyhound in order to prevent it from winning a race.
2. (Australia, obsolete) A serving of beer or spirits.
   • 1855, Raffaello Carboni, The Eureka Stockade, Gutenberg eBook #3546:

     Carl Wiesenhavern, a man of noble character, and, therefore a man who hates knavery, and has no fear of a knave, answered with his peculiar German coolness, "Here I am, what do you want?"
     "Nobblers round," was the eager reply.
     "If that's what you want," replied Wiesenhavern, "you shall have it with pleasure."
     "We got no money."
     "I did not ask for any: understand me well, though;" pointing at each of them with the forefinger of his clenched right hand, "you will have a nobbler a-piece, and no more: afterwards you will go your way. Are you satisfied with my conditions?"

   • 1874, [John Brady], The McIvor Times and Rodney Advertiser (Heathcote, Vic. : 1863 - 1918) Thursday 24 December 1874 Coroner's Inquest [1] - 12-year-old witness to road accident death of his father,

     ‘My father only had two nobblers at Dwyer's place that morning.’

   • 1895, Guy Boothby, A Bid for Fortune, ReadHowYouWant, 2008 EasyRead Comfort Edition, page 266,

     ‘A nobbler o′ rum,’ says I. Then he orders a nobbler of rum for me and a nobbler of whisky for ′imself.

   • 1998, Bryce Courtenay, Tommo and Hawk, published 2006, unnumbered page:

     ‘Fer goodness′ sake, Doreen! Give the gent a nobbler of brandy and stop making trouble.’ It′s the little weasel bloke what speaks.
     ‘Much obliged,’ I says to him. ‘Nobbler, is it?’ Doreen turns on her heel and she′s about to vanish into the main bar when I shouts after her, ‘Nobbler of Cape, miss!’

   • 2010, Gerard Benjamin, Gloria Grant, editors, Tom Hurstbourne or A Squatter′s Life, page 81:

     This done, he waves his hat and declares his nag can lick anything on the ground—for nobblers round.

3. (UK, obsolete) A thimbleman's or cardsharp's accomplice or shill, who poses as a player of the game to suggest that it is easy to win.

Derived terms

• nobblerize

Further reading

• Jonathon Green (2024) “nobbler n.¹”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang
• Jonathon Green (2024) “nobbler n.²”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang