Quink, n. 1. An expression or mood of anxious expectancy; absorbed determination.
Quinked, p.p. Haggardly resolute, with the excitement of suspense.
Quink´y, a. Tense, uncertain, fearful.
A quink is the Welch rarebit face, the expression of one serving at tennis, or playing a difficult pool shot,—lifting the ball out of a bad golf hazard.
Women are quinked when they open a telegram; a boy, as he lights a fire-cracker. A girl, when in front of the glass, as she turns around to see if her underskirt is hanging down behind. A man, when he reads the ticker tape, during a panic, or is buttoning up the back of his wife’s dress.
A waiter is quinked when his customer takes the change from the plate—how much will be the tip? The cook, when she is trying the candy in a cup of cold water. The mother, as she waits for the fever to turn. (See Squinch.)
A quink is that expression you have on your face just before the tooth is pulled; the minute before the flashlight goes off; when she pulls the trigger of the gun.
You are quinked when you wait for someone who is late, or when you hurry to catch the last train, with only four seconds to spare.
The fat man’s face is quinked, when he tries to tie his own shoes. It is the face of the man, swimming under water, or of the playwright, on his opening night. (See Snosh.)
On Henry’s face the lines were set,
Distraught, he frowned and blinked;
Why? He was all alone, and yet
He was severely quinked.