1888. Daily Telegraph, 19 Oct. When a youth left school to follow the pursuits of life he found that he had to grub along as best he could.
Grubbing, subs. (common).—Eating.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib. What with snoozing, high grubbing, and guzzling like Cloe.
Grubbery, subs. (common).—(1) an eating-house. Also (2) a dining-room, and (3) the mouth.
Grubbing-crib, subs. (general).—1. An eating-house. Grubbing-crib faker = the landlord of a cheap cookshop. Fr., le nourrisseur; Sp., un ostalero. See Grub Shop, sense 2.
English Synonyms.—Grubbery; grubby-, or grubbing-ken; grub-shop; guttle-shop; hash-house; mungarly casa; prog-shop; slap-bang shop; tuck-shop; waste-butt.
French Synonyms.—Un bourre-boyaux (popular = a stuff-your-guts); un claquedents (popular, also = a brothel, or punting-house); une guingette (general); une mangeoire (popular = a grubbery: manger = to eat); un mattais (popular); un gargot (thieves’).
German Synonym.—Achilebajes (from Heb., Ochal = to eat).
Spanish Synonym.—Ostaleria, or Osteria (also = lush-crib).
1823. Bee, Dict. of the Turf, s.v.