Hobbes’s-voyage, subs. (old).—A leap in the dark.
1697. Vanbrugh, Provoked Wife, v., 6. So, now, I am in for Hobbes’s voyage; a great leap in the dark.
Hobbinol, subs. (old).—A countryman. For synonyms, see Joskin.
1663. Killigrew, The Parson’s Wedding, ii., 3 (Dodsley, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, xiv., 396). Who, Master Jeffrey? Hobbinol the second! By this life, ’tis a very veal, and licks his nose like one.
Hobble. In a hobble (or Hobbled), adv. phr. (colloquial).—In trouble; hampered; puzzled. Also (thieves), committed for trial. Fr., tomber dans la mélasse (= to come a cropper), and faitré (= booked (q.v.)). Hobbled upon the legs = transported, or on the hulks.
1777. Foote, Trip to Calais (1795), ii., p. 39. But take care what you say! you see what a hobble we had like to have got into.
1789. Geo. Parker, Life’s Painter, p. 163. A term when any of the gang is taken up and committed for trial, to say, such a one is hobbled.
1811. Poole, Hamlet Travestie, iii., 5. Horatio, I am sorry for this squabble; I fear ’twill get me in a precious hobble.
1819. Vaux, Cant. Dict., s.v. Hobbled, taken up, or in custody; to hobble a plant, is to spring it.
1838. Haliburton, Clockmaker, 2nd S., ch. xvii. A body has to be cautious if he don’t want to get into the centre of a hobble.