"Her curious square, emboss'd with swelling gold,
Between her breasts the cruel weapon rives."
Fairf. G. of Bul. xii. 64.
Slip. See [Counterfeit].
Soft, soft you. These expressions, which so frequently occur, are verbs; soft coming from soften, as haste from hasten. The meaning is relax, stop, hold back. It may be here observed that the hunting-term soho is a combination of soft and hold, both apocopated, meaning hold back, do not start the hare; and that tallyho is tarry, hold, let the fox get off, give him law. In like manner holla was a term used to a horse (Ven. and Adon., St. 48, As You Like it, iii. 2), to make him stop, stand quiet, and formed from hold and, perhaps, hard.
Span-counter (2 H. VI. iv. 3), a game played by boys with counters or pieces of money; but it is not well known in what manner. The span or distance between the thumb and the little finger when the hand is on the stretch, had of course something to do with it, as in Three-hole-span, a game at marbles.
Speak (K. John, ii. 1, J. C. iv. 3, Cor. v. 3). Editors do not seem to have observed that in these and other places speak is synonymous with say.
Split. "Make all split" (M. N. D. i. 2), was a common phrase, denoting violence of action; but the allusion is not exactly known. We say "split the sides" with laughter.
Spoons (H. VIII. v. 3). It was the custom for the sponsors at a christening to make a present of spoons, named Apostle-spoons, because the handle was terminated with the figure of one of the Apostles. The spoons were usually of silver. The wealthy gave the entire dozen, others according to their means.
Spy of the time (Macb. iii. 2). This most unusual phrase occurs only in this place. The meaning of spy in it must be, exact information. It is very remarkable that Ariosto uses spia in exactly the same sense:—