crawfishn.
/ˈkrɔːfɪʃ/, U.S. /ˈkrɔˌfɪʃ/, /ˈkrɑˌfɪʃ/Categories »
1. The usual form of crayfish n. in the U.S. in sense 3a and 3b and in South Africa in sense 3c.
2. U.S. colloquial. [ < crawfish v.] One who retreats from or backs out of a position; a political renegade or turn-coat; cf. crawfish v.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > animals for food > seafood > [noun] > lobster > crayfish > Cape crawfish
crawfish1860
kreef1863
the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Crustacea > [noun] > subclass Malacostraca > division Thoracostraca > order Decapoda > suborder Macrura > member of family Scyllaridae
locust lobster1778
crawfish1860
kreef1863
Moreton Bay bug1970
1860 in J. R. Bartlett Dict. Americanisms (ed. 3) Crawfish.
1889 in J. S. Farmer Americanisms Crawfish.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
crawfishv.
U.S. colloquial.
intransitive. To retreat from a position taken up; to ‘back out’.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > decision > irresolution or vacillation > reversal of or forsaking one's will or purpose > reverse or abandon one's purpose [verb (intransitive)]
wendOE
divert1430
to turn one's tale1525
relent1528
revolt1540
resile?a1597
crinkle1612
to throw in (or up) one's cards1688
to box the compass1714
to turn round1808
crawfish1848
to back down1849
duff1883
back-pedal1891
punk1920
back-track1947
to back off1961
the mind > will > decision > irresolution or vacillation > reversal of or forsaking one's will or purpose > reverse or abandon one's purpose [verb (intransitive)] > withdraw from an engagement or promise
starta1450
fang1522
recidivate1528
to draw back1572
flinch1578
to shrink collar1579
retract1616
to shrink out of the collar1636
renege1651
to fly off1667
to slip (the) collarc1677
to declare off1749
to cry off1775
to back out1807
to fight off1833
crawfish1848
welsh1871
to pull out1884
1848 Congress. Globe Feb. 277/3 No sooner did they see the old British Lion rising up.., than they crawfished back to 49°.
1850 L. H. Garrard Wah-to-Yah (1927) i. 18 Others slowly ‘crawfished’, hiding, by their singular way of crouching.
1860 J. R. Bartlett Dict. Americanisms (ed. 3) We acknowledge the corn, and retreat, retrograde, crawfish, or climb down.—Cairo Times.
1888 Voice (N.Y.) 5 July The remark defeated him for Governor. He tried to crawfish out of it..but it didn't work.
1888 San Francisco Weekly Exam. 22 Mar. (Farmer) He was afraid to bet and crawfished out of the issue by claiming that he didn't drink.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online June 2019).
> see also
also refers to : crayfishcrawfishn.
<
n.1860v.1848see also