1883 Times 27 Aug. 5/6 The chiseller's and mason's skill..seen in some..finely-carved marble chimney-pieces.

1918 C. Mackenzie Early Life Sylvia Scarlett i. vi. 188 You know I won the toss. We tossed up which should tell and I won. You are a chiseller.

1949 E. Hyams Not in our Stars xvii. 207 Harry was easy with all men because they were all equal as chisellers.

1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. vi. [Hades] 91 Reuben J. and the son were piking it down the quay next the river on their way to the isle of Man boat and the young chiseller suddenly got loose and over the wall with him into the Liffey.

1925 S. O'Casey Juno & Paycock ii, in Two Plays 62 I remember sayin' to Joxer..that the new arrival in Boyle's ud grow up a hardy chiselur if it lived.

1932 S. O'Faoláin Midsummer Night Madness 139 It was all thanks to the chiseller that kep old Johnny talking Irish to him.

1958 L. A. G. Strong Light above Lake xxii. 150 I can see that little shop... There was spades and buckets for the chislers, [etc.].

a1966 ‘M. na Gopaleen’ Best of Myles (1968) 53 The brother says they do take a great interest in the chislers.

1983 Sunday Tel. 18 Sept. (Colour Suppl.) 7/3 Guzzling there [i.e. in Ireland] means throttling, here [i.e. in England] it is merely overeating; a chiseller there is a youngster, in some parts of this country it is more likely to be a con-man or a crook.