donkeyn.

1785 F. Grose Classical Dict. Vulgar Tongue Donkey or Donkey Dick, a he or Jack-ass.

1793 Gentleman's Mag. ii. 1083 A Donky, or a Dicky, An ass. Essex and Suffolk.

1804 A. L. Barbauld Let. 11 Aug. in Wks. (1825) II. 113 I cannot tell whether my orthography is right, but a donky is the monture in high fashion here [i.e. in Tunbridge Wells].

a1819 J. Wolcot Wks. (1830) 116 Peter, thou art mounted on a Neddy; Or in the London phrase, thou Devonshire monkey, Thy Pegasus is nothing but a donkey.

1838 J. L. Stephens Incidents Trav. Greece, Turkey, Russia (1839) 37/1 Seven camels and the donkey were stowed in the bottom of the boat.

1859 G. A. Sala Twice round Clock (1861) 45 Costermongers' ‘shallows’, drawn by woe-begone donkies.

1841 Punch 1 41/2 The report of Sir John Pullon, ‘as to the possibility of elevating an ass to the head of the poll by bribery and corruption’ is perfectly correct, provided there is no abatement in the price. Let him canvass again, and..if he will only stand ‘one penny more, up goes the donkey!’

1889 A. Barrère & C. G. Leland Dict. Slang (1897) 304/2 ‘Three more and up goes the donkey’, that is, three pennies more and the donkey will go up the ladder. This phrase, used by mountebanks to denote that the performance will begin when the sum required is complete, is often said mockingly to a braggart to imply disbelief.

1913 M. Beerbohm Let. 11 Mar. (1964) 222 They earnestly hope to raise the sum of £500; after which ‘up goes the donkey’, I suppose.

1970 Brewer's Dict. Phrase & Fable 336/2 Two more and up goes the donkey, an old cry at fairs, the showman having promised his credulous hearers that as soon as enough pennies are collected his donkey will balance himself on the top of a pole or ladder.

1840 W. M. Thackeray Shabby Genteel Story ix ‘What a blubbering, abthurd donkey!’ said Cinqbars.

1862 C. M. Yonge Countess Kate xii. 212 You little donkey, you'll be off!

1878 Mrs. H. Wood Pomeroy Abbey I. 254 What a donkey he must be.

1920 Isis 3 Mar. 6/1 Don't play ‘donkey’ with him: he is the champion of the Giler.

1959 G. Avery James without Thomas xi. 195 They hastily changed to Donkey.

1837 J. L. Stephens Trav. Holy Land (Chambers) 116 From there we started on donkey-back.

1884 L. Oliphant Haifa (1887) 158 A favourite method of locomotion among the women, was donkey-back.

1816 J. Austen Let. 9 July (1995) 316 We set off in the Donkey Carriage for Farringdon.

1894 Times 23 Mar. 3/2 The Queen..went out in her donkey-carriage this morning.

1838 C. Dickens Oliver Twist II. xxi. 20 Donkey-carts laden with vegetables.

1868 C. M. Yonge Let. 8 Oct. in C. R. Coleridge C. M. Yonge (1903) 298 She had been out for a long turn in a donkey chair.

1855 D. G. Rossetti Let. 1 July (1965) I. 261 A donkey-ride at Clevedon.

1894 G. Du Maurier Trilby I. ii. 154 Swings, peep-shows, donkey-rides.

1862 J. H. Bennet Mentone & Biarritz as Winter Climates (ed. 2) vi. 132 The road from Castellare, a donkey-track.

1838 E. W. Lane in tr. Thousand & One Nights (1839) I. i. Notes 61 Three donkey-drivers, conveying the luggage of two British travellers.

1825 H. Wilson Mem. II. 86 Fanny..doated on donkey-riding.

1899 Westm. Gaz. 18 July 3/3 This zebra-donkey combination appears to exhibit a more than donkey-like obstinacy.

1962 I. Murdoch Unofficial Rose xxvi. 250 The more owlish and donkey-like he felt himself becoming.