pearl divingn.
/ˈpəːl ˌdʌɪvɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈpərl ˌdaɪvɪŋ/ 1. The action of diving for pearls.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > industry > diving or dredging > [noun] > diving > for pearls
pearl fishing1613
pearling1639
pearl diving1669
1669 Philos. Trans. 1668 (Royal Soc.) 3 863 Pearl-diving lasteth not above Six weeks.
1864 Jrnl. Royal Geogr. Soc. 34 153 Pearl-diving ceases from Ras-Mesandom eastwards, and the sea, here deep and often stormy, furnishes less variety of fish than the ‘Bahr-el-Benat’.
1883 Amer. Naturalist 17 739 As these ladies are accustomed to supply their husbands with crabs and other sea delicacies from an early period in their existence, but diving for them, the transition is easy to pearl diving.
1907 Bull. Amer. Geogr. Soc. 39 602 The one great industry that makes these islands of importance is pearl-diving.
2004 Los Angeles Times (Nexis) 17 Jan. a1 The slaves brought to Iraq were used for pearl diving, date farming and..building canals.
2. slang (originally and chiefly U.S.). The action of washing dishes in a cafe or restaurant.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > cleaning > washing > washing table utensils > [noun] > in a restaurant
pearl diving1919
1919 D. G. Rowse Doughboy Dope 49 Even the most aristocratic job the kitchen has to offer—that is, ‘pearl-diving’..—is no fun if you do it 24½ hours a day.
1942 L. V. Berrey & M. Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §819/1 Pearl diving, dishwashing.
1970 C. Kersh Aggravations of Minnie Ashe viii. 100 In the catering pearl diving is slang for dish washing.
1999 Bismarck (N. Dakota) Tribune (Nexis) 19 July 4 a Working in a cafe was one way kids going to school could make a few pennies... My job was mostly pearl diving.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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