How Does One 'Rasp' Tobacco?

[mawnansmiff]

Whilst looking something up in the OED I came upon this quote from 1728...

1728 E. Chambers Cyclopaedia at Roll Roll Tobacco is what is used both for chewing and rasping.

I've never heard this before so looked up 'rasping' only to find the very same quote under the heading....

1. The action or an act of rubbing or scraping with or as with a rasp; (also) the noise produced by this; a rough grating sound.

...which doesn't really tally with me unless they mean rubbing as to rub out?

Anyone heard the term rasping before regards tobacco?

Regards,

jay.

 

[AJL67]

Did you look up or know what a rasp is?

Since i know the answer to my question

1. a coarse file or similar metal tool with a roughened surface for scraping, filing, or rubbing down objects of metal, wood, or other hard material.
   

 

[canucklehead]

Tobacco rasps were used for preparing snuff from plug tobacco.

Tobacco rasp carved with Zeus astride an eagle | French | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

www.metmuseum.org

 

[canucklehead]

https://www.pinterest.ca/josepholaughlin/tobacco-rasps/

 

[kcghost]

It is little more than just rubbing out the tobacco, but it right in principle.

 

[mikethompson]

I was imagining running tobacco over a culinary rasp, which would break it into smaller pieces.

 

[anotherbob]

The image on the Freiborg and Treyer packs is snuff rasp.

 

[canucklehead]

The image on the Freiborg and Treyer packs is snuff rasp.

Yep, the F&T logo is an image of their storefront and a snuff rasp.

 

[anotherbob]

and the rasps make a super coarse snuff, Rapee is called that because it's the same coarseness. Or I was misinformed.

 

[crashthegrey]

I believe that is the way of making snuff at the time, which fits well next to chewing in the quote.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Thanks @Canucklehead, problem solved .

I've just looked up 'tobacco rasp' but it isn't there, so if I can find an actual quote where the term is used I'll send it in to the OED for future entry.

Regards,

Jay.

EDIT: Just found it under 'snuff rasp'

snuff-rasp n.
1711 J. Swift Let. to Stella 23 Oct. in Wks. (1768) XII. 242 A fine snuff-rasp of ivory.

1859 F. W. Fairholt Tobacco v. 245 A similar snuff-rasp to this.

 

[mawnansmiff]

In fact there are several 'snuff' compound words...

snuff-bottle n.
1850 Spirit of Times 16 Mar. 41/3 Did you see..that old snuff-bottle?

1883 J. Gilmour Among Mongols vi. 82 After snuff bottles had been exchanged.

snuff-colour n.
1698 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 20 461 Down of a dark yellowish Snuff-Colour.

1883 T. Hardy in Longman's Mag. July 256 Her dress and that of the children were mostly of faded snuff-colour.

snuff hand n.
1763 Brit. Mag. July 337/1 He next took up salt with the finger and thumb of his snuff hand.

snuff-handkerchief n.
1695 P. Motteux tr. F. Pidou de St. Olon Present State Morocco 65 His Face muffled up in a Snuff-Handkerchief, of a dirty hue.

[1711 J. Swift Jrnl. to Stella 4 May (1948) I. 260 I have been a mighty handkerchief-monger, and have bought abundance of snuff ones since I have left off taking snuff.]

snuff-mundungus n.
1678 S. Butler Hudibras: Third Pt. iii. ii. 151 After h'had ministred a Dose Of Snuff-Mundungus, to his Nose.

snuff-shop n.
1767 ‘Coriat Junior’ Another Traveller! I. 192 I had recruited myself at one of the best snuff-shops in Bruges.

1802 Edinb. Rev. 1 109 Doomed to quiet repose in a snuff-shop.

snuff-spoon n.
1892 H. R. Haggard Nada the Lily xx. 166 Watching the two of them over the edge of my snuff-spoon.

snuff-stain n.
1914 J. Joyce Dubliners 13 The red handkerchief,..blackened..with the snuff-stains of a week.

snuff-stick n.
1879 A. W. Tourgée Fool's Errand (1883) 43 She had a snuff-stick in her mouth.

snuff-work n.
1812 J. Smyth Pract. of Customs ii. 218 No Tobacco Stalks or Snuff-work allowed to be imported on penalty of forfeiture.

The English language, don't you just love it.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[mawnansmiff]

I missed out 'snuff-bean' and a few others..

snuff-bean n. the tonka-bean, used for scenting snuff; one of these kept in a snuff-box for this purpose.

1898 in Eng. Dial. Dict. (at cited word) In the corner o' his mull there aye lay buried a scentit snuff-bean.

And one from the States...

snuff-dipper n. U.S. (see quot. 1859).
1845 T. J. Green Jrnl. Texian Exped. x. 137 We believe the most filthy of all practices is that of your..‘snuff~dippers’.

1859 J. R. Bartlett Dict. Americanisms (ed. 2) 424 Snuff-dipper, one who makes a practice of chewing snuff.

1896 Amer. Missionary Oct. 324 One sister who had been a snuff-dipper for more than twenty years.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

She had a snuff-stick in her mouth.

That’s what he said.

 

[mawnansmiff]

That’s what he said.

Which of course begs another question, what exactly is a 'snuff-stick'?

No definition is given, just the quote from 1879, so perhaps it's some colloquial term for a pipe? Was snuff ever actually smoked?

Regards,

Jay.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Which of course begs another question, what exactly is a 'snuff-stick'?

No definition is given, just the quote from 1879, so perhaps it's some colloquial term for a pipe? Was snuff ever actually smoked?

Regards,

Jay.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023

snuff′ stick′,
a twig, stick, or brush used to apply snuff on the teeth or gums. Also called snuff′ brush′.

 

[crashthegrey]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023

snuff′ stick′,
a twig, stick, or brush used to apply snuff on the teeth or gums. Also called snuff′ brush′.

Yes, for moist snuff.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Now all makes sense!

snuff-swab n. U.S. (see quot.).
1872 M. S. De Vere Americanisms 63 The dipping-stick is also called snuff-swab.

Got there in the end....thanks guys .

Regards,

Jay.

 

[anotherbob]

I missed out 'snuff-bean' and a few others..

snuff-bean n. the tonka-bean, used for scenting snuff; one of these kept in a snuff-box for this purpose.

Also great for keeping the moisture levels properly kind of like those clay discs if they just worked perfectly.

1898 in Eng. Dial. Dict. (at cited word) In the corner o' his mull there aye lay buried a scentit snuff-bean.

And one from the States...

snuff-dipper n. U.S. (see quot. 1859).
1845 T. J. Green Jrnl. Texian Exped. x. 137 We believe the most filthy of all practices is that of your..‘snuff~dippers’.

Still the most common way people round here use nasal snuff.