different between cozen vs gyp

English

Etymology 1

From coz(y) +? -en.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?k??z?n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?ko?z?n/

Verb

cozen (third-person singular simple present cozens, present participle cozening, simple past and past participle cozened)

1. (intransitive) To become cozy; (by extension) to become acquainted, comfortable, or familiar with.

Usage notes

• Usually used with up.

Etymology 2

Perhaps from obsolete Italian cozzonare (“to cheat”), from cozzone (“middleman, broker”), from Latin cocio (“dealer”).

Alternative forms

• coosen, coosin (both obsolete)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?k?z?n/
• Rhymes: -?z?n
• Homophone: cousin

Verb

cozen (third-person singular simple present cozens, present participle cozening, simple past and past participle cozened)

1. (archaic) To cheat; to defraud; to deceive, usually by small arts, or in a pitiful way. [from late 16th c.]
   • 1595, George Peele, The Old Wives’ Tale, The Malone Society Reprints, 1908, lines 54-56,^[1]

     […] good Vulcan, for Cupids sake that hath cousned us all: befriend us as thou maiest […]

   • 1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Act III, Scene 2,

     What devil was't / That thus hath cozen'd you at hoodman-blind?

   • a. 1667, Jeremy Taylor, 1851, The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, Volume 1, page 895,

     It is certain that children may be cozened into goodness, and sick men to health, and passengers in a storm into safety; and the reason of these is, — because not only the end is fair, and charitable, and just, but the means are such which do no injury to the persons which are to receive benefit; […] .

   • 1866, Spoils, By a Receiver, Charles Chauncey Burr (editor), The Old Guard: A Monthly Journal Devoted to the Principles of 1776 and 1787, Volume 4, page 497,

     The man, too, who has been matrimonially cozened, "would all the world might be cozened," for he has been cozened, and beaten too; but with him the cudgel is "hallowed;" he would "hang it o'er the altar;" perhaps for the reason given by the "Merry Wives of Windsor," because "it hath done meritorious service;" and no sooner is he, by a seemingly merciful disposition of Providence, released from the cudgeler, but he is in haste to be cozened and beaten again.

   • 1914, Rafael Sabatini, The Gates of Doom, 2001, page 217,

     But that you should have been cozened with me, that my cozening should in part have been a natural sequel to your own, rather than an independent error of mine, is a helpful reflection to me in this dark hour.

   Synonym: beguile

Usage notes

Modern usage is generally to effect a dated style.

Related terms

• cozener
• cozenage

Translations

References

• Webster's New School and Office Dictionary, copyright 1962
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “cozen”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

English

Etymology 1

Perhaps from the term gypsy (“Roma”), due to a stereotype of the Roma as swindlers. Compare jew (“defraud”), from Jew, and welsh (“swindle by defaulting on a debt”), from Welsh.

Alternative forms

• gip, jip (eye dialect spellings)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d???p/
• Rhymes: -?p

Noun

gyp (plural gyps)

1. (derogatory, sometimes offensive) A cheat or swindle; a rip-off.

   Why do we have to buy this new edition of the textbook when there’s almost no difference between it and the previous one? What a gyp!

2. Synonym of gypsy (“contra dance step”)

Usage notes

Because this term is often considered to derive from the exonymic term Gypsy and represent a racist stereotype of the Romani, it may be offensive. See the usage note about gypsy.

Translations

Verb

gyp (third-person singular simple present gyps, present participle gypping, simple past and past participle gypped)

1. (derogatory, sometimes offensive) To cheat or swindle someone or something inappropriately.

   The cab driver gypped me out of ten bucks by taking the longer route.

   You better watch out; they'll try to gyp you if you don't know what you're doing.

Usage notes

See the notes about the noun, above.

Etymology 2

Perhaps the same as Etymology 1. An earlier theory derived the term from Ancient Greek ??? (gúps, “vulture”) (/?ýps/; compare Greek ????? (gýpas) /??i.pas/), "in reference to thievish habits of the servants" (and then derived Etymology 1 thence), but this does not explain the pronunciation.

Noun

gyp (plural gyps)

1. (Cambridge and Durham, England, now chiefly historical) A college servant, one who would attend upon a number of students, brushing their clothes, carrying parcels, waiting at parties and other tasks, distinct from a college porter or bedder.
   • 1887, H. Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, 1919, Longmans, page 15,

     'Why, what is the matter with you, John?' I asked of the gyp who waited on Vincey and myself.

   • 1907, E.M. Forster, The Longest Journey, Part I, I [Uniform ed., p. 14]:

     Had he acted discourteously to his bedmaker or his gyp, he would have minded just as much … .

2. (Cambridge and Durham, England) The room in which such college servants work.
3. (Cambridge and Durham, England) A small kitchen for use by college students.

Etymology 3

Shortening.

Noun

gyp (plural gyps)

1. Gypsophila.

Etymology 4

Perhaps from gee up.

Noun

gyp (plural gyps)

1. Pain or discomfort.

   My back's giving me gyp.

See also

• jew down
• welsh

References

• Gyp: Thieve, World Wide Words
• Etymology of "Gyp" / "gypped", Vocaboly.com