pipe the eye

English

Etymology

A metaphor alluding to the boatswain's pipe, which calls to duty.

Verb

pipe the eye (third-person singular simple present pipes the eye, present participle piping the eye, simple past and past participle piped the eye)

  1. (archaic, idiomatic) To weep.
    • a. 1845, Thomas Hood, "Faithless Sally Brown"
      He first began to eye his pipe, / And then to pipe his eye.

Alternative forms

Translations
to weep (expressions related to a pipe or pipes only) — See also translations at weep

References
  • 1873, John Camden Hotten, The Slang Dictionary
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