tib's eve n also tips* ~ and, by folk etym, tipsy eve OED tib sb 5 ~ dial (1785-1902), EDD tib(b)'s eve, JOYCE 342 for sense 1; cp EDD Co quot for sense 2. For details of St Tibba, see Archer Taylor, 'On Tib's Eve, neither before nor after Christmas' in Studia Germanica tilägnade Ernst Albin Kock (1934), pp. 385-6.
1 A day that will never come; never.
1896 J A Folklore ix, 25 Till Tibs Eve—never. 1924 ENGLAND 79 'Can't dem foolies to de wheel kipp us
cl'ar when us goes 'starn? If it's 'pend on dey to putt us in de fat, us'll get dere on Tib's eve [never], I'm t'inkin'!' 1931 BYRNES 121 Aye indeed, sure you'll get it on Tibb's Eve. C 67-21 'it will be Tibb's Eve before you get that done.' If the person asked, 'when is Tibb's Eve?' you would reply, 'Tibb's Eve is neither before Christmas nor after.' M 68-24 I don't care if he's there till Tibb's Eve, he won't get out of that room till he knows every word of his lesson.
2 A day or two before Christmas.
P 245-55 ~ Dec 24, a period when 'anything goes.' P 174-68 ~ It means, or meant once, a specified date, the day before Christmas Eve. M 71-115 Tipsy Eve, December 23rd. What a day! School is out. Christmas has begun... Though I'm only guessing, I've always assumed that the name Tipsy Eve originated from this custom of the men going from house to house on the afternoon of December 23rd to test or taste each other's brew. M 71-122 Christmas really starts in my home on Tipps Eve which is the day before Christmas Eve. I have heard that it is called Tipps Eve because when men used to put up their own homebrew etc. they wouldn't drink it before Christmas. 1974 GREEN 83 Nevertheless, the first of the twelve days at Christmas, December 23, was known locally by the picturesque name of 'Tipsey Eve' and there would always be a dance to go with the 'near beer' in somebody's kitchen.
