plump, v.1
3. trans. colloq. To utter abruptly; (now) esp. to blurt out. Now rare. Cf. PLUMP adv. 3.
1579 W. FULKE Heskins Parl. Repealed in D. Heskins Ouerthrowne 96 This is a verie peremptorie sentence, plumped downe of you. 1580 J. BELL tr. J. Foxe Pope Confuted f. 51, Out of what puddle were plumped first their proude crakes of the absolute power of the vniuersal bishop. 1819 KEATS Let. 22 Sept. (1958) II. 179 Should you like me for a neighbour again? Come now, plump it out, I wont blush. 1861 T. HUGHES Tom Brown at Oxf. I. ix. 152, I plumped out that St. Paul’s was the finest cathedral in England. 1864 DICKENS Our Mutual Friend (1865) I. I. viii. 72 ‘If it ain’t a liberty to plump it out,’ said Mr. Boffin, ‘what do you do for your living?’ 1911 Sheboygan (Wisconsin) Press (Electronic text) 2 Sept., He plumped it out and told her.1934 G. B. SHAW Too True to be Good II. 65 It’s quite right that you should say it frankly and plainly. I envy and admire the frightful coolness with which you plump it all out.
5. intr. Originally: to vote at an election for only one candidate (even though entitled to vote for two or more). Now: to opt for one of two or more possibilities; (occas.) to decide or vote against.
Cf. to vote plump at PLUMP adv. 4.
1806 in Acct. Election Liverpool Nov. 1806, For Tarleton, a plumper, let’s vote one and all,..We’ll plump for Tarleton, to prove we are free. 1848THACKERAY Bk. Snobs xxviii, Friendship..induces me to plump for St. Michaels. 1866 ‘G. ELIOT’ Felix Holt I. xi. 243 I’ll plump or I’ll split for them as treat me the handsomest and are the most of what I call gentlemen. 1890 A. BARRÈRE & C. G. LELAND Dict. Slang II. 140/2 Plump, to… (Racing), to lay one’s money on one single horse. But I shall plump for Lord R. Ch.’s L’ Abbesse de Jouarre, who has been well tried. 1929 C. CONNOLLY Romantic Friendship (1975) 325, I have plumped against England. 1934 Discovery June 176/1 The more one knows..the less one is inclined to ‘plump’ for one particular solution rather than another. 1966 Observer 3 Apr. 10/5 A large section of the electorate plumped for the Liberals. 1976 Which? May 100/3We don’t think now is the best time to invest in equipment. Better to wait until one of the systems appears to be winning the battle and then plump for that. 1993 High Life (Brit. Airways) Oct. 64/1 True, the French plump mainly for pumpkins as cattle fodder, but they do a good line in potage au potiron.
The OED has 9 different noun, verb, and adjective varieties of “plump”, with about 50 attendant meanings. Since I’ve picked both these two, I can’t be said to be plumping for them.
