Chapter Drawcansir to Drivelling Dotage of D by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

of "four rogues in buckram [who] let drive at him," where at means against or towards. "What are you driving at?" is, against or towards what object are you driving or moving?

Drive Off To defer, to procrastinate. The idea is, running away or drawing off from something that ought to be done, with the promise of coming to it at a future time.

Driveller An idiot, an imbecile, whose saliva drivels out of his mouth.

"And Swift expires a driveller and a show."

Drivelling Dotage In weak old age saliva drops unconsciously from the mouth.

"This exhibition of drivelling dotage was attended with many other incoherent expressions." - J. P. Kennedy The Swallow Barn, chap. xivii. p. 463.