blacking

He eventually found that blacking out the words with permanent marker proved more effective—but you can imagine how that looked.

Unless I do better I'll have to try selling papers or blacking boots.

Very likely you laugh at the fancy of shoe-blacking having anything to do with the farm labourer and agriculture.

The Bishop learned to glory in his blacking far more than he had ever done in the original mahogany.

Then Judy dotted the cotton with shoe blacking and it became a realistic imitation of royal ermine.

A tap at his door a little later, and young Ried appeared, shoe-brush and blacking-box in hand.