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Slang  *"-  "^ 

Analogues 

Past   and    Present 

A  Dictionary   Historical  and  Comparative  of  the 

Heterodox  Speech  of  all  Classes  of  Society 

FOR  more  than  Three  Hundred  Years 

IV/TJI  SYNONYMS   IN  ENGLISH,    FRENCH,    GERMAN, 
ITALIAN,    ETC. 

COMPILED    AND    EDITED    BY 

JOHN    S.   FARMER    &    W.    E.    HENLEY 

REVISED  edition    1909   (Original   Issue   1890) 

VOL.  L— A.-B. 

PRINTED    FOR     SUBSCRIBERS    ONLY 
MCMIX. 


Reference 


iQnQ 


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A  Dktfloiriary 
ASLUg  aed  Its  Aoalogiiies. 


A  PER  SE,  p/ir. 
(old  colloquial). — 
The  best  ;  first- 
class;  Al  {(j.v.)  : 
j-é?,?  Tip-top.  The 
usage  became 
popular  and  was 
extended  to  other 
vocables  ;  cf.  quots.  1602  and 
1603.     As  subs.  =a  paragon. 

c.  1470.  Blind  Harry,  Wallace 
[Jamieson  (1869),  20].  The  Aperse  of 
Scotland  [Wallace]. 

1475.  Henryson  (or  Henderson), 
Test.  Cresseide  [Sfeght,  Chaticer,  v. 
78].  The  floure  and  A  PER  SE  of  Troie  and 
Greece. 

c.  1488.  Crying  0/ Ane  Playe  [Laing, 
Early  Pop.  Poet,  Scotland,  ii.  16].  The 
lampe,  and  A  per  se  of  this  regioun,  in 
al  degre,  Of  welefair,  and  of  honestie, 
Renowne,  and  riche  aray. 

c.  1500.  MS.  Cantab,  Ff.  ii.  38,  f.  51. 
[Hazlitt,  Early  Pop.  Poet.,  i.  145]. 
Thow  schalt  be  an  apersey,  my  sone,  In 
mylys  ij  or  thre. 

1501.  Dunbar,  Poems,  Suppt.  (1865), 
277.     London,  thowe  arte  of  townes  A  per 

SE. 

1567.  Drant,  Horace  Epist.,  ii.  i. 
If  they  make  them  A  per  se  Aes  that  none 
are  like  to  them. 

1568.  Alex.  Scot,  Poems  (1821),  34. 
That  bird  of  bliss  in  beauty  is  In  erd  the 
only  A  PER  SE. 


1602.  QHAK.?.\>KAnì£,  Tro.  and  Cress., 
i.  2.  They  say  he  is  a  very  man  per  se, 
And  stands  alone. 

1603.  H.  Petowe,  Elizas  Funeral 
[Brvdges,  Rcstitiita,  iii.  26].  .\nd  sing- 
ing mourne  Eliza's  funerali.  The  E  per  se 
of  all  that  ere  hath  beene. 

i6io.  Mirr.for  Mag.,y]i.  Beholde 
me,  Baldwine,  A  per  se  of  my  age. 

1699.  King,  Furmetary,  ii.  And 
per  se  and  alone,  as  poets  use. 

1797.  Inchbald,  Wives,  etc.,  ii.  i. 
She  is  willing  to  part  and  divide  her  love, 
share  and  share  alike  ;  but  B  will  have  all 
or  none  ;  so  poor  A  must  remain  A  by 
herself  a. 

Ai,  phr.    (common). — Prime; 
first-class  ;  of  the  best  {see  quot. 

1903).     Also  FIRST  CLASS,  LETTER 

A  ;  Al  COPPER-BOTTOMED  ;  and 
Ai  AND  NO  mistake  :  Fr. 
marqué  à  VA  (money  coined  in 
Paris  was  formerly  stamped  with 
an  A).     Cf.  A  per  se. 

1369.  Chaucer,  Troilus  and  Cre- 
seide,  171.  Right  as  our  first  letter  is 
now  an  A,  In  beautie  first  so  stood  she 
makeles. 

1833.  Marryat,  Peter  Simple,  xliii. 
Broached  molasses,  cask  No.  i,  letter 
A. 

1837.  Dickens,  Pickwick  (1847), 
341.  '  He  must  be  a  first-rater,' said  .Sam. 
'  Ai,'  replied  Mr.  Roker. 


■^^^^M^'^mm 


A  per  se. 


A  aron. 


1851.    Stowe,   Dred.,  i.  313.    An  A 

NUMBER  ONE  COok,  AND  NO  MISTAKE. 

1855.  Taylor,  Still  Waters,  ii.  In 
short,  you're  Ai,  and  I'm  nobody. 

1857.  Hughes,  Tom  Brown  s  School- 
days, II.  vi.  I  want  to  be  Ai  at  cricket, 
and  football,  and  all  the  other  games. 

_  1861.  Reynolds's,  24  Nov.  The 
Chinese  police  are  certainly  Ai  at  such 
work. 

1869.  Trollope,  Phineas  Finn, 
xliii.  I  never  heard  such  a  word  before 
from  the  lips  of  a  young  ladj'.  Not  as 
Ai  ?  I  thought  it  simply  meant  very  good. 
.  .  .  Ai  is  a  ship— a  ship  that  is  very 
good. 

1876.  HiNDLEY,  Cheap  Jack,  229. 
She's  a  prime  girl,  she  is  ;  she  is  a  number 
ONE,  COPPER-BOTTOMED,  and  Can  sail  as 
well  in  her  stays  as  out  of  her  stays. 

1882.  Punch,  Ixxxii.  181,  I.  I  give 
him  a  first-rate  bottle  of  claret,  a  cup  of  Ai 
coffee,  a  glass  of  old  cognac,  and  the  best 
cigar  rnoney  can  buy,  and  then  I  .  .  .  find 
that  his  candid  opinion  coincides  with  my 
own. 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  46.  .She 
sported  her  number  one  gloss  on  her  hair, 
And  her  very  best  blush  on  her  cheek. 

1900.  Nisbet,  Sheep's  Clothing:,  88. 
How  proud  he  was  of  his  sweetheart  as  he 
listened  !  She  was  Ax  at  Lloyd's,  and  no 
.mistake  about  it. 

1903.  Lloyd's  Resister,  'Key.'  The 
character  A  denotes  New  Ships,  or  Ships 
Renewed  or  Restored.  The  Stores  of 
Vessels  are  denoted  by  the  figures  i  and  2  ; 
I  signifying  that  the  Vessel  is  well  and 
sufficiently  found. 

2.  (Fenian  :  obsolete).  —  See 
quot.  Sometimes  (erroneously) 
No.  I. 

c.  1866.  H.  J.  Byron,  MS.  note 
[Hotten's  Slang  Diet.,  now  in  Brit. 
Mus.],  s.v.  Ai.  a  title  for  the  commander 
of  900  men. 

Not  knowing  great  A  (or 
A    H)   KKOM    A    «ull's-foot  (or 
A  battlkdokk),     f>ht:     (old).— 
Ignorant  ;  illiterate.     See  B. 
c.  1401.     MS.  niffl>y,  41,  f.  5.     I  KNOW 

not    an    a    I-ROM    the    WVNn-MVLNE,    Ne 

a    n    i-ROM    a    holk-foot,    I    trowe,   ne 
thiscif  nother. 


1609.  Dekker,  GuFs  Home  Booke, 
3.  You  shall  not  neede  to  buy  bookes, 
no,  scorne  to  distinguish  a  B  from  a 
battledore. 

1630.  Taylor,  On  Coryat.  '  To  the 
gentlemen  readers  that  understand  a  B 

FROM  A  battledore  !  ' 

1660.  ììo\VEi-i^,  £n£:  Prov.,  16.  He 
knoweth  not  a  B  from  a  battle- 
door. 

1846.  Brackenbridge,  Mod.  Chiv., 
43.     There    were  members  who    scarcely 

KNEW  B  FROM  A  BULL's-FOOT. 

What  with  A,  and  what 
WITH  B.     See  What. 

To  GET  one's  a,  verb.  pkr. 
(Harrow).  —  To  pass  a  certain 
standard  in  the  gymnasium  :  the 
next  step  is  to  the  Gymnasium 
Eight. 

To  GET  A,  verb.  pkr.  (Felsted 
School). — To  be  (practically)  free 
of  all  restriction  as  to  bounds  : 
nominally  the  other  bounds  were, 
B  =  the  ordinary  limit,  the  roads 
about  a  mile  from  the  school  ;  C 
=  punishment  bounds,  confine- 
ment to  the  cricket  field  and 
playground  ;  and  D  =  confine- 
ment to  the  old  school-house 
playground,  one  of  the  common- 
est forms  of  punishment  till  1876, 
when  the  present  school-house 
was  opened.  C  and  D  were  also 
known  respectively  as  Mongrel 
and  Quod. 

Aaron,  subs.  (Old  Cant).— i.  A 
CADGER  {q.v.);  a  beggar 
mountain-guide.  [Gesenius  : 

'prob.  Heb.  AARON  is  a  deriva- 
tive of  Hâron  =  a  mountaineer.'] 

2.  (thieves'). — The  leader  of  a 
gang:  always  with  'the'  as  a 
prefix. 


3.     (old), 
churci). 


A    leader    of   the 


Aaron  s-rod. 


Abbey. 


1607.  TopsELL,  Four-footed  Beasts, 
'  Ep.  Dedic'  Aarons  and  such  as  sit 
at  the  Helme  of  the  Church  ...  I  mean 
both  Bishops  and  Doctors. 

Aaron's-rod,  subs.  phr.  (venery). 
— The  penis  :  see  Prick. 

Aars.     See  Arse. 

A.B.,  subs.  phr.  (nautical).  —  'An 
A[b]e]-b[odied]  '  seaman. 

1875.  Chambers'  Jo.,  627.  Of  all  the 
European  sailors  by  far  the  most  reliable 
were  five  stalwart  A.B.'s. 

Abaa,  subs,  and  adj.  (common). — 
A  term  of  contempt  :  generic. 
As  subs.  =a  non-unionist  :  as  adj. 
=  vile,  silly. 

Aback.  To  take  aback,  verb, 
phr.  (colloquial).- — To  surprise  ; 
to  check  :  suddenly  and  forcibly. 
[Orig.  nautical  :  in  which  sense 
(O.E.D.)  dating  from  1754.] 

1840.  Hood,  Up  the  Rhine,  21. 
The  boy,  in  sea  phrase,  was  taken  all 

ABACK. 

1842.  Dickens,  Amer.  Notes,  52.  I 
don't  think  I  was  ever  so  taken  aüack  in 
all  my  life. 

1878.  BoswoRTH  Smith,  Carthage, 
95.  For  the  moment  taken  aback  by  the 
strange  appearance. 

Abacter  (or  Abactor),  subs.  (old). 
— See  quot.  1691. 

1659.  Hammond,  On  Psalms,  cxliv. 
14.  696.  Invaders  and  abactors,  whose 
breaking  in  .  .  is  attended  with  the  cattels 
passing  through  or  going  out. 

1691.  Blount,  Z«jy  Z>/c/.  Abactors 
{abactores)  were  stealers  of  Cattle  or 
Beasts,  by  Herds,  or  great  numbers  ;  and 
were  distinguished  from  Fures. 

1818.  Annual  Register.  [Abridged. 
One  of  the  tricks  of  the  abacters  of  old 
Smithfield  was  the  driving  a  bullock  into  a 
jeweller's  or  other  shop,  and  during  the 
confusion  the  abacter's  confederates 
would  help  themselves  to  any  valuables 
handy  .  .  .  one  shop  was  so  served  three 
times  in  the  year.] 


1829.  Lamb,  Corr.  witli  Procter,  29 
Jan.  I  thought  .  .  .  the  abactor  or 
abactor's  wife  {vide  Ainsworth)  would 
suppose  she  had  heard  something  ;  and  I 
have  delicacy  for  a  sheep-stealer. 

Abaddon,  subs,  (thieves').  —  A 
thief  turned  informer  ;  a  snitch- 
ER  [q.v.).  [Obviously  a  Jew 
fence's  punning  reference  to 
Abaddon  =  the  '  angel  of  the 
bottomless  pit  '  :  Rev.  ix.  11.] 

Abandannad  (or  Abandan- 
NAAD),  subs,  (thieves'). —I.  A 
handkerchief  (or  bandanna)  thief. 
Hence  (2)  a  petty  thief. 
[Brewer  :  '  A  contraction  {sic) 
of  a  bandanna  lad.'] 

Abandoned  Habit,  stibs.  phr. 
(obsolete).  —  In  />/.  =spec.  the 
riding  demimonde  in  Rotten 
Row. 

Abber,  subs.  (Harrow).  — I.  An 
abstract  ;  (2)  an  ABSIT  {q.v.).- 

Abbess  (or  Lady  Abbess),  subs. 
(old). — A  bawd  ;  a  stewardess  of 
the  STEWS  {q.v.):  cf.  Abbot; 
Nun  ;  Sacristan,  etc.  (Grose), 

1770.  FooTE,  Lame  Lover,  i.  Who 
should  trip  by  but  an  abbess,  well  known 
about  town,  with  a  smart  little  nun. 

1782.  WOLCOT  [P.  Pindar],  Odes  to 
the  Pope,  Ode  ii.  {IVoriis  (Dublin,  1795), 
II.  492].  So  an  old  abbess,  for  the  ratt- 
ling rakes,  A  tempting  dish  of  human 
nature  makes.  And  dresses  up  a  luscious 
maid. 

1821.  Egan,  Life  in  London,  11.  i. 
Those  three  nymphs  .  .  .  are  three  nuns  ; 
and  the  plump  female  is  of  great  notoriety, 
and  generally  designated  the  abbess. 

1840.  W.  KiDD,  London  and  all  Its 
Dangers.  Wretches  who  traffic  in  the 
souls  and  bodies  of  their  helpless  victims 
are  called  lady  abbesses. 

Abbey,  To  bring  an  abbey  to 
A  grange,  verb.  phr.  (old). — To 
squander.  Also  ABLE  TO  BUY 
AN   ABBEY  (Ray  :   '  wc  speak  it 


Abbey-laird. 


Abbot. 


of  an  unthrift  ').  Among  kindred 
expressions  are  :  To  bring  a  noble 
to  ninepence  ;  to  make  of  a  lance 
a  thorn  ;  to  make  of  a  pair  of 
breeches  a  purse  ;  to  thwite  a 
mill-post  to  a  pudding- prick  ; 
'  His  windmill  is  dwindled  into  a 
nut  -  cracker  '  ;  from  abbess  to 
lay -sister. 

Abbey- LAIRD,  suhs.  phr.  (old 
Scots).  —  An  insolvent  debtor  : 
spec,  of  one  sheltered  in  the 
sanctuary  of  Holyrood  Abbey. 

1709.  FouNTAiNHALL,  Decisions,  11. 
518.  If  he  offered  to  go  back  to  the 
Abbey,  and  was  enticed  to  stay,  and 
hindered  to  go. 

c.  1776.    Cock  Laird  [Herd,  Ballads, 

II.  36].  When  broken,  frae  care  The  fools 
are   set   free,  When  we  make  them  cock 

LAIRDS  IN  THE  ABBEY,  qUOth  she. 

1861.     Chambers,  Dom.  Ann.  Scot., 

III.  349.  The  Abbey  lairds  .  .  .  were 
enabled  to  come  forth  on  that  day  [Sun- 
day], and  mingle  in  their  wonted  society. 

Abbey-lubber  (or  Loon),  subs. 
(old). — An  idler;  a  vagabond: 
orig.  (prior  to  the  Reformation) 
a  lazy  monk  or  hanger-on  to  a 
religious  house.  Hence  abbey- 
LUBHKR-LIKK  =  lazy,  thriftless, 
ne'er-do-well.     See  Lubbkr. 

1509.  Uarclav,  Pociits  [Percy  Soc, 
xxii.  p.  xxxvi].  [An]  abbey  lowne  or 
limnier  of  a  monke. 

1538.  9)TKKKV.w,  Enrlatid{iiji),  131. 
The  nuryschyng  also  of  a  grete  sorte  of 
idul  AHBKV-LUBBAKYs  wych  arc  apte  to  no 
thyng  but  ...  to  ete  and  dr^'nke. 

1563.  '/'In-  /Surnyni^e  0/  Paules 
Church  (Hai.i.iwei.l].  "fhe  most  of  that 
which  ihcy  did  bestow  was  on  the  riche, 
and  not  the  poure  iiidedc  .  .  .  but  lither 
LUBBKKs  that  might  workc  and  would  not. 
In  so  much  that  it  came  into  a  commen 
proverbe  to  call  him  an  aiuiav-lubiikk, 
that  was  idle,  wel  fed,  a  long  lewd  lithvr 
loiterer,  that  might  worke  and  would  not. 

1570.  ÜARNABK  Goofji'.,  Popish 
Kin^domc,  ii.  at.  .So  Aiuiv  luhhlk  lvke 
Ihcy  liuc  &  LorJu,  they  called  bcc. 


1589.  Nashe,  Anat.  Absur.,  7. 
Those  exiled  Abbie-lubbers,  from  whose 
idle  pens,  preceded  those  worne  out  im- 
pressions of  the  feyned  no  where  acts,  of 
Arthur  of  the  rounde  table. 

161 1.  CoTGRAVE,  Did.,  s.v.  ArcHl- 
7nar>ititon-erasiiguc,  an  Abbey-lubber, 
or  Arch-frequenter  of  the  Cloyster  beefe- 
pot  or  beefe-boyler. 

1648.  Herrick,  Hesperides,  'The 
Temple,'  i.  128.  Of  Cloyster-Monks  they 
have  enow,  I,  and  their  Abby-Lubbers, 
too. 

1655.  Fuller,  Church  History,  \.  v. 
28.  Abbey  labourers,  not  Abbey-lubbers 
like  their  Successours  in  after-Ages. 

1680.  Dryden,  Spanish  Friar,  iii. 
3.  This  is  ...  no  huge,  overgrown 
abbey  lubber  ;  this  is  but  a  diminutive 
sucking  friar. 

1603.  Robertson,  Phras.  Gen.,  446, 
A  porridge-belly  Friar,  an  abbey  lubber. 

1705.  HiCKERiNGli.L,  Priest-Cr.,  II. 
iv.  45.  The  Dissolution  of  Monasteries 
that  fed  Abby-Lubbers  and  wanton  Nuns. 


Abbot,  subs.  (old).  —  A  bawd's 
man;  a  roNCE  {q.v.):  see 
Abbess.       Whence    abbot     on 

THE        CROSS        (or        CROZIERED 

abbot)  =  the    BULLY   {q.v.)    of  a 
brothel. 

Abbot  (or  Lord)  of  Mis- 
rule, subs.  phr.  (old). — The 
leader  of  the  Christmas  revels  : 
see  quots.  Also  (Scots)  Abbot 
ok  U.N  reason,  and  Fr.  Abbé  de 
Liesse  (  =  Abbot  of  Joy). 

1591.  LvLV,  EndiniioH,  v.  2.  No 
Epi,  love  is  a  lord  ok  misrule,  and 
keepeth  the  Christmas  in  my  corps. 

1603.  Stowe,  London,  72.  First,  at 
Christmasse,  there  was  in  the  kinge's 
house,  wheresoever  hee  was  lodged,  a 
LORD  i)K  MisRULHj  Or  m.iystcr  of  merie  dis- 
porters,  and  the  like  had  ye  in  the  house 
of  every  noble  man,  of  honor  or  good 
worshippc,  were  he  spirituali  or  temporali. 
— These  lordes,  beginning  their  rule  on 
Alhollun  eve,  continued  the  s.inic  till  the 
morrow  after  the  feast  of  the  Purification, 
commonly  called  Candlemas  day.  In  all 
which  space  there  were  fine  and  subtile 
disguisiiigs,  maskes,  and  mummeries,  etc. 


Abbotts'  Priory. 


Abizail. 


1822.  Nares,  Glossary,  s.v.  Mis- 
KUi.K.  There  is  little  doubt  that  all  these 
contrivances  for  encouraging  and  enliven- 
ing the  sports  of  Christmas,  were  derived 
from  the  more  ancient  feast  of  the  Boy- 
Bishop,  which  being  found  superstitious, 
and  liable  to  various  abuses,  was  put 
down  by  proclamation,  in  1542. 

Abbotts'  Priory,  subs.  phr. 
(obsolete).  —  The  King's  Bench 
prison  :  Abbot's  Park  =  the 
rules  thereof  (Grose,  1823,  Bee). 
[Sir  Charles  Abbott,  afterwards 
Lord  Tenterden,  was  Lord  C.  -J. 
of  the  King's  Bench,  1818.] 

A,      B,      C     (The),     subs.     phr. 

(common).  —  i.      The    A,    B,    C 
(  =  Alphabetical)  Railway  Guide. 

2.  (London).  —  An  establish- 
ment of  the  Aerated  Bread  Com- 
pany :  orig.  bakers,  now  refresh- 
ment caterers.  Hence  A.  B.C.■ 
GIRL=a  waitress  therein. 

3.  (Christ's  Hospital).  —  ^le, 
Äead  and  Cheese  on  'going 
home  night.' 

4.  (old). — Generic  for  begin- 
nings. Thus,  LIKE  (or  AS  EASY 
as)  ABC  =  facile,  as  simple  as 
learning  the  alphabet  ;  DOWN  to 
THE  ABC=:down  to  first  prin- 
ciples, or  the  simplest  rudiments. 

1595.  Shakspeare,  King  John,  i.  i. 
196.  And  then  comes  answer  like  an 
Absey  book. 

1899.  Whiteing,  John  Street,  iv. 
He  lacks  everything — clothing,  flesh  to 
hang  it  on,  all  the  amenities  presumptively 
down  to  the  ABC. 

5.  (venery). — The  female  pu- 
dendum :  see  Monosyllable. 

Abear,  verb,  (colloquial  or  vulgar). 
— To  endure  ;  to  suffer.  [O.E.D.  : 
'  A  word  of  honourable  an- 
tiquity ;    widely    diffused   in    the 


dialects  ;  in  London  reckoned  as 
a  vulgarism.'  Quots.  are  given 
dated  885,  1 175,  and  1230,  with 
a  gap  to  1836-7  infi-a.] 

1836.  Dickens,  Sketches  (1850),  151. 
2.  The  young  lady  denied  having  formed 
any  such  engagements  at  all — she  couldn't 
ABEAK  the  men,  they  were  such  deceivers. 

1855.  Atkinson,  Whitby  Glossary, 
s.v.  She  cannot  abear  that  man,  very 
much  dislikes  him. 

1864.  Tennyson,  Northern  Farmer, 
64.     I  couldn  ABEAR  to  See  it. 


Abel.     See  Indorse. 


Abelwhackets. 

KETS. 


See  Ablewhac- 


Aberdeen  Cutlet,  subs.  phr. 
(common). — A  dried  haddock  : 
cf.  Billingsgate  pheasant. 

Abigail,  subs.  (old). — A  waiting- 
woman  ;  a  lady's  maid.  [Abi- 
gail, a  waiting  gentlewoman  in 
The  Scornful  Lady  (1616)  by 
Beaumont  and  Fletcher  :  also 
see  I  Sam.  xxv.  24-31.]  Hence 
Abigailship  (Grose).  Cf. 
Andrew,  Acres,  etc. 

1663.  KiLLiGREW,  Parson's  Wed- 
ding, ii.  6  [DODSLEY,  Old  Plays  (1780), 
xi.  390].  The  welcomest  thing  to  Mrs. 
Abigail  [a  waiting  woman],  except  Tib 
and  Tom  in  the  stock. 

1666.  Pepys,  Diary,  iv.  195.  By 
coach  to  the  King's  play-house,  and  there 
saw  '  The  Scornful  Lady  '  well  acted  ;  Doll 
Common  doing  Abigail  most  excellently, 
and  Knipp  the  widow,  very  well. 

1693.  CoNGREVE,  Old  Bachelor,  iii. 
6.  I  begin  to  smoke  ye  :  thou  art  some 
forsaken  Abigail  we  have  dallied  with. 
Ibid.  (1700),  Way  of  the  World,  v.  i.  A 
botcher  of  second-hand  marriages  between 
Abigails  and  Andrews. 

1694.  Reply  to  Lad.  and  Bach. 
Petit.  [Harl.  Misc.,  iv.  440].  Whereas 
they  [the  chaplains]  petition  to  be  freed 
from  any  obligation  to  marry  the  chamber 
maid,  we  can  by  no  means  assent  to  it  ; 
the  ABIGAIL,  by  immemorial  custom,  being 
a  deodand,  and  belonging  to  holy  Church. 


A  bincrdon-law . 


A  bracadabra. 


d.  1704.  Brown,  Works,  i.  6.  It  is 
ten  to  one  but  there  is  an  Abigail  .  .  . 
that  must  be  married. 

1709.  Ward,  Terrœfilius,  vi.  11. 
Abigail  .  .  .  was  Aminidab's  servant  till 
happening  to  uncover  her  Nakedness  .  .  . 
he  thought  it  best  ...  to  take  the  Damsel 
to  Wife. 

1715.  Addison,  Drummer,  n.  i. 
Here   comes   Abigail,    I    must    tease    the 


1727.      SOMERVILLE,  /^rttói-,   '  OfficioUS 

Messenger.'     Her  ladyship  began  to  call, 
For  hartshorn  and  her  Abigail. 

1749.  Smollett,  Gil  Bias  (1812), 
IV.  I  know  well  enough  how  to  behave 
with  ABIGAILS  and  actresses. 

1750.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  xi.  ii. 
The  mistress  was  no  sooner  in  bed  than 
the  maid  prepared  to  follow  her  example. 
She  began  to  make  many  apologies  to  her 
sister  ABIGAIL  for  leaving  her  alone. 

1771.  Smollett,  Hiimphry  Clinker 
(1815),  57.  An  antiquated  Abigail  dressed 
in  her  lady's  cast  clothes. 

1803.  Jane  Porter,  Tltaddeus 
[Warne],  72.  The  appellation  '  Mistress  ' 
put  her  in  mind  of  her  .  .  .  abigailship. 

1809.  Malkin,  CjU  Bias  [Rout- 
ledge],  iii.  This  precious  Abigail  .  .  . 
was  just  as  young,  just  as  pretty,  and 
just  as  loose  as  her  mistress. 

1827.  Lytton,  PeDiam,  xxiii.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  the  Abigail  released 
me. 

1837.  Carlyle,  Diamond  Necklace. 
Mantua-maker,  soubrette,  court-beggar, 
fine  lady  Abigail,  and  scion  of  royalty. 

1858.  V.I.IOT,  Mr.  Gilßrs  Love-Story, 
iii.  Mrs.  Sharp,  then  a  blooming  Abigail 
of  three-and-thirty,  entered  her  lady's  pri- 
vate room. 

ipoo.  Lynch,  Hiçh  Stakes,  viii. 
Van  Duyn  turned  to  the  Abigail.  '  May 
we  open  the  window?'  '  If  the  gentleman 
pleases,'  the  woman  returned  stiffly. 


Abingdon-LAW,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
Summary  ])unishment  :  cf.  Stai"- 

KOkD-LAW  ;  LyDP'ORD-LAW  ; 

Scarborou(;h-warning,  etc. 
[In  1645,  'ord  P^ssex  and  Waller 
held  Abingdon,  in  Berks,  against 
Charles  I.  The  town  was  un- 
succes.sf  Lilly      attacked       l;y      Sir 


Stephen  Hawkins  in  1644,  and 
by  prince  Rupert  in  1645.  On 
these  occasions  the  defenders  put 
every  Irish  prisoner  to  death  with- 
out trial.] 

Ablewhackets    (or    Abelwhac- 

KETS),  subs,  (nautical  :  obsolete). 
— See  quot.  (Grose). 

1867.  Smyth,  Sailor's  Word  Book, 
s.v.  Able-whackets.  a  popular  sea 
game  with  cards,  wherein  the  loser  is 
beaten  over  the  palms  of  the  hands  with  a 
handkerchief  tightly  twisted  like  a  rope. 
Very  popular  with  horny-fisted  sailors. 

Aboard,  adv.  (old). — 5i?equot. 

1758.  Dyche,  ÄV/.,  s.v.  Aboard.  In 
sports  and  games  this  phrase  signifies  that 
the  person  or  side  in  the  game  that  was 
either  none,  or  but  few,  has  now  got  to  be 
as  many  as  the  other. 


About.      See      East 
Right  ;  Size. 


(Suppt.); 


Above.  See  Bend  ;  Par  (Suppt.)  ; 
Hooks  ;  Huckleberry  ;  Per- 
simmon. 

Abracadabra,  subs,  (old).— i.  A 
cabalistic  word,  formerly  used  as 
a  charm.  Hence  (2),  any  word- 
charm,  verbal  jingle,  gibberish, 
nonsense,  or  extravagancy. 

....  Additional  MSS.  [Brit. 
Mus.],  5008.  Mr.  Banester  sayth  that  he 
healed  200  in  one  yer  of  an  ague,  by  hang- 
ing Abracadabra  about  ther  necks,  and 
wold  stanch  blood,  or  heal  the  toothake, 
althogh  the  partyes  wer  10  myle  of 

1687.  Aubrey's  Remaincs  of  Gentil- 
isme,  124  (1881).  [In  this  work  abraca- 
dabra is  given  arranged  trianglewise,  as  a 
spell.]  Ibid.  (1696),  Misc.,  105.  Abraca- 
dabra, a  mysterious  word,  to  which  the 
superstitious  in  former  times  attributed  a 
magical  power  to  e.\pel  Diseases. 

1711.  Spectator,  No.  221.  I  would 
not  have  my  reader  surprised,  if  hereafter 
he  sees  any  of  my  papers  marked  with  a  Q, 
.T  Z,  a  V,  an  I'tc,  or  with  the  word  abraca- 
dabra. 


Abraham. 


Abraham-man. 


1722.  jyE-VOK,  Journal  o/ihe  Plague 
[Brayley  (1835),  56].  'This  mysterious 
word  [abracadabra],  which,  written  in 
the  form  of  a  triangle  or  a  pyramid,  was 
regarded  as  a  talisman  or  charm  of  wonder- 
ful power.  It  originated  in  the  supersti- 
tions of  a  very  remote  period,  and  was 
recommended  as  an  antidote  by  Serenus 
Sammonicus,  a  Roman  physician,  who 
lived  in  the  early  part  of  the  third  century, 
in  the  reigns  of  the  emperors  Severus  and 
Caracalla.  Its  efficacy  was  reputed  to  be 
most  powerful  in  agues  and  other  disorders 
of  a  febrile  kind,  and  particularly  against 
the  fever  called  by  the  physicians  Hemi- 
tritfflus.' 

1829.      COLERIDGK,      Aids       to       Rcfl. 

(1848),  I.  130.  Leave  him  .  .  .  to  retaliate 
the  nonsense  of  blasphemy  with  the  abra- 
cadabra of  presumption. 

1837.  Barham,  Ingoldsby  Legends, 
'Lay  of  St.  Dunstan.'  The  words  of 
power  !  ...  I  know  there  are  three, 
And  Abracadabra  .  .  .  is  one  of  them. 

1879.  Literary  World,  5  Dec,  358, 
2.  The  new  abracadabra  of  science, 
'  organic  evolution.' 


Abraham,  sîibs.  (venery). — i.  The 
penis  :  see  PRICK  and  cf.  Abra- 
ham's BOSOM  =  the  female  puden- 
dum, 

2.  (East  End). — A  cheap 
clothier's  ;  a  SLOP  {q.v.  ),  or  HAND- 
ME-DOWN  shop  {(/.v.).  Hence, 
Abraham  work  =  ill-paid  work  ; 
sweated  labour  {see  Abraham- 
man). 

Adj.  (old).  —  I.  '  Auburn  '  : 
formerly  written  abern  and  abron. 
Also  Abram  and  Abraham- 
coloured. 

1592.  Kyd  [?],  Soliman  a7id  Pcrscda 
[DoDSLEY,  Old  Plays  (Hazlitt),  v.  363]. 
Where  is  the  eldest  son  of  Priam,  That 
Abraham-coloured  Trojan? 

1599.  Hall,  Satires,  ni.  v.  7.  A 
lustie  courtier  whose  curled  head.  With 
abron  locks  was  fairely  furnished. 

1602.  MiDDLETON,  Blurt,  I\Ias/t  r 
Constable.  Overall  A  goodly,  long,  thick, 
Abkaham-colour'd  beard. 


1607.  Shakspeare,  Coriolanus,  ii. 
3.  21.  Some  brown,  some  black,  some 
Abram  [folio  1683  'auburn'],  some  bald. 

1627.  V^PlCviPlM,  Complete  Gent.,  155. 
I  shall  pass  to  the  exposition  of  certain 
colours — Abram-colour,  i.e.  brown,  AU- 
BURNE  or  ABBORNE,  i.e.,  brown  or  brown- 
black. 

1656.  Lau.  Price,  Jack  in  a  Box 
[AsHTON,  Humour,  etc.,  200].  Browne, 
or  Abraham  Colouk,  thats  hälfe  Nits  and 
half  Lice. 

2.     See  Abraham-man. 

Abraham  Grains,  subs,  (thieves'  : 
obsolete). — A  publican  brewing 
his  own  beer. 

Abraham-man (Abram,  Abram- 
man  or  Abram-cove),  subs.  phr. 
(Old  Cant). — See  quots.  :  also 
Bedlam  beggar  {q.v.)  and  Tom 
OF  Bedlam.  [These  sturdy 
beggars  roamed  the  country,  beg- 
ging and  stealing,  down  to  the 
period  of  the  Civil  Wars.  ]  Hence 
TO  SHAM  (or  do)  Abram  (or  to 
Abraham  sham)  =  (i)  to  feign 
madness  ;  and  (2)  to  sham  sick 
(nautical).  Also  Abram,  adj.  = 
(  I  )  naked  (Grose),  (2)  =  mad,  and 
(3)=shamming  sick  ;  Abraham- 
woRK  =  shams  of  all  kinds,  false 
pretences  :  whence  to  go  on 
the  Abraham  suiT  =  to  resort 
to  trick  or  artifice.  See  Abra- 
ham, subs.  2.  [The  Mad  Tom 
of  King  Lear  is  an  Abram-man  : 
see  Edgar's  description,  iii.  4.] 

1567.  Awdeley,  Frat.  of  Vaca- 
bondes.  An  Abraham-man  is  he  that 
walketh  bare-armed,  and  bare-legged,  and 
fayneth  hymselfe  mad,  and  caryeth  a  packe 
of  wool,  or  a  styck  with  baken  on  it,  or 
such  lyke  toy,  and  nameth  himself  poore 
Tom. 

1575.  Harman,  Caveat  (i8r4),  29. 
These  Abraham  men  be  those  that  fayn 
themselves  to  have  bene  mad,  and  have 
bene  kept  either  in  Bethlehem,  or  in  some 
other  pryson  a  good  time,  and  not  one 
amongst  twenty  that  ever  came  in  prison 
for  any  such  cause. 


Abraham-man. 


Abroad. 


1610.  Rowlands,  Martin  Mark-all, 
36  (H.  Club's  Repr.,  1874).  Abram 
madde.  He  maunds  Abram,  he  begs  as 
a  madde  man. 

1622.  Fletcher,  Beggars  Busk,  ii. 
I.  Jarkraan,  or  Patrico,  Cranke,  or 
Clapper-dudgeon,  Frater,  or  Abram-man  ; 
I  speak  to  all  That  stand  in  fair  election 
for  the  title  Of  king  of  beggars. 

1625.  Massinger,  New  Way  to  Pay 
Old  Debts,  ii.  i.  Are  they  padders  or 
Abram-men  that  are  your  consorts? 

1632.  Dekker,  Eng.  Villanies.  The 
Abraham  cove  is  a  lustie  strong  rogue 
who  walketh  with  a  slate  about  his 
quarrons. 

1671.  R.  Head,  English  Rogue,  i. 
V.  47  (1874).     Abram,  naked. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
Abram-men,  c.  the  seventeenth  Order  of 
the  Canting-crew.  Beggers  antickly 
trick 'd  up  with  Ribbands,  Red  Tape, 
Foxtails,  Rags,  etc.,  pretending  Madness 
to  palliate  their  Thefts  of  Poultrey,  Linnen, 
etc. 

1724.  'S,.  C01.E.S,  Eng.  Diet.  Abram 
COVE,  naked  or  poor  man. 

1759.  Goldsmith,  Citizen  0/  the 
World,  cxix.  He  swore  that  I  understood 
my  business  perfectly  well,  but  that  I 
shammed  Abraham  merely  to  be  idle. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Abram  cove.  A  cant  word  among  thieves, 
signifying  a  naked  or  poor  man  ;  also  a 
lusty  strong  rogue.  Ibid.  Abram  sham. 
To  pretend  sickness. 

1822.  Nakes,  Glossary,  s.v.  Abra- 
ham-men. A  set  of  vagabonds,  who 
wandered  about  the  country,  soon  after  the 
dissolution  of  the  religious  houses  ;  the 
provision  for  the  poor  in  those  places  being 
cut  off,  and  no  other  substituted. 

1825.  Scott,  St.  Ronan's  Well,  xxi. 
There  is  a  trick  for  you  to  find  an  Aukam- 
man,  and  save  sixpence  when  he  begs  as  a 
disbanded  seaman. 

1830.  Hood,  Ode  to  Rae  Wilson.  I 
own  I  snake  my  sides  at  ranters,  And  treat 
sham  Abr'am  saints  with  wicked  banters. 

1849.  Br(">nté,  Shirley,  xxxiii. 
Matthew,  sceptic  and  scoffer,  .  .  .  mut- 
tered some  words,  amongst  which  the 
phrase  shamming  Abraham  had  been 
very  distinctly  audible. 

1859.  Matsell,  Vocabulum,  s.v. 
Abraham  Covk.  A  naked  or  poor  man  ; 
a  beggar  in  rags. 


1887.  Henley,  Villon's  Good  Night. 
You  cadgers  on  the  Abram-sham. 

1899.  Besant,  Orange  Girl,  148. 
Your  Cousin  Mathew  is  as  mad  as  an 
Abram-man. 

Abraham  Newland,  subs. — A 
bank  note  (Grose,  Bee).  [Abra- 
ham Newland  was  chief  cashier 
to  the  Bank  of  England,  from 
1778  to  1S07.]  Hence  TO  sham 
Abraham  =  to  forge  bank  paper 
{see  Abraham-man). 

c.  1778-1807.  Dibdin,  Song.  I  have 
heard  people  say  that  sham  Abraham 
you  may  ;  ah,  every  day  ;  But  you  must 
not  sham  Abraham  Newland. 

1829.  Scott,  Letter  [Croker  Papers, 
II.  36].  A  bank  note  seems  to  terrify 
everybody  out  of  their  wits,  and  they  will 
rather  give  up  their  constitution  to  Hunt 
and  Cobbett  than  part  with  an  Abraham 
Newland  to  preserve  it. 

Abraham's-balm,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— Hanging  :  see  Ladder. 

Abraham's-bosom,  subs.  phr. 
(common).  —  i.  Dead  and  gone 
to  heaven  :  cf.  quot.  and  Luke 
xvi,  22. 

1599.  Shaksi'eare,  Henry  V.,  ii.  3. 
Nay,  sure  [FalstafTs]  not  in  hell:  he's  in 
Arthur's  bosom,  if  ever  man  went  to 
Arthur's  bosom. 

2.  (venery). — The    female  pu- 
dendum :  see  Monosyllable. 

Abraham's  Eye,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— See  quot. 

I5[?).  MS.  on  Magic.  [Here  given 
as  a  magicxl  charm,  the  application  of 
which  was  supposed  to  deprive  a  thief, 
who  refused  to  confess  his  crime,  of  eye- 
sight.) 

Abraham's  Willing,  subs.  phr. 
(rliyniing).  —  A  shilling  :  see 
Rhino. 

Abroad,  adv.  (colloquial).  —  i. 
Wide  of  the  mark  ;  out  of  one's 
reckoning  ;  jicrplexcd. 


A  broaded. 


Absit. 


1821.  Fancy,  i.  255.  In  the  fourth 
round  he  came  in  all  ahroad,  and  got 
a  doubler  in  the  bread-basket. 

1837.  Barham,  Ingolds.  Legends, 
'  Legend  of  Dover.'  To  be  all  abroad — 
to  be  'stumped,'  not  to  know  where  To 
go — so  disgraced. 

1838.  Dickens,  Nich.  Nickleby,  vi. 
33.  I'm  only  a  little  abroad.  /bid. 
(1840),  Old  Curiosity  Shop,  Ixi.  'My 
friend  !  '  repeated  Kit,  '  you're  all 
abroad,  seemingly,'  returned  the  other 
man. 

1846.  Thackeray,  Vanity  Fair,  v. 
At  the  twelfth  round  the  latter  champion 
was  all  abroad  .  .  .  had  lost  all  presence 
of  mind,  and  power  of  attack  or  defence. 

1876.  M.  Arnold,  Lit.  and  Dogma, 
244.  The  first  deals  successfully  with 
nearly  the  whole  of  life,  while  the  second 
is  all  abroad  in  it. 

To  COME  ABROAD,  verb.  phr. 
(Winchester  Coll.). — To  return 
to  school  work  after  sickness. 
When  on  the  sick  list  he  is 
CONTINENT  {^.z'.)  :  cf.  Old  Eng. 
usage  =  out  of  one's  house  or 
abode  (Langland,  Udall, 
Shakspeare).  Also  to  be 
FURKED  ABROAD  =  to  be  sent 
back  to  school  after  going  '  Con- 
tinent '  :  an  implication  of 
shamming. 

Abroaded,  adj.  and  adv.  (old). — 
See  quot.  and  cf.  Abroad. 

1876.  M  ANTON,  Slangiana,  11. 
Fashionable  slang  for  a  noble  defaulter  on 
the  Continent  {sic)  to  avoid  creditors. 
It  was  police  slang  for  convicts  sent  to 
a  colonial  or  penal  settlement,  but  it  is 
also  applied  by  thieves  to  imprisonment 
merely. 

Abs,  intj.  (Winchester  Coll.) — i. 
'  Absent  '  :  placed  against  the 
name  of  a  boy  when  absent  from 
school. 

Verb.  —  I.  To  take  away. 
Formerly,  circa  1840,  to  abs  a 
tolly  (candle),  meant  to  put  it 
out  ;  now  it  =  to   take  it  away. 


whether  lighted  or  unlighted  : 
the  modern  NOTION  {q.v.)  for 
putting  it  out  being  to  '  dump  ' 
it. 

2.  To  get  (or  put)  away  ; 
generally  in  the  imperative  :  e.g. 
'  ABS  !  '  Hence,  to  abs  quickly 
=  TO  STIR  one's  stumps  (q.v.)  or 
to    put  things  away  with  speed. 

To  HAVE  one's   wind   ABSED    = 

to  get  a  BREATHER  {q.v.)  in  the 
stomach. 

Abscotchalater,  subs,  (thieves'). 
—  'One  in  hiding  from  the 
police'  :  cf.  Absquatulate. 

Absence,  subs.  (Eton).  —  Names- 
calling. 

1856.  Lettsom,  Floggawaya,  6. 
So  the  Lord  of  Puggawaugin  Laid  on 
them  an  extra  absence. 

1865.  Pati  Mall  Gaz.,  8  June,  10. 
Absence,  as  it  is  called  at  Eton,  requiring 
the  presence  of  the  boys  to  answer  their 
names. 

1867.  Collins,  Public  Schools,  174. 
The  elevens  were  made  up,  as  they  best 
might,  out  of  such  adventurous  spirits  as 
dared  to  skip  '  roll-calls  '  and  absence  for 
the  purpose. 

Absent.  Absent  without 
LEAVE,  adv.  phr.  (thieves'). — 
Said  of  one  who  has  broken 
prison  ;  or  (common)  absconded. 

Absentee,  subs.  (Australian). — A 
convict. 
1837.  Jas.  Mudie,  Felonry  of  New 
South  Wales,  vii.  The  ludicrous  and 
affected  philanthropy  .  .  .  advertising  run- 
away convicts  under  the  soft  and  gentle 
name  of  absentees. 

Absent-minded  Beggar,  subs. 
//zr.  (common). — Tommy  Atkins 
(q.v.):  popularised  by  Kipling's 
verses  in  aid  of  the  wives  and 
children  of  soldiers  serving  in 
South  Africa  during  the  Boer  War. 

Absit,  subs.  (Cambridge). — See 
quot. 


Abskize. 


IO 


Accident. 


1886.  Dickens's  Dictionary  of  tiu 
University  0/  Cambridge.,  p.  3.  Every 
undergraduate  wishing  to  leave  Cambridge 
for  a  whole  day,  not  including  a  night, 
must  obtain  an  absit  from  his  tutor. 
Permission  to  go  away  for  a  longer  period 
...  is  called  an  '  exeat.  ' 

Abskize  (or  Abschize),  verb 
(American). — To  decamp  :  see 
Bunk.  [Said  to  be  of  Western 
origin,  cii-ca  1833.] 

Absquatulate  (or  Absquoti- 
LATE),  verb.  (American). — To 
decamp;  to  skedaddle  [q.v.). 
See  Bunk. 

1833.  Bernard,  The  Kentuckian. 
[It  is  stated  that  'absquatulate'  was 
first  used  in  this  play.  The  '  book,'  how- 
ever, is  '  un-get-at-able  '  this  side  of  the 
Atlantic] 

1840.  Haliburton,  Ciockiiiakcr,  3 
S.  xiv.  What's  the  use  of  legs  but  to 
ABSQUOTILATE  with  .  .  .  when  traps  are 
sot  for  you? 

1847.  ^ew  York  Herald  [Bart- 
lett].  W.  was  surrendered  by  his  bail 
.  .  .  fearing  he  was  about  to  absquatu- 
late. 

1856.  Dow,  Sermons,  1.  247.  Hope's 
brightest  visions  absquatulate  with  their 
golden  promises  .  .  .  and  leave  not  a  shin- 
plaster  behind. 

1 861.  Lamont,  Seahorses,  xi.  17g 
He  .  .  .  heard  us  .  .  .  and  prepared  to 
absquatulate. 

1867.  Broughton,  Cometh  Up  as  a 
Flccuer.  You'd  thank  me  to  absquatu- 
late, as  the  Yankees  say.  ...  I  will  in  a 
minute. 

1879.  Punch,  18  Jan.,  23.  i.  I  hope 
I  may  be  occasionally  permitted  to  enjoy 
it  again.     Bows,  and  absquatulates. 

1884.  D.  Telegraph,  20  August,  6.  i. 
In  Rabelaisian  phrase,  'absquashed  and 
absquatulated.  ' 

Abuse,  subs,  (old  :  now  mainly 
conventional).  —  i. —  Defloration  ; 
(2)  copulation  ;  and  (3)  mastur- 
bation. As7Jerb  =  {\)  to  violate; 
(2)  to  copulate  ;  and  (3)  to  frig 
(^.z;.).       Ilcncc    ABUSER  =  (l)     a 


seducer,  a  ravisher  ;  (2)  a 
MUTTON  MONGER  {q.v.)  ;  and  (3) 
a  masturbator. 

i553.  h\ìiVE.SAY,  Monarchie,  i.  1236. 
Quhow  men  and  wemen  schamefuUye 
Abusit  thame  selfis  vnnatvuallye. 

1580.  Sidney,  Arc,  11.  Was  it  not 
enough  for  him  to  have  deceived  me,  and 
through  the  deceit  abused  me,  and  after 
the  abuse  forsaken  me'? 

1608.  Fletcher,  Faithful Shcph.,\. 
230.  Retire  awhile  Behind  this  Bush,  till 
we  have  known  that  vile  Abuser  of  young 
Maidens. 

1611.  Bible,  Judges  xix.  25.  And 
abused  her  all  the  night  until  the  morn- 
ing. Ibid.,  I  Cor.  vi.  9.  Nor  adulterers 
.  .  .  nor  abusers  of  themselves  with  man- 
kind. 

1751.  Cluimbers'  Cycl.,  s.v.  Abuse. 
Self-ABUSE  is  a  phrase  used  by  some  late 
writers  for  the  crime  of  self-pollution. 

1767.  FoRDYCE,  Sermons  to  Young 
Women,  i.  i.  9.  He  that  abuses  you 
dishonours  his  mother. 

Academy,  subs,  (old).  — i.  A  gang 
of  thieves  ;  (2)  a  rendezvous  for 
thieves,  harlots,  or  gamesters  ;  and 
(3)a  prison.  Hence  academician 
=  (i)athief;and(2)aharlot.  Also 
BUZZI ng-.\cademy  =  a    training 

school  for  pickpockets  ;  CANTING- 
ACADEMY  =  (i)  a  common 
lodging-house,  a  dossing-ken 
{(/.v.),  or  house  of  call  for  beg- 
gars, and  (2)  a  likely  house  for 
working  {</.V.)  ;  FLOATING- 
ACADEMY  =  the  hulks;  CHARAC- 
TER-ACADEMY =  a  resort  of  ser- 
vants without  characters,  which 
are  there  concocted  ;  and 
GAMMONING  -  ACADEMY  =  a  re- 
formatory (B.  E. ,  Grose,  Bee, 
Matsell). 

1668.  Lestrange,  QtHvcdo  (1678), 
143.  Gaming  Ordinaries  are  called  Aca- 
demies. 

Accident,  subs,  (conventional). — 
I.  Seduction  ;  and  (2)  =  a 
bastard  :  see  By-blow. 


Accommodate. 


1 1 


Account. 


Accommodate,  verb,  (old  collo- 
quial :  now  recognised). — i.  To 
equip  ;  to  supply  ;  to  provide. 
QoNSON,  Discovei-ies  :  one  of 
'  the  perfumed  terms  of  the  time.' 
Halliwell  :  the  indefinite  use 
is  well  ridiculed  by  Bardolph's 
vain  attempt  to  define  it  {see  quot. 
1597)  :  C/^  (modern)  TO  ACCOM- 
MODATE with  a  loan,  or  with  cash 
for  a  cheque.] 

1597.  Shakspeare,  2  Hen.  IV.,  iii. 
2.  77.  Shal.  Accommodated  !  it  comes  of 
'  accommodo  '  :  very  good  :  a  good  phrase. 
Bard.  Pardon  me,  sir  :  I  have  heard  the 
word  .  .  .  Accommodated  ;  that  is,  when 
a  man  is,  as  they  say,  accommodated  ; 
or  when  a  man  is,  being,  whereby  a'  may 
be  thought  to  be  accommodated  ;  which 
is  an  excellent  thing. 

1598.  JoN.sON,  Every  Man,  i.  4. 
Hostess,  accommodate  us  with  another 
bed-staff  here  quickly.  Lend  us  another 
bed-staffe — the  woman  does  not  under- 
stand the  words  of  action.  Ibid.  (1601), 
Poetaster,  iii.  r.  Here's  all  I  have.  Cap- 
tain, some  five  nd  twenty  ;  pray,  sir,  will 
you  present  and  accommodate  it  unto  the 
gentleman  ? 

7627.  Lisander  and  Calister,  iii.  43. 
To  goe  unto  Paris  to  accommodate  him 
there  of  such  things  as  were  most  necessary. 

1672.  Jordan,  Land.  Triumph. 
[Heath,  Grocers  Comp,  (i860),  489.] 
Three  score  and  six  poor  men,  pensioners, 
accommodated  with  Gowns  and  Caps. 

1725.  Defoe,  Voy.  Round  World 
(1840),  269.  We  had  wax  candles  brought 
in  to  accommodate  us  with  light. 

1794.  Williams,  Hist.  Vermont, 
94.  His  hind  feet  are  accommodated 
with  webs. 

1847.  Halliwell,  Archaic  IVords, 
etc.,  s.v.  Accommodate.  A  very  fashion- 
able word  in  Shakspeare's  time,  ridiculed 
both  by  him  and  Ben  Jonson. 

2.  (old). — See  quot. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulg^.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Accommodate  or  Accommodation.  In 
the  Sporting  World  it  is  to  part  a  bet,  or 
to  let  a  person  go  halves  (that  is  to  accom- 
modate him)  in  a  bet  that  is  likely  to 
come  off  successful.  It  is  also,  in  an 
ironical  manner,  to  believe  a  person  when 
you  are  well  assured  he  is  uttering  a  lie  ; 
by  observing  you  believe  what  he  is  say- 
ing, merely  to  accommodate  him. 


3.  (venery). — To  serve  {q.v.) 
a  woman  :  see  Greens  and  Ride. 

Also   LADY   OF   ACCOMMODATING 

MORALS  =  a  prostitute  :  ì-^^Tart  ; 
ACCOMMODATION  HOUSE   =   a 

BED-HOUSE  {(J.V.). 

1823.  Bee,  Diet.  Turf,  s.v.  Aunt 
...  an  accommodation-house,  where 
half-modest  women  resort,  as  to  a  relative 
or  aunt's.  Ibid.  Tubbs  (Mrs.)— any  lady 
who's  home  is  'an  accommodation'  to 
persons  whose  desire  of  seclusion  is 
temporary. 

Accompany,  verb.  (euphemis- 
tic).— To  cohabit:  see  GREENS 
and  Ride. 

c.  1500.  Remcdic  0/  Loue\_Q.\iMM.-E.^z, 
i.  542].  If  she  be  not  accompanide.  How 
accompanied,  not  with  yong  men,  But 
with  maidens,  I  meane  or  women. 

1634.  Sir  T.  Herbert,  Travels,  374. 
The  phasma  .  .  .  accompanies  her,  at 
least  as  she  imagines. 

1660.  Coke,  Power  and  Subj.,  161. 
\ye  teach,  that  upon  Festival  and  Fasting 
times  every  man  forbear  to  accompany  his 
wife. 

1670.  Milton,  Hist.  Eng.,  v.  [He] 
loved  her  and  accompanied  with  her 
onl5',  till  he  married  Elfrida. 

Account.  To       cast       up 

ACCOUNTS       (one's      GORGE,       or 

RECKONING),  verb.  phr.  (Old 
Cant).— I.  To  vomit;  TO  CAT 
(or  SHOOT  THE  CAT)(^.Z'.)  :  orig. 
TO  cast,  thence  by  punning 
extension  (Ray,  Grose).  Also 
(nautical)  to  audit  one's 
accounts  at  the  court  of 
Neptune. 

1484.  C^XTON,  Curial,  6.  We  eteso 
gredyly  .  .  .  that  otherwhyle  we  caste  it 
vp  agavn. 

1594.  Lvi.v,  Mother  Botnbie,  ii.  i. 
I  carouse  to  Prisius  .  .  .  wee  shall  cast 
UP  our  accounts,  and  discharge  our 
stomackes,  like  men  that  can  digest  any- 
thing. 

1597.  Shakspeare,  2  Hen.  IV.,  i.  3. 
96.  Thou  beastly  feeder,  art  so  full  of  him 
That  thou  provokst  thyself  to  cast  him 

upV 


Account. 


12 


Accustom. 


1607.  Dekker,  Westward  Hoe, -v.  \. 
I  would  not  have  'em  cast  up  their 
ACCOUNTS  here,  for  more  than  they  mean 
to  be  drunk  this  twelvemonth. 

1629.  Earle,  Micro.,  56.  '  A 
Meere  Emptie  Wit  '  [Arber],  So.  A 
nauseating  stomacke  .  .  .  where  there  is 
nothing  to  cast  vv. 

1633.  Rogers,  Treat.  Sacr.,  i.  12. 
Searches  himselfe  and  casts  up  his  gorge. 

1674.  Hogan-Moganides,  49.  She, 
whilst  in  Womb  the  Hogan  mounts.  Began 
to  CAST  UP  her  Accounts  .  .  .  With  gulps 
and  gripes  spewing  her  guts  out. 

1690.  Motteux,  Rabelais,  v.  xxii. 
Poor  Panulfe  fairly  cast  up  his  accounts, 
and  gave  up  his  halfpenny. 

1808.  R.  Anderson,  Cumb.  Ball,  26. 
The  breyde  she  kest  up  her  ACCOUNTS 
In  Rachel's  lap. 

2.  (thieves'). — To  turn  Queen's 
evidence. 

To  GO  ON  THE  ACCOUNT,  verb, 
phr.    (old    nautical). — To  join  a 
filibustering  or  buccaneering  ex- 
pedition ;        to        turn       pirate. 
[Ogii.vik  :    'probably   from    the 
parties  sharing,    as    in    a    com- 
mercial venture.'] 
1812.     SzoTT,  Letter  to  a  Friend.     I 
hope  it  is  no  new  thing  for  gentlemen  of 
fortune  who  are  going  on   the  account 
to  change  a  captain  now  and  then. 

To  ACCOUNT  FOR  (sporting).— 

To  kill  ;  literally  to  be  answerable 
for  bringing  down  one's  share  of 
the  shooting  :  to  make  away  with. 

1846-48.  Thackeray,  Vanity  Fair, 
XX.  The  persecuted  animals  [rats]  bolted 
above  ground  :  the  terrier  accounted  for 
one,  the  keeper  for  another. 

1858.  Times,  19  Nov.,  '  Letter  from 
Lahore.'  In  the  course  of  one  week  they 
were  hunted  up  and  accounted  for  ;  and 
you  know  that  in  Punjab  phraseology 
accounting  for  means  the  extreme  fate 
due  to  mutineers. 

To  GIVE  A  GOOD  ACCOUNT  OF, 
verb.  phr.  (sporting).  To  be 
successful  ;  to  do  one's  duty  by  : 
e.g.  'The  stable  gave  a  good 
ACCOUNT  of  their  trainer.' 


1684.  Scanderbeg  Redivivus,  iv.  Si. 
Offering  that  with  an  Army  of  60,000  .  .  . 
he  did  not  doubt  but  to  give  a  good 
account  of  this  Summers  Campaign. 

1809.  Mai.kin,  Gil  Bias  [ROUT- 
i.edge],  92.  I  will  GIVE  you  A  good 
account  of  her.  ...  I  long  to  have  a 
grapple  with  a  beauty. 

Accouple,  verb,  (venery). — To 
copulate  :  see  Greens  and  Ride. 
Hence  accouplement  =  cohabi- 
tation, 

1483.  Caxton,  Gold  Leg.,  347.  4. 
This  excellence  that  virgynyte  had  as  to 
the  respect  of  thaccouplement  of  mariage 
appiereth  by  manyfold  comparacion. 

1525.     More,     Rich.    /If.     [Works 

(1557),     63.     2].      Lawful]     ACCOUPLING     & 

.  .  .  other  things,  which  the  doctor  .  .  . 
rather  signified  than  fully  explaned. 

1576.  Lamdarde,  Peram.,  'Kent' 
(1826),  339.  The  lawe  of  God  maketh  the 
ACCOUPLEMENT  honorable  amongst  all 
men. 

1594.  R.  Carew,  Men's  IVits(,i6i6), 
318.  If  the  father  .  .  .  take  to  wife  a 
woman  cold  and  moist  in  the  third  degree, 
the  sonne  borne  of  such  an  accouplement, 
shalbe  most  vntoward. 

1613.  Finch,  Lam  (1636),  369. 
They  were  never  accoupled  in  lawfull 
matrimonie. 

Accoutrement,  siiòs.  {Old  Ca.nl. 
— B.  E.  ). — In  ;>/.  =  ' fine  rigging 
(now)  for  Men  or  Women,  (for- 
merly) only  Trappings  for  Horses. 
IVell accoutred,  c.  gentilly  dress'd.' 
[A  recognised  usage  from  the 
middle  of  the  i6lh  century.] 

Accumulative,  subs.  (American). 
— A  sort  of  journalistic  sparring 
match  ;  a  CODICIL  {ij.v.). 

Accumulator,  subs,  (racing). — A 
backer,  successful  with  one  horse, 
carrying  forward  the  stakes  to 
another  event. 

Accustom,  verb,  (euphemistic). — 
To  cohabit:  see  RiDK. 


Ace. 


13 


Ackninn. 


1670.  M.\\JVOti,  Hist.  Eng.,m.  Much 
better  do  we  Britons  fulfil  the  work  of 
nature  than  you  Romans  ;  we,  with  the 
best  men,  accustom  openly  ;  you,  with 
the  basest,  commit  private  adultery. 

Ace,  subs.  (old).  —  i.  The  smallest 
standard  of  value  :  also  ambs- 
ace  :  see  RAP,  straw,  etc. 
Hence  TO  bate  an  ace  =  to 
make    a    slight    reduction  :    also 

'  BATE  ME  an  ACE,  qUOth  Bolton  ' 

=  a  derisive  retort  ;  within  an 
ACE  (or  amb's-ace)  =  nearly, 
within  a  shade  ;  see  Ames  Ace. 

1528.  More,  Heresies  [  Works  (1557), 
170.  2].  I  will  not  muche  sticke  with  you 
for  one  ace  better. 

1570.  Edwards,  Damon  and Pithias 
[DoDSLEV,  Old  Plays  (Hazlitt),  iv.  77]. 
Nay,  there  hate  an  ace  (quod  Bolton)  ;  I 
can  wear  a  horn  and  blow  it  not. 

1579.  ToMSON,  Calvin's  Serm.,  Tim. 
13.  2.  Such  as  did  their  best  to  be  an  ace 
above  Timothie. 

1587.  Gascoigne,  Steele  Glas. 
[Chalmers,  Eng.  Poet.,  ii.  559.  2].  Better 
loke  of,  than  loke  an  ace  to  farre. 

1592.  Shakspeare,  Mid.  Night's 
Dream,  v.  i.  314.  Less  than  an  ace  man  ; 
for  he  is  dead  :  he  is  nothing. 

c.  1600.  Camden,  Retnains,  '  Pro- 
verbs '  [Smith  (1870),  319].  Bate  me  an 
ace  of  that,  QUOTH  Bolton. 

1615.  H.  P[arrot].  Mastivc.  A 
pamphlet  was  of  proverbs  penn'd  by  Polton, 
Wherein  he  thought  all  sorts  included 
were  ;  Until  one  told  him  Bate  m'an  ace, 
quoth  Bolton  :  Indeed  (said  he)  that 
proverb  is  not  there. 

1616.  Haughton,  Engl,  for  my 
Money,  ii.  2.  Yet  a  man  may  want  of  his 
will,  and  bate  an  ace  of  his  wish. 

162 1.  Burton,  Anat.  M  elan..  Dem. 
(1893),  25.  I  may  be  peradventure  an  ace 
iDefore  thee. 

1633.  JoNsoN,  Tale  of  a  Tub,  ii.  i. 
Go  to,  I  will  not  bate  him  an  ace  on't. 

1676.  Marvell,  Mr.  Smirke  (1875), 
IV.  60.  The  exposer  has  not  bated  him 
AN  ace. 

1679.  Trial  of  Langhorn,  i8.  His 
Wife  was  but  AUMES  ACE  turned  from  a 
devil. 


1698.  Vanbrugh,  Aisop,  v.  I. 
[RouTLEDGE,  383).  Reduced  within 
AMBS-ACE  of  hanging  or  drowning. 

d.  1704.  _  Brown,  Works,  i.  184.  I 
was  within  an  ace  of  being  talked  to 
death. 

1733.  North,  Lives  of  Norths 
(1826),  in.  323.  Bating  him  that  ace  he 
was  truly  a  great  man.  Ibid.,  Examen, 
I.  iii.  158.  His  Lordship  was  within  Ams- 
ACE  of  being  put  in  the  plot. 

1737.  Aquar.  Naturalist,  '  Dragon 
of  Wantley  '  (1858),  355.  The  Corporation 
worshipful  He  valued  not  an  ace. 

1800.  Edgeworth,  Castle  Packrent, 
28.  Within  AMES-ACE  of  getting  quit  .  .  . 
of  all  his  enemies. 

1824.  Irving,  Tales  of  Travel,  11. 
43.  I  came  within  an  ace  of  making  my 
fortune. 

1880.  Manchester  Guard.,  30  Oct. 
Within  an  ace  of  being  carried  into 
execution. 

2.  (venery).  —  The  female 
pudendum  :  also  ace  of  spades 
{(J.V.):  see  Monosyllable. 
Hence  TO  play  one's  ace  and 
take  the  Jack  {q.  z'.  )  =  to  receive 
a  man  :  see  Greens. 

See  Ames-ace. 

Ace  of  Spades,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
I.  A  widow  (Grose,  Matsell). 

2.  (common). — A  black-haired 
woman. 

3.  See  Ace,  sense  2. 

ACK,  intj.  (Christ's  Hospital).— 
No  !  refusal  of  a  request,  e.g., 
'  Lend  me  your  book.'     '  AcK  !  ' 

ACKIVIAN       (ACKPIRATE      Or       ACK- 

RUFF),  SUÒS.  (old).  —  A  fresh- 
water thief  or  pirate  (Grose  and 
Clark  Russell).  [C/.  dialectic 
Acker  =  flood-tide,  a  bore,  and 
Ark.] 


Acknowledge. 


14 


Across. 


Acknowledge.  To  acknow- 
ledge THE  CORN,  verb.  phr. 
(American).  —  To  confess  ;  to 
make  an  admission  :  as  to  a 
charge,  failure,  etc. 

1846.  NccL'  York  Herald,  27  June. 
The  Evening  Mirror  very  naively  comes 
out  and  acknowledges  the  corn. 

1848.  Pickings  from  the  Picayune, 
80.  Enough,  said  the  Captain.  I'm  .  .  . 
gloriously  hoaxed.     I  acknowledge  the 

CORN. 

i860.  Haliburton  (Sam  Slick), 
The  Season  Ticket,  No.  9.  '  He  had  a 
beard  that  wouldn't  acknowledge  the 
corn  to  no  man's.' 

1865.  TiACOìi,  Handbook oyAvierica, 
361.  Acknowledge  the  corn,  to  con- 
fess a  charge  or  imputation. 

1871.  De  Vere,  Americanisms,  47. 
In  1828  .  .  .  Congress  discussing  the 
principle  of  Protection  .  .  .  Mr.  Wickliffe 
jumped  up  and  said  :  '  Mr.  Speaker,  I 
acknowledge  the  corn.' 

1883.  .Sala,  Living  London,  97. 
Mr.  Porter  acknowledges  the  corn  as 
regards  his  fourteen  days'  imprisonment, 
and  is  forgiven  by  his  loving  consort. 

ACOCK-HORSE  (or  ACOCK),  adv. 
(colloquial).  —  1.  See  quot.  1847  ; 
also  (2)  defiantly. 

161 1.  Cotgrave,  Diet.,  s.v.  //  est 
à  Cheval,  hee  is  set  on  cock-horse  ;  hee 
is  all  a  hoight,  hee  now  begins  to  flaunt  it. 

1658.  T.  Wall,  Gods  Rev.  Enetn. 
Ch.,  41.  There  is  no  tyrannie  like  to  that 
of  a  slave,  whom  vilany  hath  set  a  cock- 
horse. 

1683.  E.  Hooker  [Pordage,  Myst. 
Div.,  22,  Pref.].  Welth  that  rideth  up 
a-cock-hors  (pass  by  the  term)  while 
Worth  holdeth  but  the  stirrup. 

1829.  Thompson,  Exer.  (1842),  \.  10. 
The  outbreak  of  an  oppressed  party,  and 
setting  it  A-COCK-HORSE  on  the  oppressing 
one. 

1846.  Jerrold,  Chron.  Clovem 
{Works  {\%()^,  IV.  379].  A  man,  who,  on 
his  outstart  in  life,  sets  his  hat  acock— a 
man  who  defies  Hymen  and  all  his  wicked 
wiles. 

1847.  Halli  WELL,  Arch.  Words, 
s.v.  A-cocK-HORSE.  Triumphant  .  .  .  A 
somewhat  slang  expression,  not  «[uite 
obsolete. 


Acorn.  Horse  foaled  of  an 
ACORN,  subs.  phr.  (Old  Cant), 
— The  gallows  :  see  Ladder  and 

NUBBING-CHEAT  (GROSE). 

1694.  Motteux,  Rabelais,  v.  xxviii. 
May  I  ride  on  a  horse  that  was  foaled 
of  an  acorn,  if  this  be  not  as  honest  a 
cod  as  ever  the  ground  went  upon. 

1760-61.  Smollett,  Sir  L.  Greaves, 
viii.  I  believe  as  how  'tis  ...  a  devil 
incarnate.  ...  I'd  like  to  have  rid  a 
horse  that  was  foaled  of  an  acorn 
{i.e.,  he  had  nearly  met  with  the  fate  of 
Absalom). 

1827.  Lvtton,  Pelhavt,  Ixxxii.  The 
cove  ...  is  as  pretty  a  Tyburn  blossom 
as  ever  was  brought  up  to  ride  A  horse 
foaled  by  an  acorn. 

1839.  AiNSWORTH,  Jack  Sheppard 
[1889],  8.  ...  As  to  this  little  fellow  .  .  . 
he  shall  never  mount  A  horse  foaled  by 
an  acorn,  if  I  can  help  it. 

Acquisitive,  subs,  (nonce?). — 
Plunder  ;  booty  ;  pickings. 

i8[?].  Lem  AN  Rede,  Man  in  Posses- 
sion [Sufiday  Times\.  The  officers  sur- 
prised them  packing  up  the  acquisitive. 

Acreocracy,  subs,  (common). — 
The   landed   interest  :   cf.   Snob- 

OCRACY,    SqUATTOCRACY,    MOB- 

ocRACY,  Cottonocracy,  Slav- 

OCRACY,  etc. 

1878.  Hallbergers  Ulustrated  Maga- 
zine, 622.  A  plutocracy  among  the  aris- 
tocracy and  the  acreocracy. 

Acres,  subs,  (theatrical). — A 
coward  :  see  quot. 

1775.  Sheridan,  Rivals,  v.  13. 
Acres  .  .  .  My  valour  is  certainly  going  ! 
— it  is  sneaking  off! — I  feel  it  oozing  out 
as  it  were  at  the  palms  of  my  hands. 

Acrobat,  subs,  (nnisic-h.tll). — A 
glass  [/.«.    'tumbler']. 

Across.  Across  lots,  adv.  phr. 
(American).  —  i.  By  the  shortest 
way  ;  (2)  =  completely. 


Acteon. 


15 


Ad. 


1848.  Lowell,  Bîglow  Papers.  Joe 
looked  roun'  And  see  (acrost  lots  in  a 
pond)  ...  A  goose  that  on  the  water  sot 
Ez  ef  awaitin'  to  be  shot. 

1854.  Neal,  Charcoal  Sketches,  i. 
35  [to  a  grumbler]: — 'You  would  cut 
ACROSS  THE  LOT,  like  a  Streak  of  lightning, 
if  you  had  a  chance.' 

1857.  P'RiGHAM  Young,  Speech 
[Bartlett].  I  swore  in  Nauvoo,  when 
my  enemies  were  looking  me  in  the  face, 
that  I  would  send  them  to  hell  across 
lots  if  they  meddled  with  me. 

1887.  Scribners  MagazÌ7ie.  'I 
didn't  see  Crossby  go  by.'  'He'd  have 
had  to  foot  it  by  the  path  cross-lots,' 
replied  Ezra,  gravely. 

igo2.  Lynch,  High  Stakes,  xxxii. 
A  person  leaving  .  .  .  by  this  footway 
'  across  lots,'  so  to  speak,  can  only  reach 
the  other  street  by  going  through  Madame 
C.'s  house. 

Acteon,  stibs.  (old). — A  cuckold. 
As  verb  =  to  cuckold,  whence 
Acteon's  badge  =  the  stigma  of 
cuckoldom  (B.  E.,  Grose,  Bee), 

1596.  Shaksi'EARE,  Merry  Wives, 
ii.  I.  122.  Pist.  Like  Sir  Act.-eon  he 
.  .  .  O,  odious  is  the  name  !  Ford. 
What  name,  sir?    Pist.     The  horn. 

16 1 5.  Nichols,  Disc.  Marr.  [Harl. 
Misc.,  in.  274].  There  is,  in  marriage,  an 
inevitable  destiny  .  .  .  which  is  either  to 
be  act^oned,  or  not  to  be. 

1621.  Burton,  Anat.  Melan.,  IIL 
HI.  iv.  I.  Husband  and  Cuckold  in  that 
age,  it  seems,  were  reciprocal  terms  ;  the 
Emperors  themselves  did  wear  Act.iïon's 

BADGE. 

1633.  Marmion,  Fine  Companion,  v. 
2.  I  turn'd  him  into  an  Act.eon  at  home, 
set  a  fair  pair  of  horns  on  his  head,  and 
made  him  a  tame  beast. 

c.  1658.     Cleveland,    Vit.   Uxoris,   .\-. 
And  thou'lt  act.«:on'd  be. 

1694  Motteux,  Rabelais,  v.  xxxvii. 
I  already  see  him,  like  another  Act/eon, 
horned,  horny,  hornified. 

1699.  Farquhar,  Constant  Coitple, 
i.  I.  Smug.  We'll  maintain  you  no 
longer.      Stand.  Then   your  wives   shall, 

old    ACT/FON. 

1823.  Bee,  Diet.  Turf,  s.v.  Act/eon 
.  .  .  There  sits  my  Acteon,  ignorant  and 
hornified. 


Acting  Dicky,  stibs.fhr.  (nautical). 
—  I.  A  temporary  appointment 
which  may,  or  may  not,  be  con- 
firmed by  the  Admiralty  ;  an 
'acting-order.' 

2.  (legal). — A   man   acting   in 
the  name  of  an  enrolled  solicitor. 

Active  Citizen,  subs,  (common). — 
A  louse  :  see  Chates  (Grose  and 
Bee). 

Act  (The),  szibs.  (conventional). — 
Copulation  :  see  Greens  and 
Ride.     Also  the  act  (or  deed) 

OF  DARKNESS,  KIND,  LOVE,  etc. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  Merchant  of 
Venice,  i.  3.  84.  When  the  work  of 
generation  was  Between  these  woolly 
breeders  in  the  act.  Ibid.  (1605),  Lear, 
iii.  4.  87.  A  serving  man  .  .  .  that  .  .  . 
served  the  lust  of  my  mistress's  heart,  and 
did  the  act  of  darkness  with  her.  Ibid. 
(1609),  Pericles,  iv.  6.  Baiud.  If  she 
would —  .  .  .  Lys.  If  she'd  do  the  deed 
of  darkness,  thou  wouldst  say. 

1611.  Bible,  John  viii.  4.  This 
woman  was  taken  in  adultery,  in  the 
very  act. 

d.  1638.  Carew,  Poe7iis,  '  Rapture.' 
And  knows  as  well  as  Lais  how  to  move 
her  pliant  body  in  the  ACT  OF  love. 

Act  of  Parliament,  stibs.  (old). 
— Small  beer,  five  pints  of  which, 
by  an  Act  of  Parliament,  a 
landlord  was  formerly  obliged  to 
give  gratis  to  each  soldier  billetted 
upon  him. 

Actual,  subs,  (common). — Money  ; 
generic  :  see  Rhino.  Also  the 
ACTUAL. 

1856.  Dow,  Sermons.  As  for  happi- 
ness in  this  world  without  the  rhino,  the 
chink,  or  the  actual,  you  might  as  soon 
think  of  winning  a  woman's  affections  in  a 
raffle. 

Ad  (or  Adver),  subs,  (printers'). — 
An  *  advertisement.' 


Adam. 


i6 


Adam's-ale. 


1854.  Dickens,  Household  Words, 
xiii.  9.  The  really  interesting  ads  are  in 
the  body  of  the  paper. 

1874.  Siliad,  200.  '  Ads'  as  numer- 
ous as  ocean  sands. 

1888.  New  York  Tunes,  6  Xp.  [The 
country  editor's  wife — ]  .  .  .  reads  the 
ADS  with  the  editor,  Just  to  find  what  each 
has  paid. 

1901.  Free  Lance,  27  Ap.  79.  i. 
Some  big  Sheffield  firm  ought  to  be  able  to 
make  a  roaring  ad  out  of  this. 


Adam,  subs.  (old).  —  i.  See  quot.  : 
apparently  a  punning  nonce- 
word.  [Sergeants  wore  BUFF 
{ç.v.)  livery.] 

1593.  Shakspeare,  Comedy  0/ 
Errors,  iv.  3.  Not  that  Adam  that  kept 
the  Paradise,  but  that  Adam  that  keeps 
the  prison. 

2.  See  Adam  Tiler. 

3.  (common). — A  master  man; 
a  foreman. 

See  Adam's  Ale. 

The  old  Adam,  subs.  phr. 
(venery). — T\\c penis:  j-^^  Prick. 
Hence  Adam's-arsenal=/ì';/zj 
and  testes  ;  Adam's  own  =  the 
female  pudendufn  :  see  Mono- 
syllable ;  TO  PLAY  AT  Adam 
AND  Eve  (to  dance  Adam's 
JIG,  TO  Adamise,  or  TO  Adam 
and  Eve  iT)  =  to  copulate  :  see 
Greens  and  Ride  ;  adamed  = 
married. 

c.  1709.  Ward,  Merry  Observations. 
Jan.  Much  Drinking,  Kissing  .  .  .  and 
Merriment  till  Twelve  at  Night  ;  and 
great  dancing  of  Father  Adam's  Jigg, 
both  in  London  and  the  Country  all  Night 
after. 

1781.  Parker,  Variegated  Charac- 
ters.    '  What,  are  Moll  and  you  adamed?" 


Adam's-ale  (-wine,  or  Adam), 
subs.  phr.  (t)ld).— Water  (15.  E. 
and  Grose). 


English  Synonyms.  Aqua 
pura  ;  aqua  pompaginis  ;  fish 
broth  ;  pure  element, 

French  Synonyms.  Agout  ; 
anisette  de  barbillon  ;  bouillon  de 
canard;  essence  de  parapluie; 
lance  ;  liìuonade  ;  sirop  (or  rata- 
fia) de  grenouilles  {de  F  aiguière  or 
de  barojnètre). 


German  Synonym. 
wein. 


Gänse- 


1643.  Vryììììk,  Sozi.  Power  0/ Part., 
II.  32.  They  have  been  .  .  .  allowed 
onely  a  poore  pittance  of  Adam's  ale,  and 
scarce  a  penny  bread  a  day. 

16S3.  Brown,  ÌForks,  iv.  11.  Your 
claret's  too  hot.  Sirrah,  drawer,  go  bring 
A  cup  of  cold  Adam  from  the  next  purling 
spring. 

1694.  MoTTEUX,  Rabelais,  v.  xlii. 
Good,  harmless,  sober  Adam's  liquor, 
...  in  a  word  mere  element. 

1706.  Ward,  IVooden  World,  ti. 
There's  no  bringing  him  to  his  true 
Temperament  again  but  by  .  .  .  the 
Bilboes,  with  a  Week's  Dieting  upon 
Adam's  Ale  and  dry  Bisket. 

c.  1712.  Prior,  Wandering  Pilgrim. 
A  Rechabite  poor  Will  must  live.  And 
drink  of  Adam's  ale. 

1786-9.  Wolcot[P.  Pindar],  Lousiad, 
ii.  453.  Old  Adam's  beverage  flows 
with  pride. 

1838.  Becket,  Paradise  Lost,  54. 
On  which,  and  sloes,  they'd  oft  regale. 
And  wash  'em  down  with  Adam's  Ale. 

c.  1845.  Hood,  Drinking  Song,  iv. 
Will  drink  Adam's  ale,  and  we'll  get  it 
pool  measure. 

1864.  Biot[Davies,  Supp.  Gloss.,  s.v. 
Adam's  Ale].  Prof.  De  ^îorgan  men- 
tioned this  as  illustrating  China  ale  or  beer 
a^  applied  to  tea.  The  expression  was 
(|\iitc  new  to  M.  Biot  and  other  French- 
men. He  wrote  back,  'Z. 'Adam's  ale 
(]ui  charme  tous  ceux  de  nos  philologues  à 
qui  je  la  raconte.' 

1869.  Bl.ACKMORF-,  Lorna  Doonc, 
Ixv.  Even  al  the  door  of  death  he  could 
not  drink  what  Adam  dram:,  so  I  gave 
him  a  little  more  eau-de-vie. 


A  dain^s-apple. 


17 


Addle-brain. 


1884.  Daily  Teleg~>-aj^h,  1  April,  5. 
2.  The  spectral  banquet  graced  by 
Adam's  ale,  or  sick-room  toast  and 
water. 

1886.  John  Coleman,  Elßc,  i.  ii. 
For  my  part,  I  stuck  to  Adam's  ale, 
which  Elfie  brought  from  the  spring. 

Adam's-apple,  subs.  phr.  (old 
colloquial). — See  quots.  Also 
Adam's-morsel. 

1586.  Beard,  La  Priniandayc' s  Fr. 
Acad.  (1594),  II.  94.  The  knot  or  joynte 
of  the  necice,  or  Adam's  morsel. 

1 755-  Johnson,  Diet.,  s.v.  Adam's 
APPLE,  a  prominent  part  of  the  throat. 

1847.  Craig,  Did.,  s.v.  Adam's- 
apple,  so  called  from  a  superstitious 
notion  that  a  piece  of  the  forbidden  fruit 
stuck  in  Adam's  throat  and  occasioned 
this  prominence. 

1865.  D.  Tcleg.,  20  July.  Having 
the  noose  adjusted  and  secured  by  tighten- 
ing above  his  Adam's  apple. 

1872.  Huxley,  Physiol.,  vii.  178. 
The  thyroid  cartilage  .  .  .  constitutes 
what    is    commonly    known    as    Adam's 

APPLE. 

Adam's-ARMS,    subs.    phr.     (com- 
mon).— A   spade;    cf.    old   saw: 
'When   Adam    delved   and    Eve 
.span,  Who  was  then  the  gentle- 
man ?  '     Hence  Adam's  profes- 
sion =  spade  work  {i.e.,  garden- 
ing)- 
1602.     Havilet,    V.    i.     There    is    no 
ancient  gentlemen  but  gardeners,  ditchers, 
and  grave-makers:  They  hold  up  Adam's 
PROFESSION.     He  was  the  first  that  ever 
bore  ARMS. 

Adam  Tiler  (or  Adam),  subs.  phr. 
(thieves'). — See  quots.  (B.  E.  and 
Grose). 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Did.  Cant.  Creiv. 
Adam-tiler,  c.  a  Pickpocket's  Camerade, 
who  receives  Stolen  Money  or  Goods, 
and  scowers  off  with  them. 

1848.  Siiiks  0/  London  Laid  Open, 
96.     Adam,  a  henchman,  an  accomplice. 

Add.  To  add  to  the  list 
(racing). — To  geld;  'to  add  to 
the  list  of  geldings  in  training.' 


Addition,  subs,  (old  collofiuial). — 
See  quot. 

1704.  Centlivre,  Platonick  Love, 
iii.  1.  jilillitier.  Be  pleased  to  put  on  the 
addition,  madam  .  .  .  Pccficr.  Addi- 
tion is  only  paint,  madam. 

Addition,  Division,  and 
Silence!  phr.  (American). —A 
Philadelphia  catch  phrase  : 
properly  multiplication,  divi- 
sion, AND  SILENCE  !  a  reply 
given  by  William  (Boss)  Tweed 
when  asked  the  proper  qualifica- 
tion for  a  ring  or  trust. 

1872.  W.  H.  Kemble,  Letter 
[Walsh,  Lit.  Curios.,  16].  He  under- 
stands addition,  division  and  silence. 
[The  Nezu  York  Sun  .  .  .  interpreted  the 
words  as  meaning  the  arts  of  the  lobbyist 
joined  to  that  kind  of  honour  practised 
even  by  thieves.] 

Addle.  To  addle  the  shoon, 
verb.  phr.  (colloquial — North). — 
To  roll  on  the  back  from  side  to 
side  :  of  horses.  [In  the  South  a 
horse  is  then  said  to  '  earn  a 
gallon  of  oats.'] 

Addle- EGG,  Addle  egg  and  Idle 
head,  subs.  phr.  (old  colloquial). 
— Anything  worthless  ;  an 
abortion. 

1 589.  Pappe  tuith  an  Hatclid  (i  844), 
II.  These  Martins  were  hatcht  of  addle 
EGGEs,  els  could  they  not  have  such  idle 
heads. 

1606.  Shakspeare,  Troilus  and 
Cress.,  i.  2.  145.  Pan.  He  esteems  her  no 
more  than  I  esteem  an  addle  egg.  Cre. 
If  you  love  an  addle  egg  as  well  as  you 
love  an  idle  head,  you  would  eat 
chickens  in  the  shell. 

1617.  MiNSHEw,  Did.,  Dttdor. 
An  A'dle  Egge  q.  idle  egge,  because  it 
is  good  for  nothing. 

Addle-brain  (-cove,  -head,  or 
-pate),  subs.  phr.  (old). — A 
stupid  bungler  ;  a  dullard  ;  '  one 
full  of  Whimsies  and  Projects,  and 
as  empty  of  Wit'  (B.  E.  :  also 
Grose).  Hence  as  adj.,  addle- 
brained,  etc. 


Addle-plot. 


Admiral. 


1580.  Lyly,  Euphues  [Arber]. 
[Oliphant,  New  English,  i.  606.  Adjec- 
tives are  applied  in  new  senses  ...  a 
broad  jest,  adle  ürainf.s]. 

1601.  Death  H^mtingdon  [Dodsley, 
Old  Plays  (Hazlitt),  viii.  219].  I  and 
my  mates  Like  addle-pates. 

1630.  Taylor,  Works,  11.  252.  2. 
Let  every  idle  addle-I'Ated  gull,  With 
stinking  sweet  Tobacco  stuffe  his  skull. 

1641.  Smectymnus,  Vindic,  etc., 
16,205.  Call  them  if  you  will,  Popish 
fooles  and  addleheads. 

1670.  Hacket,  Williams,  11.  166. 
Coachman  -  preachers  .  .  .  barber- 
preachers,  and  such  addle-headed- 
companions. 

1694.  MoTTEUX,  Rabelais,  v.  xlvi. 
Will  the  addle-pated  wight  have  the 
grace  to  sheer  off? 

1705.  Vanbrugh,  Confederacy,  v.  2. 
Oons  !  if  you  with  your  addle-head 
don't  know  your  own  jewels,  I,  with  my 
solid  one,  do. 

1830.  Warren,  Diary  Physician, 
V.  I  know  it  was  every  word  composed 
by  that  abominable  old  addlehead,  .  .  . 
a  doodle  that  he  is. 

1835.  Thompson,  Exerc,  iii.  435. 
Calculate  the  addle-headedness  of  such 
inveterate  old  women,  as  should  go  about 
recommending  to  try  Juno  for  dry  nurse. 

1848.  Dickens,  Z.tr//«rj(i88o),  I.  202. 
I  was  quite  addle-headed  for  the  time 
being. 

1849.  Craik,  Ogilvies,  xviii.  It  is 
quite  too  overpowering  for  such  addle- 
pates  as  this  gentleman  and  myself. 

1866.  Motley,  Dutch  Repuh.,  iv.  v. 
633.  The  addle-brained  Oberstein  had 
confessed  .  .  .  theenormous blunder  which 
he  had  committed. 

1880.  Disraeli,  Endymion,  i.  viii. 
Never    mind     Lord    Wavcrly    and    such 

ADDLEBRAINS. 

Addle- PLOT,  stihs.  phr.  (common). 
— A  marplot  ;  a  spoil-sport  ;  '  a 
Martin-niar-air  (H.  E.  and 
Gkosk). 


Adjective  Jerker,  subs.  phr. 
(literary). — A  writer  for  the 
pross  ;  iNK-SLI.NGliR  (y.w.). 


1888.  Globe  Dem.ocrat  [St  Louis], 
29  April.  A  three-line  letter,  which  she 
sent  to  an  adjective  jerker  on  a  society 
weekly. 

Adjutant's  Gig,  subs.  phr.  (mili- 
tary).—  The  barrack  roller: 
usually  drawn  by  men  under 
punishment. 

Admiral.  Admiral  of  the  Blue, 
subs.  phr.  (old). — A  tapster;  from 
the  colour  of  his  apron  (Grose). 

1731.  R.  Herrick,  Poor  Robin's 
Almanac.  As  soon  as  customers  begin  to 
stir.  The  admiral  of  the  blue,  cries, 
'  Coming,  sir  !  ' 

Admiral  of  the  Narrow 
Seas,  subs.  phr.  (nautical). — A 
man  vomiting  into  the  lap  of  his 
neighbour  or  vis-à-vis  (Grose). 

Admiral  of  the  Red,  subs, 
phr.  (common). — A  sot:  see 
Lushington. 

Admiral  of  the  Red, 
White,  and  Blue,  subs.  phr. 
(old). — A  beadle;  a  hall-porter; 
and  similar  functionaries  when 
sporting  the  livery  of  office. 

Admiral  of  the  White, 
subs.  phr.  (colloquial). — A  white- 
f;\ced  person  ;  a  coward  ;  a 
woman  in  a  faint. 

Yellow  Admiral,  subs.  phr. 
(naval). — A  rear-admiral  retired 
without  service  afloat  after  pro- 
motion. [Admirals  of  the 
red,  the  white,  or  the  blue 
were  grades  in  naval  rank  prior 
to  1864,  according  to  the  colour 
of  the  ensign  displayed  :  all 
admirals  now  fly  the  white 
ensign,  and  they  rank  as  Admiral 
of  the  I'Meet,  Admiral,  Vice- 
^Vdniiral.  and  Kear- Admiral.] 


Admiral's  Regiment.       19 


Adsum. 


To  TAP  THE  Admiral,  verb, 
phr.  (naulical). — i.  To  suck 
THE  MONKEY  :  see  quots. 
Gsrm.  Den  Affen  saugen.  Also 
(2)  to  drink  on  the  sly. 

1834.  Marryatt,  Peter  Simple, 
XXX.  Mr.  Simple,  .  .  .  I'll  let  you  into  a 
secret.  Do  you  know  what  sucking  the 
MONKEY  means?  No!  .  .  .  Well  ...  it 
is  a  term  used  among  seamen  for  drinking 
rum  out  of  cocoa  nuts,  the  milk  having 
been  poured  out,  and  the  liquor  substituted. 
Now  do  you  comprehend  why  your  men 
are  tipsy? 

1837.  Barham,  Ingoldsby  LcgC7tds. 
'  The  Black  Mosquetaire.'  What  the  vulgar 
call  SUCKING  THE  MONKEY,  Has  much  less 
effect  on  a  man  when  he's  funky. 

1864.  Hotten,  Slang-  Did.,  s.v. 
Admiral  (To  tap  the).  To  suck  liquor 
from  a  cask  by  a  straw  ...  it  was  first 
done  with  the  rum-cask  in  which  the  body 
of  Admiral  Lord  Nelson  was  brought  to 
England,  and  when  the  cask  arrived  the 
admiral  was  found  '  high  and  dry.' 

1883.  Ci.ARK  Russell,  Sailors' 
Language,  s.v.  Tap  the  Admiral. 
Said  of  a  man  who  would  drink  anything. 

Admiral's  Regiment  (The),  subs, 
phr.  (military).  — •  The  Royal 
Marines  ;  also  nicknamed  '  The 
Little  Grenadiers,'  'The  Jollies,' 
and  'The  Globe  Rangers.' 

Adonis,  subs,  (old) — i.  A  dandy  ; 
an  exquisite.  Hence  to  adonize 
=  to  dandify  ;  to  '  dress  to  kill  '  : 
of  men  only. 

[1611.  Cotgrave,  Did.,  s.v. 
Adoniser,  to  adonise  it  ;  to  resemble 
Adonis,  to  imitate  or  counterfeit  the  graces, 
or  beautie  of  Adonis.] 

1623.  Mabbe,  Spanish  Rogue,  ii.  21. 
[A  man  becomes]  an  Adonis. 

1668.  Lestrange,  Quez'edo  (1678), 
12.  Whatever  you  may  think  of  a  Devil, 
he  passes  .  .  .  for  a  very  Adonis  or 
Narcissus. 

1 761.  Smollett,  Gil  Bias  (1802), 
in.  418.  Three  good  hours,  at  least,  in 
adjusting  and  adonising  myself. 

1765.  Tucker,  Liglit  of  Nature,  i. 
457.  Two  such  Adonises  talking  so 
sweetly  of  our  reciprocal  passion  ! 


1818.  S.  E.  Ferrier,  Marriage,  ix. 
Venus  and  the  Graces,  by  Jove  !  .  .  .  now 
I  must  go  and  adonise  a  little  myself. 

1850.  Smedley,  Frank  Fairleigh, 
•A.  He  positively  refused  to  face  the 
ladies  till  he  had  changed  ...  so  I  left 
him  up  at  the  hall  to  adonize. 

1865.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  11  Awz.,(). '2. 
They  may  be  Adonizing  at  Truefit's. 

2.  (obsolete). — A  wig. 

1760.  Wai.poi.e,  Letters,  ii.  206.  He 
[Duke  of  Cumberland]  had  a  dark  brown 
adonis,  and  a  cloak  of  black  cloth. 

1772.  Graves,  Spiritual  Quixote, 
III.  xix.  A  fine  flowing  adonis  or  white 
periwig. 

Adrift,  adv.  (B.  E.  and  Grose  : 
now  accepted). —  ' Loose — I'll 
turn  ye  ADRIFT,  a  Tar  phrase  ;  I'll 
prevent  ye  doin^  me  any  harm  ' 
(B.  E.,  c.  1696);  also  (Grose) 
'  ADRIFT,  discharged.'  Hence  = 
astray,  puzzled,  distracted. 

1690.  Locke,  Human  Underst.,  11. 
vii.  3.  And  so  we  should  ...  let  our 
Thoughts  run  adrift  without  any  Direc- 
tion or  Design  [The  earliest  quot.  in 
O.  E.  D.  for  the  figurative  sense  :  the  sea- 
phrase  dates  from  1624]. 

Adsum,  subs,  (old  :  spec.  Charter- 
house). — A  response  in  answer  to 
a  summons  or  names-calling. 

1821.  Scott,  Pirate,  v.  Advancing 
to  the  door,  he  exclaimed,  '  Heus  tibi 
Dave  !  '     '  Adsum,'  answered  the  youth. 

1855.  Thackeray,  Newcoiiies,  774. 
A  sweet  smile  shone  over  his  face,  and  he 
lifted  up  his  head  a  little  and  quickly  said 
adsum,  and  fell  back  ;  ...  lo,  he  whose 
heart  was  as  that  of  a  little  child  had 
answered  to  his  name,  and  stood  in  the 
presence  of  the  Master. 

igoo.  D.  Teleg.,  23  ]\Larch,  8.  7.  As 
in  the  old  days  of  Colonel  Newcome, 
'adsum,'  or  'Always  ready,'  is  still  the 
watchword  of  the  Charterhouse. 

1900.  Tod,  Charterhouse,  p.  97. 
Adsum  is  the  name  of  a  new  institution. 
.  .  .  There  was  no  occasion  for  it  when 
the  school  was  in  London,  and  none  could 
pass  beyond  the  school  precincts.  Colonel 
Newcome  must  have  answered  adsum  at 
prayers  only. 


Adullamites. 


20 


jf^grotat. 


Adullamites,  subs,  (parliamen- 
tar}').  —  I.  A  nickname  for  seced- 
ing Liberals  who  in  1866  voted 
Tory  because  dissatisfied  with  a 
Liberal  measure  for  the  extension 
of  the  Franchise.  \^See  i  Sam. 
xxii.  I.]  The  political  party  in 
question  were  also  known  collec- 
tively as  '  The  Cave.'  Hence  (2) 
see  quot.  1870  ;  and  Adullamy 
=  ratting. 

1866.  Bright,  Speeches  (1876),  349. 
The  right  honourable  gentleman  ...  is 
the  first  of  the  new  party  who  has  retired 
into  what  may  be  called  his  political  Cave 
OF  Adullam. 

1870.  Notes  &"  Queries,  5  March, 
241.  The  .  .  .  'cave  of  adullam'  has 
become  an  adopted  byword  for  a  small 
clique  who  .  .  .  obstruct  the  party  with 
which  they  usually  associate. 

1878-80.  M'Carthy,  Hist,  of  Our 
Own  Ti»ies,  142.  The  little  third  party 
were  at  once  christened  the  adullamites, 
and  the  name  still  survives  and  is  likely 
long  to  survive  its  old  political  history. 

1884.  JVew  York  Times,  19  July. 
The  Conservative  party  .  .  .  recei\'ed 
besides  a  large  reinforcement  of  adullam- 
ites from  the  Liberal  side. 

Advantage,  szibs.  (old  colloquial). 
—  I.  A  thirteenth:  added  to  a 
di)zen  of  anything;  (2)  something 
in  addition  :  also  VANTAGE.  Sec 
Baker's  dozen  and  Lagniappe. 

c.  1641.  Milton,  Rc/oìiii.  {Works,  i. 
1847),  10.]  If  the  Scripture  be  for  reforma- 
tion, and  Antiquity  to  boot,  it  is  but  an 
advantage  to  the  dozen,  it  is  no  winning 
cast. 

1648-55.  Fuller,  Ch.  History,  iii. 
ix.  27.  When  his  Holinesse  created 
twelve  Cardinals  at  the  request  of  the 
King  of  France,  he  denied  to  make  one  at 
the  desire  of  this  Kin«  of  England.  Surely 
...  his  Holinesse  giving  the  whole  dozen 
to  the  King  of  France  might  allow  the 
advantage  to  the  King  of  Kngland. 

1692.  Hacket,  Williaiiis,  ii.  91. 
Three  dozen  of  articles  (yet  none  to  the 
vantage). 

To    PLAY    UPON    ADVANTAGE, 
verb,  phr.  (old). — To  cheat. 


1592.  Warner,  Albion's  England, 
vii.  XXX vi.  Howbeit,  ON  advantage 
plai'd  Gynetta  all  this  while. 

1668.  Sedley,  Mulberry  Garden,  ii. 
2.     Yoiu"   only  way   is  to  turn  rook  and 

I'LAV   UPON  advantage. 

/Egrotat  (or  /Eger),  stibs. 
(University).  —  i.  An  excuse  for 
absence  on  account  of  sickness  ; 
(2)  a  medical  or  other  certifi- 
cate of  indisposition  (Grose). 
[yEGRiïUDE  (old)  =  sickness  ;  an 
iiîGROTANT  =  aninvalid.]  Hence 
READlNG-^GROïAT  =  leave  taken 
to  read  for  a  degree  ;  ^«ger-room 
(Felsted  School)  =  the  sick  room. 
[Lat.  =  'he  is  sick.'] — Gradus  ad 
Cantab.,  1803. 

1532.  Heiiry  VHI.  [Burnet,  Hist. 
Ref.,  ii.  i68].  We  have  augmented  our 
^gritude  and  distress. 

1610.  Healev,  City  of  God  (1620), 
478.  That  sorrow  which  TuUy  had  rather 
call  egritude,  and  Virgil  dolour. 

1647.  Baron,  Cypriatt  Academy,  54. 
We  symbolize  in  EGRITUDE  And  simpathlze 
in  Cupid's  malady. 

1794.  Gent.  Mag.,  1085.  They  [at 
Cambridge]  sported  an  yEGROTAT,  and  they 
sported  a  new  coat  ! 

1853.  Bradley,  Verdant  Green.  A 
deep-laid  scheme  of  yours  to  post  a  heap 
of  /HGERS  while  you're  a  Freshman,  .  .  . 
get  better  and  better  every  term,  and  make 
the  Dons  think  that  you  are  improving  the 
shining  hours  by  doing  chapels  and  lectures 
more  regularly,  artful  Giglamps  ! 

1864.  Bauuage,  Life  of  a  Philos- 
opher, 37.  I  sent  my  servant  to  the 
apothecary  for  a  thing  called  an  aegrotat, 
which  I  understood  .  .  .  meant  a  certifi- 
cate that  I  was  indisposed. 

1865.  Cornhill  Mag.,  Feb.,  227.  A 
very  common  method  of  escaping  the 
tedium  of  this  duty  ...  is  '  to  send  in  an 
A'.cv.v.  '  ;  in  other  words  to  improvise  an 
attack  of  illness. 

1865.  '/'empie  ßar,  Sept.,  262.  There 
is  a  large  class  of  /Iìgkotants  in  this 
country. 

1870.  Chambers's  Journal,  18  June, 
395.  I'll  get  the  receipt  from  him.  I 
often  want  a  good  thing  for  an  /iìgek. 


Affair. 


21 


After-clap. 


1888.  H.  Smart,  in  Tcvtplc  Bar, 
Feb.  213.  Instead  of  applying  for  leave  to 
my  tutor,  I  had  resorted  to  the  old  device 
of  pricking  /eger. 

1890.  Felstedian,¥&h.'2.  What's  up 
with  Smith?  .  .  .  He's  not  the  fellow  to 
go   ^EGER    for    nothing.     I    do   hate   that 

.EGER-ROOM. 

Affair,  subs,  (venery). — i.  The 
penis  :  see  Prick  ;  (2)  the  female 
pudendum  ;  see  Monosyllable. 

Affi  DAVIT- MAN,  stibs.  phr.  (old). — 
See  quots.  and  Straw. 

c.  i6g6.  B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crerv,  s.v. 
Affidavit  men,  Knights  of  the  Post, 
Mercenary  Sweaters  for  Hire,  Inhabitants 
(formerly)  of  White  Friers,  now  dispersed. 

1785.  Grose,  P'ulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Affidavit-Men.  Knights  of  the  post,  or 
false  witnesses,  said  to  attend  Westminster 
Hall,  and  other  courts  of  justice,  ready  to 
swear  anything  for  hire. 

Afflicke,  subs.  (old). — See  quot. 

1610.  Rowland's  Martin  Mark-all, 
38  [H.  Club's  Repr.,  1874].  Afflicke, 
a  theefe. 

Afflicted,  adj.  (common).  — 
Drunk  :  see  Screwed  (Ray). 

Afflictions,  subs,  (drapers').— 
Mourning  goods  :  e.g.,  AFFLIC- 
TIONS are  quiet  =  there  is  Httle 
demand  for  mourning.  Miti- 
gated AFFLICTIONS  =  half 
mourning. 

Affygraphy.  To  an  affy- 
GRAPHY,  phr.  (common). — To  a 
nicety  ;  to  a  T.  In  an  affy- 
graphy =  in  a  moment  ;  directly. 

Afloat,  adj.  (common). — Drunk  : 
see  Screwed  :  also  with  back- 
teeth  WELL  afloat. 

1888.  Missouri  Republican, _  25  Jan. 
His  honor  once  more  drank  until,  as  an 
onlooker-   put  it,  his  back   teeth  were 

WELL  afloat. 


Afraid.  Among  colloquial  and 
proverbial  sayings  are  :  '  He  that's 
afraid  of  grass  must  not  piss  in 
a  meadow  '  (Ital. ,  Chi  ha  paura 
d'ogni  Urtica  non  pisci  in  herba  — 
'  He  that's  afraid  of  every  nettle 
must  not  piss  in  the  grass  ')  ;  '  He 
that's  AFRAID  of  leaves  must  not 
come  in  a  wood  (French,  Qui  a 
peur  des  feuilles  ne  doit  pas  aller 
au  bois':  Ital.,  'Non  entri  tra 
ròcca  e  fiiso  chi  non  vuol  esser 
filalo  '  )  ;  'He  that's  afraid  of 
the  wagging  of  feathers  must 
keep  from  among  wild  fowl  '  ; 
'  He  that's  afraid  of  wounds 
must  not  come  near  a  battle  ; 
'  He's  never  likely  to  have  a  good 
thing  cheap  that's  AFRAID  to  ask 
the  price  '  ;  '  Afraid  of  far 
enough  '  (  =  fearful  of  what  is  not 
likely  to  happen)  ;  '  AFRAID  of 
him  that  died  last  year '(=  fearful 
of  a  shadow)  ;  '  AFRAID  of  the 
hatchet  lest  the  helve  stick  in  his 
arse  '  ;  '  Afraid  of  his  shadow  '  ; 
'  More  AFRAID  than  hurt.' 

After.  A  long  way  after,  phr. 
(artists'  and  journalists').  —Said 
of  a  sketch,  cartoon,  or  burlesque 
of  a  classic  picture,  book,  etc. 

After-clap,  subs.  phr.  (old  :  now 
chiefly  American).  — (  i  )  Anything 
unexpected  (spec,  disagreeable), 
after  the  conclusion  of  a  matter. 
Hence,  2  (modern)  a  demand 
made  over  and  above  a  stipulated 
price,  or  for  an  amount  already 
paid  (Grose). 

[?].  MS.  Lansd.,  762,  f.  100.  To 
thy  frende  thowe  lovest  moste,  Loke 
thowe  telle  not  alle  thy  worste,  Whateso- 
ever   behappes  ;  .  .  .  Beware    of   after- 

CLAPPES ! 

[?].  MS.  Douce,  236,  f.  14.  So 
that  hit  was  a  scry  happe.  And  he  was 

a-gast  of  AFTER-CLAI'PE. 


After-dinner  Man.         22 


Agamst. 


c.  1420.  OcCLEVE,  Dc  Reg.  Prhu:.,  855. 
That  AFTER-CLAP  in  my  mynde  |so  depe 
Ifycched  is. 

1515.  Lati.mer,  Sermotis,  i.  27.  He 
can  give  us  an  after-clap  when  we  least 
ween. 

1573.     More,    Richard   III.    (1641), 

404.     To  provide  for  after  clappes  that 
might  happen  and  chance. 

1591.  Spenser,  Motìier  Hubbcrd's 
Tale.  For  the  next  morrow's  meed  they 
closely  went,  For  fear  of  afterclaps  to 
prevent. 

1611.  Speed,  Hist.  Gt.  Britain,  ix. 
ili.  31.  Who  fearing  afterclaps,  had 
strongly  fortified  the  Castle. 

1624.  Massinger,  Renegado,  i.  3. 
To  spare  a  little  for  an  afterclap  Were 
not  improvidence. 

1663.  Butler,  Hudibras,  1.  iii.  4. 
What  plaguy  Mischiefs  and  Mishaps,  Do 
dog  him  still  with  Afterclaps. 

1678.  Cotton,  Virgil  Travestie, 
91.  Not  minding  Alischiefs,  or  Mishaps, 
Nor  fearing  Dido's  Afterclaps. 

1715.  South,  Serinons,  vi.  227. 
Those  dreadful  afterclaps  which  usually 
bring  up  the  rear. 

1772.  'Qw.vGKs,  Burlesque  Hojtier,  3. 
And  when  you've  stormed  the  Trojan  gaps 
May  you  escape  all  after-claps. 

£•.1852.  Traits  of  Amer.  Humour,  i. 
226.     I'm  for  no  rues  and  after-claps. 

1862.  Lucas,  Sectilaria,  12.  The 
mitigated  afterclap  of  this  [the  French] 
Revolution  in  1848. 

After-dinner  Man  (or  After- 
NOON's-MAN),  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— A  man  who  drinks  long  into 
the  afternoon  :  but  see  quot. 
1877. 

1614.  OvERiîURV,  A  Wife,  etc. 
(1638),  196.  Make  him  an  afternoones 
man. 

1621.  Burton,  Anat.  Mel.  Democr. 
to  Reader  (1657),  44.  Beraldus  will  have 
drunkards,  afternoon  men,  and  such  as 
more  than  ordinarily  delight  in  drink,  to  be 
mad. 

1628.  Eakle,  Microcos.  (A  Player). 
Innes  of  Court  men  were  undone  but  for 
him,  hee  .  .  .  makes  them  afternoones 
MEN. 


1S30.  Dublin  Sketch  Bk.  The  good 
Baronet  (Sir  Francis  Burdett)  was  not  only 
a  foxhunter,  but  a  celebrated  after-dinner 
man.  It  must  have  been  a  good  bout 
indeed  in  which  he  was  worsted. 

1877.  Smvthe-Palmer  \_Notes  and 
Queries, ^S.vWi.izi].  Afternoones  men, 
equivalent  to  after-dinner  men.  It  was 
the  custom,  formerly,  to  dine  in  the  halls 
of  our  Inns  of  Court  about  noon,  and 
those  who  returned  after  dinner  to  work 
must  have  been  much  devoted  to  business, 
or  obliged  to  work  at  unusual  hours  by  an 
excess  of  it. 

Afternoon-buyer,  subs.  phr. 
(provincial).  —  One  who  buys 
not  until  after  the  market 
dinner,  thereby  hoping  to  buy 
cheaper. 

Afternoon  -  farmer,  subs.  phr. 
(common). — A  laggard  ;  spec, 
a  farmer  late  in  preparing  his 
land,  in  sowing  or  harvesting  his 
crops  ;  hence  one  who  loses  his 
opportunities. 

Afternoon -tea,  subs.  phr.  (Roy. 
High  Sch.,  Edin.). — Detention 
after  three  o'clock. 

After  Twelve.    See  Twelve. 

Against.  Against  the  grain 
(collar,  or  hair),  phr.  (collo- 
quial).— Contrary  to  inclination  ; 
unpleasant  ;  unwillingly  done 
(Grose). 

1589.  Nashe,  Martins  Months 
Minde  [Grosart,  i.  188].  For  hee  euer 
went  against  the  haire. 

1596.  Shakspeare,  Merry  pyives,{i. 
3.  If  you  should  fight,  you  go  against 
the  hair  of  your  profession. 

1621.  Montague,  Diatribe,  168. 
This  translation  cannot  passe  by  you, 
being  somewhat  against  the  haire  for 
you. 

1661.  Mmui.KTON  ,Queenborough,  x'l. 
1 22.  Books  in  women's  hands  arc  a.s  much 
against  the  hair  ...  as  to  see  men 
Wear  stomachers. 


Agaze. 


23 


Agitator. 


1673.  Dryden,  Aiiihoyna,  i.  This 
whoresome  cutting  of  throats,  .  .  .  goes  a 

little     AGAINST    THE    GRAIN,     [bid.    (1693), 

Juvenal,  i.  202.     Though  much  against 
THE  GRAIN  forc'd  to  retire. 

170g.  Steele,  Tatler,  No.  2.  No- 
thing in  nature  is  so  ungrateful  as  story- 
telling  AGAINST  the  GRAIN. 

1809.  Mai.kin,  Gil  Bias  [Rout- 
i.edge],    81.      My   present   occupation    is 

much   AGAINST  THE   GRAIN. 

1868.  Collins,  Moonstone,  i.  xi. 
The  other  servants  followed  my  lead, 
sorely  against  the  grain,  of  course,  but 
all  taking  the  view  that  I  took. 

1875.  H.  Rogers,  Superh.  Orig. 
Bible,  i.  A  system  of  ethics,  so  much 
against  the  grain  as  that  of  the  Gospel. 

1876.  'R\n'D\.VN,  Cheap  Jack,  i\^.  If 
they  owe  their  governors  a  few  pounds, 
they  are  working  an  uphill  game,  or 
against  collar. 

1884.  Clark  Russell,  Jack's  Court- 
ship, xxiii.  It  went  against  my  grain  to 
leave  the  poor  little  chap  alone. 

To  RUN  AGAINST,  Verb  phr. 
(colloquial). — To  meet  by  acci- 
dent: e.g.,  I  RAN  AGAINST  him 
the  other  day  in  Brighton. 

Agaze,  adv.  (old,  and  long  obso- 
lete :  now  American  thieves'). — 
Astonished  ;  open  -  eyed  (Mat- 
sell,  Vocabuhmi).  [Cenlztry 
Diet.  :  The  examples  cited  {infra) 
are  the  only  ones  found.] 

c.  1400.  Chester  Plays,  n.Zs.  The  were 
so  sore  agased. 

IS57-  Surrey,  Songes  and  Sonnettes. 
As  ankered  faste  my  spretes  doe  all  resorte 
To  Stande  agazed. 

1591.  Shakspeare,  I  Henry  VI. 
The  devil  was  in  armes  :  All  the  whole 
army  stood  agaz'd  on  him. 

1600.  [Farr,  Select  Poet  (1845),  ii. 
438.      Of    understanding    rob'd    I    stand 

AGAZD. 

i6[?].  PercyFolioMSS\V\s-Rmvh\^Oi. 
Whereatt  this  dreadful  conqueror  Thereatt 
was  sore  agazed. 

-AGGER,  insep.  suffix  (Charter- 
house).— As  in  Combi  NAGGERS  = 
a  combination  suit  :  esp.  of  foot- 
ball attire. 


Aggravator  (Aggerawator,  or 
Haggerawator),  subs,  (com- 
mon).— A  lock  of  hair  brought 
down  from  the  forehead,  well 
greased,  and  twisted  in  a  spiral 
on  the  temple,  either  toward 
the  ear,  or  conversely  toward  the 
outer  corner  of  the  eye.  Usually 
in  //. ,  once  an  aid  to  beauty  : 
now  rare. 

English  synonyms.  Bell- 
ropes  ;  beau-catchers  ;  cobbler's- 
knots  ;  cowlicks  ;  love-locks  ; 
Newgate  knockers  ;  number 
sixes  ;  spit-curls. 

French  synonyms.  Aeeroche- 
cauis  ;  guiches  ;  rouflaqziettes. 

1836.  Vticv.'e.Vi?,,  Sketches  by  Boz,T.y2.. 
His  hair  carefully  twisted  .  .  .  till  it 
formed  a  variety  of  .  .  .  semi-curls, 
usually  known  as  '  aggekawators.' 

1859.  Fowler,  Southern  Lights  and 
Shadows,  38.  The  ladies  are  addicted  to 
.  .  .  hair,  embellished  with  two  or  three 
c's — aggravatoks  they  call  them — run- 
ning over  the  temple. 

1885.  Burton,  Thousand  Nights,  i. 
168.  Note  3. — In  other  copies  the  fourth 
couplet  swears  by  the  scorpions  of  his 
brow,  i.e.,  the  accroche-cœurs,  or  aggra- 
vatoks. 

Agility,  subs,  (common).— The 
female  privity  :  see  Monosyl- 
lable. 

Agitator,  stibs,  (obsolete). — i. 
'  In  Eng.  Hist.  An  agent,  one 
who  acts  for  others  ;  a  name 
given  to  the  agents  or  delegates 
of  the  private  soldiers  in  the 
Parliamentary  Army,  1647-9  ;  in 
which  use  it  varied  with  Adju- 
tator'(0.  E.  D.).  [J.  A.  H. 
Murray  :  '  Careful  investigation 
satisfies  me  that  Agitator  was 
the  actual  title,  and  Adjutator 
originally  only  a  bad  spelling  of 
soldiers  familiar  with  Adjutants 
and  the  Adjutors  of  164t.] 


Agogare. 


24 


A  isoler  s. 


2.  (common). — A  bell-rope,  or 
knocker.  To  agitate  the 
COMMUNICATOR  =  to  ring  the 
bell. 

Agogare,  int^',  (American  thieves'). 
— Be  quick  !  a  warning  signal 
[from  agog]. — New  York  Slang 
Dictionary. 

Agony.  To  pile  up  (or  on)  the 
agony,  verbal  phr.  (common). 
— To  exaggerate  ;  to  use  the 
tallest  terms  in  lieu  of  the 
simplest  ;  to  cry  '  Hell  !  '  when 
all  you  mean  is  '  Goodness 
gracious  !  '  :  as  a  newspaper  when 
'  writing  up  '  murder,  divorce, 
and  other  sensations.  Also  to 
agonize.  Hence  agony-piler 
(theatrical)  =  a  player  in  sensa- 
tional     parts.        See      Agony- 

COLUMN. 

1857.  C.  Bronte  [Gaskell's  Life, 
XXV.].  I  doubt  whether  the  regular  novel- 
reader  will  consider  the  '  agony  piled 
sufficiently  high  '  ...  or  _  the  colours 
dashed  on  to  the  canvas  with  the  proper 
amount  of  daring. 

1865.  Athetueuvt,  11)66,26.2.  Every- 
one who  has  no  real  fancy  seems  agoniz- 
ing after  originality. 

1871.  Macdonald,  Wil/redComber- 
meade,  i.  xv.  I  might  agonize  in  words 
for  a  day  and  I  should  not  express  the 
delight  .  .  . 

1881.  Bl.ACK,  Beautiful  IVrctch,  vi. 
Sooner  or  later  that  organ  will  shake  the 
Cathedral  to  bits  .  .  .  there  was  a  great 
deal  too  much  noise.  You  lose  effect  when 
you  I'lLE  UP  THE  AGONY  like  that. 

1903.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  20  April,  6.  3. 
Mirbeau  has  made  the  one  mistake  he 
always  makes,  that— in  the  language  of 
the  gallery  gods— of  piling  up  the  agony 
too  much. 

Agony-column,  subs.  phr.  (popu- 
lar).— A  special  column  in  news- 
papers devoted  to  harrowing 
advertisements  of  missing  friends 
and  private  business  :  orig.  the 
second  column  of  the  Times. 


1870.  L.  Oliphant,  Piccadilly,  u.  78. 
The  advertisement  of  the  committee,  .  .  . 
appeared  in  the  AGONY  column  of  the 
Times. 

1873.  Black,  Princess  of  Thule. 
And  how  does  she  propose  to  succeed? 
Pollaky?  The  AGONY  column?  Placards, 
or  a  Bell-man?  Ibid.  (iSSi),  Beautiful 
Wretch,  xxiii.  There  were  anonymous 
appeals  to  the  runaways  in  agony 
columns. 

1880.  Times,  28  Dec,  10.  i.  A  crypt- 
ogram in  the  agony-column. 


Agree.  To  agree  like  pick- 
pockets in  a  fair,  verb.  phr. 
(common).- — To  agree  not  at  all. 
Other  similes  of  the  kind  are  '  To 
agree  like  bells,  they  want 
nothing  but  hanging  '  ;  and  '  To 
agree  like  cats  and  dogs  '  (or 
'  like  harp  and  harrow  '). 

Agricultural-implement,  subs, 
phr.  (common), — A  spade  ;  '  call 
a  spade  a  spade  and  not  AN  AGRI- 
CULTURAL IMPLEMENT' =adirect 
call  to  very  plain  speech. 

Aground,  adv.  (Grose). — '  Stuck 
fast  ;  stopped  ;  at  a  loss  ;  ruined  ; 
like  a  boat  or  vessel  aground.' 
[This  accepted  figurative  use  of 
the  nautical  phrase  was  rare  prior 
to  the  nineteenth  century.] 

Agreeable  Ruts  of  Life  (The), 

subs.  phr.  (venery). — The  female 
pudendtim  :  see  Monosyllable. 

AlGLERS  (The),  subs.  phr.  (mili- 
tary).— The  1st  battalion  of  The 
Royal  Irish  Fusiliers,  late  The 
87th  P'oot.  [At  Barrosa  they 
captured  the  Eagle  of  The  8th 
French  Light  Infantry,  a  fact  now 
commemorated  in  one  of  the  dis- 
tinctive badges  of  the  regiment, 
viz..  An  Eagle  with  the  figure  8 
below.] 


Aim. 


25 


Air. 


Aim,  subs.  (B.  E.,  c.  _  1696).— 
'  Endeavour  or  Design  "... 
'he  has  missed  his  Aim  or  end.' 

Ain't  (Hain't  or  An't),  verb. 
(vulgar). — That  is,  '  are  not,'  '  am 
not,'  '  is  not,'  '  have  not, '[O.E.D., 
'  in  the  popular  dialect  of  London, 
Cockney  speech  in  Dickens,' 
etc.].     See  A'nt. 

1701.  Farquhar,  Sir  Harry 
Wildalr,  i.  i.  Why,  I  han't  tasted  a 
bit  this  year  and  a  half. 

1706.  Ward,  Hiui.  Rcdiv.,  i.  1.24. 
But  if  your  Eyes  a'n't  quick  of  Motion. 

1734.  Fielding,  Old  Man,  1007,  i. 
Ha,  ha,  ha!  an't  we?  no!  How  ignorant 
it  is. 

1763.  FooTE,  Mayor  of  Garratt,  i. 
Ve  ha'n't  been  married  a  year.  Ibid.  ii. 
May  be  'tis,  and  may  be  'tan't. 

1778.  BuRNEY,  Evelina,  1.  xxi. 
Those  you  are  engaged  to  ain't  half  so 
near  related  to  you  as  we  are. 

c.  1800.  DiBDiN,  Son^,  '  Poor  Jack.' 
A  tight  little  boat  and  good  sea-room  give 
me,  And  t'aint  for  a  little  I'll  strike. 

1812.  H.  and  J.  Smith,  Kej.  Add., 
69.     No,  that  a'nt  it,  says  he. 

1828.  Lytton,  Pclhain,  l.\ii.  A'n't 
we  behind  hand? 

182g.  Lamb,  Life  and  Letters,  i.  34S. 
An't  you  glad  about  Burk's  case? 

1864.  Tennyson,  Northern  Farmer, 
xiii.     Joänes,  as  'ant  a  'aäpoth  o'  sense. 

1865.  Dickens,  Mutual  Friend,  iii. 
'  You  seem  to  have  a  good  sister.'  '  She 
ain't  half  bad.' 

Air.  Castles  in  the  air  (the 
SKIES,  IN  Spain,  etc.),  stibs.  phr. 
(colloquial). — ^^Generic  for  (i)  the 
impossible,  (2)  imagination  ;  and 
(3)      hope  :      see      Analogous 

PHRASES.       To    BUILD    CASTLES, 

etc.  =(i)  to  attempt  the  impos- 
sible ;  (2)  to  dream  of  visionary 
projects  ;  to  indulge  in  idle 
dreams;  and  (3)  to  be  sanguine 
of  success.  Hence  in  the  aik=: 
(i)  uncertain,  in  doubt;  and  (2) 


anticipated  (in  men's  minds)  as 
likely  ;  AIR-BUILT  =  chimerical  ; 
AiR-CASTLE  =  the  land  of  dreams 
and  fancies  ;  AIR-MONGER  =  a 
dreamer.  [For  many  additional 
and  some  earher  quots.,  see 
Spain.] 

Analogous  phrases  [Avow- 
edly generic,  and  inserted  in  this 
place  because  as  convenient  as 
any  other  :  the  senses,  too,  must 
obviously  sometimes  overlap]. 
I  (  =  the  impossible).  To  square 
the  circle  ;  to  wash  a  blackamore 
white  ;  to  skin  a  flint  ;  to  make  a 
silk  purse  out  of  a  sow's  ear  ;  to 
make  bricks  without  straw;  to 
weave  a  rope  of  sand  ;  to  extract 
sunbeams  from  cucumbers  ;  to  set 
the  Thames  on  fire  ;  to  milk  a 
he-goat  into  a  sieve  ;  to  catch  a 
weasel  asleep  ;  to  be  in  two  places 
at  once  ;  to  plough  the  air  ;  to 
wash  the  Ethiopian  ;  to  measure 
a  twig  ;  to  demand  a  tribute  of 
the  dead  ;  to  teach  a  pig  to  play 
on  a  flute  ;  to  catch  the  wind  in 
a  net  ;  to  change  a  fly  into  an 
elephant  ;  to  take  the  spring  from 
the  year  ;  to  put  a  rope  in  the 
eye  of  a  needle  ;  to  draw  water 
with  a  sieve  ;  to  number  the  waves. 
Also  (French)  prendre  la  lane 
avec  les  dents  ;  rompre  targiiille 
au  genoîi. 

2  (=imagination).  To  have 
maggots,  or  whimseys  ;  TO  see  an 
air-drawn  dagger,  the  flying  Dutch- 
man, the  great  sea-serpent,  the  man 
in  the  moon  ;  TO  DREAM  of  Utopia, 
Atlantis,  the  happy  valley,  the 
isles  of  the  West,  the  millennium, 
of  fairy  land,  tlie  land  of  Prester 
John,  the  kingdom  of  Micomicon  ; 
to  set  one's  wits  to  work  ;  to  strain 
(or  crack)  one's  invention  ;  to 
rack  (ransack,  or  cudgel)  one's 
brains. 


Air. 


26 


Ajax. 


3  (  =hope).  To  seek  the  pot  of 
gold  (Fr.  pot  au  lait)  ;  to  dream  of 
Alnaschar  ;  to  li\-e  in  a  fool's  para- 
dise ;  TO  SEE  a  bit  of  blue  sky, 
the  silver  lining  of  the  cloud,  the 
bottom  of  Pandora's  box  ;  to  catch 
at  a  straw  ;  to  hope  against  hope  ; 
to  reckon  one's  chickens  before 
they  are  hatched. 

1575.  Gascoigne,  Sfeci  Glass 
[Chalmers,  J^nîr.  Poets,  ii.  58].  Things 
are  thought,  which  never  yet  were  wrought, 
And  CASTELsbuylt  aboue  in  lofty  skies. 

1580.  North,  Plutarch  (1696),  171. 
They  built  castles  in  the  air  and 
thought  to  do  great  wonders. 

1590.  Greene,  Ort.  Fur.  (1599),  16. 
In  conceite  builde  castles  in  the  skie. 

1594.  Shakspeare,  RicJiard  III., 
iii.  4.  100.  Who  BUILDS  his  hopes  in  air 
of  his  good  looks. 

1601.  Imp.  Consid.  (1675),  60.  Mr. 
Saunders  (building  Castles  in  the  Aik 
amongst  his  Books). 

1621.  Burton,  Aitai.  Melan.,  I.  iii. 
i.  2.  (1651),  187.  That  castle  in  the  ayr, 
that  crochet,  that  whimsie. 

1627.  Feltham,  Resolves,  i.  xv. 
Thou  air-monger  that,  with  a  madding 
thought,  thus  chaseth  fleeting  shadows. 

c.  1630.    Drummond  of  Hawth.,  Poems, 
42.  2.     Strange  castles  builued  in  the 

SKIES. 

1727.  Pope,  Dunciad,  iii.  10.  The 
AiK-BUiLT  Castle  and  the  golden  Dream. 

1757.  Wesley,  Works  (1872),  ix. 
304.    A  mere  castle  in  the  air. 

c.  1763.     Shenstone,  Odes  (1765),  237. 
To  plan  frail  castles  in  the  skies. 

1797.  Jeffreson,  Writ.  (1859),  IV. 
186.  I  consider  the  future  character  of  our 
republic  as  in  the  air  ;  indeed  its  future 
fortune  will  be  in  the  air,  if  war  is  made 
on  us  by  France. 

1 83 1.  Carlyle,  Sarf.  Res.  (1858), 
32.  High  Air-castles  cunningly  built  of 
Words. 

1879.  Farrar,  St.  Paul,  I.  642. 
These  .  .  .  points  .  .  .  were  not  peculiar 
to  Philo.     They  were,  so  to  speak,  in  the 

AIK. 


'Air  of  a  face  or  Picture' 
(B.  E.,  c.  1696),  'the  Configura- 
tion and  Consent  of  Parts  in  each.' 
[For  this  1 8th  century  quots.  are 
given  in  O.E. D.]. 

To  AIR  one's  vocabulary, 
ve)-b.  phr.  (old). — To  talk  for 
phrasing's  sake  ;  TO  FLASH  THE 
G\'&{q.v.).  [Oneofthe  witsofthe 
time  of  George  IV.,  asked  what 
was  going  on  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  answered  that  Lord 
Castlereagh  was  AIRING  HIS 
VOCABULARY.] 

To  AIR  one's  HEELS,  verb.  phr. 
(popular). — To  loiter  ;  to  hang 
about  :  see  CooL  and  Heels. 

Al  R-AND- Exercise,  subs.  phr. 
(old).  —  I.  A  whipping  at  the 
cart's  tail  ;  SHOVING  THE 
TUMBLER  {q.v.).  Also  (2)  the 
revolving  pillory  ;  and  3  (thieves') 
=  penal  servitude  (in  America  = 
a  short  term  of  imprisonment) 
(Grose). 

Airing,    äe  Out. 

Air-line.     6'é't?  Bee-line. 

Airy,  adj.  (old  [B.  E.]:  now 
recognised).  —  '  Light,  brisk, 
pleasant.  .  .  .  He  is  an  Airy 
Fellow.' 

Ajax  (or  Jakes),  subs.  (old). — A 
privy;  a  JAKES  (r/.z». ):  popular- 
ised by  Sir  John  Harrington  {see 
quot.  1822).  Also  a  term  of 
abuse.  See  Jakes  and  Jakes- 
farmer. 

1551.  Still,  Gaiuiiicr  Gurions 
Needle,  iii.  3.  Thou  wort  as  good  kiss  my 
tail  ;  Thou  slut,  thou  cut,  thou  rakes,  thou 

JAKES. 

1594.  Shakspeare,  Love's  Labour 
Lost,  V.  2.  Your  lion,  that  holds  his  poll- 
ax,  sitting  on  a  close  stool,  will  be  given 
to  Ajax. 


Akermans  Hotel. 


27 


Alderman. 


1596.  Harrington,  The  Metam.  of 
AjAX  [Title]. 

1605.  Camden,  Remains,  117. 
Inquire,  if  you  understand  it  not,  of 
Cloacina's  chaplains,  or  such  as  are  well 
read  in  Ajax. 

1609.  JoNSON,  E;picœne,  iv.  5.  A 
stool  were  better,  sir,  of  Sir  AjAX,  his 
invention.  Ibid.  (1616),  Famous  Voyage, 
vi.  290.  And  I  could  wish  for  their 
eterniz'd  sakes,  My  muse  had  plough'd 
with  his  that  sung  A-jax. 

c.  1609.  Healey,  Disco/ New  World, 
159.  John  Fisticankoes,  Ajax  his  sonne 
and  heyre. 

161 1.  Cotgkave,  Did.,  s.v. 
Retraict.    An  ai  ax,  priuie,  house  of  Office. 

1665.  J.  Cotgrave,  Eng.  Treasury, 
p.  16.  Which  (like  the  glorious  AjAX  of 
Lincoln's  Inne,  I  saw  in  London)  laps  up 
naught  but  filth  and  excrements. 

1694.  MoTTEUX,  Rabelais,  v.  vi. 
Who  of  late  years  have  stirred   up    the 

JAKES. 

1720.  Hosp.  of  Incurab.  Foolcs,  6. 
A  patron  and  protector  of  AjAX  and  his 
commodities. 

1822.  Nares,  Glossary,  s.v.  AjAX. 
.  .  .  Sir  John  Harrington,  in  1596,  pub- 
lished his  celebrated  tract,  called  '  The 
Metamorphosis  of  Ajax,'  by  which  he 
meant  the  improvement  of  a  jakes,  or 
necessary,  by  forming  it  into  what  we  now 
call  a  water-closet,  of  which  Sir  John  was 
clearly  the  inventor. 

Aker man's  Hotel, 5?^/)^-.  (obsolete). 
— Newgate  prison.  [The  gover- 
nor's name  was  Akerman  c. 
1787].— Ä6'  Cage. 

Akeybo,  sitbs.  (FIotten). — 'A 
slang  phrase  used  in  the  following 
manner  : — He  beats  akeybo, 
and  AKEYBO  beat  the  devil.' 

A-LA-MoRT.     Äi?  Amort. 

Albany  Beef,  subs.  phr.  (Ameri- 
can).— The  flesh  of  the  sturgeon. 
[Some  parts  of  the  fish  have  a 
resemblance,  in  colour,  and 
taste,  to  beef.  It  was  caught  in 
large  numbers  as  far  up  the 
Hudson  River  as  Albany.] 


Albertopolis,  subs,  (obsolete). — 
The  Kensington  Gore  district  : 
out  of  compliment  to  the  late 
Prince  Consort,  who  was  closely 
identified  with  the  Albert  Hall 
and  the  Exhibition  buildings  of 
1862. 

1864.  Yates,  Broken  to  Harness, 
xxxiii.  A  composition  for  the  nutriment 
of  the  hair,  which  .  .  .  has  an  enormous 
circulation  over  the  infant  heads  of 
albertopolis. 

Albonized,  adj.  (pugilistic). — 
Whitened  [L.  albus\ 

Alcove  (The),  snbs.  (venery). — 
The  female  pudendu?n  :  see 
Monosyllable. 

Alderman,  sitbs.  (obsolete).  —  i. 
A  half-crown  ;  2s.  6d.  :  see 
Rhino (Snowden,  il/aç-,  Assisi., 
1857)- 

2.  (old). — A    long   clay   pipe; 

a  CHURCHWARDEN  {q.V.). 

1859.  Fairholt,  Tobacco  {iZ-jS),  173. 
Such  long  pipes  were  reverently  termed 
alderman  in  the  last  age,  and  irreverently 
yards  of  clay  in  the  present  one. 

3.  (old).— 5«^  quots.  Alder- 
man IN  CHAINS  =  garnished  with 
sausages. 

1782.  Parker,  Huiuorous  Sketches, 
31.  Nick  often  eat  a  roast  fowl  and 
sausage  with  me,  which  in  cant  is  called 
an  alderman,  double  slang'd. 

1785.  Grose,  Vidg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Alderman.  A  roasted  turkey  garnished 
with  sausages  ;  the  latter  are  supposed  to 
represent  the  gold  chain  worn  by  those 
magistrates. 

4.  (thieves').— A  JEMMY  (^.w.)  : 
sometimes  alderman  jemmy. 
A  weightier  tool  is  the  LoRD 
Mayor  {q.v.). 

1883.  D.  Teleg.,  14  M.ay,  3.  7.  Safe- 
breaking  tools  had  been  .  .  .  left  behind, 
including  wedges,  an  alderman  jemmy, 
a  hammer  weighing  14  lbs. 


Aldermati  Lushinzton.      28 


Ale 


1888.  Sat.  Rmicw,  15  Dec,  719. 
The  iron  shutters  «ere  prised  open  [by] 
the  ALDERMAN  ...  it  would  never  do  to 
be  talking  about  crowbars  in  the  street. 

5.  (Felsted  School  :  obsolete). 
■ — A  qualified  swimmer.  [The 
Alders  =  a  deep  pool  in  the 
Chelmer.]  See  Farmer,  Public 
School  Word  Book. 

Blood  and  guts  alderman. 
See  Blood  and  guts. 

Alderman  Lushington,  subs, 
phr.  (old). — Seeo^oi. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Lush.  To  drink  ;  speaking  of  a  person 
who  is  drunk,  they  say,  Alderman 
Lushington  is  concerned,  or  that  he  has 
been  voting  for  the  Alderman. 

Alderman's  Pace,  subs  phr.  (old). 
See  quot.  1611. 

t6ii.  Cotgrave,  Did.,  s.v.  Pas 
cTAhhc.  Alderman's  pace,  a  leasurely 
walking,  slow  gate. 

162g.  Gaule,  Holy  Madness,  94. 
What  an  Alderman's  i'ace  he  comes. 

1672.  Ray,  Proverbs.  He  is  paced 
LIKE  AN  Alderman. 

Aldgate.  Draught  on  the 
PUMP  AT  Aldgate,  siibs.  phr. 
(old). — A  worthless  bill  of  ex- 
change (Grose). 

Ale,  subs,  (old  colloquial.  —  I.  A 
merry-making  ;  any  occasion  for 
drinking:  see  quots.  1587,  1776, 
and  1847,  and  (/.  wine;  (2) 
an  ale  -  house.  Hence  alecie 
(or  alecy)  =  drunkenness;  ale- 
blown  (ale -washed  or 
alecied)  =  drunk  ;  ale-draper 
(whence  ALE-DKAPERY)  =  an  inn- 
keeper (Grose  :  cf.  ale-yard); 
ALE-SPINNER  =  a  brewer;  ale- 
knight  (ale-stake,  or  ale- 
toast)  =  a  tippler,  a  pot-com- 
panion ;    ale-post  =  a   maypole 


(Grose);  ale-passion^e  head- 
ache ;     ALE- POCK  —  an     ulcered 

grog    -    BLOSSOM     {q.V.);     ALE    - 

CRUMMED  =  grogshot  in  the  face  ; 
ALE -dagger  {see  quot.  1589); 
ale-swilling  =  tippling,  etc. 

1^62.  Langland,  Piers  Plowman 
[Wright],  83.  Faiteden  for  hire  foode, 
Foughten  at  the  ale. 

1383.  Chaucer,  Cant.  Tales,  '  Frere's 
Tale,'  49.     And  maken  him  gret  festes  at 

the  NALE. 

1480.  Caxton,  Descr.  Brit.,  40. 
When  they  drynke  atte  ale,  They  telle 
many  a  lewd  tale. 

c.  1500.  [H.\LLi\vELL,  lifig:  Poet,  ' Carp. 
Tools,'  19].  When  thei  have  wrought  an 
owre  or  two,  Anone  to  the  ale  thei  wylle 
go. 

1570.  Discovcrie  0/  the  Knights  of 
the  Poste  [Halliwell].  Nowe  hee  hath 
.  .  .  become  a  draper.  A  draper,  quoth 
Freeman,  what  draper,  of  woollin  or  linnen? 
No,  qd  he,  an  ale-draper,  wherein  he 
hath  more  skil  then  in  the  other. 

1544.  Supp.  Henry  VII  I.,  41. 
Keepinge  of  church  ales,  in  the  whiche 
with  leapynge,  daunsynge,  and  kyssyng 
they  maynteyne  the  profeit  of  their  churche. 

1575-  Eccl.  Proc,  Chester.  [The 
Vicar  of  Whalley,  Lane,  is  charged  with 
being  a  common  dronker  and  ale  knight.] 

1583.  Golding,  Calvin  on  Deut.,  li. 
305.     These  tauernhaunters  or  Alehouse- 

knightes. 

1583.  Babbington,  Works,  166. 
Gadding  to  this  ale  or  that.  Ibid.,  104. 
If  he  be  a  drunken  ale-stake,  a  tick-tack 
tauerner. 

1587.  Harrison,  England,  i.  11.  i. 
32  (1877).  The  superfluous  numbers  of 
idle  waks  .  .  .  church-ALEs,  helpe-Ai.ES, 
and  soule-ALES,  called  also  dirge-ALES 
with  the  heathenish  rioting  at  bride-ALES 
are  well  diminished. 

1589.  Pappe  with  Hatchet  (1844),  8. 
He  that  drinks  with  cutters  must  not  be 

without  his  ALE-DAGGER. 

1591.  Shakespeare,  Tiuo  Gentlemen 
ii.  5.  61.  Thou  hast  not  so  much  charity 
ill  thee  as  to  go  to  the  ALE  with  a 
Christian.  Ibid.  (1599),  Henry  \'.,  iii.  6. 
82.  At.e-washt  wits.  Ibid.  (1609 
Pericles,  i.  Iiitrod.  On  cniber-eves  and 
holy  ales. 


Ale. 


29 


Alexandra  Limp. 


1 592.  Ch  ETTLE,  Kinde-Harts  Dreatiie, 
15.  One  in  a  sweating  treble,  the  other  in 
an  ALE-BLOWEN  base  carowle  out  .  .  . 
ribaudry.  Ibid.  Two  milch  maydens  that 
had  set  upashoppe  of  ale-dratery.  IHd. 
No  other  occupation  have  I  but  to  be  an 

ALE-DRAPER. 

1593.  Bacchus  Bountie  [Harl.  Misc. 
(1809),  II.  271].  A  passing  preseruatiue 
against  the  ale-passion,  or  paine  in  the 
pate. 

1594.  Lyly,  Mother  Bombie,  Cc.  9. 
If  he  had  arrested  a  mare  instead  of  a 
horse,  it  had  beene  a  slight  oversight,  but 
to  arrest  a  man,  that  hath  no  likenesse  of  a 
horse,  is  flat  lunasie,  or  alecie. 

1598.  Florio,  ÌVorldc  o/Wordes,  s.v. 
Beone.    An  ale-knight,  a  toss-pot. 

1598.  E.  Gilpin,  SkiaL  (1878),  55. 
There  brauls  an  Ale-knight  for  his  fat- 
grown  score. 

1599.  Nashe,  Piers  Pennilesse,  Eij. 
Elderton  consumed  his  ale-crummed  nose 
to  nothing. 

1601.  Holland,  Pliny  (1634),  11. 
128.  Sauce-fleame,  ale-pocks,  and  such- 
like ulcers  in  the  face. 

1602.  Thomas,  Lord  Cromivell,  iii. 
I.  O,  Tom,  that  we  were  now  at  Putney, 
at  the  ale  there. 

161 1.  Cotgrave,  Diet.,  s.v.  Beste. 
Our  Ale-knights  often  use  this  phrase. 

1617.  Assheton,  Journal  (1848),  i. 
Besse,  John,  wyffe,  self,  at  ale. 

1633.  JoNSON,  Tale  of  a  Tub,  Prol. 
And  all  the  neighbourhood,  from  old  records 
Of  antique  proverbs,  draw  from  Whitsun 
lords.  And  their  authorities  at  wakes  and 

ALES. 

1635.  Taylor,  T.  Parr,  Cij,  b.  T'a 
Whitson  Ale,  Wake,  Wedding,  or  a  Faire. 

1654.  Witt's  Recreations.  Come  all 
you  brave  wights.  That  are  dubbed  ale- 
knights. 

1655.  Younge,  Charge  against 
Drunkenness,  13.  These  godlesse  Ale- 
drapers. 

1656.  Trap.,  Exp.  i  Tim.  iii.  3. 
No  Ale-stake,  tavern-hunter  that  sits 
close  at  it. 

1661.  Heylin,  Hist.  Prcsb.,  2S1. 
Nor  do  they  speak  any  better  of  the 
Inférieur  Clergy  ...  of  whom  they  tell 
us  .  .  .  That  they  are  Popish  Priests,  or 
Monks,  or  Friars,  or  Ale-haunters. 


1691.  Shadwell,  Scourers,  i.  i. 
Every  night  thou  clearest  the  streets  of 
.  .  .  idle  rascals,  and  of  all  Ale-toasts 
and  sops  in  brandy. 

1747.  In  Parish  Register  0/ Scotter, 
Line.  [Buried],  July  Sth,  Thomas 
Broughton,  Farmer  and  Ale  Draper. 

1776.  Brand,  PoJ>.  Antic.,  i.  229. 
There  were  bride-ALES,  church-ALES, 
clerk-ALES,  _  give-ALES,  lamb-ALES,  leet- 
ALES,  Midsummer-ALES,  Scot-ALES, 
Whitsun-ALES,  and  several  more. 

1847.  Halliwell,  Archaic  Words, 
s.v.  _  Ale-feast.  A  festival  or  merry- 
making, at  which  ALE  appears  to  have 
beeh  the  predominant  liquor,  often  took 
place  after  the  representation  of  an  old 
mystery,  as  in  a  curious  prologue  to  one  of 
the  fifteenth  century  in  MS.  Tanner  407, 
f.  44. 

1863-64.  Chambers'  Bk.  o/Days,  ii. 
597-  This  man  was  a  regularly  dubbed 
ale-knight,  loved  barley  wine  to  the 
full. 

1870.  D.  News,  28  Sep.  There  was 
a  wining  and  dining,  or  better,  a  beering 
or  ALEiNG  and  dining  of  the  'Southern 
brethren.' 

3.  (Stock  Exchange). — In//.  = 
Messrs.  S.  Allsopp  and  Sons 
Limited  Shares. 

See  Adam's  Ale. 

Alexander,  verb.  (old).  —  i. 
To  hang.  [Rogers,  Roy.  Hist. 
Soc,  viii.  :  '  From  the  harsh  and 
merciless  manner  in  which  Sir 
Jerome  Alexander,  an  Irish  judge 
(1660-1674)  and  founder  of  the 
Alexander  Library  at  Trinity 
College,  Dublin,  carried  out  the 
duties  of  his  office.'] 

2.  (old).— To  extol  as  an 
Alexander  the  Great. 

1700.  Drvden,  Tales  from  Chaucer, 
'■The  Cock  and  Fo.v,'  660.  Ye  princes 
rais'd  by  poets  to  the  .gods,  And  Alex- 
ander'd  up  in  lying  odes. 

Alexandra  Limp,  stibs.  (obsolete). 
— An  affected  lameness;  cf. 
Grecian     bend    and     Ro.-vian 

FALL. 


Alfred  David. 


30 


All. 


1876.  Chambers^  Journal,  No.  629. 
Your  own  advocacy  of  the  Grecian  bend 
and  the  Alexandra  limp — both  positive 
and  practical  imitations  of  physical 
affliction. 

Alfred  David,  subs,  (common). — 
An  affidavit  :  also  AFFIDAVY  ; 
DAVY  ;  and  (occasionally)  after- 
DAVY. 

1859.  KiNGSLEV,  Geoffrey  Hainlyn. 
He  is  engaged  in  receiving  the  after- 
DAVY  of  a  man  who  got  his  head  broke  by 
a  tinker. 

1865.  Dickens,  Mutual  Friend, 
(CD.  ed.),  94.  The  visitor  .  .  .  doggedly 
muttered,  '  Alfred  David.'  '  Is  that 
your  name  ?  '  .  .  .  '  My  name  ?  .  .  . 
No  ;  I  want  to  take  an  Alfred  David.' 

c.  1880.  Harry  Adams,  Mìisìc  Hall 
Song,  '  Blighted  Love.'  And  I'll  take  my 
Alfred  David  hot,  She  don't  catch  me 
there  again. 

Algerine,  stibs.  (theatrical). — i. 
A   manager-baiter,    espec.    when 

TJIE  GHOST  {(]!'.)  will    not  WALK 

{q.v.  ).     Also  (2)  a  petty  borrower. 

Alive,  adv.  (colloquial). — Alive 
occurs  as  an  intensive  and  ex- 
pletive :  e.g.^  ALIVE  AND  KICK- 
ING =  very  sprightly,  ALL  THERE 
(q.v.);    also   ALL    alive;    man 

(HEART,     or    SAKES)    ALIVE  !   (an 

emphatic  address)  ;  TO  LOOK 
ALiVE  =  to  make  haste;  all 
ALIVE  (tailors')  =  slovenly  made 
(of  garments), 

c.  1845.  Hood,  Agric.  Distr.,  vi. 
.Says  he,  '  No  matter,  man  alive  !  ' 

1857.  Dickens,  Christ.  Carol,  43. 
Why,  bless  my  heart  alive,  my  dear, 
how  late  you  are  ! 

1858.  Hughes,  Scouring  of  White 
Horse,  29.  The  .Scjuire  .  .  .  told  the  men 
to  LOOK  ALIVE  and  get  their  job  done. 

1889.  Globe,  4  Oct.,  I.  3.  His 
mother,  the  playwright's  widow,  as  well 
as  another  son,  named  Gordon,  were — 
to  use  a  popul.'ir  phrase — alive  and 
KICKING. 


All,  subs,  (workmen's). — \w  pl.=- 
belongings  :  spec,  tools  :  also 
AWLS  :  see  Bens.  Hence  TO 
PACK  UP  one's  alls  =  to  be- 
gone ;  to  desist. 

.  .  .  Songs  o/the  London  Prentices, 
62.     I'll  pack  up  my  awls  and  begone. 

1674.  Cotton,  Voy.  Ireland,  iii.  10. 
I  then  call  to  pay.  And  packing  my 
navvls,  whipt  to  horse,  and  away. 

d.  1704.  Brown,  Works,  ii.  84.  I  put 
no  confidence  in  the  king  .  .  .  should  he 
pack  up  his  AWLS  for  the  other  world  I 
would  not  trust  him. 

1728.  Bailey,  Eng.  Diet.,  s.v.  Pack. 
To  pack  up  his  awls  ...  to  march  off, 
to  go  away  in  haste. 

1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias  [Rout- 
ledge],  70.  The  devil  .  .  .  whispered  in 
my  ear  that  I  should  be  a  great  fool  to 
PACK  UP  MY  ALLS  when  the  prize  was 
falling  into  my  hands. 

d.  1859.  De  Quincey,  Herodotus,  ii. 
Old  Boreas  .  .  .  was  required  to  pack  up 
his  alls  and  be  off. 

2,  See  All-nations. 

3.  (old). — See  quot. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Alls.  The  five  alls  is  a  country  sign, 
representing  five  human  figures,  each 
having  a  motto  under  him.  The  first  is  a 
king  in  his  regalia  ;  his  motto,  I  govern 
ALL  :  the  second,  a  bishop  in  pontificals  ; 
motto,  I  pray  for  all  :  third,  a  lawyer  in 
his  gown  ;  motto,  I  plead  for  all  :  fourth, 
a  soldier  in  his  regimentals,  fully 
accoutred  ;  motto,  I  fight  for  all  :  fifth,  a 
poor  countryman  with  his  scythe  and 
rake  ;  motto,  I  pay  for  all. 

At  all!  inlj.  (old).— 'The 
cry  of  a  gamester  full  of  cash  and 
spirit,  meaning  that  he  will  play 
for  any  sums  the  company  may 
choose  to  risk  against  him  ' 
(Halliwell). 

All's  quiet  on  the  Potomac, 
phr.  (American). — A  period  of 
rest,  enjoyment,  peace.  [The 
phrase  dates  from  the  Civil  War  ; 
its  frequent  repetition  in  the 
bulletins  of  the  War  Secretary 
made  it  ridiculous  to  the  public] 


All. 


31 


Alley. 


Phrasks  and  Colloquial- 
isms. All  about  in  one's 
HEAD  =  light-headed  ;  ALL  ABOUT 
IT  =  the  whole  of  the  matter; 
ALL  -  AROUND       (American)   = 

thorough,       ALL-ROUND       {(J.V.); 

ALL  AT  SEA  =  uncertain,  vague  ; 
ALL  FACE  =  naked  ;  ON  ALL 
FOURS  =  fairly,   equally,    exactly; 

ALL   HOLIDAY   AT    I'ECKHAM    (^see 

quot.    1811  and  Peckham)  ;   ALL 
IN      (Stock       Exchange)  =  slow, 
FLAT  {q.v.):   of  a   market  when 
there    is    a   disposition    to    sell  : 
whence    all     out  =  improving  ; 
ALL        OVER  =  thoroughly,       en- 
tirely,     exactly  ;      all     round 
MY    HAT=queer,     all-overish 
{q.v.):    That's   ALL    ROUND   my 
hat  =  Bosh  !      SPICY     as     all 
ROUND    MY    HAT  =  sensational  ; 
ALL    serene  call's   well,   O.K., 
'  You    know    what    I'm    after  '  ; 
ALL    UP    WITH  =  finished,    done 
for  ;  ALL  T.H.  =  of  the  best,  very 
good  indeed  (tailors'),  all  there 
{q.v.).     See    also   Alive;    All- 
nations  ;       Along  ;        Beat 
Betty        Martin  ;         Blue 
Bandy  ;       Bum  ;       Caboose 
Cheek  ;  Dickey  ;  Fly  ;  Gam 
mon  ;      Gay  ;      Go  ;      Heap 
Hollow  ;        Hough  ;       Jaw 
Lombard-street  ;    Mops-and 
brooms  ;        Mouth  ;        Out 
Pieces  ;  Sheep  ;  Shop  ;  Shoot 
Skittles  ;     Smash  ;     Smoke 
There  ;     Up  ;     Way  ;      Way 


1633.  Marmion,  Antiqitary,  i. 
You'll  hardly  find  Woman  or  beast  that 
trots  sound  of  all  four  ;  There  will  be 
some  defect. 

d.  1655.  Adams,  Works,  i.  498.  All 
similitudes  run  not,  like  coaches,  on  four 
wheels. 

1704.  Gentleman  Instructed,  387.  I 
do  not  say  this  comparison  runs  on  all 
FOUR  ;  there  may  be  some  disparity. 


1710.  St.  Leger  [Somer,  Tracts 
(1751),  111.  248J.  Tho'  the  comparison 
should  not  exactly  run  ui>on  all  four 
when  examined. 

i8n.  Lex.  Balatr.  All  holiday 
AT  Peckham  .  .  .  signifying  that  it  is  all 
over  with  the  business  or  person  spoken  of. 

1834.  SouTHEY,  Doctor,  xciv.  No 
prophecy  can  be  expected  to  go  upon  all 

FOURS. 

1857.  Trollope,  Three  Clerks,  xiv. 
'  You're  all  serene,  then,  Mr  Snape,' 
said  Charley. 

1874.  Siliad,  130.  To  whom  the 
emissary,  'All  serene,'  And  took  the 
sovereign  with  a  relish  keen. 

1877.  D.  Tel.,  15  Mar.  It  must 
stand  ON  all  fours  with  that  stipulation. 

1882.  Punch,  Ixx.xii.  177.  \.  I  am 
nuts  upon  Criminal  Cases,  Perlice  News, 
you  know  .  .  .  And,  thinks  I,  this  will  be 
'  tuppence  coloured,'  and    spicy   as  all 

ROUND  MY  hat. 

1883.  D.  News,  8  Feb.,  3.  7.  The 
decision  I  have  quoted  is  on  all  fours 
with  this  case. 

Allago wi PAIN,  stibs.  (rhyming). — 
Rain  :    also   alacompain,    ALl- 

CUMPANE,        ELECAMPAIN  :         cf. 

France  and  Spain. 

All-  (or  I'M-)  AFLOAT,  «<(^i-.  (rhym- 
ing).— A  coat. 

All- BON  ES,   subs.  phr.    (old). — A 
thin  bony  person. 

1602.  Heyvvood,  Hovj  a  Man  may 
Choose,  etc.,  s.v. 

Alleviator,   siibs.  (common). — A 
drink  ;  refreshment  :  see  Go, 

1846.  Mark  Lemon,  Golden  Fetters. 
If  any  of  you  feel  thirsty  ...  I  shall  be 
happy  to  stand  an  alleviator. 

Alley     (Ally    or    Alay),    subs. 

(school). — I.  A  superior  kind 
of  marble.  [Supposed  to  = 
'alabaster,'  of  which  they  are 
sometimes  made.]  Also  ally 
tor  (or  taw)  :  cf.  STONEY  {q.v.), 
blood-alley,  and  commoney 
iq.v.). 


All-fired. 


32 


A  U-harbour-lig-ht. 


1720.  De  Foe,  Duncan  Campbell, 
iv.     A  large  bag  of  marbles  and  alleys. 

1748.  Phil.  Trans.,  x\-v.^s6.  Pellets, 
vulgarly  called  alleys,  which  boys  play 
withal. 

1807.  Coleridge,  Own  Times, 
III.  953.  While  he  was  playing  at 
marbles  would  quarrel  with  the  taws  and 
ALAYS  in  his  mouth,  because  he  had  under- 
stood it  was  the  way  Demosthenes  had 
learned  to  splutter. 

1833.  Paris,  Philos,  in  Sport,  x.  171. 
Why,  your  taw  is  a  brown  marble,  and 
your  ALLY  ...  a  very  white  one,  is  it 
not? 

1837.  Dickens,  Pickzvick  Papers, 
358.  Inquiring  whether  he  had  won  any 
ALLEY  TORS  Or  commonevs  lately. 

1865.  Craik,  Christians  Mistake, 
37.  An  ALLY  TAW,  that  is,  a  real  alabaster 
marble. 

1876.  Clemens,  Tom  Sawyer,  27. 
Jim,  I'll  give  you  a  marble.  I'll  give  you 
a  white  ALLEY.  White  alley,  Jim  !  And 
it's  a  bully  taw. 

2.  (veneiy). — The  alley  = 
the  female  ptidciidn/n  :  see 
Monosyllable. 


The  Alley,  subs.  phr.  (Stock 
Exchange). — Change  Alley:  cf. 
House,  Lane,  Street,  etc. 

1720.  The  Bubbler's  Medley,  Stock 
Jobbing  Cards,  or  the  Hutnours  of  Change 
Alley  [Title]. 

1775.  Ash,  Diet.,  s.v.  Alley  .  .  . 
The  place  in  the  City  of  London  where  the 
public  funds  are  bought  and  sold. 

1819.  Moore,  Totn  Crib,  ig.  To 
office  with  all  due  despatch  through  the 
air,  To  the  Bulls  of  the  Alley,  the  fate 
of  the  Bear. 

All- Fl  RED,  adj.  phr.  (orig.  Ameri- 
can).— A  general  intensive  :  e.g., 
ALL-F1KED  (=violent)  abuse; 
an  ALL-FIRED  (=  tremendous) 
noise;  an  all-fired  (  =  very 
great)  HURRY,  etc.  Also  as 
adv.  =  unusually,  excessively.  For 
an  apparent  origin,  ^.f<;quot.  1755- 


[1755.  World,  140.  How  arbitrary 
.  .  .  does  mankind  join  words,  that  reason 
has  put  asunder  !  'Thus  we  often  hear  of 
hell-fire  cold,  of  devilish  handsome, 
and  the  like.] 

1835.  Haliburton,  Clockmakcr,  i. 
xxiv.  '  Look  at  that  ere  Dives,'  they 
say,  '  what  an  all-fired  scrape  he  got 
into  by  his  avarice  with  Lazarus.'  Ibid. 
I  jumps  up  in  an  all-fired  hurry. 

1844.  Major  Jones's  Courtship,  87. 
The  first  thing  I  know'd,  my  trowsers 
were  plastered  all  over  with  hot  molasses, 
which  burnt  all-fired  bad. 

1845.  Knickerbocker  Mag.  [Bart- 
lett].  I'm  dying — I  know  I  am!  The 
doctor  will  charge  an  all-fired  price  to 
cure  me. 

1850.  Porter,  Tales  of  the  South- 
ivcst,  58-  Old  Haines  sweating  like  a 
pitcher  with  ice-water  in  it,  and  looking 
ALL-FIRED  tired. 

c.  i860.  Milne,  Farm  Fence,  8. 
Wonder  if  it  is  rum  make  potatoes  rot  so 
all-firedly. 

1861.  Hughes,  Tom.  Brown  at 
Oxford,  xl.  '  I  knows  I  be  so  all-fired 
jealous  ;  I  can't  abear  to  hear  o'  her 
talkin',  let  alone  writin'  to ' 

c.  1866.  Pickings  from  the  Picayune, 
67.  They  had  a  mighty  deal  to  say  up  in 
our  parts  about  Orleans,  and  how  all- 
fired  easy  it  is  to  make  money  in  it  ;  but 
it's  no  ham  and  all  hominy,  I  reckon. 

1883.  Payn,  Thicker  than  Water, 
xvii.  You've  been  an  all-fired  time,  you 
have,  in  selling  those  jars. 

All- FOURS.  To  play  at  all- 
fours,  verb.  phr.  (venery). — To 
copulate  :  see  RiDE. 

See  All. 

All-get-out.  That  beats  all- 
get-out,  phr.  (American). — A 
retort  to  any  extravagant  story  or 
assertion. 

All-harbour-light,  phr.  (rhym- 
ing). — See  quot. 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  46.  Note. 
I^earned  Judges,  worthy  Magistrates  and 
other  Innocents,  are  informed  that  'all 
HAKIÎOUK  light'  is  cabby's  favourite 
rhyming  slang  for  'all  right.'  Ibid.  As 
westward  she  sailed,  she  remarked,  This 
is  all  harbour  light. 


AllicJiolly. 


33 


Allow. 


Allicholly,  subs.  (old). — Melan- 
choly;  SOLEMNCHOLLY  (^.Z/.). 

1595.  Shakspeare,  Tïvo  Gent. 
Verona,  iv.  2.  27.  Now,  my  young  guest, 
methinks  you're  allycholly.  Ibid. 
(1596),  Merry  Wives.,  i.  4.  164.  She  is 
given  too  much  to  ALLICHOLY  and  musing. 

1736.  Wali'oi-e,  Leiters  (1861),  i.  8. 
A  disconsolate  wood-pigeon  in  our  grove 
...  is  so  ALLICHOLLY  as  any  thing. 

All  Nations,  subs.  (old).  —  i. 
The  tap-droppings  of  spirits  and 
malt  liquors  :  also  alls,  or  ALL 
SORTS  (Grose). 

1859.  Sala,  Gaslight  and  Dayliglit, 
vi.  A  counter  perforated  .  .  .  allowing 
the  drainings,  overflowings,  and  out-spill- 
ings  ...  to  drop  through,  which,  being 
collected  with  sundry  washings,  and  a 
dash,  perhaps,  of  fresh  material,  is  .  .  . 
dispensed  under  the  title  of  all  sorts. 

2.     A  parti-coloured  or  patched 
garment  ;  a  Joseph's  coat. 

All-night-man,  subs.  phr.  (ob- 
solete). —  A  body-snatcher  ;  a 
RESURRECTIONIST  {q.V.). 

1861.  Ramsay,  Remin.,  ii.  133.  The 
body  lifters,  or  all-night-men,  as  they 
were  wont  to  be  called. 

Allot.  To  allot  upon,  verb, 
phr.  (American  colloquial). — To 
count  upon;  TO  reckon  (q.v.)  ; 
TO  CALCULATE  {q.V.). 

1816.  Pickering,  Vocab.  U.  S.,  31. 
I  allot  upon  going  to  such  a  place. 

1840.     Halihurton,  Clock»taker 

(1862),  93.     And  I  allot  we  must  econo- 
mise, or  we  will  be  ruined. 

All-out,  subs.  phr.  (old  colloquial). 
— A  bumper  ;  a  carouse.  Hence 
TO  DRINK  ALL  OUT  =  to  drain  a 
bumper. 

1530.  Palsgrave,  Lang.  Francoyse, 
676.  2.     I  quaught,  I  drinke  all  out. 

1542.  BooRDE,  hit.  Kno-2u.,  151. 
There   be  many  good  felowes,  the  wyche 

wyll    DRYNKE    ALL    OUT. 


1605.  Verstegan',  Dec.  Intell. 
(1634),  13.  To  say  drink  a  Caraus  .  .  . 
which  is  to  say  All-out. 

161 1.      COTGRAVE,  Diet.,  s.v.      AlÌMZ, 

ALL-OUT  ;  or  a  carouse  fully  drunk  up. 

All-overish,  adj.  (colloquial). — 
An  indefinite  feeling  of  appre- 
hension or  satisfaction.     Also  TO 

FEEL     ALL     OVER     ALIKE,      AND 

TOUCH    NOWHERE  =  to  feel  con- 
fusedly happy.     Also  as  stibs. 

1841.  John  Mills,  Old  English 
Gentleman,  xxiv.  186.  '  Isn't  it  natural 
for  a  body  to  feel  a  sort  of  a  queer  all- 
OVEKISHNESS  On  the  eve  of  a  wedding,  I 
should  like  to  know?' 

1851.  Mayhew,  London  Lab.,  in. 
52.     When  the  mob  began  to  gather  round, 

I  felt  ALL-OVERISH. 

1854.  Ainsworth,  Flitch  of  Bacon, 
II.  V.  I  feel  a  sort  of  shivering  and  all- 
overishness. 

1864.  Clarke,  Box  for  Season,  11. 
195.  "That  indescribable  all-overish- 
NESS,  resulting  from  too  much  drink. 

1SS2.  Society,  II  Jan.,  11.  i.  '  What's 
the  trouble?'  asked  the  doctor.  'I  feel  a 
sort  of  dislocated  all-overishness.' 

All- over  -  PATTERN,  subs,  phr. 
(colloquial)  — See  quot. 

1881.  F.  E.  Hulme,  Suggestions  in 
Floral  Design.  A  term  [all  over 
pattern]  used  to  denote  a  design  in  which 
the  whole  of  a  field  is  covered  with  orna- 
ment in  contradistinction  to  such  as  have 
units  only  at  intervals,  leaving  spaces  of 
the  ground  between  them. 

Allow,  subs.  (Harrow  School). — A 
boy's  weekly  allowance. 

Verb,  (chiefly  dialectical  and 
colloquial  American). — To  admit, 
declare,  intend,  think. 

1580.  Baret,  Alvearie,  K'z^-j.  To 
Alowe,  to  make  good  or  allowable,  to 
declare  to  be  true. 

1843.  Carlton,  New  Purchase 
[Bartlett].  The  lady  of  the  cabin 
seemed  kind,  and  allowed  we  had  better 
stop  where  we  were. 


All-round. 


34 


All-standing. 


1856.  Farnham,  Cali/ortiia  [Bart- 
lett].  Gentlemen  from  Arkansas 
ALLOWED  that  California  was  no  better 
than  other  countries. 

[?].  Dialect  Ballad,  '  Tom  Cladpole's 
Journey  to  Lunnun.'  He  'lowed  he'd  ge 
me  half  a  crown,  An  treat  me  wud  some 
beer. 

1871.  Howell,  Suhirban  Sketches, 
58.     He  said  he  allowed  to  work  it  out. 

1872.  King,  Sierra  Nevada,  v.  98. 
I  ALLOW  you  have  killed  your  coon  in 
your  day. 

1875.  Parlsh,  Diet.  Sussex  Dialect, 
13.  Master  Nappet,  he  allowed  that  it 
was  almost  too  bad. 

1880.  Harris,  Uiicle  Remus,  48.  I 
'low'd  maybe  dat  I  might  ax  yo'  fur  ter 
butt  'gin  de  tree.  Ibid.,  50.  Brer  Rabbit 
he  'low  he  wuz  on  his  way  to  Miss 
Meadows. 

1880.  Scribner's  Mag.,  June,  293.  I 
'lowed  I'd  make  him  sorry  fur  it,  an'  I 
reckon  I  hev. 

All-round  (Amer.  All-around), 

adj.  phr.  (colloquial). — Generally 
capable,  adaptable,  or  inclusive  ; 
affecting  all  alike:  e.g.,  an  all- 
round  (^average)  rent;  an 
ALL-ROUND  (  =  thorough)  SCAMP  ; 

an    ALL-ROUND   CRICKETER  =  one 

good  alike  at  batting,  bowling, 
and  fielding.  Hence  all- 
rounder. 

1869.  Notes  on  N.  ÌV.  Prov.  India, 
98.  An  ALL  round  rent  of  so  much  per 
acre  charged  on  the  cultivation. 

1881.  Pavn,  Grape  from  a  Thorn, 
xl.     He's  a  bad  one  all  round. 

c.  1883.  Ang-ler's  Souvenir,  230.  Very 
few  anglers  are  all  round  men — i.e., 
devote  themselves  to  .  .  .  all  branches  of 
angling  alike. 

1883.  Graphic,  11  August,  138.  2. 
Foremost  still  as  an  '  all-round  '  cricketer 
stands  W.  G.  Grace. 

1884.  Shepherd,  Prairie  Exper., 
192.  One  of  the  usual  all-kound  men, 
who  considered  that  he  could  do  most 
things. 

1886.  Lowell,  Oration  at  Harvard, 
8  Nov.  Let  our  aim  be  .  .  .  to  give  an 
ALL-ROUND  education. 


All-roun  DER, «<i^j-. //;;-.  (common). 
—  I.  A  shirt  collar  ;  spec,  one 
the  same  height  all  round  the 
neck,  meeting  in  front,  or  (as  in 
clerical  collars)  at  the  back. 

1857.  Trollope,  Three  Clerks,  xxii. 
He  had  bestowed  .  .  .  the  greatest  amount 
of  personal  attention  on  his  collar.  .  .  . 
Some  people  may  think  that  an  all- 
rounder  is  an  all-rounder,  and  that  if 
one  is  careful  to  get  an  all-rounder  one 
has  done  all  that  is  necessary.  But  so 
thought  not  Macassar  Jones. 

i860.  All  Year  Round,  42.  369. 
That  particularly  demonstrative  type  .  .  . 
known  as  the  all  rounder. 

1865.  Strangford,  Selection  (1869), 
II.  163.  Dressed  in  full  uniform,  with  high 
stand-up  collar  ;  the  modern  all  rounder 
not  having  got  so  far  into  Asia. 

1875.  Chatiibcrs'  Journal,  No.  586 
To  present  himself  in  an  all  rounder  hat 
and  coat  of  formal  cut  on  Sunday. 

2.  See  All-round. 

All  Saints.  See  Mother  of 
All  Saints,  adding  quot.  infra. 

1772.  Bridges,  Burlesque  Homer, 
400.  He  drinks  the  mother  of  all 
saints  :  But  tho'  the  toast's  the  very  same, 
In  Greek  it  bears  another  name. 

Allslops,  subs.  (common).  — 
Allsopp  and  Sons'  ale.  [At  one 
time  their  brew,  formerly  of 
the  finest  quality,  had  greatly 
deteriorated.] 

All-sorts.    See  All-nations. 

All  Souls.    See  Mother  of  All 

Souls. 

Allspice,  subs,  (common).  —  A 
grocer  :  see  Trades. 

All-standing,  adv.  phr.  (nautical). 
—  Fully  dressed  :  hence  TO  TURN 
IN  all-standing  =  to  go  to  bed 
in  one's  clothes.  Also  brought 
up  all-standing  =  taken  un- 
awares. 


Alma  Mater. 


35       A  Imond-for-a-parrot. 


Alma  Mater,  subs.  phr.  (collo- 
quial).— Originally  (and  properly) 
one's  University  ;  now  applied  to 
any  place  of  training:  school, 
college,  or  University. 

1701.  FaR()UHAR,  Sir  Harry  IVild- 
air,  \\.  I.  Ay,  there  [Oxford]  have  I  been 
sucking  my  dear  Alma  Mater  these  seven 
years  ...  in  spite  of  the  university,  I'm 
a  pretty  gentleman. 

1718.  Pope,  Dunciad,  iii.  338.  Till 
Isis'  elders  reel  .  .  .  And  Alma  Mater 
lye  dissolv'd  in  port. 

1762.  FooTE,  Liar,  i.  i.  Why, 
then  adieu.  Alma  Mater  !  .  .  .  farewell 
to  the  schools,  and  welcome  the  theatres. 

1 771.  Smollett,  Humph.  Clinker 
(1900),  i.  34.  Some  good  offices  which  you 
know  he  has  done  me  since  I  left  Alma 
Mater. 

1803.  Scott[Lockhart,  i^z/^  (1839), 
II.  126].  The  literary  men  of  his  Alma 
Mater. 

1833.  Peirce,  Hist.  Harvard  Univ., 
App.  57.  Benjamin  Woodbridge  was  the 
eldest  son  of  our  Alma  Mater. 

1853.  Bradley,  Verdant  Green,  11. 
i.  The  man  whose  school  was  the  Uni- 
versity, whose  Alma  Mater  was  Oxonia 
itself. 

1866.  Carlyle,  Inaug.  Address,  170. 
My  dear  old  Alma  Mater. 

1874.  The  Blue,  '  Remin.  of  Christ's 
Hospital.'  Aug.  The  musical  arrange- 
ments of  our  Alma  Mater  were  some- 
thing exceedingly  below  par. 

Almanack,  subs,  (venery)  — The 
female  ptidendtun  :  see  Mono- 
syllable and  Zadkiel. 

Alman-COMB,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
See  quot.  and  Welsh-comb. 

1653.  Urquhart,  Rabelais,  \.  xxi. 
Afterwards  he  combed  his  hair  with  an 
Al  man  comb,  which  is  the  four  fingers  and 
the  thumb. 

Almighty,  adj.  and  adv.  (common). 
— An  intensive  :  mighty,  great, 
exceedingly. 

1824.  De  Quin'CEY,  Works  (1871), 
XVI.  261.  Such  rubbish,  such  almighty 
nonsense  (to  speak  transatlantice)  no  eye 
has  ever  beheld.  Ibid.  [Century].  He  is 
in  an  almighty  fix. 


1833.  Marryat,  Peter  Simple  (1S63), 
328.  An  almighty  pretty  French  pri- 
vateer lying  in  St.  Pierre's. 

1853.  Lytton,  My  NoTiel.  The 
child  ...  is  crumpling  up  and  playing 
AI  mighty  smash  with  that  flim-flam  book. 
Ibid.  Enough  to  destroy  and  drive  into 
'almighty  shivers,'  a  decent  fair-play 
Britisher  like  myself.  Ibid.  Let  us  cut 
short  a  yarn  of  talk  which  .  .  .  might 
last  to  'almighty  crack.' 

18S8.  New  York  Merc7iry,  21  July. 
I  wonder  whether  the  other  boys  gits  as 
many  customers  to  that  place?  ...  If 
they  do  it  must  be  almighty  full  some- 
times. 


Almighty  -  gold  (-money,  or 
[American]  -DOLLAR),  subs.  phr. 
(old). — The  power  or  worship  of 
money;  Mammon. 

1616.     JoNSON,  Epistle  to  Elizabeth, 
,  Countess  of  Rutland.     Whilst    that    for 
which  all  virtue  now  is  sold.  And  almost 
every  vice,  almightie  gold. 

1706.  Y AiiquHMi,  Recruiting  Officer, 
iii.  2.  In  what  shape  was  the  almighty 
GOLD  transformed  that  has  bribed  you  so 
much  in  his  favour? 

183g.  Washington  Irving,  IVol- 
fert's  Roost  :  A  Creole  Village,  40.  The 
almighty  dollar,  that  great  object  of 
universal  devotion  throughout  our  land, 
seems  to  have  no  genuine  devotee  in  these 
peculiar  villages. 

1857.  Borthwick,  California,  165. 
The  ALMIGHTY  DOLLAR  exerted  a  more 
powerful  influence  in  California  than  in 
the  old  States  ;  for  it  overcame  all  pre- 
existing false  notions  of  dignity. 

1S76.  Besant  and  Rice,  Golden 
ButterJIy,  xxii.  Genius  ...  is  apt  to 
be  careless  of  the  main  chance.  It  don't 
care  for  the  almighty  dollar  ;  it  lets 
fellows  like  me  heap  up  the  stamps. 

18S6.  Sutherland,  Australia,  102. 
TJie  travelling  Yankee,  with  an  overwear- 
ing confidence  in  the  aläughty  dollar. 

Almond  -  FOR  -  A  -  PARROT,  phr. 
(old). — See  <\\io\..  1672. 

d.  152g.  .Skelton,  Speake  Parrot,  7. 
Then  parrot  must  haue  an  almon  or  a 
date. 


Aloft. 


36         Alpha  and  Omega. 


1581.  Riche,  Farewell  Mil.  Prof. 
[Shakspeare  Soc],  63.  Have  you  founde 
your  tongue,  now  pretie  peate?  then  wee 
most  have  an  almon  for  parrat. 

1 590.  Nash,  A  LMOKI)  FOR  A  PARROT 
[Title]. 

1607.  Dekker,  Westward  Hoe,  v.  3. 
Mab.  We  ...  lie  laughing  ...  to 
remember  how  we  sent  you  a  bat-fowling. 
Wafer.  An  almond,  parrot  ;  that's  my 
Mab's  voice. 

1672.  Ray  [Hazlitt],  Almond  for 
A  parrot  .  .  .  Some  trifle  to  amuse  a  silly 
person. 

Aloft.  To  go  aloft,  verb.  phr. 
(nautical). — To  die  :  see  Hop  the 
Twig. 

1692.  E.  Walker,  Morals  of  Epic- 
tetus  (1737),  Intr.  His  rich  soul  aloft  did 
soar. 

c.  1800.  DiBDiN,  Tout  Bowling.  No 
more  he'll  hear  the  tempest  howling,  For 
death  has  broached  him  to.  .  .  .  Faithful 
below,  Tom  did  his  duty.  And  now  he's 
GONE  aloft. 

To  COME  ALOFT,  verb.  phr. 
(old  colloquial). — I.  To  vault  ;  to 
play  tricks  :  as  a  tumbler. 

1624.  Massinüek,  Bondman,  iii.  3. 
Do  you  grumble  '?  you  were  ever  A  brainless 
ass  ;  but  if  this  hold,  I'll  teach  you  To 
COME  aloft,  and  do  tricks  like  an  ape. 

2.  (venery). — To  MOUNT 
(,q.v.). 

isgo.  Spenser,  Fairy  Queen.  .  .  . 
That  nii^ht  nine  times  he  came  aloft. 

Along  of,  prep.  phr.  (colloquial 
or  dialectical).  —  On  account 
of;  owing  to;  pertaining  to; 
about  :  also  (formerly)  ALONG 
ON.  [The  O.E.I),  traces  the 
phrase  back  to  Anglo-Saxon 
times:  KiNG  Alfred  (880). 
/Klfric((-.  1000)  ;  Beket{c.  1300), 
from  which  period  the  history  is 
continued  iiifra]. 

1369.  Chaucf.r,  Troylus,  ii.  looi. 
On  me  is  not  along  thin  evil  fare.  /bid. 
(1383),  Cani.  Talis,  16398.  I  can  not  tell 
whereon  it  was  along.  But  wel  I  wot  gret 
strif  is  us  among. 


148g.     Caxton,  Faytes  of  Annes,  1.  , 
viii.  19.     Whome  it  is  alonge  or  causeth. 

1530.  Palsgrave,  Langue  Fran- 
coyse,  427.  2.  I  am  longe  of  this  stryfe  : 
je  suis  en  cause  de  cesi  estrif. 

e.  1570.  Thvnne,  Pride  and  Lowl. 
(1841),  56.  The  villain  sayth  it  is  all  long 
of  me. 

1581.  Stafford,  Exam,  of  Coni- 
plaints,  16  (New  Shaks.  Soc).  Complain- 
ing of  general  poverty,  he  says  :  '  Where- 
of it  is  longe,  I  cannot  well  tell.' 

1601.  Holland,  Pliny,  25  [Morris, 
Elem.  Hist.  Eng.  Gram.,  198].  And  that 
is  long  of  contrarie  causes. 

1602.  Return  from  Parnassus 
[Arber],  Prol.  3.     It's  all  long  on  you. 

161 1.  Shakspeare,  Cymbeline,  v.  5. 
271.  Oh,  she  was  naught  ;  and  long  of 
her  it  was.  That  we  meet  here  so 
strangely. 

1767.  Brooke,  Fool  of  Quality  {ijg^), 
II.  S8.  'Tis  all  along  of  you  that  I  am 
thus  haunted. 

1805.  Scott,  Last  Minstrel,  v.  x.xix. 
Dark  Musgrave,  it  was  long  of  thee. 

1858.  Dickens,  Christmas  Stories, 
Going  into  Society,'  65.  Would  he  object, 
to  say  why  he  left  it?  Not  at  all  ;  why 
should  he?     He  left  it  along  of  a  dwarf. 

1 88 1.  Black,  Beautiful  Wretch, 
xviii.  Mayhap  the  concert  didn't  come 
off,  along  of  the  snow. 

Along-shore  (or  Longshore) 
Boy  (or  Man),  subs.  phr. 
(old). — A  landsman  (Grose). 

Aloud,  adv.  (colloquial). — An  in- 
tensive: e.g.  TO  TALK  ALOUD  = 
to  rave;  to  think  ALOUD  =  to 
talk  ;  to  WALK  aloud  =  Io  run; 
TO  STINK  ALOUD  =  to  over- 
power. 

1872.  D.  Nezvs,  28  Feb.  The  stuff, 
to  quote  the  trenchant  expression  of  an 
onlooker,  stank  aloud. 


Alpha  and  Omega  (The),  subs, 
phr.  (venery).  —  The  female 
pudendum  :  see  Monosyllaiìle. 


Alphabet. 


37 


Alsatia. 


Alphabet,  Through  the  al- 
phabet, phr.  (colioquial). — 
Completely  ;  first  and  last. 


Alsatia,  subs,  (old).  — i.  White- 
friars  :  a  district  adjoining  the 
Temple,  between  the  Thames 
and  Fleet  Street.  [Formerly  the 
site  of  a  Carmelite  convent 
(founded  1241)  and  possessing 
certain  privileges  of  sanctuary. 
These  were  confirmed  by  a 
charter  of  James  I.  in  1608, 
whereafter  the  district  speedily 
became  a  haunt  of  rascality  in 
general,  a  Latinised  form  of 
Alsace  having  been  jocularly 
conferred  on  it  as  a  '  debateable 
land.'  Abuses,  outrage,  and  riot 
led  to  the  abolition  of  its 
right  of  sanctuary  in  1697.] 
Also  Alsatia  the  higher. 
Whence  Alsatia  the  lower  = 
the  liberties  of  the  Mint  in 
Southwark  ;  Alsatian  =  a 
rogue,  debtor  or  debauchee  ;  a 
resident  in  Alsatia  :  and  as 
adj.  =  roguish,  debauched  ; 
Alsatia  -  phrase  =  a  canting 
term  (B.  E.  and  Grose).  [See 
Scott,  Fortunes  of  Nigel,  chaps, 
xvi.  and  xvii.  ]. 

1688.  Shadwell,  Sq.  of  ALSATIA  I. 
in  wks.  (1720),  iv.  27.  He  came  out  of 
White  Fryers  :  he's  some  Alsatian 
bully. 

1691.  LuTTRELL,  Brief  Rei.  (1857), 
II.  259.  The  benchers  of  the  Inner 
Temple  having  given  orders  for  bricking 
up  their  little  gate  leading  into  White- 
fryers  .  .  .  the  Alsatians  came  and 
pulled  it  down. 

1691-2.  Gentlemen's  Journal,  Feb., 
5.       Knights    of    the     post,     Alsatian 

BRAVES. 

1704.  Gcntlonan  Instructed,  491. 
He  spurr'd  to  London,  and  left  a  thousand 
curses  behind  him.  Here  he  struck  up 
with  sharpers,  scourers,  and  Alsatians. 


1704.  Swift,  Tale  0/  a  Tub, 
'Apology  for  Author.'  The  second 
instance  to  shew  the  author's  wit  is  not  his 
own,  is  Peter's  banter  (as  he  calls  it  in  his 
Alsatia  phrase)  upon  transubstantiation. 

1709.  Steele,  Tatler,  66.  Two  of 
[my]  supposed  dogs  U-t'. ,  gamblers  or 
sharpers]  are  said  to  be  whelped  in 
Alsatia,  now  in  ruins  ;  but  they,  with 
the  rest  of  the  pack,  are  as  pernicious  as  if 
the  old  kennel  had  never  been  broken 
down. 

1787.  Grose,  Prov.  Glossary,  etc. 
(181 1),  82.  A  'squire  of  Alsatia.  A 
spendthrift  or  sharper,  inhabiting  places 
formerly  privileged  from  arrests. 

1822.  Scott,  Fortunes  of  Nigel, 
xvii.  You  shall  sink  a  nobleman  in  the 
Temple  Gardens,  and  rise  an  Alsatian 
at  Whitefriars.  .  .  .  An  extravagantly 
long  rapier  and  poinard  marked  the  true 
Alsatian  bully. 

2.  (common).  —  Hence  any 
rendezvous  or  asylum  for  loose 
characters  or  criminals,  where 
immunity  from  arrest  is  tolerably 
certain  ;  a  disreputable  locality  : 
the  term  has  sometimes  been 
applied  (venomously)  to  the 
Stock  Exchange.  Alsatian  = 
an  adventurer  ;  a  Bohemian. 

1834.  hwTTOii,  Last  Days  of  Po>n/>. 
The  haunt  of  gladiators  and  prizefighters — 
of  the  vicious  and  penniless — of  the  savage 
and  the  obscene — the  Alsatia  of  an 
ancient  city. 

i8['?].  Greenwood,  Gambling  Hell. 
For  this  ruin  the  gambling  house  is 
responsible.  Huntley  is  but  one  of  the 
thousands  who  are  stripped  annually  of 
all  they  possess  in  this  modern  Alsatia. 

1861.  Braddon,  Trail  of  Serpent, 
II.  i.  Blind  Peter  was  the  Alsatia  of 
Slopperton,  a  refuge  for  crime  and 
destitution. 

1865.  D.  Telegraph,  22  Dec,  4.  6. 
The  two  countries  are  so  closely  allied 
that  one  cannot  possibly  be  turned  into  an 
Alsatia  for  the  criminals  of  the  other. 

1876.  Lord  Justice  James  \,Ex 
parte  Saffery  re  Cooke,  Law  Times,  35, 
718].  The  Stock  Exchange  is  not  an 
Alsatia  ;  the  Queen's  laws  are  paramount 
there,  and  the  Queen's  writ  runs  even  into 
the  sacred  precincts  of  Capel-court. 


Alt. 


38 


Altitude. 


1882.  Besant,  All  Sorts  and  Cond. 
0/  Men,  vii.  The  road  has  come  to  be 
regarded  as  one  of  those  Alsatian  retreats, 
growing  every  day  rarer,  which  are 
beyond  and  above  the  law. 

Alt.  In  alt,  adv.  phr.  (old 
colloquial).  —In  the  clouds  ;  high- 
flying ;  dignified.  [Altissimo  = 
a  musical  term].     Cf.  Altitude. 

1748.  Richardson,  Clarissa,  v.  145. 
The  fair  fugitive  was  all  in  alt. 

1784.  European  Mag-,  v.  425.  I 
know  you  to  be  IN  alt  as  to  your  religion. 

1796.  BuRNEV,  Camilla,  11.  \ 
Come  ...  be  a  little  less  in  alt  .  . 
and  answer  a  man  when  he  speaks  to  you 

i7[?].  Colman,  Musical  Lady,  : 
Moderato  .  .  .  madam  !  Your  ladyship's 
absolutely  in  alt  .  .  .  You  have  raised 
your  voice  .  .  .  since  you  came  into  the 
room. 

Altar,  siibs.  (venery). — The  female 
pudendum  :  see  Monosyllable. 
Also  Altar  of  Hymen  (of 
love,  of  pleasure). 


Altemal  (or  Altumal),  subs., 
adj.,  etc.  (Old  Cant. ).  — 5^«  quots. 
Also  as  intj.  (American  thieves') 
=  '  Cut    it    short,'     '  STOW     IT  ' 

{q.V.),  'STASH         it'         (jI.V.). 

[Ü.E.D.  :  'Lat.  altum,  the  deep, 
i.e.  the  sea  +  AL.'  Dutch 
alter  mal.  ] 

c.  1696.  B.  E.  Diet.  Cant.  Crczu,  s.v. 
Altemall,  altogether. 

1711.  Medleys,  29  Jan.  (1712),  186. 
His  ALTUMAL  Cant,  a  mark  of  his  poor 
Traffick  and  Tar-Education. 

1753.  Chambers,  Cyc/.  5»//.  Altu- 
mal, a  term  used  to  denote  the  mercan- 
tile style,  or  dialect.  In  this  sense,  we 
meet  with  altumal  cant,  to  denote  the 
language  of  petty  traders  and  tars. 

1785.  Grose,  K«/jf.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Ai.tamel.  a  verbal  or  lump  account, 
without  particulars,  such  as  is  commonly 
produced  at  bawdy-houses,  spungins- 
houses,  etc.  /6id.,  s.v.  Dutch  reckoning 
or  Alle-mal. 


1859.  Matsell,  Rogi4e's  Lexicon, 
'  On  the  Trail.'  What  was  the  altemal"? 
It  only  raised  fifteen  cases.  The  dummy 
raked  a  case  and  a  half,  and  the  thimble 
was  a  first,  but  the  slang  and  onions  were 
bene. 

Alter.  To  alter  the  jeff's 
CLICK,  verb.  phr.  (tailors'). — To 
'  make  up  '  a  garment  without 
regard  to  the  cutter's  chalkings  or 
instructions. 

Altham,  subs.  (Old  Cant). — See 
quoi. 

1563.  Awdelev,  Fraternitye  0/ 
I'acabondes  [E.  E.  T.  S.],  4.  A  curtail  is 
much  like  to  the  Vpright  man,  but  hys 
authority  is  not  fully  so  great.  He  vseth 
commonly  to  go  with  a  short  cloke,  like 
to  grey  Friers,  and  his  woman  with  him 
in  like  liuery,  which  he  calleth  his  altham 
if  she  be  hys. 

Altitude.  In  one's  altitudes, 
phr.  (old).  —  Generic  for  high- 
mindedness.  (  i  )  =  in  lofty  mood  ; 
(2)  =  in  high  spirits  ;  (3)  =' hoity- 
toity  '  ;  and  (4)  =  drunk  (B.  E. 
and  Grose)  ;  see  Screwed. 

1616.  Beaumont  and  Fletcher, 
La'.vs  o/Candy,  ii.  This  woman's  in  the 
altitudes. 

1630.  Jonson,  New  Inn,  i.  I  have 
talked  .  .  .  above  my  share,  .  .  .  and 
been  in  the  altitudes,  the  extravagants. 

1668.  Dryden,  E7}enings  Love,  iii. 
If  we  men  could  but  learn  to  value  our- 
selves, we  should  soon  take  down  our 
mistresses  from  all  their  altitudes,  and 
make  them  dance  after  our  pipes. 

1705.  Vanisrugh,  Con/cd.  v.  Clar. 
'  Who  makes  thee  cry  out  thus,  poor 
Brass?'  Brass.  'Why,  your  husband, 
madam  ;  he's  in  his  altitudes  here.' 

c.  1733.  North,  Examen,  258.  If  we 
would  see  him  in  his  altitudes,  we  must 
go  back  to  the  House  of  Commons  .  .  . 
there  he  cuts  and  slashes  at  another  rate. 

1748.  Richardson,  Clarissa,  1.  252. 
'  The  girl  has  got  into  her  altitudes, 
.\unt  Hervey,' said  my  sister.  'You  see. 
Madam,  she  spares  nobody.' 


A  Itocad. 


39 


A  mbassador. 


iyZ2.  Johnson,  Letter  293  (1788), 
II.  252.  While  you  were  in  your  alti- 
tudes, at  the  Opera. 

1783.         liURGOYNE,        Lord       of      tllC 

Manor,  ii.  i.  Sophia.  Sir,  I  have  tried 
...  to  treat  you  with  respect  ;  ...  re- 
sentment and  contempt  are  the  only 

Contrast.  Clarissa  Harlow  in  her  alti- 
tudes ! 

1785.  Grose,  Diet.  Vulgar  Tongue. 
The  man  is  in  his  altitudes,  i.e.,  he  is 
drunk. 

Altocad,  subs.  (Win.  Coll.).— A 
paid  member  of  the  choir  who 
takes  ALTO. 

Altogether,  subs,  (old  colloquial). 
—  A  whole  ;  a  tout-ensemble. 

1667.  Waterhouse,  Fire  o/London, 
141.  Her  Congregations,  Her  Citizens, 
Her  altogether  has  been  as  orderly  .  .  . 

1674.  Fairfax,  Bulk  and  Scio,  33. 
We  only  call  .  .  .  God's  Allfillingness  an 
altogether,  to  loosen  it  from  any  thing 
of  sundership. 

1865.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  26  June,  9. 
American  fingers  .  .  .  impart  a  finish  and 
an  altogether  (this  is  much  better  than 
to  steal  tout-ensemble  from  the  wicked 
Emperor)  .    .  . 

The  altogether,  subs.  phr. 
(artists').  Nudity  ;  '  in  the  al- 
together nude  '  :  popularised 
by  Du  Maurier's  novel  and  play. 
Trilby. 

Alybbeg.     See  Lybbege. 

Alycompaine.       See     Allacom- 

PAIN. 

f^mp^zou,  subs,  (colloquial). —I  A 
masculine  woman  ;  a  virago. 
Also  (the  adjectival  preceded  the 
figurative  substantive  usage) 
Amazonian  =  manlike,  bold, 
quarrelsome  [in  quot.  1610  = 
beardless]. 

1595.  Shakspeare,  3  Henry  VI.,  i. 
4.  How  ill-beseeming  is  it  in  thy  sex  Tu 
triumph  like  an  Amazonian  trull.  Jlad. 
(1610)1  Coriolanus,  ii.  2.  His  Amazonian 
chin. 


1609.  C.  BuLLEK,  Monarchia  Fem- 
inina (1673),  64.  These  Amazonia.v 
dames  begin  to  wax  weary  of  their 
mates. 

171 1.  Steele,  Spectator,  104,  3. 
This  Amazonian  Hunting  Habit  for 
Ladies. 

1758.  Johnson,  Idler,  No.  6,  2.  I 
am  far  from  wishing  .  .  .  the  Amazon 
.  .  .  any  diminution  ...  of  fame. 

1762.  Goldsmith,  Female  War- 
riors [BHtisk  Mag.,  Jan.].  When  I  see 
the  avenues  of  the  Strand  beset  every 
night  with  fierce  Amazons  ...  I  cannot 
help  wishing  that  such  martial  talents 
were  converted  to  the  benefit  of  the 
public. 

1767.  Fordvce,  Ser7ttons  to  Young 
IVomen,  I.  iii.  105.  To  .  .  .  men  an 
Amazon  never  fails  to  be  forbidding. 

1809.  Byron,  Childe  Harold,  i.  57. 
Yet  are  Spain's  maids  no  race  of  Amazons, 
But  form'd  for  all  the  'witching  arts  of 
love. 

1837.  HowiTT,  Rural  Life,  iii.  vi. 
His  Amazonian  lady,  half  the  head  taller 
than  himself. 

1837.  Carlyle,  French  Rev.,  i.  vii. 
5.  Him  .  .  .  they  suspend  there  ...  a 
horrible  end  !  Nay,  the  rope  broke,  as 
French  ropes  often  did  ;  or  else  an 
Amazon  cut  it. 

1839.  Ainsworth,  Jack  Shepherd 
(1S89),  69.  Mistress  Poll  Maggot  was  a 
beauty  on  a  much  larger  scale— in  fact,  a 
perfect  Amazon. 

1844.  Blackwood's  Mag.,  Ivi.  214. 
Caps  were  dragged  off,  and  nails  shown 
with  Amazonian  spirit. 

1853.  Kane,  Grinncll  Exp.,  xlvi. 
425.  Extremes  meet  in  the  Esquimaux  of 
Greenland  and  the  Amazons  of  Paris. 

2.       (obsolete       chess).  —  The 
Queen. 

1656.  Beale,  Chessc-play,  2.  The 
Queen  or  Amazon  is  placed  in  the  fourth 
house  from  the  corner  of  the  field  by  the 
side  of  her  King,  and  alwayes  in  her  own 
colour. 

Ambassador,  subs,  (nautical). — 
'A  trick  to  duck  some  ignorant 
fellow  or  landsman,  frequently 
played  on  board  ship  in  the  warm 
latitudes.  It  is  thus  managed  :  a 
large  tub  is  tilled  with  water,  and 


Ambassador  of  Coi  funeree.   40 


Amhrol. 


two  stools  placed  on  each  side  of 
it.  (Dver  the  whole  is  thrown  a 
tarpaulin,  or  old  sail,  which  is 
kept  tight  by  two  persons  seated 
on  the  stools,  who  are  to  represent 
the  king  and  queen  of  a  foreign 
country.  The  person  intended 
to  be  ducked  plays  the  ambassa- 
dor, and  after  repeating  a  ridicu- 
lous speech  dictated  to  him,  is  led 
in  great  form  up  to  the  throne, 
and  seated  between  the  king  and 
queen,  who  rise  suddenly  as  soon 
as  he  is  seated,  and  the  unfortu- 
nate ambassador  is  of  course 
deluged  in  the  tub'  (Grose). 

Ambassador  of  Com  merce,  subs. 
(common). — A  commercial  tra- 
veller ;   A  BAGMAN  {q.V.). 

1903.  People,  29  Mar.,  12.  5. 
Ambassadors  of  commerce.  London 
Commercial  Travellers'  Benevolent  Society 
[Title]. 

Am B ES- ACE.     See  ames-ace. 

Ambia,  j'«Ä5.  (American). — Chewed- 
tobacco  juice  (Bartlett)  :  also 
see  quot, 

1889.  C.  J.  Leland  {Slang Jargon 
and  Cant,  s.v.  Ambia.  The  word  ambia, 
as  generally  used  at  Princeton,  which 
largely  represents  the  solid  South,  is  not 
applied  to  saliva,  but  to  the  intensely 
strong  nicotine,  or  thick  brown  substance 
which  forms  in  pipes.  1  have  always 
supposed  that  it  is  merely  a  Southern 
variation  of  amber,  which  exactly  repre- 
sents its  colour. 

Ambidexter    (or    Ambodexter). 

subs,  (old  legal). — See  quots. 
Hence  (2)  a  double-dealer  ;  a 
VICAR  OF  Bray  (q.v.).  Also  as 
aü^'.=  deceitful,  tricky. 

1532.  Use  0/  Dice  Play  (1850),  17. 
Any  affinity  with  our  men  of  law?  Never 
with  these  that  be  honest.  Marry  !  with 
such  as  be  ambidexters,  and  used  to 
play  in  both  the  hands. 

1555.  KiDi.KV,  Works,  27.  They 
may  be  called  neutrals,  ambidexters,  or 
rather  such  at>  can  shift  on  both  sides. 


1589.  Golden  Mirrour  [Nares]. 
An  other  sorte  began  to  hyde  their  head, 
And  many  other  did  ambodexter  play. 

1598.  Florio,  IVorlde  0/  iVordes, 
s.v.  Destreggiare. 

1599.  Peele,  Sir  Clyomon  [iVorks, 
iii.  44].  Such  shifting  knaves  as  I  am  the 
ambodexter  must  play. 

1607.  CowELL,  Law  Diet.  s.v. 
Ambidexter  .  .  .  that  juror  that  taketh 
of  both  parties  for  the  giving  of  his 
verdict. 

1613.  Finch,  Law  (1636),  186.  To 
call  ...  an  Attornie  Ambodexter,  or  to 
say  that  he  dealeth  corruptly. 

1624.  E.  S.  [Skakspeare  Cent. 
Praise,  154].  These  ambi  •  dexter 
Gibionites. 

1652.  Beulovve,  Theop.,  Xlll.  xviii. 
238.  From  costly  bills  of  greedy 
Emp'ricks  free  From  plea  of  Ambo- 
UEXTERS  fee. 

1691.  Blount,  Lam  Dictionary. 
Ambidexter  .  .  .  That  Juror  or  Em- 
braceor  who  takes  Money  on  both  sides, 
for  giving  his  Verdict. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Cre^u,  s.v. 
Ambidexter,  one  that  goes  snacks  in 
gaming  with  both  Parties  ;  also  a  Lawyer 
that  takes  Fees  of  Plaintif  and  Defendant 
at  once. 

1703.  De  Foe,  Manners,  93.  Those 
AMBODEXTERS  in  Religion,  who  Can  any 
thing  dispute,  yet  any  thing  can  do. 

1705.  HiCKKRiNGiLL,  Pricst-cra/t 
(1721),  i.  44.  Nor  Ambodexter  Lawyers 
take  a  Fee  On  both  Sides. 

1841.  Disraeli,  Amen.  Lit.  (1859), 
I.  .  362.  Spun  out  of  his  own  crafty 
ambidexterity. 

1856.  Dove,  Logic,  Chr.  Faith,  i.  ii. 
Tortuous  and  ambidexter  sophistries. 

1864.  Pai.GRAVE,  Norm,  and  Eng. 
m.  278.  An  ambidexter,  owing  fealty 
to  both  .  .  .  and  not  faithful  to  either. 


Ambree.  Mary  Ambrée,  subs, 
phr.  (old). — Generic  for  a  woman 
of  strength  and  spirit  [Nares]. 

Ambrol,  subs.  (B.  E.).  '  Amhkol, 
among  the  Tarrs  for  Admiral.' 


Ambîish. 


41 


A  ines-ace. 


Ambush,  subs.  (American  thieves'). 
— Fraudulent  weights  and  mea- 
sures. [A  punning  allusion  :  to 
lie  in  wait,  lying  weight.]  Cf. 
Fourbesque(  Italian  thieves' argot); 
giusta  =  dL  pair  of  scales,  a  balance, 
which  in  Italian  =  correct. 

Amen,  verb,  (colloquial). — To  finish 
a  matter  :  as  AMEN  does  a  prayer  ; 
to  approve  ;  to  ratify.  To  SAY 
Yes  and  Amen  =  to  agree  to 
everything  (Grose)  ;  AMENER  = 
a  general  conformist. 

1812.  SovTH^w,  Letters, VL.zZi.  Yea 
verily,  this  very  evening  have  I  amen'd 
the  volume. 

1854.  Thackeray,  Neivcomes,  Ivii. 
Is  there  a  bishop  on  the  bench  that  has  not 
amen'd  the  humbug  in  his  lawn  sleeves, 
and  called  a  blessing  over  the  kneeling  pair 
of  perjurers'? 

Amen  -  BAWLER  (-curler  or 
-SNORTER),  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
A    parish    clerk  :    also    (military) 

AMEN  -  WALLAH  :        see       BLACK- 

coAT  (Grose). 

d.  1704.  Brown,  Works,  ii.  16.  Lower 
sells  penny  prayer-books  all  the  week,  and 
CURLS  AN  AMEN  in  a  meeting-house  on 
Sundays. 

1858.  Mayhew,  Pazied  ivith  Gold, 
ni.  ix.  He  was  nicknamed  the  'Amen 
BAWLER,'  and  recommended  to  take  to  the 
'  hum-box.' 

1888.  Bulletin,  24  Nov.  In  Maori- 
land  it  is  impossible  to  swing  [a]  cat 
without  smiting  some  variety  of  amen- 
SNORTER.     Still  the  saints  are  not  happy. 

i8gg.  Whiteing,/o//«6'/.,  xxi.  'We 
represents  the  Musselbry  branch  of  the 
Slav'ry  Sersiety,'  says  a  sort  of  Amen-cuk- 
LER,  as  was  at  the  'ead  on  'em. 

AmerACE,  adv.  (American  thieves'). 
— Near  at  hand  ;  within  call. 

America,  stibs.  (venery). — The 
female  pudendum  :  see  MoNu- 
SYLLAiiLE  ;  (/.  India. 


1613.  Donne,  Elegy,  xix.  License 
my  roving  hands,  and  let  them  go  .  .  . 
Oh  my  Amekica  .  .  .  safest  when  with 
one  man  man'd. 

American  Shoulders,  subs.  phr. 
(tailors').  =  A  particular  'cut'  in 
the  shoulders  of  a  coat  :  they  are 
shaped  to  give  the  wearer  a  broad 
and  burly  appearance. 

American  Tweezers,  subs.  phr. 
(thieves'). — An  instrument  to  un- 
lock a  door  from  the  outside, 
NIPPERS  {q.v.). 

Ames-ace  (Ambs-ace,  Ambes- 
ACE,  etc.),  subs.  phr.  (old  collo- 
quial). —  I.  Orig.  and  lit.  the 
throw  of  two  aces  ;  the  lowest 
cast  at  dice.  Hence  (2)  mis- 
fortune ;  bad  luck  ;  nothing. 
Within  ames-ace  =  nearly,  very 
near  (Grose)  :  an  emphasised 
form  of  ACE,  which  see  for  other 
quots. 

1297.  Robert  of  Glorie.  51.  Ac  he 
caste  per  of  ambes  as. 

[■?].  MS.  Laud,  108,  f.  107.  Ake 
i-hered  beo  swete  Jhesu  Crist,  Huy  casten 

AUMBES-AS. 

[?].  Harrowing  0/  Hell,  21  [MS. 
Digby,  36,  f.  1 19].  Stille  be  thou,  Sathana.s, 
The  ys  fallen  ambes  aas. 

1383.  Chaucer,  Cant.  Tales,  '  Man 
of  Lawes  Tale,"  25.  O  noble,  O  prudent 
folk,  as  in  this  cas  Your  bagges  ben  not 
filled  with  AMBES  as,  But  with  sis  cink, 
that  renneth  for  your  chance. 

c.  1430.  LvDGATE,  Minor  Poeinsiï'&ip), 
166.  'Whos  chaunce  gothe  neyther  on  synk 
nor  sice,  But  withe  ambes  ace  encresithe 
his  dispence. 

d.  1529.  Skelton,  Works,  ii.  438. 
This  were  a  hevy  case,  A  chaunce  of 
AMBESASE,  To  se  youe  broughte  so  base, 
To  playe  without  a  place. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  Air  s  Well,  etc., 
ii.  3.  I  had  rather  be  in  this  choice,  than 
throw  ames-ace  for  my  life. 

1647.  Cartwright,  Ordinary  [DoDS- 
LEY,  Old  Plays  (Rked),  238J.  May  I  At 
my  last  stake,  when  there  i.s  nothing  else 
To  lose  the  game,  throw  ames-ace  thrice 
together  ! 


Äminadab. 


42 


Amoret. 


1709.  Ward,  Terrœfilius,  11.  13. 
'Tis  a  meer  Scandal  for  a  Man  of  your 
Wealth  and  Reputation,  within  Ames 
Ace  of  a  Scarlet  Gown,  to  shew  yourself 
concern'd  at  such  a  Trifle. 

1721.  Centlivre,  Gamester,  i.  i. 
My  evil  genius  flings  Am's  Ace  before  me. 

1731.  Fielding,  Lottery,  i,  249.  If 
I  can  but  nick  this  time,  ame's  ace,  I 
defy  thee. 

1870.  Lowell,  Among  my  Books,  i. 
192.  A  lucky  throw  of  words  which  may 
come  up  the  sices  of  hardy  metaphor,  or 
the  AMBS-ACE  of  conceit. 

Aminadab,  subs.  (old). — A 
Quaker  :  in  contempt  (Grose). 

1709.  Ward,  Terripßlius,  vi.  11. 
.\bigail  .  .  .  was  Aminidab's  servant  till 
happening  to  uncover  her  Nakedness  .  .  . 
he  thought  it  best  ...  to  take  the  Damsel 
to  Wife. 

Ammunition,  subs.  (old).  —  i. 
Originally  applied  to  every  re- 
quisite for  soldiers'  use,  as  ammu- 
nition bread,  shoes,  hat,  etc.  : 
now  only  of  powder,  shot,  shell, 
and  the  like.  Whence  collo- 
quialisms such  as  AMMUNITION 
FACE  =  a  warlike  face;  ammuni- 
tion WIFE  (or  whore)  =  a 
soldier's  trull  (Grose)  ;  ammu- 
nition LEG  =  a  wooden  leg,  etc. 

c.  1658.  Cleveland,  Cleveland  Vin- 
dicated (1677),  97.  So  much  for  his  war- 
like or  ammunition  face. 

1663.  Butler,  Hudibras,  1.  i.  314. 
Link'd  with  many  a  piece  of  AMMUNITION 

BREAD  AND  CHEESE. 

1693.  Robertson,  Phraseol.  Gen., 
1320.  An  AMMUNITION  WHORE,  scortum 
castrense. 

1717.  Prior,  Alma,  iii.  215.  That 
great  Achilles  might  employ  The  strength 
designed  to  ruin  Troy,  He  dined  on  lion's 
marrow,  spread  On  toasts  of  ammunition- 
bread. 

1766.  Smollett,  Travels,  v.  The 
king  .  .  .  allows  them  soldiers' pay,  that  is, 
five  sols  or  twopence  halfpenny  a  day  ;  or 
rather,  three  sols  and  ammunition  bread. 

1827.  Lvtton,  rdham,  vii.  The 
one  milliner's  shop  was  full  of  fat  squircsses, 
buying  muslin-ammunition. 


2.  (common).  —  Bum-fodder 

{q.V.). 

3.  (venery).  —  The      seminal 
fluid  :  see  Cream. 

(/.  1704.  Brown,  Works,  i.  75.  The 
lavish  Hero  fir'd  too  fast  .  .  .  That  when 
three   poor  attacks  were  past  He  wanted 

ammunition. 

Mouth  -  ammunition,    subs, 
phr.    (old),— Food  :    cf.    BELLY- 

timber. 

1694.  Motteux,  Rabelais,  v.  vii.  If 
you  would  consume  the  mouth-ammu- 
nition of  this  island,  you  must  rise  be- 
times. 

Amoret    (or    Amorette),     subs. 

(old  colloquial). — I.  Originally 
a  sweetheart  :  see  quot.  1400  ; 
spec.  (2)  a  mistress.  (O.E.D: 
'  Eng.  Amoret  having  become 
obsolete  the  word  has  recently 
been  re-adopted  from  the 
French'  :  see  sense  4.]  Whence 
(3)  the  concomitants  of  love  :  e.g. 
a  love-knot,  a  love-sonnet,  love- 
looks  {see  quot.  1590),  and 
(in  pi,)  'love-tricks,  dalliances' 
(Cotgrave)  \_Cf.  amoretto 
(from  the  Ital.)  =  a  lover,  a 
sonnet,  a  sheep's  eye,] 

c.  1400.  Rojn.  of  Rose,  4758.  Eke  as 
well  by  amorettes  In  mourning  blacke 
as  bright  burnettes.  Ibid.  892.  Clad  .  .  . 
alle  in  floures  and  in  flourettes.  Painted 
alle  with  amorettes. 

1483.  Caxton,  G.  dc  la  Tour,  c.  iv. 
Thought  more  to  complaire  and  plese  their 
amorettes  ,  .  .  than  to  plese  God. 

1590.  Watson,  Poems  (1870),  171. 
Bestow  no  wealth  on  wanton  amorets. 

1590.  Lodge,  Euphues'  Gold.  Leg. 
Wryting  amorets. 

c.  1500.  Greene,  Friar  Bacon,  xii.  8. 
Shoulcf  .  .  .  Phœbus  scape  those  piercing 
amorets.  That  Daphne  glanced  at  his 
deity? 

1590.  Neuer  too  Late,  82.  Shee 
alluring  him  with  such  wilic  amorkttes 
of  a  cuitizan. 


A  nipersand. 


43 


A  muse. 


1594.  Dickenson,  Arishas  (1878),  71. 
Sweete  Amorets  were  chaunted. 

1598.  Florio,  Worlde  0/  Wordcs. 
Amoretto,  an  amoret,  a  little  love,  a 
wanton,  a  paramour. 

1646.  Hall,  Poems  35.  In  each 
line  lie  More  Amorettoes  then  in  Doris 
eye. 

1651.  Sarpi,  92.  My  amorets  and 
wantonness. 

1654.  Gayton,  Fest.  Notes,  47.  The 
arioretto  was  wont  to  take  his  stand  at 
one  place  where  sate  his  mistress. 

1794.  Warton,  Sappho.  When 
amorets  no  more  can  shine.  And  Stella 
owns  she's  not  divine. 

4.  (modem).  Amourette  = 
a  love-affair  ;  an  intrigue. 

1865.  Carlvle,  Fred.  Great,  11.  vii. 
ii.  161.  A  curious  story  about  one  of 
Prince  Fred's  amourettes. 

1871.  Pall  Mall  Gas.,  7  Feb.,  it. 
Youthful  amourettes  more  or  less  scan- 
dalous. 

Ampersand,    shós,   (American). — 
I.   Tlie  posteriors  :  see  Bum. 

2.  (colloquial).  —  The  sign 
'  &  '  ;  ampersand.  Variants  : 
And- PUSSY -AND  ;  Ann  Passy 
Ann  ;  anpasty  ;  andpassy  ; 
anparse  ;  apersie  {ç.2'.)  ;  per- 
se ;  ampassy  ;  am-passy-and  ; 
amperse  -  and  ;  ampus  -  and  ; 
ampussy  and;  ampazad  ; 
amsiam  ;  ampûs  -  end  ;  ap- 
perse  -  and  ;      empersi  -  and  ; 

AMPERZED  ;    and    ZUMZY-ZAN. 

1764.  Macklin,  Afan  of  the  World. 
A  shrivelled,  cadaverous,  neglected  piece 
of  deformity,  i'  the  shape  of  an  ezard  or  an 
EMPERSi-AND,  Or  in  short  anything. 

J.  1843.  SouTHEY,  Letters,  i.  200.  The 
pen  commandeth  only  twenty-si.x  .  .  . 
these  are  its  limits — I  had  forgotten  and- 

PUSSEY-AND. 

1859.  Eliot,  Adam  Bede.  But  he 
observed  in  apology,  that  it  [the  '  2  ']  was 
a  letter  you  never  wanted  hardly,  and  he 
thought  it  had  only  been  put  there  '  to 
finish  off  th'  alphabet,  like,  though 
AMPUS-END  ["&"]  would  ha'  done  as 
well,'  for  what  he  could  see. 


Amputate,  verb,  (common). — To 
be  off  ;    '  TO  CUT  {q.v.)  and  run'  : 

also     to     AMPUTATE     ONE'S     MA- 
HOGANY (or  TIMBER).      Ó£^BUNK 

and  Timber-merchant. 

Amsterdam-whore,  subs.  phr. 
(old). — See  quot. 

170g.  Ward,  Tempfilhis,  vi.  28. 
She  has  the  face  of  an  Angel,  the  Shape  of 
a  Goddess  .  .  .  yet  .  .  .  she's  as  False 
and  Perfidious  as  an  Amsterdam  Whore. 

Amulet  (The),  subs,  (venery). — 
The  female  pudendum  ;  see 
Monosyllable. 

Amuse,  vet-b.  (Old  Cant,  and  liter- 
ary).— To  cheat,  beguile,  deceive, 
[Ü.  E.  D.  .  .  .  '  Not  in  regular  use 
before  I 6qo.  .  .  .  '  the  usual  sense 
in  17th  and  18th  centuries  ']  :  spec. 
(B.  E.  and  Grose),  'to  throw 
dust  in  one's  eyes  by  diverting 
one,'  '  to  Hing  dust  or  snuff  in  the 
eyes  of  the  person  intended  to  be 
robbed  ;  also  to  invent  some 
plausible  tale  to  delude  shop- 
keepers and  others,  thereby  to 
putthemofftheirguard.'  Whence 
AMUSER  =  a  cheat,  a  snuff-thiovv- 
ing  thief  ;  '  one  that  deceives  ' 
(Ash  and  Grose), 

1480.  Caxton,  Ovid  Metani.,  xii.  iii. 
I  never  amused  my  husbonde. 

1569.  Cecil  [Strype,  Ann.  Re/.,  i 
liv.  582].  He  was  secretly  employed  to 
amuse  her. 

1583.  Whitgift  [Fuller,  Church 
Hist.,  i.x.  153].  I  doubt  not  but  your 
Lordship  will  judge  those  amusers  to 
deserve  just  punishment. 

1673.  Marvell,  Reh.  Transp.,  ii. 
263. _  And  all  to  amuse  men  from  ob- 
serving. 

1728.  De  Foe,  Ma^ic,  i.  vii.  igo. 
Tools  of  the  Devil  to  cheat  and  amuse  the 
world. 

1756.  Burke,  Sublime  and  Beautiful 
{Works,  i.  155].  Amuse  and  mislead  us 
by  false  lights. 


A  nabaptist. 


44  A  ngel  A  Itogether. 


1775.       Ash,     Did., 
.  .  one  that  deceives. 


Amuser 


1817.  CoBBETT,  Year's  Resid.  A»ier. 
(1822),  230.  It  becomes  the  people  of 
America  to  guard  their  minds  against  ever 
being,  in  any  case,  amused  with  names. 

Anabaptist,  subs.  (old). — A  thief 
caught  in  the  act  and  disciplined, 
at  the  pump  or  in  the  horse-pond 
(Grose). 

Anchor,  subs.  (old). — See  quot. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulg:  Ton^e,  s.v. 
Anchor.  Bring  your  a — se  to  an  anchor, 
i.e.,  sit  down.  To  let  go  an  anchor  to  the 
windward  of  the  law  ;  to  keep  within  the 
letter  of  the  law.     Sea  Wit. 

1853.     Bradley,    Verdant  Green,  11. 

iii.      '  Hullo,  Pet  !   .  .  .   BRING  YOURSELF  TO 

AN  anchor,  my  man.'  The  Pet  according- 
ly ANCHORED  himself  by  dropping  on  to  the 
edge  of  a  chair. 

Ancient.     .Ç^^  Antient. 

Ancient  Mariner,  subs.  phr. 
(Univ.  Oxford). — A  rowing  don. 

Andrew,  subs.  (old).  —  i.  A  broad- 
sword ;  also  Andrew  Ferrara  : 
cf.  Gladstone.  [Cosmo,  Andrea, 
and  Gianantonio  Ferara,  three 
Italian  cutlers  of  Belluno  in 
Venetia.] 

1618.  Fletcher,  Chances,  viii. 
Here's  tough  old  Andrew. 

2.  (old). — A  body-servant  ;  a 
valet  :  cf.  Abigail. 

1698.  Congreve,  Way  0/ the  World, 
V.  I.  I  am  brought  to  fine  uses,  to  become 
a  botcher  of  second-hand  marriages  between 
Abigails  and  Andrews. 

3.  (old).  —  A  ship,  whether 
trading  or  man-of-war:  also 
Andrew  Millar,  and  (Grose) 
Andrew  Miller's  lugger. 
Among  Australian  smugglers  =  a 
revenue  cutter. 

1591.  Harington,  Orlando  Furioso, 
XV.  23.  Famous  Andrew  D'Okee,  That 
to  pyrats  so  much  terror  breeds  [Little- 
dale]. 


1598.  Shakspeare,  Merchant  of 
Venice,  i.  i.  27.  But  I  should  think  of 
shallows  and  of  flats,  And  see  my  wealthy 
.ANDREW  dock'd  in  sand. 

See  Merry-Andrew. 


Androgynation  (The  Work  of), 

subs.  phr.  (venery). — Copulation  ; 
'  the  BEAST  with  two  backs'  {q.v.). 

Angel,  xw^j-.  (nursery). — See  quot. 
also  flying-angel. 

1880.  Greenwood,  Seaside  Insanity 
[Odd  People  in  Odd  Places,  45].  With 
the  youngest  but  one  .  .  .  bestriding  his 
shoulder  .  .  .  his  temper  is  not  improved 
by  the  knowledge  that  the  cherub  to  whom 
he  is  giving  a  flying  angel  is  smearing 
his  Sunday  hat  with  the  seaweed  with 
which  its  little  fists  are  full. 

Angel  on  horseback,  subs, 
phr.  (common). — ^i^f  quot. 

1901.  Grand,  Bats  the  Impossible, 
.\v.  She  would  especially  like  a  savoury 
that  evening  .  .  .  Angels  on  horseback, 
now  —  those  delicious  little  morsels  of 
oysters  rolled  in  bacon,  and  served  on 
crisp  toast,  very  hot. 

Angel  Altogether,  subs.  phr. 
(West  Indian). — A  toper.  [A 
bon-mot  (r.  1876)  of  a  sugar 
planter  on  the  East  Coast,  Dcme- 
rara.  A  negro,  notorious  for 
hard  drinking,  applictl  for  leave  ; 
the  manager,  suspectmg  ()uashie 
wanted  to  go  '  on  the  drink,' 
bantered  him.  'John  !  you  were 
drunk  on  Sunday  ?  '  '  Yes, 
massa  !  '  '  Monday  too?  '  '  Yes, 
massa  !'  and  the  question,  being 
repeated  for  the  rest  of  the  week, 
elicit  ating  similar  responses,  the 
'  boss  '  quietly  but  pointedly  said, 
'  But,  John,  you  can't  l)e  an 
ANGEL  ALTOGETHER,  you 
know  !  '  The  story  got  abroad, 
caught  on,  and  in  a  short  time 
the  whole  colony  rang  with  the 
expression.  ] 


Ans^elic. 


45 


A  nsile. 


Angelic  (or  Angelica),  subs. 
(old).  —  A  young  unmarried 
woman. 

1821.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and  Jerry 
[Dick],  5.  This  cover-me-decently  was 
all  very  well  at  Hawthorn  Hall,  I  daresay  ; 
but  here,  among  .  .  .  the  ANGELics  at 
Almack's,  ...  it  would  be  .  .  .  the  index 
of  a  complete  flat. 

Angeliferous,  adj.  (American). — 
Angelic  ;  also  super-excellent. 

1837.  Bird,  Nick  0/  the  Woods 
[Barti.ett].     Angeliferous  madam  ! 

Angel's-food,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
Strong  ale. 

1577.  Harrison,  England,  11.  xviii. 
(1877),  295.  There  is  such  headie  ale  and 
beere  .  .  .  commonlie  called  huffe-capp, 
the  mad  dog  .  .  .  angei.s  foou,  dragons 
milke. 

Angel's  Footstool,  subs.  phr. 
(American).  —  An  imaginary 
square  sail,  topping  THE  SKY- 
SCRAPER {q.V.),    THE   MOON-SAIL 

{q.v.),  and  THE  cloud-ci.eaner 
^q.v.). 

Angel's  Gear,  subs.  phr.  (nauti- 
cal).—  Female  attire. 

Angel's  Oil,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
bribe  :  also  oil  of  angels. 
[Angel  =  a  gold  coin,  value 
6s.  Sd.,  first  struck  by  Ed.  IV. 
in  1465.] 

Angel's  Suit,  stibs.  phr.  (obsolete 
tailors).  —  A  'combination' 
garment  for  men  :  the  trousers 
were  buttoned  to  coat  and  waist- 
coat made  in  one. 


Angel's  Whisper,  siibs.  phr. 
(military). — The  call  to  defaulter's 
drill  :  usually  extra  fatigue  duty. 


1899.  Wyndham,  Queen's  Service, 
XXXV.  Effective  measures  are  taken  to 
prevent  defaulters  leaving  barracks.  .  .  . 
All  day  long,  the  bugle  sounds  at  unex- 
pected moments  the  .  .  .  angel's  whis- 
I'ER  .  .  .  when  there  is  some  extra  fatigue 
to  be  performed. 

Angle,  subs,  (venery). — T\\q. penis: 
see  Prick  (Rochester). 

Verb,  (old  colloquial). — To  get 
by  stratagem;  to  fish  {q.v.); 
and  (in  an  absolute  sense,  see 
Angler)  to  cheat,  to  steal.  As 
subs.  =(i)  a  lure  or  wile  ;  (2)  a 
victim  :  hence  a  simpleton,  one 
easily  imposed  on  ;  and  (3)  a 
cunning  or  specious  fellow,  an 
adventurer.  To  angle  one 
ON  =  to  lure. 

1535.  Coverdale,  Bible,  Eccles.  vii. 
26.  A  woman  is  bytterer  than  death  .  .  . 
for  she  is  a  very  angle,  hir  hert  is  a 
nett. 

1537.  TiNDALE,  Eup.  St.  John,  45. 
He  can  not  .  .  .  hyde  the  angle  of  his 
poysoned  heresye  vnder  a  bayte  of  true 
doctrine. 

1586.  .Sidney  [Jamieson].  If  he 
shake  courteously,  he  angled  the  people's 
hearts. 

1589.  Pappe  zuith  Hatchet,  Pref.  3. 
I  doo  but  yet  angle  with  a  silken  flye,  to 
see  whether  Martine  will  nibble. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  I  Henry  IV.,  iv. 
3.  By  this  face,  This  seeming  brow  of 
justice  did  he  win  The  hearts  of  all  that 
he_  did  angle  for.  Ibid.  (1601),  All's 
Well,  v.  3.  212.  She  did  angle  for  me. 
Madding  my  eagerness  with  my  restraint. 

1601.  JoNSON,  Poetelter,  ii.  i.  I'll 
go  presently  and  enghle  some  broker  for 
a  poet's  gown. 

1653.  Walton,  Compleat  Angler,  i. 
You  have  angled  me  on  with  much 
pleasure  to  the  thatched  house. 

c.  1683.     Oldham,  Works,  etc.{i6ZS),  85. 
Shooes  which  .  .  .  angled  their  Charity. 

1750.  Chesterfield,  Letters,  255. 
Modesty  is  the  only  sure  bait  when  you 
angle;  for  praise. 

1799.  Southey,  Lo7'e  Elei;.,  iii.  n. 
125.  The  subtile  line  Wherewith  the 
urchin  angled  for  my  heart. 


A  ngler. 


46 


Ankle. 


1867.  Disraeli  [Morn.  Star,  12 
Feb.].     We  are  not  angling  for  a  policy. 

To     ANGLE     FOR     FARTHINGS, 

verb.  phr.  (old).     See  quot.  1785. 

1700.  Congreve,  Way  of  the  World, 
iii.  6.  I  hope  to  see  him  lodge  in  Ludgate 
first,  and  angle  into  Blackfriars  for  brass 
FARTHINGS  with  an  old  mitten. 

1785.  Grose,  Vul^.  Tongtie,  s.r. 
Angler  .  .  .  Angling  for  farthings. 
Begging  out  of  a  prison-window  with  a 
cap,  or  box,  let  down  at  the  end  of  a  long 
string. 

To  ANGLE  WITH  A  SILVER 
HOOK,  verb.  phr.  (common).  —  i. 
To  bribe  ;  and  (2)  to  buy  one's 
catch  in  the  market. 

Angler,   stibs.   (Old   Cant.). — See 
quots.     To    ANGLE  =  to    steal; 

ANGLING-COVE  =  a    FENCE    {q.V.) 

(B.  E.  and  Grose). 

1567.  Karman,  Caveat,  35.  These 
hokers,  or  Angglers  be  peryllous  and 
most  wicked  Knaues  .  .  .  they  customably 
carry  with  them  a  staffe  of  v.  or  vi.  foote 
long,  in  which  within  one  ynch  of  the  tope 
thereof,  ys  a  lytle  hole  ...  in  which  they 
putte  an  yron  hoke,  and  with  the  same 
they  wyll  plucke  vnto  them  quickly  any- 
thing that  they  may  reche  ther  with. 

1592.  Nash,  Piers  Pennilesse,  28  b. 
Noble  Lord  Warden  [the  devil]  of  the 
Wenches  and  Anglers. 

1610.  Rowland,  Martin  Mark-all 
[Hunt.  Club],  8.  They  are  sure  to  be 
clyd  in  the  night  by  the  anc;lkr,  or 
hooker,  or  such  like  pilferers  that  Hue 
upon  the  spoyle  of  other  poore  people. 

1632.  Dekkek,  English  I'illanies. 
An  ANGLER  for  duds  carries  a  short 
staff  in  his  hand,  which  is  called  a  filch, 
having  in  the  nab  or  head  of  it  a  ferme 
(that  is  to  say  a  hole)  into  which,  upon 
any  piece  of  service,  when  he  goes  a 
filching,  he  putteth  a  hooke  of  iron,  with 
which  hook  he  angles  at  a  window  in  the 
dead  of  night  for  shirts,  smockes,  or  any 
other  linen  or  woollen. 

1749.  Bami-vldk  Mooke  -  Carew, 
Oath  0/  Canting  Crew.  No  dimber 
«lamber,  angler,  dancer,  Prig  of  cackler, 
prig  of  prancer. 


1785.  Grose,  Vtdg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Anglers.  Pilferers  or  petty  thieves,  who, 
with  a  stick  having  a  hook  at  the  end,  steal 
goods  out  of  shop  windows,  grates,  etc.  : 
also  those  who  draw  in  or  entice  unwary 
persons  to  prick  at  the  belt,  or  such  like 
devices. 

c.  1 8 19.  Song  of  the  Young  Prig 
[Farmer,  Musa  Pedestris  (1896),  83]. 
The  cleanest  angler  on  the  pad. 

1847.  Halliwei.l,  Arch.  Words, 
s.v.  Angler.  One  who  begs  in  the  day- 
time, observing  what  he  can  steal  at  night. 

Anglomaniacs,  stibs.  phr.  (Ameri- 
can).—A  club  in  Boston  ;  its 
members  are  opposed  to  every- 
thing British. 

Angry  Boy.     See  Boy  and  Roar- 

ING-BOY. 

Angular  Party,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  gathering  of  people 
where  the  number  is  odd  ;  say 
three,  seven,  thirteen,  etc. 

Animal,  subs.  (old). — i.  A  term  of 
contempt  ;  '  a  fool — he  is  a  meer 
Animal,  he  is  a  very  silly  Fellow  ' 
(B.  E.,  c.  1696). 

1677.      Wvcherley,   Plain   Dealer, 

in. 

2.  (American)  — A  new  cadet 
at  the  United  States  IVIilitary 
Academy,  West  Point  ;  cf. 
SNOOKER. 

See  Whole. 

Animule,  siibs.  (American). — A 
mule.     [A  portmanteau-word 

{i/.V.):    i.e.   ANIMAL -hMULE.] 

iS,i4(?)  Centre-Pole  Bill  [Over- 
land Monthly].  '  Ten  miles  to  town  ! 
Waal,  stranger,  I  guess  I'll  stake  out  here 
to-night.  Tliem  ANIMUI.ES  is  too  beat  to 
do  that.' 

Ankle.  To  sprain  one's  ankle, 
verb.  phr.  (old). — To  be  got  with 
child  (Grose).  Fr. ,  avoir  »lal 
anx  srenoux. 


Ankle- Beater. 


47 


Anoint. 


Ankle-beater,  subs,  fin-,  (old). — 
A  boy-drover  :  they  tended  their 
animals  with  long  wattles,  and 
beat  them  on  the  legs  to  avoid 
spoiling  or  bruising  the  flesh. 
Also  PENNY-BOYS  \q.v.):  they 
received  one  penny  per  head  as 
remuneration. 

Ankle-spring  Warehouse,  subs, 
phr.  (old). — The  stocks. 

1780.  Ireland,  Sixty  Years  Ago, 
96.  '  Kilmainham  Minit.'  Oh  !  boys,  if 
de  mosey  was  keeper  of  de  ancle-spring 
WAREHOUSE,  you  cud  not  help  pitying  him. 

Ananias,  stibs.  (common). — A  liar. 
Hence  ANANlAS-BRAND  =  an  im- 
posture ;  Ananias-club  —  an 
imaginary  collection  of  liars  ;  TO 
PLAY  Ananias  and  Sapphira 
(thieves')  =  to  keep  back  part  of 
the  swag. 

1891.  Carew,  Attto.  0/  Gipsy,  414 
He  'cused  me  o'  playin'  Ananias  and 
Sapphira — pinchin'  the  regulars  as  we 
call  it. 

i8g6.  Lillard,  Poker  Stories. 
'  Stories  told  at  the  Ananias  club  '  [Title 
of  chapter]. 

Anna  MarìA,  subs.  p/ir.  (rhyming). 
— A  fire. 

1892.  Marshall,  T/ie  Rusher 
{Sporting  Times,  29  Oct.]  'My  round- 
the-houses  I  tried  to  dry,  By  the  Anna 
Maria's  heat. 

Anne.  See  Bacon,  Sight,  and 
Thumb. 

Annex,  verb.  (American).— To 
steal  ;  TO  CONVEY  (t/.r'.). 

Anno  Domini  Ship,  subs.  fhr. 
(whaling).  —  An  old  -  fashioned 
whaler  (Century). 

Annual,  subs,  (colloquial).  —  A 
holiday  taken  once  in  twelve 
months:  cf.  ANNUAL  (old)=a 
mass  said,  or  rent  paid,  and 
(modern)  a  book  issued,  yearly. 


Anodyne, ^«ì5j-.  (American thieves'). 
— Death:  as  &e;-Ä  =  to  kill.  Also 
(Old  Cant.),  anodyne  neck- 
lace (or  necklace)  =  a  halter 
(Grose).  See  Horse-collar, 
Ladder,  and  Nubbing-cheat. 

[1636.  Fletcher,  Bloody  Brother, 
iii.  2.  Speaks  of  the  hangman's  halter  as 
a  '  necklace.'] 

1766.  Goldsmith,  Vicar  of  IVaie- 
yfe/./ [Works  (Globe),  xx.  43].  May  I  die 
by  an  anodyne  necklace,  but  I'd  rather 
be  an  underturnkey  in  Newgate. 

Anoint,  verb,  (old).— i.  To  flatter  ; 

TO  BUTTER  {ç.V.). 

c.  1400.  Ro}}t.  Rose,  1057.  These 
losengeris  hem  preyse  and  smylen.  And 
thus  the  world  with  word  anoynten. 

1483.  Caxton,  G.  de  la  Tour,  H  v  b. 
More  worthe  is  the  frend  whiche  prycketh 
than  the  flaterynge  frend  whiche 
enovntetii. 

2.  (old).  —  To  bribe  ;  '  to 
grease  the  palm'  {q.v.)\  to 
'  creesh  the  loof.  ' 

15S4.  Knox,  Hist.  0/  Re/oriiiation, 
[IVorA's  (1846),  I.  102].  Yea,  the  handis 
of  our  Lordisso  liberallie  were  anoynted. 

3.  (old).— To  beat;  to  thrash 
soundly;  also,  'to  ANOINT  with 
the  sap  of  a  hazel  rod  '  (North)  : 
cf.  STRAP  -  OIL.  Whence 
ANOINTED  =  well  drubbed  {see 
next  entry). 

c.  1500.  Rom.  0/ Part.  (Skeat),  5653. 
Then  thay  put  hym  hout,  the  kyng  away 
fly,  Which  so  well  was  anoynted  [Fr. 
Qui  atwit  este  si  bien  oingt]  indede.  That 
no  slene  ne  pane  had  he  hole  of  brede. 

X563.  R.  B.,  Appius  and  l'i>-ginia 
[DoDSLEY,  Old  Plays  [Hazlitt],  iv.  121]. 
Have  at  you  again  :  you  shall  have  your 
anointing. 

c.  i6[?].  Roxhirghc  Ballads,  '  Dumb 
Maid  '  [B.  M.,  C.  io,/.  8,  112].  And  take 
you  the  Oyl  of  Hazel  strong.  With  it 
anoint  her  Body  round. 

1703.  Fuller,  Bridetuell,  Ashton, 
Fleet, ^\ï\.  The  whipper  began  to  noint 
me  with  his  instrument,  that  had  .  .  . 
about  a  dozen  strings  notted  at  end. 


A  noinied. 


48 


A  nother. 


1748.  Smollett,  Rod.  Random,  v. 
'  I'll  bring  him  to  the  gangway,  and 
ANOINT  him  with  a  cat-and-nine-tails.' 

1772.  Bridges,  Burlesque  Homer, 
13g.  Broomsticks  .  .  .  With  which  them- 
selves they  us'd  to  switch,  And  call  it 
'nointing  for  the  itch. 

1783.  Grose,  Vulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Oil  of  Gladness.  I  will  anoint  you 
with  the  oil  of  gladness. 

1824.  Irving,  Tales  of  a  Traveller, 
II.  287.  Seize  a  trusty  staff  and  anoint 
the  back  of  the  aggressor. 


Anointed,  ///.  adj.  (old). — Pre- 
eminent in  rascality  :  see  quot. 
1866  and  ANOINT,  sense  3. 

1769.  Robertson,  Hist.  0/ Reign  of 
Charles  V.  Their  anointed  malefactors, 
as  they  called  them,  seldom  suffered 
capitally  even  for  the  most  enormous 
crimes. 

1820.  Duncombe,  Flash  Diet.,  s.w. 
Anointed.     Knowing  ;  ripe  for  mischief. 

1825.  Scott,  St.  Ronan's  Well, 
xxxvi.  '  But,  not  being  Lord  Etherington, 
and  an  anointed  scoundrel  into  the 
bargain,  I  will  content  myself  with 
cudgelling  him  to  death. 

1866.  Skeat  \_Notes  and  Queries,  3. 
S.  ix.  422].  In  a  French  MS.  ...  is  an 
account  of  a  man  who  had  received  a 
thorough  and  severe  beating  :  Qui  anoit 
este  si  bien  oignt.  The  English  version 
[Early  English  Text  Society]  translates 
this,  '  which  so  well  was  anoynted 
indeed.'  From  this  it  is  clear  that  to 
anoint  a  man  was  to  give  him  a  sound 
drubbing,  and  that  the  word  was  so  used 
in  the  fifteenth  century.  Thus,  an 
anointed  rogue  means  either  one  who 
has  been  well  thrashed  or  who  has  deserved 
to  be. 

1882.  Smyth  Palmer,  Folk  Ety- 
mology, s.v.  Anointed  .  .  .  without 
doubt,  a  corruption  of  the  French  anoientc 
(Roquefort),  another  form  of  anéanti, 
brought  to  nothing,  worthless,  good  for 
nothing. 


Anonyma,  subs,  (popular  :  c.  1860- 
6).  —  A  fashionable  whore  :  see 
TaR'1'. 


1864.  Sala,  Quite  Alone,  i.  Is  that 
anonyma  driving  twin  ponies  ...  a 
parasol  attached  to  her  whip,  and  a  groom 
with  folded  arms  behind  her?  Bah  !  there 
are  so  many  anonvmas  nowadays.  If  it 
isn't  the  Nameless  One  herself,  it  is 
Sj'nonyma. 

1865.  OuiDA,  Strathtnore,  vi.  I'm 
getting  tired  of  Mondes,  one  confounds 
.  .  .  with  Demi-monde,  and  aristocrats  that 
are  so  near  allied  to  anonyma. 

1865.  Pul'lic Opinion, -ioS&p.  These 
demi-}7tonde  people,  anonymas,  horse- 
breakers,  hetairae  .  .  .  are  .  .  .  pushing 
their  waj'  into  society. 

(f.  186S.     H.  J.  Byron  [MSS.  Additions 
to  Slang  Dicty.  (Hotten)  now  in  B.M.]. 

Miss- ,    said    to    have     been    the    real 

Anonyma,  died  at  Paris. 

1873.  Lytton,  Kenelm  Chillingly. 
The  carefully  sealed  envelopes  containing 
letters  from  fair  anonymas. 

1881.  DoRAN,  Drury  Lane,  11.  159. 
Anonymas,  who  dress  with  such  exquisite 
propriety  lest  they  should  be  mistaken  for 
modest  women. 

1889.  Modern  Society,  13  July,  852. 
Matters  are  .  .  .  complicated  when  his 
mother-in-law  mistakes  his  buxom  laundress 
for  a  fair  anonyma. 

igoo.  Savage,  Brought  to  Bay,  ii. 
Hawtrey  piloted  the  innocent  cow-boy  out 
of  the  evening  crowd  of  anonymas. 


Another.  You're  another, /^r. 
(old).  A  tu  quoque  :  i.e. 
ANOTHER  liar,  fool,  thief — any 
imaginable  term  of  abuse. 

1534.  Udal,  Roister  Doister,  iii.  5. 
Roister.  If  it  were  an  other  but  thou,  it 
were  a  knaue.  M.  Mery.  Ye  are 
AN  other  your  selfe,  sir,  the  lorde  us  both 
sane. 

1561 .  Preston,  Cambyses  [Dodsley, 
Old  Plays  (Hazlitt),  iv.  220].  Thou 
call'st  me  knave,  thou  art  another. 

1749.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  ix.  vi. 
'  I  did  not  mean  to  abuse  the  cloth  ;  I  only 
s;iid  your  conclusion  was  a  non  sequitur.' 
'You  ARE  another,'  cries  the  sergeant, 
'  an'  you  come  to  that  ;  no  more  a  sequitur 
than  yourself.' 

1836.  Dickens, /'/c^w/V^,  XV.  'Sir,' 
said  Mr.  Tupman,  'you're  a  fellow.'  'Sir,' 
said  Mr.  Pickwick,  'you're  another.' 


A  notherguess. 


49 


A  nser. 


1882.  Boston  Lit.  World,  3  June  184. 
3.  The  argument  of  it  is  simply,  '  You're 
ANOTHER,'  a  retort  iu  dignified  manner  to 
.   .  .   British  critics. 

1888.  Sir  W.  Harcourt,  Speech  at 
Eighty  Clul>,  21  Feb.  Little  urchins  in 
the  street  have  a  conclusive  argument. 
They  say  '  you're  another.' 

See  Nail. 

Anotherguess     (Anothergets, 
Anothergaines,        Another- 

GATES,        ANOTHERGUISE,        AN- 

OTHERKINS),«^'.  (old  Colloquial). 
— That  is  another  'sort,'  'kind,' 
'manner,'  '  fashion,' etc.  [O.  E. 
D.  :     A  phonetic  reduction  from 

ANOTHERGETS  (for  ANOTHER- 
GATES).]  Hence  ANOTHERGUESS 
SORT    OF    MAN   (WOMAN,    etC.)  = 

one  'up  to  snuff'  {q.v.) 

1580.  Sidney,  Arcadia  (1622),  152. 
If  my  father  had  not  plaid  the  hasty  foole 
I  might  have  had  another-gaines  husband 
than  Dametas. 

1594.  Lyly,  Mother  BomHe,  i. 
Bringing  up  another-gates  marriage. 

1602.  Shakspeare,  Twelfth  Night, 
V.  I.  He  would  have  tickled  you  other 
gates  than  he  did. 

1625.  Howell,  Letters,  i.  ix.  4.  I 
wish  you  ANOTHERGETS  wife  than  Socrates 
had. 

1631.  Saunderson,  2/  Sermons,  i. 
7.  That,  I  ween,  is  another-gates 
matter. 

1655.  Comical  Hist,  oj" Francion.  1 
am  constrained  to  make  another  guesse 
divertisement. 

1663.  Butler,  Hudibras,  i.  3.  428. 
Hudibras  about  to  enter  Upon  another 
GATES  adventure. 

1664.  Flecknoe,  Love's  Kingdom, 
I  co'd  make  othergess  musick  with  them. 

1682.  TlVKFEW,  Madame  Tickle.  He 
has  been  a  student  in  the  temple  these 
three  years  ;  another  guess  sort  of 
MAN,  I  assure  you. 

1690.  Shadwf.ll,  Amorous  Bigot, 
iii.  268.  She  has  made  another  guess 
choice. 

1690.  Dryden,  Amphitryon,  iii. 
The  truth  on't  is,  she's  anotherghess 
Morsel  than  old  Bromia. 


1727.  Arbuthnot,  John  Bull,  gz 
It  used  to  go  another-guise  manner  in 
my  time. 

1762.  FooTE,  Orators,  iii.  (1767),  6i 
This  is  anotherguess  matter. 

1764.  Walpole,  Otranto,  ii.  My 
lady  Isabella  is  of  anotherguess  mould 
than  you  take  her  for. 

1766.  CoLMAN,  Clandestine  Mar- 
riage. This  is  quite  anothkr-guess  sort 
of  a  place  than  it  was  when  I  first  took  it, 
my  lord. 

1837.  Hook,  Jack  Bragg,  196.  He 
was,  as  they  say,  'quite  another  guess 
sort  of  man  '  from  what  lie  had  been. 

1837.  Mrs.  Palmer,  Devonshire 
Courtship,  12.  Her's  another  GESS 
'OMAN  than  Dame. 

1844.  Tales  by  a  Barrister,  ii.  353. 
You  bean't  given  to  walking  of  a  morning 
—  more's  the  pity — you  would  be  another 
GUESS  SORT  OF  A  MAN  if  you  Were. 

1868.  Browning,  Ring  and  Book, 
iv.  1498.  Anotherguess  tribunal  than 
ours  here. 

1870.  Argosy,  Dec.  447.  Wolfe 
Barrington  came.  Quite  another  guess 
sort  of  pupil. 

Another  Place,  subs.  phr.  (Par- 
liamentary). —  The  House  of 
Commons. 

1883.  Lord  Granville,  Speech,  18 
June.  I  hear  that  question  is  to  be  asked 
in  another  place  by  Mr.  Warton, 

Anser.  Anser  IS  Latin  for 
Goose  (Brandy,  Candle, 
Fish,  etc.),  phr.  (old). — A 
punning  catch  or  retort. 

1612.  Chapman,  W'ido'cu's  Tears,  ii. 
4.  Tha.  I  would  make  your  lordship  an 
ANSWER.  Arg.  Anser's  Latin  for  a 
GOOSE,  an't  please  your  honour.  En.  Well 
noted,  gander,  and  what  of  that?  Arg. 
Nothing  .  .  .  but  that  he  said  he  would 
make  his  lordship  an  answer. 

1738.  Swift,  Polite  Conversation,  II. 
Lord  Sm.  Tom,  can  you  tell  me  what's 
Latin  for  a  goose?  Nev.  O  my  lord,  I 
know  that  ;  why,  brandy  is  Latin  for  a 
goose,  and  tace  is  Latin  for  a  candle. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Tace  .  .  .  Tace  is  Latin  for  a  candle  ; 
a  jocular  admonition  to  be  silent  on  any 
subject. 


A  nskum-scranckuin. 


50 


Anthony. 


1835.  Marryat,  Jacob  Faithful, 
xi.  '  Art  thou  forward  in  thy  learning  ? 
Canst  thou  tell  me  Latin  for  goose?' 
'  To  be  sure,'  replied  Tom,  '  brandy.' 

1851.  Mayhew,  London  Lab.,  i.  125. 
The  thirst  and  uneasy  feeling  .  .  .  fre- 
quently experienced  after  .  .  .  the  richer 
species  of  fish,  have  led  to  the  employment 
of  spirit  to  this  kind  of  food.  Hence,  says 
Dr.  Pereira,  the  vulgar  proverb,  brandy 
IS  Latin  for  fish. 

1868.  Brewer,  Phrase  and  Fable, 
s.v.  Brandy.  What  is  the  Latin  for 
Goose?  (Answer)  Brandy.  The  pun  is 
on  the  word  answer.  Anser  is  the 
Latin  for  goose,  which  brandy  follows 
as  surely  and  quickly  as  an  answer  follows 
a  question. 

Anshum-scranchum,  subs.  phr. 
(provincial). — A  scramble  :  e.g. 
when  provision  is  scanty,  and 
each  one  is  almost  obliged  to 
scramble  for  what  he  can  get,  it 
is  said  to  be  attshum-scrancfnwi 
work  (Halliwell). 

An't(Aint)  (colloquial  or  vulgar). 
— A  contraction  for  'are  not'; 
'  am  not  '  ;  is  not  ;  has  not  ;  have 
not  (han't)  :  chiefly  Cockney  ; 
cf.  shan't,  won't,  can't.  See 
Ain't.     Also  =  ' and  may  it.' 

1612.  Chapman,  IVzdow's  Tears,  ii. 
4.     An't  please  your  honour. 

1706.  Ward,  Hud.  Rediv.  i.  i.  24. 
But  if  your  Eyes  a'n't  quick  of  Motion. 

1734.  Fielding,  Old  Man,  1007.  i. 
Ha,  ha,  ha  !  an't  we?  no  ! 

1778.  BuRNEY,  Evelina,  i.  xxi.  87. 
Those  you  are  engaged  to  ain't  half  so 
near  related. 

1812.  Smith,  Rejected Add7-esses,  69. 
No,  that  a'nt  it,  says  he. 

1828.  Lytton,  Pclha»!,  xlii.  A'n't 
we  behind-hand  ? 

1829.  [Lamb,  Li/eand Letters^iZèo), 
I.  348.]    An't  you  glad  about  Burk's  case? 

1864.  Tennyson,  Northern  Farmer, 
xiii.     Joänes,  as  'ant  a  'aäpoth  o'  sense. 

1865.  Dickens,  Mutual  Friend,  iii. 
12.     She  ain't  half  bad. 


Ant.  In  an  ant's  foot,  phr. 
(provincial). — In  a  short  time. 

Antagonize,  verb.  (American 
colloquial). — To  oppose  a  ball, 
bill,  measure,  etc.  [Properly, 
only  of  contention  or  opposition 
between  forces  or  things  of  the 
saT?ie  kind.] 

1882.  Boston  Evening  Transcript, 
4,  3.  Windom  did  not  hesitate  openly  to 
antagonise  .  .  .  Sherman's  bill.  Ibid. 
A  determination  to  antagonise  this  and 
all  other  bills. 

Antarctic,  verb.  (old). — To  go  to 
the  opposite  extreme  -.cf.  'to 
lord,'  'to  tree,'  etc. 

1647.  Ward,  Simp.  Colder,  47.  If 
it  [Majestas  Imperii]  extends  itself  beyond 
its  due  Artique  .  .  .  Salus  Populi  must 
.•\ntartique  it,  or  else  the  world  will  be 
Excentrick. 

Antechamber  (or  Room),  S7cbs. 
(B.  E. ,  c.  1696). — '  Forerooms  for 
receiving  of  Visits,  as  the  back 
and  Drawing-rooms  are  for  Lodg- 
ings, anciently  called  Dining- 
rooms.'  [Not  in  use  in  this 
sense  until  i8th  century,  the 
earliest  reference  in  O.E.D. 
being  1767  :  the  orig.  meaning 
=  the  room  admitting  to  the 
royal  bedchamber.] 

Antem.     See  AuTEM. 

Anthony.  To  knock  Anthony, 
verb,  phr,  (old).  —  i.  To  walk 
knock-kneed;  TO  cuff  Jonas 
(q.v.).  Hence  Anthony  CuFFiN 
=  a  knock-kneed  man.  Also  (2) 
to  keep  warm  by  beating  one's 
sides:  see  Beating  the  Booby 
(Grose). 

Anthony  (or  Tantony  pig), 
subs.  (old).  —  See  Saint  and 
Tantony,  adding  quots.  infra. 


A  ntidote. 


51 


Any. 


1662.  Fuller,  Worthies,  'London,' 
ii.  56.  He  will  follow  him  like  a  St. 
Anthony's  Pig.  St.  Anthonie  is  notori- 
ously known  for  the  Patron  of  hogs,  having 
a  Pig  for  his  Page  in  all  pictures.  .  .  . 
There  was  a  fair  Hospital  built  to  the 
honour  of  St.  Anthony  in  Bennet's  Fink 
in  the  City  ;  the  Protectors  and  Proctors 
whereof  claimed  a  priviledge  to  them- 
selves to  garble  the  live  Pigs  in  the 
Markets  of  the  City  ;  and  such  as  they 
found  starved,  or  otherwise  unwholesome 
for  man's  sustenance,  they  would  slit  in 
the  ear,  tie  a  bell  about  their  necks,  and 
let  them  loose  about  the  City.  None  durst 
hurt  or  take  them  up  (having  this  Livery 
of  St.  Anthony  upon  them)  ;  but  many 
would  give  thenr  bread,  and  feed  them  in 
their  passage,  whom  they  used  to  follow, 
whining  after  them. 

1787.  Grose,  Dictionary  0/  the 
Vulvar  Tongue.  'The  favourite  or  small- 
est   pig   in   the   litter  ;    to    follow    like    a 

TANTONY    FIG,    i.e.,     St.    AnTHONy's     PIG, 

signified  to  follow  close  at  one's  heels. 


St.    Anthony's  fire, 
phi .  (old).  — See  quots. 


stibs. 


1527.  Andrew,  Brunswyck' s  Distyll. 
Waters,  A  ij.  Sorell  water  slaketh  St. 
Anthony's  fyre. 

1607.  Topsell,  Serpents,  8x5.  The 
disease  called  Erisipelas,  commonly  called 
St.  Anthonies  fire. 

1834.  Penny  CycL,  11.  96.  2.  The 
cure  of  the  distemper  called  the  sacred  fire, 
since  that  time  called  St.  Anthony's 
fire. 

1868.  Brewer,  Phrase  and  Fable, 
s.v.  From  the  tradition  that  those  who 
sought  the  intercession  of  St.  Anthony 
recovered  from  the  pestilential  erysipelas 
called  the  sacred  fire  which  proved  ex- 
tremely fatal  in  1089. 

Antidote,  subs.  (B.  E. ).  —  'A  very 
homely  Woman.' 

Antient,  subs.  (B.  E.). — 'At  sea, 
for  Ensign  or  Flag.'  [O.E.D.  : 
'  a  corruption  of  '  Ensign,'  con- 
founded with  ancien.'^  Cf. 
Ancient  Pistol,  Othello's  an- 
cient {i.e.  standard-bearers). 

Antimony,  subs,  (printers').  — 
Type.  [Antimony  is  a  con- 
stituent part.] 


Antipodes,  subs,  (venery). — The 
female  privity  :  see  Mono- 
syllable. 

Antrums.     äi5  Tantrum. 

Anvil.  On  the  anvil,  phr.  (old 
colloquial). — In  preparation  ;  in 
hand  ;  '  on  the  stocks  '  ;  and  (the 
usual  modern  equivalent)  '  [an 
iron]  in  the  fire.'  Hence  to 
ANVIL  =  to  fashion,  to  prepare. 

1607.  Dekkf.r,  Whore  of  Babylon, 
F.  iij.  Whilest  our  thunderbolts  are 
anviling  abroad. 

1612.  Chapman,  Widow's  Tears,  ii. 
I.     You  know,  brother,  I  have  other  irons 

ON  THE  anvil. 

c.  1623.  Fletcher,  Lover's  Progress, 
iv.  Armour,  anvilled  in  the  shop  Of 
passive  fortitude. 

1623.  Howell,  Letters  (1650),  11. 
29.     Matters  while  they  are   in   agitation 

and  UPON  the  anvil. 

c.  1674.  Clarendon,  Hist.  Rebellion, 
I.  ii.  no.  The  E.irl  of  Strafford  .  .  . 
whose    destruction   was    then    upon   the 

ANVIL. 

c.  1700.  Gentleman  Instructed,  303. 
You  are  now  anvilling  out  some  Petty 
Revenge. 

1748.  Richardson,  Clarissa,  viii. 
267.  A  roguery  .  .  .  ready  anvilled  and 
hammered  for  execution. 

1785.  Burke,  Nabob  0/  Arcot 
\Works  (1842),  I.  31g].  He  has  now  on 
the  anvil  another  scheme. 


Anvil  -  beater  (-thresher, 
-WHACKER,  etc.),  stibs.  phr. 
(old). — A  smith. 

1677.  Cleveland,  Poems,  '  Ded.' 
Venus  is  again  unequally  yoaked  with  a 
Sooty  Anvile-beater. 

Any.  Any  other  man,  pht: 
(American). — A  call  to  order: 
addressed  to  a  prosy  or  a  discursive 
speaker,  or  when  from  lack  of  con- 
tinuity in  thought  the  same  idea 
is  repeated  in  synonymous  terms. 


A  nybody. 


52 


Apartments. 


I'm  not  taking  any,  phr. 
(colloquial).— A  more  or  less 
sarcastic  refusal  ;  '  Not  for  Joe.' 

Anybody,  subs,  (colloquial). — An 
ordinary  individual  :  in  deprecia- 
tion ;  cf.  Nobody,  Somebody, 
etc. 

1826.  Disraeli,  Vivian  Grey,  11.  xv. 
78.  Everybody  was  there  who  is  any- 
body. 

1858.  Bright,  Speeches,  306.  Two 
or  three  anybodies. 

Anyhow.  All  anyhow,  adv. 
phr.     Carelessly  ;  at  random. 

igo2.  Free  Lance,  11  Oct.,  44.  2.  I 
have  seen  these  particular  waistcoats  made 
'  ALL  ANYH(nv  '  as  regards  the  matching 
of  the  stripe  line. 

Anyhow  YOU  can  fix  it,  phr. 
(■  American). — A  form  of  aquies- 
cence  :  e.g.,  '  I  don't  know  if  you'll 
succeed,  but  anyhow  you  can 
fix  it.' 

Any- RACKET,  subs.  phr.  (rhyming). 
— A  penny  faggot. 

Anything.  Like  (or  as)  any- 
thing, adv.  phr.  (colloquial). — 
An  indefinite  but  comprehensive 
standard  of  measurement  or  value  ; 

LIKE   one   o'clock  (OLD    BOOTS, 
WINKING,  HELL,  etc.). 

1542.  Udal,  Erasmus'  Apoplt.,  32. 
The  same  maiden  .  .  .  daunced  without 
any  feare  .  .  emong  Swe.irdesand  Knives 
...  as  sharpe  as  anything. 

1740.  Richardson,  Pamela,  ii.  57. 
I  fear  your  girl  will  grow  as  proud  as 
anything. 

1837.  Barham,  Ingoldsby  Legends, 
II.  135.  His  bosom  throbb'd  with  agçny, 
he  cried  like  anything. 

1873.  Carroll,  Through  Looking. 
Glass,  iv.  73.  They  wept  like  anything 
to  see  Such  tjuantities  of  sand. 


Anythingarian,  siibs.  (old  collo- 
quial).— An  indifferentist  ;  a 
Jack  -  OF -BOTH  -  SIDES.  Hence 
ANYTHINGARIANISM  =  the  crecd 
of  '  all  things  to  all  men.' 

</.  1704.  Brown,  IVorks,  iii.  97. 
Bifarious  anythingarians,  that  always 
make  their  interest  the  standard  of  their 
religion. 

1709.  Ward,  Terrcrfilius,  I.  23. 
Wonderful  Benefit  the  Wavering  Any- 
thingarean  has  at  last  reap'd  by  his  long 
Inquiry. 

1717.  Entertainer,  6  Nov.  [Notes 
and  Queries,  7  S.  vi.  66].  Nor,  which  is 
ten  times  worse,  Free-thinkers,  Atheists, 
Anythingarians. 

1718-10.  ^\\iVT,Pol.Conv.,\.  Lady 
Stn.  What  religion  is  he  of?  Ld.  Sp. 
^Vhy,  he  is  an  anythingarian.  Laky 
Ans.  I  believe  he  has  his  religion  to  chuse. 

1850.  Kingsley,  Alton  Locke,  x.\ii. 
They  made  puir  Robbie  Burns  an  any- 
thingarian with  their  blethers.  Ibid. 
(1851),  Life,  i.  215.  A  tone  of  feeling  very 
common,  and  which  finds  its  vent  in  modern 
Neo-Platonism — Anythingarianism. 


Anywhere.  Anywhere  down 
THERE  !  (tailors').  A  workroom 
catch-phrase  on  the  falling  of 
anything  to  the  floor. 

Apart,  adv.  (old  colloquial  [B.  E., 
c.  1699]  :  now  recognised),  — 
'  Apart,  severally,  asunder. 
[Except  for  the  anticipation  by 
Langland  {see  quot.  1399)  not  in 
use  till  long  after  B.  E.'s  time.] 

1399.  Langland,  Rich.  Rcdclcss,  iv. 
36.  Comliche  a  clerk  than  pronnuncid  j^c 
poyntis  afarte  to  hem  alle. 

1728.  Newton,  Chronol.  Amend.,  i. 
177.  The  spartans  lived  in  villages  apart. 
[O.  E.  D.  :  the  first  quot.  in  this  sense.] 

Apartments.  Apartments  to 
LET,  phr.  (common).  —  l.  Empty- 
headed  ;  foolish  ;  crazy  :  sec 
Balmy. 


Ape. 


53 


Ape. 


2.  (old). — Said  of  a  widow  ; 
also  of  a  woman  given  to  prosti- 
tution :  e.g. ,  '  She  lets  out  her 
fore  room  and  lies  backward  ' 
(Ray  and  Grose). 

1809.  Malkin,  dV  Bias  [RouT- 
leuge],  191.  A  theatrical  lady  .  .  .  may 
change  her  lover  as  often  as  her  petti- 
coat .  .  .  and  .  .  .  rivals  came  back  in 
crowds  .  .  .  ready  to  bargain  on  the  mere 
report  of  my  being  TO  let. 

Ape,  subs.  (old). — i.  An  antic  ;  a 
gull.  Hence  God's  -  ape  =  a 
natural  fool  ;  TO  PLAY  THE 
APE  =  (i)  to  mimic;  and  (2)  to 
play  the  fool  ;    TO   PUT  AN   APE 

INTO  one's  HOOD  (CAP,  Or  HAND) 

=  to  befool,  to  dupe:  also  TO 
MAKE  ONE  HIS  APE.  As  adj.  (or 
APISH)  =  foolish  :  hence  ape- 
drunk  =  maudlin  ;  APE-WARE  = 
counterfeit  ware. 

c.  1230.  Ancr.  K.,  248.  Ne  mei  he 
buten  scheawe   ]>e   uorS   sumwhat   of  his 

APEWARE. 

1370.  Wyclif,  Works  (1879),  412. 
IMany  sich  ape  resouns  ban  men  herd 
ajenus  crist. 

1383.  Chaucer,      Cant.      Tales, 

'  Prioresses  Prol.'  Aha,  felowes,  beth  ware 
of  swiche  a  jape,  The  monk  put  in  the 
MANNES  HODE  AN  APE.  Ibid.,  Millers 
Tale,  203.  Thus  she  maketh  Absolon  hir 
ape. 

c.  1508.  Colyti  BlowboFs  Testaiucnt, 
280.  Such  as  wilbe  as  drongen  as  an 
ape. 

1 50g.  Barclay,  Ship  o/Foolcs  (i  570), 
33.  Some  are  ape  dronke,  full  of  laughter 
and  of  toyes.  Some  mery  dronke. 

1513.  Douglas,  JEneis,  iv.,  Prol.  21. 
3our  trew  seruandis  silly  goddis  apis. 

1532.  More,  Cotifut.  Barnes,  viii. 
Thys  felowes  folishe  apishnesse  and  al  hys 
asseheded  exclamacions. 

1579.  ToMSON,  Calvin's  Serni.  Tint., 
343.  I.  He  playeth  the  ape,  and 
counterfeteth  what  God  hath  ordeined  for 
our  salvation. 

1596.  Spenser,  Fairy  Queen,  in.  ix. 
31.  Two  eies  him  needeth  for  to  watch 
and  wake,  Whom  lovers  will  deceive. 
Thus  was  THE  APE  By  their  faire  handling 

put  INTO  MALBECCOES  CAPE. 


1600.  Shakspeark,  Mudi  Ado,  v.  i. 
Boys,  APES,  braggarts.  Jacks,  milksops. 
Ibid.  (161 1),  Cymb.,  iv.  2  194.  Jollity  for 
APES  and  grief  for  boys. 

1634.      Withals,    Diet.      It   is   hard 

MAKING  A  IIORNE  OF  AN  APES  TAYLE. 

1648.  Pet.  Eastern  Ass,  23.  Them- 
selves may  .  .  .  play  the  apes  in 
Pulpits. 

1741.  Richardson,  Pamela,  i.  154. 
That  she  should  instigate  the  titled  ape 
her  husband  to  write  to  me. 

1884.  Henley  and  Stevenson, 
Deacon  Brodie,  11.  3.  He  was  my  ape, 
my  tool. 

2,  (old).  —  An  endearment 
(MaLONE)  :   cf.    MONKEY. 

1595.  Shakspeare,  Romeo  and 
Jiiliet,  ii.  I.  16.  The  ape  is  dead,  and  1 
must  conjure  him. 

3.  (Stock  Exchange).  —  In 
pi.  =  Atlantic  and  North-western 
First  Mortgage  Bonds. 

1871.  hTVAVi,  House  Scraps.  If  any- 
thing tickles  our  fancy.  We  buy  them — 
"Brums,"  "Caleys,"  or  "Apes." 

To  LEAD  APES  IN  HELL,  verb, 
phr.  (old). — To  die  unmarried: 
of  both  sexes.  Hence  ape- 
leader  =  an  old  maid,  or  bache- 
lor (Grose). 

1579^  Lyly,  Et(p!iues  (Arbek),  87. 
Rather  thou  shouldest  leade  a  lyfe  to 
thine  owne  lyking  in  earthe,  than  .  .  . 
leade  apes  in  hell. 

1577.  Stanihurst,  Desc.  Ireland, 
ii.  He  seemed  to  stand  in  no  better  steede 
than  TO  lead  apes  in  hell. 

1596.  Shakspeare,  Taming  0/ 
Shreiv,  ii.  i.  34.  She  is  your  treasure  .  .  . 
I   must  ...  for  your  love  to  her,  lead 

APES  IN  HELL. 

1598.  Florio,  Worlde  of  IVordes, 
s.v.  Mammola,  an  old  maide  or  sillie 
virgin  that  will  lead  apes  in  hell. 

1605.  London  Prodigal,  i.  2.  But 
'tis  an  old  proverb,  and  you  know  it  well. 
That  women,  dying  maids,  lead  apes  in 
hell. 


Ape. 


54 


Apostle 


1611.  Chapman,  Mayday,  v.  2.  I 
am  beholding  to  her  ;  she  was  loth  to  have 

me  LEAD  APES  IN  HELL. 

1648.  Brathwayte,  Bessy  Bell,  iii. 
To  lead  Apes  in  Hell,  it  will  not  do  well, 
'Tis  an  Enemy  to  Procreation. 

1651.  Brome,  Jovial  Crew,  ii.  372. 
I  will  rather  hazard  my  being  one  of  the 
Devil's  ape-leaders  than  to  marry  while 
he  is  melancholly. 

1708-10.  Swift,  Polite  Conversation, 
i.  Col.  Faith,  you'll  never  lead  apes  in 
hell.  Nev.  No,  no,  I'll  be  sworn  Miss 
has  not  an  inch  of  Nun's  Flesh  about  her. 

1710.  Duke,  Poems  [Chalmers, 
Eng^.  Poets,  ix.  233].  Compar'd  to  all  the 
plagues  in  marriage  dwell,  It  were  pre- 
ferment to  lead  apes  in  hell. 

1717.  Centlivre,  Bold  Stroke,  ii.  i. 
Poor  girl  ;  she  must  certainly  lead  apes, 
as  the  saying  is. 

c.  1727.  Ramsay,  Bonny  TmeedmoutJi 
\\Vorks,  ii.  245].  To  Edinburgh  go. 
Where  she  that  is  bonny  May  catch  her  a 
Johnny,  And  never  lead  apes  below. 

1763.  Dodsley,  Poems,  vi.  216. 
Poor  Gratia  in  her  twentieth  year,  Fore- 
seeing future  woe.  Chose  to  attend  a 
monkey  here  Before  an  ape  below. 

1. 1800.  Dibden,  Song,  'Tack  and 
Tack.'  At  length  cried  she,  '  I'll  marry  ; 
what  should  I  tarry  for?  I  may  lead 
apes  in  hell  for  ever.' 

1S30.  General  P.Thompson,  Äjr^r^'. 
(1842),  I.  ig8.  Joining  with  other  old 
women,  in  leading  their  apes  in  Tar- 
tarus. 

To  SAY  AN  ape's  PATER- 
NOSTER, verb.  phr.  (old). — To 
chatter  with  cold.  Fr.  dire  ties 
patenôtres  de  singe. 

161 1.  Cotgrave,  Diet.,  s.v.  Gre- 
lotter. To  shake,  tremble,  say  an  Ape's 
Paternoster. 

1653.  Urquhart,  Rabelais,  i.  xi. 
He  would  flay  the  Fox,  say  the  Ape's 
Paternoster. 

Phrases.  '  The  ape  claspeth 
her  young  so  long  that  at  last  she 
killelh  them';  'An  APE  is  an 
Ai'E,  a  varlet's  a  varlct,  Though 
they  be  clad  in  silk  or  scarlet  '  ; 
'The  higher  the  ape  goes,  the 
more  he  shows  his  tail.' 


A-PER-SE.     See  A. 

Aphrodisian  -  DAME,  siibs.  phr. 
(literary).  —  A  courtesan  :  see 
Tart. 

1861.  Reade,  Cloister  and  Hearth, 
Ivi.  They  showed  me  the  state  nursery 
for  the  children  of  those  aphrodisian 
DAMES,  their  favourites. 

A-PIGGA-BACK    (or    A-PISTY-POLL). 

See  Angel  and  Pick-a-back. 

Apostles  (or  Twelve  Apostles), 

subs.  phr.  (Cambridge  Univ.). — 
Formerly  when  the  Poll,  or 
ordinary  B.A.  degree  list,  was 
arranged  in  order  of  merit,  the 
last  twelve  were  nicknamed  The 
Twelve  Apostles  ;  also  The 
Chosen  Twelve,  and  the  last, 
St.  Poll  or  St.  Paul — a  pun- 
ning allusion  to  i  Cor.  xv.  9, 
'  For  I  am  the  least  of  the 
Apostles,  that  am  not  meet  to 
be  called  an  Apostle.'  The  list 
is  now  arranged  alphabetically 
and  in  classes.  At  Columbia 
College,  D.C.,  the  last  twelve 
on  the  B.A.  list  actually  re- 
ceive the  personal  names  of  the 
Apostles. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Apostles  (jOainhridge).  Men  who  are 
plucked,  refused  their  degree. 

1795.  Gent.  Mag.,  Jan.,  19.  [The 
last  twelve  names  on  the  Cambridge  list 
are  here  called  The  Twelve  Apostles.] 

1823.  Gradus  ad  Cantab.  The 
Apostles  are  the  clodhoppers  of  litera- 
ture, who  have  at  last  scrambled  through 
the  Senate  House  without  boinu  plucked, 
and  have  obtained  the  title  of  B.A.  by  a 
miracle.  The  last  twelve  names  on  the 
list  of  Piachclor  of  Arts^those  a  degree 
lower  than  the  oi  ttoAAoì  —  are  thus 
designated. 

To  man(Euvkethk  apostles, 
verb.  phr.  (old). — To  borrow  of 
one  to  pay  another  ;  to  rob  Peter 
to  pay  Paul  (GroSE). 


Apostle's  Grove. 


55 


Apple-pie  Bed. 


Apostle's  Grove,  subs,  (common). 
— St.    John's    Wood  ;    also    THE 

GROVK  OF  THE  EVANGELIST. 

Apothecary,  subs.  (old). — For- 
merly a  term  of  contempt  :  prior 
to  1617  the  business  of  grocer  and 
chemist  was  combined,  and  it  was 
not  till  1815  that  the  status  of  an 
apothecary,  as  a  medical  practi- 
tioner, was  legally  held  by  licence 
and  examination  of  the  Apothe- 
caries Company.  Hence  TO 
TALK  LIKE  AN  APOTHECARY, 
verb,  phr',  (old). — To  talk  non- 
sense ;  '  to  use  (Grose)  hard  or 
gallipot  words  :  from  the  assumed 
gravity  and  affectation  of  know- 
ledge generally  put  on  by  the 
gentlemen  of  this  profession  who 
are  commonly  as  superficial  in  their 
learning  as  they  are  pedantic  in 
their  language.'  Also  apothe- 
CARIES'-LATIN  =  gibberish,  DOG- 
(kitchen-,  or  RAW-)Latin((7.îv. ); 
apothecaries' -BILL  —  a  long 
undetailed  account  :  cf.  bawdy- 
house  reckoning.  Like- 
wise proverbial  SAYINGS  :  '  A 
broken  apothecary,  a  new 
doctor  '  ;  '  Apothecaries  would 
not  give  pills  in  sugar  unless  they 
were  bitter.' 

Appii  (The),  subs.  (Durham  Uni- 
versity :  obsolete) — The  Three 
Tuns  :  a  celebrated  Durham  Inn. 
[A  mis-reading  of  Acts  xxviii.  1 5.  ] 

Apple,  subs,  (venery). — In//.  =a 
woman's  paps  :  also  APPLE- 
DUMPLING  shop  (Grose)  =  the 
bosom  :  see  DAIRIES. 

d.  1638.     Carew,    The   Rapture.      The 
warm  firm  apple,  tipp'd  with  coral  berries. 

Phrases  and  Proverbial 
Expressions.  '  One  rotten 
APPLE  decays  a  bushel  '  ;  '  To 
take  an  eye  for  an  apple  '  ;  '  As 


like  as  an  APPLE  is  like  an  oyster  '  ; 
'  There's  small  choice  in  rotten 
apples'  ;  'Won  with  an  apple, 
lost  with  a  nut  '  ;  '  How  we 
apples  swim  '  (  =  '  What  a  good 
time  we're  having  '  ;  a  reference  to 
the  fable  of  a  posse  of  horse-turds 
floating  down  the  river  with  a 
company  of  apples). 

1340.  Ayenhite,  205.  A  roted  eitel 
amang  pe  holen,  make])  rotie  j^e  yzounde. 

1 532.  More,  Confut.  Tindale  [  IVorks, 
689.  i].  Let  him  take  mine  yie  for  an 
APPLE,  if  .   .   . 

1579.  FuLKE,  Heskin's  Pari.,  241. 
Your  argument  is  as  like,  as  an  apple  is 

LIKE  AN  oyster. 

1596.  Shakspeare,  Tmning  Shrew, 
i.  1.  13g.  Faith,  as  you  say,  there's  small 
choice  in  rotten  apples. 

1623.  Sanderson,  Scr}iions  {Works 
(1681)  1.  195].  Of  a  wavering  and  fickle 
mind  ;  as  we  say  of  children  :  won  with 

AN  APPLE,  and  LOST  WITH  A  NUT. 

1672.  Ray,  Proverbs.  See  how  we 
APPLES  SWIM,  quoth  the  horse-turd. 

i860.  Cornhlll  Mag.,  Dec.  737. 
While  tumbling  down  the  turbid  stream, 
Lord,  love  us,  how  we  apples  swim. 

1873.  Ireland  and  Nichols, 
Hogarth,  III.  2Q.  He  assumes  a  conse- 
quential air,  sets  his  arms  akimbo,  and 
strutting  among  the  historical  artists  cries, 
'  How  we  apples  swim.' 

See  Adam's  Apple. 

Apple-cart,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— The  human  body  ;  cf.  beer- 
barrel.  To  upset  one's 
apple-cart  =  to  floor  a  man  ;  to 
thwart  (Grose).  Also  to  upset 
the  old  woman's  apple-cart  ; 

TO  UPSET  the  apple-cart  AND 
SPILL      THE     GOOSEBERRIES     (or 

peaches). 

Apple-pie  Bed,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
'A  bed  made  apple-pie  fashion, 
like  what  is  called  a  turnover 
apple-pie,  where  the  sheets  are  so 
doubled  as  to  prevent  any  one 
from  getting  at  his  length  between 


Apple-pie  Day. 


56 


Apple  Squire. 


them  :  a  common  trick  played  by 
frolicsome  country  lasses  on  their 
sweethearts,  male  relations,  or 
visiters'  (Grose).  Fr.  lit  en 
portefeuille. 

181 1.  SHARPE[Corr«/ö«afe««(i888), 
i.  466I.  After  squeezing  myself  up,  and 
making  a  sort  of  apple-I'YE  bed  with  the 
beginning  of  my  sheet. 

1883.  Sat.  Review,  3  Nov.  566,  2. 
Some  '  evil-disposed  persons  '  have  already 
visited  his  room,  made  his  bed  into  an 
APPLE-PIE,  plentifully  strewn  with  hair- 
brushes and  razors. 

Apple-pie  Day, 5«^j.//ir. (obsolete, 
Winchester  Coll.)— The  day  on 
which  Six-AND-Six  {(j.v.)  was 
played.  It  was  the  Thursday  after 
the  first  Tuesday  in  December. 
So  called  because  hot  apple-pies 
were  served  on  gomers  {q.v.)  in 
College  for  dinner. 

Apple-pie  Order,  subs.  pkr. 
(colloquial).— The  perfection  of 
neatness  and  exactness. 

1813.  Scott  [Lockhart,  Li/e,  ly. 
(1839),   131.     The  children's  garden   is   in 

APPLE  PIE  ORDER. 

1835.  Marryat,  J.  Faithful,  viii. 
29.     Put  the  craft  a  little  into  APPLE  pie 

ORDER. 

1837.  Bakham,  Ingoldsby  Legends, 
'  Old  Woman  in  Grey.'  I  am  just  in  the 
ORDER  which  some  folks— though  why,  I 
am  sure,  I  can't  tell  you — would  call  apple- 
pie. 

APPLES-AND-PEARS,  SUÒS.  phr. 
(rhyming). — A  flight  of  stairs. 

Apple  Squire,  stibs.  phr.  (old). — 
I.  A  harlot's  convenience.  Hence 
(2)  a  kept-gallant  {see  Squire, 
Bully,  and  Fancy-man);  (3)  a 
wiTTOL  {q.v.);  and  (4)  a  pimp 
{q.V.).         Also      PIPPIN -squire, 

squire  of  the  body,  apple- 
John,  APPLE-MONGER,  APRON- 
MAN,  and  APRON-.SQU  I  RE.    Al'PLE- 

WiKE  =  bawd.  In  quot.  1636 
APRON  -SQU I  RE  =  groomsman. 


c.  1500.  Copland,  Hye-way  to  Spittel- 
house  [Hazlitt,  Early  Pop,  Poet.,  iv. 
60],  S32.  Apple-squvers,  entycers,  and 
ra\'ysshers,  These  to  our  place  have  dayly 
herbegers. 

[?].  MS.  Bodl.,  30.  Such  stuffe  the 
divell  did  not  tast,  only  one  little  hellhound, 
a  cronie  of  myne,  and  one  of  St.  George's 
apple-squires. 

15    [?] [DoDSLEV,  Old  Plays 

(Reed),  ix.  162].  Together  with  my  lady's, 
my  fortune  fell,  and  of  her  gentleman  usher 
I  became  her  apple  squire,  to  hold  the 
door  and  keep  centinai  at  taverns. 

1573.  Bullien,  Dialogue,  8.  His 
little  lackey,  a  proper  yong  apple  squire, 
called  Pandarus,  whiche  carrieth  the  keye 
of  his  chamber  with  hym. 

1593.  Nash,  Christ's  Teures,  83  b. 
They  will  .  .  .  play  the  Brokers,  Baudes, 
Apron-squires,  Pandars,  or  anything. 

1596.  JoNsoN,  Every  Man  in 
Hu}iiour,  iv.  ID.  And  you,  young  apple 
StiuiRE,  and  old  cuckold  maker.  Ibid. 
(1599),  Every  Man  Out  0/  His  Hutnour, 
iv.  6.  Shift.  As  I  am  Apple-John,  I  am 
to  go  before  the  cockatrice  you  saw  this 
morning,  /tó/.,  '  Characters — Shift.  His 
chief  exercises  are  .  .  .  squiring  a  cocka- 
trice, and  making  privy  searches  for 
imparters.  Ibid.  (1614),  Bartholomew 
Fair,  i.  i.  Lit.  A  fool-John,  she  calls  me  ; 
do  you  mark  that,  gentlemen?  .  .  .  Quar. 
She  may  call  you  an  Apple-John,  if  you 
use  this. 

1598.  Florid,  Worlde  of  IVordes, 
s.v.  Guatdro. 

1599.  Hall,  Satires,  i.  2.  Each 
bush,  each  bank,  and  each  base  apple- 
squire  Can  serve  to  sate  their  beastly 
lewd  desire. 

1599.  IVarning  Faire  IP'oiiicn,  ii. 
1158.  Trusty  Roger,  her  base  apple- 
squire. 

161 1.  Cotgrave,  Diet.,  s.v.  Cueil- 
leur. 

1622.  Marmion,  Holland's  Leaguer, 
iv.  3.  Is  your  niece  a  leaguer,  a  suttler. 
Or  laundress  to  this  fort?  .  .  .  You  are  an 
APPLE-SQUIRE,  a  rat,  and  a  ferret. 

1623.  Taylor,  Discovery  by  Sea,  11. 
21.  Are  whoremasters  decai'd,  are  bawds 
all  dead.  Are  panders,  pimps,  and  appi.e- 
SQUIRES  all  fled?  Ibid.  {iVorks,  1630), 
Lord,  who  would  take  him  for  a  pippin 
SQUIRE,  That's  so  bedaub'd  with  iacc  and 
rich  attire? 


Approach. 


57 


April. 


1636.  Davenant,  Platonic  Lmicrs, 
iv.  A  dozen  apron  squires  t'uncloath 
the  husband  .  .  .  and  lay  him  on  his 
pillow  Tamely  to  expect  the  bride  two 
hours  before  she  came. 

1675.  Cotton,  Burlesque  on  Bur- 
lesque, 218.  And  even  of  stocks  and  stones 
enquire  Of  Atys,  her  small  apple-squire. 

1738.  Hekkick,  Poor  Robin  .  .  . 
Little  truth  will  be  found  amongst  .  .  . 
pimps,  pandars,  and  apple-squires  ;  only 
the  pimp  pretends  to  something  more  of 
truth  than  the  other,  for  if  he  promise  to 
help  you  to  a  whore,  he  will  be  sure  that 
she  shall  not  be  an  honest  woman. 

Approach,  rwó.  (euphemistic). — 
To  possess  a  woman  :  see  Ride. 
Hence  approachable  =  willing, 

RIPE  [q.V.),  COMING  {q.v.). 

161 1.  Bible,  Lev.  .wiii.  6.  None  of 
you  shall  approach  to  any  that  is  near 
of  kin  to  him. 

1798.  Colebrooke,  Digest  Hind. 
Law  (1801),  III.  196.  If  either  brother 
.  .  .  approach  the  wife  he  is  degraded. 

April.  This  month  the  poetical 
type  of  verdure  {see  Green) 
and  inconstancy  is  frequently 
found  in  contemptuous  com- 
bination. Thus  April-fool 
(or  Scots  April  -  gowk  = 
cuckoo  :  Fr.  poisson  d'Avril) 
=  one  who  is  sent  on  a  sleeve- 
less errand  (for  '  strap  -  oil,' 
'pigeon's  milk,'  'the  squad  um- 
brella,' '  the  diary  of  Eve's  grand- 
motiier,'  etc.),  or  who  is  the 
victim  of  asinine  sport  on  April- 
FooLs'  (or  All  Fools')  Day  (ist 
April).  This  has  given  rise  to  the 
sarcastic  ApRiL-DAY  =  a  wedding 
day;  and  April-gentleman  = 
a  newly-married  husband.  Also 
April  -  fish  =  a  pimp  (Fr. 
maqtiereaii)  ;  APRlL-SQUlRE  =  a 
new  made  or  upstart  squire. 

1592.  Greene,  Upstart  Courtier 
[Harl.  Misc.,  11.  247].  Two  pert  april 
esquires  ;  the  one  had  a  murrey  cloth 
gowne  on.  Ibid.  (1871),  i.  That  time 
when  the  cuckold's  chorister  began  to 
beuray  April  Gentlemen  with  his  never- 
changed  notes. 


1687.  Congreve,  Old  Bachelor,  i.  4. 
That's  one  of  Love's  Aprii -fools,  is 
always  upon  some  errand  that's  to  no 
purpose. 

1694.  MoTTEUX,  Rabelais,  v.  xxx. 
In  the  days  of  yore,  two  sorts  .  .  .  used  to 
abound  in  our  courts  of  judicature,  and 
rotted  the  bodies  and  tormented  the  souls 
of  those  who  were  at  law  .  .  .  your  April 
FISH  .  .   .  your  beneficial  rémoras. 

c.  1710-12.  Addison,  Spectator 

[Walsh].  The  whole  family  .  .  .  made 
April  Fools  ...  my  landlady  herself  did 
not  escape  him. 

[1713.  Swift,  Jour,  to  Stella,  31 
Mar.  Dr.  Arbuthnot  and  Lady  Masham 
spent  an  amusing  evening  in  contriving 
a  lie  for  the  morrow.] 

1728.  Herrick,  Poor  Robin.  No 
sooner  doth  St.  All-kool's  morn  approach 
But  waggs  .  .  .  assemble  to  employ  their 
sense  In  sending  fools  to  get  intelligence. 

176g.  London  Public  Advertiser,  i:; 
Mar.  The  April  fool  custom  arose  from 
the  .  .  . 

1772.  Bridges,  Burlesque  Homer. 
395.  We're  sent  by  our  wise-looking  owls 
Only  to  make  us  April  fools. 

1777.  'Q^h.vm,  Pop.  Antiq.,a,oo.  We 
in  the  North  call  Persons  who  are  thus 
deceived  April-Gowks. 

c.  1830.  Thompson,  Exerc.  (1842),  iv. 
518.  It  will  be  difficult  to  make  April- 
fools  of  a  whole  people  that  can  read  and 
write. 

1892.  Walsh,  Pop.  Custows,  59.  In 
character  though  not  in  point  of  time 
All  Fools'  Day  corresponds  with  the 
Roman  Saturnalia  .  .  .  with  the  mediaeval 
Feast  of  Fools  .  .  .  and  the  Feast  of  Huli 
in  Hindostan. 

To  SMELL  OF  April  and 
May,  verb.  phr.  (old).— A  simile 
of  youth  and  courtship. 

1596.  Shakspeare,  Merry  Wives, 
iii.  2.  67.  Whatsayyou  to  young  Master 
Fenton?  ...  he  smells  April  and 
May. 

Also  Proverbial  Sayings  : 
'  A  windy  March  and  a  rainy 
April  make  a  beautiful  May'; 
'  April  showers  briny  forth  May 
flowers';  'When  April  blows 
his  horn   it's  good   for  hay   and 


Apron. 


S8 


Apron. 


corn  '  ;  '  April  cling  good  for 
nothing  '  ;  '  April  —  borrows 
three  days  of  March,  and  they 
are  ill'  ;  '  A  cold  April  the 
barn  will  fill'  ;  'An  April  flood 
carries  away  the  frog  and  her 
brood';  'April  and  May  are 
the  keys  of  the  year.' 

Apron,  subs,  (old).  — i.  A  woman  : 
generic  :  cf.  Muslin  ;  Petti- 
coat ;    Placket,    etc.      Hence 

TIED    TO   one's    apron    STRINGS 

(or  apron-led)  =  (i)  under  petti- 
coat-rule, hen-pecked  ;  and  (2) 
in  close  attendance  :  apron- 
hold  (or  apron-string  hold, 
orTENURE)  =  a  life  interest  in  a 
wife's  estate  (Grose)  ;  apron- 
squire  {see  Apple-squire)  ; 
APRON-HUSBAND  =  a  domestic 
meddler  ;  APRON-UP  =  pregnant, 
LUMPY  (q.v.).  Also  (proverbial)  : 
'  Wise  as  her  mother's  apron- 
strings'  =  dependent  on  a 
mother's  bidding. 

1542.  Udal,  Erasmus'  Apoptli.,  118. 
We  say  in  English,  As  wise  as  a  gooce,  or 

as      WISE      AS      HER       MOTHER'S        Al'EREN 
STRING. 

1611.  Dekker,  Roaring Cirl\lVorks 
(1873),  177].  I  cannot  abide  these  apekne 
HUSBANDS  :  such  cotqueanes. 

1647.  Ward,  Shnß.  Coblcr,  67. 
Apron-string  tenure  is  very  weak. 

1712.  Addison,  Spectator,  No.  506. 
The  fair  sex  .  .  .  heartily  despise  one, 
who  ...  is  always  hanging  at  their 
apron-strings. 

1744.  Ellis,  Modern  Husbandman, 
VI.  il.  118.  [He!  being  possessed  of  a 
house  and  large  orchard  by  apkon-string- 
HOLD,  felled  almost  all  his  fruit  trees, 
because  he  every  day  expected  the  death 
of  his  sick  wife. 

1753.  Richardson,  Grandison,  iv. 
23.  He  cursed  the  apkon-string  tenure, 
by  which  he  said  he  held  his  peace. 

1804.     Mrs.  Iîarbaui.d,  Richardson, 
I.  160.     All  her  fortune  in  her  own  power 
a  very  ai'kon-stkinü  tenure. 


1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias  [Rout- 
ledge],  40.  An  old  devotee,  who  .  .  . 
always  keeps  her  servant  at  her  apron- 
string. 

1834.  Edgeworth,  Helen,  viii. 
From  the  moment  he  slipped  his 
mother's  apron-strings,  [he]  had  fallen 
into  folly. 

1849.  Macaulav,  History  of  Eng- 
land,  II.  649.  He  could  not  submit  to 
be  tied  to  the  apron-strings  even  of 
the  best  of  wives. 

2.  (old).  —  Generic  for  one 
wearing  an  apron  :  e.g.  a  shop- 
keeper, a  waiter,  a  workman  : 
also  apron-man,  apron-rogue, 
aproneer.  [Spec,  the  Parlia- 
mentary party  (many  of  whom 
were  of  humble  origin)  during 
the  Civil  War  :  by  Cavaliers  in 
contempt].  Hence  (3)  =  a  cleric 
of  rank,  a  bishop   or   dean  (also 

APRON-AND-GAITERS).       As   verb. 

(colloquial)  =  to  cover  with  (or  as 
with)  an  APRON;  and  APRONED 
=  of  the  working-class,  mechanic. 
Hence  checkered-apron  =  a 
barber;  B  L  U  E-A  PR  O  N  ((^.J'.  )  ; 
green -APRON  =  a  lay-preacher  ; 
WHITE-APRON  =  a  whoie. 

1592.  LVLV,  Mydas,  iii.  2.  Caper 
then,  And  cry  up  checkerd-apron  men. 

1607.  Shakspeare,  CorioL,  iv.  6.  96. 
You  have  made  good  work,  You  and  your 
apron  men. 

i6og.  RowLEV,  Search  for  Money 
(Halli well].  We  had  the  salute  of 
welcome,  gentlemen,  presently  :  Wilt 
please  ye  see  a  chamber?  It  was  our 
pleasure,  as  we  answered  the  apron-man, 
to  see. 

161 1.  Chapman,  May-Day  (1873), 
II.  376.  We  have  no  wine  here  methinks, 
where 's  this  Aperner?  Drawer.  Here, 
sir. 

1628.  Feltham,  Resolves,  xx.  (1635), 
73.  Hee  prodigals  a  Mine  of  Excellenceie 
that  lavishes  a  terse  Oration  to  an  afron'd 
Auditory. 

1654.  Warren,  Unbelievers,  145. 
It  more  Ijefits  a  green-apron  preacher, 
than  such  a  Gamaliel. 


Apron  -  washings. 


59 


Aqua-vitœ. 


1658.  Cleveland,  Rustic  Ramp 
\_Works,  1687],  429.  Apron-men  and 
Plough-joggers. 

1639.  Gauden,  Tears  of  the  Church, 
238.  He  is  scared  with  the  menaces  of 
some  prating  sequestrator  or  some  surly 
Aproneer.  Ibid.  244,  The  apron  anti- 
pathy of  a  rustick,  raechanick,  and  illiter- 
ate breeding. 

1663.  KiLLEGREW,  Parsons  Wed- 
ding [DoDSLEY,  Old  Plays  (1780),  xi. 
382].    Apron-rogues  with  horn  hands. 

1688.  Rändle  Holme,  Academy  of 
Armoury.  A  barber  is  always  known  by 
his  CHECQUE  party-coloured  apron  ; 
neither  can  he  be  termed  a  barber  till  his 
apron  be  about  him. 

logo.  DuRFEY,  Collins  Walk,  iii. 
107.  But  every  sturdy  aproneer,  arm'd 
with  battoon,  did  straight  appear. 

d.  1704.  Brown,  Works,  iii.  292.  The 
silly  and  trifling  queries  of  the  blue  and 
green  apron-men. 

1705.  Hickeringill,  Priestcraft,  i. 
(1721),  21.  Unbeneficed  Noncons.  (that 
live  by  Alms  and  no  Paternoster,  no 
Penny,  say  the  green-aprons). 

i7[?].  Pope,  Imit.  of  Horace.  And 
some  to  hunt  white-aprons  in  the  park. 

[1765.  Tucker,  Lt.  Nat.,  n.  451. 
The  gifted  priestess  amongst  the  Quakers 
is  known  by  her  green  apron.] 

1865.  Dickens,  Mut.  Friend,  in.  iv. 
289.     I  mean  to  apron  it  and  towel  it. 

i88o.  Blackmore,  Mary  Anerley, 
III.  xvi.  230.  The  bramble  aproned  the 
yellow  dup  of  shale  with  brown. 


Apron-washings,      subs. 
(common).  — Porter. 


phr. 


Aqua,    stths.     (common). — Water: 

also    AQUA-POMPAGINIS    (GROSE  : 

'Dog-Latin').  Hence,  in  jocose 
combination,  aquapote,  aqua- 
bib  (Bailey,  1731),  and  aquatic 
=  a  water-drinker;  AQUA-BOB  = 
an  icicle. 

rf.  1704.  Brown,  Works,  ii.  186.  But 
all  won't  cool  his  leachery,  tho'  he  be 
turn'd  a  perfect  aquapote. 

c.i-jqo.  Franklin,  Aiitoh.  The 
'  American  aquatic,'  as  they  used  to  call 
me,  was  stronger  than  those  who  drank 
porter. 


1839.  AiNSWORTH,  Jack  Sheppard 
[1889],  15.  We'll  lather  him  with  mud, 
shave  him  with  a  rusty  razor,  and  drench 
him  with  aqua  pompaginis. 

1883.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  5  Feb.,  11.  2. 
[' Water-drinker ']  might  be  known  hence- 
forth as  an  '  aquabibist,'  or,  if  he  prefers 
three  syllables,  'aquabib.' 

Aquadiente,  subs.  (American).— 
Brandy. 

1835.  Dana,  Before  the  Mast,  xx. 
The  aquadiente  and  annison  were  pretty 
well  in  their  heads. 

Aquatics,  si/bs.  (Eton  College). — 
I.  The  WET-BOB  {'/.v.)  cricket- 
team  ;  and  (2)  the  playing-field 
used  by  them  :  see  Sixpenny. 

Aqua-VIT/E,  subs.  (old). — Formerly 
an  alchemic  term  ;  but  long 
popularly  generic  for  ardent 
spirits  :  brandy,  whiskey,  etc. 
[L.=  water  of  life.  Cf.  French 
eau-de-vie,  and  Irish  usquehaugh.'\ 
Hence  aqua-vit^  man  =  (i)  a 
quack,  and  (2)  a  dram-seller  ;  also 
in  various  combinations  {see 
quots.). 

1542.  BOORDE,  Diet.,  X.  258. 
[E.E.T.S.].  To  speake  of  aqua  vit/E,  or 
of  Ipocras. 

1S52.  Chron.  Grey  Friars  (1852),  74. 
A  woman  .  .  .  that  made  aqwavvte. 

1596.  Shakspeare,  Merry  Wives,  ii. 
2.  I  will  rather  trust  ...  an  Irishman 
with  my  aqua-vit^-:  bottle.  Ihid.  (1602), 
Twelfth  Night,  ii.  5.  Does  it  work  upon 
him?  Sir  To.  Like  aQUA-vit/E  upon  a 
midwife. 

1599.  Chapman,  Humourous  Day's 
Mirth  [Shepheard  (1874),  32.  2].     As  if 

there  were  not  ways  enough  to  die  by  .  .  . 
surfeits,  brave  carouses,  old  aqua-vit.^=:, 
and  too  base  wives.  Ihid.  (1611),  May-Day, 
iii.  4.  Le.  Methinks  'tis  sack.  Gi.  Let 
us  taste,  sir  ;  'tis  claret,  but  it  has  been 
fetched  again  with  aqua-vit.«. 

c.  1600.  Meny  Devil  of  Edmonton, 
Induct.,  64.  Some  Aqua-vit.«  !  The 
Devil's  very  sick. 

1601.  Sherley,  Trav.  Persia  {i'ì6^), 
46.  A  crue  of  aqua-vit^-bellyed 
fellowes, 


Arab. 


60 


Arch. 


1607.  Dekker,  iVestward  Hoe,  ii.  2. 
Will  you  have  some  of  my  aqua  ?  .  .  . 
Come,  come,  drink  this  draught  of  cinna- 
mon water,  and  pluck  up  your  spirits. 

1610.  JoNSON,  Alchemist,  i.  i.  Sell 
the  dole  beer  to  aqua-vit/e  men. 

d.  1632.  Ward,  Sermons,  21.  An 
ancient  Hebrew  .  .  .  put  himself  into  the 
habit  of  a  mountebank  or  travelling  aqua- 
WXTJR  MAN,  and  made  proclamation  of  a 
sovereign  cordial  water  of  life  he  had  to 
sell. 

1634.  Howell,  Letters  (1650),  11.  76. 
Sacks  and  Canaries  .  .  .  us'd  to  be 
drunk  in  aqua-vit^  measures. 

c.  1650.  Brathwavte,  Barnabys  J  I. 
(1723),  77.  Rivers  streaming.  Banks  re- 
sounding .  .  .  Mightily  did  these  delight 
me  ;  O,  I  wished  them  Aqua  vita. 

1678.  Butler,  Hudibras,  iii.  iii. 
298.  Restor'd  the  fainting  High  and 
Mighty  With    Brandy-Wine  and    Aqua- 

VIT/E. 

1749.  Walpole,  Letters,  i.  216. 
Was  glad  to  hear  the  aqua  vit^  man 
crying  a  dram. 

1785.  V>\3v.iis,  Earnest  Cry,  \\\  That 
curst  restriction  On  Aqua  vit^e. 

1818.  Scott,  Rob  Roy,  xviii.  A  tass 
of  brandy  or  aqua  vit.«. 

1899.  Johnston,  Old  Dominion,  ii. 
Much  sack  and  aqua  vit.-e  was_  drunk  to 
king,  church,  and  reigning  beauties. 

Arab,«<3j-,  (common).  —  i.  A  young 
street  vagrant  :  also  STREET  ARAB 
and  CITY  ARAB.  Whence  (2)  an 
outcast. 

1848.  Guthrie,  Plea  for  Ragged 
Schools.  [In  this  work  the  homeless 
wanderers  and  children  of  the  streets  were 
spoken  of  as  Arahs  ok  the  City,  and 
City  Arahs.] 

1848.  Shaftesdury,  Speech  in  Pari., 
5  June.  City  Arafis  .  .  .  are  like  tribes 
of  lawless  freebooters,  bound  by  no  obliga- 
tions and  utterly  ignorant  or  utterly  re- 
gardless of  social  duties. 

1859.  KiNGSLKV,  Ceo/.  Hamlyn,  xlii. 
Tossed  from  workhouse  to  prison,  from 
prison  to  hulk — every  man's  hand  against 
him — an  Arab  of  society. 

1872.  Calveri.ey,  Fly  Leaves  [Title]. 
The  Akau. 


18S3.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  27  Oct.,  5. 
The  hero  and  heroine  began  life  as  street 
Arabs  of  Glasgow. 

Arabian-bird,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
Anything  unique.  [Properly  =  the 
phœnix.]  Also  Arabian-nights 
—  the  fabulous,  the  marvellous. 

1605.  Shakspe.^re,  Cymbeline,  i.  7. 
She  is  alone  the  Arabian  bird.  Ibid. 
(1608),  Antony  and  Cleop.,  iii.  2.  12.  Oh 
Antony,  oh  thou  Arabian  bird. 

1808.  Smith,  Plymley's  Letters 
[H'orks  (1859),  '■•  iS°-  2.  To  cram  him 
with  Arabian-night  stories  about  the 
Catholics. 

Arbor  Vit/e,  suòs.  (old). — The 
pern's:  see  Prick.  [Latin  =  the 
Tree  of  Life.].— Grose. 

1886.  Burton,  Thousand  Nights, 
etc.,  X.  239.  Of  the  penis  succedaneus,  that 
imitation  of  the  arbor-vit.iî  .  .  .  every 
kind  abounds. 

Arbour  (The),  suòs.  (venery). — 
The  iemale pudendu/n  :  see  MONO- 
SYLLABLE. 

ARCADIAN-NIGHTINGALE(or  BIRD), 

subs.   phr.    (common). — An   ass  : 
see  Nightingale. 

1694.  Motteux,  Rabelais,  v.  vii. 
Note.  The  country  abounds  with  these 
Arcadian  nightingales.  Ibid.,  'As  you 
know,  that  Arcadian  bird's  note  is  very 

harmonious.' 

Arch,  adj.  (old  colloquial). — Pro- 
perly chief,  pre-eminent  :  hence 
(  I  )  =  clever,  crafty,  roguish 
(B.  E.)  ;  and  (2)  =  extreme,  out- 
and-out  {(].v.).  [O.E.D.  :  'In 
modern  use  chiefly  prefixed  in- 
tensively to  words  of  bad  or 
odious  sense.']  Thus,  arch- 
BOTCIIER  =  a  clumsy  patch- 
worker;  arch-f'ool  (or  dolt)  = 
an  out-and-out  duffer  ;  arch- 
KNAVE  =  a  rascal  of  parts  ;  ARCH- 
COVE  (or  rogue)  =  spec,  the  ring- 
leader  of  a  band   of  gypsies  or 


Arch. 


6i 


A  rgal. 


thieves  :  whence  arch-dell  (or 
doxy)  =  '  the  same  in  rank  among 
the  female  canters  or  gypsies  ' 
(Grose)  ;  arch  -  whore  =  a 
bilking  harlot  (B.  E.),  etc.  Also 
=  sharp,  keen,  splenetic:  usually 
with  at  or  upon. 

1551.  Robinson,  Move's  Utopia,  39. 
Thies  wysefooles  and  verye  archedoltes. 

1594.  Merry  Knack  [Dodsley,  Old 
Plays  (Hazlitt),  vi.  528].  When  I  came 
to  the  Exchange,  I  espied  ...  An  arch- 

COSENER. 

1635.  Corbet.  [French].  Arch- 
botcher  of  a  Psalm  or  Prayer. 

c.  1650.  May,  Satyr.  Puppy,  46.     Some 
Arch-Rogue  .  .  .  hath  done  her  wrong. 

1670.  Eachard,  Contempt  Clergy. 
Lads  that  are  arch  knaves  at  the 
nominative  case. 

1678.  BuNYAN,  P.  Prog.,  ii.  147. 
Greath.  By-ends  was  the  arch  one. 
Hon.  By-ends  ;  What  was  he?  Greath. 
A  very  arch  Fellow,  a  downright 
Hypocrite, 

1712.  Steele,  Spectator,  432.  5.  A 
Templar,  who  was  very  arch  upon  Par- 
sons. 

1741.  Richardson,  Pamela,  i.  135. 
Sir  Simon  .  .  .  you  are  very  arch  upon 
us. 

2.  (old:  now  recognised). — 
Saucy  ;  waggish.  Thus  ARCH 
(  =  witty)  fellow  (B.  E.);  arch 
(=  pleasant)  WAG  (B.  E.)  ;  ARCH 
DUKE='a  comical  or  eccentric 
fellow'  (Grose). 

1662.  More,  Antid.  Ath.  i.  viii. 
That  ARCH  WAG  .  .  .  ridiculed  that  solid 
argument. 

1710.   Tatler,  193.  i.     So  arch  a  leer. 

1775.  Wesley,  Works,  iv.  41.  Some 
ARCH  BOYS  gave  him  such  a  mouthful  of 
dirt. 

1810.  Crabbe,  Borough,  xv.  Arch 
was  her  look  and  she  had  pleasant  ways. 

1872.  Black,  Adv.  Phaeton,  xxlii. 
Her  arch  ways  and  her  frank  bearing. 

1877.  Arnold,  Poems,  i.  27.  The 
archest  chin  Mockery  ever  ambush'd  in. 

See  Ark. 


Arch  DEACON,  5m3j-.  (Oxford  Univ.). 
— Merton  strong  ale. 

Archwife,  subs.  (old). — A  master- 
ful woman  ;  a  virago. 

1383.  Chaucer,  Cant.  Tales,  '  Clerk's 
Tale,' 9071.  Ye  archewives,  stondeth  ay 
at  defence.  Sin  ye  be  strong  as  is  a  gret 
camaille.  Ne  suffreth  not  that  men  do  you 
offence. 

c.  1530.  Pol.  Rei.  and  Love  Poems 
[E.E.T.S.],  46.  But  ANCHWVKES  eger  in 
ther  violence,  Ferse  as  a  tigre  for  to  make 
affray. 


Ard,      adj.      (Old      Cant). 
(Grose)  ;  'ardent.' 


Hot 


Ardelio,  subs,  (old  colloquial). — 
See  quots.     Also  ardelio. 

1598.  Florio,  Worlde  of  Wordes,  s.v. 
Ardelio  .  .  .  one  that  hath  an  oare  in 
others  boates. 

1621.  BvKTON,  A nat.  ßf elan.,  I.ii.iv. 
7.  Striving  to  get  that  which  we  had 
better  be  without,  ardelios,  busybodies 
as  we  are. 

1653.  Urquhart,  Rabelais,  iii.  20. 
What  is  it  that  this  .  .  .  Ardelione  doth 
aim  at? 

Area-sneak  (or  Shjm),  subs. p/ir. 
(old). — A  petty  thief:  spec,  ore 
working  houses  by  means  of  an 
AREA-gate  (Grose)  :  see  Sneak, 
Slum,  and  Thief. 

1865.  Dickens,  Mutual  Friend  (CD. 
ed.),  104.  Making  me  Guy  Fawkes  in  the 
vault,  and  a  Sneak  in  the  area  both  at 
once. 

1869.  Eng.  Mechanic,  14  May,  181.  1. 
Would  infallibly  become  pickpockets  or 
area-sneaks. 

Arg,  verb,  (vulgar). — To  argue  ; 
to  grumble  :  cf.  ARGLE. 

Argal,  adv.  (common).  — -  There- 
fore ;  ergo  :  of  which  it  is  a 
corruption.  As  subs.—z.  clumsy 
argument.     See  Argle. 


A  rsrent. 


62 


A  rgue. 


1602.  Shaksi'Eare,  Hamlet,  v.  i. 
21.  He  drowns  not  himself:  argal,  he 
that  is  not  guilty  of  his  own  death  shortens 
not  his  own  life. 

d.  1535.        Sir     Thomas     More,     24 
[IVoris,  folio  1557],  s.v. 

d.  1627.     MiDDLETON,  {Works   (Dyce), 
i.  392],  s.v. 

1861.  Times,  23  Aug.  Mr.  Buckle's 
argument  ...  as  absurd  an  argal  as 
ever  was  invented. 

1871.  MoRLEY,  Crit.  Misc.,  152. 
We  should  not  be  beaten  if  we  did  not 
deserve  it,  argal,  suffering  is  a  merited 
punishment. 

Argent,  subs.  (old).  —  Monty  : 
generic  :  spec.  silver  money 
(Bailey)  :  see  Gent.  Hence 
ARGENTOCRACY  —  the  power  of 
money;  Mammon  (^.z/.). 

c.  1500.      Partcnay,   11 19.      Euery  day 
had  ther  money  and  argent. 

1583.  Stubbes,  Anat.  Abuses,  i. 
52.  Whether  they  haue  Argente,  to 
mayntaine  this  geare. 

1630.  Taylor,  Works,  ii.  18.  2. 
Some  hound-like  senting  sergeant  .  .  . 
tires  him  out  for  argeant. 

1864.  Revue  des  Deux  Mondes,  15 
Sept.,   470.      Les  voleurs    anglais    disent 

GENT  pour  'argent.' 

1868.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  23  May,  11. 
The  disease  of  argentocracv. 

Argle,  verb,  (old  colloquial). — To 
argue  disputatiously  ;  to  haggle  ; 
to   bandy    words  :    also   argle- 

BARGLK,         ARGOL-BARGOI-,        Or 

ARGIE-BARGIE.  Whence  ARGOL- 
barijolous  =  quarrelsome  :  cf. 
ARG. 

1589.  Hay  any  Work  (i%\\),  11.  I 
will  neuer  stand  argling  the  matter  any 
more. 

1822.  Galt,  Provost,  1^4.  No 
doubt  his  argol-bargolous  disposition 
was  an  inheritance.  Ibid.  (1823),  Entail, 
'•  S3-     '  Weel,  wcel,'  said  the  laird,  '  dinna 

let  us  ARGOL-BARGOL  aboUt  it.' 

1827.  MoiR,  Mansie  Wauch,  78. 
Me  and  the  minister  were  just  argle- 
iiARGLiNG  some  few  words  on  the  doctrine 
of  the  camel  and  the  eye  of  the  needle. 


1827.  Wilson,  IVoct.  Amb.,  i.  336. 
But  1  hate  a'  argling  and  bargle- 
bargling. 

1861.  Ramsay,  Remin.,  11.  99.  And 
all  argle-bargling,  as  if  at  the  end  of  a 

fire. 

Argot,  subs,  (literary). — See  quots. 
Slang  and  Cant.  Whence 
ARGOTlc  =  slangy. 

roll.  Cotgrave,  Diet.,  s.v.  Nar- 
quois [apparently  for  narguois].  An 
impostor,  Counterfeit  Rogue  .  .  .  also  the 
gibbridge  or  barbarous  language  used 
among  them. 

1843.  Quarterly  Rev.,  clxii.  177. 
Words  or  expressions  in  an  ancient 
language,  if  they  happen  to  coincide  with 
some  modern  argot  or  vulgarism,  take  on 
a  grotesque  association  which  is  not  due  at 
all  to  the  phrase  itself. 

i860.  Farrar,  Origin  of  Language, 
vi.  Leaves  an  uninviting  argot  in  the 
place  of  warm  and  glowing  speech.  Ibid. 
Argot  is  formed  ...  by  the  adoption  of 
foreign  words,  by  the  absolute  suppression 
of  grammar,  by  grotesque  tropes,  wild 
catachresis,  and  allegorical  metonymy. 

1863.  Sat.  Rev.,  149.  Argotic 
locutions. 

1869.  Fa»i.  Speech,  ii.  78.  The 
argots  of  nearly  every  nation. 

1882.  Smythe-Palmer,  Folk  Ety- 
mology, 573.  Argot,  the  French  word  for 
slang,  cant,  was  probably  at  first  un 
nargot,  denoting  (i)  a  thief  or  robber,  (2) 
thieves'  language. 

1888.  Oxford  Eng.  Diet.,  s.v. 
Argot.  [Of  unknown  origin.]  The 
jargon,  slang,  or  peculiar  phraseology  of  a 
class,  orig.  that  of  thieves  and  rogues. 

1888.  Barriere,  Argot  and  Slang, 
s.v.  Narquois  (old  cant),  formerly  a 
thievish  or  vagrant  old  soldier  .  .  .  Parler 
narquois  ...  to  talk  the  jargon  of 
vagabonds. 

1899.  Century  Diet.,  s.v.  Argot. 
The  conventional  slang  of  a  class,  origin- 
ally that  of  thieves  and  v.igabonds,  devised 
for  purposes  of  disguise  and  concealment. 

Argue.  To  argue  out  of 
(away,  a  dog'.s  tail  off,  etc.), 
verb.  phr.  (colloquial). — To  get 
rid  of  by  argument  :  see  Talk. 


Argufy. 


63 


Ark. 


1713.  Guardian^  60.  Which  .  .  . 
have  clearly  akgued  that  animal   out 

OF  THE  CREATION. 

1719.  Young,  Revenge,  i.  1.  We 
call  on  wit  to  argue  it  away. 

1865.  Thompson,  Odds  and  Ends. 
Men  .  .  .  would    ARGUE    A    dog's    tail 

OKK. 

Argufy,  verb,  (colloquial).  — i.  To 
argue  ;  to  worry  ;  to  wrangle. 
Whence  (2)  to  signify  ;  to  prove 
of  consequence  ;  to  follow  as  a 
result  of  argument.  Argufier 
=  a  contentious  talker.  See  Aììg 
and  Argle. 

1751.  Smollett,  Per.  Pickle,  Ixxviii. 
Howsomever,  that  don't  argufy  in 
reverence  of  his  being  in  a  hurry.  Ibid. 
(1771),  Huitipk.  Clinker,  797.  Would  you 
go  for  to  offer  for  to  arguefy  me  out  of 
my  senses. 

1758.  Murphy,  Upholsterer,  i. 
Well,  it  does  not  signify  argifying. 

d.  1763.  Shenstone,  To  a  Friend. 
I've  done  (she  mutter'd),  I  was  saying 
It  did  not  argufy  my  playing  ;  Some  folks 
will  win,  they  can  not  choose,  F.ut,  think 
or  not  think,  some  must  lose. 

1795.  D'arblay,  Diary,  9  June,  vi. 
41.  But  what  argufies  all  this  "festivity  ? 
'tis  all  vanity  and  exhalation  of  spirit. 

1800.  Edgeworth,  IVill,  ii.  I 
can't  stand  argufying  here  about  charity. 

c.  1800.  DiBDiN,  Poor  Jack,  iii. 
What  argufies  sniv'ling  and  piping  your 
eye. 

1820.  CooMBE,  Syntax,  11.  v.  I 
have  no  learning,  no,  not  I,  Nor  do  pre- 
tend to  argufy. 

1837.  Lytton,  Afaltravcrs,  iv.  vii. 
I  should  like  to  have  you  on  the  roadside 
instead  of  within  these  four  gimcrack  walls 
.  .  .  the  argufying  would  be  all  in  tny 
favour  then. 

1855.  Haliburton,  Nature  and 
Human  Nature.  I  listen  to  a  preacher, 
and  try  to  be  better  for  his  argufying. 

1862.  Lowell,  Biglow  Papers,  11. 
15.  It  ain't  no  use  to  argerfy  nor  try  to 
cut  up  frisky. 

d.  1864.  Lffch,  Cartoon.  Do  you 
want  to  argifv,  you  little  beggar? 


1865.  Sat.  Rev.,  12  Aug.,  197.  2. 
People  who  are  always  arguefying  are 
the  .  .  .  worst  of  bores. 

1876.  Black,  Madcap  Violet,  vii. 
I  am  thwarted,  crushed,  argufied  at 
every  turn. 

1881.  Clark  Russell,  Sailor's 
Sweetheart,  i.  I  have  noticed  that  your 
people  who  are  pretty  well  agreed  are 
always  the  fiercest  argufiers. 

Aristippus,  subs.  (Old  Cant).— 
I.  Canary  wine. 

r.  1627.  Middleton  {IVorks  (Halli- 
well),  II.  422].  Rich  aristippus, 
sparkling  sherry. 

1703.  De  Foe,  True  Born  English- 
man.  The  Sages  .  .  .  Praise  Epicurus 
rather  than  Lysander,  and  Aristippus 
more  than  Alexander. 

2.  (old).— 'A  Diet-drink,  or 
Decoction  of  Sarsa  China,  etc. 
Sold  at  certain  Coffee-houses,  and 
drank  as  T  '  (B.  E.  and 
Grose). 

Ark  (or  Arch),  subs.  (Old  Cant).— 
I.  A  boat  ;  a  wherry  :  e.^^.  Let  us 
take  an  ark  and  winns  =  Let  us 
take  a  sculler  (B.  E.  and  Grose). 
Hence  arkman  =  a  waterman  : 
see  quot.  1785  and  ackman. 
Also  (2),  in  Western  America,  a 
flat  -  bottomed  market-produce 
boat  (Bartlett)  :  rarely  seen 
since  the  introduction  of  steam. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Ark  Ruffians.  Rogues  who,  in  con- 
junction with  watermen,  rob,  and  some- 
times murder,  on  the  water,  by  picking  a 
quarrel  with  the  passengers  in  a  boat, 
boarding  it,  plundering,  stripping,  and 
throwing  them  overboard,  etc.  A  species 
of  badger.     Cant. 

1799.  Descr.  Setti.  Genesee  Co., 
N.Y.  [Bartlett].  These  boats  were 
invented  by  a  Mr.  Knyder,  of  Juniata 
River,  who  first  tried  the  experiment,  and 
reached  Baltimore  in  safety.  '  They  are 
made  of  plank,  are  broken  up  after  dis- 
charging their  cargo,  and  sold  for  lumber, 
with  little  or  no  loss.  They  are  navigated 
by  three  or  five  men,  and  will  float  down 
at  the  rate  of  eighty  miles  a  day  ;  they 
are  called  Arks.' 


Arkansas-toothpick.        64  Arms-and-Legs. 


1884.  H.  Evans,  London  Rambler, 
'Brighton  Beach  Loafer'  [S.  J.  and  C.]. 
I  goes  and  sneaks  a  mikket  and  a  lot  of 
lines  of  a  pal's  arch. 

3.  (military). — A  barrack-room 
chest  :  a  lingering  use  of  an  old 
dialect  word. 

Arkansas-toothpick,  stibs.  phr. 
(American),  —  A     large    sheath- 
knife  :      orig.      a      BOWIE-KNIFE 
{q.v.). 
1854.       Martin    and    Aytoun,    Bon 
Gaultier  Ballads.      '  Straightway  leaped 
the  valiant  Slingsby  Into  armor  of  Seville, 
With   a   strong    Arkansas    toothpick. 
Screwed  in  every  joint  of  steel.' 

1881.  Greenleaf,  Ten  Years  in 
Texas,  27.  All  these  [men]  .  .  .  could  be 
seen  with  a  Navy  six-shooter  and  an 
Arkansas  toothpick  suspended  to  a 
raw-hide  belt  tucked  around  their  waists. 

1888.  Detr.  Fr.  Pr.,  Aug.  It  is  not 
good  form  to  use  a  toothpick  in 
Arkansas  now.  A  big  revolver  is  the 
thing. 

Ark-floater,  subs,  (theatrical). — 
An  actor  well  advanced  in  years. 

Arm.     Colloquialisms  are:   To 

MAKE    A     LONG     ARM  =  to     exert 

oneself;  as  long  as  one's  arm 
=  very  long  ;  TO  work  at  arm's 
length  =  to  do  awkwardly  ;  one 
under  the  arm  (tailors')  =  an 
extra  job  ;  IN  the  arms  of 
Murphy  (or  Morpheus)  = 
asleep  :  see  Murphy. 

c.  1836.  Edgeworth,  Love  and  Law, 
1.  V.  You're  no  witch  if  you  don't  see  a 
cobweb  as  long  as  mv  arm. 

1884.  D.  News,  26  Jan.,  6.  2. 
Monkeys  .  .  .  making  long  arms  .  .  . 
for  stray  beans  or  sweetmeats. 

Armful,  siihs.  (colloquial).  — A 
heap  ;  a  large  quantity  ;  spec, 
(modern),  an  endearment  ;  of  a 
'  bouncing  '  Ixiby,  a  big  '  cuddle- 
some  '  wench,  etc. 

1579.  SrußBES,  Gaping;  Gulf,  Cvij. 
By  ARMEFULS  lading  [money]  out  of  the 
exchecjuer. 


c.  1613.  Rowlands,  More  Knaves,  28. 
I  like  a  handfutl  of  old  loue  and  true, 
Better  than  these  whole  armefuls  of  your 
new. 

c.  1720.  Centlivre,  Wonder,  i.  i. 
Thou  shalt  have  an  armful  of  flesh  and 
blood. 

Armine,  subs.  (old). — ^^^  quots. 

1605.  London  Prodigal,  122.  Luce. 
O  here  God,  so  young  an  armine  !  Flow. 
Armine,  sweetheart,  I  know  not  what  you 
mean  by  that,  but  I  am  almost  a  beggar. 

1899.  Century  Diet.,  s.v.  Armine. 
[Perhaps  for  arming  (of  which,  however, 
no  record  is  found  for  400  years  preceding) 
.  .  .  from  A.S.  eartning,  a  wretched 
person.] 

Armour.  In  armour,  adv.  phr. 
(old).  —  Pot-valiant  ;  primed 
\q.v.)  ;  full  of  Dutch  courage 
[_q.v,):  5if«  Screwed  (B.  E.  and 
Grose). 

Armpits.  To  work  under  the 
armpits,  verb.  phr.  (old). — To 
escape  the  halter  by  the  skin  of 
one's  teeth  :  see  quot.  [On  the 
passing  of  Sir  Samuel  Romilly's 
Act,  capital  punishment  was 
abolished  for  highway  robberies 
under  40s.  in  value.  ] 

1785.  Grose,  Vulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Armpits  .  .  .  To  practise  only  such  kinds 
of  depredation,  as  will  amount,  upon  con- 
viction, to  whatever  the  law  calls  single,  or 
petty,  larceny  ;  the  extent  of  punishment 
for  which  is  transportation  for  seven  years. 
By  following  this  sj'stem,  a  thief  avoids  the 
halter,  which  certainly  is  applied  above  the 
armpits. 

Arm-prop,  subs.  phr.  (old). — A 
crutch  ;  a  WOODEN-LEG  {^q.v.). 

1825.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and  Jerry, 
ii.  6.  If  any  lady  or  gemman  is  inclined 
for  a  dance,  I'll  nash  my  arm-props  in  a 
minute.     {^Throws  down  his  crutches^ 

Armsand-legs,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon). —  Small  beer  :  '  because 
there  is  no  body  in  it  '  (Grose). 


ArTfi- slasher. 


65 


Arrow. 


Arm-slasher  (or-  stabber),«^(55. 

phr.  (old). — A  gallant  who  bled 
his  arm  to  toast  his  mistress  : 
hence  to  dagger  (or  stab) 
ARMS  =  to  toast  a  '  lady-love.' 

161 1.  COTGRAVE,  Diet.,  s.v.  TailU- 
bras,  a  hackster,  akme-slasher. 

d.  1633.  Marston,  Works  [Nares]. 
Have  I  not  stabb'd  arms,  and  done  all 
the  offices  of  protested  gallantry  for  your 
sake  ? 

Armstrong.  See  Captain  Arm- 
strong. 

Arrah,  intj.  (Irish).  —  'An  ex- 
pletive, with  no  special  meaning  ' 
(Grose)  ;  '  an  expletive  express- 
ing emotion  or  excitement, 
common  in  Anglo-Irish  speech 
O.E.D.).  [Farquhar  was  of 
Irish  birth.] 

r7os.  Farquhar,  Twin  Rivals,  iii. 
2.  Teagtie.  Arah,  you  Fool,  ish  it  not 
the  saam  ting.  Ibid.  (1707),  Beaux  S  trat., 
V.  2.     Arra,  Honeys,  a  clear  Caase. 

1753.  Smollett,  Count  Fathotn, 
1 19.  Upon  which  he  bade  me  turn  out, 
'Arra,  for  what?'  said  I. 

1820.  COOMBE,  Syntax,  11.  ii.  157 
Arrah,  my  Dears,  it  does  confound  me. 

Array,  verb,  (old  colloquial).  —  i. 
To  thrash  ;  TO  dress  down 
{q.v.);  (2)  to  afflict  ;  to  PUNISH 
(ç.v.);  and  (3)  to  defile.  Hence 
as  si(òs.=a  drubbing;  a  PICKLE 
iç.v.)  ;  a  plight  ;  'a  pretty  state 
of  affairs.  ' 

c.  1380.  Sir  Feruinbras ,  417.  A  man 
he|  of   mod  :     Sarasyn^   to    yule    [  =  ill] 

ARRAYE. 

1383.  Chaucer,  Cant.  Tales,  'Wife 
of  Bath's  Tale,'  46.  Thow  stondest  yet 
.  .  .  in  such  array.  That  of  thy  lyfhastow 
no  sewerté'. 

c.  1400.  Beryn,  603.  We  wolde  aray 
hym  so  That  he  [ne]  shuld  have  legge  ne 
foot,  to-morow  on  to  go. 

C.  1420.  Palladius  on  Httsbandry,  i. 
320.  But  uppon  clay  If  thou  wilt  bilde 
an  other  is  the  array. 


1470-85.  Malory,  Arthur  (\Zi(i),  ii. 
399.  '  Aha  !  what  array  is  this  ?  '  said 
Sir  Launcelot. 

1481.  Reynard  the  Fox,  85  (1844). 
I  am  so  sore  arayed,  and  sore  hurte. 

c.  1500.  Lancelot,  3270.  Remembir 
the,  how  yhow  haith  ben  araid  .  .  . 
With  love. 

1509.  Hawes,  Past.  Pleas.,  xviii. 
xxxix.  Hath  love  suche  myght  for  to 
aray  you  so  In  so  short  a  space? 

c.  1S29.  Skelton,  Flinottr  Rummyng; 
163.  Some  have  no  mony — For  theyr  ale 
to  pay  ;  That  is  a  shreud  aray. 

c.  1530.  Berners,  Arth.  Lyt.  Bryt. 
(1814),  131.  A  !  syr  .  .  .  thus  hath 
ARAYED  me  two  armed  knightes. 

1530.  Calisto  and  Melib.  [Dodsley, 
Old  Plays  (Hazlitt),  i.  78].  Indeed  age 
hath  ARRAYED  thee. 

1530.  Palsgrave,  Lang.  Fran., 
435.  2.  I  araye  or  fyle  with  myer. 
Jetnboue.  Ibid.,  436.  i.  You  have 
arrayed  your  gowne  agaynst  the  wall. 

1548.  Udal,  Erasmus,  Par.  Luke, 
xiii.  II.  Araied  with  a  disease  both 
incurable  and  peiteous  to  see. 

1568.  Jacob  and  Esati  [Dodsley, 
Old  Plays  (Hazlitt),  ii.  252].  Where  are 
we  now  become?  marry,  sir,  here  is 
array. 

1575.  Still,  Gammer  Gurion' s 
Needle,  i.  2.  See,  so  cham  arrayed 
with  dabbling  in  the  dirt. 

c.  1600.  New  Notbroune  Mayd 
[Hazlitt,  Early  Pop.  Poet.,  iii.  17]. 
Vyce  .  .  .  Whiche  hathe  hym  so  Encom- 
bered  and  arayed. 


Arrow  (or  Arra),  (vulgar). — A 
corruption  of  'e'er,  a,'  or  'ever 
a.' 

1750.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  v.  viii. 
I  don't  believe  .  .  .  arrow  a  servant  in 
the  house  ever  saw  the  colour  of  his 
money.  Ibid.,  viii.  ii.  I  warrants  me 
there  is  narrow  a  one  of  all  those  officer 
fellows  but  looks  upon  himself  to  be  as 
good  as  arrow  a  squire  of  ^^500  a  year. 

1771.  Smollett,  Humphrey  Clin- 
ker, i.  126.  I  now  carries  my  head  higher 
than  arrow  private  gentlewoman  of 
Vales. 


'Arry. 


66 


Arse. 


'Arry,  subs,  (common). — That  is 
'Harry':  a  popular  embodiment 
of  the  vulgar,  rollicking,  yet  on 
the  whole  good-tempered  'rough' 
of  the  metropolis.  Whence 
'Arriet  =  'Arry's  'young  woman.  ' 
[Popularised  by  Millikan  in  a 
series  of  ballads  in  Pimch.'\ 
'Arryish  =  vulgarly  jovial. 

1874.  Punch's  Almanack,  'Arry  on 
'Orseback.     [Title.] 

1879.  Sat.  Rev.,  9  Aug.  When  one 
has  listened  to  one  van-load  of  'Arries, 
one  has  heard  all  of  them.  Ibid.  (1881), 
No.  1318,  148.  The  local  'Arry  has  torn 
down  the  famous  tapestries  of  the  great 
hall. 

1880.  Wallace  [Academy,  28  Feb., 
156.  i].  He  has  a  fair  stock  of  somewhat 
'Arryish  animal  spirits,  but  no  real 
humour. 

1889.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  ^y  Sitpl.,  2.  2. 
;Ê75o  which  it  abstracts  every  year  from 
the  public  funds  to  go  e-'arry-and- 
'arrietting  on  the  river. 

Arse,  subs,  (old  literary:  now  vul- 
gar). —  I.  The  posteriors  ;  the 
BUM  {q.v.):  see  Hole.  Hence 
(2)  the  fag-end  ;  the  tail  {q.v.). 
As  ve7-b.  =  to  jut  the  bum 
(Grose).  Whence  numerous 
Combinations  and  Colloqui- 
ali s.ms  :  Arse-board  =  (i)  the 
tail-board  of  a  cart  (whence  to 
follow  a  cart's  arse  =  to 
be  whipped  through  the  town), 
and  (2)  the  back  flap  of  a  girl's 
breeches  ((/.  TAIL-BOAKd)  ;  akse- 
CASK  (or  -rug)  =  breeches  ;  arse- 
COOLER  =  a  bustle  (or  dress-im- 
prover); ARSE-FIRKER  =  a  flog- 
ging pedagogue  ;  ARSE- foot  {see 
quots.  1598  and  1774)  ;  arse- 
GUT  =  the  lectiim  ;  arse-iiolk  = 
the  sphinctei-  ani  ;  ARSE- HOLE 
CREEPER  =  a  parasite  ;  ARSE-HOLE 
PERISHER,  a  pea-jacket  ;  ars- 
MUSICA  =  crepitation  ;  ARSE- 
OPENER  (-WEDGE,  SPLIT-ARSE, 
or  ARSEOMETER)  =  the /f«/5  :  see 
Prick  ;  split-arsed  mkchanic 


=  a  whore;  ARSE-WINNINGS  (or 

earnings)  =  SOCKET-MONEY(^.t'. 

3)  ;  ARSE-PIPES  =  the  bowels  ; 
arse-push  (or  [Scots]  arslins 
coup)  =  a  back  fall;  arse-guts 
=  the  guts  ;  arse  smart  {see  quot, 
1617);  arse-wisp  =  bumfodder 
{q.v.)  ;  arse-worm  =  a  term  of 
contempt,  '  a  little  diminutive 
Fellow  '  (B.  E.  )  ;  the  gusset  of 
the  arse  =  the  inside  edge  of  the 
buttocks  ;  HEAVY-ARSE  =  a  slug- 
gard :  as  adj . —\\!iva^\û\  ;  open- 
ARSE  =  (r)   a   medlar,    and  (2)  a 

girl;    THE    BROAD    ARSE-HOLE  = 

sodomy;  WHIP  -  ARSE  =  (i)  a 
schoolmaster,  and  (2)  a  flogging 
bawd  ;  TOTTER-ARSE=:  a  see-saw  : 
as  adj.  =  unsteady  ;  arsed 
(double-arsed,  larse-arsed, 
broad-arsed,  or  triple-arsed) 
=  big-bottomed  ;  TO  ARSLE  =  (l) 
to  move  backwards,   and  (2)  to 

fidget  ;     TO    HANG    AN    ARSE  =  to 

hold  back,   to   hesitate  ;    to   go 

ARSE  OVER  HEAD  (or  TIP)  =  tO  fall 
sprawling  ;  TO  GREASE  A  FAT  SOW 

ON  THE  ARSE  =  to  be  insensible 
of  a  kindness  (Ray);  to  dance 
WITH  one's  arse  to  THE  CEIL- 
ING =to  Copulate  :  also  (of  women 
only)  TO  RUB  one's  arse  on  ; 
arslings  —  backwards  ;  arse- 
long   {cf.   side-long)  ;    arse-up- 

WARDS  =  in  good  luck  ;  ARSE- 
WARDS  {adj.  and  adv.)  =  (i) 
backwards,  (2)  contrariwise,  and 
(  3)  perverse  ;  arsy- v  arsy  =  topsy- 
turvy, vice-versa  ;  MERRY-ARSED 
=  wanton,  SHORT-HEELED  {q.v.)\ 
HOT  -  ARSED  =  salacious  ;  COLD- 
ARSED  =  (i)  frigid,  and  (2)  chaste: 

also  TIGHT-ARSED  ;   HARD-ARSED 

—  niggardly:  also  hard-arse  = 
third-class  as  opposed  to  soft- 
ARSE  =  first-class  ;  SHITTEN-ARSE 
=  a  contemptible  fellow  ;  ARSE 
and  arse  =  side  by  side;  ARSE  TO 
ARSE  =  back  to  back  ;  arse- first 


Arse. 


67 


Arse. 


(or  foremost)  =  backwards  ;  UF 
TO  THE  ARSE  =  deeply  engaged  ; 

OVER    THE    ARSE    IN  (love,   Work, 

debt,  etc.  )  =  hopelessly  entangled  ; 
ARSE  IN  AiR  =  on  her  knees;  arse 
ABOUT  =  face  round  ;  arse  by 
ARSE = one  by  one;  bees  (or 
worms)  in  THE  ARSE  =  uneasy  ; 
'Ax  (kiss,  or  suck)  my  arse  '  !  = 
the  most  derisive  of  retorts  :  also 

arse  -  HOLE       AND       SUCK       IT  ; 

'Anchor  your  arse' !  =  sit 
down!  (Grose);  'My  arse  in 
A  BANDBOX '!  =  an  expression 
of  extreme  disgust  (Grose). 
Also  various  Proverbial  and 
other  sayings;  'Such  a  hop- 
u'  -  my  -  thumb  that  a  pigeon 
sitting  on  her  shoulder  might  pick 
a  pea  out  of  her  arse'  (Grose); 
'  Afraid  of  the  hatchet  lest  the 
helve  stick  in  his  arse'  (Ray); 
'  The  kettle  calls  the  pot  BLACK- 
ARSe'  [q.v.);  'A  short  horse  is 
soon  wisp'd,  and  a  bare  arse 
soon  kissed'  (RAY)='He  that 
knows  little  soon  repeats  it';  'You 
would  KISS  MY  ARSE  before  my 
breeches  were  down';  '  Kit  Care- 
less, your  ARSE  hangs  by  trumps'; 
'  Like  a  Water  ford  merchant,  up  to 
the  ARSE  in  business';  '  He  would 
lend  his  A — SE  and  sh — te  through 
his  ribs'  (Grose:  'a  saying  of 
any  one  who  lends  his  money  incon- 
siderately'); '  She  would  lose  her 
A — SE  if  it  was  loose,'  or  were  not 
tied  to  her)  (Grose  :  '  said  of  a 
careless  person');  'Not  a  six- 
pence to  scratch  his  arse  with'  = 
utterly  poor;  '  He  doesn't  know 
his  ARSE  from  his  elbow '  =  (1)  He 
is  utterly  stupid,  and  (2)  abso- 
lutely ignorant;  '  My  ARSE  hangs 
heavy '  =  I've  no  pluck  leit;  '  She 
has  a  heavy  arse  to  drive  home 
a  lazy  prick  '  (said  of  a  solid 
woman);  '  My  ARSE  to  yours '  = 
'  I'm  as  good  as  you  are';  '  His 


eyes  are  in  his  arse  '  — (i)  to  miss 
the  obvious;  and  (2)  to  be  keen 
of  observation  with  eyes  every- 
where; etc. 

c.  1000.  yEi.FKic,  Glossary  (Wright, 
44.  2].  Nates,  EARS-LYRE.  Ibid.,  44.  2. 
Anus  vel  verpus,  ears  Jjerl.  Ibid.,  45.  2. 
Tergosus,  earsode. 

c.  1000.  Ags.  Psalm  xxxiv.  5.  Syn 
hi  3ecyrde  on  earsling. 

1377.     Langland,   Fiers  Plowman, 

B.  V.  175.    Baleisedoii  Jie  bare  ars.    Ibid., 

C.  vii.  306.  An  höre  of  hure  erswynninge 
may  hardiloker  tythe.  Ibid.  OVright), 
5857.     I  wolde  his  eighe  were  in  his  ers. 

1382.  Wyclif,  I  Sam.  v.  9.  The 
AKSRoppis  of  hem  goynge  out  stonken. 

1383.  Chaucer,  Cant.  Tales,  s.v. 

1398.  Trevlsa  [Transi.  Bartholo- 
M/Eus  Anglicus],  De  Prop.  Rerum,  vii. 
liv.  (1495),  267.  Emoroides  ben  fuyue 
veynes     whyche    streiche     out     atte     the 

EERES. 

c.  1400.  [Wright,  Vocab.,  1S3.]  Arce- 
hoole,  podex.  Ibid.  {c.  1450),  186,  2. 
Cirbus,  hars-tharme. 

c.  1400.  Rom.  Rose,  7580.  Thou  shalt 
for  this  sinne  dwelle  Right  in  the  divels 
arse  of  hell. 

1401.  Pol.  Poems,  w.dt,.  If  5e  taken 
as  je  usen  arseworde  this  gospel. 

1440.  Promp.  Para.,  s.v.  Aks- 
WYSPE,  Maniperiutn,  anitergium. 

1480.  Caxton,  Chronicles  of  Eng- 
land, ccxxvi.  233.  They  lete  hange  fox 
tailles  ...  to  hele  and  hyde  her  arses. 

c.  1500.  Almanack  for  1386  (1812),  12. 
A  crab  es  an  arsword  best. 

is['?].  Hovj  the  Plowman  Lerned  his 
Pater  Noster,  120.  To  cover  their  arses 
they  had  not  a  hole  ragge. 

i5[?].  Jack  Juggler  [Dodsley,  Old 
Plays  (Hazlitt),  ii.  121].  His  arse  maketh 
buttons  now.     Ibid.,  137.     Thou  wouldest 

LESE  thine  arse,  IF  IT  WERE  LOOSE. 

i5[?].  Treatise  o/Galaunt  [Hazlitt, 
Early  Pop.  Poetry,  iii.  157).  With  longe 
taters  downe  to  the  ars  behynde. 

i5[?].  Turnavicnt  0/  Totenham ,  322. 
They  did  but  ran  ersward,  And  ilke  a 
man  went  backward  Toppe  ouer  tayle. 


Arse. 


68 


Arse. 


e.  1520.      Wy/  of  Auchtenmtchty , 
The  fyre  burnt  aw  the  pat  arss  out. 

1530.  Palsgrave,  Lang.  Francoyse 
436.  2.  What  up,  HEAVT-ARSE,  cannest 
thou  nat  aryse  ?  Ibid.,  829,  2.  AU  ARSE' 
WARDLV,  all  frowardly,  tout  a  rebours. 

1539.  Taverner,  Erasnt.  Prov. 
(1552),  62.  Ye  set  the  cart  before  the 
horse  .  .  .  cleane  contrarily,  and  arsy 
VERSV  as  they  say. 

1540.  Ravnald,  Byrth  Man  (1564) 
54.  [The  fœtus]  proceedeth  .  .  .  sidelong 
ARSELONG,  Or  backlong. 

c.  1541.  Schole-house  of  Women  [Haz- 
LITT,  Early  Pop.  Poet.,  iv.  113].  He 
would  not  once  turn  me  for  to  kisse  ;  Euery 
night  he  riseth  for  to  pisse,  And  when  he 
commeth  again  vnwarme  Dooth  turn  his 
ARSE  into  my  barme. 

1542.  Udall,  Erasmus  [Oliphant, 
New  Eng.,  i.  489.  Vice  versa  appears  as 
ARSiE  VERSEE,  and  this  phrase  may  still 
be  heard]. 

1547.  BooRDE,  Breviary  of  Health, 
XXV.  156.  The  25th  chapitre  dothe  shewe 
of  a  mannes  ars. 

1551.  Still,  Gamtner  Gurions 
Needle,  i.  2.  Fisking  with  her  tail  As 
though  there  had  been  IN  HER  arse  a 
swarm  of  bees. 

1553-  Bale  [Gardener,  True  Obe- 
dience], Pref.  Hij.  Whence  he  can  neuer 
escape  except  he  com  out  arsewarde. 

1556.  Ckron.  Grey  Eriars  {iS 52),  73. 
Whyppyd  ...  at  the  carttes  arse  .  .  . 
for  vacobondes. 

1561.  Preston,  Cai/ibyses  [Dodsi^kv, 
Old  Plays  (Hazlitt),  iv.  179].  Let  us 
run  his  arse  against  the  post. 

1562.  Heywood,  Proverbs  (1867),  16, 
To  beg  a  breeche  of  a  bare  arst  man. 

1565.  GoLDiNG,  Ovid's  Met.,  vii. 
(1593)1  i64'  Cerberus  .  .  .  dragging  aks- 
WARD  still. 

1577.  Hoi.iNSHED,  Chron.,  11.  26.  2. 
The  estate  of  that  flourishing  towne  was 
turned  arsie  verste,  topside  the  other 
waie. 

1579.  ToMSON,  Calvin's  Serm.  Titn, 
127.  I.  How  arseward  a  thing  it  is  for 
euery  man  to  be  giuen  to  his  owne  profiter. 
Ibid.,  8.  2.  P.ehold  how  arsewardlv  wc 
goe  alwayes  when  we  pray  to  God. 

1592.  Marston,  Satyres,  'Ad  Ryth- 
mum.'  But  if  you  hang  an  arse  like 
Tabered  When  Chrêmes  dragged  him  from 
his  brothel  bed. 


1595.  Shakspeare,  Romeo  and 
Juliet,  ii.  I.  Oh,  Romeo  !  that  she  were, 
oh,  that  she  were  an  open  arse,  thou  a 
poperin  pear  ! 

1598.  Florio,  IVorlde  of  Wordes, 
s.v.  Giiiero  ...  a  bird  called  a  diuer,  a 
didapper,  or  arsefoote. 

1599.  Gabelhouer's  Bk.  Physic,  130.  2. 
For  the  comminge  out  of  the  Arsegutte. 

c.  1600.  Timon  i.  s  (1842),  20.  This 
man  this  daye  rose  with  his  arse  up- 
wards :  To  daye  a  fidler,  and  at  night  a 
noble. 

1601.  "iofisoi^i,  Poetaster,'vj.  ^.  Vali- 
ant? so  is  mine  arse.  Ibid.,  1609,  Epi- 
cœne,  ii.  i.  Go  out  of  the  world  like  a 
.  .  .  fly,  as  one  said,  with  a  straw  in  your 
arse. 

1607.  Dekker,  Northward  Hoc,  ii. 
I.  They  shall  traw  you  very  lustily,  as  if 
the  devil  were  in  their  arses.  Ibid.,  iv.  i. 
Jesu,  are  [w]imen  so  arsy  varsy. 

161 1.  Cotgrave,  Diet.,  s.  V.  Cui. 
An  arse,  bumme,  tayle,  nockandro, 
fundament.  Ibid..  Fesse-cul.  A  Pedanti- 
cali  whip-arse.  Ibid.,  Culant,  giuing  an 
arse-posse  vnto.  Ibid.,  Cul-pelé,  bauld- 
arst. 

1612.  Passeng.  of  Benvenuto  [ììaues]. 
Oh,  but  there's  great  difference  betwixt 
in  deed  and  being  so  reputed.  Dost  thou 
not  know  that  from  the  beginning  the 
world  goes  arsie-versie? 

1613.  Webster,  Devil's  Law-case, 
iv.  2.  I  am  but  a  young  thing,  And  was 
drawn  arsy  varsy  into  the  business. 
Ibid.,  v.  4.  The  Welshman  in's  play  .  .  . 
Hung  still  AN  ARSE. 

1616.  Fletcher,  Knight  of  Malta, 
iv.  2.     Hang  arse-ward. 

1617.  MiNSHEU,  Ductor,  544.  Ars- 
MAKT  .  .  .  because  if  it  [water  pepper] 
touch  the  taile  or  other  bare  skinne,  it 
maketh  it  smart,  as  often  it  doth,  being 
laid  into  the  bed  greene  to  kill  fleas. 

1622.  Massinger,  Virgin  Martyr, 
ii.  I.  The  ARSE,  as  it  were,  or  fag  end  of 
the  world.  Ibid.  (1633),  Guardian,  v. 
v.     Nay,  no  hanging  an  arse. 

1632.  Chapman,  Ball,  v.  5.  Kiss  my 
hand  !   kiss  my  arse,  noble  ladies. 

1639-61.  Rutiip  Songs,  ii.  86.  Nay, 
if  it  hang  an  arse  We'll  pluck  it  from  the 
stares,  And  roast  it  at  hell  for  its  grease. 

1647-8.  Herrick,  Ilesperidcs,'  Upon 
Skoles.'     Cloy'd  they  are  up  with  Àrse. 


Arse. 


69 


Arse. 


1653.  Urquhart,  Rabelais,  i.  vi. 
Her  .  .  .  ARSE-F'IPES  and  conduits  were 
.  .  .  obstructed  and  contracted.  /hid.,xi. 
This  little  lecher  was  always  groping  his 
nurses  and  governesses,  upside  down, 
ARSIVERSY,  topsiturvy.  /bid.  He  would 
sit  down  betwixt  two  stools,  and  his  arse 
to  the  ground.  Ibid.,  .\iii.  Of  all  .  .  . 
ARSEWisi'S  .  .  .  none  .  .  .  comparable  to 
the  neck  of  a  goose. 

165g.  Brome,  Etig.  Moor,  iii.  2.  It 
is  the  Arsivarsiest  Aufe  that  ever  crept 
into  the  world. 

1660.  Howell,  Lexicon-Tetr.,  s.v. 
Arse-push. 

1663.  Butler,  Hudibras,  i.  i.  456. 
Could  he  stir  To  active  trot  one  side 
of's  Horse  The  other  would  not  hang  an 
ARSE.  Ibid.,  I.  iii.  964.  Then  mounted 
both  upon  their  Horses,  But  with  their 
Faces  to  the  arses. 

1664.  Cotton,  Scarronidcs  (1770), 
9.  Then  (at  his  Ease)  Arsing  about. 
Ibid.,  89.     A  wandering  Woman  that  had 

scarce   A    Rag    to    hang    upon   her . 

Ibid.  (1677).     Burlesque  upon  Burlesqite, 
154.    Never  hang  an  Arse  for  th'  Matter. 

i668.  Lestrange,  Quevcdo,  32(1678). 
Methought  the  old  sluttish  Proverb  that 
says  There  is  a  great  distance  between  the 
Pulse  and  the  Arse  was  much  to  blame  for 
making  such  a  difference  in  their  Dignities. 
Ibid.,  66.  'Tis  the  very  Arse-Gut,  the 
Drain  and  Sink  of  Monarchies. 

1672.  Phillips,  Maronides,  120. 
Some  in  the  next  Woods  refuge  take.  For 
all  their  Arses  buttons  make. 

1672.  Ray,  Proverbs,  '  Joculatory 
Proverbs.'  He  rose  with  his  arse  up- 
wards. A  sign  of  good  luck.  Ibid., 
'  Proverbial  Phrases.'  Arsy-versy  .  .  . 
a  pretended  spell  written  upon  the  door  of 
a  house  to  keep  it  from  burning. 

1679-80.  Radcliffe,  0?iid  Travestie, 
g6.  Did  I,  when  Flannel  was  both  dear 
and  scarce,  Make  you  Trunk-hose  to  your 
ungrateful  Arse. 

1683.  YlooK.KYt.,Pordage's  Myst.  Diz>., 
'Pref.,'  24.  As  if  everi  man  went  the 
wrong  waie  to  work  ;  All  Arsi-varsi. 

i686.  Dorset,  Faithful  Catalogue 
[Rochester,  IVorks  (1718),  11.  32].  Her 
rapacious  arse  Is  fitter  for  thy  sceptre 
than  thy  tarse. 

1686.  Stuart,  Joco-Ser.  Disc.,  30. 
Sae  take  some  pity  on  your  love  And  do 
not  still  so  arseward  prove. 


d.  1691.  Baxter,  Shove  to  Heavy- 
ARSED  Christians  [Title]. 

1692.  Dunton,  Postboy  Robb'd{ï^o(>), 
173.  Go  to,  let  us  not  enter  Rome,  that 
is,  not  into  a  Discourse  of  Arsey-versey 
Love. 

1694.  Motteux,  Rabelais,  iv.  vi. 
Your  Leominster  superfine  wool  is  mine 
ARSE  to  it  ;  mere  flock  in  comparison. 
Ibid.,  ix.     A  little  shitten-arsed  girl. 

a'.  1704.    Browne,  fför/iä-,  ii.  II.   That's 

mine    a IN    A    BANDBOX.      Ibid.,    187. 

Luscious  words  ...  so  intelligibly  ex- 
press'd  that  a  girl  of  ten  .  .  .  may  under- 
stand the  meaning  ...  ;  my  lord  Roches- 
ter's songs  are  mine  arse  to  it.  Ibid., 
204.  The  pious  scoundrels  of  England  rose 
with  their  arses  uppermost.  Ibid.,  i.  68. 
May  .  .  .  Fistulas  thy  Arse-hole  seize 
by  Dozens. 

1704.  Swift,  Tale  0/ a  Tub,  xi. 
Honest  friend,  pray  favour  me  with  a  hand- 
some kick  on  the  arse.  Ibid.  (1704),  Battle 
of  the  Books  (ijii),  235.  Do  you  think  I 
have  nothing  else  to  do  but  to  mend  and 
repair  after  your  arse.  Ibid.  (c.  1733), 
Ans.  Nezv  Simile  for  the  Ladies.  Who 
makes,  you  think,  the  clouds  he  pierces? 
He  pierce  the  clouds  !  he  kiss  their  a — es. 
Ibid.,  Problem.  Once  on  a  time  there  was 
an  A GUT. 

1705.  Ward, Hud.  Red.,  i.  i.  ig.  His 
Stings  that  issue  from  his  Arse  and  Mouth. 
Ibid.,  28.  No  Saucebox,  sure,  by  way  of 
farce  Will  bid  his  Pastor  kiss  his  Arse. 
Ibid.  (1706),  Wooden  World,  73.  While 
he  has  a  Rag  to  his  Arse,  he  scorns  to  make 
use  of  a  Napkin.  Ibid.,  63.  So  .  .  .  ill-bred 
a  Pimp,  as  constantly  to  turn  his  Arse 
upon  that  glorious  Benefactor  [the  sun]. 
Ibid.  {c.  1709),  Terrœfilitts,  iv.  34.  If 
any  .  .  .  Foolish  Wench  [has]  stumbled 
Arse  foremost  to  the  cracking  of  her  Pip- 
kin, .  .  .  Ibid.  (i7[?]),  Humours  of  a 
Coffee-house.  Rightly  taken  by  the  Horse 
Whose   Farrier  sticks   the    Pipe   into   his 

A .     Ibid.,  Lampoon  on  two  Famous 

Strumpets.  Why  should  their  Arses  be 
idle?  Ibid.,  Vulcan  and  Venus.  I'll  run 
a  hot  bar  in  your  Goddeship's  Arse. 

d.  -iTii..  Prior,  The  Ladle.  What 
should  be  great,  you  turn  to  farce  ;  I  wish 
the  Ladle  in  your  A . 

1725.  Bailey,  Erasmus,  i.  112. 
[Letters.]  .  .  .  are  good  to  wipe  your 
Arse  with.  Ibid.  (1728),  Dictionary. 
Arsy-versey,  topsy-turvy,  preposterously, 
perversely,  without  order. 


Arse. 


70 


Arthur. 


1726.  Vanbrugh,  Provoked  Hus- 
band^   ii.      Your   mayster  may  kiss  my 

1747.  JONSON,  Higlvw.  and  Pyrates, 
254.  He  came  off  with  crying  carrots  and 
turnips,  a  term  which  rogues  use  for  whip- 
ping AT  THE  cart's  ARSE. 

1748.  Smollett,  Roderick  Random, 
vii.  A  canting  scoundrel,  who  has  crept 
into  business  by  his  hypocrisy,  and  kiss- 
ing THE  A— se  of  everybody.  Ibid., 
xxxiii.  If  I  durst  use  such  a  vulgar  idiom 
...  the  nation  did  hang  an  arse  at 
its  disappointment.  Ibid.  (1748),  Rod. 
Random,  Ixv.  My  lads,  I'm  told  you 
HANG  an  ar.se.  Ibid.  (1751),  Peregrine 
Pickle,  Ixxxvii.  She  .  .  .  applied  her 
hand  to  that  part  which  was  the  last  of 
her  that  disappeared,  inviting  the  company 
to  kiss  it,  by  one  of  its  coarsest  denomina- 
tions. Ibid.,  lii.  That  celebrated  English 
ditty,  the  burden  of  which  begins  with, 
T lu  pigs  they  lie  with  their  A ES  bare. 

1750.  W.  Ellis,  Mod.  Husb.,  v.  i. 
II.  [Lay  the  sheaves]  .  .  .  close  together, 
with  their  arses  outwards. 

1768.  Ross,  Helenore,  43.  Then 
Lindy  to  stand  up  began  to  try  ;  But — he 
fell  ARSELINS  back. 

1774.     Bkiuges,    Homer   Burlesque, 

4.     And  kick  your till  kicking's  good. 

Ibid.,  6.     For  if  you  hang  an  A the 

least.  Ibid.,  14.  My  resolution  still  is. 
To  bid  you  kiss  my ,  Achilles. 

1774.  Goldsmith,  Nat.  Hist.,  II.  yii. 
vii.  217.  Our  sailors  .  .  .  give  these  birds 
[penguins]  the  very  homely  but  expressive 
name  of  arse-feet. 

1780.  Tomlinson,  Slang  Pastoral,  2. 
My  ARSK  hangs  behind  me  as  heavy  as 
lead. 

d.  1796.  [Burns,  Merry  Muses  (c. 
1800),  15.  '  Old  Song  revised.']  I  loe  my 
Donald's  tartans  weel  His  naked  arse  and 
a'  that.  Ibid.,  6.  Gif  you  wad  be  Strang, 
and  wish  to  live  lang  Dance  less  wi'  your 
arse  to  the  kipples,  young  man.  Ibid., 
99-100.  An'  he  grippit  her  fast  by  the 
gusset  ok  her  arse. 

1838.  Beckett,  Paradise  Lost,  25. 
Just  like  so  many  pigs  of  lead.  Away  they 
went,  A  .  .  E  overhead.     Ibid.,  59.     As  to 

finding   rags  or   clouts,    To    make    A 

CASES,  I've  my  doubts.  Ibid.,  82.  And 
then  he  with  a  vacant  stare,  Cried  out,  '  By 
gum,  my  ....  is  bare  !  ' 

1877.  Peacock,  Line. Gloss.,  \Kf.%Hu 
...    'Go    ARSERDS,   cousin    Edward,   go 

ARSEKUS.' 


18S0.  R.  Holland  [Old  Farming 
IVords,  2].  In  Cheshire  the  stalk-end  of  a 
potato  [is  called]  the  arse-end  of  a  later. 

Arst,  verb,  (vulgar).  —  'Asked.' 

Arter,  adv.,  prep.,  etc.  (vulgar). — 
'After.' 

Artesian,  subs.  (Australian). — A 
Gippsland  (Victoria)  brew  of 
beer  :  manufactured  with  water 
obtained  from  an  artesian  well 
at  Sale  —  hence  artesian 
(generic)  =  colonial  beer  :  see 
Cascade. 

Artful  Dodger,  subs,  (rhyming). 
—  I.   A  lodger. 

2.  (thieves').  —  An  expert 
thief:  also  j-^ê  quot,  [The  Ari- 
fu  l  Dodger,  a  character  in 
Dickens'  Oliver  Twist. 1 

1881.      New      York  Slang      Did. 

Artful  dodgers,   fellows  who  dare    noi 

sleep   twice    in    the   same  place   for    fear 
of  arrest. 

Arthur.  King  (or  Prince) 
Arthur,  subs.  phr.  (old). — See 
quot.  1785  and  cf.  Ambassador. 

1751.  Smollett,  Peregrine  Pickle, 
xvi.  Acting  the  comedy  of  Prince 
.'Vkthur,  and  other  pantomimes  as  they 
are  commonly  exhibited  at  sea. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
King  Arthur.  A  sailor's  game.  When 
near  the  line,  or  in  a  hot  latitude,  a  man 
who  is  to  represent  King  Arthur,  is 
ridiculously  dressed,  having  a  large  wig 
made  out  of  oakum,  or  some  old  swabs. 
He  is  scaled  on  the  side,  or  over  a  large 
vessel  of  water,  and  every  person  in  turn 
is  ceremoniously  introduced  to  him,  and 
has  to  pour  a  bucket  of  water  over  him, 
crying  out,  'Hail,  King  Arthur!'  If 
during  the  ceremony  the  person  introduced 
laughs  or  smiles  (to  which  his  majesty 
endeavours  to  excite  him  by  all  sorts  of 
ridiculous  gesticulations),  he  changes 
places  with,  and  then  becomes  King 
Arthur,  till  relieved  by  some  brother  tar 
who  has  as  little  command  over  his 
muscles  as  himself. 


Artichoke. 


71 


Ask. 


Artichoke,  subs.  (old).  —  i.  A 
term  of  contempt. 

c.  1600.     Day,  Beg:gar  Bcdnall  Green, 
iii.   2.      Let   him   alone,    you   cross-legg'd 

HAKTICHOAK. 

2.  (American). — A  foundered 
whore  :  see  Tart. 

3.  (old).  —  A  hanging  :  also 
HEARTY  CHOAK  (Grose)  ;  whencc 
TO  HAVE  AN  ARTICHOKE  AND 
CAPER  SAUCE  FOR  BREAKFAST  = 
to  be  hanged. 

Article,  subs.  (old).  —  i.  A 
woman:  e.g.  a  prime  article  = 
(Grose)  a  handsome  girl,  'a 
hell  of  a  goer  '  {Lex.  Bal.  ). 

1857.  Tkollope,  Three  Clc!-ks,  x.xx\. 
'  She'd  never  have  done  for  you,  you 
know  ;  and  she's  the  very  article  for 
such  a  man  as  Peppermint.' 

2.  (common). — A  mildly  con- 
temptuous or  sarcastic  address  : 
usually  with  such  adjectives  as 
'pretty,'  'nice,'  etc.  Thus, 
'  You're  a  pretty  article  '  = 
'You're  a  BEAUTY'  {tj.v.)  ; 
'  What  sort  of  an  ARTICLE  do 
you  think  you  are  ?'=' What's 
your  name  when  out  for  a  walk?  ' 
Also  (Halliwell)  'of  a 
wretched  animal.' 

1843.  Dickens,  Martin  Chtizzlciuit, 
xxvi.  You're  a  nice  article,  to  turn 
äulky  on  first  coming  home  ! 

3.  (old). — In  //.  =a  suit  of 
clothes  (Grose). 

Article  of  Virtue,  subs.  phi-. 
(popular). — A  virgin.  [A  play 
upon  '  virtue,'  and  vtrtn.'\ 

Artilleryman,  subs,  (common). 
— A  drunkard  :  cf.  Canon  — 
drunk,  and  see  Lushington. 


Artist,  subs.  (American  thieves'). 
— An  adroit  rogue  ;  a  skilful 
gamester.— A^.  Y.S.D. 

As.     See  Make. 

Asia  Minor,  subs.  phr.  (popular). 
— The  Kensington  and  Bays- 
water  district.  [Many  Anglo- 
Indians  reside  in  this  locality. 
The  nickname  is  double-barrelled, 
for  the  district  is  also  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Greek  community 
in  the  metropolis.]  Cf.  New 
Jerusalem,  Black  Hole,  etc. 

1888.  Daily  News,  9  Feb.,  2.  s- 
Notting-hill  ...  is  the  centre  of  a 
district  where  Indians  in  the  British 
metropolis  mostly  congregate,  .  .  .  Asia 
Minor  [as]  it  is  sometimes  called. 

Asinego,  j'wój-.  (old). — I.  'A  little 
ass  '  ;  hence  (2)  a  fool,  donkey 
{q.v.),  duffer  {q.v.). 

1606.  Shakspeare,  Troilus  anJ 
Cressida,  ii.  i.  49.  Thou  hast  no  more 
brains  than  I  have  in  my  elbows  ;  an 
ASSINEGO  may  tutor  thee. 

1616.  Beaumont  and  Fletcher, 
Scornful  Lady,  ii.  i.  All  this  would  be 
forsworn,  and  I  again  an  asinego,  as  your 
sister  left  me. 

1635.  JoNSON,  Expost,  with  [nigo 
Jones,  19.  Or  are  you  so  ambitious  'bove 
your  peers.  You'd  be  an  ass-inigo  by  your 
ears. 

1714.  MiLBOURNE,  Traitors  Rew., 
Pref.  These  asinegoes  are  like  those 
miserable  comforters  Job's  friends. 

Ask,  verb,  (old  literary  :  now 
colloquial).  —  To  proclaim  in 
church  :  as  a  marriage  ;  literally 
to  ask  for  (or  the)  banns  thereto. 
Formerly  also  of  stray  cattle,  etc. 
[O.  E.D.  :  'The  recognised  ex- 
pression is  now  to  "  publish  "  the 
banns  ;but  "ask  "  is  the  historical 
word.']  Whence  ASKING  =  an 
announcement  in  church  of  in- 
tended marriage. 


Askew. 


72 


Ass. 


1461-73.  Paston  Letters,  m.  46.  To 
AXE  [a  couple]  in  chyrche. 

1523.  FiTZHERBERT,  Surveying,  28b. 
They  ought  to  aske  them  [stray  cattle] 
thre  sondayes  in  thre  or  four  next  parysshe 
churches  and  also  crye  them  thre  tymes 
in  thre  the  next  market  townes. 

1606.  Wily  Begiiild  [Dodslev,  Old 
Plays  (Hazlitt),  ix.  304].  We  must  be 
ASKED  in  church  next  Sunday. 

1662.  Fuller,  Worthies,  '  West- 
minster' (1811),  ii.  105.  His  head  was 
ask'd  but  never  married  to  the  English 
Crown. 

1727-51.  Chambers'  Ency.,  s.v. 
Banns.  The  publication  of  banns 
(popularly  called  asking  in  the  church). 

1824.  Byron,  Juan,  xvi.  Ixxxviii. 
At  the  third  asking  ...  he  started. 

1841.  Okderson,  Creoleana,  ii.  14. 
The  fair  sex  .  .  .  preferring  to  be  '  asked 
in  church.' 

1865.  B.  Brierlv,  Irkdale,  11.  187. 
The  '  askings  '  had  been  called  over  three 
consecutive  Sundays. 

Ask  Another,/.^;-,  (common). 
— A  jesting  or  contemptuous  retort 
to  a  question  that  one  cannot, 
will  not,  or  ought  not,  to  answer  : 
also  ASK  BOGY  {q.v.). 

Askew,  subs.  (Old  Cant). — A  cup  : 
see  Skew  (Harman,  1567). 

Aspasia,  subs,  (common).  —  A 
harlot  :  see  quot.  1892  and 
Tart. 

1809.  Maty  (Riesbeck's  Trav. 
Germ.,  xx.].  Many  an  Aspasia  capable 
of  being  classed  in  the  same  line  with  her 
immortal  prototype. 

1832.  Lytton,  Godolphin,  xxi. 
Miss  Vernon  is  another  Aspasia,  I  hear. 

1854.  Thackeray,  Newcomes,  xxxi. 
He  'ranged  himself,'  as  the  French  is, 
shortly  before  his  marriage,  just  like  any 
other  young  bachelor  ;  took  leave  of 
Phryne  and  Aspasie  in  the  coulisses,  and 
proposed  to  devote  himself  henceforth  to 
his  charming  young  wife. 

1886.  M'Cartmy  and  Campis. 
Pkakd.,  iii.  Your  really  great  women — 
the  Sapphos,  the  Aspasias. 


1892.  Fennell,  Stanford  Diet.,  s.v. 
Aspasia,  name  of  one  of  the  celebrated 
courtesans  of  Athens,  called  Hetaerae 
(eraipat),  many  of  whom  were  highly 
accomplished  and  were  faithful  to  one 
lover.  .  .  .  Representative  of  a  fascinating 
courtesan,  and  more  rarely,  of  an  accom- 
plished woman. 

Aspen -LEAF,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
The  tongue. 

1532.  More,  Confut.  Barnes,  viii. 
\iVorks,  769.  i].  For  if  they  myghte  be 
suffred  to  begin  ones  in  the  congregacion 
to  fai  in  disputing,  those  aspen-leaves  of 
theirs  would  never  leave  waggyng. 

1567.  T.  Howell,  Poems  (1879),  150. 
In  womens  mindes  :  are  diuers  winds, 
which  stur  their  Aspin  tunge,  to  prate 
and  chat. 

ASPERSING-TOOL,  Stlbs.         phr. 

(venery). — The  penis  :  see  Prick 
(Urquhart). 

Ass,  subs,  (common). — Generic  for 
stupidity,  clumsiness,  and  ignor- 
ance. Hence  (i)  a  fool:  see 
Buffle.  [O. E. D.  :  now  disused 
in  polite  literature  and  speech.] 
Also  ASSHEAD  :  whence  ass- 
headed  =  stupid  ;  and  asshead- 
edness  =  folly.      To    make    an 

ass  OF  =  tO  stultify  ;  TO  MAKE  AN 

ASS  OF  ONESELF  =  to  play  the 
fool  ;  Your  ass-ship  (a  mock 
title  :  cf.  lordship).  Also  Pro- 
verbs and  proverbial  say- 
ings: 'When  a  fool  is  made  a 
bishop  then  a  horned  ASS  is  horn 
therein'  (1400);  'Perhaps  thy 
ASS  can  tell  thee  what  thou 
knowest  not'  (Nash);  'To 
wrangle  for  an  ass's  shadow  ' 
(Thynne)  ;  '  Go  sell  an  ass  ' 
(Toi'SELL  :  '  a  charge  of  block- 
ishness  to  a  dull  scholar  '). 
'  Angry  as  an  ass  with  a  squib 
in  his  breech'  (Cotgkavk)  ; 
'  Honey  is  not  for  an  ass's 
mouth  '  (Shelton)  ;  '  An  ass 
laden  with   gold   will  go   lightly 


Ass. 


73 


Asses'  Bridge. 


uphill  '  (Shelton)  ;  '  Asses  have 
ears  as  well  as  pitchers  ' 
(Middleton)  ;  '  He  will  act 
the  ass's  part  to  get  some  bran  ' 
(Urquhart)  ;  'An  ass  in  a 
lion's  skin'  (Addison);  'An 
unlettered  king  is  a  crowned 
ass'  (Freeman);  to  plough 
with  ox  and  ASS  =  to  use  incon- 
gruous means  ;  '  The  ASS  waggeth 
his  ears'  (Cooper,  1563:  'a 
proverbe  applied  to  theim, 
whiche,  although  they  lacke 
learnynge,  yet  will  they  babble 
and  make  a  countenaunce,  as  if 
they  knewe  somewhat  '). 

1532.  More,  Confut.  Barnes,  viii. 
Thys  felowes  folishe  apishenesse  and  al 
hys  ASSEHEDED  exclamacions. 

1546.  Becon,  Early  IVriiings 
[Parker  Soc.].     [A  fool  is  called]  asshead. 

1550.  Bale,  Apology,  61.  O  ab- 
solute ASS-HEADS  .  .  .  and  wytlesse 
ydyote. 

1578.  Lyte,  Dodoens,  348.  Land- 
leapers,  roges,  and  ignorant  asses. 

1589.  Hay  any  iVork,  36.  As  verye 
an  Assehead  as  John  Catercap. 

1590.  Shakspeare,  Mid.  Night's 
Dream,  iii.  i.  124.  This  is  to  make  an 
ass  of  me,  to  fright  me  if  they  could. 
lòid.  (1598),  Merry  Wives,  i.  i.  176.  I  am 
not  altogether  an  ASS.  Ibid.  {i6oi),  TiuelftJi 
Night,  V.  I.  212.  An  ASSEHEAD  and  a 
coxcombe. 

1609.  Doui.AND,  Ornithoß).  Micro- 
logus,  65.     Asse-headed  ignorance. 

1610.  Healey,  City  of  God,  694. 
Yet  had  he  his  humane  reason  still,  as 
Apuleus  had  in  his  asse-ship. 

161 1.  Chapman,  Mayday,  iv.  4.  I 
shall  imagine  still  I  am  driving  an  o\' 
and  an  ass  before  me. 

1617.  Minshew,  Diet.,  s.v.  Asse- 
headdinesse  or  blockishnesse. 

1621.  ViM-RTOfi,  Anat.Melan.,\\.  111. 
ii.  A  nobleman  ...  a  proud  fool,  an 
arrant  ASS. 

1633.  Y0V.Y),  Love's Sacrifice,\\.i.  If 
this  be  not  a  fit  of  some  violent  affection,  I 
am  an  ass  in  understanding. 

1717.  Pope,  Lett,  to  Hon.  R.  Dighy. 
They  think  our  Doctors  asses  to  them. 


1724.  Ramsay,  Tea-table  Misc.,  14. 
The  Warld  is  rul'd  by  Asses,  And  the 
Wise  are  sway'd  by  clink. 

1729.  Cooke,  Talcs,  87.  Ended 
thus  his  Ass-SHip's  Reign. 

1828.  Scott,  Fair  Maid,  i.  39.  I 
am  but  an  ass  in  the  trick  of  bringing 
about  such  discourse. 

1843.  Lever,  Jack  Hinton,  iv. 
Lord  Dudley  de  Vere,  the  most  con- 
founded puppy,  and  the  emptiest  ass. 

1865.  Dickens,  Our  Mutual  Friend 
(C.  D.  ed.),  6.  As  to  Twemlow  ...  he 
considers  the  large  man  an  offensive  ass. 

1865.  Trollope,  Belton  Estate,  xx. 
Don't  make  such  an  ass  of  yourself. 

1866.  Fräsers  Mag.,  284.  I.  They 
could  not  be  deprived  of  the  common  right 
of  Englishmen  to  make  asses  of  them- 
selves if  they  liked  it. 

2,  (printers').  —  A  composi- 
tor :  used  by  pressmen  :  the  tit- 
for-tat  =  PIG  {q.v.):  also  DON- 
KEY :   Fr.   iimlet. 

Assassin,  subs.  (old). — See  quot. 
{^Century,  'with  allusion  to  its 
"killing"  effect.'] 

1694.  Ladies'  Diet.  [Century].  A 
breast-knot,  or  similar  decoration  worn  in 
front. 

ASSAYES  (The),  suòs.  phr.  (mili- 
tary).—The  2nd  battahon  (late 
74th)  Highland  Light  Infantry  : 
for  distinction  at  Assaye  when 
'  every  officer  present,  save  one, 
was  killed  or  wounded,  and  the 
battalion  was  reduced  to  a  mere 
wreck' (Farmer,  Mil.  Forces  of 
Gt.  and  Greater  Britain). 

Asses'  Bridge  (The),  subs.  phr. 
(common).- — The  fifth  proposition 
in  the  First  Book  of  Euclid's 
Elements  ;  the  pons  asinoruin. 

c.  17S0.  Epigram.  If  this  be  rightly 
called  the  bridge  ok  asses,  He's  not  the 
fool  that  sticks,  but  he  that  passes. 

i860.  All  Year  Round,  560.  He 
never  crossed  the  ass's  bridgi-. 


Assig: 


74 


Atomy. 


Assig.,  stibs.  (old), — An  'assigna- 
tion' (B.  E.  and  Grose). 

ASSMANSHIP  (OR  ASSWOMAN- 
SHIP),  subs,  (colloquial). — The 
art  of  donkey  -  riding  :  on  the 
model  of  horsemanship. 

1800.  SouTHEY,  Letters  (1856),  I.  119. 
Edith  has  made  a  great  proficiency  in  ass- 

WOMANSHIP. 

1882.  Pa^ztrA,  24  June.  They  witch  the 
world  with  noble  assmanship. 

Aste,  subs.  (Old  Cant). — Money: 
generic  :  see  Rhino  (Nares). 

i6i2.  Passenger  0/  Benvenuto. 
These  companions,  who  .  .  .  carry  the  im- 
pression and  marke  of  the  pillerie  galley, 
and  of  the  halter,  they  call  the  purse  a 
leafe,  and  a  fleece  ;  money,  cuckoes,  and 
ASTK,  and  crowns. 

Astronomer,  subs.  (old).  —  A 
horse  with  a  high  carriage  of  the 
head  ;  a  star-gazer  {q.v.). 

At.  Sec  All  ;  Breeches  ;  Hand  ; 
Have  ;  Pickpurse  ;  Rest  ; 
That  ;  You. 

Athanasian  Wench,  subs.  phr. 
(old).  —  'A  forward  girl,  ready  to 
oblige  every  man  that  shall  ask 
her  '  (Grose)  ;  a  quicunque 
vuLT(y.z/.):  see'Yxwï. 


Athen/eum,   subs,  (venery). 
penis  :  see  Pkick. 


-The 


Athens.  The  Modern  Athens, 
subs.  phr.  (literary).—  I.  Edin- 
burgh ;  and  (2)  Boston,  Mass. 
(also  The  Athens  of 
America). 

Atlantic-ranger,  subs.  phr. 
(common). — A  herring  ;  a  sea- 
rover  {(J.V.):  see  GLASGOW 
magistrate. 


1883.  Good  Words,  378.  Peas- 
pudding,  and  hard-boiled  eggs,  rubbing 
shoulders,   as    it    were,    with    Atlantic 

RANGERS. 

Atkins.     See  Tommy  Atkins, 


Atomy,  subs.  (old).  —  i.  An 
anatomy  ;  a  '  specimen  '  ;  a 
skeleton  ;  also  otamy  :  whence 
(2)  a  very  lean  person  ;  a  walking 
skeleton. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  2  //«iry /J^.,  V. 
4.  33.  Host.  Thou  atomy,  thou  !  Dot. 
Come,  you  thin  thing,  come,  you  rascal. 

1681.  Knox,  Hist.  Ceylon,  124. 
Consumed  to  an  atomy,  having  nothing 
left  but  skin  to  cover  his  bones. 

1728.  Gay,  Beggar's  Opera,  ii.  i. 
He  is  among  the  Otamys  at  Surgeon's 
Hall. 

1755-  Smollett,  Quixote  (1803),  iv. 
148.  My  bones  .  .  .  will  be  taken  up 
smooth,  and  white  and  bare  as  an  atom. 

1822.  Scott,  The  Fortunes  oJ" Nigel, 
iii.  '  He  was  an  atomy  when  he  came  up 
from  the  North,  and  .  .  .  died  ...  at 
twenty  stone  weight.' 


1823 
sides  .  . 
and  all. 


Cooper,   Pioneer,   xiii.      His 
looked  just  like  an  atomv,  ribs 


1848.  Dickens,       Dombey,       86. 

Withered  atomies  of  teaspoons. 

1864.  Mrs.  Lloyd,  Ladies Polcarrow, 
149.  We  should  have  wasted  to  atomies 
if  we  had  stayed  in  that  terrible  bad  place 
any  longer. 

1866.  Sala,  Gaslight  and  Daylight, 
ix.  A  miserable  little  atomy,  more  de- 
formed, more  diminutive,  more  mutilated 
than  any  beggar  in  a  bowl. 

1884.  Corn/till  Magazine,  May,  478. 
Scarecrow  and  atomy,  what  next  will  you 
call  me  ?     Yet  you  w.int  to  marry  me  ! 

1886.  Brabdon,  Moha7vks,  xxii. 
'  How  lovely  his  young  wife  looks  to-night  ; 
lovely  enough  to  keep  that  poor  old  atomy 
in  torment." 

2.  (old).  — A  diminutive  person  ; 
a  pigmy. 


Atrocity. 


75 


Attic- S  alt. 


isgi.  Shakspeare,  Romeo  and  Juliet, 
iv.  i.  57.  Queen  Mab  .  .  .  the  fairies' 
midwife  ;  and  she  comes  In  shape  no  bigger 
than  an  agate-stone  On  the  forefinger  of 
an  alderman,  Drawn  with  a  team  of  little 
ATOMIES,  Athwart  men's  noses  as  they 
fall  asleep.  Und.  (1600),  As  You  Like  It, 
iii.  5.  That  eyes  that  are  the  frail'st  and 
softest  things  Who  shut  their  coward  gates 
on  ATOMIES  Should  be  call'd  tyrants, 
butchers,  murderers. 

1599.  Davies,  In/mori.  0/ Soul,  35. 
Epicures  make  them  swarmes  of  atomies. 

1625.  'DoìiìiK,  Anat.  o/the  lVorld,\. 
209.  And  freely  men  confess  that  this 
world's  spent,  When  in  the  planets  and  the 
firmament  They  seek  so  many  new  ;  they 
see  that  this  Is  crumbled  out  again  t'  his 

ATOMIES. 


3.    (American    thieves'), 
empty-headed  person. 


■An 


Atrocity,  subs,  (colloquial).  — 
Anybody  or  anything  grievously 
below  the  ordinary  standard  or 
out  of  the  common  :  e.g.  a  bad 
blunder,  a  flagrant  violator  of 
good  taste,  a  very  weak  pun,  etc. 
Hence  atrocious,  a^^'.  =shock- 
ingly  bad,  execrable,  and  as  adv. 
=  excessively. 

1831.  Alford  [Z?Xi873),  67].  The 
letter  had  an  atrociously  long  sentence 
in  it. 

187S.  Hatton,  Corr.  Pre/.,  4. 
Their  diction  and  their  spelling  and  the 
fearful  atrocities  committed  in  the  latter. 

Attack,  subs,  (colloquial).  —  A 
commencement  of  operations  :  as 
(jocularly)  upon  dinner,  a  prob- 
lem, correspondence,  etc.  Also 
as  verb. 

1812.  Combe,  Picturesque,  xvii.  62. 
The  Doctor  then  .  .  .  pronounced  the 
grace  .  .  .  The  fierce  attack  was  soon 
begun. 

1849.  Thackeray,  Pendennis,  i.  It 
was  a  double  letter,  and  the  Major  com- 
menced perusing  the  envelope  before  he 
attacked  the  inner  epistle, 


Attempt,  verb,  (euphemistic).  — 
To  APPROACH  {q.v.)  a  woman  ; 
to  attack  the  chastity  ;  to  try 
{q.v.).  Hence  attempter, 
attemptable,  and  other  de- 
rivatives. 

1593.  Shaksheare,  Lucrèce,  491. 
I  see  what  crosses  my  attempt  will  bring. 
Ibid.  (1603),  Aleas.  /or  JMeas.,  iii.  i.  267. 
The  maid  will  I  frame  and  make  fit  for  his 
attempt.  Ibid.  (161 1),  i.  4.  65.  This 
gentleman  .  .  .  vouching  his  to  be  .  .  . 
less  ATTEMPTABLE  than  any  of  the  rarest 
of  our  ladies  in  France.  Ibid.,  122.  I  durst 
ATTEMPT  .  .  .  any  lady  in  the  world. 

1607.  ToPSELL,  Four-footed  Beasts, 
3.     Apes  that  attempt  women. 

161 1.  GuiLLiM,  Heraldry,  in.  vii. 
(1660),  136.  The  Judges  .  .  .  who 
attempted  Susanna. 

1642.  Milton,  Apol.  Smec.  {Works 
(1851),  271].  To  secure  and  protect  the 
weaknesse  of  any  attempted  chastity. 

1741.  Richardson,  Pamela  (1824), 
I.  xviii.  29.  When  one  of  our  sex  finds 
she  is  attempted.  Ibid.  (1748),  Clarissa, 
III.  273.  It  would  be  a  miracle  if  she  stood 
such  an  attempter. 

Attic,  sitbs.  (common).  —  i.  The 
head  ;     the    brain  ;     the     UPPER 

STOREY  [iJ.V.). 

1870.  [Alford,  Life  (1873),  467]. 
Tolerably  well  all  day,  but  the  noise  in  the 
ATTIC  unremoved. 

2.     (venery).    —    The     female 
pudendum  :  see  Monosyllable. 

Attic-salt  (style  or  wit),  subs, 
phr.  (literary).  —  Well  -  turned 
phrases  spiced  with  refined  and 
delicate  humour. 

1633.  Batt.  Lutzen{H ari  Misc.,  iv. 
185].  Written  in  a  stile  so  attick  .  .  . 
that  it  may  well  be  called  the  French 
Tacitus. 

1738.  Pope,  Epil.,  Sat.  11.  83.  While 
Roman  Spirit  charms,  and  Attic  Wit. 

1748.  YiszH^,  Dictionary  (^e.A.).  In 
Philology,  we  say  attic-salt,  for  a 
delicate,  poignant  kind  of  wit  and  humour 
after  the  Athenian  manner,  who  were 
particular  in  this  way. 


Attleborough. 


76 


Auld  Reekie. 


1760.  Sterne,  Tristram  Shandy, 
V.  iii.  Triumph  swam  in  my  father's  eyes, 
at  the  repartee  :  the  Attic  salt  brought 
water  into  them. 

1779.  Sheridan,  Critic,  i.  2.  I 
.  .  .  only  add — characters  strongly  drawn 
— fund  of  genuine  humour  —  mine  of  in- 
vention— neat  dialogue — attic-salt. 

1848.  Hannay,  King  Dobbs,  ix. 
129(1856).  'What?  is  it  unlucky  to  spill 
attic-salt,  as  well  as  the  ordinary  kind?  ' 

Attleborough,  subs.  (American). 
—  Pinchbeck  ;  BRUMMAGEM 
{q.v.).  [Attleborough  is  cele- 
brated for  its  manufacture  of 
trashy  jewelry.] 

Attorney,  siibs.  (old  colloquial). — 
I.  A  knave  ;  a  swindler  :  an 
ancient  and  still  general  reproach. 
Whence  attorneydom  and 
ATTORNEYISM  (in  Contempt  or 
abuse). 

1732.  Pope,  Moral  Essays,  iii.  274. 
Vile  ATTORNIES,  now  an  useless  race. 

c.  1784.  Johnson  [Boswell,  Li/c,  i. 
385].  Johnson  observed  that  '  he  did  not 
care  to  speak  ill  of  any  man  behind  his 
back,  but  he  believed  the  gentleman  was 

an  ATTORNEY.' 

1837.  Carlyle,  French  Rev.,  in.  vii. 
5.  Attornies  and  Law-Beagles  which 
hunt  ravenous  on  this  Earth.  Ibid.,  258. 
Vanish,  then,  thou  rat-eyed  Incarnation  of 
Attorneyism.  Ibid.  (1864),  Fred,  the 
Great,  iv.  2.  Instinctively  abhorrent  of 
attorneyism  and  the  swindler  element. 

1881.  Standard,  22  Aug.,  5.  2.  The 
narrow  and  captious  argument  of  attor- 
neydom. 

1882.  Society,  7  Oct.,  16.  2.  A  strong 
element  of  what  Mr.  John  Bright  has  been 
pleased  to  call  attorneydom. 

i88<{.  Sat.  Rev.,  28  June,  835.  2.  The 
peculiarity,  however,  of  that  kind  of 
cleverness  which  ...  is  called  attorney- 
IBM,  is  that  it  frequently  overreaches  itself. 

2.  (common). — A  drumstick  of 
goose,  or  turkey,  grilled  and 
devilled  :  cf.  DEVIL. 

1828.  Grikfin,  Collegians,  xiii.  '  I 
love  a  plain   beef  steak  before  a    grilled 

ATTORNEY.' 


Attorney-General's  Devil. 

Devil. 


See 


Auctioneer.     To  tip  (or  give) 

THE  AUCTIONEER,  Verb.  phr. 
(pugilists'). — To  knock  a  man 
down  :  Tom  Sayers'  right  hand 
wasnicknamedTHE  auctioneer. 

1863.  Sala,  Breakfast  in  Bed,  i.  4 
(1864).  And  who,  in  return  for  a  craven 
blow,  can  deliver  the  auctioneer  well 
over  the  face  and  eyes. 

Audit-ale  (or  Audit),  siibs.  phr. 
(Univ.). — A  special  brew  of  ale: 
orig.  for  use  on  audit  days. 

1823.  Byron,  Age  of  Bronze,  xiv. 
But  where  is  now  the  goodly  audit-ale. 

1837.  Barham,  Ing.  Legends  {Lay  of 
S.  Dunstan).  The  '  Trinity  audit  ale  ' 
is  not  come-at-able.  As  I've  found  to  my 
great  grief  when  dining  at  that  table. 

1872.  OuiDA,  Gen.  Matchm.,  34. 
Are  you  going  to  smoke  and  drink  audit 
on  that  sofa  all  day? 

1876.  Trevei.yan,  Life  of  Macazilay 
(1884),  iv.  127.  A  glass  of  the  audit  ale, 
which  reminded  him  that  he  was  still  a 
fellow  of  Trinity. 

AuDLEY.    óVf  John  AuDLEY. 

Au  FE.     See  Oaf. 

Auger,  subs.  (American  thieves'). 
— A  prosy  talker  ;  a  BORE  {q.v.). 

Aught,  si(bs.  (vulgar). — A  common 
illiteracy  for  'naught,'  the  cipher 


Auld  Hornie,  subs.  phr.  (Scots), 
—  I.     The    Devil  :    see     Black- 

SPV. 

2.    (venery). — The    penis  :    see 
Prick. 

Auld  Reekie,  stibs.  phr.  (Scots). — 
The  Old  Town,  '  Edinburgh  :  i.e. 
Old  Smoky.' 


Auly-Auly. 


77 


Aunt. 


1806.  Pitman  [Sharpe,  Con-espon- 
i/«r«cf  (1888),  i.  271].  We  are  within  two 
hours-and-a-half  of  AuLD  Reeky. 

1816.  Scott,  Antiquary,  vi.  And 
what  news  do  you  bring  us  from  Edinburgh 
.  .  .  how  wags  the  world  in  Auld 
Reekie?  Ibid.  (1818),  Heart  Midloth., 
xl.  My  best  service  to  all  my  old  friends 
at  and  about  Auld  Reekie. 

1889.  Colonies  and  India,  24  July, 
10.  I.  The  Australasian  Colony  in  Auld 
Reekie  is  prospering  apace. 

AuLY  AULY,  subs.  phr.  (Win.  Coll.  : 
obsolete). — A  game  played  in 
'  Grass  Court  '  on  Saturday  after- 
noons after  chapel.  An  india- 
rubber  ball  was  thrown  one 
to  another,  and  everybody  was 
obliged  to  join  in.  The  game, 
though  in  vogue  in  1830,  was 
not  played  as  late  as  1845. 

AuMBES-ACE.    &^  Ames-ace. 

Aunt,  stibs.  (Old  Cant). — i.  A 
bawd  ;  a  harlot  (B.  E.  and 
Grose)  :  hence  (old  sayings)  '  my 
AUNT  will  feed  me'  =  (B.  E.)  'the 
bawd  will  find  me  in  meat  '  ;  '  She 
is  one  of  my  aunts  that  made  my 
uncle  go  a-begging  (or  that  my 
uncle  never  got  any  good  of).' 

1604.  Shakspeare,  Winters  Talc, 
iv.  2.  Summer  songs  for  me  and  my 
aunts,  While  we  lie  tumbling  in  the 
hay. 

1607.  Dekker,  Northward  Hoe,  i. 
3.  Pren.  May  be  she's  gone  to  Brainford. 
May.  Inquire  at  one  of  mine  aunts. 
Ibid.,  V.  I.  Feath.  Ye  told  me,  sir,  she 
was  your  kinswoman.  May.  Right,  one 
of  mine  aunts. 

1607.  Middleton,  Mich.  Term,  iii. 
I.  She  demanded  of  me  whether  I  was 
your  worship's  aunt  or  no.     Out,  out,  out  ! 

1605.  Middleton,  Trick  to  Catch 
the  Old  One,  11.  i.  Was  it  not  then  better 
bestowed  upon  his  uncle  than  upon  one  of 
his  aunts'? — I  need  not  say  bawd,  for 
everyone  knows  what  aunt  stands  for  in 
the  last  translation. 

[?].  [DoDSLEY,  Old  Plays  (Reed), 
iii.  260.]  To  call  you  one  o'  mine  aunts, 
sister,  were  as  good  as  to  call  you  arrant 
whore. 


[?].  [DoDSLEY,  Old  Plays  (Reed), 
vii.  410.]  Naming  to  him  one  of  my 
AUNTS,  a  widow  by  Fleetditch,  her  name 
is  Mistress  Gray,  and  keeps  divers  gentle- 
women lodgers. 

1663.  KiLLiGREW,  Parson's  Wed- 
ding, iii.  I.  Yes,  and  follow  her,  like  one 
of  my  AUNTS  of  the  suburbs. 

1668.  Lestrange,  Qucvedo  (1778), 
133.  They  .  .  .  gallant  the  Wife  to  the 
Park  .  .  .  where  forty  to  one  .  .  .  they 
stumble  upon  an  Aunt  ...  or  some  such 
Reverend  Goer-between. 

1678.  Dryden,  Kind  Keeper,  i.  i. 
The  easiest  Fool  I  ever  knew,  next  my 
Naunt  of  Fairies  in  the  Alchyinist. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Aunt  ...  a  title  of  eminence  for  the 
senior  dells,  who  serve  for  instructresses, 
midwives,  etc.,  for  the  dells. 


2.  (old  and  still  colloquial,  esp. 
in  U.S.A.). — An  endearment  or 
familiar  address  ;  also  AUNTY  : 
spec.  (1),  in  nursery  talk,  a  female 
'  friend  of  the  family  '  ;  and  (2)  a 
matronly  woman  :  hence  AUNT- 
HOOD  :   cf.  UNCLE. 

1592.  Mid.  Night's  Dreajn,  ii.  i. 
The  wisest  aunt  telling  the  saddest  tale. 

1614.  JONSON,  Bartholomew  Fair,  ii. 
I.  Over.  Let  us  drink,  boy,  with  my 
love,  thy  aunt  here  .  .  .  Ale  for  thine 
AUNT,  boy. 

1861.  Stowil,  Pearl  o/Orr's  Island, 
21.  These  universally  useful  persons 
receive  among  us  the  title  of  aunt  by  «. 
sort  of  general  consent  .  .  .  They  are 
nobody's  aunts  in  particular,  but  aunts 
to  human  nature  generally. 

1862.  Craik,  Domestic  Stories,  373. 
This  sort  of  universal  aunthood  to  the 
whole  neighbourhood  was  by  no  means 
disagreeable  to  Miss  Milly. 

1883.  Harper's  Mag.,  Oct.,  72S.  2. 
The  negro  no  longer  submits  with  grace  to 
be  called  '  uncle  '  and  '  aunty  '  as  of  yore. 

3.  (Oxford  and  Cambridge  : 
obsolete). — The  sister  university. 

1655.     Fuller,    Church  Hist.,  11.  i. 
308.     The   Sons  of  our  Aunt  are  loth  to 
consent    that    one     who    was     taught 
Cambridge,  should  teach  in  Oxford. 


Aunt  Maria. 


78 


Autem. 


1701.  Pepys,  C(7rr.,  403.  An  humble 
present  of  mine,  though  a  Cambridge  man, 
to  my  dear  aunt,  the  University  of 
Oxford. 

Phrases.  '  If  my  aunt  had 
been  my  vmcle  what  would  have 
happened  then'?  (a  retort  on 
inconsequent  talk)  ;  to  go  and  see 
one's  AUNT  =  to  go  to  the  W.C. 
{see  Mrs.  Jones). 

1834.  Thompson,  Exerc.  (1S42),  iii. 
45,  note.  What  might  have  happened 
afterwards,  is  only  known  to  those  who 
can  tell  what  would  have  come  to  pass 

IK  VOUR  AUNT  HAD  BEEN  VOUR  UNCLE. 

Aunt  Maria,  subs.  phr.  (venery). 
— The  female  pudendum  :  see 
Monosyllable. 

Aunt  Sally,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— A  game  common  to  race-courses 
and  fairs  :  a  wooden  head  is 
mounted  on  a  pole  to  form  a 
target  ;  in  the  mouth  is  placed  a 
clay  pipe,  which  the  player, 
standing  at  twenty  or  thirty  yards, 
tries  to  smash. 

[i860.  Notes  and  Queries,  2  S.  x.  117. 
Aunt  Sally  is  the  heroine  of  a  popular 
negro  melody,  in  which  the  old  lady  meets 
with  several  ludicrous  adventures.] 

1861.  Times,  '  Derby  Day.'  AuNT 
Sally  ...  is  rather  overdone  than  other- 
wise. 

1866.  Sala,  Gaslight  and  Daylight, 
i.  They  will  .  .  .  create  disturbances  on 
the  course,  and  among   the   '  sticks  '   and 

AUNT  SALLIES. 

1883.  Punch,  2  June,^  264.  i.  The 
average  number  of  '  chucks]  at  cocoa-nuts 
before  achieving  success  is  six,  and  of 
'  shies  '  at  aunt  sally,  four. 

1884.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  15  Aug.,  4.  i. 
Aunt  Salliks  and  skittles  for  those  who 
prefer  such  attractions. 

Au  Reservoir  !  intj.  phr. 
(common).—^«  revoir. 

AURUM  POTABILE,  5W(^i.  M^-.  (Old 
Cant).  —That  is,  '  drinkable 
gold  '  ;  see  quots. 


1644.  QuARLES,  Judgitieni  and 
Mercy,  86.  Poverty  ...  is  a  sickness 
very  catching  .  .  .  The    best    cordial    is 

AURUM  POTABILE. 

1652.  AsHMOLE,  Tkeat.  Chein.  Brit., 

442.  And  then  the  golden  oyle  called 
AURUM-POTABILE,  A  medicine  most  mer- 
velous  to  preserve  mans  health. 

1653.  Evelyn,  Diary,  27  June. 
Monsr.  Roupel  sent  me  a  small  phial  of 
his  AURUM  potabile,  with  a  letter  shew- 
ing the  way  of  administering  it  and  y^ 
stupendous  cures  it  hath  done  at  Paris. 

1678.  Phillips,  Diet.,  s.v.  Aurum 
potabile,  a  medicine  made  of  the  body  of 
gold  itself,  totally  reduced,  without  corro- 
sive, into  a  blood-red,  gummie,  or  hony- 
like  substance. 

1708.  Kersey,  Diet.  Aurum  pota- 
BILE.  Gold  made  liquid,  or  fit  to  be  drunk  ; 
or  some  rich  Cordial  Liquor,  with  pieces 
of  Leaf-gold  in  it. 

Australian  Flag,  subs.  phr. 
(Australian). — A  rucked-up  shirt- 
tail. 


Australian  Grip,  subs.  phr. 
(Australian). — A  hearty  hand- 
shake. 

Autem  (Autum,  Autom,  or 
Ant  EM),  subs.  (Old  Cant). — A 
church  (Harman,  (B.  E., 
Grose,  et  passim).  As  adj.  = 
married  ;  also  in  numerous  com- 
binations,  thus  :   AUTEM-BAWLER 

(-CACKLER,  -JET  or-  prickp:ar) 
=  a  parson:  spec,  of  Dissenters; 
AUTEM-CACKLE  TUB  =  (i)  a  dis- 
senting meeting-house,  (2)  a 
pulpit  ;  AUTUM-covE  =  a  married 
man  ;  autum-dii'PER  (or  -diver) 
=  (1)  a  Baptist,  (2)  a  thief  work- 
ing churches  or  conventicles,  and 
(3)  an  overseer  or  guardian  of  the 
poor  ;  AUTUM-r.OGi;LER= 'a  pre- 
tended French  prophet  '  (Grose)  ; 
AUrUM-MORT    {see    quots.     1567 

and  C.  1696);  AUTUM-QUAVEK  = 
a  Quaker;  AtnUM-QUAVER  TUB 
=  a  Quaker's  iiiecling-house. 


Autem. 


79 


Avuncular. 


1567.  Harman,  Caveat  (1814),  49. 
These  Autem  Mortes  be  maried  weraen, 
.  .  .  they  be  as  chaste  as  a  cowe  I  have, 
that  goeth  to  bull  eury  moone,  with  what 
bull  she  careth  not.  These  walke  most 
times  from  their  husbands  companye  a 
moneth  and  more  to  gether,  being  asociate 
with  another  as  honest  as  her  selfc. 
These  wyll  pylfar  clothes  of  hedges  ; 
some  of  them  go  with  children  of  ten  or 
xii  years  of  age  ;  yf  tyme  and  place 
serue  for  their  purpose,  they  will  send 
them  into  some  house,  at  the  window,  to 
sleale  and  robbe,  which  they  call  in  their 
language,  Milling  of  the  ken  ;  and  wil 
go  with  wallets  on  their  shoulders,  and 
slates  at  their  backes. 

1586.  Harrison,  Dcsc.  England, 
184. 

1592.  Greene,  Quip,  [IVorks,  ix. 
283].  The  pedler  as  bad  or  rather  worse, 
walketh  the  country  with  his  docksey  at 
the  least,  if  he  have  not  two,  his  fiiortes 
dels,  and  Autem  Mortis. 

1610.  Rowlands,  Martin  Mark-all, 
7  (H.  Club's  Reprint,  1874).  They  could 
not  quietly  take  their  rest  in  the  night,  nor 
keepe  his  autem,  or  doxie  sole  vnto 
himselfe. 

1641.  Brome,  Jovial  Crem  [Far- 
mer, Musa  Pedestris  (1896),  25].  The 
AUTUM-MORT  finds  better  sport  In  bowsing 
than  in  nigling. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
AUTEM  MORT,  c.  a  Married-woman,  also 
the  Twenty  fourth  Order  of  the  Canting 
Tribe,  Travelling,  Begging  (and  often 
Stealing)  about  the  Country,  with  one 
Child  in  Arms  another  on  Back,  and 
(sometimes)  leading  a  third  in  the  Hand. 

1827.  LvTTON,  Pelham.  Job  ex- 
plained .  .  .  his  wish  to  pacify  Dawson's 
conscience  by  dressing  up  one  of  the  pals 
...  as  an  autem  bavvler,  and  so  obtain- 
ing him  the  benefit  of  the  clergy  without 
endangering  the  gang  by  his  confession. 

1834.  AiNSWORTH,  Rookwood,  III.  V. 
Morts,  AUTEM-MORTS,  Walking  morts,  dells, 
doxies,  with  all  the  shades  and  grades  of 
the  canting  crew,  were  assembled. 

1859.  Matsell,  Vocabubtm,  '  A 
Hundred  Stretches  Hence.'  '  Oh  !  where 
will  be  the  culls  of  the  bing  A  hundred 
stretches  hence?  The  autumn-cacklers, 

AUTUMN-COVES.    .    .    . 


1876.  HiNDLEY,  Cheap  Jack,  260. 
A  Jew  was  selling  cocoa-nut,  when  the 
autem-cackler  .  .  .  wanted  to  impart 
to  the  Israelite  the  sin  he  committed  in 
carrying  on  his  vocation  on  such  a  day 
[Sunday]. 

1901.  NiSBET,  Hermes,  268. 
Autem-divek. 

Author-Baiting,  subs.  phr. 
(theatrical).  —  Calling  a  play- 
wright before  the  curtain  to  sub- 
ject him  to  annoyance — yelling, 
hooting,  bellowing,  etc. 

Avast,    intj.    (nautical).  —  Hold  ! 
Stop  !     Stay  ! 
1681.     Otwav,  Soldiers'  Fortune,  iv. 
i.     Hoa  up,  hoa  up  ;  so  avast  there,  sir. 

1748.  Smollett,  Rod.  Random,  xli. 
'  Avast  there,  friend  :  none  of  your  tricks 
upon  travellers.'  Ibid.  (1751),  Peregrine 
Pickle,  xcvii.  '  And  upon  this  scrap  of 
paper — no,  avast  —  that's  my  discharge 
from  the  parish.' 

1883.  Clark  Russell,  Sailors 
Language,  s.v.  Avast.  An  order  to  stop 
hauling  or  heaving  ;  pronounced  'vast. 
A  word  going  out  of  fashion  as  used  among 
seamen,  who  would  formerly  say  '  Vast 
there  !  '  meaning.  Stop  that  talking.  It  is 
now  confined  to  ship's  work.  Ibid.  (1884), 
Jack's  Courtship,  xiv.  But  avast  now  ! 
we've  had  enough  of  philosopherising. 

Averi NG,  stcbs.  (old). — See  quot. 

1695.  Kennett,  Lans.  ßlS.,  1033. 
When  a  begging  boy  strips  himself  and 
goes  naked  into  a  town  with  a  fais  storj'  of 
being  cold,  and  stript,  to  move  compassion 
and  get  better  cloaths,  this  is  call'd  aver- 
ING,  and  to  goe  a  avering. 

Avoirdupois,  sziòs.  (colloquial). — 
Excess  of  flesh  ;  fat. 

Avoirdupois-lay,  subs.  phr.  (Old 
Cant).  —  'Stealing  brass  weights 
off  the  counters  of  shops' 
(Grose). 

Avuncular,  adj.  (common).  — 
Humorously  employed  in  various 
combinations  :  e.g.  AVUNCULAR 
RELATION  =  a     pawnbroker  ;     an 

UNCLE  (^.Z^.);   AVUNCULAR    LIFE 

=  pawnbroking.  Also  AVUN- 
CULAR-GIG, TO  AVUNCULIZE 
(  =  to  act  as  an  uncle),  etc.,  etc. 

F 


Awake, 


80 


Away. 


1662.  Fuller,  Worthies,  '  Hants,'  i. 
414.  Seeing  he  was  sister's  son  to  black- 
mouth 'd  Sanders,  it  is  much  that  he  doth 
not  more  avunculize  in  his  bitterness 
against  Protestants. 

1831.  Landor,  Rupert  \Works 
(1846),    II.    571].      Love  .  .  .  paternal    or 

AVUNCULAR. 

1854.  Thackeray,  Newcomes,  v. 
Clive,  in  the  avuncular  gig,  is  driven 
over  the  downs  to  Brighton,  to  his 
maternal  aunt  there.  Ibid.,  id.  Clive  had 
passed  the  avuncular  banking-house  in 
the  city,  without  caring  to  face  his  rela- 
tions there. 

1859.  Sala,  Gaslight  and  Daylig;ht, 
iii.  37.  If  you  enter  one  of  these  pawn- 
shops .  .  .  you  will  observe  these  peculiari- 
ties in  the  internal  economy  of  the  avun- 
cular life. 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  92.  'A 
Model  Christmas.'  (The  poet  detaches  a 
blanket  from  his  bed  and  despatches  it  to 
an  avuncular  relative). 

Awake,  ßrfT^.  (old). — On  the  alert  ; 
vigilant  ;  fully  appreciative  :  see 
Fly. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Awake  ...  A  thief  will  say  to  his  ac- 
complice on  perceiving  the  person  they 
are  about  to  rob  is  aware  of  their  intention, 
and  upon  his  guard,  sto-w  it,  the  cove's 
awake.  To  be  awake  to  any  scheme, 
deception  or  design,  means  generally  to 
see  through  or  comprehend  it. 

1813.  Austen,  Pride  and  Prejudice, 
xi.  As  much  awake  to  the  novelty  of 
attention  in  that  quarter  as  Elizabeth 
herself. 

1821.  Moncrieff,  Tont  and  Jerry 
(Dicks),  6.  Jerry.  Yes,  he's  up,  he's 
awake,  he's  fly — Ha!  ha  ! 

1838.  Dickens,  N.  Nicklehy,  xxxi.\. 
If  you  hear  the  waiter  coming,  sir,  shove 
it  in  your  pocket  and  look  out  of  the 
window.  .  .  .  '  I'm  awake,  father,' replied 
the  dutiful  Wackford. 

1879.  Froude,  CcFsar,  x.  He  was 
awake  to  the  dangers. 

Away,  adv.  (colloquial). — A  WAY 
(=forlhwith,  continuously)  oc- 
curs in  several  colloquialisms, 
mostly  imperative.     Thus  :  KiKE 


AWAY  !  =  Commence  immedi- 
ately !  ;  Say  away  !  =  '  Spit  it  out  '  ; 
Peg  away  !  =  Keep  going  ; 
Right  AWAY  !  =  at  once;  'Away 
THE  MARE  !  '  =  Adieu  to  care  ! 
Begone  !  far-and-away  =  al- 
together ;  '  Who  can  hold  that 
WILL  AWAY? '= 'Who  can  bind 
a n  unwilling  tongue  '  ?  TO 
mistake  away  =  to  pilfer  and 
pretend  mistake;  away  back  = 
(i)  long  ago;  and  (2)  see  way- 
back. 

rf.  1529.  Dunbar  [quoted  by  Gifford]. 
And  Prudence  in  my  eir  says  ay,   QuHV 

WAD  YOU  HALD  THAT  WILL  AWAY? 

1535-      CovERDALE, /ö/j«,    xvi.    12.      I 

haue  yet  much  to  saye  vnto  you,  but  ye 
can  not  beare  it  awaye. 

IT.  1540.  Doctour  Doubble  Ale.  Away 
THE  mare,  quod  Walls,  I  set  not  a 
whitinge  By  all  their  writing. 

[?].  MS.  Corp.  Christ.  Coll.  Cantab., 
168.  Adew,  sweteharte,  Christe  geve  the 
care  !  Adew  to  the,  dewll  !  Away  the 
mare  ! 

1614.  JoNSON,  Bartholomew  Pair, 
i.  I.  Over.  You  will  not  let  him  go, 
brother,  and  lose  him?    Cokes.    Who  CAN 

HOLD     THAT    WILL    AWAY?        Ibid.,     Ü.     I. 

But  yoiu-  true  trick,  rascal,  must  be,  to 
be  ever  busy,  and  mistake  away  the 
bottles  and  cans. 

d.  1631.  Donne,  Satires,  v.  Would 
it  not  anger  a  stoic  ...  to  see  a  pursuivant 
come  in,  and  call  all  his  clothes,  copes, 
books,  primers  ;  and  all  his  plate,  chalices  ; 
and  MISTAKE  them  away,  and  ask  a  few 
for  coining. 

1676.  Shadwell,  Virtuoso,  ii. 
Come  .  .  .  PULL  away  ! 

1842.  Dickens,  Amer.  Azotes,  ii.  I 
now  saw  that  right  away  and  directly 
meant  the  same  thing. 

1856.  Stowh,  Dred.,  \.  Get  the 
carriage  out  for  me  right  away. 

1876.  Macaulav,  Life  and  Letters, 
I.  235.     I  guess  I  must  answer  him  right 

slick  AWAY. 

1883.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  27  Sep.,  10. 
She  told  him  to  rei'Ort  away,  that  she 
was  not  afraid. 


Awful. 


Ax. 


Awful,  adj.  (colloquial). — Mon- 
strous :  hence  a  generic  intensive 
=  great;  long;  exceedingly  good, 
bad,  pretty,  etc.  Thus  an  awful 
(  =  very  unpleasant)  TIME;  AW- 
FUL (  =  side-splitting)  FUN  ; 
awfully(  =  uncommonly)  JOLLY, 

etc.         Also      PENNY-AWFUL   =   a 

blood-curdling  tale  :  cf.  DREAD- 
FUL SHOCKER,  BLOOD-AND-GUTS 
STORY,  etc.  As  adv.  =  exceeding- 
ly, extremely. 

i8i6.  Lambert,  Canada  and  U.S., 
etc.  [Bartlett].  The  country  people  of 
the  New  England  States  make  use  of  many 
quaint  expressions  in  their  conversation. 
Every  thing  that  creates  surprise  is  awful 
with  them:  'What  an  awful  wind! 
AWFUL  hole  !  AWFUL  hill  !  AWFUL  mouth  ! 
AWFUL  nose  !  '  etc. 

iS[?].  IVidow      Bedott      Papers 

[Bartlett].     I  never  thought  she  was  so 
AWFUL  handsome  as  some  folks  does. 

1830.  Thompson,  Exer.  (1842),  i. 
338.  He  will  have  made  an  awfully  had 
choice  if  he  comes  to  be  sentenced  to  be 
hanged. 

1843.  Carlton,  Nciv  Purchase,  i. 
182.  Pot-pie  is  the  favorite  dish,  and 
woodsmen,  sharp  set,  are  awful  eaters. 

1834.  Lamb,  Gent.  Giantess  \_Works 
(1871),  363].  She  is  indeed,  as  the  Ameri- 
cans would  express  it,  somethimg  awful. 

1845.  Ford,  Handbook  to  Spain,  i. 
28.  To  what  an  awful  extent  the  Spanish 
peasant  will  consume  garlic. 

1859.  Lang,  Wand.  India,  154.  In 
the  way  of  money-making  ...  he  is 
awfully  clever. 

1865.  Downing,  May-day  in  New 
York  [Bartlett].  The  practice  of  moving 
on  the  first  day  of  May,  with  one  half  the 
New-Yorkers,  is  an  awful  custom. 

1870.  Bridgman,  R.  Lynne,  n.  x. 
He  writes  an  awful  scrawl. 

1870.  Figa7'o,  3  June.  I  like  their 
face,  though,  to  come  here  ;  it's  awfully 
good. 

1873.  Broughton,  Nancy,  i.  26. 
What  an  awful  duffer  I  am. 

1877.  Punch's  Pocket  Book  for  1878, 
165.  You  should  have  come  with  us. 
It's  too  AWFULLY  uice,  as  I  told  you  I 
thought  it  would  be. 


1878.  Black,  Green  Pastures,  ii.  15. 
You'll  be  awfully  glad  to  get  rid  of  me. 

1878.  Braddon,  Cloven  Foot,  vii. 
'Awfully,'  was  Miss  Clare's  chief  lauda- 
tory adjective  \,sic\  ;  her  superlative  form 
of  praise  was  'quite  too  awfully,'  and 
when  enthusiasm  carried  her  beyond  her- 
self she  called  things  'nice.'  'Quite  too 
awfully  nice,'  was  her  maximum  of 
rapture. 

[?].  Planché,  Good  Woman  in 
the  Wood.  '  A  poor  widow  and  her 
orphan  chicks  Left  without  fixtures,  in  an 

AWFUL  fix.' 

1883.  Hawley  Smart,  At  Fault, 
IIL  V.  '  I'm  AWFUL  glad  you  two  have 
made  acquaintance.' 

1883.  Brinsley  Richards,  Seven 
Years  at  Eton.  The  boy  .  .  .  was  told 
that  what  he  had  done  was  an  awful 
chouse. 

1889.  Illustrated  Bits,  13  July. 
'  The  ham  of  the  sandwich  was  awfully 
tough.' 

1898.  B0LDREW0OD,  Robbery  Under 
Ar>ns,  xxiv.  He  was  awful  shook  on 
Madg  ;  but  she  wouldn't  look  at  him. 

1889.  Answers,  23  Feb.,  205.  3. 
He's  AWFULLY  bad  form — a  regular  cad, 
you  know. 

Awkward,  adv.  (conventional). — 
Pregnant:  LUMPY  ((^.z'.). 

Awkward-squad,  subs.  phr 
(military  and  naval). — Recruits 
at  drill. 

Awls.     See  Alls. 

Ax,  verb.  (old). — This  archaic  form 
of  ask,  once  and  long  literary, 
survives  in  AX  my  arse  {see 
quot.  1785)  and  dialectically. 
[O.E.D,  :  Ax,  down  to  nearly 
1600,  was  the  regular  literary 
form  :  it  was  supplanted  in 
standard  English  by  ask,  origin- 
ally the  northern  form].  Also 
AX  -  my  -  EYE  (cheap  -  jacks')  —  a 
cute  fellow,  a  knowing  blade. 

c.  13S0.  Chaucer,  Tale  0/  Melibeus. 
Seint  Jame  eck  saith  :  If  eny  fellow  have 
neede  of  sapiens,  axe  it  of  God. 


Ax. 


82 


Ayrshires. 


1461-73.  Paston  Letters,  m.  46. 
To  AXE  in  chjTche. 

1474.  Caxton,  Game  of  the  Cliesse, 
III.  viii.  He  must  nedes  begge  and  axe 
his  breed. 

1758.  Murphy,  Upholsterer,  i.  An 
old  crazy  fool — AXiNG  your  pardon,  ma'am, 
for  calling  your  father  so. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Ask.  Ax  my  .\ — se.  A  common  reply  to 
any  question  :  still  deemed  wit  at  sea,  and 
formerly  at  Court,  under  the  denomination 
of  selling  bargains. 

1763.  FooTE,  Mayor  of  Garr.,  ii.  2. 
Mrs  Sneak.  Where  is  the  puppy  !  Sneak. 
Yes,  yes,  she  is  axing  for  me. 

1861.  KiN'GSi.EY,  Ravenshoe,  vi.  '  I 
AXED  her  would  she  like  to  live  in  the  great 
house,  and  she  said  no.' 

1876.  HiNDLEY,  Cheap  Jack,  232. 
Stow  your  gab  and  gauffery.  To  every 
fakement  I'm  a  fly  ;  I  never  takes  no 
fluffery.  For  I'm  a  regular  axe-my-eye. 

Phrases  :  To  have  an  ax 
TO  GRIND  —  to  have  personal 
nterests  to  serve  ;  to  put  the 
ax  in  the  helve  =  to  solve  a 
doubt,  to  unriddle  a  puzzle  ; 
TO  SEND  the  ax  AFTER  THE 
HELVE    (or    THE     HELVE    AFTER 

THE     hatchet)    =    to    despair  ; 

TO  HANG  UP  one's   AX  =  to  desist 

from  fruitless  labour,  to  abandon 
a  useless  project  ;  to  open  a 
DOOR  WITH  AN  AX  (said  of  barren 
or  unprofitable  labour). 


c.  1450.  Lonelich,  Grail,  xxvii.  Zit 
cowde  he  not  putten  the  ex  in  J)e 
HELve. 

1547.  Heywood,  Prov.  and  Epig. 
(1867),  80.  Here  I  sende  thaxe  after 
the  helue  awaie. 

1815.  C.  Miner,  Who'll  turn  Grind- 
stones. When  I  see  a  merchant  over-polite 
to  his  customers  .  .  .  thinks  I,  that  man 
has  AN  axe  to  grind. 

1865.  Holland,  Plain  Talk,  v.  188. 
Little  cliques  and  cabals  composed  of  men 
who  have  axes  to  grind. 

1881.  D.  Telegraph,  8  June,  6.  2. 
The  hands  that  .  .  .  '  grind  the  axe,' and 
that  '  pull  the  string.' 

1888.  Detroit  Free  Press,  22  Sept. 
William  Black  says  the  only  AX  a  novelist 
has  TO  GRIND  is  the  climax. 

1898.  Pink  'Un  and  Pelican,  13. 
The  anecdotes  and  stories  have  no  morals 
to  point,  no  axes  to  grind. 


AxEWADDLE,  Verb,  (provincial). — 
To  wallow.  Hence  axewaddler 
(a  term  of  contempt). 

Axis,  stibs.  (venery). — The  female 
pudendum  :  see  MONOSYLLABLE. 

Ayrshires,  subs.  pi.  (Stock  Ex- 
change).—  Glasgow  and  South- 
Western  Railway  Stock. 


B. 


83 


B  flat. 


subs.  (Fenian  :  olj- 
sulete).  —  I.  Sec 
quot. 

d.  1883.  H.  J. 
Byron  [.1/5.  note 
to  Hotten's  Slang 
Diet.  :  now  in  B. 
Museum).    The  title 

of  a   captain    in    the   'army  of  the    Irish 

Republican  Brotherhood.' 

2.  (Harrow). — A  standard  in 
Gymnasium    the    next   below    A 

3.  (Felsted).— 5«e  A. 

Not  to  know  B  from  a 
bull's  foot  (a  battledorp:,  a 
broomstick,  or  any  alliterative 
jingle),  phr.  (old). — To  be  illiter- 
ate or  ignorant  ;  to  be  unable  to 
distinguish  '  which  is  which  "  : 
also  affirmatively,  see  A,  Battle- 
dore, Chalk,  etc. 

1401.  Pol.  Poems,  II.  57.  I  know 
not  an     A  from  the  wynd-mylne,  ne   a   B 

FROM    A    BOLE    FOOT. 

1553-87.    FoxE,  Acts  and  Monuments, 

II.     474.         He    KNEW    NOT    A     B     FROM     A 

BATTLEDORE  nor  ever  a  letter  of  the  book. 
1592.     i^ ASHE,  Pierce  Pcnm'lesse,  30i5. 

Now    you    TALKE    OF    A     BeE.     I  LE    TELL 

YOU  A  T.\LE  OF  A  Battledore  and  write 
in  prayse  of  vertue,  /aid.  (1599),  Lenten 
Stuffc  (1885),  '^-  197-  Every  man  can 
SAY  Bee  to  a  Battledore  and  write  in 
prayse  of  Vertue. 

1609.  Dekker,  Guls-Hornebooke,  3. 
You  shall  not  neede  to  buy  bookes  ;  no, 
scorne  to  distinguish  a  B  from  a  battle- 
dore. 


1613.  King,  Hal/cpennyivorth  o/Wit, 
'Dedication.'  Simple  honest  dunce,  as  1 
am,  that  cannot  say  B  to  a  battledore, 
it  is  very  presumptuously  done  of  me  to 
offer  to  hey-passe  and  repasse  it  in  print  so. 

1621.  Montagu, />/a/r/^ö',  118.  The 
clergy  of  this  time  were  .  .  .  not  able  to 

SAY  BO  to  a  battledore. 

1630.  Taylor,  Motto,  'Dedication.' 
For  in  this  age  of  criticks  are  such  store, 
That  OF  a  B  will  make  a  battledoor. 
Ibid.,  '  Dedication  '  to  Odconib's Complaint. 
To  the  gentlemen  readers  that  understand 

A  B  FROM  A  battledoor. 

1663.  Howell,  Eng.  Proverbs,  16. 
He  knoweth  not  a  B  from  a  battle- 
door. 

1672.     Ray,  Proverb,  s.v. 

1677.  Miege,  Diet.  Fr.  and  Eng., 
128.  Battledore  .  .  .  formerly  a  term 
for  a  hornbook,  and  hence  no  doubt  arose 
the  phrase  to  know  a  B  from  a  battle- 
dore. 

1846.  Brackenridge,  Moderai  Chiv- 
alry, 43.  There  were  members  who 
scarcely  knew  B  from  a  bull's-foot. 

1877.  Peacock,  Manly  (Line.)  Glos- 
sary, s.v.  Battledore.  He  does  not 
know  his  ABC  FRA  a  battledoor. 

1S84.  Black,  Judith  Shakspeare, 
xxi.  Fools  that  scarce  know  a  B  from 
A  Battledore. 

B  Flat  (or  B),  subs.  phr. 
(common). — A  bed  bug;  a  NOR- 
FOLK Howard  {q.v.)-.  cf.  F 
sharp. 

1853.  Dickens,  Household  Words 
XX.  326.  A  stout  negro  of  the  flat  back 
tribe — known  among  comic  writers  as  B 
flats. 

1867.  Cornhill  Mag.,  Pi.p.,  ^$o.  That 
little  busy  B  which  invariably  improves 
the  darkness  at  the  expense  of  every 
offering  traveller. 


Ba. 


84 


Babbler. 


1881.  Hughes,  Rugby  Tenn.,  58. 
An  insect  suspiciously  like  a  British  B 
Flat. 

Ba,  verb,  (old  colloquial). — To  kiss  : 
also  as  subs.  :  cf.  Buss.  [O.  E.D.  : 
'  probably  a  nursery  or  jocular 
word  '  ;  Century,  '  perhaps  the 
humorous  imitation  of  a  smack.'] 

1383.  Chaucer,  Cant.  7«/«, 'Wife 
of  Bath's  Pro!.,'  433.  How  mekly  loketh 
Wilkyii  our  scheep  !  Com  ner,  my  spouse, 
let  me  ba  thy  cheke. 

c.  1529.  Skelton,  My  Darlingderc,  g. 
With  BA-BA-BA,  and  bas,  bas,  bas,  She 
cheryshed  hym  both  cheke  and  chyn. 
Ibid.,  148.    Bas  me,  bultyng,  praty  Cis. 

Baa,  subs.  (old). — A  bleat;  also 
as  verb  :  of  a  sheep.  Hence 
BAALING  (diminutive)  =  a  lamb- 
kin :  also  (nursery)  BAA-LAMB  ; 
BAAING  =  noisy  silliness,  and  as 
adj. 

1500.  Dunbar,  IVorks  [Paterson 
(i860),  323].  Bae  [stands  for  the  cry  of 
sheep]. 

1580.  Sidney,  Arcadia  (1622),  Ixix. 
77.  Still  for  thy  Dam  with  bea-way- 
MENTiNG  crie. 

c.  1586.  Sidney  [Jamieson].  Like  a 
lamb,  whose  dam  way  is  set,  He  treble 
baas  for  help. 

1589.  Pappe  with  Hatchet  {iZ^^,  37. 
They  haue  no  propertie  of  sheepe  but  bea. 

1594.  Shakspeare,  Love's  Labour 
Lost,  V.  I.  Moth.  What  is  a,  b,  spelt 
backward,  with  the  horn  on  his  head  ? 
/fot.  Ba,  puerita,  with  a  horn  added. 
Moth.  Ba,  most  silly  sheep  with  a  horn. 
Ibid.  (1607),  Coriolanus,  ii.  i.  12.  He's  a 
Lambe  indeed,  that  haes  like  a  Beare. 

1600.  Evergreen  (1761),  11.  58.  With 
mony  a  Bae  and  Bleit. 

c.  1649.  Drummond  (of  Hawthornden), 
Poems  (171 1),  4.  2.  There  BEA-wailing 
strays  A  harmless  lamb. 

1765.  .Smaut,  Phu-drus  [Boiin],  hi. 
xiv.  56.  You  little  fool,  why,  how  you 
BAA  !     This  goat  is  not  your  own  m.imma. 

i8i8.  Keats,  liiidymion,  in.  3. 
There  are  .  .  .  who  upon  Their  baaing 
vanities  to  browse  away  The  comfortable 
green  and  juicy  hay  from  Human 
pastures. 


1832.  Marryat,  Newton  Forster, 
xxxi.     The  ba-aing  and  bleating. 

1854.  Thackeray,  Newcomes,  2. 
Silly  little  knock-kneed  baah-ling. 

1862.  Max  Müller  [Macin.  Mag., 
Nov.,  57].  Can  we  admit  .  .  .  that  those 
who  imitate  the  baainc;  of  the  sheep  name 
the  animal  ? 

1870.  D.  News,  II  Oct.  We  civic 
sheep  have  set  up  so  loud  a  ba-ba  that  we 
have  terrified  the  wolves. 

1877.  Edwards,  U/.  Nile,  vi.  138. 
Our  sacrifice  sheep  .  .  .  comes  baaing  in 
the  rear. 

1877.  Blackie,  iVise  Men,  264. 
The  snow-white  lamb  .  .  .  fills  the  solitude 
with  tremulous  baa. 

Bab,  subs.  (old). — See  quot.  :  also 

BABBA, 

1598.  Florio,  Worlde  0/  Wordcs, 
s.v.  Pappa  .  .  .  the  first  word  children 
vse,  as  with  vs  dad  or  daddie  or  bab. 

1863.  Kingsley,  VVaterbabies,  48. 
Sitting  down  and  crying  for  his  baba 
(though  he  never  had  any  baba  to 
cry  for). 


Babber-lipped. 

Lirs. 


See    Blabber- 


Babble,  subs.  (B.  E.  and  Grose  : 

now  recognised).  —  '  Confused  un- 
intelligible talk  such  as  was  used 
at  the  building  of  the  tower  of 
Babel'  (Grose).  BABBLEK  =  'a 
great  talker'  (B.  E.).  [Ü.E.D.  : 
Common  to  several  languages  : 
'in  none  can  its  history  be 
carried  far  back  ;  as  yet  it  is 
known  as  early  in  English  as 
anywhere  else.  .  .  .  No  direct 
connection  with  Babel  can  be 
traced  ;  though  asscjciatioii  with 
that  may  have  affected  the 
senses.'] 

Babbler,   subs,    (sporting). — i,  A 
hound  giving  too  much  tongue. 

1732.  Berkeley,  Works  (1732),  1. 
169.  You  shall  often  see  among  the  Dogs 
a  loud  iiAiiLEK  with  a  bad  Nose  lead  the 
iMiskilful. 


Babe. 


85 


Baboon. 


1735.  SoMERviLLE,  Chasc  [Chai.- 
MERS,  xi.  167.  i],  IV.  66.  The  vain 
BABBLER  shun,  Ever  loquacious,  ever  in 
the  wrong. 

1880.  Encyclop.  Brit.,  xn.  315. 
After  a  fox  has  been  found,  the  baiìbler 
announces  the  fact  for  the  next  ten 
minutes,  and  repeats  his  refrain  vifhenever 
the  least  opportunity  presents  itself. 

2.     See  Babble. 

Babe,  subs,  (parliamentary).  —  i. 
The  last  elected  member  of  the 
House  of  Commons.  C/.  father 
OF  THE  HOUSE  =  the  oldest  repre- 
sentative. 

2.  (American). — The  youngest 
member  of  a  class  at  the  United 
States  Military  College,  West 
Point. 

3.  (auctioneers'). — An  auction 

SHARK     {q.V.);       a      KNOCK-OUT 

{q.  V.  )  man  :  for  a  consideration 
these  men  agree  not  to  oppose  the 
bidding  of  larger  dealers,  who 
thus  keep  down  the  price  of 
lots. 

4.  (American). — A  Baltimore 
rowdy:  also  blood  tub  [q.v.), 
PLUG-UGLY  {q.V.). 

See  Baby. 

Babe    in   the  Wood,  stibs.  phr. 

(old).  —  I.  A  culprit  in  the  stocks 
or  pillory  (Grose). 

2.  (old). — In//.  =  dice. 

Baboo  (or  Babu),  subs.  (Anglo- 
Indian).- — See  quots.  1886  and 
1888.  Hence  Baboo-English 
=  superfine  ;  grandiloquent  Eng- 
lish such  as  is  written  by  a  Baboo  ; 
also  Baboodom  and  Babooism. 

c.  1866.  LvALL,  Old  Pindarec.  But 
I'd  sooner  be  robbed  by  a  tall  man  who 
showed  me  a  yard  of  steel,  Than  be  fleeced 
by  a  sneaking  Baboo  with  a  peon  and 
badge  at  his  heel. 


c.  1879.  Aderigh-Mackav,  TvjcHly-otu 
Days  in  India,  49.  However  much  we 
may  desire  to  diffuse  Babooism  over  the 
Empire. 

i8[?].  Pall  Mall  Gaz.  (O.E.D.). 
Baboodom  is  making  ready  for  its  great 
protest  against  education  or  any  other  cess. 

1886.  Yule  and  Burnett,  Hobson- 
Jolson,  s.v.  Baboo.  In  Bengal,  and  else- 
where, among  Anglo-Indians,  it  is  often 
used  with  a  slight  savour  of  disparagement 
as  characterising  a  superficially  cultivated, 
but  too  often  effeminate  Bengali  ;  and  from 
the  extensive  employment  of  the  class  to 
which  the  term  was  applied  as  a  title  in 
the  capacity  of  clerks,  in  English  offices  the 
word  has  come  often  to  signify  a  native 
clerk  who  writes  English. 

1886.  Oliphant,  New  Eng.,  ii.  224. 
Text-books  [Indian]  are  evidently  English 
works  crammed  full  of  hard  words  such  as 
are  found  in  the  metaphysical  treatises. 
This  accounts  for  the  wonderful  Baboo's 
English  that  is  sometimes  printed  for  our 
amusement. 

1888.  Oxford  Eng.  Diet.,  s.v.  Baboo. 
Orig.  A  Hindoo  title  of  respect,  answering 
to  our  Mr.  or  Esquire  ;  hence,  a  native 
Hindu  gentleman  :  also  (in  Anglo-Indian 
use)  a  native  clerk  or  official  who  writes 
English. 

Baboon,  subs,  (common). — A  term 
of  abuse  :  see  Ape.  Whence 
baboonery  ;  BABOONISH  ;  and 
baboonize  =  to  monkey  \q.v.). 

1380-5.  Wvclif,  Works\^.  E.  T.  S.], 
8.  [Oliphant,  New  Eng.,  i.  148.  There 
is  the  curious  babwvnrie  formed  from 
baboon. J 

c.  1500.  Robin  Hood  [Ritson],  xi.  238. 
He  then  began  to  storm.  Cries  Fool, 
fanatick,  baboon  ! 

1592.  Nashe,  Piers  Pcnnilesse,  E.  j. 
b.  Is  it  anie  discredit  to  me,  thou  great 
babound  .  .  .  to  be  censured  by  thee? 

1598.  Shakspeare,  2  Henry  IV.,  ii. 
4.  He  a  good  wit?  Hang  him,  baboon  ! 
His  wit's  as  thick  as  Tewkesbury  mustard. 

1610.  '^(Xii(m,Alcheinist,\.i.  Why 
so,  my  good  baboons  !  Shall  we  go  make 
A  sort  of  sober,  scurvy,  precise  neighbours? 

1611.  Cotgrave,  Diet.,  s.v.  Babou- 
inner,  to  baboonize  it  ;  to  play  the 
monkey  ;  to  use  apish  or  foolish  tricks, 
or  knauish  prankes. 


Baby. 


86 


Baby. 


162S.  Wither,  Brit.  Renicmh.,  i. 
977.  Such  Apes,  and  such  baboones  As 
Parasites,  and  impudent  Buffoones. 

1678.  Wycherley,  Plain  Dealer,  ii. 
I.  25.  No  chattering,  Baboons,  instantly 
be  gone  ! 

1848.  Makryat,  Rattlin  the  Reefer, 
xix.  The  improvement  .  .  .  that  ba- 
boonery had  made  toward  manhood. 

1857.  Nat.  Mag.,  11.  168.  Oranges 
which  he  demolished  in  a  style  of  the  most 
perfect  baboonery. 

Baby  (or  Babe),  subs,  (nursery  and 
colloquial).  —  i.  A  childish  person  : 

e.g.     'a   GREAT    BABY,'    'a    MERE 

BABY,'  etc.  Hence,  to  smell  of 
THE  BABY  =  to  be  infantine  or 
childish  (in  character  or  ability)  : 
cf.  Baby- ACT.  Also  as  verò^to 
act  (or  treat)  childishly  ;  baby- 
hood (babydom  or  babyism)  = 
childishness;  baby-bunting  = 
an  endearment. 

1596.  Shakspeake,  Hamlet,  ii.  2. 
That  great  baby  you  see  there  is  not  yet 
out  of  his  swaddling  clothes. 

1603.  Patient  Grissil,  17.  My  brisk 
spangled  baby  will  come  into  a  stationer's 
shop. 

1 61 1.  Bible,  '  Translator's  Preface,'  i. 
Hee  was  no  babe,  but  a  great  clearke. 

1618.  Breton,  Courtier  and  Country- 
tnan,  19.  There  are  some  that  in  their 
childhood  are  so  long  in  their  home  booke 
that,  doe  what  they  can,  they  will  smell 
OF  the  Baby  till  they  can  not  see  to  read. 

1637.  Fletcher,  Elder  Brother,  iii. 
5.  Though  he  be  grave  with  years,  he's 
a  great  baby. 

1660.  Milton,  Free  Coinmonwealth 
\Works  (1851),  430].  If  we  were  aught 
els  but  Sluggards  or  Babies. 

1667.  Dry  DEN,  Martin  Marr-all 
[Olii'hant,  New  English,  ii.  113.  A 
grown-up  person  is  called  a  baby]. 

1742.  Young,  Night  Thoughts,  vi. 
521.     It  babies  us  with  endless  toys. 

1837.  Blackwood,  xli.  280.  The 
solemn  littleness  of  Lord  John  Russell,  and 
the  babyisms  of  Lord  Morpeth. 

i86q.  TiioMi'soN,  Audi.  Alt.,  in. 
cxiv.  45.  All  the  malevolence  and  baby- 
hood of  the  country  rush  to  display  them- 
selvoe. 


1S64.  D.  Tel.,  14  Sept.  The  young 
foal  or  filly  must  be  raced  in  its  babydom. 

1865.  Whitney,  Gayworthys,  1.  240. 
I  should  like  to  be  made  much  of,  and 
tended — yes  babied. 

1868.  Duff,  Pol.  Surrey  (1^6?,),  159. 
Too  babyish  even  to  deserve  the  semblance 
of  consideration. 

2.  (old). — In //.  =  pictures  in 
books.  [O.E.  D.  :  perh.  orig.  the 
ornamental  tail-pieces  and  borders 
with  Cupids  and  grotesque  figures 
interworked.] 

1605.  Sylvester,  Du  Bartas  (162 i), 
5.  We  gaze  but  on  the  babies  and  the 
cover,  The  gaudy  flowers  and  edges  painted 
over. 

161S.  Hales,  Gold.  Rem.  (1673),  11.  8. 
Provided  that,  in  the  Tables  and  Maps, 
there  were  no  pictures  and  babies. 

1655.  Fuller,  Hist.  Camb.  (1840), 
39.  More  pleased  with  babies  in  books 
than  children  are. 

3.  (old  colloquial).  —  The 
mmute  reflection  of  one  gazing 
into  another's  eye.  Hence  to 
look  babies  (or  A  boy)  in  the 
EYES  =  to  look  amorously;  to 
cast  sheep's-eyes  ^q.v.). 

d.  1586.  Sidney,  Astroph.  and  Stella. 
So  when  thou  saw'st  in  nature's  cabinet 
Stella  thou  straight  look'st  babies  in  hek 

EYES. 

1593.  Donne,  The  Ecstasy.  .And 
PICTURES  in  our  EYES  to  get  Was  all  our 
propogation. 

1593.  Tell-trothes  New  Year's  Gift, 
39.     That  BABIE  which  lodges  in  women's 

EIES. 

1594.  Drayton,  Idea,  2.  But  O, 
see,  see  we  need  enquire  no  further,  Upon 
your  lips  the  sc.irlet  drops  are  found.  And 
IN  YOUR  EYE  IHK  BOY  that  did  the  murder. 
Ibid.     See  where  little  Cupid  lies  Looking 

BABIES  IN    THE  EYES. 

l'i"!.  [Ki.Lis,  Specimen  Eng.  Ro- 
mances, 7].  In  each  of  her  two  crystal  eyes 
Sniiletli  A  NAKicD  BOY  ;  It  would  you  all 
in  heart  suffice  To  see  that  lamp  of  joy. 

1609.  Shaksi'Eare,  'J'imonof Athens, 
i.  2.  Joy  had  the  like  conception  IN  OUK 
EYES,  And,  at  that  instant,  like  A  daub 
sprung  up. 


Baby. 


^7 


Baby. 


e.  1613.  Fletcher,  IVomatt's  Prize, 
V.  I.  No  more  fool  To  look  gay  babies 
IN  YOUR  EYES,  youiig  Roland,  And  hang 
about  your  pretty  neck.  lòia.  (1618), 
Loyal  Subject.  Look  babies  in  youk 
EYES,  my  pretty  sweet  one. 

1Ó19.  PuRCHAS,  Microcos.,  90.  But 
wee  cannot  so  passe  the  centre  of  the  Eye, 
which  wee  call  Pupilla,  quasi  Puppa,  the 

BABIE  IN  THE  EYE,  the  Sight. 

1621.  Burton,  Anat.  Melan.,  III. 
II.  V.  5.  (1651),  576.  They  may  kiss  and 
coll,  lye  and  look  bauies  in  one  an- 
other's EYES  .  .  .  satiate  themselves  with 
love's  pleasures. 

d.  1635.  Randolph,  Poems,  124. 
When  I  LOOK  babies  in  thine  eyes, 
Here  Venus,  there  Adonis  lies. 

1636.  Heywood,  Love's  Mistress,  3. 
She  clung  about  his  neck,  gave  him  ten 
kisses,    Toy'd    with     his    locks,    looked 

BABIES  IN  HIS  EYES. 

1647-8.  Herrick,  Hesperides  {iZgf), 
i.  12.  You  blame  me  too,  because  I 
cann't  devise  Some  sport,  to  please  those 
babies  IN  your  eyes.  Ibid.  [Nares], 
138.  Or  those  babies  in  your  eyes,  In 
their  christall  nunneries. 

166S.  Lestrange,  Quevedo  (1778), 
57.  Be  sure  when  you  come  into  company 
that  you  do  not  stand  staring  the  men  in 
the  face  as  if  you  were  making  babies  in 
their  eyes. 

1672.  Marvell,  Reh.  Transp.,  1. 
66.  Only  to  speculate  his  own  Baby  in 
their  eyes. 

1682.  Behn,  City  Heiress,  iii.  i. 
Sigh'd,  and  lookt  Babies  in  his  gloat- 
ing Eyes. 

1821.  Shelley,  Promotheus  Un- 
bound. Think  ye  by  gazing  on  each 
other's  eyes  To  multiply  your  lovely 
selves. 

4.  (old). — A  doll  ;  a  puppet  ; 
a  child's  plaything  :  also  baby- 
clouts  =  a  rag-doll  :  see  Bar- 
tholomew-baby, 

1530.  Palsgrave,  Lang.  Franc., 
196/1.  Babe  that  children  play  with, 
porvppee. 

1552.  iiut,VET,  A ôecedarium.  Baby 
or  puppet  for  chyldren,  Pupa. 

1563.  Homilies,  Idolatry,  iii.  (1044), 
238.  Puppets  and  babies  for  old  fools  in 
dotage. 


1579.  Spenser,  Shep.  Cal.,  May, 
240.  Bearing  a  truss  of  trifles.  As  bells, 
and  babes,  and  glasses  in  hys  packe. 

1595.  Shakspeare,  K.  John,  iii.  iv. 
58.  1  should  forget  my  sonne  Or  madly 
think  a  babf  of  clowts  were  he.  Ibid. 
(1606),  Macbeth,  iii.  4.  106.  If  trembling 
I  inhabit  then,  protest  me  The  baby  of  a 
girl. 

1611.  Cotgrave,  Diet. ,%.\.  Muguet. 
A  curiously  dressed  babie  of  clowts. 

1613.  Beaumont  and  Fletcher, 
Captain,  i.  3.  And  now  you  cry  for't.  As 
children  do  for  babies,  back  again. 

d.  1631.  Drayton,  Poems,  243.  For 
bells  and  babyes,  such  as  children  small 
Are  ever  us'd  to  solace  them  withall. 

1631.  French  Schoole-Maister,  f.  98. 
Shall  we  buy  a  babie  or  two  for  our 
children  for  pastime  ? 

1640.  King  and  a  Poore  Northern 
Man.  What  gares  these  babies  and 
babies  all? 

1640.  Two  Lancashire  Lovers,  113. 
And  drawing  neare  the  bed  to  put  her 
daughters  armes,  and  higher  part  of  her 
body  too,  within  sheets,  perceiving  it  not 
to  be  her  daughter,  but  a  baby-clouts 
only  to  delude  her. 

1651.  Lilly,  Charles  I.  (1774),  219. 
Whose  father  sold  babies  and  such  pedlary 
ware  in  Cheapside. 

1700.  Congreve,  Way  0/  World,  v. 
5.  She  was  never  suffered  to  play  with  a 
male  child,  though  but  in  coats.  Nay,  her 
very  babies  were  of  the  feminine  gender. 

1712.  Steele,  Spectator,  500.  3. 
Little  girls  tutoring  their  Babies.  Ibid., 
478.  These  [boxes]  are  to  have  Folding 
Doors,  which  being  open'd  you  are  to  be- 
hold a  Baby  dress'd  out. 

1721.  Pope,  Letter  to  Blount,  3  Oct. 
Sober  over  her  Sampler,  or  gay  over  a 
jointed  Baby. 

Adj.  (colloquial).  —  Small  ; 
tiny  :  e.g.  a  BABY-glass,  baby- 
engine,  etc. 

1859.  Jephson,  Brittany,  vii.  88. 
Turrets  beside  which  the  leaning  tower  of 
Pisa  is  a  baby. 

1864.  Realm,  15  June,  5.  Ravines 
from  which  Jumnus,  Indus,  and  Ganges, 
yet  BABY-streams,  gush. 


Baby  Act. 


88 


Bacca-pipes. 


To  KISS  THE  BABY,  Verb.  phr. 
(American). — To  take  a  drink  ; 
TO  SMILE  {q.v.). 

Baby  Act,  subs. phr.  (colloquial). — 
The  legal  defence  of  '  infancy  '  : 
hence  to  plead  the  baby  act  = 
(i)  to  plead  minority  as  voiding  a 
contract  ;  and  (2)  to  excuse  one- 
self on  the  ground  of  inexperience. 

Baby-farmer,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  professional  adopter  of 
infants;  a  minder  {q.v.):  spec, 
in  an  evil  sense  :  frequently,  once 
the  money  is  paid,  the  children 
are  gradually  done  to  death. 
Whence  baby-farming. 

1884.  Christian  World,  lojuly,  513. 
3.  Babv-farming  was  vigorously  de- 
nounced. 

Baby-herder,  subs.  phr.  (Ameri- 
can). ^A  nurse. 

Babylon,  subs,  (colloquial). — 
Generic  for  luxury  and  magnifi- 
cence Hence  (i)  the  papal 
power  (formerly  identified  with 
the  mystical  Babylon  of  the 
Apocalypse)  ;  (2)  any  large  city  : 
spec.  London  (also  Modern 
Babylon).  Babylonian  =:(i)  a 
papist  ;  and  (2)  an  astrologer 
(Chaldea  was  the  ancient  seat  of 
the  craft)  ;  BABYLONISH  =  popish. 

1564.  Brief  Exam.,  iij.  We  dwell 
not  among  the  BABiLONiANsand  Chaldies. 

1590.  Barron  [Confer.,  i.  10].  The 
Antichristian  yoke  of  theis  Babilonish 
Bishopps. 

1634.  Rainbow,  Labour  (1635),  41. 
Thy  great  Babilons  which  thou  hast 
built. 

c.  1650.  Brathwavte,  Barnaiy'sjour. 
(1723),  61.  Whores  of  Babylon  me 
impailed,  And  me  their  Adonis  called. 

1654.  Gage  (Title).  A  clear  Vinili- 
ca.tion  of  the  .  .  .  Parochial  AI  inisters  of 
England,  from  the  .  .  .  injurious  nick- 
natile  ö/IJabvlünish. 


1663.  Butler,  Hud.,  i.  i.  93.  A 
Babylonish  Dialect,  Which  learned 
Pedents  much  affect. 

1677.  Gilpin,  Z'ö';«o«ö/.  (1S67),  192. 
For  from  good  bishops  .  .  .  they  are 
become  incurable  Babylonians. 

1795.  Southey,  Letters  from  Spain 
('799)1  76.  Here  the  Babylonian 
[  =  Romish  Church]  walks  the  street  in  full 
dress  scarlet. 

1816.  Gilchrist,  Philos.  Etym.,  128. 
This  is  the  kind  of  Babylonish  lexico- 
graphy of  Johnson's  Dictionary,  which 
gives  tiventy-four  vieanings,  or  shadows 
of  meaning  to  the  v/orà  from. 

1823.  Byron,  Juan,  xi.  xxiii.  The 
approach  ...  to  mighty  Babylon 
[London]. 

Babylonitish,  subs.  (Winchester 
College). — A  dressing  gown. 
[That  is  Babylonitish  garment.  ] 

Baby- MAKER,  subs.  phr.  (venery). 
— The  penis  :  see  Prick. 

Baby's- PAP,  subs,  phr,  (rhyming). 
— A  cap. 

Baby  Wee-wees,  subs.  phr. 
(Stock  Exchange). — BuenosAyres 
Water  Works  shares. 

1B71.  Atkins,  House  Scraps.  Oh  ! 
supposing  our  Cream-jugs  were  broken. 
Or  Beetles  were  souring  the  Babies. 

Bacca,  subs,  (colloquial).  —  To- 
bacco. Fr.  perlai  (from  perle). 
Also  Bacco,  Baccy,  Backer, 
and  Backey. 

1833.  Markyat,  Peter  Siin/ilc,  ii. 
You  must  lam  to  chaw  baccy. 

i860.  All  Ì 'ear  Round,  $■;.  i6t.  His 
wife  has  found  his  BACCO-box. 

1 86 1.  Conway,  Forays,  228.  I  lay 
on  an  Affghan  goat-ruç  .  .  .  with  a  pipe 
filled  with  good  baccy  in  my  mouth. 

i86j.     H.  Kingsley,  Austin  Elliot, 

xxi.      Bits  of  BACKER  pipe. 

Bacca-pipes,  subs. phr.  (common). 
—Whiskers  curled  in  ringlets  : 
obsolete.     See  Mutton-chops. 


Baccare. 


89 


Bachelor^  s -fave. 


Baccare  (or  Barrare),  intj.  (Old 
Cant).— Go  back  !  give  place  ! 
Away  ! 

[1473.      MARK\VORTH,CÄ;'ö«/£r/t',  1461- 

74  (Camden),  22.  And  aflyre  ...  it 
aroose    north-est,   and    so    bakkere   and 

BAKKERE.] 

1553'  Udal,       Roister      Doister 

[DODSLEY,  Old  Plays  (Hazlitt),  iii.  65. 
Ah,  sir  !  Backare,  quod  Mortimer  to  his 
sow. 

d.  1565.  Heywood,  Epi^ains.  Shall 
I  consume  myself,  to  restore  him  now  ; 
Nay  Backare,  quoth  Mortimer  to  his 
sow.  Ibid.^  Epigrams.  Backare,  quoth 
Mortimer  to  his  sow,  see  Mortimer's  sow 
speaketh  as  good  Latyn  as  hee._  Ibid. 
Backare,  quoth  Mortimer  to  his  sow  : 
Went  that  sow  backe  at  that  bidding,  trow 
you? 

1577.  Golden  Aphroditus  [Hali.i- 
well].  Both  trumpe  and  drummesounded 
nothing  for  their  larum  but  Baccare, 
Baccare. 

1592.  LvLY,  Midas,  V.  2.  The 
masculine  gender  is  more  worthy  than  the 
feminine.     Therefore,  Licio,  backare. 

1593.  Shakspeare,  Taming  0/  the 
Shrew,  ii.  i.  Saving  your  tale,  Petruchio, 
I  pray  Let  us,  that  are  poor  petitioners, 
speak  too  ;  Baccare  !  you  are  marvellous 
forward. 

1660.     HowELi,,  Eng.  Proverbs,  s.v. 

1822.  Nares,        Glossary,        s.v. 

Baccare  .  .  .  Used  in  allusion  to  a 
proverbial  saying,  '  Backare,  quoth 
Mortimer  to  his  sow  '  ;  probably  made  in 
ridicule  of  some  man  who  affected  a  know- 
ledge of  Latin  without  having  it,  and  who 
produced  his  Latinized  English  words  on 
the  most  trivial  occasions. 

Bacchus,  subs,  (old).  — i.  Wine; 
intoxicating  liquor.  Whence 
SON  OF  Bacchus  =  a  tippler  :  sec 
LUSHINGTON  ;  and  Bacchi pletius 
=  drunk:  see  Screwed.  [In- 
numerable derivatives  and  com- 
binations have  been  and  are  still 
in  more  or  less  regular  and 
literary  use.] 

c.  1496.  Dunbar,  Gold.  Terge,  124. 
Bacus,  the  gladder  of  the  table. 

c.  1640.  Waller,  Bait.  Summer 
I  si.,  17.  The  sweet  palmettoes  a  new 
Bacchus  yield. 


1747.  Scheme  Equip.  Men  of  War, 
36.  The  more  corpulent  Sons  OF  Bacchus 
.  .  .  might  have  Easy-Chairs. 

1823.  Byron,  Island,  ii.  xi.  The 
palm  .  .  .  Within  whose  bosom  infant 
Bacchus  broods. 

2.  (Eton  College). — See  quot. 

1865.  Etoniana,  27.  On  Shrove 
Tuesday  verses  were  written  {c.  1561)  in 
honour  or  dispraise  of  Bacchus — '  because 
poets  were  considered  the  clients  of 
Bacchus.'  .  .  .  This  custom  was  continued 
almost  into  modern  days,  and  though  the 
subject  was  changed,  the  copy  of  verses 
was  still  called  a  Bacchus. 

Bach    (or  Batch),   verb.  (Ameri- 
can).— To  live  as  a  bachelor. 


Bachelor.      Then    the    town 

BULL    IS  A  BACHELOR,  phr.  (old). 

— The  retort  incredulous  on  a 
woman's  chastity  (Ray). 

Bachelor's  Baby,  subs.  phr. 
(old). — A  bastard  :  see  Bye-BLOW 
and  Bachelor's-wife. 

1672.  Ray,  Proverbs,  '  Joculatory 
Proverbs.'  The  SON  OF  A  bachelor  ;  i.e. 
a  bastard. 

1899.  Whiteing,  John  St.,  x. 
Never  'ad  no  father  to  speak  of.  Kind  o' 
bachelor's  bibv,  you  know. 

Bachelor's       Buttons.         To 

WEAR   bachelor's   BUTTONS, 

verb.  phr.  (old). — To  be  a 
bachelor.  [Grey,  Notes  on 
Shakspeare,  i.  107  :  'Country 
fellows  carried  the  flowers  of  this 
plant  in  their  pockets,  to  know 
whether  they  should  succeed  with 
their  sweethearts,  and  they 
judged  of  their  good  or  bad 
success  by  their  growing  or  not 
growing  there.' 


Bachelor's-fare,      subs. 
(common).     See  quot. 


phr. 


Bachelor^  s -wife. 


go 


Back. 


1738.  Swift,  Polite  Conversation,  i. 
Some  ladies  of  your  acquaintance  have 
promised  to  breakfast  with  you  .  .  .  what 
will  you  give  us  ?  Col.  Why,  faith, 
madam,  bachelor's-fare,  bread  and 
cheese  and  kisses. 

Bachelor'S-WIFE,  subs.  phr. 
(common). — -i.  An  ideal  wife  ; 
and  2.  (venery)  =  a  harlot  :  whence 
BACHELOR's-BABY  =  a  bastard. 

1562.  Heywood,  Prov.  and  Epi- 
grams (1867),  61.  7.  Bachelers  wiues, 
and  maides  children  be  well  tought. 

1726.  Vanbrugh,  Provoked  Hus- 
band, i.  I.  Ay!  ay!  dachelors'  wives, 
indeed,  are  finely  governed. 

1854.  Miller,  Schools  and  School- 
masters, 503.  The  'bachelor's  wife' 
.  .  .  occupies  a  large  place  in  our  litera- 
ture, as  the  mistress  of  all  the  poets  who 
ever  wrote  on  love  without  actually 
experiencing  it. 

Back,  verb,  (colloquial). — i.  To 
espouse,  advocate,  or  support  a 
matter,  by  money,  influence, 
authority,  etc.  :  usually  TO  BACK 
UP.  Hence  (2),  in  racing  =  to 
wager,  or  bet  in  support  of  one's 
opinion,  judgment,  or  fancy  ;  to 
BACK  THE  FIELD  =  to  bet  against 
all  horses  save  one,  usually  '  the 
favourite  '  ;  backed  =  betted  on  ; 
BACKER  =  (i)  a  supporter,  a 
BACK-FRIEND  {q.v.),  and  (2)  a 
layer  of  odds:  cf.  BOOKIE  ;  BACK- 
ING =  support. 

1548.  Patten,  E.ip.  to  Scotland 
[Arber,  Garner,  iii.  98].  A  troup  of 
Demi-lances  to  back  them. 

1583.  Barrington,  Cotnmand»t., 
380.  A  BACKER  to  beare  out  my  foule 
expressions. 

1589.  Pappe  with  Hatchet  (1844),  15. 
Art  thou  so  BACKT  that  none  dare  blade  it 
with  thee. 

d.  1592.  Greene,  Ort.  Fur.  (1599),  30. 
He  BACKT  the  Prince  of  Cuba  for  my 
foe. 

159Q.  Nashe,  Lenten  Stuffe  (1S77), 
77.       I'aithful    confederates    and    back- 

FRIENUS. 


c.  1605.  Rowley  ['?],  Birth  Merlin,  iv. 
2.  340.  The  Saxons  which  thou  brought'st 
To  BACK  thy  usurpations. 

1612.  Taylor,  Comm.,  Titus,  i.  9. 
Which  godly  course  Augustine  backeth. 

1684.  BuNYAN,  Pilg.,  ii.  70.  One, 
that  .  .  .  had  taken  upon  him  to  BACK 
the  Lions. 

1692.  Ray,  Dissol.  World,  Pref. 
Well-BACKED  by  Divine  Authority. 

1697.  Dryden,  Virgil's  Eclogues, 
iii.  44.  Now  BACK  your  Singing  with  an 
equal  Stake. 

1699.  LuTTRELL,  Brief  Rei.  State 
Affairs,  IV.  503.  "The  lord  Wharton's 
horse  Careless  has  beaten  another  backt 
by  the  duke  of  Devon,  etc.,  for  £,1(^x1. 

1722.  De  Foe,  Moll  Flanders  (1840), 
313.  He  BACKED  his  discourses  with 
proper  quotations  of  scripture. 

1774.      Bridges,   Burlesque  Homer, 

I.  'Argument.'      Apollo  .  .  .  did  not  fail 
To  BACK  his  parson  tooth  and  nail. 

1817.  Byron,  Beppo,  xxvii.  Most 
men  (till  by  losing  render'd  sager)  Will 
BACK  their  own  opinions  with  a  wager. 

1818.  Scott,  Rob  Roy,  viii.  A 
quarter  whence  assuredly  he  expected  no 
HACKING.  Ibid.  (1823),  Quentin  Dur- 
■ward,  vi.  I  had  in  case  of  the  worst  a 
stout  BACK-FRIEND  in  this  uncle  of  mine. 

1835.  Marryat,  Jacob  Faithful, 
xxiii.  80.  Some  one  backed  me  against 
another  man  in  the  ring  for  fifty  pounds 
a-side. 

1838.  Dickens,  Nich.  Nickleby,  i.  1. 
Likened  to  two  principals  in  a  sparring 
match  who  when  fortune  is  low  and 
BACKERS  scarce. 

1850.  Lytton,  My  Novel,  ix.  ix. 
'  Take  any  odds  against  him  that  his 
BACKERS  may  give,'  said  L'Estrange. 

1853.  Rogers,  Eel.  Faith,  76. 
Authoritative  teaching  .  .  .  backed  by 
the  performance  of  miracles? 

1865.  Arnold,  £jj.  Cr/V.,  i.  32.  Let 
us  all  stick  to  each  other  and  back  each 
other  up. 

i868.     Freeman,  Norm.  Conq.  (1876), 

II.  X.     Demands  which  had  been  backed 
by  an  armed  force. 

1879.  Froude,  Ctrsar,  xxi.  He  pro- 
longed Ca;sar's  command,  and  hacked 
him  ur  in  everything. 


Back. 


91 


Back. 


1880.  Jeffries,  Hodge,  i.  79.  The 
old  uncle  who  had  '  backed  '  him  at  the 
bank. 

1880.  Times,  II  Dec,  g.  It  is  pro- 
moted by  what  appears  to  be  a  solid  back- 
ing of  landowners. 

1883.  Benson  [Standard,  28  June, 
2.  3.  Varied  appeals  to  strengthen  and 
'  BACK  UP  '  their  own  long-continued  efforts. 

3.  (venery).  — To  copulate  : 
properly    of    animals.     Also    to 

LIE  ON  one's  back,  TO  MAKE 
THE    BEAST     WITH    TWO     BACKS 

{see  Beast),  to  have  (or  do)  a 

BACK-FALL  (or  BACK-SCUTTLE), 
TO  go  star-gazing  (or  STUDYING 

astronomy)  ON  one's  back,  etc. 
Also  to  earn  money  on  one's 
BACK  =  to  play  the  whore.  See 
Backward. 

161 1.  Chapman,  May-Day,  iii.  3. 
Now  hath  my  soul  a  thousand  fancies  in 
an  instant,  as  what  wench  dreams  not  on 
when  she  lies  on  her  back. 

1658.  Rowland,  Mouffcfs  Tlicat. 
Ins.,  927.     When  as  the  female  or  she  Asse 

would  be  BACKT. 

1705-7.  Ward,  Hudib.  Rcdiv.,  11. 
iii.  6. 

4.  (colloquial). — To  endorse  ; 
to  countersign  :  e.g.  TO  BACK  a 
cheque  ;  also  to  BACK  A  BILL  = 
to  become  responsible  for  pay- 
ment :  cf.  'to  foot  '  an  account. 
Backed  =  endorsed,  'accepted.' 
Formerly  to  '  direct  '  or  address  a 
letter  :  prior  to  the  general  use 
of  envelopes,  the  address  was 
written  on  the  back  of  the  folded 
sheet. 

1768.  Blackstone,  Comm.,  iv.  238. 
The  warrant  of  a  justice  of  the  peace  in 
one  county  .  .  .  must  be  backed,  that  is, 
signed  by  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  another 
.  .  .  before  it  can  be  executed  there. 

1874.  Siliad,  156.  And  brought  the 
prestige  of  a  lordly  name  To  back  a  bill. 

To  BE  BACKED,  verb.  phr. 
(old). — To  be  dead  :  see  quot. 


c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
Backt  .  .  .  '  he  longs  to  have  his  Father 
upon  six  Mens  shoulders'  [Grose  (1785), 
Ibid.  :  '  that  is  carrying  to  his  grave  ']. 

Phrases  and  Colloquial- 
isms: To  GIVE  ONE  THE  back  = 
to  ignore  ;  BEHIND  one's  back 
=  out  of  sight,  hearing,  or  know- 
ledge ;  TO  GIVE  back  =  to  turn 
tail  ;    TO   TURN  one's  (or  the) 

back     ON  =  (l)      to      go,      (2)      to 

abandon,  and  (3) to  snub  ;  BACK 

AND  SIDE  (back  AND  BELLY,  OF 
BACK  AND  EDGE)  =  all  Over, 
completely,     through    thick    and 

thin  :    TO    TAKE    THE    BACK    ON 

ONESELF  =  to  run  away;  with 
BACK  TO  THE  WALL  =  hard- 
pressed,  struggling  against  odds  ; 

TO  have  by  THE  BACK  =  to  Seize, 

to  lay  hold  of  ;  to  break  the 
BACK  =  (i;  to  overburden,  (2)  to 
all  but  finish  (a  task),  and  (3)  to 
exhaust  one's  partner  in  the  act 
of  kind  ;  TO  ride  on  one's 
BACK  =  to  deceive;  to  get  the 
BACK  OF  =  (i)  to  take  in  the  rear, 
and  (2)  to  have  at  an  advantage  ; 

ON     one's     BACK  =  (l)    FLOORED 

{q.v.),  (2)  at  the  end  of  one's 
resources,  (3)  sick  or  indisposed, 
and  (4)  spread  {q.v.)  ;  TO  HAVE 

(put,    get,    or   set)    one's   BACK 

UP  =  (i)  to  resist,  torouse,  and  (2) 
to  get  (or  be)  angry  (B.  E.  and 
Grose)  :  whence,  '  don't  get 
YOUR  BACK  UP  !=' Keep  calm  !' 
or  'Your  back's  UP  =  a  jeer  at 
an  angry  hunchbacked  man  '  ;  TO 
BACK  OUT  =  to  retire  cautiously, 
to   escape    from   a    dilemma  ;  TO 

GIVE   (or    make)  A    BACK  =  (l)    tO 

lend  a  hand,  and  (2)  to  bend  the 
body,  as  at  leap-frog  ;  TO  BACK 
DOWN  =  (l)  to  yield  or  retire  from 
a  matter,  and  (2)  to  eat  one's 
words  :  hence  a  back-down 
(or  SQUARE  back-down)  =  (i) 
utter  collapse,  and  (2)  a  severe 
rebuff  ;  TO  BE  ON  A  MAN's   back 


Back. 


92 


Back. 


=  to  chide,   to  be  severe  upon  ; 

TO  SEE  THE  BACK  OF  =  to  get    rid 

of.  Also  '  His  BACK  is  broad 
enough  to  bear  jests'  (Ray); 
'  What  is  got  over  the  devil's 
BACK  is  spent  under  his  belly  {see 
quot.  1694). 

c.  1300.  Cursor  Mundi,  2499.  fe 
fiue  GAUE  BAK  to  wine  away.  Ibid.,  4390. 
He  drou,  sco  held,  JJe  tassel  brak,  JJe 
mantel  left,  he  gafe  )3e  bak. 

c.  1380.  WvcLiF,  Works  (1880),  281. 
Jjou  puttest  J»!  self  behinde  \\  bake. 

c.  1400.  Dest.  Troy,  xxiii,  9474.  JJai 
were  boun  to  gvffe  bake,  &  the  bent 
leue.  Ibid.,  iv.  1348.  The  Troiens  .  .  . 
TURNYT  \k  bake,  ffleddon  in  fere. 

c.  1400.  Rofn.  Rose,  7318.  Til  he  be 
slayne,  back  and  side. 

c.  1485.  Digby  MS.  (1882),  i.  340. 
I  shuld  bete  you  bak  and  side. 

c.  1500.  Lancelot,  1488.  It  haith  gart 
o  thousand  tak  At  onys  apone  them- 
self  the  bak. 

1533.  Bellendene,  Livy,  i.  50. 
Dredand  ...  to  be  inclusit  on  every  side 
.  .  .  they  GAiF  bakkis. 

1535.  Stewart,  Ckron.  Scot.,  11. 
73.  That  we  may  haif  thair  bakis  at 
THE  WALL,  Without  defend  that  ar  oure 
commoun  fa. 

c.  1555.  Ridley,  IVorks,  67.  Else 
thou  must  be  had  by  the  back. 

1591.  Shakspeare,  Two  Gent.,  v. 
4.  126.  Thurio  GIUE  BACKE,  Or  else 
embrace  thy  death.  Ibid.  (1592),  Romeo 
and  Jul.,  iv.  i.  28.  It  will  be  of  more 
price,  Being  spoke  behind  yoi;r  backe, 
then  to  your  face.  Ibid.  (1597),  2  Hen. 
IV.,  \.  I.  130.  The  shame  Of  those  that 
turn'd  their  hacks.  Ibid.  (1605), 
Lear,  i.  i.  178.  To  turne  thy  hated 
backe  Upon  our  kingdome.  Ibid.  (1613), 
Hen.  VIII.,  i.  I.  84.  Many  Haue  broke 
their  backes  with  laying  Mannors  on 
'em  For  this  great  Journey. 

1597.  MoRLEV,  Introd.  Mus.,  146. 
The  brother  I  haue  you  bv  the  backe. 

1610.  Wizard  [Nares].  Thy  father 
made  an  asse  off,  wilt  thou  goe?  And  I  in 
triumph  riding  on  his  back. 

1611.  Bible,  I  Sam.  x.  9.  When  he 
had  turned  his  backe  togo  from  Samuel. 


c.  1624.  Smyth,  Ser»r.  (1632),  24. 
They  gaue  him  the  back,  and  became 
apostates. 

1641.  Hotham  in  Long  Pari. 
[Southey,  Commonplace  Book,  11.  (1849), 
T47].  I\Ir  Speaker  ;  fall  back,  fall 
edge  I  will  go  down  and  perform  your 
commands. 

1653.  Holcroft,  Procopius.  John 
.  .  .  compassed  the  Trachea,  so  that  he 
GOT  the  Backes  of  the  Enemy. 

c.  1655.  Gurnall,  Christian  in  Compi. 
Arili.,  V.  343.  I.  They  never  look  up  to 
heaven,    till    God   lays   them    on    their 

BACK. 

1659.  Lady  Alimo?iy,\u.  They  have 
engaged  themselves  ours,  b.\ck  and  edge. 

1661.  DaV'Enport,  City  Night-cap, 
v.      Catch'd    at   thy  word,    thou    Giv'sT 

BACK. 

c.  1680.  Beveridge,  Senn.  (1729),  i. 
99.  If  you  turn  your  backs  and  refuse 
to  .  .   .  hearken. 

1682.  BuNYAN,  Holy  War,  236. 
Emmanuel,  their  Prince,  has  given  them 

the  BACK. 

1694.  Motteux,  Rabelais,  v.  xi. 
What  is  got  over  the  devil's  back  is 

SPENT    UNDER    HIS    BELLY  ;    Or    the  gOods 

which  they  unjustly  get,  perish  with  their 
prodigal  heirs. 

c.  1709.  Ward,  Terripfilius,  i.  21. 
.She  never  gets  a  man  upon  the  Hug,  but 
she  always  breaks  his  Back  before  she 
has  done  with  him. 

1710.  Dame  Huddle's  Letter.  That 
word  set  my  back  up. 

1711.  Addison,  Spectator,  12.  2. 
The  Mistress  .  .  .  scolds  at  the  Servants 
as  heartily  before  my  Face  as  behind  mv 
Back.  Ibid.,  108.  4.  Sir  Roger's  back 
was  no  sooner  turned  but  honest  Will 
began. 

1 7 16.  Behn,  Dutch  Lover,  ii.  3. 
I'll  have  no  more  to  do  with  you  back  nor 
edge. 

1730.  Vanbrugh  and  Gibber, 
Provoked  Husband,  v.  i.  O  Lud  !  now 
her  back  will  be  up  then  when  she 
meets  me. 

1771.  Smollett,  Humphty  Clinker, 
66.  My  uncle's  back  was  up  in  a 
moment  ;  and  he  desired  him  to  explain 
his  pretensions. 


Back. 


93 


Back-and-belly. 


1774.  Bridges,  Homer  Burlesque, 
45.  And  when  you've  fairly  got  his  back 
UP,  You're  always  forc'd  your  deeds  to 
pack  up. 

1777.  Sheridan,  Sclioolfor  Scandal, 
i.  I.  I  cannot  bear  to  hear  people 
attacked  behind  their  backs. 

1783.  AiNswoRTH,  Lat.  Diet.,  s.v. 
Back.     To  give  back,  Pedem  referre. 

1817.  Scott,  Rob  Roy,  viii.  Jobson 
was  determined  that  Morris  should  not 
BACK  OUT  ...  so  easily. 

1830.  Marryat,  King's  Oiun,  xxi. 
'  Sure  your  honour's  in  luck  '  .  .  .  replied 
Barney,  grinning,  and  backing  out  of  the 
room. 

1836.  Dickens,  Pickwick,  vii.  57. 
Stooping  ...  as  if  he  were  '  making  a 
BACK  '  for  some  beginner  at  leap-frog. 

1841.  Cati.in,  N.  Amer.  Indians, 
II.  xlv.  Sick  and  very  feeble,  having  been 
for  several  weeks  upon  my  back. 

1845.  Disraeli,  Sybil  (1863),  14. 
But  the  other  great  Whig  families  .  .  . 
set  up  their  backs  against  this  claim  of 
the  Egremonts. 

1848.  Thackeray,  Vanity  Fair,  iii. 
The  Major  was  giving  a  back  to  Georgy. 

1848.  Lowell,  Big-low  Paßers,  124. 
'Twould  save  some  whole  cart-loads  of 
fuss,  an'  three  or  four  months  o'  jaw.  If 
some  illustrious  patriot  should  back  out 
and  withdraw. 

1848.  Bedinger,  Speech  in  H.  0/ 
Rep.,  25  Jan.  Would  gentlemen  be  willing 
to  back  out,  and  forsake  our  rights  ?  No, 
no.  No  turning  back.  This  great  country 
must  go  ahead. 

1854.  Miller,  Schools  and  School- 
masters,  536.     I  ill  liked  to  see  him  with 

his  BACK  to  the  wall. 

1855.  Troi.lope,  W^«rÄ«,  xii.  How 
was  he  to  back  out  [when]  his  name  was 
already  so  publicly  concerned. 

1855.  Thackeray,  Nemcomes,  xvi. 
'  I  know  she  is  flighty,  and  that  ;  and 
Brian's  back  is  up  a  little.' 

1863.  Clarke,  Shakspear.  Char.,  ix. 
226.  Octavius  BACKS  OUT  ;  his  caution 
and  reserve  come  to  his  rescue. 

1864.  Sunday  Mag.,  i.  79.  He  goes 
his  own  way  .  .  .  if  you  put  his  back  up. 

1866.  Macdonald,  Annals  Quiet 
Neigh.,  XXX.  I  never  turned  my  back 
ON  my  leader  yet. 


c.  1870.  Spofford  [Casquet  Lit.  (1877), 
IV.  9.  i].  The  cat  used  to  put  up  her 
BACK  at  the  three. 

1870.  Oliphant,  Piccadilly,  iv.  152. 
He  had  done  his  best  to  spread  the  report 
of  my  marriage  with  his  sister  for  fear  of 
my  backing  OUT. 

1874.  Mahaffv,  Greece,  iii.  They 
will  censure  her  behind  backs. 

1880.  St  James's  Gaz.,  11  Oct.  Un- 
less the  Government  back  down  from 
their  preparations  at  this  point. 

1S83.  Statist,  21  July.  While  they 
were  maturing  their  scheme,  the  Govern- 
ment went  BEHIND  their  backs  and  con- 
cluded an  agreement. 

1883.  Greenwood,  Odd  People,  2. 
'  Don't  say  it  to  me.  It  sets  my  back  up, 
and  when  my  back's  set  up  I'm  sometimes 
orkard.  ' 

1884.  Harper's  Mag.,  June,  66.  2. 
Be  firm,  don't  back  down. 

To  BACK  UP,  ve?-b.  phr. 
(Winchester). — To  call  out  :  e.g. 
'Why  didn't  you  BACK  UP?  I 
would  have  come  and  helped  you.' 
In  College,  times  are  BACKED  UP 
by  Junior  in  Chambers  :  such  as 
'Three  quarters,'  'Hour,'  'Bells 
go  single,'  '  Bells  down.' 

See  Beyond, 

Back-and-belly,  adv.  phr.  (old). 
— All     over  ;     completely  :     also 

BACK-AND-BED     and      cf.      BACK- 

AND-EDGE  {sîipra,  S.V.  Back, 
phrases).  Hence  TO  keep  one 
back  and  belly  =  to  provide 
everything,  to    feed    and   clothe  ; 

TO    BEAT    ONE    BACK-AND-BELLY 

=  to  thrash  thoroughly  ;  to  give 
BACK-AND-BELLY  (venery)  =  to 
work  both  ends  :  said  of  a  DOUBLE- 
BARRELLED  {c/.v.)  harlot. 

[<r.  1300.  Cursor  Mundi, '^-iTp.  Clathing 
bath  for  bac  and  bedd.] 

[c.  1375.  \ViCLiF,  Serm.  {Works  (1869), 
I.   298.     Clo})ing  boj)  for  her  bedde  and 

BAK.J 


Backare. 


94 


Backdoor. 


1549.  Latimer,  Sermons  before  Ed. 
VI.  [Arber],  51.  Borrow  of  thy  two  next 
neighbours,  that  is  to  say,  of  thy  backe 

AND  THI  BELLY. 

1603.  %\iKV.SYE.!^YCE.,Meas./orMeas., 
iü.  2.  23.  What  'tis  to  cram  a  maw,  or 
cloath  a  backe. 

1862.  Trollope,  Orley  Farm,  i.  83 
(Hoppe).  It  is  from  the  backs  and 
BELLIES  of  other  people  that  savings  are 
made  with  the  greatest  constancy. 

Backare.     See  Baccare. 

Backbiter,  subs.  (Grose).  —  i. 
'  One  who  slanders  another  be- 
hind his  BACK,  i.e.  in  his  absence.' 
Also  (2)  '  His  bosom  friends  are 
become  his  back-biters,  said  of 
a  lousy  man.  ' 

Back-breaker,  subs.  phr.  (collo- 
quial).—  I.  A  hard  taskmaster: 
in  quot.  =  the  foreman  of  a  gang 
of  farm  labourers  ;  and  (2)  any 
task  that  requires  excessive  exer- 
tion. Hence  back-breaking 
{adj.)  =  arduous  :  also  see 
Phrases,  s.v.  Back. 

1867.  People's  Mag.,  May,  314.  2. 
He  selects  one  of  his  gang  as  back- 
breaker. 

Back-cap,  verb.  phr.  (American). 
— To  depreciate  ;  to  disparage  : 
also  TO  give  a  back-cap. 

1883.  Clemens,  Life  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, 462.  I  didn't  fear  no  one  giving 
ME  A  back-cap  and  running  me  off  the 
job. 

Back-cheat,  subs.  phr.  (Old 
Cant).— A  cloak  ;  a  wrap-rascal 
{q.v.). 

Backdoor,  subs,  (venery).  —  The 
fundament.      Hence   backdoor- 

TKUMPET  =  ARS        MUSICA       {see 

Arse)  ;  backdoor  -  trot  = 
diarrhœa  ;  backdoor-work  (or 
backgammon)  =  sodomy  ;  BACK- 


DOOR'S  -   MAN        (BACKGAMMON 
PLAYER,      BACKGAMMONER 

[Bee],   or  gentleman  of  the 
backdoor)  =  a  sodomist. 

1694.  MoTTEUx,  Rabelais,  iv.  xliv. 
Joan's  BACK-DOOR  was  filthily  puffing  and 
roaring  :  So,  for  spite  he  bepiss'd  her. 

1774.  Bridges,  Burlesque  Homer, 
59.  And  Jove,  for  fear  they  should  not 
all  attend  .  .  .  Bid  Fame  .  .  .  sound 
both  her  fore  and  back-door  trumpet. 

Adj.  (old  colloquial). — Clan- 
destine ;  speciously  secret  :  also 
backstairs:  e.g.  backdoor 
counsellor,  backstairs  in- 
fluence (or  work  I,  etc.;  orig. 
and  spec,  of  underhand  intrigue  at 
Court,  i.e.  when  the  Sovereign  is 
approached  secretly  by  the  pri- 
vate stairs  of  a  palace  instead  of 
by  the  State  entrance. 

[1611.     Shakspeare,  Cymbcline,  v.  3. 

45.  Hauing  found  the  backe  doore  open 
Of  the  vnguarded  hearts.] 

1618-21.  HoRE,  Hist.  Neivmarket, 
i.    203.      [A    courtier]    plies    the   backe- 

STAIRES. 

1641.  Dering,  Sp.  on  Relig.,  xi.  40. 
I  hope  we  are  not  going  up  the  back- 
stairs to  Socinianisme. 

1697.  Vanbrugh,  Relapse,  11.  i. 
Like  a  baCKSTAIR  minister  at  Court,  who, 
while  favourites  are  sauntering  in  the  bed- 
chamber, is  ruling  in  the  closet. 

1700.  Law,  Prop,  for  Counc.  Trade 
in  Scoti.  (1751),  276.  Their  back  door  to 
let  in  mischief. 

176S.  Goldsmith,      Goodnatured 

Man,  ii.  Is  he  not  a  backstairs  favour- 
ite— one  that  can  do  what  he  pleases  with 
those  that  do  what  they  please. 

1770.  Burke,  Pres.  Disc.  [IVorks 
(1842),  I.  131].  A  backstairs  influence 
and  clandestine  government. 

1805.    Jefferson,    IVrit.  (1830),  iv. 

46.  Our  back-door  counsellors. 

1809.  Mai.kin,  Cil  Blas  [Rout- 
ledge],  291.  You  are  no  novice  in  back- 
stairs influence. 


Back-end. 


95 


Back-friend. 


1877.  Grenville  Murray,  Round 
aiout  France,  77.  These  men  are  the 
most  indefatigable  retailers  of  backstairs 
small  talk. 

1882.  Stephen,  Stvi/t,  no.  The 
BACK-STAIRS  PLOTS  by  which  the  adminis- 
tration of  his  friends  was  hampered. 

1888.  Truth,  26  Ap.  There  is  no 
rule  of  the  service  so  strict  that  it  will  not 
yield  to  backstairs,  or  other  influence. 

1901.  Referee,  7  Ap.,i.  i.  The  Paul 
Prys  of  the  Press — who  used  to  be  in  the 
BACK-STAIRS  LINE,  .  .  .  now  are  generally 
recruited  from  the  carriage  company. 

Back-end,  subs.  phr.  (racing). — 
The  last  two  months  of  the 
racing  season,  commencing  with 
October  :  also  as  adj.  [Properly 
(Scots)  =  the  latter  part  of 
autumn.]  Hence  back-ender  = 
a  horse  entered  for  a  race  late  in 
the  season. 

1S20.  Biackw.  Mag.,  Oct.,  3. 
When  you  did  me  the  honour  to  stop  a 
day  or  two  at  last  back-end. 

1883.  Hawley  Smart,  Hard  Lines, 
xxix.  '  Most  of  what  I  got  over  that 
.steeplechase  I  dropped  at  the  back-end 
over  the  October  handicaps.' 

1883.  D.  Telegraph,  30  April,  3.  6. 
And  neither  [horse]  could  beat  Palermo  on 
BACK-END  form. 

c.  18S9.  Sporting  Times  [S.  J.  &  C.]. 
Lord  Bradford's  horse  evidently  likes  the 
Doncaster  course,  and  he  is  undoubtedly  a 

BACK-ENDER. 

Backfall,  subs.  phr.  (wrestlers'). 
—  1.  A  trip  or  fall  on  the  back, 
as  also  BACKHEEL  and  BACK- 
LOCK.      Also  as  verb. 

1713.  Vkv-KVns,  lH}i-J'iay{iT2f),  53. 
Stand  with  that  Toe  out  and  Leg  bent, 
over  which  he  intends  to  take  the  Buttock 
or  Back-lock. 

1838-9.  Hood's  Own,  ■^.  No  wrestler 
.  .  .  ever  received  half  so  many  back- 
falls as  L 

1852.  Dickens,  Bleak  House,  xxv. 
He  will  throw  him  an  argumentative 
back-fall  presently. 


i83i.  Sportsman's  Year  Book,  314. 
Cowan  scored  with  a  very  neat  uack- 
heel. 

1883.  Standard,  24  Mar.,  3.  7. 
J.   Hodgson  back-heeled  J.  Wilson. 

2.  (venery). — The  act  of  kind  : 
of  women  only  :  see  Greens  and 
Ride. 

Back- FRI  END,  sîibs.  phr.{commox\). 
—  I.  A  secret-enemy  ;  one  who 
holds  back  in  time  of  need.  Also 
(2)  =  an  ally  [see  Back,  verb.  2). 

1472.  Paston,  Letters,  in.  40.  I 
harde  somewhat    by  hym    ofi"   a    bakke 

FFRENDE  of  yOWr. 

1574.  Newton,  Health  Mag.,  75. 
Corrupte  and  unpure  Ayre  is  unto  all  age 
a  greate  backefriende  and  enimie. 

1598.  Florio,  Worldeo/lVordes,  s.w. 
Inimico  and  Nemico. 

1593.  Shakspeare,  Comedy  of 
Errors,  iv.  2.  36.  A  wolf,  nay,  worse,  a 
fellow  all  in  buff;  A  hack-friend,  a 
shoulder-clapper. 

1606.  Sir  G.  Goosecap  {Old  Plays 
(1884),  iii.  25].  I  will  preferre  thee  back- 
wards (as  many  friends  do)  and  leave 
their  friends  worse  than  they  found  them. 

161 1.  Speede,  Hist.  Gt.  Britain, 
IX.  XV.  772.  Westmorland  thought  it 
safest  to  checke  the  Scots  as  the  nearer 
and  continuali  backfriends. 

1622.  Massinger,  Virgin  Martyr, 
ii.  I.  Let  him  take  heed  I  prove  not  his 
back-friend. 

1684.  Burnet,  Th.  Earth,  11.  180. 
As  S.  Jerome  was  an  open  enemy  to  this 
doctrine,  so  Eusebius  was  a  back  friend 
to  it. 

1725.  WoDROW,  Corr.  (1843),  in. 
108.  My  BACK  friend,  Mr.  Bruce,  has 
now  another  and  heavier  author  to  deal 
with  than  I,  Bishop  Burnet. 

1827.  Southey,  Life  (1S50),  v.  321. 
But  I  have  had  back-friends  ...  as 
well  as  enemies. 

3.  (common). — See  c^oi. 

1864.  Notes  and  Queries,  3  S.  v.  25. 
I.  The  troublesome  splinters  of  skin 
which  are  often  formed  near  the  roots  of 
the  nails  are  called  stepmother's  blessings 
.  .  .  back-friends. 


Back-gammon. 


96 


Back-scuttle. 


Back-gammon.    See  Backdoor. 

Back-handed  Turn  (Stock  Ex- 
change).— An  unprofitable  bar- 
gain. 

Back- HAN  DER,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).—  I.  A  glass  of  wine  out 
of  turn,  the  bottle  being  passed 
back  or  retained  for  a  second 
glass  instead  of  '  following  the  sun  ' 
round  the  table.  Hence  back- 
hand (z^^n^.)  and  BACKHANDING 
^subs.  ). 

1855.  Thackeray,  Newcomes,  xliii. 
Thank  you,  Mr.  Binnie,  I  •wili  take  a 
BACKHANDER,  as  Clive  don't  seem  to 
drink. 

1857.  Lawrence,  Guy  Livingstone, 
viii.  Livingstone,  if  you  begin  back- 
handing  already,  you'll  never  be  able  to 
hold  that  great  raking  chestnut. 

1873.  Sat.  Rev.,  798.  A  kindly  host 
affects  not  to  notice  a  valued  guest,  who 
.  .  .  helps  himself  to  an  innocent  back- 
hander. 

2,  (common).  —  A  blow  on 
the  face  delivered  with  the  back 
of  the  hand  ;  hence  an  unexpected 
rebuff,  a  set-down  {(J.v.). 

1836.  Marry  at,  Midshi/nnan  Easy, 
II.     '  Go  away,  Sarah,'  said  Johnny,  with 

a  BACKHANDER. 

c.  1840.  Mansfield,        School-Life 

(1870).  The  doctor  .  .  .  finds  Tibbs 
mopping  the  rosy  .  .  .  with  a  rueful 
countenance,  having  just  received  a  sharp 
backhander. 

1856.  W».Mkl,vii.le,  h'ate  Coventry, 
i.  This  was  ...  a  back  handf.r  at  me, 
but  I  .  .  .  only  said  .  .  .  /fiid.  (1862), 
Inside  Bar,  x.  This— was  obviously  a 
BACK-HANDER  at  Jamcs. 

1862.  Farrar,  St.  Winifred's, 
xxxiii.  He  administered  a  backhander 
to  Elgood, .  .  .  and  the  next  minute  Charlie 
.  .  .  had  knocked  him  down. 

1880.  World,  21  Aug.,  7.  The 
Lieutenant-General  got  a  prompt  back- 
hander when  he  asked  for  a  return  of 
the  contributions. 

1881.  Worboise,  Sissie,  xxii.  A 
heavy  backhander  by  way  of  punish- 
ment. 


Backing  and  Filling,  adj.  phr. 
(colloquial). — Shifty;  irresolute  ; 
shilly-shally  :  orig.  nautical. 

1854.  N.  Y.  Herald,  15  June.  There 
has  been  so  much  backing  and  filling, 
that  no  confidence  can  be  placed  in  the 
declaration  which  either  General  Pierce 
or  his  cabinet  may  make. 

1865.  Major  Downing  [Bartlett). 
A  backin'  and  fillin'  and  wrigglin' 
policy  will  never  fetch  any  thing  about. 

Backing  On.     See  Turning-on. 

Backings  up,  subs.  (Winchester 
College).  —  The  unconsumed 
ends  of  half-burned  fagots  : 
obsolete. 

Back  Jump,  subs,  (thieves'). — A 
back  window  :  see  Jump 
(Grose). 

Backmarked.  To  be  back- 
marked,  verb,  (pedestrian).  In 
handicapping  to  receive  less  start 
from  '  scratch  '  than  previously 
given. 

Back- PATERNOSTER. 

WARDS. 


See    Back- 


Back-scratcher,  subs.  phr. — I. 
A  wooden  toy  on  the  principle 
of  a  watchman's  rattle,  which, 
drawn  down  the  back,  sounds  like 
the  ripping  up  of  cloth  :  much  in 
favour  at  fairs  and  in  crowds  ;  its 
use  (in  London)  is  now  (1903) 
prohibited  by  police  order. 

2.  (colloquial). — A  flatterer: 
hence  back  -  scratching  = 
flattery  :  cf.  Ka  me,  Ka  thee. 

Back-scuttle.  To  have  (or  do) 
a  back-scuttle,  verb.  phr. 
(venery). — To  possess  a  woman 
DOG-KASHION  {q.v.). 

See  Back-slang. 


Back-seam. 


97 


Back-slang. 


Back-seam.  To  be  down  on 
one's  back-seam,  verb.  phr. 
(tailors'). — To  be  down  on  one's 
luck. 

1899.  Whiteing,  John  St.,  ix.  I 
.  .  .  lost  a  shillin'  .  .  .  and  couldn't  go  to 
market  for   the  stock.     I   tell   yer    I    was 

DOWN  ON  MV  BACK  SEAM  then. 

Back  Seat.  To  take  a  back 
SEAT,  phr.  (American).  —  To 
retire  into  obscurity  ;  to  confess 
failure  ;  to  be  left  behind.  [The 
colloquialism  received  an  immense 
'  send  off'  by  Andrew  Johnson 
in  1868  :  'in  the  works  of  Recon- 
struction   traitors    should    take 

BACK  SEATS.'] 

1885.  Society,  7  Feb.,  9.  This  great 
batting  achievement  must,  however,  take 
A  BACK  SEAT  when  compared  with  the 
enormous  total  recently  scored  by  Shaw's 
Eleven  in  Australia. 

18SS.  D.  News,  24  Feb.,  5.  2.  Any 
form  of  art  which  is  barred  by  its  very 
nature  from  perfection  must  take  ...  a 
BACK  seat. 

1890.  Sportsman,  6  Dec.  The  idea 
has  been  worked  to  death,  and  ...  it  will 
have  to  take  a  back  seat. 

Back-set     (modem  =  S  et- back). 

subs.  phr.  (colloquial).  —  A 
rebuff  ;  any  untoward  circum- 
stance ;    a    relapse.     Hence     to 

SET  BACK  =  to  CHECK. 

Backside,  subs,  (vulgar). — The 
posteriors  ;  the  bum  {q.v.). 

c.  1500.  Robin  Hood  (  Ritson),  ii.  4. 
236.  With  an  arrowe  so  broad,  he  shott 
him  into  the  back-svde. 

1651.     H.    More,   Sec.  Lash.   Alaz. 

To  Reader."     As  if  his  senses  lay  in  his 

back-side,  and  had  left  his  brain  destitute. 

1668.  Lestrange,  Quevedo  (1678), 
184.  I  have  hardly  allowed  myself  a  Rag 
to  my  Backsuje. 

1699.  Vanbrugh,  False  Friend 
[Oliphant,  iW-ö'^K^.,  ii.139.]  Thereare 
the  new  substantives  backsidf.  (pars 
posterior),  backwardness.  .  .  . 


1705.  Ward,  Htid.  Rediv.,  i.  v.  20-1. 
These  wicked  Papers  .  .  .  doom'dt' illumi- 
nate our  Pipes  Or  give  our  Backsides 
cleanly  Wipes. 

1713.  XoViKOti,  Guardian,  156(1756), 
II.  288.  A  poor  ant  .  .  .  with  her  head 
downwards,  and  her  backside  upwards. 

1725.  Bailey,  Eras7nus,  'Scholastic 
Studies.'  Wo  to  our  Back-sides,  he's  a 
greater  Whip-Master  than  Busby  himself. 

1748.  Smollett,  Rod.  Randotn, 
xxxiii.  Between  two  stools  the  backside 
falls  to  the  ground.  Ibid.  (1777),  Humph. 
Clinker  (1900),  i.  67.  Some  clapped  their 
hands  and  some  their  backsides.  Ibid.,  \. 
105.  Without  a  shirt  to  cover  your  back- 
side from  the  view  of  the  ladies. 

1774.  Bridges,  Homer  Burlesque,  92. 
Not  one  .  .  .  could  know  .  .  .  on  which  side 
his  BACKSIDE  hung.  Ibid.,  s^-^.  A  gap  as 
large    and    wide    As    lady  .  .  .  .'s    broad 

BACK-SIDE. 

1827.  Genti.  Mag-.,  xcvii.  522.  He 
shall  fall  on  his  backside. 

1838.  Beckett,  Paradise  Lost,  58. 
What  you  found  out  I  now  discover,  viz., 
that  our  backsides  want  a  cover. 


Back-slang,  stibs.  phr.  (common). 
— I.  See  quots.  and  Terminal 
Essay.  Also,  as  verb  =  to  talk 
in  the  BACK-SLANG  lingo. 

1862.  Wheatley,  Anagrams,  141. 
Back  Slang  ...  is  formed  by  the  coster- 
mongers  upon  anagrammatical  principles  ; 
thus  look  is  cool. 

1899.  Century  Diet.,  s.v.  Back-slang. 
A  species  of  slang  in  which  the  words  are 
pronounced  or  written  backward,  or  as 
nearly  so  as  the  skill  of  the  speaker  or 
writer,  or  the  possibility  of  pronouncing 
the  word,  will  permit. 

2.  (old). — See  quot.  and  Slum. 

1875.  Grose,  yulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Back-slum.  A  back-room  ;  also  the  back- 
entrance  to  any  house  or  premises  ;  thus, 
we'll  give  it  'em  on  the  back  slum,  means 
we'll  get  in  at  the  backdoor.  Ibid.,  s.v. 
Back  slang.  To  enter  or  come  out  of  a 
house  by  the  backdoor  ;  or  to  go  a  circuit- 
ous or  private  way  through  the  streets,  in 
order  to  avoid  any  particular  place  in  the 
direct  road,  is  termed  back-slanging  it. 


Back-slum. 


98 


Backward. 


Verb.  (Australian). — I.  To  ask 
for  hospitality  on  the  road  :  a 
common  and  recognised  up  - 
country  practice. 

1898.  Morris, Ausfra!-£K£-/isà.  .  . 
Where  hotels  are  naturally  scarce  and 
inferior,  the  traveller  asks  for  hospitality 
[and]  is  always  made  welcome.  There  is 
no  idea  of  anything  underhand  on  the  part 
of  the  traveller. 

Back-slum,  sues.  phr.  {p\à).—See 
Slum  2,  adding  quots.  infra. 
Also  see  Back-slang. 

1821.  Moncrieff's  Tom  and  Jerry, 
ii.  5.  Let's  have  a  dive  among  the  cadgers 
in  the  HACK  slums,  in  the  Holy  Land. 
Jerry.  Hack  slums  —  Holy  Land  !  —  Lni 
at  fault  again.  Lo£;.  Why,  among  the 
beggars  in  Dyot  Street,  St.  Giles's. 

1865.  AthencFU77z,  28  Jan.,  124.  i. 
Irnprisoned  in  the  back  slums  of  West- 
minster. 

1876.  Braddox,  Joshua  Haggard's 
Daughter,  xx.  Not  in  fetid  alleys  and 
festering  London  back-slums  only  is  man's 
fight  with  difficulty  a  bitter  and  crushing 
battle. 

Backstair.     See  Backdoor. 

Backstaircase,  suis,   (common). 

—  A  bustle;  a  'dress  improver': 
see  Birdcage. 

Back-Stall.     See  Stale,  suòs.  5. 

Back-Talk,  shòs.  phr.  (common). 

—  I.  A  rude  answer;  (2)  contra- 
diction ;  (3)  an  insinuation  ;  and 
(4)  withdrawal  from  a  promise  or 
an  accepted  invitation  (Lane): 
also  back-word  and  hack- 
answer.  Hence  BAc  kward- 
ANSWER  =  a  perverse  rei)ly  ;  '  No 
BACK  TALK  !  '  =  '  Shut  Up  !  ' 

c.  1605.  Melvil,  Metii.  (1683),  5.  Who 
was  so  glad  as  he,  to  return  with  this 
backward  answer. 

1884.  //«//  Herald,  28  Feb.,  6.  6. 
The  boy  was  a  civil  boy,  and  never  gave  a 

HACK  ANSWKR. 


Back  Teeth.  To  have  one's  back 

TEETH  AFLOAT,  vei-b.  phr.  (com- 
mon). —  To  be  drunk  :  see 
Screwed. 

1888.  HHssouri  Republican,  25  Jan. 
His  honour  .  .  .  drank  until,  as  an  on- 
looker put  it,  his  BACK  TEETH  WERE  WELL 

AFLOAT. 

Back-timber,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).—Clothes  :  cf.  belly-tim- 
ber. 

d.  1656.  Hall,  IVorks,  v.  543.  Was 
there  ever  more  riot  and  excess  in  diet  and 
clothes,  in  belly-cheer  and  back-timber, 
than  we  see  at  this  day? 

Back  Tommy,  subs  phr.  (tailors'). 
— Cloth  to  cover  the  '  stays  '  at 
the  waist. 

Backtrack.  To  take  the  back- 
track, verb.  phr.  (American). — 
To  retreat;  TO  back  out  {q.v.). 

1857.  Ne'M  York  Herald,  26  Dec. 
Mr.  Douglas  .  .  .  has  gone  as  far  in  the 
slavery  concessions  to  the  South  as  he  can 
possibly  go,  and  that  if  he  would  save 
himself  at  home  he  must  take  the  back- 
track. 

1887.  Morley  Roberts,  Western 
A^ernus.  '  Come,  Mac,  what's  the  use  of 
fooling;  come  with  me.'  'No  back- 
tracks, Texas,  I'll  stay  here." 

Back-trade,  subs.  phr.  (old). — A 
backward  course. 

1640.  Law,  Exp.  into  England,  4. 
He  hath  followed  the  back-trade  of  our 
defection  .  .  .  The  Lord  therefore  is  still 
on  the  back-trade. 

Back-trick,  subs.  phr.  (old). — A 
caper  backwards  in  dancing. 

1601.  Shakspeare,  Twelfth  Night, 
'•  3-  '33-  I  have  the  back-trick  simply 
as  strong  as  any  man  in  lllyria. 

Backward.  A  few  i'hrasf.s  'fall 
into  alphabet  '  here:  To  SAY  (or 
sing) Tin:  Te  Deum  (the  Lord's 


Backward. 


99 


Backwardation. 


Prayer  or  to  spell)  back- 
wards =  to  mutter,  to  curse  :  also 
as  a  charm  :  hence  BACK-PATER- 
NOSTEK  (or  -prayer)  =  an  im- 
precation ;  TO  GO  BACKWARDS  = 
to  go  to  the  W.C.  :  see  Mrs. 
Jones  ;  to  piss  backwards  = 
TO  SHIT  {q.v.)  ;  to  blow  back- 
wards =  to  FART  {q.v.);  to 
lie  (or  fall)  backwards  =  to 
play  the  whore  :  frequently  ex- 
tended as  in  quots.  (Ray  :  1694 
and  1823);  TO  do  A  backward 
fall  =  (i)  to  spread  [q.v.)., 
and  (2)  to  copulate  :  see  Greens 
and  Ride  ;  '  If  I  were  to  fall 
backwards,  I  should  break  my 
nose'  (Ray:  It.  i.e.  'I  am  so 
foiled  in  everything  I  under- 
take ').     See  Back-talk. 

c.  1575.  Parker,      Corresp.,       158. 

Prayers  for  the  Queen's  Majesty's  pros- 
perity and  continuance  ;  where  others  say 

THEIR     BACK-PATERNOSTERS      for      her     in 

corners. 

1595.  Shakspeare,  Romeo  and 
Juliet,  i.  3.  '  Dost  thou  fall  upon  thy 
face?  Thou  wilt  fall  backward  when 
thou  has  more  wit'  [Repetition  .  .  .  ] 
when  thou  comesi  to  age.  Ibid.  (1600), 
Much  Ado,  iii.  I.  60.  I  never  yet  saw 
man  .  .  .  But  she  would  spell  him  hack- 
ward  ...  So  turns  she  every  man  the 
wrong  side  out. 

1678.  Cotton,  Virgil  Travestie 
(1770),  9.  Could  backward  blow  .  .  . 
And,  by  his  Farting,  make  foul  Weather. 

1672.  Phillips,  Maronides,  120. 
Seeing  the  jades  prancks  they  had  plaid. 
For  Iris  then  they  backward  pray'd. 

1694.  MoTTEUX,  Rabelais,  iv.  Ixiv. 
Are  these  .  .  .  maids  or  married  .  .  . 
Will  they  lie  backwards  and  let  out 
THEIR  FORE-ROOMS.  Ibid.,  V.  xxi.  Yet 
more  apt  TO  fall  backwards  whenever 
any  man  happened  to  touch  them. 

c.  1709.  Ward,       Terrceßlius,      vi. 

'  Divertisements.  '  A  new  safe-guard  to  a 
Woman's  Chastity,  called  Diana's  Clogs  : 
In  which  any  Citizen's  Wife  may  walk 
securely  to  a  Beau's  Chamber  in  the 
Temple  .  .  .  and  never  fall  backwards 
upon  the  joyful  Bed  of  unlawful  Love. 
Ibid.,  Merry  Observations,  May.     Many 


a  backward  prayer  ._ .  .  will  be  given 
the  brave  and  inobliviated  Monk,  for 
bringing  in  his  Royal  Master,  causing  the 
Rump  to  be  roasted,  and  making  the 
Oliverian  Party  Piss  backwards. 

1748.  Smollett,  Rod.  Rando!>i,  xi. 
My  companion's  bowels  being  disordered 
he  got  up  in  order  to  GO  backward. 

1771.  J.  S.,  Le  Bran's  Obs.  Surg., 
164.  'The  Patient  being  pressed  to  go 
backwards  went  behind  his  tent. 

1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias  [RouT- 
ledgeJ,  113.  Just  as  I  was  singing  the 
Te  Deum  backwards  for  his  campaigns  I 
heard  the  clock  strike  ten. 

1823.  Bee,  Diet  Turf,  s.v.  Parlour. 
Mrs  Tubbs's  front  parlour  is  no  part  of 
any  building  .  .  .  she  who  is  said  to  let 
OUT  her  parlour  and  lie  backward, 
cannot  be  supposed  to  repose  with  her 
face  downwards. 

i8[?].  Norton,  Travel  in  Italy, 
47.  The  Gospel  of  Christ  is  read  back- 
wards, when  that  world  which  he  came 
to  save  is  regarded  as  a  world  which  it  is 
a  merit  to  abandon. 


Backwardation, «<(5j.//4>'.  (Stock 
Exchange). — See  quots.  and  cf. 
Contango.  Also  backward- 
IZATION. 

1850.  Keyser,  La'jj  of  the  Stock 
Exchange.  The  term  backwardation  is 
employed  when  stock  is  more  in  demand 
than  money,  and  a  premium  is  given  to 
obtain  the  loan  of  stock  against  its  value 
in  money. 

c.  i860.  Fenn,  Eng.  and  For.  Funds 
(1883),  127.  Backwardation  is  paid  by 
the  speculator  for  the  fall,  or  the  Bear,  in 
order  to  postpone  delivery  until  the  follow- 
ing account. 

1865.  Pub.  Opinion,  i8  Nov.,  541.  2. 
'  Backwardization  '  expresses  .  .  .  the 
sum  which  a  seller  pays  for  not  being 
obliged  to  deliver  the  shares  at  the  time 
before  agreed  upon,  but  to  carry  them  over 
to  the  following  account. 

1880.  Society,  3  Sep.,  16.  The  Bear 
a  good  contango  loves,  The  Bull  a  Back- 
wardation. 

1883.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  11  Sep.,  9.  2. 
At  the  opening  \  backwardation  to  \ 
contango  was  charged. 


Back-word. 


100 


Bacon. 


1886.  D.  News,  14  Dec,  6.  i.  The 
1873  loan  is,  on  balance,  about  |  lower,  at 
94,  after  being  935.  The  backwardation 
on  the  stock,  went  oft"  at  the  close. 

Back-word.     See  Back-talk. 

Backy,    subs,    (tailors'). — A    shop- 
mate  working  behind  another. 

Bacon,      subs.      (common).  —  i. 
Generic     for     rusticity.         Thus 

BACON-SLICER    (BACON-CHOPS    or 

chaw-bacon)  =  a  rustic  ;  bacon- 
BRAlNS-=a  stupid  clodhopper: 
hence  bacon-brained  (-faced, 
or  -fed)  =  clownish,  dull  (Bee 
and  Grose)  :  also  bacon-faced 
(or  -siDE)  =  fat-jowled,  fat,  sleek  ; 
BACON-PICKER  =  a  gluiton. 

1596.  Shakspeare,  I  He7i.  IP'.,  ii. 
2.  89.  Bacon-fed  knaves  .  .  .  down 
with  them.  Ibid.,  ii.  2.  93.  On,  bacons, 
on  !  what  ye  knaves?  Young  men  must 
live. 

c.  1600.  Day,  Beggar  Bednell  Green 
(1881),  37.  I'de  hang  this  bacon-fac'd 
slave  orethwart  his  shanks. 

c.  1634.  Randolph,  A)is.  Ben  Jonson 
[Poems  (1668),  56].  Their  bacon-brains 
have  such  a  tast  As  more  delights  in 
mast. 

1653.  Urquhart,  Rabelais,  i.  Prol. 
A  certain  gulligut  Fryer  and  true  bacon 
I'lCKEK.  Ibid.,  I.  xv.  Account  me  a  very 
clounch,  and  bacon-slicer  of  Brene. 

1684.  Otwav,  Atheist,  i.  A  broad 
shining,  pufft  Bacon-face,  like  a  Cheru- 
bim. 

171 1.  Ward,  Quixote,  i.  81.  So 
cocking  by  his  Bacon-side  An  Elbow,  thus 
the  Host  reply'd. 

1731.  Pol.  Ballads  (i860),  11.  223. 
He  opulent  grew  As  bacon-face  Jew. 

2.  (common). — The  human 
body.  Whence  TO  save  one's 
BACON  =  to  save  appearances,  to 
escape  injury  or  loss  (B.  E. , 
Grose,  Bke)  :  Fr.  sauver  son 
lard;  to  SELL  one's  BACON  =(l) 
to  work  fur  hire,  and  spec.  (2)  to 
play   the   harlot   for    bread  ;     to 

RUB,  FROT,  or  SCRAPE  BACON  =  tO 

copulate  :  see  Greens  and  Ride. 


1362.  Langland,  Piers  Plowman, 
2859.  -"^s  a  letheren  purs  Lolled  his  chekes 
.  .  .  And  as  a  bonde-man  of  his  bacon  his 
herd  was  bi-draveled. 

1653.  Urquhart,  Rabelais,  i.  iii. 
These  two  did  oftentimes  do  the  two- 
backed  beast  together,  joyfully  rubbing 
and  frotting  their  bacon  against  one 
another.  Ibid.,  11.  xxi.  How  happy 
shall  that  man  be  to  whom  you  will  grant 
the  favour  to  embrace  her,  to  kiss  her,  and 
to  rub  his  bacon  with  hers.  Ibid., 
Motteux  (1694),  IV.  ix.  Those  .  .  . 
must  needs  stink  damnably  .  .  .  when 
they  have  rubbed  their  bacon  one  with 
the  other.  Ibid.,  v.  iv.  Your  gaol  birds, 
who  .  .  .  warily  scour  ofT,  and  come  here 
TO  save  their  bacon. 

1674.  Hogan-Moganidcs,  31.  A 
Buxom  Wench,  and  Jolly  Pug,  Who  oft 
together  scraping  Bacon  At  length  they 
found  that  she  had  taken.  Ibid.  89. 
Melting  his  Bacon  in  the  Sun. 

1691.  U'eesils,  I.  5.  No,  they'l  con- 
clude I  do't  to  SAVE  MY  bacon. 

1693.  England's  Jests  [AsHTON, 
Humour,  etc.,  23].  She  was  resolved  to  go 
[to  chiu-ch]  once  a  month   to  save   her 

BACON. 

1693.  Catalogue  of  Books  [Karl. 
Misc.  (1745),  V.  269.  2].  In  dubiis  tutior 
pars  ;  Or  the  broad  Way  to  sa\'E  a 
Man's  Bacon,  and  damn  his  soul. 

d.  1704.  Brown,  Works,  i.  150.  E'en 
get  your  Friends,  the  Jews,  to  save  your 
Bacon. 

1705.  Ward,  Hud.  Rediv.,  i.  ii. 
12.  For  could  their  talent  be  forsaken. 
And  they  unite  truth  to  save  their 
bacon. 

1721.  Centlivre,  Artifice,  v.  ii. 
That  pretence  shan't  save  your  bacon, 
you  old  villain  you. 

1751.  Smollett,  Peregrine  Pickle, 
XXV.  The  other,  who  refused  any  other 
satisfaction  but  that  which  an  officer  ought 
to  claim  .  .  .  asked  if  Perry  was  afraid  of 
his  bacon. 

1774.  Bridges,  Burlesque  Homer, 
20.  In  haste  I  hither  come,  says  Pallas, 
To  save  your  bacon  from  the  gallows. 

1796.  HoLMAN,  Abroad  and  at 
Home,  ii.  4.  'Tis  Heaven's  mercy  I  was 
a  likely  lad.  My  beauty  has  sav'd  my 
bacon. 

1812.  Combe,  Picturesque,  vi.  22. 
But  .-xs  he  ran  to  save  his  bacon  By  hat 
and  wig  he  was  forsaken. 


Bad. 


lOI 


Bad  Crowd. 


1823.  Byron,  Don  Juan,  vii.  xlii. 
But  here  I  say  the  Turks  were  much  mis- 
taken,  who,  hating   hogs,  yet  wished  to 

SAVE  THEIR  BACON. 

1825.  Carlyle,  Schiller,  111.  (1845), 
163.  To  the  Kaiser,  therefore,  I  sold  my 
BACON,  And  by  him  good  charge  of  the 
whole  is  taken. 

1836.  Scott,  Cringle  s  Lo^.,\.  You 
know  I  SAVED  your  bacon  in  that  awk- 
ward affair. 

1856.  Reade,  Never  Too  Late,  lii. 
Jem  drew  a  long  breath  and  said  brutally 
.  .  .  'You  have  saved  your  bacon  this 
time.' 

To  PULL  BACON,  verb.  phr. 
(popular). — Described  in  the  In- 
goldsby  Legends  :  '  He  put  his 
thumb  unto  his  nose  and  spread 
his   fingers    out.'      To    take    a 

SIGHT    q.V.),     TO    MAKE    QUEEN 

Anne's  fan  {q.v.). 

1886.  Household  Words,  Oct.  2,  p. 
453.  [This]  action  has  been  described 
as  '  taking  a  sight."  A  solicitor,  however, 
at  Manchester,  described  it  as  pulling 
bacon. 

1887.  Leeds  Ev.  News,  15  Sep., 
'  Police  Report.'  The  officers  spoke  to 
him,  when  he  put  his  fingers  to  his  nose 
and  pulled  bacon  at  them. 

Phrases.  A  good  voice  to  beg 
bacon  ('Said  in  jear  of  an  ill 
voice'  (B.  E.  and  Grose); 
'  When  the  devil  is  a  hog,  you 
shall  eat  bacon'  (Ray). 


Bad  (or  Badly),  adj.  and  adv.  (col- 
loquial).— Very    much  ;     greatly. 

Also  COLLOQUIAL  PHRASES  :  TO 
GO  TO  THE  BAD  =  to  go  to  ruin  {cf. 

Virgil  :  in  pejus  ruere  =  io  go 
to  the  worse)  ;  TO  be  [anything] 
TO  THE  BAD  =  to  show  a  deficit,  to 
be  on  the  wrong  side  of  an 
account  ;  to   come  back  again 

LIKE      A      BAD      PENNY  =  (l)       of 

anything  unwelcome,  and  (2)  a 
jocular  assurance  of  return  ;  NOT 
HALF  BAD  =  fairly  good  ;  bad  to 


BEAT  =  difficult  to  excel  ;  TO 
want  BADLY  =  the  superlative  of 
desire;  cruel  BAD  =  very  bad. 
Also  '  Give  a  dog  a  bad  name  and 
you  may  hang  him.  ' 

1816.  Quiz,  Grand  Master,  viii.  25. 
I've  really  to  the  bad  Some  thousands  of 
rupees  to  add. 

1835.  Dana,  Before  the  Mast,  xv. 
The  captain  took  a  dislike  to  him,  thought 
he  was  surly  and  lazy  ;  and,  '  if  you  once 
give  a  dog  a  bad  name  ' — as  the  sailor 
phrase  is—'  he  may  as  well  jump  over- 
ijoard.' 

1864.  Trollope,  Lindis/arne  Chase, 
I.  46.  [He]  went,  as  the  common  saying 
expressively  phrases  it,  to  the  bad. 

1864.  Braddon,  Aurora  Floyd,  xi. 
A  reckless  man,  ready  to  go  to  the  bad 
by  any  road  that  can  take  me  there. 

1880.  Sims,  Ballads  of  Babylon 
{Beauty  and  Beast).  Let  him  GO  to  the 
BAD  at  his  own  mad  pace. 

1884.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  ^Y^h.,^.  He 
was  between  £^o  and  £^0  to  the  bad. 

1884.  Hawley  Smart,  Post  to 
Finish,  xi.  When  they  are  in  the  mood, 
their   very   temper    makes   them   bad    to 

BEAT. 

1888.  Daily  Intcr-Ocean,  9  March. 
Myers'  absence  is  seriously  annoying 
to   the   defense,    [they]   want   Myers,   and 

WANT  HIM  BAD. 

Bad  Bargain,  subs.  phr.  (military). 
— 5t'eQ.H.B.,  adding  quot.  itifra. 

1899.  Wyndham,  Queens  Sei-vicc, 
240.  Many  of  these  bad  bargains 
promptly  transfer  their  services  elsewhere, 
without  .  .  .  mentioning  the  cause  which 
led  to  their  discharge. 

Bad-break,  subs. phr.  (American). 
— A  corruption  of  '  bad  outbreak.' 

Bad  Crowd  Generally,  subs, 
phr.  (Western  American).— In 
sittg.  -  a  mean  wretch  ;  no  great 
SHAKES  {q,V.). 


Bad-egg. 


1 02 


Badger. 


Bad-egg  (-halfpenny,  -hat, 
-LOT,  -PENNY,  etc.),  sttbs  phr. 
(common).  —  i.  A  ne'er-do-well  ; 
a  '  loose  fish  '  :  in  America  more 
indefinitely  used  than  in  England. 
Also  (old)=:a  bad  or  risky  specu- 
lation, Fr.  mauvais  gobet.  [Cf. 
provincial  (Cumb.)  bad  =  a  strum- 
pet.] 

1363.  Langland,  Piers  Plowman, 
C.  xviii.  73.     [Men  may  lykne  letterid  men 

...    to  a  BADDE  PENY.] 

1785.  Grose,  Vulgar  Tongite,  s.v. 
Bad  Halfpenny.  When  a  man  has  been 
upon  any  errand,  or  attempting  any  object 
which  has  proved  unsuccessful  or  impractic- 
able, he  will  say  on  his  return.  It  is  A  bad 
HALFPENNY,  meaning  that  he  has  returned 
as  he  went. 

1849.  Thackeray,  Pendennis,  1.x. 
'  He's  a  bad'un,  Mr.  Lightfoot — a  bad 
LOT,  sir,  and  that  you  know.' 

1866.  Sala,  Trip  to  Barbary,  130' 
The  man  in  black  baize  with  the  felt  képi, 
.   .  .  looked  from  head  to  heel  a  bad  egg. 

1867.  Leland,  Breitmann  Ballads. 
But  one  gray-haired  old  veller  shmiled 
crimly  und  bet  Dat  Breitmann  vould  prove 
a  PAD  egg  for  dem  yet. 

1868.  Braddon,  Trail  of  the  Serpent, 
ii.  I  am  a  bad  lot.  I  wonder  they  don't 
hang  such  men  as  me.  Ibid.  (1872),  Dead 
Sea  Fruit,  \.  So  bad  a  lot  that  he  dare 
not  give  himself  a  decent  character. 

1877.  Black.more,  Erema.  A  very 
handsome  girl  she  may  be,  but  a  bad  lot, 
as  her  father  was. 

1877.  Five  Years'  Penal  Servitude 
ii.  Many  of  the  officials  of  the  convict 
prisons  .  .  .  are  what  the  Yankees  call 
bad  eggs. 

1883.  Besant,  Captain's  Room,  11. 
ix.  There  may  be  one  or  two  bad  hats 
among  eldest  sons  ;  but  .  .  .  there  cannot 
be  one  who  would  dare  to  take  his  wife's 
salary  and  deprive  her  of  her  son. 

1885.  Staveley  Hill,  From  Home 
to  Home.  A  considerable  feeling  .  .  .  that 
he  was  a  bad  egg,  and  they  even  went  so 
far  as  to  suggest  that  the  sooner  he  had  a 
bullet  in  him  the  better. 

1899.  Hyne,  Fürth.  Capt.  Kettle, 
iii.  We've  a  good  deal  in  common  :  we're 
all  bad  eggs,  and  we're  none  of  us  fit  for 
our  billets. 


1900.  Boothby,  Maker  0/  Nations, 
i.     That  French  chap  is  a  bad  hat. 

Bad  Form,  subs.  phr.  (society). — 
Conduct  not  in  keeping  with  a 
conventional  standard  ;  vulgarity. 

1882.  Punch.  Eton  boy.  What  an 
awful  lot  of  energy  you've  got,  uncle  ! 
Uncle.  Pretty  well,  my  boy,  for  my 
time  of  life,  I  think  !  E.  B.  Yes  !  but 
energy's  such  awful  bad  form,  you  know  ! 

1886.  N.  Amer.  Rev.,  cxlii.  621. 
They  are  taught  that  to  become  emotional 
or  enthusiastic  over  anything  is  bad  form. 

1889.  Answers,  23  Feb.,  205.  3. 
He's  awfully  bad  form — a  regular  cad, 
you  know. 

Badge,  sttbs.  (Old  Cant).  —  'A 
mark  of  Distinction  among  poor 
People  ;  as  Porters,  Water-men, 
Parish- Pensioners,  and  Hospital- 
boys,  Blew  -  coats  and  Badges 
being  the  ancient  Liveries '  (  B.  E.  ). 
Hence  badge-cove  (or -man)  = 
a  parish  pensioner  (Grose). 

i8og.  Crabbe,  Tales,  16.  With 
thick-set  coat  of  Badge-man's  blue. 

To  HAVE  one's  badge,  verb, 
phr.  (old). — To  be  burned  in  the 
hand  :  e.g.  '  He  has  got  his  badge 
and  piked '  =  He  has  been  burned 
in  the  hand  and  set  at  liberty 
(Grose). 

Badger,  5«i5x.  (B.  E.).  — i.  'They 
that  buy  up  a  quantity  of  Corn 
and  hoard  it  up  in  the  same 
Market,  till  the  price  rises  ;  or 
carry  it  to  another  where  it  bears 
a  better.'  [O.E.D.  :  Origin  un- 
known :  Fuller  derived  it  from  L. 
bajutare,  to  carry  (as  if  a  cant 
contraction  BAJ.,  cf.  the  modern 
zoo,  cab,  etc.),  but  evidence  is 
required  before  this  can  be  ad- 
milted  for  the  15c.  ...  By  Act 
5  and  6  Ed.  VI.  c.  14.  7,  Bad- 
gers were  required  to  be  licensed 
by  the  Justices  (the  origin  of  the 
hawker's  license.] 


Badgef 


103 


Badgerly. 


2.  (Old  Cant). — A  river  des- 
perado ;  '  villains  who  rob  near 
rivers,  into  which  they  throw  the 
bodies  of  those  they  murder  ' 
(Grose):  see  Ark-ruffian. 

3.  (American  tliieves').  —  A 
PANEL-THIEF       ('/■».):        hence 

BADGER-CRIB. 

4.  (schoolboy). — A  red-haired 
individual. 

5.  (harlotry).  —  A  common 
prostitute  :  see  Tart. 

6.  (nautical). — The  imperson- 
ator of  Neptune  in  the  festivities 
incident  to  '  crossing  the  line  '  :  also 

BADGER-BAG  ;    See     AMBASSADOR 

and  Arthur. 

9.  (Wellini^ton  School). — A 
member  of  the  2nd  XV.  at  foot- 
ball. [A  badge  is  worn  by  each 
individual  :  see  sense  i.] 

8.  (artists'). — A  brush  :  spec, 
when  made  of  badgers'  hair. 

9.  See  Badger  State. 

Verb,  (colloquial). — To  worry 
unceasingly  :  as  a  badger  when 
baited  ;  to  pester  :  usually  of  a 
helpless  victim  (Bee).  Hence 
badgered  =  worried,  teased  ; 
badgering=  'heckling,'  persecu- 
tion.    Fr.  aguigner. 

1794.  WoLCOT,  Ro-wl.  /or  Oliver 
[Works,  11.  163].  Therefore  I  tremble  for 
his  badger'd  bacon. 

1796.  Burke,  Letter  to  Laiurence, 
16  Dec.  He  would  rather  be  defeated  on 
the  Rhine  or  Po  than  suffer  a  badgering 
every  day  in  the  House  of  Commons. 

1798.  O.  Keeke,  Wild  Oats,  i.  i. 
At  home,  abroad,  you  will  still  badger 
me. 


1836.  Dickens,  Pickwick,  xxxiv. 
Each  was  driven  to  the  verge  of  despera- 
tion by  excessive  badgering.  Ibid.  (1840), 
Barnaby  Rudgc  (1866),  i.  xii.  59.  The 
constant  badgering  and  worrying  of  his 
venerable  parent. 

1850.  Thackeray,  Pcdennis 

{Works  (1869),  IV.  59].     I'm  so  pressed  and 
badgered,  I  don't  know  where  to  turn. 

1855.  Wood,  Ance  Animal  Li/c, 
23S.  A  '  brock  '  .  .  .  led  such  a  persecuted 
life,  that  TO  '  badger  '  a  man  came  to  be 
the  strongest  possible  term  for  irritating, 
persecuting,  and  injuring  him  in  every 
way. 

1862.  Sat.  Rev.  8  Feb.,  154.  The 
coarse  expedients  by  which  the  Old  Bailey 
advocate  badgers  and  confuses  a  nervous 
witness. 

1862.  Troli.ope,  Orley  Farm 
[Century].  When  one  has  to  be  badgered 
like  this  one  wants  a  drop  of  something 
more  than  ordinary. 

d.  1871.  Caroline  Fox,  Journal, 
542.  Inconsistent  professors  .  .  .  badger- 
ed him  out  of  Methodism  into  scepticism. 

To   OVERDRAW    THE    BADGER, 

verb.   phr.    (popular). — To   over- 
draw a  banking  account. 

1843-4.  Hood,  Miss  Kilmansegg. 
His  cheeks  no  longer  drew  the  cash. 
Because,  as  his  comrades  explain'd  in  flash, 
He  had  overdrawn  his  badger. 


Badger-box,  subs.  phr.  (Aus- 
tralian).— Sec  quot. 

1875.  Proceedings  Royal  Society 
Tas?Kania,Sept.,  (j^.  The  dwellings  .  .  . 
are  .  .  .  known  as  '  Badger-boxes,'  in 
distinction  from  huts,  which  have  per- 
pendicular walls,  while  the  Badger-box  is 
like  an  inverted  V  in  section.  They  are 
covered  with  bark,  with  a  thatch  of  grass 
along  the  ridge,  and  are  on  an  average 
about  14X10  feet  at  the  ground,  and  9  or 
10  feet  high. 

Badgerly,  ad-r.  (old  colloquial). — 
Elderly  ;  grey-haired  :  cf.  '  Grey 
as  a  badger.' 

1753-  Richardson,  Grandison,  v. 
xliii.  Badgerly  virgins  fond  of  a  parrot, 
a  squirrel,  a  monkey,  or  a  lapdog. 


Badger  State. 


104 


Bag. 


Badger  State,  stibs.  phr.  (Ameri- 
can).— The  State  of  Wisconsin. 
[Badgers  once  abounded  there.] 
Whence  badger  =  an  inhabitant 
of  Wisconsin. 

1S56.  Emerson,  Eng.  Traits,  iv.  54. 
Our  '  Hoosiers,'  '  Suckers  '  and  '  Badgers  ' 
of  the  American  woods. 


1868.  OuiDA,  Under  Two  Flags,  _ix. 
A  great  silver  flagon  of  Badminton,  with 
which  he  was  ending  his  breakfast. 


Bad      Give-away. 

AWAY. 


See      Give 


Bad-halfpenny.     See  Bad-egg. 

Bad  Job,  subs.  phr.  (old  :  B.  E.). 
— '  An  ill  bout,  bargain,  or 
business.' 

Bad  Man,  subs.  phr.  (Western 
American). — See  quot. 

1888.  '^oos^v^iJX,  Ranch  Life.  [A 
BAD  man]  is  generally  understood  to  mean 
a  professional  fighter  or  man-killer,  but 
who  is  sometimes  perfectly  honest.  These 
men  who  do  most  of  the  killing  in  frontier 
communities  :  yet  the  men  who  are  killed 
generally  deserve  their  fate.  They  are 
used  to  brawling,  are  sure  shots,  and  able 
to  'draw'  their  weapon  with  marvellous 
quickness.  They  think  nothing  of  murder, 
are  the  terror  of  their  associates,  yet  are 
very  chary  of  taking  the  life  of  a  man  of 
good  standing,  and  will  often  '  weaken  ' 
and  'back  down'  at  once  if  confronted 
fearlessly.  Stockmen  have  united  to  put 
down  these  dangerous  characters,  and 
many  localities  once  infested  by  BAD  men 
are  now  perfectly  law-abiding.  \A  bridged.^ 

Bad  Match  Twist,  subs.  phr. 
(hairdressers').  — Red  (or  carotty) 
hair  and  black  whiskers. 

Badminton,  subs,  (common).  — i. 
I.  A  kind  of  claret-cup  :  claret, 
sugar,  spice,  soda-water,  and  ice. 
[Invented  at  the  Duke  of 
Beaufort's  seat  of  the  same  name.] 

1845.  DisRAEi.l,5><^//,  I.  i.  Waiter, 
bring  me  a  tumbler  of  Badminton.  Il'id. 
(1870),  Lot/iair,  XXX.  Soothed  or  stimu- 
lated by  fragrant  cheroots  or  beakers  of 
Badminton. 

1853.  W11YTE  Melville,  Digby 
Grand,  ix.  An  enormous  measure  of 
Badminton,  that  grateful  compound. 


2.     (pugilistic).  —  Blood  ; 
CLARET,  ROSY,  etc.. 

Bad  Shot.     See  Shot. 


£/■• 


Bad  Slang,  stibs.  phr.  (circus  and 
showmen's).  —  Faked  up  mon- 
strosities ;  spurious  curiosities  : 
see  Slang,  szibs.  7. 

1876.  Hindlev,  CJuap  Jack,  206. 
The  best  showman  of  a  bad  slang  that 
ever  travelled.  He  would  get  hold  of  any 
black  girl  .  .  .  dress  her  up,  and  then 
show  her  as  one  of  the  greatest  novelties. 

Bad  Way.     See  Way. 

Baff.     See  Buff. 

Bag,  subs.  (old).  —  i.  The  womb. 
Hence  as  verb  (or  to  BE  BAGGED) 
=  to  become  pregnant,  to  get  big 
with  child  ;  bagged  =  lumpy 
{q.v.):  properly  of  animals  ;  BAG- 
PUDDING  =  pregnancy  :  cf, 
'  Sweet-heart  and  bag-pudding  ' 
(Ray). 

1598.  Florio,  ll^orlde  0/  li'ordes, 
s.v. 

1606.  Warner,  Albion's  England, 
vi.  148.  Well,  Venus  shortly  bagged,  and 
ere  long  was  Cupid  bred. 

1608.  Day,  Hum.  out  0/ Br.,  ii.  i. 
25.  Farewell,  sweet  heart — God  a  mercy, 
bag-pudding. 

1611.     Cotgrave,  Z>/Vi' ,  s.v. 

1676.  Rochester,  Hist.  0/ Insipids, 
14.  Had  haughty  Holms  but  call'd  in 
Spragg,  Hans  had  been  rur  into  a  bag. 

2.  (common). — The  stomach  : 
hence  as  verb  —  \.o  feed,  to  fill 
the  stomach;  BAGGlNG  =  food  : 
spec.  (North)  food  eaten  between 
meals,  or  (Lane.)  a  substantial 
afternoon     repast,     '  high     tea  '  ; 

hence  HAGGING-TIME. 


Bag. 


lOS 


Bag. 


i/So.  Collier  [Lancashire  Glossary 
(E.D.S.)]-  Hoo'l  naw  cum  agen  till 
baggin'  time. 

1787.  Burns,  Auld  Marc  Maggie. 
A  guid  New-year  I  wish  thee,  Maggie  ! 
Hae,  there's  a  ripp  to  thy  auld  baggie. 

1835.  Ure,  Philos.  Manu/.,  387. 
Thurst   must   be   quenched    with    tea    at 

BAGGING-TIME. 

1863.  Waugh,  Lane.  Songs,  29. 
The  baggin'  were  ready,  an'  o'  lookin' 
sweet. 

1870.  Chatiiberss  Jour.,  Oct.,  p.  661. 
There  are  all  the  varieties  of  board  and 
lodging,  dinner  of  potatoes  and  bacon  with 
buttermilk,  bagging  in  the  forenoon  and 
afternoon,  dinner  and  lunoh,  and  rations 
allowed  for  women. 

1879.  Temple  Bar,  4  Jan.  Baggin' 
is  not  only  lunch,  but  any  accidental  meal 
coming  between  two  regular  ones. 

1899.  \^\ìiTiHMA,Qucen  s  Service,  14. 
Now,  you  youngsters,  don't  sit  there  blow- 
ing your  BAGS  out  any  longer,  like  a  couple 
of  blooming  young  pigs. 


3.  (common).  — 
paps  ;  DUGS  {q.v.) 
animals. 


In   //.  =the 
properly  of 


1642.  More,  Pre-Existencc  Soul, 
xlvii.  Those  wicked  hags  .  .  .  whose 
writhled  bags  Foul  fiends  oft  suck. 

4.  (Stock  Exchange). — Buenos 
^yres  Creat  Jfouthern  Railway 
Bonds. 

1903.  IVcstininstcr  Gazette,  28  Mar., 
g.  3.     Bags  Dividend  [Title]. 

5.  (common). — In//.  =  loosely- 
fitting  clothes  :  spec,  trousers  : 
alsoBUMBAGS  :  whence  howling 
BAGS  =  breeches  of  '  loud  '  pattern 
or  cut,  and  go-to-meeting  bags 
=  ' Sunday  clothes,'  one's  best 
wear  :  see  Kicks.  Hence  baggy  = 
.stretched  by  wear;  baggily  = 
loosely  ;  to  bag  =  to  sag  ;  BAG- 
SLEEVE  =  a  sleeve  baggy  above, 
and  tight  at,  the  wrist. 


c.  1350.  IVilliam  o/Palerne  [Oliphant, 
New  Eng.,  i.  44.  The  curious  word 
BAKKES  (vestes)  appears  in  p.  72  ;  it  seems 
to  be  Salopian  ...  we  still  have  the  slang 
term  bags  for  an  important  part  of  our 
raiment  ;  Lord  Eldon  was  called  [1801-27] 
'  Old  Bags']. 

1598.  Florio,  Worlde  of  Wordes, 
s.v.  Socchi,  a  kind  of  socke  ...  or 
bagging  shooe  vsed  in  old  time. 

1824.  Irving,  Tales  of  a  Traveller, 
I.  265.  A  coat  which  bagged  loosely  about 
him. 

1853.  Bradley,  Verdant  Green,  51. 
Just  jump  into  a  pair  of  bags  and  Welling- 
tons. Ibid.,^.  His  black  go-to-meeting 
bags. 

1858.  Hawthorn,  Fr.  and  It.  Jour- 
nals (lijz),  I.  22.     Red  BAGGY  trousers. 

1859.  Taylor,  Logic  in  Theol.,  205. 
Dingy  embroidered  trappings  .  .  .  seen 
BAGGING  upon  the  wooden  effigies. 

i860.  Smiles,  Self-Help,  vii.  He 
.  _.  .  only  appears  stout  because  he  puts 
himself  into  those  bags. 

1862.  Gronov/,  Remin.,  1.  113. 
Black  coats  .  .  .  baggily  made. 

1868.  Lessons  Mid.  Age,  123.  A 
baggy  cotton  umbrella. 

1870.  C//rt«/&?ï'j/oa?-«a/ (Christmas 
Number).  Holloa  !  Parsons  don't  wear 
light  tweed  bags  !  .  .  .  Jack  had  to  unpack 
his  portmanteau  and  get  out  his  evening 
inexpressibles. 

1874.  Collins,  Frances,  xv.  His 
well-shapen  hip  and  calf  were  hidden  in 
loose-fitting  bags  of  corduroy. 

1878.  Bosvvorth  Smith,  Carthage, 
434.     Jews  with  their  bagging  pantaloons. 

1880.  Punch,  10  Jan.,  6.  Just  look 
at  these  bags  you  last  built  me,  Snippe  ! 
J 'ever  see  such  beastly  bags  in  your  life? 

1882.  Nat.  Baptist,  xviii.  6.  A 
bagginess  about  the  trousers. 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  40.  For 
he  noticed  that  his  bags  had  developed 
into  rags.  lòid.,  109.  His  bags  have 
faded  at  the  knees. 

1899.  Whiteing,  John  St.,  xxi. 
Chinymen  .  .  .  They're  fly,  and  no  mis- 
tike.  Pretends  to  wear  petticoats  ;  got 
bags  on  underneath. 

1900.  Kipling,  Stalky  âf  Co.,  44. 
'  Confound  you  !  You  haven't  been  pop- 
ping my  Sunday  bags?' 


Bag. 


1 06 


Bag. 


6.  (Westminister  School). — 
In  sing.  —milk. 

7.  (sporting). — The  contents 
of  a  game  bag  ;  the  result  of 
sport  :  said  of  racing  as  of  fishing, 
shooting,  etc.,  and  alike  of  a  big 
game  expedition  as  of  a  day  in  the 
stubble.  .-Vs  verb  (or  TO  BRING 
TO  bag)  =  to  shoot,  to  kill,  to 
catch. 

1814.  Month.  Mag.,  y.-x.^vu.  2.2^.  To 
allow  the  royal  sportsman  to  bag  more 
birds  than  himself. 

1844.  Hawkkr,  Instr.  Young  Sports- 
man, 148.  To  BAG  a  dozen  head  of  game 
without  missing. 

1859.  Jephson,  Brittany,  ix.  150. 
My  friend,  thus  bagged  two  wolves. 

1863.  Speke,  Disc.  Nile,  36.  The 
bags  we  made  counted  two,  brindled  gnu, 
four  water-boc,  one  pallah-boc,  and  one 
pig- 

1864.  LowEi.L,  Fireside  Travels, 
245.  The  disputes  of  Italians  are  very 
droll  things,  and  I  will  accordingly  bag 
the  one  which  is  now  imminent  as  a 
specimen.  Ibid.  (1S70),  Study  Windows, 
i.     Stopping  ...  to  bag  a  specimen. 

1867.  Francis,  Angling,  i.  (1880), 
29.  The  artist  in  roach-fishing  alone  will 
make  a  fair  bag  on  an  indifferent  day. 

1881.  Sir  W.  Harcoukt,  Speech  at 
Glasgow,  26  Oct.  Lord  Salisbury  and  Sir 
S.  Northcote  .  .  .  had  a  rattling  day  at 
Newcastle  and  Beverly — but  I  ask  myself 
what  is  their  bag. 

1880.  Forest  and  Stream,  xxi.  2. 
The  BAG  is  not  the  sole  aim  of  a  day 
afield. 

1885.  Smart,  Tie  and  Trick,  ii.  A 
Markee  .  .  .  whose  bag  consisted  of  a  fox, 
a  boy,  half  a  pheasant,  and  the  fragments 
of  a  rabbit. 

Verb.  (  I  ).     See  subs,  senses. 

2.  (common). — To  acquire  ; 
to  secure  :  i.e.  tu  seize,  catch,  or 
steal  :  cf.  NAB,  COI',  BONK,  etc. 
Whence  (old)  BAG(:KR  =  a  miser  ; 
BAGGED  =  (i)  got,  and  (2) 
QUOL»DtD  {(J.V.). 


1740.  Collect.  Sir  T.  Scot  [Peck, 
Croinweli].  He  spent,  and  lookt  for  no 
reward,  He  could  not  play  the  bagger. 

181S.  Moore,  Fudge  Family  in 
Paris,  VI.  Who  can  help  to  bag  a  few, 
When  Sidmouth  wants  a  death  or  two? 

1824.  Brvon,  Don  Juan,  xvi.  Ixii. 
The  constable  .  .  .  Had  bagged  this 
poacher  upon  Nature's  manor. 

1857.  Hughes,  Tom  Brown,  11.  iii. 
268.  The  idea  of  being  led  up  to  the 
Doctor  .  .  .  for  bagging  fowls. 

1861.  Müller,  Chips  {liZo),  11.  xxiv. 
243.  A  stray  story  may  thus  be  bagged 
in  the  West-End  of  London. 

1862.  Farrar,  5/.  lVini/reds,-x.xxv. 
They  would  not  call  it  stealing  but 
bagging  a  thing,  or,  at  the  worst,  'crib- 
bing it  ' — concealing  the  villainy  under  a 
new  name. 

1878.  5ö«j,'^(HiNDLEV,  Li/eCatnach]. 
Speak  to  the  tattler,  bag  the  swag.  And 
finely  hunt  the  dummy. 

1880.  M.  Collins,  My  Garden,  i. 
163.  The  word  beggar  itself  is  from  bag 
— meaning  a  man  who  carries  a  bag  ;  and 
the  modern  commercial  slang  reproduces  the 
phrase,  saying  of  a  clever  man  of  business 
that  he  has  bagged  a  good  thing. 

1887.  Henley,  Villon's  Straight 
Tip.     The  merry  little  dibbs  you'll  bag. 

1888.  Boldrewood,  Robbery  Under 
Arms,  xlv.  I've  bagged  one  of  your  lot, 
and  you've  done  your  best  to  pot  me. 

/ulj.  (schoolboy). — Bags  !  or 
BAGS  I  !  to  assert  a  claim  to 
some  article  or  privilege.  C/. 
FAINS  OR  FAIN  IT  (r/.7'.)  =  a 
demand  for  a  truce  during  a 
game,  which  is  always  granted  : 
PIKE  I  or  PRIOR  PIKE  likewise 
serves  to  lay  claim  to  anything, 
or  to  assert  priority.  Also  BAR  ! 
e.g.  '  lie  wanted  me  to  do  so 
and  so,  but  I  barred  not.  ' 

Phrases.  To  turn  to  bag 
ANU    WALi.ET  =  to    turn   beggar; 

TO  GIVE  one  THE   BAG  TO    HOLD 

(Ray) -to  slip  off:  also  to  leave 
in  the  lurch  ;  TO  GIVE  THE  bag 
=  (i)  to  leave  without  warning 
(Gkose),  also  (2)  to  dismiss,  and 


Bag. 


107        Bag-nnd- Baggage. 


(3)  to  cheat  (Webster)  :  see 
Canvas,   Sack,    and   Wallet  ; 

TO    LET   the    cat    OUT    OF    THE 

BAG  =  to  disclose  a  trick  or 
secret  {see  Cat)  ;  to  empty 
THE  bag  =  to  tell  all:  also  to 
close  an  argument  (Fr.  vider  le 
sac)  ;  TO  PUT  one  in  a  bag  (see 
quot.  1662)  ;  TO  PUT  (or  get) 
one's  head  in  a  bag  (printers') 
=  to    drink:    BAG  =  pot  of  beer  ; 

TO   TAKE    THE    BAG  =  to   play   the 

hare  in  '  Hare  and  Hounds  '  ;  to 
HAVE  THE  bags  =  (i)  to  come  of 
age,  and  (2)  =  to  be  flush  of 
money  ;  TO  bag  the  over  {see 
Jockey). 

1592.  Greene,  Qui/i  [iVorks,  ix. 
263].  You  shall  be  .  .  .  lightewittedupon 
every  small  occasion  to  geue  your  maister 
THE  BAGGE.  Ibid.  (1592),  Defence  of 
Conny  Catching^  xi.  86.  If  he  meane  to 
GIUE  HER  THE  BAGGE,  he  selleth  whatso- 
ever he  can,  and  so  leaues  hir  spoild  both 
of  hir  wealth  and  honestie. 

1599.    Hakluvt,  Voy.,  11.  i.  161.     The 

TURNING     TO     BAG    AND    WALLET     of     the 

infinite     number     of     the     poore     people 
imploied  in  clothing. 

1607.  Dekker,  Westward  Ho,  iv. 
2  \_iVorks  (1873),  II.  340J.  I  fear  our  oares 
haue  GIUEN  us  the  bag. 

1647.  Speedy  Hue  and  Crie,  i.  .  .  . 
He  being  sometime  an  Apprentice  on 
London  Bridge  .  .  .  gave  his  master  the 
bag. 

1662.  Fuller,  Worthies,  Cardigan 
(ii.  579).  They  (the  Welsh)  had  a  kind  of 
play  wherein  the  stronger  who  prevailed 
put  the  weaker  into  a  sack  ;  and  hence  we 
have  borrowed  our  English  by-word  to 
express  such,  betwixt  whom  there  is 
apparent  odds  of  strength.     '  He  is  able 

to  PUT  HIM  UP  IN  A  BAGGE.' 

1793.  Jefferson,  Writings {iZ$()),iv. 
7.      She  will  leave  Spain  the  bag  to 

HOLD. 

1823.  Scott,  Peveril,  vii.  She 
gave  me  the  bag  to  hold  and  was 
smuggling  in  a  corner  with  a  rich  old 
Puritan. 

1887.  Sat.  Review,  14  May,  p.  700. 
It  is  slang,  and  yet  purely  trade  slang, 
when  one  printer  says  of  another  that  he 
has  GOT  HIS  head  in  the  bag 


See  Blue-bag  ;  Carpet-bag- 
ger ;  Cat  ;  Green-bag  ;  Nose- 
bag ;  Wind-bag. 

Bag-and-Baggage,  subs.  phr. 
(colloquial). — One's  belongings: 
hence  to  clear  (or  turn)  out 
BAG-AND-BAGGAGE  =  to  make  a 
good  riddance  :  in  depreciation. 
[O.E.D,  :  Originally  a  military 
phrase  denoting  all  the  property 
of  an  army  collectively,  and  of 
the  soldiers  individually  ;  hence 
the  phrase,  orig.  said  to  the 
credit  of  an  army  or  general, 
'  To  march  out  with  BAG-AND- 
BAGGAGE  '  (  Fr.  vie  et  bagues 
sauves)  ;  i.e.  with  all  belongings 
saved  ...  to  make  an  honour- 
able retreat.  ]  Bag-and-baggage 
POLICY  =  wholesale  surrender, 
general  scuttling,  '  peace  at  any 
price.  ' 

[1600.  Shaksfeare,  As  Yozc  Like 
It,  iii.  2.  170.  Let  us  make  an  honourable 
retreit,  though  not  with  bagge  and 
baggage,  yet  with  scrip  and  scrippage.] 

c.  1620.  M1DDLETON,  Witch  (1778), 
35.  To  kick  this  fellow  .  .  .  And  send 
him  downe  stayres  with  his  bag  and 
baggage. 

1632.  JoNSON,  Magnetic  Lady,  iv. 
I.  The  do.xy  to  march  round  the  circuit 
With  bag  and  bagg.\ge. 

i74r.  Richardson,  Pamela,  11.  34. 
B.\g  and  Baggage,  said  she,  I'm  glad 
you're  going. 

1853.  Reade,  Gold,  i.  Well,  then, 
next  Lady-day  you  turn  out  bag-and- 

I'.AGGAGE. 

1870.  Spurgeon,  Treasury  of  David, 
Psalm  cxix.  115.  The  king  sent  him 
packing  bag  and  baggage. 

r376.  Gladstone,  Bulg.  Horrors, 
61.  The  Turks  .  .  .  their  Taptiehs  and 
their  Mudirs  .  .  .  their  Haimakams,  and 
their  Pashas,  one  and  all,  bag  and 
baggage,  shall,  I  hope,  clear  out  from  the 
province  they  have  desolated  and  profaned. 

1882.  D.  Neius,ri'&  May,  5.  6.  Cites 
the  famous  Bulgarian  pamphlet,  pre- 
cognising  the  bag-and-baggage  policy 
as  evidence  that  Mr.  Gladstone  will  never 
be  a  party  to  restoring  Turkish  authority. 


Bag  and  Bottle. 


1 08 


Baggage. 


Bag  and  Bottle,  subs.phr.  (old). 
—  Provisions  ;    food    and    drink  : 

cf.    BACK   AND    BELLY. 

[. . .  .  Old  Ballad,  '  Robin  Hood  and 
Shepherd  '  [Nares].  Arise,  arise,  said 
jolly  Robin,  And  now  come  let  me  see 
What's  in  thy  bag  and  bottle,  I  say? 
Come  tell  it  unto  me]. 

1671.  EACmARD,  Observations.  An 
ill-contriving  rascal  that  in  his  younger 
years  should  choose  to  lug  the  bag  and 
THE  BOTTLE  a  mile  or  two  to  school  ;  and 
to  bring  home  only  a  small  bit  of  Greek  or 
Latin  most  magisterially  construed. 

Bagatelle,  subs,  (old  colloquial). 
— A  trifle  ;  a  matter  of  little  worth 
or  consequence.  As  adj.  — 
trumpery,  trifling.  [O.E.D.  : 
'  Formerly  quite  naturalised  ;  now 
scarcely  so.'] 

1637.  Bastwick,  Litany,  i.  17.  All 
which  they  haue  .  .  .  overthrowne  with 
their  BAGATELLE  invention. 

c.  1645.  Howell,  Fam.  Letters,  11. 
xxi.  Your  trifles  and  bagatells  are  ill 
bestowed  upon  me,  therfore  heerafter  I 
pray  let  me  have  of  your  best.  Ibid.  I 
rummag'd  all  my  stores,  and  search'd  my 
cells,    Wher   nought   appear'd,   God   wot, 

but  BAGATELLS. 

1658.  Robinson,  Etidoxa,  i.  4. 
Every  particular  thing  .  .  .  even  unto 
the  smallest  bagatello's. 

1659.  Gauden,  Tears  0/ the  Church, 
10-Z.  To  please  themselves  with  toyes  and 
Bagatelloes. 

1679.  Behn,  Feigned  Court,  ii.  i. 
Ah     Baggatelles,     Seignior,      Bagga- 

TELLES. 

c.  1733.  North,  Examen,  11.  v.  100. 
He  makes  a  mere  Bagatel  of  it. 

1786.  Jefferson,  WV/V.  (1859),  '• 
566.  As  to  the  satisfaction  for  slaves 
carried  off,  it  is  a  bagatelle. 

1872.  Baker,  Nile  Trib.,  iv.  33- 
The  bona  fide  tax  is  a  bagatelle  to  the 
amounts  squeezed  from  him  by  the 
soldiery. 

Baggage,  j-m/;ì.  (once  literary  ;  now 
American). — I.  Luggage, portable 
property;  belongincs  {(/.v.): 
spec,  (still  in  use)  =  the  equipment 


of  an  army.  Hence  bag-and- 
baggage((/.7'.).  Whence  (Ameri- 
can) BAGGAGE-CHECK  =  (l)  a 
luggage-ticket,  (2)   a  cloak-room 

ticket;  BAGGAGE-MAN  (or  mas- 
ter) =  a  guard  in  charge  of 
luggage  ;  BAGGAGE  -  ROOM  =  a 
parcels    office    or    cloak  -  room  ; 

BAGGAGE-SMASHER  =  (  I  )  a  porter, 

and  (2)  a  station  thief.  {See  quot. 
1861.) 

c.  1430.  Pol.  Rei.  Poems  fE.E.T.S.], 
18.  To  gete  hem  Bagage,  put  hem  sylffe 
in  prees. 

c.  1450.  Chaucer  ["?],  Dreme  {Works 
(Bell),  ici].  Was  left  not  one,  Horse, 
male,  trusse,  ne  baggage. 

1530.  Palsgrave,  Lang.  Franc, 
196.  2.     Baggage,  Bagniage. 

1578.  T.  N.  [tr.  Cong.  W.  India]. 
Indians  ...  to  serve  and  to  cary 
baggage. 

1703.  Maundrell,  Jour.  Jerus. 
(1732),  II.  Arrived  with  all  our  Baggage 
on  the  other  side  of  the  River. 

1740.  Smollett,  Gil  Bias  (1812), 
vn.  xi.  I  sole  study  being  ...  to  escape 
with  my  household  goods,  I  mean  my 
baggage. 

1749.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  vii.  xi. 
The  portmanteau  .  .  .  being  put  up  into 
the  baggage-cart. 

1766.  Goldsmith,  Vicar  Wakefield, 
XX.  Mrs.  Arnold  politely  offered  to  send 
...  for  my  son's  baggage. 

1791.  Boswell,  Johnson  (1831),  iii. 
13.  Intrusted  to  a  fellow  to  be  delivered 
to  our  ba(;gage-man. 

1854.  Tavi.or,  Lands  0/ the  Saracen, 
18.  We  were  told  to  get  our  baggage  in 
order  and  embark  for  quarantine. 

i8[?].  Thackeray        \Century\. 

Mounting  the  baronet's  baggage  on  the 
roof  of  the  coach. 

i8[?].  Supreme  Court  Reports,  i.  52. 
A    passenger    having    lost    her   baggage 

CHECK. 

1861.  New  York  Tribune.  23  Nov. 
Gamblers,  .  .  .  robbers,  baggage  - 
smashers,  and  all  the  worst  clas.ses  of  the 
city. 


Baggage. 


109 


Baggage. 


1871.  De  Vere,  Aìnericanìsìtis,  358. 
The  BAGGAGE-SMASHER  .  .  .  handles  his 
burdens  with  appalling  recklessness,  and 
responsibility  there  is  none. 

1880.     New  Virginians,  I.  37.     Called 

BAGGAGE-SMASHERS. 

1883.  Pall  ManGaz.,\i,}\xx\<i.  The 
Saratoga  trunks  are  hurled  recklessly  by 
the  '  BAGGAGE  SMASHERS  '  On  to  the  deck. 

1883.  Crane  \Lcis.  Hour,  282.  i]. 
The  BAGGAGE-MASTERS  leapt  from  their 
wide  doors. 

1883.  Longman's  Mag.,  July,  285. 
The  wretched  little  booking-office,  and  the 

BAGGAGE-ROOM. 

1883.  Pember  \Harp.  Mag.,  Dec, 
no.  i].     Keep  a  sharp  look  out  on  your 

BAGGAGE. 

1888.  Texas  Si/tings,  3  Nov.  The 
BAGGAGE-SMASHER  is  indeed  a  terror. 

2.  (old  colloquial).  —  Generic 
for  trash  :  e.g.  encumbrances, 
rubbish,  dirt,  pus.  Whence  (spec. 
post-Reformation)  =  the  rites  and 
accessories  of  Catholic  ritual  :  cf. 
sense  3.  As  adj.  =  trumpery 
(also  baggagely),  corrupt,  vile. 

1538.  Bale,  Thre  Lawes,  1716. 
And  shall  thys  baggage  put  by  the  word 
of  God  ? 

1545.  AscHAM,  Toxoph.  [Arber],  83. 
A  boke  .  .  .  wherein  he  .  .  .  settes  oute 
much  rifraffe,  pelfery,  trumpery,  baggage, 
and  beggerie  ware. 

1548.  Udall,  Eras»!.  Par.  TV.  T., 
Pref.  10.  The  trashe  and  bagguage  stuf 
.  .  .  this  man  hath  sifted  out. 

1549.  Olde,  Eras7n.  Par.  Eph., 
Prol.  Ciiij.  This  popyshe  bagc?age  of 
dumme  ceremonies. 

1566.  Knox,  Hist.  Re/.  \}Vorks 
(1846),  I.  191].  Pilgremage,  pardonis,  and 
otheris  sic  baggage. 

1570.  Elderton,  Lenton  Stuffe. 
But  he  that  seekest  to  set  to  sale,  Suche 
baggage  as  ys  olde  and  stale  Heys  lyke  to 
tell  another  tale. 

1573.  Tusser,  Husb.  (1878),  35.  No 
storing  of  pasture  with  baggeulie  tit. 

1576.  Newton,  Lemnie's  Complex, 
(1633),  177.  Affected  with  this  baggage 
phlegme  and  distilling  humour.  Ibid.,  118. 
Naughty  baggage  and  hurtful  phlegme. 


1576.  Gascoigne,  Steele  Glas,  79. 
When  brewers  put  no  bagage  in  their 
beere. 

1579.  FuLKE,  Heskin's  Pari.,  240. 
To  read  such  beastly  baggage. 

1580.  North,  Plutarch  (1676),  458. 
Hyccara,  a  baggage  Village  of  the 
barbarous  People.  Ibid.  (1580),  1003. 
This  baggage  fellow  Burrus. 

1583.  GoLDiNG,  Calvin  on  Deut.  xcix. 
613.  The  things  ...  are  baggagely 
trifles.  Ibid.  (1587),  De  Mornay,  xviii. 
Dust,  Coales,  Ashes  and  such  other 
baggage. 

1592.  Wyrley,  Armorie,  147.  His 
baugage  mind  to  craft  was  whole 
disposd. 

1603.  Crosse,  Vertues  Commonw. 
(1878),  117.  The  very  scum,  rascallitie, 
and  baggage  of  the  people. 

1610.  Barrough,  Physich,  v.  vi. 
The  abscession  being  already  come  to 
suppuration  ...  if  the  matter  or  any 
other  baggage  therein  contained,  be  not 
discussed,  etc. 

1640.  Dyke,  Worthy  Coinmun.,  203. 
Thistles,  nettles,  and  such  like  baggage 
trash. 

1692.  Hacket,  Life  of  IVilliams, 
ii.  128.  For  four  cellars  of  wine,  syder, 
ale,  beer,  with  wood,  hay,  corn,  and  the 
like,  stored  up  for  a  year  or  two,  he 
gave  not  account  of  sixpence,  but  spent 
it  upon  baggage,  and  loose  franions. 
Ibid.,  p.  123.  Booth  himself  confest,  in 
the  hearing  of  those  witnesses,  that  Pregion 
had  nothing  to  do  with  that  baggage 
woman. 

1757.  Smollett,  Reprisal  (ijyi),  i. 
viii.  160.  I  never  burden  my  brain  with 
unnecessary  baggage. 

3.  (old). — A  good-for-nothing  : 
man  or  woman  :  spec.  =  strumpet 
(B.  E.  :  cf.  Fr.  bai;asse,  Sp. 
bagaza,  Port,  hagasa.  It.  bagascia 
=  harlot).  Also  (4)  a  familiar 
address  to  a  woman,  esp.  a  young 
woman  :  usually  qualified  by 
cunnitig,  saucy,  pretty,  little,  sly, 
etc.  (Grose)  :  cf.  puss,  rogue, 
WENCH,  DRAB,  etc.  As  adj.  = 
worthless  {see  sense  2),  vile  ; 
BAGGAGERY  =  the  rabble,  the 
scum  of  society.  Heavy  bag- 
gage =  (Grose  and  Bee)  women 
and  children. 


no 


1582.  Stanyhurst,  yEneis  [Arber], 
loi.  Whilst  the  sun  is  shyning  the  bagage 
close  lodgeth  in  houseroofs. 

rf.  1586.  Sidney  [C6'«/!<rj'].  A  spark  of 
indignation  did  rise  in  her  not  to  suffer 
such  a  BAGGAGE  to  win  away  anything  of 
hers. 

1589.  Nashe,  Martins  Month's 
Mind,  26.  Men  of  the  best  sorte  (an  vnfit 
match  for  these  of  the  basest  bagagerie). 

1593.  Harvey,  Pierees  Super. 
[Grosart,  Works,  11.  273].  Bibbing 
Nash,  BAGGAGE  Nash,  swaddish  Nash, 
rogish  Nash,  the  bellweather  of  the 
scribling  flocke. 

1593.  Shakspeare,  Taming  Shrew, 
Induct,  i.  3.  Y'are  a  baggage,  the  Slies 
are  no  Rogues.  Ibid.  (1593),  Comedy  0/ 
Errors,  iii.  i.  Thou  baggage  ;  let  me  in. 
Ibid.  (1595),  Romeo  atid  Juliet,  iii.  5. 
Out,  you  green-sickness  carrion  !  out  you 
baggage  ."  .  .  Hang  thee  young  baggage  ! 
disobedient  wretch.  li'id.  (1596),  l\Ierry 
Wives  0/  Windsor,  iv.  2.  Out  of  my 
door,  you  witch,  you  hag,  you  baggage 
...  !  out,  out.  Ibid.  (i.6og),  Pericles,  iv. 
2.  The  poor  Transylvanian  is  dead  that 
lay  with  the  little  baggage.  Ibid.,  iv.  6. 
We  should  have  both  lord  and  jown  if 
the  peevish  baggage  would  but  give  way 
to  customers. 

1594.  Lyly,  Mother  Bombie,  v.  3. 
The  baggage  begins  to  blush. 

1594.  Carew,  Huarte's  Exam. 
Wits  (1616),  209.  They  might  soundly 
sleepc  on  his  eyes,  although  by  Nature  he 
were  a  baggage. 

1599.  Chapman,  Humourous  Day's 
Mirth  [Shepheakd,  34.  2).  Enter  the 
.\Iaid.  .  .  .  Must  you  control  us,  you 
proud  baggage,  you? 

1601.  Holland,  Pliny,  \.  iii. 
Catamites  and  shame-full  baggages  that 
king  Alexander  the  Great  left  there. 

1601.  R.  Johnson,  Kingdom  and 
Commonw.,  81.  Every  common  soldier 
carrying  with  him  his  she-BAGGAGE. 

1605.  Jonson,  Eastward  Ilo,  iii.  2. 
Now,  out  upon  thee,  baggage  ! 

1611.  CoTGRAVE,  Diet.,  s.v.  Pagasse, 
a  BAGGAGE,  qucan,  jyll,  punke,  flirt. 

1613.  Webster,  Devil's  Law-Case, 
iv.  2.  Contil.  Where  is  our  solicitor 
With  the  waiting  woman?  Ari.  Room 
for  the  bag  and  daggagk. 


1625.  Shirley,  Love  Tricks,  i.  t. 
You  are  a  baggage  and  not  worthy  of  a 
man.  Ibid.  (1626),  Maids  Rev.,  iv._  2. 
That  BAGGAGE  Ambitious  girl,  Berinthia 

1636.  Davenant,  Wits,  iii.  3.  Eld. 
Pal.  A  concealed  retirement,  which  her 
wisdom  safely  chose  To  hide  her  loose  love. 
Thwack.  Give  me  a  bagi'.age  that  has 
brains  !  Ibid.  (Revised  at  Revival,  1673), 
ii.  I.  The  BAGGAGES  About  you  are  able 
to  earn  their  own  living  .  .  .  Too  easily  ; 
the  more's  the  shame. 

1678.  Cotton,  Virgil  Travestie 
(1770),  69.  Nan  in  her  answer  was  not 
long,  For  nimble  Baggage  of  her  Tongue 
She  was. 

16S7.  Congreve,  Old  Batchelor,  i. 
3.  I  believe  the  baggage  loves  me.  Ibid. 
(1694),  Double  Dealer,  iv.  3.  You  fib, 
you  baggage,  you  do  understand.  Ibid. 
(1695),  Love/or  Love,  v.  2.  Odd,  you're 
cunning,  a  wary  baggage  ! 

1693.  Robertson,  Phraseol.  Gen., 
197.  A  BAGGAGE,  Or  Souldier's  Punk, 
Scortum  Castrense. 

d.  1704.  Brown,  Works,  i.  257.  A 
silly  raw  Baggage  that  is  .  .  .  far  from 
knowing  how  to  perform  her  Part  in  the 
Chorus  of  Love. 

c.  1709.  Ward,  Terrœfilins,  ii.  20. 
Being  a  Docible  Young  Baggage,  she 
h.ad  pick'd  up  as  much  fashionable  gentility 
.  .  .  as  if  she  hadbeen  Bredat  a  Boarding- 
School. 

1712.  Steele,  Spectator,  450.  5.  That 
Wife  dying,  I  took  another,  but  both  proved 
to  be  idle  Baggages. 

1732.  Fielding,  Miser,  i.  9.  Here's 
a  baggage  of  a  daughter,  who  refuses  the 
most  advantageous  match  that  ever  was 
ofiered. 

1749.  Smollett,  Gil  Bias  (1812), 
VII.  vii.  Ah,  baggage,  how  many 
cavaliers  wilt  thou  charm,  if  thou  turnest 
actress!  Ibid.  (1751),  Peregrine  Pickle, 
xx.\vii.  Adsooks  !  you  baggage  .  .  . 
you  shouldn't  want  a  smock  nor  a  petti- 
coat neitlier,  if  you  could  have  a  kindness 
for  a  true-hearted  sailor. 

1766.  Goldsmith,  Vicar  Wakefield, 
xxviii.  Tell  them  they  are  two  arrant 
little  baggages. 

1796.  Holman,  Abroad  and  at 
Home,  ii.  5.  Don't  hurry  me,  you  young 
baggage  .  .  .  who  are  you  with  that 
pretty  face  ? 


Baggy. 


Ill 


Bag-of-bones. 


1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias  [Rout- 
ledge],  37.     Mark  my  spirit,  I  carried  off 

the  little  BAGGAGE. 

1822.  Irving,  Bracebridge  Hall,  iii. 
24.  She  has  an  orphan  niece,  a  pretty, 
soft-hearted  baggage. 

1850.  Stowe,  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin, 
xii.  He  only  swore  the  gal  was  a  baggage, 
and  that  he  was  devilish  unlucky. 

1851.  Thackeray,  Eng.  Hum.,  ii. 
She  was  a  disreputable,  daring,  laughing, 
painted  French  baggage,  that  comic 
muse. 

1863.  Smith,  Dreamthorpe,  12. 
And  Beauty,  who  is  something  of  a 
coquette  .  .  .  goes  off  in  a  huff.  Let  the 
baggage  go  ! 

Baggy,  adj.  (colloquial). — Inflated  ; 
high-falutin'  {q.v.). 

1866.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  1$  Dec.  The 
professor's  diction  was  verbose,  and — if  we 
may  use  a  homely  figure — baggy. 

See  Bag,  suòs.  3. 

Bagle,  subs.  (provincial). — A 
whore  :  see  Tart  (Halliwell). 

Bagman,  stiòs.  (sporting). — i.  A 
bag-fox  ;  a  fox  caught  and  pre- 
served alive  to  be  hunted  another 
day,  when  it  is  brought  in  a  bag 
and  turned  out  before  the  hounds. 

1875.  '  Stonehenge,'  Brit.  Sports, 
I.  II.  iv.  5.  If  .  .  .  wild  cubs  cannot  be 
found,  a  bagman  or  two  must  be 
obtained. 

2.  (trading).  —  A  commercial 
traveller  ;  an  ambassador  of 
COMMERCE  {q.v.)  :  formerly  the 
usual  epithet,  but  now  in  depre- 
ciation. 

1765.  Goldsmith,  Essays,  \.  The 
BAGMAN  was  telling  a  better  story. 

1808.     WoLCOT,  Peep  round 

Acadetny    \\Vorks  (1812),    v.    360].     The 
BAG-MEN  as  they  travel  by. 

1815.  Peacock,  Headl.  Hall,  2. 
In  later  days  when  commercial  bagsmen 
began  to  scour  the  country. 


1840.  Thackeray,  Paris  Sketch 
Book,  20.  After  a  forty  hours'  coach- 
journey,  a  bagman  appears  as  gay  and 
spruce  as  when  he  started. 

1865.  D.  Telegraph,  13  Dec.,  5.  4. 
A  traveller — I  mean  a  bagsman,  not  a 
tourist— arriving  with  his  samples  at  a 
provincial  town. 

1867.  Collins,  Public  Schools,  363. 
Here  a  certain  set  of  boj's  .  .  .  used  to 
sit  (c.  1793)  and  'chaff'  the  passing  bags- 
men,  for  the  commercial  travellers  to 
Rugby  then  rode  with  actual  saddlebags. 

Bagnio,  subs.  (old). — A  brothel  ;  a 
STEW  {q.v.).  [Orig.  a  bathing- 
house].      Also  BAINES. 

1541.  Elyot,  Image  Gov.  (1549),  6. 
In  common  B aines  and  bordell  houses. 

1599.  Hall,  Satires,  vi.  i.  27.  As 
pure  as  olde  Labulla  from  the  baynes. 

1624.  Massinger,  Parliament  of 
Love,  II.  2.  To  be  sold  to  a  brothel  or  a 
common  bagnio. 

1747.  Hoadley,  Susp.  Httsband,  ii.  4 
(1756),  27.  Carry  her  to  Bagnio,  and  there 
you  may  lodge  with  her. 

1851.  Thackkkay,  English 

Humour,      V.      (1858),      243.     How     the 
prodigal  drinks  and  sports  at  the  bagnio. 

i85i.  Wright,  Domestic  Manners  in 
England  during  the  Middle  Ages,  491. 
They  were  soon  used  to  such  an  e.\tent 
for  illicit  intrigues,  that  the  name  of  a 
hothouse  or  bagnio  became  equivalent  to 
that  of  a  brothel. 

Bag-of-bones,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— An  emaciated  person  or 
animal  ;  a  walking  skeleton 
{q.v.);  snAVE.s{q.v.).  Also(old) 
BEDFULL  OF  BONES  arid  BAG- 
FUL OF  SKIN  AND  BONES  :  Fr. 
sacdos  {i.e.  sac  à  dos). 

1621.  Burton,  Anat.  Mclan.,  III. 
III.  i.  I.  I  have  an  old  grim  sire  to  my 
husband  ...  a  bedfull  of  bones. 

1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias  [Rout- 
ledge],  s.v. 

1838.  Dickens,  Oliver  T7u ist,  iv._ 
64.  There,  get  down  stairs,  little  bag  o' 
bones. 

H 


Bag  of  Nails. 


112 


Bah. 


1848.  KiNGSLEY,  Saints  Tragedy, 
IV.  iii.  204.  I  am  almost  ashamed  to 
punish  a  bag  of  skin  and  bones. 

1902.  Le  Queux,  Temptress,  ii. 
Drive  on,  cabby,  as  fast  as  you  can  make 
that  BAG  OF  BONES  travel. 

Bag  of  Nails,  subs.phr.  (American 
thieves').  —  Confusion  ;  topsy- 
turveydom.  [Qy.  from  '  bac- 
chanals.'] Also,  He  squints  like 
a  BAG  OF  NAILS,  i.e.  his  eyes  are 
directed  as  many  ways  as  the 
points  of  a  bag  of  nails  (Grose). 

Bag  o'  Moonshine,  subs  phr. 
(common).  —  Nonsense  :  see 
Moonshine. 

Bag  of  Mystery,  5i<i^j. ///;•.  (com- 
mon).— A  sausage  or  saveloy  :  a 
CHAMBER  OF  HORRORS  [^q.V.). 

iSgg.  Whitein(;, /öÄ«  ò"/.,  xi.  The 
words  '  doorstep  and  sea-rover  '  .  .  .  '  bag 

O'  MYSTERY.' 

Bag-OF-TRICKS,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).—  I.  Usually  THE  WHOLE 
BAG-OF-TRiCKS  =  every  shift  or 
expedient.  \^See  fable  of  '  The 
Fox  and  the  Cat.']      Hence  the 

BOTTOM  OF  the    BAG   OF   TRICKS 

(or  THE    BAG)  =  a   last   resource; 
'a  card  up  one's  sleeve.' 

1659.  Reynolds  [Burton,  Diary 
(1828),  iv.  447I.  If  this  be  done  which  is 
IN  THE  BOTTOM  OF  THE  BAG,  and  must 
be  done,  we  shall  ...  be  able  to  buoy 
up  our  reputation. 

2.  (vcncry).  —  The  penis   and 
testes. 

Bagpipe,  subs.  (old). — A  chatter- 
box; a  WIND-BAG  {q.v.):  cf. 
'  He's  like  a  BACrPH'E,  he  never 
talks  till  his  belly's  full."  As  ad/. 
=  empty-hcadcd,  gutless  (i/.t^.)  ; 
and  as  7jerb  =  TO  gas  {q.v.). 


1603.  Crosse,  P'ertues  Cominonw. 
(1878),  103.  The  Seruingman,  the  Image 
of  sloath,  the  bagge-pipe  of  vanitie,  like 
a  windie  Instrument,  soundeth  nothing 
but  prophanenesse. 

1612.  Chapman,  Widow's  Tears,  i. 
2.     Whoreson  bagpipe  lords  ! 

1S84.  Christian  IFortd,  ig]une,  ^63. 
4.  Two  fresh  sermons  a  week  .  .  .  from 
the    one    poor    droning    theological   bag- 

I'll'E. 

1850.  Caklyle,  Latterday  Pamph., 
v.  169.  Such  parliamentary  bagpipes  I 
myself  have  heard  play  tunes. 

Bag-pudding,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
A  clown  :  cf.  jack-pudding. 

See  Bag,  subs.  i. 

Bag-wig,  subs.  phr.  (old). — An 
eighteenth  century  wig  :  the  back 
hair  was  enclosed  in  an  orna- 
mental bag  :  hence  BAG-WIGGED 
=  wearing  a  bag-wig. 

1760.  FooTE,  Minor  [Oliphant, 
Nciu  Eng.,  ii.  179.  There  are  the  new 
substantives],  bag  vitig.  .  .  . 

1766.  Anstey,  Bath  Guide,  x.  60. 
Rag-wig,  and  lac'd  Ruffles,  and  black 
Solitaire. 

1775.  Sheridan,  >?/.  Patrick's  Day, 
ii.  4.  (1883),  236.  Pig-tailed  lawyers  and 
bag-wigged  attorneys. 

1850.  Irving,  Goldsmith,  xxv.  252. 
Walking  the  Strand  in  grand  array  with 
uag-wig  and  sword. 

1866.  HowELLS,  Venetian  Life,  xxi. 
Expect  at  every  turn  to  come  upon  in- 
triguing spectres  in  hag-wigs,  immense 
hoops  and  patches. 

Ba-ha,  subs.  phr.  (tailors'). — 
lironchitis. 

Bah,  iiitj.  and  verb,  (culluiiuial). — 
An  exclamation  of  contempt  or 
disgust  :  Fr.  bah  ! 

[1600.  Dekker,     Gentle     Craft 

yWorks,  I.  40].     Away  she  flung  .  .  .  nor 
said  1)ih  nor  bah.] 

1817.  Byron,  Beppo,  xxxii.  Dread- 
ing the  deep  damnation  of  his  '  BAH.' 


Bail  up. 


"3 


Bairns-bed. 


1838.  Dickens,  Old  Curiosity  Shop 
(CD.  ed.),  33.  Mr  Richard  .  .  .  spends 
all  his  money  on  his  friends  and  is  Bah  !'d 
for  his  pains. 

1848.  KiNGSLEY,  Saints'  Tragedy. 
iii.  3.  Bah  !  priest  !  What  can  this 
Marpurg-madness  do  for  me  ? 

d.  185g.  De  Quincey,  Works  {Cen- 
tury). Twenty-five  years  ago  the  vile 
ejaculation  Bah  !  was  utterly  unknown  to 
the  British  public. 

Bail.  Straw-bail  (or  straw- 
shoes),  sîibs.  phr.  (old).  — I. 
Professional  bail  :  see  Straw. 
Also  (2)  insufficient  bail  (modern). 

To  GIVE  (or  take)  leg- 
bail,  verb.  phr.  (common). — To 
escape  ;  to  be  indebted  to  one's 
legs  for  safety  :  see  Bunk.     Also 

TO    TAKE    leg-bail     AND     GIVE 
LAND-SECURITY. 

1775.  Adair,  American  Indians, 
277.  I  had  concluded  to  use  no  chivalry, 
but  GIVE  THEM  leg-bail  instead  of  it,  by 
.  .  .  making  for  a  deep  swamp. 

1815.  Scott,  Guy  Mannering,  iii. 
'  I  e'en  GAE  them  leg-bail,  for  there's 
nae  ease  in  dealing  wi'  quarrelsome  fowk.' 

1841.  IMarryat,  Poacher,  x.xii. 
Given  them  leg-bail,  I  swear. 

Bail    up    (or    Bale     up),    verb. 

Australian). — ^'«isquots.  1898  and 
1888. 

1844.  Meredith,  Notes  and  Sketches 
0/  New  South  Wales,  132.  The  bush- 
rangers .  .  .  walk  quickly  in,  and  '  bail 
UP,'  i.e.  bind  with  cords,  or  otherwise 
secure,  the  male  portion. 

1847.  Marjoribanks,  Travels^  in 
New  South  Wales,  72.  There  were  eight 
or  ten  bullock-teams  baled  up  by  three 
mounted  bushrangers.  Being  baled  up 
is  colonial  for  those  who  are  attacked,  who 
are  afterwards  all  put  together,  and 
guarded  by  one  of  the  party  of  the  bush- 
rangers when  the  others  are  plundering. 

1855.  HowiTT,  Two  Years  in 
Victoria,  ii.  30g.  So  long  as  that  is 
wrong,  the  whole  community  will  be 
wrong, — in  colonial  phrase,  '  bailed  up  ' 
at  the  mercy  of  its  own  tenants. 


1862.  Lloyd,  Thirty-three  Years,  etc., 
ig2.  'Come,  sir,  immediately,  .  .  .  bail 
UP  in  that  corner,  and  prepare  to  meet  the 
death  you  have  so  long  deserved.' 

iS7g.  Barry,  UJ>  and  Down,  112. 
She  bailed  me  up  and  asked  me  if  I  was 
going  to  keep  my  promise  and  marry  her. 

18B0.  Senior,  Travel  and  Trout, 
36.  His  troutship,  having  neglected  to 
secure  a  line  of  retreat,  was,  in  colonial 
parlance,  'bailed  up.' 

1S80.  Walch,  Victoria  in  1880, 
133.  The  Kelly  gang  .  .  .  bailed  up 
some  forty  residents  in  the  local  public 
house. 

1880.  Blackwoods  Mag.,  July,  gi. 
'  Bail  up  !  Bail  up  !  '  shout  the  two  red- 
veiled  attackers,  revolvers  in  hand. 

1885.  Finch  -  Hatton,  Advance 
Australia,  105.  A  little  further  on  the 
boar  '  bailed  up'  on  the  top  of  a  ridge. 

1888.  Boldrewood,  Robbery  ttnder 
Arms,  368.  A  rum  go  .  .  .  same  talk  for 
cows  and  Christians.  That's  how  things 
get  stuck  into  the  talk  in  a  new  country. 
Some  old  hand  like  father,  .  .  .  assigned 
to  a  dairy  settler  .  .  .  had  taken  to  the 
bush  and  tried  his  hand  at  sticking  up 
people.  When  ...  he  wanted  'em  to 
stop,  '  Bail  up,  d —  yer,'  would  come  a  deal 
quicker  and  more  natural-like  to  his  tongue 
than  'Stand.'  So  'bail  up'  it  was  from 
that  day  to  this. 

i8go.    Nisbet,  Bail  Up  !  [Title]. 

i8g6.  LiLLARD,  Poker  Stories,  210. 
An  '  agent  '  entered  the  car  with  an  order 
to  '  bail  up.' 

i8g8.  Morris,  Austral-English,  s.\. 
Bail  up  !  (i)  To  secure  the  head  of  a  cow 
in  a  bail  for  milking.  (2)  By  transference, 
to  stop  travellers  in  the  bush,  used  of 
bushrangers.  .  .  It  means  generally  to 
stop.  Like  stick  up  {<j.v.),  it  is  often  used 
humorously  of  a  demand  for  subscriptions, 
etc. 

Bain.     .See  Bagnio. 

Bairn's-bed,  stibs.  phr.  (Scots). — 
The  womb. 

iS4g.  Compi.  Scot.,  6t.  .4nd  vomans 
bayrnis  bed. 

1863.  Provine.  Glos.,  'Danby,  s.v. 
She's  got  a  swelling  on  the  bairn-bed. 


Bait. 


114 


Bake. 


Bait,  subs,  (common). — i.  Anger  ; 
a  WAX  {(].  V.  ). 

1SS2.  AxsTEY,  I' ice-Versa,  v.  I 
went  calmly  on  ...  as  if  nothing  was  the 
matter.     That  put  the  Proctor  in  a  bait. 


2.    (old    legal), 
fresher  {q.v.). 


-A  fee  :   a    re- 


1603.  Florio,  Montaigne,  11.  xii. 
Have  you  paid  him  [a  Lawyer]  well,  have 
you  given  him  a  good  bait  or  fee  ? 

Welsh  (or  Scotch)  bait, 
subs.  phr.  (common). — A  rest, 
given  to  a  horse,  at  the  top  of  a 
hill  ;  a  BREATHER  {q.v.). 

1662.     Fuller,  Worthies,  iv.  7. 

Baiting-stock,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
A  laughing-stock. 

1630.  Tavlok,  Works,  [Nares].  I 
a  common  reproach,  a  scoine,  a  bye-word, 
and  BAVTiNG-STOCKE  to  the  poysonous 
teeth  of  envy  and  slander. 

Baitlano,    subs,     (nautical). — See 
quots. 

1725.  De  Foe,  Voy.  Round  World 
(1840),  122.  A  BAIT-LAND,  or  post  of  re- 
freshment. 

1867.  .Smyth,  Sailors'  Word  Book, 
s.v.  Baitland.  An  old  word,  formerly 
used  to  signify  a  port  where  refreshments 
could  be  procured. 

Bake,  verb.  (Winchester  College). 
— To  rest  ;  to  sit  (or  lie)  at  ease. 
Hence  kakek— (i)  a  cushion; 
and  (2)  anything  to  sit  (or  kneel) 
upon,  as  a  blotting-book,  etc. 
[Bakers  were  of  two  kinds  ;  that 
used  in  '  College  '  was  large, 
oblong  and  green  :  whilst  the 
'  Commoners'  haker  was  thin, 
narrow,  much  smaller,  and  red. J 
Whence  bakek-layek  (obs.)  =  a 
Junior  who  carried  a  Pra:fect's 
green  BAKER  in  and  out  of  Mall 
at  meal-times.  Also  bakestkr 
(obs.)  =  a  sluggard  ;  hakinc;- 
LEAVE  (obs.  )  =  (i)  permission  TO 


bake  (spec,  on  a  kind  of  sofa) 
in  a  study  in  '  Commoners  '  or  in  a 
SCOB- PLACE  {q.v.)  in  College,  and 
(2)  leave  to  sit  in  another's  TOYS 
Iq.v.)  ;  BAKING  -  PLACE  =  any 
place  in  which  TO  bake,  or  in 
connection  with  which  baking 
LEAVE  was  given.  [North,  dial.  : 
beek  (or  beak)  =  to  expose  oneself 
to  the  genial  warmth  of  sun.  fire, 
etc,  to  bask.  Jamieson  :  beii 
beke,  beek  =  to  bask]. 

c.  1230.  Wokunge  [Cott  Hotii.,  269]. 
Al  fat  Jìinende  fik  ne  walde  ham  punche 
bote  a  softe  bekinde  bag. 

1375.  Barbour,  Bi-uce,  xix.  552. 
Ane  ynglish  man,  that  lay  bekand  Hym 
by  a  fyre. 

c.  1400.  Bone  Flor.,  99.  A  gode  fyre 
...  To  BEVKE  hys  boones  by. 

c.  1400.  Ytuaine  and  Gaw.,  145.  9. 
That  Knyght  es  nothing  to  set  by  That 
.  .  .  legges  BEKEAND  in  his  bed. 

1553-  Brende,  Quintius  Curtius,  11. 
ii.  Diogenes  .  .  .  was  beking  of  hymself 
in  y'  sunne. 

c.  1568.  Wi/c  Auchtcrmuchty  [Laing, 
ii.  52],  12.  And  saw  the  wyf  baith  dry  and 
clene.  And  sittand  at  ane  fyre,  ueikand 
bawld. 

1577.  Kendall  [Wkknch].  At 
home  we  take  our  ease  and  beaice  our- 
selves in  rest. 

1648.  SvMMONs,  Vindication  Chas. 
[.  [Wkench].  Beaking  himself  in  the 
midst  of  his  luxuries. 

c.  1Ó52.  Brome,  Quecncs  E.xch.,  ii. 
2.  Our  Masters  grudge  to  give  us  wood 
Enough  to  make  .a  beaking  Bonfire. 

1730.  Ramsay,  Gentle  Siupherd 
[Works,  II.  95].  She  and  her  cat  sit 
heeking  in  her  yard. 

Phrases.      To    hake   one's 

bread  =  to  punish  {'/.v.),  to  DO 
FOR  (q.v.);  'As  they  brew,  so 
let  them  bake'  (prov.  saying)  = 
'  Let  them  go  on  as  they  have 
begun  ;  'I  must  go  and  bake 
some  bread  '  (a  jocular  excuse  for 
departure). 


Baked. 


115 


Baker-kneed. 


c.  1380.  Sir  Feruvihras,  577.  For 
euere  my  bred  hau  be  bake  ;  myn  lyf 
tlawes  had  be  tynt. 

1599.     Porter,   Two  Angry  Women 

(1841),  82.       Eucn  AS   THEV   BRKVV,    SO    LET 
THEM  BAKE. 

1675.  Cotton,  Scoffer  Scofft,  150. 
I  should  do  very  imprudently  .  .  .  Kither 
to  meddle  or  to  make  :  But  AS  they  brew, 

so  let  'um  BAKE. 

Baked,  ///.  adj.  (common). — 
Collapsed  ;  exhausted  ;  done  up  ; 
e.g.  '  toward  the  end  of  the 
course   the  crew    were   regularly 

BAKED.' 

Half-  (or  dough-)  bakkd, 
adj.  phr.  (colloquial).  —  I.  In- 
conclusive ;  imperfect.  Also  (2) 
dull-witted,  SOFT  {q.v.):  see 
Half-baked,  adding  quots.  1864 
and  1866. 
1592.     Ln,LY,  Midas,  ii.  2.     A  reason 

doW-HAKED. 

1S64.  Notes  and  Queries,  3  S.,  vi. 
494.  2.  He  is  only  half-baked — put  in 
with  the  bread,  and  taken  out  with  the 
cakes. 

d.  1866.  Fairholt  [Lilly,  Works,  ii. 
264.  Note].  The  peasantry  in  the  mid- 
lands say  of  an  idiotic  person,  'he  is  only 
half-baked.' 

Baker,  subs.  (old).  —  i.  Bakers, 
against  whom  severe  penalties 
for  impurity  of  bread  or  shortness 
of  weight  were  enacted  from  very 
early  times,  have  been  the  subject 
of  much  colloquial  sarcasm  :  see 
quots. 

1562.  HiîYwoon,  Proz'erbs (^\?:(>i),  47. 
I  feare  we  parte  not  yéet.  Quoth  the  baker 
to  the  pylorie. 

1598.  Stow,  Survey  (1633),  208.  A 
Pillorie  for  the  punishment  of  Bakers, 
offending  in  the  assize  of  bread. 

1602.  Shakspeare,  Hamlet,  iv.  5. 
42.  They  say  the  owl  was  a  baker's 
daughter. 

1604.  Dekker,  Honest  Wliorc 
\Works  (\%T^,  II.  122].  Are  not  Bakers' 
armes  the  skales  of  Justice?  yet  is  not 
their  bread  light. 


1660.  Howell,  Pro7terbs,  11.  He 
take  no  leave  of  you,  quoth  the  Baker  to 
the  Pillory. 

T67S.  Ray,  Proverbs,  '  Miscellane- 
ous.' Three  dear  years  will  raise  a 
baker's  daughteu  to  a  portion.  '  Tis 
not  the  smallness  of  the  bread,  but  the 
knavery  of  the  baker,  fbid.,  '  Relating 
to  .  .  .  Trades.'     Take   all,  and  pay  the 

BAKER. 

1857.  Notes  atid  Quei'ies,  21  Mar. 
Pull  Devil,  Pull  Baker,  in  England's  the 
cry. 

1888.  B0LDREWOOD,  Robbery  Under 
Arms,  xxxvii.  It's  all  fair  pulling,  '  pull 
UEVIL,  PULL  IÌAKER  '  ;  someone  has  to 
get  the  worst  of  it.  Now  it's  us  [bush- 
rangers], now  it's  them  [the  police]  that 
gets  .  .  .  rubbed  out. 

2.  (American). — A  loafer.  [The 
word  is  generally  attributed  to 
Baron  de  Mandat  Grancey,  who, 
in  Cowboys  and  Colonels,  inno- 
cently translated  the  word 
'  loafer'  as  baker.] 

To  SPELL  baker  (colloquial). 
—To  attempt  a  difficult  task. 
[In  old  spelling  books  'baker' 
was  often  the  first  word  of  two 
syllables  to  which  a  child  came 
when  learning  to  spell.] 

1869.  Longfellow,  New  England 
Tragedies.  If  an  old  man  will  marry  a 
young  wife,  why  then — why  then — why 
then — he  must  spell  baker. 

Baker  -  kneed,  (or  Baker- 
legged),  adj.  phr.  (common). — 
I.  Knock-kneed  ;  bow-legged  : 
hence  (2)  effeminate  (Grose). 

1607.  Dekker,  Westward  Hoe,  ii. 
2.  Will  women's  tongues,  like  bakers' 
LEGS,  never  go  straight  ? 

1611.  Cotgrave,  Diet.,  s.v.  [arretier 
.  .  .  Baker-legd,  that  goes  in  at  the 
knees. 

1652.      Gaule,      Hagastrom,      186. 

Baker-kneed  signifies  effeminate. 

1656.  Du  Gard,  Gate  Lat.  Uni., 
■2^1.  He  that  is  baker-legged  rubs  his 
knees  against  one  another. 


Baker's  Dozen. 


ii6 


Baker's  Dozen. 


1656.  Artif.  Handsovt.  (1662),  79. 
The  unhandsome  warpings  of  bow  Leggs 
and  BAKER  Feet. 

1659.  Lady  Alimony  [Dodslev,  Old 
Plays  (Hazlitt),    xiv.   361].      His   puny 

BAKER-LEGS. 

1675.  Ray,  Proverbs,  '  Relating  .  .  . 
to  trades.'  He  should  be  a  baker  by  his 
bow-i.EGS. 

1692.  L'ESTRANGE,  Life  of  Aisop. 
^sop  .  .  .  was  .  .  .  flat-nosed,  hunch- 
back'd,  blabber-lipp'd,  .  .  .  big-belly'd, 
baker-legg'd. 

1754.  Martin,  Eng.  Diet.  (2  ed.). 
Baker-legg'd,  straddling,  with  the  legs 
bowing  outward. 

1784.  Barry,  Led.  Art.,  11.  (1848), 
94.     Knocked  or  baker  knees. 

1812.  CoLMAN,  Poetical  I'agaries, 
13.  His  voice  had  broken  to  a  gruffish 
squeak.  He  had  grown  blear-eyed,  b.^ker- 
KNEED,  and  gummy. 

1S71.  Figure  Training,  39.  Baker's 
KNEE,  as  it  is  called,  or  an  inclining  in- 
wards of  the  right  knee-joint  until  it  closely 
resembles  the  right  side  of  a  letter  K,  is 
the  almost  certain  penalty  of  habitually 
bearing  any  burden  of  bulk  in  the  right 
hand. 

BAKER'S    Dozen    (or    Bargain), 

subs.  plir.  (old). — i.  Thirteen 
counted  as  twelve  :  sometimes 
fourteen  (Grose  and  Bee).  Hence 
(2)  =  good  measure  :  e.g.  TO  GIVE 

A  MAN     A     baker's      DOZEN  =  t0 

trounce  him  well.  Also  brown- 
dozen  (5^.  z/.);  devil's-dozen(ç/". 
Baker  i,  and  Fr.  boulanger  = 
devil)  ;  and  round-dozen  [see 
Round).  [Bakers  were  (and  are) 
liable  to  heavy  penalties  for  de- 
ficiency in  the  weights  of  loaves  : 
these  were  fixed  for  every  price 
from  eighteenpence  down  to  two- 
pence, but  penny  loaves  or  rolls 
were  not  specified  in  the  statute. 
Bakers,  therefore,  to  be  on  the 
safe  side,  gave,  for  a  dozen  of 
bread,  an  additional  loaf,  known 
as  'inbread.'  A  similar  custom 
was  formerly  observed  with  regard 
to  coal,  and  publishers  nowa- 
days reckon  thirteen  copies  of  a 
book  as  twelve. 


1596.  Nashe,  Saffron  XValden 
\Works,  in.  ii.].  Conioyning  with  his 
aforesaid  Doctor  Brother  in  eightie  eight 
browne  baker's  dozen  of  Almanackes. 

1598.  Florio,  Worlde  of  Wordes, 
s.v.  Serqua,  a  dozen,  namely  of  egges,  or 
as  we  say,  a  baker's  dozen,  that  is  thir- 
teene  to  the  dozen. 

1599.  Cooke,  Tu  Quoque  [Dodslev, 
Old  Plays  (Reed),  vii.  49.  Mine's  a 
baker's  dozen  :  Master  Bubble,  tell  your 

money. 

1610.  Hudson  [naming  a  group  of 
thirteen  or  fourteen  islands  on  the  east 
shore  of  Hudson's  Bay],  La  Douzaine  du 
Boulanger. 

d.  1623.  Fletcher,  Poems,  131.  This 
strings  the  baker's  dozen,  christens  all  The 
cross-legd  hours  of  time  since  Adam's 
fall. 

1651.  Cleaveland,  Poems  [Nares]. 
Pair-royall  headed  Cerberus  his  cozen  ; 
Hercules  labours  were  a  baker's  dozen. 

1694.  MoTTEUX,  Rabelais,  v.  xxii. 
We  saw  a  knot  of  others,  about  a  baker's 
DOZEN  in  number,  tippling  under  an  arbour. 

1706.  Ward,  IVooden  World,  67. 
The  King  ...  is  the  only  Almanack- 
maker  for  his  Money,  who  honestly 
stretches  them  out  to  a  Baker's  Dozen. 

1733.  Fielding,  Don  Quixote,  in.  vi. 
I  dare  swear  there  were  a  good  round 
baker's  dozen,  at  least. 

1774.  Bridges,  Burlesque  Homer, 
444.  'The  moment  that  this  loving  cousin 
Awak'd  he  saw  a  baker's  dozen  Of 
Thracians  kill'd. 

1822.  Nares,  (7/o.vjrtrj',  s.v.  Baker's- 
DOZEN  .  .  .  originally  devil's  dozen  .  .  . 
the  number  of  witches  at  table  together  in 
their  sabbaths.  Hence  thirteen  at  table. 
The  baker  .  .  .  a  very  unpopular  character 
in  former  times,  seems  to  have  been  sub- 
stituted for  the  devil.     [Abridged.] 

1825.  Scott,  St.  Ronan's  IVell,  xxviii. 
'  As  to  your  lawyetj  you  get  just  your 
guinea's  worth  from  him — not  even  so  much 
as  the  baker's  bargain,  thirteen  to  the 
dozen.' 

1850.  Riley,  Siber  Albus,  Pref.  68. 
These  dealers  .  .  .  [Hucksters]  on  pur- 
chasing their  bre.-id  from  the  bakers,  were 
privileged  by  law  to  receive  thirteen  batches 
for  twelve,  and  this  would  seem  to  have 
been  the  extent  of  their  profits.  Hence  the 
expression,  still  in  use,  '  A  baker's 
dozen.' 


Baker's  Light  Bobs.        1 17 


Bulbus. 


1902.  D.  Mail,  6  Mar.,  4.  3.  Quite 
a  cakek's  dozen  of  would-be  testifiers 
.  .  .  to  the  marvellous  story  of  their  'cures.' 

Baker's  Light  Bobs  (military). — 
The  loth  Hussars. 

Bakes,  stilis.  (American  thieves'). — 
A  schoolboy. 

2.  (American).  —  An  original 
stake  :  chiefly  schoolboys'  :  e.g. 
'  When  I  get  my  BAKES  back 
I  shall  stop  playing.  '  [Bartlett  : 
in  reference  possibly  to  a  baker 
not  always  getting  his  bake  safely 
out  of  the  oven.] 

Bakester,  Baking-leave,  Bak- 
ing-place, etc.     See  Bake. 

Balaam,  subs,  (printers'). — Mis- 
cellaneous paragraphs  for 
filling  up  a  column  of  type  : 
PADDING  [q.v.):  applied  either 
to  MS.   copy   or  stereo.     Hence 

BALAAM-BOX     (or     -BASKET)  =  (i) 

a  receptacle  for  such  matter  ; 
and  (2)  a  waste-paper  basket. 
[Webster  :  '  a  cant  term  '  : 
popularised  by  Blacìnoood,  in 
which  Nodes  Ambrosiana:  ap- 
peared.    See  Numbers  xxii.  30.] 

1822-36.  Wilson,  Noctes  Ajiibrosi- 
anœ,  11.  x.wi.  Bring  in  Balaam,  and 
place  him  on  the  table. 

1826.  Scott,  Mai.  Malagr.,  iii.  3. 
How  much  Balaam  (speaking  techni- 
cally) I  have  edged  out  of  your  valuable 
paper. 

1827.  Blackw.  Mag.,  xxi.  340. 
Several  dozen  letters  on  the  same  subject 
now  in  our  Balaam-box. 

1839.  Lochart,  Scott,  Ixx.  (1842), 
622.  Balaam  is  the  cant  name  for 
asinine  paragraphs  about  monstrous 
productions  of  nature  and  the  like, 
kept  standing  in  type  to  be  used  when- 
ever the  real  news  of  the  day  leaves  an 
awkward  space  that  must  be  filled  up 
somehow. 

1861.  A.K.H.B.,  Recr.  Country 
Parson,  2.  59  S.  Rubbishing  articles 
which  are  at  present  consigned  to  the 
Balaam-box. 


1873.  Hall,  Modern  English,  17. 
An  essay  for  the  Edinbia-gli  J^evieiv,  in 
'the  old  unpolluted  English  language,' 
would  have  been  consigned  by  the  editor 
to  his  Balaam-basket. 

1877.  Notes  and  Queries,  5  S.  vii. 
270.  2.  At  the  risk  of  getting  into  your 
Balaam-box,  I  venture  to  record  the 
whole  contents  of  my  bundle. 

Balaclava- DAY,  snhs.  (military). 
• — A  soldier's  pay  day.  [Bala- 
clava in  1854-6  was  a  base  of 
supply  for  English  troops  :  as 
pay  was  drawn,  the  men  went 
down  to  make  their  purchases.] 

Balance,  subs,  (commercial  :  orig. 
American,  now  general). — The 
remainder  ;  the  rest  :  (/.  '  lave  ' 
(Scots)  and  'shank'  (as  'in  the 
shank  of  the  evening  '). 

1846.  AlbnnyJo.,-jìs.n.  The  yawl 
returned  to  the  wreck,  took  ten  or  eleven 
persons  and  landed  them,  and  then  went 
and  got  the  balance  from  the  floating 
cabin. 

1861.  Boston  Transcript,  27  Dec. 
We  listened  to  Wendell  Phillips,  [but] 
having  an  engagement  elsewhere,  we  were 
forced  to  leave,  and  so  lost  the  balance  of 
his  oration. 

1864.  Webster,  Diet.,  s.v.  [The 
first  dictionary  to  record  the  usage.] 

1875.  Blackuwods  Mag.,  April,  443. 
Balance,  long  familiar  to  American  ears, 
is  becoming  so  to  ours.  In  an  account  of 
a  ship  on  fire  we  read,  'Those  saved 
remained  the  balance  of  the  night  watch- 
ing the  burning  wreck.' 

1883.  Fitzgerald,  Kccr.  Liter. 
Man,  170.  Everyone  is  away  shooting  or 
riding  ;  a  balance  of  the  ladies  is  left. 

Balbus,  subs.  (University).— A 
Latin  prose  composition,  [From 
the  Uequency  with  which  Balbus 
is  mentioned  in  Arnold's  Latin 
Prose  Composition. '\ 

1870.  Quarterly  Review.  Balbus 
was  in  constant  use. 


Baldcoot. 


ii8 


Balderdash. 


Baldcoot,  subs.  (old). — i.  A  term 
of  contempt  :  cf.  kaldhead. 
[The  frontal  plate  of  the  coot  is 
destitute  of  feathers.]  Hence 
BALD  AS  A  COOT  =  as  bald  as  may 
be  [Tyndale,  Works  (1530), 
ii,  224,  s,v.]. 

[1616.  Beau.mont  and  Fletcher, 
Kn.  0/  Malta,  i.  i.  Unfledge  them  of 
their  .  .  .  perriwigs,  And  they  appear 
like  BALD-cooTES  in  the  nest.  J 

1823.  BvRON,  Juan,  XIV.  Ixx.xiii. 
The  BALD-COOT  bully,  Alexander. 

1S48.  KiNGSLEV,  Saints'  Tragedy, 
III.  iv.  176.  Your  princesses,  that  .  .  . 
demean  themselves  to  hob  and  nob  with 
these  black  baldicoots  {i.e.  monks  with 
shaven  crowns]  ! 

2.   (old). — See  quot. 

1823.  Bee,  Did.  Turf.,  s.v.  Pigeon. 
A  .  .  .  [young  man]  who  parts  with  his 
blunt  freely  at  gambling,  and  is  rooked  ; 
older  persons  also  stay  and  get  plucked 
sometimes,  until  they  have  not  a  feather  to 
fly  with.  Such  men,  after  the  plucking, 
become  bald-coots. 

Balderdash,  subs,  (old  and  still 
colloquial). — (i)  Froth  or  frothy 
liquid  ;  (2)  a  jumble  of  liquors 
(B.  E.  and  Grose)  :  e.g.  brandy 
(or  milk)  and  beer,  milk  and  rum, 
etc.  :  also  as  verb  —  to  '  dash  ' 
with  another  liquid,  and  hence 
to  adulterate  (ürose)  ;  (3)  a 
jumble  of  words,  nonsense,  trash  ; 
and  (4)  'lewd  conversation' 
(Grose),  obscenity,  scurrility. 
[O.E. D.  :  From  the  evidence  at 
present  the  inference  is  that  the 
current  sense  was  transferred  .  .  . 
with  the  notion  of  'frothy  talk.' 
Century  ;  Of  obscure  origin, 
apparently  dial,  or  slang.] 

1598.  Nashe,  Saffron  Waiden.  To 
Reader.  Two  blunderkins,  hauiiiR  their 
braines  stuft  with  nought  but  halukkdash. 
Ibid.  (1599),  Lenten  Stuffe,  8.  They 
would  no  more  .  .  .  have  their  heads 
washed  with  his  bubbly  spume  or  barbers' 
balderdash. 


1611.  Chapman,  Mayday,  iii.  4. 
STut  winesucker,  what  have  you  fild  us 
heere?     Balderdash? 

1629.  JoNSON,  Nevj  Inn,  i.  2.  Beer, 
or  butter-milk,  mingled  to-gether  .  .  .  To 
drink  such  balderdash  ! 

1637.  Taylor,  Drink  and  iVelc. 
[Worcester].  Beer,  by  a  mixture  of 
w  ine  hath  lost  both  name  and  nature,  and 
is  called  Balderdash. 

1641.  Heywood,  Reader,  Here 
yoitll,  etc.,  6.  Where  sope  hathfayl'd 
without,  Balderdash  wines  within  will 
worke  no  doubt. 

1674.  Marvell,  Reh.  Transp.,  Ü. 
243.  Did  ever  Divine  rattle  out  such 
prophane  Balderdash  ! 

1674.  DuRFEV,  Pills,  iii.  304.  When 
Thames  was  balderdashed  with  Tweed. 

1694.  Motteux,  Rabelais,  v.  xlvi. 
Will  he  ...  go  shite  out  his  nasty  rhjTU- 
ing  BALDERDASH  in  some  bog-house  ? 
Ibid.  (1702)  Prologue  to  Farquhar's 
Inconstant.  Poets,  like  vintners,  balder- 
dash and  brew  Your  surly  scenes. 

1714.  M1LB0URNE,  Traitors  Rew., 
Pref.  Was  ever  God's  word  so  balder- 
dash'd? 

1766.  Smollett,  Travels,  xix.  The 
wine  merchants  of  Nice  brew  and  balder- 
dash and  even  mix  it  with  pigeon's  dung 
and  quicklime.  Ibid.  (1771),  Humph. 
Clinker  (iSgo),  i.  156.  Wine  ...  a  vile, 
unpalatable,  and  jjernicious  sophistication, 
balderdashed  with  cider,  corn-spirit,  and 
the  juice  of  sloes. 

1777.  Horne  Tooke,  Trial,  25.  I 
heard  him  charge  this  publication  with 
ribaldry,  scurrility,  billingsgate,  and 
balderdash. 

1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias  [Smol- 
lett], 147.  Nothing  but  flimsy  balder- 
dash in  their  talk.  Ibid.,  197.  I  was 
a  walking  budget  of  balderdash. 

1812.  Edin.  Rev.,  xx.  41g.  The 
balderdash  which  men  must  talk  at 
popular  meetings. 

1821.  Irving  [Warner,  Li_/i  (1882), 
136].  A  fostered  growth  of  poetry  and 
romance,  and  BALDERDASHED  with  false 
sentiment. 

184g.  Macaulay,  Hist.  Eng.,  i.  351. 
I  am  almost  ashamed  to  quote  such 
nauseous  BALDERDASH. 

1854.  TiiACKKRAV,  Newcontes,  i.  lo. 
To  defile  the  ears  of  young  boys  with  this 

wicked  BALDERDASH. 


Bald-face. 


119 


Balductum. 


1865.  Carlyle,  Fred.  Great,  11.  vii. 
V.  287.  No  end  florid  inflated  tautologie 
ornamental  balderdash. 

igoo.  Griffiths,  Fast  and  Loose, 
xxix.  He  had  heard  amidst  much  balder- 
dash something  that  might  be  useful. 

Bald-face,  subs,  phr,  (American). 
— New  whiskey  ;  '  warranted  to 
kill  at  forty  rods.'  Baldfackd 
=  NEAT  {q.v.). 

Bald-faced  Shirt,  subs.  (Ameri- 
can).— A  white  shirt  :  cf.  Boiled 

SHIRT. 

Bald-faced  Stag,  subs.  phr. 
(common). — A  bald-headed  man  ; 
Bladder  of  lard. 

Baldhead  (or  PATE),  subs.  (old). 
— A  term  of  contempt  {cf.  first 
section  of  quot.  1603)  :  also 
BALDY.  [Of  Biblical  origin.] 
Hence  BALTlTUDE  =  a  state  of 
baldness  ;  HIS  BALDITUDE  =  a 
mock  title;  and  baldheaded- 
Rovv  =  the  first  row  of  stalls  at 
theatres,  especially  at  leg-shops 
(,q.v.). 

1535.  CoVERDALE,  Bible,  2  Kings  ii. 
23.     Come  vp    here  thou   balde  heade 

[  WyCLIF  =  BALLARD]. 

1601.  Dent,  Pathway  to  Heaven, 
131.        Mocked  .  .  .  Elisha     calling    him 

BALD-HEAD,  BALD-PATE. 

1603.  Shakspeare,  Meas.for Meas., 
V.  I.  Come  hither,  good  man  ualdfate. 
Ibid.    You  BALDPATED,  lying  rascal. 

1821.  Byron,  Foscari,  iii.  i.  244. 
Held  in  the  bondage  of  ten  bald-heads. 

1865.  Noel,  Richter  s  Flower  Pieces 
(1871),  I.  V.  141.  But  had  solicited  the 
BALD-PATES  in  Vain. 

1882.  Clemens,  /fuck.  Finn,  187. 
Trouble  has  done  it  ;  trouble  has  brung 
these     gray     hairs    and     this     premature 

BALDITUDE. 

1900.  Flynt,  Tramp,  ivith  Tramps, 
384.  The  BALÜY  'e  comes  himself  'n'  asted 
what  I  wanted. 


Baldheaded,  adj.  (American). — 
Eagerly;  with  might  and  main. 
[Bartlett  :  as  when  one  rushes 
out  without  his  hat.] 

184S.  \.o\S¥.i.i.,  Bigto-M  Papers,  i>.  1 
scent    which   pays   the  best,  an'  then  Go 

into  it  BALDHEADED. 

1869.  Our  Young  Folks  \V)^V&^'B.\. 
Whenever  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  do 
a  thing  he  went  at  it  baldheaued. 

1888.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  ^■ijnne.  The 
Chicago  Republicans  .  .  .  have  gone 
BALDHEADED  for  protection. 

To  SNATCH  BALDHEADED, 7^f;-Ó. 

phr.     (American). — To    defeat    a 
person  in  a  street  fight. 

1871.  Grant  White,  IVords  and 
Their  Uses.  The  crowd  than  gave  a 
specimen    of   calumny    broke   loose,   And 

said  I'd  SNATCHED  HIM  BALDHEADED,  and 

likewise  cooked  his  goose. 

Baldheaded  -  hermit  ,  subs, 
phr.  (venery). — The  penis:  see 
Prick. 

Baldober  (or  Baldower),  szibs. 
(thieves'). — A  leader  ;  a  spokes- 
man [Ger.]. 

Bald-rib,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
A  lean  person;  a  walking- 
skeleton  {q.v.). 

1621.  MiDDLETON,  Mayor  0/ Quin, 
iii.  3.  Thou  art  such  a  spiny  baldrib,  all 
the  mistresses  in  the  town  will  never  get 
thee  up. 

Balductum,  subs.  (old). — Non- 
sense ;  rubbish  :  as  ad;.  =  affected, 
trashy  (in  quot.  1 595  =  an  affected 
writer). 

1577.  HoLiNSHED,  Chron.,  11.  29.  2. 
The  Irish  doubtlesse  repose  a  great  affiance 
in  this  BALDUCKTUM  dreame. 

1583.  Stanyhurst,  .'Eneis,  '  Ded.' 
[Arber],  io.  Their  rude  rythming  and 
balducketome  ballads. 

1593.  H AKVKY,  Pierces  Superog-.,  139. 
The  stalest  dudgen  or  absurdest  balduc- 
tum that  they  or  their  mates  can  invent. 


Balfour's  Maiden.         1 20 


Ball. 


1595.  Polhnanteia  [Nares].  Every 
BAI.DUCTUM  makes  divine  poetrie  to  be  but 
base  rime. 

1596.  Harrington,  Ulysses  upon 
Ajax.  Besides,  what  balductum  play  is 
not  full  of  them  ? 

1617.  Collins,  Def.  Bp.  Ely,  ii.  viii. 
295.     Will  this  BALDUCTUM  neuer  be  left? 

Balfour's  Maiden,  j-m^j.  (obsolete 
Parliamentary).  —  A  covered 
battering-ram  :  used  by  the  Royal 
Irish  Constabulary  in  carrying  out 
evictions  in  Ireland  (1888-9). 

1889.  Sir  Wm.  Vernon  Harcourt, 
Speech  [Daily  News,  11  Aprili.  Now  at 
Letterkenny,  Mr.  Balfour  has  introduced 
a  new  invention  ...  an  iron-headed 
spiked  battering-ram  to  be  used  in  carrying 
out  the  evictions.  Why,  really,  gentlemen, 
.  .  .  you  find  instruments  called  '  The 
Scavenger's  Daughter,'  and  '  The  Maiden,' 
.  .  .  I  think  this  last  pattern  of  ram  of  Mr. 
Balfour's  might  be  called  '  The  Unionist's 
Daughter  '-^loud  laughter)— or  it  might  be 
christened  'Balfour's  Maiden.' 

Ball,   subs,   (old).— I.  The  head: 

also       BALL       IN       THE       HOOD; 
«ILLIARD-BALL,    etc. 

c.  1300.  King  Alis,  6481.  Mony  of  his 
knyghtisgode  Loren  theo  balles  in  heore 

HODE. 

c.  1325.  Ceeur  (Ü  L.,  4523.  Men  of 
armes  the  swerdes  outbreyde  ;  Balles 
OUT  OF  HOODES,  soone  they  pleyde. 

c.  1460.     Townley  Myst.,   17.     I  shrew 

thi  balle  UNDER  Till  HODE. 

c.  1500.  Robin  Hood  (Ritson),  i.  1454. 
He  ne  shall  lese  his  hede.  That  is  the  best 

ball  in  his  HODE. 

2.  (prison). — A  ration  :  food  or 
drink. 

3.  (vulgar).— .S"^«  Ballocks. 

4.  (Winchester).— In  //.  =a 
Junior  in  College  :  his  duty  is 
to  collect  footballs  from  lockers 
in  school  and  take  them  through 
to  the  Ball-keeper  in  Commoners 
to  be  blown  or  repaired.  The 
BALL-KEEPliR  is  an  Inferior  who, 


for  service  in  looking  after  cricket 
and  foot-balls,  is  exempted  from 
KiCKiNG-iN  [(].v.)  and  watch- 
ing OUÏ  {q.v.). 

Phrases.       To    c.\tch    (or 

take)  the  ball  before  THE 
BOUND  =  to  anticipate  ;  TO  have 
THE  ball  at  one's  FOOT  (or 
BEFORE  one)  =  to  have  in  one's 
power  (or  at  one's  finger-ends)  ; 
to  open  the  ball  =  to  lead  off, 
to  make  a  start;  TO  keep  the 
ball  rolling  (or  keep  up  the 
ball)  =  to  prevent  a  matter  flag- 
ging or  hanging  fire  ;  TO  TAKE 
UP  THE  BALL  =  to  take  one's  turn  ; 
whence  '  the  ball's  with  you  '  = 
you're  next. 

1589.  PuTTENHAM,  Eng.  Foesy,  iii. 
xix.  We  do  preuent  them  .  .  .  and  do 
CATCH  THE  ball  (as  they  are  wont  to  say) 

before  it  COME  TO  THE  GROUND. 

1645.  Howell,  Letters,  iv.  9.  It 
concerns  you  not  to  be  over-hasty  herein 
not    to    take    the    r.Ai.i.    before    the 

BOUND. 

1661.     Papers  on  Alt.   Prayer-Book, 

24.   You  HAVE  the  ball  BEFORE  YOU, 

and  have  the  wind  and  sun,  and  the  power 
of  contending  without  controll. 

1781.  Bentham,  To  G.  Wilson 
{IVorks  (1843),  •'^■-  i°4]-  I  P"'  *  ^°'''^  '" 
now,  and  then  to  keep  the  ball  up. 

c.  1800.  Auckland,  Corresp.  (1862), 
III.  416.  We  have  the  ball  at  our 
feet,  and  if  the  Government  will  allow  us 
.   .  .  the  rebellion  will  be  crushed. 

1809.  Wellington  yCttt'M.  Dis- 
patches, v.  365J.  If  the  Spaniards  had 
not  lost  two  armies  lately,  we  should  keep 
UP  THE  BALL  for  another  year. 

1812.  Byron,  Waltz,  .\iii.  Note. 
Waltz  and  the  battle  of  Austerlitz  are  .  .  . 
said  to  have  opened  the  ball  together. 

1876.  Eton  Chronicle,  20  July.  He 
who  opened  the  ball  and  who  saw  them 
all  fall.  Scarce  deserved  that  defeat  in 
one  innings. 

1878.  Eliot,  Coll.  Breakfast  P.,  345. 
Louder  Rosencranz  Took  up  the  ball. 

1887.  Haggard,  Allan  Quaterm., 
xi.  Sir  Henry  opened  the  ball  by 
firing  at  the  three-parts  grown  young  one. 


Ballad-basket. 


121 


Ballack. 


Call  the  ball,  intj.  phr. 
(Stonyhurst).— The  '  Foul  !  '  of 
Association  football. 

Three  brass  (or  golden) 
balls.     See  Three  balls. 

Ballad- BASKET,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— A  street  singer  :  see  Street 
PITCHER.     Fr.  braillard. 

Ballad- MONGER,  subs.  phr.  (old 
colloquial).  —  I.  A  ballad-maker  : 
in  contempt  :  hence  ballad- 
MONGERING. 

1596.  Shakspeare,  I  Hen.  IV.,  iii. 
I.  130.  1  had  rather  be  a  Kitten,  and  cry 
mew,  Then  one  of  these  same  Meeter 
Balladmongers. 

1756.  Wharton,  Ess.  PoJ>e  {iy2>2),  i. 
vii.  356.  Villon  was  merely  a  pert  and 
insipid  ballad-monger. 

1778.  Sheridan,  Rivals,  ii.  i.  To 
make  herself  the  pipe  and  ballad- 
monger  of  a  circle  ! 

1809.  Bryon,  Bards  and  Rev.,  xii. 
Behold  the  ballad-monger  Southey  rise  ! 
/izV.,  Argt.(MS.).  The  poet  .  .  .  revileth 
Walter    Scott    for  .  .  .  ballad-monger- 

ING. 

Ballahou,  subs,  (nautical).  —  'A 
term  of  derision  applied  to  an 
ill-conditioned  slovenly  ship  ' 
{Century)  ;  'a  West  Indian  clipper 
schooner  :  apparently  she  may 
also  be  a  brig  to  judge  from  The 
Cruise  of  the  Midge''  (CLARK 
Russell). 

Ballambangjang— The  Straits 
OF  Ballambangjang,  subs.  phr. 
(nautical).  —  '  Though  unnoticed 
by  geographers,  are  frequently 
mentioned  in  sailors'  yarns  as 
being  so  narrow,  and  the  rocks 
on  each  side  so  crowded  with 
trees  inhabited  by  monkeys,  that 
the  ship's  yards  cannot  be  squared, 
on  account  of  the  monkeys'  tails 
getting  jammed  into,  and  choking 
up,  the  brace  blocks.' — Hotten, 


Ballast,  subs.  (common). — 
Money  :  generic  :  see  Rhino. 
Hence  well-ballasted  =  rich. 

Ball  Face,  subs.  (American  negro). 
— A  white  man  [Bartlett  : 
applied  at  Salem,  Mass.,  1810- 
1820]. 

Ball-keeper.     See  Ball,  stibs.  4. 

Ball-kiy-nag,  subs.  phr.  (venery). 
— The /«WW  :  jfe  Prick.  [Ball 
—  a  generic  name  for  a  horse.  ] 

<r.  1707.  Old  Ballad,  'The  Trooper 
Watering  His  Nag  '  [Farmer,  Merry 
Songs  and  Ballads  (i'iq(i),  i.  192J.  When 
Night  came  on  to  Bed  they  went,  .  .  . 
What  is  this  so  stiff  and  warm,  .  .  .  'Tis 
Ball  mv  nag — he  will  do  you  harm. 

Ballock,  S2tbs.  (once  literary  :  not 
now  in  polite  use). — A  testicle  : 
also  ballock-stone  ;  and  (short) 
BALL.  Hence  ballock-cod  = 
the  scrotum  ;  BALLOCKS  !  (or  ALL 
BALLS  !)  =  a  derisive  retort  {cf. 
CoJones  =  z.  Spanish  oath).  As 
verb  (TO  go  ballock ing,  or 
DO  A  ballocking)  =  to  copulate  : 
see  Ride  :    also   (of  women)   to 

GET  A  PAIR  OF  BALLS  AGAINST 
one's  BUTT.       Also  TO  GET  UP  TO 

one's  balls  =  to  effect  intro- 
mission. Whence  TO  make 
BALLS  OF  =  to  make  a  mistake  ; 
go  to  wrong   {q.V.),   TO   BUGGER 

(orBiTCH)up($^.z^.).  Ballocks- 
STONES  =  a  term  of  endearment 
(Palsgrave,  Acolastius,  1540). 

c.  1000.  Glossary  [IVright,  Vocab.,  265. 
Testiculi,  beallucas.  Ibid.,  53g.  Omem- 
brana,  BALLUC  cod.  Ibid.,  677.  Piga, 
balloke  code. 

[?]  MS.  Bib.  Reg.,  17  A.  iii.  f. 
149.  For  swellinge  of  hai.lokis  [a 
medical  receipt]. 

1382.  Wyclif,  Bible,  Levil.  xxii.  24. 
A!  beeste  that  .  .  .  kilt  and  taken  away 
the  BALLOKES  IS.  [Auth.  Ver.  =  ' that  is 
.  .  .  cut.'] 


Ball  of  Fire. 


122 


Bally. 


c.  1460.  TowneUy  Myst.,  236.  I  have 
brysten  both  my  balok  stones,  So  fast 
hyed  I  hedyr. 

1486.  Bk.  S/.  Albans,  'Hawking,' 
C.  viii.  Geue  hir  the  bai.ockes  of  a 
Bue. 

1579.  Baker,  Guydon's  Quest. 
Cyrurg,  33,  s.v. 

1653.  Urquhart,  Rabelais,  i.  .xiii. 
Who  his  foul  tail  with  paper  wipes.  Shall 
at  his  BALLOCKS  leave  some  chips.  Ibid., 
II.  i.     True  BAi.LOCKEERiNG  blades. 

1721-1800.     Bailey,  Diet.,  .s.v. 

rf.  1796.  (Burns,  Mero'  Muses  (c. 
iSoo),  15].  '  For  a'  that  and  a'  that.'  His 
hairy  balls  .  .  .  hang  like  a  beggar's 
wallet.  Ibid.  '  As  I  looked  o'er  yon  castle 
wa'  [quoted  by  Burns  in  a  letter  to  George 
Thomson].  He  plac'd  his  Jacob  whare 
she  did  piss.  An'  his  balls  where  the  wind 
did  blaw. 

Ball  of  Fire,  subs. phr.  (popular). 
— A  glass  of  cheap  iDrandy 
(Grose.) 

Ball  OF  Honour.  .9fi?  Beggar's 
Ace. 

Ball  of  Wax,  subs.,  (common). 
— A  snob,  or  shoe-maker. 

BALLOON,  verb.  (American). — To 
brag;  TO  GAS  {q.v.).  Also 
colloquial  :  e.g.  Balloonacy 
(jcf.  lunacy)  =  a  mania  for  balloon- 
ing ;  BALLOONATIC  {cf.  lunatic) 
=  balloon-mad  ;  BALLOONING, 
subs.  (Slock  Exchange)  =  inflating 
prices  by  fictitious  means,  and  as 
rt<^'.  =high  falutin'  {q.v.). 

rf.  1826.  Jeffreson,  Correspond.,  i. 
323.     Ballooning  indeed  goes  on. 

1864.  D.  Teleg.,  19  Feb.  We  live  in 
an  age  of  balloonacy.  Ibid.  (1865),  22 
Nov.,  5.  3.  That  Nadar,  the  balloon. 
ATic,  has  sold  his  balloon. 

1878.  Sinclair,  Mount-,  33.  Gas- 
brained,  ballooning  wandering  men. 

1882.  Western  Daily  Press,  27  Mar., 
3.  1.    A  sharp  epidemic  of  balloonacy. 


1882.  Moonshine,  v.  163.  Another 
BALLOONATIC  attempt  to  cross  the  Channel. 

Ballot-box  Stuffing,  subs.  phr. 
(American).  —  Tampering  with 
election  returns  :  '  a  box  is  con- 
structed with  false  bottom  and 
compartments  so  as  to  permit 
spurious  ballots  to  be  introduced 
by  the  teller  in  charge.  The 
most  outrageous  frauds  have  been 
committed  by  this  means  ' 
[Bartlett]. 

1876.  New  York  Tribune,  Oct. 
[B.^rtlett].  Detectives  sent  on  to  look 
after  the  Democratic  roughs  and  ballot- 
box  stuffers.  Ibid.,  7  Nov.  Several 
experts  at  ballot-box  stuffing  were 
spotted  here  to-day. 

Ball's-bull.  Like  Ball's  bull, 
phr.  (provincial).  —  Said  of  a 
person  with  no  '  ear  '  for  music  : 
Ball's  bull  had  so  little  that  he 
'  kicked  the  fiddler  over  the 
bridge'  (Halli well). 

Ballum  Rancum,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
—  A  BUFF-BALL  {q.V.):  'the 
company  dance  in  their  birthday- 
suits  '  (Grose  and  Bee). 

Bally,  adj.  (common). — A  generic 
intensive  :  very  ;  great  ;  exces- 
sive :  cf.  BLOODY  ;  FUCKING,  etc. 
[A  comparatively  recent  coinage, 
it  is  said,  of  The  Sporting  Times 
{see  Terminal  Essay)  from 
'  bally hooly'.] 

1889.  Sporting  Times,  6  July  (An- 
swers to  Correspondents).  H.  G.  Steele. 
— Thanks.  What  a  bally  idiot  you  must 
be. 

1889.  Bird  o'  Freedom,  7  Aug.,  5. 
You  can  bally  well  t:ike  it  yourself. 

1807.  Marshall,  Pomes,  19.  They 
lump  the  BALLY  lot  in  one.  Ibid.,  39.  If 
I  meet  the  bally  old  bounder. 

1901.  Troddles,  77.  He  .  .  .  asked 
Murray  plaintively  if  we  wanted  all  the 
BALLY  carriage  to  ourselves. 


Ballyhack. 


123 


Bam. 


Ballyhack.  Go  to  ballyhack, 
phr.  (American). — 'Get  along,' 
'  Go  to  hell  !  ' 

1870.  JuDD,  Margaret,  55.  Let 
Obed  GO  TO  BALLYHACK.  Come  along 
out. 

BALLYRAG.     See  Bullyrag. 

Balm,  sttbs.  (old).— A  lie  (Bun- 
combe). 

Balmy.  The  balmy,  subs.  phr. 
(common).  —  Sleep  :  as  adj.  = 
sleepy  :  c/.  '  balmy  slumbers  ' 
(Shakspeare)  and  'balmy  sleep' 
(Young).  To  have  a  dose  (or 
wink)  of  the  balmy  =  to  go  to 
sleep.     See  Bedfordshire. 

1840.  Dickens,  O/d  Curiosity  Shop, 
ch.  viii.  p.  42.  'As  it's  rather  late,  I'll 
try   and    get   A   wink   ok   two    of    the 

BALMV. 

See  Barmy. 

Balsam,  subs,  (thieves').  Generic 
for  money  (Grose  and  Bee).  See 
Rhino. 

187 1.  Nczv  ]'ork  Slang  Diet.  It 
was  no  great  quids,  Jim — only  six  flimseys 
and  three  beans.  But  I'm  flush  of  the 
UALSAM  now,  and  I  ain't  funked  to   flash 


Bam  (or  Bamboozle),  subs.  (old). 
— A  hoax  ;  a  cheat  :  as  verb  (bam- 
boo, BOOZLE,  or  BAMBOOZE)  =  tO 
victimize,  outwit,  mystify,  or 
deceive  (Grose)  ;  also  (Halli- 
well)  to  threaten  :  (/!  hum  from 
HUMBUG.  [Swift  (1710), 
Taller,  '  Refinements  of  Twenty 
Years  Past  '  :  '  Certain  words 
such  as  banter,  BAMBOOZLE  .  .  . 
now  struggling  for  the  vogue  '  ; 
Johnson  (1755):  'a  cant  word'; 
Boucher  (1833)  :  'haslong  .  .  . 
had  a  place  in  the  gypsy  or 
canting  dictionaries';  O.E.D.  : 
'  probably  of  cant   origin  '  ;    Cen- 


tury: 'a  slang  word  of  no  definite 
origin.']  Whence  numerous  COM- 
BINATIONS, COLLOQUIALISMS  and 
phrases  :     e.g.      TO     BAMBOOZLE 

AWAY  =  to  get  rid  of  speciously  ; 
TO  BAMBOOZLE  I NTO  =  to  persuade 
artfully  ;  TO  BAMBOOZLE  OUT  OF 
=  to  obtain  by  trick  ;  BAM- 
BOOZLED =  mystified,  tricked  ; 
BAMBOOZLEMENT  =  tricky  decep- 
tion; BAMBOOZLER  =  a  mystifier; 
BAMBOST  =  deceptive       humbug  ; 

TO  BAMBLUSTERCATE=::to  bluster, 

embarrass,  or  confuse  :  cf.  CON- 
GLOMERATE and  COMFLOGISTI- 
CATE  ;  BAMSQUABBLED  (or  BUM- 
SQUABBLED)  =  discomfited,  defeat- 
ed, squelched.     See  Banter. 

1703.  CiBBER,  She  Would  and  She 
Would  Not,  ii.  I.  Sham  proofs,  that 
they  propos'd  to  bamboozle  me  with. 
Ibid.,  iv.  I.  The  old  Rogue  .  .  .  knows 
how  to  Bamboozle  ...  I'll  have  a  touch 
of  the  Bamboozle  with  him.  Ibid. 
{1707),  Double  Gallant,  i.  2.  Pray,  Sir, 
what  is't  you  do  understand?'  Sound. 
Bite,  Bam,  and  the  best  of  the  Lay,  old 
Boy.' 

170g.  Steele,  Tatler,  No.  31.  I 
perceive  this  is  to  you  all  bamboozling. 

1710.  SvviKT,  Polite  Conv.,  'Introd.' 
The  exquisite  refinements  .  .  .  kam  for 
bamboozle  and  bamboozle  for,  God 
knows  what.  Ibid.,  i.  Her  ladyship  was 
plaguily  bamb'd. 

1712.  Akbuthnot,/ö/2«  Bull,  HI.  vi. 
Fellows  that  they  call  banterers  and 
bamboozi.ers,  that  play  such  tricks  ;  but 
.  .  .  these  fellows  were  in  earnest  !  Ibid., 
Sg.  After  Nie  had  bambouzled  John  a 
while  about  the  18,000  and  the  28,000. 

1715.  Addison,  Druiinncr,  i.  i.  All 
the  people  upon  earth,  excepting  these 
.  .  .  worthy  gentlemen,  are  .  .  .  cheated, 
bubbled,  abused,  bamboozled. 

1716.  RowE,  ÄVt'?-,  i.  I.  You  intend 
to  bambouzle  me  out  of  a  Beef  Stake. 

1728.  Earbery  [tr.  Burnet's  St. 
Dead,  I.  8g].  The  Gnosticks  bambouzled 
away  all  the  Corporeal  resurrection. 

1747.  Garkick,  jiliss  in  Teens,  ii.  i. 
I'll  break  a  lamp,  bully  a  constable,  bam 
a  justice,  or  bilk  a  box-keeper  with  any 
man. 


Bain. 


124 


Banbury. 


1762.  FooTE,  Orators,  ii.  Why  I 
know  that  man,  he  is  all  upon  his  fun  ; 
he  lecture — why  'tis  all  but  a  bam.  Ibid. 
(1777^,  [Webster].  Some  conspiracy  .  .  . 
to  BAM,  to  chouse  me  out  of  my  money. 

1774.  Bridges,  Burlesque  Homer, 
104.  My  little  girl,  if  folks  don't  bam  me. 
Cries  bitterly  to  see  her  mammy. 

c.  1787.  Kilmainhani  Minit  [Ireland, 
Sixty  Years  Ago,  86].  To  boozle  the 
bulldogs  and  pinners. 

1803.  Sharpe  {Correspondence  (188S), 
i.  17].  Billy  Bamboozle,  a  quizzer  and 
wit. 

1815.  Scott,  Guy  Mannering,  iii. 
What  were  then  called  bites  and  bams, 
since  denominated  hoaxes  and  quizzes. 
Ibid.  (1817),  Rob  Roy,  ix.  '  It's  all  a  bam, 
ma'am — all  a  bamboozle  and  a  bite. 

1S27.  Lytton,  Pelham,  xxxvi. 
One  does  not  like  to  be  bamboozled  out 
of  one's  right  of  election. 

1830.  Marryat,  King's  Own,  xlix. 
'  Now,  you're  bamming  me  —  don't  put 
such  stories  off  on  your  old  granny.' 

1838.  Haliburton,  Clockmaker,^  2 
S.  ii.  If  he  didn't  look  bumsquabbi.ed  it's 
a  pity. 

1842.  Barham,  Ingolds.  Leg.,  '  .St. 
Cuthbert,'  217.  It's  supposed  by  this 
trick  he  bamboozled  Old  Nick. 

1855.  Scot.  Rev.,  188.  Washington 
Irving  .  .  .  exercises  ...  his  rare  powers 
of  bamboozlement  and  laughter-stirring. 

1859.  Massey  [Sat.  Rev.,  5  Mar.]. 
Our  greatest  of  men  is  Harlequin  Pam, 
'  The  Times  '  says  so,  and  '  the  Times  ' 
cannot  bam  ! 

1861.  Sat.  Rev.,  16  Feb.,  6.  2. 
Government  by  bamboozle  always  pre- 
sents considerable  advantages  at  first  sight. 

1865.  Day  0/ Rest.,  OcX.,^is^  I  was 
deaf  to  all  that  bambosh. 

1874.  Linton,  Patricia  Ketiiball, 
xxxix.    That  tale  of  Gordon  Frere  was  all 


1878.  Black,  Green  Pastures,  xli. 
326.  Who  has  I1AMB0OZLED  himself  into 
the  erroneous  belief  that  .  .  . 

1886.  Sat.  Rev.,  No.  1587,  423. 
The  public  is  a  great  bamboozable 
body. 


Banaghan.  He  beats  Bana- 
GHAN, //ir.  (old). — An  Irish  say- 
ing of  one  who  tells  travellers' 
tales.  [Banaghan  (Grose)  was 
a  minstrel  famous  for  dealing  in 
the  marvellous.] 

Banagher,  verb.  (old). — To  bang. 

Bananaland,     Bananalander, 

subs.  (Australian). — Queensland  ; 
a  native  of  Queensland.  [A 
large  portion  of  Queensland  lies 
within  the  tropics  to  which  the 
banana  (Musa  sapientiitn)  is  in- 
digenous.] 

1886.  Chamb.  Journal,  20  Feb.,  124. 
Booted  and  spurred  '  Cornstalks  '  and 
Banana-men. 

1887.  Melbourne  (Victoria)  Sports- 
man, 23  March,  7.  2.  Paddy  Slavin  came 
from  Queensland  with  the  reputation  of 
having  beaten  all  the  Bananalanders. 

1887.  Sydney  (N.S.W.)  Bulletin,  26 
Feb.,  6.  His  friends  rallied  up  to  con- 
gratulate him,  .  .  .  after  the  custom  of  the 
simple  Bananalander. 

Banbury.  The  inhabitants  of  this 
Oxfordshire  town  (now  noted  for 
its  cakes)  seem  to  have  been  the 
subjects  of  ridicule  and  sarcasm 
from  very  early  times  ;  chiefly  on 
account  of  their  zeal  for  the 
Puritan  cause.  Thus  Banbury- 
man  (-blood  or  -SAlNT)  =  a  hypo- 
crite (cf.  popular  saying,  '  A 
Banbury  man  will  hang  his  cat 
on  Monday  for  catching  mice  on 
Sunday');  Banbuky-WIFE  =  a 
whore  ;  Banbury-story  (or 
Banbury  tale  of  a  cock-and- 
A-BULL)  =  an  extremely  improb- 
able yarn  (Grose),  'silly  chat' 
(B.  E.);  Banbury-gloss  =  a 
specious  reading  ;  Banbury- 
VAi'OURS  =  the  stock-in-trade  of 
a  Puritan  agitator  ;  Banbury- 
CHEESE  =  the  thinnest  of  poor 
cheese  (IIeywood  :  '  I  never  saw 
Banbury  CHEESE  thick  enough'): 


Banbury, 


125 


Bandanna. 


hence  a  term  of  contempt.  Also 
PROVERBS  (Howell,  1660)  : 
'  Like  Banbury  tinkers,  who 
in  stopping  one  hole  make  two  '  ; 
'  As  wise  as  the  mayor  of  Ban- 
bury, who  would  prove  that 
Henry  HI.  was  before  Henry  H.' 

c.  1535.          Latiimek,      Sentions  and 

Remains  (1845),    11.    299.     In    this  your 

realm     they     have     sore     blinded  your 

liege  people  and  subjects  with  their  laws, 
customs,       ceremonies,      and      Banbuky 

GLOSSES,     and     punished      them  with 
cursings. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  Merry  Wives,  i. 
I.     10.    [To    Slender.]      You    Banbury 

CHEESE  ! 

1601.  Pasquil  and  Katk.,  III.  178. 
Put  off  your  clothes,  and  you  are  like  a 
Banbery  CHEESE,  Nothing  but  paring. 

1614.  JoNSON,  Bartholomew  Fair. 
'  Dram.  Pers.'  Zeal-of-the-Land  Busy 
...  a  Banbury  man  .  .  .  [i.  3],  I  knew 
divers  of  those  Banburians  when  I  was 
in  Oxford  .  .  .  [i.  3]  Rabbi  Busy  ...  a 
prophet  ...  he  was  a  baker,  but  he  does 
dream  now  and  see  visions  ;  he  has  given 
over  his  trade,  [/aid.,  iii.  i.]  These  are 
Banbury-bloods  o'  the  sincere  stud, 
come  a  pig-hunting,  [fôid.,  v.  3],  Busy. 
I  look  for  a  bickering  ere  long,  and  then  a 
battle.  Knock.  Good  Banbury  vapours. 
[Ibid.}  Masque  of  Gypsies.  From  the 
loud  pure  wives  of  Banbury  .  .  .  Bless 
the  sov'reign  and  his  hearing. 

1636.  Davenant,  Wits,  i.  I.  She 
is  more  devout  Than  a  weaver  of  Banburv, 
that  hopes  To  intice  heaven,  by  singing, 
to  make  him  lord  Of  twenty  looms. 

1647.  Corbet  [Harl.  Misc.,  i.  274]. 
The  malignants  do  compare  this  common- 
wealth to  an  old  kettle  with  here  and  there 
a  crack  or  flaw  ;  and  that  we  (in  imitation 
of  our  worthy  brethren  of  Banbury),  like 
deceitful  and  cheating  knaves,  have, 
instead  of  stopping  one  hole,  made  three 
or  four  score. 

1648.  Braithwaite,  Barnahys  Jo. 
Through  B.'vnbukv  I  passed,  O  profane 
one.  And  there  I  saw  a  Puritane  one 
Hanging  of  his  Cat  on  Monday  For 
killing  of  a  Rat  on  Sunday. 

1863.  Sala,  Capt.  Dangler,  i.  i.  15. 
I  did  ever  hate  your  sanctimonious 
Banbury  man. 


Banco,  siibs.  (Charterhouse 
School). — Evening  preparation 
at  '  house,'  under  the  superinten- 
dence of  a  monitor  ;  the  Win- 
chester TOY-TIME  {q.V.).  [See 
Farmer  :  Public  School  Word- 
Book.'] 

1900.  Tod,  Charterhouse,  81.  The 
visit  of  a  house  master  to  banco  was 
intensely  resented  .  .  .  The  term  banco 
was  suggested  by  H.  W.  Phillot,  after- 
wards Canon  of  Hereford  ...  in  1832,  or 
a  little  later. 


Banco-Steerer.  See  Bunco- 
steerer. 

Band.  Our  Lady's  bands,  subs, 
phr.  (old  colloquial). — Accouche- 
ment ;  '  confinement  '  (an  old 
abstract  meaning). 

1495.  Festival  [Strype,  Eccles. 
Mem.,  I.  ii.,  Appen.  .xxxvii.  99].  Pray 
...  for  al  women  which  be  in  OUR  Ladves 

BANDES. 

See  Banded. 

Bandanna,  subs,  (common). — 
Orig.  a  silk  handkerchief  with 
white,  yellow,  or  other  coloured 
spots  on  a  dark  ground.  Also 
(loosely)  a  handkerchief  of  any 
kind  :  see  Wipe. 

1752.  Long,  Bengal  (1870),  31. 
Plain  taffaties,  ordinary  bandannoes,  and 
chappas. 

1824.  Annual  Register,  140.  2. 
Bandana  handkerchiefs. 

1843.  Carlyle,  Past  and  Present 
(1858),  285.     Beautiful  bandanna  webs. 

1S55.  Thackeray,  Ncwcovies,  iv. 
The  Colonel  was  striding  about  the  room 
.  .  .  puffing  his  cigar  fiercely  anon,  and 
then  waving  his  yellow  bandanna. 

1875.  Bird,  Hawaii,  134.  Many 
had  tied  bandanas  in  a  graceful  knot  over 
the  left  shoulder. 


Bandbox. 


126 


Bang. 


Bandbox  (or  Bandboxical),  adj. 
(colloquial).— (i)  Precisely  neat; 
fussy  ;  finical  ;  and  (2)  frail  or 
small  (as  is  a  bandbox)  :  e.g.  A 
BANDBOX  thing  ;  '  She's  just 
come  out  of  a  bandbox  (or  glass 
case)  '  ;  '  You  ought  to  be  put  in 
a  BANDBOX  (of  anyone  over 
particular).     See  Bandog. 

1774.  West.  Mag.,  11.  454.  The  good 
man  .  .  .  turned  the  eye  of  contempt  upon 
the  Band-box  Thing,  and  .  .  .  said,  '  I 
believe  'tis  a  Doll.' 

1787.  Beckford,  Italy  (1834),  u.  175. 
Cooped  up  in  close,  bandboxical  apart- 
ment. 

c.  1852.  Moore,  Country  Dance  and 
Quad.,  xiii.  51.  A  band-box  thing,  all 
art  and  lace,  Down  from  her  nose-tip  to 
her  shoe-tie. 

1873.  Braddon,  Strangers  and 
Pilgrims,  HI.  i.  240.  Square  bandboxi- 
cal rooms. 

See  Arse. 

Banded,  adj.  (Old  Cant).  — 
Hungry  :  also  TO  WEAR  THE 
BANDS  (Grose  and  Vaux). 

BANDERO,  subs.  (American). — 
Widows'  weeds.  \Cf.  Littré  : 
bandeau,  anciennement  coiffure 
des  veuves;  Ken  nett  :  bando7e  = 
a  widow's  veil,  and  B.  E. ,  'a 
widow's  mourning  Peak  '  ; 
Eng.  'banderol' =  a  streamer 
carried  on  the  shaft  of  a  lance 
near  the  head.] 

BANDOG,  subs.  (Old  Cant).  — I.  '  A 
bailiff,  or  his  Follower,  a  Ser- 
geant, or  his  Yeoman  '  (B.  E.  and 
Grose).  [Properly  a  '  bound'- 
dog,  because  ferocious  ;  hence  a 
mastiff  or  bloodhound.]  To 
SPEAK  LIKE  A  BANDOG  (or  BAN- 
DOG and  Bedlam)  =  to  rave;  to 
bluster. 

1600.  Dkkkek,  Gentle  Cra/t\lVnrks 
(,873),  I.  19I.  O  master,  is  it  you  that 
SPEAK  BANDOG  AND  Bedlam  thismominRV 


i6io.  Chester's  Tri.  Envie,  12. 
Thou  envious  Bandogge,  SPEAKEand  doe 
thy  worst. 

1839.  Ainsworth,  Jack  Sheppard, 
[1889],  12.  '  But  where  are  the  lurchers?' 
'  Who  ?  '  asked  Wood.  '  The  traps  !  '  re- 
sponded a  bystander.  '  The  shoulder- 
clappers  !  '  added  a  lady.  .  .  .  '  The  ban- 
dogs !  '  thundered  a  tall  man. 

2.  (old). — A  bandbox  (Grose). 

B.  AND  S.  (common).  —  Brandy 
and  soda. 

1868.  Whyte  Melville,  White  Rose, 
xiii.  Before  the  B.  .\nd  s.  could  make  its 
appearance. 

1881.  Black,  Beautiful  Wretch,  v. 
I  will  get  you  some  tea,  though  what 
would  be  better  for  you  still,  would  be  some 
b.  and  s. 

1882.  Ptinch,  Ixxxii.  6g.  i.  He'll 
nothing  drink  but  'b.  and  s.'  and  big 
magnums  of  '  the  boy.' 

1900.  Savage,  Brought  to  Bay,  iv. 
'  How  will  you  put  in  your  time  ?  '  '  Whist, 
the  smoking-room,  and  B  and  S.,'  was 
Julian's  answer. 

BANDY.     Ä^  Bender. 

Bandy-legged,  adj.  phr.  (B.  E., 
c.  1696  :  now  recognised).  — 
'  Crooked.'  [The  earliest  quot.  in 
O.E.D.  is  dated  1787;  but  the 
word  did  not  come  into  general 
use  until  the  second  quarter  of 
the  eighteenth  century.] 

Bang,  subs,  (old  colloquial:  now 
recognised  in  some  senses).  — 
Generic  for  energy  and  dash  : 
a  blow,  thump,  sudden  noise, 
go  {q-v.\  As  verb  =  to  drub 
(B.  E.  and  Grose),  strike, 
explode,  or  shut  with  violence. 
Hence  TO  bang  it  out  (or  about) 
=  to  come  to  blows  (or  fisticuffs), 
to  fight  it  out  ;  TO  BANG  (  -  slam) 
A  DOOR  ;  TO  BANG  (  =  fire)  A  gun  ; 
TO  BANG  (  =  ]ilay  loudly)  A  PIANO  ; 
TO  BANG  INTO  ONE's  HEAD  =  to 
convince  by  force  ;  TO  BANG 
AGAlNST=:to  bump  (or  thump); 


Banor. 


127 


Bang. 


Bang.  To  Bang  away  at  =  to  make 
a   violent  and  continuous  noise  ; 

TO     BANG     OUT     =    tO   gO    with    a 

flourish;  TO  bang  up  =  to  throw 
oneself  upon  suddenly,  to  spring 

up;     BANG    (or    BANG    OFF)   =    at 

once,  abruptly:  eg.  BANG  went 
saxpence;  in  a  bang,  in  a  hurry; 
BANG  OUT,  completely;  banging  = 
violent,  noisy,  and  as  subs.  =  a 
drubbing:  see  Wipe,  (^see  also 
sense  2). 

c.  1530.  Robin  Hood  (Ritson),  vi.  79. 
AU  the  wood  rang  at  every  bang.  Ibid., 
ix.  95.  Either  yield  to  me  the  dale,  Or 
I  will  BANG  thy  back  and  sides.  Ibid. 
(c.  1600).  xvii.  85.  With  a  but  of  sack 
we  will  BANG  IT  ABOUT,  To  See  who  wins 
the  day. 

1560.  Disob.  Child  [DoDSLEY,  Old 
Plays  (Hazlitt),  ii.  282J.  What  banging, 
what  cursing,  Long-tongue,  is  with  thee. 

1582.  Stanvhurst,  ALiieis  [Arber], 
68.     Thow  must  with  surges  bee  banged. 

1588.  Marprelate's  .E/zV^/s  [Arber], 
4.  His  grace  . . .  was  loth  to  have  any 
other  so  banged  as  he  himselfe  was  to  his 


1592.  Dav,  Blind  Beggar,  ii.  2.  I'll 
have  it  again,  or  I'll  bang  it  out  of  the 
coxcombs  of  some  of  them. 

1593.  Nashe,  Four  Lett.  Con/at., 
37.  A  bigge  fat  lusty  wench  it  is,  . . . 
will  bang  thee  abhominationly  if  euer  she 
catch  thee.  Ibid.  (1595),  Saffron  Waiden, 
X.  ij.  b.  The  banginest  things  . . ,  which 
I  can  pick  out  . . .  are  these. 

1601.  Shakspeare,  yidius  Casar, 
iii.  3.  20.  You'l  bear  me  a  bang  for  that 
I  feare.  Ibid.  (1602),  Tivelfth  Night,  iii. 
3.  Have  banged  the  youth.  Ibid.(i6o^), 
Othello,  ii  I.  21.  The  desperate  tempest 
hath  so  bang'd  the  Turks,  That  their 
designment  halts. 

1616.  HoLYDAV,  Juvenal,  185.  Then 
th'  axe  their  chariot-wheels  with  banging 
stroak  Splits  out. 


1644.  Radcliffe  [Carte,  Collect. 
(1735),  329].  After  a  shrewd  BANG  Prince 
Rupert  is  recruiting  gallantly. 

1663.  Butler,  Hudibras,  i.  ii.  831. 
With  many  a  stiff  thwack,  many  a  bang, 
Hard  crab-tree  and  old  iron  rang. 

1675.  Cotton.  Scoffer  Scoffi,  44. 
With   my   Battoon   I'le  bang  his  sconce. 

1709.  STEEI.B,  Tatler,  yo.  So  neither 
is  banging  a  Cushion  Oratory. 

1 7 19.  Carey,  Sally  in  our  Alley, 
St.  3.  My  master  comes,  like  any  Turk, 
And  BANGS  me  most  severely. 

1768.  Ross,  Helenore,  143.  (Jamie- 
son.)    Then  I'll  bang  out  my  beggar  dish. 

1784.  CowpER,  Works  (1876),  183. 
You  are  a  clergyman,  and  I  have  banged 
your  order. 

c.  1787.  Beckford,  Italy,  II.  136.  A 
most  complicated  sonata,  banged  off  on 
the  chimes. 

1794.  Burns,  Works,  133.  Oh  aye 
my  wife  she  dang  me,  And  aft  my  wife  did 
bang  me. 

179s.  Macneill,  Will  and  Jean,  i. 
Bang  !   cam   in  Mat  Smith  and's  brither, 

1813.  Examiner,  18  Jan.,  43.  i.  The 
mob  ...  called  out,  'Bang  up  lads,  in 
with  you.' 

1814.  Scott,  Waver  ley,  in.  238. 
Twa  unlucky  red-coats  . . .  banged  off 
a  gun  at  him.  Ibid.  (1816),  Old  Mortality, 
80.  It's  not  easy  to  bang  the  soldier  with 
his  bandoleers. 

1816.  Austen,  Emma,  l.  i.  5.  She 
always  turns  the  lock  of  the  door  the  right 
way  and  never  BANGS  it. 

1840.  Dana,  Bef.  Mast,  xxxvi.  The 
watch  on  deck  were  banging  away  at  the 
guns  every  few  minutes. 

1855.  Browning,  Works  (1863J,  i.  53. 
Bang,  whang,  whang  goes  the  drum. 

1870.  Kaye,  Sepoy  War,  11.  vi.  4. 
554.  An  unwonted  amount  of  confidence 
and  bang. 

I 


Bano. 


128 


Ba7isr. 


1877.  D.  News,  I  Nov.,  6.  i.  This  is 
now  being  banged  into  the  heads  that 
have  planned  . . .   this  campaign. 

1884.  Cornhill  Mag.,  April,  442. 
'Davis,'  ...  'you  haven't  had  a  banging 
this  term,  and  you're  getting  cocky.' 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  28.  Having 
saved  up  enough  siller  to  encourage  him 

in   BANGING  just    A   SAXPENCE    Or    twa. 

2.  (orig.  American).  A  fringe 
of  hair  (usually  curled  or  frizzled) 
cut  squarely  across  the  forehead. 
As  verb,  to  cut  (or  wear)  the  hair 
in  this  fashion.     Also  bang-tail, 

BANG-TAILED,  BANG-TAIL  MUSTER 

(of  horses):  see  quot.  1887. 

1887.  TvRWHiTT,  New  Chum  in 
Queensland  Bush,  62.  Every  third  or 
fourth  year  on  a  cattle  station,  they  have 
what  is  called  a  bang  tail  muster; 
that  is  to  say,  all  the  cattle  are  brought 
into  the  yards,  and  have  the  long  hairs 
at  the  end  of  the  tail  cut  otF  square, 
with  knives  or  sheep-shears.  .  . .  The 
object  of  it  is  . . .  to  find  out  the  actual 
number  of  cattle  on  the  run,  to  compare 
with  the  number  entered  on  the  station 
books. 

1861.  Hughes,  Tom  Brown  at 
Oxford,  vi.  'These  bang-tailed  little 
sinners  any  good?'  said  Drysdale,  throw- 
ing some  cock-a-bondies  across  the  table. 

1870  D.  News,  19  July,  6.  A  good 
mare  with  a  bang-tail. 

1880.  Howell,  Undiscovered  Coun- 
try, viii.  When  one  lifted  his  hat  .  . . 
he  showed  his  hair  cut  in  front  like  a 
young  lady's  bang. 

1880.  Ev.  Standard,  3  Ap.,  4.  4. 
The  present  style  of  banged  girl. 

1882.  Century  Mag.,  xxv.  192.  He 
was  bareheaded,  his  hair  BANGED  even 
with  his  eyebrows  in  front. 

1883.  Pall  Mall  Gazette,  19  Dec, 
4.  I.  It  was  no  doubt  unfortunate  that 
when  the  Empress  Eugenie  cut  her  hair 
across  her  forehead  from  sorrow  of  heart, 
the  women  of  five  continents  should  imitate 
her  until  the  bang  became  universal. 


1883.  Harper's  Mag.,  Mar.,  492.  2. 
They  wear  their  ...  hair  'b.^nged'  low 
on  their  foreheads. 

1888.  Detroit  Free  Press.  Bang, 
Sister,  BANG  with  care;  If  your  poker's 
too  hot  you'll  lose  your  hair. 

Verb,  (common). —  i.  To  excel, 
surpass,  beat:  cf.  (Irish)  that 
BANGS  Bannagher  and  Banaagher 
BANGS  the  world.  Hence  (2)  to  out- 
wit, puzzle,  deceive.  .\lso  banging 
=  great,  large,  THUMPING  (q-v.): 
e.g.  a  BANGING  boy,  wench,  lie  etc.  ; 
BANGER  =  anything  exceptional  ; 
BANG-UP  =  fine,  first-rate,  of  the 
best  (the  root  ideals  completeness 
combined  with  energy  and  dash)  : 
see  subs.,  sense  i  and  quot.  1785. 
occasionally  (as  verb.)  =  to 
smarten  up. 

1731.  Fielding,  Lottery,  2.  Ah, 
think,  my  lord  !  how  I  should  grieve  to 
see  your  lordship  bang'd, 

1785,  Grose,  Vulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Bang-up.  {Whip.)  Quite thething.  Well 
done.  Complete.  Dashing.  In  a  hand- 
some stile.  A  bang-up  cove:  a  dashing 
fellow  who  spends  his  money  freely.  To 
bang  up  prime:  to  bring  your  horses  up 
in  a  dashing  or  fine  style:  as  the  swell's 
rattler  and  prads  are  bang  up  prime:  the 
gentleman  sports  an  elegant  carriage  and 
fine  horses.  A  man  who  has  behaved 
with  extraordinary  spirit  and  resolution 
in  any  enterprise  he  has  been  engaged 
in  is  also  siiid  to  have  come  b.\ng  up  to 
the  mark  ;  any  article  which  is  remarkably 
good  or  elegant,  or  any  fashion,  act,  or 
measure  which  is  carried  to  the  highest 
pitch  is  likewise  illustrated  by  the  same 
emphatical  phrase. 

1808.  Cumb.  Ball,  iv.  13.  Cocker 
Wully  lap  bawk-heet  . . .  But  Tamer  in 
her  stockin  feet,  She  bang'd  him  out 
and  out. 

i3i2.  Smith,  Rejected  Addresses 
(1833),  163.  Dance  a  bang-up  theatrical 
cotillion. 

1814.  Hanger,  Sporting  'Flyleaf.' 
A  sportsman  entire — who  says  nay,  tells 

a    BANGER, 


Bavg-beggar. 


129 


Bangster. 


1821.  CooiiBE,  Syntax,  iii.  5.  Thus 
BANGED-UP,  sweeten'd,  and  clean  shav'd, 
The  sage  the  dinner-table  braved. 

1837.  Dickens,  Life,  11.  i.  34.  The 
next  Pickwick  will  bang  all  the  others, 

1842.  Lever,  Jack  Hinton,  vii. 
His  hat  set  jauntily  ...  his  spotted  neck- 
cloth knotted  in  bang-up  mode. 

1844.  Whateley  [Quart.  Rev., 
XXIV.  368].  We  could  not  resist  giving  a 
specimen  of  John  Thorpe  .  .  .  altogether 
the  best  portrait  of  . . .  the  bang-up 
Oxonian. 

1846.  Thackeray,  Vanity  Fair, 
I,  xxxiv.  In  a  tax  cart,  drawn  by  a 
BANG-UP  pony  . .  .  his  friends,  the  Sutbury 
Pet  and  the  Rottingdean  Fibber. 

1851-61.  Mayhew,  London  Lab.,  47. 
'It  was  good  stuff  and  good  make  at 
first,  and  that's  the  reason  why  it  always 
BANGS  a  slop,  because  it  was  good  to 
begin  with.' 

1864.  Denison  \p.  Tel.,  31  Aug,]. 
They  could  win  it  with  a  great  banging 
majority. 

1882.  /'««^cÄ,  Lxxxii.  115. 1.  'These 
then  are  the  dandies,  the  fops,  the  goes 
and  the  bang-ups,  these  the  Corinthians 
of  to-day.'  "Wi^^e.  fellows  are  very  'good 
form,'  and  as  to  being  bang-up,  a  good 
many  poor  old  chappies  are  deuced 
hard-up. 

189g.  Whiteing,  fohn  St.,  viii. 
They  earn  halfpence  by  well-told  BANGERS. 
They  are  sent  out  to  lie. 

3.  (Stock  Exchange). — To  of- 
fer stock  loudly  with  the  intention 
of  lowering  the  price. 

1S84.  Marten  and  Christopherson, 
Monthly  Circ,  31  Mar.  Speculators  for 
the  fall  are  as  usual  taking  the  opportun- 
ity  to  BANG  the  market  by  heavy  sales. 

Phrases,  To  be  banged  up 
to  the  eyes  =  to  be  drunk  :  see 

SCREWED;     TO     BANG     (or    BEAT) 

THE  hoof:  see  Hoof, 

Bang-beggar,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— I.  A  stout  cudgel.  2.  (old)  = 


a  constable  or  beadle.  3.  (old)  = 
a  vagabond  :  a  term  of  reproach. 

1865.  Waugh,  Barrel  Organ,  ag. 
Owd  Pudge,  th'  bang-beggar,  coom 
runnin'  into  th'  pew. 

Banger,  subs.  (American). — A  heavy 
cane  ;  a  bludgeon.  [Hall  :  one  of 
the  Yale  vocables.] 

i8[?].  Yale  Lit.  Mag.,  xx.  75.  A 
Sophomore  gang  .  . .  Who,  with  faces 
masked  and  bangers  stout.  Had  come 
resolved  to  smoke  him  out. 

The  Bangers,  subs. phr.  (military). 
—The  First  Life  Guards. 
See  Bang,  verb. 

BANG-PITCHER,  stibs.  phr.  (old). — 
A  tippler:  jiyLushington.  Hence 

to     bang     THE     PITCHER     =     tO 

guzzle  :  see  LusH. 

1639.  Clarke,  Paramiol.,  102,  A 
notable  bang-pitcher,  Silenus  alter. 

1694.  MoTTEUX,  Rabelais,  v.  xvii. 
He  loved  heartily  ...  to  bang  the 
PITCHER,  and  lick  his  dish. 

BANGSTER,  sttbs.  (old).  I.  A  bully  ; 
a  braggart  :  also  as  adj.,  =  turbu- 
lent. Hence  bangstry  =  viol- 
ence. 

c.  1570.  Leg.  Bp.  St,  Andrews  \Scot. 
Poems  ï6th  C.  (1801);  11,  326].  PrOude 
ambitious  bangsters. 

1594.  Acts  James  VL  (1597).  217. 
Persones  wrangously  intrusing  themselves 
in  the  rowmes  and  possessiones  vtheris  be 
bangstrie  and  force. 

1651.  Calderwood,  Hist.  Kirk 
(1843),  II.  516.  My  lord,  mak  us  quite  of 
thir  Matchiavelian  and  bangester  lords, 

1755.  Ross,  Helenore  [Jamieson]. 
That  yet  have  bangsters  on  their  boddom 
set. 

2.    (Scots'), — A  victor;  winner  : 
cf.  BANG,  verb. 


Bavzstraw. 


130 


Ba7ik. 


1820.  Scott,  Abbot,  xix.  If  the 
Pope's  champions  are  to  be  bangsters 
in  our  very  change  houses,  we  shall  soon 
have  the  changelings  back  again.  Ibid. 
(1824),  St.  Ronan's  Well,  xxiii.  If  you  are 
so  certain  of  being  the  bangster — so  very 
certain,  I  mean,  of  sweeping  stakes  . .  . 

3.     (common). — A    wanton;    a 
harlot:  see  Tart. 

BANGSTRAW,  subs,  (common). — A 
thresher:  also  (Grose)  'applied 
to    all  the  servants  of  a  farmer.' 

BANG-TAIL.    {See  Bang)  subs.  2. 

BANGY,  subs.  (Winchester  College). 
— Brown  sugar.  Also  as  adj.  ^ 
brown.  Hence  BANGY  bags 
(or  BANGIES)  =  brown-coloured 
trousers.  [Wrench:  'the  strong 
objection  to  these  in  former  times 
probably  arose  from  Tony  Lump- 
kin coming  to  school  in  corduroys.] 
Also  Bangy-gate  r=  (i)  a  brown 
gate  leading  from  Grass  Court  to 
Sick  House  Meads  ;  and  (2)  a 
gate  by  Racquet  Court  into  Kings- 
gate  St. 

BANIAN  (or  BANYAN)  -DAY,  subs, 
phr.  (old  nautical). — One  day 
(originally  two,  but  j^^  quot.  1748) 
in  the  week  on  which,  in  the 
Royal  Navy,  meat  was  withheld 
from  the  crews  ;  hence,  a  bad 
day,  a  disagreeable  day.  [Grose 
and  O.E.D.  :  in  reference  to  the 
Banian's   abstinence    from  flesh.] 

1690.  Ovington  [Yules,  Anglo- 
Indian  Glossary],  Of  kitcheney  (butter, 
rice,  and  dai)  the  European  sailors  feed  in 
these  parts,  and  are  forced  at  such  times 
to  a  Pagan  abstinence  from  flesh,  which 
creates  in  them  an  utter  detestation  to 
those  DANIAN-DAVS  as  they  call  them. 

1706.  Ward,  Wooden  World,  42. 
He  gets  more  by  one  Bannian-Dav  than 
many  others. 

1748.  Smoli.ktt,  Rod.  Random,  xx, 
On   Mondays,    Wednesdays,  and  Fridays 


the  ship's  company  had  no  allowance  of 
meat,  . . .  these  meagre  days  were  called 
banyan-days. 

1820.  Lamb,  Elia  (Christ's  Hospital"). 
We  had  three  banyan  to  four  meat  DAYS 
in  the  week. 

1855.  Thackeray,  Nccvcomes,  Ixiii. 
Knowing  the  excellence  of  the  Colonel's 
claret  and  the  splendour  of  his  hospitality, 
he  would  prefer  a  cocoa-nut  day  at  the 
Colonel's  to  a  banyan-day  anywhere  else. 

1876.  Hindley,  Cheap  Jack.  [From 
Strolling  Players'  bill.]  Mr.  Wooldridge, 
with  all  due  respects  to  his  brother  Tars, 
hopes  they  may  never  have  short  allowance 
— banyan  days;  or  a  southerly  wind  in 
the  Bread  Basket. 

1885.  Household  Words,  25  July, 
260.  There  were  often  six  upon  four  aboard 
ship,  and  two  banyan  days  in  a  week, 
which  being  translated  is,  the  rations  of 
four  men  were  served  out  amongst  six,  in 
addition  to  which,  on  two  days  in  the  week 
no  rations  were  served  out  at  all. 

BANISTER,  subs,  (old  :  now  recogn- 
ised).— Usually  banisters  =:  a 
balustrade.  O.  E.  D.:  a  corrup- 
tion of  '  baluster'  condemned  by 
Nicholson  as  '  improper',  by  Stuart 
and  G  wilt  {Did.  Archit.  1830)  as 
'  vulgar',  the  term  had  already 
taken  literary  rank,  and  has  now 
acquired  general  acceptance. 

Banjo,  subs,  (common). — A  bedpan  ; 
a   FIDDLE  {q.V^  ;   a  SLIPPER  {q.v^. 

Bank,  subs,  (thieves'). — I.  A  lump 
sum  ;  the  total  amount  possessed  : 
e.g.  'How's  the  bank.''  =  'Not 
very  strong,  about  one  and  a 
buck.'  As  verb  [a)  ■=.  to  steal, 
make  sure  of:  e.g.  '  Bank  the  rags  ' 
=  'Take  the  notes';  [b)  =:  to 
place  in  safety  ;  and  (c)  z=:  to 
share  the  booty,  '  to  nap  the  RE- 
GULARS '  (t/.v.). 

2.  (ihieves'  and  obsolete). — 
Spec.  The  Bank  ;  i.e.  Milbank 
prison:  jiart  of  the  site  is  now 
(1905)  occupied  by  an  Art  gallery. 


Banker. 


\\\ 


Banqjiet-  beagle. 


1889.  Answers,  25  May,  412.  We 
approached  our  destination,  Millbank — 
THE  BANK  in  a  convict's  parlance. 

1900.  Griffiths,  Fast  and  Loose, 
xxxii.  'The  blokes  from  Dorchester  were 
seen  coming  out  of  the  bank — '  'What 
bank?'  interrupted  Meggit.  'Not  one  of 
your  kind;  Millbank,  I  mean. 

BANKER,  subs,  (sporting). —  I.  A 
horse,  good  at  jumping  on  and 
off  banks  too  high  to  be  cleared, 

2.  (old). — In  pi.,  clumsy  boots 
and  shoes  ;  beetle-crushers 
{q-v.):  see  Trotter-cases. 

Bankrupt-Cart,  subs.phr.  (old). — 
'A  one-horse  chaise — of  a  Sunday' 
i^Bec)  ;  '  said  to  be  so  called  by  a 
Lord  Chief  Justice  through  their 
being  so  frequently  used  on  Sun- 
day jaunts  by  extravagant  shop- 
keepers and  tradesmen'  (Grose). 

Bankruptcy  List.  To  be  put  on 

the  bankruptcy  list,  verb.  phr. 
(old). — To  be  completely  knocked 
out  of  time  (Grose). 

1823.  Egan,  RandalVs  Diary,  'Fare- 
well to  the  Prize-ring.'  For  Turner  I've 
cleaned  out;  and  Martin  the  baker,  I'd 
very  near  fut  on  the  bankruptcy  list. 

Bank-shaving,  si{bs.  phr.  (Ameri- 
can).— Usury:  before  banks  were 
regulated  by  Act  of  Congress,  the 
least  reputable  purchased  notes 
of  hand  and  similar  documents 
at  enormously  usurious  rates  of 
discount:  he  who  thus  raised  the 
wind  was  said  to  get  his  paper 

SHAVED. 

BANKSIDE-LADY  (or  WENCH),  subs, 
phr.  (old). — A  harlot:  see  Tart. 
In  old  London  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  theatres  was  likewise  the 
quarter  of  the  stews  {q.v!) — 
notably  Bankside,  Southwark  ; 
and  'n  later  days,  Covent  Garden 
and  Drury  Lane. 


I5gg.  JoNSON,  Ev.  Man  out  0/ 
Humour,  V.  v.  Some  cunning  woman 
here  o'  the  bank-side.  Ibid.  (1614),  Bar- 
tholomew  Fair,  v,  3.  Leander  I  make  a 
dyer's  son  about  Puddle-wharf:  and  Hero 
a  WENCH  of  the  Bankside. 

1633.  ^Iassinger,  Nevi)  Way,  iv.  2. 
You  lodged  upon  the  Bankside. 

1638.  Randolph,  Muses'  Looking- 
G/««, '[Dodsley,  Old  Plays  (Reed),  ix, 
206].  Come,  I  will  send  for  a  whole 
coach  or  two  of  Bankside  ladies,  and 
we  will  be  jovial. 

1721.  Strvpe,  Eccl.  Mem.  11.  i.  17. 
142.     The  Bank-side   where   the   Stews 


BANK-SNEAK,  subs. phr.  (common). — 
A  bank  thief  (^.z'.):  J'^^;  Sneak. 

1888.  Daily  Inter-Ocean,  16  Feb. 
Watt  N.Jones,  the  notorious  bank-sneak 
and  burglar  so  widely  known  profession- 
ally in  every  city  of  the  United  States 
and  Canada. 

BANNER,  sttbs.  (American  news- 
boys').— Money  paid  for  board 
and  lodging:  the  origin  of  the 
term  is  unknown. 

BANNISTER,  subs.  (old). — A  traveller 
in  distress.  [Halliwell:  the 
term  occurs  in  the  ancient  ac- 
counts of  the  parish  of  Chudleigh, 
CO.  Devon.] 

BANQUET.  Running  banquet,  subs, 
phr.  (old). — A  snack,  a  slight 
repast  between  meals:  RUNNING 
banquet  between  beadles,  a 
whipping. 

1613.  Shakspeare,  Henry  VIII,  m. 
4.  69.  Besides  the  running  banquet  of 
two  beadles  which  is  to  come. 

1657.  Jordan,  Walks  Islington. 
Prologue.  A  Play  of  Walks,  or  you  may 
please  to  rank  it  With  that  which  Ladies 
love,  a  RUNNING  banquet. 

BANQUET-BEAGLE,  subs. phr.  (old).— 
A   glutton,   a  smellkeast  {q.z:). 


Banter. 


132 


Banter. 


1599.  JONSON,  Ev.  Man  Out  of 
Humour,  Dram.  Pers.  A  good  feast- 
hound      or      BANQUET-BEAGLE,      that     will 

scent  you  out  a  supper  some  three  miles  off. 

Banter,  subs,  (old  :  now  recog- 
nised).— Nonsense;  raillery;  plea- 
santry; a  jest  or  matter  of  jest. 
As  verb,  with  numerous  deriva- 
tives: e.g.  BANTERER,  BANTEREE, 
BANTERING,  BANTERY,  etc.  [SwiFT 
says  the  word  was  'first  borrowed 
from  the  bullies  in  White  Friars, 
then  it  fell  among  the  footmen, 
and  at  last  retired  to  the  pedants' 
{Tale  of  a  Tub,  17 10);  O.  E.  D.: 
'of  unknown  etymology:  it  is 
doubtful  whether  the  verb  or  the 
sb.  was  the  earlier:  existing  evi- 
dence is  in  favour  of  the  verb  :  the 
sb.  was  treated  as  slang  in  1688]. 

1676.  DuRFEv,  Mad.  Fickle,  v.  i. 
{1677)  5°-  Banter  him,  banter  him 
Toby.  'Tis  a  conceited  old  Scarab,  and 
will  yield  us  excellent  sport. 

1678.  Wood,  Life,  6  Sep.  The 
B.\NTERERS  of  Oxford  (a  set  of  scholars 
so  called,  some  M.  A.)  who  make  it  their 
employment  to  talk  at  a  venture,  lye  and 
prate  what  nonsense  they  please;  if  a 
man  talk  seriously,  they  talk  floridly 
nonsense,  and  care  not  what  he  says. 

1687.  Brown,  Saints  in  Uproar 
[  Works,  i.  74].  To  BANTER  folks  out  of 
their  senses. 

1688.  Shadwell,  Sg.Alsatia,  i.  i.  15. 
He  shall  cut  a  sham,  or  banter  with  the 
best  wit  or  poet  of  'em  all. 

1690.  Locke,  Hum.  Uiidcrst.,  in,  ix. 
7.  He  that  first  brought  the  word  banter 
in  use,  put  together  as  he  thought  fit, 
those  Ideas  he  made  it  stand  for. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Cre^u,  s.v. 
Banter,  a  pleasant  way  of  prating,  which 
seems  in  earnest,  but  is  in  jest,  a  sort 
of  ridicule,  What,  do  yoii  banter  tnei' 
i.e.  do  you  pretend  to  impose  upon  me, 
or  to  expose  me  to  the  Company,  and 
I  not  know  your  meaning. 

1700.  Ch.  En/c.  Loyalty  [Somers, 
Tracts,  11,  562].     'Tis   such   a  jest,  such 


a  Banter,  to  say,  we  did  take  up  Arms, 
but  we  did  kill  him;  Bless  us,  kill  our 
King,  we  wou'd  not  have  hurt  a  Hair  on 
his  Head. 

1705.  Whatelv  [Perry,  Hist.  Coll. 
Amer.  Col.  Ch.  i.  172].  I  know  no  better 
way     of    answering     bombast,    than    by 

BANTER. 

1709.  Steele,  Tatler,  12.  i.  Game- 
sters, banterers,  biters  are,  in  their 
several  species,  the  modern  men  of  wit. 

1710.  Swift,  Tatler,  17,0.  j.  I  have 
done  my  utmost  for  some  years  past  to 
stop  the  Progress  of  INIobb  and  Banter. 
Il'id.  Tale  of  a  Tili  {Apology),  II.  Peter's 
Banter  (as  he  calls  it  in  his  Alsatic 
phrase)  upon  transubstpntiatior.  .  .  .  If  this 
bantering  as  they  call  it  be  so  despicable. 

1722.  WoDROW,  Corr.  (1843),  11,  659. 
Such  plain  raillery,  that  unless  I  should 
learn  Banter  and  Billingsgate,  which  I 
still  thought  below  a  historian,  there  is 
no  answering  it. 

1741.  Richardson,  Pamela  (1824), 
I,  in.  '  You  delight  to  banter  your  poor 
servant,'  said  I. 

1754.  Chatham,  Lett.  NepheT.o,  iv. 
24.  If  they  banter  your  regularity, 
order,  and  love  of  study,  banter  iu  return 
their  neglect  of  them. 

1815.  Scott,  Guy  Mannering,  H. 
Somebody  had  been  bantering  him  with 
an  imposition. 

1823.  Blackwood's  Mag.,  xin,  26g. 
Fixing  the  attention  of  the  Banteree  . . . 
and  amusing  the  company  with  his  per- 
plexity. 

1844.  Dickens,  Martin  Chnzzlewit 
(C.  D.),  249.  She  took  it  for  banter,  and 
giggled  excessively. 

1849.  Macaulay,  Hist.  Eng.  iii.  369. 
An  excellent  subject  for  the  operations 
of  swindlers  and  banterers. 

1865.  Carlvle,  Fred.  Great,  ix,  xx. 
vi.  116.  PoorQiiintuswasBANTEREDabout 
it,  all  his  life  after,  by  this  merciless  King. 

1865.  Carlvle,  Fred.  Great,  vf,  n. 
iii.  54.  Its  wit  is  very  copious,  but  slashy, 
bantrry.  Ibid.  (1867),  Rcmin.  11.  5». 
Cooing  banterv,  lovingly,  quizzical. 


Bant. 


133 


Bar. 


1883.  Harper's  Mag.  Oct.  702.  i. 
'Perhaps  you  intend  to  embark  for 
Australia?'  she  added  banteringly. 

2.  (American). — A  challenge 
to  a  race,  shooting-match,  etc. 
[Bartlett,  (1848)].  Also  as  verb. 

Bant,  verb  (common). —  Orig.  to 
follow  the  dietary  prescribed  by 
Dr.  Banting  for  corpulence  ;  hence 
to  diet  oneself,  train. 

1864.  7"/;«M,  12  Aug.,  4,  The'classics 
seemed  to  have  undergone  a  successful 
course  of  banting. 

1865.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  12  June  G. 
If  he  is  .  , .  gouty,  obese,  and  nervous,  we 
strongly  recommend  him  to  'bant'. 

1868.  Braddon,  Only  a  Ciati,  113. 
A  parlour  where  all  the  furniture  seemed 
to  have  undergone  a  prolonged  course  of 

BANTING. 

1881.  JEc/io,  24  June.  There'are  fewer 
persons  Bantingised  in  America  than  in 
England. 

1883.  Ki!07vlrdgs,  27  July,  49,  2. 
Bantingisim  excludes  beer,  butter,  and 
sugar. 

Bantling,  subs.  (Old  Cant:  now 
colloquial  or  recognised). — A 
bastard:  cf.  BRAT;  hence  (modern), 
a  child  (B.  E.,  Grose):  spec,  a 
young  or  undersized  child;  usually 
in  depreciation.  [Mahn:  'with 
great  probability,  a  corruption  of 
Ger.  bänkling,  bastard,  from  bank, 
bench,  i.e.  a  child  begotten  on  a 
bench  and  not  in  the  marriage- 
bed']. 

1593.  Drayton,  Eclog.,  vii,,  102, 
Lovely  Venus . . .  smiling  to  see  her  wanton 
bantlings  game. 

1635.  Quarles,  Emhleins,  II.,  viii. 
(1718),  93.  See  how  the  dancing  bells 
turn  round  ...  to  please  my  bantling. 

174S.  Smollett,  Rod. Random, x\\\\. 
That  he  may  at  once  deliver  himself  from 
the  importunities  of  the  mother  and  the 
suspense  of  her  bantling. 


1756.  Connoisseur,  123  (1774),  iv,  142. 
Their  base-born  bantlings. 

1758.  Goldsmith,  Essays,  x.  Who 
follow  the  camp,  and  keep  up  with  the 
line  of  march,  though  loaded  with  bant- 
lings and  other  baggage. 

1809.  Irving,  Knickerbocker,  (1861), 
48.  A  tender  virgin,  accidentally  and 
unaccountably  enriched  with  a  bantling. 

1812.  Smith,  Rejected  Addresses. 
It's  a  rickety  sort  of  bantling,  I'm  told, 
That'll  die  of  old  age  when  it's  seven 
years  old. 

1822.  Scott,  Fortunes  of  Nigel, 
xiji.  Sell  me  to  a  gipsy,  to  carry  pots, 
pans,  and  beggars  bantlings. 

BANTY,  adj.  (American  thieves'). — 
Saucy;  impudent. 

BANYAN-DAY.     See  Banian-DAY. 

BAPTISED,  adj.  (old).— Mixed  with 
water,  CHRISTENED  {q.v^  (Grose, 
Bee):  spec,  of  spirits  when  not 
taken  NEAT  {_ç.v.y.  Fr.  chrétien, 
baptisé. 

1636.  Healey,  Theophrastu^,  46. 
He  will  give  his  best  friends  his  baptized 
wine. 

BAPTIST,  subs.  (old). — *  A  pickpocket 
caught  and  ducked'  (Bee). 

Bar,  subs,  (old  gaming:  various). — 
See  quots. 

1545.  AscHAM,  Toxophilus  [Arber], 
55.  Certayne  termes  ...  appropriate  to 
theyr  playing;  whereby  they  wyl  drawe 
a  mannes  money,  but  paye  none  whiche 
they  cai  barres. 

1592.  Nobody  and  Somebody,  4to, 
G.  3.  Those  Demi-BARS  ...  Those  b.\k 
Sizeaces. 

1753.  Chambers,  Cyclopedia  'Suppt.' 
Barr  Dice,  a  species  of  false  dice,  so 
formed  that  they  will  not  easily  lie  on 
certain  sides. 

Verb,  and  prep.,  (of  respectable  lineage, 
but  now  more  or  less  colloquial). — i.  Ex- 
cept, excluding,  save,  but  for:  mostly 
used  in  racing,  e.g.  Four  to  one  bar  one, 
Four  to  one  on  the  field;  that  is,  on  all 


Bar. 


134 


Barahbas. 


the  horses  entered  except  ing  only  the 
favourite.  As  verb  (2),  to  exclude  from 
consideration,  take  exception  to. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  M.  of  Vetiice, 
ii.,  a,  207.  Nay,  but  I  bar  to-night:  you 
shall  not  gauge  me  by  what  we  do  to- 
night. 

1611.  Beaumont  and  Fletcher, 
Philasier,  ii.  25.  Good  Prince,  be  not 
bawdy,  nor  do  not  brag;  these  two  I  bar. 

1648.  Herrick,  Hesperides,  i.  225. 
When  next  thou  do'st  invite,  barre  state. 
And  give  me  meate. 

1672.  WvcHERLEY,  Love  in  a  Wood 
[Works  (17 12),  HI,  382].  That  w^ere  as 
hard  as  to  bar  a  young  parson  in  the 
pulpit,  the  fifth  of  November,  — railing  at 
the  Church  of  Rome. 

1697.  Vanbrugh,  ySsop,  ii.  What 
I  have  in  my  mind,  out  it  comes:  but  bar 
that;  I'se  an  honest  lad  as  well  as  an- 
other. 

1714.  Mandeville,  Faâ.  Sees  (1725), 
I,  306.  Charity  boys  . . .  that  swear  and 
curse  .  . .  and,  bar  the  cloaths,  are  as 
much  blackguard  as  ever  Towerhill . . . 
produc'd. 

1718.  Freethinker,  95.  287.  I  once 
more  bar  all  Widowers. 

1727.  Swift,  To  Sheridan  [Works 
(1745)1  viii,  348].  I  intended  to  be  with 
you   at   Michaelmas,   bar  impossibilities. 

1752.  FooTE,  Taste,  ii.  Barring 
the  nose,  Roubillac  could  cut  as  good  a 
head  every  whit. 

1808.  WoLCOT,  Works,  V.  (1812),  355. 
They  call  thee  a  fine  China  jar.  But  I 
humbly  beg  to  bar. 

1809.  Smith,  Works  (1859),  i.  176.  i. 
We  BAR  in  this  discussion,  any  objections 
which  proceed. . . . 

1818.  Scott,  Rni  Roy,  iii.  'I  should 
like  to  try  that  daisy-cutter  . . .  upon  a  .  .  . 
level  road  (bakking  canter)  for  a  quart  .  .  . 
at  the  next  inn.' 

1836.  Dickens,  Pickwick,  Iv.  'I'll 
bet  you  ten  guineas  to  five,  he  cuts  his 
throat,'    said    Wilkins    Flasher,    Esquire, 


'Done,'  replied  Mr.  Simmery.  'Stop!  I 
bar,'  said  Wilkins  Flasher,  Esquire. 
'  Perhaps  he  may  hang  himself.* 

1870.  Standard,  i^Dec.  This  sortie, 
bar  miracles,  has  decided  the  fate  of 
Paris. 

3.  (American  thieves'). — To 
stop  ;  to  cease.  Obviously  aa 
attributive  meaning  of  the  legit- 
imate word. 

4.  (American). — To  frequent 
drinking-bars  ;  to  tipple.  To  bar 
TOO  MUCH,  to  get  drunk:  see 
Screwed. 

BarabbaS,  sjiis.  (journalists'). — A 
publisher.  [Usually,  but  erro- 
neously, attributed  to  Lord  Byron, 
who  is  said  to  have  applied  it  to 
John  Murray  the  elder,  having  sent 
him  a  Bible  in  which  the  famous 
passage  in  John  xviii.,  40,  was 
altered  to  'Now  Barabbas  was  a 
publisher'.  The  reigning  John 
Murray  (1905)  writes:  'I  have  it 
on  the  authority  of  my  father, 
who  was  alive  during  all  the  time 
of  his  father's  dealings  with  Byron, 
that  there  is  not  a  word  of  truth 
in  any  detail  of  the  story'.  The 
joke  was  in  reality  made  by 
Thomas  Campbell  in  regard  to 
another  publisher,  the  Mr.  Long- 
man of  his  day]. 

1891.  Smiles,  yohn  Murray,  11,  336. 
s.v. 

1901.  Free  Lance,  9  March,  55S.  i. 
Occasion:tlly,  of  course,  Bahaiiuas  catches 
a  Tartar,  who  threatens  legal  proceedings, 
and  demands  to  inspect  the  publisher's 
books. 

1902.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  10  May,  i.  3. 
It  is  a  capital  time  for  the  writers  of 
histories,  works  of  erudition,  and  other 
books  of  the  class  to  bring  forward  their 
wares.  Barabhas  will  be  enabled  to  give 
his  whole  mind  to  their  production  before 
he  leaves  his  splendid  mansion  in  Park- 
lane  for  his  moor  in  Scotland. 


Baras:an-tailor. 


135 


Barber. 


BARAGAN-TAILOR,  subs.  phr.  (tai- 
lor's).— A    rough-working   tailor. 

BARATHRUM,  sîés.  (old  colloquial). 
— An  extortioner;  a  glutton. 

1609.  Man  in  the  Moon  (1849),  ''■I- 
A  bottomlesse  Barathrum,  a  mercilesse 
monger. 

1633.  Massinger,  New  Way  etc. 
iii.  2.     You  BARATHRUM  of  the  shamblcs  ! 

BARB,  verb.  (old). — To  shave;  trim 
the  beard:  also  TO  barber:  cf. 
Butch. 

1587.  TuRBERViLLE.  Tragical  Tales 
^1837),  53.  Doe  BARBE  that  boysterous 
beard. 

1613.  Stafford,  Heav.  Dogge,  64. 
I  will  stare  my  headsman  in  the  face 
with  as  much  confidence  as  if  he  came  to 
BARBE  mee. 

1663.  Cowley,  Cutter,  Cûlenian  St. 
ii.  5.  Neat  Gentlemen  . . .  tho'  never 
wash'd  nor  barb'd. 

1665.  Pepys,  Diary,  27.  Nov.  Sat 
talking,  and  I  barbing  against  to-morrow. 

1864.  D.  Tel.  15  Feb.  Where  you 
can  be  shaved  or  'barbed',  as  the  locution 
is,  shampooed,  tittivated,  curled. 

2.  (Old  Cant.)— To  clip  gold, 
SWEAT  {q.v."):  also  applied  to 
clipping  wool,  cloth,  etc. 

1610.  JONSON,  Alchemist,  i.  i.  Ay, 
and  perhaps  thy  neck  within  a  noose,  for 
laundring  gold,  and  barbing  it. 

1863.  Sala,  Capt.  Dangerous,  II,  vii. 
226.  Gambling  bullies  . .  .  throwing  their 
Highman,  or  barbing  gold. 

BARBADOES,  verb,  (old  colloquial). 
— To  transport  (as  a  convict): 
Barbadoes  was  formerly  a  penal 
settlement. 

1655.  Go\SG-E.\T\WR-LO?:.,  State  Papers 
(1742),  III.  495].  The  prisoners  of  the 
Tower   shall,   'tis  said;  be  Barbadozz'd. 

1845.  Carlvle,  Cromwell  (1871),  iv, 
115.     Be  barbadoesed  or  worse. 


Barbar,  subs.  (Durham  School). — 
A  candidate  for  scholarship  hail- 
ing from  another  school:  i.e. 
BARBAR-ian,  stranger. 

Barber,  subs.  (Winchester). —  i.  A 
thick  fagot  or  bough  :  one  was 
included  in  each  bundle  of  fire- 
wood. 2.  Any  large  piece  of  timber. 
3.  A  generic  reproach  :  thus, 
barber's-block  (clerk,  or  bar- 
ber-monger) =  a  fop  ;  one  who 
spends  much  time  in  barbers' 
shops  ;  spec,  (mechanics)  an  over- 
dressed shopman  or  clerk  ;  bar- 
ber's cat  =:  a  weak,  sickly-look- 
ing person;  barber's-chair  = 
a  strumpet  (because  common  to 
all  comers);  barber's-music  = 
rough  music.  Also  (proverbial) 
'Nostrils  wider  than  barber's 
basins.' 

1598.  Shakspeare,  All's  Well,  ii. 
2.  A  barber's  chair  that  fits  all  buttocks; 
the  pin-buttock,  the  quatch-buttock,  the 
brawn-buttock,  or  any  buttock.  Ibid. 
(1605).  Lear,  ii.  2.  Draw,  you  whoreson 
cullionly  BARBER-MONGER,  draw. 

1621.  Burton,  Anatomy  of  Melayi- 
choly,  III.  IV.,  i,  3.  (1651),  665.  A  notor- 
ious strumpet  as  common  as  a  barber's- 

CHAIR. 

1643.  Randolph,  Muse's  Looking 
Glasse.  Eyes  as  big  as  sawcers,  nostrils 
WIDER  Than  barbers  basons! 

1660.  Pepvs,  June  5.  My  lord  called 
for  the  lieutenant's  cittern,  and  with  two 
candlesticks  with  money  in  them  for  sym- 
bols  (cymbals)   we  made  barbers  music. 

1708.  Motteux,  Rabelais,  Pantagr., 
Prognost.  Barber's-chairs,  hedge  whores. 

1785.  Grose,  yulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Barber's  chair — as  common  as  a  barber's 
chair  in  which  a  whole  parish  sat  to  be 
trimmed. 

1835.  Dickens,  Boz,  155.  'Tailor!' 
screamed  a  third.  'Barber's-clerk!' 
shouted  a  fourth. 


Barberize. 


136 


Bar'd. 


Verb  (University). — To  work 
off  an  imposition  by  deputy;  also 
BARBERISE  :  tradition  says  that  a 
learned  barber  was  at  one  time 
employed  as  a  scapegoat  in  work- 
ing off  this  species  of  punishment. 

1853.  Bradley,  Verdant  Green,  xii. 
As  for  impositions,  why  . . .  Ain't  there 
coves  to  BARBERISE  'em  for  you? 

3.  See  BARB  and  barberize. 
That's  the  barber,  ////•.  (old). — 
'  That's  well  done';  'It's  all  O.K.' 
(ç.v.y.  'a  street  catch-phrase  about 
the  year  1760'  (Grose). 

Barberize,  vero.  (American).— To 
shave;  cut  hair;  play  the  barber: 
(■/.  Barb. 

BARBER'S-KNOCK,  siihs.phr.  (old).— 
A  double  knock  :  the  first  hard, 
and  the  second  soft  as  if  by 
accident. 

Barber'S-SIGN,  subs.phr.  (venery). — 
The  penis  and  testes:  i.e.  (Grose) 
'a  standing  pole  and  two  wash- 
bowls'. 

Bard,  subs.  (old). — A  term  of  con- 
tempt: see  quot.  18S8. 

1449.  ^'^^  ^  James  II  (1597),  22. 
Gif  there  be  onie  that  makes  them  fuilis 
and  are  bairdes,  or  vthers  sic  like  rin- 
nares  about.  Iltid.  (1457),  80.  Sornares, 
BAIRDES,  maister-fuU  beggers  or  feinziet 
fuiles. 

c.  1500.  Kenneth,  Stat.  [Balfour, 
Practicks  680].  All  vagabundis,  fulis, 
BAKDis,  scudlaris,  and  siclike  idill  pepili, 
sal  be  brint  on  the  cheek. 

c.  1505.  Dunbar,  Flyiiug,  49.  Irsche 
brybour  baird,  wyle  beggar  with  thy 
bratlis. 

1609.  Skene,  Rcj.  Mag.  135.  Fein- 
zied  fooles,  bairdes,  rynners  about  . . . 
after  sundrie  punishments,  may  be  hanged. 

188S.  Oxford  Etig.  Diet.,  s.v.  Bard. 
In  early  Lowland  Scotch  used  for  a  strolling 


musician  or  minstrel,  into  which  the  Celtic 
bard  had  degenerated,  and  against  whom 
many  laws  were  enacted;  in  16th  cent.,  a 
term  of  contempt,  but  idealised  by  Scott 
to  mean  an  epic  poet,  a  singer. 

BARDASH,  siibs.  (venery). — A  cat- 
amite; an  ingle  {q.v.).  Also  as 
verb  =  TO  bugger  (ç.v.). 

1548.  Thomas,  Itat.  Diet.  s.v.  Za/i- 
zeri  .  . .  bardasses. 

1598.  Florio,  ìforlde  of  Wordcs, 
s.v.  Cinedo  . . ,  aBARDARSH  abuggringboy, 
a  wanton  boy,  an  ingle.  Ibid.  s.v.  Cine- 
dulare,  to  bugger,  to  bardarsk,  to  ingle. 

Camer.  Hist.  Med.  171.  Cato,  among 
other  things,  hit  him  in  the  teeth  with  a 
certain  bardash,  whom  he  had  enticed 
from  Rome  into  France  with  promise  of 
rich  rewards.  This  womanly  youth  being 
at  a  feast,  etc. 

1678.  Butler,  Hudibras  iii,  i.  27S. 
Raptures  of  Platonick  Lashing,  And  chast 
Contemplative  Bardashing. 

1721.  Centlivre,  Platonic  Lady, 
Essil.  With  your  false  Calves,  Bardash, 
and  Fav'rites. 

BAR'D  cater  tra,  phr.  (old).— 
False  dice:  so  constructed  that 
the  quatre  and  trois  were  seldom 
cast:  cf.  FULLAMS,  HIGH-MEN, 
LOW-MEN,   etc. 

1602.  Dekker,  Honest  Whore,  ii. 
[Dodslev,  Old  Plays  (Reed)  iii,  437]. 
I  have  suffered  your  tongue,  like  a  bar'd 
cater  tra,  to  run  all  this  while  and  have 
not  stopt  it. 

c.  1608.  Rowland,  Humors  Ordinarie. 
He  hath  a  stocke  whereon  his  living  stayes. 
And  they  are  fuUams  and  bakdquarter- 

TRAYKS. 

1612.  Art  of  fiiggling,  C4.  Such 
be  also  cali'd  bard  cater  ircas,  because 
commonly  the  longer  end  will  of  his  own 
sway  drawe  downewards,  and  turne  up  to 
the  eie  sice,  siiickc,  deuce,  or  ace.  The 
principal  use  of  them  is  at  Novum,  for 
so  long  a  paire  of  bard  cater  treas  be 
walking  on  the  bourd,  so  long  can  ye  not 
cast  five  nor  nine  unless  it  be  by  a  great 
chance. 


Bare-board. 


137 


Bargain. 


1630.  Taylor,  Tra-',  of  12  pence, -ji. 
Where  fuUam  high  and  low  men  bore 
great    sway    With  the  quicke  helpe  of  a 

BARD  CATER    TREY. 

Bare-board.  To  go  on  bare-board, 

verb.    phr.     (gaming). — To     play 
without    putting  down  the  stake. 

1648-55.  Fuller,  Church  Hist.,  vi, 
vii.  3.  She  was  not  onely  able  to  lay 
down  her  stake,  but  also  to  vye  ready 
silver  with  the  King  of  Spaine,  when  he, 
notwithstanding  both  his  Indies,  was  fain 

TO    GO    ON    BARE    BOARD. 

Bare-bones,  subs.  phr.  (old). — A 
lean  person;  a  walking  skeleton; 
a  rack  of  bones:  also  (in  Common- 
wealth times)  a  term  of  contempt. 

1596.  Shakspeare,  /  Henry  IV,  ii, 
4.  358.     Heere  comes  leane  Jacke,  heere 

comes    BARE-BONES. 

Bare-footed,  adj.  (American). — 
Variously  applied  :  e.g.  TO  take 
TEA  BAREFOOTED  =  to  dispense 
with  sugar  and  milk;  to  take 
A  DRAM  barefooted  =  to  drink 
spirits  NEAT  {q.v.),  or  NAKED 
{q.V.);  BAREFOOTED  ON  THE  TOP 
OF   THE   HEAD   =   bald. 

BARGAIN,  subs,  (old).—  A  catch, 
SELL  {q.v.).  Hence,  to  sell  a 
BARGAIN  =  to  humbug,  hoax, 
banter;  a  species  of  low  wit,  of 
ancient  usage,  but  much  in  vogue 
about  the  latter  end  of  the  reign 
of  Queen  Anne.  Swift  remarks 
that,  '  The  maids  of  honour  often 
amused  themselves  with  it.'  A 
typical  example  is  given  by  Grose  : 
a  person  coming  into  a  room  full 
of  company,  apparently  in  a  fright, 
cries  out,  'It  is  white,  and  fol- 
lows me!'  On  any  of  the  com- 
pany asking  what?  the  bargain 
w"as  sold  by  the  first  speaker 
retorting  '  My  arse.'  Dutch  (or 
wet)  BARGAIN  =  a  deal  clinched 


by  a  drink;  Dutch-bargain  also 
means  a  deal  the  advantage  of 
which  is  all  on  one  side.  Also 
in  various  proverbial  phrases: 
thus,  'To  make  the  best  of  a  bad 
bargain'  (Ray)  ;  '  At  a  great  bar- 
gain make  a  pause'  ;  '  More  words 
than  one  go  to  a  bargain';  'A 
good  bargain  is  a  pick-purse' 
{i.e.)  tempts  people  to  buy  what 
they  need  not. 

1588.  Shakspeare,  Love's  Labour 
Lost,  HI.  I.  102.     The  boy  hath  sold  him 

a  bargaine. 

1623.  Mabbe,  Guzinan  [Oliphant, 
New  English,  ii.  83.  Among  the  verbs 
we  see  . . .  make  the  best  of  a  bad 
bargain. 

1640.  Braithwait,  Bonlsier  Lec- 
tures, 81.  You  may  suspect  mee  that  I 
relate  these  purposely  to  sell  vou  a 
Bargaine. 

1678.  OrwAY,  Friendship  in  F.  16. 
I  hate  a  Dutch  bargain  that's  made  in 
heat  of  Wine. 

c.  1680.  Earl  of  Dorset,  Song  [Chal- 
mers, E'ig.  Poets  viii,  345.  I.  If  a  lord 
should  but  whisper  his  love  in  a  crowd. 
She'd  SELL  Hii\i  A  bargain,  and  laugh 
out  aloud. 

1690.  Drvden,  Prophetess,  Prologue. 
Then  think  on  that  bare  bench  my  ser- 
vant sat.  I  see  him  ogle  still,  and  hear 
him  chat.  Selling  facetious  bargains, 
and  propounding  That  witty  recreation 
called  dumbfounding. 

1727.  Pope,  Bathos,  in.  The  prin- 
cipal branch  the  alamode  in  the  Prurient 
...  It  consists  ...  of  ...  selling  the 
bargains,  and  double  entendre. 

1731.  Swift,  Strepkon  and  Chloc. 
No  maid  at  Court  is  less  asham'd.  How- 
e'er  for  selling  bargain  fam'd. 

1790.  Boswell,  Johnson  (181  t),  ii, 
341.  Mrs.  Thrale  was  all  for  . . .  accord- 
ing to  the  vulgur  phrase,  'IM.^KING  THE 
best    of    a    bad    BARGAIN.' 

1805.  Windham,  Speeches  (1812),  II, 
271.  The  recruit  took  the  condition  of  a 
soldier,  with  a  guinea  to  make  it  a  wet 
bargain. 


Barge. 


138 


Bark. 


1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Blas  [Rout- 
ledge],  IO.  I  MADE  THE  BEST  OF  A  BAD 
BARGAIN,  finding  the  luck  ran  against  me. 

1876.  Freeman,  Normati  Conquest, 
IV,  xvii.  7.  Men  had  made  up  their  minds 
to  submit  what  they  could  not  help,  and 

to   MAKE    THE    BEST    OF    A    BAD    BARGAIN. 

BARGE  (or  Barge-arse),  subs.  (old). 
I.  A  fat,  heavy  person  ;  one  broad 
in  the  beam:  in  contempt.  Hence, 

as    adj.    BROAD-ARSED. 

2.  (printers)  (a)  A  case  unduly 
loaded  with  '  stamps'  not  in  fre- 
quent request,  with  a  shortness  of 
those  most  in  use.  Also  {b)  a  card 
or  small  box  for  spaces  ;  used 
while  correcting  away  from  case. 

3.  (Sherborne  School).  Small 
cricket:  played  against  a  wall 
with  a  stump  for  bat. 

Verb,  (common). — To  abuse  ; 
to  slang;  cf.  Bullyrag.  Also 
(Charterhouse    and    Uppingham) 

to   hustle;    to    MOB    UP;    tO   BRICK. 

1861.  Albert  Smith,  Medical  Stu- 
dent, 102.  'Whereupon  they  all  began  to 
BARGE  the  master  at  once;  one  saying 
"his  coffee  was  all  snuff  and  chickweed."  ' 

Bargee,  subs.  (old). — A  barge-man 
or  barger  (the  dictionary  terms). 
[Grose:  Cambridge  wit.] 

1666.  Pepvs,  Diary  (1879),  ^'l>  8g. 
Spent  the  evening  on  the  water,  making 
sport  with  the  Westerne  bargees. 

1703.  English  Spy,  255.  The  town- 
raff  and  the  bargees. 

1831.  Hone,  Year  Book,  672.  A 
great  sum  is  gained  by  the  'bargees 
(bargemen,  Eton  phraseology.) 

1861.  Hughes,  Tom  Brown  at  Ox- 
ford, xxxiii.  A  country  gentleman  with 
the  tongue  of  a  Thames  bahgee  and  the 
heart  of  a  Jew  pawnbroker. 

1861.  KiNGSi.EV,  Ravenshoe,  xlii. 
The  bargees  nicknamed  Lord  Welter 
"  the  sweep  ",  and  said  he  was  a  good 
fellow,  but  a  terrible  blackguard. 


Barge-pole,  subs.fhr.  (Winchester). 
A  large  stick  or  thick  bough,  of 
which  there  was  one  in  each 
fagot  :  also  any  large  piece  of 
wood:  cf.  B.^rber. 

Not  FIT  TO  BE  TOUCHED  WITH 
THE    END    OF    A    BARGE-POLE    (A 

PAIR  OF  TONGS,  etc.),  ///;'.  (com- 
mon).— Unapproachable  through 
filth,  disease,  prejudice,  or  the  like. 

1668.  Lestrange.  Quevedo  (1678), 
22.  Your  Beauties  can  never  want  gal- 
lants to  lay  their  Appetites  . . .  Whereas 
Nobody     will    touch     the    ill-favoured 

WITHOUT   A    fair    OF   TONCS. 

1884.  Gould,  Dark  Horse,  xxiv. 
Such    a    respectable    man  .  .  .  wouldn't 

TOUCH     ANYTHING     PITCHY     WITH     A    TEN- 
FOOT  pole,  eh? 

1903.  Hyne,  Filibusters,  xn.  You 
aren't  FIT  for  any  decent  man  to  TOUCH 

EXCEPT    WITH    AN    EXECUTION    AXE. 

Bark,  subs,  (common). — i.  A  na- 
tive of  Ireland:  hence  Barkshire 
=  Ireland. 

1869.  Notes  and  Queries,  4  S.,  iii., 
406.  In  Lancashire  an  Irishman  is  vul- 
garly called  a  bark. 

1876.  C.  Hindlev,  Cheap  Jack,  191. 
Mike  when  asked  by  some  of  his  country- 
men why  he  called  Fairbanks  .1  'bark,' 
i.e.,  an  Irishman,  said,  'If  I  had  not  put 
the  'bark'  on  him  he  would  have  put  it 
on  me,  so  I  had  the  first  pull.' 

1893.  Emerson,  Lippo,  xviii.  Thin 
had  scran  to  her.  Is  the  'onerable  Mrs. 
Putney  in  town?  The  bark  again  con- 
sulted his  book. 

1891.  Carew,  Autob.  of  Gipsy,  413. 
I  slung  my  hook  and  joined  some  travel- 
ling Barks.  lUd,  434.  It  ain't  no  man- 
ner 'o  use  goin'  to  the  expense  of  bringing 
a  fust  class  cracksman  hall  the  way  from 
Start  to  Barkshire, 

2.  (old). — The  skin.  Hence, 
as  verb  =  to  abrade  (scrape,  or 
rub  off)  the  skin;  to  bruise. 


Bark. 


139 


Bark. 


f.  1758.    Ramsay, /'öf'w«  (1844),  ss.  And 
dang  BAKK  Aff's  shin. 

1843.  Dickens,  Martin  Chuzzlewit, 
XX.  To  the  great  detriment  of  what  is 
called  by  fancy  gentlemen  the  bark  upon 
his  shins,  which  were  most  unmercifully 
bumped  against  the  hard  leather  and  the 
iron  buckles. 

1853.  Bradley,  Further  Adv.  of 
Verdant  Green,  31.  That'll  take  the 
bark  from  your  nozzle  and  distil  the 
Dutch  pink  for  you,   won't  it? 

1856.  Hughes,  Tom  Broiuii's  School- 
days, 227.  Down  they  came  slithering  to 
the  ground,  barking  their  arms  and  faces. 

1839.  Macmillan^ s  Magazine,  Nov., 
18.  The  knuckles  of  his  right  hand  were 
barked. 

1872.  Clements,  Roughing  It,  16. 
It  barked  the  Secretary's  elbow. 

1876.  Family  Herald,  2  Dec,  80,  i. 
With  the  BARK  all  off  his  shins  from  a 
blow  with  a  hockey  stick. 

1884.  Harper's  Mag.,  Jan.  305.  2.  A 
barked  shin. 

3.  (old). — A  cough  :  spec,  when 
persistent  and  hacking:  persons 
thus  troubled  are  said  to  '  have 
been  to  Barking  Creek  (or  Bark- 
shire)  (Grose).  Also  as  verb  = 
to  cough  incessantly.  Barker, 
one  with  a  churchyard  cough 
{ç.v.)    or  notice  to  quit  (^.z/.). 

1813.  Examiner,  Feb.  75.  i.  The 
play  went  on,  amidst  croaking,  squeaking, 

BARKING. 

4.  See  Barker. 

Phrases.  To  bark  against 
(or  at)  the  moon  {see  Barker)  ; 
to  take  the  bark  off  =  to 
reduce    in  value,    to  rub  the  gilt 

off;    THE   word   WITH    THE  BARK 

ON  IT  =  without  circumlocution, 
no  mincing  matters,  the  straight- 
tip    ((/."'.);    between     the  BARK 

AND  the  wood  (or  tree)  (of  a 
well-adjusted  bargain  where  neith- 


er party  has  the  advantage 
(Halliwell);  to  bark  through 
the  fence  =  to  take  advantage 
of  adventitious  shelter  or  protec- 
tion to  say  or  do  that  which 
would  otherwise  entail  unpleas- 
ant consequences;  to  bark  up 
THE  WRONG  TREE  =  to  blunder, 
to  mistake  one's  object  or  the 
right  course  to  pursue,  'to  get 
the   wrong  sow  by  the  ear'  ;   TO 

GO   BETWEEN    BARK    AND  TREE  = 

to  meddle:  spec,  in  family  mat- 
ters; THE  BARK  IS  WORSE  THAN 
THE  BITE  (of  one  who  threatens 
but  fails  to  do  as  he  vows). 

1562.  Heywood,  Proverbs  and  Epi- 
grams, 67.  It  were  a  foly  for  mee.  To  put 
my  hande  betweene  the  barke  and 
TREE  . . .  Betweene  you. 

1600.  Holland,  Livy,  xxxv'i.  v.  92t. 
To  deale  roundly  and  simply  with  no  side, 

but  to  go  BETWEEN  THE  BARK  AND  THE 

TREE. 

1630.  Taylor's  Werkes.  I  have  but 
all  this  while  bark'd  at  the  moone, 
throwne  feathers  against  the  winde,  built 
upon  the  sands,  wash'd  a  blackmore,  and 
laboured  in  vaine. 

1642.  Rogers,  Naaman,  303.  So 
audacious  as  to  go  betweene  barke  and 
tree,  breeding  suspitions  . . .  betweene 
man  and  wife. 

1804.  Edgeworth,  Mod.  Griselda 
[ìVorks  (1832),  V.  299].  An  instigator  of 
quarrels  between  man  and  wife,  or  accord- 
ing to  the  plebeian  but  expressive  apoph- 
thegm, one  who  would  come  between 
the  bark  and  the  tree. 

1835.  Eichmond  Enquirer,  8.  Sep. 
'You  didn't  really  go  to  old  Bullion,' 
said  a  politician  to  an  office-seeker,  '  Why, 
he  has  no  influence  there,  I  can  tell  you. 
You  barked  up  the  wrong  tree  there, 
my  friend. 

1836.  Crockett,  Tour  down  East, 
205.  When  people  try  to  hunt  [office] 
for  themselves,  . .  .  and  seem  to  be  bark- 
ing UP  THE  wrong  sapling,  I  Want  to 
put  them  on  the  light  trail. 


Barker. 


140 


Barker. 


1849.  Dickens,  David  Copperfield, 
p.  310.  I  rode  my  gallant  grey  so  close 
to  the  wheel,  that  I  grazed  his  near  fore- 
leg against  it  and  took  the  bark  off, 
as  his  owner  told  me,  to  the  tune  of  three 
pun'  sivin. 

1835.  Haliburton,  Human  Naiiire, 
124.  If  you  think  to  run  a  rig  on  me, 
you   have   made   a  mistake  in  the  child, 

and    BARKED   UP   THE   WRONG   TREE. 

1872.  Clemens,  Roughing  It,  xv. 
If  ever  another  man  gives  a  whistle  to  a 
child  of  mine,  and  I  get  my  hand  on  him, 
I    will    hang    him    higher    than    Haman  ! 

That   is   THE  WORD  WITH  THE  BARK  ON  IT. 

1888.  Detroit  Free  Press,  Oct.  We 
ain't  rich  or  prettj',  but  we  are  good,  and 
the  Professor  is  barking  up  the  wrong 

TREE. 

Barker,  subs,  (old).— I.  'A  Sales- 
man's Servant  that  walks  before 
the  Shop,  and  cries.  Cloaks,  Coats, 
or  Gowns,  what  d'ye  lack,  sir?' 
(B.  E.).  2.  A  tout  of  any  descrip- 
tion; a  DOORSMAN  (i/.f.):  Fr. 
aboyeur, 

1S22.  Hazlitt,  Men  and  Manners, 
II,  XI.  (1869),  232.  As  shopmen  and 
BARKERS  lease  you  to  buy  goods. 

1828.  Bee,  Picture  of  London,  109. 
Mock-auctions  and  'selling-off'  shops  are 
not  the  only  pests  where  barkers  are 
kept  at  the  doors  to  invite  unwary  pas- 
sengers to  'walk  in,  walk  in,  sale  just 
begun.' 

1866.  London  Miscellany,  5  May,  201. 
He  said  he  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
frequenting  mock  auctions  . . .  They  had 
a  barker  to  entice  people  in. 

1888.  Texas  Sif tings,  13  Oct.  I  am 
a  barker  by  profession.  The  pedestrian 
agility  required  to  pace  up  and  down 
before  the  '  Half-dime  Museum  of  Anatomy 
and  Natural  History,' soliciting  passers-by 
to  enter  is  of  itself  enormous;  but  where 
it  gets  in  its  base  hit  is  when  it  increases 
the  appetite. 

3.     (old). — See  quot. 

X879.  Greenwood,  Outcasts  of  Lon- 
don,    I3ut  what  was  barking  ?   I  . . .  could 


arrive  at  no  more  feasible  conclusion  than 
that  a  BARKER  was  a  boy  that  attended 
a  drover,  and  helped  him  to  drive  his 
sheep  by  means  of  imitating  the  bark  of 
a  dog. 

ù.  (common). — A  noisy  (or 
assertive)  disputant;  a  spouting 
demagogue;  a  querulous  fault- 
finder. As  verb,  to  clamour;  to 
menace;  to  abuse.  Spec.  (5)  a 
big  swell  {i.e.  one  asserting  him- 
self or  putting  on  side  {q.v^  ; 
and  (6)  a  noisy  coward  ;  a  blatant 
bully  ;  a  LAMB  {q.v.).  Whence  TO 
BARK  AT  (or  against)  THE  MOON 
=:  to  clamour  uselessly  ;  to  agitate 
to  no  effect;  to  labour  in  vain;  cf. 
proverb,  'Barking  dogs  bite  not.' 

1483.  Caxton,  Golden  Legend,  273. 4. 
Whiche  sometyme  had  ben  a  barker, 
bytter,  and  blynde,  ayenst  the  lettres. 

1549.  Olde,  Erasm.  Par.,  i  Tim. 
iv.    II.     Feare  not  any  mens  b.^rkinges. 

c.  isss-  Lati;\ier,  Serin,  and  Remin. 
(1845)  320.  It  is  the  scripture  and  not 
the  translation,  that  ye  bark  against. 

1581.  Bell,  Maddon''s  Answ.  Osor,, 
Zib.  Neither  Jerome  Osorius  nor  any 
other  braulyng  barker  can. .  molest  him. 

1399.  Greene,  George-a-Greene 
[DoDDSLEv],  Old  Rays  (Reed),  iii.  43. 
That  I  will  try.  Barking  dogs  bite  not 
the  sorest. 

1617.  Collins,  Def.  Bp.  Ely,  Ep.  Ded. 
8.  The  aduersaries  and  barkers  against 
Soueraignty. 

1635.  Hevwood,  Foot,  by  Lend,  i.  i. 
He  hath  such  honourable  friends  to  guard 
hiin.  We  should  in  that  but  BARK  AGAINST 
the  moon. 

1663.  Landcrd.  Papers  {1844)  i,  131. 
It  ...  is  intended  that  that  letter  shall  be 
a  great  bark  if  not  a  byt. 

1672.  Ray,  Proverb,  76.  The  great- 
est barkers  bite  not  sorest;  or,  dogs 
that  dark  at  a  distance  bite  not  at  hand, 

1763.  Churchill,  Apol.  [Poems  i,  68]. 
Though  Mimics  dark,  and  Envy  split  her 
cheek. 


Barker. 


141 


Barley 


1842.  De  Duincey,  Cicero  [ÌTorks  vi, 
184].     The    BARK   of  electioneering  mobs 

is    WORSE    THAN    their    BITE. 

1857.  RuSKiN,  Pol.  Econ.  Art.  35. 
To  launch  out  into  sudden  barking  at 
the  first  faults  you  see. 

1862.  Yl^i.vSi,  Organ.  Daily  Li/o,  123. 
A  review  which  1  delight  in  . . .  because 
it  always  barks  on  the  other  side  to  the 
great  barker. 

5,  See  Bark  subs.  3. 

6.  (old). — Generic  for  firearms. 
Spec,  (in  navy),  a  duelling  pistol  ; 
also  a  lower  deck  gun.  Barking 
IRON  is,  historically,  the  older 
term  (Grose). 

English  synonyms,  blue  light- 
ning, dag,  meat-in-the-pot,  my  un- 
converted friend,  one-eyed  scribe, 
pop,  peacemaker,  whistler. 

French  synonyms.  Aboyeur; 
bayafe  ;  burettes  ;  crucifix  (or  cru- 
cifix a  ressort^;  mando  let  ;  fétouze , 
pied  de  cocJion  ;  pitroux  ;  soufflant. 

1789.  Geo.  Parker,  Lifers  Painter, 
173.    Pistols,  barking-irons. 

1813.  Scott,  Guy  3fan>!eri>ig,xxxin. 
'  Had  he  no  arms  ?  '  asked  the  Justice. 
'  Ay,  ay,  they  are  never  without  barkers 
and  slashers.' 

1834.  Ainsworth,  Rookivood,  11,  vi. 
'And  look  you,  prick  the  touch-hole,  or 
your  barking-iron  will  never  bite  for 
you.' 

1837.  Dickens,  Oliver  Twist,  xxii. 
'Barkers  for  me,  Barney,'  said  Toby 
Crackit.  '  Here  they  are,'  replied  Barney, 
producing  a  pair  of  pistols. 

1842.  Cooper,  yack  O'LanfJiorne,  i., 
151.  Four  more  carronades  with  two 
barkers  for'ard. 

1847.  Le  Fanu,  T.  O'Brien,  63.  Put 
up  your  barking-iron  and  no  more  noise. 

1857.  C.  Kingslev,  Ttvo  Years  Ago, 
xxiv.  I'll  give  you  five  for  those  pistols 
. . .  being  rather  a  knowing  one  about 
the  pretty  little  barkers. 


1871.  Edio,  9  Jan.  5.  i.  The  deep 
BARK  of  our  monster  war-dogs. 

1884.  Gould,  Dark  Horse,  xviii. 
'This  little  fellow  will  bark  to  more  pur- 
pose next  time'  and  he  handled  his 
revolver  tenderly. 

1900.  Griffiths,  Fast  and  Loose, 
xxxiii.  The  barkers  may  shoot,  but 
they'll  hardly  hit  me. 

1901.  Walker,  In  the  Blood,  156. 
Never  use  a  barker  unless  you're  bailed 
up  and  there's  no  other  way  out. 

1902.  Oppenheim,  False  Evidence, 
XV.  'Put  your  barker  down,  you  fool," 
he  shouted. 

BARKEY,  subs,  (nautical). — Any  kind 
of  vessel:  an  endearment.  [Clark 
Russell  :  Bark  for  vessel  is  never 
used  by  sailors.] 

1847.  Barham,  Ingolds.  Leg.  (1877), 
87.     'Hookers',  barkevs  and  craft. 

1S67.     ^^\\Tn,Sailors  Word Sook,s.v. 

Barla-FUMBLe!  intj.  (old  Scots). — 
A  call  for  truce  or  quarter:  also 
BARLEY. 

c.  1530.      Christis    Kirk     Green,     xvi. 
Quhile  he  cryed  barlafummil,  I  am  slane. 

1637.  COLVIL,  Whigs  Snpplic.{ïy$i), 
no.  When  coach-men  drink  and  horses 
stumble.  It's  hard  to  miss  a  barlafumble. 

1814.  Scott,  Waverley,  xlii.  A 
proper  lad  o'  his  quarters,  that  will  not 
cry  barley  in  a  brulzie. 

Barley,  subs.  (old). — In  general  col- 
loquial use:  thus,  oil  of  barley 
(or  barley-bree,  -broth,  -juice, 
-water,  or  -wine)  =  (i)  strong 
ale  ;  and  (2)  =  whisky  (Grose)  ; 
barley-island  =  an  alehouse; 
John  Barley  (or  Barleycorn) 
=  the  personification  of  malt 
liquor:  cf.  proverb,  'Sir  John 
Barleycorn's  the  strongest  knight'; 
barley-cap  =  a  tippler;  barley- 
mood  (or  sick)  =  (i)  drunk;  and 


Barley. 


142 


Barmecide. 


(2)  =  ill-humour  caused  by  tip- 
pling;  also  TO  HAVE  (or  wear) 

A   BARLEY-HAT   (-CAP,   Or   -HOOD). 

c.  1500.  Blowbols  Test.  [Hazlitt,  Early 
Pop.  Poet.  I,  105].  They  that  be  manly 
in  dronkenesse  for  to  fyte,  Whan  one 
ther  hede  is  sett  a  barly-hate. 

c.  1529.  Skelton,  Elinonr  Rummyng, 
372.  And  as  she  was  drynkynge;  She 
fyll  in  a  wynkynge  Wyth  a  barly-hood. 

1593.  Bacchus  Bountie  \Harl.  Misc. 
(1809)  ii,273J.  The  BARLEY-BROATH  aboue 
all  other,  did  beare  away  the  bell,  and 
. . .  neither  grape  nor  berry  might  be 
compared    to    the  maiestie  of  the  mault. 

1598.  Gilpin,  5yèz<i/.  (1878),  67.  Some 
weeuil,  mault-worme,  barly-cap. 

1611.  CoTGRAVE,  Diet.  s.v.  Forbeii. 
Forbeu  . . .  pot  shotten,  whose  fudling  or 

BARLEY-CAP   is   On. 

c.  1620.  Pepysian  Library.  A  pleasant 
new  ballad  ...  of  the  bloody  murther  of 
Sir  John  Barleycorn.    [Title.] 

1625.  Hart,  Anat.  Ur.  i,  v.  46.  The 
women  . . .  are  not  so  busie  . . .  with  the 
strong  BARLEY-WATER  as  our  British 
women. 

c.  1640.  Day,  Peregr.  Schol.  (1881),  72. 
Goeing  to  take  in  fresh  water  at  the 
Barlie  Iland. 

c.  1650.  Bad  Husband  [Collier,  Rox- 
burghe  Ballads  (184),  300J.  She'd  tell  me 
it  was  too  early,  Or  else  it  was  too  late. 
Until  by  the  ovle  of  barley  They  had 
gotten  my  whole  estate. 

1679.  Heywood  \Yorkshire Diaries 
(Surtees)  n,  262].  He  never  WORE  A  cap, 
unlesse  it  was  a  barlev-cap. 

1725.  Ramsay,  Gentle  Shepherd,  i. 
2.  In  his  barlickhoods,  ne'er  stick.  To 
lend  his   loving   wife   a  loundering  lick. 

1786.  Burns,  Scotch  Drink,  iii.  John 
Barley-corn,  Thou  king  o'grain.  Ibid. 
xiii.  How  easy  can  the  Barlev-bkee 
Cement  the  quarrel. 

1727.  John  Barleycorn  [Percy, 
Religues]  John  1'arlkv-corn  has  got  a 
beard  Like  any  other  man. 


1790.  Morrison,  Poems,  151. 
(Jamieson).  Hame  the  husband  comes 
just  roarin'fu';  Nor  can  she  please  him 
IN  HIS  barlic  mood. 

1803.  A.  Scott,  Poems,  51.  When 
e'er  they  take  their  barley-hoods.  And 
heat  of  fancy  fires  their  bludes. 

1S84.  Black,  yitdith  Shakspeare, 
xxxi.  A  cupful  of  barley-broth  will  do 
thee  no  harm. 

BARLEY-BUN  GENTLEMAN,  subs.  phr. 
(old). — 'A  gent,  (although  rich) 
yet  lives  with  barley  bread,  and 
otherwise  barely  and  hardly.' 
{Alinsheti). 

BARLEY-STRAW,  Subs.  phr.  (old).— 
A  trifle. 

c.  1721.  Vriov.,  Turtle  and  Sp.  She... 
could  plead  the  law.  And  quarrel  for  a 
barley-straw. 

Barmecide,  «^fo.  (literary). — Usually 
in  the  phrase  a  Barmecide  feast 
=:  short  commons;  lenten  en- 
tertainment. [From  the  Arabian 
Alghls  story  of  a  prince  of  that 
name  who  put  a  series  of  empty 
dishes  before  a  beggar  pretending 
that  they  formed  a  sumptuous 
repast,  the  beggar  facetiously  as- 
senting.]    Also  as  adj. 

1713.  Guardian,  162.  The  Barme- 
cide was  sitting  at  his  table  that  ready 
covered  for  an  entertainment. 

1842.  Dickens,  A/ner.  Notes  (1850), 
Si.  It  is  a  Barmecide  Feast;  a  pleasant 
field  for  the  imagination  to  rove  in. 

c.  1845.  Hood,  Turtles,  xiv.  Having 
tho'  one  delighted  sense,  at  least,  Enjoy'ed 
a  sort  of  Barmecidal  feast. 

1854.  Mozley,  Blanco  White,  Ess, 
(1878)  II.,  ir5.  To  reason  simply  on  the 
superficies   is  a  Barmecidal  proceeding. 

1854.  T'hackeray,  Newcoines,  11, 
103.     My  dear  Barmecide  friend. 

1863.  Reader,  11,  506.  Sharing  the 
boundless  hospitality  of  a  Barmecide, 


Barmy. 


143 


Barnaby. 


Barmy  (or  Balmy),  adj.  (common). 
— Excited  ;  flighty  ;  empty-headed 
{i.e.  full  of  nothing  but  froth)  ; 
BARMY-BRAINED  =:  Crazy  ;  BARMY- 
FROTH  =  a  simpleton;  muddle- 
head  ;  TO  PUT  ON  THE  BALMY 
STICK  (prison)  =  to  feign  madness. 
English  synonyms,  to  be  dotty; 
off  one's  chump  ;  sappy  ;  spoony  ; 
touched  ;  wrong  in  the  upper 
story  ;  half-baked  ;  have  a  screw 
loose  ;  a  bee  in  one's  bonnet  ;  no 
milk  in  the  cocoanut;  rats  in  the 
upper  storey  (or  cockloft);  a  tile 
(screw  or  slate)  loose. 

French  Synonyms,  avoir 
une  écrevisse  dans  la  tourte  (or 
dans  le  vol-au-vent^  ;  la  botile  (or 
le  trognon  détraquée/  le  coco  fêlé  ; 
un  asticot  dans  la  noisette;  7in 
bœuf  gras  dans  le  char  ;  un  can- 
crelat dans  la  botile  ;  tin  ha}ineto?i 
dans  le  reservoir  [px  piaf  and)  ;  un 
mottstique  dans  la  boite  au  sel  ; 
un  voyageur  dans  l'omnibus;  une 
araignée  dans  le  plafond  ;  une 
grettouille  dans  l'aquarium;  une 
hirondelle  dans  le  soliveau;  une 
Alar  sellais  e  dans  le  Kiosque;  une 
punaise  dans  le  soufflet  ;  une  sar- 
dine dans  l'armoire  a  glace;  une 
trichinne  dans  le  jatnbonneati  ; 
sauterelle  dans  la  guitare;  une 
pomme  de  canne  fêlée  ;  une  fissttre  ; 
un  grain;  and    être  un  peu  toc. 

1599.  Marston,  Sco.  l'illanie,  166. 
Each  odde  puisne  of  the  Lawyers  Inné, 
Each  BARMY-FROTH,  that  last  day  did 
beginne  To  read  his  little. 

1602.  Ret.  fr.  Paniassas,  I,  ii  [Arber] 
Q.  Such  BARMY  HEADS  wil  alwaies  be 
working. 

C.  1605.    MONTGOMERIE,  PoeillS  (1821)  49. 

Hope  puts  that  hast  into  zour  hein,  Quhilk 
boyl's  zour  barmv-brain. 

1785.  Burns,  Works,  ni,  83.  Just 
now  I've  taen  the  fit  o'  rhyme,  My 
barmie  noddle's  working  prime. 


1824.  Scott,  Si.  Ronati's  Well,  xxxii. 
Corkheaded  barmy-brained  gowks'. 

1851.  H.  Mavhew,  Loudon  Lah.  i-i 
23r.  List  of  patterers'  words.  Balmv — 
Insane. 

1877.  HoRSLEV,  yottingsfrom  Jail, 
I  had  hardly  got  outside  when  he  came 
out  like  a  man  balmy. 

c.  1888.  Music  Hall  Song  'Salvation 
Sally.'  The  people  in  our  alley  call  me 
Salvation  Sally,  They  say  I  must  be 
balmy  to  go  and  join  the   Army. 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  69.  Vou're 
balmy,  mater,  off  your  nut.  Il)id.  73. 
Called  the  beak  "a  balmy  Kipper," 
dubbed  him  "soft  about  the  shell." 

igoi.  Free  Lance,  2  Nov.  123.  2 
They  say,  "The  folk  who  made  that  toque 
Were  '  balmy  on  the  crumpet.'  " 

BARN.    See  Parson's  barn. 

Barnaby.  To  dance  Barnaby, 
verb  phr.  (old). — To  move  expe- 
ditiously, irregularly  (Grose)  : 
[An  old  dance  to  a  quick  move- 
ment was  so  named:  but  cf. 
Richard  Braithwaite's  Drunken 
Barnaby's  journal,  narrating  a 
frolicsome  tour  through  England.] 
Barnaby-bright  (or  Long  Bar- 
naby) =  St.  Barnabas's  Day,  llth 
June,  O.S.:  cf.  old  rhyme — Bar- 
naby Bright  !  Barnaby  Bright  : 
The  longest  day  and  the  shortest 
night. 

1595.  Spenser,  Epiihal.  266.  This 
day  the  sunne  is  in  his  chiefest  hight. 
With  Barnaby  the  bright. 

1645.  Daniel,  Poems  (1878)  11,  49. 
This  short  December  day.  It  would  spin 
out,  to  make  my  Readers  say.  Long 
Barnabie  was  never  hälfe  so  gay. 

1650.  Fuller,  Pisgah,   11,   xii.  255. 

Staying  the      Sun     in     Gibeon.      This 

was     the  Barnaby    day    of   the    whole 
world. 


Barnacle. 


144 


Barnard. 


1664.  Cotton,  Virgil  Travestie,  13. 
Bounce  cries  the  port-hole,  out  they  fly. 
And  make  the  world  dance  Barnaby. 

1670.  Eachard,  Cont.  Clergy,  32. 
Barnaby-bright  would  be  much  too  short 
for  him  to  tell  you  all  that  he  could  say. 

1714.  Spectator,  No.  623.  The  stew- 
ard, after  having  perused  their  several 
pleas,  adjourned  the  court  to  Barn'ABY- 
BRIGHT,  that  they  might  have  day  enough 
before  them. 

1805.  Scott,  Last  Minstrel,  iv.  4. 
It  was  but  last  St.  Barnabright  They 
seized  him  a  whole  summer  night. 

BARNACLE,  suhs.  (old). — I.  A  close 
companion;  a  follower  that  will 
not  be  dismissed,  a  leech;  spec. 
=  a  decoy  swindler  cf.  Barnard. 

1591.  Greene,  Notable  Discovery  of 
Coosnage  (1859),  23.  Thus  doth  the  Verser 
and  the  Setter  feign  a  kind  friendship  to 
the  Coney...  As  thus  they  sit  tippling, 
corns  the  barnackle  and  thrusts  open 
the  doore ...  steps  back  again:  and  very 
mannerly  saith  'I  cry  you  mercy.  Gentle- 
men. I  thoght  a  frend  of  mine  had  bin 
heere.' 

1607.  Dekker,  Northward  Hoe,  ill. 
lie  cashiere  all  my  young  barnicles. 
Ibid.  (1806)  Belman  of  London  [Gros art. 
Works  (1885)  III,  131.]  He  that . . .  before 
counterfetted  the  dronken  Bernard  is 
now  sober  and  called  the  barnacle. 

1868.  Br  ADDON,  Trail  of  the 
Serpent,  I.,  i.,  7.  Slopper  found  him  a 
species  of  barnacle  rather  difficult  to 
shake  off. 

d.  1870.  Lemon,  Leyton  Hall.  The 
man  that  stood  beside  thee  is  old  Crook- 
finger,  the  most  notorious  setter,  barnacle 
and  f»ist  in  the  city. 

2.  (old). — See  quot, 

1591.  Percivall,  Sp.  Dictionary, 
s.v.  Gango,  a  barnacle,  one  that  speaketh 
through  the  nose,  Chenolopex.  [Chcntilo- 
Pex  in  Pliny,  a  species  of  goose.J 

3.  (old). — A  good  job,  or  snack 
easily  got  (B.E.  and  Grose). 


4.  (old). — A  gratuity  given  to 
grooms  by  the  buyers  and  sellers 
of  horses  (B.E.  and  Grose). 

5.  (old). — In  pi.  =  spectacles  ; 
BOSSERS  (^.^•.)  GOGGLES  {g-V^. 
Fr.  persiennes.  [Formerly  applied 
only  to  spectacles  with  side  pieces 
of  coloured  glass,  and  used  more 
as  protectors  from  wind,  dust  &c. 
than  as  an  aid  to  the  sight.] 

1572.  Edwards,  Damon  and  Pythias 
[Dodsley  Old  Plays  (Hazlett)  iv.,  8r]. 
These  speciales  put  on.  Gritn.  They  be 
gay  barnacles,  yet  I  see  never  the  better. 

1593.  MuNDAY,  Def  Contraries,  39. 
Eye-glasses,  otherwise  called  bernacles. 

1693.  Motteux,  Rabelais,  v.,  xxvii. 
They  had  barnacles  on  the  handles  of 
their  faces,  or  spectacles  at  most. 

1822.  Scott,  Fortunes  of  Nigel,  i. 
'  Give  me  the  barnacles,  my  good  youth, 
and  who  can  say  what  nose  they  may 
bestride  in  two  years  hence?'  Ibid.  (1823), 
Peveril,  viii.  No  woman  above  sixteen 
ever  did  white-seam  without  Barnacles. 

1878.  Stephenson,  Inland  Joy,  6. 
A  gleam  of  spectacles.  For  though  hand- 
some lads,  they  were  all  (in  the  Scotch 
phrase)  barnacled. 

6.  (old). — 'A  Brake  for  unruly 
Horses  Noses'  (B.E.). 

7.  (Old  Cant.).— 'The  Irons 
Fêlions  wear  in  Gaol'  (B.E. ; 
Dyche,  Grose). 

Barnard,  suhs.  (old). — A   sharper's 
confederate;    a   decoy:   cf.   B.^R- 

NACLE. 

1532.  Dice  Play  (xZe,o),^T.  Another 
oily  theft ...  is  the  barnards  law:  which, 
to  be  exactly  practised  asketh  four  persons 
at  least,  each  of  them  to  play  a  long 
several  part  by  himself. 

1562.  Bulleyn  [Babces  Booke  (1868), 
242].  With  a  Barnards  blowe  lurkying 
in  some  lane,  woode,  or  hill  top. 


Barnburner. 


145 


Barney. 


1591.  Greene,  Disc.  Cozenage  (1859), 
8.  Foure  persons  were  requited  .  . .  the 
Taker  up,  the  Verser,  the  Barnard,  and 
Rutter.  Ibid.  [/rö/-,tj(i885),  x,  10].  Comes 
in  the  Barnard  stumbling  into  your 
companie,  like  some  aged  Farmer  of  the 
countrey  .  . .  and  is  so  carelesse  of  his 
money,  that  out  he  throwelh  some  fortie 
Angels  on  the  boords  end. 

1608.  Dekker,  Belman  Land.  [  Works 
(1S85)  III,  126].  The  Bernard  ...  count- 
erfets  many  parts  in  one,  and  is  now  a 
drunken  man,  anon  in  another  humour  .  . 
onely  to  blind  the  cozen . .  the  more 
easily  to  beguile  him.  [See  the  whole 
passage.] 

Barnburner,  subs.  (American  pol- 
itical).— A  member  of  the  radical 
section  of  the  Democratic  party 
(U.S.A.). 

c.  1848.  New  York  Tribune  [Bart- 
LETTj.  This  school  of  Democrats  was 
termed  Barnburners,  in  allusion  to  the 
story  of  an  old  Dutchman,  who  relieved 
himself  of  rats  by  burning  down  his  barns 
which  they  infested, — just  like  extermi- 
nating all  banks  and  corporations,  to  root 
out  the  abuses  connected  therewith. 

BARNDOOR.  I.  A  target  too  large 
to  be  easily  missed  :  cf.  quot. 
1547.  Hence  barndoor  prac- 
tice, a  battue:  the  quariy  is 
driven  within  a  radius  from  which 
it  is  impossible  for  it  to  escape. 

1547.  Heywood,  Fotir  F's  [Dodsley], 
Old  Flays  (Reed),  i,  87.  Bendynge  his 
browes  as  brode  as  barne  dürres. 

1679.  'Tom  Ticklefoot,'  Trials 0/ 
IVakeman,  9.  My  Old  Master  Clodpate 
would  have  been  hanged  before  he  would 
have  missed  such  a  Barn-dore. 

2.     (cricket). — A    player    who 
blocks  every  ball. 

BARNDOOR-SAVAGE.  A  country 
yokel;  farm-labourer;  clodhopper. 

BARNET!  intj.  (Christ's  Hospital: 
obsolete).     Nonsense  !    humbug  ! 

BARNET-FAIR  (or  BUMUET),  Stibs.pJi y . 
(rhyming). — The  hair. 


1887.  Horsley,  yottings  from  Jail. 
Come,  cows-and-Kisses,  put  the  battle-of- 
the  Nile  on  your  Barnet-fair. 

1897.  Marshall,  Fames,  no.  And 
the  start  was  all  Sir  Garnet,  Jenny  went 
for  Emma's  Barnet. 

Barney,  subs,  (common). —  I.  Ge- 
neric for  humbug  or  deceit  :  spec, 
(sporting)  an  unfair  competition 
of  any  kind — a  race,  prize  fight, 
or  game;  the  term  is  never  ap- 
plied to  a  fair  contest.  Hence 
a  free  fight,  or  rough  and  tumble, 
in  which  the  '  rules  of  the  game' 
are  not  too  strictly  observed. 

1865.  B.  Brierley,  Irkdale,  11.,  19. 
I  won  thee  i'  fair  powell  one  toss  an'  no 

BARNEY. 

1882.  Evening  Neivs,  2  Sept.,  i,  6. 
Blackguardly  barneys  called  boxing  com- 
petitions. 

1884.  Referee,  13  April,  7,  4.  Who 
would  believe  that  Mr.  Gladstone  sham- 
med being  ill,  and  that  Sir  Andrew  Clark 
issued  false  bulletins,  and  that  the  whole 
thing  was  a  barney  from  beginning  to  end. 

1885.  Bell's  Life,  3  Jan.,  3,  4.  Few 
genuine  matches  have  taken  place  this 
season  on  the  Transatlantic  waters,  though 
exhibitions  and  barney  contests  have 
been  plentiful. 

i888.  Boldrewood,  Squatter's 
Dream,  ii.  We  had  a  sair  barney,  well 
nigh  a  fight  you  might  be  sure. 

1897.  Marshall,  Fames,  115.  The 
morning  the  Derby  was  run  for,  the 
barney  was  well  understood.  Old  Feet 
gave  the  jockey  the  cough  drop,  which 
I'd  fated  for  the  animal's  good. 

1901.  Walker,  In  the  Blood,  20. 
And  now  if  I  don't  knock  Poss  Stevens 
out,  there'll  be  a  barney  an'  a  scrap 
between  'is  push  an'  my  push. 

2.  (common). — A  spree;  a  lark 
{q.v^;  a  PICNIC  i^q.v^. 

1899.  Whiteing,  John  St.,  xxi.  I 
darkly  hint  at  a  barney  in  the  provinces. 
It  is  enough  for  them,  as  it  is  for  me. 


Barn-mouse. 


146 


Barrack. 


3.  Harvard  College. — A  bad 
recitation  {e.  1810);  whence  TO 
BARNKY  =  to  recite  badly.  (Hall, 
College   PVords  and  Cusioj/is.) 

BARN-MOUSE.  Bitten  ey  a  barn- 
mouse,/»//;',  (old). — Tipsy;  screw- 
ed (ç.v.):  see  Barley  (Grose). 

BARNSTORWICR,  snl's.  (theatrical). — 
A  slrolling  player:  spec,  a  mouth- 
ing actor  (see  quot.  1886):  also 
barnstorming. 

1884.  Pall  Mall  Gazette,  6  June,  5, 
I.  If  this  be  BARN-STORMING,  BeLterton 
and  Ganick  were  barn-stormers. 

1886.  Graphic,  10  April,  309.  Tra- 
velling players  wlio  acted  short  and  highly 
tragic  pieces  to  audiences  of  clodpolcs  in 
any  barn  or  shed  they  could  get,  used 
to  be  known  as  earn-stormers,  and  a 
ranting,  noisy  style  of  acting  and  speak- 
ing is  still  culled  'barn-storming.* 

1887.  Referee,  21  August,  3,  i.  Mr. 
Edward  Teny  has  again  been  eli-cted 
at  the  bead  of  the  poll  as  trustee  of  the 
charities  of  Barnes.  He  is  not  the  first 
clever  aclor  who  has  been  known  as  a 
Barnes-stormer.  Ibid.  (1901),  o3  Ap.  5, 4. 
The  new  drama  at  the  Ambigu — "  Le  Petit 
Muet" — by  Henii  Kcroul,  is  slightly  of 
the   BARN-STORMING  Order. 

BARNUMESE,  subs,  (journalist's). — 
Tlie  111GH-FALUTING  {(j.v.)  lan- 
guage so  lavishly  used  by  the 
late  P.  T.  Barnum  in  advertising 
the  greatest  show  on  earth  :  ex- 
aggeration of  style:  cf.  Tele- 
grai'Mese.  Hence  tobarnumi/.e 
z=  (1)  to  exhibit  with  a  lavish 
display  of  puffing  advertisement; 
(2)  =  to  talk  of  (or  a:  sert)  one- 
self bombastically  in  the  style  of 
Barnum. 

i8st.  HoncKON  [Life,  (iCn-),  vi,  87]. 
Barnumised  and  pu(T(;d  as  Napoleon  has 
been,  he  is  not  ]>opular. 

1852.  Blackwood's  Mag.  Ixnü,  307. 
Barni;mizing  the  prodigy  through  ICuropc, 


1862.  D.  Tel.  20  Oct.  It  is  Barnum- 
ISM  that  prompts  clerrtymen  to  tell  their 
flocks  that  they  must  fight  the  Confede- 
rates till  Hell  freezes,  and  then  fight 
them  on  the  ice. 

BARNWELL-AGUE,  siihs.phr.  (venery). 
—  Venereal  disease:  see  LADIES- 
FEVER. 

Baronet,  subs.  (old).  —  A  sirloin 
of  beef:  cf.  EARON. 

17,19.  FiELDiN'G,  Tom  Jones,  iv.,  x. 
To  say  grace,  and  to  declare  he  must 
pay  his  respects  to  the  baronet,  for  so 
he  called  the  sirloin. 

BARRACK,  verb.  (Australian).  —  To 
jeer  at  opponents,  interrupt  noisily, 
make  a  disturbance;  also,  with/«?/-, 
to  support  as  a  partisan,  generally 
with  clamour:  an  Australian  foot- 
ball term  dating  from  about  1880: 
the  verb  has  been  ruled  unpar- 
liamentary Ijy  the  Speaker  in  the 
Victorian  Legislative  Assembly, 
but  it  is  in  veiy  common  collo- 
quial use:  it  is  from  the  aboriginal 
woid  borali  {ç.v.\  and  the  sense 
of  jeering  is  earlier  than  that  of 
supporting,  but  jeering  at  one 
side  is  akin  to  cheering  for  the 
other  (Morris).  Hence  barrack- 
ing and  barracker. 

i8go.  Mclhoin-ne  Pimeli,  14  Aug., 
106,  3.  "To  U:.e  a  football  phrase,  they 
to  a  man  barrack  for  the  British  l.ion." 

1893.  Age,  T7  June,  15,  4.  [The  boy] 
goes  much  to  football  nialrhes,  win  re  he 
BARRACKS,  and  in  a  p,ei)eral  way  makes 
himself  intolerable.  Ibid,  rj  June,  6,  6. 
His  worship  remarked  that  the  barrack- 
ing...at  football  m:itches  was  a  mean 
and  contenii)tililc  system  ...  pro])le  were 
afraid  to  go  to  ibem  on  account  of  the 
'bairnrlccrs.'  It  look  all  the  interest  out 
of  the  game  to  see  young  men  acting  like 
a  gang  of  larrikin'. 

1893.  Argus,  5  July,  9,  4.  He  hoped 
this  BARRACKING  woidd  not  be  continurd. 
Ibid.  29  Nov.,  4,  g.  The  Premer,  who 
was    Mr.    Roger's    principal    carkacker 


Bar  rack- hack. 


147 


Barrel-bellied. 


during  tlie  elections,  turned  Iiis  back  upon 
tlie  prophet  and  did  not  deign  to  discuss 
his  plan. 

1893.  Herald  (Melbourne),  9  Sept. 
I,  6.  He  noi'ced  with  ])leasine  the  de- 
oease  of  disajjn^eable  daiìiìacling  by- 
spectators  at  niytches  during  last  season. 

BARRACK-  (or  GARRIS0N)-HACK,  Stlbs. 
phr.  (military). —  I.  A  young 
woman  attending  garrison  balls 
year  after  year.  2.  A  soldiers' 
trull  :  see  Hackney. 

BARRED-GOWN,  subs.  phr.  (old).  — 
An  officer  of  the  law  ;  spec,  a 
judge:  broad  stripes  or  bars  of 
gold  lace  ran  across  the  front  of 
the  gown. 

BARREL,  .f?<(5j.  (common). —  I.  A  con- 
firmed tippler  :  also  beer-barrel. 
Whence  barrel-house  (Ameri- 
can) =  a  low  groggery;  barrel- 
fever  =  drunkenness (or  disease 
caused  by  tippling):  j-^t' Gallon- 
distemper  ;  barrel-boarder  = 
a  bar  loafer. 

1888.  Missouri  Republican,  11  Feb. 
The  West-Side  police  are  still  arresting 
BARREL-HOUSK  loafers  in  the  hope  of  catch- 
ing   an    expert    cracksman  among  them. 

2.  (American  political). — 
Money  used  in  a  political  cam- 
paign ;  spec,  that  expended  for 
corrupt  purposes  :  cf.  BooDLE. 
Hence  barrel-campaign  =  an 
election  in  which  bribery  is  a 
leading  feature.  [A  wealthy  can- 
didate for  office  {c.  1876)  is  said 
to  have  remarked,  '  Let  the  boys 
know  that  there's  a  bar'l  o' 
money  ready  for  'em,'  or  words 
to  that  effect.] 

1884.  Boston  (Mass.)  Journal,  1  Nov., 
I.  We  are  accustomed  to  barrei.-cam- 
PAIGNS  here  ...  the  Democrats  depend 
upon  carrying  it  with  money. 


i838.  Florida  Times  Union,  11  Feb., 
4.  Mr.  Flower  was  the  nominal  candidate 
of  the  anti  Cleveland  men  four  years  ago, 
and  with  the  aid  of  his  barrel  they 
achieved  some  show  of  success. 

Never  (or  the  devil)  a  barrel 

THE   EE'ITKR  HERRING,///^,  (old). 

— Much  alike,  not  a  pin  to  choose 
between  them  ;  si.x  of  one  and 
half  a  dozen  of  the  other.     Also 

NEITHER    (or    like)   BARREL    NOR 

HERRI.NG    =  neither;  the  same 

HERRING  (orBRAN)ANDBARREL=i 

identical;  the  same  kidney  (j'.z'.). 

1542.  Udai  ,  Erasmus  Apoph.  187. 
Two    feloes    being    like    flagicious,    and 

NEITHER     BARREL     BETTER     HERRING,     ac- 
cused either  other. 

1579.  GossoN,  School  of  Abuse,  32. 
Therefore  of  both  barrelles  I  judge 
Cookes  and  Painters  the  better  hearing. 

1582.  Stanihurst,  Kneid,  ii,  56.  I 
lyk  NOT  barrel  or  hearing. 

[1659.  Ganden,  Tears  of  the  Church, 
245.  They  disdain  to  pay  any  more  civi- 
lity or  outward  respect  to  their  minister 
than  they  challenge  to  themselves,  or  than 
they  give  to  their  meanest  comrades, 
which  are  of  the  same  bran  and  barrell 
with   themselves.] 

1725.  Bailey,  Erasmus,  373,  Simi- 
les habebant  "The  devil  a  barrel  the 
ÜETTER  HERRING,"  [labra  lactucas  =  'like 
lips,  like  lettuce'). 

1749.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  x,  v. 
"Never  a  eakrel the  better  herrin«;," 
cries  he...  the  lady  in  the  fine  garments 
is  the  civiler  of  the  two;  but  1  suspect 
neither  of  them  are  a  bit  better  than  they 
should  be." 

17S9.  Walpole,  Letters,  iv.  490. 
Vive  la  reine  Billing>gate!  the  Thalestris 
who  has  succeeded  Louis  Quatorze.  A 
committee  of  those  Amazons  stopped  the 
Dake  of  Orleans,  who,  to  use  tlieir  style, 
I  believe    is   NOT  A  barrel  the  better 

HERRING. 

BARREL-BELLIED,  adj. phr.  (common). 
— Well-rounded  in  stomach;  cor- 
pulent (1694). 


BarrelVs  Blues. 


148 


Barter. 


1694-7.  Dryden,  Virgil.  G.  iii.  Daunt- 
less at  empty  noises,  lofty  neck'd,  Sharp- 
headed,  barrel-belly'd,  broadly-back'd. 

Barbell's  Blues,  (military). — The 
Fourth  Foot,  now  The  King's 
Own  (Royal  Lancashire  Regi- 
ment): from  its  facings  and 
Colonel's  name  from  1734  to 
1739- 

Barres,  subs,  (gaming). — Money 
lost  at  play,  But  not  paid:  a  cor- 
ruption of  'barrace',  an  obsolete 
plural  of  bar. 

1544.  AscHAM,  Toxophilus.  Where- 
by they  wyl  drawe  a  mannes  money  but 
pay  none,  which  they  call  barres. 

BARRIKIN,  subs,  (common), — Gib- 
berish ;  jargon;  jumble  of  words: 
e.g.  '  Stash  '  ('  stow  '  or  '  cheese  ') 
your  BARRIKIN  '  =:  Hold  your 
jaw!  Do  you  'tumble'  to  that 
barrikin  ?  =  Do  you  understand  ì 
Do  you  '  twig  '  ? 

1851-61.  Mryhevv,  Loudon  Lab.  i., 
15.  'The  high  words  in  a  tragedy  we 
call  jaw-breakers,  and  say  we  can't  tumble 
to  that  BARRIKIN.'  U'id.  25.  Can't  tumble 
to  your  BARRIKIN  \i.e.,  can't  understand 
you].  Ibid.  27.  The  rich  have  all  that 
BARRIKIN  to  themselves. 

Barring  Out,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
A  half  serious  but  oftentimes 
jocular  rebellion  of  schoolboys 
against  their  schoolmaster.  [IIal- 
liwell:  An  ancient  custom  at 
schools  :  the  boys,  a  few  days 
before  the  holidays,  barricade 
the  school  room  from  the  master, 
and  stipulate  for  the  discipline 
of  the  next  half  year.  According 
to  Dr.  Johnson,  Addison,  in  1683, 
was  the  leader  in  an  affair  of 
this  kind  at  Lichfield.] 

1728.  Swift,  Jonwal  of  a  Modern 
Lady.  Not  schoolboys  at  a  ÜARRING-OUT, 
Raised  ever  such  incessant  rout. 


1847.  Tennyson,  Princess,  Revolts, 
republics,  revolutions,  most.  No  graver 
than  a  schoolboys'  barring-out. 

BARROW-BUNTER,  subs,  (old).— A 
barrow-woman,  a  female  coster- 
monger. 

1771.  %V\.Q\JLKTT,  Humphry  Clinker, 
i.,  140.  I  saw  a  dirty  barrow-bunter 
in  the  street  cleaning  her  dusty  fruit 
with  her  own  spittle. 

BARROW-MAN,  sttbs.  phr.  (old).— A 
man  under  sentence  of  trans- 
portation. 

BARROW-TRAM,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— A  raw-boiied  person  :  properly 
the  shaft  of  a  wheelbarrow. 

BARTER,  subs.  (Winchester  College). 
— A  half  volley:  as  verb,  to  hit 
hard.  [From  the  Warden  of  that 
name  famous  for  disposing  of 
them.]  Hitting  barters  = 
practice  catching,  full  pitches  hit 
from  the  middle  of  Turf  towards 
Ball  Court  for  catching  practice 
towards  the  end  of  Long  Meads. 

c.  1840.  Mansfield,  School-Life,  133. 
What  a  noble  game  cricket  must  be  when 
one  loved  it  so  much,  notwithstanding 
the  previous  training!  Wliat  genuine  ex- 
citement when  College  and  Commoners 
was  played;  what  frantic  shouting  when 
Rapid  got  well  hold  of  a  'barter'  .  .  . 
and  sent  the  ball  from  'Spanish  Pop- 
lar,' right  over  Mead's  wall  by  'Log 
pond.' 

1878.  Adams,  Wykchatnica,  327. 
Barter  was  the  most  popular  boy  of  his 
day  with  his  schoolfellows.  Wonderful 
things  are  told  of  his  scores  at  cricket  at 
which  lie  is  supposed  to  have  been  the 
hardest  hitter  of  his  own  times,  or  of  any 
near  him.  .  . .  He  was  so  renowned  for 
the  tremendous  force  with  which  he  was 
wont  to  swipe  the  ball,  commonly  known 
to  cricketers  as  a  'lialf-voUey,'  tliat  it 
actually  changed  its  name  in  the  Wyke- 
hamical  vocabulary,  and  for  fully  half  a 
century  afterwards — and,  for  all  I  know, 
to  the  present  day — bore  the  name  of  a 
Barter. 


Bartholomew-baby .        149 


Bash. 


BARTHOLOMEW-BABY  (or  PUPPET), 
siibs.  phr.  (old. —  I.  A  gaudily 
dressed  doll,  such  as  appears  to 
have  been  commonly  sold  at 
Bartholomew  Fair.  2.  A  person 
gaudily  dressed. 

1670.    Brooks,  \Vorks{\%(>i)\i,z\,%.v. 

1683.  Wit  and  Drollery,  343.  Her 
petticoat  of  sattin,  Her  gown  of  crimson 
tabby,  Lac'd  up  before,  and  spangl'd  ore, 
Just  like  a  Bartholomew  baby. 

BARTHOLOMEW-PIG,  subs.phr.  (old). 
— Roasted  pigs  were  formerly 
among  the  chief  attractions  of 
Bartholomew  Fair,  West  Smith- 
field,  London:  they  were  sold 
piping  hot,  in  booths  and  on 
stalls, and  ostentatiously  displayed, 
to  excite  the  appetite  of  passeng- 
ers ;  pregnant  women  were  sup- 
posed to  long  violently  for  roast- 
pig.  Hence  a  Bartholomew- 
pig  became  a  common  subject  of 
allusion:  the  Puritan  railed  against 
it.  The  fair  was  founded  in  1133 
and  abolished  in  1854. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  2  Hen.  IV.,  ii.,  4. 
Thou  whoreson  little  tidy  Bartholomew- 
boar-PiG. 

1614.  '^.}o'A%.,  Bart.  Fair, '\.,(i.  For 
the  very  calling  it  a  Bartholomew-pig, 
and  to  eat  it  so,   is  a  spice  of  idolatry. 

1630.  Gayton,  Festivious  Notes,  57. 
Like  Bartholomew  Fair  pio-dressers, 
who  look  like  the  dams,  as  well  as  the 
cooks  of  what  they  roasted. 

1636.     Davenant,    The   Wits,   iii.  i. 
The  gaping  lies  on  every  stall. 
Till  female  with  great  belly  call. 

BARTS,  subs,  (medical).— St.  Bartho- 
lomew Hospital. 

Bar-wig,  subs.  phr.  (B.E.).— 'Be- 
tween a  bob  and  a  long  one.' 

BAS.     Sec  Buss. 


BASH  (or  PASH),  verb,  (popular).— 
To  beat;  thrash;  crush  out  of  shape. 
Also  as  subs,  (or  b)  Bashing  = 
a  flogging,  spec,  with  the  'cat'; 
BASHiNG-iN  =  a  flogging  just  after 
conviction,  and  bashing  out  =; 
a  flogging  just  before  release  from 
prison  ;  basher  rr  (i)  a  rough  ;  and 
(2)  =  a  prize-fighter:  see  Lamb. 

1592.  Nashe,  Strange  Netves,  in 
wks.  II.,  272.  A  leane  arme  put  out  of 
the  bed  shall  grind  and  pash  euerie  crum 
of  thy  booke  into  pin-dust. 

1622.  Massinger,  Virgin  Martyr, 
II ,  ii.  Jove's  artillery  shot  down  at  once, 
to  PASH  your  gods  in  pieces. 

1790.  A.  Wilson,  Pack,  s.v.  1805. 
J.  Nicol, /*i)^;«j,  s.v.  c.  1817.  Hogg,  7a/«, 
s.v.     1833.    Scott,  Tom  Cringle,  s.v. 

1877.  Five  Years'  Penal  Servitude, 
iii.,  157.  There  were  the  evidences  of 
former  floggings,  or  bashings,  as  the 
prisoners  call  them. 

1882.  Daily  Telegraph,  9  Dec,  2.  6. 
A  man  .  .  .  told  witness  that  he  would  earn 
a  sovereign  if  he  cared  to  give  a  certain 
woman — the  complainant — a  couple  of 
black  eyes.  .  . .  His  instructions  were  to 
follow  the  man  he  met  in  the  public- 
house  in  Bear  Street,  and  to  bash  the 
woman  he  would  point  out  to  him  in 
Portland  Street. 

1S82.  F.  Anstey,  Vice  Versa,  xii. 
'If  you  have  got  bashed  about  pretty 
well  since  you  came  back,  it's  been  all 
your  own  fault,  and  you  know  it." 

1882.  Daily  Telegraph,  16  Dec.  2.  6. 
According  to  the  statement  of  the  pro- 
ecuting  solicitor,  this  was  the  man  who 
undertook  to  point  out  to  Leech,  the 
professed  basher,  the  woman  whom  he 
was  to  assault  in  Portland  Street. 

18S3.  Standard,  2  March,  6,  7.  Mr. 
Hannay  reminded  her  that  when  the 
summons  was  applied  for,  the  boy's  father 
had  said  that  the  boy  was  bashed  on  the 
floor,  and  received  a  black  eye  and  a 
bruised  head. 

1896.  Griffiths,  Fast  and  Loose, 
143.  s.v. 


Bashaw. 


ISO 


Basket. 


Bashaw,  subs,  (common). — I.  A 
pasha.  2.  A  great  (or  imperious) 
mau;  a  grandee. 

1593.  Nashe,  Christ's  Tears  (1613) 
85,  s.v. 

c.  1670.  Hacket,  Li/e  of  Williams, 
J,  82.  In  every  society  of  men  there  will 
be  some  Bashawes,  who  presume  that 
there  are  many  rules  of  law  from  which 
they  should  be  exempted. 

c.  1704.  Gentleman  Instructed,  203. 
He  desired  my  company  to  a  minister  of 
state  upon  business,  but  the  Bashaw  was 
indisposed,  i.e.  not  to  be  accosted. 

174g.  Walpole,  Letters,  i.  213.  The 
fair  Mrs.  Pitt  has  been  mobbed  in  the 
park,  and  with  difficulty  rescued  by  some 
gentlemen,  only  because  this  bashaw 
(Duke  of  Cumberland)  is  in  love  with  her. 

1794.  Godwin,  Cal.  XVilliavts,  16, 
s.v.     1872.     Eliot,  Middlemarch,  liii.  s.v. 

BASHI  Bazouk,  sitbs.  (common).— 
A  ruman:  used  loosely  as  a  more 
or  less  mild  term  of  opprobrium  ; 
also  applied  to  anything  bizarre 
in  character  or  composition:  the 
expression  came  into  vogue  when 
Bulgarian  atrocities  were  elec- 
trifying the  world  by  their  bar- 
barous cruelty. 

1855.  Wynter,  Cur.  Civiliz.,  11, 
404.  s.v.  1861.  Sala,  Twice  Round 
Clock,  33,  s.v. 

BASH-RAG,  subs,  phr.  (old). — A  rag- 
amuffin, {c.  1600.  J.  Davies, 
Extasie,  35   s.v.). 

BASIL,  subs.  (Old  Cart).— a  fetter  : 
usually  fastened  on  the  ankle  of 
one  leg  only,  (1592,  Greenk). 

BASIN  (or  BASON),  subs,  (old).— 
I.  It  was  customary  when  bawds 
and  other  infamous  persons  were 
carted,  for  a  mob  to  precede 
them,  beating  metal  basins,  pots, 
and   other   sounding   vessels,    to 


increase  the  tumult,  and  call  more 
spectators  together.  (Nares): 
See  Brass-Bacon. 

1578.  Whetstone,  Promos  and 
Cassandra,  11,  iv.  2,  s.v. 

1591.  Harington,  Ariosto,  xvii.  89. 
With  scornful  sound  of  basen,  pot,  and  pan, 
They  thought  to  drive  him  theiice,  like 
bees  in  swarmes. 

1602.  Dekker,  Honest  Whore, 
[Dodslev],  Old  Plays  (Reed),  iii.  Why 
before  her  does  the  baSON  ring  ? 

1613.  Browne,  Äv7.  Paj^,  i.  4.  Then 
like  a  strumpet  drove  me  from  their  cells, 
With  tinkling  pans,  and  with  the  noise 
of  bells. 

1630.  JoNSON,  Ne^v  Inn,  iv.  3.  And 
send  her  home  Divested  to  her  flannel  in 
a  cart.  Lat.  And  let  her  footman  beat 
the  BASON  afore  her. 

2.  (American). — A  schooner 
{q.v.). 

BASING.  That's  Basing,  phr.  (old 
gaming). — An  expression  used 
when  clubs  are  turned  up  trumps. 
[The  siege  of  Basing  House  was 
one  of  the  most  memorable  of  the 
incidents  of  the  Parliamentary 
War,  the  usual  explanation  of 
the  phrase  being  that  "  Clubs  were 
trumps  when  Basing  was  taken."] 

BASINITE,  subs.  (Charterhouse:  nearly 
obsolete). — A  hot-water  fag:  he 
has  to  get  hot  water  and  towels 
ready  for  a  monitor  when  he 
descends  to  wash  in  COCKS  {q.v.'). 

BASKEFYSKE,  subs,  (venery). — Copu- 
lation: See  Greens  ;  Cokwolds 
Dauncc,  116;  and  Hazlitt's 
Early  Pop,  Poetry  i.  43. 

Basket,  subs,  (tailors'). — Stale  news. 

Intj.  (cocking). — An  exclama- 
tion frequently  made  use  of  in 
cockpits    where    persons,    unable 


Basket. 


151 


Bass. 


to  pay  their  losings,  are  adjudged 
to  be  put  into  a  basket  suspended 
over  the  pit,  there  to  remain  till 
the  sport  is  concluded  {Grose). 
Phrases— 7(^  go  to  the  basket  = 
to  go  to  prison:  poor  prisoners  in 
public  gaols  were  mainly  dependen 
on  the  almsbasket  for  sustenance  ; 
to  fin  the  basket  =  to  conclude  a 
matter  ;  to  be  left  in  the  basket  =z 
to  remain  unchosen,  to  be  rejected 
(or  abandoned)  ;  left  to  the  last  ; 
the  pick  of  the  basket  =  the  best, 
choicest  ;  to  bring  to  the  busket  ■=. 
(i)  to  reduce  to  poverty,  (2)  to 
imprison  ;  to  leave  in  the  basket  = 
to  leave  in  the  lurch  ;  in  the 
basket  =:  pregnant,  LUMPY  {q.v.). 
See  Eggs  and  Basket-making. 

1632.  RIassinger  and  Field,  Fatal 
Dowry,  v.,  i.  Ponialicr  [tu  Liladam,  who 
is  in  custody  for  debt].  Arrested!  this 
is  one  of  those  whose  base  And  abject 
flattery  help'd  to  dig  his  grave;  He  is 
not  worth  your  pity,  nor  my  anger;  Go 
TO  THE  BASKET,  and  repent. 

c.  1659  OsBORN,  Observ-  Turks,  s.v. 
1670.     Rav,   Proverbs  [Bolin],    149,  s.v. 

1700.  Gentlemen  Instructed  [1732], 
6.  God  be  praised!  I  am  not  brol,"ght 
TO  THE  BASKET,  though  I  had  rather  live 
on  charity  than  rapine. 

d.  1841.  Hook,  Gerv.  Skinner,  iii 
Skinner  was  quite  enchanted  with  the 
brilliancy  of  his  guests,  although  now  and 
then  a  little  puzzled  at  their  allusions; 
their  jokes  were  chiefly  local  or  profes- 
sional and  very  frequently  my  excellent 
friend  Gervase  was,  to  use  a  modern 
phrase  of  general  acceptation,  basketed. 

1818.  Egan,  Boxiaua,  I,  79.  The 
fight  was  soon  over  after  this  circumstance, 
and  the  sweaters  and  trainers  were  com- 
pletely in  the  basket! 

1840.  Barham,  Ingoldsby  Lcg.[House 
Warming).  Whatever  he  wants,  he  has 
only  to  ask  it.     And  all  other  suitors  are 

LEFT    IN    THE    BASKET. 

1866.  Yates,  Land  at  Last. . .  .  And 
find  you  in  his  den,  lighting  it  up  like — like 
— like — I'm  regularly  basketed  by  jove  ! 


1874.  Bell's  Life,  26  Dec.  The 
PICK  OF  THE  BASKET,  a  compact  youug 
greyhound. 

BASKET-JUSTICE,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 


i860.  W'vxTr.R,  Curios.  Civiliz. 
493.  s-'^'- 

BASKET-MAKING,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
Copulation  :  see  Greens  and  Ride. 

To   HAVE  A  KID  IN  THE  BASKET  =r 

to  be  pregnant  ;  to  be  lumpy  {q.''.). 

BASKET-MEETING,  snbs.  phr.  (Ame- 
rican).— A  camp  meeting  serving 
also  as  a  picnic  :  each  one  or  party 
contributing  their  own  basket. 

BASKET-SCRAMBLER,  subs.  phr. — 
One  living  on  charity,  in  receipt 
of  alms  :  see  Basket. 

1647.     Stapylton,  Juvenal,  40,  s.v. 

BASS,  stibs.  (common). —  I.  Bass' 
ale  :    brewed    at  Burton-on-Trent. 

1853.  Bradlev  (' Cuthbert  Bede"), 
Adventures  of  Verdant  Green,  23.  The 
young  gentleman  exhibited  great  capacity 
for  the  beer  of  Bass,  and  the  porter  of 
Guinness. 

1863.  OuDiA,  Held  in  Bondage,  i.,  63. 
Those  idle  lads  in  the  Temple,  who  smoke 
cavendish  and  drink  Bass.  Ibid.  126. 
Discussing  Bass  and  a  cold  luncheon. 

1868.  Braddon,  Only  a  Clod,  i.,  138. 
A  lot  of  fellows  drinking  no  end  of  Bass. 

i8(?).  Thomas,  A  Passion  in  Tatters, 
I.,  no.  Bass  that  was  not  worthy  of  its 
name. 

2.     (old). — A   kiss:    also  buss 
(^.z/.).     Also  as  verb. 

c.  1450.  Court  Love, c-x.\\.,%.v.;  c.  1500. 
Bk.  Mayd  Em  lin,  26,  s.v.;  r.  1529.  Skel- 
TON,  3Iy  darling  dere,  9,  s.v. 

1530.  Calisto  and  Mel.  [DoDSl,EV], 
Old  Plays  (Hazlitt),  I.,  74.  Thus  they 
kiss  and  BASS. 


Basta. 


152 


Bat. 


1562.  Heywood,  Prov.  and  Epig. 
(1867),  57.     He  must  nedes  basse  hir. 

1570.  Wit  and  Science,  (1848),  13. 
Wyt.  Ye,  let  hym  bee,  I  doo  not  passe  ! 
Cum  now,  a  basse!  Hon.  Ree.  Nay,  syr, 
as  for  BASSYS,  From  hence  none  passys, 
But  as  in  gage  Of  maryage. 

basta!  intj.  (old).— It  is  enough! 
No  more!     No  matter! 

1596.  Shakspeare,  Taming  of 
Shreiu,  i.  i.  Basta,  content  thee,  for  1 
have  it  full. 

1632.  Brome,  Court  Beggar,  iv.  i, 
s.v.;  1819.  Scott,  Ivankoe,  11,  iii,  40,  s.v. 

BASTARD-BRIG,  J«(üj.//ir.(nautical).— 
A  coasting  vessel  :  also  schoony- 
oigy  and  hermaphrodite  brig. 

Baste,  verb  (common). — To  thrash 
:=  beat  soundly:  e.g.,  'I'll  baste 
your  sides,  Sirrah,  He  bang  you 
bastely'    (B.E.):    also   to   baste 

one's     JACKET;      ANOINT      {q.V.). 

Basting  =  a  cudgelling,  tanning 
{q.v.)  :  also  dry-basting  ;  basting 
:=  (i)  a  heavy  blow,  (2)  a  stick  or 
cudged,  and  (3)  one  who  thrashes 
or  bastes. 

1533.  Belle.vden,  Livy,  iii.  (1822), 
223.  He  départit  weil  basit  and  de- 
fuleyeit  of  his  clothing. 

1590.  Shakspeare,  Ciy»i.  Errors, 
ii.  2.  64.  Ant.  S.  I  pray  you  eat  none 
of  it  . . .  Lest  it  make  you  choleric,  and 
purchase  me  another  dry  basting. 

1599.  Greene,  George  -  a  -  Greene, 
[Grosart  (Works)  XIV.  174].  He  baste 
you  both  so  well,  you  were  neuer  better 
basted  in  your  liues. 

160S.  Tryall  of  Chevalry,  iii.  i. 
[Bullen,  Old  Plays,  iii.  305.]  But,  had 
1  knowne  as  much,  I  would  have  basted 
him  till  his  bones  had  rattled  in  his  skin. 

i6ii.  Beaumont,  Knight  of  Burning 
Pestle,  ii.  4.  Look  on  my  shoulders,  they 
are  black  and  blue;  Whilst  to  and  fro 
fair  Luce  and  I  were  winding.  He  came 
and  BASTED  me  with  a  hedge-binding. 


1660.     Pepys,    Diary,  July  22.     One 
,  man    was    basted    by    the    keeper,    for 
carrying  some   people  over  on  his  back, 
through  the  water. 

1720.  Swift,  Irish  Feast,  %.s.\  1726. 
Wagst.^ffe,  JMisc.  Works,  s.v.;  1770. 
Smith,  Bk.  Rainy  Day  (1861).  14. 

1772.  Bridges,  Burlesque  Homer,  2. 
He  daily,  aye,  and  nightly.  Took  pains 
to  B.\STE  their  jackets  tightly. 

1874.  Mrs.  H.  Wood,  Johnny  Lud- 
low, 1  S.,  xix.,  328.  '  Hold  your  row, 
Davvy,'  he  roared  out,  wrathfuUy;  'you'd 
not   like  me  to  come  back  and  give  you 

a    BASTING.' 

Baster,  subs.  (American). — i.  A 
house  thief  {q.v-). 

2.  (old). — A  stick;    a  cudgel. 

3.  See  Baste. 

BASTERLY-CULLION,  suhs.phr.  (old). 
— A  bastard's  bastard:  Fr.  couillon. 

BASTILE,  subs,  (old).— I.  A  work- 
house. 

1883.  CuTHBERT  Bede,  in  Graphic, 
2  June,  558,  2.  JNIister  Corbyn  had  always 
called  the  workhouse  by  the  opprobrious 
epithet  of  the  basteel. 

2.  (old). — A  prison:  j<r<.'CAGE; 
also  steel  (q.v.). 

BAT,  subs.  (old). —  I.  A  prostitute: 
c/.  fly-by-night:  Fr.  hirondeUt 
de  nuit:  see  Tart.  For  full  lists  of 
synonyms,  see  Barrack-hack. 

t6i2.  SvLVF.STER,  LacrymcB  Lacry- 
jnaruin,  loi.  Bats,  Harpies,  Syrens, 
Centaurs,  Bib-all-nights. 

[?]  Old  Ballad,  'Long  Live  tlie 
King,'  52,  s.v. 

2.  (American). — A  spree:  a 
frolic;  a  drunken  bout:  set 
Batter. 

1889.  Bird  o'  Freedom,  7  Aug.,  i. 
Mr.  Potè:  If  she  had  been  bitten  by  the 


Bat. 


153 


Bate. 


kind  of  BAT  you  went  on  when  I  was 
away  last  Saturday  week,  she  would 
probably  have  died  of  délit  ixm  tremens. 

3.  (athletic). — Pace  ;  speed  (in 
walking,  rowing,  etc.)  ;  rate  ;  man- 
ner; style:  e.g.  'going  off  at  a 
lively  BAT.' 

1880.  D.  Teleg.  11  Mar.  Going  off 
at  a  lively  bat  of  34 . . .  the  boat  travel- 
led at  a  good  pace. 

1887.  Daily  Netvs,  18  August,  6,  3. 
Here  they  come,  a  mixed  flock  of  birds 
full  BAT  overhead. 

To  BAT  one's  eyes,///;-.  (Ame- 
rican and  dialectical  iu  England). 
—  I.  To  wink;  toblink;  a  South- 
western term. 

1846.  Overland  Monthly,  79.  The 
Texans  stood  by  and  laughed  to  see  him 
knock  off  his  hat  and  bat  his  eves  at 
every  twitch,  to  avoid  cutting  them  out. 

1883.  J.  Harris  [Century  Mag.  May, 
146].  You  hoi'  j'our  head  high  ;  don't 
you  bat  your  eves  to  please  none  of  'em. 

2.  (American  gaming). — To 
look  on  ;  watch  :  of  a  bystander 
not  playing. 

To  BAT  ONE  ON  THE  HEAD, 
veri),  phr.  (American). — To  strike 
one  on  the  head. 

Off  or  ON  one's  own  bat,  phr. 
(popular). — By  oneself;  through 
one's  own  exertions;  unaided:  a 
figurative  usage  of  a  cricketing 
term. 

1S45.  Sydney  Smith,  Fragin.  Irish 
Ch.,  wks.  II.,  340,  I.  He  had  no  revenues 
but  what  he  got  off  his  own  bat. 

1855.  Lord  Lonsdale,  [Croker  Pa- 
pers (1884),  vol.  hi.,  325.]  Derby  . . .  would 
not  make  a  ministry  from  his  own  friends 
or  his  own  bat. 

18S0.  H,\wLEY  Smart,  Social  Sin- 
vers,  xxiii.  '  You  have  a  weakness  for  the 
great  world?  Good.  Score  off  vol'r  ovv.v 
B.\T,  and  it  is  the  great  world  comes  to  you.' 


1884.  Sat.  Review,  8  March,  308.  2. 
He  has  in  the  most  workmanlike  manner, 
and  off  his  own  bat,  lost  for  the  Govern- 
ment an  important  seat  by  a  crushing 
majority. 

189g.  WniTEiNG,  yohn  St.,  123.  I 
mean  to  do  this  little  bit  off  my  own 
b.\t. 

To  carry  out  one's  bat,  phr. 
(popular). — To  carry  through  an 
undertaking;  to  outlast  all  op- 
ponents ;  to  secure  the  result 
aimed  at. 

1874.  M.  CoLLixs,  Frances,  xxviii. 
The  General  defended  his  stumps  as  he 
would  have  defended  a  fortress,  and 
carried  his  bat  out  with  a  score  of  a 
hundred  and  seven. 

Batch,  verb  (common).— To  live 
single  :  of  both  sexes  :  a  corruption 
of  '  batchelor'. 

BATCHELOR's  Son,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— A  bastard. 

BATE.  Bate  me  an  ace,  quoth 
Bolton  !  phr.  (old). — An  expres- 
sion of  credulity;  'Excuse  me! 
You're  going  it  too  strong  !  ' 
Hence  to  bate  an  ace  =:  to 
hesitate;  to  show  reluctance. 

d.  1535.  Sir  Thomas  More,  Works, 
18.  Har.  I  use  all  to  George  Philpots 
at  Dowgate;  hees  the  best  backsworde- 
man  in  England.  Kit.  Bate  M";-  an  ace 
OF  TH.AT,  quoth  Bolton.  Har.  lie  not 
bate  ye  a  pinne  on't,  sir;  for,  by  this 
cudgell,  'tis  true. 

1563.  Edwards,  Davion  and  Pythias 
[DODSLEV,  Old  Plays  (Reed),  i.,  224]. 
Griiiime.  Nay  there,  bate  me  an  ace, 
quoth  Boulton. 

157S.  \^nwt?>iQiii^,  Promos  and  Cas- 
sandra, iv.,  7.  Bate  me  an  \ce,  quoth 
Boulton:  Tush,  your  mind  I  know.  Ah 
sir,  you  would  belike  let  my  cock 
sparrows  goe. 

(T.  1600.  Camden,  Remains,  ^Vioy^x\>ì' 
[Smith  (1870),  31g].  B.\te  me  an  ace 
of  that,  quoth  Bolton. 


Bate's  Farm. 


154 


Bathinz- 


c.  1600.  T>A\,  Beggar  Bed.  Green  (1S81), 
no.  Bate  me  an  ace  of  that,  qvod 
Bolton. 

1613.  H.  P[arrot1.  Mastive.  A 
pamphlet  was  of  proverbs  penn'd  by  Polt  on, 
Wherein  he  thought  all  sorts  included 
were;  Until  one  told  him  Bate  :m'a>j  ace, 
QUOTH  Bolton:  Indeed  (said  he)  that 
proverb  is  not  there. 

1616.  Haughton,  Engl,  for  my 
Money,  ii.  2.  Yet  a  man  may  want  of 
his  will,  and  bate  an  ace  of  his  wish. 

1633.  JoN'SON,  Tale  of  a  Tub,  ii.  i. 
Go  to,  I  will  not  BATE  him  an  ace  on't. 

1670.  Rav,  Proverbs,  177.  Queen 
Elizabeth,  by  aptly  citing  this  proverb, 
detected  that  it  was  wanting  in  a  col- 
lection presented  to  her.  It  was  asserted, 
that  all  the  proverbs  in  the  English 
language  were  there;  "Bate  me  an  ace, 
«.iUOTH  Bolton,"  answered  the  queen, 
implying  that  the  assertion  was  probably 
too  strong;  and,  in  fact,  that  very  pro- 
verb was  wanting. 

1676.  Marvell,  Mr,  Siitirke  (1875!, 
IV.  60.  The  exposer  has  not  bated  him 
AN  ace. 

1733.  North,  Lives  of  Norths  lii^6), 
111.  323.  Bating  him  that  ace  he  was 
truly  a  great  man.  Ibid.,  Examen,  i.  iii. 
158.  His  Lordship  was  within  Ams-ace. 
ijt  being  put  in  the  plot. 

A     ROUSING     BATE,     Subs.    phr. 
(Eton). — A  great  rage. 

BATE'S  Farm  (or  Garden)  (thieves: 
obsolete). — Coldl^ath  Fields  pri- 
son ;  from  an  official  of  that  name 
and  a  certain  appropriateness  in 
the  initials,  C.B.F.,  the  prison 
initials,  and  used  as  a  stamp. 
To      FEED      THE      CHICKENS     ON 

Charley    Bates'    Farm    =   to 
be  put  to  the  tread-mill. 

1 8[?].  Broadside  Ballad,  '  Old  Bates's 
Farm'.  So  if  I  should  touch  lucre,  For 
■A  time  I  will  keep  calm.  If  I  don't  see 
you  here  some  night, I  shall  at  Bates' 
Farm. 


1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  ti.  On  a 
holiday  to  Bates'  Farm  his  gentle  Maud 
he  sent. 

BAT-FOWLER,  siibs.  phr.  (old). — A 
swindler;  sharper;  victimiser  of 
the  unwary.  B.\T-FOWLiNG  = 
swindling  ;  rookery. 

160S.  Dekker,  Belman  of  London 
[Grosart,  Works,  iii.  131].  Sometimes 
likewise  this  Card-cheating  goes  not  under 
the  name  of  Bernard's  Lawe,  but  is  called 
Batt  fowling. 

BATH.  Go  TO  Bath  !  phr.  (old). — 
A  contemptuous  injunction  to  be 
off;  Go  to  blazes  ;  Hull,  Halifax 
— anywhere:  the  injunction  was 
intensified  by  '  and  get  your  head 
shaved,'  a  suggestion  of  craziness. 
To  GO  TO  Bath  =  to  go  begging  : 
Bath  in  the  latter  days  of  the 
17th  century  was  infested  with 
the  cadging  fraternity. 

1588.  Lambard,  The  Office  of  the 
fustices  of  the  Peace,  334.  Such  two 
Justices  may. . . .  License  diseased  persons 
(living  of  almes)  to  trauell  to  Bathe,  or 
to  Buckstone  [Buxton],  for  remedie  of 
their  griefe. 

[1662.  Fuller,  History  of  the  Wor- 
thies of  England,  Beggars  of  Bath. — 
Many  in  that  place;  some  natives  there, 
others  repairing  thither  from  all  parts 
of  the  land;  the  poor  for  alms,  the  pained 
for  ease.] 

1840.  Barham,  Ingoldsby  Legends, 
(Grey  Dolphin).  'Go  to  Bath!'  said  the 
baron.  A  defiance  so  contemptuous  roused 
the  ire  of  the  adverse  commanders. 

1885.  Frank  Leslie's  Illustrated 
Newspaper,  16  Oct.,  362.  You  tell  a  dis- 
agreeable neighbour  to  go  to  Bath  in 
the  sense  in  which  a  Roman  would  have 
said  abi  in  malam  rem. 

BATHING-MACHINE,  suh.  phr.  (nau- 
tical).—  I.  A  10  ton  brig.  Also  (2. 
London  busmen)  a  four-wheeled 
cab,  or  growler  {(J.v.). 


Batie-brim 


155 


Batter. 


Batie-brim  (oi-Batie-brimmil),  suis, 
phr.  (old). — A  useless  bungler; 
slow-coach  ;  inactive  helpless  fel- 
low. 

c.  1550.     Christis   Kirk;     1572.    Ar- 

BUTHNOT. 

BAT-MUGGER,  subs. phr.  (Winchester 
College).  A  wooden  instrument 
used  for  rubbing  oil  into  cricket 
bats. 

BATTELS,  subs,  (old  University). — 
The  weekly  bills  of  students  at 
Oxford.  [Murray:  Much  depends 
on  the  original  sense  at  Oxford  : 
if  this  was  '  food,  provisions,'  it 
is  natural  toconnect  it  with 'battle,' 
to  feed,  or  receive  nourishment.  It 
appears  that  the  word  has  appa- 
rently undergone  progressive  ex- 
tensions of  application,  owing 
partly  to  changes  in  the  external 
economy  of  the  colleges.  Some 
Oxford  men  of  a  previous  gener- 
ation state  that  it  was  understood 
by  them  to  apply  to  the  buttery 
accounts  alone,  or  even  to  the 
provisions  ordered  from  the  but- 
tery, as  distinct  from  the  'com- 
mons' supplied  fom  the  kitchen: 
but  this  latter  use  is  disavowed 
by  others].  Also  as  verb,  and 
Battler  =1  an  Oxford  student  ; 
formerly  used  in  contradistinc- 
tion to  a  gentleman  commoner. 
See  Battlings. 

1570.  Levins,  Maiiip.  IWai.  38. 
[Oliphant,  Nezu  English,  i.  579.  Then 
BATTLE  commons;  the  terms  are  Still  wcU- 
known  at  Oxford]. 

1607.  Puritan  [Malone,  Suppt,  ii. 
543].  Eat  my  commons  with  a  good 
stomach,  and  battle  with  discretion. 

161I.         COTGRAVE,       Diet.      [NaRES]. 

To  BATTLE  (as  scholars  do  in  Oxford), 
être  débiteur  au  collège  pour  ses  vivres. 
Mot  usé  seulement  jeunes  écoliers  de 
l'univerkité  d'Oxford. 


1617.  MiK'iHV.K.Gtiidewito  Tonguts, 
Cue,  hälfe  a  farthiiiE,  so  called  because 
they  set  down  in  the  Battling  or  Bulterie 
Bookes  in  Oxford  and  Cambridge  the 
letter  Q  for  hälfe  a  farthing,  and  in  Ox- 
ford when  they  make  that  Cue  or  q  a 
farthing,  they  say  Cap  my  q,  and  make 

it  a  farthing  thus 

1678.     Phillips,  IVorldo/ H''oreis,s.v. 

1706.   Hearne;    1733.   North;  1744. 

Salmon;     1791,    1824.    D'Israeli;  1792. 

Gentleman's  Mag.\    1824.  Heber;  1824. 
Arnold. 

1798.  H.  TooKE,  Pnrley,  390.  Bat- 
tel, a  term  used  at  Eton  for  the  small 
portion  of  food  which,  in  addition  to  the 
College  allowance,  the  collegers  receive 
from  their  dames. 

1853.  CuTHERT  Eede,  I'erdant 
Green  11.,  vii.  The  Michaelmas  term  was 
drawing  to  its  close.  Buttery  and  kit- 
chen books  were  adding  up  their  sums 
total  ;  bursars  were  preparing  for  battels. 

d.  1859.  De  Quincev,  Life  and  Me- 
moirs, 274.  Many  men  battel  at  the 
rate  of  guinea  a  week  and  wealthier  men 
more  expensive,  and  more  careless  men 
even  battelled  much  higher." 

1886-7.  Dickens,  Dictionary  cf  Ox- 
ford and  Cambridge,  16.  Battels  is 
properly  a  designation  of  the  food  ob- 
tained from  the  College  Buttery.  An 
account  of  this,  and  of  the  account  due 
to  the  Kitchen,  is  sent  in  to  every  under- 
graduate weekly,  hence  these  bills  also 
are  known  as  battels,  and  the  name, 
further,  is  extended  to  the  total  amount 
of  the  term's  expenses  furnished  by  the 
College.  In  some  Colleges  it  is  made 
essential  to  the  keeping  of  an  under- 
graduates' terra  that  he  should  battel, 
i.e.,  obtain  food  in  College  on  a  certain 
number  of  days  each  week. 

BATTEN,  verb.  (B.E.).— 'To  Fatten' 
(1696). 

BATTER,  j«,}j-.(commoii).— I.  Wear- 
and  tear;  e.g.,  'the  batter  is 
more  than  can  be  stood  for  long'; 

'  BATTERED-BULLY,    an     old   well- 

cudgell'd     and     bruis'd     huffing 
Fellow'  (B.E.).     To  GO  ON  the 


Batterfang. 


156 


Battledore. 


BATTER  =  to  indulge  in  debauch- 
ery of  any  kind — drunkenness, 
whoring,  etc.  Battered  = 
drunk:  see  SCREWED. 

1899.  Whiteing,  John  St.,  xxi.  D'ye 
call  that  coin'  on  the  batter  ? 

2.  (printers'). — In  pi.  =  broken 
and  battered  type;  these  find 
their  way  to  the  hell-box  {q.v.^ 
and  are  eventually  melted  down. 

BATTERFANG,  verb.  (old).— To 
beclaw;  attack  with  fists  and 
nails. 

1630.  Taylor,  Works.  A  poore 
labouring  man  was  married  and  matched 
to  a  creature  that  so  much  used  to  scold 
waking,  that  she  had  much  adoe  to  refraine 
it  sleeping,  so  that  the  poore  man  was 
so  batterfakg'd  and  belabour'd  with 
tongue  mettle,  that  he  was  weary  of  his  life. 

c.  1709.  "V^AWD, England'sRe/ofiiiation. 
The  Pastor  lays  on  lusty  bangs.  Whitehead 
the  Pastor  batter-fangs. 

Battering-piece,  suls.phr.  (venery). 
— The  penis:  see  Prick  (Clel- 
land). 

Battery,  S7tbs.  (B.E.).— Beating, 
assault,  also,  striking  with  the 
Edge  and  fehle  of  one's  Sword, 
upon  the  edge  and  fehle  of  his 
Adversaries'  {c.   1696). 

Battle,  subs.  (old). — i .  5^^Battels. 
Phrases,  To  give  the  battle  =: 
to  acknowledge  defeat  ;  grant  the 

victory  ;  TO  HAVE  THE  BATTLE 
=:  to  be  the  victor;  HALF  THE 
BATTLE  (of  anything  that  contri- 
butes largely  to  success). 

Battledore.    Not  to   know  B 

(or    A    B)    FROM    A    BATTLEDORE 

(or  bull's  FOOT)  =  to  be  utterly 
illiterate,  to  be  ignorant;  TO  SAY 
B   (or   BO)   TO   A    BATTLEDORE   = 

to   open  one's  mouth,  to  speak: 

cf.   BO   TO   A   GOOSE. 


1401.  Pol.  Poems,  II.  57.  I  know 
not  an  A  from  the  wynd-mylne,  ne  a  B 

FROM    a    bole    foot. 

1553-87.     FoxE,  Acts  and  Monuments, 

II.     474.       He     KNEW     NOT     A     B     FROM     A 

battledore  nor  ever  a  letter  of  the  book. 
1592.     Nashe,  Pierce  Pennilesse,  30^. 

Now     you     TALKE    OF    A     BeE.      ILE   TELL 

YOU  A  TALE  OF  A  Battledore  and  write 
in  prayse  of  vertue.  Ibid.  (1599),  Lenten 
Staffe  (1885),  V.  197.  Every  man  can 
SAY  Bee  to  a  Battledore  and  write  in 
prayse  of  Vertue. 

1609.  Dekker,  Gids-Hornebooke,  3. 
You  shall  not  neede  to  buy  bookes;  nor 
scorne  to  distinguish  a  B  from  a  battle- 
dore. 

1621.  Montagu,  i?/rtj';-2^(P,  118.  The 
clergy  of  this  time  were  . . .  not  .\ble  to 
SAY  bo  to  a  battledore. 

1613.  King,  Halfepennyworth  of 
Wit,  'Dedication.'  Simple  honest  dunce, 
as  I  am,  that  cannot  say  B  to  a  battle- 
dore, it  is  very  presumptuously  done  of 
me  to  offer  to  hey-passe  and  repasse  it 
in  print  so. 

1630.  Taylor,  Motto,  'Dedication.' 
For  in  this  age  of  criticks  are  such  store, 
That  of  A  B  will  jlake  a  battledoor. 
/^j(/.,'  Dedication  '  to  Odcomb'sComplainf. 
To  the  gentlemen  readers  thatUNDERSTAND 
A  B  from  a  battledoor. 

1663.     Howell,    Eng.   Proverbs,   16. 

He  KNOWETH  NOT  A  B  FROM  A  BATTLE- 
DOOR. 

1672.    Ray,  Proverbs,  s.v. 

1677.  MiEGE,  Diet.  Fr.  and  Eng., 
128.  Battledore  ...  formerly  a  term 
for  a  hornbook,  and  hence  no  doubt  arose 
the  phrase  to  know  a  B  fko.m  a  battle- 
dore. 

1846.  Brackenbridge,  j1/(7(/t';-«  Chiv- 
"try,     43.       There    were    members    who 

scarcely     knew     B    FROM    A    BULLS-FOOT. 

1877.  Peacock,  Manly  (Line.)  Glos- 
sary, s.v.  Battledore.  He  does  not 
KNOWS   HIS   ABC  fra  a  battledoor. 

1884.  Black,  Judith  Shakspeare. 
xxi.  Fools  that  scarce  know  a  B  from 
A  Battledore. 


Battledore-boy. 


157 


Baud. 


Battledore-boy,  subs.phr.  (old). — 
An  abecedarian.  ^Battledore  = 
a  hornbook — W.  Robertson 
(1693)]- 

BATTLE-OF-THE-NlLE,  Suds.  phr. 
(rhyming). — A  '  tile  '  ;  a  hat  :  e.g. 
'  Kool  his  BATTLE,  Bill  '  =  '  Look 
at  his  hat.  Bill':  see  Cady. 

1887.  HoRSLEY,  Jottings  from  Jail. 
Come,  cows-and-kisses,  put  the  battle  ok 
THE  Nile  on  your  Barnet  fair,  and  a  rogue 
and  villain  in  your  sky-rocket. 

BATTLE-ROYAL,  subs.  phr.  (old  col- 
loquial). A  general  squabble; 
a  '  free  fight  '  :  spec,  of  two  terma- 
gant women. 

1672.  Howard,  All  Mistaken,  i.  \st 
Niirse.  Your  husband  is  the  noted'st 
cuckold  in  all  our  street,  ■znd  Ntirse. 
You  lie,  you  jade;  yours  is  a  greater. 
Phil.  Hist— now  for  a  battle-royal. 

1687.  Drvden;  1804.  Nelson;  i860. 
Thompson. 

1853.  Thackeray,  Shabby  Getiteel 
Story,  vi.  A  BATTLE-ROVAL  Speedily  took 
took  place  between  the  two  worthy  mo- 
thers-in-law. 

1865.  Sketches  from  Caiiibridge,  137. 
Our  brethren  there  [in  Oxford]  seem  to 
be  always  indulging  in  battles-royal. 

BATTLE-WRIGHT,  suhs.  phr.  (old). — 
A  soldier. 

c.  1300.     Cursor  Mundi,  7495.     You  es 
a  stalworth  batail  wright. 

BATTLINGS,  subs.i^MÜoWc  schools'). — 
A  weekly  allowance  of  money: 
at  Winchester  it  is  is.,  while  at 
Repton  it  is  only  6d.:  also  see 
Battels. 

BATTNER,  subs,  (old).— An  ox:  'The 
cove  has  hushed  the  BATTNER,' 
i.e.,  has  killed  the  ox  (B.  E.). 

BATTY  (or  BATTA),  stihs.  (military). 
— Wages  :  perquisites  :  from  batta, 


an  extra  pay  given  to  soldiers 
while  serving  in  India.  Col. 
Yule  says  in  Indian  banking 
BATTY  means  difference  in  ex- 
change, discount  on  coins  not 
current  (or  of  short  weight). 

1824.  Hook,  Sayings  and  Doings, 
viii.  Whether  he  could  draw  full  BATTA 
in  peace-time. 

1868.  Brewer,  Phrase  and  Fable, 
Batta  or  Batty  (Hindustanee).  Perquisi- 
tes; wages.  Properly,  an  allowance  to 
East  Indian  troops  in  the  field. 

Baubee.    See  Bawbee. 

BAUBLE.  (BABLE  or  BAWBELL),  subs. 
(old). —  I.  A  toy,  trinket,  trifle 
(B.E.).  To  deserve  the  baubel 
=  to  be  foolish:  the  'baubel' 
being  the  Court  jester's  baton  sur- 
mounted by  a  carved  head  with 
asses'  ears;  TO  give  the  baubel 
:=  to  befool.  [Broughton(i599); 
Day  (1606)]. 

2.  (venery). — The  penis:  see 
Prick.  Also  in//.  =  the  testes: 
see  Cods. 

1595.  SHAKSfEATiE,  Romeo  andjuliei, 
ii.  4.  This  drielling  love  is  like  a  great 
natural,  that  runs  lolling  up  and  down 
to  hide  his  bauble  in  a  hole. 

1705.  Ward,  Hud.  Rediv,  i.  vi.  10. 
Your  poor  Deserts  would  scarce  be  able. 
To   find   you   Trowzers  to  your  Bauble. 

BAUD  (BAWDSTROT  or  BAWD),  Subs. 
(old). —  I.  A  procurer  or  procu- 
ress; a  brothelkeeper;  a  go-be- 
tween (in  a  bad  sense)  whether 
male  or  female  ;  a  match-maker 
{see  quot.  1634);  a  harlot.  Also 
as  verb  z=.  to  pander  to  sexual 
debauchery.  Hence  numerous 
derivatives  :  thus  bawdily  =  las- 
civiously; BAWDINESS  =  lewdness, 
obscenity  ;  bawding  =  the  prac- 
tice of  a  bawd  ;  bawdish  =  ob- 
scene, filthy;    bawdry    or   baw- 


Batid. 


158 


Baud. 


DREMINY  =:  unchastity,  lewdness 
(in  word  or  deed);  bawdy-basket 
=  a  hawking  vendor  of  obscene 
literature;  bawdy-house  =  a 
brothel;  bawdy-batchelors  = 
'  that  live  long  Unmarried'  (B.E.)  ; 
bawdy-banquet  =  whoremong- 
ering;  bawdy-house-bottle  =: 
'  a  very  small  one  (B.E.).  [O.E.D.  : 
BawdstrOT  "  is  probably  the 
full  word  from  which  bawd  was 
shortened"]. 

1362.  Langland,  Piers  Pliywman\ 
Gesta  Romanorztm,  432;  1374,  Chaucer; 
1447,  Stillingford;  1483,  Caxton;  1513, 
Broadshaw;   1552,  HULEOT. 

1560-1.  AwDELEY,  The  XX  i-'.  or  der  s 
of  Knaues,  (ed.  1896),  14.  Bawde  Phi- 
sicKE,  is  he  that  is  a  Cocke,  when  his 
Maysters  meate  is  euyll  dressed,  and  he 
challenging  him  therefore,  he  wyl  say  he 
he  wyll  eate  the  rawest  morsel  thereof 
him  selfe.  This  is  a  sausye  kaaue,  that 
wyl  contrary  his  Mayster  alway. 

1567.  Harman,  Caveat  (ed.  1869), 
65.  These  bawdy  baskets  be  also  wemen, 
and  go  with  baskets  and  Capeases  on 
their  armes,  where  in  they  haue  laces, 
pynnes,  nedles,  wliite  ynkell,  and  round 
sylke  gyrdles  of  al  coulours.  These  wyl 
bye  co«neyski?;s  aiui  steale  line«  clothes 
of  on  hedges.  And  for  their  trifles  they 
will  procure  of  mayden  seruaunts,  whe« 
[leaf  20,  back]  their  mystres  or  dame  is 
oute  of  the  waye,  either  some  good  peece 
of  béefe,  baken  or  cheese,  that  shalbe 
worth  xij  pens,  for  ii  pens  of  their  toyes. 
And  as  they  walke  by  the  waye,  they 
often  gaine  some  money  wyth  their 
instrument,  by  such  as  they  sodaynely 
mete  withall.  The  vpright  man  haue 
good  acquayntancc  with  those,  and  will 
helpe  and  relieue  them  when  they  want. 
Thus  they  trade  their  lyues  in  lewed 
lothsome  lechery.  Amongest  them  all 
is  but  one  honest  woman,  and  she  is  of 
good  yeares;  her  name  is  lone  Messenger. 
I  haue  had  good  proofc  of  her,  as  I  haue 
learned  by  the  true  report  of  diners.  Itici. 
63.  'Where  haue  I  bene?'  quoth  he,  and 
began  to  smyle.  'Now,  by  the  mas,  thou 
hast  bene  at  some  baudv  banquet.' 

1569.  Sandkord;  1572,  Akbuthnot; 
1589,  Pappe  with  a  tfatchel. 


1589.  PtiTTENHAM,  Art  of  Eng.  Poesie, 
III.,  xix.  Many  a  faire  lasse  in  London 
towne,  Many  a  bawdie  basket  borne 
vp  and  downe. 

1593.  Nash,  Christ's  Teares,  83  b. 
They  will  . . .  play  the  Brokers,  Baudes, 
Apron-squires,  Pandars,  or  anything. 

1595.  SH.\KSfKA'RE,  Romeo  and  J^uliet, 
ii.  4.  ß/er.  'Tis  no  less,  I  tell  you,  for 
the  e.-vwdy  hand  of  the  dial  is  now  on 
the  prick  of  noon.  Nurse.  Out  upon 
you!  what  a  man  are  you .>  laid.  (1596). 
Shakspeare,  ii.  2.  He's  for  a  jiggi  or  a 
tale  of  bawdry. 

1596.  Nashe,  Have  -with  You  to 
Saffron  ìValdcìi  (Grosart,  iii.,  106).  Any 
hot-house   or   bawdv-house  of  them  all. 

1603.  Verstegen,  Restitution  (1634) 
333.  Bawd  ...  a  name  now  given  in  our 
language  to  such  as  are  the  makers  or 
furtherers  of  dishonest  matches. 

1608.    Middleton,  Works,  s.v.  Baw- 

DREMINY. 

1608.  Dekker,  Belman  of  London, 
[Grosart,  Works,  in,  86].  The  victualers 
to  the  campe  are  women,  and  to  those 
some  are  G/j'Wi^rt'j'i,  some  bawdy-baskets, 
some  Aictein-Iilorts.  Ibid.  140.  And  he 
delivers  it  either  to  a  Broker  or  some 
lÎAWD  (for  they  all  are  of  one  feather). 

1623.  Taylor,  Discovery  by  Sea,  11. 
21.  Are  whoremasters  decai'd,  are  bawds 
all  dead.  Are  panders,  pimps,  and  apple- 
squires  all  fled  ? 

1621.  Burton,  Anat.  Melan.,  IIL  11. 
ii.  5.  I  perceived  ...  by  the  naked  queans, 
that  I  was  come  into  a  bawdy-house. 

1633.  Ford;  1634,  Jonson;  1642, 
Rogers;  1651,  Weldon;  1651,  Ceveland; 
1656,  Sanderson. 

167 1.  R.  Head,  English  Rogue,  I., 
v.,  39  (1874).  [In  list  of  orders  of  thieves], 
bawdy-baskets.  Ibid.  (1674).  Canting 
Academy,  105.  The  Bawds  and  the  But- 
tocks that  lived  there  round. 

1675.  Cotton,  Scoffer  Scoff t  [  Works 
(1725),  208].  And  mankind  must  in  dark- 
ness languish  Whilst  he  his  bawhy 
launcc  does  brandish. 


Baulk. 


159 


Bayard. 


1676.  Shadwell;  1688,  Ravens- 
croft;  1698,  Vanbrugh;   1702,  De  Foe. 

1703.  Ward,  London  Spy,  xv.  365. 
Some  loose  shabroon  in  Bawdy-Houses 
bred. 

1708.  London  Bewitched,  6.  This 
month  hedges  . . .  will  be  the  leacher's 
bawdy-house;  the  padder's  ambuscade; 
.  .  and  the  farmer's  security. 

171 1.    Steele;  1726,  Ayliffe. 

172g.  Gay,  Polly,  ii.  7.  Sure  never 
was  such  insolence!  how  could  you  leave 
me  with  this  baudv-hduse  bully. 

1760.  Sterne,  Tristram  Shandy; 
1763,  Churchill;  1765,  Burke;  1771, 
Smollett;  1792,  Young. 

1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias  [Rout- 
ledgeJ.  87.  We  passed  the  night  in 
drinking  and  talking  bawdy. 

1811.  Lexicon Balatronicuiii.  Free- 
and-easy  Johns.  A  society  which  meets 
at  the  Hole  in  the  Wall,  Fleet  Street,  to 
tipple  porter,  and  sing  bawdry. 

2.     (old). — In  pl.:=fine  clothes 
Hence  pretentiousness. 

1647.  Herrick,  Hesperides,  144. 
And  have  our  roofe,  Although  not  archt, 
yet  weather  proofe,  And  seeling  free 
From  that  cheape  candle  baudery. 

Baulk,  subs.  (Winchester).— i.  A 
false  report  (especially  that  a 
master  is  at  hand),  which  is 
SPORTED  {q.v^,  not  spread. 

2.    (common). — A  false  '  shot  '  ; 
a  mistake. 

Baum,  verb.  (American  University). 
— To  fawn;  to  flatter;  to  curry 
favour. — Hall,  College  Words  and 
Phrases. 

Bawbee  (or  BAWUBEE),  subs,  (chiefly 
Scots). — A  copper  coin  of  the 
value  of  a  halfpenny;  whence  a 
halfpenny  (B.E.). 

BAWCOCK,  subs,  (old).— A  burlesque 
term   of  endearment;   'my   good 


fellow';  'my  fine  fellow.'  [Cf 
beau  coq;  also  boy  cock,  with 
an  eye  on  chuck]. 

1599.  Shakspeare,  Henry  V.,  iii., 
2,  25. . .  .  Good  BAWCOCK,  'bate  thy  rage  ! 
use  lenity,  sweet  chuck.  Also  (1602), 
Tivelfth  Night,  iii.  4  ;  and  (1604),  Winter's 
Tale,  i.  2.  Why,  that's  my  bawcock. 
What  has  smatch'd  thy  nose? 

1861.  H.  AiNSwoRTH,  Constalde  of 
the  Tower,  131.  One  of  the  gamesome 
little  bawcock's  jests. 

BAWSON,  subs,  (old).— A  clumsy, 
unwieldy  person. 

1580.  Lingua,  [Dodslev,  Old  Plays 
(Reed),  v.  232].  Peace,  you  fat  bawson, 
peace  ! 

BAW-WAW,  i/itj.  (old).— An  exclama- 
tion of  contempt  or  derision. 
Hence  (proverbial),  'Baw-waw, 
Quoth  Bagshaw  (the  lie  direct). 
As  adj.  =z  contemptibly  noisy. 

1570.     Levins,  Manip.   Vocab.  s.v. 

1599.  Nashe,  Lenten  Staffe  (Harl. 
Älusic.)  vi.  174.  All  this  may  passe  in 
the  queene's  peace,  and  no  man  say  bo 
to  it;  but  "Bawwaw,"  quoth  Bagshaw — 
to  that  which  drawlacheth  behinde,  of 
the  first  taking  of  herrings  there. 

c.  1600.     Dist.  Emp.,  s.v. 

Bay,  subs.  (old). — See  quot. 

1608.  Dekker,  Belinan  of  London 
[Grosart,  Works,  in,  122].  Learne  be- 
fore he  play  what  store  of  Bit  he  hath 
in  his  Bay,  that  is  what  money  he  hath 
in  his  pursse. 

Bayard  (or  Bayard  of  Ten  Toes), 
subs,  (old), — Generic  for  a  horse; 
spec,  a  bay  horse.  [Bayard  was 
a  horse  famous  in  old  romances.] 
Hence  (proverbial),  as  bold  as 
BLIND  Bayakd  (of  those  who  act 
unthinkingly,  and  look  not  before 
they  leap,  whence  generic  for  blind- 
ness, ignorance,  recklessness  ;  To 
RIDE  Bayard  of  ten  toes  = 
to  go  on  foot:  «r/" Shank's  mare. 


Bayonet. 


1 60 


Beach-comber. 


c.  1337.  Manning,  Tr.  Fr.  Poem, 
[Oliphant,  New  Eng.,  i.  21.  The  French 
words  are  (quash) . . .  bavard  (of  a  horse) . . .] 

1350.  Tonni,  of  Tottenham  [Haz- 
LITT,  Early  Pop.  Poetry,  iii.  87].  Bayarde 
the  blynde. 

1360.  Chal'CEr,  Troihis,  i.  218.  As 
proud   Bayard  beginneth  for  the  skippe. 

1393.     GowER,  M.S.  Soc.  Aiitig.,  134, 
f.  185.     Ther  is  no  God,  ther  is  no  lawe 
Of  whom  that  he  taketh  eny  hede, 
But  as  Bayarde  the  blynde  stede, 
Tille  he  falle  in   the  diche  amidde, 
He  goth  ther  no  man  wol  him  bidde. 

c.  1 586.  Cavil  [Mirr.  for  Magistra  tes\. 
Who  is  more  bold  than  is  the  bayard  blind  ? 

1399.  Hall,  Virgil  [Chalmers, 
Eng.  Poets,  v.  268].     s.v. 

1606.  Breton,  Good  and  Badde,  14. 
Breton  says  of  the  'honest  poore  man,' — 
his  trauell  is  the  walke  of  the  woful,  and 
his  horse  Bayard  of  ten  toes. 

1614.  Letter,  [quoted  byNAREs].  But 
the  BOLDEST  BAYARD  of  all  was  Went- 
worth,  who  said  that  the  just  reward  of 
the  Spaniard's  imposition  was  the  loss  of 
the  Low  Countries. 

1633.  Rowley,  Match  at  Midnight. 
[DoDSLEY,  Old  plays  (Reed)  vii.  435]. 
Do  you  hear.  Sir  Bartholomew  Bayard, 
that  leap  before  you  look?" 

1752.  Bernard  Gilpin,  5(??-;«o«Z,;yf. 
I  marvel  not  so  much  at  blind  bayards, 
which  never  take  God's  book  in  hand. 

Bayonet,  sjibs.  (venery). — Thçpenis  : 
See  Pkick  ;  cf.  Sheath  =  female 
pudendum. 

Bay  State,  suhs.phr.  (American). — 
The  State  of  Massachusetts  :  oiig. 
the  Colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay. 

Bayswater  Captain,  suhs.phr.  (old). 
— A  SPONGER  {(]^^^\  an  adven- 
turer: cf.  Dryland  sailor. 

Bay-windowed,  adj.phr.  (common). 
— Fat;  preguant;  LUMl'Y  {q.v.y 


Beach-cadger,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
A  beggar  whose  '  pitch  '  is  at 
watering-places,  and  sea-ports. 

Beach-comber,  subs.  phr.  (nauti- 
cal).—  I.  A  long  wave  rolling  in 
from  the  ocean.  2.  A  settler  on 
islands  in  the  Pacific,  living  by 
means  more  or  less  reputable  : 
comprising  runaway  seamen,  de- 
serters from  whalers  &c.  :  always 
in  contempt.  3.  A  sea-shore 
loafer,  one  on  the  look-out  for 
odd  jobs.  4.  A  river  boatman. 
5.  A  wrecker,  water-rat  {jj.v^. 

1833.  Dana,  Before  the  Mast,  xix. 
In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  I  was  trans- 
formed from  a  sailor  into  a  beach-comber, 
and  a  hide-curer. 

i8[?].  Melville,  Omoo,  log.  A  term 
"applied  to  certain  roving  characters,  who, 
without  attaching  themselves  permanently 
to  a  vessel,  ship  now  and  then  for  a  short 
cruise  in  a  whaler,  but  upon  condition 
only  of  being  honorably  discharged  the 
very  next  time  the  anchor  takes  hold  of 
the  bottom,  no  matter  where  they  are. 
They  are,  mostly,  a  reckless,  rollicking 
set,  wedded  to  the  Pacific,  and  never 
dreaming  of  ever  doubling  Cape  Horn 
again  on  a  homeward-bound  passage. 
Hence  their  reputation  is  a  bad  one." 

1847.  Blackwood's  Magazine,  LXI., 
757.     A  daring  Yankee  beech-comber. 

1880.  Athcnteum,  18  Dec,  809,  2. 
The  white  scamps  who,  as  beech-combers, 
have  polluted  these  Edens  and  debauched 
their  inhabitants. 

1880.  J.  S.  Cooper,  Coral  Lands,  i., 
XX ,  242.  The  beach-combing  pioneers 
of  the  Pacific. 

1883.  A.  Lang,  [Longm.  Mag.,  vi.^ 
417,  note].  Beach-comber  is  the  local 
term  for  the  European  adventurers  and 
long-shore  loafers  who  infest  the  Pacific 
Archipelagoes.  There  is  a  well-known 
tale  of  an  English  castaway  on  one  of 
the  isles,  who  was  worshipped  as  a  deity 
by  the  ignorant  people.  At  length  he 
made  his  escape,  by  swimming,  and  was 
taken  abo.ird  a  British  vessel,  whose 
captain  accosted  him  roughly.  The  mariner 


Beach-tramper 


i6i 


Beak. 


turned  aside  and  dashed  away  a  tear: 
'  I've  been  a  god  for  months  and  you 
call  me  a  (something  alliterative)  beach- 
comber !  '  he  exclaimed,  and  refused  to 
be  comforted. 

Beach-tramper,  subs.  phr. 
(nautical). — A  coastsguardsman  ; 
SHINGLE   SMASHER   {q.V^. 

Bead.  Phrases  (various).— To 
DRAW  A  BEAD  =  to  attack  an 
opponent  by  speech  or  otherwise  : 
from  backwoods  parlance;  TO 
RAISE  A  BEAD  =  to  bring  to 
the  point,  to  ensure  success:  from 
brandy,  rum,  or  other  liquors, 
which  will  not  '  raise  a  bead,' 
unless  of  the  proper  strength  ; 
TO  BID  A  BEAD  =i  to  offer  prayer; 

BEADS-BIDDING  =  prayer;  TO  SAY 
(TELL,     or    COUNT)     ONE'S    BEADS 

=  to  say  prayers  ;  TO  pray  with- 
out   one's    BEADS    =:    tO   be   OUt 

of  one's  reckoning. 

1841.  Catlin,  North  American 
Indians  (1844),  i.,  x.,  77.  I  made  several 
attempts  to  get  near  enough  TO  draw  a 
BEAD  upon  one  of  them. 

1846.  N.  V.  Tribune,  Letter  from 
Ohio.  The  result  was,  if  the  convention 
had  been  then  held,  the  party  wouldn't 
have  been  able  to  raise  a  bead. 

1870.  Bret  Harte,  Society  on  the 
Stanislazis  (in  Poems  and  Prose).  It  is  not 
a  proper  plan,  to  lay  for  that  same  mem- 
ber for  TO  PUT  A  bead  on  him. 

1884.  Clemens  ('Mark  Twain'), 
Huckleberry  Finn,  48.  There  was  the 
old  man  down  the  path  apiece  just  dr.wv- 
ING  A  bead  on  a  bird  with  his  gun. 

1889.  Albany  Journal,  6  Aug.  If 
Jake's  not  careful  I'll  draw  a  bead  on 
HIM.  Very  little  more  will  make  me  go 
for  him  tooth  and  nail. 

Bead-counter,  szibs.  phr.  (old).— 
A  term  of  contempt — cleric,  re- 
cluse, or  worshipper  :  in  allusion 
to  the  rosary  in  use  in  the  Ro- 
man Communion. 


1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias,  [Rout- 
ledge],  166.  Signor  Don  Raphael . . .  the 
old  bead-counter. 

Beadledom,  subs. phr.  (common). — 
Red-tapeism  ;  formality  ;  stupid 
officiousness.  (i860.) 

BEADY,  adj.  (colloquial).— Full  of 
bubbles  ;  frothy. 

1881.  Harper's  Mag.,  Ixiii.  488. 
Creamy  and  beady  scum. 

Beagle,  subs,  (old).— A  spy;  in- 
former ;  man-hunter  ;  policeman  ; 
also  a  general  term  of  contempt. 

1559.  Myrr.  Mag.,  Jack  Cade,  xix., 
2.  That  restless  begle  sought  and  found 
me  out. 

1607.  Dekker,  IVestioard  Hoe,  iii., 
4.  Mon.  I  beseech  you.  Mistress  Ten- 
terhook,— before  God,  I'll  be  sick,  if  you 
will  not  be  merry.  Alist.  Ten.  You  are 
a  sweet  beagle. 

1748.  Dyche,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Beagle  (s)'.  . .  also  a  contemptuous  name 
given  to  a  boy  or  man,  as  to  say,  you 
are  a  special  beagle,  is  the  same  as,  you 
are  good  for  nothing. 

1837.  Carlyle,  French  Revolution, 

III.,   VII.,  v.,   377.     Attorneys   and    Law- 

BEAGLES,  which   hunt   ravenous   on   this 
Earth. 

Beak,  subs.  (Old  Cant).— i.  A 
constable:  (also  beaksman  and 
KARMAN  beck)  ;  policeman,  guar- 
dian of  the  peace:  as  far  as  is 
known,  '  beck  '  is  the  oldest  cant 
term  for  this  class  of  men.  In 
Harman's  Caveat  (1573),  kar- 
man beck  is  explained  as  '  the 
constable,'  harmans  being  '  the 
stockes.'  Also  (2)  a  magistrate: 
sometimes  beak  of  the  law 
(Grose). 

1609.  Dekker,  Lanthorne  and 
Candlelight  [Grosart,  Wks.  (1886),  iii., 
203].  The  RuÉSn  cly  the  nab  of  the 
Harman  beck. 


Beak. 


162 


Beakerinsr- 


1610.  Rowlands,  Martin  Mark-All, 
'Toure  Out  Ben  Morts.'  For  all  the 
Rome  Coues  are  budged  a  beake. 

1818.  Maginn,  l'idocq'sSong.Trs.xti'ç 
it,  tramp  it,  my  jolly  blowen.  Or  be 
grabbed  by  the  beaks  we  may. 

1821.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and  Jerry, 
ii.,  6.  Land.  Gentlemen  vagabonds; 
the  traps  are  abroad,  and  half  a  thousand 
beadles  and  beaksmen  are  now  about 
the  door.  Billy.  De  beak!  oh  curse  a 
de  beak! 

1824.  Eg  AN,  Boxiana,  iv.,  150.  The 
Pope  being  nippered  and  brought  to  face 
the  Beak. 

1834.  AiNSWORTH,  Rook-wood,  116 
(ed.  1864).  But  my  nuttiest  blowen,  one 
fine  day.  To  the  beaks  did  her  fancy- 
man  betray. 

1837.  Dickens,  Oliver  Tivist,  viii. 
'My  eyes,  how  green!'  exclaimed  the 
young  gentleman.  '  Why  a  beak's  a 
madgst'rate.' 

c.  1845.     Hood,    Tale  of  a    Truinpet. 
The  pies  and  jays  that  utter  words.     And 
other   Dicky  gossips  of  birds,     Who  talk 
with   as   much   good  sense  and  decorum. 
As  many  beaks  who  belong  to  the  quorum. 

1840.  tv.h.c^'E.vi.^s, Catherine, y..  But 
Mrs.  Polly,  with  a  wonderful  presence  of 
mind, restored  peace  by  exclaiming,  'Hush, 
hush  !  the  beaks,  the  beaks  !  '  Mrs.  Briggs 
knew  her  company:  there  was  something 
in  the  very  name  of  a  constable  which 
sent  them  all  a-flying. 

1855.  Taylor,  Still  Waters,  ii.  2.  A 
fellow  who  risks  .  .  .  the  spinning  of  a 
roulette  wheel  is  a  gambler,  and  may  be 
quodded  by  the  first  beak  that  comes 
handy. 

1881.     Punch,   3  Dec,  258.     'A  pair 

OF     ANTI-VIVISECTIONISTS.'      JuSt    gOt    into 

trouble  . . .  Going  to  be  had  up  before  the 
BEAK  for  it!     Bow  St.,  you  know!' 

i88g.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  12  Oct..  5,  2. 
Taken  before  some  French  beak  whom 
he  did  not  know,  and  an  interpreter 
brought,  the  'cotched'  culprit  was  made 
to  pay  20  f. 


1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  73.  Called 
the  beak  "a  balmy  Kipper,"  dubbed  him 
"soft  about  the  shell." 

3.  (common). — The  nose:  see 
Conk. 

1598.  Florio,  ÎVorlde  of  Wordes. 
Naso  Adunco,  a  BEAKE-nose. 

1S54.  Thackeray,  Newcomes,  i.,296. 
The  well-known  hooked  beak  of  the  old 

countess. 

1865.  Clayton,  Cruel  Fort,  i.,  143. 
A  large,  fat,  greasy  woman,  with  a  pro- 
minent beak. 

1876.  Grenville  Murray,  The 
Member  for  Paris,  i.  80.  It  was  not 
the  most  agreeable  thing  in  the  world 
to  be  suddenly  interrupted  in  a  mantel- 
shelf conversation  by  a  gentleman  with 
a  firm  beak-nose  and  a  red  rosette  in 
his  button-hole. 

4.  (Eton  and  Marlborough 
Schools).     A  master. 

5.  (old). — A  thrust;  a  poke 
(1592). 

6.  (venery). — The  penis:  see 
Prick.  Hence  to  strop  one's 
BEAK  :=  to  Copulate:  see  Greens 
and  Ride. 

7.  See  Beaker. 

Birds  of  a  beak.    Sec  Birds 

OF   A   FEATHER. 

Beaker,  stibs.  (thieves'). —  A  fowl; 
cackling-cheat  iq.v-)  :  also 
BEAK.  Whence  beaker-hunter 
(or  reak-hunter)  =  a  poultry 
thief.     Fr.  estable,  or  estaphle. 

1857.  Snowden,  Mag.  Assistant, 
(3  ed.)  445.  A  poultry  stealer.  A  beaker- 
hunter. 

BeaKERING-PARTY,  subs.  phr.  (old 
University). — A  drinking-party. 

1794.  Gent.  Mag.,  1085.  And  was 
very  near  rustication  [at  Cambridge], 
merely  for  kicking  up  a  row  after  a 
beakering  party. 


Beak-gander. 


163 


Bean. 


Beak-gander,  subs,  (old).— A  judge 
of  the  Superior  (or  High)  Courts. 

BEAKSMAN,    subs.   (old).     See  BEAK. 

Be-all,  suhs.phr.  (Colloquial). — The 
whole;  everything;  the  blooming 
LOT  (^.w.)  :  a  Shakspearean  phrase 
in  common  modern  use — '  the 
be-all  and  end-all'. 

1605.  Shakspeare,  Macbeth,  i.  7.  s- 
This  blow  might  be  the  be-all  and  the 
END-ALL  here. 

1830.    Thompson;  1854  Neal. 

Beam,  ^«/«.(colloquial). — An  author- 
ised standard  of  criticism,  man- 
ners, morals,  etc.  To  KICK  (or 
strike)  the  beam  =:  to  be  over- 
powered ;  to  be  in  a  tight  place 
(or  corner). 

BEAM-ENDS.  To  BE  THROWN  ON  one's 
BEAM  ENDS,  verb.  phr.  (colloquial). 
—  i.Tobe  in  a  bad  circumstances  ; 
at  one's  last  shift;  hard-up:  a 
metaphor  drawn  from  sea-faring 
life:  a  ship  is  said  to  be  on  her 
beam  ends  when  on  her  side  by 
stress  of  weather,  or  shifting  of 
cargo,  as  to  be  submerged. 
2.  Also  less  figuratively,  to  be 
thrown  to  the  ground  ;  reduced 
to  a  sitting  or  lying  posture. 

1830.  Marrvat,  Kijig's  Oiuf!,  xxvi. 
Our  first  lieutenant  was . . .  on  his  beam 
ENDS,  with  the  rheumatiz. 

1843.  Dickens,  Martin  Chuzzlewit, 
xl.  In  short,  he  laughed  the  idea  down 
completely;  and  Tom,  abandoning  it,  was 
thrown  upon  his  beam  ends  again  for 
some  other  solution. 

1851.  Mayhew,  London  Lao.,  in., 
121.  When  a  fellow  is  on  his  beam 
ends,  as  I  was  then,  he  must  keep  his 
eyes  about  him,  and  have  impudence 
enough  for  anything,  or  else  he  may  stop 
and  starve. 


1853.  Bradley  ('Cuthbert  Bede'), 
Adventures  of  I'erdnnt  Green.  You  get 
on  stunningly,  gig-lamps,  and  haven't  been 
ON  YOUR  BEAM  ENDS  more  than  once  a 
minute. 

BEAN  (or  Bien),  subs.  (Old).— I.  A 
sovereign,  20s.  :  formerly  a  guinea  : 
in  America  five- dollar  gold  pieces  : 
see  Half  Bean  and  Haddock 
OF  Beans  :  in  old  PVench  cant, 
biens  =  money  or  property:  see 
Rhino. 

1811.  Lexicon  BalatroniciiiH.  Bean, 
a  guinea.     Half-Bean. 

1834.  AiNSWORTH,  Rook-Mood,  III. 
ix.  Zoroaster  took  long  odds  that  the 
match  was  off;  offering  a  bean  to  half  a 

QUID. 

1885.  Christie  Murray,  Kaitieoxu 
Gold,  bk.  v.,  vi.  '  Here's  some  of  the 
beans,'  he  continued  figuratively,  as  he 
drew  five  sovereigns  from  the  same  pocket. 

2.  (Newcastle-on-Tyne). — Small 
coal. 

3.  (old). — A  small  standard  of 
value  :  cf.  map,  straw,  dam,  etc. 
Hence  not  to  care  (or  be 
worth  a  bean  =  to  hold  in 
little  esteem,  think  lightly  of,  be 
of  little  value:  the  allusion  is  to 
the  small  worth,  or  value  of  a 
bean,  or  'the  black  of  a  bean' 
(=r  something  very  minute). 

1297.  Rob.  Gloucester;  1377,  Lang- 
land,  Piers  Plowman;  1413,  Lydgate; 
1548,  Hall;  1656,  Hobbes. 

Phrases: — Full  of  beans,  = 
(1)  in  good  form  (or  condition), 
full  of  health,  spirits,  or  capacity 
as  a  horse  after  a  good  feed  of 
beans  ;  and  (2),  sexually  excited, 
warm  {ij.v.),  hot  {<].v.):  also 
blazy  {q.v.)  The  black  of  a 
BEAN  =:  something  very  minute. 
To   GIVE   BEANS   =   to  chastise, 


Bean. 


164 


Bean. 


to  give  a  good  drubbing.  Like 
BEANS  :=  in  good  form  (style, 
time,  etc.),  with  force  :  a  general 
expression  of  approval  and  praise  : 

cf.    LIKE    BLAZES   (BRICKS,   Or  ONE 

o'CLOCK).BEANYrz:in  good  humour 
— a  metaphor  drawn  from  the 
stable.  To  know  beans  =  to 
be  well-informed,  sharp  and 
shrewd,  within  the  charmed  circle 
of  the  'cultured  elect,'  fully 
equipped  in  the  upper  storey.' 
To  know  how  many  blue  beans 

MAKE  FIVE  WHITE  ONES  —  this 
is  generally  put  in  the  form  of 
a  question,  the  answer  to  which 
is  'Five,  if  peeled',  and  those 
who  fail  to  get  tripped  by  the 
catch  are  said  '  to  know  how 
many  ',  etc.  ;  in  other  words  to  be 
cute,  knowing,  wide  awake.  To 
DRAW  A  BEAN  =:  to  get  elected  : 
an  allusion  to  the  former  use  of 
beans  in  ballotting.  To  have  the 
BEAN  ■=:■  to  be  first  and  foremost  ; 
in  reference  to  the  custom  of 
appointing,  as  king  of  the  company 
on  Twelfth  Night,  the  man  in 
whose  portion  of  the  cake  the 
bean  was  found  (1556).  Also 
proverbial,  '  Hunger  maketh  hard 
BEANS  sweet'  (1652);  'Always 
the  bigger  eateth  the  beane' 
(1652);  'It  is  not  for  idleness 
that  men  saw  beans  in  the  wind 
(i.e.,  labour  in  vain)  (1624);  'like 
a  bean  in  a  monk's  hood  (CoT- 
grave)  ;  '  Every  BEAN  hath  its 
black  (1568).  Three  blue  beans 
IN  A  blue  bladder  =  noisy  talk, 
clap-trap,  froth  (1600). 

c.  1559.     Marriage    H'ii  and  Wisdom, 
45.     It  is  not  for  idlenis  that  men  sowe 

BEANS    IN    THE    WIND. 

1600.     Dkkkrr,  Old  Fortuiintus,  iii., 
123.     F.   Hark,  does't  rattle?  S.  Yes,  like 

THUEE     1)1. ITF.    IIRANS    IN    A    BLUE    BLADDER, 

rattle,  bladder,  rattle. 


1 63 1.  Cartwright,  Ordinary,  Mo. 
I  do  not  reche  One  bean  for  all.  This 
buss  is  a  blive  guerdon.  Hence  carlish- 
nesse  yferre. 

d.  1663.  Bramhall,  Works,  ii.,  qi. 
Neither  will  this  uncharitable  censure,  if 
it    were    true,    advantage    his  cause  the 

BLACK    OF    A    BEAN. 

1717.     Mathew  Prior,  Alma  (cant), 

I.,    v.,    25.      They    say That    putting 

all  his  words  together,     'Tis  three  blue 

BEANS  IN  ONE  BLUE  BLADDER. 

1830.  Galt,  Laurie,  T.  (1849),  IL,  i. 
42.    Few  men  who  better  knew  how  manv 

BLUE    beans    it   TAKES    TO    MAKE    FIVE. 

1886.  Zoological  Comparisons,  in 
Broadside  Ballad.   Then  just  as  we  begin 

to    know    '  HOW    MANY    BEANS    MAKE    FIVE,' 

The  ladies   call   us  puppies  when  we  at 
that  age  arrive. 

1888.  Chicago  Herald.  One  has  to 
KNOW  BEANS  to  be  successful  in  the  latest 
Washington  novelty  for  entertainment  at 
luncheons. 

1888.  Portland  Transcript,  7  March, 
The  pudding  was  pronounced  a  success 
by  each  member  of  the  assembled  family, 
including  a  dainty  Boston  girl  who,  of 
course,  knows  beans. 

1889.  Daily  News,  4  Nov.,  6,  5.  The 
dunce  of  the  school  knows  that  if  you 
take  80  from  one  side  and  add  it  on  to 
the  other,  the  difference  is  not  80,  but 
160.     It  is  as  simple  as  how  manv  blue 

BEANS    MAKE    FIVE. 

1889.  Sporting  Times,  iqiun^.  The 
game  began,  'Ich  dien,'  shouted  Jack,  a> 
FULL  OF  beans  as  the  Prince  of  Wales' 
plume. 

1900.  Kipling,  Stalky  and  Co.,  53, 
'Wonder  what  King  will  get.'  'Beans,' 
said  the  F.mperor.  Number  Five  gene- 
rally pays  in  full. 

Bean  Belly,  subs,  (old).— A  Leices- 
tershire man  ;  from  a  real  or 
supposed  fondness  of  the  inhabit- 
ants of  this  county  for  beans. 
(Leigh,  1659.) 


Bean-feast. 


165 


Bear. 


Bean-feast,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
I.  An  annual  feast  given  by  em- 
ployers to  their  work-people. 
[The  derivation  is  uncertain,  and, 
at  present,  there  is  little  evidence 
to  go  upon.  Some  have  suggested 
its  origin  in  the  prominence  of 
the  bean  goose,  or  even  beans 
at  these  spreads  ;  others  refer  it 
to  the  French  bic}t,  good,  i.e.,  a 
good  feast  (by-the-bye,  tailors  call 
all  good  feeds  bean-feasts);  others 
favour  its  derivation  from  the 
modern  English  bette,  a  request  or 
solicitation  from  the  custom  of 
collecting  subscriptions  to  defray 
the  cost  :  also  called  a  wayzgoose 
{tj.v.).  Hence  bean-feaster  z= 
one  who  takes  part  in  a  bean- 
feast. 

1882.  Priniing  Times,  15  Feb.,  26.  2. 
A  BEAN-FEAST  dinner  served  up  at  a 
country  inn. 

1884.  Bath.  Jour.,  i(i]w\y, d.i.  The 
annual  grant  of  £20  for  their  bean-feast. 

1884.  Cornh.  Mag.,  Jan.,  621.  For 
the  delectation  of  the  bold  bean-feasters. 

2.  (venery). — An  act  of  kind  : 
see  Greens  and  Ride:  also  bean- 
feast IN  BED. 

Beano,  subs,  (printers').— i.  A  bean- 
feast {q.v^. 

2.  (common). — A  spree;  a  jolli- 
fication. 

Bean-pole  (stick  or  wood),  subs, 
phr.  (A  lanky  "  PERSON  "  ;  a 
LAMPPOST  {<J.V^ — (HaLIBURTON, 
1837)— 

Bean-shatter,  subs.  phr.  (old.— A 
scarecrow. 

1632.  Chapman  and  Shirley,  Ball, 
IV.  I.  To  fright  away  crows,  and  keep 
the  corn,  bean  shatter. 

BEAN-TOSSER,  subs.  phr.  (venery).— 
The  penis:  see  Prick. 


Beany,  adj.  (common). — Full  of 
vigour;  fresh;  like  a  bean-fed 
horse. 

1852.  KiNGSLEV,  [in  Life  {1876),  I., 
278.]  The  very  incongruity  keeps  one 
BEANY  and  jolly. 

1870.  Daily  News,  27  July,  5.  The 
horses  . . .  looked  fresh  and  beany. 

Bear,  sjibs.  (Stock  Exchange). — 
I.  Applied,  in  the  first  instance, 
to  stock  sold  by  jobbers  for 
delivery  at  a  certain  date,  on  the 
chance  of  prices  falling  in  the 
meantime,  thus  allowing  the  seller 
to  re-purchase  at  a  profit.  At 
first  the  phrase  was  probably  '  to 
sell  the  bear-skin,'  the  buyers  of 
such  bargains  being  called  bear- 
skin jobbers  in  allusion  to  the 
proverb,  '  To  sell  the  bear's  skin 
before  one  has  caught  the  bear.' 
So  far,  the  origin  of  the  phrase 
seems  pretty  clear;  of  the  date 
of  its  introduction,  however,  noth- 
ing is  known.  It  was  a  common 
term  in  Stock  Exchange  circles, 
at  the  time  of  the  bursting  of  the 
South  Sea  Bubble  in  1720,  but 
it  does  not  seem  to  have  become 
colloquial  until  much  later.  In 
these  transactions  no  stock  was 
delivered,  the  'difference'  being 
settled  according  to  the  quota- 
tion of  the  day,  as  is  the  prac- 
tice now  in  securities  dealt  with 
'  for  the  account.'  At  present  the 
term  for  such  an  arrangement  is 
time-bargain.  2.  Hence  a  dealer 
who  speculates  for  a  fall.  Fr. 
baissier:  see  Bull,  Stag  and 
Lame  Duck.  Also  as  verb.  = 
to  act  as  a  bear  to  speculate  for 
a  fall. 

1709.  Steele,  Taller,  No.  38,  3 
Being  at  the  General  Mart  of  stock- 
jobbers called  Jonathans  ...  he  bought 
the  bear  of  another  officer. 


Bear. 


1 66 


Bear. 


1719.  Anatomy  of  Change  Alley  [N. 
and  Q.,  5  S.,  vi.,  118).  Those  who  buy 
Exchange  Alley  bargains  are  styled 
'buyers  of  bear-skins.' 

1744.  London  Magazine,  86.  These 
noisy  devotees  were  false  ones,  and  in 
fact  were  only  bulls  and  bears. 

17[?]  ClBBER,  Refusal,  i.  Gran. 
And  all  this  out  of  Change-Alley  ?  IVit. 
Every  shilling.  Sir;  all  out  of  Stocks, 
Putts,  Bulls,  Rams,  Bears,  and  Bubbles. 

1768.  FoOTE,  Devil  npon  tivo  Sticks, 
i.  A  mere  bull  and  bear  booby;  the 
patron  of  lame  ducks,  brokers,  and  frau- 
dulent bankrupts. 

1774.  CoLMAN,  Man  of  Business,  ÌV., 
Ì.,  [IForks,  (1777)  II.,  179].  My  young 
master  is  the  bull,  and  Sir  Charles  is  the 
BEAR.  He  agreed  for  stock  expecting  it 
to  be  up  at  three  hundred  by  this  time; 
but,  lack-a-day,  sir,  it  has  been  falling 
ever  since. 

1778.  Bailey,  Dictionary  (24  ed.). 
To  sell  A  BEAR,  to  sell  what  one  hath  not. 

1817.  Scott,  Roi  Roy,  iv.  The 
hum  and  bustle  which  his  approach  was 
wont  to  produce  among  the  bull,  bears, 
and  brokers  of  Stock-alley. 

18  . ..  Reynolds,  Romance  of  Smoke, 
22.  A  few  lucky  hits,  when  the  bears 
were    all  short. 

And   a   twist   of  my    own,    where    the 
bulls  were  all  caught. 

i8[?].  Warton,  [on  Pope]:  quoted 
by  Bartlett.  It  was  the  practice  of 
stock-jobbers,  in  the  year  1720  to  enter 
into  a  contract  for  transferring  South  Sea 
stock  at  a  future  time  for  a  certain  price; 
but  he  who  contracted  to  sell  had  fre- 
quently no  stock  to  transfer,  nor  did  he 
who  bought  intend  to  receive  any  in 
consequence  of  his  bargain;  the  seller 
was  therefore  called  a  hear,  in  allusion 
to  the  proverb,  and  the  buyer  a  bull, 
perhaps  only  as  a  similar  distinction. 
The  contract  was  merely  a  wager,  to  be 
determined  by  the  rise  or  fall  of  stock; 
if  it  rose,  the  seller  paid  the  difference 
to  the  buyer,  proportioned  to  the  sum 
determined  by  the  same  computation  to 
the  seller. 

i860.  Peacock,  Gryll  Grange,  xviii. 
In  Stock  Exchange  slang,  bulls  are  spec- 
ulators for  a  rise,  bears  for  a  fall. 


1 861.  A^ew-York  Tribune,  29  Nov., 
His  Lordship  is  wholly  guiltless  of  the 
charge  which  the  Herald,  in  its  anxiety  to 
bear  the  iiiARKET,has  brought  against  him. 

1862.  A  Week  in  Wall  St.,  90.  A 
broker,  who  had  met  with  heavy  losses, 
exclaimed:  'I'm  in  a  BEAR-trap,  —  this 
won't  do.  But  I'll  turn  the  scale;  I'll 
help  the  bulls  operate  for  a  rise,  and  draw 
in  the  flunkies.' 

1889.  Ally  Sloper's  H.  H.,  3  Aug., 
242.  3.  Mrs.  Spingles  says  she  doesn't 
wonder  that  the  Stock  Exchange  at  times 
resembles  a  menagerie  let  loose,  seeing 
what  a  lot  of  bulls,  bears  and  stags  they 
have  at  Capei  Court. 

1901.  Free  Lance,  9  Febr.  470.  2. 
There  is  now  a  stockbroker  in  every 
drawing-room,  so  to  speak,  and  to-day  a 
well-born  lady  will  buy  a  thousand 
"Milks"  for  the  rise,  or  run  a  "Bear" 
of  Lake  Views  with  as  much  nonchalance 
as  she  would  formerly  have  put  a  fiver 
on  the  favourite  for  the  Derby. 

1902.  D.  Mail,  17  Nov.,  2.  5.  This 
decline  is  an  engineered  business  by 
certain  well-known  and  somewhat  influen- 
tial mining  cliques,  who  have  been  sell- 
ing through  Germany  in  order  to  depress 
prices  and  cover  their  "bear"  commit- 
ments. 

3.  (common). — A  rough,  un- 
mannerly, or  uncouth  person  ; 
hence  the  pupil  of  a  private  tutor, 
the  latter  being  called  a  bear- 
leader ((/.Î'.)  ;  also  called  for- 
merly BRINDLED-HEAR.  TO  PLAY 
THE  BEAR  =  to  behave  roughly 
and  uncouthly. 

1579.  ToMSON,  Calvin^  Sertn.Tiin., 
473.  I.  When  we  haue  so  turned  all 
order  vpsidowne  . . .  there  is  nothing  but . . . 
playing  the  beare  amongst  vs. 

1751.    Chesterfield,  Letters,  s.v. 

1832.  Legends  of  London,  11.,  247. 
When  I  was  the  youthful  bear — as  the 
disciple  of  a  private  tutor  is  called  at 
Oxford. 

To  BEAR  UP,  verb.phr.  (thieves'), 
— To   cheat  ;    to    swindle   in  any 


Bear. 


167 


Beard. 


way  ;  more  particularly  applied 
to  '  decoys  '  and  confederates  : 
see  Bonnet.  Hence  bearer-up  = 
a  swindler. 

1828.  G.  Smeeton,  Doings  in  London, 
40.  The  billiard-marker  refused  to  make 
any  division  of  the  spoil,  or  even  to  return 
the  £10  which  had  been  lost  to  him  in 
BEARING   UP   the  cull. 

2.     (common). — To     LOGROLL 

(ç.V.);    TO    SPOOF    iç.V.) 

1883.  Referee,  2  Dec,  2,  4.  This 
looks  as  if  the  bearing  up  and  'bonnet- 
ing' which  has  been  done  by  friendly 
writers  in  response  to  my  remarks  is  all 
thrown  away. 

Phrases: — Are  you  there 
WITH  your  bears  ?  A  greeting 
of  surprise  at  the  reappearance 
of  anybody  or  anything  :  '  Are  you 
there  again  ?  '  '  What  again  !  so 
soon?'  The  phrase  is  explained 
by  Joe  Millar,  as  the  exclamation 
of  a  man  who,  not  liking  a  ser- 
mon he  had  heard  on  Elisha  and 
the  bears,  went  next  Sunday  to 
another  church,  only  to  find  the 
same  preacher  and  the  same 
discourse  (1642).  To  bear  the 
bell  (coals,  palm,  etc.),  see  the 
nouns  ;  TO  beak  low  sail,  to 
demean  oneself  humbly  (1300); 
TO  bear  a  blow,  to  strike;  to 
bear  up,  to  cheat,  swindle:  see 
BONNET.  Beak  a  bob,  (i)  lend 
a  hand,  look  sharp!  look  alive! 
(2)  To  aid,  to  assist,  to  take  part 
in  anything.  Also  proverbial: 
'With  as  good  will  as  a  bear 
goeth  to  the  stake  '  ;  '  As  hand- 
somely as  a  bear  picks  mussels  '  ; 
'To  swarm  like  bears  to  a  honey 
pot  '  ;  '  To  take  a  bear  by  the 
tooth ' ;  'A  man  should  divide 
honey  with  a  bear';  'As  savage 
as  a  bear  with  a  sore  head  '  ; 
'Not  fit  to  carry  garbage  to  a 
bear  '  ;     '  You  must  not   sell  the 


skin  till  you  have  sold  the  bear  '  ; 
'If  it  had  been  a  bear,  it  would 
have  bit  you':  'As  many  tricks 
as  a  dancing  bear  '. 

1300.  Cursor  Mundi,  12-}$^.  pa  ober 
leones  .  . .  wip  paire  heued  bai  bare  logh 
saile. 

1642.  Howell,  Forreine  Travel!, 
sec.  3.  Another  when  at  the  racket  court 
he  had  a  ball  struck  into  his  hazard,  he 
would  ever  and  anon  cry  out,  estes  vous 
là  avec  vos  ours?  Are  vou  there  with 
YOUR  bears.''  which  is  ridiculous  in  any 
other  language  but   English. 

1740.  North,  Ärrt:;«^«,  220.  O,  quoth 
they,  here  is  an  accident  may  save  the 
man;  are  vou  there  with  your  bears? 
we  will  quit  the  exercise  of  the  House's 
right  rather  than  that  should  be. 

1740.  Richardson,  Pamela,  in.,  335. 
O  no,  nephew  !  Are  you  there.\bouts 
with  your  bears? 

1772.  Bridges,  Burlesque  Hovier, 
213.     With  all  my  heart,  I'll  bear  a  boü. 

1820.  Scott,  yîi^i^o/,  XV.  Marry,  come 
up.  '  Are  vou  there  with  your  bears  '  ? 
muttered  the  dragon. 

1901.  Troddles,()0.  About  as  amiable 
as  a  bear  with  a  sore  head  stood 
Murray. 

BEAR-COLLEGE,  subs.  phr.  (old). — A 
BEAR-GARDEN   {q.V.\ 

i6i[?].  JoNSON,  Masque  of  Gip 
[Works,  VI.,  113].  From  the  diet  and 
the  knowledge  Of  the  students  in  bears- 
college.  Jlnd.  Famous  I'oyage,  [vi., 
287].  The  meat-boat  of  bear's-college, 
Paris-garden,  Stunk  not  so  ill. 

Beard,  subs,  (venery). — The  female 
pubic  hair:  see  Fleece.  Hence 
BEARD-SPLITTER  =  (i)  the  penis  : 
see  Prick  ;  and  (2)  'an  enjoyer  of 
women  '  (B.E.)  ;  a  womanizer,  a 
molrower  i^q.v-^. 

d.  1640.  Drummond  [Chalmers,  Eng. 
Poets,  V.  695],  '  Epigrams  '  xii.  She  should 
just   penance  suffer  .  .  .  that  ere  long  .  . 


Bearded-cad. 


i68 


Bear-leader. 


horse's  hair  between  her  thighs  should 
grow  .  .  .  But  that  this  phrenzy  should  no 
more  her  vex,  She  swore  thus  bearded 
were  their  weaker  sex. 

See  Greybeard. 

Phrases. — In  spite  of  one's 
BEARD  =  in  opposition  or  defiance 
to  a  purpose;  TO  one's  beard  =r 
openly;  to  one's  face;  TO  run 
IN  one's  beard  =  to  oppose 
openly  ;  face  out  ;  TO  take  by 
the  beard  =  to  attack  resolutely  ; 
TO  make  (or  PLAY  WITH)  ONE'S 
BEARD  =  to  outwit  ;  delude  ;  TO 
MAKE    one's    beard   WITHOUT    A 

RAZOR    1=    to    behead;    TO   put 

AGAINST   THE   BEARD  =:   to  taunt. 

[?]  M.  S.  Land  622.  f.  63.  Mery 
it  is  in  the  halle,  When  berdes  wagg 
alle. 

1566.  Edwards,  Damon  and  Pythias, 
[Nares].  Yet  have  I  plavd  with  his 
BEARD,  in  knitting  this  knot  I  promist 
friendship,  but ...  I  meant  it  not. 

1809.  Malkin,  G/75/rtf  [Routledge], 
168.  There  is  nothing  like  TAKING  scan- 
dal BY  THE   BEARD. 

Bearded  Cad,  siibs.  (Winchester 
College). — A  porter:  employed  by 
the  College  to  convey  luggage 
from  the  railway  station  to  the 
school.  The  term  originated  in 
an  extremely  hirsute  individual, 
who,  at  one  time,  acted  in  the 
capacity. 

Bear-garden,  j-?//'j-.///;-.(colIoquial). 
— A  scene  of  strife  and  tumult: 
e.g.  the  Stock  Exchange,  a  noisy 
meeting  etc.:  also  bear-college 
{q.v.\  Hence  bear-garden  jaw 
(or  play)  z=.  'common,  filthy, 
nasty  talk'  (B.E.);  rough  un- 
mannerly speech  or  play;  talk 
(or  rough  and  tumble)  akin  to  that 
used  in  bear  gardens  and  other 
places  of  low  resort  (Grose). 


1833.  Marry  at,  Peter  Simple,  xxxii. 
I'll  marry  some  of  you  young  gentlemen  to 
the  gunner's  daughter  before  long.  Quarter- 
deck's no  better  than  a  bear-garden. 

1848.  }onìiToY(.STB.u,  Life  0/ Oliver 
Goldsmith,  iv.,  xi.  He  called  Burke  a 
bear-garden  railer. 

1863.  Bristed,  Pcd.  Tour,  n.,  543. 
Squabbles  and  boxings  rendering  the  place 
more  like  a  bear  garden  than  a  hall  of 
instruction. 

1871.  Archibald  Forbes,  iVar 
between  France  and  Germany,  301.  The 
bear-garden-like  Babel  was  rather 
more  noisy  than  usual. 

1883.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  n  June.  That 
the  university  would  not  degrade  itself 
in  the  eyes  of  visitors  by  bear-play. 

BE-ARGERED,  ac(/.  phr.  (common). — 
Drunk:  see  Screwed. 

Bearings.  To  bring  one  to  one's 
bearings,  verb.  phr.  (colloquial). 
— To  bring  one  to  reason  ;  to  act 
as  a  check. 

Bear-leader,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
travelling  tutor:  an  echo  of  days 
when  'young  hopefuls'  were  sent 
on  the  Grand  Tour.  See  Bear 
subs.  2. 

1749.  Walpole,  Lett,  to  Alann,  4 
June  (1883),  11.,  392.  I  shall  not  wonder 
if  she  takes  me  for  his  bear-leader, 
his  travelling  governor! 

1756.  Foote,  Englishman  Returned 
from  Paris,  i.  Sej-v.  My  young  master's 
travelling  tutor,  sir,  just  arrived.  Crab.  ... 
Shew  him  in.  This  bear-leader,  I  reckon 
now,  is  either  the  clumsy  curate  of  the 
knight's  own  parish  church,  or  some  needy 
highlander. 

1812.  Combe,  Syntax  |i.,  xxiii. 
And  as  I  almost  wanted  bread,  I  under- 
took a  bear  to  lead.  To  see  the  brute 
perform  his  dance  Through  Holland, 
Italy,  and  France. 

1848.  Thackera,y  Book  of  Snobs, 
vii.  They  pounced  upon  the  stray  nobility, 
and  seized  young  lords  travelling  with 
their  bear-leaders. 


Beard-Splitter. 


169 


Beastly. 


i888.  0\}\n.\,  HIassa7-encs,  26.  "lam 
not  a  BEAR-LEADER,"'  Said  Lady  Kenil- 
worth,  with  hauteur. 

Beard-splitter.    See  Beard. 

Bearskin-jobber.  See  Bear,5//^ì-.  i. 

Bear  State,  suhs.phr.  (American). 
— The  State   of  Arkansas. 

Beast,  stibs.  (common). —  l.  Ap- 
plied to  anything  unpleasant  ;  or 
displeasing;  e.g.,  'It's  a  perfect 
BEAST  of  a  day'  =:  '  it's  an  un- 
pleasant day'  :  see  Beastly. 

1603.  Shakspeare,  JMeas.  for  Meas., 
iii.  I.  137.  Oh  you  BEAST  ...  oh  disho- 
nest wretch. 

1772.  NiCHOLLS,  [Gray,  Cor}-esp. 
(1843),  170].  This  moment  only  that  I 
have  received  nine  letters  . .  .  from  that 
cursed  beast. 

1841.  Warrex,  Ten  Thousand,  i., 
V.  Mr.  Sharpey  ...  is  coming  down  from 
dinner,  directly,  the  beast! 

1875.  Broughton,  Na'tcy,  ii.  12. 
'You  beast!'  cried  I ...  turning  sharply 
round. 

1901.  Troddler,  90.  Had  a  beast 
of  a  night  altogether. 

2.  (American  cadet). — A  new 
cadet  at  the  U.  S.  Military  Aca- 
demy at  West  Point. 

3.  (Cambridge  University). — 
One  who  has  left  school  and 
come  up  to  Cambridge  for  study, 
before  entering  the  University: 
'because  he  is  neither  man  nor 
boy'  (Grose). 

Beast  with  two  backs,  subs, 
phr.  (venery). — A  man  and  woman 
piled  in  the  act  :  see  Greens  and 
Ride. 

1602.  Shakspeare,  Othello,  i.  I  am 
one.  Sir,  that  comes  to  tell  you,  your 
davighter  and  the  Moor  are  now  making 
the  beast  with  the  two  backs. 


1785.  Grose,  Classical  Dictionary 
of  Vulgar  Tongue.  IjKAST  with  two 
BACKS,  a  man  and  woman  in  the  act  of 
copulation. 

Beastly,  adv.  (colloquial).— Ap- 
plied to  whatever  may  offend  the 
taste;  cf.  'awful,'  'everlasting,' 
etc.     Also  =  very  ;  exceedingly. 

1509.  Barclay,  Ship  of  Fools  (1874) 
ii.  177.  [There  is  the  phrase]  bestely 
dronken. 

1561.  Norton,  Calvin's  Inst.,  i.  25. 
So  beastly  folish  are  men.  Jiid.  236. 
They  are  so  much  beastly  witted. 

161 1.  Dekker,  Roaring  Girle 
[  ÌVorks  (1873),  III.  159].  I  thought  'twould 
bee  a  beastly  iourney. 

1763.  Mr.  Harris  [Lord  Ilfalines- 
hiiry's  Letters,  I.,  93].  W'e  had  a  be.\stlv 
w-alk  through  the  Borough. 

1778.  Johnson  in  D'Arblay  Diary 
etc.  (1876),  I.,  37.  'It  moves  my  indig- 
nation to  see  a  gentleman  take  pains  to 
appear  a  tradesman.  Mr.  Braughton 
would  have  written  his  name  with  just 
such  beastly  flourishes! 

1798.  Lord  C'LAnKlLord Auckland's 
Corresp.  (1862),  III.  395].  The  pamphlet 
is  full  ...  of  beastly  blunders  committed 
in  the  printing  office. 

1803.  Bristed,  Fed.  Tour,  i.,  298. 
He  comes  home  . . .  quite  beastly  drunk. 

1830.  T>iSRAE.iA,  Home  Letters  (1885), 
3.  The  steam-packet  is  a  beastly  con- 
veyance. 

1844.  Dickens,  Z,?/i(?>-j,  I.,  130.  I  was 
so  beastly  dirty  when  I  got  to  this  house. 

1865.  Daily  Telegraph,  24  Oct.,  5,  3. 
He  was  in  good  health  . .  .  looked  almost 
'  beastly  well,'  as  I  once  heard  it  described. 

1878.  BrOitghton,  Cometh  Up  as  a 
Flower,  XIV.,  150.  That  beastly  hole, 
London. 

1882.  Anstey,  i'ice  J'ersti,  i.  He 
had  a  troublesome  dryness  in  his  throat, 
and  a  general  sensation  of  dull  heaviness, 
which  he  himself  would  have  described 
as  'feeling  beastly.' 


Beat. 


170 


Beat. 


1883.  American,  vi.,  345.  This 
BEASTLY  English  weather,  you  know. 

1900.  BooTHBY,  Across  World,  iv. 
How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Brudenell?  Beastly 
weather,  ain't   it  ? 

1903.  Globe,  24  Oct.,  i.,  4.  "Please 
God,"  prayed  a  little  girl  the  other  night, 
"  take  away  my  beastly  cold  to-morrow 
morning."  She  was  instantly  pulled  up 
by  an  orthodox  nurse.  "Never  mind, 
Nannie,"  cried  an  elder  sister,  "God 
understands  baby  language." 

Beat,  stibs.  (common). —  i.  A  round 
{q.v.')  of  duty,  work,  and  the  like  ; 
a  sphere  of  influence. 

1788.  Stevens,  Adv.  of  a  Speculisi, 
Î.,  211.  I  was  drove  from  street  to  street 
by  women  of  my  own  profession,  who 
swore  I  should  not  come  in  their  beats 
until  I  had  paid  my  '  footing.' 

1825.  Hood,  Ode  to  Graham, 
xxxvn.,  s.v. 

1835.  Dickens,  Sketches  by  Boz, 
31.  The  costermongers  repaired  to  their 
ordinary  beats  in  the  suburbs. 

1862.  Saturday  Review,  15  March, 
293.  Ask  him  why  anything  is  so-and- 
so,    and   you   have   got   out  of  his  beat. 

2.  (American). — A  superior; 
one  who  (or  that  which)  surpasses 
(or  beats)  another:  often  spec. 
qualified.  As  verb  =  to  excel  ; 
to  surpass:  as  in  a  contest,  in 
rivalry  ;  to  beat  all  creation 

(to  sticks — TO  ribands — TO 
FITS — TO  BLAZES — TO  SHIVERS, 
etc.)  =  to  surpass  every- 
thing; TO  GET  A  BEAT  ON  =:  to 
get   the    advantage  of;    TO  beat 

one's    WAV    THROUGH    =  tO  push 

one's  interests  with  vigour  and 
pertinacity. 

1664.    Pepvs  Diary,  s.v. 

1759.  TowNLEV,  //igh  Life  Below 
Stairs,  i.  2.  Crab  was  beat  hollow. 
Careless  threw  his  rider,  and  Miss  Slam- 
inerkin  had  tlie  distemper. 


c.  1800.     Southey,    Devil's    iValk,  s.v. 

i8[?].  Bedott  Papers,  •]■].  The  widow 
Bedott  is  the  brazen-facedest  critter  t' 
ever  lived, — it  does  beat  all.  I  never 
see  her  equal. 

i8[?].  Yankee  Hill's  Stories  [Bart- 
lett].  Sam  Slick  was  a  queer  chap.  1 
never  see  the  beat  of  him. 

1854.  Whyte  Melville,  General 
Bounce,  i.  Talk  of  climate  !  a  real  fine 
day  in  England,  like  a  really  handsome 
English  woman,  beats  creation.  Ibid. 
(1856)  Kate  Coventry,  i.  I  rode  a  race 
against  Bob  Dashwood  the  other  morning, 
. . .  and  BEAT  HIM  all  to  ribands. 

1879.  Lowell,  Poetical  Works,  418. 
And  there's  were  I  shall  beat  them 
hollow. 

1888.  A'eiu  York  Mercury,  7  Aug. 
But  not  only  steamboats  and  locomotives 
were  used  by  reporters  for  beats,  but 
one  newspaper  man  named  Monroe  F. 
Gale  made  a  trip  across  the  Atlantic  in 
a  pilot-boat,  to  get  some  peculiar  news 
in  his  own  fashion. 

1888.  New  York  Tribune,  16  May. 
It  is  better  to  have  a  Carrot  for  a  Pre- 
sident than  a  dead  beat  for  a  son-in- 
law.  In  this  way,  we  again  score  a  life 
BEAT  on  the  galoot  'The  Ripsnorter.* 

1889.  Modern  Society,  19  Oct.,  1802. 
Germans  beat  the  English  hollow  at 
drinking  beer. 

Adj. — I.  Overcome  ;  exhausted  ; 
done  up  {(J.v-). 

1832.  Moore,  Jerome,  [Works,  11. 
(1862),  558.]  Till  fairly  beat,  the  saint 
gave  o'er. 

1859.  KiNGSLEV,  Geoff  er  y  Hamlyn, 
xxxvii.  'The  lad  was  getting  beat,  and 
couldn't  a'gone  much  further.' 

1868.  Dickens,  Letters  (1880),  11., 
334.     I  was  again  dead  beat  at  the  end. 

1879.  HowELLS,  Lady  of  Aroostook 
(1882),  I.  20.  'Is  the  lady  ill.''  'No... 
a  little  BEAT  out,  that's  all.' 

2.      (common). — Baffled  ;      de- 
feated. 


Beat. 


171 


Beater. 


Verb.  (American).- -I.  See  subs. 

2.  (colloquial). — To  amaze  ; 
to  astound  ;  to  overcome  with 
surprise. 

3.  (American). — To  swindle  ; 
to  deceive  ;  to  cheat. 

1888.  Daily  Inter-Ocean,  12  Ap. 
She  BEAT  the  hotel  out  of  a  hundred 
dollars. 

Phrases. — To  beat  the  air 
(the  wind,  the  water)  ■=.  to  strive 
to  no  purpose  (1375);  TO  BEAT 
THE  HEELS  =  to  walk  to  and  fro  ; 

TO  BEAT  OVER  THE  OLD  GROUND  = 

to  discuss  topics  already  treated  ; 

TO  BEAT  ABOUT  THE  BUSH  =  tO  act 

cautiously,  approach  warily  or  in  a 
roundabout  way  (1572);  to  beat 
UP  =  to  visit  unceremoniously  ;  to 

BEAT    THE    BRAIN,    (HEAD  etc.)    = 

to  think  persistently  ;  to  beat 
THE  BOOBY  (or  goose)  =  to  Strike 
the  hands  across  the  chest  and 
under  the  armpits  to  warm  them  : 
formerly  TO  BEAT  Jonas  ;  to  beat 
the  road  =r  to  travel  by  rail  with- 
out paying.  That  beats  the 
Dutch  see  Dutch.  To  beat 
daddy  mammy  ==  to  tattoo,  prac- 
tice the  elements  of  drum  beating. 
To  beat  down  to  bed-rock  see 
Bedrock).  Beat  out  =  im- 
poverished, in  one's  last  straits, 
hard  up.  To  beat  out  =:  to  ex- 
haust, overpower;  to  be  beaten 
out  r=  to  be  impoverished,  hard- 
up,  at  one's  last  straits  ;  to  beat 
the  hoof  =  to  walk,  go  on  foot; 
plod,  prowl  (1596);  TO  beat  the 
RIB  see  Rib. 

1596.  Shakspeare,  Merry  Wives  of 
Windsor,  i.  3.  Trudge,  plod  away,  o' 
THE  hoof;  seek  shelter,  pack! 

1630.  Howell,  Letters,  i.  i.  17  [1726]. 
The  Secretary  was  put  to  beat  the  hoof 
himself,  and  foot  it  home. 


1665.  Head,  Eyig.  Rogue,  i.  vi.  59. 
Beating  the  hoof  we  overtook  a  cart. 

1687.  Brown,  Saints  in  Up.,  82. 
[\Vl;s.  (1730),  i.  78.]  We  beat  the  HOOF 
as  pilgrims. 

i6gi.  Wood,  Ath.  Oxon.,  11.  412. 
They  all  beated  it  on  the  hoof  to 
London. 

1748.  DvCHE,  Diet.,  s.v.  Hoof.  To 
BEAT  THE  HOOF  to  walk  much  up  and 
down,  to  go  a-foot. 

1771.  B.  Parsons,  Ne^vmarket,  11., 
163.  The  frequenters  of  the  Turf,  and 
numberless  words  of  theirs  are  exotics 
everywhere  else;  then  how  should  we 
have  been  told  of  blacklegs,  and  of  town- 
tops  . . .  taken  in  . . .  beat  hollow,  etc. 

c.  1824.     Egan,  Boxiana,  in.  621-2.    For 
Dick    had  beat  the  hoof  upon  the  pad. 

1847.  Barham,  Ingoldsby  Legends 
(1877)1  55-  Many  ladies  .  .  .  were  beat 
all  to  sticks  by  the  lovely  Odille. 

1883.  Times,  IS  March,  9,  6.  The 
common  labourers  at  outdoor  work  were 
beating  goose  to  drive  the  blood  from 
their  fingers. 

1851.  Mavhew,  London  Labour,  I., 
351.  The  beaten  out  mechanics  and 
artisans,  who,  from  want  of  employment 
in  their  own  trade,  take  to  making  small 
things.  Ibid.  p.  400.  The  last  class  of 
street  sellers  is  the  beaten  out  mechanic 
or  workman. 

Beater,  subs.  (American). — A  foot. 
\Cf.  beater,  one  who  'beat'  or 
walked  the  streets.  Barclay,  in 
Shyp  of  Folys  (1509),  speaks  of 
'night  watchers  and  beters  of 
the  stretes.']  &?  Creepers.  Hence 
beater-cases  =  boots  or  shoes, 
trotter-cases  {q.v.). 

2.  (old). — See  quot. 

1608.  Dekker,  Belman  of  London 
[Grosart,  Works,  in.,  131].  Sometimes 
likewise  this  Card-cheating,  goes  not 
under  the  name  of  Bernard's  Laive,  but 
is  called  Bait  fowling,  and  then  ye  Setter 
is  the  beater,  the  foole  that  is  caught 
in  the  net,  the  bird,  the  Tatierne  to  which 


Beating-Stock. 


172 


Beaver. 


they  repaire  to  worke  the  Feafe,  is  the 
Bush;  the  wine  the  Strap,  and  the  cardes 
the  Liiiietivigs. 

BEATING-STOCK,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
A  subject  of  frequent  chastise- 
ment: cf.  Laughing-stock. 

Beau,  subs.  (B.E.)—' A  silly  Fellow 
that  follows  the  Fashions  nicely, 
Powdering  his  Neck,  Shoulders 
etc' 

BeauetRY,  subs,  (old).— Dandyism  ; 
dandy  outfit.  [A  humorous  imi- 
tation of  coquetry.] 

Beauchamp.  As  bold  as  beau- 
champ,  fhr.  (old). — A  proverbial 
expression,  said  to  have  originated 
in  the  valour  of  one  of  the  Earls 
of  Warwick  of  that  name.  \See 
Nares,  48  ;  Mh)Dleton's  Works, 
ii.  411  ;  Brit.  Bibl.  i.  533.] 

Beau  Trap,  subs.  (old). — i.  A  loose 
stone  in  a  pavement,  under  which 
water  lodges,  and  which,  on  being 
trodden  upon,  squirts  it  up. 

2.  (old). — A  well-dressed  sharp- 
er, on  the  look  out  for  raw 
country  visitors  and  such  like 
(B.E.). 

3.  (old). — A  fop,  well-dressed 
outwardly  indeed,  but  whose  linen, 
person,   and   habits  are  unclean. 

Beauty,  stibs.  (American  cadet). — 
A  term  applied  on  the  rule  of 
contrary,  to  the  plainest  or  ugliest 
cadet  in  the  class  at  the  United 
States  Military  Academy  and  West 
Point.     Cf.,  Snooker  and  Babe. 

Phrases. — It  was  great 
beauty  =  it  was  a  fine  sight. 
That's  the  beauty  of  it  =: 
That's  just  as  it  should  be!  (of 
anything  affording  special  pleasure 
or  satisfaction). 


Beauty-sleep,  subs,  (colloquial).— 
Sleep  before  midnight  :  on  the 
assumption  that  early  hours  con- 
duce to  health  and  beauty. 

1830.  Smedley,  Frank Fairleigh,\\., 
120.  The  fair  pupils  have  talked  them- 
selves to  sleep  . . .  not  until  they  have 
forfeited  all  chance  of...  getting  a  little 
BEAUTY-SLEEP  before  twelve  o'clock. 

1857.  KiNGSLEY,  Two  Years  Ago, 
XV.  'Are  you  going?  it  is  not  late;  not 
ten  o'clock  yet.'  'A  medical  man,  who 
may  be  called  up  at  any  moment,  must 
make  sure  of  his  beauty-sleep.' 

1869.  Blackmore,  Lorna  Doone, 
Ixiv.  Would  I  please  to  remember  that 
I  had  roused  him  up  at  night,  and  the 
quality  always  made  a  point  of  paying 
four  times  over  for  a  man's  loss  of  his 
BEAUTY-SLEEP.  I  replied  that  his  loss  of 
BEAUTY-SLEEP  was  rather  improving  to  a 
man  of  so  high  a  complexion. 

1880.  J  AS.  Payn,  Con  fid.  Agent,  iii. 
'You  must  get  your  beauty-sleep,'  cried 
he  to  his  wife  when  Barlow  had  depart- 
ed, 'or  you  will  have  no  colour  in  your 
cheeks  to-morrow.' 

1901.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  15  May,  3.  i. 
In  point  of  fact,  Hebe  is  too  valuable  not 
to  be  allowed  her  beautv-sleep. 

Beauty-spot,  subs. phr.  (colloquial). 
— Ironically  of  a  pimple  or  other 
blemish  on  the  face  or  other 
exposed  parts  of  the  person. 

Beaver,  subs,  (common). — i.  A  hat; 
a  GOSS  {q.v^;  a  CADY  {q.v^.  [At 
one  time  hats  were  made  of 
beaver's  fur;  the  term  is  still 
occasionally  applied  to  tall  'chim- 
ney-pot hats,'  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  for  many  years  silk  has 
replaced  the  skin  of  the  rodent 
in  their  manufacture.]  Hence  IN 
beaver  (Univ.)  =  in  a  tall  hat 
and  non-academicals  :  as  distin- 
guished from  'cap  and  gown'. 

1528.  Rov,  Sat.  To  exalte  the  three 
folde  crowne  Of  anti-christ  hys  bever. 


Becco. 


173 


Bed. 


1661.  Pepvs,  Diary,  27  June.  IMr. 
Holden  sent  me  a  üevek    which  cost  me 

£45^- 

1712.  Gay,  Trivia,  11.  277.  The 
broker  here  his  spacious  beaver  wears, 
Upon  his  brow  sit  jealousies  and  cares. 

1840.  Neiv  Monthly  Magazine,  lix., 
271.  He  . . .  went  out  of  College  in  what 
the  members  of  the  United  Service  called 
mufti,  but  members  of  the  University 
BEAVER,  which  means  not  in  his  acade- 
mics— his  cap  and  gown. 

1855.  Thackeray,  Newcomes,  ix. 
'Had  you  not  better  take  off  your  hat?' 
asks  the  Duchess,  pointing ...  to  '  the 
foring  cove's'  beaver,  which  he  had 
neglected  to  remove. 

1857.  Holmes,  Autocrat  of  Break- 
fast Table,  x.  We  know  this  of  our 
hats,  and  are  always  reminded  of  it  when 
we  happen  to  put  them  on  wrong  side 
foremost.  We  soon  find  that  the  beaver 
is  a  hollow  cast  of  the  skull,  with  all  its 
irregular  bumps  and  depressions. 

2.    See  Bever, 

BECCO,  suis,  (old).— A  cuckold  [It, 
^  goat;  but  with  Drayton  = 
cuckoo]. 

1604.  Marston  and  Webster  [Dods- 
LEV,  Olli  Flays  (Reed),  iv.  20.  Duke, 
thou  art  a  becco,  a  cornuto.  P.  How  ? 
il/.  Thou  art  a  cuckold. 

1624.  Massinger.  Bondmaji,  ii.  3. 
They'll  all  make  SufScient  beccos,  and 
with  their  brow-antlers  Bear  up  the  cap 
of  maintenance. 

d.  1631.  Drayton,  Works,  1315. 
Th'  Italians  call  him  becco  (of  a  nod) 
With  all  the  reverence  that  belongs  a  god. 

Beck,  subs.  (Old  Cant). —  I.  Aeon- 
stable  (Karman):  sec  Beak  and 
Copper. 

2.  A  beadle  (B.E.):  apparently 
the  term  was  applied  to  all  kinds 
of  watchmen. 


Verb  (thieves'). — To  imprison  : 
cf.  bekaan  =  imprisoned  (Dutch 
thieves'). 

1861.  Reade,  Cloister  and  Hearth, 
Iv.  The  circle  with  the  two  dots  was 
writ  by  another  of  our  brotherhood,  and 
it  signifies  as  how  the  writer  .  .  .  was 
BECKED,  was  asking  here,  and  lay  two 
months  in  Starabin. 

Bed,    subs,    (venery). — Generic    for 
sexual    union.     Hence     as     vera 

(or    TO    GO    TO    BED   WITH)    =    tO 

take  a  woman  to  bed  ;  to  copu- 
late: see  Greens,  Ride  and  cf. 
(proverbial)  'to  wed  and  to  bed; 

BED-COMPANY       (-GAME,      -WORK, 

-rite)  =  the  act  of  kind,  copul- 
ation;    BED-FELLOW     (-MATE,     or 

-brother)  =  (i)  the  fe/iis:  see 
Prick  ;  and  (2)  =  a  whore:  also 
bed-sister,  bed-presser,  bed- 
piece  and  bed-fagot  :  see  Tart  ; 
bed-house  =  (i)  a  brothel,  and 
(2)   a   HOUSE  OF  ACCOMMODATION 

(ç.v.):  .fé-^  Nanny-shop  ;  bed-vow 
=  a  promise  of  chastity  to  mar- 
riage-vow ;  BED-MINION  =:  a  bar- 
dash;  sister  (or  bed-suster)  = 
one  who  shares  the  bed  of  a 
husband,  the  concubine  of  a  mar- 
ried man  in  relation  to  the  legit- 
imate wife;  bedswerver  =  an 
adulteress;  bed-ale  =  groaning 
ale,  brewed  for  a  christening; 
bedbroker  =  a  pander,  a  pimp. 

1297.  Hoâ.  Glouc,  27.  Astrilde  hir 
bedsuster  (hire  lordes  concubine). 

c.  1315-  Shoreham,  76.  Zef  thou 
thother    profreth.      Wyth    any   other   to 

BEDDY. 

f.  1555.  Latimer,  Serin,  and  Rem. 
(1845),  ICI.  The  lawful  bed-company 
that  is  between  married  folks. 

1583  Stanyhurst,  Miieis,  iii  [Arber], 
79.  Andromachee  dooth  BED  with  a 
countrye  man  husband. 


Bed. 


174 


Bedfordshire. 


1592.  Daniel,  Compi.  Rosamund 
(1717),  58.  And  fly  . . .  these  Bed-brokers 
unclean. 

1602.  Warner,  Alb.  Eng.  xi.  Ixi. 
(1612)  268.  But  deified  swore  he  him 
her  BED-GAME  sweets  might  taste. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  /  Henry  IV.  ii. 
4.  268.  This  sanguine  coward,  this  bed- 
presser.  Ibid.  (1610)  Tempest,  iv.  i.  96. 
No  bed-rite  shall  be  paid  Till  Hymen's 
torch  be  lighted.  Ibid.  (1611)  Winter's 
Tale,  ii.  I.  93.  She's  a  bed-swerver. 
Ibid.  (1600)  Sonnets',  Thy  bed-vow  broke 
and  new  faith  torn, 

1668.  Evelyn,  Metn.  (1857),  11.  37. 
Sir  Samuel  Tuke  Bart.,  and  the  lady  he 
had  married  this  day,  came  and  bedded 
at  night  at  my  house. 

1740.  Caret,  Sally  in  our  Alley,  vii. 
And  then  we'll  wed,  and  then  we'll  bed, 
But  not  in  our  Alley. 

1763.  C.  Johnston,  Reverie,  ii.  6. 
No  man  can  bear  to  bed  with  such  an 
ugly  filthy  brute. 

To  PUT  TO  BED  WITH  A  PICK- 
AXE AND  SHOVEL  verb.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— To  bury:  see  Ladder. 

c.  tSSi.  Broadside  Ballad,  '  Hands  off' — 
Kitty  Crea,  some  fine  day,  when  I'm  laid 
in  the  clay.  Pit  to  bed  with  a  spade 
in  the  usual  way. 

To  HAVE  GOT  OUT  ON  THE 
RIGHT  (or  WRONG)  SIDE  OF  THE 

FED,    7'ifr/'.  p/ir.    (common). — To 
be  good-tempered  (or  peevish). 

1551.  Still,  Gammer  Gurton's 
Needle,  ii.  i.  Thou  rose  not  on  thï  right 
SIDE,  or  else  blessed  thee  not  well. 

1607.  Marston,  What  yon  Will 
[Works  (1633),  sig.  Rb].  You  RISE  ON 
TOUR  right  SIDE  to-day,  marry. 

1614.  Terence  in  English  [Nares]. 
C.  What  doth  shee  keepe  house  alreadie? 
£>.  Alreadie.  C.  O  good  God:  we  rose 
ON  the  right  side  to-day. 

c.  1620.  Fletcher,  ii'onten  Pleased,  i. 
[s.v.,  near  end  of  act]. 


1633.  Machin,  Dianb  Knight,  iv.  i. 
Sure  I  said  my  prayers,  ris'd  on  Mt 
right  side  . . .  No  hare  did  cross  me,  nor 
no  bearded  witch.  Nor  other  ominous  sign. 

To  GO  TO  BED  IN  ONE'S  BOOTS, 
verb.  phr.  (common). — To  be 
drunk:  see  Screwed. 

BedDER  (or  BEDMAKER),  subs.  (Cam- 
bridge University). — A  charwo- 
man ;  one  who  makes  the  beds 
and  performs  other  necessary 
domestic  duties  for  residents  in 
college. 

1625-30.  Court  and  Times  Charles  I, 
ii.  76.  [Oliphant,  Xeiv  Eng.,  ii.  74. 
There  are  the  new  substantives  . . .  bed- 
maker;  this  last  is  found  at  Cambridge. 

1691.  Case  of  Exeter  College,  18. 
For  fear  she  should . . .  lose  her  place  of 
Bedmaker. 

1716.  Cibber,  Love  Makes  Man,  i.  i, 
21.  He  never  spoke  six  Words  to  any 
Woman   in   his  Life  but  his  Bed-maker. 

1789.  Piozzi,  Journ.  France,  \\.,  118. 
A  person  not  unlike  an  Oxford  or  Cam- 
bridge bedmaker. 

Bedfordshire,  subs,  (familiar). — 
Bed:  cf.  Sheet  Alley  {q.v^; 
Blanket  Fair  («^.z-.)  ;  The  Land 
OF  Nod  {q.v^,  etc. 

1665.  Cotton,  Poet.  Wks.  (1765),  76. 
Each  one  departs  to  Bedfordshire,  And 
pillows  all  securely  snort  on. 

1706.  Ward,  Wooden  World.  26. 
By  the  Time  he  has  unloaded  his  Pockets, 
he  is  floated  off  his  Legs  and  then  drives 
upon  the  Coast  of  Bedfordshire,  and 
there   he   sticks   fast   till  next  morning. 

1738.  Swift,  Polite  Conversation,  iii. 
Miss.  Indeed  my  eyes  draw  straws  (she's 
almost  asleep)  . . .  Col.  I'm  going  to  the 
Land  of  Nod.  AVn  Faith,  I'm  for  Bed- 
fordshire. 

1845.  Hood,  Miss  Kilmansegg.  The 
time  for  sleep  had  come  at  last.  And 
there  was  the  bed,  so  soft,  so  vast.  Quite 
a  field  of  Bedfordshire  clover. 


Bedful-of-bones. 


175 


Bedlam. 


Bedful-of-bones,  suhs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  skinny,  bony,  bedfel- 
low ;    also   BEDFELLOW    OF  BONES. 

1621.  Burton,  Anat.  Mel.,  m  ni, 
i,  I.  I  have  an  old  grim  sire  to  my 
husband...  a  bedful  of  bones.  Ibid. 
in  in  IV,  2.  Sophocles...  was  a  very 
old  man,  as  cold  as  January,  a  bedfellow 
OF  bones  and  doted  upon  Archippe,  a 
young  courtesan. 

Bedlam.  (That  is  '  Bethlehem  ')subs. 
(old). — The  ancient  priory  of  St. 
Mary  of  Bethleliem,  founded  in 
1247,  mentioned  (Murray)  in 
1330  as  'an  hospital',  and  in 
1402  as  'a  hospital  for  lunatics', 
and  incorporated  as  a  royal  foun- 
dation in  1547.  Hence  as  subs. 
(i)  =  a  lunatic  asylum,  a  mad- 
house ;  (2)  =z  madness,  frenzy  ; 
(3)  =  an  uproar,  scene  of  mad 
confusion  ;  (4)  a  inmate  of  Beth- 
lehem hospital,  but  spec,  a  dis- 
charged patient,half-cured,  wearing 
a  tin  plate  on  the  left  arm  licens- 
ing him  to  beg:  also  called  bedlam- 
beggar,  ABRAM-MAN  {q.V.),  BED- 
LAMER,  BEDLAMITE,  TOM  (or 
jack)     of     BEDLAM,     etc.;     (5)    = 

generic  for  a  fool,  or  one  fit  for 
Bedlam.  Whence  Bedlam-mad- 
NESS  =:  anger,  fury,  folly,  wan- 
tonness ;  with  obvious  derivatives 
such  as  Bedlam-ripe  (-mad,  or 
-witted)  etc.  (B.E.   Grose). 

1522.  Skelton,  Why  not  to  Court. 
Such  a  madde  bedlame  for  to  rewle 
this  reame. 

1525.  TiNDALE,  A'^a;  7ViA,Prol.  Who 
ys  so  bedlem  madde  to  afFyrm  that  good 
is  the  naturall  cause  of  yuell.  Ibid.  (1528), 
Obed.  Ch.  Ma«  (1848),  184.  Things  which 
they  of  Bedlam  may  see  they  are  but 
madness. 

c.  1535.     More  [Works.  (1557)  ,i6].  The 
rauing  of  Bethlem  people. 

1541.  Barnes  [Works  (1573),  294.  2]. 
A    scorge  to  tame  those  bedlames  with. 


ISS3-87-  Foxe,  Acts  and  Monuments 
996.  I.  To  speake  as  undiscreetlie  and 
bedlemlv,  as  ye  doe. 

1562.  Hey  wood,  Prov.  and  Epig. 
(1867),  107.  Lyke  Iacke  of  Bedlem  in 
and  out  whipping. 

1581.  Riche,  Farewell  to  Mil.  Prof. 
But  his  wife  (as  he  had  attired  her) 
seemed  indeede  not  to  be  well  in  her 
wittes,  but,  seeyng  her  housbandes  maners, 
shewed   herself  in   her  conditions  to  bee 

a    right    BEDLEM. 

1585.  Notnenclator.  Furor...  Ou- 
trage; furie;  bedlem  madnesse. 

1593.  Shakspeare,  2  Henry  vi. 
V.  I.  To  Bedlam  with  him!  Is  the  man 
grown  mad.'  K.  H.  Ay,  Clifford;  a 
BEDLAM  and  ambitious  humour  Makes 
him  oppose  himself  against  his  king.  Ibid, 
(1605),  King  Lear,  ii.  3.  The  country 
gives  me  proof  and  precedent  Of  Bedlam 
BEGGARS,  who,  with  roaring  voices.  Strike 
in  their  numb'd  and  mortified  bare  arms 
Pins,  wooden  pricks,  nails,  sprigs  of 
rosemary...    Enforce  their  charity. 

1598.  Marston,  Pygmal,  iii,  14g. 
Bedl.\me,  Frenzie,  Madnes,  Lunacie,  I 
challenge  all  your  moody  Empery. 

1621.  Burton.  Anat.  Melan.,  11.  iv. 
i.  5.  Such  raging  bedlamites  as  are 
tied  in  chains. 

[.?..].  Aubrey,  Nat.  Hist.  Wilts. 
[Royal  Soc.  MS.  259.  Note].  "Till  the 
breaking  out  of  the  civili  warres  Tom  ô 
Bedlams  did  tra  veil  about  the  countrey; 
they  had  been  poore  distracted  men  that 
had  been  putt  into  Bedlam,  where  re- 
covering to  some  sobernesse,  they  were 
licentiated  to  goe  a  begging,  e  g.  they 
had  on  their  left  arm  an  armilla  of  tinn 
printed  in  some  workes,  about  four  inches 
long;  they  could  not  gett  it  off.  They 
wore  about  their  necks  a  great  horn  of 
an  oxe  in  a  string  or  bawdrie,  which 
when  they  came  to  an  house  for  almes, 
they  did  wind;  and  they  did  putt  the 
drink  given  them  into  this  horn,  whereto 
they  did  putt  a  stopple.  Since  the  warres 
I  doe  not  remember  to  have  seen  any 
one  of  them."  [In  a  later  hand  is  added, 
"I  have  seen  them  in  Worcestershire 
within  these  thirty  years,  1756."] 

1646.  Daniell,  \_Works  (1878),  i.  60]. 
All  Bedlam-witted  walke  in  Bedlam-wise. 


M 


Bedoozle. 


176 


Bedpost. 


1663.  Aro7i-bitnniicha,  32.  The  Bed- 
lam .. .  the  skrewes...  are  the  best 
instances  of  our  Kindness. 

1665.  Homer  a  la  Mode.  Thus  like 
a  Bedlam  to  and  fro  She  fribk'd,  and 
egg'd  'era  on  to  goe. 

c,  1667.  Cowley,  Cromwell  [Works 
(1710),  11,  627].  Thou  dost...  A  Babel 
and  a  Bedlam  grow. 

c.  1675.  W.  Blundell,  Crogsby  Ree. 
137.     A    gentleman    who    passed    as    a 

BEDLAMER. 

1678.  BuNYAN,  Pilgrim,  I,  123.  Some 
[averred]  they  were  Bedlams. 

1678.  Evelyn,  Mem.  (1857),  11,  156. 
I  went  to  see  new  Bedlam  Hospital... 
most  sweetly  placed  in  Moorfields  since 
the  dreadful  fire.  [Orig.  in  Bishopsgate, 
rebuilt  (1676)  in  Moorfields  near  London 
Wall,  and  1815  in  Lambeth,  its  present 
site.  Eds.\ 

1701.  Swift,  Mrs.  Harris'  Petit, 
\Works  {1755),  in,  ii,  61].  She  roar'd 
like  a  Bedlam. 

1742-4.  tiioRTH,  Li/e  Lord  Guildford, 
i.  271.  This  country  [the  Border]  was 
then  much  troubled  with  BedlamerS. 

c.  1743.  Hervey,  Beauties  Eng.  (1804), 
1,  106.  Those  virgins  act  a  wiser  part 
Who  hospitals  and  bedlams  would  explore. 

1751.  Smollett,  Pereg.  Pickle, 
Ixxxi.    Lord  B. . .  raved  like  a  bedlamite. 

1788.  CowPER,  Table-talk,  609.  Ana- 
creon,  Horace,  Play'd...  This  Bedlam 
Part. 

1815.  .Scott,  Griy  Mannering,  lui. 
The  devil  take  the  bedlamite  old  woman. 

1837.  Carlyle,  Fr.  Revol.  HI,  vi, 
vii,  346.  Hardly  audible  amid  the  Bed- 
LAM-STORM.  Ibid.  (1850),  Latter-day 
Pamph.  viii,  (1872),  276.  That  all  this 
was  a  Donnybrook  bedlam. 

Bedoozle,  verb.  (American). — To 
confuse;  to  bewilder.  [Probably 
old  English  'bedazzle':  cf. 
Shaksi'KARE,  Taming  of  the  Shrew, 
iv.,  5.  46]. 


Bedpost,  In  the  twinkling  of  a  bed 
post, phr.  (old). — Instantaneously; 
with  geat  rapidity  :  originally  IN 

THE    TWINKLING    OF  A  BEDSTAFF. 

English  synonyms.  In  a  jifFy  ; 
in  two  two's  ;  in  a  brace  of  shakes  ; 
before  you  can  say  Jack  Robin- 
son ;  in  a  crack  ;  in  the  squeezing 
of  a  lemon. 

1600.  Charac.  Italy,  78.  In  the 
twinkling  of  a  Bedstaff  he  disrobed 
himself. . .  and  was  just  skipping  into  bed. 

1676.  T.  Shadwell,  Virtuoso,  i.,  i. 
'Gad  I'll  do  it  instantly,  in  the  twink- 
ling of  a  bedstaff. 

1698.  Ward,  London  Spy,  xi.,  239- 
Shake  'em  off  and  leap  into  bed,  in  the 

TWINKLING   OF    A   BEDSTAFF. 

1854.  Smedley,  Harry  Coverdale,  i. 
'I'll   adown   and   be  with  you  in...   the 

TWINKLING    OF    A   BEDPOST.' 

1871.     M.  Collins,  Mrq.  and  Merck, 

in,      iii.      78.      In     THE     TWINKLIN"i      OF     A 

BEDPOST     Is    each  savoury  platter  clean. 

BETWEEN  YOU  AND  ME  AND 
THE  BEDPOST,  phr.  (common). — 
A  humorous  tag  ;  i.e.,  '  between 
ourselves  ';  entre  nous,  e.g.  '  I  know 
what  you  say,  but,  between  you 
AND  ME,  etc.  .  .  .  the  thing  is 
absurd.'  Sometimes  the  last  word 
is  varied  by  '  post,'  '  door  post,' 
or  'gate  post' — any  prop  will 
serve. 

1831.  Lytton,  Eugene  Aram,  234. 
Ah,    sir,    all    very    well    to   say   so;  but, 

BETWEEN  YOU  AND  ME  AND  THE  BED- 
POST, young  master's  quarrelled  with 
old  master. 

1838.    Dickens,  Nicholas  Nickleby, 

127.      And     BETWEEN     YOU     AND    ME    AND 

THE  POST,  sir,  It  will  be  a  very  nice 
portrait  too. 

1855.  Taylor,  Still  Waters,  ii. 
Betwixt  vou  and  me  and  the  post, 
if  you  and  me  and  the  direction  generally 
does'nt  look  mighty  sharp  the  two-and-a- 
half  will  be  foivc  tomorrow. 


Bedouin. 


177 


Bedtime. 


1879.     Punch,  8  March,  108.  '  betwixt 

YOU     AND     I     AND    THE    POST,     Mr.    Jones', 

said  Brown,  confidentially...  'Robinson 
ain't  got  neither  the  Looks,  nor  yet  the 
Language,  nor  yet  the  Manners  of  a 
Gentleman.' 

Bedouin,  subs,  (colloquial).— A 
wanderer,  a  gipsy  :  cf.  Arab. 
Also  as  adj. 

1861.  Sala,  Twice  round  Clock,  45. 
Half-starved  Bedouin  children,  mostly 
Irish. 

1863.  Times,  2  May.  Where  are 
all  the  dingy  bedouins  of  England  who 
travel   through   to   this  great  gathering? 

BedPRESSER,  subs,  (venery). —  I.  Set 
Bed. 

2.    (colloquial). — A  dull  heavy 
fellow. 

Bedrock,  subs.  (American). — The 
bottom  ;  lowest  level  ;  the  last.  To 

GET     DOWN     TO     BEDROCK     =     tO 

get  at  the  bottom  of  matters  ;  to 
thoroughly  understand  ;  to  get  in 
on  the  GROUND  floor  (^.ï'.)  [a 
miner's  term,  alluding  to  the  solid 
rock  underlying  superficial  and 
other  formations].  Bedrockfact 
=  'a  chiel  that  winna  ding,'  the 
incontestable  and  uncontrovert- 
able  truth.  Bed-rock  dollar  = 
the  last  dollar. 

1870.  Bret  Harte,  Poems  and  Prose, 
113.  'No!  no!'  continued  T.  hastily. 
'I  play  this  yer  hand  alone.  To  come 
DOWN  to  the  bedrock  it's  just  this,' etc. 

1875.  Scribner's  Magazine,  277. 
Getting   to   the   real  character  of  a  man 

is    COMING   to   the   BEDROCK. 

1881.  Chicago  Times,  11  June.  The 
transactions...  having  been  based  on 
bedrock  prices. 

1883.  Century,  581.  The  family  is 
about  DOWN  to  bedrock. 

1888.  Louisiana  Press,  31  March. 
You  can  bet  your  bedrock  dollar  that 
the  next  governor  of  Missouri  will  be,  etc. 


Bedtime,    subs,    (colloquial).— The 
hour  of  death. 

1870.  Alford,  Life  (1893),  457. 
I   only   hope    the  Masters'  work  may  be 

got  done  by  bedtime. 

Bee,  subs. (c.o\\o'\mzX). —  I.  A  '  sweet' 
writer,  singer  etc. 

1753.  Charniers  Cycl.  Suppl.,  s.  v. 
Bee.     Xenophon  is  called  the  Attic  bee. 

2.  (colloquial). — A  busy 
worker. 

1791-1824.  Disraeli,  Cur.  Lit.{iS66), 
31g,  2.  A  complete  collection  of  classical 
works,  all  the  bees  of  antiquity...  may 
be  hived  in  a  single  glass  case. 

3.  (American). — A  working 
party  of  neighbours  and  friends 
for  the  benefit  of  one  of  their 
number  ;  as  when  a  party  of  set- 
tlers combine  to  erect  a  log-house 
for  a  newcomer,  or  when  farmers 
unite  to  gather  one  another's 
harvests  in  succession  :  e.g.  apple- 
bee,  RAISING-BEE,  STONE-BEE, 
QUILTING-BEE,  HUSKING-BEE,  etc.; 

hence,  a  social  gathering  for  some 
specific  purpose,  as  spelling-bee. 

i8og.  Irving,  Knickerb.  [If^orks.  i, 
238].  Now  were  instituted  quilting-bees 
and  -HUSKING-BEES,  and  other  rural 
assemblages. 

i8[?].  Goodrich,  Rejuin.  \.  75.  At 
Ridgefield,  we  used  to  have  stone-bees, 
when  all  the  men  of  a  village  or  hamlet 
came  together  with  their  draft  cattle, 
and  united  to  clear  some  patch  of  earth 
which  was  covered  with  an  undue  quantity 
of  stones  and  rocks. 

1830.  Galt,  Laurie  T.  (1849),  in,  v. 
98.  I  made  a  bee;  that  is  I  collected  as 
many  of  the  most  expert  and  able-bodied 
of    the    settlers    to   assist  at  the  raising. 

1864.  Yonge,  Trial,  11,  281.  She 
is   gone   out  with  Cousin  Deborah  to  an 

apple-bee. 

1876.  Lubbock,  Educ.  {^Cont.  Rev., 
June,  91].  He  may  be  invincible  at  a 
spelling-bee. 


Bedtime. 


178 


Beef. 


1884.  Harper's  Mag.  Sep.  510.  2. 
This   execution...    in   Idaho   phrase  was 

a    HANGING-BEE. 

To  HAVE  A  BEE  IN  THE  HEAD 
(brain  or  bonnet),  verb  phr. 
(old). — To  have  queer  ideas;  to 
be  'half-cracked';  flighty,  eccen- 
tric, crazy,  with  a  screw  loose 
&c.:  cf.  Fr.  grille  and  Maggot. 
Hence  bee-bonnetted  =  some- 
what crazed  ;  bee-head  =  a  crazy- 
pate:  hence  bee-headed. 

1512-3.  Gawin  Douglas,  Mneis, 
VIII.,  Prol.  120.  Quhat  bern  be  thou  in 
bed  with  heid  full  of  beis. 

c.  1553.  Udal,  Roist.  Bolster  [Arber] 
29.  Who  so  hath  suche  BEES  as  your 
maister  in  hvs  head. 

1571.  Edwards,  Damon  and Pithias 
[DoDSLEY,  Old  Plays  (Reed),  i.  180]. 
But,  Wyll,  my  maister  hath  bees  in  his 
head,  If  he  find  mee  heare  pratinge,  I 
am  but  deade. 

1614.  JONSON,  Bartholomew  Fair, 
i.  4.  If  he  meet  but  a  carman  in  the 
street,  and  I  find  him  not  talk  to  keep 
him  off  on  him,  he  will  whistle  him  and 
all  his  tunes  at  overnight  in  his  sleep! 
he  has  a  head  full  of  bees. 

1657.  Samuel  CoLviL,  Whigg's  Sup- 
plication, or  Scotch  Hudibras  (1710). 
Which   comes   from   brains  which  have 


1724.  Ramsay,  Tea-table  Mise,  11. 
119.     But  thy  wild  bees  I  canna  please. 

1825.  Scott,  St.  Konan's,  xvii. 
'Maybe  ye  think  the  puir  lassie  has  A 
BEE  IN  HER  bonnet;  but  ye  ken  your- 
sell  if  naebody  but  wise  folk  were  to 
marry,  the  warld  wad  be  ill  peopled.' 

1845.  De  Quincey,  Coleridge  etc. 
\Works  Xli.  91].  John  Hunter,  notwith- 
standing he  had  A  bee  in  his  bonnet 
was  really  a  great  man. 

1853.  Lytton,  My  Novel,  iii.  307. 
It  is  not  an  uncommon  crochet  amongst 
benevolent  men  to  maintain  that  wicked- 
ness is  necessarily  a  sort  of  insanity, 
and  that  nobody  would  make  a  violent 
start  out  of  a  straight  path  unless  stung 
to  such  disorder  by  a  dbe  in  his  bonnet. 


1856.  Mrs.  Browning,  Aur.  Leigh, 
i.  1097.  Whom  men  judge  hardly  as 
bee-bonnetted. 

1868.  Brewer,  Phrase  and  Fable, 
77,  2.  You  have  A  bee  in  your  bonnet 
or  your  head  is  full  of  bees;  [z.f.]  full 
of  devices,  crotchets,  fancies,  inventions, 
and  dreamy  theories.  The  connection 
between  bees  and  the  soul  was  once 
generally  maintained...  the  moon  was 
called  a  bee  by  tbe  priestesses  of  Ceres, 
and  the  word  lunatic  or  moonstruck  still 
means  one  with  'bees  in  his  head.' 

1879.  Jamieson,  s.v.  Yeneednamind 
him,  he's  a  bee-headit  bodie. 

Beef,  subs,  (colloquial). —  I.  Human 
flesh;  beefy  =  obese,  stolid,  fleshy 
like  an  ox;  beefiness  =  fleshly 
development.  Hence  (2)  men, 
strength,  'hands':  e.g.  'More 
beef,'  a  bo'sun's  call  to  extra 
exertion;  'Beef  up!'  =  'Now 
for  a  long  pull  and  a  strong  pull  '  : 
see  Phrases. 

1596.  Shakspeare,  /  Hen.  IV.  iii. 
3.  199.  O,  my  sweet  Beefe,  I  must  still 
be  good  Angeli  to  thee. 

1859.  Smiles,  Self  Help,  160.  It  is 
the  one  pull  more  of  the  oar  that  proves 
the  beefiness  of  the  fellow,  as  Oxford 
men  say.  Ibid.  291.  This  dunce  had  a 
dull  enegy  and  a  sort  of  beefy  tenacity 
of  purpose. 

1859.  Sala,  Gaslight  and  Daylight 
xi.  To  see  him  in  his  huge  shirt-sleeves, 
with  his  awkward  beefy  hands  hanging 
inanely  by  his  side,  and  his  great  foolish 
mouth  open. 

i860.  All  Year  Round,  No.  66,  367. 
There  are  no  beefv  boys  at  these  schools. 

1862.  Cork  Exatniner,  28  Mar. 
Chelmsford  stood  higher  in  the  leg,  and 
showed  less  beef  about  him. 

1863.  Cornhill Magazine.Ych.  'Life 
on  Board  a  Man  of  War.'  Useful  at 
the  heavy  hauling  of  braces,  etc.,  where 
plenty  of  beef  is  required. 

1876.  Bkaddon,  y.  Haggard's  Daugh- 
ter, X.  134.  Added  the  farmer  in  his 
BEEFV  voice. 


Beef-brained. 


179 


Beef-eater. 


3.  (venery). — The  penis-,  see 
Prick.  Whence  to  be  in  (have 
or  DO  A  BIT  of)  beef  (of  women 
only)  =  to  have  carnal  knowledge 
of  men,  to  copulate  :  see  Greens 
and  Ride  for  beef,  &c.:  also  to 

TAKE   IN  BEEF,   TO  GIVE  MUTTON. 

1603.  Shakspeare,  Meas.  for  Meas. 
Ill,  2.  59.  Troth,  sir,  she  has  eaten  up 
all   her   beef,   and  is  herself  in  the  tub. 

To  CRY  (or  give)  beef  (or  hot 
beef),  phr.  (thieves'). — To  give 
an  alarm  ;  to  pursue  ;  to  set  hue 
and  cry.  [It  has  been  suggested 
that  beef  is  a  rhyming  synonym 
to  'thief'].  Hence  to  make  beef 
=  to  run  away  ;  to  decamp  ; 
Beef!  =  'Stop  thief.' 

Phrases.  To  be  in  a  man's 
beef  =:  to  wound  with  a  sword 
(Grose);  to  be  dressed  like 
Christmas  beef  rr:  to  be  decked 
out  in  one's  best  raiment  ;  beef 
to  the  heels,  like  a  Mul- 
LINGAR  Heifer  =:  a  laudation 
of  a  stalwart  man,  or  a  fine  wo- 
man; i.e.,  one  whose  superiority 
is  manifest  from  the  crown  of 
the  head  to  the  sole  of  the  foot  ; 
literally,  ail  beef  down  to  the  heels  ; 
to  beef  it  (originally  a  provinci- 
alism, but  now  common,  in  the  East 
End  of  London)  =  to  take  a  meat 
meal,   more   particularly  of  beef. 

c.  1880.  Broughton,  Cometh  up  as  a 
Flower,  193.  Dolly  was  not  a  fine  woman 
as  they  say,  at  all  ;  not  beef  to  the 
HEELS,  by  any  means;  in  a  grazier's  eye 
she  would  have  had  no  charm  whatsoever. 

See  Albany  beef. 

Beef-brained  (or  beef-witted),  adj. 
phr.  (common). — Doltish  ;  obtuse  ; 
thickheaded. 

1594.  Nashe,  Terrors  of  the  Night, 
[Grosart,  Works,  in,  257].  Liues  there 
anie  such  slowe  yce-braind  beefe-wittbd 
2ull. 


1606.  Shakspeare,  Trail.  Cressida, 
ii.  I.  14.    Thou  mongrel  beef-witted  lord. 

1637.  Feltham,  Resolves,  i,  ix  (1647), 
28.  A  BEEFE-BRAINED  fellow  that  hath 
only  impudence  enough  to  shew  himself 
a  foole. 

1863.  Reader,  22  Aug.  This  British 
bull-neckedness,     this    British    beef-wit- 

tedness. 

Beef-head,  subs,  (old).-—  A  dolt: 
a  stupid,  thick-headed  person. 

1775.  Cavendish,  [Burke,  Corresp. 
(1844),  11,  86].  The  petition  should  be 
framed  so  as  to.  .  .  draw  off  some  of  the 
beef-heads  who  are  disposed   against  it. 

BEEFMENT.  On  the  BEEFMENT,/Är. 
(thieves'). — On  the  alert;  ou  the 

look    out:   cf.    BEEF. 

BEEF-DODGER,  subs. phr.  (American). 
— A  meat  biscuit:  cf.  Corn- 
Dodger. 

1853.  Col.  Benton,  Speech  [Bart- 
lett].  It  is  a  small  party  [with]... 
Pinole,  pemmican,  and  beef-dodgers  for 
their  principal  support. 

BeeF-EATER,  sicbs.  (old).— I.  A  well- 
fed  menial:  in  contempt. 

1610.  Histrio-tn.  iii.  99.  Awake 
drowsie  drones  that  long  have  suckt  the 
honney  from  my  lives;  Begone  yec  greedy 
beefe-eaters. 

1628.  Greville,  Sidney  (1632),  109. 
We  conquered  France,  more  by  such 
factions  and  ambitious  assistances  than 
by  any  odds  of  our  Bows,  or  Beef-eaters 
as  the  French  were  then  scornfully 
pleased  to  terme  us. 

1854.  Badham,//«/2V!<!',  516.  Amongst 
immortal  gluttons,  Hercules  the  beef- 
eater was  chief. 

2.  (old). — The  Yeoman  of  the 
guard,  household  wardens  of  the 
Sovereign  of  Great-Britain  :  instit. 
by  Henry  VII  (14S5),  were  sub- 
sequently appointed  Warders  of 
the  Tower  of  London  by  Ed.  VI: 


Beef-stick. 


1 80 


Bee-line. 


the  present  uniform  is  the  same 
as  that  of  the  orig.  Beefeaters 
of  the  guard. 

1671.  Crowne,  y!</ia«a,  IV.  44.  The 
Beef-eaters  o'  the  guard.  I6id,  You 
Beef-eater,  you  saucy  cur. 

1736.  Fielding,  Pasguin,  ii.  i.  If 
your  lordship  please  to  make  me  a  beef- 
eater. 

177g.  Sheridan,  Critic,  iii,  i.  (1883), 
175.    Enter  Beef-eater,  with  his  halbert. 

1848.  Macaulay,  Hist.  Eng.  i,  293. 
Without  some  better  protection  than  that 
of  the  trainbands  and  beef-eaters. 

1864.  Spencer,  Illust.  Univ.  Prog. 
63.  The  Beefeaters  at  the  Tower  wear 
the  costume  of  Henry  viith's  body  guard. 

Beef-stick,  subs.  phr.  (military).— 
The  bone  in  a  joint  of  beef.  At 
mess  it  is  '  first  come,  best  served  '  ; 
and  those  who  come  last  some- 
times get  little  more  than  the 
BEEF-STICK. 

Beef  Straight.    See  Straight. 

Beef-witted.    See   Beef-brained. 

Beefy,  adj.  (common). —  i.  ä^Beef. 

2.       (common).  —  Fortunate; 
lucky. 

Bee-line,  subs.  phr.  (American). — 
A  straight  line  between  two  points  : 
as  a  bee  returning  laden  to  its 
hive.  Hence  to  take  (or  make) 
A  bee-line  (or  air-line)  ■=.  to  go 
direct,  '  as  the  crow  flies  ',  without 
circumlocution.  One  of  the  Ame- 
rican railways  is  popularly  known 
as  the  Bee  Line  Road  from  the 
direct  route  it  takes  between  its 
termini.  Also  straight  shot  {q.v.). 

1836.  Americans  at  Home,  l.  The 
sweetened  whiskey  I  had  drank  made  me 
so  powerful  thick-legged,  that  when  I 
started  to  walk  my  track  warn't  any 
thing  like  a  bee-line. 


1848.  Lowell,  Biglow  Papers.  The 
field  of  Lexin'ton  where  England  tried 
The  fastest  colors  thet  she  ever  dyed. 
An'  Concord  Bridge,  thet  Davis,  when 
he  came.  Found  was  the  bee-line  track 
to  heaven  an'  fame. 

i8[?].  Mrs.  Clavers,  Forest  Life 
[Bartlett].  This  road  is  one  of  nature's 
laying.  It  goes  determinedly  straight  up 
and  straight  down  the  hills,  and  in  bee- 
line,  as  we  say. 

1849.  PoK,  Gold  Beetle  [Tales  i,  44]. 
A  bee-line,  or,  in  other  words,  a  straight 
line  drawn...   to  a  distance  of  fifty  feet. 

1852.  Grote,  Greece,  ix,  ii,  Ixx.  160. 
If  we  measure  on  Kiepert's  map...  the 
air-line  is  170  English  miles. 

1856.  Dow,  Sermons,  1,  215.  Sin- 
ners, you  are  making  a  bee-line  from 
time  to  eternity;  and  what  you  have 
once  passed  over  you  will  never  pass  again. 

i860.  Kane,  Arctic  Exploration,  I, 
198.  We  moved  on  like  men  in  a  dream. 
Our  foot-marks,  seen  afterwards,  showed 
that  we  had  steered  a  bee-line  for  the  brig. 

1870.  Emerson,  Soc.  a?id  Solit.  x. 
219.  Men,  who,  almost  as  soon  as  they 
are  born,  take  a  bee-line  to  the  rack  of 
the  inquisitor. 

1874.  M.  Collins,  Frances,  v.  How 
they  could  follow  an  enemy's  trail  or 
strike  a  bee-line  through  unpathed  woods 
to  the  point  they  sought! 

1875.  Bird,  Six  Mos.  in  Sandzuich 
Islands,  xxix.,  275  (1886).  Horses  cross 
the  sand  and  hummocks  as  nearly  as 
possible  ON  A  bee-line. 

1882.  J.  Hawthorne,  Fort.  Fool,  I, 
viii.  This  disreputable  clergyman  would 
make  a  bee-line  for  Castlemere. 

1884.  Aldridge,  Ranch  Notes,  78. 
The  cattle  are  in  great  dread  of  this 
pest  [the  heel-fly],  and  the  instant  an 
animal  feels  one,  it  takes  a  bee-line 
for  the  nearest  water. 

1888.  St.  Louis  Globe  Democrat, 
24  Jan.  The  obese  style  once  admired 
is  now  disliked.  Many  old  English 
authors  had  too  much  rhetoric  for  our 
age.  An  author  must  take  the  air-LINE 
or  we  will  not  travel. 


Beelzebub  's  Paradise.      1 8 1 


Beer. 


1888.  Florida.  Times  Union  Adver- 
tisement, II  Febr.  Ask  for  tickets  via 
Augusta  or  Atlanta  and  the  Piedmont 
AIK   LINE. 

1900.  Gunter,  Deacon  and  Actress, 
viii.  His  service  eye  struck  a  bee-line 
for  the  Deacon. 

1901.  Troddles,ïZo.  A  certain  inn, .  . 
in  great  request  by  yachtsmen  and  cyclists, 
we  made  a  bee-line  for  that. 

Beelzebub's  Paradise,  subs.  phr. 
(colloquial). — Hell,  the  infernal 
regions. 

Been.  Among  colloquialisms  are. — 
Been  in  the  sun  r=  drunk:  see 
Screwed.  Been  measured  for 
A  new  umbrella  =  a  sport- 
ive allusion  to  anyone  appearing 
in  new,  ill-fitting  clothes,  or  who 
has  struck  out  a  new  line  of  action, 
the  wisdom  of  which  is  doubtful  : 
the  joke  is  an  old  one  and  refers 
to  a  man  of  whom  it  was  said 
that  nothing  fitted  him  but  his 
umbrella.  Oh,  yes,  I've  been 
there  !  =  '  I  know  what  I  am 
about':  when  it  is  said  of  a  man 
that  he  has  been  there,  shrewd- 
ness, pertinacity,  and  experience 
are  implied  ;  when  said  of  women 
secret  prostitution  or  adultery  is 
meant. 

1888.  Atlanta  Constitiitio7i,  4  May. 
The  Japanese  say:  'A  man  takes  a  drink  ; 
then  the  drink  takes  a  drink,  and  next 
the  drink  takes  the  man.'  Evidently  the 
Japanese  'have  been  there.' 

Beer,  subs,  (common). — Generic  for 
malt-liquor;  spec,  a  drink  of  beer. 
As  verb  (or  TO  DO  A  beer)  z= 
to  drink  malt-liquor;  in  beer  (or 
ON  A  beer)  =  drunk  :  see  Screw- 
ed; beer-barrel  (ç.V.);  BEER- 
BATHING=: guzzling;  BeER-STREET 

=  the  throat,  gutter-alley(^,z'.); 
small-beer  =  (i)  weak  beer,  and 
(2)  trifling  matter,   small  things  : 


as  in  phrase,  to  think  no  small 
beer  of  oneself  =  to  possess 
a  good  measure  of  self-esteem  ; 
TO  think  small  beer  of  any- 
thing =  to  have  a  poor  opinion 

of  it;  TO  chronicle   SMALL  BEER 

=  (i)  to  engage  in  trivial  occu- 
pations, and  (2)  to  retail  petty 
scandal  ;  also  numerous  combi- 
nations for  which  see  infra.  As 
adj.  SMALL  BEER   =:  petty. 

1592.  Nashe,  Piers  Penniless.  Bou- 
zing  and  beere-bathing  in  their  houses 
everie  afternoonc. 

1604.  Shakspeare,  Othello,  ii,  i, 
161.      To    suckle    fools    and    chronicle 

SMALL    beer. 

1631.  J.  Rous,  Diary  (1856)  66. 
Warren  (that  was  IN  beere)...  urged 
upon  the  maide  to  ride  behinde  him. 

d.  1666.     A  Brome,  Works  [Chalmers, 
vi.  648,  i].     A  dull  small-beer  sinner. 

1712.  Addison,  Spectator,  26g,  8. 
I  allow  a  double  quantity  of  malt  to  my 
SMALL  beer. 

1780-6.  WoLCOT  ('P.  Pindar')  Odes 
R.  Acad.,  [  Wks.,  (1794),  I.,  105.]  He  surely 
had  been  brandying  it  or  beering,  that 
is,  in  plainer  English,  he  was  drunk. 

1824.  Mitford,  Village  (1863),  11, 
242.  A  cart  and  a  waggon  watering  (it 
would  be  more  correct,  perhaps  to  say 
beering)  at  the  Rose. 

1832.  Southey.  The  Doctor  ,\'aX^x<:^., 
xvi.  He  thought  small  beer  at  that 
time  of  some  very  great  patriots  and 
Queenites. 

1840.  De  Quincev,  Style  \lVorks, 
xi.  174].  Should  express  her  self-esteem 
by  the  popular  phrase,  that  she  did  not 
'think  small  beer  of  herself.' 

1844.  Thackeray,  Barry  Lyndon, 
xiv.  All  the  news  of  sport,  assize,  and 
quarter-sessions  were  detailed  by  this 
worthy  chronicler  of  small  beer.  Ibid. 
(1855).  Nei-vcomes,  xxxix.  She  thinks 
small  beer  of  painters,  J.  J. — well,  well, 
we  don't  dont  think  small  beer  of 
ourselves,  my  noble  friend. 


Beer  and  Bible. 


182 


Beerhandel. 


1853.  Lytton,  My  Novel,  iv.  xii. 
When  I  say  that  sum  un  is  gumptious, 
I  mean — though  that's  more  vulgar  like — 
sum  un  who  does  not  think  small  beer 
of  hisself. 

1874.  Siliad,  82.  Stired  to  shout, 
and  primed  with  countless  beers. 

1880.     Punch's  Almanac,  3. 
Got  the  doldrums  dreadful,  that  is  clear. 
Two   d.  left  ! — must  GO  and  do  a  beer  ! 

1880.  Academy,  25  Sep.,  21g.  Two 
such  chroniclers  of  small  beer  as  Boswell 
and  Erskine. 

1889.  Sportitig  Times,  6  July. 
'Pitcher,'  said  Shifter,  brushing  the  dust 
ofif  his  tongue,  'got  enough  for  a  beer?' 

igo2.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  ig  Sep.,  I.  3. 
Vogler  had  reason  to  think  no  small 
THINGS  of  himself.  He  was  emphatically 
the  popular  man  of  his  day;  he  was  fol- 
lowed by  enthusiastic  admirers. 

Beer  and  Bible,  fhr.  (political).— 
An  epithet  applied  sarcastically 
to  a  political  party  which  first 
came  into  prominence  during  the 
last  Beaconsfield  Administration, 
and  which  was  called  into  being 
by  a  measure  introduced  by  the 
moderate  Liberals  in  1873,  with 
a  view  to  placing  certain  restric- 
tions upon  the  sale  of  intoxicating 
drinks.  The  Licensed  Victuallers, 
an  extremely  powerful  association, 
whose  influence  extended  all  over 
the  kingdom,  took  alarm,  and 
turned  to  the  Conservatives  for 
help  in  opposing  the  bill.  In  the 
ranks  of  the  latter  were  numbered 
the  chief  brewers;  the  leaders  of 
the  association,  moreover,  had 
mostly  strong  High  Church  ten- 
dencies, while  one  of  them  was 
president  of  the  Exeter  Hall  or- 
ganization. The  Liberals,  noting 
these  facts,  nicknamed  this  alliance 
the  Bkkr  and  Bible  Association  ; 
the  Morning  Advertiser,  the 
organ  of  the  Licensed  Victuallers, 
was  dubbed  the  Beer  and  Bible 


GAZETTE;  and  lastly,  election- 
eering tactics  ascribed  to  them 
the  war  cry  of  Beer  and  Bible. 
This  so-called  Beer  and  Bible 
interest  made  rapid  strides  :  in 
1870  the  Conservatives  were  at 
their  low  water  mark  among  the 
London  constituencies;  but,  in 
1880,  they  had  carried  seats  in  the 
City,  Westminster,  Marylebone, 
Tower  Hamlets,  Greenwich,  and 
Southwark.  A  notable  exception 
to  this  strange  fellowship  was 
Mr.  Bass  (afterwards  Lord  Burton), 
of  pale-ale  fame,  who  held  aloof 
from  opposition  to  the  measure 
in  question.  Anent  the  nickname 
Beer  and  Bible  Gazette  given 
to  the  Morning  Advertiser,  it 
may  be  mentioned  that  it  had 
already  earned  for  itself  a  some- 
what similar  sobriquet.  For  a  long 
time  this  paper  devoted  one-half 
of  its  front  page  to  notices  of 
publicans  and  tavern-keepers  ; 
while  the  other  half  was  filled  up 
with  announcements  of  religious 
books,  and  lists  of  preachers  at 
the  London  churches  and  chapels. 
This  gained  for  the  paper  the 
sobriquet  of  the  GiN  AND  GosPEL 
Gazette. 

Beer-and-skittles.  Notallbeer- 
and-skittles,  />/ir.  (common). — 
Not  altogether  pleasant,  or  cou- 
Uiir  de  rose:  a  tap  room  simile: 
cf.  Oatmeal. 

c.  1840.  Mansfield,  School-Life  at 
Winchester  College,  138.  Football  wasn't 
all    BEER   AND   SKITTLES   to   the   Fags. 

1889.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  13  Aug.  6. 
Prince  George  of  Wales  is  'learning  his 
profession,"   and   finds   it  is  not  all  beer 

and    SKITTLES. 

Beerbarrel  (or  -vat),  stths.  phr. 
(common). —  i.  The  human  body: 
cf.  Bacon.  Hence  (2)  =  a  tip- 
pler:  see  LUSHINGTON. 


Beeriness. 


183 


Beeswing. 


1584.  [?  Monday],  Weakest  to  Wall, 
iii.  4.  Now,  mine  host  rob-pot,  empty- 
can,   BEER-BARREL. 

1837.  Carlyle,  Fr.  Rev.  11,  vi.  vi. 
356.  Thou  laggard  sonorous  Beer- VAT. , . 
is  it  time  now  to  palter. 

Beeriness  (and  Beery),  subs,  and 
adj.  (common). — A  state  of  (or 
approaching  to)  drunkenness  ;  in- 
toxicated ;  fuddled  with  beer  :  see 
Screwed. 

1857.  Dickens,  Dorrit,  1.,  viii.,  56. 
The  stranger  was  left  to  the...  BEERT 
atmosphere,  sawdust,  pipe-lights,  spit- 
toons, and   repose. 

1861.  Eliot,  Silas  Marner,  67.  A 
BEERY  and  bungling  sort. 

1877.  D.  C.  Murray,  [in  Belgravia, 
July,  73].  There  was  a  beery  and  bloated 
captain,  resident  in  the  inn. 

1889.  Modern  Society,  13  July,  838. 
'Damn'd  be  he  that  first  cries.  Hold, 
enough,'  which  is  vulgary  translated  by 
the  beery  oracle  of  the  kerbstone,  'Put 
yer  shirt  on  'im,  cuffs  an'  all.' 

BBER-JERKER  (or  SlINGER),  subs. 
(American). — A  tippler:  jf^LusH- 

INGTON. 

BEEROCRACY,  subs,  (common). — The 
brewing  and  beer-selling  interest  : 
cf.  Cottonocracy,  Mobocracy, 
Slaveocracy  in  imitation  of 
'aristocracy',  etc. 

1881.  World,  19  Jan.,  10.  2.  The 
startling  mixture  of  peerage  and  beero- 
CRACV...   was  absent  this  time. 

Beeswax,  subs,  (old).— i.  Poor, 
soft  cheese:  also  sweaty-toe 
CHEESE  {g.v^. 

1821.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and  Jerry, 
ii.,  3.  I  say,  do  you  hear,  let's  have  a 
twopenny  burster,  half  a  quartern  of 
BEESVAX,  a  ha'p'orth  o'  ingens,  and  a 
dollop  o'  salt  along  vith  it,  vili  you? 

1849.  BelVs  Life.  [From  Baumann]. 
A  burster  with  a  slice  of  beeswax. 


2.  A  bore:  one  who  'button- 
holes '  another  :  generally.  Old 
beeswax. 

BeeswAXERS,  sttbs.  (Winchester 
College). — Thick  boots  used  for 
football.  [Probably  from  being 
smeared  with  beeswax  to  render 
them  supple].  Pronounced  Bes- 
■waxers. 

c.  1840.  Mansfield,  School-Life  at 
Winchester  College,  157.  Our  costume 
consisted  of  a  jersey,  flannel  trousers, 
BEESWAXERS  (lace-up  boots),  or  'High- 
lows'  (low  shoes),  with  two  or  three  pairs 
of  '  Worsteders'  (thick  worsted  stockings), 
the  feet  of  all  but  one  pair  being  cut  off. 

Beeswing,  stibs.  (common).  —  A 
gauzy  film  or  'crust',  in  port 
and  some  other  wines,  the  result 
of  age.     Hence  beeswinged. 

1846.  Thackeray,  Vanity  Fair,  ni., 
26.  Scott  from  under  bushy  eyebrows 
winked  at  the  apparition  of  a  beeswing. 

1850.  D.  Jerrold,  The  Catspaw,  i. 
Whereupon,  the  animal  spirits  are  held 
in  suspense,  like — like  the  beeswing 
in  port. 

i860.  Thompson,  Audi  Alt.  iii,  cxiv. 
44.  His  richer  or  more  showy  neigh- 
bour... is  curious  in  bee's  wing. 

1864.  Tennyson,  Aylmer''s  Field, 
405.  Fetched  His  richest  beeswing  from 
a  binn  reserved. 

1873.  FiTEEDWARD  Hall,  Modem 
English,  32.  This  port  is  not  present- 
able unless  beeswinged. 

1880.  Browning,  Dram.  Idylls  11.  47. 
Too  much  beeswing  floats  my  figure. 

Old  beeswing,  subs.phr.  (com- 
mon).— One  who  'takes  to  his 
liquor  kindly':  also  a  generally 
jocular  address. 

i8[.''].  Mark  Lemon,  Golden  Fetters, 
U.,  p.  74.  Mr.  Clendon  did  not  call  Mr. 
Barnard  'old  cock,'  'old  fellow,'  or  old 
beeswing. 


Beetle. 


184 


Beg. 


Beetle,  subs,  (old  colloquial). — 
Generic  for  dullness,  stupidity, 
blockishness:  e.g.  '  As  deaf  (dumb, 
dull,  quick  or  blind)  as  a  beetle'; 

BEETLE-BRAIN     (or     HEAD)     =     a 

dolt,  a  fool,  a  blockhead  (B.E.)  ; 
also  numerous  derivatives. 

1424.    Leg.   St.  Edith,  81.  Blind  as 

A    BETULLE. 

1520.  Whittington,  V-ulg.  (1527),  2. 
Tendre   wyttes...    be   made  as  dull  as 

A    BETELL. 

1548.  Udal,  Erasmus  Par.  Mark  i. 
5.  Jerusalem  albeit  she  were  in  very 
dede  as  blvnde  a.s  a  betelu 

1566.  Stapleton,  Ret.  Ihitr.  Jeivell, 
iii,  91.  With  such  Betle  arguments  as 
you  make. 

1566.  Knox,  Hist.  Ref.  \\Vorks 
(1846)  I,  164].  That  dolt  hath  not  a 
word  to  say  for  himself  but  was  as 
DOUME  AS  A  BITLE  in  that  mater. 

IS79'  ToMSON,  Calvin's  Serin.  Tim. 
471.  2.  Wee  cease  not  to  bee  bruite 
beasts,  as  blinde  as  betles.  Ibid,  931. 
2.  They  that  had  charge  to  guyde  other, 
were    poore   blinde   betels   themselves. 

1634.  WiTHALS,  Diet.,  554.  Celerius 
elephanti  pariunt:  as  quicke  as  a  beetle. 

1642.  Rogers,  Naaman.,  4.  Our 
faculty  to  understand  is  still  left...  we 
are  not  meere  blockes  and  beetles. 

1692.  Washington.  Miltotis'  Def. 
Pop.  V  (1851),  132.  They  confute  such 
a  Beetle  as  you  are. 

1765.  Tucker,  Lt.  Nat.  i,  475.  A 
blockhead,  yea  a  numskull,  not  to  say  a 
beetle. 

Beetle-crusher  (or  Squasher), 
subs,  (common). —  I.  A  large  foot: 
the  term  was  popularised  by  Leech 
in  Punch.  Hence  (2)  =  a  large 
boot  or  shoe:  also  beetle-case  ; 
and  (3)  an  infantry  soldier  (a 
cavalry  term):  cf.  mudcrusher. 
Whence  beetle-crushing  (mili- 
tary) =  route-marching. 


1869.  Bradwood,  The  O.  V.  H., 
xxi.  Writhing  yet  striving  to  look  plea- 
sant on  the  infliction  which  the  beetlh- 
crusher  of  a  recent  arrival  had  just  in- 
flicted on  his  pet  corn. 

1880.  Broughton,  Cometh  up  as  a 
Flower,  11.,  p.  200.  Yes,  but  what  hor- 
rible boots!  Whoever  could  have  had 
the  atwocity  to  fwame  such  BEETLE 
crushers. 

1876.  Anteros,  I.,  p.  188.  The  possi- 
bility floated  before  him,  now,  of  sending 
all  his  live  and  dead  stock  into  the  market, — 
of  exchange  into  a  sedate  beetle-crush- 
ING  corps. 

Beetles,  siibs.  (Stock  Exchange). — 
Colorado  mining  shares. 

1887.  Atkins,  House  Scraps.  Oh, 
supposing  our  creamjugs  were  broken, 
Or  beetles  were  sowing  the  babies. 

Beetle-sticker,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— An  entomologist. 

Before.  Before  the  wind,  phr. 
(colloquial). — In  prosperous  cir- 
cumstances ;  out  of  debt  or  dif- 
ficulty. 

Beg.  To  beg  (or  beg  a  person 
FOR  A  fool),  verb.  phr.  (old). — 
I.  To  petition  the  Court  of  Wards 
for  the  Custody  of  an  idiot. 
[This  Court  was  instituted  by 
Henry  VIII  and  suppressed  under 
Charles  II  ;  under  a  writ  dc  idiota 
inquirendo  a  man  if  legally  proved 
an  idiot,  the  profits  of  his  land 
and  the  custody  of  his  person 
might  be  granted  by  the  king  to 
any  sul)ject:  the  Court  also  dealt 
in  a  similar  manner  with  minors 
and  heiresses].  Hence  (2)  =  to 
take  a  man  for  (or  set  him  down 
as)  a  fool. 

1584.  Fenner,  Def.  Mill.  (1587),  si- 
Then  would  you  have  proured  vs  asses 
not  BEGGED  for  innocents. 

1589.  Hay  any  Work,  71.  It  is 
time  to  BEGG  vs  the  for  a  swagg. 


Begad. 


185 


Beggar. 


1609.  Dekker /i'<?««MI'Aöre[DoDS- 
LEV,  Old  Plays  (Reed),  iii,  261].  If  I  fret 

not    his    guts,    BEG    ME    FOR    A    FOOL. 

1598.  Harrington,  Epigrams,  i.  10. 
Leave  begging,  Lynus,  for  such  poor 
rewards,    Else    some   will   beg   thee,   in 

THE   COURT   OF   WARDS. 

1609.  JoNSON,  Barthol.  Fayre,  iii. 
Faith,  through  a  common  calamity,  he 
BOUGHT  me,  sir;  and  now  he  will  marry 
me  to  his  wife's  brother,  this  wise  gentle- 
man, that  you  see;  or  else  I  must  pay 
the  value  of  my  land. 

1604.  Wright,  Passions,  iii,  i.  81. 
He  may  be  begd  for  an  ideot. 

1636.  Davenant,  The  Wits,  [Dods- 
LEY,  Old  Plays  (Reed)  viii.  509.] 

I  fear  you  will 
Be    begg'd    at  court,  unless  you  come 

off  thus. 

1639.  Mavne,  OVj' 7)/rt/<r/î  [Dodslev, 
Old  Plays  (Reed)  ix.  314.]  And  that  a 
great  man  Did  mean  TO  beg  YOU  for — 
his  daughter. 

1696.  Stillingfleet,  12  Sermons, 
ii.  sq.  That  we  may  not  therefore  seem 
to  beg  all  wicked  men  for  fools. 

1736.  Hervey,  Mem.  II.  143.  Moyle 
letter  deserved  to  be...  begged  for  a 
FOOL,   or  hanged  for  a  knave. 

Begad  !  intj.  (common).-  -A  cor- 
ruption of  '  By  God  !  '  such  a 
euphemistic  oath. 

1742.  Fielding,  y..<4«if>-^'Zf J.  Begad! 
madam...    'tis  the  very  same  I  met. 

1848.  Thackeray,  Vanity  Fair,  11., 
iv.,  39.     Only  one,  begad!  in  the  world! 

BEJANT.  (BEJAN  or  BAIJAN)  siibs. 
(Aberdeen  university). —  A  stu- 
dent of  the  first  year.  [A  cor- 
ruption of  the  French  b^jaime 
{bee  jaune),  unsophisticated  young 
man,  compared  to  an  unfledged 
blackbird].  Second  year  students 
are  semi-BEjANXS,  third  year  stu- 
dents 'tertians',  and  fourth  year, 
'  magistrands  '. 


161  r.  CoTGRAVE.  Be  jaune,  a  novice 
...   or  young  beginner,  in  a  trade  or  art. 

1865.  G.  Macdonald,  Alec  Forbes, 
xxxiv.  The  benches  were  occupied  by 
about  two  hundred  students,  most  of 
the  freshmen  or  B3JANS  in  their  red  gowns. 

1887.  Standard,  Feb.  10,  5,  2.  The 
term  baijan,  used  in  one  of  the  Scottish 
universities  to  designate  a  freshman,  is 
from  the  French  bee  jaune,  yellow  beak — 
young  birds  having  usually  bil  s  of  this  hue. 

Beggar,  subs,  (common). —  I.  A 
generic  term  of  abuse  and  con- 
tempt: spec,  a  mean,  or  low  fel- 
low; and  (2)  in  pi.  =:  the  small 
cards  from  the  deuce  to  the  ten. 
Hence  bkggar's-broun  :=  scotch 
snuff  (made  of  the  stem  of  tabacco 
leaf);  beggar's-büllet  =  astone: 

alsOBEGGAR'S-BOLT;  BEGGAR-MA- 
KER =  a  publican;  beggar-nig- 
GLER  z=.  one  who  toys  with  a 
beggar-woman;  beggar's-plush 
=  corduroy-;  beggar's-vei.vet  = 
downy  particles  which  accumulate 
under  furniture,  otherwise  called 
sluts'-wool(^.j'.).  Also  in  phras- 
es, to  go  home  by  beggar's-bush 
:=.  to  go  to  ruin  :  also  beggar's- 
staff:  according  to  Miège,  beg- 
gar's-bush =  a  rendezvous  for 
beggars:  see  quot  1868,  but  there 
are  other  places  so-named,  e.g. 
Russell  Hill  near  Croydon  is  lo- 
cally so-known,  and  many  pun- 
ning allusions  depend  on  the 
name  of  a  place:  cf.  Peckham, 
HoUoway,  Clapham.Needham  and 
many  others.  TO  swear  by  no 
beggars  =  to  swear  hard,  to 
pledge  one's  word  solemnly.  Like- 
wise in  many  contemptuous  pro- 
verbs.— '  A  beggar's  wallet  is 
never  filled'  (1539);  'Beggars 
should  not  be  choosers'  (1562); 
'  A  beggar  may  sing  before  a 
thief  (1562);  'I  know  him  as 
well  as  a  beggar  knows  his  bag 
(or  dish  ')  ;  '  Beggars  mounted  run 


Beggar. 


1 86 


Beggar. 


their  horses  to  death  '  ;  '  Rich 
when  young,  a  beggar  when 
old';  'As  great  as  beggars'; 
'  Sue  a  BEGGAR  and  catch  a  louse  '  ; 
'Set  a  BEGGAR  on  horseback  and 
he'll  ride  to  the  devil  '  (or  the 
Jakes),  i.e.  sudden  accession  to 
wealth  often  induces  pride  that 
will  not  allow  of  walking,  to  the 
place  where  even  the  king  goes 
on  foot  ;  and  many  others  (see  quots.) 

c.  1300.  Cursor  Mundi,  13662.  Herd 
yee  his  lurdan,  coth  thai,  that-BEGGAR 
that  in  sin  was  goten. 

c.  1460.  Toiunley  Myst,  70.  If  siche  a. 
BKGGKRE  shold  my  Kyngdom  thus  reyf  me. 

[?].  Ms.  Adit.  5008.  So  that  dyvers 
of  our  saylors  were  much  oflfended,  and 
sayd,  SET  a  begger  on  horsbacke  and 
he  wyl  ryde  unreasonablye. 

1506.  Plumptoti  Correspondence,  iqq, 
We  are  brought  to  begga.r  staffe. 

1539.  Tavernhr,  Eras.  Prov.  (1322), 
g.  One  beggar  byddeth  wo  that  another 
by  the  dore  shuld  go.  Ihid.  39.  A  BEG- 
GARS SCRYP  is  never  fylled. 

1562.  Heywood,  Prov.  and  Epig. 
(1867)  23.  Beggers  should  be  no 
CHOOSERS.  Ibid.  38.  The  beggar  maie 
SYNG    before  the  theefe.  Ibid.  171.     I 

KNOW  HIM  AS  well  AS  THE  BEGGER  KNOWTH 
HIS    BAG. 

1581.  Riche,  Farewell  to  Mil.  Prof. 
This  letter  brought  mistres  Doritie  into 
suche  a  furie,  when  she  had  perused  it, 
that  she  sware  by  no  beggers  she  would 
be  revenged  upon  the  doctor. 

1584.  Hudson,  Judith  [Svlvrster, 
Du  Ba'tas  (1608)  698].  A  pack  of  country 
clowns...  that  them  to  battail  bownes 
with  beggers  bolts  and  levers. 

1592.  Greene,  Upst.  Court.  (1891), 
6.  Walking  home  by  Begger's  Bush 
for  a  pennance. 

1594.  Contention  (1843)  2nd  Pt. 
132.  Bbggeks  mounted  run  their  horse 
to  death. 


1613.  Uncasing  MachiaviVs  Instr. 
Sonne,  7.  Proue  the  proverbe  often  told, 
'A  CARELESSE  Courtier  vong,  a  Begger 
Olde.' 

1614.  Terence  in  English.  For  even 
this  Pamphilus,  how  often  did  he  sware 
deepely  BY  no  beggers  unto  Bacchis, 
even  so,  that  anybody  in  the  world  might 
have  beleeved  him,  that  so  long  as  shee 
lived,  he  would  not  take  him  a  wife; 
but  loe  he  is  married. 

1617.  MoRisoN,  Itin.  HI.  n.  i.  6. 
Who  KNOW  the  way  as  well  as  a  begger 
knows  his  dish. 

c.  1640.  Day,  Peregr.  Schol.  {1881), 
75.  Notwithstanding...  Industry...  he 
was    forct    to    take    a   napp  at  Beggars 

BUSHE. 

c.  i6s2.  Brome,  Joznal  Crew,  ii.  Do 
we  look  like  Beggar-nigglers? 

1677.  Yarranton,  E>!g.  Iinprov.  99. 
We  are  almost  at  Beggars-bush,  snd  we 
cannot  tell  how  to  help  our  selves. 

1682.  BuNYAN,//i>/y /Far,  260.  When 
Cerberus  and  Mr.  Profane  met,  they  were 
presently  as  GREAT  AS  beggars. 

1686.  Twelve  Ingenious  Characters. 
He  throws  away  his  wealth  as  heartily 
as  young  heirs,  or  old  philosophers,  and 
is  so  eager  of  a  goal,  or  a  mumper's 
wallet,  that  he  will  not  wait  fortune's 
leisure  to  undo  him,  but  rides  post  to 
beggar's  BUSH,  and  then  takes  more 
pains  to  spend  money  than  day-labourers 
to  get  it. 

1688.  London  Gazette,  No.  2370, 
page  4.  A  person...  in  a  dark  grey 
Cloth  Coat...  Breeches  of  Beggar's 
Plush. 

i6[?].  Ci.haveland,  Midsummer 
Moon,  188.  If  a  man  be  a  tree  invers'd, 
hee's  beggar's  bush. 

1690.  Walker,  Idiom.  Anglo-Latin. 
46.    Sue  a  beggar  and  catch  a  louse. 

1710.  Swift,  Polite  Coriv.  i.  Lady 
Ans.  Do  you  know  him,  Mr.  Neverout? 
Nev.  Know  him?     Ay,  Madam,  AS  WELL 

AS    A    BEGGAR    KNOWS    HIS    DISH. 

1711.  Land.  Gaz.  4888.  3.  A  green 
Beggars  Velvet  Trock  with  Metal 
Buttons. 


Beggar. 


187 


Bezos  h. 


i7[?].  Prior,  Conversation,  80.  Know 
him!    d'ye  question  it?     Odds  fish!     Sir, 

does    A    BEGGAR    KNOW    HIS    DISH? 

1783.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  'The  beggars  bullets 
began  to  fly  ;  i.e.,  they  began  to  throw 
stones. 

1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias  [Rout- 
ledge].  43.  1  would  have  made  a  man 
of  him,  but  the  beggar  on  horseback 
gave  himself  airs  to  Dame  Jacintha. 

i8og.  CoBBETT,  Pol.  Reg.  xv,  xii, 
429.  Our  own  old  saying,  '  Set  a  beg- 
gar ON  HORSEBACK,  AND  HE'LL  RIDE  TO 
THB    DEVIL. 

1868.  Brewer,  Dictionary  of  Phrase 
and  Fable,  78.     Beggar's  Bush.     To  go 

BY      beggar's      bush      (or)      go      home     BY 

beggar's  BUSH,  i.e.,  to  go  to  ruin.  Beg- 
gar's bush  is  the  name  of  a  tree  which 
once  stood  on  the  left  hand  of  the  London 
road  from  Huntingdon  to  Caxton,  so 
called  because  it  was  a  noted  rendezvous 
for  beggars.  These  punning  phrases  and 
proverbs  are  very  common. 

1869.  Broughton,  Not  Wisely,  121. 
A    sulky   ill  conditioned  sort  of  BEGGAR. 

2.  (Colloquial). — An  endear- 
ment: e.g.  LITTLE  BEGGAR,  SAUCY 
BEGGAR,    etc.  :    cf.    BAGGAGE,  DOG, 

ROGUE,  MONKEY,  etc.  Also  in  jocu- 
lar or  familiar  speech  generally. 

1833.  Marryat,  Peter  Simple,  xxxiii 
Sir  John  left  Sir  W.  Parker...  to  watch 
the  Spanish  beggars. 

1857.  Hughes,  T'öw^roTO«,  i.  You're 
uncommon  good-hearted  little  beggars. 

1873.  Black,  Princess  of  Thule,  xvii. 
The  cheekiest  young  beggar  I  have  the 
pleasure  to  know. 

Verb,  (colloquial). — To  con- 
found :  e.g.  '  Beggar  the  thing  '  ! 
=  Hang  it!  'I'll  be  beggared 
if  I  do  '  !  =  an  emphatic  asser- 
vation  ;  i.e.  '  111  give  up  every- 
thing, even  to  being  reduced  to 
beggary,  if,  etc.:  often  with  an 
eye  on  bugger  (ç.v.) 


Sturdy  beggar,  subs.phr.  (old). 
— An  able-bodied  man,  begging 
without  cause,  and  frequently  by 
violence  and  menace:  cf.  Abram- 
man  and  Bedlam. 

1538.  Starkey,  England,  176.  Thys 
grete  nombur  of  STURDY  beggarys  therby 
chold  utturly  be  taken  away. 

1597.  Act  3g  Eliz.  IV.  I.,  For  the 
suppressing    of    rogues,    vagabonds    and 

STURDY    BEGGERS. 

1711.  Steele,  Spectator,  48.  5.  The 
Heroes  appear  only  like  Sturdy  Beggars. 

i860.  Vaughan,  Mystics  i,  143. 
There  are  some  sturdy  beggars  who 
wander  about  the  country  availing  them- 
selves  of   the   name   of  Beghard  to  lead 

an  idle  life. 

Begin.  In  phrases,  TO  begin  to 
ONE  =  to  pledge  a  person  first 
in  drinking  ;  to  begin  on  ONE 
=.  to  attack;  to  assault. 

1628.  'Ea.'ri.e,, Microcosm,\xxv\.  That 
is  kind  o'er  his  beer,  and  protests  he 
loves  you,  And  begins  to  you  again. 

1633.  Bishop  Hall,  Hard  Texts, 
36.  Can  yee  drinke  of  that  better  cup 
wherein  I  shall  begin  to  you. 

1651.  Cartwright,  Siedge.  You 
shall  have  This  lord  come  profer  you  his 
daughter,  this  Burgesse  his  wife,  and  that 
unskilfull  youth  Pray  you  begin  to  him 
in's  trembling  bride. 

1715.  Burnet,  Own  Times,  11,  117. 
At  Sandcroft's  Consecration  dinner,  he 
began  a  health  to  the  confusion  of  all 
that  were  not  for  a  war  with  France. 

1825.  Sherwood,  Hoiilsioti  Tr.  11., 
xxxii.  All  the  company  began  upon  her, 
and  bade  her  mind  her  own  affairs. 

BEGOSH  1  or  BiGOSH  !  intf.  (Ameri- 
can).— An  expletive,  probably  of 
negro  origin;  a  half  veiled  oath; 
a  corruption  of  'By  God!' 

1888.  The  Epoch,  s  May.  If  the 
drawin's  free  an  you  don't  tax  me  too 
much    for   the    frame  b'gosk  I'll  take  it. 


Behiìid. 


Belcher. 


Behind 


:hinD,  subs,  (vulgar). — The  postC' 
rior  ;  the  rump  ;  BUM  {q.v^  ;  ARSI 
{_q.v^.     Also   (2)  =  the  b 
hinder  part  of  a  garment. 


the  back  or 


1551.  Still,  Gammer  Gurton's Needle, 
ii.  4.  I  would  thou  hadst  kiss'd  me  I 
wot  where:  (she  meant  I  know  behind). 

17SÓ.  Lounger,  54.  17.  Two  young 
Ladies. . .  with  new  Hats  on  their  heads, 
new  Bosoms,  and  new  Behinds  in  a 
band-box. 

c.  1830.  George  IV.,  [in  Saturday 
Review  (X862)  8  Feb.].  Go  and  do  my 
bidding — tell  him  he  lies,  and  kick  his 
behind  in  my  name. 

1833.  Marry  AT,  Peter  Simple  (1863), 
49.  That  I  might  not  have  the  front  of 
my   trowsers  torn  as  well  as  the  behind. 

3.  (Eton  and  Winchester. — 
A  back  at  football.  At  Eton 
called  SHORT  behind  and  long 
BEHIND,  usually  abbreviated  to 
'  short  '  and  '  long  '.  At  Winches- 
ter, SECOND  BEHIND  and  LAST 
BEHIND.  These  answer  to  the 
half-back  and  back  of  Associa- 
tion football.  At  Winchester,  in 
the  Fifteens,  there  is  also  a  THIRD 
BEHIND. 

Behind  one's  side  (Winchester 
College),  is  used  of  a  man  when 
nearer  the  opponent's  goal  than 
the  player  of  his  team  who  last 
touched  the  ball. 

BEILBY'S     BALL,     subs,     (old).— An 
Old  Bailey  hanging. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulgar  Tongue.  Beil- 
BY's  Ball, — he  will  dance  at  Beilbv's 
Ball,  where  the  sheriff  pays  [for]  the 
musick:  he  will  be  hanged.  Who  Mr. 
Beilby  was,  or  why  that  ceremony  was 
so  called  remains  with  the  quadrature 
of  the  circle,  the  discovery  of  the  philo- 
sopher's stone,  and  diverse  other  desiderata 
yet  undiscovered. 

Belch  (or  Belsh),  sttbs.  once  lite- 
rary;   now   vulgar. — Beer;    spec. 


'small  beer':  see  Drinks  (B.E.). 
As  verb.  =:  to  eructate  :  spec,  the 
result  of  hard  drinking.  [The 
term  is  probably  much  older  than 
indicated  by  quotations.  One  of 
Shakspeare's  characters  in  Twelfth 
A'ight  is  Sir  Toby  Belch,  a  reck- 
less, roystering,  jolly  knight  of 
the  Elizabethan  period].  Hence 
BELCHER  ==.  (i)  a  hard  beer 
drinker;  spec,  one  drinking  to 
such  excess  that  he  vomits. 

1598.  Florid,  Rotfatore,  a  belcher, 
a  spuer,  a  rasper. 

1698.  Ward,  London  Spy,  xv.,  347. 
Those  Poor  Sots  who  are  gussling  belch 
at  his  own  Ale-house.  Ibid.  (1705).  Hndi- 
bras  Rediviviis,  l.,  pt.  vii.,  18.  I  sneak'd 
into  a  little  house,  Wehere  porters  do 
their  belch  carouse. 

1748.  DvCHE,  Dictionary  (sed.). 
Belch  (s.),  common  beer  or  ale  sold  in 
publick  houses  is  so  called. 

1785.  Gv.os^,Vidgar  Tongue.  Belch, 
all  sorts  of  beer,  that  liquor  being  apt 
to  cause  eructation. 

1858.  Mavhew,  Paved  with  gold, 
III.,  iii.,  265.  Let's  have  a  pot  of  that 
fourpenny  English  Burgundy  of  yours, 
and,  whilst  my  mates  are  drinking  the 
BELCH,  I  want  to  told  business  with  you. 

1876.  HiNDLEY,  Cheap  Jack,  99. 
Now  it  is  well  known  that  traveling 
mummers  are  all  rare  belchers. 

Belcher,  subs,  (pugilistic). — i.  A 
neckerchief  named  after  Jim  Bel- 
cher, a  noted  pugilist.  The  ground 
is  blue,  with  large  while  spots 
having  a  dark-blue  spot  or  eye 
in  the  centre  of  each.  Hence  any 
handkerchief  of  a  parti-colour 
round  the  neck. 

1812.  Examiner,  21  Sept.,  607,  i. 
The  traverser...  tied  a  belcher  hand- 
kerchief round  his  neck. 

1825.  Lister,  Gravby,  xxxix.  261. 
Instead  of  the  Belcher  he  has  a  loose 
black  handkerchief  round  his  neck. 


Belle-Chose. 


189 


Believe. 


1834.  AiNSwoRTH,  Rockwood,  IV.  i. 
What  we  now  call  a  belcher  bound  his 
throat. 

1836.  Dickens,  Sketches,  'Pawn- 
broker's Shop'.  The  silver  fork  and  the 
flat  iron,  the  muslin  cravat  and  the  Bel- 
cher neckerchief,  would  but  ill  assort 
together.  Ibid.  'Miss  Evans  and  the 
Eagle  '.  Mr.  Wilkins  had  brought  a  pint 
of  shrimps  neatly  folded  up  in  a  clean 
belcher  to  give  a  zest  to  the  meal. 

1844.  Thackeray,  Barry  Lyndon, 
xvii.  Now  every  man  has  the  same 
coachman-like  look  in  his  belcher  and 
caped  coat. 

1846.  LvTTON,  Liicretia,  154.  The 
lower  part  of  [the  face]  was  enveloped 
in  an  enormous  belcher. 

i8(?).  Dickens,  The  Ghost  of  Art, 
[in  Reprinted  Pieces,  215.]  I  saw  that 
the  lower  part  of  his  face  was  tied  up, 
in  what  is  commonly  called  a  belcher 
handkerchief. 

1862.  Burton,  Book  Hunter,  i.  31. 
The  fragments  of  a  particoloured  bel- 
cher handkerchief. 

1874.  Macmillan^ s  Magazine,  April, 
506.  The  spotted  blue  and  white  necker- 
chief, still  called  a  belcher,  bears  the 
name  of  a  famous  prize-fighter. 

2.  (thieves'). — See  quot. 

1851.  Mavhew,  London  Labour,  i., 
p.  399.  The  best  sort  of  rings  for  fawney 
dropping  is  the  belchers.  They  are  a 
good  thick  looking  ring,  and  have  the 
crown  and  V.R.  stamped  upon  them. 

3.  See  Belch. 

Belle-Chose,  subs.phr.  (venery). — 
The  kvaoXtpudendtitii  :  cf.  Pretty 
and  see  Monosyllable. 

1383.  Chaucer,  Catit.  Tales.  Wif 
of  Bathes  Prologue.  6029.  Is  it  for  ye 
wold  have  my  quein't  alone...  For  if  I 
wolde  sell  my  belle  CHOSE,  I  coude 
walke  as  freshe  as  is  a  rose. 

Beldam,  sul>s.  (old). — Formerly  a 
term  of  respect,  now  only  in  de- 
preciation.   The  original  and  suc- 


cessive usages  are — (i)  a  grand- 
mother-, (2)  a  great-grandmother 
(Plot  used  it  of  a  woman  who 
has  lived  to  see  five  generations 
of  descendants);  (3)  a  woman 
advanced  in  years  (spec.  i6th  c. 
of  nurses);  and  (4)  a  loathsome 
old  woman,  a  hag,  a  furious  wo- 
man, 'a  scolding  old  woman' 
(B.E.).  [Quotations  are  given  for 
last  and  degraded  sense  only]. 

c.  1586.  Sidney,  Arcadia  (1613),  10. 
A  BELDAME...   accused  for  a  witch. 

1608.  Johnson,  Seven  Chainpions, 
212.  Come  all  you  witches  beldames, 
and  Fortunetellers. 

c.  1641.  yioìiTt^GV,Actsand Mcn.{\(ii,'2), 
77.  Tarquinius  taking  her  to  be  some 
frantick  Beldame. 

1706.  Addison,  Rosamund,  i.  3.  Fly 
from  my  passion,  Beldame,  fly  ! 

1822.  Scott,  Nigel,  xxxv.  That  ac- 
cursed beldam  whom  she  caused  to  work 


1857.  F.  Locker,  Lond.  Lyrics  (1862) 
100.  The  beldams  shriek,  the  caldron 
bubbles. 

Belial,  subs.  (University).— Balliol 
College,  Oxford. 

Believe.  I  believe  you,  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  general  assent;  'yes': 
sometimes,  'I  believe  you  my 
BOY  '.  [Once  a  favourite  catch- 
phrase    of  a    well-known   actor]. 

1835.  Dickens,  Sketches  by  Bcz,  286. 
'Now  confess:  were  you  not  a  little  sur- 
prised?'— 'I  believe  vou,'  replied  that 
illustrious  person. 

1849-50.  Thackeray,  Pendenttis,  i., 
140.  'Miss  Rouney,  I  gather,  was  the 
confidante  of  the  other.'  'Confidante? 
I  believe  you.' 

i860.  George  Eliot,  The  Mill  on 
the  Floss,  199.    'Is  she  a  cross  woman?' — 

'I   BELIEVE   YOU.' 


Bell. 


190 


Bell. 


1870.  Dudley  Costello,  The  Mil- 
lionaire of  Mincing  Lane,  204.  'And 
she     hates    that    fellow?' — 'Hates    him? 

I    BELIEVE   YOU.' 

Bell,  subs,  (vagrants'). — A  song: 
'a  diminutive  of  bellow'. — 
(Hotten). 

Phrases. — To  bear  the  bell 
z=  to  take  first  place  (or  fore- 
most  rank),    to    be   of  the  best; 

TO    BEAR   (or    CARRY    AWAY)    THE 

BELL  =:  to  win  the  prize  :  at  races 
a  silver  or  golden  bell  was  some- 
times the  object  of  contention: 
hence  TO  deserve  (or  lose)  the 

BELL  ;  BY  BELL  AND  BOOK  (or  BOOK 

AND  bell)  =:  an  emphatic  asse- 
veration :  in  the  Middle  Ages  (in 
reference    to    the    service    of  the 

Mass);    TO    curse    BY  BELL,  BOOK 

AND  CANDLE  =  a  reference  to  a 
form  of  excommunication  which 
ended,  '  Doe  to  the  book,  quench 
the  candle,  ring  the  bell';  to 
hang  (or  tie)  a  bell  about  a  cat's 
neck  =  to  ensure  warning  of 
approach  ;  TO  bell  the  cat  = 
to  undertake  a  perilous  task,  to 
act  as  ringleader:  in  both  these 
phrases  there  is  allusion  to  the 
fable  of  the  mice  and  the  cats, 
but  see  quot  1888);  to  ring  one's 
OWN  bell  :=  to  sound  one's  own 
praises,  to  blow  one's  own  trum- 
pet; to  bell  a  marble  =  to  run 
away  with  it,  but  the  action 
scarcely  amounts  to  actual  theft. 

c.  1300.  Cursor  Mundi,  17110.  Curced 
in    kirc    than    sal    thai    be    wid  Candil, 

BOKE   AND    bell. 

c.  1374.  Chaucer,  Troylus,  iii.  149. 
And,  let  se  which  of  yow  shal  bere  the 
BELLE,  To  speke  of  love  aright. 

1377.  Langi-AND,  Piers  Plowman, 
B.  Prol.  168.  Bugge  a  belle  of  brasse. . . 
And  hangen  it  vpon  the  cattes  hals; 
thanne  here  we  mowan  where  he  ritt 
or  rest. 


c,  1400.  Viuaine  and  Gaw.  3023.  So 
bus  the  do,  by  bel  and  boke. 

c.  1420.  Anters.  Arth.  iii.  That  borne 
was  in  Burgoyne,  by  boke  and  by  belle. 

c.  1460.  Toimieley.  Mysi.  88.  Of  alle 
the  foles  I  can  telle...  Ye  thre  BERK 
the  belle. 

1470.  Harding  Chron,  Ixxxi,  xi. 
At  the  last  the  Brytons  bare  the  bell. 
And   had  the  felde  and  all  the  victorye. 

c.  1529.  Skelton,  Colin  Cloute,  164, 
Loth  to  hang  the  bell  aboutb  the 
cattes  necke. 

1594.  Barnfield,  Aff.  Shep,  11, 
xxxix.  For  pure  white  the  Lilly  beares 
THE  Bell. 

1594.  Carew,  Huarte's  Exam.  Wits, 
xiii  (1596),  215.  lulius  Caesar...  bare 
AWAY  THE  bell...  from  all  other  cap- 
taines. 

1595.  Shakspeare,  K.  John,  iii,  3. 12. 
Bell,  Book,  and  candle  shall  not  drive 
me  back. 

1600.  Fairfax,  Tasso,  xvii,  Ixix. 
When  in  single  fight  he  lost  the  bell. 

1611.  Barry,  Ram  Alley  [Dodsley], 
I  have  a  priest  will  mumble  up  a  mar- 
riage.  Without    bell,    book,   or  candle. 

161 7-8.  AssHETON,  Diary.  Said 
drinking  some  wyne:  soe  to  a  summer 
game:  Sherburne's  mare  run,  and  LOST 
THE  bell:  made  merrie. 

c.  1619.  FoTHF.RBV,  Atheom.  i,  iv.  4. 
The    follie    of   the    Romanes    doth    well 

DESERVE   THE    BeLL. 

c.  1604.  Camden,  Rentains,  348.  Here 
lyes  the  man  whose  horse  did  gaine  the 
BELL,  in  race  on  Salisbury  plain. 

1616.  SALTONSHALL,C/!ar.23.  Among 
the  Romans  it  [a  horse  race]  was  an 
Olympic  exercise,  and  the  prize  was  a 
garland,    but  now  they  beare  the  bell 

AWAY. 

1621.  Burton,  Anat.  Melan.  To 
Rdr.  49.  True  merchants,  they  carry 
AWAY   THE    bell   from  all  other  nations. 

1627.  E.  F.  Hist.  Ed.  II  (1680),  14. 
Wishing  some  one  would  shew  undaunted 
valour  to  Tye  the  Bell  about  the 
cat's  neck. 


Bell. 


191 


Bellows. 


1680.  Sp.  Pop.  45.  The  Fuld- 
Preachers  damned  this  Bond  with  Bell, 
Book,  and  Candle. 

1686.  Aglionbv,  Paint.  Illusir.  278. 
Which  GAVE  HIM  THE  Bell  above  all 
modern  Artists. 

1713.  Land,  and  Counir.  Brew.  IV. 
(1743),  295.  A  very  heady  Malt  Liguor, 
which...  Carries  the  Bell,  by  having 
the  Name  of  the  best  Drink  for  and  near. 

1762.  J.  Man,  Buch.  Hist.  Scot.  xil. 
41.  39.  Note.  Earl  Archibald  hearing  the 
parable  answered  sadly,  '  I  shall  bell 
THE  CAT,  meaning  Cochrane,  the  great 
and  terrible  minion. 

1773.  Pennant,  Tour  North  Wales. 
A  little  golden  bell  was  the  reward  of 
victory  in  1607  at  the  races  near  York, 
whence  came  the  proverb  for  success  of 
any  Kind,  to  bear  the  bell. 

1791.  Disraeli,  C-ur.  Lit.  169.  2. 
He  would  be  glad  to  see  who  would 
bell  the  cat,  alluding  to  the  fable. 

1817.  Byron,  Beppo,  x.  Venice  the 
BELL  from  every  city  bore. 

1828.  Scott,  Fair  Maid,  i,  155. 
Hold    thy   hand,    on  pain  of  bell,  book, 

AND    CANDLE. 

1840.  Arnold,  X?yi?a«rf Corr.  (1844). 
II,  ix.  186.  I  was  willing  TO  bell  the 
CAT,  hoping  that  some  who  were  able 
might  take  up  what   I  had  begun. 

1861.  Hughes,  Totn  Brown  at  Ox- 
ford, I,  xii  232.  As  nobody  was  afraid 
of  him,  there  was  no  difficulty  in  finding 
the  man  to  bell  the  cat. 

1888.  Murray,  Oxf.  Diet.,  s.v.  Bell 
THE  cat.  In  the  latter  use,  there  is 
immediate  reference  to  the  story  or  legend, 
related  by  Lindsay  of  Pittscottie,  that 
when  certain  of  the  Scottish  barons  formed 
a  secret  conspiracy  to  put  down  the 
obnoxious  favourites  of  James  III  in  1482, 
a  moment  of  grave  suspense  followed 
the  enquiry,  'Who  would  undertake  to 
enter  the  royal  presence  and  seize  the 
victims?*  which  was  terminated  by  the 
exclamation  of  Archibald  Douglas,  Earl 
of  Angus,  'I  will  BELL  the  cat,  whence 
his  historical  appellation  of  Archibald 
Bell-the-Cat.' 


Bell-bastard,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
The  illegitimate  child  of  a  woman 
who  is  herself  illegitimate. 

Bell-bottoms,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
A  mode  in  trousers  in  the  sixties  : 
they  were  cut  bell-bottomed  shape 
over  the  shoes.  Fashion  travels 
slowly,  and  Morris  in  Austral- 
English  says  they  are  still  affected 
by  the  larrikin  {ci-v^. 

1891.  Argus,  5  Dec.  13,  2:  Can  it 
be  that  the  pernicious  influence  of  the 
House  is  gradually  tingeing  the  high 
priests  of  the  bell  bottomed  ballottée 
with  conservatism  !" 

BELLARMIN,  subs.  (old). — A  large 
glazed  drinking-jug  with  capa- 
cious belly  and  narrow  neck, 
originally  designed  by  the  Protes- 
tant party  in  the  Netherlands  as 
a  burlesque  likeness  of  their  great 
opponent,  Cardinal  Bellarmine. 

171g.  Durfey,  Pills  {1872)  vi,  201. 
With  Jugs,  Mugs,  and  Pitchers,  and 
Bellarmines  of  State. 

1 86 1.  Our  English  Home,  170.  The 
capacious  bellarmine  was  filled  to  the 
brim  with  foaming  ale. 

Belle,  subs.  (B.E.) — 'A  nice,  gay, 
fluttering  foolish  Woman  that  fol- 
lows every  Fashion,  also  fair.' 

Bellmare,  stibs.  (American).A  poli- 
tical leader,  mostly  in  contempt. 
[From  Western  life,  where  it  is 
used  in  regard  to  mules  much  in 
the  same  way  as  bell-wether  in 
England    in   reference   to  sheep]. 

Bellows,  subs,  (common). — The 
lungs.  Hence  bellows  to  mend, 
of  a  broken-winded  horse  or  one 
out  of  breath;  WINDED  {çj.v.\  Also 
(American)  bellowses. 

1615.  'Lktv.pm,  Falconry  {\(s->,-i),  115. 
The  lungs  doe  draw  a  breath...  When 
these  bellowes  doe  decay,  then  health 
from  both  doth  fade  away. 

N 


Bellows-blower. 


192 


Bells. 


1631.  Donne,  Elegy  \Farr,  S.  P. 
{1848)  21].  We,  to  live,  our  bellows 
wear,  and  breath. 

1711.  Vind.  Sack.  91.  He  would 
be  insufferably  noisy  in  Company,  if  his 
Bellows  would  hold. 

1730.  Miller,  Humours  of  Oxford, 
v.,  2.  Don't  abuse  my  wife — slut  quotha! 
i'gad  let  me  tell  you,  she  has  done  a 
cleaner  thing  than  you'll  ever  do  while 
your  BELLOWS  blow,  old  lady. 

c.  1777.  Kilmainham  Minute\^Ireland 
Sixty  Years  Ago,  88].  You'd  bring  back 
de  PUFF  to  my  belows.  And  set  me  once 
more  on  my  pins. 

1821.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and  Jerry, 
ii.,  3.  Drink,  they  say,  and  you'll  ne'er 
burn  the  bellows. 

1843.      Haliburton     ('Sam     Slick'), 

Satn  Slick  in  England,  xxii How  I 

would  like  to  lick  him...  round  the 
park...  to  improve  his  wind,  and  teach 
him  how  to  mend  his  pace.  I'd  repair 
his  old  bellowses  for  him. 

1848.  Lowell,  Biglow  Papers,  I., 
23.     His  BELLOWSES  is  sound  enough. 

1856.  CuTHBERT  Bede,  Verdant 
Green,  11.,  iv.  To  one  gentleman  he 
would  pleasantly  observe,  as  he  tapped 
him  on  the  chest,  '  Bellows  to  mend 
for  you,  my  buck!' 

1875.  Whitney,  Life  Lang.  iv.  59. 
The  lungs  are,  as  it  were,  the  bellows 
of  the  organ. 

Bellows-blower,  subs.  fkr.  (collo- 
quial).—  I.  One  exciting  to  strife. 

c.  1849.  S0UTIIEY,  Common-place  Book 
ii.  191.  The  trumpeters  and  drummers 
and  bellows-blowers  of  rebellion  were 
Conformable  Episcopalians. 

2.    (colloquial). — An  unskilled 
assistant;  a  mere  hodman. 

1865.  Times,  2  Feb.  The  prelates 
play  the  new  organ;  the  lay  members 
are  the  mere  bellows-blowers. 

BELLOWSER,  subs,  (pugilists').— I. 
A  blow  in  the  pit  of  the  stomach; 
a  winder;  that  which  takes  the 
breath  away. 


1856.  Novels  and  Tales  (from  House- 
hold Words),  Tauchn.  ed.  vi,  187.  A  sigh 
of  the  kind  which  is  called  by  the  lower 
classes  a  bellowser. 

2.  (old). — A  sentence  of  trans- 
portation for  life.  Hence  BEL- 
LOWSED    =   transported;  lagged. 

Bell-rope,    subs,    (common). — The 
same  as  aggerawator  (^.f.) 

1868.  Brewer,  Phrase  atid  Fable, 
s.v.,  'Love  lock.'  When  men  indulge  in 
a  curl  in  front  of  their  ears,  the  love- 
lock is  called  a  bell-rope — i.e.,  a  rope 
to  pull  the  belles  after  them. 

Bells,  subs.  (Winchester  College). — 
See  quots. 

c.  1840.  Mansfield,  School-Life  at 
Winchester  College  62.  The  junior  in 
chamber  had  a  hard  time  of  it;...  while 
endeavouring  to  get  through  his  multi- 
farious duties,  he  had  to  keep  a  sharp 
ear  on  the  performance  of  the  chapel 
bell,  and  to  call  out  accordingly,  'first 
peal!'    'second   peal!'   and  bells  down! 

1S78.  Adams,  Wykehamica,  256. 
At  a  quarter  to  six  the  peal  again  rang 
out,  and  the  cry  of  bells  go  was  sounded 
in  shrill  tones  through  every  chamber  of 
College  and  Commoners.  ...After  ten 
minutes  the  peal  changed,  and  only  a 
single  bell  continued  to  ring.  This  was 
notified  by  the  cry  bells  go  single,  and 
five  minutes  afterwards,  by  that  of  '  BELLS 
down.'.  . .  Presently  the  head-master. . . 
would  descend  from  his  library:  or  the 
second  master. . .  would  appear  at  the 
archway  near  Sixth  Chamber,  and  the 
warning  voice  would  be  heard  'Gabell* 
or  'Williams  through,'  'Williams,'  or 
'Ridding  in.'  Straightway  there  would 
be  a  general  rush,  the  college-boys  darting 
across  the  quadrangle  in  the  rear  of  the 
Praefect  of  Chapel  ;  while  the  Commoners 
hurried  in,  keeping  up  a  continuous  stream 
from  their  more  distant  quarters. 

Give  her  the  bells,  and  let 
HER  FLY,  phr.  (old). — An  old  pro- 
verb taken  from  hawking,  meaning 
that  when  a  hawk  is  good  for  noth- 
ing, the  bells  are  taken  off,  and  it 
is  suffered  to  escape ,  applied  to 


Bellswagger. 


193 


Belly. 


the  dismissal  of  any  one  that  the 
owner  has  no  longer  occasion  for. 
See  Reliq.  Antiq.  i.  27  ;  Patient 
Grissel,  p.  16.  (Halliwell). 

Bellswagger.    See   Belswagger. 

Bell-topped  (or  Bell-knobbed), 
adj.  phr.  (venery). — Said  of  a  man 
whose/^«/j  is  considerably  thicker 
at  the  meatus  than  at  root  or  middle. 

Bell-topper,  subs.  phr.  (common,) 
— A  silk  hat:  see  Golgatha. 

i860.  Kellv,  Life  in  Victoria,  268. 
[Footnote].  Bell-topper  was  the  derisive 
name  given  by  diggers  to  old  style  hat, 
supposed  to  indicate  the  dandy  swell. 

1885.  Sala,  in  Daily  Telegraph, 
S  Aug.  s,  4.  His  very  bell-topper  hat 
had  been  garlanded  with  flowers. 

Bell-wether,  sïibs.  phr.  (old).— i. 
A  chief;  a  leader  'chief  or  leader 
of  the  Flock,  master  of  misrule, 
also  a  clamorous  noisy  man'  (B.E.): 
cf.  bell-mare:  in  contempt. 

1430.  Lydgate,  Bochas  (1554),  224.  a. 
I  was  cleped  in  my  countrey  The  bel- 
weather. 

1577.  HoLiNSHED,  Chron.  11,  40.  2. 
Thomas  being  the  ringleader  of  the  one 
sect,  and  Scotus  the  belweadder  of  the 
other. 

1687.  Brown,  Saints  in  Uproar, 
[Wks.  (1730)  I,  73].  The  principal  bel- 
weathers  of  this  mutiny. 

1794.  Southey,  Wat  Tyler,  iii.  i. 
You  BELL-WETHER  of  the  mob. 

1848.  Lowell,  Biglow  Papers,  i. 
'Tain't  afollerin'  your  bell-wethers 
will  excuse  ye  in  His  sight. 

2.  (old  colloquial). — A  cla- 
mourist  ;  a  mouther.  Hence  bell- 
WETHERING  and  bell-wether- 
ishness. 

c.  1460.     Towneley  Myst.  80.     Go  now, 
bklleweder. 


1598.  Shakspeare,  Merry  Wives, 
iii.  5.  HI.  To  be  detected  with  a  jealous 
rotten  bell-wether. 

1620.  Shelton,  Quixote,  iv,  xiii.  109. 
She  made  me  weep,  that  am  no  bell- 
weather. 

1882.  Spectator,  25  Mar,  381.  But 
for  the  BELL-WETHERING  there  could  have 
been  no  crinoline  at  all.  Ibid.  387.  The 
gregariousness  and  bell-wetherishness 
of  the  English  people  who  must  all  do 
the  same  thing  at  once. 

Belly,  subs,  (vulgar).  —  I.  The 
womb  ;  the  uterus.  2.  The  female 
Pudendum  :  see  Monosyllable. 
Hence  belly  ruffian  =  the 
penis:  see  Prick  ;  belly-full  = 
pregnancy  ;  belly-up  =:  preg- 
nant; lumpy  (ç.v.):  cf.  apron- 
up  ;  belly-piece  z=.  a  mistress, 
a  bed-mate;  belly-plea  =r  a 
plea  of  pregnancy  :  urged  by 
female  felons  capitally  convicted  : 
it  still  holds  good,  execution  of 
female  convicts  in  '  an  interesting 
condition'  being  deferred  until 
after  accouchment  :  in  practice,  it 
really  means  a  commutation  of 
the  death  penalty  for  life  impri- 
sonment, itch  in  the  belly  = 
sexual  desire  ;  TO  LAY  one's 
belly  ■=.  to  be  brought  to  bed  ; 

TO     GET    UP     THE     BELLY     =     tO 

impregnate;  TO  get  a  belly- 
bumper  (or  BELLY-BUSTER)  =  tO 
be  got  with  child;  hence  TO 
BELLY-BUMP  =  to  Copulate:  also 

TO  HAVE  (do,  or  perform)  A 
BELLY-BUMPER  (-WARMER,  -BUS- 
TER, etc.)  ;  TO  PLAY  AT  BELLY  TO 
BELLY  ■=.  to  copulate  ;  TO  GET 
A  BELLYFUL  MARROW  PUDDING  = 

to  be  got  with  child,  to  take 
{q.v^  :  see  Greens  and  Ride  ; 
BELLY-HOLDING  ==  Crying  out  in 
labour;  BELLY  WORK  =  copula- 
tion, 

c.  1440.     Prompt.    Parv.    30.    i.    Bely 
uterits. 


Belly -bender. 


194 


Belly -can. 


1549-50.  Plumpton  Correspondence, 
2Si-     As  yet  my  wife  hath  not  laid  her 

BELLV. 

1596.  Shakspeake,  Merck.  Venice, 
iii.  5.  41.  I  shall  answer  that  better  than 
you  can  the  getting  up  of  the  negro's 
belly:    the    Moor   is  with  child  by  you. 

1602.  Warner,  Alb.  Eng.  ix,  xlvii. 
322.  My  BELLY  did  not  blab,  so  I  was 
still  a  Mayde. 

1607.  TOPSELL,  Four-/.  Beasts  (1673) 
472.  While  they  smell  and  taste  of  their 
dam's  BELLY. 

1632.  Randolph,  Jealous  Lovers 
[Works  (1668),  37J.  Blush  not,  backful 
BELLY-PIECE...  I  will  requite  that  jewel 
with  a  richer. 

1705.  Ward,  Hud.  Rediv.  i.  viii.  20. 
She  wish'd  with  all  her  soul  To  have  a 
Woman's  belly  full  Of  what  young 
Harry  gave  to  Doll. 

1720.  Durfey,  Pills  to  Purge,  vi. 
324.  Each  has  an  itch  in  her  belly, 
To  play  with  the  scarlet  hue. 

1728.  Gay,  Beggar's  Op.  i.  Why 
she  may  plead  her  belly  at  worst. 

1853.  Stonehenge,  Greyhound,  178. 
Flirt  ran  second  for  the  same  cup  with 
War  Eagle  in  her  belly. 

Belly-ache,  subs,  (vulgar).— A  co- 
lic; a  grumbling  pain  in  the 
bowels.  Hence  (American)  TO 
BELLY  ACHE  =  to  grumble. 

1552.  Huloet.  Disceased  with  BEALYE 
ACHE,  or  frealynge  in  the  bealye. 

1804.  SouTHEY,  Letters  (1856)  i,  268. 
A    supper    so    hearty  that  it  gave  him  a 

sad    BELLY-ACHE. 

1881.  Neiu  York  Times,  18  Dec. 
[quoted  in  N.  and  Q.,  6  .S.,  v.,  65.].  Belly- 
ache. To  grumble  without  good  cause. 
Employes  bellyache  at  being  over- 
worked, or  when  they  fancy  themselves 
underfed,  etc. 

Belly-bender,  subs.  (American).— 
A  boy's  term  for  weak  and  un- 
safe ice. 


Belly-bound,  adj.  (vulgar). — Con- 
stipated ;  costive. 

1607.  TopsELL.  Four-/.  Beasts,  302. 
of  Costiveness  or  Belly-bound  when  a 
Horse...   cannot  dung. 

Belly-bump,  verb.  phr.  (venery). — 
To  copulate:  see  Greens  and 
Ride.  Hence  Belly-bumper  = 
a    whoremonger,    a    performer 

{q-V.);    BELLY-BUMPER    =    the   aCt 

of  kind. 

1694.  Motteux,  Rabelais,  Paniag. 
Prognos,  V.  Smockers,  stallions  and 
belly-bumpers. 

Belly-bumper  (or  Belly-buster). 

To     TAKE    A    BELLY-BUSTER,  phr. 

(American). — I.  To  ride  down 
hill  in  a  sled  lying  on  one's 
stomach  :  an  amusement  of  young 
America.  The  idea  of  tobogan- 
niug  was  derived  from  this  pas- 
time. Also  BELLY-BUMBO,  BELLY- 
GUTS  or  GUTTER,  BELLY-FLOUN- 
DERS, BELLY-FLUMPS,  and  BELLY- 
PLUMPER. 

1888.  Chicago  Inter-Ocean.  Barney 
has  a  sled,  on  which  he  hauls  the  fish  in 
snowy  weather.  Barney  had  his  sled  out 
yesterday,  belly-bumping  on  a  little  patch 
of  ice  and  snow. 

2.    See  Belly-bump. 

BelLY-BUTTON,  subs.  (American). 
=:  The  navel. 

Belly-can  (political).— ä^  quota- 
tion. 

1889.  Pall  Mall  Gazette,  28  Mar. 
Whatever  ultimately  comes  of  the  Sunday 
Closing  movement,  it  will  at  any  rate 
leave  behind  it  a  curious  addition  to  the 
English  language.  This  is  the  word 
'BELLY-CAN,'  whlch  IS  (according  to  the 
opponents  of  Sunday  Closing)  the  pleb- 
eian counterpart  of  the  more  genteel 
'small  cask' — both  things  being,  of  course, 
contrivances  for  getting  round  the  legal 
prohibition  of  Sunday  drinking.  Lexico- 
graphers  may   perhaps   be   glad  to  have 


Belly-cheat. 


195 


Belly-ful. 


the  definitions  of  the  two  phrases  as 
given  yesterday  afternoon  by  Mr.  Caven- 
dish Bentinck: — The  'belly-can'  was  a 
tin  vessel  not  unlike  a  saddle  in  shape, 
which  men  and  women,  generally  the 
latter — let  hon.  members  note  that — got 
filled  with  beer  and  secreted  about  their 
clothes,  an  averaged-sized  can  holding 
about  four  quarts.  A  more  aristocratic 
method  of  private  Sunday  drinking  was 
by  means  of  the  'small  cask.'  The  small 
cask  industry  was  said  to  be  an  exceedingly 
prosperous  one  in  certain  districts.  Gro- 
cers advertised  for  casks  as  a  speciality, 
and  one  grocer  advertised  on  a  Saturday 
fifty  and  sixty  and  sometimes  even  100 
empty  casks. 

Belly-cheat  (or  Belly-chete), 
subs.  (old). —  I.  An  apron:  see 
CHEAT   (B.   E.). 

1609.  Dekker,  Lanthorne  and 
Candlelight,  {Wks.  (1885)  m.,  196.]  A 
BELLV-CHETE,  an  apron. 

2.  (old).— Food  :  cf.  belly- 
timber,  belly-furniture,  back- 
timber,  etc. 

1622.  Fletcher,  Beggar's  Bush,  ii. 
I.  Each  man  shall  eat  his  own  stol'n 
eggs  and  shall  possess  what  he  can  pur- 
chase— back  or  belly-cheats. 

Belly-cheer  (or  Belly-chere), 
subs.  (old).=Food  ;  feasting  ; 
gluttony.  Also  as  verb.  =  to 
gormandize,  feast  luxuriously. 
Hence  belly  cheering  =z  eat- 
ing and  drinking,  see  Grub  and 
cf.  belly-chete,  belly-furni- 
tures, belly-timber,  etc. 

1549.  Udal,  Erasm.  Par.  Eph.  Prol. 
Onely  for  pelfe,  bely-ciieare,  ease  and 
lucre. , . 

1549.  Udal,  Eras.  Par.  Eph.  Prol. 
(R.)  Riotous  bankettyng,  potte-company- 
oning,  and  belychearynge. 

1559.  ^i.\OTK  Diciionarie.  Abdomini 
indulgere,    to   geve   hym   selfe  to  bealv- 

CHERE. 

1579.  FuLKE,  Re/ut.  Rastel.  712. 
Prophane  banquets  of  bellie  cheare. 


1580.  LuPTON,  Sigtiila,  56.  That 
gave  himself  to  nothing  but  to  drincking, 
bybbing,  and  bellycheare. 

1606.  Holland,  Sueton.  235.  Given 
most  of  all  to  excessive  belhe-cheere 
[luxuria:). 

161 1.  Cotgrave,  Diet.  s.v.  Carrelure 
de  ventre,  belly  timber,  belly  cheere. 

1612.  Rowlands,  Knaves  of  Spades, 
etc.  Gluttonie  mounted  on  a  greedie 
beare.  To  belly-cheere  and  banquets 
lends  his  care. 

1648.  Milton,  Tenure  King's,  41. 
A  pack  of  Clergie  men ...  to  belly  cheare 
in  their  presumptuous  Sion,  or  to  promote 
désignes. 

1699.  Coles,  English  Dictionary, 
s.v.  Belly-cheer,  Cibaria. 

Belly-chete.  See  Belly-cheat. 

Belly-clapper,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
A  dinner  bell?  See  Florio,  in  v. 

Battaglio,  Battifolle. 

Belly-critic,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
An  artist  in  good  living. 

c.  1711.  Ken,  Urania  [Works  (1721), 
IV.  468].  The  Belly-Criticks  study  how 
to  eat. 

Belly-friend,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 

parasite  ;  a  SPONGER  {q.v^  -,  '  an 
insincere  friend  ;  a  person  who 
pretends  friendship  for  purposes 
of  his  ovv^n."  (Miege). 

Belly-ful,  subs,  (old  colloquial: 
now  vulgar). —  i.  A  sufficiency; 
spec,  (in  sarcasm)  =  more  than 
one  wants  or  cares  to  take  or  get 
of  anything  :  e.g.  a  sound  drub- 
bing; anything  unpleasant  or  un- 
desired. 

1370.  Rom.  Rich.  Coeur  de  Lion 
[Weber]  [Oliphant,  Neiu.  Erg.,  i.  86. 
Richard  pays  the  Saracens  their  rent; 
like   our    'give    them    their   bellyfull.'] 

1535.  Coverdale,  Ezek.  xxvi.  2. 
haue  destroyed  my  bely  full. 


Belly-furniture. 


196 


Belly-hedges. 


1583.  GoLDING,  Calv.  on  Deut.  ci. 
684.     Let   him   thunder   his  belly  full. 

1599.  Nashe,  Lenten  Staffe,  [Gro- 
sart, Works,  v.,  265.]  The  churlish 
frampild  waues  gaue  him  his  belly- 
full  of  fish  broalh. 

1605.  Chapman,  All  Fooles,  ii.  Walk 
not  too  boldly;  if  the  Serjeants  meet  you, 
you  may  have  swaggering  work  your 
belly-full. 

1666.  Pepvs,  Diary,  Oct.  28.  He 
says  that  in  the  July  fight,  both  the 
Prince  and  Holmes  had  their  belly- 
fulls,  and  were  fain  to  go  aside. 

1687.  A.  LovELL,  Bergerac  Com. 
Hist.  ii.  42.  The  Spectators,  having  had 
their  Belly-fuls  of  Laughing. 

1705.  HiCKERlNGiLL,  Priest-cr.  11, 
vi.  61.   Take  your  Belly  fuls  of  Sermons. 

1706.  Ward,  Wooden  World,  26. 
'A  Sea  Lieutenant'.  When  he  has  got 
his  belly-full  of  both  [claps  and  drub- 
bings] he  puts  aboard  again. 

1835.  Haliburton,  Clockmaker,  3 
S.,  xvi.  Bunker's  Hill,  where,  Mr.  Slick 
observed,  'the  British  first  got  a  taste  of 
what  they  afterwards  got,  a  belly-full." 

1852.  Thackeray,  Esmond  111,  v. 
(1896)  359.  The  nation  had  had  its  belly 
full  of  fighting. 

2.     (venery), — See  Belly. 

Belly-furniture,  sttbs.pkr.  (old). — 
Food  ;  something  wherewith  to 
furnish  the  belly;  cf.  belly-tim- 
ber,  BACK-TIMBER,   etc. 

1653.  Urquhart,  Rabelais,  I.,  v. 
(BOHN),  i.,  no.  Then  did  they  fall  upon 
the  victuals,  and  some  bellv-iurniture 
to  be  snatched  at  in  the  very  same  place. 

Belly-god,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
glutton.     As   adj.    =  gluttonish. 

c.  1540.  Compi.  Rodk.  Mors  xxii. 
T.  iv.  b.  A  sort  of  bellygods  and  ydle 
stoute  and  strong  lorrels. 

e.  1590.     [Scot.    Poems,    u,    so?-]     P^'* 
Pharisianis,  Belly  cod  bischopis. 


1620.  Venner,  Via  Recta,  vi.  102. 
Mixt  sauces...  which  of  ingurgitating 
BELLYGODS  are  greatly  esteemed. 

1634-46.  Row,  Hist.  Kirk  (1842), 
344.  Bellie-god  bishops  hes  little  will 
of  that  work. 

1683.  Triyon,  Way  to  Health,  395. 
Many  of  our  English  Belly-gods  suppose 
Flesh  to  be  most  mighty  in  its  operation. 

18 18.  Scott,  Rob-Roy,  xxviii.  To 
see  thae  English  belly-gods. 

BELLY-GO-FIRSTER,  subs.  phr.  (pugil- 
istic).— An  initial  blow,  generally 
given,  say  some  authorities,  in  the 
stomach — whence  its  classic  name! 

Belly-grinding,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— Pain  in  the  bowels  ;  colic. 

157g.  'LhiiGHKM,  Gard.  Heal th(i(>j,'ì], 
529.  [To  cure]  Belly-grinding,  take  a 
cake  of  Rye  flower...  and  apply  it  as 
hot  as  may  be  suffered. 

BELLY-GUT,  subs. phr.  (old). — A  lazy, 
greedy  fellow  ;  a  stothful  glutton. 

1540.  MoRVSiNE,  [transi.,  I'ives 
Introd.  Wisd.,  viii.]  Such  as  be  skoffers, 
swell  feastes...   bely  guts. 

1733.  Bailey,  Erasmus,  346.  Since 
then  thou  would'st  not  have  a  belly-gut 
for  thy  servant,  but  rather  one  brisk  and 
agile,  why  then  dost  thou  provide  for 
thyself  a  minister  fat  and  unwieldy? 

BELLY-GUTS,  subs.  phr.  (American 
schoolboys'). —  I.  In  Pennsylvania 
z=  molasses  candy. 

2.     (American),  —  Belly-bum- 
PER  {q.v.). 

Belly-harm,  subs.  phr.  (old).— The 
cholic. 

BELLY-HEDGES,  subs.  phr.  (Shrews- 
bury School). — In  school  steeple- 
chases, obstructions  of  such  a 
height  that  they  can  easily  be 
cleared — i.e.,    about  '  belly-high  '. 


Belly-holding. 


197 


Belly-timber 


Belly-holding,  «/:/'j-.///r.  (common). 

Crying  out  in  labour. 

8ELLY-JOY,  subs.  phr.  (old). — Glut- 
tony :   cf.  WOMB-JOY   (WyCLIF). 

Belly-love,  subs.  phr.  (old).— Glut- 
tony (Tyndale). 

BELLY-MOUNTAINED,  adj.  phr.  (old). 
— Fat-bellied;  paunchefied;  having 
a  large  prominent  belly  or  corpor- 
ation {q.v.\ 

1654.  Gataker,  Disc.  Apol.  65.  A 
man    of   puf-past,    like    that   fat   bellie- 

MOUNTAINED    Bishop. 

Belly-naked,  adj. phr.  (old).— Stark- 
naked;  nude. 

1525.  Basyn  [Hazlitt,  Early  P.  P. 
III.  51J.  Upstert  the  wench. . .  And  ran 
to  hir  maistrys  all  baly  naked. 

1540.  Acolastus  [HalliwellJ.  I  am 
all  together  lefte  bare,  or  I  am  leflc 
Starke  bely-naked,  or  lefte  as  naked  as 
my  nayle,  sory  wretche  that  I  ami  Wyll 
ye  not  leave  me  a  lyttell  garment,  or  a 
sory  wede,  to  hyde  my  tayle  withal. 

1611.      COTGRAVE.  2?2V<.  s.v.    Toilt  fill 

mere  nu,  all  discouered. . ,  starke  bellie 

NAKED. 


stibs.  phr.    (old). — 


Belly-paunch, 
A  glutton. 


1539-87.  FoxE,  Acts  and  Mon.  (1596) 
28.     2.      Heliogabalus     that     monsterous 

BELLIPAUNCH. 

Belly-piece,  subs. phr.  (old).— i.  An 
apron:  cf.  Belly-cheat. 

1689.  Shadwell,  Bury  Fair.  If 
thou  shoulds  cry,  it  would  make  streaks 
down  thy  face;  as  the  tears  of  the  tan- 
kard do  upon  my  fat  host's  delly-pieces. 

2.    See  Belly. 

Belly-pinched,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
Hungry  ;  pinched  with  fasting. 

Belly-plea.    See  Belly. 


Belly-Plumper,  subs.  (American). 
Sec  Belly-bumper. 

Belly-sacrifice,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
A  gluttonous  feast;  eating  and 
drinking. 

1 55  5-       I  ARDLE,      FaciOKS,     II,     ix.    200. 

Acquuintaunce  and  Kindesfolke.  . .  make 
a  BEALIE   SACRIFICE   of  hym. 

BellySHIP,  subs,  (old).— The  belly 
personified. 

1600.  Rowlands,  Lett.  Humours 
Blood  vii.  84.  His  BELLISHIP  containes 
th'insatiate  gutt. 

Belly-slave,  sttbs.  phr.  (old).— A 
glutton. 

1562.  Homilies,  11.  300.  These  beastly 
BELLY-SLAVES...  give  themselves  wholly 
to  bibbing  and  banqueting. 

Belly-swain,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
glutton. 

c.  1587.  Campion,  Hist.  Ireland,  11.  i. 
67.  Proud  belly-swaines  fed  with  extor- 
tion and  bribery. 

Belly-timber,  subs.  phr.  (once  in 

serious  use). — Food  ;  provisions 
of  all  kinds.  [Like  many  words 
of  this  class  {e.g.)  Back-timber, 
{q.v.),  once  literary,  but  now  a 
thorough-going  vulgarism,  only 
surviving  dialectically,  and  as 
slang]. 

1607.  Mis.Enforc.Marr.  [Dodsley, 
Old  Plays  (Hazlitt),  ix.  519].  We  had 
some  BELLY  TIMBER  at  your  table. 

1614.  Terence  in  English,  Annona 
cara  est.  Come  is  at  a  high  price;  vic- 
tuals are  deare  ;  belly-timber  is  hard  to 
come  by. 

1625.  PuRCHAS,  Pilgrims,  ii.  They 
make  Florentines  and  verie  good  belly- 
timber. 

1637.  MaSSINGER,  Guardian,  iii.  3. 
Ador.  Haste  you  unto  my  villa,  and 
take  all  provisions  along  with  you... 
Car.  Trust  me  for  bellv-timber. 


Belly  up. 


198 


Belongings. 


1663-78.  BvTLZR, Hudiiras.  Through 
deserts  vast,  And  regions  desolate  they 
passd'd.  Where  belly-timber,  above 
ground  or  under,  was  not  to  be  found. 

1670.  Cotton,  Virgil.  Travestie,  2g. 
Lay  thinking  now  his  guts  grew  limber, 
How  they  might  get  more  belly-timber. 

1706.  Ward,  Wooden  IVorld,  54. 
A  c.oss-grain'd  Wind,  when  at  Sea,  that 
runs  him  out  in  his  Cargo  of  Belly- 
Timber. 

1717.  Prior,  .(4/wa,  iii.  The  strength 
of  every  other  member  Is  founded  on 
your  belly-timber. 

171g.  Poor  Robin's  Almanack,  Feb. 
On  the  loth  day  of  this  month,  being 
Shrove-Tuesday,  is  like  to  be  a  great 
innundation  of  belly-timber. 

174g.  Smollett,  Gil  Bias  (1812)  11. 
vi.  I  don't  trouble  myself  with  useless 
baggage;  but...  fill  my  knap-sack  with 
belly-timber,  my  razors,  and  a  wash-ball. 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer  Burlesque, 
183.  They  have  their  uses,  let  me  tell 
ye,  when  timber's  wanting  for  the  belly. 

1820.  Scott,  Monastery,  xv.  I  hope 
a'gad,  they  have  not  forgotten  my  trunk- 
mails  of  apparel  amid  the  ample  provi- 
sion they  made  for  their  own  belly- 
timber. 

Belly  up.    See  Belly. 

Belly-vengeance,  subs.phr.  (com- 
mon).— Small  beer  :  as  apt  to  cause 
gastralgia  :  Yr.pissin  de  cheval  (i.e., 
'horse  urine'):  see  Swipes.  Also 
(2)  =  sour  cider,  vinegary  wine 
etc. 

1826.  Blackwood,  xix.  631.  A  diet 
of  outlandish  soupsand  belly-vengeance. 

Belly-work,  suòs.  phr.  (old).— i. 
Cholic;  belly-ache. 

2.    See  Belly. 

Belongings,  subs.phr.  (old  and  still 
colloquial). —  I.  Circumstances; 
surroundings;  accessories:  (|uali- 
ties  ;    endowments;   faculties.     2. 


Possessions  ;  goods  ;  effects.  3. 
Relations;  household;  one's  kin- 
dred. 

1603.  Shakspeare,  Meas.  for  Meas. 
i.  1.30.  Thyself  and  thy  belongings 
Are  not  thine  own  so  proper. 

1817.  Bunsen  [Hare,  Life  i,  v.  117.] 
[They]  did  the  honours  of  their  belong- 
ings with  ease. 

1852.  Dickens,  Bleak  House.  I  have 
been  trouble  enough  to  my  belongings 
in  my  day. 

1854-5.    THACKERAY.AVwfiJW^^.XXxiii. 

When  Lady  Kew  said,  Sic  volo,  sic  jubeo, 
I  promise  you  few  persons  of  her  lady- 
ship's belongings  stopped,  before  they 
did  her  biddings,  to  ask  her  reasons. 

1857.  RusKiN,  Pol.  Econ.  Art.  Add. 
3  8.  Jewels,  liveiies,  and  other  such 
common   belongings   of  wealthy  people. 

1863.  Mitchell,  Farm  Edgevj.  ig6. 
When  I  have  shown  some  curious  city 
visitor  all  these  belonging  of  the  farm. 

1866.  Saturday  Rev.  24  Feb.,  244,  2. 
The  rich  uncle  whose  mission  is  to  bring 
prosperity  to  his  belongings. 

1867.  Furnivall,  Percy  Folio,  Pref. 
5.  E^ch  information...  as  he  would 
wish...  in  order  to  understand  the  BE- 
LONGINGS of  it. 

1868.  LocKVEK,  Heavens,  26.  These 
are  the  sun-spots,  real  movable  BELON- 
GINGS of  the  surface  of  the  Sun. 

1871.  Hope.  Schoolboy  Fr.  (1875), 
138.  Rushing  about  collecting  their  be- 
longings. 

1873.  Browning,  Red  Cott.  Night — 
c.  220.  All  my  BELONGINGS,  what  is  sum- 
med in  life,  I  have  submitted  wholly,,, 
to  your  rule. 

1879.  Whitney,  Skr.  Gram.  275. 
There  remain,  as  cases  of  doubtful  de- 
longing,  etc. 

1883.  Harper's  Mag.  Mar.  533.  2. 
She  had  shown  us  the  rest  of  the  château 
with  a  sense  of  being  a  belonging  of 
the  place. 


Belsh. 


199 


Ben. 


1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  69.  These 
'village  lasses',  as  you  call  them — please 
excuse  these  rude  'Ha-ha's' — are  mostly 
mothers  with  belongings. 

Belsh.    See  Belch. 

BEL-SHANGLES,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
A  cant  term,  used  by  Kemp,  in 
his  Nine  Daies  Wonder,  1600, 
where  he  mentions  himself  as 
"head-master  of  Morrice-daun- 
cers,  high  head-borough  of  heighs, 
and  onely  tricker  of  your  trill- 
lilles,  and  best  bel-shangles 
betweene  Sion  and  mount  Surrey." 
(Hallivvell). 

BELSWAGGER,  stibs.  (old).— I.  A 
whoremonger;  a  pimp. 

1775.  Ash,  Dictionary.  Belswagger, 
a  whoremaster. 

2.  (old). — A  swaggering  bully  ; 
a  HECTOR,  [q.v^. 

159c.  Greene,  Defence  of  Coney- 
Catching.  . .  the  belswaggers  of  the 
country. 

i6[?].  Fletcher,  IVit  without  Money 
iii.  I.  Let  Mims  be  angry  at  their  St. 
Bel-swagger,  And  we  pass  in  the  heat 
on't,  and  be  beaten. 

1680.  Dryden,  Kind  Keeper,  iv.  i. 
[Works  IV,  337].  Fifty  guineas  1  Dost 
thou  think  I'll  sell  my  self?...  thou 
impudent  Belswagger. 

1697.  World  in  the  Moon.  Mean  .> 
why  here  has  been  a  young  belswagger, 
a  great  he-rogue,  with  your  daughter,  sir. 

1721.  Bailey,  Diet.  s.v.  Bellswag- 
GER,  a  swaggering  Fellow,  a  hectoring 
Blade,  a  Bully. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulgar  Tongue.  Bell- 
SWAGGER,  a  noisy,  bullying  fello  at. 

Belt.  To  hit  below  (or  under) 
THE  BELT,  verb.  phr.  (common). — 
To  act  unfairly  ;  to  take  mean 
advantage;  to  stab  a  man  in  the 
back. 


Belter,  subs.  (old). — A  prostitute: 
see  Tart. 

BELTINKER,  subs,  (common).  —  A 
beating  ;  a  drubbing.  As  ver'b.  •=. 
to  thrash  ;  to  beat  soundly. 

Bemuse,  verb.  (old). — To  stupify, 
confuse,  or  muddle:  as  with  in- 
toxicants ;  usually  (modern)  in 
phrase  'bemused  in  beer'.  [The 
phrase,  originally  used  by  Pope, 
was  given  a  new  impetus  by  G.  A. 
Sala  (in  Gaslight  and  Daylight'). 
In  America,  especially,  it  caught 
the  popular  fancy  and  ran  a  brief 
but  riotous  course  throughout  the 
Union  to  signify  one  who  addicted 
himself  to  'soaking'   with  beer]. 

1735.  Pope,  Prol.  Sat.,  15.  A  parson 
much  be-mus'd  in  beer. 

1847.  H.  Muller,  First  Impr.  xix. 
(1861)  265.  The  bad  metaphysics  with 
which  they  bemuse  themselves. 

1854.  Whyte  Melville,  General 
Bounce,  viii.  A  fat  little  man,  primed 
with  port,  but  who,  when  not  thus  be- 
mused, is  an  influential  member  of  this 
committee. 

1880.  M'Carthy,  O-iVu  Times,  xxx. 
III.  2.  A  Prussian  was  regarded  in  Eng- 
land as  a  dull  beer-bemused  creature. 

1883.  Stevenson,  The  Treasure  of 
Franchard,  iv.  So  while  the  Doctor 
made  himself  drunk  with  words,  the 
adopted  stable-boy  bemused  himself  with 
silence. 

Ben.  subs,  (theatrical). —  I.  A  be- 
nefit ;  a  performance  of  which  the 
receipts,  after  paying  expenses,  are 
devoted  to  one  person's  special 
use  or   benefit. 

1872.  Braddon,  Dead  Sea  Fruit,  I., 
190.  '  I  have  played  clown  for  my  ben,' 
murmured  the  great  Dr.  Mortemas. 

1880.  SiMS,  Ballads  of  Babylon 
[Forgotten).  You  saw  me  as  Hamlet, 
Charley,    the   night    that  I  had  my  ben. 


Benar. 


200 


Bend. 


2.  (old  cant.)— A  fool  (B.E. 
and  Grose).  Hence  benish  =: 
foolish. 

3.  (common).  —  A  BENJAMIN 
(ç.v.),  a  coat;  also  BENJY  {q.v.), 
a  waistcoat. 

1876.  HiNDLEY,  Cheap  yack,  252. 
In  offering  these  bens,  the  plan  was  to 
put  them  on  to  show  how  well  they  fitted. 

3.  (workmen's).  —  In  pi.  = 
tools. 

To  STAND  BEN  verb.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— To  stand  treat. 

See  Bene. 

Benar  (or  Benat).     See  Bene. 

Benbouse.     See   Bene  and  Bouze. 

Bench-babbler,  (-whistler  or  Ben- 
cher), subs.  phr.  (old). — A  tavern 
loafer:  spec,  one  rollicking  idly 
on   a  tavern  bench:   a  reproach. 

1542.  BooRDE,  Dyetary,  viii.  245. 
Fye  on  the,  benche-whystler,  wylt  thou 
Sterte  away  nowe. 

1546.  Leland,  Itin  of  England. 
[Oliphant,  Ne^u  Eng.  i.  517.]  He  applies 
fanatycal  to  the  Anabaptists,  calling  them 
chymney  prechers  and  benche-bablersJ. 

1606.  Ret.  from  Parnassus.  Phil. 
Their  spendthrift  heires  will  those  fire- 
brands quench,  Swaggering  full  moistly 
on  a  tavernes  bench. 

1607.  Chapman,  All  Fools.  {Plays 
(1873)  I.  137].  Y'are  but  bench-whistlers 
now  a  dayes  to  them  that  were  in  our 
times. 

1618.  Hornby,  Sco.  Drunk  (1859). 
17.  He  that  will  not  drinke  off  his 
whole  scowre  Is  a  bench-whistler. 

[?].  Nares,  Scourge  0/  Folly.  Hce's 
a  bench-whistler;  that  is  but  anynche. 
Whistling  an  hiint'sup  in  the  King's 
Bench. 

Bench-hole,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
privy:  see  Mrs.  Jones. 


iSS5>  Fardle,  Facions,  ig.  Whiche 
dreamed  not  their  knowledge  in  the 
benchehole  at  home. 

1606.  Shakspeare,  Ant.  and  Cleop. 
iv.  7.  9.     We'll  beat  'era  into  benchholes. 

c.  1656.  Hall,  Rem.  Wks.  (1660)  231. 
The  stoutest  Atheist  turnes  pale  and  is 
ready  to  creep  into  a  bench-hole. 

Ben-cull.    See  Bene  and  Cull. 

Bend,  verb.  (Scotch). — To  tipple: 
to  drink  hard.  [Jamieson:  'a 
cant-term.'  Murray  :  from  bend, 
'to  pull,'  'to  strain,'  'to  apply 
oneself'].  Hence  as  subs.  =  (i) 
a  long  draught,  a  pull  of  liquor, 
a  GO  {q.v.)  ;  (2)  a  drinking  bout 
(American):  whence  on  the  bend, 
on  the  spree,  a  round  of  dissipa- 
tion. Bender  =:  a  hard  and  per- 
sistent tippler. 

1728.  Ramsay,  Poems  (1848),  iii., 
162.  Now  lend  your  lugs,  ye  benders 
fine,  wha  ken  the  benefit  of  wine. 

1758.  Ramsay,  Poems  (1800),  i.,  215. 
Brawtippony . . .  which  we  with  greed 
bended,  as  fast  as  she  could  brew.  Ibid, 
ii.,  73.  To  bend  wi'  ye,  and  spend  wi' 
ye,  an  evening,  and  gaffaw.  [i860.  R.^msay, 
Remin.,  Ser.  1  (ed.  7),  47.  Bend  weel  to 
the  Madeira  at  dinner,  for  here  ye'll  get 
little  o't  after.] 

1810.  Tannahill,  Poems  (1846),  53. 
Or   BENDERS,  blest  your  wizzens  weetin'. 

1855.  Haliburton,  Nature  and 
Human  Nature.  The  friends  of  the  new- 
married  couple  did  nothing  for  a  whole 
month  but  smoke  and  drink  metheglin 
during  the  bender  they  called  the  honey- 
moon. 

1854.  Putnam's  Monthly,  Aug.  She 
whispered  gently  in  my  ear,  'Say,  Mose, 
ain't  this  a  bender  ì  ' 

1857.  Newspaper  Cutting  [Bart- 
lett].  a  couple  of  students  of  Williams 
College  went  over  to  North  Adams  on  a 
BENDER.  This  would  have  been  a  serious 
matter  under  the  best  of  circumstance», 
but  each  returned  with  'a  brick  in  his 
hat,'  etc. 


Bend. 


20 1 


Bender. 


1864.  Richmond  Dispatch,  3  Jan. 
Most...  had  beem  tempted  by  the  festi- 
vities of  the  day  to  go  on  a  regular 
BENDER,  and  had  to  pay  the  penalty  for 
their  New  Years's  frolic  by  appearing 
this  morning  in  the  police-court. 

188S.  Detroit  Free  Press,  4  Aug. 
He  was  noted  for  going  on  frequent 
BENDERS  until  he  came  very  near  having 
the  jimjams  and  then  sobering  up. 

Above  one's  bend,  pkr.  (com- 
mon). —  Beyond  one's  ability, 
power  or  capacity;  out  of  one's 
reach  ;  above  one's  hook  {//.v.). 
[Propably  a  corruption  of  '  above 
one's  bent.'  Shakspeare  puts  the 
expression  in  the  mouth  of  Ham- 
let '  to  the  top  of  my  bent  '  (iii.,  2)]. 
In  the  Southern  States  of  America, 
above  my   huckleberry  (ç.v.), 

1848.  Cooper,  The  Oak  Openings. 
It  would  be  ABOVE  my  bend  to  attempt 
telling  you  all  we  saw  among  the  redskins. 

On  the  bend,  phr.  (common). 
— In  an  underhand,  oblique,  or 
crooked  way — not  '  on  the  square.' 

1863.  Jeaffreson,  Live  It  Down, 
IJ,,  152.  I  never  have  paid  anything  yet 
on  the  square,  and  I  never  will.  When 
I  die,  I'll  order  my  executor  to  buy  my 
coffin  off  the  square.  He  shall  get  it 
ON  THE  bend  somehow  or  other. 

2.    See  Bend,  subs. 

Grecian  bend  (popular). — A 
craze  amongst  some  women  which 
had  a  vogue  from  about  1S72  to 
1880  :  it  consisted  in  walking  with 
the  body  bent  forward  :  cf.  earlier 
quot.  1529. 

[1529.  Lvndesav,  Complaint  181. 
With   BENDis  and  beckis  For  wantones.] 

1876.  Chambers  journal,  No.  629 
Your  own  advocacy  for  the  Grecian 
BEND  and  the  Alexandra  limp — both 
positive  and  practical  imitations  of  phy- 
sical affliction. 


To  bend  over,  /«/>'.  (Winches- 
ter College). — A  direction  to  put 
oneself  into  position  to  receive  a 
'  spanking  '  by  bending  over  so 
that  the  tips  of  the  fingers  extend 
towards  the  toes,  presenting  a 
surface  as  tight  as  a  drum  on  the 
part  to  be  castigated. 

Bender,  suh.  (common). — I.  A  six- 
pence; a  cripple  (ç.v.);  also 
BENDY,  bandy:  sce  Rhino.  (Òrose). 
[Thought  to  be  an  allusion  to  the 
ease  with  which  these  coins  were 
liable  to  be  bent  in  use  at  one 
time,  the  currency  not  being  of 
such  good  quality  as  now]. 

1789.  Parker,  Life's  Painter,  178. 
Sixpence.     A  bender. 

i8ig.  Moore,  Tom  Crib's  Memorial, 
25,  note.     A  bandy  or  cripple,  a  sixpence. 

1836.  DicviKtiS,  Pickwick,  xWi.  'Will 
you  take  three  bob?'  'And  a  bender,' 
suggested  the  clerical  gentleman.  .  .  'What 
do  you  say,  now  ?  We'll  pay  you  out 
for   three-and-sixpence   a  week.     Come  !  ' 

1854-5.  Thackeray,  Newcomes,  xi. 
How  much  a  glass  think  you?  By  cock 
and  pye  it  is  not  worth  a  bender. 

1869.  Melville,  M.  or  N.  Two 
bob  an'  a  bender,  and  a  three  of  eye- 
water, in?  'Done  for  another  joey,' 
replied  Buster,  with  the  premature  acute- 
ness  of  youth  foraging  for  itself  in  the 
streets  of  London. 

1885.  Household  Words,  20  June. 
155.  The  sixpence  is  a  coin  more  liable 
to  bend  than  most  others,  so  it  is  not 
surprising  to  find  that  several  of  its 
popular  names  have  reference  to  this 
weakness.  It  is  called  a  bandy,  a  'ben- 
der,' a  'cripple.' 

2.  See  Bend,  subs. 

3.  (public  schools'). — A  stroke 
of  the  cane  administered  while  the 
culprit  bends  down  his  back  :  see 
Bend. 

4.  (common). — The  arm. 


Bendigo. 


202 


Bene. 


5.  (American).—  A  leg. 

1849.  Longfellow, Artî/ii^rt^A. Young 
ladies    are    not    allowed    to    cross    their 

BENDERS    in   school. 

6.  (schoolboys'). — The  bow- 
shaped  segment  of  a  paper  kite, 

1873.  Blackley,  Hay  Fever,  145. 
The  first  kite  was  six  feet  in  length  by 
three  feet  in  width,  and  was  made  of 
the  usual  form,  namely,  with  a  central 
shaft  or  'standard,'  and  a  semicircular 
top  or   BENDER. 

Over  the  bender,  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  variant  of  '  over  the  left 
shoulder':  an  exclamation  of  in- 
credulity, but  also  used  as  a  kind 
of  saving  clause  to  a  promise 
which  the  speaker  does  not  intend 
to  carry  into  effect. 

Bendigo,  subs,  (common), — A  rough 
fur  cap  :  named  after  a  famous 
pugilist. 

Bene  (Ben  or  Bien),  adj.  (Old  Cant.). 
— Good.  [Probably  a  corruption 
from  the  Latin].  BENARandBENAT 
appear  to  have  been  used  as  com- 
paratives of  bene:  cf.  Rum  (= 
good)  which  quickly  supplanted 
BENE.  Hence  bene-bovze  = 
strong  drink,  good  liquor;  BENE 
ROM-BOVSE  =  good  wine;  bene- 
cove  =  good  fellow,  a  pall 
($r.t/.)  ;  bene  darkmans!  =  good 
night!  bene  ship  =:  very  good: 
also  worship,  e.g.  Your  BENE  ship 
=  Your  worship:  BENE  SHIPLY 
==  worship  fully;  bene-feaker 
=  a  counterfeiter  (B.  E.  and 
Grose:?  faker);  bene  most  = 
a  fine  woman,  a  pretty  girl,  a 
hostess.  Also  to  cut  benle  = 
to  speak  gently  ;  Stow  your  bene 
=  Hold  your  tongue,  etc.  (Har- 
man;  B.E.  ;  Grose). 

15G7.  HarmaN,  Caveat  (1869),  86. 
The  viiri^ht  man  cantcth  to  the  Koge. 
Man!    'That  is  ueneshvp  to  our  watche.' 


[That  is  very  good  for  us.]  Ibid.  85  (ed. 
1869).  A  BENE  MORT  hereby  at  the  sign 
of  the  prauncer.  \i.e.,  The  Horse].  Ibid. 
85.  The  vpright  cofe  canteth  to  the 
Roge  :  '  I  saye  by  the  Salomon  I  will 
läge  it  of  with  a  gage  of  benebouse; 
then  cut  to  my  nose  watch.'  ['  I  sweare 
by  the  masse,  I  wuU  washe  it  of  with  a 
quart  of  good  drynke;  then  saye  to  me 
what  thou  wylt.']  lòid.  85.  I  will  läge 
it  of  with  a  gage  of  benebouse;  then 
cut  to  my  nose  watch.  I  wull  washe  it 
off  with  a  quart  of  good  drynke;  then 
say  to  me  what  thou  wylt.  Ibid.  86. 
What,  stowe  your  bene,  cofe,  and  sut 
BENAT  whydds,  and  byng  we  to  rome 
vyle  to  nyp  a  bong.  [i.e.  What,  hold 
your  peace  good  fellow  and  speak  better 
words,  and  let  us  go  to  London  to  cut, 
or  steal  a  purse.]  Ibid.  86.  Now  I  tower 
that  BENE  bouse  makes  nase  nabes.  Ibid. 
85.  A  BENE  mort  hereby  at  the  sign 
of  the  prauncer. 

1610.  Rowlands,  Martin  Mark-All, 
'The  Maunder's  Wooing.'  O  Ben  mort 
wilt  thou  pad  with  me. 

1610.  Rowlands,  Martin  Mark-all, 
37    (H.   Club's   Repr.,   1874).     Bkn,  good. 

1611.  Middleton  and  Dekker, 
Roaring  Girl,  v.  i.  A  gage  of  ben  Rom- 
bouse...  Is  benar  than...  Peck,  pen- 
nam,  lap,  or  popler. 

1612.  Dekker,  O per  se  O  [Farmer, 
Musa  Pedestris  (1896)  n].  And  frig  and 
cloy  so  BENSHU'LV,  All  the  dewseavile 
within. 

1622.  Fletcher,  Beggar's  Bush. 
'The  Maunder's  Initiation.'  I  crown  thy 
nab  with  a  gage  of  ben  couse. 

1671.  Head,  The  English  Rogue. 
Bing  out,  BIEN  morts,  and  ture  and  ture, 
Bing  out,  BIEN  morts,  and  ture;  For 
all  your  dudi  are  bing'd  awast.  The 
BIEN  cove  hath  the  loure. 

1714.  Memoirs  of  John  Hall  (4  ed.l, 
p.  II,  list  of  cant  words  in.    Bien,  gooa. 

1822.  Scott,  Fortunes  of  lo'lgel, 
xvii.  'Tour  out,'  said  the  one  ruffian  to 
the  other;  'tour  the  bien  mort  twiring 
at  the  gentry  cove.' 

1S23.  Scott,  Feferil  of  the  Peak, 
xxxvi.  Why  the  dien  morts  will  think 
you  a  chimney-sweeper  on  May-day. 


Benedick. 


203 


Benship. 


1858.  Mavhew,  Paved  with  Gold, 
III,  iii.  'I've  brought  a  couple  of  bene 
coves,  with  lots  of  the  Queen's  pictures 
in  their  sacks.' 

Benedick  (or  Benedict),  sitbs.  (com- 
mon).— A  newly-married  man  ; 
especially  one  who  has  long  been 
a  bachelor.  [From  Shakspeare's 
character  in  Much  Ado  About 
Nothing] . 

1399.  SnAKSf'B.A.'RK,  Much  Ado  About 
Nothing  v.,  4,  100.  Don  Pedro.  How 
dost   thou,   BENEDICK,  the  married  man? 

1805.  Rev.  J.  Marriott,  in  C.  K. 
Sharpe's  Correspondence  (i883),  i.,  239. 
From  what  I  have  seen  of  his  lordship, 
both   as   a   bachelor  and  as  a  benedick. 

1821.  Scott,  [Lockhart  (183g),  vi. 
313].  Wish  the  veteran  joy  of  his  entrance 
into  the  band  of  Benedicts. 

1843.  Life  in  the  West.  He  is  no 
longer  a  benedick,  but  a  quiet  married 
man. 

1856.  Bronte, /"rö/Vjjör,  xxiv.  'Are 
you  married,  Mr.  Hunsden?'  asked  Fran- 
ces, suddenly.  'No,  I  should  have  thought 
you  might  have  guessed  I  was  a  benedick 
by  my  look.' 

1897.  Kennard,  Girl  in  Brown 
Habit,  i.  A  fellow  may  as  well  have 
a  bit  of  a  fling  first,  till  he  spots  the 
right  figure,  and  is  perpared  to  settle 
down  as  a  Benedict. 

Ben-flake,  stibs.  (rhyming).  —  A 
steak. 

Bengal  Tigers,  subs,  (military). — 
The  Seventeenth  Foot,  now  The 
Leicestershire  Regiment.  [From 
its  badge  of  a  royal  tiger,  granted 
for  services  in  India  from  1804- 
1823].  Also  called  'The  Lily- 
Whites'  from  its  facings. 

BenGI,  subs,  (military). — An  onion. 
Bengy.     See  Benjy. 
BENISH.     See  Ben,  sense  2. 
Benjamin,    subs.    (Winchester   Col- 
lege).— I.  A  small  ruler. 


2.  (thieves'). — A  coat  ;  spec, 
an  overcoat  (also  uppkr  benja- 
min) of  a  particular  cut  formerly 
worn  by  men:  said  to  have  been 
derived  from  a  well-known  Lon- 
don advertising  tailor  of  the  same 
name  :  formerly  called  a  Joseph. 

1837.  Lockhart,  Scott  {1839)  ^'"  59- 
A  vastly  scientific  and  rather  grave 
professor  in  a  smooth  drab  benjamin. 

1815.  Peacock,  Nightmare  Abbey, 
159.  His  heart  is  seen  to  beat  through 
his  UPPER  Benjamin. 

1836.  Scott,  Tom  Cringle's  Log,  ii. 
Benjamins,  and  great-coats,  and  cloaks 
of  all  sorts  and  sizes. 

1851.  Borrow,  Lavengro,  lix.  The 
coachman...  with  narrow-rimmed  hat 
and  fashionable  Benjamin. 

1865.  Pall  Mall  Gazette,  7  March, 
3,  2.     [Quoting  East-end  slang.] 

3.  (Australian).'  See  quot. 

1870.  Chas.  H.  Allen,  A  visit  to 
Queensland,  182.  With  the  black  people 
a  husband  is  now  called  a  benjamin, 
probably  because  they  have  no  word  in 
their  own  language  to  express  this 
relationship. 

Ben  JOLTRAM,  subs,  (provincial). — 
Brown  bread  and  skimmed  milk  ; 
a  Norfolk  term  for  a  ploughboy's 
breakfast. — Hotten. 

Benjy,  siibs.  (nautical), — I.  5?^  quot. 

1883.  W.  Clark  Russell,  Sailors' 
Language,  14.  Benjie,  the  name  of  a 
straw  hat  worn  by  sailors. 

2.  (common),  —  A  waistcoat. 
Also  BEN  (^.z^.). 

1 821.  Haggart,  Life,  25.  The 
screaves  were  in  his  benjy  cloy. 

Benship  (or  Beenship),  subs.  (Old 
Cant.) — Worship  ;  goodness.  This 
word,  evidently  from  bene  (ç.v.), 
is  given  by  Bailey  and  Coles.  As 
ac(/.  =z  very  good. 


Benvenue. 


204 


Berwicks. 


1567.  Karman,  Caveat  (1814),  65. 
Benship,  very  good. 

1610.  Rowlands,  Martin  Mark-all, 
37  (H.  Club's  Repr.).    Benship,  very  good. 

1665.  Head,  English  Rogue,  i.,  v., 
47  (1874).     Benshiply,  very  well. 

Benvenue  (or  Bienvenue),  subs. 
(old). — '  Half-a-crown  :  a  fee  paid 
by  every  new  workman  at  a 
printing-house.'  (Holme). 

1793.  Ann  Reg.  251.  i.  The  com- 
positors demanded  of  me  Bienvenue 
afresh. 

BeoNG  (or  BeoNCK),  subs,  (thieves' 
and  costermongers'). — A  shilling: 
see  Rhino.  [Italian  bianco,  white; 
also    the  name  of  a  silver  coin]. 

1893.  Emerson,  Signor  Lippa,  xiv. 
Alright,  give  me  due  beonck  quatro  soldi 
per   run   and  I'll  bring  you  the  duckets. 

Berkeley,  subs,  (common). — A  wo- 
man's breast  :  see  Dairies. 

Bermoothes  (or  Bermudas),  (Old 
Cant.). — Certain  obscure  and  in- 
tricate alleys,  in  which  persons 
lodged  who  had  occasion  to  live 
cheap  or  concealed.  They  are 
supposed  to  have  been  the  nar- 
row passages  north  of  the  Strand, 
near  Covent  Garden  (but  see  quot. 
1839):  see  .Straights.  [Nares: 
A  practice  of  running  away  ac- 
tually to  the  Bermuda  Islands, 
when  they  were  first  settled,  to 
defraud  creditors,  probably  gave 
rise  to  the  expression]. 

1616.  JONSON,  Devil's  an  Ass,  ii.  i. 
Meercraft.  Engine,  when  did  you  see 
my  cousin  Everhill .'  keeps  he  still  your 
quarter  in  the  Bermudas?  Eng.  Yes, 
sir,  he  was  writing  this  morning  very 
hard. 

1616.  JoNSON,  Devil's  an  Ass,  iii.,  3. 
There's  an  old  debt  of  forty,  1  ga'  my 
word.  For  one  is  run  away  to  the  Ber- 
mudas. 


1839.  AiNSwoRTH,  yack  Sheppard, 
12.  It  was,  therefore,  doubly  requisite 
that  the  Island  of  the  Bermuda  (as  the 
Mint  was  termed  by  its  occupants)  should 
uphold  its  rights,  as  long  as  it  was  able 
to  do  so. 

Bermuda  Exiles  (The).— The  Gren- 
adier Guards.  [For  insubordi- 
nation a  portion  of  this  regiment 
were  sent  (189-)  to  the  West 
Indies]. 

Bernard  (or  Barnard),  subs.  (Old 
Cant.) — A  swindling  decoy;  lurk- 
ing sharper;  a  scoundrel.  Hence 
Bernard's  law  =  villany, 
sharping. 

1532.  Dice  Play  (1850),  37.  Another 
oily  theft...  is  the  barnards  law: 
which  to  be  exactly  practised  asketh  four 
persons  at  least,  each  of  them  to  play  a 
long  several  part  by  himself. 

1562.  Bullevn  [Babees  Book  (1868) 
242].  With  a  Barnard's  blowe,  lurkyng 
in  some  lane,  wodde,  or  hill  top. 

1591.  Greene,  Disc.  Cozenage  {!%$()) 
8.  Foure  persons  were  required...  the 
Taker  up,  the  Verser,  the  Barnard,  and 
the  Rutter.  Hid.  [IVorks  (1885),  x.  10]. 
Comes  in  the  Barnard  stumbling  into 
your  companie,  like  some  aged  Farmer 
of  the  Countrey...  and  is  so  carelesse 
of  his  money  that  out  he  throweth  some 
fortie  Angels  on  the  boords  end. 

1608.  Dekker,  Belman  of  London 
{Works  (1885)  III,  126.]  The  Bernard... 
counterfets  many  parts  in  one,  and  is 
now  a  drunken  man...  anon  in  another 
humour...  onely  to  blind  the  Cozen... 
the  more  easily  to  beguile  him. 

Berthas,  subs.  (Stock  Exchange). — 
The  ordinary  stock  of  the  Lon- 
don, Brighton  and  South  Coast 
Railway  Company. 

1889.  The  Rialto,  ■i-i'M^r.  Advances 
were  made  ranging  from  z'/j  in  Berthas 
to  an  average  of  i  in  Americans. 

Berwicks,  j?/^.f.  (Stock  Exchange). — 
The  ordinary  stock  of  the  North 
Eastern  Railway. 


Besom. 


205 


Best. 


Besom,  subs.  (Scots). — A  low  wo- 
man [Murray  :  apparently  quite  a 
distinct  word  from  besom  1=  a 
broom]. 

1816.  ^coTT,  Old  Mort.  \\\\.  Toset 
up  to  be  sae  muckle  better  than  ither 
folk,  the  auld  besom. 

Besom-head,  subs.phr.  (common). — 
A  fool,  blockhead.  Hence  BESOM 

HEADED    =    foolish,    Stupid. 

BESONIO  (or  BeSOGNIO),  subs.  (old). — 
A  raw  recruit  (soldier).  Hence 
a  generic  term  of  contempt  :  a 
needy  beggar  ;  a  worthless  fellow. 

1591.  Garrard,  Art  of  Warre,  170. 
A  raw  souldier  and  Bisognio. 

1598.  Barret,  Theor.  Warres.  11. 
i.  17.  Many  inconueniences  and  disorders 
which  rawe  Bisognios  will  commit. 

1603.  Johnson,  Kingd.  and  Co7ii- 
moniu.  55.  A  base  Besonio,  fitter  for  the 
spade  than  the  sword. 

161 1.  Fletcher,  Four  Plays,  28. 
Draw  my  sword  of  Fate  on  a  Pesant,  a 
Besognio! 

1612.  CHAn-wtiflViddowe'sT .  [Plays 
(1873)  iii.  17J.  Spurn'd  out  by  Groomes 
like  a  base  bisognio. 

1622.  Hawkins,  Voy.  S  Sea  (1847) 
78.  The  souldiers...  who  after  the  com- 
mon custome  of  their  profession  (except 
when  they  be  besonios)  sought  to  plea- 
sure him. 

1820.  Scott,  Monast.  xvi.  Base  and 
pilfering  besognios  and  marauders. 

BesPEAK-NIGHT,  subs,  (theatrical). — 
A  benefit.     See  Ben. 

Bess.     See  Betty. 

Bess-o'-Bedlam  (or  Bessy),  subs. 
(old). — A  lunatic  vagrant  ;  see 
Tom-o'-Bedlam.  'Don't  be  a 
Bessy,'  said  to  a  man  who  in- 
terferes with  women's  business  : 
see  Betty.  Bessy-bad  =  a  per- 
son who  is  fond  of  childish  am- 
usements. 


1821.  ScoTT,K'enibi'orth,xxvi.  'Why, 
what  Bess  of  Bedlam  is  this,  would  ask 
to  see  my  lord  on  such  a  day  as  the 
present  ?' 

Best,  verb,  (common). —  i.  To  get 
the  better  of;  TO  floor  {q.v.): 
really  '  to  work  ',  and,  in  this 
sense  not  necessarily  to  cheat. 

1863.  Trafford,  IVorld  in  Ch.  11., 
77.  As  I  am  a  staunch  Churchman  I 
cannot  stand  quiet  and  see  the  Dissen- 
ters best  the  Establishment. 

1876.  Hindley,  Cheap  Jack,  6g. 
You  must  settle  and  do  away  with  him, 
or  I  must  'dry  up',  for  the  fellow's 
bested  me. 

1879.  Hawlev  Smart,  From  Post 
to  Finish,  92.  It  was  a  current  saying 
that  no  one  had  ever  bested  him. 

2.  (common). — To  cheat;  to 
swindle. 

1876.  C.  Hindley,  Life  and  Ad- 
ventures of  a  Cheap  Jack,  234.  His 
game  was  besting  everybody,  whether 
it  was  for  pounds,  shillings,  or  pence. 

1879.  Horsley,  in  Macmillan^  s 
Magazine,  Oct.  When  I  went  to  the 
fence  he  bested  (cheated)  me  because  I 
was  drunk,  and  only  gave  me  £8  ics. 
for  the  lot. 

1885.  May,  in  Fortnightly  Review, 
Oct.,  578.  The  quack  broker  who  piles 
up  money  by  besting  his  clients. 

To  GIVE  ONE  BEST,  verb  phr. 
(thieves'). —  i.  To  leave  one,  sever 
companionship.  2.  To  acknow- 
ledge superiority. 

1879.  Horsley,  in  Macniillan's 
Mag.,  Oct.  While  using  one  of  those 
places  [concerts],  I  first  met  a  sparring 
bloke  (pugilist),  who  taught  me  how  to 
spar,  and  showed  me  the  way  to  put  my 
dukes  up.  But  after  a  time  I  gave  him 
best  (left  him)  because  he  used  to  want 
to  bite  my  ear  (borrow)  too  often. 


Bester. 


206 


Better. 


To  BEST  THE  PISTOL,  verb  phr. 
(sporting). — To  get  away  before 
the  signal  for  starting  is  actually 
given. 

1889.  Polytechnic  Magazine,  q  'inXy, 
330.  The  third  man  from  scratch  was 
evidently  in  too  great  a  hurry;  twice  he 
tried  to  best  the  pistol,  and  as  often 
the   whole    start   had  to  be  made  afresh. 

The  best  (or  the  best  in 
Christendom,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
The  female  pudendum  :  see  Mono- 
syllable: a  common  i8th  century 
toast  in  this  sense. 

The  best  leg  of  three,  subs. 
phr.  (venery). — The  penis:  see 
Prick. 

Bester,  subs,  (common). — A  cheat, 
swindler:  generally  applied  to  a 
turf  01  gaming  blackleg. 

1851.  Mayhew,  Lon.  Lab.  and  Lon. 
Poor,  IV.,  24.  Those  who  cheat  the 
Public...  'Bouncers  and  Besters ',  de- 
frauding, by  laying  wagers,  swaggering, 
or  using  threats. 

1885.  Evening  News,  21  September, 
4,  I.  The  complainant  called  her  father 
a  liar,  'a  bester  and  a  crawler.' 

BESTRID,  adj.  (B.E.)— 'Mounted  or 
got  up  astride.' 

Beside,  adv.  (B.E.)— In  this  old 
dictionary  occur  the  following 
phrases: — Beside -himself,  dis- 
tracted; beside  the  Cushion,  a 
mistake;  beside  the  Lighter, 
in  a  bad  condition. 

Bet.  To  bet  one's  eyes,  wr/;//<r. 
(old). — To  look  on,  but  to  take  no 
part  in,  nor  bet  upon  the  game. 

You  bet,  phr.  (American). — 
Be  assured!  Certainly.  [Originally 
a  Californianism  to  give  addi- 
tional emphasis.  It  has  been  given 
as  a  name  in  the  form  of  ÜBET 


to  a  town  in  the  Canadian  North- 
west]. Oftentimes  it  is  amplified 
into  'you  bet  your  boots,'  'life,' 
'bottom  dollar,'  and  soon.  The 
two  former  were  used  in  New  York 
and  Boston  as  far  back  as  1840. 

1870.  Bret  Harte,  Poems,  etc.,  The 
Tale  of  a  Pony:  Ah,  here  comes  Rosey's 
new  turn-out!  Smart!  You  bet  your 
LIFE  't  was  that! 

1872.  Clemens  ('Mark  Twain'), 
Roughing  It,  ii.  '  The  mosquitoes  are 
pretty  bad  about  here,  madam!'  'You 
bet!'  'What  did  I  understand  you  to 
say,  madam?'     'You  bet!' 

c.  1882.  Stavely  Hill,  From  Home 
to  Home.  We  reached  the  settlement  of 
Übet.  The  name  had  been  selected  from 
the  slang  phrase,  so  laconically  expres- 
sive of  'You  may  be  sure  I  will'... 

1888.  Daily  Inter-Ocean,  7  Mar. 
Congressional  Report.  It  is  the  right 
kind    of    bravery:    you    may    BET    VOUR 

BOTTOM  DOLLAR  On  that. 

To  bet  round,  verb  phr.  (rac- 
ing).— To  lay  fairly  and  equally 
against  nearly  all  the  horses  in 
a  race,  so  that  no  great  risk  can 
be  run  :  commonly  called  getting 
round  {^Hotten). 

BETHEL,  verb  (old). — See  quotation. 

1740.  North,  Examen,  93.  In  the 
year  1680  Bethel  and  Cornish  were  chosen 
sherifs.  The  former  used  to  walk  about 
more  like  a  corn-cutter  than  Sheriff  of 
London.  He  kept  no  house,  but  lived 
upon  chops,  whence  it  is  proverbial,  for 
not  feasting,  to  bethel  the  city. 

Little  Bethel,  subs.  phr. 
(common). — A  place  of  worship 
other  than  those  of  the  established 
church  :  in  contempt. 

BETTER,  adv.  (vulgar). — More  :  there 
is  no  idea  of  superiority.  A  de- 
praved word  1  once  in  good  usage, 
but  now  regarded  as  a  vulgarism. 


Better  half. 


207 


Better  Horse. 


1587.  Fleming,  Coni.  Holinshed, 
III.,  1382,  2.  Woorth  one  hundred  and 
twentie  pounds  and  better. 

1679.  Plot,  Staffordshire  (1686), 
239.  The  bodies...  being  better  than 
an  inch  long. 

1769.  Gray,  in  N.  Nicholls'  Corr. 
(1843),  87.  It  is  BETTER  than  three  weeks 
since  I  wrote  to  you. 

1851.  Borrow,  Laveugro,  Ixx.,  217 
(1888).  Following  its  windings  for  some- 
what BETTER  than  a  furlong. 

1854.  AiNSWORTH,  Flitch  of  Bacon, 
1.,  V.  Pastor  of  Little  Dunmow  Church 
fifty  years  and  better. 

1857.  Dickens,  Dorrit,  i.,  x.,  75. 
Yes.  Rather  better  than  twelve  years 
ago. 

i860.  Dickens,  Xmas  Stories  Mess. 
from  Sea),  89  (H.  ed.).  He  shipped  for 
his  last  voyage  better  than  three  years 
ago. 

Better  than  a  dig  in  the 

EYE  WITH  A  BLUNT  STICK,  phr. 
(common). — 'Things  might  be 
worse';  'if  the  value  is  small, 
it  might  be  smaller  '  ;  '  half  a  loaf 
is  better  than  none.' 

Better  half,  subs,  (colloquial).— 
A  wife:  originally  my  better  half, 
i.e.,  the  more  than  half  of  my 
being  ;  said  of  a  very  close  and 
intimate  friend  ;  especially  (after 
Sidney)  used  for  '  my  husband  ' 
or  'wife';  now,  jocularly  appro- 
priated to  the  latter:  formerly 
also  applied  to  the  soul,  as  the 
better  part  of  man. 

1580.  Sidney,  Arcadia  iii.,  280. 
[Argalus  to  Parthenia,  his  wifel\  My 
deare,  my  better  hälfe  (sayd  hee),  I 
find  I  must  now  leaue  thee. 

c.  1600.  Shakespeare,  Sonnets,  xxxix., 2. 
O   how   thy   worth  with  manners  may  I 

sing. 
When   thou   art  all  the  better  part  of 


1720.  Sheffield  (Duke  of  Bucking- 
ham), Wks.  (1753),  I-,  274.  My  dear  and 
better  half  is  out  of  danger. 

1842.  Theodore  Martin,  [in  Era- 
ser's Magazine,  Dec,  241,  2.]  I...  shall 
look  out  for  a  better  half. 

1897.  Kennard,  Girl  in  Brown 
Habit,  ii.  Between  matrimony  and  ruin 
there's  mighty  little  to  choose.  Directly 
a  man  saddles  himself  with  a  better- 
half  etc. 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  72.  His 
better  half  one  summer  day  was  crossing 
Regent  Street. 

Better  Horse.    The  grey  mare 

IS      THE      BETTER       HORSE,      pIlT. 

(old). — The    wife    is    master:    of 

a   BREECHES-WEARING  {q.V.^  wife  : 

a  tradition,  perhaps,  from  the 
time  when  clerics  were  forbidden 
to  carry  arms  or  ride  a  male  horse. 
Lord  Macaulay's  Explanation  {see 
quot.  1849)  is  the  merest  guess 
work. 

1546.  John  Haywood,  Proverbs 
[Sharman's  Reprint,  1874].  She  is  (quoth 
he)  bent  to  force  you  perforce.  To 
know  that  the  grey  mare  is  the  better 


1550.  A  Treatyse,  Shewing  and 
Declaring  the  Pryde  and  Abuse  oj 
IVomen  JVow  a  Dayes  (Hazlitt's  Early 
Popular  Poetry,  iv.,  237).  What!  shall 
the  GRAYE  mavre  be  the  better  horse, 
And  be  wanton  styll  at  home? 

1605.  Camden,  Remains  Concerning 
Britain  [1870,  532].  In  list  of  proverbs. 
(Is  said  to  be  the  earliest  in  English.) 

1670.    Ray,  Proverbs,  s.v. 

c  1709.  Ward,  London  Spy  11.,  40. 
Another  as  dull  as  if  the  grey  mare 
vi^AS  the  better  Horse;  and  deny'd 
him  Enterance  for  keeping  late  Hours. 
Ibid.  Hudibras  Redivivits.  11.,  iv.,  5. 
There's  no  resisting  Female  Force,  Grey 

MARE    will    prove    THE    BETTER    HoRSE. 

1 717.  Prior,  Epilogue  to  Mrs. 
Manle/s  Lucius.  Yield,  or  she-Pegasus 
will  gain  her  course.  And  the  grey  mare 

will  prove  the  BETTER  HORSE. 

o 


Betting. 


208 


Between. 


1719.    DuRFEY,  Pills,  etc.,  240.   The 

GREY  MARE  HAS  PROVED  THE  BETTER  HORSE. 

1738.  Swift,  Pol.  Convers.,  iii.  I 
wish  she  were  married;  but  I  doubt  the 

GRAY  MARE  WOULD  PROVE  THE  BETTER 
HORSE. 

1748.  Smollett,  Rod.  Random,  xix. 
By    the    hints    they    dropped,    I    learned 

the  GRAY  MARE  WAS  THE  BETTER  HORSE — 

she  was  a  matron  of  a  high  spirit. 

1849.  Macaulay,  Hist.  England. 
The  vulgar  proverb,  that  the  grey  mare 
is  the  better  horse,  originated,  I  suspect, 
in  the  preference  generally  given  to  the 
GREY  mares  of  Flanders  over  the  finest 
coach-horses  of  England. 

1883.  S[ala],  [Illusir.  London  N'élus, 
14  Apr.,  359,  2.]  She  [Mrs.  Romford],  did 
not  over-accentuate  either  her  strong 
mindedness  or  her  jealousy  of  her  flighty 
husband;  but  she  let  him  and  the  audience 
unmistakably  know  that  she  was  in  all 
respects  the  grey  mare  in  the  Romford 
stable. 

Betting  (or  getting)  round,  sites. 

phr.  (racing). — Laying  fairly  and 
equally  against  nearly  all  the 
horses  in  a  race,  so  that  no  great 
risk  can  be  run. — Hotten.  Hence 
better-round  (agent). 

c.  1820.  V'XwoviViKtizs ,'  FainousRacing 
Men,  75.]  He  [John  Gully]  worked  on 
gradually  as  a  layer  of  odds — a  'bettor 
ROUND,'  or  'leg,'  as  he  was  called  in  those 
days. 

Betty,  subs,  (common). —  i.  A  man 
who  occupies  himself  with  house- 
hold matters  :  in  contempt  :  see 
verb. 

2.  A  small  instrument  used  by 
burglars  to  force  open  doors  and 
pick  locks:  also  Bess  {g-v.),  now 
called  a  Jenny  {q.v.). 

1671.  Head,  English  Rogue,  i.,  v., 
47  (1874).  Betty,  an  instrument  to 
break  a  door. 

C.  1696.  B.  E.  Diet.  Cant.  Cre7v.  s.v. 
Bf.SS,  c.  bring  hess  and  glynt,  c.  forget 
not    the    Instrument    to    break   open    the 


Door  and  the  Dark-Ianthorn.  Betty, 
c.  a  small  Engin  to  force  open  the  Doors 
of  Houses;  also,  a  quarter  Flask  of  Wine. 

1705.  Ward,  Hudibras  Redivivus, 
II.,  ix.  7.  So  Ruffains,  who,  with  Crows 
and  Betties,  Break  Houses,  when  it 
dark  and  late  is. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulgar  Tongue.  Bring 
BESS  and  glym;  z.^.,  bring  the  instrument 
to  force  the  door,  and  the  dark  lanthorn. 

1851.  Mayhew,  Lon.  Lab.  iv.,  339. 
Expert  burglars  are  generally  equipped 
with  good  tools.  They  have  a  jemmy,  a 
cutter,  a  dozen  of  betties,  better  known 
as  picklocks. 

3.  A  'Florence  flask'  as  used 
for  olive  oil. 

Verb  (colloquial). — To  potter 
about;  fuss  about:  see  subs.   I. 

All  BETTY  !  intj.  (thieves'). — 
A  cry  of  warning  ;  '  it's  all  up  ; 
the  game  is  lost  !  ' 

Betty  Martin.    See  All  my  eye. 

Bet  WATTLED,  ///.  adj.  (old). — Sur- 
prised ;  confounded:  out  of  one's 
senses  ;   also   bewrayed. — Grose. 

Between.  Phrases:  Between  the 
beetle  and  the  block  =1  in  a 
parlous  state  ;  between  the  CUP 
AND   THE   LIP    =    as    near    as  a 

toucher  {q.V^;  BETWEEN  THE 
DESERT  AND  THE  DEAD  (or  DEEP 
BLUE)  SEA  =  at  one's  last  resource, 
cornered  {q.V^\  BETWEEN  THE 
BARK  AND  THE  WOOD  (or  TREE) 
see  TREE;  BETWEEN  YOU  AND  ME 
AND  THE  BEDPOST  see  BEDPOST; 
BETWEEN  HAY  AND  GRASS  = 
neither  one  thing  nor  another: 
e.g.  manhood  and  boyhood,  two 
stages  of  existence,  of  progress, 
age,  development,  etc.  ;  between 
TWO  DAYS  =  night-time. 

1836.  Dana,  Before  the  Mast,  xxviii. 
Some  rascally  deed  sent  him  ofl'  between 
two  days  with  men  on  horseback,  dogs, 
and  Indians  in  full  cry  after  him. 


Bever. 


209 


Bezonian. 


Bever,  subs.  (old). — l.  Drink; 
liquor:  see  Drinks,  Go,  Lush, 
and  Screwed. 

2.  (old). — A  potation  ;  a  drink- 
ing bout  ;  a  time  for  drinking. 

3.  (old). — A  small  repast  be- 
tween meals  ;  a  snack:  especially 
a  snack  between  mid-day  dinner 
and  supper:  sec  quots.  Also  as 
verb.  Besides  quots.  see  Ford, 
i.  392  ;  Florio,  in  v.  Merenda  ; 
Cooper,  in  v.  Antecœnmm  ;  Sta- 
nihurst's  Descr.  of  Ireland,  p.  18  ; 
Sir  John  Oldcastle,  42  ;  Howell, 
sect.  43;  Middleton's  Works, 
iv.  427,  V.   141. 

1580.  Brewer,  Lingua  [Dodsley, 
Old  Plays  (Reed),  v.  148].  Appetitus. 
Your  gallants  never  sup,  breakfast,  nor 
BEVER  without  me. 

1583-  Nomenclator,  79.  sv.  A  mid- 
daies  meale:  an  undermeale:  a  boire  or 
beaver:  a  refreshing  betwixt  meales. 

1607.  Beaumont  and  Fletcher, 
Woman  Hater,  i.  3.  He  is  none  of 
those  same  ordinary  eaters,  that  will 
devour  three  breakfasts  aad  as  many 
dinners,  without  any  prejudice  to  their 
BEVERS,  drinkings,  or  suppers. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.  E.  Diet.  Cant.  Creiu,  s.v. 
Bever,  an  afternoon's  Lunchion. 

c.  1840.  Mansfield,  School-Life  at 
Winchester  College,  83.  In  summer  time 
we  were  let  out  of  afternoon  school  for 
a  short  time  about  four  p.m.,  when  there 
was  a  slight  refection  of  bread  and  cheese 
laid  out  in  Hall.  It  was  called  beever- 
time,    and   the  pieces  of  bread  beevers, 

1847.  Halliwell,  Archaic  Words 
etc.  s.v.  Bever.  An  intermediate  refresh- 
ment between  breakfast  and  dinner.  The 
term  is  now  applied  to  the  afternoon 
snack  of  harvestmen  and  other  labourers, 
and  perhaps  may  be  explained  more  cor- 
rectly as  any  refreshment  taken  between 
the  regular  meals. 

1884.  M.  Morris  [in  English  Illus- 
trated Magazine,  Nov.  73.]  [At  Eton, 
we]  came  up  from  cricket  in  the  summer 
afternoons  for  beaver. 


Beverage  (or  Bevy),  suòs.  (old), — 
I.  A  tip;  a  vail:  equivalent  to 
Fr.  potirboire:  'money  for  drink, 
demanded  of  anyone  having  a 
new  suit  of  clothes'  (Grose). 

c.  1696.  B.  E.  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
Beveridge,  a  Garnishmoney,  for  any 
thing;  also  Wine  and  Water. 

2.     (common). — Beer  :  j^^  quot. 
1696,  sense  i. 

Beware,  sîibs.  (theatrical). — Ä^quot. 

1851-61.  Mavhew  Lond.  Lab,  III, 
149.  We  strolling  actors,  a  breakfast, 
dinner,  tea,  supper,  all  of  them 'numyare'; 
and  all  beer,  brandy,  water,  or  soup, 
are  beware. 

Bewitched,  adj.  (Old  Cant). — 
Tipsy:  see  Screwed  (Taylor, 
1630). 

Beyond.  The  back  of  beyond, 
subs.  phr.  (common). — An  out  of 
the  way  place;  ever  so  far  off. 

i88[.^].  Paton,  Down  the  Islands 
I  sat  down...  with  no  more  notion  that 
I  should  find  myself  at  dinner-time  that 
day  at  sea,  than  I  have...  of  setting 
out  before  to-morrow  to  seek  my  fortune 
in  the  uttermost  part  of  the  mysterious 
country  known  as  the  Back  of  Beyond. 

Bezonian,  stibs.  (old).— A  beggar; 
a  scoundrel:  a  term  of  reproach 
frequently  used  by  the  old  dra- 
matists. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  2.  Hen.  IV.  v. 
3.  Under  which  king,  Bezonian,  speak 
or  die.  Ibid,  iv.  i.  Great  men  oft  die 
by   vile  Bezonians. 

1611.  Cotgrave,  Diet.  %.\.  Bisogne. 
A  bison.  Also  a  filthie  knave,  or  clowne, 
a  raskall,  bisonian.  &c. 

MiDDLET0N,5/«r<,&c.What  Bezonian 
is  that? 

1 61 2.  Chapman,  Widow's  Tears. 
What  blanqueted?  O  the  Gods!  spurn'd 
out  by  groomes  like  a  base  bisogno? 
thrust  out  by  th'head  and  shoulders. 


Bezzle. 


210 


Bib. 


[?].      JONSON,    Fox,   ii.    3. 

Heart,  ere  to-morrow  I  shall  be  new 

christen'd 
And  called  the  Pantalone  di  besogniosi, 
About  the  town. 

[?].  Brome,  Covent  Garden  IVeeded, 
V.  3.  Beat  the  bessognes  that  lie  hid  in 
the  carriages. 

Bezzle,   suh.  (old). — A  drunkard  ; 

LUSHINGTON    (ç.V-)-    also    BIZZLE 

and  BIZZLER.  Hence,  as  vero. — 
To  drink  hard;  to  tipple:  see 
LUSH  ;  BEZZLED  =  drunk  :  see 
Screwed.  [See  Webster,  Works, 

iv.      55;       MlDDLETON,      iii.      1 52  ; 

Beaumont  and  Fletcher, ii.149]. 

1598.  Marston,  Sc.  of  Vil.  ii.  7. 
That  divine  part  is  soakt  away  in  sinne, 
In  sensual  lust  and  midnight  bezeling. 

1599.  Hall,  Satires,  v.  2.  Oh  me! 
what  odds  there  seemeth  'twixt  their 
cheer  And  the  swoln  bezzle  at  an  ale- 
house fire. 

1602.  Dekker,  Honest  Whore,  ii. 
'Sfoot,  I  wonder  how  the  inside  of  a 
tavern    looks    now.     Oh!    when    shall    I 

B1ZLE,    BIZLE? 

1604.  Marston  AND  Webster[Dods- 
LEY.   Old  Plays  (Reed|  iv.  42. 

Time  will  come 
When  wonder  of  thy  error  will  strike  dumb 
Thy  bezel'd  sense. 

[?].  Kersey,  Works.  [Nares].  For 
when  he  was  told  of  he  was  fallen 
into  this  filthie  vice  and  abominable 
beazeling,  O  (saith  hee)  youth  may  be 
wanton,  and  heerafter  staydnes  may 
reduce  him;  puft  up  with  pride  that  may 
be  moderated  by  conversation,  or  religious 
advise  ;  given  to  gaming. 

2.  (old). — To  squander  riot- 
ously: spec,  in  drinking;  to  waste; 
to  embezzle. 

B  Flat,  sul>s.  (common). — A  bug: 
c/.  r  SHARP,  and  see  Norfolk 
Howard. 

1836.  Tail's  Mag.  Nov.  694.  The 
author's  greatest  suffering  arose  from 
Carlist  fleas,  and  those  insects  known  in 
polite  life  by  the  delicate  name  of  b  flats. 


1866.  Dickens,  Household  Words, 
XX.,  326.  Mrs.  B.  beheld  one  night  a 
stout  negro  of  the  flat-back  tribe  known 
among  comic  writers  as  b  flats — stealing 
up  towards  the  head  of  the  bed. 

1868.  Brewer,  Phrase  and  Fable, 
s.v.  B  FLATS. — Bugs.  The  pun  is  'B' 
(the  initial  letter),  and  'flat,'  from  the 
flatness  of  the  obnoxious  insect. 

Bib  (or  BIBBLE),  verb  (old).— To 
tipple:  see  lush:  also  as  stibs. 
=z  drink.  Hence  BIBACITY  = 
drunkenness  ;  bibation  (or  BIB- 
bery)  =  drinking;  bibbed  = 
drunk:  see  screwed;  bibber  (or 
bibbler)  =  a  tippler:  see  LUSH- 

INGTON. 

rf.  1577.  Gascoigne,  Works^  C.  i. 
I  perceive  you  are  no  great  bybler,  [i.  e. 
reader  of  the  Bible)  Pasiphilo.  Pas.  Yes, 
sir,  an  excellent  good  bibbler,  'specially 
in  a  bottle. 

1598.  Florio,  Worlde  of  Wordes, 
s.v.  Borneo...  bibbe  is  a  child's  term  for 
drink. 

[?]  Thynne,  Deo.  betw.  Pride  and 
Lowliness. 

Your  lycour  is  so  mighty  and  so  strong, 

And  therewithal!  it  goeth  down  so  soft. 

That  of  your  guests  some  bibb  therof  so 

long 

Till  from  the  ground  it  lifteth  them  aloft. 

1600.     Phaed,   Vi?-gil. 
What  horses  Diomedes  brought,  how  great 

Achilles  was. 
She  learned  all  too  soone,  and  of  love  she 
BiBBES  (alas). 

1578.  North,  Plutarch,  1047.  And 
that  the  common  people  did  nothing  all 
day  long  unto  darke  night,  but  bybbe,  and 
drink  drunke. 

1633.  Flktchkh,  Purple /sland,  v.  17. 
And  through  a  wide  mouth'd  tunnel  duly 

strains 
Unto  a  bibbing  substance  down  conveying. 

1650.     Howell,  Fant.  Episi. 
As  soon  a  little  little  ant 

Shall  bib  the  ocean  dry, 
A  snail  shall  creep  about  the  world. 

Ere  these  afi'ections  dye. 


Bibables. 


211 


Bible-clerk. 


1653.  Urquhart,  Rabelais,  i.,  xl.  I 
never  eat  any  confections,  page,  whilst  I 
am  at  the  bibbery. 

18,,  Nayler,  Reynard  the  Fox,  n. 
Royal  cheer  and  deep  bibation. 

To    NAP   A   BIB    (or   one's   BIB), 
verb  phr.  (common). — To  weep  ; 

to  BLUBBER  {(J-V^  ;  to  SNIVEL  (^.Z/.). 

1789.  Geo.  Parker,  Life's  Painter, 
153.  Napt  a  couple  of  bird's  eye  wipes. 
Ibid.,  163.     Nap  the  bib,  a  person  crying. 

iBig.  Vaux,  Metnoirs,  i.,  190.  s.v. 
Nap  the  bib,  to  cry;  as.  The  mollisher 
nap'd  her  bib,  the  woman  fell  a-crying. 

1821.  Egan,  Life  in  London,  227. 
Dirty  Suke  began  now  to  nap  her  bib. 
Ibid.,  Boxiana  {1824),  iv.,  145.  Josh 
napped  again  on  the  other  eye. 

1838.  Comic  Almanac,  April.  Don't 
NAB  the  bib,  my  Bet,  this  chance  must 
happen  soon  or  later. 

Best  bib  and  tucker,   subs, 
phr,  (common). — Best  clothes. 

Bibables  (or  Bibibles),  subs.  (Ame- 
rican).— Drink,  as  distinguished 
from  food.  [A  coinage  on  the 
model  of  'edibles,'  'eatables,' 
'  drinkables,'  etc.  ;  from  Latin 
BiB-ere,  to  drink. 

1 860.  William  Howard  Russell 
(Special  Correspondent  of  the  Times), 
My  Diary  in  India  in  the  years  1858-9, 
I.,  8.  Could  all  the  pale-ale,  soda-water, 
sherry,  porter,  and  vin  ordinaire,  and 
the  feebler  bibables  be  turned  into 
nectar,  etc. 

i860.  Pittsburg  Despatch,  Aug.  The 
table  was  loaded  and  spread  with  edibles 
and  bibibles  of  every  possible  kind. 

Bib-All-Night,  stds. (old). — A 
toper;  a  confirmed  drunkard. 
[From  Bis-ire,  to  drink,  ■+-  all- 
night]. 

1612.  Sylvester,  Lacrym<x  Lacry- 
maram  loi.  Bats,  Harpies,  Syrens, 
Centaurs,  Bib-all-nights. 


BIBBLE-BABBLE,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
Inconsequent  chatter;  nonsense: 
spec,  drunken  babbling.  (Shak- 
speare). 

Bible,  subs,   (nautical). — See    quots. 

1867.  Admiral  Smyth,  ^a/Zori*  Word 
Book.  Bible,  a  hand-axe;  a  small  holy- 
stone [a  kind  of  sand-stone  used  in  cleaning 
decks],  so  called  from  seamen  using  them 
kneeling. 

1883.  W.  Clark  Russell,  Sailors' 
Lattguage,  14.  Bibles.  Small  holy-stones, 
no  doubt  originally  so  called  because 
they  oblige  those  who  use  them  to  kneel. 
They  are  also  termed  '  prayer  books  '  for 
the  same  reason. 

2.     (thieves'). — See  quot. 

17S9.  Parker, Lift's Painter,Th.isv- 
es  who  fly  the  blue  pigeon,  that  is, 
who  steal  lead  off  houses,  or  cut  pipes 
away. . .  cut  a  hundredweight  of  lead, 
which  they  wrap  round  their  bodies  next 
to  the  skin.  This  they  call  a  bible  (g.v.), 
and  what  they  steal  and  put  in  their 
pockets,  they  call  a  testament  [g.v.]. 

That's  bible,  phr.  (common). — 
That's  the  truth;  that's  A  1. 

Bible-carrier,  subs.  phr.   (old). — 

A  RUNNING  stationer  (^.W.),  who 

sells  songs  without  singing  them: 
once  often  heard  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Seven  Dials   (Hotten). 

Bible-clerk,  subs.  phr.  (Winchester 
College). — A  College  prefect  in 
full  power,  appointed  for  one  week. 
He  keeps  order  in  school,  reads 
the  lessons  in  chapel,  takes  round 
rolls  {q.v.),  and  assists  at  flog- 
gings. He  is  absolved  from  going 
UP  TO  books  {q.v.)  during  his  term 
of  office.  The  prefect  of  hall  need 
not  act  as  Bible-clerk  unless  he 
likes,  and  the  prefect  of  school 
may  choose  any  week  he  pleases  ; 
the  rest  take  weeks  in  rotation, 
in  the  order  of  their  Chambers 
in    College.     Hence    bibler    (or 


Bible-clerk. 


212 


Bible-pounder. 


bibling),  a  flogging  of  six  cuts 
on  the  small  of  the  back,  admi- 
nistered by  the  head  or  second 
master.  So  called  because  the 
person  to  be  operated  upon  or- 
dered (^.7'.)  his  name  to  the 
Bible-clerk  (^.f.).  Bibling-rod 
=  the  instrument  with  which  a 
bibling  {jj.v^  was  administered. 
It  consisted  of  a  handle  with  four 
apple  twigs  in  the  end,  twisted 
together.  It  is  represented  on 
'  Aut  Disce.'  It  was  invented  and 
first  used  by  Warden  Baker  in 
1475.  ^^  i^  °°'  used  now.  Bib- 
ling UNDER  NAIL  r=  a  BIBLING 
(^.z/.)  administered  for  a  very 
heinous  offences  after  an  offender 
had  stood  under  nail  {q.v.). 

1870.  Mansfield,  School-Life  at 
Winchester  College,  103.  Order  was  kept 
during  school  hours  by  the  Bible-clerk 
and  Ostiarus,  two  of  the  Praefects,  who 
held  these  offices  in  rotation — the  former 
lasting  for  a  week,  the  latter  for  one  day 
only.  They  paraded  Shool  armed  with 
sticks,  and  brought  up  to  the  Head  and 
Second  Masters  (who  alone  had  the  power 
of  flogging)  the  names  of  the  delinquents 
which  had  been  'ordered'  for  punishment  ; 
the  names  of  the  more  heinous  offenders 
being  confided  to  the  Bible-clerk,  the 
others  to  the  Ostiarus. 

1870.  Mansfield,  School-Life  at 
Winchester  College,  log.  The  first  time 
a  boy's  name  was  ordered,  the  punish- 
ment was  remitted  on  his  pleading  ^  Pri- 
tnum  tempus.'  For  a  more  serious  breach 
of  duty,  a  (logging  of  six  cuts  (a  bibler) 
was  administered,  in  which  case  the  cul- 
prit had  to  'order  his  name  to  the  Bible- 
CLERk,'  and  that  individual,  with  the  help 
of  Ostiarus,  performed  the  office  of  Jack 
Ketch. 

1866.  Mansfield,  Sch.  Life  Win- 
chester, s.v.  Nail.  'I'd  stand  up  under 
THE  NAIL.  The  punishment  inflicted  on 
a  boy  detected  in  a  lie;  he  was  ordered 
to  stand  up  on  Junior  Row,  just  under 
the  centre  sconce,  during  the  whole  of 
school  time.    At  the  close  of  it  he  received 

a    'BIl'LEK.' 


1870.  Mansfield,  School-Life  at 
Winchester  College  log.  If  a  boy  was 
detected  in  a  lie,  or  any  very  disgrace- 
ful proceeding — a  rare  occurrence,  I  am 
happy  to  say — he  had  to  stand  up  in  the 
centre  of  Junior  row  during  the  whole 
of  the  School  time,  immediately  preceding 
the  infliction  of  the  flogging;  this  pillory 
process  was  called  a  bibler  under  the 
nail. 

1864.  Blackwood's  Magazine,  xcv., 
73.  [At  dinner]  portions  of  beef  were 
served  out  to  the  boys. . .  the  Bible-clerk 
meanwhile  reading  a  chapter  from  the 
Old  Testament.  Ibid,  87.  An  hour.  .  . 
is  expected  to  be  employed  in  working 
under  the  superintendence  of  the  Bible- 
Clerk,  as  the  prefect  in  daily  'course' 
is  termed,  who  is  responsible  for  a  decent 
amount  of  order  and  silence  at  these 
hours. 

1864.  Blackwood's  Magazine,  XCV., 
79.  Underneath  is  the  place  of  execution, 
where  delinquents  are  bibled. 

Ibid,  72.  It  need  hardly  be  said  that  it 
[the  rod]  is  applied  in  the  ordinary  fashion  : 
six  cuts  forming  what  is  technically  called 
a  bibling — on  which  occasions  the  Bible- 
Clerk  introduces  the  victim;  four  being 
the  sum  of  a  less  terrible  operation  called 
a  'scrubbing.' 

1878.  Adams,  Wykehamica,  59. 
There  appears  to  have  been  no  regular 
Bible-clerk...  From  this  it  has  been 
inferred  that  the  institution  of  these 
offices  must  have  been  subsequent,  and 
(some  think)  long  subsequent  to  the 
Founder's  time. 

1887.  Adams,  Wykehamica,  s.v.  Nail, 
the  central  sconces  at  the  east  and  west 
ends  of  the  school  were  so-called.  A 
boy  who  had  committed  some  unusually 
disgraceful  offence,  was  placed  there 
during  school,  previously  to  being  'bibled.' 

Bible-oath,  subs.phr.  (common). — 
The  strongest  of  asseverations  : 
usually    in  phrase,    'I'll  take  my 

BiHLE  OATH    on    it.' 

BiBLE-POUNDER  (SHARP  or  THUMPER\ 
subs.  phr.  (common). — A  clergy- 
man :  see  Devil-dodger. 


Biddy. 


2f3 


Big. 


Biddy,  subs,  (old).— i.  A  chicken; 
sometimes  chick-a-biddy  (B.E.) 
and  Grose. 

2.  (common). — A    young  wo- 
man, not  necessarily  Irish. (Grose). 

3.  (common).  —  A     woman, 
whether  young  or  old. 

1868.  Holmes,  Guardian  Angel, 
xxviii.,  233  (Rose  Lib.).  Don't  trouble 
yourself  about  Kitty  Fagan,  for  pity's 
sake,  Mr.  Bradshaw.  The  biddies  are 
all  alike,  and  they're  all  as  stupid  as 
owls,  except  when  you  tell  'em  just  what 
to  do,  and  how  to  do  it.  A  pack  of 
priest-ridden  fools. 

1887.  Cor7ihiUMag.,W3.y,ç,xo.  How 
he  gave  to  one  old  biddy  'five  guineas 
to  buy  a  jack,'  and  to  another  substantial 
help  towards  her  boy's  schooling. 

4.  (Winchester  College). — See 
Bidet. 

5.  (common). — A    diminutive 
of  Bridget  ;  hence  : 

6.  (American). — A  servant  girl 
— generally  Irish. 

Bidet  (or  Biddy),  subs.  (Winches- 
ter College). — A  bath.  Juniors 
fill  these  for  Prefects.  The  Win- 
chester term  is  the  French  BIDET, 
the  name  given  to  the  low  nar- 
row bedroom  bathing  stools,  used 
principally  by  women,  but  more 
frequently  on  the  Continent  than 
in  England.  They  are  of  such  a 
shape  that  they  can  be  bestrid- 
den :  cf.  Fr.  slang  bidet  =:  '  a 
small  horse'   or  'pony.' 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  Bidet,  commonly  pro- 
nounced biddy,  a  kind  of  tub,  contrived 
for  ladies  to  wash  themselves,  for  which 
purpose  they  bestride  it  like  a  little 
French  pony  or  post  horse,  called  in 
France  bidets. 

Bid-stand,  subs.  phr.  (old.)— A 
highwayman.  (Jonson). 


Bien.    See  Bene. 

Biff,  szibs.  (American). — A  blow. 
To  give  a  biff  in  the  jaw:  to 
wipe  one  in  the  chops.  Bang, 
and  see  Dig  rn  to  smack  one's 
face;  cf. 

Biffin, o-«/^j'.( familiar). — 'My  BIFFIN  !' 

■=.  '  my  pal  !  ' 

1877.  Greenwood,  Under  the  Blue 
Blanket.  'Ain't  that  up  to  dick,  my 
BIFFIN?'     'I  never  said  it  warn't.' 

Big.  To  talk  (or  look)  big  verb 
phr.  (old). — To  assume  a  pom- 
pous style  or  manner  to  impress 
others  with  a  sense  of  one's 
importance  but  with  nothing  to 
support  it  ;  to  talk  loudly,  boast- 
ingly  :  Fr.  se  hancher. 

1579.  Spenser,  Shep.  Cal.  Sept.,  50. 
The  shepheards  swayne  you   cannot  wel 

ken. 
But  it  be  by  his  pryde,  from  other  men: 
They  locken  bigge  as  Bulls. 

1604.  Shakspeare,  Winter's  Tale, 
iv.,  3.  Not  a  more  cowardly  rogue,  in 
all  Bohemia:  if  you  had  but  looked  big, 
and  spit  at  him,  he'd  have  run. 

1771.  Smollett,  Humphry  Clinker, 
1.  26.  The  squire,  in  all  probability, 
cursed  his  punctuality  in  his  heart,  but 
he  affected  to  talk  big. 

1822.  Scott,  Fortunes  of  Nigel,  ^v. 
'Vou  will  gain  nought  by  speaking  big 
with  me.' 

1838.  Haliburton,  Clockmaker,  2. 
viii.  He  looked  big  and  t.^lked  big 
and  altogether  was  a  considerable  big 
man  in  his  own  cousait.' 

1855.  Anthony  Trollope,  The 
Warden,  337.  The  Archdeacon  waxed 
wrath,  TALKED  big,  and  looked  bigger. 

Big  as  all  outdoors,  phr. 
(American). — A  simile  of  inde- 
finite size,  hugeness,  enormous 
capacity. 


Big-bellied. 


214 


Big  bug. 


1838.  Haliburton  ('Sam  Slick'), 
The  Clockmaker,  2.,  ii.  The  infamai 
villain!  Tell  me  who  he  is,  and  if  he 
was  BIG  AS  ALL  OUTDOORS,  I'd  walk  into 
him.  Ibid,  iv.  He  is  looking  as  big  as 
ALL  OUTDOORS,  gist  now,  and  is  waitin' 
for  us  to  come  to  him. 

BIG-BELLIED,  adj.,phr.  (colloquial). — 
Advanced  in  pregnancy  ;  HUMPY 
{q.V.) 

1711.     Addison  [Referred  to  by]. 

1848.      John     Forster,     Life  aud 

Times  of  Oliver  Goldsmith,  11,  iv.  My 

desires    are    as    capricious    as    the  big- 
bellied  woman's. 

Big  Ben,  sitbs.  phr.  (common). — 
The  clock  in  the  tower  of  the 
Houses  of  Parliament  at  West- 
minster :  named  after  SirBenjamin 
Hall,  the  Commissioner  of  Works, 
under  whose  supervision  it  was 
constructed  :  it  was  commenced 
in  1856,  and  finished  in  1857. 

i86g.  The  Register  or  Mag.  of 
Biography,  213.  With  Sir  Charles  Barry's 
sanction  he  designed  the  ornament  cast 
on  the  Westminster  Bell,  familiarly  known 
as  BIG  Ben. 

1880.  Punch,  2039,  51.  Big  Ben 
struck  two,  and  the  house  adjourned. 

Big  Bird.  To  get  (or  give)  the 
BIG  BIRD,  phr.  (theatrical). — To 
be  hissed  on  the  boards;  or  con- 
versely, to  hiss.  [The  BIG  bird 
is  the  goose.]  Fr.  appeler  Azor 
(=:  to  call  the  dog). 

1886.  Graphic,  10  April,  sqg.  To 
BE  GOOSED,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  phrased, 
to  GET  THE  big  BIRD,  is  occasionally  a 
compliment  to  the  actor's  power  of  repre- 
senting villainy,  but  more  often  is  dis- 
agreeably suggestive  of  a  failure  to  please. 

Big  bug,  subs,  (popular). — A  person 
of  standing  authority,  or  office. 
Variants  are  Big-dog,  Big-gun, 
Big-one  (or  Big-un),  Big-pot, 
Big-toad,  Big-wig,  etc. 


1703.  English  Spy,  255.  Be  unto- 
him  ever  ready  to  promote  his  wishes, 
whether  for  spree  or  sport,  in  term  and 
out  of  term...  against  dun  or  don — nob 
or  big-wig — so  may  you  never  want  a 
bumper  of  bishop. 

18 19.  MooRE,  Tom  Cr  ib''  s  Memorial 
to  Co7!gress,  42.  Then  up  rose  Ward,, 
the  veteran  Joe,  And,  'twixt  his  whiffs, 
suggested  briefly  That  but  a  few  at  first 
should  go.  And  those,  the  light-weight 
Gemmen  chiefly;  As  if  too  many  BIG 
ONES  went.  They  might  alarm  the  Conti- 
nent! 

[?].  Dickens,  Oliver  Twist,  xliii. 
'  We'll  have  a  big-vvig,  Charley  ;  one 
that's  got  the  greatest  gift  of  the  gab  to- 
carry  on  his  defence.'...  'What  agame! 
what  a  regular  game  !  All  the  big-wigs 
trying  to  look  solemn,  and  Jack  Dawkins 
addressing  of  'em  as  intimate  and  com- 
fortable as  if  he  was  the  judge's  own 
son  making  a  speech  arter  dinner.' 

1843.  Haliburton,  Sam  Slick  iti 
England,  xv.  The  great  guns  and  big 
bugs  have  to  take  in  each  other's  ladies. 
Ibid.,  24.  Pick  out  the  big  bugs  and 
see    what   sort    of  stuff  they're  made  of. 

i8(?).  Carltoe,  New  Purchase,  n., 
240.  These  preachers  dress  like  big  bugs, 
and  go  ridin*  about  on  hundred-dollar 
horses,  a-spungin'  poor  priest-ridden  folks, 
and  a-eaten  chicken-fixins  so  powerful 
fast  that  chickens  has  got  scarce  in  these 
diggins. 

1846.  Thackeray,  I'aniiy  Fair,  xx. 
Wc  live  among  bankers  and  city  big- 
wigs, and  be  hanged  to  them,  and  every 
man,  as  he  talks  to  you,  is  jingling  his 
guineas  in  his  pocket.  Ibid.  N'eivcomes, 
xlvi.  Her  husband  was  a  member  of  the 
Chamber  of  Deputies,  a  Conseiller  d" Etat, 
or  other  French  big-wig. 

1848.  J.R.  Bartlett,  Aiitericanisms, 
42.  In  some  parts  of  the  country,  the 
principal  man  of  a  place  or  in  an  under- 
taking is  called  the  uiG  DOG  with  a 
brass  collar,  as  opposed  to  the  little 
curs    not    thought    worthy    of    a    collar. 

Ibid.    42,      BuiGEST   TOAD    IN  THE  PUDDLE. 

A  Western  expression  for  a  head-man;  a 
leader  of  a  political  party,  or  of  a  crowd. 
Not  an  elegant  expression,  though  some- 
timca  well  applied.  Thus  a  Western 
newsp.-iper,     in     speaking     of    the     most 


Big  bîig. 


215 


Big  Drink. 


prominent  man  engaged  in  the  political 
contest  for  one  of  the  Presidential  candi- 
dates before  Congress,  says:   'Mr.  D.  D. 

F. — is    the    BIGGEST  TOAD   IN  THE  PUDDLE.' 

1854.  Widow  Bedott  Papers,  301. 
Miss  Samson  Savage  is  one  of  the  big 
bi;gs, — that  is,  she's  got  more  money 
than  a'most  anybody  else  in  town. 

1859.  H.  KiNGSLEY,  Geoffrey  Ham- 
lyn.  xlv.  So  you  are  going  to  sit  among 
the  BIG-WIGS  in  the  House  of  Lords. 

1857.  N.  Y.  Times,  February.  The 
free-and-easy  manner  in  which  the  hair- 
brained  Sir  Robert  Peel  described  some 
of  the  BIG  BUGS  at  Moscow  has  got  him 
into  difficulty. 

1872.  ScHELE  DE  Vere,  American- 
isms, 392.  Persons  of  great  wealth  and 
distinction  are  irreverently  called  big 
BUGS,  and  I-street,  in  Washington,  is 
thus  said  to  be  inhabited  by  the  foreign 
ambassadors  and  other  big  BUGS.  J.  C. 
Neal  makes  a  nice  distinction  when  he 
says  of  a  rich  man  without  social  import- 
ance: 'He  is  one  of  your  big  bugs,  with 
more  money  than  sense.' 

c.  1876.  Broadside  Ballad,  'Justice  and 
Law.'  Unless,  unexpected,  some  turn  of 
the  wrist.  Has  got  some  'big-wig'  in  a 
mess. 

1880.  Trolloie,  TheDuke's  Child- 
ren, xxvi.  'The  Right  Honorable  gentle- 
man no  doubt  means,'  said  Phineas,  'that 
we  must  carry  ourselves  with  some 
increased  external  dignity.  The  world 
is  BiGWiGGiNG  itself,  and  we  must  buy  a 
bigger  wig  than  any  we  have  got,  in 
order  to  confront  the  world  with  proper 
self-respect. 

1880.  Punch's  Almanac,  The  Cad's 
Calendar,  Lor  !  if  Pd  the  ochre,  make 
no  doubt,  I  could  cut  no  end  of  big  pots 
out.  Call  me  cad?  When  money's  in 
the  game.  Cad  and  swell  are  pooty  much 
the  same. 

1882.  Alan  Pinkerton,  The  Molly 
Maguires,  24.  '  Yes,'  said  Dormer,  '  Lawler 
is  the  big  dog  in  these  parts  now;  besides 
he  kapes  a  good  tavern,  and  will  see  no 
old-timer,  or  young  one  either,  for  that 
matther,  sufferin'  from  want  while  he  can 
relieve  him  !  ' 


1888.  Texas  Si/tings,  Sep.  IS-  Don't 
appear  unduly  surprised  or  flustrated  if, 
on  answering  the  front  door  bell,  you 
find  Mr.  Gladstone  wiping  his  feet  on  the 
door  mat.  Invite  him  to  walk  in  in  a 
cool,  collected  tone  of  voice...  Show 
him  you  have  entertained  big  bugs  before. 

1888.  Texas  Si/tings,  Oct.  13. 
'Who's  a  big  gun.>  You  don't  consider 
that  insignificant  ink-slinger  across  the 
way  a  big  gun,  do  you?'  'My  wife  can 
hardly  wait  to  get  it  out  of  the  mail,' 
shouted  Jones  desperately. 

1900.  Nisbet,  Sheep's  Clothing,  131. 
He  is  rather  a  big  pot  as  a  preacher  I 
hear. 

Big  Country,  j-w/^j-.//?/-.  (hunting). — 
The  open  country. 

Big-dog  of  the  tanyard  (or  with 

THE  BRASS  COLLAR).   See  BiG-BUG. 

Big  Drink,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
I.  The  ocean;  spec,  the  Atlantic. 

Also    BIG     POND,    HERRING    POND, 

the  PUDDLE  {q.v^. 

1882.  Miss  Braddon,  Mount  Royal, 
xiii.  'I  was  coming  across  the  big  drink 
as  fast  as  a  Cunard  could  bring  me.' 

2.     (Western  American.) — The 
Mississippi  river. 

i8[?].  Ne%u  York  Spirito/ the  Times 
[Bartlett].  Well,  as  I  was  sayin',  off 
I  sot,  went  through  Mississippi,  crossed 
the  big  drink,  come  too  now  and  then, 
when  the  chill  come  it  too  strong,  but 
couldn't  git  shut  of  the  ager. 

To      TAKE      A     BIG     (or     LONG) 

DRINK, /Ar.  (common). — To  liquor 
from  a  large  glass. 

Big  figure.  To  go  the  big  figure, 
verb.  phr.  (common). — A  variant 
of  '  to  go  the  whole  hog  '  ;  em- 
bark upon  an  enterprise  of  mag- 
nitude ;  to  do  things  on  a  large 
scale:  from  a  term  used  in  poker. 

1868.  Pickings  from  the  Picayune, 
226.  When  I  saw  that,  I  thought  I  might 
as    well    go    the    big    figure,    you   see, 


Biggest. 


216 


Big  pond. 


and  so  I  grabbed  the  bag;  but  mischief 
would  have  it,  that  just  then  the  police- 
man grabbed  me  and  took  me  to  the 
caboose. 

Biggest,  adj.  (American) — A  su- 
perlative often  used  in  the  sense 
of  'the  best'  or  'the  finest':  e.g. 
the  biggest  artist,  woman,  criti- 
cism, etc. 

1848.  RuxTON,  Life  in  Far  West, 
129.  The  thermal  springs  are  regarded 
by  the  trappers  as  the  breathing-places 
of  his  Satanic  majesty;  and  considered, 
moreover,  to  be  the  biggest  kind  of 
medicine   to   be   found  in  the  mountains. 

1888.  Washington  {Pa.)  Review. 
The  Pittsburg  Tinies  is  as  breezy  a 
journal  as  comes  to  this  office.  It  is  the 
BIGGEST  little  paper  we  are  acquainted 
with. 

BiGGITY,  adv.  (American). — Con- 
sequential ;  giving  oneself  airs  : 
negroism. 

c.  1884.  S.  L.  Clemens,  Life  on  the 
Mississippi,  511.  These  railroads  have 
made  havoc  with  the  steamboat  commerce. 
The  clerk  of  our  boat  was  a  steamboat 
clerk  before  these  roads  were  built.  In 
that  day  the  influx  of  population  was  so 
great,  and  the  freight  business  so  heavy, 
that  the  boats  were  not  able  to  keep  up 
with  the  demands  made  upon  their  carry- 
ing capacity;  consequently  the  Captain 
was  very  independent  and  airy— pretty 
BIGGITV  as  Uncle  Remus  would  say. 

Big-gun.   See  Big-bug. 

Big-head.  To  have  a  iìig-head, 
phr.  (American). —  I.  To  be  con- 
ceited; bumptious;  'cocksure'; 
affected  in  manner:  alsoswELLED- 

HEAD. 

1848.  J.  R.Bartlett,  Americanisms, 
43.  Boys  who  smoke  cigars,  chew  tobacco, 
drink  strong  liquors,  gamble,  and  treat 
their  parents  and  superiors  as  their  infe- 
riors— of  such   a  boy  it  is  said,  '  He  has 

GOT    the    BIG    HEAD.' 

i888.  Texas  Siftings,  Oct  20.  If 
we  were  to  base  our  calculation  upon  the 
corpulency   of  his   iron   hat  and  helmet, 


we  should  say  it  was  a  case  of  big-head, 
while  his  legs  were  long  as  a  pair  of 
duplex  pinchers,  his  arms  like  the  fans 
of  a  windmill,  his  feet  like  the  foot  of 
Mont  Blanc,  while  his  digital  annex  is 
like  an  inverted  ham. 

2.  (Common). — The  after  effect 
of  a  debauch.  To  get  a  big- 
head  rr:  to  get  drunk:  see 
Screwed. 

1 888.  Francis,  Saddle  and  Mocassin. 
All  the  Colonel's  tact  and  diplomacy 
were  necessary  to  preserve  peace  now. . , 
The  'boys'  got  the  big  head,  and  dis- 
played effervescence  scarcely  less  remark- 
able than  that  of  the  champagne  itself. 

Big  (or  Large)  house,  su^s.  phr. 

(common). — The  workhouse. 

1851-61.  H.  Mavhew,  London  Lab. 
and  Lon.  Poor,  1.,  52.  As  long  as  they 
kept  out  of  the  big  house  (the  work- 
house), she  would  not  complain.  Ibid, 
II.,  251.  The  men  hate  the  thought  of 
going  to  the  big  house. 

Big  mouth,  subs.  (American). — 
Excessive  talkativeness;  loquacity  : 
cf.  All  mouth. 

Big  NUTS.  A  BIG  NUT  TO  CRACK, 
phr.  (colloquial). — An  undertaking 
of  magnitude  ;  one  not  easy  to 
perforin. 

Big  people,  jz/i^j.///;-.  (colloquial). — 
Persons  of  standing  or  conse- 
quence. 

1858.  Anthony  Trollope,  Dr. 
Thome,  i.,  43.  He  would  in  no  way 
assume  a  familiarity  with  bigger  men 
than  himself;  allowing  to  the  bigger  men 
the  privilege  of  making  the  first  advances. 
Ibid,  81.  When  one  is  absolutely  in  the 
dirt  at  their  feet,  perhaps  these  big  people 
won't  wish  one  to  stoop  any  further. 

Big  pond,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
The  Atlantic  ;  THE  BIG  DRINK  (i/.Z^.). 

1838.  Haliburton  ('Sam  Slick'), 
The  Clockmaker.  3  S.,  xviii.  He  [old 
Clay]  is  all  sorts  of  a  hoss,  and  the  best 
live  one  that  ever  cut  dirt  this  side  of 
the  big  pond,  or  t'other  side  either. 


Big-pot. 


217 


Bike. 


1883.  Sala,  Living  London,  204. 
Next  time  Miss  Ward  crosses  the  BIG 
POND,  I  earnestly  hope  that  she  will 
cross  the  'Rockies,'  and  triumphantly 
descend  the  Pacific  slope. 

Big-pot.    See  Big-bug. 

Big-side,  j-;<^j-.//^A-.(Rugby  School). — 
I.  The  combination  of  all  the 
bigger  fellows  in  the  school  in 
one  and  the  same  game  or  run; 
the  ground  specially  used  for  the 
game.  Also  used  at  other  public 
schools.  Whence  BIG  side  run  = 
a  paper  chase  in  which  picked 
representatives  of  all  houses  take 
part,  as  opposed  to  a  house  run. 

Big  take,  stibs.  phr.  (American). — 
That  which  takes  the  public  fancy  ; 
a  great  success  ;  anything  that 
'catches  on.'     See  Take. 

Big  (or  Tall)  talk  (story  or 
yarn),  subs.  phr.  (common. — 
Extravagant  speech  ;  a  pedantic 
use  of  long  words  ;  high-falutin 
{q.v.').     Also  as  verb. 

1874.  Saturday  Review,  Feb.,  280. 
[With  regard  to  words  like  'psithurism,' 
'cheirognomy,'  'scintillating  eyes,'  'the 
phaesimbrotous  sun  ']  perhaps  they  have 
been  grown  so  accustomed  to  big  talk 
that,  etc. 

iSgi.  New  York  Times,  26  Jan. 
A  TALL  YARN  about  the  Jews  wanting  to 
buy  the  Vatican  copy  of  the  Hebrew 
Bible. 

1900.  Kernahan,  Scoundrels,  xv. 
Public  men  who  talk  tall  about  the 
sacredness  of  labour. 

Big  -  WIG,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
A  person  of  consequence,  one 
high  in  authority  or  rank:  used 
both  contemptuously  and  humour- 
ously :  see  Big-bug.  Big-wigged  = 
pompous,  consequential.  BiG- 
WIGGERY  z=  a  display  of  con- 
sequence or  side  {q.v.).  BlG- 
WIGGISM  pomposity. 


1703.  English  Spy,  255.  Dun  or 
don — nob  or  big  wig — so  may  you  never 
want  a  bumper  of  bishop. 

1846.  Thackeray,  Vanity  Fair,  xx. 
We  live  among  bankers  and  city  big- 
wigs, and  be  hanged  to  them,  and  every 
man,  as  he  talks  to  you,  is  jingling  his 
guineas  in  his  pocket.  Ibid.  (1848)  Book 
of  Snobs,  ii.  Whilst  Louis  XIV.,  his  old 
squaretoes  of  a  contemporary — the  great 
worshipper  of  bigwiggery — has  always 
struck  me  as  a  most  undoubted  and 
Royal  Snob. 

1851.  Carlyle,  John  Sterling,  i., 
vii.  And  along  with  obsolete  spiritualisms, 
he  sees  all  manner  of  obsolete  thrones 
and  big-wigged  temporalities. 

1855.  Household  Words,  xii.,  250. 
All  this  solemn  bigwiggery — these 
triumphs,  ovations,  sacrifices,  orations. 

1859.  H.  Kingsley,  Geoffry  Ham- 
lyn,  xlv.  So  you  are  going  to  sit  among 
the  big-wigs  in  the  House  of  Lords. 

1871-72.  G.  Eliot,  Middlemarch, 
xvii.  I  determined  not  to  try  anything 
in  London  for  a  good  many  years  at 
least.  I  didn't  like  what  I  saw  when 
I  was  studying  there — so  much  empty 
big-wiggism  and  obstructive  trickery. 

1880.  A.  Trollope,  The  Duke's 
Children,  xxvi.  'The  Right  Honorable 
gentleman  no  doubt  means,'  said  Phineas, 
'  that  we  must  carry  ourselves  with  some 
increased  external  dignity.  The  world 
is  BIGWIGGING  itsclf,  and  we  must  buy  a 
bigger  wig  than  any  we  have  got,  in 
order  to  confront  the  world  with  proper 
self-respect.' 

Bike,  subs,  (colloquiai). — Short  for 
bicycle:  see  Trike,  Pram,  Bus, 
Cab,  Mob,  etc. 

1901.  Pall  Mail  Gaz.,  15  ^L1y,  i.  2. 
The  commercial  'bike'  is  perhaps,  the 
least  supportable  of  the  various  tyrannies 
on  wheels  which  it  is  the  perambulating 
Londoner's  lot  to  endure. 

1901.  Free  Lance,  30  Nov.,  227.  i. 
At  first,  the  learner.  Mounted  on  sorry 
BIKE,  awry  i'  saddle,  and  with  elbows 
out,  "Scraping"  acquaintance  with  the 
wall  betimes. 


Bilbo. 


218 


Bilk. 


Bilbo  (or  Bilboa),  stibs.  (old  :  B.E. 
and  Grose). — i.  A  sword.  Bil- 
bao in  Spain  was  once  renowned 
for  well-tempered  blades:  cf. 
Toledo,  Fox,  etc.  Hence  (2)  a 
sword  personified,  especially  that 
of  a  bully.  Bilbo's  the  word 
=  Beware,  a  blow  will  follow 
the  word.  BiLBO-LORD  =  a  bully. 

1592.  Greene,  Disputation,  etc.,  in 
Wks.  X.,  236.  Let  them  doe  what  they 
dare  with  their  eilbowe  blades,  I  feare 
them  not. 

1596.  Shakspeare,  Merry  Wives, 
iii,  5.  Next,  to  be  compass'd  like  a  good 
BILBO  in  the  circumference  of  a  peck, 
hilt  to  point. 

1627.  Dravton,  Agiticourt  \}Vorks, 
1379].  When  down  their  bows  they  threw, 
And  forth  their  bilbows  drew. 

1693.  Congreve,  Old  Batchelor,\\\., 
7.  Tell  them,  I  say,  he  must  refund — 
or   bilbo's   the   word,  and  slaughter  will 


1713.  Guardian,  No.  145.  '  He  that 
shall  rashly  attempt  to  regulate  our  hilts, 
or  reduce  our  blades,  had  need  to  have  a 
heart  of  oak...  Bilbo  is  the  word, 
remember  that  and  tremble.' 

1816.  Scott,  Old  Mortality,  iv. 
'It  was  all  fair  play;  your  comrade  sought 
a  fall,  and  he  has  got  it.'  'That  is  true 
enough,'  said  Bothwell,  as  he  slowly  rose; 
'put  up  your  bilbo,  Tom.' 

3.  (old). — A  kind  of  stocks: 
it  consisted  of  a  long  iron  bar 
with  sliding  shackles  for  the  an- 
kles, and  a  lock  by  which  to 
fasten  the  bar  at  one  end  to  the 
ground. 

1557.  Haklivt,  I'oy  I.,  295.  I  was 
also  conveyed  to  their  lodgings. . .  where 
I  saw  a  pair  of  bilbowes. 

1594.  Nashe,  Terrors  of  the  Nicht, 
in  Wks.  (Grosart)  in.,  255.  He  that  is 
spyced  with  the  gowte  or  the  dropsic, 
frequently  dreameth  of  fetters  and  mana- 
cles, and  being  put  on  the  BILBOWES. 


1596.  Shakspeare,  Hamlet,  v.,  a. 
Ham...  Methought  I  lay  worse  than 
the  mutines  in  the  bilboes. 

1695.  Congreve,  Love  for  Love,  iii., 
6.  Now  a  Man  that  is  marry'd,  has  as 
it  were,  d'ye  see,  his  Peet  in  the  bilboes, 
and  may-hap  mayn't  get  'em  out  again 
when  he  wou'd. 

1 714.  Memoirs  of  John  Hall  (4  ed.), 
19.  And  are  those  shear'd,  or  put  into 
BILBOES,  and  handcuflft. 

1748.  T.  DvcHE,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Bilboes,  the  punishing  a  person  at  sea, 
by  laying  or  putting  the  offender  in  irons, 
or  a  sort  of  stocks,  but  more  severe  than 
the  common  stocks. 

1815.  Scott,  Guy  Mannering,  xxxiy. 
'And  now  let  us  talk  about  our  business.' 
'  y'o2ir  business,  if  you  please,'  said 
Hatterick;  'hagel  and  donner! — mine  was 
done  when  I  got  out  of  the  bilboes.' 

Bile,  subs,  (old).— i.  The  female 
pudendum:  see  Monosyllable. 

2.     (vulgar). — A    boil.     Hence 

BILING     =     BOILING     (ç.V.);     THE 
WHOLE   BILIN   =   the   lot. 

BILGEWATER,  subs,  (common).— Bad 
beer:  properly  drainings  to  the 
lowest  part  of  a  ship:  see  SwiPES. 

BILK,  subs,  and  verb  (once  literary  : 
now  vulgar.) — A  word,  formerly 
in  general  use,  but  uncertain  in 
derivation:  possibly  a  corrupted 
form  of  'balk' — it  was  first  em- 
ployed technically  at  cribbage  to 
signify  the  spoiling  of  an  adver- 
sary's score  in  the  crib.  Among 
obsolete  or  depraved  usages  may 
be  mentioned,  i.  A  statement  or 
string  of  words  without  sense, 
truth,  or  meaning;  nothing.  2. 
A  hoax  ;  an  imposition;  a  hum- 
bug: see  Sell  and  Bite.  3.  A 
swindler;  a  cheat:  current  use  of 
the  word  in  its  substantive  form, 
and  applied  mainly  to  persons 
who  cheat  cabmen  of  their  fares. 


Bilk. 


219 


Bilk. 


or  prostitutes  of  their  earnings: 
also  BILKER.  4.  A  person  who 
habitually  sponges  upon  another; 
one  who  never  by  any  chance 
makes  a  return  or  even  offers  to 
return  a  courtesy,  drink  or  the 
like.  As  adj.  =  fallacious;  with- 
out truth  or  meaning.  As  verb 
=  to  cheat;  to  defraud;  to  evade 
one's  obligations;  to  disappoint; 
to  escape  from,  etc.  Hence  TO 
BILK  THE  BLUES  =:  to  evade  the 

police;  TO  BILK  THE  SCHOOL- 
MASTER z=.  to  obtain  knowledge 
or  experience  without  paying 
for  it. 

1633.  JONSON,  Tale  of  a  Tub,  i.,  i. 
Tub.  He  will  have  the  last  word,  though 
he  talk  bilk  for't.  Hugh.  Bilk  !  what's 
that.  Tub.  Why  nothing;  a  word  signi- 
fying Nothing.  [Note  refers  to  Cole's 
English  Diet,  (n.d.  given)  and  to  Halliwell, 
Arch,  and  Prov.   Words,  s.v.] 

1664.     Butler,  Hudibras,     11.,    iii., 

376.     Spells,    Which  over   ev'ry  month's 

blank-page.     In     th'  Almanack    strange 
bilk's  presage. 

1677.  Wycherlev,  Plaiti  Dealer, 
v.,  3.  I  Knight:  Ay,  a  great  lawyer 
that   shall    be    nameless    bilked   me   too. 

168 1.  Blount,  Glossographia,  85. 
Bilk  is  said  to  be  an  Arabick  word,  and 
signifies  nothing:  cribbidge-players  under- 
stand it  best. 

d.  1680.    Rochester,   Works. 
And   all   the  vile  companions  of  a  street 
Keep  a  perpetual  bawling  at  the  door: 
Who    beat    the    bawd    last    night?    who 
BILKT  the  whore  ? 

1694.  Congreve,  Double  Deal,  iii., 
X.     There   he's   secure   from  danger  of  a 

BILK. 

c.  1696.  [B.  E.]  Did.  Cant.  Crew.  s.v. 
Bilk,  c.  to  cheat.  Bilk  the  Ratling- 
COVB,  c.  to  sharp  the  Coach-man  of  his 
hire.  Ibid.  Bilk'd,  c.  defeated,  disappointed. 

1729.  Gp.\,  Polly,\\.,<).  Honour  plays 
a  bubbless  part,  ever  bilk'd  and  cheated. 

c.  1733.     North,    Lives,  i.,  260.     After 
this  bilk  of  a  discovery  was  known. 


1740.  North,  2ùr<7.;«É';;,  129.  Tothat 
[Oates's  plot]  and  the  author's  BILK 
account  of  it  I  am  approaching. 

1740.  North,  Examen,  213.  Bedloe 
was  sworn,  and  being  asked  what  he 
knew  against  the  prisoner,  answered. 
Nothing...  Bedloe  was  questioned  over 
and  over,  who  still  swore  the  same  bilk. 

1748.  T.  DvCHE,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Bilk  (v.),  to  cheat,  balk,  disappoint,  de- 
ceive, gull,  or  bubble;  also  to  go  out  of 
a  publick-house  or  tavern,  without  paying 
the  reckoning. 

1750.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  xiv., 
iv.  '  I  promise  you,'  answered  Nightingale, 
'I  don't  intend  to  bilk  my  lodgings;  but 
I  have  a  private  reason  for  not  taking 
a  formal  leave.' 

1772.  Bridges.  Burlesqtte  Homer, 
208.  He...  not  only  bilk'd  him  of  his 
due,  But  prov'd  an  ill-tongu'd  rogue 
like  you. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the  Vul- 
gar Tongue.  Bilke.  'Let  us  bilk  the 
rattling  cove';  let  us  cheat  the  hackney 
coachman  of  his  fare  :  bilking  a  coach- 
man, a  box  keeper,  or  a  poor  whore,  was 
formerly  among  men  of  the  town  thought 
a  gallant  action. 

1790.  Sheridan,  in  Sheridaniana, 
109.  Johnny  W[i]lks,  Johnny  W[i]lks, 
Thou  greatest  of  bilks. 

1 82 1.  W.  T  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
ferry,  ii.,  5.  Log.  Well,  don't  grumble — 
every  one  must  pay  for  his  learning — 
and  you  wouldn't  bilk  the  school- 
master, would  you  ?  But,  come,  I'm 
getting  merry  ;  so  if  you  wish  for  a  bit 
of  good  truth,  come  with  me,  and  let's 
have  a  dive  among  the  cadgers  in  the 
back  slums,  the  Holy  Land. 

1836.  Marrvat,  Japhet,  ix.  After 
a  little  delay,  the  waggoner  drove  ofif, 
cursing  him  for  a  bilk,  and  vowing  that 
he'd  never  have  any  more  to  do  with  a 
'lamed  man.' 

1S40.  McClure,  Rocky  Mouniaiti, 
2X1.  The  term  was  entirely  novel  to 
me,  and  I  first  asked  its  meaning  of  a 
landlord,  who  explained  to  me  by  saying 
that  a  BILK  is  a  man  who  never  misses  a 
meal  and  never  pays  a  cent. 


Bill 


220 


Billiard  Block. 


1847.  Lytton,  Lucretia,  11.,  xix. 
'  Are  you  playing  me  false  ?  Have  you 
set  another  man  on  the  track  with  a 
view   to   BILK   me   of  my  promised  fee  ?  ' 

1877.  Five  Years'  Penal  Servitude, 
iv.,  257.  He  would  chatter  gaily  and 
enter  with  great  gusto  into  the  details 
of  some  cleverly  executed  'bit  of  business,' 
or  'BILKING  THE  BLUES,' — evading  the 
police. 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  47.  It's 
the    easiest    bilk  that  I  ever  have  done. 

Bill,  subs.  (Eton  College).— i.  A 
list  of  the  boys  who  go  to  the 
head  master  at  12  o'clock;  also 
of  those  who  get  off  absence 
(^q.v.),  or  namescalling  :  match 
e.g.,  an  eleven  are  exempt. 

1876.  Brinsley  Richards,  Seven 
Years  at  Eton.  Some  of  the  small  boys 
whom  this  delightful  youth  tempted  to 
ape  his  habits,  had  often  occasion  to 
rue  it  when  they  staggered  back  to  col- 
lege giddy  and  sick,  carrying  with  them 
a  perfume  which  told  its  tale  to  their 
tutors,  and  caused  them  to  be  put  in  the 

BILL. 

2.  (Harrow  School.) — Names- 
calling. 

To  HANG  UP  A  BILL,  verb phr. 
(American  political). — See  quot. 
Hence  to  rush  a  bill  =  To 
expedite  through  the  Senate  and 
Congress. 

1887.  Cornliill  Magazine,  Jun.,  628. 
To  HANG  UP  A  BILL  is  to  pafs  it  through 
one  or  more  of  its  stages,  and  then  to 
lay  it  aside  and  defer  its  further  con- 
sideration for  a  more  or  less  indefinite 
period. 

To  HOLD  WITH  BILL  IN  THE 
WATER,  verb.  phr.  (common). — 
To  keep  in  suspense. 

To  PAY  A  BILL  AT  SIGHT,  verb 
phr.  (venery). — To  be  always  ready 
for  sexual  commerce  ;  to  be  hot 
(q.v.)  or  WARM  {q.v^  on  it  ;  to 
have  a  must  i^q.v.). 


To  BILL  UP,  verb  phr.  (military). 
— To  confine  to  barracks. 

Long  (or  short)  bill,  subs, 
phr.  (thieves'). — A  long  or  short 
term  of  imprisonment. 

BILLBRIGHTER,  subs.  (Winchester 
College). — A  small  fagot  used  for 
lighting  coal  fires  in  Kitchen. 
So  called  from  a  servant.  Bill 
Bright,   who  was  living  in  1830. 

c.  1840.  Mansfield,  School-Life  at 
Winchester  College,  89.  The  Kitchen  is 
a  spacious  apartment  with  a  vaulted 
roof,  occupying  the  entire  height  of  the 
building  on  the  west  side  of  the  quad- 
rangle, and  at  least  half  its  length  ;  here 
we  might  see  a  few  Fags  endeavouring 
to  coax  Jem  Sims,  John  Coward,  or 
Mother  Mariner  (the  cooks),  for  an  extra 
supply  of  mashed  potatoes,  till  Kitchen 
is  cleared  by  the  exasperated  Manciple, 
who  has  just  detected  a  delinquent  in  the 
act  of  secreting  under  his  gown  an  armful 
of  the  small  faggots  used  for  lightning 
the  Kitchen  fires  (called  Bill  Brighters), 
an  opportunity  for  purloining  which  was 
never  allowed  to  slip  by  a  Junior  of  a 
properly  regulated  mind. 

BILLET,  S7ibs.  (colloquial).— A  situa- 
tion: a  berth.  To  get  a  billet 
(prison)  =r  to  obtain  promotion 
to  duties  which  carry  with  them 
certain  privileges. 

1890.  HoRNUNG,  A  Bride  from  the 
Bush,  267.  If  ever  she  went  back  to 
Australia,  she'd  remember  my  young  man, 
and  get  him  a  good  billet. 

Billiard  Block,  subs,  (society). — 
One  who  puts  up  with  disagree- 
ables for  the  sake  of  pecuniary 
or  other  advantages  ;  occasionally, 
a  jackal  {q.v.);  a  TAME  CKT^q.v.). 

1831.  Mrs.  Gore,  Mothers  and 
Daughters,  75.  The  Duke  of  L.  was 
fortunate  in  somewhat  more  than  the 
usual  opportionments  o{  souffre-douleurs, 
doubles,  111LLIARD-IÎLOCKS,  living  hunters, 
younger  brothers,  to  talk  to  the  young 
lady  nieces,  etc. 


Billiard-slum. 


221 


Billy. 


Billiard-slum,  subs.  (Australian 
thieves'):=False  pretences.  Hence 

TO    GIVE    ON    THE    BILLIARD-SLUM 

{see  Mace)  =  to  obtain  goods 
on  credit  without  intention  of 
paying  ;  to  sponge  upon  an  ac- 
quaintance by  continually  begging 
or  borrowing  (Vaux's  Memoirs'). 

Billingsgate,  subs,  (common). — 
Coarse  language,  scurrilous  abuse  : 
from  the  evil  reputation  which  the 
market  of  the  same  name  has  en- 
joyed for  centuries.  In  the  seven- 
teenth century  references  to  the 
violent  and  abusive  speech  of  those 
frequenting  the  place  were  very 
numerous.  In  French  an  analo- 
gous reference  is  made  to  the 
Place  Maubert,  also  long  noted 
for  its  noisy  market.  To  Bil- 
lingsgate (or  TALK  Billings- 
gate) =:  to  scold,  talk  coarsely 
(or  violently)  ;  to  slang  {q.v!). 
So  also.  You're  no  better  than 
a  Billingsgate  fishfag  (or 
fishwife)  =  rude  and  ill-man- 
nered ;  Billingsgatry,  scurrilous 
language. 

1598.  Florio,  A  Worlde  of  War  des, 
s.v.  Caualleressa,  a  roucinall  woman,  a 
huge  BOSSE  of  Billingsgate. 

1677.  WvcHERLEV,  Plain  Dealer, 
iii.  Quaint.,.  Whose  reputation,  though 
never  so  clear  and  evident  in  the  eye  of 
the  world,  yet  with  sharp  invectives — 
Wid.  Alias,  Billingsgate.  Quaint.  With 
poignant  and  sour  invectives,  I  say,  I 
will  deface. 

1678.  A.  Littleton,  Lat.  Diet.  To 
Billingsgate  it.  Arripere  maledictum 
ex  trivio. 

c.  1696.  [B.  E.]  Diet.  Cant.  Cretu,  s.v. 
BiLUNCsGATE-DiALECT,  Scolding,  ill  Lan- 
guage, foul  Words. 

1706.  Ward,  lf''ooden  IVorld,  20.  In 
this  kind  of  unmanly  Billingsgate 
clashing  he  is  a. . .  great. . .  master.  I6id 
56.  He  has  a  thousand  pretty  phrases 
and  E.xpressions  pickt  up  at  Billingsgate. 


1711.  Defoe,  The  Review,  vii., 
preface.  As  long  as  faction  feeds  the 
flame,  we  shall  never  want  Billingsgate 
to  revile  one  another  with. 

1712.  Spectator,  451.  Our  satire  is 
nothing  but  ribaldry,  and  Billingsgate. 

1772.  Bridges,  Btirlesgue  Homer.  1. 
The  brangling  ward  of  Billingsgate. 

1852.  Thackeray,  Esmond,  ix.  If 
she  had  come  with  bowl  and  dagger, 
would  have  been  routed  off  the  ground 
by  the  enemy  with  a  volley  of  Billings- 
gate, which  the  fair  person  always  kept 
by  her. 

i860.  Hindlev,  Cheap-Jack,  100. 
Ever  and  anon  bawling  out  in  a  billins- 
GATE  voice,  'Two  ounces  a  penny  again — 
loUi-pop  and  pop-lolly. 

1876.  Hindlev,  Life  atid  Adventures 
of  a  Cheap  Jack.  Messrs.  Cannon  and 
Co.  defied  the  surgeon  or  anybody  else 
to  say  the  fish  was  bad,  and  kept  jabber- 
ing away  both  at  the  same  time  and  in 
elegant  Billingsgate,  until  the  constable 
returned;  but  he  came  without  the  doctor, 
who  had  gone  to  attend  an  urgent  case 
out  of  the  town,  and  the  people  at  his 
house  could  not  say  when  he  would  return. 

BILLINGSGATE-PHEASANT,  subs.  phr. 
(common). — A  red  herring  (or 
bloater)  ;  a  two-eyed  steak  {q.v^: 
see  Glasgow-magistrate. 

BILL-OF-SALE,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
Widow's  weeds;  'a  Bandore  or 
Widow's  Peak.'  (B.  E.) 

Bill  SYKES  (or  SikES). — A  burglar 
personified.  [From  Dickens'  char- 
acter of  that  name]. 

1880.  G.  R.  Sims,  Ho-m  the  Poor 
Live,  II.  The  little  boys  look  up  half 
with  awe  and  half  with  admiration  at  the 
burly  sikes  with  his  flash  style,  and 
delight  in  gossip  concerning  his  talents  as 
a  crib-cracker,  and  his  adventures  as  a 
pickpocket. 

Billy,  subs,  (thieves'). —  I.  A  pocket 
or  neck-handkerchief,  chiefly  of 
silk.  The  various  '  fancies  '  are  : — 
belcher,    darkish   blue  ground, 


Billy 


222 


Billy. 


large  round  white  spots,  with  a 
spot  in  the  centre  of  darker  blue 
than  the  ground:  this  was  adopted 
by  Jem  Belcher,  the  pugilist',  as 
his  '  colours,'  and  soon  became 
popular  amongst  '  the  fancy.' 
bird's  eye  wipe,  a  handkerchief 
of  any  colour,  containing  white 
spots:  the  blue  bird's-eye  is  simi- 
lar to  the  BELCHER  except  in  the 
centre;  sometimes  a  bird's  eye 
WIPE    has    a    white   ground    and 

blue     spots.      BLOOD-RED     FANCY, 

red.  BLUE  billy,  blue  ground 
generally  with  white  figures. 
CREAM  FANCY,  any  pattern  on  a 
white  ground.  KING'S  man,  yellow 
pattern  on  a  green  ground. 
RANDAL'S  man,  green,  with  white 
spots:  the  favourite  colours  of 
Jack  Randal,  water's  man,  sky 
coloured,  yellow  fancy,  yellow 
wiih  white  spots,  yellow  man, 
all  yellow  :  see  sense  2. 

1857.  Snowden,  Mag.  Assistant,  3. 
444.     A  silk  handkerchief.     A  billy. 

2.  (thieves'.) — Stolen  metal. 
Hence  Billy-hunting  =  (i) 
Collecting  and  buying  old  metal; 
and  (2)  on  the  prowl  for  stealing 
handkerchiefs  :  c/.  sense  i.  Billy- 
fencer  =  a  marine  store  dealer. 

1851-61.  H.  Mayhew,  London  Lab. 
and  Lon.  Poor,  I.,  465.  '  He  goes  tailing 
and  BILLY-HUNTING  in  the  country  (gather- 
ing rags  and  buying  old  metal).' 

3.  A  weapon:  usually  apiece 
ot  untanued  cowhide,  as  hard  as 
horn  itself,  some  six  inches  in 
length,  twisted  or  braided  into  a 
sort  of  handle,  and  covered  from 
end  to  end  with  woollen  cloth: 
one  extremity  is  loaded  with 
lead;  to  the  other  is  firmly 
attached  a  loop,  large  enough  to 
admit  a  man's  hand,  formed  of 
strong  linen  cord,  and  intended  to 


allow  the  billy  to  hang  lose  from 
the  wrist,  and  at  the  same  time 
prevent  it  being  lost  or  wrenched 
from  the  grasp  of  its  holder. 

1 8[r  J.  New  York  Herald  [Bartlett], 
A  day  or  two  since  a  poor  German  was 
taken  to  prison,  and,  on  examining  him, 
it    was    discovered  that  he  was  a  victim 

to    the    BILLY. 

1888.  Daily  Inter-Ocean,  K^.  é^.  The 
condition  of  the  man  reported  as  having 
been  shot  twice  in  the  head  on  Thursday 
afternoon,  is  not  at  all  alarming.  It 
transpires  that  his  wounds  are  not  of  the 
gun-shot  sort,  but  were  inflicted  with  a 
BILLY    in   the  hands  of  a  Pinkerton  man. 

4.  (popular). — A  policeman's 
staff;  a  truncheon. 

1884.  Daily  News,  Ap.  7,  v.  5,  col.  i. 
Anderson  was  first  brought  down  by  a 
pistol  shot,  and  was  then  corrected  with  a 
BILLY,  till  he  declared  himself  vanquished. 

5.  (Australian  and  New  Zea- 
land). —  A  bushman's  tin  pot, 
kettle  or  saucepan.  [Morris: — 
The  word  comes  from  the  proper 
name,  used  as  abbreviation  for 
William.  Compare  the  common 
uses  of  'Jack,'  'Long  Tom,' 
'  Spinning  Jenny.'  It  came  into 
use  about  1850.  About  1850, 
the  billy  superseded  the  quart- 
pot  {t}.''.),  chiefly  because  of  its 
top-handle  and  its  lid.  Another 
suggested  derivation  is  that  billy 
is  shortened  from  billy-CAN, 
which  is  said  to  be  bully-can 
(sc.  Fr.  bouilli).  In  the  early 
days  'bœuf  bouilli'  was  a  com- 
mon label  on  tins  of  preserved 
meat  in  ship's  stores.  These 
tins,  called  'bully-tins,'  were 
used  by  diggers  and  others  as 
the  modern  billy  is  {see  quotation 
1835).  A  third  explanation  gives 
as  the  origin  the  aboriginal  word 
billa  (river  or  water)].  Also 
(town's)  billy-CAN. 


Billy. 


223 


Billy   Barlow. 


1830.  R.  Dawson,  Present  State  of 
Australia,  48.  He  then  strikes  a  light 
and  makes  a  fire  to  boil  hi*  kettle  and 
fry  his  bacon. 

1835.  Wilson,  Voyage  Round  the 
World,  238.  An  empty  preserved  meat- 
canister  serving  the  double  purpose  of 
tea-kettle  and  tea-pot.  [The  word  billy 
is   not   used,  but  its  origin  is  described]. 

1857.  W.  HoW'iTT,  Tallaiigetta,  202. 
A   tin   pan  bearing  the  familiar  name  of 

a  BILLY. 

1871.  J.  J.  Simpson,  Recitations,  5. 
He  can't  get  a  billy  full  for  many  a 
mile  round. 

1881.  A.  C.  Grant,  Bush  [Life  in 
Queensland,  v.  i.  p.  41  : 

A  billy  (that  is  a  round  tin  pitcher 
with  a  lid)  in  his  hand. 

1885.  G.  A.SALA,ini7(j//)'  Telegraph, 
Sept.  3,  5,  5.  They  got  enough  flour  from 
Sydney  to  make  their  'dampers,'  and 
enough  tea  to  boil  in  their  billies. 

1886.  G.  Sutherland,  Australia, 
p.  104.  A  BILLY,  or  small  tin  can,  for 
boiling  tea  or  coffee. 

1889.  Cassell's  Picturesque  Austral- 
asia, V.  iv.  p.  69: 

A  tin  can,  which  the  connoisseurs 
call    for   some   reason    or   other  a  billy. 

1889.  Illustrations,  Oct.,  p.  21.  Re- 
fusing a  pressing  invitation  to  stay  and 
spend  Christmas  with  the  good  people 
with  whom  1  had  been  boarding,  and 
heeding  lightly  their  remarks  as  to  '  new 
chum,'  'dangers  of  the  bush,'  'all  alone,' 
'strange  country,'  etc.,  etc.,  I  took  a  look 
at  the  map,  and  packed  my  'swag.' 
Now  a  'swag'  proper,  usually  contains 
blankets,  towels,  'billy,'  pannikin,  and 
many  other  articles  .  .  .  Ibid,  p.  28.  The 
'  BILLY  '  is  off,  but  the  roadman  (Irish, 
of  course)  gives  me  a  grateful  cup  of 
beer,  and  accompanies  me  to  the  hotel 
another  mile  down  the  road. 

1890.  RolfBoldrewood,  Squatter's 
Dream,  p.  24; 

A  very  black  camp-kettle,  or  billy, 
of  hot  tea. 

189a.  The  Australasian,  April,  9,  p. 
707,  col.  4  : 

How  we  praised  the  simple  supper 

(we  prepared  it  each  in  turn). 
And  the  tea  !    Ye  gods  !  'twas  nectar. 
Yonder  billy  was  our  urn. 


1892.  The  Australasian,  April  .), 
707.  4:        . 

But  I  said,  'Dear  friend  and  brother, 

yonder  BiLLV-can  is  mine; 
You  may  confiscate  the  washing  that 

is  hanging  on  the  line. 
You  may  depredate  the  larder,  take 

your  choice  of  pot  and  pan; 
But,  I  pray  thee,  kind  sundowner, 

spare,  oh  spare,  my  BiLLv-can." 

1902.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  26  July,  2.1. 
He  starts,  the  scent  of  the  gums  in  his 
nostrils,  in  the  cool  of  early  morning; 
and  ceases  with  sunset  glow,  to  boil  his 
BILLY    of  tea  by  the  precious  'creek.' 

6.  A  companion  ;  a  comrade  ; 
a  mate;  a  pal  (ç.v,):  an  endear- 
ment. Also  (7)  =  'fellow'  (1774). 

7.  A  brother;  hence  Billy- 
hood  =  brotherhood  (1724). 

8.  (Schools').  —  A  removal, 
or  flying  off.  This  term  is  used 
by  boys  when  playing  at  marbles, 
and  refers  to  shifting  the  place 
of  a  marble. 

Billy  Barlow,  suas,  f/ir.i^common). 
— A  street  clown  :  a  mountebank  : 
from  the  hero  of  a  slang  song. 
Billy  was  a  real  person,  semi- 
idiotic,  and  though  in  dirt  and 
rags,  fancied  himself  a  swell  of 
the  first  water.  Occasionally  he 
came  out  with  real  witticisms. 
He  was  a  well-known  street 
character  about  the  East-end  of 
London,  and  died  in  White- 
chapel  Workhouse.  These  merry 
Andrews  are  otherwise  called 
Jim  crows  and  saltimbancos; 
French,  pilfe,  saltimbanque. 

1851-61.  H.  Mayhew,  London  Lab. 
and  Lon.  Poor,  vol.  IIL,  p.  148.  Billy 
Barlow  is  another  supposed  comic  char- 
acter, that  usually  accompanies  either 
the  street-dancers  or  acrobats  in  their 
peregrinations.  The  dress  consists  of  a 
cocked-hat  and  red  feather,  a  soldier's 
coat  (generally  a  sergeant's  with  sash), 
white  trousers  with  the  legs  tucked  into 
Wellington  boots,  a  large  tin  eye-glass, 
and  an  old  broken  and  ragged  umbrella. 


Billy-boy. 


224 


Billy-ruffian. 


Billy-boy,  subs.  phr.  (nautical).  — 
A  vessel  like  a  galliot,  with  two 
masts, the  fore-mast  square-rigged  : 
they  hail  mainly  from  Goole  :  also 
Hutuber-keels. 

BlLLY-BUTTON,  stiòs.  (rhyming). — 
I.  Mutton. 

2.     (tailors'.)— A     journeyman 
tailor:  in  contempt. 

1851.  ìAkth-ew ,  London  Labour  and 
London  Poor,  III.,  p.  117:  And  there  I 
did  Jeremiah  Stitchem  to  his  Billy 
Button.  Ibid,  p.  142:  A  laughable  sketch 
entitled  Billv  Button's  ride  to  Brentford, 
and  1  used  to  be  Jeremiah  Stitchem,  a 
servant  of  Billy  Button's,  that  comes 
for  a  'sitiation.' 

BILLY-BUZMAN,  subs,  (thieves').— A 
thief,  whose  speciality  is  silk 
pocket  and  neckerchiefs  :  see  billy 
subs.  I. 

BiLLY-COCK,  subs,  (popular). — A 
round,  low-crowned  hat— gener- 
ally of  soft  felt,  and  with  a 
broad  brim.  [Murray:— 'apparent- 
ly the  same  as  "  bully-cocked," 
used  1 72 1,  probably  meaning  after 
the  fashion  of  the  "  bullies,"  or 
hectoring  "  blades  "  of  the  period  '.] 
— The  BILLY-COCK  of  the  Anti- 
podes differs  from  the  English 
head-gear  known  by  the  name, 
in  being  made  of  hard  instead  of 
soft  felt,  and  in  having  a  turned 
up  brim. 

1721.  Amiiekst,  Terra  Filius,  No. 
46.  p.  246.  [A  description  of  an  Oxford 
'smart'  or  dandy.]  When  lie  walks  the 
street,  he  is  easily  distinguish'd  by  a 
stiff  silk  gown,  which  rustles  in  the  wind, 
as  he  struts  along;  a  flaxen  tie-wig,  or 
sometimes  a  long  natural  one,  which 
reaches  down  below  his  waist;  a  bro.nd 
bullv-cock'd  hat,  or  a  square  cap  of 
above  twice  the  usual  size  ;  white  stockings, 
thin  Spanish  leather  shoes;  his  cloatlis 
lined    with    tawdry    silk,    and    his    »hirt 


ruftled  down  the  bosom  as  well  as  at 
the  wrists.  Besides  all  which  marks,  he 
has  a  delicate  jaunt  in  his  gait,  and 
smells  very  philosophically  of  essence. 

1S62.  Life  Among  Colliers,  35.  I 
was  told  to  take  off  my  bonnet,  and  tie 
a    BILLY-COCK    [wide-awake]    tight  down, 

1872.  Farjeon,  Griff,  p.  14.  With 
the  men,  mole-skin  trousers,  pea-jackets, 
BILLY-COCK  hats,  and  dirty  pipes  predom- 
inated. 

1884.  Pnll  Mall  G.,  March  28,  p.  11, 
col.  I.  He  wore  a  plaited  blouse  drawn 
in  at  the  waist,  and  a  dilapidated  billy- 
cock hat. 

BiLLY-FENCES.  See  Billy,  subs,  i 
and  2, 

Billy-goat,  subs,  (common). — A 
tufted  beard  ;  similar  to  that  of 
a  goat. 

1882.  Standard,  11  Feb.,  p.  3,  col.  2. 
Hair  turning  grey,  hazel  eyes,  billy- 
goat  beard. 

Billy-hunting.  See  Billy  subs,  i 
and  2. 

Billy  noodle,  W^j.//<r.( American). 
— A  ladykiller;    a  conceited  ass. 

Billy-roller,  subs,  (common), — 
See  quots. 

1840.  Mrs.  Trollope,  Michael 
Armstrong,     ch.      xiv.     'What     is     the 

UlLLV-ROLLER?'     .    .    .       '  It's     a     long   StOUt 

stick,  ma'am,  that's  used  often  and  often 
to  beat  the  little  ones  employed  in  the 
mills  when  their  strength  fails.' 

1875.  Ure,  Diet.  Arts,  III.,  1 166. 
This  is  the  jiillv-kollbr,  so  much 
talked  of  in  the  controversies  between 
the  operatives  and  masters  in  the  cotton- 
factories,  as  an  instrumeat  of  cruel 
punishment  to  children,  though  no  such 
machine  has  been  used  in  cottoniniljs 
for  half  a  century  at  least. 

Billy-ruffian,  sttbs.  phr.  (vencry). 
— The  penis:  see  PRICK. 


Bim. 


225 


Birch-broom. 


Bim,  BimSHIRE  (West  Indian).— 
A  Barbadian  ;  the  island  of  Bar- 
badoes  :  also,  jeeringly,  Little 
England. 

1887.  Paton,  Down  the  Islands. 
Barbadoes  is  known  all  the  world  over 
as  the  little  island  that  pays  her  way  ; 
it  has  never  been  conquered;  its  people 
are  enterprising  and  energetic,  go-ahead 
and  driving;  in  short,  the  business  men 
of  these  islands  (the  Caribbees).  Bar- 
badian may  therefore  be  said  to  mean  a 
man  with  'go  and  grit,  energy  and  bim.' 

Bing.  See  Bynge  a  waste. 

Binge,  subs.  (Oxford  Univ.)— A 
drinking  bout. 

Bingham's  Dandies,  subs,  (military). 
— The  17th  Lancers,  Its  Colonel 
(Lord  Bingham)  was  particular 
as  to  uniform  and  style.  Also 
the  HORSE  MARINES  {q.v.):  tvvo 
troops  of  this  showy  corps  were 
employed  as  marines  on  board 
the  'Hermione'  frigate  during 
some  severe  fighting  in  the  West 
Indies  ;  hence  the  soubriquet,  now 
almost  forgotten.  But  the  17th 
are  still  well-known  as  the  death 
OR  GLORY  BOYS,  from  their  badge, 
which  consists  of  a  death's  head, 
with  the  words,  'or  glory.' 

Bingo,  subs,  (old  cant). — Brandy  ; 
also  spirits  of  any  Kind.  [Thought 
by  Dr.  iVIurray  to  be  a  humorous 
formation  from  B.  for  '  brandy  ' 
{cf.,  'B.  and  S.')  and  stingo  (^.z/.)] 
(B.  E.  and  Grose),  with  a  glance 
at  Sir  BiRGO  Binks,  the  Scottish 
baronet  in  Si.  Ronan's  Well. 
Hence  bingo  boy,  a  tippler;  a 
drunkard  ;  BiNGO  MORT,  a  drunken 


1696.  B.  E.  Did.  Cant.  Crew.,  q.v. 
Bingo-club,  c.  a  set  of  Rakes,  Lovers  of 
that  Liquor.  Bingo-boy,  c.  a  great  Drinker 
of  Lover  thereof. 


1830.     Lytton,    Paul    Clifford,    41, 
'Pass  round  the  bingo, — of  a  gun, 
You  musty,  dusty,  husky  son  !  ' 

1 861.  Hughes,  Tom  Brotvn  at 
Oxford,  xxxiii.  Some  soda  water  with 
a  dash  of  bingo  clears  one's  head  in  the 
morning. 

BiNGY,  adf.  (trading). — Bad,  ropy 
butter;  nearly  equivalent  to  viN- 
nied:  in  the  English  Dialect 
Society's  Chester  Glossary,  bingy 
=:  a  peculiar  clouty  or  frowsty 
taste  in  milk — the  first  stage  of 
turning  sour. 

1857.  Mrs.  Gaskell,  Life  of  C. 
Bronte,  iv.  The  milk,  too,  was  often 
BINGV,  to  use  a  country  expression  for 
a  kind  of  taint  that  is  far  worse  than 
sourness,  and  suggests  the  idea  that  it 
is  caused  by  want  of  cleanliness  about 
the  milk  pans,  rather  than  by  the  heat 
of  the  weather. 

i860.  ]\Irs.  Gaskell,  Sylvia's  Lovers, 
XV.  I've  heerd  my  aunt  say  as  she 
found  out  as  summat  was  wrong  wi' 
Nancy  as  lOon  as  the  milk  turned  dingy, 
for  there  ne'er  had  been  such  a  clean 
lass  about  her  milk-cans  afore  that. 

BINNACLE  WORD,  subs.  (old  nautical). 
— A  fine  or  affected  word,  which 
sailors  jeeringly  offer  to  chalk  up 
upon  the  binnacle. — Grose. 

Birch,  verb,  (common). — To  flog; 
to  strike  with  a  birch.  Hence 
birch-oil    =  a    thrashing:    cf., 

STRAP   OIL,    HAZEL-OIL,   etc. 

i83[.'].  Hood,  Ode  Clapham  Acad. 
There  1  was  birch'^/,  there  I  was  bred. 
There  like  a  little  Adam  fed 

From  Learning's  woeful  treel 

Clean  birch,  subs.  (old). — A 
pretended  conjuror. 

1772.  Bridges,  Burlesque  Homer, 
180.  So  this  CLEAN  BIRCH  was  by  the 
devil  left  i'th'lurch. 

Birch-broom,  subs,  (rhyming).— A 
room. 


Birching  Lane.  226 


Bird. 


Like  a  birch-broom  ix  a  fit, 
phr.  (common). — Said  of  a  rough, 
towzly  head. 

1876.  HiNDLEV,  Life  and  Adventures 
of  a  Cheap  Jack,  p.  go.  I  should  like  to 
know  what  looks  worse  than  to  see  a 
young  man  or  woman  with  their  hair  in 
an  uproar,  like  a  birch-broom  in  a  fit, 
and  some  of  you  chaps  down  there  look 
as  if  you  hadn't  had  your  hair  combed 
since  last  reaping  time,  when  you  did  it 
with  a  field-rake,  which  is  very  harrow- 
ing to  one's  feelings. 

BIRCHING  Lane. — To  send  one  to 
BiRCHiN  Lane,  phr.  (old). — To 
castigate;  to  flog:  cf.  strap  oil, 
etc. 

1544.  AscHAM,  Scholemaster,  69.  A 
common  proverb  of  Birching-lane. 

[?].  Royal  King  [Ancient  Drama], 
vi.  335.  It  had  not  been  amiss  if  we  had 
gone  to  BuRCHEN-LANE  first  to  have  suited 
us;  and  yet  it  is  a  credit  for  a  man  of 
the  sword  to  go  thread-bare. 

1614.  OvERBVRY,  Charact.,  17,  'Of 
a  fine  gent.'  His  discourse  makes  not  his 
behaviour,  but  he  buyes  it  at  court,  as 
countreymen  their  clothes  in  birchin- 
LANE.  Ibid.  If  all  men  were  of  his  mind, 
all  honesty  would  be  out  of  fashion  ;  he 
withers  his  cloaths  on  the  stage,  as  a 
salesman  is  forced  to  do  his  suits  in 
BIRCHIN-LANE,  and  when  the  play  is  done, 
if  you  mark  his  rising,  'tis  with  a  kind 
of  walking  epilogue  between  the  two 
candles. 

1654.      Wills  Recr.  _ 
'Tis  like  appareil  made  in  birchen-lane,' 
If    any    please    to   suit    themselves    and 

wear  it. 
The    blame's    not    mine,   but    theirs  that 

needs  will  bear  it. 

Bird,  subs,  (old  colloquial). —  i.  A 
lady.  [Hai.i.iwell:  The  term  is 
very  common  in  early  English 
poetry,  and  is  occasionally  applied 
to  the  other  sex,  as  in  A7nis  and 
Amiloun,   15]. 

\\\     Leg.   Catkol.  35. 
Hi»  ost  spac  and  zaf  aniware, 
And    «ede    forth    with  the    bird  so  bold. 


2.  (Colloquial). — The  pupil  of 
the  eye,  or  perhaps  the  little 
reflected  image  on  the  retina,  or 
that  of  a  very  near  spectator 
reflected  from  the  cornea:  cf. 
babies  in  the  eyes. 

3.  (provincial). — An  endear- 
ment: spec,  any  pet  animal:  also 
birdie. 

4.  (theatrical).— Mr.  H.  J.  Byron 
says  that  when  a  piece  is  hissed 
the  actors  say  '  The  bird's  there!  '; 
— the  bird  alluded  to  being  the 
goose. 

1886.  Graphic,  10  Apr.,  p.  399.  To 
be  'goosed  ',  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  phrased, 
'  to  get  the  BIG  BIRD,'  is  occasionally  a 
compliment  to  the  actor's  power  of  repre- 
senting villainy,  but  more  often  is  dis- 
agreeably suggestive  of  a  failure  to  please. 

5.  (veuery). — The  penis:  see 
Prick. 

Verb  (old.) — To  thieve;  to 
steal  ;  to  look  for  plunder.  .So 
used  by  Ben  Jonson. 

As  BARE  AS  A  BIRD'S  TAIL,//jr. 

(old). — Stripped  ;      as     bare     as 
may  be. 

1614.  Terence  in  English.  Despoliavit 
nos  omnibus.  He  hath  not  left  us  a  dish 
to  eate  our  meat  in.  He  hath  stript  us 
of  al.  We  are  spoiled  of  all  that  we 
have  by  him.  He  hath  left  us  as  bare 
as  a  birds  taile. 

Like  a  bird,  phr.  (common). — 
Easily  ;  facile  ;  with  as  little  trouble 
as  a  bird  in  flying. 

Bird  in  hand,  j«/'j. ///r.  (old), 
— Someting  certain  or  practical  :  as 
opposed  to  a  bird  in  the  bush  = 
something   remote   or    uncertain. 

1692.  Hacket,  Life  of  Williami, 
i.  163.  The  Prince  knew  well  where  he 
was  now;  when  all  their  capitulation, 
were  held  to  be  star-shootings,  (lashes, 
and    meteors,    without    the    bird    in  Ture 

HAND. 


Bird. 


227 


Birds-Eye. 


1809.  Malkin,  (Jz/iJ/as  [Routledge], 
70.  Donna  Mergelina  was  sorry  for  the 
delay,   as  well   knowing   that   a  bird  in 

THE    HAND    IS    WORTH    TWO    IN    THE    BUSH. 

1877.     Tennyson,  Harold,  11,  ii. 
Simple!  let  fly  the  bird  within  the  hand, 
To  catch  the  bird  again  within  the  bush. 

Phrases.  The  bird  in  the 
BOSOM  =  one's  secret  pledge, 
conscience.  Birds  of  a  feather 
=  of  like  character.  Also  proverbs 
and  proverbial  sayings  : — '  Some 
beat  the  bush  and  others  take 
the  bird';  'A  child's  bird  and  a 
knave's  wife  lead  a  sore  life  '  ; 
'The  BIRD  that  fouleth  its  own 
nest  is  not  honest';  'An  old 
bird  is  not  caught  with  chaff'; 
To  kill  two  birds  with  one 
stone';  'The  early  bird  catches 
the  worm.' 

[?].  Hist.  Edward  II,  58.  These, 
for  distinction,  and  that  they  might  be 
known  all  birds  of  a  feather,  are  suited 
in  cassocks  with  a  white  guard  athwart, 
which  gave  this  the  name  of  the  Parlia- 
ment of  white  bends. 

d.  1618.  Sylvester,  The  Schisme,  80. 
Reboam,  scorning  these  old  senators. 
Leans  tohis  younglings,  minions,  flatterers. 
Birds  of  a  feather  that  with  one  accord 
Cry  out,  importune,  and  persuade  their  lord 
Not  sillily  to  be  by  such  disturb'd. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  q.v. 
Birds  of  a  Feather,  c.  Rogues  of  the 
same  gang;  also,  those  of  the  same 
Profession,  Trade  orEmployment.  To  kill 

TWO    BIRDS    with    ONE    STONE,    tO  dispatch 

two  Businesses  at  one  Stroke. 

1706.  Ward,  IVooden  iVorld,  25. 
Birds  of  a  feather  that  always  aque 
together. 

1772.  Bridges,  Burlesque  Homer, 
180.  Thus  swimmingly  the  knave  went 
on.   And  kill'd  two    birds    with  every 

STONE. 

1836.  Southev,  Doctor,  Ixv.  The 
idle  and  dissipated  like  birds  of  a 
feather  flock  together. 


BiRD-CAGE,  subs,  (common), —  i.  A 
bustle  :  once  modish  for  extending 
the  skirts  of  the  dress  :  because 
at  one  time  constructed  of  such 
a  size  and  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  be  not  altogether  unlike  an 
elongated  bird-cage.  AIsocanary 

CAGE;  BACKSTAIRCASE  ;  FALSE 
HEREAFTER  ;  BISHOP.  Fr.  volapuk  ; 

strapontin;  lieutenant  (a  pun  on 
tenant  lieu  de  ce  qui  manqué)  ; 
nitage  [jparcequil  cache  la  lune-, 
lune  =  the  posteriors). 

c.  i860.  Broadside  Ballad  'The  Agri- 
cultural Irish  Girl,'  3.  She  does  not  wear 
those  things  behind,  The  ladies  call  bird- 
cages. 

2.  (common.) — A  four-wheeled 
cab  :  see  growler. 

3.  (racing.) — The  paddock  at 
the  Newmarket  race-course  where 
saddling  takes  place:  it  adjoins 
the  grand  stand. 

18S4.     St.  James's  Gazette,  May  i,  p. 

1.  All  the  favourites  were  brought  into 

the    BIRD-CAGE. 

Birdlime,  subs,  (rhyming). —  I.  Time 
2,    (old.) — A  thief.  As  adj.  ■=. 

thievish  ;      LIME-FINGERED      {(}.V.) 

and  as  verb  ■=.  to  steal  ;  to  pur- 
loin; to  CONVEY  {^q.V^. 

1705  Vanbrugh,  Confederacy,  v.,  2. 
That  BIRDLIME  there  stole  it. 

1705     Vanbrugh,    Confederacy,    iii., 

2.  My  rogue  of  a  son  has  laid  his  bird- 
lime fingers  on't. 

1809.  Malkin. Gz7£/aj[RouTLEDGEj 
37.  I  went  .  .  .  spending  ...  all  the 
loose  cash  remaining  from  the  rape  of 
my  Indian  princess;  for  we  had  both 
of  us  bird  limed  our  fingers  at  our 
departure. 

Bird's-eye,  Bird's-eye  fogle, 
Bird's-eye  wipe,  subs,  (common). 
A  handkerchief  of  any  colour 
spotted  with  eye-like  markings: 
see  Billy. 


Bird^s-nest. 


228 


Bishop. 


1665.  Pepys  Diary,  May  14.  To 
church,  it  being  Whit-Sunday;  my  wife 
very  fine  in  a  new  yellow  bird's-eye 
hood,  as  the  fashion  is  now. 

i86i.  Hughes,  Tom  Brcwti  at 
Oxford,  xviii.  He  wore  a  blue  bird's- 
eye  handkerchief  round  his  neck. 

1876.  Greenwood,  In  Strange  Com- 
pany. Were  they  lurking  at  this  secluded 
spot  until  what  they  thought  was  a  good 
time  to  sheer  off  with  the  'swag'.'  Was 
that  the  swag  tied  up  in  the  blue  birds- 
eye?— 

1883.  Daily  Telegraph,  August  7, 
p.  6,  col.  2.  His  neckerchief  was  of  the 
same  hue  [silver  grey],  with  a  light 
crimson  bird's-eye. 

1901.  People,  April  13,  i.  The  tie 
is"  rather  a  pretty  blue  bird's  eye  pattern. 

BiRD'S-NEST,  stibs.  phr.  (venery).— 
The  female  pudendtim'.  see  mono- 
syllable: also  magpie's  nest. 
Hence  to  go  birdnesting,  to 
whore;  TO  GROUSE  {q.v.):  see 
Greens  and  Ride. 

BiRDSNiE,  siil)s.  (old).— An  Endear- 
ment: cf.  PiGSNIE. 

1661.  Davenport,  City  Night-Cap, 
ii.  Oh  my  sweet  birdsnie,  what  a  wench 
have  I  of  thee! 

BiRD-WITTED,  adj.  (old).— Incon- 
siderate; thoughtless;  easily  im- 
posed on;  'Wild-headed,  not 
.Solid  or  Stayed,  opposed  to  a 
Sober  Wit,'  (B.  E.  and  Grose.) 

1603.  Bacon,  Adv.  Learning,  II. 
(1861),  228.  If  a  child  be  bird-witted, 
that  is,  hath  not  the  faculty  of  attention, 
the  mathematics  giveth  a  remedy  there- 
unto. 

1650.  UsSHER,  Ann.,  VI.,  360.  [He] 
proved  .  .  .  but  a  bird-witted  man. 

BiRK,  subs,  (back  slang). — A  CRIB 
(f.r.),  i.e.,  a  house:  see  Diggings. 

Birmingham.  See  Brummagem. 


Birthday  suit,  sith.  (common).— 
Nakedness;  buff  {q.v.);  in  na- 
ture's GARB  {i].v.) — the  suit  in 
which  Adam  and  Eve  first  saw 
each  other,  and  '  were  not  asham- 
ed '  :  s'habiller  en  sauvage. 

1771.  Smollett,  Humphry  Clinker, 
1.  61.  I  went  in  the  morning  to  a  private 
place,  along  with  the  housemaid,  and 
we  bathed  in  our  birthday  soot. 

1809.  Malkin  GzV  Ä/rt'j  [RoutledgeJ, 
16.    I    will    strip    this  holy  father  to  his 

BIRTHD.W    SUIT. 

Bishop,  siths.  (old). —  l.  A  warm 
drink  :  spec,  wine,  orange  (or 
lemon)  peel,  and  sugar — but 
variously  compounded  ;  similar 
to  FLIP  and  PURL  (^.7'.). 

1703.  English  Spy,  p.  255.  Most 
noble  cracks,  and  worthy  cousin  trumps, 
— permit  me  to  introduce  a  brother  of 
the  togati,  fresh  as  a  new-blown  rose, 
and  innocent  as  the  lilies  of  St.  Clements. 
Be  unto  him  ever  ready  to  promote  his 
wishes,  whether  for  spree  or  sport,  in 
term  and  out  of  term, — against  the 
Inquisition  and  their  bull-dogs — the  town- 
raff  and  the  bargees — well-blunted  or 
stiver  cramped — against  dun  or  don — nob 
or  big-wig — so  may  you  never  want  a 
bumper  of  bishop. 

1738.  Swift,  IVomen  Who  Cry 
Oranges,  wks.,  1755,  iv.,  i.,  278.  Well 
roasted,  with  sugar  and  wine  in  a  cup. 
They'll  make  a  sweet  bishop. 

1753-  '^^'<^  IVorld,  No.  37.  Punch, 
bishop,  cool  tankard,  and  negus  are 
equally  denied  me. 

1836.  Dickens,  Picicwick,  xlviii., 
p.  421.  He  and  the  landlord  were  drink- 
ing a  bowl  of  bishop  together. 

2.  subs.  (American). — A  bustle: 
see  Bird-cage. 

1848.  TiHc  Bustle  [quoted  in  Bart- 
lett,  Dictionary  0/  Americanisms,  p.  42J. 
I  sing  the  bishop,  alias  the  bustle. 


Bishop. 


229 


Bishop. 


1862-75.  Saxe,  Progress.  Imperial 
Fashion  decides  the  gravest  questions 
which  divide  the  world.  If  wrong  may 
not,  by  circumstance,  be  right,  If  black 
cravats  be  more  genteel  than  white, — 
If,  by  her  bishop,  or  her  'grace,' 
alone  A  genuine  lady,  or  a  church,  is 
known. 

3.  (common.) — A  chamber-pot  ; 
a  JERRY  ;  a  JORDAN  :  see  IT. 

4.  (Winchester  College.) — The 
sapling  with  which  a  fagot  is 
bound  together. 

5.  (Old).— ÄI?  quot. 

1598.  Florio,  Worlde  of  IVordes, 
s.  V.  Farfalla,  a  flie  that  hovering 
about  a  candle  burnes  itselfe,  of  some 
called  a  bishop,  which  is  probably  a 
smaller  insect. 

6.  (common). — A  mushroom 
growth  in  the  wick  of  a  burning 
candle  ;  a  waster  {q.v.^  ;  a  thief 
liç.v.), 

1598.  Florio,  Worlde  of  IVordes, 
s.  V.  Fuugo,  that  firy  round  in  a  burning 
candle  called  the  uishop. 

6.  (provincial). — A  pinafore 
or  bib. 

Verb,  (horse-copers') — I.  To 
burn  marks  into  a  horse's  teeth, 
after  he  has  lost  them  by  age  ; 
or,  by  other  deceptive  arts  to 
give  a  good  appearance  to  a  bad 
horse.  By  bishopping,  a  horse 
is  made  to  appear  younger  than 
he  is.  The  expression  is  derived 
from  the  name  of  a  person  who 
initiated  the  practice,  and  has  no 
connection  with  'to  bishop'  =: 
'  to  burn.'  Fr.  rnasquey  en  alezan  ; 
also  maquiller  tin  gayet. 

1727.  R.  Bradley,  Family  Diet., 
vol.  I.,  s.  V.  'Horse.'  This  way  of  making 
a  horse  look  young,  is  by  Horse  Coursers 
called  BisnoriNG. 


1884.  III.  Lon.  News.  23  August,  171, 
col.  2.  To  BISHOP...  a  term...  signi- 
fying the  use  of  deceptive  arts  to  make 
an    old    horse   appear   like   a  young  one. 

2.  (common).  To  murder  by 
drowning.  The  term,  now  ob- 
solete, is  (like  BURKE  and  boy- 
cott) from  the  name  of  an  in- 
dividual. A  man  named  Bishop 
drowned  a  boy  in  Bethnal  Green, 
in  1831,  to  sell  the  body  for 
disssecting  purposes. 

1837.  Barham,  Ing.  Leg.  {Account 
of  a  New  Play).  I  burked  the  papa,  now 
ril  BISHOP  the  son. 

1864.  Athenäum,  p.  559,  col.  i.  We 
have  'to  burke',  and  'to  bishop.' 

3.  (printers'). — To  water  the 
balls  (Halliwell). 

4.  (old). — To  Confirm. 

[?]     Af.    S.    Cantal),    Ff   v.   48,   f.  2. 
And  also  within  the  fyfte  ^^ere. 
Do  that  thei  bischoped  were. 

5.  (old). — To  burn  milk,  por- 
ridge or  the  like;  to  over-roast 
meat  etc.  ;  usually  '  the  bishop  has 
put  his  foot  in  it'  (j«  quot.  1520). 

1520.  TvNDALE,  JF^r^i,  i.  304.  When 
a  thing  speedeth  not  well,  we  borrow 
speech,  and  say,  'the  bishop  hath  blessed 
it';  because  that  nothing  speedeth  well 
that  they  meddle  withal.  If  the  porridge 
be  burnt  too,  or  the  meat  over-wasted, 
we  say,  '  the  bishop  hath  put  his  foot  in 
the  pot',  or  'the  bishop  hath  played  the 
cook';  because  the  bishops  burn  whom 
they  lust. 

1659.  Milton,  Def.  Humh.  Remon.  i. 
Spare  your  ladle,  sir;  it  will  be  as  the 
bishop's  foot  in  the  broth. 

c.  1710.  Swift,  Polite  Conv.  i.  Lady 
Ans.  Why  sure,  Betty,  thou  art  bewitcht  ; 
this  cream  is  burnt  too.  Lady  Sm.  Why, 
Madam,  the  bishop  has  set  his  foot  ìk  it. 

1863.  Mrs.Gaskell,  Sylvia's  Lovers, 
iv.  Have  an  eye  to  th'  milk,  and  see  as 
it  doesna'  boil  o'er,  for  she  canna  stomach 
it  if  it's  bishopped  e'er  so  little. 


Bishops  s-finger .  230 


Bit. 


BiSHOP'S-FINGER,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
A  guide-post  ;  so  called,  accord- 
ing to  Pegge,  because  it  shows 
the  right  way,  but  does  not  go. 
(Halliwell):  cf  finger-post  = 
a  parson. 

BlSMARQUER,  vtrb  (obsolete).— To 
cheat;  to  play  foul  at  cards  or 
billiards.  [From  Prince  Bismarck, 
the  German  Chancellor,  whose 
policy  in  1865-6  roused  the  in- 
dignation of  a  large  section  of 
European  thought.] 

Bit,  Bite,  byte,  subs,  (old  Cant).  — 
I.  Money:  generic:  also  bite  and 
byte:  see  rhino. 

1532.  Use  of  Dice  Play  (Percy  Soc). 
Now  waxen  is  he  so  proud  of  his  gain, 
because  he  hath  gotten  a  new  chain,  fyer 
new  apparel,  and  some  store  of  byte. 

1592.  Defence  of  Conny-Catching, 
in  Greene's  wks.  xi.,  44.  So  some  that 
would  not  stoope  a  farthing  at  cardes 
would  venter  all  the  bvte  in  their  boung 
at  dice. 

1607.  Dekkek,  Jests  to  make  yott 
Merle,  in  wks.  (Grosart)  11.,  328.  If  they 
follow  you  in  the  street,  and  once  know 
where  the  bung  and  the  bit  is,  as  much 
as  to  say  your  purse  and  the  money. 

1608.  Dekker,  Belman  of  London, 
in  wks.  (Grosart)  m.,  122.  To  learne 
before  he  play  what  store  of  Bit  he  hath 
in  his  Bay,  that  is,  what  money  he  hath 
in  his  pursse. 

1789.  Geo.  Parkek,  Life's  Painter, 
149.  Snack  the  bit.  To  share  the  money. 

1834.  H.  AiNSWORTu,  Rook^jood,  bk. 
III.,  ch.  V.  He  is  caught — he  must  'stand 
and  deliver';  then  out  with  the  dummy 
[pocket  book],  and  off  with  the  bit. 

2.  (colloquial.) — A  coin  vary- 
ing in  value  according  to  local- 
ity— usually,  however,  to  the 
silver  piece  of  the  lowest  denomin- 
ation.    Fourpenny    pieces    were 


called  BITS  until  withdrawn  from 
circulation,  and  in  Demerara  the 
term  is  in  general  use  for  the 
same  coin  ;  in  America  bit  = 
a  \2\  cent  piece;  a  defaced 
20  cent  piece  being  a  LONG  BIT. 
A  BIT  is  the  smallest  coin  in 
Jamaica,  equal  to  6d. 

1748.  T.  DvCHE,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Bit  (s.)...  In  the  West  Indies,  it  is  the 
least  piece  of  silver  coin,  which  goes 
current  at  7  pence  half-penny. 

1875.  Scriine?-'s  Magazine,  July,  277. 
For  a  young  city,  San  Francisco  is 
very  much  wedded  to  petty  traditions. 
It  clings  to  the  bit  with  a  deathlike 
tenacity;  clings  to  it  against  all  reason 
and  against  its  own  interests.  The  bit 
is  a  mythical  quantify.  It  is  neither 
twelve  and  a  half  cents,  nor  half  of 
twenty-five;  it  is  neither  fifteen  cents 
nor  ten  cents.  If  you  buy  a  bit's  worth, 
and  throw  down  twenty-five  cents,  you 
get  ten  cents  back  ;  if  you  offer  the  same 
ten  cents  in  lieu  of  a  uit,  you  are  looked 
upon  as  a  mild  sort  of  a  swindler.  And 
yet,  the  bit  is  the  standard  of  minimum 
monetary  value. 

3.  (common). — In  disparage- 
ment— BITS  of  girls,  BITS  of 
children,  BIT  of  a  place,  BIT  OF 
one's  mind  =  candid  (and  un- 
complimentary) criticism,  Ex- 
pression of  opinion  etc.  Origin- 
ally, I'lECE  {see  quot.) 

1630.  Mem.  Sir  R.  Carey,  283.  A 
good  piece  of  a  scholar. 

4.  See  greens  and  infra. 

5.  (thieves'). — A  term  of  im- 
prisonment. Hence  to  do  a 
BIT  =■   to  do  TIME  {q.v.) 

i86g.  Temple  Bar,  xxvi,  75.  The 
next  BIT  I  did  was  a  si.xer. 

A  BIT  on  (racing). — i.  A 
stake;  a  bet. 

1894.  George  Moore,  Esther 
IVaters,  ii.  Oh,  we  did  have  n  fine 
time  then,  for  we  all  had  a  bit  on. 


Bit. 


231 


Bitch. 


1899.  Whiteing,  John  Si.  x.\i.  He 
does  a  bit  now  and  then. 

1900.  White,  West  End,  73.  Said 
he,  it's  about  a  horse  and  important. 
Oh.  put  a  little  bit  on  for  me,  Dickie, 
there's  a  dear!  I  lost  a  tenner  over  your 
last  tip,  said  Mr.  Delane. 

2.  (common). — Drunk  :  see 
SCREWED;  also  BIT.  Hencc,  'he 
has  BIT  his  grannum'  1=  he  is 
very  drunk  (B.  E.J 

A  BIT  OF  SNUG  (or  STAFF), 
subs.  phr.  (venery). —  I.  The  deed 
of  kind:  also  a  bedward  bit. 
2.    The  penis  :  see  prick. 

A  bit  in  the  know,  subs.  phr. 
(common). — Well-informed;  up- 
to-date. 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  8,  A  Fleet- 
street    'pro',    who    on    Monday,  being  a 

BIT    IN   THE    KNOW. 

To  take  or  get  the  bit  (or 

BRIDLE  BETWEEN  THE  TEETH, 
verb.  phr.  (colloquial). — To  run 
riot;  to  cast  aside  discretion, 
caution,  or  scruple;  to  do  one's 
will  at  all  costs,  or  without  con- 
sideration for  others. 

1546.     Hevwood,  Proverbs.  To  take 

THE    BRIDLE    IN   THE   TEETH. 

The  DEVIL  a  bit! /Ar.  (old).— 
An  exclamation  of  dissent:  origin- 
ally, THE  DEVIL  HAVE  THE  BIT 
that  etc. 

1528.  Roy,  Rede  me,  etc.  [Arber], 
65.    The   devil  of  [have],  the  whit  that. 

A  BIT  OFF.    See  Off. 

See  Bite,  verb. 

A   HAIR   OF  THE  DOG  THAT  BIT 

vou.    See  Hair. 


Bitch,  subs,  (old  literary  :  now  low). 
=  1.  A  man  or  woman:  an  epi- 
thet of  extreme  contempt  :  applied 
to  a  man  it  has  became  absolete 
{see  BiTCH-soN),  indeed  in  any 
sense  it  has  long  since  passed 
out  of  decent  usage,  and  in  modern 
parlance  {see  quot.  1546)  bitch  =r 
whore,  as  verb.  ■=.  to  whore  ;  mob- 
row  {q.v>j:  hence  bitchery  = 
whoredom,  harlotry  ;  also  see 
separate  entry. 

1400.  Chester  PL  (1843),  181.  Whom 
calleste  thou  queine  skabde  biche  ? 

c.  1500.  E.  E.  Misc.  (1855),  54.  He 
is  a  schrewed  byche.  In  fayth,  I  trow, 
he  be  a  wyche. 

1532-3.  More,  Confitt.  Tindale,vrVs., 
648,  col.  I.  Such  marriage  is  very  vn- 
lawfuU  leckery  and  plain  abhominable 
bycherv. 

1546.  Heywood,  Proverbs,  158. 
[Oliphant,  Ne-w  Eng.,  i.  500.  A  wife 
complains  that  her  goods  are  wasted  on 
"a  sort  of  dogs  and  sawte  bitches"  ;  the 
last  word  here  takes  the  sense  q{ meretrix\. 

1 575-  J-  Still,  Gammer  Gurton,  11., 
ii.     Come  out,  thou  hungry  needy  bitch. 

1598.  Marston,  ÄÖ.  l'illaitie,  i,i\\, 
188.  He  will  vnline  himselfe  from 
bitchery. 

[?].  Stanyhurst,  Description  0/ 
Ireland  p.  14.  The  quip  sat  as  unseemly 
in  his  mouth  as  for  a  whore  to  repre- 
hend bitchery,  or  for  an  usurer  to  con- 
demn simony. 

1663-1704.  Thomas  Brown,  Works, 
Serious  and  Comical,  in.,  p.  94.  Thither 
run  Sots  purely  to  be  drunk  that  they 
may...  forget...  the  roguery  of  their 
lawyers,  the  bitchery  of  their  paramours, 
or  the  ingratitude  of  the  world. 

1675.  HOBBES,  Odyssey,  xviii.,  310. 
Ulysses  looking  sourly  answered,  You 
bitch. 

1705.  Ward,  Hud.  Rediv.  i,  iv,  11. 
One  Sempstress  in  her  Hut  a  stitching, 
Another  just  strol'd  out  a  Bitching. 


Bitch-booby 


232 


Bite. 


1707.  Ward,  Hud.  Rediv.,  11,  ii,  17. 
Will...  give  him  a  lascivious  Itching  To 
ramble  o'er  the  Town  a  Bitching. 

1712.  Arbuthnot,  yohii  Bull  {17S5), 
9.     An  extravagant  bitch  of  a  wife. 

1750.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  bk. 
XVII.,  iii.  There  was  my  lady  cousin 
Bellaston,  and  my  lady  Betty,  and  my 
lady  Catharine,  and  my  lady  I  don't 
know  who;  damn  me  if  ever  you  catch 
me  among  such  a  kennel  of  hoop-petti- 
coated  bitches. 

1750.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  bk. 
XVII.,  iii.  It  is  an  old  acquaintance  of 
above  twenty  years  standing.  I  can  tell 
you  landlord  is  a  vast  comical  bitch, 
you  will  like  un  hugely. 

1772.  Bridges,  Burlesque  Homer, 
181.  Some  damn'd  old  bitch,  A  Lancashire 
or  Lapland  witch. 

Verb.  (low). — i.     See  supra. 

2.  To  yield  to  give  up  an  at- 
tempt through  fear,  (grose). 

3.  (common.) — To  spoil  ;  to 
bungle. 

To  STAND  BITCH. — To  make 
tea;  to  do  the  honours  of  the  tea 
table;  generally  to  perform  a 
female  part. 

As  DRUNK  AS  A  FIDDLER'S 
BITCH,  phr.  (old).  =:  Very  drunk 
indeed  {Piers  Plowman,  98). 

BiTCH-BOOBY,  subs,  (old  military). — 
A  country  girl  (grose). 

BiTCH-CLOUT,  subs.  phr.  (old). — A 
worthless  woman  :  see  Bitch 
{Cov.  Myst.  218). 

Bitch-daughter,  subs.  phr.  (Hal- 
i.iwEM.). — The  night-mare. 

Bitch-party,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
parly  of  women.  Originally  an 
(Oxford  term  for  a  tea-party,  tea 
being  considered  (grose)  a  bever- 
age only  fit  for  women:  cf.  HEN 
PARTY   and   STAG    party. 


1889.  C.  Whiblev,  In  Cap  and  Gown. 
Characters  of  Freshmen,  p.  176.  'The 
studious  freshman...  goeth  to  a  small 
bitch-partv  and  findeth  his  gown  taken 
"by  mistake."' 

Bitch-son  (mod.  son  of  a  bitch), 
S2ibs.  phr.  (old). — A  term  of  re- 
proach or  contempt. 

[?].  Arihour  and  Merlin,  312. 
Biche-sone!  thou  dravvest  amis. 
Thou  schalt  abigge  it  y-wisl 

1833.  Marry  at,  P,  Simple  (1834), 
446.     You  are  a...   SON  of  a  bitch. 

Bite,  subs,  (old  Cant). — I.  See  Bit. 

2.  (old.) — The  female  puden- 
dum: see  Biter  and  Monosyl- 
lable (B.E.). 

c.  1696.  B.  E.  Diet.  Cant.  Creiv,  s.  v. 
Bite.  The  Cull  wapt  the  Morts  bite,  c. 
the   Fellow    enjoyed    the   Whore  briskly. 

3.  (old). — Imposition  ;  hum- 
bug; a  sell  ;  a  do:  cf.  Bilk,  Bam, 
Bargain,  and  Sell.  The  sense 
runs  through  all  stages,  from 
jocular  hoaxing  to  downright 
swindling.  Also  a  disappoint- 
ment, as  in  the  old  proverb  '  the 
biter  bit."  A  man  is  bitten  when 
he  burns  his  fingers  meddling  in 
matters,  which,  though  promising 
well,  turn  out  failures. — See  also 
CROSS   IUTE. 

1 7 II.  Steele,  Spectator,  No.  156. 
2.  It  was  a  common  bite  with  him,  to 
lay  Suspicions  that  he  was  favoured  by 
a  Lady's  Enemy. 

1721.  Amherst,  Terree  Fil.,  it.,  43. 
Sharpers  would  not  frequent  gaming- 
tables, if  the  men  of  fortune  knew  the 
bite. 

1749.  Smoi.let,  Gil  Bias  {ii\2.]i,i\. 
I  was  as  much  affected  by  this  bite  as 
I  have  since  been  by  misfortunes  of  far 
greater  Consequence. 


Bite. 


233 


Bite. 


1749.  Smollett,  Gil  Bias  (1812) 
vjii,  vii  I  don't  want  a  valet  of  such  a 
religious  deportment;  I  have  been  already 
BIT  by  such  another. 

1772.  Bridges,  Burlesque  Homer, 
177.  He  boasted,  but  it  prov'd  a  bite. 

1817.  Scott,  Rob  Roy,  ix.  'It's  all 
a  bam,  ma'am — all  a  bamboozle  and  a 
BITE,  that  affair  of  his  illness.' 

1846.  Brackenridge,  Mod.  Chiv., 
21.  The  jockeys  suspected  that  the  horse 
was  what  they  call  a  bite,  that  under  the 
appearance  of  leanness  and  stiffness, 
was  concealed  some  hidden  quality  of 
swiftness. 

i860.  Sat.  Ri-i'iew,  Ap.  14,  475,  2. 
That  form  of  practical  joking,  which  in 
the  time  of  'The  Spectator,'  was  known 
as  a  BITE  ...  in  the  popular  slang  of 
the  day,  is  designated  'a  sell.' 

1883.  Daily  N'élus,  Ap.  18,  p.  5.  col.'4. 
Lord  Randolph  Churchill,  we  fear,  has 
been  making  Mr.  Gladstone  the  victim 
of  what,  in  the  slang  of  Addison's  time, 
would  have  been  called  a  bite,  and  what 
in  the  slang  of  our  own  time  is  called  a 
•sell.' 

4.  (old). — A  sharper;  a  cheat; 
a  trickster:  also  BITER,  BILK 
(B.E.  c.  1696). 

1669.  Nicker  Nicked,  in  Hart.  Misc. 
(ed.  Park),  ii.,  108.  [Biter  is  given  in 
a  list   of  names   of  cheats  and  thieves.] 

1680.  Cotton,  Complete  Gamester, 
in  Singer's  Hist.  Playing  Cards  (1816),  p. 
333.  Hectors,  setters,  gilts,  pads,  biters, 
etc ,  and  these  may  all  pass  under  the 
general  appellation  of  rooks. 

1709.  Steele,  Taller,  No.  12.  A 
BITER,  who  is  a  dull  fellow,  that  tells 
you  a  lye  with  a  grave  face,  and  laughs 
at  you  for  knowing  him  no  better  than 
to  believe  him. 

1711.  Spectator,  T^o.  47.  These  gent- 
lemen are  commonly  distinguished  by 
the  name  of  biters:  a  r.-ice  of  men 
that  are  perpetually  employed  in  laugh- 
ing at  those  mistakes  which  are  of  their 
own  production. 


17U.  Spectator,  No.  504.  A  biter 
is  one  who  tells  yon  a  thing  you  have  no 
reason  to  disbelieve  in  itself,  and  perhaps 
has  given  you,  before  he  bit  you,  no 
reason  to  disbelieve  it  for  his  saying  if, 
and  if  you  give  him  credit,  laughs  in  your 
face,  and  triumphs  that  he  has  deceived 
you. 

1742.  Fielding,  Miss  Lucy  (1762), 
176.  Is  this  wench  an  idiot,  or  a  bite.' 
Marry  me,  with  a  pox! 

1751.  Smollett,  Peregrine  Pickle., 
xcviii.  From  which  circumstance  it 
was  conjectured  that  Peregrine  was  a 
BITE  from  the  beginning,  who  had  found 
credit  on  account  of  his  effrontery  and 
appearance,  and  imposed  himself  upon 
the  town  as  a  young  gentleman  of 
fortune. 

1787.  S.  Jenvns,  in  Dodslcy,  in.,  169. 
The   fool   would  fain  be  thought. a  bite. 

1 81 2.  CooMBE,  Syntax  Picturesque, 
.\ix. 

Pray  have  you  travell'd  so  far  north, 
To  think  we  have  so  little  wit. 
As  by  such  bitkrs  to  be  bit? 

5.  (common). — One  who  drives 
a  hard  bargain  ;   a  '  close  fist.' 

6.  (common). — A  Yorkshire- 
man.     See  Daily  Nru's,  Sept.  11, 

1883,  and    Yorkshire  Fosl,  ]an.  g-, 

1884.  See  Tike. 

1883.  Daily  News,  Sept.  4,  p.  5, 
col.  6.  The  great  and  puissant  race  known 
indifferently  as  'tykes'  or  bites. 

7.  (printers'). — An  irregular 
white  spot  on  the  edge  or  corner 
of  a  printed  page,  caused  by  the 
frisket  not  being  sufficiently  cut 
out. 

1677.  MoxoN,  Mech.  Exerc.  in  Sav- 
age Diet.  Print,  s.v.  Bite.  If  the  frisket 
is  not  sufficiently  cut  away,  but  covers 
some  part  of  the  form,  so  that  it  prints 
on  the  frisket,  it  is  called  a  bite. 

1884.  Blades,  Caxton,  130.  In  '  Spec- 
ulum Vitœ  Christi'  we  actually  find  a 
BITE,  half  of  the  bottom  line  remaining 
unprinted. 


Bite. 


234 


Bite. 


Verb  (old). — I.  To  deceive; 
to  cheat;  to  swindle;  to  do  \q.v.')\ 
to   TAKE  IN  iq.v);   TO  SELL  (^.f.)- 

16Ó9.  Nicker  Nicked,  in  Hart.  Misc. 
(ed.  Park),  ii.,  log.  Then  a  rook  .  .  . 
follows  him  close,  and  engages  him  in 
advantageous  bets,  and  at  length  worries 
him,  that  is  gets  all  his  money,  and  then 
they  smile  and  say,  'The  lamb  is  bitten.' 

c.  i6g6.  B.  E.  Diet.  Cant.  Cre-w,  s.v. 
Bit,  c.  Robb'd,  Cheated  or  Out-witted. 
Also  Drunk,  as,  he  has  bit  his  Grannam  ; 
he  is  very  Drunk,  bit  the  BI(kv,  c.  ac- 
complish'd  the  Theft,  plaied  the  Cheat, 
or  done  the  Feat  :  Voi-i  have  bit  a  great 
Blow,  c.  you  have  Robb'd  somebody  of 
a  great  deal,  or  to  a  considerable  value. 
Ibid.  BITE  the  Bil  from  the  Cull  c.  whip 
the  Sword  from  the  Gentleman's  side. 
Ibid.  BITE  the  Cully,  c.  to  put  the  cheat 
on  the  silly  Fellow.  Ibid,  bite  the  Biter, 
c.  to  Rob  the  Rogue,  Sharp  the  Sharper, 
or  Cheat  the  Cheater. 

1709.  Steele,  Tatler,  No.  12.  Nay, 
he  has  bit  you  fairly  enough,  that's 
certain. 

1724.  A  "Joiirney  through  England. 
Many  a  poor  German  hath  been  bit  by 
an  ordinary  or  his  taylor,  after  this  man- 
ner; they  have  suffered  the  poor  wretch 
to  run  in  debt,  made  him  an  extravagant 
bill,  and  then  arrested  him,  and  so 
forced  him  to  pay  their  demands. 

1731.  Fielding,  The  Lottery,  Sc.  3. 
However,  Madam,  you  are  bit  as  well  as 
I  am  ;  for  I  am  no  more  a  lord  than  you 
are  a  fortune. 

1772.  Bkidges,  Burlesque  Homer, 
314.  When  Vulcan  saw  his  dad  was  bit. 

1822.  [NaresJ  Love  iti  a  Barn,  an 
old  ballad. 

He  shall  not  have  my  maiden-head, 

I  solemnly  do  swear; 
But  I'll  BITE  him  of  u  portion, 

Then  marry  with  Ralph,  my  dear. 

1838.  Thackeray,  Vellowplush  Me- 
moirs, X.  'You  were  completely  bitten, 
my  boy — humbugged,  bam-boozled — ay, 
and  by  your  old  father,  you  dog.' 


1853.  Thackeray,  Barry  Lyndon, 
xvii.,  232.  I  have  no  particular  pleas- 
ure in  recalling  my  Newmarket  doings. 
I  was  infernally  bit  and  bubbled 
in  almost  every  one  of  my  transactions 
there. 

1854.  Martin  and  Aytoun,  Bon 
Gaultier  Ballads.  'The  biter  bit.'  And 
if  you'd  please,  my  mother  dear,  your 
poor  desponding  child.  Draw  me  a  pot 
of  beer,  mother,  and  mother!  draw  it 
mild. 


2.     (common). — To 
hard  bargain. 


strike 


3.  (old). — To  steal  ;  e.g.,  to 
BITE  the  roger  =  to  steal  a  port- 
manteau ;  to  BITE  the  wiper  = 
to  pmloin  a  handkerchief.  (B.  E. 
and  GROSE). 

4.  (old). — To  grieve. 

1614.  Terence  in  English.  Male  habet 
virum.     It   grieveth  him,  it  biteth  him. 

IniJ.  (old). — I.  An  equivalent 
of  the  modern  SOLD  !  {q.v.)  DONE  ! 
{q.v.)  etc. 

1704.  CiBBER,  Careless  Husband. 
Act.  iii.  Ld.  Mo.  'Tis  possible  I  may  not 
have  the  same  regard  to  her  frown  that 
your  Lordship  has.  Ld.  Fop.  That's  bite, 
I'm  sure;  he'd  give  a  joint  of  his  little 
finger   to   be   as   well    with  her  as  I  :im. 

1738.  Swift,  Polite  Conversation 
(conv.  i.).  Miss.  I'm  sure  the  gallows 
groans  for  you.  Nev.  Bite,  Miss;  I  was 
but  in  jest. 

1714.  Addison,  Spectator,  No.  514. 
It  is  a  superstition  with  some  surgeons 
who  beg  the  bodies  of  condemned  male- 
factors, to  go  to  the  gaol  and  bargain  for 
the  carcass  with  the  criminal  himself. 
. . .  The  fellow  who  killed  the  ofticer 
of  Newgate,  very  forwardly,  and  like  a 
man  who  was  willing  to  deal,  told  him, 
'Look  you,  Mr.  Surgeon,  that  little  dry 
fellow,  who  has  been  half  starved  all  his 
life,    is    now    half  dead    with   fear,    can- 


Bite. 


235 


Bite. 


not  answer  your  purpose.,.  Come,  for 
twenty  shillings  I  am  your  man.'  Says 
the  Surgeon.  'Done,  there's  a  guinea.' 
This  witty  rogue  took  the  money,  and 
as  soon  as  he  had  it  in  his  fist,  cries, 
'BITE,  I  am  to  be  hanged  in  chains.' 

2.  (Charterhouse). — A  warn- 
ing =   Cave! 

When  the  maggot  bites, 
phr.  (common). — When  the  fancy 
takes  one;  at  one's  own  sweet 
will.  When  a  person  acts  from 
no  apparent  motive,  he  is  said 
to  have  'a  maggot  in  his  head,' 
'a  bee  in  his  bonnet';  or  (in 
French)  des  rats  dans  la  tête-,  in 
Platt-Deutsch;  a  mouse-nest  in 
his  head. 

To  BITE  one's  hips,  verb.  phr. 
(tailors'). — To  regret  a  word  or 
action. 

To  BITE  one's  name  IN,  verb, 
phr.  (common). — To  drink  heavily; 
to  tipple  :  see  screwed. 

To  BITE  ON  THE  BRIDLE  (or 
BIT),  verb.  phr.  (old). — To  be 
pinched  in  circumstances  ;  to  be 
reduced;  to  be  in  difficulties. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.  s.v. 
Bite,  to  bite  on  the  bit;  to  be  pinched, 
or  reduced  to  hard  Meat,  a  scanty  or 
sorry  sort  of  Living. 

To  BITE  THE  EAR  (or  NOSE), 
verb.  phr.  (old). — i.  An  endear- 
ment :  also  BITE. 

1595.  Shakspeare,  Romeo,  ii.  4. 
Mer.  1  will  BITE  thee  bv  the  ear  for 
that  jest. 

1610.    JoNSON,  Alchemist,  ii.  3. 
Thou   hast   witch'd   me,  rogue;  take,  go. 
Slave,  I  could  bite  thine  ear. 
Away,  thou  dost  not  care  for  me! 

1636.  Suckling,  Goblins  [Dodsley, 
Old  Plays  (Reed)],  x.  147.  Rare  rogue 
in  buckram,  let  me  bite  thee. 


2.     (common). — To  borrow. 

1879.  J.  W.  HoRSLEV,  Macm.  Mag., 
xl.  502.  He  used  to  want  to  bitk  my 
EAR  (borrow)  too  often. 

To  BITE  THE  THUMB,  verb.  phr. 
(old). — To  make  a  gesture  of 
contempt  :  formerly  regarded  as 
a  gross  insult.  [Nares:  the  thumb 
in  the  action  represented  a  fig, 
and  the  whole  was  equivalent  to 
'  a  fig  for  you.']  There  are  several 
gestures  of  this  kind.  That  best 
known  is  probably  taking  a 
SIGHT  {q.v.).  A  similar  gesture 
of  contempt  is  used  in  France. — 
The  '  BITING  THE  THUMB  '  spoken 
of  in  Romeo  and  J-uliet:  the  nail 
of  the  thumb  is  placed  under  the 
front  teeth  of  the  upper  jaw,  the 
thumb  being  jerked  forward. 
Another  contemptuous  action  is 
placing  the  thumb  between  the 
closed  fore  and  middle  fingers  ; 
while  according  to  Darwin's 
Expression  of  the  Emotions,  the 
Dakota  Indians  of  North  America 
show  '  contempt  conventionally  by 
the  hand  being  closed  and  held 
near  the  breast  ;  then,  as  the  fore 
arm  is  suddenly  extended,  the 
hand  is  opened  and  the  fingers 
separated  from  each  other.  If 
the  person  at  whose  expense  the 
sign  is  made  is  present,  the  hand 
is  moved  towards  him  and  the 
head  sometimes  averted  from  him.' 
This  sudden  extension  and  open- 
ing of  the  hand  perhaps  indicates 
the  dropping,  or  throwing  away, 

valueless  object. 

1595.  Shakespeare,  Romeo  and 
Juliet,  i.,  I.  I  will  bite  mv  thiimb  at 
them  ;  which  is  a  disgrace  to  them  if 
they  bear  it. 

1596.  Lodge,  Wit's  Miserie.  Behold 
next  I  see  Contempt  marching  forth, 
giving  me  the  fies,  with  his  thombe  in 
HIS  mouth. 


Biter. 


236 


Bit-of-niusUn. 


1638.  Randolph,  Muses'  L.  Glass, 
Old.  Pl.,  ix.,  220.  Dogs  and  pistols!  To 
BITE  HIS  THUMB  at  me  !  Wear  I  a  sword 
to  see  men  bite  their  thumbs? 

1678.  Rides  of  Civility,  transi,  from 
French,  p.  44.  'ïis  no  less  disrespectful 
TO  bite  the  nail  of  your  thumb,  by 
way  of  scorn  and  disdain,  and  drawing 
your  nail  from  between  your  teeth,  to 
tell  them  you  value  not  this  what  they 
can  do. 

To     MAKE     TWO     BITES     OF     A 

Cherry,  verb.  phr.  (common). — 
To  make  more  ado  than  is 
necessary. 

1825.  Scott,  St.  Ronan's  Well,  x.  I 
RECKON  you'll  be  selling  out  the  whole — it's 
needless  making  two  bites  of  a  cherry. 

General  phrases: — To  bite 
UPON  the  bridle  =  to  wait 
impatiently  like  a  restless  horse  ; 

TO     BITE     the     dust     (GROUND, 

SAND),  etc,  =  to  die  ;  to  bite  the 
TONGUE  :=  to  repress  speech. 

Biter,  See  Bite. 

2.   (old). — An  amorous  woman. 

Bite-sheep,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
bishop. 

1555.  Bradford  [Oliphant,  Nezu 
Eng.  i.  541.  (He)  seems  to  have  first 
used  the  favourite  pun  of  bite-sheep  for 
bishop.]. 

1659.  Gauden,  Tears  of  the  Church, 
617  'who  called  the  Bishops,  the  Popes, 
the  Antichrists,  the  Bite-Sheeps,  the 
Oppressors,'  etc.  and  goes  on  to  say, 
'These  foule  glosses  first  made  by  Martin 
Marprelate.' 

Bite-up,  subs.  phr.  (tailors').— An 
unpleasant  altercation.  Hence  to 
bite  up  =  to  grieve  ;  to  lament 
loss  or  absence. 

Bit-faker  (or  maker),  subs.  phr. 
(thieves'). — A  coiner:  also  tur- 
ner-out (i'.î'.)i  whence  bit- 
faking  =  counterfeiting. 


1857.  Snowden,  Mag.  Assistant,  3 
ed.,  p.  447.    Coiners  —  bit-makers. 

BIT-O'-BULL,  stibs.  phr.  (old). — 
Beef:  Fr. ^'W(^^/ (properly,  a  dainty 
morsel). 

BIT-OF-BLOOD,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  high-spirited  horse  ;  a 
thoroughbred. 

i8ig.  Moore,  Tom  Crib's  Memorial 
10.  C — N  N — G  came  in  a  job,  and  then 
canter 'd  about  On  a  showy,  but  hot 
and  unsound,  bit  of  blood. 

1843.  Dickens,  Martin  ChuzzUwit, 
II.,  p.  156.  Not  that  we  slacken  in  our 
pace  the  while,  not  we  :  we  rather  put 
the  BITS  OF  blood  upon  their  mettle. 

BiT-OF-CAVALRY,  snbs.  phr.  (old).— 
A  horse. 

1S21.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and  Jerry, 
i.,  6.  I  shall  here  buy  a  bit  of  cavalry 
— that  is  a  prad,  on  your  judgment. 

Bit-OF-EBONY,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  negro  or  negress  :  see 
Snowball. 

BiT-OF-FAT,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
I.  An  imexpected  advantage  :  also 
bit  of  pudding. 

2.     (printers').     See  fat. 

BiT-OF-HARD  (or  STIFF),  subs.  phr. 
(venery). — The  penis:  see   prick, 

Bit-of-jaivi.     See  jam. 

Bit-OF-LEAF,  subs.  phr.  (thieves').— 
tobacco:  c/.  weed. 

1876.  Greenwood,  Gaol  Birds  at 
Large.  The  same  rigid  rule  is  in  force  at 
Portland.  I  suppose  it  is  because  the  con- 
victs almost  to  a  man  set  such  a  liigh 
value  on  a  bit  of  leaf,  regarding  it  as 
the  greatest  luxury  of  their  lives,  that  the 
authorities  are  so  severe  in  their  endeav- 
ours to  keep  it  from  them.  But  they 
get  it  for  all  that. 

BiT-OF-MUSLIN,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  young  girl  ;  spec,  a 
prostitute:  also  BIT  OF  stuff: 
see  tart. 


Bit-of-mutton. 


^17 


Biz. 


1899.  Whiteing,  John  St.,  vi.  She's 
a  neat  little  bit  o'  muslin,  ain't  she  now  ? 

BiT-OF-MUTTON,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  woman  ;  spec,  a  prosti- 
tute,  LACED  MUTTON,  set  TART. 

BiT-OF-STICKS,  subs.  phr.  (sport- 
ing).— A  copse. 

BiT-OF-STIFF,  subs. phr.  (common). — 
A  bank-note,  or  otiier  paper 
money  ;  tlie  equivalent  of  money 
when  not  in  specie,  i.e.,  a  draft 
or   bill   of  exchange.   Hence,  TO 

DO   A   BIT   OF   STIFF   =   tO   accept 

a  bill. 

1854.  Lever,  D odd  Family  Abroad, 
I.,  313.  I'm  sorry  that  bit  of  stiff, 
meaning  the  bill,  wasn't  for  five  thousand 
francs. 

1S76.  HiNDLEV,  Life  and  Adven- 
litres  of  a  Cheap  Jack,  234.  He  liked 
to  have  the  party's  name  written  across  a 
piece  of  paper  with  a  stamp  attached, 
commonly  called  a  bit  of  stiff. 

BIT-OF-STUFF,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— An  overdressed  man  ;  one  who 
fancies  himself!  with  full  con- 
fidence in  his  appearance  and 
abilities.     2.    A    young   woman  ; 

also    BIT   OF   MUSLIN. 

1835.  Marryat,  Jacob  Faithful,  ch. 
xxiii.  'One  night  he  says  tome,  "Will, 
come  up  and  I'll  show  you  a  devilish  fine 
PIECE  of  stuff."  So  I  walks  with  him, 
and  he  takes  me  to  a  shop  where  they 
dealed  in  marine  stores,  and  we  goes  and 
finds   your    mother  in  the  back  parlour.' 

Bitter,  stibs.  (colloquial). — A  glass 
of  bitter  ale  :  cf.  bass  etc.  Hence 
to  do  a  bitter  ^  to  drink  beer. 

1853.  Rev.  E.  Bradley  ('Cuthbert 
Eede  '),  Verdant  Green,  ist.,  iii.,  ch.  x. 
Mr.  Verdant  Green  and  Mr.  Bouncer... 
turned  into  the  cofi'ee-room  of  '  The  Mitre  ', 
to  do  bitters,  as  Mr.  Bouncer  phrased 
the  act  of  drinking  bitter  beer. 


c.  1S82.  Comic  Song,  'The  West  End 
Boys,'  3.  Known  by  the  title  of  the  West 
End  Boys.  They  commence  their  evening 
with  cigars.  And  '  How-d'ye-do,  dear,' 
at  the  bars.  'Another  bitter,  I  really 
can't  go.' 

1893.  Crackanthorpe,  IVreckage, 
125.  Mary,  two  bitters  and  a  small 
Scotch  to  the  Commercial  Room,  and  a 
large  Irish  for  Mr.  Hays  here. 

BittoCK,  subs,  (originally  provin- 
cial ;  now  common). — A  distance 
of  very  undecided  length.  If  a 
North  countryman  be  asked  the 
distance  to  a  place,  he  will  most 
probably  reply,  '  a  mile  and  a 
BITTOCK.'  The  latter  may  be 
considered  any  distance  from  one 
hundred  yards  to  ten  miles. 
Also  of  time. 

1802.  J.  Wilson  ('Congleton ')  M.  S. 
Let.  to  F.  Boucher.  Bittock,  a  small 
piece  or  small  bit;  Cheshire. 

1816.  Scott,  Old  Mortality.  To 
Chamwood,  madam?  It's  unco  late,  and 
it's  sax  miles  an'  a  bittock  down  the 
water, 

1884.  Daily  News,  April  15,  4, 
7.  Edinburgh  University  is  three  hundred 
years  and  a  bittock. 

Bitwise,  adv.  (colloquial).— Little 
by  little, 

Bivvy  (or  Gatter)  subs,  (provin- 
cial).—Beer,  SHANT  OF  BIVVY  = 
a  pot  of  beer  ;  probably  from 
the  Italian,  bevere,  bere.  Latin, 

BIBERE. 

Biz,  subs,  (originally  American, 
now  general). — Business  ;  employ- 
ment; occupation.  Good  biz  = 
profitable  business. 

1882.  Democracy,  vii.  A  number  of 
gentlemen  were  waiting  for  interviews 
with  the  President,  and  among  them 
was  the  whole  Pennsylvania  delegation, 
ready  for  biz,  as  Mr.  Tom  Lord  remarked, 
with  a  wink. 


Bizzle. 


238 


Black. 


1884.  Saturday  Review,  Jan.  5,  13. 
2.  It  is  satisfactory  to  learn  from  the 
conductor  of  the  circus  that  biz  is  very 
fair. 

1889.  Ally  Sloper,  Aug.  17,  262, 
I.  We  understand,  though  we  cannot 
vouch  for  the  truth  of  th«  statement, 
that  a  New  York  lady,  moving  in  the 
best  society,  while  twisting  some  worsted, 
hit  upon  the  idea  of  applying  a  little 
system  of  her  own  to  a  larger  field  than 
mere  yarn,  so  she  invented  a  machine 
for  twisting  wire  rope,  and  has  sold  the 
patent  for  ;{Jio,ooo  and  a  royalty  upon 
future  sales.     Very  good  biz,  this,  eh  ! 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  64.  It  will 
be  much  the  best  biz  If  you  keep  all 
your  dreams  in  the  family,  Liz. 

1902.     S  p.  Times,  i  Feb.  i.  4. 
She    says    for    the    lawyer    there'll    soon 

be  some  biz. 
Because  his  ways  ain't  her  ways,  and  her 

ways  ain't  his. 

Bizzle.    Set  Bezzle. 

B.  K.  S.,  subs,  (military). — Barracks  ; 
see  quot. 

1887.  Standard,  10  Feb.,  5.  2. 
B.  K.  s.,  used  by  officers  'in  mufti,'  who 
do  not  wish  to  give  their  address. 

Blab,  subs,  (vulgar).  I.  A  bab- 
bler: a  depraved  word,  once  iu 
common  use,  but  rarely  employed 
now.coUoquially.  (Grose).  Hence, 
2.  loose  talk,  chatter.  Also  as 
verb.,  and  in  various  compounds 
and  allied  forms,  such  as  blabber 
=  (a)  to  talk  idly,  and  (/')  to 
put  out  the  tongue  loosely;  blab- 
bing =:  inconsequent  chatter  and 
revealing  of  secrets;  blabbing- 
BOOK  z=  a  tell-tale. 

[?].     M.  S.  Digby,  41,  f  3. 
Whi    presumyst   thou   so   proudli  to  pro- 

phecie  these  thingis. 
And  wost  no  more  what  thou  dlaberest 

than  Balames  asse. 

1402.  OcCLEVE  \kn.^E.\i,  Eng.  Garner 
>v.  54].  [The  old  ulabek  is  cut  down 
to  blab]. 


1629.  Sclwole  of  good  Manners,  To 
mocke  anybody  by  blabboring  out  the 
tongue  is  the  part  of  waghalters  and 
lewd  boyes,  not  of  well  mannered  children. 

1641.  Milton,  Animad.  upon  the 
Remons.  De/.,  etc.  But  these  are  the 
nettlers  these  are  the  blabbing  books 
that  tell. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Creiv,  8.  v. 
Blab,  a  Sieve  of  Secrets,  a  very  prating 
Fellow  that  tells  all  he  knows. 

i8og.  JMalkin-,  Gil  Bias  [Rout- 
ledge],  43.  Of  which  I  should  never 
have  known,  but  for  that  blab  Inésilla. 
lòid.  94.  That  BLAB,  the  sun. 

1S38.  Dickens,  Oliver  Twist.  "He 
has  not  peached  so  far,"  said  the  Jew. . . 
"If  he  means  to  blab  us  among  his  new 
friends,  we  may  slap  his  mouth  yet." 

Blabber-lipped,  adj.  phr.  (old).— 
Having  thick  lips.  Huloet  trans- 
lates it  by  Achilles.  Cf.  Florio,  in 
v.  Chilene. 

1606.  Chapman,  Mons.  d'Olive,  v.  i. 
Van.  My  poore  cosin  that  attends  the 
Dutchesse,  Lady  Jeronime.  Eur.  What, 
that  BLABERLIPT  blouse? 

Black,  subs.  (old). —  i.  A  poacher 
working  with  a  blackened  face 
(1722). 

2.  (old). — A  mute  (1619). 

3.  (old). — Generic  for  mischief 
and  malign  influence:  e.g.  a  black 
{=.  unfortunate,  or  unpropitious) 
DAY;  A  BLACK  (=  very  great) 
SHAME;    A   BLACK  {=  Unfeeling) 

HEART;     A     BLACK     (=     mischief- 

working)  WITCH;  black  (=  foul) 

MOUTHED;   etc. 

Phrases: — To  look  black  = 
to  frown,  to  scowl,  to  look  ang- 
rily ;   TO   say   black   IS  ANYONE'S 

EYE,  (eyebrow,  nail,  etc.)  =  to 
find  fault,  to  lay  to  charge:  a 
modern  rendering  is  black  is 
the  white  ok  your  EYE;  BLACK- 
BABBLING  =   malicious  talk. 


Black  Act. 


239 


Black-and-white . 


e,  1400.  OCCLEVE,  MS.  Soc.  Antiq. 
134,  f.  267.  To  riche  and  myjty  man, 
thoute  he  trespace,  No  man  sayeth  onis 

that    BLAK    IS    HIS    YZE. 

[?j.  The  Tell  Tale,  Duhvich  College 
MS.  Why,  yow  have  named  yt  a  fooles, 
madam.  A  foole  may  doe  all  things,  and 
no  man  say  black's  his  eye. 

1528.  Rov,  Sat.  (1845).  They  eate 
their    belies    full....     And    none    sayth 

BLACKE    IS    HIS    EYE. 

1583.  Stubbs,  Anatomie  0/  Abuses, 
65.  And  then  no  man  say  blacke  is 
THEIR  EYE,  but  all  is  well,  and  they  as 
good  Christians,  as  those  that  suffer  them 
unpunished. 

1625.  JONSON,  Staple  of  News,  ist 
Intermean.  He  is  the  very  justice  o' 
peace  of  the  play,  and  can  commit  whom 
he  will,  and  what  he  will,  error,  absurdity, 
as  the  toy  takes  him,  and  no  man  say 
black  is  his  EYE,  but  laugh  at  him. 

1633.  Shirley,  Bird  in  Cage  [Dods- 
LEV,  Old  Plays  (Reed)  viii.  233].  If  you 
have  a  mind  to  rail  at  'em,  or  kick  some 
of  their  loose  flesh  out,  they  sha'  not 
say  black's  your  eye,  nor  with  all  their 
lynx's  eyes  discover  you. 

1647.  Beaumont  and  Fletcher, 
Love's  Cure,  iii.,  i.  I  can  say  black's 
YOUR  eye,  though  it  be  grey;  I  have 
conniv'd  at  this  your  friend,  and  you. 

1750.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  ix.,  iv. 
The  house  is  well  known  to  be  a  house  of 
as  good  reputation  as  any  on  the  road,  and, 
though  I  say  it,  is  frequented  by  gentry 
of  the  best  quality,  both  Irish  and  Eng- 
lish. I  defy  anybody,  to  say  black  is 
MY  EVE,  for  that  matter. 

BLACK  Act.  See  black  art. 

BLACKAMOOR,  subs.  (old). —  I.  A 
negro  ;  any  darkskinned  person  : 
originally  not  in  depreciation,  but 
used  as  a  nickname  (1547). 

2.     (Old). — A  devil  ;  a  demon  ; 
an  evil  spirit  (1663). 

BLACKAMOOR'S-TEETH,  sttbs.  phr. 
(old). — Cowrie  shells — the  cur- 
rency of  some  savage  tribes. 


1700.  W.  King,  Transactioneer,  36. 
He  has  shells  called  blackmoore's  teeth, 
I  suppose...   from   their  whiteness. 

171g.  W.  Wood,  Surv.  Trade,  334. 
Known  by  the  Name  of  Cowries  amongst 
Merchants,  or  of  dlackamokes'  teeth 
among  other  Persons. 

BLACK-AND-BLUE,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
The  result  of  violent  beating. 
Huloet  has,  "beaten  blacke  and 
bloo,  suggillatus." 

[?]  M.S.  Coll.  yes.  Cantab.  Q.y.J. 
Dismember  hym  naght,  that  on  a  tre 
For  the  was  made  bothe  blak  and  blO. 

BLACK-AND-TAN,  subs,  (vagrants').— 
Porter  (or  stout)  and  ale,  mixed 
in  equal  quantities. 

Black-and-tan  Country,  subs. phr. 
(American).=The  Southern  States 
of  North  America. 

Black-and-white,  subs.  phr.  (collo- 
quial).— Writing;  printing;  the 
black  characters  of  print  or  writing 
on  white  paper.  Hence,  TO  put 
A  thing  down  in  black  and 
WHITE  =  to  preserve  it  in  writ- 
ing or  in  print  :  black  on  white  is 
a  variant. 

1596.  JoNSON,  Every  Man  in  His 
Humour,  iv.,  ii.  I  have  it  here  in  black 
AND  WHITE.     {Pulls  out  the  Warrant]. 

1667.  Shirley,  Love  Tricks,  ii.,  2. 
Gov.  [with  a  letter]...  Alas,  poor  gentle- 
man! Little  does  he  think  what  black 
AND  WHITE  is  here. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
Black  and  white,  under  one's  Hand,  or 
in  Writing. 

1712.  Spectator,  No.  286.  My  desire 
is.  Sir,  that  you  will  be  pleased  to  give 
us,  in  black  and  white,  your  opinion 
in  the  matter  of  dispute  between  us. 

1714.  Spectator,  'Ho.  616.  They  had 
like  to  have  dumfounded  the  justice;  but 
his  clerk  came  in  to  his  assistance,  and 
took  them  all  down  in  black  and  white. 


Black- Apr 07ily. 


240 


Blackbird. 


1753.  Richardson,  Grandison,  ii.  69. 
Now  am  I  down  in  black  and  white 
for  a  tame  fool;  is  it  not  so? 

1837.  Carlyle,  French  Rei'oUition, 
in.,  bk.  11.,  viii.  His  accounts  lie  all  ready, 
correct  in  black  and  white  to  the 
uttermost  farthing.  Ibid.  Misc.  iii.  79. 
The  original  covenant,  stipulating  to 
produce  Paradise  Lost  on  the  one 
hand  and  five  pounds  sterling  on  the 
other  still  lies  (we  have  been  told)  in 
ELACK-ON-WHITE,  for  inspection  and  pur- 
chase by  the  curious,  at  a  bookshop  in 
Chancery  Lane. 

1874.  Mrs.  H.  Wood,  Johnny  Lud- 
IcTM,  I  S.,  No.  xii.,  202.  A  man  can't 
so  much  as  put  on  a  pair  of  clean 
stockings  in  the  morning,  but  it's  laid 
before  high  quarters  in  black  and  white 
at  mid-day  by  the  secret  police  ! 

BLACK-APRONLY,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
The  clerical  and  legal  professions 
(1832). 

Black-arse,  stibs.  phr.  (old). — A 
kettle  ;  a  pot. 

Black  Art,  szibs.  phr.  (old). — i. 

Picking  of  locks  ;  burglary. 

1591.  Greene,  Conny-Catch.,  Wks., 
1883,  II.,  X.,  72.  I  can  set  down  the  sub- 
tiltie  of  the  blacke  art,  which  is  pick- 
ing of  lockes. 

1608.  Dekker,  Belinan  of  Land., 
Wks.,  1884-5,  III-.  137-  This  blacke 
art....  is  called  in  English,  Picking 
of  Lockes. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  Black  art,  the  art  of 
picking  a  lock. 

i8ii.  Lexicon  Balatroniciim.  [The 
definition  given  is  the  same  as  that  of 
Grose,  as  above-mentioned.] 

2.     (undertakers'.) — The    busi- 
ness of  an  undertaker  :  cf.  black 

WORK. 

1861.  Sala,  Seven  .Sons  of  Mam- 
mon,  I.,  78.  Rich  men's  funerals  in  the 
first  Style  of  black  art. 


Black-bag,  sttbs.  phr.  (old). — A 
pleader  in  the  Law  Courts:  also 

GREEN-BAG   {q.V^. 

1654.     Witts  Recr. 
If  souldiers  may  obtain  four  terms  of  war, 
Muskets    should    be    the    pleaders,  pikes 

the  bar  ; 
For    black-bags,   bandeliers,  jackets  for 

gowns, 
Angels  for  fees,  we'll  take  no  more  crackt 

crowns. 

Black-ball.  See  pill. 

Blackballing,  subs,  (nautical).  - 
Stealing,  pilfering:  the  word 
originated  amongst  the  employ- 
ees of  the  old  Black  Ball  Line 
of  steamers  between  New- York 
and  Liverpool — the  cruelty  and 
scandalous  conduct  of  officers  to 
men,  and  sailors  to  each  other, 
were  so  proverbial  that  the  line 
of  vessels  in  question  became 
known  all  over  the  world  for 
the  cruelty  of  its  officers,  and  the 
thieving  propensities  of  its  sailors. 

BLACKBEETLES,  subs.  pi.  (old)— 
The  lower  strata  of  society:  ob- 
solete. 

1821.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and  Jerry, 
ii.,  6.  Jerry:  Tom,  here's  a  group  of 
BLACKBEETLES — do  you  See  those  lovely 
mendicants? 

Blackberry-swagger,  subs.  phr. 
(common). — A  hawker  of  tapes, 
boot-laces,  etc. 

Blackbird,  subs,  (popular). — For- 
merly an  African  captive  on 
board  a  slaver;  now  generally 
understood  as  referring  to  a 
Polynesian  indentured  labourer, 
who,  if  not  by  name  a  slave,  is 
often  one  to  all  intents  and  pur- 
poses. Hence  black-iîirder  = 
a  slave  (or  coolie)  hunting  vessel  ; 
and,  as  verb.  =z  To  capture  negroes 
or  Polynesians  ;  to  kidnap. 


Black-Bitch. 


241 


Black-coat. 


1881.  Chequered  Career,  180.  The 
white  men  on  board  knew  that  if  once 
the  BLACKBIRDS  burst  the  hatches. . .  they 
would  soon  master  the  ship. 

1883.  Graphic,  April  21,  398,  col. 
I.  The  day  is  not  far  distant  when,  to 
avoid  BLACKBIRDING,  and  the  revengeful 
massacres  which  these  kidnappers  pro- 
voke, the  whole  of  Oceania  will  have  to 
be  placed  under  civilised  control. 

1883.  All  the  Year  Round,  22  Sep., 
355.  BlaCkbirders,  the  kidnappers  for 
labour  purposes  on  the  islands  of  the 
Pacific. 

1883.  Academy,  8  Sep.,  158.  [He] 
slays  Bishop  Patteson  by  way  of  reprisal 
for  the  atrocities  of  some   blackbirding 


1884.  Pall  Mall  Gazette,  19  Aug. 
2,  col.  2.  Years  ago  blackbirding 
scoundrels   may  have  hailed  from  Fiji. 

BLACK-BITCH,  sitbs.phr.  (provincial). 
— A  gun. 

Black-book,  subs.  phf. {common). — 
An  imaginary  record  of  offences 
and  sins.  Hence  TO  be  in  the 
BLACK  BOOKS  =  to  be  in  dis- 
grace: to  have  incurred  displeas- 
ure; to  be  out  of  favour. 

1383.  Chaucer,  Cant.  Tales  [Aldine, 
ii.  208].  [Oliphant,  New  Eng.  i.  124. 
A  promise  is  made  to  strike  a  man  out 
of  OUR  LETTRES  BLAKE;  this  is  the  sourcc 

of  our    BLACK    books]. 

i8og.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias,  [Rout- 
ledge],  154.  Play  and  gallantry  are 
equally  in  her  black  books. 

Black-box,  subs.  phi-,  (old).— A 
lawyer  (B.E.   and   Grose):   also 

BLACK-BAG   {q.V.), 

Black-boy.  See  black-coat. 

1859.  Matsell,  Vocabiilion,  '  On  the 
Trail.^  My  blowen  kidded  a  bloke  into 
a  panel  crib  and  shook  him  off  his  thimble 
to  put  up  for  a  black-bov,  but  it  wouldn't 
fadge.  I  took  two  stretches  of  air  and 
exercise. 


Black-bracelets,  subs.phr.  (old).— 
Handcuffs  :  see  darbies. 

1839.    Harrison    Ainsvvorth,   Jack 

Sheppard  [1889],  63. 

The  sherift's  black  bracelets  lay  strewn 
on  the  ground, 

But  the  lad  that  had  worn  'em  could  no- 
where be  found. 


Black-bug,    subs. 
hobgoblin. 


phr.    (old).— A 


1598.  Florid,  U'orlde  of  Il'ordes, 
s.  v.  Lemuri,  the  ghostes  or  spirits  of 
such  as  dye  before  their  time,  hobgoblins, 
black-bugs,  or  night-walking  spirits. 

Black-cattle,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).—!. Clergymen;  parsons. 
[From  the  hue  of  clerical  attire]. 
Hence  black-cattle  show  = 
a  gathering  of  clergymen. 

2.     Lice,  active  CITIZENS((;'.Z'.); 
CHATES  {q.V.) 


BLACK-CHOLER,      subs.     phr. 
colloquial). — Melancholy. 


(old 


1585.  Nomenclature,  Bills  atra. 
Mélancolie.  Melancholie  ;  blacke  choller. 

Black-coat,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
parson.  (B.E.  and  Grose). 

1627.  R.  Perrot,  Jacob's  Vow,  52. 
Let  us  take  heed  how  these  black- 
COATES  get  the  day  of  us. 

1671.  Eackard,  Observations,  176. 
Suppose  we  should  bestow  upon  a  poor 
low  thinking  black-coat,  one  of  our  best 
forms,  such  as  follows;  it  is  five  to  one 
he  would  commit  some  ecclesiastical 
blunder  or  other,  in  setting  his  name 
too  near. 

1818.  Scott,  Heart  of  Midlothian , 
i.  You  are  the  black-coat's  son  of  Knock- 
tarlitie. 

1870.     Emerson,  Soc.  and  Sollt.,  ix., 
197.     The  black-coats  are  good  com- 
pany only  for  black-COATS. 


Black-country . 


242        Black-eyed  Susan. 


Black-country,  subs.  phr.  (collo- 
quial). Parts  of  Staffordshire  and 
Warwickshire  blackened  by  the 
coal  and  iron  industries. 

BLACK-CUFFS,  subs. phr.  (military). — 
The  Fifty-eighth  Foot:  now  the 
second  battalion  of  the  North- 
amptonshire regiment;  from  the 
regimental  facings  which  have 
been  black  since  1767:  also  nick- 
named   THE    STEEL  BACKS   {q.v!). 

BLACK-DIAMONDS,  stibs,  phr.  (com- 
mon).—  I.     Coals. 

1849.  T.  Miller,  Gabarni  in 
London,  43.  Were  he  even  trusted 
with  the  favourite  horse  and  gig  to  fetch 
a  sack  of  black  diamonds  from  the 
wharf. 

2.  (Old). — A  rough  but  clever 
(or  good)  person  ;  this  has  given 
place    to  ROUGH  diamond  {q.v.). 

BLACK-DOG, JM^J./Ar. (old).— I.  Ap- 
plied, circa  1702 — 30,  to  a  counter- 
feit shilling  and  other  base  silver 
coinage:  see  Rhino. 

1706.  Luttrell,  in  Ashton's  Reign 
Queen  Anne,  11.,  225.  The  art  of 
making  black  dogs,  which  are  shillings, 
or  other  pieces  of  money,  made  only  of 
Pewter,  double  wash'd. 

1734.  Swift,  Drapier" s  Lett.,  Wks., 
I75S>  ^-1  "•>  44-  Butcher's  half-pence, 
BLACK-DOGS,  and  others  the  like. 

2.  (Old).-  -Delirium  tremens  ; 
THE  horrors  {q.V.);  JIM  JAMS 
{q.v.).  BLACK  DOG  also  ■=.  depres- 
sion of  spirits,  and  melancholy: 
when  a  child  is  sulky,  it  is  said 
the  black  dog  is  on  its  back: 
among  the  ancients  a  black  dog 
and  pups  were  considered  an 
evil  omen. 

1861.  Hughes,  Tom  Brown  at 
Oxford,  xxxiii.  'Yes,  sir,'  said  the 
butler,  nodding,  '  D.T.,  sir.  After  one  of 
his  rages  the  black  dog  comes,  and  it's 
hawful   work;   so    1    hope   you'll  go,  sir." 


To  BLUSH  LIKE  A  BLACK  DOG. 
verb  phr.  (old).  To  blush  not  at 
all;  to  be  shameless. 

1634.  Withal,  Dictionary,  p.  557 
[ed.      1634].       Faciem     perfricuit.       He 

BLUSHETH      LIKE      A      BLACK      DOGGE,     hcC 

hath  a  brazen  face. 

BLACK  DOLL.  See  DOLLY  SHOP,  and 
quots. 

1835.  Charles  Dickens,  Sketches 
ly  Boz,  174.  [Speaking  of  a  marine- 
store  shop]:  Imagine,  in  addition  to  this 
incongruous  mass,  a  black  doll  in  a 
white  frock,  with  two  faces — one  looking 
up  the  street,  the  other  looking  down, 
swinging  over  the  door. 

1838.  Douglas  Jerrold,  Men  of 
Character,  11.,  100.  Five  hundred  ar- 
ticles, among  which  might  be  found 
knockers,  scrapers,  barbers'  poles,  BLACK 
dolls. 

1861.  Cornhill  Magazine,  Nov.,  609. 
The  best  price  given  for  old  rags — 
inquire    at    the   sign  of  the  BLACK  doll. 

BLACK-DONKEY.  TO  RIDE  THE  BLACK 
DONKEY,  verb.  phr.  (Costers'), — 
I.     To  cheat  in  weight. 

2.  (Common). — To  sulk  ;  to  be 
in  ill-humour.  Also  j«*!?  quot,  i8[?] 

i8[?].  Brewer,  Phrase  and  Fable, 
s.v.  Ride  the  black  Donkev.  To  be 
pigheaded,  obstinate  like  a  donkey.  Black 
is  added,  not  so  much  to  designate  the 
colour,  as  to  express  what  is  bad. 

1888.  Dauphin,  The  Chameleon,  182. 
We  ourselves  describe  a  man  in  the  sulks 
as  riding  the  black  donkev. 

BLACK-EYE.  To  GIVE  A  BOTTLE  A 
BLACK  EYE,///r.  (old). — To  empty 
it:   cf.   DEAD   MAN. 

BLACK-EYED  SUSAN,  subs.  phr. 
(Texan). —  i.  A  revolver:  among 
other  slang  equivalents  for  this 
weapon  current  in  the  Lone  Star 
State  may  be  mentioned,  MEAT 
IN  THE  POT,  BLUE  LIGHTNING, 
THE  PEACE-MAKER,  Mr.  SPEAKER, 
ONE-EYED  SCRIBE,  PILL  BOX,  and 
MY   UNCONVERTED   FRIEND. 


Black-fellow. 


243 


Blackguard. 


2.    (provincial). — A  well  pud- 
ding, with  plums  or  raisins  in  it. 

Black-fellow,  sitbs.  phr.  (Austral- 
ian).— An  aboriginal  (1831). 

Black-fly,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
clergyman. 

1811.  Lexicon  Balatroinaiin.  The 
greatest  drawback  on  the  farmer  is  the 
BLACK  FLV,  i.e.,  the  parson  who  takes 
tithe  of  the  harvest. 

Black-foot,  subs.  phr.  (provincial). 
— A  go-between;  a  match-maker 
[Halliwell: — The  person  who 
attends  the  principal  on  a  courting 
expedition,  to  bribe  the  servant, 
ingratiate  himself  with  the  sister, 
put  any  friend  off"  his  guard,  or 
in  certain  cases  to  introduce  his 
friend  formally.] 

Blackford-swell  (-toff,  -block 
etc),  subs.  phr.  (London). — A  man 
(or  woman)  well  dressed  on  occa- 
sion :  in  derision  of  supposed 
borrowed  plumage.  [Blackford's  is 
a  well-known  misfit  tailor's  and 
outfitting  establishment  which 
also  lets  out  evening  and  other 
garments  on  hire]. 

i8[?].  Music  Hall  Song,  '  The  Boy 
about  Town.' 

He    looks    very    well    that's    beyond    all 
dispute 
For  at  Blackford's  he's  rigged  up  and 
down, 
For  BLACKFORD  lends  suits,  from  the  hat 
to  the  boots, 
And    that    just    suits    the    Boy    about 
Town. 

BLACKFRIARS,  hi(/.  (thieves'),— A 
warning;  look  out!  beware! 

Black-gentleman  (the),  subs. phr. 
(old). — The  devil  ;  old  nick(^.î'.). 

Black-gown,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
A  collegian;  a  learned man(i 7 10). 


Blackguard,  subs,  (common).  A 
man  coarse  in  speech,  and  offen- 
sive in  manner  ;  a  scamp  ;  a  scoun- 
drel ;  a  disreputable  fellow  :  the 
the  term,  as  now  used,  is  one  of 
opprobrium,  and  although  a  good 
deal  of  uncertainty  hangs  about 
its  history  and  derivation,  it 
seems  pretty  clear  that  a  certain 
amount  of  odium  has  always  been 
attached  to  the  word.  Between 
two  of  its  primary  significations, 
however, — (i)  a  kitchen  knave  or 
scullion,  and  (2)  a  guard  of  atten- 
dants, black  in  person,  dress,  or 
character,  generally  in  reference 
to  the  devil's  body-guard — and 
the  modern  usage,  there  is  a 
somev/hat  marked  line  to  be 
drawn. — As  lìc/J.  =  of,  or  per- 
taining to,  a  blackguard,  to  the 
scum  or  refuse  of  society  ;  vile  ; 
vicious.  As  verb  =1  to  act  like 
a  ruffian;  to  use  filthy  (or  scur- 
rilous) language;  to  play  the 
vagabond  (or  scoundrel).  Also 
derivatives      and      compounds — 

BLACKGUARDISM,  BLACKGUARDI7.E, 
BLACKGUARDLY,  BLACKGUARDRY, 

etc. 

1532.  ßI,S.  Chiirchzvarden'sAccoinpts. 
St.  Margaret's,  IVestminster  (Receipts 
for  burials).  Item  Receyvid  for  the  lycens 
of  iiij.   torchis  of  the  blake  garde  vjd. 

1535.  Sir  W.  Fitzwilliams,  17  Aug., 
in  Cal.  State  Papers.  Two  of  the  ring- 
leaders had  been  some  time  of  the  black 
GUARD  of  the  king's  kitchen. 

1558.  Foxe,  Acts  and  Monuments 
[Cattlev],  IV.  169.  The  black  guard  of 
the  Dominies  (Black  Friars). 

1579.  FuLKE,  Refill.  Kastei,  779. 
They  ought  not,  nor  yet  any  of  the 
scullerie  or  blacke  garde. 

1583.  Fulke,  Defence,  x.,  380.  Pela- 
gius,  Celestins,  and  other  like  heretics 
of  the  devil's  body-guard. 


Black-zuard. 


244 


Blackguard. 


1637.  Nabbes,  Microcos.[  Dodslev, 
Oid  Plays  (Reed),  ix.  162].  I  am  degraded 
from  a  cook,  and  I  fear  the  devil  him- 
self will  entertain  me  but  for  one  of  his 
BLACK-GUARD,  and  he  shall  be  sure  to 
have  his  roast  burnt. 

1609.  Smith,  Sermons.  When  ini- 
quitie  hath  played  her  part,  vengeance 
leapes  upon  the  stage,  the  comédie  is 
short,  but  the  tragedie  is  longer:  the 
BLACKE  GARD  shall  attend  upon  you,  you 
shall  eate  at  the  table  of  sorrow,  and  the 
crowne  of  death  shall  bee  upon  your 
heads,  many  glistring  faces  looking  on 
you,  and  this  is  the  feare  of  sinners. 

i6og.  Dekker,  Lanthorne  and  Can- 
dlelight,  Wks.  [18S4-S]  III.,  214.  The 
Great  Lord  of  Limbo  did  therefore  com- 
maund  all  his  Blacke  guard  that  stood 
about  him,  to  bestirre  them. 

ID...  JoNSON,  Me>x.  Vind.  So  the 
black-guard  are  pleased  with  any  lease  of 
life,  especially  those  of  the  boiling-house. 

1621.  Burton,  Anat.  Melan.,  42. 
Though  some  of  ihem  are  inferior  to 
those  of  their  own  ranke,  as  the  blacke 
guard,  in  a  prince's  court. 

1637.  Beaumont  and  Fletcher 
Elder  Brother,  v.  i. 

It  is  a  faith.  That  we  will 
die  in,  since  from  the  black  gu.\rd. 
To  the  grim  sir  in  office,  there  are  few 
Hold  other  tenets. 

1655.  Fuller,  Chursh  History\\1,\i\ 
v.,  1 60.  For  who  can  otherwise  con- 
ceive but  such  a  prince-principal  of 
darkness  must  be  proportionately  attended 
with  a  black  guard  of  monstrous  opin- 
ions. 

1678.  Butler,  Hudibras,  ill.,  i.  1. 
1403. 

Thou  art  some  paltry,  blackguard  sprite, 
Condemn'd  to  drudg'ry  in  the  night; 
Thou  hast  no  work  to  do  in  tli'  house. 
Nor  half-penny  to  drop  in  shoes; 
Without  the  raising  of  which  sum 
You  dare  not  be  so  troublesome  ; 
To  pinch  the  slatterns  black  and  blue, 
For  leaving  you  their  work  to  do. 
This  is  your  business,  good  Pug  Robin, 
And  your  diversion,  dull  dry  bobbing. 


1683.  MS.,  in  Lord  Steward's  Office 
Windsor  Castle  \_N.  and  Q.,  i  S.,  ix., 
15].  7  May,  Whereas  of  late  a  sort  of 
vicious,  idle,  and  masterless  boys  and 
rogues,  commonly  called  the  black-guard, 
with  divers  other  lewd  and  loose  fellowes, 
vagabonds,  vagrants,  and  wandering  men 
and  women,  do  usually'  haunt  and  follow 
the  Court. 

1695.  Congreve,  Love  for  Love, 
iii.,  10.  Or  if  that  won't  do,  I'll  bring 
a  Lawyer  that  shall  out-lye  the  Devil  : 
and  so  I'll  try  whether  my  black-guard 
or  his  shall  get  the  better  of  the  day. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.  s.  v. 
Black-guard,  Dirty.  Nasty,  Tatter'd, 
roguish  Boys,  that  attend  (at  the  Horse- 
Guards)  to  wipe  Shoes,  Clean  Boots, 
water  Horses,  or  run  of  Errands. 

1744.  Nov.  26.  Walpole,  Lett,  to 
Mann  (1833),  11.,  57.  The  whole  stage 
filled  with  blackguards,  armed  with 
bludgeons  and  clubs. 

1760.  Smollett,  Sir  L.  Greaves,  11., 
ix.  He  is  become  a  blackguard  gaol- 
bird. 

1780.  Parody  on  the  Rosciad,  etc., 
p.  13.  Like  him  I'm  a  blackguard  and 
sot. 

1781.  G.  Parker,  Vie^v  of  Society, 
I.,  124.  The  talent  of  common  black- 
guardism. 

1788.  G.  A.  Stevens,  Adv.  of  a 
Speculist,  i.,  59.  As  black-guards  at 
Newmarket  meeting  bawl  about  the  lists 
of  horses. 

1803.  C.  K.  Sharpe,  in  Correspon- 
dence (1888),  I.,  178.  His  friends  were 
ill-natured,  and  behaved  like  black- 
guard beasts. 

1816.  GiFi'ORD,  Johnson's  Plays,  11. 
170.  Note.  In  all  great  houses,  but  partic- 
ularly in  the  Royal  Residences,  there 
were  a  number  of  mean  dirty  dependents, 
whose  office  it  was  to  attend  the  wool- 
yard,  sculleries,  etc.  Of  these,  the  most 
forlorn  wretches  seem  to  have  been 
selected  to  carry  coals  to  the  kitchens, 
halls,  etc.  To  this  smutty  regiment,  who 
attended  the  progresses,  and  rode  in  the 
carts  with  the  pots  and  kettles,  which, 
with  every  other  article  of  furniture, 
were  then  removed  from  palace  to  palace, 


Black  Hole  (The).         245 


Black-jack. 


the  people,  in  derision,  gave  the  name  of 
BLACK  guards;  ;i  term  since  become 
sufficiently  familiar,  and  never  properly 
explained. 

1821.  Nakes,  Diet,  s.  V.  The  black- 
guard. Originally  a  jocular  name  given 
to  the  lowest  menials  of  the  court,  the 
carriers  of  coals  and  wood,  turnspits,  and 
labourers  in  the  scullery,  who  all  followed 
the  court  in  its  progresses,  and  thus  be- 
came observed.  Such  is  the  origin  of  this 
common  term. 

1849.  C.  KiNGSLEY,  Alton  Locke, 
V.  I  was  awakened  by  being  shoved 
through  the  folding-doors  of  a  gin-shop, 
into    a    glare    of    light    and    hubbub    of 

BLACK-GUARDISM. 

1855.  Thackeray,  Neivcomes.  xxix. 
'I  have  been  called  names,  and  black- 
guarded quite  sufficiently  for  one  sitting.' 

1861.  H.  KiNGSLEV,  Ravenshoe,  xxvi. 
'  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,  for  saying 
that  ;  I  said  it  in  a  hurry.  It  was  black- 
guardly.' 

1874.  Mrs.  H.  Wood,  Johnny  Lad- 
ioiu,  I,  iii.,  37.  '  I  must  request  you  to  be 
a  little  more  careful  in  your  language. 
You  have  come  amidst  gentlemen  here, 
not  blackguards.' 

1883.  William  Morris,  reported  in 
Illusi.  London  News,  March  lo,  243, 
col.  3,  Almost  all  ordinary  wares  now 
made  by  man  were  shabbily  and  preten- 
tiously ugly  .  .  .  Not  even  the  pine- 
trees  and  gardens  could  make  the  rich 
men's  houses  at  Bournemouth  tolerable. 
They  were  simply  blackguardly;  and 
even  as  he  spoke  they  were  being  built 
by  the  mile. 

Black  Hole  (The),  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).—  I.  Cheltenham:  from  the 
number  of  retired  Anglo-Indians 
who  live  there:  cf.,  ASIA  minor. 

1878.  Notes  and  Qturies,  5  S.,  x., 
234,  col.  I.  Gained  for  Cheltenham  the 
.   .   .  title  of  The  Black  Hole. 

2.  (Military). — A  barrack  pun- 
ishment-cell (or  lock-up),  guard- 
room :  the  official  designation 
till  1868. 


BLRCK  Horse  (The)  subs.  phr. 
(military). — The  Seventh  Dragoon 
Guards  ;  so  called  from  the  regi- 
mental facings,  black  on  scarlet: 
occasionally  the  blacks.  During 
the  reign  of  George  II.,  the 
corps  was  known  as  THE  virgin 
MARY'S  GUARD,  and  is  often 
called   strawboots  {q.v^. 

Black  House,  subs,  (trade).— A 
place  of  business  where  hours 
are  long,  and  wages  at  starva- 
tion rates  ;  a  sweating  house. 

1851.  Mavhew,  London  Labour  and 
London  Poor,  in.,  234.  I  have  men- 
tioned that  the  black  houses  or  linen- 
drapers  at  the  West  end  of  London,  were 
principally    supplied  from  the   East  end. 

Black-humour,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
Melancholy. 

Black  Indies  (The),  subs. phr.  (old). 
— Newcastle-on-Tyne  :  from  its 
trade,  coal  :  the  term  is  now  ob- 
solete, but  it  was  common  in  use 
at  the  latter  art  of  the  eighteenth 
century:  cf.  black  diamonds. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.  Diet.  Cant.  Cnw. 
s.v.  BL.A.CK-1NDIES,  Newcastle,  from  whence 
the  Coals  are  brought. 

BLACK-JACK,  subs.  phr.  (Winchester 
College)  —  I .  A  large  leathern  j  ug 
for  beer,  holding  two  gallons. 
The  term  was  not  peculiar  to 
Winchester  ;  in  olden  times  JACKS 
were  common  everywhere. 

[?].  Simon  the  Cellarer.  But  oh,  oh, 
oh!    his    nose    doth    show.    How   oft   the 

BL.^CK  JACK    to   his    lipS   doth   gO. 

1630.    Taylor,   IVorks,  i.  113. 
Nor  ofBLACKE  jACKSat  gentle  buttry  bars, 
Whose  liquor  oftentimes  breeds  houshold 

wars. 

c.  1696.     B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v, 
BL.\CK-jACK,  a  leather  jug  to  drink  in. 


Black-job. 


246 


Blackleg. 


2.  (old). — A  black  leather 
jacket  (15 1 2). 

3.  (American). — Rum  sweeten- 
ed with  molasses:  with  or  with- 
out water. 

4.  (American). — A  face  black- 
ened by  difficulty  of  breathing; 
as  the  cause  of  such  a  face,  hang- 
ing (Bartlett). 

1862.  Ne-iV  York  Observer,  s  June. 
If  the  rebel  troops  become  guerillas,  they 
will  have  to  be  hung.  The  blackjacks 
will  be  far  more  fatal  to  them  than 
yellow  jack  was  to  our  troops. 

Black-job,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
A  funeral.  Mr.  H.  J.  Byron,  in 
his  annotated  copy  of  the  Slang 
Dictionary  states  '  it  was  the  late 
Lord  Portsmouth's  hobby  to  attend 
all  the  BLACK  JOBS  he  could  hear 

of:   see  BLACK   WORK. 

1866.  Yates,  Land  at  Last,  i.,  loi. 
'What,  a  funeral  mute?'  'Yes,  Sir, 
ELACK-jOB  business,'  etc. 

Black-joke,  sttbs.  phr.  (old).— The 
female  ptidendum  :  see  monosyl- 
lable. 

Blackleg,  subs,  (common). — i.  A 
turf  swindler,  rook,  welsher;  also 
one  who  cheats  at  cards  or  bill- 
iards. Origin  unknown:  although 
many  speculations  have  been 
hazarded,  none  are  satisfactory. 
2.  (workmen's).  A  workman 
who,  when  his  fellows  are  on 
strike,  is  willing  to  go  on  work- 
ing. 3.  Also  any  one  failing  or 
refusing  to  join  his  fellows  in 
combination  for  a  given  purpose. 
As  verb,  to  boycott  ;  to  make 
things  so  uncomfortable  for  a 
man  that  he  is  compelled  to  leave 
his  work  or  the  town.  To  black- 
leg IT  =  (trades'  union)  to  return 
to    work    before  the  causes  of  a 


strike  have  been  removed  (or 
settled),  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
leaders.     Hence   black-leggism, 

BLACK-LEGGERV        =        cheating  ; 

swinding;  the  arts  and  practices 
of  a  blackleg,  Now  frequently 
shortened  to  leg. 

1 77 1.  B.  Parsons,  Newmarket,  11., 
163.  The  frequenters  of  the  Turf,  and 
numberless  words  of  theirs  are  exotics 
everywhere  else;  then  how  should  we 
have  been  told  of  blacklegs,  and  of 
toivn-iops  . . .  taken  in . . .  beat  hollow,  etc  ? 

1774.  Colman,  Man  of  B^isiness,  i., 
in  \Vks.  (1777)  n.,  133.  Countesses  and 
sempstresses,  lords,  aldermen,  blacklegs, 
and  Oxonians. 

i8i2.  CooMBE,  Dr.  Syntax,  Pictur- 
esque, X.  The  crowd  with  their  com- 
mission pleas'd,  Rudely  the  trembling 
BLACK-LEG  seiz'd,  ^Vho,  to  their  justice 
forc'd  to  yield.  Soon  ran  off  dripping 
from  the  field. 

1830.  S.  Warren,  Diary  of  a  Late 
Physician,  xv.  '  Mr.  T is  pur- 
suing quite  disgraceful  courses  all  night 
and  day,  squandering  away  his  money 
among  sharpers  and  blacklegs.' 

1832.  Maginn,  Blackwood's  Mag., 
xxxiL,  427.  From  following  any  pro- 
fession save  the  Army,  the  Navy,  Black- 
apronry  and  black-leggerv. 

1865.  Pall  Mall  Gazette,  29  Oct.,  p.  7. 
If  the  timber  merchants  persist  in  put- 
ting on  BL.ACKLEGS,  a  serious  disturbance 
will  ensue. 

1888.  Baltimore  Herald,  May  6. 
Early  this  morning  the  mountain  paths 
leading  to  the  William  Penn  colliery  were 
lined  with  men,  dinner  in  hand,  deter- 
mined to  go  to  work.  Some  were  non-union 
miners,  while  the  remainder  weie  Knights 
of  Labor  who  had  determined  TO  black- 
leg IT,  regardless  of  the  jeers  and 
threats  of  their  companions. 

1889.  Pall  Mall  Gazette,  Nov.  21, 
5,  1.  It  was  stated  at  the  meeting  that 
the  master  bakers  were  much  behind  the 
journeymen  in  the  matter  of  organisatio», 
and  the  difficulty  of  maintaining  the  price 
against  unscrupulous  bakers  at  'a  living 
figure'  was  emphasized.     The  question  of 


Black-letter  Day.         247 


Black-Monday. 


tlie  preparation  of  a  list  of  master  baker 
nuACKLEGS  was  also  touched  upon. 
These  men  are  selling  bread  at  4^  d. 
the    quartern,  and  at  even  a  lower  rate. 

Black-letter  Day,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— An  inauspicious  day:  cf.  red- 
letter  DAY. 

Black-lion,  %ubs.  phr.  (old). — A 
rapidly-sloughing  ulcer  which 
affected  the  British  soldiers  when 
in  Portugal. 

Black  Literature,  subs.  phr.  (col- 
loquial).— That  printed  in  black 
letter  (1797). 

Black-man  (or  black-gentleman), 

subs.  phr.  (old). — The  devil. 

i6o6.  Dekker,  Ä^eives  froìii  Hell, 
in  Wks.  (Grosart)  11.,  113.  Old  Nick, 
called  the  black  gentleman. 

1861.     G.  Meredith,  Evan  Harring- 
ton,   iii.,    23    {1885).     'Rich     as    Crœsus, 
and  as  wicked  as  the  black  man  below  '  ' 
as  dear  papa  used  to  say. 
BLACKMANS.   See  DARKMANS. 

Black  Maria,  subs,  (popidar).— A 
prison  van  or  omnibus,  used  for 
the  conveyance  of  prisoners  :  also 

HER  (or  his)  majesty's  CARRIAGE 

and  SABLE maria(Grose).  [Julian 
Marshall,  in  Notes  and  Qtieries 
(6  S.,  vii.,  355),  suggests  that 
MARIA  may  be  ìuarìnated,  trans- 
ported] ■=.  Fr.  courrier  du  Palais  ; 
panier  a  salade  (=  salad  basket)  ; 
courrier  de  la  préfecture  ;  omnibus 
des  pègres  (in  slang  pègre  = 
thief);  guimbard  {=  long  cart); 
service  du  château. 

1877.  Five  Years'  Poi  al  Servitude, 
ii.,  61.  On  alighting  from  the  'sable 
maria'  we  were  ushered  through  a  door 
into  a  long  white-washed  passage,  with 
cells  on  one  side. 

1880.  G.  R.  Sims,  Three  Brass  Balls, 
pledge  xvii.  It  is  the  time  when  black 
MARIA,  the  prison  van,  stands  waiting 
at  the  door,  and  the  signal  is  given  that 
the  prisoners  are  coming  out. 


1889.  Ansivers,  Feb.  9.  There  are 
two  kinds  of  black  marias.  One  is 
called  the  night  van  and  the  other  the 
day.  The  passengers  politely  term  them 
'mails.'  The  day  van  holds  eighteen, 
passengers,  not  including  the  driver  and 
warder,  and  the  night  van  a  dozen.  The 
vans  are  divided  into  two  halves,  and  on 
each  side  are  small  compartments  about 
two  feet  square  with  a  seat  and  door, 
which  is  carefully  locked. 

1902.  D.  Telegraph,  11  Feb.,  10.7. 
Upon  inquiry,  it  is  not  crime,  as  it  is 
commonly  understooti,  which  fills  all  the 
black  MARIAS,  Or  prison  vans,  that  find 
their  way  to  the  goal. 

Black-men,  subs.  phr.  (old).— Ficti- 
tious men,  enumerated  in  muster- 
ing an  army,  or  in  demanding 
coin  and  livery.  See  the  State 
Papers,  ii.  iio.  (Halliwell). 

Black-Monday,  subs.  phr.  (old 
school). —  I.  The  Monday  on 
which,  after  holidays,  school  re- 
opens. An  early  example  of  the 
usage  is  found  in  the  fact  that 
Easter  Monday  was  so  called, 
from  the  severity  of  that  day  in 
1360,  when  many  of  Edward  Ill.'s 
soldiers,  then  before  Paris,  died 
from  the  cold.  This  is  Stowe's 
explanation,  Aîinales,  264,  but 
another  account  is  given  by 
Fordun.  The  term  is  found  in 
Shakespeare.  See  also  Stanihurst's 
Description  of  Ireland  i\  -,  Sharp's 
Chron.  Mirab.  9.  black  Friday 
was  used  of  the  day  on  which 
Overend,  Gurney  &  Co.,  suspended 
payment — 10  May,  1886:  cf.  blue 

MONDAY. 

1740.  North,  Examen,  505.  The 
darkness  was  greater  than  under  the 
great     solar     eclipse     that     denominated 

black    MONDAY. 

1750.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  \\\\.,-x.\ 
She  now  hated  my  sight,  and  made  home 
so  disagreeable  to  me,  that  what  is  called 
by  school-boys  black  mondav  was  to 
me  the  whitest  in  the  whole  year. 


Black-money. 


248 


Black-sanctus. 


1882.  F.  Anstev,  Vice  Versa,  i. 
There  comes  a  time  when  the  days  are 
grudgingly  counted  to  a  blacker  Mon- 
day than  ever  makes  a  schoolboy's  heart 
quake  within  him. 

2.  (common). — The  Monday 
on  which  the  death  penalty  was 
carried  out  ;  hangings  were  gener- 
ally arranged  to  fall  on  the  day 
in  question. 

Black-money,  stibs.  phr.  (old  col- 
loquial).— Money  taken  by  the 
harbingers  or  servants,  with  their 
master's  knowledge,  for  abstain- 
ing from  enforcing  coin  and  livery 
in  certain  places,  to  the  prejudice 
of  others.  See  the  State  Papers, 
ii,  510.  (Halliwell). 

Black-mouth,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  foul-mouthed  person  ; 
a  slanderer.  Hence  black-mouth- 
ed =  calumnious. 

Black-mummer,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
One  unwashed  and  unshorn. 

BLACKMUNS,  subs.  (B.E.). — '  c. 
Hoods  and  Scarves  of  Alamode 
and  Lustrings.' 

Black-neb,  stibs.  phr.  (old). — A 
person  of  democratic  sympathies  at 
the  time  of  the  French  Revolution. 

BlaCK-NOB,  subs. phr.  (trades'  union). 
— A  non-unionist;  one,  who  while 
his  fellows  are  on  strike,  persists 
in  working  at  his  trade;  a  black- 
leg {q.v^:  also  knobstick  {q.v^ 
and  scab  {(J.V.). 

Black-ointment,  subs.  phr.  (Amer- 
ican  thieves'). — Uncooked   meat. 

Black-ox.    The    black    ox    has 

TROD  ON  HIS  FOOT,  phr.  (old). — 
Said  of  one  worn  with  age,  care, 
or  misfortune:  see  quot. 


1748  Richardson,  Clarissa,  i.  344" 
Was  he  not  known  to  have  been  as  wild 
a  man,  when  he  was  at  first  introduced 
into  our  family,  as  he  now  is  said  to  be? 
Yet  then  the  common  phrase  of  wild  oats, 
and  BLACK  OXEN,  and  such-like  were 
qualifiers. — 

Black-pot,    subs.  phr.   (old). — A 

toper;     a    tippler;    a   LUSHINGTON 

{(]-v^,     [Beer   mugs    were   called 
BLACK-POTS;    alsO   BLACK-JACKS.] 

1594.  Greene,  Fr.  Bacon,  v.,  122. 
I'll  be  Prince  of  Wales  over  all  the 
BLACK-POTS  in  Oxford. 

1636.  Heiwood,  Loves  Mistr..  11. 
Jugg,  what's  she  but  sister  to  a  black-pot. 

i3i8.  Scott,  Heart  of  Midlothian, 
xxxii.  A  whole  whiskin,  or  blaCK-pOT, 
of  sufficient  double  ale. 

Black-psalm.  To  sing  the  black 
PSALM,  phr.  (old). — To  cry;  of 
children.  (Grose). 

Blacks,  subs. phr.  (old). — Mourning  : 
1 6th  and  17th  centuries. 

Blacks  (The).    See  black  horse. 

Black  sal  (or  suke),  subs.  phr. 
(common). — A  kettle. 

Black-sanctus  (or  saunt),  subs, 
phr.  (old). — A  burlesque  hymn 
or  anthem,  performed  with  all 
kinds  of  discord;  any  confused 
or   hideous   noise;   rough  music. 

1546.  Hevwood,  £/»i^r<i;Kf.  And  she 
hath  leisure  now,  (By  tying  fast  her 
garters  to  a  bow)  Her  selfe  to  strangle. 
There  she  dangling  hung;  At  which  the 
curre  a  new  blacke  Santus  sung. 

i5|"?J.  Hkvwood,  Hier.  Bl.  Angels, 
Lib.  i.\.  576.  Others  more  terrible,  like 
lions  rore;  Some  grunt  like  hogs,  the 
like  ne're  heard  before;  Like  bulls  those 
bellow,  those  like  asses  bray,  Some  barkc 
like  ban-dogs,  some  like  horses  ney; 
Some  howl  like  wolves,  others  like  furies 
yell;  Scarce  that  blacke  sanctus  could 
be  match'd  in  hell. 


Black  Saturday.  249        Black-spice  Racket. 


1578.  LupTON,  Mor.  All  for  Money, 
I  will  make  him  sing  the  BLACK  sanctus, 
1  hold  you  a  groat. 

iSgi.  LvLY,  Endymion,  iv.,  2.  It 
is  set  to  the  tune  of  the  blacke  saunce, 
ratio  est,  because  Dipsas  is  a  blacke  saint. 

1598.  Marston,  Satires,  ii.,  7.  205. 
The  language  that  they  speake  Is  the 
pure  barbarous  blacksaunt  of  the  Geate. 

1609.  Rowley,  Search  for  Money. 
At  the  entrie  we  heare  a  confused  noise, 
like  a  blacke  sanctus,  or  a  house 
haunted  with  spirits,  such  hollowing, 
shouting,  dauncing,  and  clinking  of  pots, 
etc. 

161 1.  Cotgrave,  Diet.  sv.  Tinta- 
marre a  blacke  santus,  the  lowd  wrang- 
ling, or  jangling  outcryes  of  scoulds,  or 
scoulding  fellowes;  any  extreame  or  hor- 
rible dinne. 

1620.  Tarleton,  Neisjs  out  of  Piirg. 
7.  Upon  this  there  was  a  general  mourn- 
ing through  all  Rome,  the  cardinals  wept, 
the  abbots  howled,  the  monks  rored,  the 
friars  cried,  the  nuns  puled,  the  curte- 
zans  lamented,  the  bells  rang,  the  tapers 
were  lighted,  that  such  a  black  sanctus 
was  not  scene  a  long  time  afore  in  Rome 

i6[?]  Beaumont  and  Fletcher, 
Mad  Lover,  iv.  i.  Prithee,  Let's  sing 
him  a  black  santis,  then,  let's  all  howl. 
In  our  own  beastly  voices. 

i6[?]  JoNSON,  Masque  of  Time, 
\  Works,  vi.,  144].  Let's  have  the  giddy 
world  turn'd  the  heels  upward,  And  sing 
a  rare  black  sanctus  on  his  head.  Of  all 
things  out  of  order. 

BLACK  Saturday,  subs.phr.  (work- 
men's).— A  Saturday  on  which  an 
artisan  or  mechanic  has  no  money 
to  take,  having  anticipated  it  by 
advances  :    cf.    black    MONDAY, 

BLUE  MONDAY,  BLACK  FRIDAY,etC. 

Black-sheep,  jMiJj./Är.  (common). — 
A  scapegrace;  a  bad  lot;  a  7nau- 
vais  sujet:  also  applied  like  black- 
leg {q.v^  and  BLACK-NOB  (,q.v!) 
to  workmen  who  persist  in  work- 
ing when  their  comrades  are  on 
strike. 


1825.  Scott,  St.  Ronan's  Well,  ii., 
312.  Jekyl..  is  not  such  a  black  sheep 
neither  but  what  there  are  some  white 
hairs  about  him. 

1834-5.  Thackeray,  Neiucoines,  v. 
Their  father  had  never  had  the  courage 
to  acquaint  them  with  his  more  true, 
kind,  and  charitable  version  of  Tom's 
story.  So  he  passed  at  home  for  no 
better  than  a  black  sheep. 

1864.  Le  Fanu,  Uncle  Silas, 
xxvi.  '  Your  Uncle  Silas  had  injured 
himself  before  that  in  the  opinion  of  the 
people  of  his  county.  He  was  a  bl.\ck 
sheep,  in  fact.  Very  bad  stories  were 
told  and  believed  of  him.' 

1874.  M.  Collins,  Frances,  xxxvii. 
'  In  all  cities  there  are  black  sheep, 
but  in  a  city  like  London,  sound  finance 
is  the  rule,  I  am  sure.' 

1876.  Besant  and  Rice,  Golden 
Butterfly,  xxviii.  'Many  companies, 
perfectly  sound  in  principle,  may  be 
ruined  by  a  sudden  decrease  in  the  price 
of  shares;  a  panic  sets  in,  and  in  a  few 
hours  the  shareholders  may  lose  all. 
And  if  you  bring  this  about  by  selling 
without  concert  with  the  other  favoured 
allottees,  you'll  be  called  a  black  sheep. 

Verb  (Winchester  College). — 
When  a  fellow  in  'Junior  Part' 
got  above  (or  'jockeyed  ')  a  fellow 
in  'Middle  Part." 

BLACKSMITH  S-DAUGHTER,  subs.phr. 
(common). — A  key  :  formerly  the 
key  with  which  the  doors  of 
sponging-houses  were  unlocked  : 
also  locksmith's  daughter. 

1859.  C.  Dickens,  Tale  of  Two 
Cities.  Place  it  under  the  care  of  the 
blacksmith's  daughter. 

1864.  Reader  [quoted  in  N.  and  Q., 
5  S.,  ix.,  263].  Blacksmith's  d.\ughter. 
a  key.  I  have  never  met  with  this  word 
in  print,  but  have  heard  it  frequently  in 
conversation. 

BLACK-SPICE  RACKET,  stibs.  phr. 
(old). — Robbing  chimney  sweep- 
ers of  their  tools,  bag  and  soot. — 
Lexicon  Balatronicuin. 


Black-Spy. 


250  Bladder-of-lard. 


Black-spy,  subs.  phr.  (old).— The 
devil  :  Fr.  dache.  (B.E.  and  Grose). 

B  LACK-STRAP,  subs.phr.{coxamovi). — 
I.  Thick,  sweet  port:  strap  is 
an  old  name  for  wine. 

1608.  Dekker,  Behnan  of  London, 
in  Wks.  (Grosart)  in.,  131.  Sometimes 
likewise  this  Card-cheating,  goes  not 
under  the  name  of  Bernard's  Lawe,  but 
is  called  Batt  Fowling,  and  then  ye  Setter 
is  the  Beater,  the  foole  that  is  caught  in 
the  net,  the  bird,  the  Tajierne  to  which 
they  repaire  to  worke  the  Feate,  is  the 
Bush;  the  wine  the  strap,  and  the  cardes 
the  Limetwigs. 

1821.  Moncrieff,  Tcvn  and  Jerry, 
3.  Ton  (taking  his  seat):  Gentlemen, 
1  beg  pardon  for  being  scarce  so  long; 
but  having  to  start  early,  I  thought  it  best 
to  see  that  the  toggery  was  all  right  and 
Jly — I  never  shirk  the  black  strap  inten- 
tionally, you  know.  Jerry:  Don't  men- 
tion it,  my  dear  Tom. 

i8[?].  T'ALCOiiF.n,  Marine  Dictionary, 
s.v.  BL.\CKSTR.\p.  The  English  sailors  call 
the  common  wines  of  the  Mediterranean 

BLACKSTRAP. 

2.  (American).  —  Properly 
speaking,  gin  mixed  with  molas- 
ses, but  frequently  applied  to  a 
compound  of  any  alcoholic  liquor 
with  molasses. 

1853.  Wh.  Melville,  Digby  Grand, 
X.  The  orator  gets  deeper  into  his  sub- 
ject, till  an  extremely  abrupt  conclusion. , . 
empties  every  bumper  of  'black  strap' 
like  a  shot. 

1876.  JuDD,  Margaret,  300.  Come, 
Molly,  dear,  no  blackstrap  to-night, 
switchel  or  ginger  pop. 

i8[?].  'WwA^,  Yankee  Stories.  Mister, 
I  guess  you  never  drink'd  no  blackstrap, 
did  you  ?  Why,  bless  you,  it's  the  sweetest 
drink   that  ever  streaked  down  a  gullet. 

1882.  Pinkerton,  Molly  Maguires 
and  Detectives,  84.  From  the  great  iron 
kettle  a  savory  incense  arose;  it  came 
from  an  admixture  of  high-wines  and 
common  molasses,  in  about  the  propor- 
tion of  one  gallon  of  the  latter  to  four  of 


the  spirit...  The  seething  blackstrap 
was  pronounced  ready  for  use.  It  rapidly 
disappeared,  and,  as  it  diminished  and 
was  imbibed,  the  fun  and  hilarity  pro- 
portionately increased. 

3.  (Old). — A  task  of  labour 
imposed  on  soldiers  at  Gibraltar 
as  a  punishment  for  small  offences 
(Grose). 

Black-tan,  subs. phr.  (provincial) — 
Spoken  of  gipsies,  dogs,  etc. 
'  Dat  dere  pikey  is  a  reglar  BLACK- 
TAN.'  (Halliwell). 

Black-teapot,  stibs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  negro  footman. 

Black  Watch  (The),  subs.  phr. 
(military). — The  42nd  Foot,  now 
the  Gordon  Highlanders:  from 
the    sombre   colour  of  the  dress. 

Blackwork,  subs,  (common). — Un- 
dertaking: waiters  at  public  din- 
ners are  often  employed  during 
the  day  as  mutes  :  see  black-job. 

185g.  Sala,  Gaslight  and  Daylight, 
xxvi.  A  florid  man  who  officiates  as  a 
waiter  at  the  London  Tavern  o'nights, 
and  sometimes  takes  a  spell  in  the  bl.\ck 
WORK,   or    undertaking    line   of  business. 

Blacky  (or  blackie),  stibs.  (old 
colloquial). — A  negro:  cf.  darky. 

iS[.'].  Old  Song,  '  Ching-ii-King  Chmv.' 
Our  son  no  more  he  serve;  no  more  play 
de  lackey.  No  more  our  daughter  weep, 
cos  wite  man  call  dem  blackie. 

Bladder,  si/bs.  (common). — A  pre- 
tentious person  ;  a  windrag  (^."'.). 

Hence  nLAUDER-HEADED=rStUpid; 

frothy. 

BladderdASH,  subs,  (common). — 
Nonsen.se;  iìunkum  (ç.t.);  spoui" 
(ç.v.)  ;  a  portmanteau  word — blad- 
der -\-  BALDERDASH   (ç.V.). 

Bladder-of-lard,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).—  A  bald-headed  person. 


Bladder  skate. 


251 


Blamed. 


1886.  Athenäum  July  31,  1+2.  An 
elderly  Jew  money-lender,  whom  she 
afterwards  describes  to  her  admiring 
friends  as  a  bladder  of  lard,  a  graceful 
reference  to  his  baldness  and  tendency 
to  stoutness. 

Bladderskate.  See  bletherskate. 

Blade,  subs,  (common). — A  royst- 
erer;  a  gallant;  a  sharp,  keen 
fellow  ;  a  free  and  easy,  good 
fellow.  [Probably  from  blade,  a 
sword,  a  soldier:  i.e.  a  man  of 
the  world  :  cf.  Fr.  bonne  /af/ie]. 
In  the  17th  century,  roaring- 
BOVs  {q.v.)   were  called  blades. 

1595.  Shakspeare,  Romeo  and  yuliet, 
ii.,  4.  The  pox  of  such  antic,  lisping, 
affecting  fantasticoes;  these  new  tuners 
of  accents  !  By  Jesu,  a  very  good  blade  ! 
— a  very  tall  man! 

1632.  Chapman  and  Shirley,  The 
Ball,  iv. 

This  came  first  o'keeping  company  with 
the  blades.  From  whom  I  learnt  to  roar 
and  run  away. 

1636.  Da  venant  The  IVits,  v.  The 
old  BLADE,  Skulks  there  like  a  tame 
filcher,  as  he  had  New  stolen  'bove  eggs 
from  market-women. 

1637.  Fletcher,  Elder  Brother,  i.,  ii. 
If  he  be  that  old.  Rough  testy  blade  he 
always  used  to  be. 

1637.  Shirley  Gamester,  i.  I  do  not 
all  this  while  account  you  in.  The  list  of 
those  are  called  the  blades  that  roar 
In  brothels,  and  break  windows;  fright 
the  streets,  At  midnight,  worse  than 
constables;  and  sometimes.  Set  upon 
innocent  bell-men  to  beget  Discourse 
for  a  week's  diet  ;  that  swear  dammes 
To  pay  their  debts,  and  march  like  walking 
armories.  With  poniard,  pistol,  rapier  and 
batoon.  As  they  would  murder  all  the 
king's  liege  people,  And  blow  down  streets. 

1664.  Pepvs,  Diary,  Jan.  4.  For  suf- 
fering his  man  (a  spruce  blade)  to  be  so 
saucy  as  to  strike  a  ball  while  his  master 
was  playing  in  the  Mall. 

1667.  Pepvs,  Diary,  June  3.  With 
his  hat  cocked  like  a  fool  behind,  as  the 
present  fashion  among  the  blades  is. 


i6g8.  Farquhar,  Love  and  a  Bottle 
iv.,  2.  These  London  blades  are  all 
stark  mad;  I  met  one  about  two  hours 
ago,  that  had  forgot  his  name,  and  this 
fellow  would  persuade  me  now,  that  I 
had  forgot  mine. 

1748.  T.  DvCHE,  Dictionary  (s  ed.). 
Blade  (s.)....  is  sometimes  used  to 
signify  a  beau,  spark,  or  hectoring  fellow. 

1773.  O.  Goldsmith.  She  Stoops  to 
Conquer,  i.,  2.  A  troublesome  old  blade, 
to  be  sure;  but  a  keeps  as  good  wines 
and  beds  as  any  in  the  whole  country. 

i860.  Dickens,  Great  Expectations, 
xxiv.,  115.  He  forged  wills,  this  blade 
did,  if  he  didn't  also  put  the  supposed 
testators  to  sleep  too. 

1883.  Broadside  Ballad,  'Happy 
Thoughts,'  St.  4.  My  Uncle  Dowle  has 
lots  of  money;  He's  a  very  knowinç 
looking  blade. 

BLADGE,  sztbs.  (provincial).— A  low, 
vulgar  woman.  (Halliwell). 

Blamed,  adj.  (common). — An  ex- 
pletive or  emphasis  :  of  the  nature 
of  an  oath,  being  often  used 
iustead  of  '  doomed  ',  or  '  damned.' 
In  America  the  expression  is  more 
of  a  colloquialism  than  it  is  in 
England.  Hence  blame  it!  = 
Damn  it!  BLAMENATION  =  Dam- 
nation ! 

1835.  Haliburton  C  Sam  Slick'), 
The  Clockmaker.  3  S.,  vi.  Yes,  John  Bull 
is  a  hlamed  blockhead. 

1872.  S.  Clemens,  Roughing  It, 
ix.  The  keeper  had  fired  four  times  at  an 
Indian,  but  he  said  with  an  injured  air, 
that  the  Indian  had  'skipped'  around 
so's  to  spile  everything — and  ammun- 
ition's blamed  skurse  too. 

1873.  Carleton,  Farm  Ballade,  18. 
And  so  that  pourin'  dissentions  in  our 
cup;  And  so  that  blamed  cow-critter 
was  always  coming  up. 

1888.  Detroit  Free  Press,  Oct.  6. 
'  Did  you  see  any  Quakers  in  Philadel- 
phia?' was  asked  of  a  Detroiter  who  lately 
returned  from  that  city.  'Only  one  that  I 


Blandiloquence. 


252 


Blanket. 


was  sure  of.'  'Did  he  "thee"  and  "thou" 
your'  'He  did.  He  got  down  off  his  hack 
and  said:  "If  thee  don't  pay  me  2  dois 
I'll  knock  thy  blamed  head  off,"  and  I 
paid,  although  I  knew  the  regular  fare 
was  twelve  shillings.  You  don't  want 
to  fool  with  those  Quakers  any,  and  don't 
you  forget  it.' 

1888.  Portland  Transcript,  May  9. 
'Why  do  you  object  to  your  daughter 
marrying?'  'Wouldn't  object  ef  she 
wüster  marry  the  right  sorter  man.' 
'Isn't  Tom  the  right  sort  of  man?'  'Not 
by  a  BLAMED  sight.' 

Blandiloquence,  subs.  Flattery; 
soft  words.  Blandiloquous  = 
smooth-speaking  ;  flattering(l6i5). 

BLANK,  BLANKED,  BLANKET Y, 
Euphemistic  oaths  :  clearly  an  out- 
come of  the  practice  of  represent- 
ing an  oath,  for  decency's  sake 
in  printing,  by  a  dash,  or  blank 
space  ;  e.g.  d d. 

1837.  C.  Dickens,  'Farce  for  the 
Championship',  in  All  the  Year  Round. 
Enter  a  closely  shaven,  bullet-headed 
fellow  in  an  ecstasy  of  excitement  at 
having  just  seen  Cuss,  and  at  the  ex- 
quisite 'fitness'  of  that  worthy.  'So  help 
me  BLANK,  blank!'  he  cries  delightedly, 
'  if  he  ain't  a  blank  picter  with  the 
weins  in  his  face  down  'ere  and  'ere,  a 
showin'  out  just  as  if  a  blank  hartist  'ad 
painted  him.  Tell  yer,  he's  beautiful, 
fine  as  a  blank  greyhound,  with  a  blank 
heavy  air  with  him  that  looks  blank  like 
winnin'.  Take  yer  two  quid  to  one, 
guv'nor,'  adds  the  speaker,  suddenly 
picking  out  a  stout  purple-faced  farmer 
in  the  group  of  eager  listeners. 

1873.  C.  Reade,  Simpleton,  xxiii. 
Blank  him!  that  is  just  like  him;  the 
uneasy  fool  ! 

1878.  Mrs.  Edwardes,  Jet,\\\.,  iti. 
' — the  Colonel  of  the  regiment!'  exclaims 
Mark...  'blank  the  Colonel  of  the 
regiment  !  '  With  slow,  unmistakable 
gusto   she   lingers  over  the  monosyllable 

'  BLANK.' 

1879.  Bret  Harte,  Gabriel  Conrcy, 
in  Hallberger's  Illustrated  Magazine,  vol. 
L,  378.  Because  you're  religious,  blank 
you,    do    you   expect    me   to   starve?  Go 


and  order  supper  first  !  Stop  !  Where 
in  bl.^nk  are  you  going?  Here  you've 
been  and  gone  three  hours  on  an  errand 
for  me,  and  blame  me  if  you  ain't  runnin' 
off  without  a  word  about  it. 

1888.  Troy  Daily  Times,  Feb.  3. 
The  captain  looked  anxious,  and  an  irate 
fellow-passenger,  who  had  not  ceased 
swearing  since  we  left  Tuxpan,  declared 
by  all  that  is  sacred  and  profane,  that  he 
had  known  vessels  to  be  hindered  thirty 
daj-s  ;    yes,    even    three    months,  by  that 

BLANKETV    BLANKETV    bar  ! 

1888.  Owosso  (Mich.)  Press,  April. 
'Doktor,  I'm  a  dead  man!'  'Not  right 
now?'  said  I,  as  I  kicked  his  dog  out. 
'Just  as  good  as  dead,'  said  he,  'or  you 
wouldn't  kick  that  dog  in  that  way  with 
safety.  Not  by  a  blanketv,  bl.\nk,  blank 
sight.'  'Needn't  waste  so  much  profanity, 
Mr.  Starkhill,'  said  I. 

1892.  Anstev,  Voces  Populi,  'In  the 
Mall  on  Drawing  Room  Day,'  84.  All 
I  was  goin'  to  see  was  a  set  o'  blankv  nobs 
shut   up  in    their   blankdash   kerridges. 

BLANK-CHARTER,  subs.  plir.  (collo- 
quial).— Liberty  to  do  as  one  likes. 

Blank-cheque,  subs.  phr.  (collo- 
quial).— Unlimited  credit. 

Blanket,  lawful-blanket,  subs, 
phr.  (old). — A  wife.  See  DUTCH. 
Hence  BORN  on  the  wrong  side 

OF    THE  BLANKET  =  illegitimate  ; 

bastard. 

1771.  S.mollett,  Humph.  Clinker, 
ii.,  185.  Tho'  my  father  wan't  a  gentle- 
man, my  mother  was  an  honest  woman; 
I  didn't  come  on  the  wrong  side  of  the 

BLANKET,    girl. 

1815.  Scott,  Guy  Mannering,\.  ,%■>,. 
This  person  was  natural  son  to  a  gentle- 
man of  good  family,  . ,  '  Frank  Kennedy,' 
h«    said,    'was    a   gentleman,    though  on 

the    WRONG    SIDE    OF    THE    BLANKET.' 

Wet-  (or  damp-)  blanket, 
subs. phr.  (colloquial). — Anything 
or  any  person  that  discourages; 
a   DAMPER   {q.V.). 


Blanket-fair. 


253 


Blasé. 


Blanket-fair,    subs,   (common). — 

Bed.  cf.     BEDFORDSHIRE,  SHEET 
ALLEY  and  LAND  OF  NOD. 

Blanket-hornpipe,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— Sexual      commerce  :      see 

GREENS    and    RIDE. 

Blanket-love,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
Illicit  amours  (1649). 

Blanket-pudding,  subs.  ph.  (com- 
mon).— A  long,  round  pudding 
made  of  flour  and  jam,  which  is 
spread  over  the  paste,  and  then 
rolled  into  the  proper  shape  :  cf. 
dog-in-the-blanket. 

BLANKS-AND-PRIZES,  siibs.  phr.  (pro- 
vincial).— Beanswith  boiled  bacon, 
chopped  up  and  mixed  together; 
the  vegetable  being  termed  a 
blank,  and  the  meat  a  prize:  cf. 
dog-in-the-blanket. 

B  L  A  R  M  E  D,  adj.  (common). — A 
euphemism  for  blessed  (^.j».)  ; 
'  damned  '  ;  '  blowed  '  (r/.'^'.)  ;  or 
blamed  {q.v.),  of  the  last  of 
which  it  is  probably  a  corruption. 
Hence,  Blame  me!     Damme! 

1867.  No  Clinrch,  i.,  104.  To  be  in 
a  BLARMED  hurry. 

1872.  John  Forster,  Life  of 
Dickens,  xxxi.,  (m.,  191)  He  saw  a 
strange  sensation  among  the  angry 
travellers  whom  he  had  detained  so  long; 
heard  a  voice  exclaim,  'I  am  blakmed 
if  it  ain't  Dickens!'  and  stood  in  the 
centre    of   a    group  ot  Five  A7nericans  ! 

Blarney,  subs,  (colloquial).— Bland- 
ishment ;  soft  speech  ;  sawder 
(^.z/.)  :  gross  flattery  ;  gammon 
(^.z».):  [From  Castle  Blarney  in 
Ireland,  in  the  wall  of  which,  diffi- 
cult of  access,  is  placed  a  stone. 
Whoever  is  able  to  kiss  this  is  said 
thereafter  to  be  able  to  persuade 
to  anything.  According  to  Brewer, 
Cormack  Macarthy  held  the  Castle 


of  Blarney  in  1602,  and  concluded 
an  armistice  with  Carew,  the  Lord 
President,  on  condition  of  surren- 
dering the  fort  to  the  English  gar- 
rison. Day  after  day  his  lordship 
looked  for  the  fulfilment  of  the 
terms,  but  received  nothing  ex- 
cept protocol  and  soft  speeches, 
till  he  became  the  laughing-stock 
of  Elizabeth's  ministers,  and  the 
dupe  of  the  lord  of  Blarney.] 
Yx.  baliverne  a.nd  pelola^e.  As  ver/' 
=  (i)  to  wheedle;  to  coax;  to 
flatter  ;  to  flatter  grossly  ;  (2)  to 
pick  locks  (American). 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the  Vul- 
gar Tongue.  He  has  licked  the  blarney 
stone;  he  deals  in  the  wonderful,  or  tips 
us  the  traveller. 

183g.  Lever,  Harry  Lorreguer,  xix. 
They  were  as  cunning  as  foxes,  and 
could  tell  blarney  from  good  sense. 

c.  1876.     Broadside    Ballad,   'A  nice 
young  thing.' 
Her    name    was    Kate  Carney,  she  came 

from  Killarney, 
So  full  of  her  blarney,  but  fond  of  her 

Barney. 

1884.  RuSKiN,  Pall  Mall  Gazette, 
17  Nov.,  II,  col.  2.  It  was  bombastic 
English  blarney — not  Irish. 

Blase,  adj.  (common). — Used  up; 
exhausted  with  enjoyment;  sa- 
tiated, [From  French  blaser,  of 
unknown  derivation.]  Its  extended 
colloquial  use  in  England  is  ex- 
plained in  second  quotation. 

1823.  Byron,  Don  Juan,  xii.,  st. 
81.  A  little  BLASÉ — 'tis  not  to  be 
wondered  At,  that  his  heart  had  got  a 
tougher  rind.  And  though  not  vainer 
from  his  past  success.  No  doubt  his  sensibil- 
ities were  less. 

1883.  G.  A.  Sala,  Illustrated  London 
News,  March  10,  235,  col.  3.  There 
should  be  a  chronology  of  slang.  It 
is  about  forty  years  ago,  I  think,  that 
the  great  popularity  of  a  French  farce 
called     'L'Homme     blasé'   brought    the 


Blast. 


254 


Blather, 


word  into  colloquial  use  in  England; 
indeed  the  first  translation  of  the  French 
piece  (at  the  Princess's,  Wright,  the  low 
comedian,  playing  the  hero,)  was  called 
BLASÉ,  with  some  sub-title  that  I  forget. 
Subsequently  another  translation  was 
produced,  Charles  Mathews  playing  the 
principal  character.  As  a  title  for  this 
version,  we  borrowed  a  slang  term  from 
the  Americans,  and  'L'Homme  blasé' 
became  '  Used  Up  '  ! 


Blast,  j«ì5j.  (common).- 
in  the  face. 


-Erysipelas 


Verb,     (low). — To     curse;     to 
damn  :    e.g.    blast    me  !    blast 

VOU!      BLAST    YOUR   EYES  !   etc. 

1654.  CnxftAKti,  Revenge  for  Honour, 
v.,  ii.  And  thus  I  kiss'd  my  last  breath. 
Blast  you  all!  Ta.  Damn'd,  des- 
perate villain! 

1752.  Fielding,  Amelia,  x.,  v.  'I 
don't  know  what  you  mean  by  ominous,' 
cries  the  colonel;  'but,  blast  my  reputa- 
tion, if  I  had  received  such  a  letter,  if 
I  would  not  have  searched  the  world  to 
have  found  the  writer.' 

1 759.  Goldsmith,  Cit.  of  the  World, 
lett.,  105.  'Blast  me!'  cries  Tibbs,  'if 
that  be  alt,  there  is  no  need  of  paying 
for  that.' 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  20.  Yet, 
BLAST  MY  EYES,  if  I  don't  whack  him. 

1825.  Scott,  St.  Ronau's  IFell,  viii. 
'Hands,  Captain  MacTurk!  '  exclaimed 
Sir  Bingo,  in  some  confusion;  'no,  blast 
Hi.M — not  so  bad  as  that  neither.' 

BLASTED,  adj.  (old).— Execrable  ; 
confounded  ;  often  substituted  for 
'danined,'  'bloody,'  as  a  milder 
form,  BLASTED  FELLOW  =  an 
abandoned  rogue,  blasted  brim- 
stone =  a  prostitute  (Grose). 

1682.  Drvden,  Medal,  260.  What 
curses  on    thy    blasted   name  will   fall. 

1750.  Chesterfield,  Letters,  S  Jan. 
(1870),  169.  Colonel  Chartres...  who 
was,  I  believe,  the  most  notorious 
blasted  rascal  in  the  world. 


1874.  PusEY,  Lent.  Sermotis,  79. 
Balaam  after  the  success  of  his  blasted 
counsel. 

1884.  Good  Words,  Nov.,  767,  col. 
I.  _  Jim  Black  states  that  the  blasted 
railway  has  done  away  with  those  journeys. 

BLATANTATION,  subs,  (old).— Noisy 
effusion  ;   SWAGGER  Xq.v.'). 

1883.  Graphic,  Feb.  24,  199,  col.  3. 
On  the  ground  betting  men  are  con- 
spicuous with  their  books,  blatanta- 
TiONS,   blackguardism,  and  swell  clothes. 

Blatant  beast,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
The  multitude;  the  mob  (Spencer). 

1606.  Ret.  from  Parnassus.  Faith, 
we  are  fully  bent  to  be  lords  of  misrule 
in  the  worlds  wide  heath;  our  voyage  is 
to  the  He  of  Dogges,  there  where  the 
BLATTANT  BEAST  doth  rule  and  raigne. 
Renting  the  credit  of  whom  it  please. 

BlATER,  sitbs.  (old).— A  calf.  [Prob- 
ably a  corruption  of  'bleater,' 
from    its    cry].     Hence    to    cry 

BEEF     on     A   BLATER    =:    tO    make 

a  fuss  about  nothing. 

1714.  Memoirs  of  fohn  Hall  (4  ed.), 
II  [list  of  cant  words  in].     Blatee,  a  calf. 

1827.  Lytton, /"^/Aaw,  Ixxxii.  Don't 
be   glim-flashy;   why  you'd  cry  bebf  on 

A    BLATER. 

Blather,  subs,  (common). — Noisy 
talk  ;  voluble  nonsense  :  cf. 
Blether.  Hence,  as  verb  =  to 
talk  volubly;  noisily  and  to  little 
purpose.  Also  blathering  hash 
=  a  person  who  foams  {ç.v.), 
highfalutes  (fjr.î'.)  etc.  ;  blatter- 
ing :=  chatter. 

i6[?].  Beaumont  and  kletcher 
[Halliwell].  There's  nothing  gain'd  by 
being  witty;  fame  Gathers  but  wind  to 
BLATHER  Up  a  name. 

1864.  E.  Yates,  Broken  to  Harness, 
xxix.,  309  (1873).  'There's  a  letter  there 
from  Sir  Mordaunt,  askin'  for  more  time, 
and  proniisin'  all  sorts  of  things;  but  I'm 
sick  of  him  and  his  blather.' 


Blatherskite. 


255 


Blazer. 


1884.  W.  C.  Russell,  Jack's  Court- 
ship, xxiv.  Mrs.  O'Brien  was  blathering 
about  'he  pedigree  of  the  O'Briens  and 
the  O'Shandrydans  to  Mrs.  Joyce. 

Blatherskite,  skòs.  (common). — 

1.  Boastful  disputations  swag- 
ger:   cf.   BLETHERSKITE.     Hence 

2.  A  swaggerer  ;  a  boaster  ; 
one  who  talks  volubly  and  non- 
sensically. 

1888.  Neiu  York  Herald,  July  19. 
Every  blatherskite  republican  is  filled 
to  the  brim  and  spouting  high  protection, 
while  the  democrats  are  not  prepared  to 
meet  them  for  want  of  documents. 

1888.  Chicago  iVatchman.  Dr. 
Brookes,  of  St.  Louis,  must  be  a  nice  man 
to  live  with.  He  refers  to  Dr.  R.  W. 
Dale  and  Dr.  Parker  as  'blatant  blather- 
skites', and  evidently  regards  Professor 
Drummond  as  beyond  reformation. 

BLAYNEY'S  BLOODHOUNDS,  subs. 
phr.  (military). — The  eighty-ninth 
Foot  ;  now  the  second  battalion 
of  the  Royal  Irish  Fusiliers  ;  they 
obtained  this  nick-name  during 
the  Irish  Rebellion  in  1798. 
[Blayney  was  their  Colonel.] 
Also  THE  ROLLICKERS,  in  allusion 
to  the  'jolly  doggish'  bearing 
of  the  corps. 

Blaze,  subs,  and  verb  (common). —  i. 
In  some  usages  slang  is  narrowly 
touched:  e.g ,  when  a  man  is  said 
to  BLAZE  his  way  through  the 
labyrinths  of  the  metropolis.  The 
original  meaning  is  well  known. 
The  early  settlers  on  the  American 
continent,  found  it  very  necessary 
to  mark  their  route.  This  they 
did  by  the  simple  expedient  of 
BLAZING  the  trees  at  convenient 
distances.  Blazing  consists  mere- 
ly in  chopping  a  piece  of  the  bark 
off  each  tree  selected  in  the  desir- 
ed line  of  march.  The  mark  itself 
is  called  a  blaze.  Blazing  also 
indicated  that  the  land  thus  marked 
had  been  appropriated  by  a  set- 


tler— a  rude  and  informal,  but,  in 
early  days,  a  thoroughly  well 
recognised  method  of  securing  a 
title  to  the  land. 

1737.  Wesley,  Wk^.  (1872)  i.,  68. 
We  then  found  another  blaze  and  pur- 
sued it. 

1883.  Bret  Harte,  In  the  Carquinez 
Woods,  viii.  '  I  made  a  blaze  hereabouts 
to  show  where  to  leave  the  trail.  There 
it  is,'  he  added,  pointing  to  a  slight 
notch  cut  in  the  trunk  of  an  adjoining 
tree...  They  proceeded  cautiously  at 
right  angles  with  the  blazed  tree  for 
ten  minutes  more. 

Blaze-away,  intj.  (common).  - 
Look  sharp;  'stir  your  stumps' — 
an  injunction  to  renewed  and 
more  effective  effort. 

Blazer,  subs,  (common). — Origin- 
ally applied  to  the  uniform  of 
the  Lady  Margaret  Boat  Club  of 
St.  John's  College,  Cambridge, 
which  was  of  a  bright  red,  and 
was  called  a  blazer.  Now  ap- 
plied to  any  light  jacket  of  bright 
colour,  worn  at  cricket  or  other 
sports.  Prof.  Skeat  [A'',  and  Q., 
7  S.,  iii,  436]  speaking  of  the 
JOHNIAN  blazer,  says  it  was  al- 
ways of  the  most  brilliant  scarlet, 
and  thinks  it  not  improbable  that 
the  fact  suggested  the  name  which 
subsequently  became  general. 

1880.  Times,  June  19.  Men  in  spot- 
less flannels,  and  club  blazers. 

1S85.  Punch,  June  27,  304.  On  the 
morning  of  the  start  for  our  'Spin  to 
Brighton,'  Harkaway  turns  up  clad  in 
what  he  calls  a  blazer,  which  makes  him 
look  like  a  nigger  minstrel  out  for  a 
holiday. 

i38g.  Daily  A'eius,  Aug.  23,  6  col. 
6.  Dress  by  the  Sea.  Sir, — In  your 
article  of  to-day,  under  the  above  heading, 
you  speak  of  'a  striped  red  and  black 
blazer',  'the  blazer,'  also  of  'the  pale 
toned'  ones.  This  is  worth  noting,  as  a 
case  of  the  specific  becoming  the  generic. 

R 


Blazes. 


256 


Blazes. 


A  BLAZER  is  the  red  flannel  boating 
jacket,  worn  by  the  Lady  Margaret,  St. 
John's  College,  Cambridge,  Boat  Club. 
When  I  was  at  Cambridge  it  meant  that 
and  nothing  else.  It  seems  from  your 
article  that  a  blazer  now  means  a 
coloured  flannel  jacket,  whether  for  cricket, 
tennis,  boating,  or  seaside  wear. — Yours 
faithfully,  Walter  Wre.n. 

2.  (nautical). — A  term  applied 
to  mortar  or  bomb  vessels,  from 
the  great  emission  of  flame  to 
throw  a  13-inch  shell.— Admiral 
Smyth. 

Blazes,  subs,  (common). —  I.  The 
infernal  regions.  This  allusion  to 
the  flames  of  hell,  by  constant 
use  has  been  lessened  in  force, 
and  like  '  bloody,'  few  who  em- 
ploy such  flowers  of  oratory  have 
any  notion  of  the  proper  significa- 
tion. In  most  cases  the  word  is 
now  a  meaningless  intensitive, 
and  takes  rank  with  such  ex- 
pressions as  LIKE  ONE  o'clock, 
LIKE  wiNKEY,  etc.  Thus  one  says 
of  an  action  that  it  is  a  blazing 
shame;  that  he  has  a  blazing 
headache;  that  so-and-so  is  a 
blazing  thief;  that  such  a  job 
is  blazing  hard  work;  that  it  is 
a  blazing  hot  day.  Old  Blazes 
=  The  devil:  see  skipper.  Go 
TO  BLAZES  !  =  Go  to  the  devil  ; 
go  to  hell.  Like  blazes  =  vehe- 
mently ;  with  extreme  ardour.  1  low 
(Who,  or  What)  the  blazes! 
=  Who  (or  What)  the  Dickens. 
Drunk  AS  blazes  (or  blaizers) 
=  very  drunk:  see  SCREWED. 

1836.  Michael  Scott  Cruise  of 
the  Mid^e.  [Ry.  ed.  18..]  p.  29a.  Several 
flying  fish  h.id  come  on  board  that 
morning,  and  just  as  I  was  helping  Dicky 
"to  a  little  water...  a  very  large  one 
flew  right  against  Dennis  Donovan's  check 
and  dropped,  walloping  and  floundering, 
into  his  plate,  'blazes,  what  is  that?' 
Oh,  what  a  beautiful  little  fish  !  '  said  the 
child. 


1836.  Dickens,  Pickiuick,  lv.,  479. 
'Pell,'  he  used  to  say  to  me  many  a 
time.  'HOW  THE  blazes  you  can  stand 
the  head-work  you  do,  is  a  mystery  to  me.' 

i8(.').  De  Quinxev,  Spanish  Kui:, 
sect.  24.  The  horse  was  so  maddened  by 
the  wound,  and  the  road  so  steep,  that 
he  went  like  blazes. 

1845.  B-  Disraeli,  Sybil,  or  The  Tivo 
Nations,  330.  Syllabubs  like  blazes, 
and  snapdragon  as  makes  the  flunkeys 
quite  pale.  Ibid,  369.  'They  pelted 
the  police. .  .'  '  And  cheered  the  red-coats 
like  blazes,'  said  Mick.  Ibid.  She  sets 
her  face  against  gals  working  in  mills 
like  blazes. 

1849.  Southern  Literary  Messenger, 
June.  He  looked,  upon  my  word,  like 
old  blazes  himself,  with  his  clothing 
all  on  fire,  and  rage  and  despair  in  his  face. 

1851.  Mavhew,  London  Labour  avd 
London  Poor,  in.,  135.  He  jump» 
through  a  trap  in  the  window  with  a 
bottle  on  it,  marked  'Old  Tom,'  and  a 
scroll  falls  down,  written  gone  to  blazes. 

Ibid.  III.,  159.  She  liked  this  very 
much,  in  fact  so  much,  that  the  other 
little  ones  used  to  cry  like  blazes 
because  I  wouldn't  let  them  have  a  turn 
at  them  [the  stilts]. 

1859.  Chas.  Dickens,  Tale  of  Two 
Cities.  I.,  15  (in  parts).  A  blazing 
strange  answer. 

1 86 1.  Thackeray,  Adventures  of 
Philip,  I.,  99.  Old  Parr  Street  is  mined, 
sir — mined  !  And  some  morning  we  shall 
be  blown  into  blazes, — into  blazes,  sir, 
mark  my  words  I 

1862.  Mrs.  Riddell  ('F.  G.  Traf- 
ford  '),  Too  Much  Alone,  200.  '  Has  no 
one  been  here  this  afternoon?'  'Yes  one 
man,  to  ask  his  way  to  blazes,  or  some 
place  else.' 

1864.  J.  Lawrence,  Guy  Livingstone, 
or  Thorongh.  They  hate  each  other  like 
blazes. 

1880.  S.  Clemens  ('Mark  Twain'), 
Sketch  (Mr.  Skac's  Item).  I  could  have 
told  Johnny  Skae  that  I  would  not 
receive  his  communication  at  such  a 
late   liour,  and  to  GO  to  blazes  with  it. 


Bleach. 


257 


Bleed. 


1882.  Jas.  Payn,  in  'A  Failure  of 
Justice  ',  in  Glow  Worm  Tales,  97. 
'Sir,'  cried  I,  authoritatively,  'let  me  tell 
you  I  am  a  Middlesex  magistrate.'  '  Oh, 
yes:  a  likely  story!'  was  his  audacious 
reply.  'You've  got  'Ighbury  Barn  written 
on  your  countenance,  you  have,  go  to 
blazes!'  and  he  slammed  down  the 
window. 

1884.  W.  C.  Russell,  Jack's  Court- 
ship, xvii.  'Who  the  blazes  would 
recognise  Jack  Seymour  in  those  shore- 
going  duds?' 

1891.  Harry  Fludyer  at  Camòridge, 
31.  The  cunning  old  rascal  found  me 
out,    and    barked    like    blazes    for  joy. 

1899.  Whiteing,  John  St.,  xiv.  Our 
Yea  was  '  Yes,  mum,"  if  our  Nay  was 
'  Go  to  blazes.' 

2.  (Common).  —  Flunkey 
clothes:  see  episode  of  Sam  Weiler 
and  the  '  swarry.' 

Bleach,  vero  (Harvard  Untversity). 
To  absent  oneself  from  morn- 
ingprayers. — Hall,  C(9//^^(;  Words 
and  Phrases. 

BLEACHED-MORT,  subs.  phr.  (old 
Cant.).  —  A  fair  complexioned 
wench.  (Grose). 

Bleak,  adj.  (American  thieves'). — 
Handsome. 

Bleat,  z'^ri^.(colloquial). — To  whine; 
to  prate;  to  bemoan. 

c.  1650.  Brathwavte,  Sarnaiy's  y  I. 
(1723),  47.  Where  I  heard  a  woful  bleat- 
ing,   A  curst  wife  her  Husband  beating. 

BLEATER,  subs.  (old). — The  victim 
of  a  sharper  or  rook:  jack  in 
THE  BOX  =:  a  swindler  or  cheat. 

1609.  Dkkker,  Lanthorne,  Wks., 
1884-5,  in.,  290.  They  that  are  Cheated 
by  iacke  in  a  Boxe  are  called  bleaters. 

e.  1696.     B.E.,  Diet.  Cant  Crew.  Idem. 

1785.    Grose,  Vulgar  Tongue.  Idem. 

1811.    Lexicon  Balatronicum.  Idem. 


2.  (old  Cant.).  —  A  sheep  > 
mutton  :  also  bleating-cheat* 
(B.E.  and  Grose).  Hence  bleat- 
ING-CÜLL  =  a  sheep  stealer. 
bleating-prig  (or  rig)  =  sheep- 
stealing. 

1652.     Brome,  Jovial  Crew,  s.v. 

Bleed,  verb  (old). — I.  To  victimise  ; 
to  MILK  {ij.v^.  ;  to  extort  money  so 
that  the  loss  is  felt  ;  to  rush  (^.Z'.). 

1668.  Drvden,  An  Evening's  Love, 
iv.,  I.  In  fine,  he  is  vehement,  and 
BLEEDS  on  to  fourscore  or  an  hundred; 
and  I,  not  willing  to  tempt  fortune,  come 
away  a  moderate  winner  of  two  hun- 
dred pistoles. 

1748.  T.  Dvche,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Bleed  (v.)....  also  to  part  with  money 
freely,  upon  proposing  something  agree- 
able to  a  person's  disposition,  whether  it 
be  in  gaming  or  anything  else. 

1 75 1.  Smollett,  Peregrine  Pickle, 
Ixvi.  To  whom  he  was  particularly 
agreeable,  on  account  of  his  person,  ad- 
dress, and  BLEEDING  freely  at  play. 

1830.  S.  Warren,  Diary  of  a  Late 
Physician,  xxii.  The  reputed  readi- 
ness with  which  she  bled,  at  last  brought 
her  the  honour  of  an  old  countess,  who 
condescended  to  win  from  her,  at  two 
sittings,  very  nearly  £5,000. 

1849.  Thackeray,  Pe7iden»is,\x.s\\\. 
'You  have  got  a  bill  of  sale  for  her 
furniture...  By  Jove,  sir,  you've  bled 
that  poor  woman  enough.' 

1885.  Manchester  Evening  N'ews, 
23  June,  2.  Men  who  give  bills  have 
to  bleed  for  the  accommodation. 

2.  (printers'). — A  book  bleeds 
when  the  margins  are  '  planed  ' 
down  so  that  the  edge  of  the 
printed  portion  is  cut  away. 

1876.  Daily  Telegraph,  June  9, 
2,  col.  I.  So  very  carelessly  has  the 
mechanical  part  of  production  been  done 
that,  in  the  phraseology  of  the  craft — 
half  technical,  half  slang— the  pages  bleed 
in  many  places — i.e.,  the  binder's  knife 
when  cutting  the  edges  has  also  cut  away 
portions  of  the  printed  matter. 


Bleeder. 


258 


Bless. 


3,  (nautical).  —  To  let  out 
water. 

To  BLEED  THE  MONKEY,  verbal 
phr.  (nautical). — To  steal  rum 
from  the  mess-tub  '  the  monkey  '  : 
exclusively  naval,  '  monkeys  '  not 
being  known  on  merchant  ships: 
also  SUCKING  THE  MONKEY,  and 
TAPPING   THE   ADMIRAL. 

1889.     Chantiers'    Journal,    3  Aug., 

495.       To        SUCK        THE       MONKEY       is       a 

phrase  explained  in  Peter  Simple  as  hav- 
ing originally  been  used  among  sailors 
for  drinking  rum  out  of  cocoa-nuts,  the 
milk  having  been  poured  out  and  the 
liquor  substituted.  It  is  now  applied  to 
the  act  of  drinking  on  the  sly  from  a  cask 
by  inserting  a  straw  through  a  gimlet 
hole,  and  to  drinking  generally.  Barham, 
in  the  legend  of  the  Black  Mousquetaire 
says: 
What     the     vulgar     call     sucking     the 

MONKEY, 

Has  much  less  effect  on  a  man  when  he's 
funky. 

Bleeder,  subs.  (University). — i.  A 
duffer  beyond  compare  ;  a  euphem- 
ism for  'bloody  fool.' 

sovereign  ; 


2.     (sporting). — A 
20/:  see  RHINO. 


3.     (old). — A  spur. 

Bleeding,  adj.  (common). — An  ex- 
pletive of  long  standing:  cf. 
Shakspeare's  'bleeding  men,'  etc. 
See  bloody:  there  is  little  enough, 
sanguinary,  either  literally  or 
metaphorically  about  much  that 
is  described  as  bleeding.  It 
sounds  big  and  weighty  to  those 
who  use  it,  and  that  suffices. 

1877.  Besant  and  Rice,  Sou  cf 
Vulcan,  II.,  xxiii.  '  When  he  isn't  up  to 
one  dodge  he  is  up  to  another.  You 
make  no  iileeding  error.' 

Bleeding-cully,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
One  who  parts  easily  with  his 
money,  or  bleeds  {q-v^  freely. 
(Grose). 


BlenKER,  verb  (American). — To 
plunder:  much  used  during  the 
Civil  War. 

Bless,  verb  (common). — To  curse  ; 
to  damn;  hence  'blest  if  I  do' 
■=.  '  damned  if  I  will  '.  Also 
blessed  (or  blest)  often  used 
ironically,  and  =:  'cursed.' 

1806.  Windham,  Let.  in  Speeches 
(1812),  I.,  77.  As  one  of  the  happy  con- 
sequences of  our  blessed  system  of 
printing  debates,  I  am  described  today 
.  .  .as  having  talked  a  language  directly 
the  reverse  of  that  which  I  did  talk. 

1876.  C,  HiNDLEY,  Li/e  aitd  Adven- 
tures of  a  Cheap  Jack,  139.  One 
Maidstone  Fair  time,  I  saw  one  of  the 
gipsy  Lees,  called  'Jemmy,'  fighting  with 
a  man  much  bigger  than  himself.  Tom 
Rosseter,  the  mumper,  was  seconding  his 
brother-in-law.  Jemmy  Lee,  when,  as 
Jemmy  kept  throwing  his  man  very 
heavily,  he  said,  'My  dear  blessed 
brother,  don't  throw  the  blessed  man 
like  that  or  you  will  be  sure  to  kill  him.' 
'Well,'  said  Jemmy,  'but  my  dear 
BLESSED  brother,  if  I  don't  kill  the  dear 
blessed  man,  why  the  big  blessed — 
will  be  sure  to  kill  me,  and  so  I  must 
keep  on  throwing  the  dear  blessed  man, 
for  you  see  what  a  blessed,  big,  dear 
fellow  he  is  to  me.' 

1877.  Five  Years  Penal  Servitude, 
iii.,  245.  They  called  in  the  coppers, 
and  some  feller  in  the  shop  twigged 
my  old  girl  as  one  he'd  a-seen  before, 
and  blessed  if  they  didn't  identify  her 
as  having  lifted  some  things  out  of  the 
shop,  and  she  was  pinched  for  seven 
'stretch.' 

1882.  Punch,  Aug.  5,  49.  Sir  Pompey 
Bedell:  'Oh!— er— Mr.  Grigsby,  I  think! 
How  d'ye  do?'  [extending  two  fingers]. 
Grigsby:  'I  hope  I  sec  you  well.  Sir 
Pompey.  And  next  time  you  give  me 
two  fingers,  I'm  blest  if  I  don't  pull 
'em  oft".' 

1889.  Sporting  Tillies,  July  6.  St. 
Mannock. — Did  you  ever  hear  a  still, 
small  voice  whispering  over  its  morning 
shrimps,  'What  a  pair  of  blessed  fools 
you  are  !  ' 


Bless. 


259 


Blether. 


1899.  Whiteing,  yohit  St.,  iv.  Git 
out  with  yer;  I  don't  want  no  blessed  tea. 

To  BLESS  ONESELF  FROM,  verb, 
phr.  (old). — To  have  nothing  to 
do  with. 

c.  165g.  Massinger,  City  Madam, 
ii.  I.  Since  my  master  longs  to  be  undone. 
The  great  fiend  be  his  steward;  I  will 
pray,  And  bless  myself  from  him. 

[?]  Adams,  Works,  ii.  322.  Simeon 
and  Levi  seemed  to  have  just  cause,  the 
whoredom  of  their  own  sister,  yet  their 
father  calls  them  brethren  in  evil  for  it, 
BLESSKTH  HIS  HONOUR  FROM  their  Company, 
and  his  soul  from   their  secrecy. 

To  BLESS  ONE  SELF,  verb.  phr. 
(common). — To  be  surprised;  to 
be  vexed  ;  to  be  mortified  :  e.g. 
God  BLESS  me!  bless  my  eyes! 
BLESS  my   soul  !   Lor'  bless  me  ! 

1592.  Shakespeare,  Midsummer 
Night's  Dream,  iv.,  2,  n.  Quin:  Yea, 
and  the  best  person  too:  and  he  is  a 
very  paramour,  for  a  sweet  voice.  Flu  : 
You  must  say,  paragon  :  a  paramour  is, 
God  BLESS  us,  a  thing  of  nought. 

1615.     T.  Adams,  Black  Dev.,  71.  He 

.  .  .      would      BLESSE      HIMSELFE     tO     think 

that  so  little  a  thing   could  extend  itself 
to  such  a  capacity. 

1656.  Hacket,  Williavis,  i.  84.  Sir 
Francis  bless'd  himself  to  find  such 
mercy  from  one  whom  he  had  so  griev- 
ously provok'd. 

1665.  Pepvs,  Diary,  i  Apr.  How 
ray  Lord  Treasurer  did  bless  himself, 
crying  he  could  do  no  more,  etc. 

c.  1702.  Gentleman  Instructed,  476. 
'Sirrah,'  says  the  youngster,  'make  me 
a  smart  wig,  a  smart  one,  ye  dog.' 
The  fellow  blest  himself;  he  had  heard 
of  a  smart  nag,  a  smart  man,  etc.,  but 
a  smart  wig  was  Chinese  to  the  trades- 
man. 

1759.  Sterne,  Tristram  .Shandy, 
xl.  Rub  your  hands  thrice  across  your 
foreheads — blow  your  nose — cleanse  your 
emunctories — sneeze,  my  good  people! — 
God  bless  you. 


1814.  Miss  Austen,  Mansßeld Park, 
xviii.  Could  Sir  Thomas  look  in  upon 
us  just  now,  he  would  bless  himself, 
for  we  are  rehearsing  all  over  the  house. 

1843.  Dickens,  Christmas  Carol, 
77.  'Why  bless  my  soul,'  cried  Fred. 
'who's  that?' 

1853.  BuLWER  Lytton,  My  Novel, 
I.,  307.  After  they  had  lain  apart  for 
a  little  while,  very  silent  and  sullen,  John 
sneezed.  '  God  bless  you  !  '  says  Joan, 
over  the  bolster. 

Not  a  penny  [sixpence,  farth- 
ing, etc.]  TO  bless  oneself  WITH, 
phr.  (common). — Utterly  impe- 
cunious ;  '  without  a  sou.' 

1843.  Dickens,  Martin  Chuzzle^vit, 
I.,     237.    He    landed    there    without    a 

PENNY   TO    bless    HIMSELF    WITH. 

1849.  Dickens,  David  Copperfield, 
I.,  113.  I  heard  that  Mr.  Meli  was  not 
a  bad  sort  of  fellow,  but  hadn't  a  six- 
pence TO  bless  himself  with. 

1851.  Mayhew,  London  Labour  and 
London  Poor,  in.,  55.  l"he  most  of 
'em  ain't  got  a  farthing  to  bless 
themselves  with. 

1861.  George  Eliot,  Silas  Marner, 
38.   I    have    not    a    shilling    to  bless 

MYSELF    WITH. 

To  BLESS  ONE'S  STARS,  verb, 
phr.  (common). — To  thank  one- 
self; to  attribute  one's  good  for- 
tune to  luck  :  generally  in  a 
ludicrous  sense. 

1845.  Hood,  Pauper's  Christmas 
Carol,  iii.  Ought  not  I  to  bless  my  stars  ? 

1877.  Five  i'ears'  Penal  Servitude, 
iii.,  230.  Forty-eight  marks!  a  week's 
remission.  The  very  thought  made  me 
savage,  but  I  blessed  my  stars  I  had 
not  lost  my  class,  or  my  good  berth. 

BLESSED  (BLEST).    See    BLESS,  verb. 

Blether  (or  blather),  subs.  (Scots 
and  U.S.A.). — Nonsense;  vapid 
talk  ;  voluble  chatter.  Hence  also 
BLETHERING,  and  as  adjective  ^ 
volubly,    foolishly    talkative  :    c/. 

BLETHERSKATE. 


Bletherskate. 


260 


Blind. 


b.  1759,  ^-  ^79^-     Burns,   Tarn  Sam- 
son's Elegy,  St.  12. 
Yon  auld  gray  stane,  amang  the  heather 

Marks  out  his  head, 
Whare    Bums    has    wrote    in    rhyming 

BLETHER, 

Tarn  Samson's  dead.' 

do.     Burns,  Holy  Fair,  st.  8. 
And  some  are  busy  blethrin' 
Right  loud  that  day. 

1816.  Scott,  Old  Mortality,  xiv. 
•I  hae  been  clean  spoilt,  just  \vi'  listening 
to  twa  BLETHERING  auld  wives.' 

1883.  Hawley  Smart,  Hard  Lines, 
vi.  He  had  brought  this  blethering 
Irishman  down  here,  and  deluged  him 
with  punch  for  the  express  purpose  of 
turning  him  inside  out. 

1886.  Pall  Mall  Gazette,  3  May,  6,  2. 
Havelock's  florid  adjurations  to  his  men, 
the  grim  veterans  of  the  78th,  bluntly 
characterized  as  blether. 

BLETHERSKATE  (or  BLATHERSKITE), 
subs,  (provincial  and  American). — 
I.  Boastful  swagger:  in  talk  or 
action.  Also  (2)  a  boaster;  a 
noisy  talker  of  blatant  nonsense. 
It  occurs  in  'Maggie  Lauder',  a 
well-known  Scotch  song,  a  fact 
which  Murray  says  led  to  its  popu- 
larisation in  the  United  States. 
In    Ireland    bladderskate    and 

BLADDERÜMSKATE. 

c.  1650.  F.  SKMriLh,  Maggie  Lauder, 
Ì.  Jog   on   your   gait,  ye  bletherskate. 

1825.  C.  CrOKER,  Tradii.  S.  /reland, 
170.  He  was,  as  usual,  getting  on  with 
his  bletherumskite  about  the  fairies. 

1870.  J.  R.  O'Flanagan,  Lives  of 
the  Lord  Chancellors  of  Ireland.  Lord 
Redesdale  was  speaking  of  people  who 
learnt  to  skate  with  bladders  under  their 
arms,  to  buoy  them  up  if  they  should  fall 
into  a  hole  and  risk  being  drowned.  'Ah, 
my  Lord,*  said  'I'oler,  'that  is  what  we 
call  PLADDERUMSKATK  in   Ireland.' 

BLEW  (or  BLUE)  verb  (common).— 
I.  To  inform;  to  PEACH  {q.v:); 
to    expose;   to  betray:  set  Blow 

UPON. 


2.  (common). — To  spend  ;  to 
waste  ;  generally  of  money  :  when 
a  man  has  spent  or  lost  all 
his  money,  he  is  said  to  have 
BLEWED   IT. 

1884.  Daily  Telegraph,  May  28,  3, 
I.  Which  paid  him  £,  1,700  compensa- 
tion, when  he  took  to  horses,  and  bleweu 
the  blooming  lot  in  eighteen  months. 

i88g.  Sporting  Times,  June  29.  Isabel 
and  Maudie  knew  the  Turf  and  all  its 
arts — They  had  often  slewed  a  dollar 
on  a  wrong  'un — 


Blue-balls,   subs. 
money-lender  ; 
UNCLE  {q.V^, 


phr.    (old).— A 
I      pawnbroker  ; 


iSog.    MaLKIN,  G//5/r5;j[R0UTLEDGE], 

85.  I  do  not  wonder.  .  .  [at].  . .  prejudice 
against  money-lenders.  . .  If  all  my  breth- 
ren of  the  BLUE-BALLS  Were  like  me, 
&c.... 

BLIMEY,  intj.  (low). — That  is  '  Blind 
me  !  ' 

BLIND,  subs,  (common). — I.  The 
night  time;  IN  THE  BLIND  =  at 
night. 

2.  (colloquial). — A  pretence  ; 
a  shift;  an  action  by  which 
one's  real  purpose  is  concealed  ; 
that  which  obstructs  ;  a  '  make 
believe.' 

1663.  Drvden,  Wild  Gallant,  iii. 
He...  took  your  court  to  her,  only  as 
a  BLIND  to  your  affection  for  me. 

1694.  CoNGREVE,  Double  Dealer,  ii., 
5.  I  know  you  don't  love  Cynthia,  only 
as  a  BLIND  for  your  passion  to  me. 

1703.  Mrs.  CntiTLiVRii,  Beau's  Duel, 
I.,  i.  (1872),  i.,  70.  Am  I  publish'd  to  the 
world  as  a  blind  for  his  designs? 

1877.  E.L.  Linton,  World  Well  Lost, 
xxviii.  The  excuse  was  too  palpably  a 
BLIND  to  be  accepted   as  a  reason. 


Blind. 


261 


Blind-alley. 


1889.  Ansn.vcrs,  July  13,  104.  col.  3. 
The  Major  and  the  Captain  he  referred 
to  in  his  letters  were  mere  '  blinds'  The 
Captain  relied  upon  the  fact  that  not  one 
person  in  a  dozen  took  the  trouble  to 
apply  to  these  gentlemen. 

3.  (printers'). — A  paragragh 
[•||]  mark  is  so  called;  from  the 
eye  of  the  reversed  'P'  being 
filled  up. 

Adj.{p\à^. —  I.  Tipsy  ;  in  liquor  : 
see  SCREWED. 

1630.     Taylor,   Works,  s.v. 

2.  (old). — Transient  ;  not  dur- 
able :  as  v^riting  in  ink  that  quickly 
faded;  obscure:  cf.  Nares'  Anony- 
mous manuscripts,  supported  by 
quot.  1613. 

1563.  FoxE,  Acts attd Mon.  [Cattlev], 
iv.  613.  [What  we  call  a  lame  excuse 
appears  as  a  blind  excuse]. 

1579.  GOSSON,  Schoole  of  Abuse.  A 
blind  village  in  comparison  of  Athens. 

1 61 1.  Nomenclator,  9.  A  blind 
letter  that  will  in  short  time  be  worne 
out. 

1613.  Fenton  Treat,  of  Usitrie,  ÏÏ. 
These  fantasies  we  finde  in  certain 
BLINDE  manuscripts,  without  name  or 
author,  which  walke  under  hand  like  the 
pestilence  in  the  darke. 

Blind  as  a  brickbat,  adv. 
phr.  (colloquial). — As  blind  as 
may  be — mentally  or  physically  ; 
dense. 

1849.  Dickens,  David  Copperfield, 
111.,    97.   The  old  scholar...    is  as  blind 

AS   A    BRICKBAT. 

When  the  devil  is  blind, 
adv.  phr.  (common). — Never:  see 

QUEEN   DICK. 

177a.  Bridges,  Homer,  83.  But  such 
queer  sort  of  prayr's  you'll  find,  I'll  grant 

you    WHEN    THE    DEVIL'S    BLIND. 


To  GO  IT  blind,  verb.  phr. 
(common). — To  enter  upon  an 
undertaking  without  thought  as 
to  the  result,  or  inquiry  before- 
hand: from  'blind  poker',  where 
the  cards  are  betted  upon  before 
being  looked  at. 

1848.  J.  Russell  Lowell,  Biglow 
Papers,  n.,  118 — 'to  impress  on  the 
popular    mind.   The  comfort  and  wisdom 

of  GOIN'    it   BLIND.' 

1871.  De  Vere,  Americanisms,  328. 
Blind  Poker  has  given  rise  to  the 
very  common  phrase,  to  GO  it  blind, 
used  whenever  an  enterprise  is  under- 
taken without  previous  inquiry. 

1S82.  General  Sherman,  Memoirs, 
I,  342.  I  know  that  in  Washington 
I  am  incomprehensible,  because  at  the 
outset  of  the  war  I  would  not  GO  it 
BLIND,  and  rush  headlong  into  a  war 
unprepared  and  with  an  utter  ignorance 
of  its  extent  and  purpose. 

1888.  Chicago  Ledger, 'iiiay  l'i.  'And 
so  you've  married  a  jewel,  have  you, 
Tom?'  'I  have,  for  a  fact,  Dick.'  'Lucky 
dog!  You're  a  man  in  a  million.  Mighty 
few  GO  it  BLIND  and  fare  as  well  as 
you've  done.'  '  I  didn't  go  it  blind.  I 
employed  a  detective,  and  he  managed 
to  get  board  in  the  family.' 

The  blind  eat  many  a  fly, 
(old). — An  old  proverb  ;  Heywood 
wrote  a  play  under  this  title.  The 
elder  Heywood  introduces  it  in 
his  collection,  and  it  also  occurs 
in  Northbrooke's  Treatise,  ed. 
Collier,  60,  117, 

To  blind  a  trail,  verb  phr. 
(American). —  To  conceal  a  per- 
son's foot-prints,  or  to  give  them 
the  appearance  of  going  in  a 
different  direction  ;  and  figurat- 
ively, to  deceive  a  person  by  put- 
ting him  on  the  wrong  track. 

BLIND-ALLEY,  subs.  phr.  (venery). — 
The  female  pudendum  :  see  mono- 
syllable. 


Blind  bayard. 


262 


Blind-hookey. 


Blind  bayard.    See  bayard. 

Blind-cheeks,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— The  posteriors.  Hence,  Kiss 
my  Blindcheeks  (B.E.)  =  Kiss 
my  Arse. 

English  synonyms  are — Two 
fat  cheeks  and  ne'er  a  nose  ; 
blind  Cupid  ;  ampersand  ;  cheeks  ; 
arse;  corybungo;  dopey;  droddum; 
dommock  ;  feak  ;  bum  ;  nock  {i.e., 
'a  notch');  round  mouth;  wind- 
mill ;  blind-eye  ;  monocular  eye- 
glass. 

French  Synonyms,  borgne 
(low  =■  a  one-eyed  person)  ; 
cyclope  (Cyclops  =  the  one-eyed 
giant,  whose  optic  was  placed  in 
the  middle  of  the  forehead);  rose 
des  vents  \  piße-,  pignard;  boite 
aux  ordures. 

German  Synonym.  Acherponim 
=  (the  face  at  the  back).  Arsch. 

1607.  Dekker  and  Webster,  A'ör/Ä- 
ward  Hoe,  ii.  i.  If  I  take  master  prick- 
louse  ramping  so  high  again...  I'll 
make  him  know  how  to  kiss  your  blind 
CHEEKS  sooner. 

BLIND  DRUNK,  adj. phr.  (common). — 
Very  intoxicated  ;  so  drunk  as  to 
be  unable  to  see  better  than  a 
blind  man;  So  drunk  as  not  to 
be  able  to  see  through  a  ladder 
(American):  see  screwed. 

1845.  Disraeli,  Sybil,  or  the  Two 
Nations,  350.  Hang  me  if  1  wasn't  blind 
DRUNK  at  the  end  of  it. 

igoo.  Kipling,  Stalky  àf  Co.,  28. 
Stalky  &  Co.  had...  fallen  by  drink... 
They  had  returned  blind-drunk  from 
a  hut. 

Blinder.  To  take  a  islinder,  verb, 
phr.  (thieves'). — To  die  :  see  hop 
THE   TWIG. 

1859.  Matsell,  Vocabultim,  'On 
the  Trail.' 

Some  rubber  to  wit  had  napped  a  winder. 
And    some    were    scragged    and    took    a 

blinder. 


Blind  eye,  subs,  (common).— The 
podex;  see  blind  cheeks. 

BLIND  HALF  HUNDRED  (THE),  subs. 
///r.  (military). — The  Fiftieth  Regi- 
ment of  Foot  :  now  the  first  bat- 
talion of  the  Queen's  Own  (Royal 
West  Kent  Regiment):  many  men 
suffered  from  ophthalmia  during 
the  Egyptian  campaign  (1801); 
also  the  dirty  half  hundred: 
the  men  in  action  wiped  their 
faces  with  their  black  facings 
during  the  Peninsula  War. 

1 87 1,  chambers'  yournal.  No.  417, 
803.  The  dirty  half  hundred  was 
the  curious  nickname  given  to  the  50th 
Foot.  Two  accounts  are  given  of  the 
origin  of  this.  One  asserts  that  it  was 
from  their  red  uniforms  being  faced  with 
black  and  silver  lace,  and  thus  giving  the 
regiment  a  dull  and  sombre  appearance; 
whilst  the  other  tells  us  that  it  was  from 
the  men  wiping  their  perspiring  faces 
with  the  black  cuffs  of  their  coats,  and 
thus  giving  their  countenances  a  some- 
what swarthy  tint.  Whatever  may  be 
the  origin  of  this  sobriquet,  they  bear  a 
second,  about  which  there  can  be  no 
doubt.  From  the  glorious  charge,  led  by 
Colonel  Walker,  at  Vimiera,  this  regi- 
ment is  known  as  the  'Gallant  Fiftieth.' 

1886.  TitisUy's  Afagazine,  April,  322. 
Most  people  have  heard  of  the  '  Fighting 
Fiftieth.  But  the  soth  are  rich  in 
nicknames.  They  are,  or  at  least  they 
were,  the  blind  half-hundredth,  having 
been  but  too  literally  blinded  by  the 
ravages  of  ophthalmia  when  in  Egypt 
with  Sir  Ralph  Abercromby.  And  when 
on  one  occasion  the  men  dried  the  pers- 
piration from  their  faces  with  their  cuffs, 
they  for  a  while  became  the  dirtv 
half-hundkedth. 

BLIND-HARPER,  subs. phr.  (old  B.E.). — 
A  beggar  counterfeiting  blindness, 
playing  on  a  fiddle  (Grose). 

Blind-hookey,  «/i^.r.///r.  (Hotten).— 
A  game  at  cards  which  has  no 
recommendation  beyond  the  rapid- 
ity with  which  money  can  be  won 
and  lost  at  it;  called  also  wilful 
murder. 


Blind-horse. 


263 


Blind-side. 


Blind-horse.    A  nod  is  as  good 

AS    A    WINK    TO    A    BLIND    HORSE, 

phr.  (colloquial). — Said  of  a  covert 
hint— an  allusion  not  put  into 
plain  words. 

1831.  BuCKSTONE,  Beggar  Boy,  i.  i. 
yean  (laughing).  You  understand  him 
by  that  ?  Bart.  To  be  sure  I  do  !  A 
nod's  as  good  as  a  wink  for  a  blind 
HORSE,  you  know,  master. 

1837.  Richard  Brinsley  Peake, 
A    Quarter    To   Nine,    ii.     A    nod's    as 

GOOD    AS    A    WINK   TO    A    BLIND    HORSE. 

1889.  Evg.  Standard,  25  June.  A 
WINK  WAS  AS  GOOD  AS  A  NOD,  and  trainers 
and  jockeys...  easily  gathered  whether 
a  particular  horse  was  only  out  for  an 
airing,  &c. 

1893.     Nineteenth    Century,  July,   6. 

A     NOD    IS    AS  GOOD  AS  A   WINK  TO  A  BLIND 

HORSE;  and  there  are  certain  under- 
standings, in  public  as  well  as  in  private 
life,  which  it  is  better  for  all  parties  not  to 
put  into  writing. 

Blind-man's  holiday,  subs.  phr. 
(familiar). — Formerly  the  night  ; 
darkness:  now  the  time  'between 
lights'  when  it  is  too  dark  to  see, 
but  often  not  dark  enough  to  light 
up,  and  a  rest  from  work  may  be 
taken.  On  the  other  hand  some 
think  the  expression  a  corruption 
of  '  blind-man's  all-day  '. 

1598.  Florio,  IVorlde  of  IVordes, 
s.v.  Periato,  vacancy  from  labour,  rest 
from  worke,  blindman's  holvdav. 

1599.  Nashe,  Lenten  Staffe,  in  Wks. 
v.,  263.  And  what  will  not  blinde  Cupid 
doe  in  the  night  which  is  his  blindman's 
holiday  ? 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
Blind-man's-holiday,  when  it  is  too  dark 
to  see  to  work. 

1738.  Swift,  Polite  Conversation, 
conv.  iii..  Indeed,  madam,  it  is  blind- 
man's  holiday;  we  shall  soon  be  all  of 
a  colour. 

1824.  T.  Fielding,  Proverbs,  etc. 
(Familiar  Phrases),  147.  Blindman's 
holiday. 


1866.  Aunt  Judy's  Mag.,  Oct.,  358. 
At  meal  times,  or  in  blindman's  holi- 
day, when  no  work  was  to  be  done. 

Blind-mares,  subs. phr.  (provincial). 
— Nonsense  (Halliwell). 

Blind  monkeys,  subs. phr.  (Hotten). 
An  imaginary  collection  at  the 
Zoological  Gardens,  which  are 
supposed  to  receive  care  and 
attention  from  persons  fitted  by 
nature  for  such  office  and  for 
little  else.  An  idle  and  useless 
person  is  often  told  that  he  is 
only  fit  to  lead  the  blind  mon- 
keys to  evacuate.  Another  form 
this  elegant  conversation  takes, 
is  for  one  man  to  tell  another 
that  he  knows  of  a  suitable  situa- 
tion for  him.  '  How  much  a 
week  ?  and  what  to  do  ?  '  are 
natural  questions,  and  then  comes 
the  scathing  and  sarcastic  reply, 
'  Five  bob  a  week  at  the  doctor's — 
you're  to  stand  behind  the  door 
and  make  the  patients  sick.  They 
won't  want  no  physic  when  they 
sees  your  mug.' 

Blindo,  sub  s. {common). — A  drunken 
spree  ;  a  boozing  bout.  As  verb.  :=■ 
to  die:  see  hop  the  twig. 

Blind-side,  subs.  phr.  (colloquial). — 
The  side  that  is  weakest  ;  the 
most  assailable  side  ;  '  every  man's 
weak  Part'  (B.E.  c.  1696). 

1393.  Gower,  Confessio  Amantis 
[Oliphant,  New  English,  i.  174.  Here  are 
expressions  like. . .  upon  the  blind  side]. 

1576.  Gascoigne,  Steele  Glass.  69. 
[An  official  may  have  a]  blinde  side. 

1606.     Chapman,    Gentleman   Usher, 
Act.  i.,   79  (Plays,   1874). 
For  that,  we'll  follow  the  blind  side  of  him. 
And    make    it    sometimes  subject  of  our 

mirth. 

1663.  Dryden,  IVild  Gallant,  Act 
iii.  Con.  My  father's  credulous,  and 
this  rogue  has  found  the  blind  side  of  him. 


Blind  story. 


264 


Blizzard. 


1742.  Fielding,  "Joseph  Andrezvs, 
bk.  m.,  V.  Indeed,  if  this  good  man 
had  an  enthusiasm,  or  what  the  vulgar 
call  a  BLIND  SIDE,  it  was  this, — he  thought 
a  schoolmaster  the  greatest  character  in 
the  world,  and  himself  the  greatest  of 
all  schoolmasters. 

1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias  [Routìeàge], 
279.  Of  one  can  but  get  on  the  blind 
SIDE  of  a  man...  it  must  be  want  of 
skill...   if  the  game  is  lost. 

1820.  'L\yih,  Elia  [Mrs.  Battle).  All 
people  have  their  blind  side — their 
superstitions. 

1857.  Whittv,  Fr.  Boh'7nia,  169. 
You  have  been  fighting  one  another,  each 
to  get  on  the  old  man's  blind  side;  and 
he's  rather  too  cute  for  that. 

Blind  story,  subs.phr.  (colloquial). 
—  A  story  without  point. 

Blink,  -rr<^  (American).— To  drink; 

to    LUSH    {q.V.y.    cf.    SMILE   (^.î^.). 

Blinker,  stibs.  (colloquial).—  !.  The 
eye  :  Winker  ;  Peeper  ;  Optics, 
etc.  Hence  '  blank  your  blinkers  !  ' 
=  Damn  your  eyes  ! 

1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias  [Rout- 
ledge],  175.  The  master  appeared  in 
person;  which  stretched  the  old  fellow's 
blinkers  into  a  stare. 

1 8 16.  Quiz,  Grand  Master,  i.,  ii. 
A  patent  pair  of  goggle  winkers,  Con- 
ceal'd  from  public  view  his  blinkers. 

1888.  American  Humorist.  'Blank 
YOUR  blinkers,'  angrily  retorted  Brudee, 
'your  business  was  not  to  fight,  but  show 
us  the  enemy.' 

2;     (common). — In  pi.  =  spec- 
tacles: see  «ARNACLES. 

1732.  M.  Green,  Grotto,  10.  Bigots 
who  but  one  way  see  through  blinkers 
of  authority. 

1803.  Bristed,  Pedest.  Tour,  i.,  38. 
A  little  fellow,  with  blinkers  over  his  eyes. 

1851.  Thackeray,  Eng.  Hum.,  iv. 
(1858),  205.  Who  only  dare  to  look  up  at 
life  through  blinkers. 


3.  (provincial). — A  black  eye. 

4.  (pugilistic). — A  hard  blow 
(or  DIG,  q.v.)  in  the  eye. 

5.  (provincial). — A     term     of 
contempt.  (Halliwell). 

Blink-fencer,  subs.phr.  (thieves'). — 
A  spectacle  vendor. 

BLINKO,  subs,  (thieves'  and  vagrants'). 
An  amateur  entertainment  held 
at  a  public  house;  a  free  and 
EASY   {q.v.);   a  sing  SONG  {q.v.). 

1877.  J.  Greenwood,  Dick  Temple. 
'What  is  a  blinko  for  instance  ?'  'Well, 
it's  a  kind  of  entertainment,  singing, 
and  that,'  replied  the  old  fellow,  'to 
which  strangers  are  not  invited— least  of 
all  the  police.' 

18S3.  Daily  Telegraph,  August  4, 
2,  col.  I.  'An  Harmonic  bunko,  the 
proceeds  of  which  will  be  given  towards 
buying  a  barrow  for  Young  Duckling, 
who  has  got  married  with  no  visible 
means  of  support.' 

Blister,  verb  (common). — Euphem- 
istic for  '  damn  '  cf.  :  blamed. 

1840.  H.  CocKTON,  Valentine  Vox, 
xxvi.  'Where  can  they  be  hid?'  he 
exclaimed,  with  great  emphasis.  '  Blister 
'em!  Where  can  the  scoundrels  be 
got  to?' 

Blizzard,  subs.  (American). —  I.  A 
poser;  a  stunning  blow;  an  un- 
answerable argument  ;  a  cool 
reception,  etc.,   etc. 

1834.  Crockett,  Tour  Down  East, 
16.  A  gentleman  at  dinner  asked  me 
for  a  toast  ;  and  supposing  he  meant  to 
have  some  fun  at  my  expense,  I  con- 
cluded to  go  ahead,  and  give  him  and 
his  likes  a  blizzard. 

1871.  De  Vere,  Americanisms,  443. 
Blizzard,  a  term  referred  back  to 
the  German  Blitz,  means  in  the  West 
a  stunning  blow  or  an  overwhelming 
argument. 


Bloak. 


265 


Block. 


1884.  G.  A.  S[ala],  in  ///.  L.  Neivs, 
Feb.  23,  171,  col.  2.  Blizzard.  The 
phjlologers  in  American  Slang  refer 
back  to  the  German  Blitz;  and  its  orig- 
inal meaning  in  the  Western  States 
seems  to  have  been  a  stunning  blow,  or 
an  overwhelming  argument.  In  the 
Eastern  States  a  sudden  set-in  of  severe 
frost  is  called  a  'cold  snap.'  Query,  how 
many  'cold  snaps'  does  it  take  to  make 

a    BLIZZARD? 

1888.  San  Francisco  News  Letter. 
I  should  like  to  have  seen  the  Colonel's 
face  when  he  got  that  very  cold,  bliz- 
ZARDY  letter.  I  bet  that  if  Minnie  had 
been  near  him  he  would  have  slapped 
her  real  hard. 

2.  (colloquial). — A  snow-gale  ; 
furious  storm  of  frost-wind,  and 
blinding  snow. 

Bloak.    See  bloke. 

Bloat,  subs.  (American  thieves'). — 
I.     A  drowned  body. 

2.  A  drunkard  ;  a  lushington 
{q.v.). 

3.  (common). — A  man;  a 
fellow;  a  BLOKE  {ç-v.'):  in  con- 
tempt. 

Bloated  Aristocrat,  subs,  (col- 
loquial).— A  man  swollen  with 
the  pride  of  rank  or  wealth  ;  a 
general  sobriquet  applied  by  '  the 
masses'  to  'the  classes.'  ['Bloat- 
ed '  has  long  been  employed  in 
a  similar  sense.  Swift  spoke  of 
a  certain  statesman  as  '  a  bloat- 
ed minister'  [1731]:  cf.  quot. 
1696]. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
BLOATED,  one  puffed  or  swelled  with 
false  Fat,  and  has  not  a  Healthy  Complex- 


1861.  Thackeray,  Adventures  of 
Philip,  I.,  ICI.  What  a  bloated  aristo- 
crat Thingamy  has  become  since  he  got 
his  place! 


1863.  G.  A.  Sala,  Breakfast  in  Bed 
essay  1.,  17  (1864).  Of  the  two  most 
salient  English  gentlemen  represented, 
one  is  a  bloated  aristocrat  of  a  Baronet 
hopelessly  in  debt,  the  other  a  vapid 
brainless  nobleman. 

1869.  M.  Twain,  Innocents  Abroad, 
X.  We  sat  down  finally,  at  a  late  hour, 
in  the  great  Casino,  and  called  for  un- 
stinted champagne.  It  is  so  esay  to  be 
bloated  aristocrats  where  it  costs 
nothing  of  consequence  ! 

BLOATER.      See   MY   BLOATER. 


Blob,     verb    (vagrants'). - 
to   PATTER   {q.V>j. 


-To    talk. 


1851-61.  H.  Mayhew,  London  Lab. 
and  Lon.  Poor,  i.,  33g.  '  Of  professional 
beggars  there  are  two  kinds — those  who 
'do  it  on  the  blob'  (by  word  of  mouth), 
and  those  who  do  it  by  '  scrennng^  that 
is,  by  petitions  and  letters.' 

1861.  Whvte  Melville,  Good  for 
Nothing,  xxvi.  'Five  minutes  more  and 
we  shall  run  into  him,'  he  shouts,  sitting 
well  back  on  his  horse,  and  urging  him 
to  his  extreme  pace,  'when  he  blobs 
like  that  he's  getting  beat.  See  how 
Canvas  sticks  to  him,  and  the  yellow  dog 
hangs  back,  waiting  for  the  turn.' 

BLOCK,  subs.  (old). —  I.  A  stupid 
person;  a  hard  unsympathetic 
individual  ;  one  of  mean,  unat- 
tractive appearance. 

c.  1534.  N.  Udall,  Roister  Doisier, 
III.,  iii.,  44  (Arber).  Ye  are  such  a  calfe, 
such  an  asse,  such  a  blocke. 

1595.  Shakspeare,  Two  Gentlemen, 
ii.,  S-  Speed.  What  an  ass  art  thou! 
I  understand  thee  not.  Launce.  What 
a  BLOCK  art  thou,  that  thou  canst 
not! 

1599.  JoNSON,  Every  Man  oiit  of  his 
Humour.  Induct.  Cor.  Hang  him,  dull 
BLOCK  ! 

1624.  Massinger,  Bondman,  11.,  ii. 
This  will  bring  him  on,  Or  he's  a  block. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
Block,  a  silly  Fellow. 


Block. 


266 


Barber's  Block. 


1748.  T.  Dyche,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Block  (s)  .  .  .  sometimes  an  ignorant, 
stupid  fellow. 

1881.  Besant  Aiiu  Rice,  Chaplain 
of  the  Fleet,  11.,  iv.  She  said  that  her 
partner  was  delightful  to  dance  with, 
partly  because  he  was  a  lord — and  a 
title,  she  said,  gives  an  air  of  grace  to 
any  block — partly  because  he  danced 
well  and  talked  amiably. 

2.  (common). — The  head  :  see 
CRUMPET. 

1637.  Shirley,  Lady  of  Pleas,  11.,  i. 
Buy  a  beaver  for  thy  own  block. 

1861.  H.  KiNGSLEY,  Ravenshoe,  xxxv. 
'I  cleaned  a  groom's  boots  on  Toosday, 
and  he  punched  my  BLOCK  because  I 
blacked  the  tops.' 

Chip  of  the  same,  (or  the 
SAME  old)  block  (sometimes  ab- 
breviated to  CHip)///r.  (common). 
I.  A  person  reproducing  certain 
familiar  or  striking  characteristics. 

1623.  Mabbe,  Spanish  Rogue  (1630), 
229.     [Certain    lads   are  called]  chips  of 

THE   SAME    BLOCK. 

c,  1626.  DickofDevonshire,\nV>'a)\&vC'=, 
Old  Plays,  ii.,  60.  Your  father  used  to 
come  home  to  my  mother,  and  why  may 
not  I  be  A  CHIP  of  the  same  blocke, 
out  of  which  you  two  were  cutt? 

1627.  Sanderson,  5^r;«.,  L,  283.  Am 
not  I  a  child  of  the  same  Adam,  a  vessel 
of  the  same  clay,  a  chIc»  of  the  same 
block,  with  him. 

1655.  L'Estrange,  Charles  A,  126. 
Episcopacy,  which  they  thought  but  a 
great  chip  of  the  old  block,  Popery 

1762.  Colman,  Musical  Lady,  11., 
iii.  You'll  find  him  his  father's  own  son, 
I  believe;  a  chip  of  the  old  block,  I 
promise  you  ! 

1809.  Walker,  C7/75/rtj[RouTLEDGE], 
176.  In  vulgar  phrase   to  prove  myself  A 

chip    from    THE    OLD    BLOCK. 

1843.  Dickens,  Martin  Chuzzle^vit 
xviii.,  189.  'Yes,  yes,  Chuffey,  Jonas  is 
A  CHIP  OF  THE  OLD  BLOCK.  It's  a  very 
old  block  now,  Chuffey,'  said  the  old  man. 


i860.  Funny  Fellow,  May  7,  i. 
Hollo,  my  kiddy,  stir  your  stumps.  And 
chuck  yourself  about  ;  Make  haste,  young 
CHIP,  my  boots  to  shine,  Or  your  shine  I'll 
quick  take  out. 

1865.  '^l.'E.'Bv.A'DXìOìi,  Henry  Dunbar, 
xxxviii.  I  was  in  love  myself  once,  though 
I  do  seem  such  a  dry  old  chip. 

BARBER'S  BLOCK,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).—  I.  A  showy,  over-dressed 
man  ;  a  fop. 

1876.  E.  Lynn  Linton.  Hallòerger's 
Ilbis.  Mag.,  72.  No,  not  to  men  worthy 
of  the  name  of  men — men,  not  barber's 

BLOCKS. 

2.  (common). — The  head  :  see 
BLOCK,  sense  2. 

1823.  Scott,  Peveril  of  the  Peak, 
v.  (i.,  67).  Were  I  not  to  take  better 
care  of  the  wood  than  you,  brother,  there 
would  soon  be  no  more  wood  about  the 
town  than  the  barber's  block  that's  on 
your  own  shoulders. 

To  CUT  A  BLOCK  WITH  A  RAZOR, 
phr.  (old). — Inconsequent  argu- 
ment ;  futile  endeavour  ;  incon- 
gruous application  of  means  or 
ability  to  the  end  in  view. 

1774.  Goldsmith,  Retaliation,  42. 
'Twas  his  fate  unemployed  or  in  place, 
sir,  to  eat  mutton  cold  and  cut  blocks 
with  a  razor. 

To  BLOCK  A  HAT,  ///;'.  (popu- 
lar).— To  crush  a  man's  hat  over 
the  eyes  by  a  blow;  to  bonnet 

{Ç.V.). 

To  do  the  block,  verl>.  phr. 
(Australian).  —  To  promenade. 
The  block,  the  fashionable  pro- 
menade in  Melbourne,  is  the  block 
of  buildings  in  Collin's  Street 
lying  between  Swanston  Street 
and  Elizabeth  .Street. 

As  DEAF  AS  A  BLOCK,  phr. 
(old). — As  deaf  as  may  be. 


Blockers. 


267 


Bloke. 


Blockers.   Sec  block  ornaments, 

Blockhead  (or  Blockpate),  siibs. 

(old). — A  stupid  fellow;  awooDEN- 

HEAD   i.q.V.');    See   BUFFLE. 

1706.  Hudibras  Redivivus,  I.  vii.  6' 
Old  friend,  said  I,  to  tell  you  truth,  I 
have  not  heard  from  block  head's  mouth 
Such  worthless  cant,  such  senseless 
blunders.  Such  frothy  quibbles  and  cun- 
nunders.  Such  wicked  stuff,  such  poys'nous 
babble,  Such  uncouth,  wretched  ribble 
rabble. 

Block  house,  siibs.{o\à\—K  prison; 
the  house  of  detention:  see  cage. 

1624.  Capt.  Smith,  I'irginia,  111,, 
xi.,  85.  To  stop  the  disorders  of  our 
disorderly  Theeues...  built  a  BLOCK- 
HOUSE. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  Block-houses,  Prisons, 
houses  of  correction,  etc. 

iSii.  Lexico7i  Balatronicum.  [Same 
definition  given  as  in  Grose.J 

1889.  Murray,  New  English  Dic- 
tionary, [common  since  c.  1500:  of  un- 
certain history.  The  Ger.  equivalent 
Blockhaus  ('ein  Steines  Blockhaus')  is 
quoted  by  Grimm,  1557  and  1602;  the 
Du.  blokhtiis  is  in  Kilian,  1599;  Fr.  blocus, 
generally  considered  to  be  the  same 
word,  and  orig.  in  same  sense,  is  quoted 
by  Littré  in  the  i6th  c.  fC/.,  BloccuzJ. 
So  far  as  evidence  goes,  the  Eng.  is  thus 
the  earliest;  but  we  should  expect  it  to 
be  of  Du.  or  Ger.  origin.  In  any  case 
the  sense  was  not  originally  (as  in  modern 
notion)  a  house  composed  of  blocks  of 
wood,  but  one  which  blocks  or  obstructs 
a  passage.  The  history  and  age  of  the 
Ger.  Blockhaus  and  Fr.  blocus  require 
more  investigation.] 

Block-island  turkey.  S2tbs.  (Amer- 
ican).— Salted  cod-fish  :  Connec- 
ticut and  Rhode  Island. 

Block  ornaments,  or  blockers, 
subs,  (common). —  i.  Small  pieces 
of  meat  of  indifferent  quality, 
trimmings  from  the  joints,  etc.: 
exposed  for  sale  on  the  blocks 
or  counters  of  butcher's  shops  in 
cheap  neighbourhoods:  as  op- 
posed   to    meat    hung  on  hooks. 


1848.  Fräsers  Mag.^  xxxvil.,  396. 
Forced  to  substitute  a  blocker  of  meat, 
with  its  cheap  accompaniment  of  bread 
and  vegetables...  (or  poultry  and  rump 
steaks. 

1851-61.  H:  Mavhew,  London  Lai. 
and  Lo7i.  Poor,  1.,  54.  For  dinner 
...  they  buy  block  ornaments,  as  they 
call  the  small,  dark-coloured  pieces  of 
meat  exposed  on  the  cheap  butchers' 
blocks  or  counters.  Ibid,  p.  516.  What 
they  consider  a  good  living  is  a  dinner 
daily  off  good  block  ornaments  (small 
pieces  of  meat,  discoloured  and  dirty, 
but  not  tainted,  usually  set  for  sale  on 
the  butcher's  block). 

1884.  Punch,  No.  2063,  29.  And 
eager-faced  women  must  bargain  for 
tainted  block  ornaments  still. 

1887.  Standard,  Jan.  20,  The  Poor 
at  Market.  Watching  a  man  who  stands 
with  his  wife  and  little  girl  before  a 
butcher's  shop,  let  us  see  what  they 
have  to  choose  from,  in  buying  for  the 
next  day's  dinner.  On  the  shelves  set 
out  in  front  of  the  shop  meat  scraps  are 
offered  at  3jd.  the  lb.;  better  scraps  (or 
block  oknaments,  as  they  are  termed) 
at  4d.;  somewhat  shapeless  small  joints 
of  beef  from  inferior  parts  at  sd.,  one 
coarse  shoulder  of  mutton  at  the  same; 
tolerably  good-looking  meat  at  6d.;  mutton 
chops  at  7d.  and  8d.;  and  rump  steak 
at  rod. 

1899.  Whiteing,  John  St.,  ili.  Din- 
ner, two  penn'orth  o'  block  ornaments, 
and  a  penn'orth  o'  bread. 

2.  (colloquial). — A  queer  look 
ing  man  or  woman — one  odd  in 
appearance  (Hotten). 

BLOKE(or  BLOAK),  si{bs.  (common). 
A  man  ;  a  fellow  :  sometimes  in 
contempt:  e.g.  'a  bloke  with  a 
jasey  '  =:  judge  {i.e.  with  a  wig)  ; 
•what's  that  bloke,  up  to?'  = 
What's  that  man  doing  .^  etc. 

1851.  Mavhew,  London  Labour  and 
London  Poor,  iii.,  397,  If  we  met  an 
old  bloke  (man)  we  propped  him. 

1857.  S\iO\i^'e.\i,Mag.Assistaììt  3ed., 
446.  A  gentleman. — A  bloak. 


Blood. 


268 


Blood. 


i860.  Sala,  The  Baddingtoii  Peer- 
age,  II.,  49.  My  old  bloke! 

1862.  KiNGSLEY,  in  Macmillan' S  Mag., 
Dec,  96.  Little  better  than  blokes  and 
boodles  after  all. 

1863.  OuiDA,  Held  in  Bondage,  i., 
245.  The  girl  is  stunning,  the  blokes 
say,  so  we  must  forgive  you. 

1865.  Miss  Braddon,  in  Temple  Bar, 
XIII.,  483.  The  society  of  the  aged  bloke 
is  apt  to  pall  upon  the  youthful  intellect. 

1869.  J.  Greenwood,  Seven  Curses 
of  London.  It  came  out  in  the  course  of 
the  evidence,  that  the  meaning  of  the 
word  bloke  was  '  a  man  whom  a  woman 
might  pick  up  in  the  street.' 

c.  1869.  Broadside  Ballad, 'Shooûnz 
the  Moon.'  Spoken — Yes,  and  I  used  to 
do  very  well,  until  some  ragged  young 
urchin  said  to  his  pal,  don't  you  varder, 
don't  you  know  that  'ere  bloke,  that's 
the  BLOKE  we  saw  the  other  day  with  a 
barrow. 

1873.  Robinson,  Little  Kate  Kirby, 
I.,  136.  'Give  us  a  border  then,  old 
BLOKE,"  shrieked  another  gamin. 

c.  1875.     Broadside    Ballad    '  Keep    it 

Dark.' 

And  Dr.  Kenealy,  that  popular  bloke. 

That  extremely  warm  member,  the  mem- 
ber for  Stoke, 

Is  about  to  succeed  him,  the  lawyers  to 
choke — 

1883.  Daily  A^ews,  May  15,  7,  2. 
'When  you  are  coming  out  into  the  yard 
ask  the  next  bloke  to  change  numbers 
with  you.' 

1899.  Whiteing,  yohn  St.,  v.  I 
thought  I  should  ha'  bust  when  I  heerd 
that  old  cure  lettin  out  at  the  aristocracy 
arter  I  had  floored  the  bloke. 

Blood,  subs,  (old).— i.  A  fop, 
dandy,  buck,  or  '  fast  '  man  :  origin- 
ally in  common  use,  but  now 
obsolete:  from  that  legitimate 
sense  of  the  word  which  attri- 
butes the  seat  of  the  passions  and 
emotions  to  the  blood — hence  a 
man  of  spirit  ;  one  who  has  blood 
worth  mention,  and,  in  an  inferior 


sense,  he  who  makes  himself 
notorious,  whether  by  dress  or 
rowdyism  :  in  the  last  century, 
especially  during  the  regency  of 
George  IV.,  the  term  was  largely 
in  vogue  to  denote  a  young  man 
of  good  birth  and  social  standing 
about  town  ;  subsequently,  it  came 
to  mean  a  riotous,  disorderly 
fellow. 

1519  Four  Elements.  [Dodslev,  Old 
Plays  [Hazlitt],  i.,  43.  I  shall  bring 
hither  another  sort  Of  lusty  bloods  to 
make  disport. 

1562.  BuLLEVN,  Sicke  Men,  etc.,  73a. 
A  lustie  BLOOD,  or  a  pleasaunte  brave 
young  roister. 

1606.  John  Day,  lie  of  Gulls  i.,  9. 
Basil.  Welcome  gallants,  welcome  honord 
bloods.  Ibid.  To  which  effect  we  have 
sent  a  generali  challenge  to  all  the 
youthfuU  bloods  of  Africa. 

1752.  Adventurer,  t^o.  le,.  Our  heroes 
of  liberty,  whether  Bucks  or  BLOODS,  or 
of  whatever  other  denomination,  when 
by  some  creditor  of  slavish  principles 
they  have  been  locked  up  in  a  prison, 
never  yet  petitioned  to  be  hanged. 

1753.  Adventurer,  No.  98.  I  am, 
in  short,  one  of  those  heroic  Adventurers, 
who  have  thought  proper  to  distinguish 
themselves  by  the  titles  of  Buck,  BLOOD, 
and  nerve. 

1751.  Smollet,  Peregrine  Pickle, 
xvi.  [It  is  stated  that  the  senior  boys 
at  Winchester  'were  distinguished  by  the 
appellation  of  bloods.'  The  term  is  now 
unknown  in  the  school,  even  by  tradition]. 

1839.  Harrison  Ainsworth,  Jack 
Sheppard  [1889],  21.  'Trenchard!'  he 
muttered — 'Aliva  Trenchard.  They  were 
right,  then,  as  to  the  name.  Well,  if 
she  survives  the  accident — as  the  ulood 
who  styles  himself  Sir  Cecil  fancies  she 
may  do — this  ring  will  make  my  fortune 
by  leading  to  the  discovery  of  the  chief 
parties  concerned  in  this  strange  affair.' 

1846.  Thackeray,  /'.  Fair,  x.  A 
perfect  and  celebrated  blood  or  dandy 
about  town,  was  this  young  officer. 


Blood  for  blood. 


269 


Blood-Freezer. 


1853.  Thackeray,  Barr-y  Lyndon, 
ii.,  36.  The  modern  bloods  have  given 
up  the  respectful  ceremonies  which  distin- 
guished a  gentleman  in  my  time. 

2.     (old). — Money:  generic,  j^^ 

RHINO. 

1748.  DoDSLEV,  Collection  of  Poems, 
III.,  199. 

He  sticks  to  gaming,  as  the  surer  trade  ; 
Turns      downright      sharper,      lives      by 

sucking    BLOOD. 

1872.  M.  E.  Bkaddon,  Dead  Sea 
Fruit,  iv.  'A  man  who  ought  to  con- 
sider himself  uncommonly  fortunate  never 
to  have  known  what  it  was  to  be  hard 
up,  or  to  have  a  pack  of  extravagant 
sons  sucking  his  blood,  like  so  many 
modern  vampires.' 

Verb  (colloquial). — To   deplete 
of  money  ;  to  victimise  ;  TO  bleed 

1884.  Hawlev  Sm.\rt,  From  Post 
to  Finish,  187.  'He  is  very  likely  to 
want  a  thousand  pounds  at  any  moment. 
There's  a  leaven  of  the  old  squire  in  his 
composition,  and  I  recollect  hearing  that 
he  was  blooded  over  the  Phaeton 
Leger.'  '  You  surely  can't  mean  that  he 
has  taken  to  racing  ?  Why,  you  must  be 
aware  that  he  has  no  money  for  anything 
of  that  sort.' 

Blood  for  blood,  phr.  (trade).— 
When  tradesmen  exchange  wares, 
setting  the  cost  of  one  kind  off 
against  another  instead  of  making 
payment  in  money,  they  are  said 

to    give    BLOOD    FOR    BLOOD. 

181 1.  Lexicon  Balatroniciim.  A  hat- 
ter furnishing  a  hosier  with  a  hat,  and 
taking  payment  in  stockings,  is  said  to 
deal  blood  for  blood. 

Blood-alley,  subs.  phr.  (school- 
boy's).— A   red   marble   taw:  see 

ALLEY. 

BLOOD-AND-ENTRAILS,  Stlhs.  phr. 
(American). — The  British  ensign  : 
English  salts  return  the  compli- 
ment by  jokingly  speaking  of 
the  American  flag  as  the  GRIDIRON 
AND   DOUGHBOYS  {jJ.V^. 


BLOOD-AND-THUNDER,  subs.  phr. 
(common). — Port  wine  and  brandy 
mixed. 

Blood-and-thunder  tales,  subs, 
phr.  (originally  American,  now 
common). — Low  class  fiction  : 
generally  applied  to  works  dealing 
with  the  exploits  of  desperadoes, 
cut-throats,   and  other  criminals: 

also  AWFULS,  PENNY  DREADFULS, 
GUTTER  LITERATURE,  SHILLING 
SHOCKERS,  etc.,  all  of  which  see. 

1876.  Portland  Transcript,  May. 
Here  let  me  s.iy  one  word  to  the  Trans- 
cript mothers.  Look  carefully  to  your 
child's  reading  matter.  Beware  of  the 
cheap,  trashy  romances,  the  BLOOD  and 
THUNDER  tales  by  Tom,  Dick  and 
Harry,  which  fill  the  counters  of  so 
many  of  our  book-stores. 

1883.  Daily  News,  March  26,  2, 
col.  3.  The  BLOOD  and  thunder 
tragedies  generally  associated  with  the 
transpontine  drama. 

BLOOD-AN'-'OUNS,  phr.  (old).— An 
old  oath — 'God's  blood  and 
wounds  1  ' 

183g.  Harrison  Ainsworth,  yack 
Sheppard  [1889],  58.  '  Och  !  if  he's  a 
friend  o'  yours,  my  dear  boy,  there's  no 
more  to  be  said;  and  right  sorry  am  I 
I  struck  him.  But,  blood-an'-'ouns! 
man,  if  ould  Nick  himself  were  to  hit 
me  a  blow,  I'd  be  afther  givin'  him 
another.' 

BloOD-BOAT,  subs.  phr.  (naval). — 
A  tally-boat;  bum-boat  {q.v.\ 

Blood-curdler  (or  blood-free- 
zer), subs.  phr.  (common). — A 
narration  or  incident  which  'makes 
the  flesh  creep  '  ;  which  stir's  one's 
feelings  strongly,  and  is  generally 
repulsive:  of  a  sensational  mur- 
der, a  thrilling  ghost-story,  etc.  : 
cf.   BLOOD   AND   TPIUNDER   TALES. 

Blood-freezer.     See    blood- 

CURDLER. 


Blood-7noney. 


270 


Bloody. 


Blood-money,  subs.  phr.  (collo- 
quial).—  I.  Money  paid  as  the 
price  of  blood  :  as  a  sum  given 
to  compass  the  life  of  another, 
either  murder  or  hanging  ;  also  (mi- 
litary) compensation  for  wounds. 

1901  Free  Lance,  9  Feb.  460,  2. 
The  vagaries  of  our  War  Office  were 
never  better  exemplified  than  by  its 
erratic  behaviour  in  the  matter  of  what 
officers  call  blood-money. 

Blood-red  fancy,  subs.  phr.  (pugil- 
istic).— A  red  silk  handkerchief: 
see  BILLY. 

1857.  Snowden,  Mag.  Assistant, 
3  ed.,  p.  446.  s.v. 

Blood  suckers  (The),  subs.  phr. 

(military). — The  Sixty-third  Regi- 
ment of  Foot,  now  the  first  bat- 
talion of  the  Manchester  Regiment. 

2.  (old). — A  leech;  hence  a 
murderous  or  bloodthirsty  person  : 
also  sec  quot.  15. 

15..  Fish,  Supplie,  for  Beggars,  6. 
A  cruell  deuelisshe  bloudsupper  dronken 
in  the  bloude  of  the  sayntes  and  marters 
of  Christ. 

3.  (colloquial). — An  extortion- 
er; SPO.NGER  {ip.V.);  CADGER 
{q.v.:  in  modern  sense). 

4.  (nautical). — A  lazy  fellow, 
who  by  skulking,  throws  his 
proportion  of  labour  on  the  shoul- 
ders   of   ship-mates    (Smyth);  a 

SCRIM-SHANKER   {q.V.). 

Blood-tub,  subs. phr.  (American). — 
A  rowdy,  blustering  bully  ;  a 
rough  :  this  nickname  was  pecu- 
liar to  Baltimore;  the  BLOOD-TUBS 
were  said  to  have  been  mostly 
butchers,  and  to  have  got  their 
epithet  from  having,  on  an  elec- 
tion   day,   dipped    an   obnoxious 


German's  head  in  a  tub  of  warm 
blood,  and  then  driven  him,  run- 
ning, through  the  town  :  see  plug- 
ugly. 

1 86 1.     Song  of  the  Irish  Legion. 

Blood-tubs  and  plug-uglies,  and  others 
galore, 

Are  sick  for  a  thrashing  in  sweet  Balti- 
more; 

Be  jabers!  that  same  I'd  be  proud  to 
inform 

Of  the  terrible  force  of  an  Irishman's  arm. 

Bloody,  adj.  (low). — An  intensitive, 
difficult  to  define,  and  used  in  a 
multitude  of  vague  and  varying 
senses,  but  frequently  with  no 
special  meaning,  much  less  a 
sanguinary  one  :  generally  an 
emphathic  very:  in  general  collo- 
quial use  from  1650 — 1750,  but 
now  vulgar  or  profane:  cf.  fuck- 
ing. [The  origin  is  not  quite 
certain  ;  but  there  is  good  reason 
to  think  that  it  was  at  first  a 
reference  to  the  habits  of  the 
'bloods'  (^.î'.)  or  aristocratic 
rowdies  of  the  end  of  the  17th. 
and  beginning  of  the  l8th.  c. 
The  phrase  bloody  drunk  ap- 
parently  'as    drunk    as  a  blood' 

\cf.      'AS     DRUNK     AS     A    LORD'); 

thence  it  was  extended  to  kindred 
expressions,  and  at  length  to 
others  ;  probably  in  later  times, 
its  associations  with  bloodshed 
and  murder  {cf.  a  '  bloody  '  battle, 
a  '  bloody  '  butcher)  have  recom- 
mended it  to  the  rough  classes 
as  a  word  that  appeals  to  their 
imagination.  Compare  the  pre- 
valent craving  for  impressive  or 
graphic  intensitives  as  seen  in  the 
use  of  jolly,  awfully,  terribly, 
devilish,  deuced,  datnned,  ripping, 
rattling,  thumping,  stunning,  thun- 
dering, etc.]:  but  see  Tiedman, 
quot.  1868,  with  an  eye  on  the 
early   quotations   and    the  proba- 


Bloody. 


271 


Bloody-bones. 


bility  of  the  Flanders  campaigns 
influencing  the  introduction  of  the 
word  in  the  modern  colloquialism. 

1676.  Sir  G.  Etheredge,  Man  of 
Mode  i.,  I,  p.   186,  ed.   1723. 

Dor.  Give  him  half-a-crown. 

Med.  Not  without  he  will  promise  to 
be  BLOODY  drunk. 

1684.  Drvden,  Prol.  Soiitherne's 
Disappointment,  line  59.  The  doughty 
bullies  enter  bloody  drunk. 

1706.  Farquhar,  Recruiting  Officer, 
iv.,  I.  Plume.  Thou  art  a  bloody 
impudent  fellow.  [There  is  no  question 
of  fighting  in  the  context.] 

1711.  Swift,  yournal  to  Stella, 
8  May,  letter  22.  It  was  bloody  hot 
walking  to-day. 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  gS.  May 
soberly  both  drink  and  funk  And  soberly 
get  bloody  drunk. 

i8[?].     Old  Flash  Song. 
How  Jonah  lived  inside  of  a  whale, 
'Twas  a  bloodv  sight  better  than^county 

gaol. 

1836.  M.  Scott,  Tom  Cringle^ s  Log, 
ii.  'I've  a  bloody  great  mind  to  go 
down  with  him,'  stuttered  another. 

1840.  R.  Dana,  Bef.  Mast,  ii.,  2. 
You'll  find  me  a  bloody  rascal.  Ibid, 
XX.,  61.  They've  got  a  man  for  a  mate 
of  that  ship,  and  not  a  bloody  sheep 
about  decks. 

1868.  Sala  \Nûtes  and  Queries,  4 
S.  i.].  Bloody...  simply  qualifies  the 
superlative  and  excessive.  Admiral 
Gambier,  who  is  said  to  have  introduced 
'tea  and  piety'  into  the  navy,  dis- 
countenanced the  practice...  of  d — g 
the  sailors'  eyes  while  they  were  reefing 
topsails.  His  tars,  scarcely  grateful, 
nicknamed  the  admiral  'Old  bloody 
Politeful.' 

1868.  H.  Tiedman,  {^Notes  and 
Queries^,  4  S.  i.  It  is  noteworthy,  that 
the  German  blutig  is  sometimes  used 
in  the  same  manner  as  the  London 
bloody.  While  living  in  Dresden,  I  heard 
many  times  uttered  such  phrases  as — 
'Ich  habe  keinen  blutigen  Heller  mehr,' 
(I   have    no  bloody  penny  or  'red  cent' 


more),  for  'I  have  not  a  single  penny 
left,'  etc.  Was,  then,  the  Dresden  blutig 
introduced  to  the  London  mob  in  the 
shape  of  bloody  .'  The  Dutch  bloedig 
may  be  used  figuratively,  just  as  the 
French  sanglant, 

1880.  RusKiN,  Fiction,  Fair  and  F., 
\  29.  The  use  of  the  word  bloody  in 
modern  low  English  is  a  deeper  cor- 
ruption, not  altering  the  form  of  the 
word,  but  defiling  the  thought  in  it. 

Bloody-back,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
A  soldier;  in  allusion  to  the 
colour  of  his  coat. 

181 1.  Lexicon Balatronicutn.'B\,ooVi\ 
BACK.  A  jeering  appellation  for  a  soldier. 

BLOODY  BONES  (usually  RAW-HEAD 
and  BLOODY-BONES)  subs.  phr. 
(old). — A  spectre;  'a  scare-child' 
(B.  E.,  Grose)  :  also  raw-flesh 

AND   BLOODY-BONES. 

ISSO-  7yl  of  Brentford's  Test.  [Oli- 
phant, New  Eng.,  i.  524.  The  Devil's 
secretary  bears  the  name  of  blooddy- 
bone  .  .  .  whom  we  now  couple  with 
raw-head.J 

IVyll   of   the   Devyll   [Halli- 

vvell].  Written  by  our  faithful  secre- 
taryes,  hsbgoblen,  rawhed,  and  bloody- 
BONK,  in  the  spitefuU  audience  of  all  the 
Court  of  hell. 

1598.  Florio,  IVorlde  of  Wordes, 
Caccianemico,  a  bragging  craking  boaster, 
a  bugbeare,  a  rawe-flesh  and  bloodie 
bone. 

1622.  Fletcher,  Prophetess,  iv.  4. 
I  was  told  before  my  face  was  bad 
enough:  but  now  I  look  Like  bloody- 
bones  AND  raw-head  to  fright  children. 

1693.  Locke,  Education,  138.  Ser- 
vants .  .  .  awe  children,  and  keep  them 
in  subjection,  by  telling  them  of  rawhead 

AND    bloody   bones. 

1870.  Figaro,  19  Oct.  We  have 
sometimes  heard  of  a  school  of  literature 
called  "The  raw-head  and  bloody- 
bones  School.'* 


Bloody-chasm. 


272 


Blooming. 


Bloody  chasm.  To  bridge  the 
BLOODY  CHASM,//;r.(AmericaD). — 
A  favourite  expression  with  orators 
who,  during  the  years  immediately 
succeeding  the  Civil  War,  sought 
to  obliterate  the  memory  of  the 
struggle  :  cf.  TO  wave  the  bloody 

SHIRT   {iJ.V^. 

Bloody  eleventh  (The),  suls.phr. 
(military). — The  Eleventh  Regi- 
ment of  Foot,  now  the  Devonshire 
Regiment:  at  the  battle  of  Sala- 
manca, fought  with  the  French, 
the  corps  was  nearly  cut  to  pieces  ; 
at  Fontenoy  and  Ostend  also,  it 
was  hard-pressed  and  nearly  an- 
nihilated. 

Bloody  JEMMY,  Jw^j./Z^r.  (common). 
— An    uncooked    sheep's    head  : 

see  SANGUINARY  JAMES. 

Bloody  shirt.  To  wave  the 
bloody  shirt,  verli.phr.  (Ameri- 
can).— To  keep  alive  factious  strife 
on  party  questions.  Primarily,  it 
was  the  symbol  of  those,  who,  dur- 
ing the  reconstruction  period  at  the 
close  of  the  rebellion  of  the  South- 
ern (or  Confederate)  States,  would 
not  suffer  the  Civil  War  to  sink 
into  oblivion  out  of  consideration 
for  the  feelings  of  the  vanquished. 

1888.  Cold-water  (Mich.)  Sun,  Jan. 
The  BLOODY  SHIRT  is  gradually  fading 
away.  The  white-winged  dove  of  peace 
spreads  her  wings  here  and  there,  pa- 
triotism forgets  and  forgives  old  differences, 
sectionalism  is  gradually  giving  way  to 
love  of  country — the  whole  country.  In 
fact,  the  ill-feeling  between  the  North  and 
South  would  have  died  out  years  ago 
among  the  veterans  of  both  sections,  had 
th-y  been  left  to  themselves,  and  the 
politicans  been  as  patriotic  as  they. 

1888.  New  York  Weekly  Times, 
Mar.  21.  It  is  reprehensible  to  the  last 
degree  for  the  Bourbons  of  the  South  to 
continue  to  play  on  the  colour  line — the 
Southern  BLOODY  shikt — and  then  de- 
nounce Republican  extremists  for  doing 
the  same  thing  at  the  North. 


18S8.  Farmer,  Americanisms,  s.v. 
Eloody-Shirt.  Its  introduction  [in  allusion 
to  the  fierce  days  of  the  Corsican  vendette'] 
into  American  politics  is  credited  to  Mr. 
Oliver  P.  Morton,  who,  elected  United 
States  senator  in  1867,  and  again  in  1S73, 
took  a  prominent  part  as  a  leader  of  the 
more  radical  Republicans,  favouring  a 
stern  policy  of  coercion  in  the  reconstruc- 
tion of  the  Southern  States. 


Bloody  king's,  suh.  phr.  (Cam- 
bridge University). — A  red-brick 
church  in  Barnwell  (St.  Mary's 
the  Less),  resembling  King's  Col- 
lege Chapel  in  architecture:  see 
Bloody  Mary's. 

Bloody  Mary's,  subs.  phr.  (Cam- 
bridge University). — The  red- 
brick church,  St. Paul's,  resembling 
St.  Mary's  in  Cambridge,  the 
University  church. 

Bloomer,  siibs.  (Australian  prison). 
— I.  A  mistake:  i.e.,  a  'bloom- 
ing error.' 

2.  (American:  obsolete). — A 
costume  devised  by  aMrs. Bloomer, 
and  worn  by  some  of  the  more 
ardent  advocates  of  woman's 
rights  :  it  consisted  of  a  short 
gown,  reaching  a  little  below  the 
knees,  and  pantalettes.  Mrs. 
Bloomer  celebrated  her  golden 
wedding  in   1890.    Died   1907. 

Blooming,  adj.  (common). — This 
word,  similar  in  type  to  '  blessed,' 
'blamed,'  and  other  words  of  the 
kind  is,  as  used  by  the  lower 
classes,  a  euphemism  for  '  bloody,' 
'  damned,'  etc.  ;  but  it  is  also  fre- 
quently a  mere  meaningless  in- 
tensitive.  [Originating  as  a  mod- 
ern colloquialism  (sec  quot.  1726) 
on  the  Californian  coast,  chief  in- 
strument of  its  acclimatization  in 
England  was  Mr.  Alfred  G.  Vance^ 


Bioomino. 


273 


Blossom-nose. 


the  comic  singer,  well-known  in 
connection  with  'Jolly  dogs,'  and 
other  extensively  popular  music- 
hall  songs.] 

1726.  Rev.  J.  Glanvil,  Sadducismus 
triumphatiis.  Under  the  head  of  'The 
Demon  of  Tedworth'  (1661).  Glanvil 
makes  mention  that  on  one  occasion  the 
spirit  came  into  a  room  panting  like  a 
dog,  and  company  coming  up,  the  room 
was  presently  filled  with  a  BLOOMING 
noisome  smell. 

i8(?).    Colonel  John   Hay,   Ballad, 
'The  Mystery  of  Gilgal." 
He  went  for  his  'leven  inch  bowie  knife: 
I  tries  to  fuller  a  Christian  life, 
But  I'll  drop  a  slice  of  liver  or  two, 
My  bloomin'  shrub,  with  you. 

1887.  G.  R.  Sims,  Dagmet  Ballads 
(told  io  the  Missioiiary),  '1  feels  like  a 
bloomin'  babby — I  gets  so  infernal  weak.' 

1S77.  Five  Years'  Penal  Servitude, 
ili.,  22a.  'Afore  that  I  worked  in  the 
galleries,  a-making  the  casemates  for  the 
guns,    and  blooming  hard  work  it  was.' 

i88o.  Jas.  Greenwood,  Flyfaker's 
Hotel,  in  Odd  People  iti  Odd  Places,  59. 
'Who's  got  any  music?'  presently  ex- 
claimed   the    dirty    scoundrel    who    had 

been    mending    the    boxing-glove;    ' 

me,  let's  have  a  bloomin'  lark!  Let's 
have  a  tune  and  a  song.  Who's  got  any 
BLOOMIN'  music?' 

1882.  Punch's  Almanac,  4.  The 
Steam  Launch  in  Venice  ('Sic  Tran- 
sit Gloria  Mundi') — ' Andsome  ' Arriet: 
'  Ow  my  !  If  it  'yn't  that  bloomin'  old 
Temple  Bar,  as  they  did  aw'y  with  out 
o'  Fleet  Street!'  lilr.  Belleville  [referring 
to  guide  book):  'Now  it  'yn't.  It's  the 
fymous  Bridge  o'  Sighs,  as  Byron  went 
and  stood  on;  'im  as  wrote  'Our  Boys,' 
y  er  know!'  '  A7tdsonte  '  Arriet:  'Well, 
I  never \' 

1884.  W.  C.  Russell,  Jack's  Court- 
ship, xxxviii.  'And  if  there's  fire, 
there  ought  to  be  nothen  to  stop  us  from 
cooking  a  bloomin'  old  goat.' 

1889.  Ally  Sloper,  July  6.  'Injured 
Innocence':  Indignant  Son  of  Labour. 
Well,  I'm  blowed  !  If  that  'ere  bloomin' 
swell  ain't  a-himitatin'  me! 


1899.  OuiDA,  Massarenes,  15' 
Sweet  little  babies  !  Precious  little  poppets  ! 
Damm     'em,     the     whole    blooming   lot. 

BLOOMSBURY-BIRD,   subs  phr.  (old). 
See  quot. 

1636.  Hacket,  Williams,  i.  134. 
Our  corner-miching  priests,  with  the 
BLOOMESBERRY-BIRDS  their  disciples,  and 
other  hot-spirited  recusants,  cut  out  the 
way  with  the  complaints  of  their  (no- 
grievous)  sufferings,  which  involved  us 
in  distractions. 


BL001VIY,J«i5j'.(American).- 
from  the  Dutch. 


-Flowers: 


BLOSS,  stibs.  (old,  and  American 
thieves'). — Generic  for  a  woman — 
girl,  wife,  or  mistress:  probably 
an  attributive  sense  of 'blossom': 
cf.   BLOWEN,   and  see  quot.   1696. 

1588.  Shakspeare,  Titus  Andren.  \'v. 
2.   7a.     Sweet   BLOWSE  you  are  a  beauti- 

OUS    BLOSSOME    SUrC. 

c.  1696.  B.E.  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
Bloss,  c.  a  Thief  or  Shop-lift,  also,  a 
Bulhes  pretended  Wife,  or  Mistress,  whom 
he  guards,  and  who  by  her  Trading 
supports  him,  also  a  Whore. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the  Vul- 
gar Tongue.  Bloss  (cant),  the  pretended 
wife  of  a  bully  or  shop-lifter. 

1881.  New  York  Slang  Dictionary, 
'Slang  Stories,'  42.  'Why,  Bell,  is  it 
yourself?  Tip  us  your  daddle,  my  bene 
mort.  May  I  dance  at  my  death,  and 
grin  in  a  glass-case,  if  I  didn't  think  you 
had  been  put  to  bed  with  a  shovel....' 
'No,  Jim,  I  only  piked  into  Grassville 
with  a  dimber-damber,  who  couldn't  pad 
the  hoof  for  a  single  darkman's  without 
his  bloss  to  keep  him  from  getting  pogy.' 

[1847.  Tennyson,  Princess,  v.  79. 
My   babe,    my    blossom,    ah,    my    child  !] 

BLOSSOM-FACED,  adj.  phr.  (collo- 
quial).— Bloated  ;  red-faced. 

BLOSSOM-NOSE,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  TIPPLER  {q.V^;  a  LÜSH- 

iNGTON  iji-v^.  Blossom-nosed  =: 
red  with  tippling  :  cf.  GROG-BLOS- 
SOM, RUM-BUD  etc. 


Blot. 


274 


Blow. 


Blot.  To  blot  the  scrip,  verb, 
phr.  (old). — To  put  an  undertaking 
into  writing:  the  modern  'put  in 
black  and  white.'  Hence,  To  BLOT 
THE  SCRIP  AND  JARK  IT  =  to  Stand 
engaged  and  bound  for  anyone 
(B.E.  and  Grose):  see  jark. 

BLOTHER,  verb,  (provincial).— To 
chatter;  talk  idly.  Hence  blother- 
MENT  =  superfluous  verbiage  ; 
and  blotherkd  =  stupid,  con- 
fused. 

1423.     Skelton,   Works,  i.  250. 
I  blunder,  I  bluster,  I  blow,  and  I  blather  ; 
I  make  on  the  one  day,  and  I  marre  on 
the  other. 

Blouse.    See  Blowze. 

Bloviate,  verb,  (old).— To  talk  aim- 
lessly and  boastingly  ;  to  indulge 
in  'high  falutin':  said  to  have 
been  in  use  since  1550. 

Blow,  subs,  (common). — I.  A  shil- 
ling: see  rhino. 

1870.  J.  W.  HoRSLEY,  in  Macm. 
Mag.,  XL.,  501.  But  afterwards  I  got 
3s.  gd.,  and  then  four  blow.  Ibid.  I 
went  to  the  Steel  (Bastile=Coldbath 
Fields  Prison),  having  a  new  suit  of 
clobber  on  me  and  about  fifty  blow  in 
my  brigh  (pocket). 

1885.  Daily  Telegraph,  Feb.  5,  2, 
col.  6.  They  said  they  could  sell  some 
for  five  Bi,ows  fshillingsl,  and  that  he 
could  easily  make  £158  of  the  stuff. 

2.  (Old  University). — A  drunk- 
en frolic;  a  spree:  cf.  BLOW- 
OUT. Hence  as  verb  (or  TO  GO 
ON  THE  blow)  =r  to  indulge  in 
a  drinking-bout. 

Verb  (old).— I.  To  boast;  to 
brag;  to  GAS  {q.v.)\  to  talk  BIG 
{q.v.)  and  self-assertingly  of  one- 
self or  one's  affairs, 


c.  1400.  Apol.  Loll.,  97.  Blouing 
veynly  with  fleschli  wit. 

151g.  Four  Elements,  in  Hazl.  Dods- 
ley    L,   41.     Why,  man,  what  aileth  thee 

so    to    BLOW? 

178s.  Burns,  Epistle  to  J.  Lapraik, 
St.  16.  I  winna  blavv  about  mysel;  As 
ill  I  like  my  fauts  to  tell. 

1888.  Graphic,  Jan.  27,  79,  col.  i. 
The  whole  team  has  taught  Australia 
not  to  BLOW  (as  they  say) — a  not  un- 
needed  lesson. 

1883.  Mrs.  Campbell.  Praed, 
Sketches  of  Australian  Life,  45.  'He 
was  famous  for  his  coolness  and  daring, 
and  for  blowing,  in  Australian  parlance, 
both  of  his  exploits  and  of  his  "bonnes 
foitunes".' 

2.  (general). — To  inform;  to 
expose  ;  to  betray  ;  to  peach  (or 
gaf):  also  blow  upon,  and  blow 

THE   gaff. 

^573-  Appius  and  Virg.,  in  Hazl. 
Dodsley.  IV.,  136.  Was  all  well  agreed? 
did  nobody  blow  ye? 

1721.  Defoe,  History  of  Colonel 
Jack.  'As  for  that,'  says  Will,  'I  could 
tell  it  well  enough,  if  I  had  it,  but  I  must 
not  be  seen  anywhere  among  my  old 
acquaintances,  for  I  am  blown,  and  they 
will  all  betray  me.' 

1748.  T.  Dvche,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Blow  (v.)  .  .  .  also  to  discover  the  secrets 
of  another;  also  when  a  person  under- 
values or  slights  a  person  or  thing,  he  is 
said  to  BLOW  upon  it. 

c.  1859.  L.  Hunt,  Country  Lodgings, 
in  Casquet  Lit.  (1877),  I.,  42,  col.  i. 
D — n  me,  if  I  don't  blow  .  .  .  I'll  tell 
Tom  Neville. 

3.  (American). — To  lie. 

4.  (general). — Frequently  eu- 
phemistic for  '  damn  '  :  generally 
in  the  imperative:  e.g.  BLOW  it! 
i.e.,  '  hang  it  '  !  or  damn  it  ! 

1849.  C.  KiNOSLEV,  Alton  Locke, 
ii.  '  Well,  if  you  won't  stand  a  pot, 
quoth  the  tall  man,  'I  will,  that's  all,  and 
BLOW  temperance.' 


Blow. 


275 


Blow. 


1883.  Miss  Braddon,  Golden  Calf, 
xxvi.  'Blow  his  station  in  life!  If 
he  was  a  duke  I  shouldn't  want  him.* 

5.  (general). — To  lose  or  spend 
money:  cf.  blew  (or  blue). 

6.  See  subs.  2. 

7.  (Winchester  School). — To 
blush. 

Phrases  :  To  bite  the  blow  = 
to  steal  goods  ;  to  prig  {q.v.)  ; 
to  BLOW  A  CLOUD,  verb.  phr.  (col- 
loquial).— To  smoke:  cigar  or 
pipe.  [Hotten  :  '  a  phrase  used 
two  centuries  ago,  but  gives  no 
authority,  and  Murray's  earliest 
example  only  dates  from  1855, 
but,  as  will  be  seen  below,  it 
occurs  in  Tom  Crib,  in  1819]  ; 
TO  BLOW  hot  and  COLD  =r  tO 
vacillate;   to  be  inconsistent;  TO 

BLOW  THE  BELLOWS  =  to  Stir  Up 
passion;     TO      blow     OFF     =:     tO 

relieve  one's  feelings,  to  get  rid 
of  superfluous  energy  ;  also  (2) 
to  explode,  refute;  TO  blow  into 
one's  ear  =  to  whisper  privily  ; 
to  blow  one's  own  trumpet  = 
to  brag,  to  sound  one's  own 
praises;  to  blow  the  coals  (or 
the  fire)  =  to  fan  the  flame  of 
discord,  to  promote  strife  ;  TO 
blow  up  =  to  scold,  to  rate, 
to  rail  at  ;  to  blow  great  guns 
=  to  blow  a  hurricane,  (or  a 
violent   gale):    sometimes  great 

guns  and  small  ARMS;  TO  BLOW 

one's  BAZOO  =  to  boast,  to 
swagger;  to  gasconade:  cf.  blow 
one's  own  trumpet  (Dutch  bazu  = 
bazuin  =  tnampet)  ;  TO  blow  up  i= 
to  scold:  also  to  blow  up  sky- 
high  =  (i)  to  rate  vigorously; 
and  (2)  to  speak  or  act  with 
unusual  energy:  hence  blowing- 
up  z=  a  scolding,  a  severe  repri- 
mand, a  jobation:  Fr.  affres  (=: 


agonies);  and  (3)  to  cause  to 
swell  ;  TO  blow  in  one's  pipe  = 
to  spend  money  ;  blow  mh  !  (blow 
ME  up!  or  blow  me  tight!)  =: 
like  BLOWED  {q.v.)  these  serve 
either  as  half-veiled  oaths,  or  as 
big-sounding  but  meaningless  ex- 
clamations; TO  blow  oneself 
out  =  to  eat  heartily,  to  gorge 
oneself,  to  wolf  {q.v.)'.  hence 
Blow  out  =:  a  heavy  feed,  a 
gorge,  a  tuck-in  {q.v.)  ;  TO  blow 
out  =  (i)  to  steal,  to  prig  {q.v.); 
a  thiefs'  term;  and  (2)  to  talk 
violently;  to  abuse;  to  carry  on: 

cf.    TO    BLOW    UP;    TO    BLOW    THE 

grampus  =.  to  throw  cold  water 
on  a  man  who  has  fallen  asleep 
when  on  duty;  TO  blow  the 
GROUNDSELS  =  to  have  sexual 
commerce     on    the    ground,    cf. 

FLYER,  PERPENDICULAR,  and  See 
GREENS       and     RIDE;      TO      BLOW 

TOGETHER  =  to  make  garments 
in  a  slovenly  manner;  TO  BLOW 
UPON  (old)  =:  to  betray;  to  tell 
tales  of;  to  discredit;  to  defame; 
to  flout  at  ;  to  reproach  ;  to  cen- 
sure ;  3.  Used  also  with  indirect 
passive;  TO  blow  to  THE  winds 
=  to  cast  away  utterly. 

1402.     OccLEVE,  sc.  Letter  of  Cupid, 
[Arber,   Garner,  IV.,   54.] 

Thus  they  despised  be,  on  every  side, 
Dislanderèd  and  blown  upon  full  wide. 

1577.     W.  BuLLiNGER,  Decades  (1592), 
176.     One  which  out  of  one  mouth,  doeth 

BLOWE    BOTH    HOAT   AND    COLDE.  [m.] 

1612.     PasquiV S  Night-Cap. 
But  who  had  blowne  her  up,  and  made 

her  swell? 
Mother,  quoth  she,  in  truth  I  cannot  tell? 

1630.  Taylor,  îF^r/t^,  Virgin  Widow. 
IV.   5. 

I  could  not  lightly  agitate  and  fan 
The  airier  motions  of  an  amorous  fancy, 
And  by  a  skill  in  blowing  hot  and  cold, 
And  changeful  dalliance,  quicken  you  with 
doubts. 


Blow. 


276 


Blow. 


1636.  Hacket,  Williams,  i.  180. 
Though  she  acknowledged  she  had  power 
from  the  Emperor  to  cause  cessation  of 
arms  in  the  Palatinate,  and  undertook  to 
put  that  power  forth,  yet  with  the  same 
breath  she  blew  hot  and  cold. 

1650.  Howell,  Letters.  I  thank  you 
for  the  good  opinion  you  please  to  have 
of  my  fancy  of  trees:  it  is  a  maiden  one, 
and  not  blown  upon  by  any  yet. 

1651.  Cartwright  Royall  Slave. 
Peace,  the  king  approaches;  stand  in 
your  ranks  orderly,  and  shew  your  breed- 
ing; and  be  sure  you  blow  nothing  on 
the  lords. 

c.  1655.  Adams,  Works,  i.  169.  The 
hermit  turned  his  guest  out  of  doors  for 
this  trick,  that  he  could  warm  his  cold 
hands  with  the  same  breath  wherewith 
he  cooled  his  hot  pottage. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.  s.v. 
blown  upon,  seen  by  several,  or  slighted; 
not  blown  upon',  a  secret  piece  of  News 
or  Poetry,  that  has  not  taken  air,  spick 
and  span-new.  To  blow  hot  and  cold 
with  a  Breath,  or  play  fast  and  loose. 
Ibid.  s.v.  blow-off-on  the  groundsills, 
c.  to  lie  with  a  Woman  on  the  Floor  or 
Stairs. 

d.  1716.  South,  Sermons,  iii,  222. 
A  gross  fallacy  and  inconsequence,  con- 
cluding ab  iniparibus  tanquam  paribus, 
and   more   than  sufficiently  confuted  and 

BLOWN    OFF. 

1750.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  X., 
ii.  That  the  reputation  of  her  house, 
which  was  never  blown  upon  before,  was 
Utterly  destroyed. 

1756.  The  World,  No.  183.  This 
old  fellow  is  of  a  most  capricious,  un- 
equal temper,  and,  like  the  satyr  in  the 
fable,  blows  hot  and  cold  in  the  same 
breath. 

1781.  G.  Parker,  Vietu  of  Society, 
I.,  48.  Blow  me  up  (says  he)  if  I  have 
had  a  fellow  with  such  rum  io^gys  cross 
my  company  these  many  a  day. 

1785.  Grose,  Vulgar  Tongue.  To 
BLOW  the  groundsils  (cant),  to  lie  with 
a  woman  on  the  floor.  Ibid.  sv.  To  blow 
the  gap  (cant),  to  confess,  or  impeach  a 
confederate. 


1809.  Gell,  [C.  K.  Sharpe,  Cor- 
respondence (1888),  I.,  3SS-]  There  won't 
be  any  quarrel,  so  you  need  not  fear. 
The  only  chance  is  Keppel  making  a 
BLOW  UP  when  she  abuses  me.  ...  I 
have  heard  her  daughter  blow  up  Lady 
Salisbury  when  she  had  quarrelled  with 
Lady  Sefton. 

1819.  Moore,  Tom  Crib.  And  blow 
ME  tight — Bill  Gibbons  ne'er  In  all  his 
days  was  known  to  swear.  Ibid.  39.  But 
this  I'll  say,  a  civiller  Swell,  I'd  never 
wish  to  blow  a  cloud  with. 

1825,  Scott,  St.  Ronati's  Well, 
II.,  264.  She  sent  me  a  card  for  her 
BLOW-OUT,'  said  Mowbray,  and  so  I  am 
resolved  to  go.'  Ibid.  But  I  will  BLOW 
her,  he  said,  I  will  BLOW  her  ladyship's 
conduct  in  the  business. 

1833.  Marrvat,  Peter  Simple,  xliii. 
One  of  the  French  officers,  after  he  was 
taken  prisoner,  a.xed  me  how  we  had 
managed  to  get  the  gun  up  there;  but  I 
wasn't  going  TO  blow  the  gaff. 

1835.  Dana,  Be/ore  the  Mast,  xx. 
We  lived,  like  fighting-cocks,  and  had  ,.  . 
a  blow-out  on  sleep,  not  turning  out  in 
the   morning    until   breakfast  was  ready. 

1836.  Scott,  Cruise  of  the  Midge 
[Ry.  ed.  18..],  119.  At  length  the  infec- 
tion caught  me,  when  BLOwinG  all  my 
manners  TO  the  winds,  off  I  went  at 
score  after  our  friend. 

1837.  Barham,  /.  L.  [Babes  in  the 
Wood). 

In  the  dog-days,  don't  be  so  absurd 
As  to  BLOW  YOURSELVES  OUT  with  green- 
gages ! 

1838.  Dickens,  Oto^r  Twu/.  Depend 
upon  it  that  they're  on  the  scent  down 
here,  and  that  if  he  moved,  he'd  blow 
UPON  the  thing  at  once.  Id.  (1843). 
Martin  Chuzzlewit,  II.,  p.  23^.  It  fortu- 
nately occurred  to  me,  that  if  I  gave  it 
him  myself,  I  could  be  of  no  farther  use. 
I  should  have  been  blown  upon  immedi- 
ately. /(/.  (1864).  Our  Mutual  Friend, 
III.,  xii.  The  condition  of  our  affairs 
is  desperate,  and  may  be  BLOWN  upon 
at  any  moment. 

1839.  Haliburton,  Letter-Bag  Gt. 
West.,  IV.,  42.  I  would  give  him  a  good 
BLOWING-UP.  Ibid.  You  wouldn't  blow  an 
old  chum  among  his  friends,  would  you? 


Blow. 


277 


Blozv-book. 


1839.  Harrison  Ainsworth,  Jack 
Sheppard  [i88g],  23.  Curse  me  if  I 
don't  think  all  the  world  means  to  cross 
the  Thames  this  fine  night!  observed 
Ben.      One'd  think  it  rained  fares  as  well 

as    BLOWED    GREAT    GUNS. 

1847.  Th.  Hook,  Man  of  Many  Friends. 
The  giving  good  feeds  is,  with  many  of 
these  worthies,  the  grand  criterion  by 
which  the  virtues  and  talents  of  man- 
kind are  measured  .  .  .  these  persons 
call  a  similar  favour  either  a  'spread'  or 

a    'BLOW-OUT.' 

1849.  Thackeray,  Pendennis,  Ixviii. 
Morgan  had  had  '  a  devil  of  a  blow  hup 
with  his  own  guv'nor,  and  was  going  to 
retire  from  the  business  haltogether.' 

1855.  Thackeray,  Newcotnes,  vii. 
'Mind  the  hice  is  here  in  time;  or  ther'll 
be  a  BLOW  up  with  your  governor.' 

1852.  H.  B.  Stowe,  Uncle  Tom's 
Cabin,  viii.  'Get  us  hot  water,  and  sugar, 
and  cigars,  and  plenty  of  the  real  stuff, 
and  we'll  have  a  blow-out.'  Ibid.  (1856), 
I,  276.  Dere's  de  ]Methodists,  dey  cuts 
up  de  Presbyterians;  de  Presbyterians 
pitch  into  de  Methodists,  and  both  are 
down  on  de  Episcopals;  while  de  Baptists 
tink  dey  none  on  dem  right;  and  while 
day's  all  blowing  out  at  each  other  dat 
ar  way,  I's  wondering  whar's  de  way  to 
Canaan. 

1854.  H.  Miller,  Sch.  a?id  Schtn. 
(1858),  14.     It  soon  began  to  blow  great 

GUNS. 

1856.  Motley,  Dutch  Rep.,  V.,  v.. 
750.  Being  constantly  ordered  to  BLOW 
hot  and  COLD  with  the  same  breath. 

1874.  Mrs.  H.  Wood,  Johnny  Lud- 
lo7U,  I  S.,  XXV.,  448.  The  waves 
dashed  over  the  pier,  ducking  the  three 
or  four  venturesome  spirits  who  went  on 
there.  I  was  one — and  received  a  good 
BLOWING  UP  from  Mr.  Brandon  for  my 
pains. 

1870.  M.  Twain,  Innocents  Abroad, 
vii.  And  BLOWING  suffocating  clouds 
and  boisterously  performing  at  dominoes 
in  the  smoking-room  at  night. 

1876.  C.  Hindley,  Life  and  Adven- 
tures of  a  Cheap  Jack,  25.  Here  blow 
me,    I'll    do    such    a    thing    I    never   did 


before,  I'll  say  thirty — yes,  thirty  shil- 
lings buys  the  lot,  and  I'll  have  no  more 
nor  take  no  less. 

1876.  Greenwood,  Dick  Temple. 
And  she  ain't  got  nobody  but  me  to  keep 
a  secret  for  her,  and  I've  been  and 
BLOWED  ON  her. 

1877.  Five  Years'  Penal  Servitude, 
i.,  4.  Both  desisted  from  their  own 
recriminations  as  to  'rounding'  and 
'BLOWING'  ON  each  other. 

1877.  Five  Years'  Penal  Servitude, 
ii.,  p.  laa.  The  prisoner,  burning  for 
revenge,  quietly  bides  his  time  till  the 
chief  warder  comes  round,  then  asks  to 
speak  to  him,  and   blows  the  gaff. 

1883.  Jas.  Payn,  Glow  Worm 
Tales,  301.  'An  Improvement  on  a 
System.'  If  Mr.  Prince  had  caught  me 
before  his  establishment  had  got  blown 
UPON  in  the  public  prints,  he  might  have 
persuaded  me  to  become  an  inmate  of 
the  Agapemone.  I  hope  I  should  not 
have  approved  of  the  manner  of  life  in 
vogue  at  that  institution,  but  I  make  no 
doubt  that  I  should  have  fallen  in  with 
it  without  much  resistance. 

1S83.  G.  A.  S[ala],  Illust.  L. 
News,  June  16,  599,  col.  i.  That  the 
'aughty  nobleman  should  blow  up  the 
clerk  for  presuming  to  take  a  seat  in 
his  presence. 

1889.  Philadelphia  Press,  8  Dec. 
Mac  Clarty  objected;  giving  the  young 
man  a  warning  look,  he  said,  "Nixey 
Toohey.get  out  flash — blow  it,  man,  blow 
it!  "  which  meant  that  Mr.  Mac  Clarty 
thought  that  Mr.  Toohey  ought  not  to 
talk  so  much. 

1899.  Whiteing,  John  Sir.  xxi.  The 
GAFF  was  BLOWED  by  a  set  o'  fools. 

BLOWBOUL  (or  BLOWBOLL),  ja3.;(old). 
— A  tippler:  see  lushington. 

1423.  Skelton  [Dyce],  i.  22.  Thou 
blynkerd  blowboll,  thou  wakyst  to  late. 

BLOW-BOOK,  subs.  phr.  (old)— A 
book  containing  indelicate  or 
'smutty'  pictures. 


Blow-basted. 


278 


Blowen. 


1708.  Post-Man,  8  June.  Last  Sunday 
a  person  did  pennance  in  the  Chapter- 
house of  St.  Paul's,  London,  for  publickly 
shewing  in  Bartholomew  Fair  a  book 
called  a  blow-book,  in  which  were  many 
obscene  and  filthy  pictures:  the  book  was 
likewise  burnt,  and  the  person  paid  costs. 

BLOW-BASTED,  adj.  //^r.— Flogged. 

161 4.  Copley,  Wits  and  Fancies. 
[Nares].  The  earle  of  Urenia  asked  one 
that  came  from  the  court,  what  was 
reported  of  him  there?  who  answered: 
Neither  good  nor  bad,  my  lord,  that  I 
could  heare.  With  that  the  earle  com- 
manded him  to  be  thoroughly  elowe- 
BASTED  and  beaten:  and  then  afterward 
gave  him  fiftie  duckets,  saying.  Now 
maist  thou  report  of  Urenia  both  good 
and  bad. 

Slowed.  To  be  blowed,  verb, 
phr. — To  be  cursed,  to  be  sent 
about  one's  business.  Blowed 
is  euphemismic  for  'damned';  to 
all  intents  and  purposes  little 
more  than  a  thinly-veiled  oath. 
Hotten  says  that  Tom  Hood  used 
to  tell  the  following  story,  which 
tho'  long  is  worth  immortality: — 
'I  was  once  asked  to  contribute 
to  a  new  journal,  not  exactly 
gratuitously,  but  at  a  very  small 
advance  upon  nothing — and  avow- 
edly because  the  work  had  been 
planned  according  to  that  estimate. 
However,  I  accepted  the  terms 
conditionally — that  is  to  say,  pro- 
vided the  principle  could  be 
properly  carried  out.  Accordingly, 
I  wrote  to  my  butcher,  baker, 
and  other  tradesmen,  informing 
them  that  it  was  necessary,  for 
the  sake  of  cheap  literature,  and 
the  interest  of  the  reading  public, 
that  they  should  furnish  me  with 
their  several  commodities  at  a 
very  trifling  per-centage  above 
cost  price.  It  will  be  sufficient 
to  quote  the  answer  of  the  butcher  : 
— "Sir, — Respectin'  your  note, 
Cheap      literater      be     blowed! 


Butchers  must  live  as  well  as 
other  pepel — and  if  so  be  you 
or  the  readin'  publick  wants  to 
have  meat  at  prime  cost,  you 
must  buy  your  own  beastesses, 
and  kill  yourselves. — I  remain, 
etc.,  John  Stokes."' 
Cf.,  BLOW  me! 

1835.  Dickens,  Sketches  by  Boz, 
SO.  Others  remonstrating  with  the 
said  Thomas  Sludberry  on  the  impro- 
priety of  his  conduct,  the  said  Thomas 
Sludberry  repeated  the  aforesaid  ex- 
pression, 'You   BE   BLOWED.' 

1863.  Jeaffreson,  Live  It  Dawn, 
in.,  249.  (Cries  of  'Chair,  Chair,'  and 
'Order,  order.')  'Order  be  blowed!' 
exclaimed  the  infuriated  Mr.  H. 

1864.  Dickons,  Our  Mutual  Friend, 
IL,  V.  '  Holiday  be  blowed  !  '  said 
Fledgely,  entering,  'What  have  you  got 
to  do  with  holidays?' 

1877.  Five  Years'  Penal  Servitude, 
in.,  244.  'No,'  says  she,  'we've  got 
some  more  besides  that,  and  enough,  too, 
to  take  us  to  France.  Blowed,  old  man, 
if  we  don't  go  to  Paris,  and  there  we 
can  get  £300  for  them.' 

1879.  Punch's  Almanac,  7.  Sea- 
sonable Slang.  For  Spring. — Vou  BE 
blowed  !  For  Summer. — I'll  warm  yer  ! 
For  Autumn. — Not  so  blooming  green! 
For  Winter. — An  ice  little  game  all 
round. 

1889.  Ally  Sloper's  II.  If.,  Aug.  3, 
242,  2.  'Blowed  if  I'd  have  made 
her  Mrs.  Juggins,  if  I'd  have  known  she 
wor  going  te  make  a  footstool  of  me  !  ' 

rgoo.  Kipling,  Stalky  and  Co.  4. 
Turkey,  you'd  better  covet  a  butterfly- 
net  from  somewhere.  I'm  blowed  if  I 
do,  said  McTurk  simply,  with  immense 
feeling. 

1900.  White,  IVest  End,  III.  I'll 
see  the  letters  blowed  before  I  look  at 
one  of  them. 

BLOWEN  (or  Blowing),  subs.  (old). 
— A  woman  (like  mort  q.v.). 
Chaste  or  not:  Subsequently  = 
a   showy   courtesan,   or  common 


Blower. 


279 


Blowse. 


prostitute:  it  still  retains  the  latter 
meaning,  but  is  still  frequently 
used,  in  a  more  complimentary 
sense  than  heretofore,  to  signify 
a  finely  built  handsome,  and,  as 
the  old  barrel-organ  man  says, 
FUCKABLE  {q.v?}  girl:  in  America 
(criminal  classes)  ■=.  a  mistress. 
Derivation  uncertain,  two  sug- 
gestions: (i)  from  'blown  upon'; 
and    (2)   a    blossom — a   pet:   see 

PETTICOAT   and   TART. 

i5S8.  Shadwell,  Sq.  of  Ahatia,  I., 
in  Wks.  (1720)  IV.,  17.  What  ogling 
there  will  be  between  thee  and  the 
blowings! 

c.  1696.     B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 

1789.  Geo  Parker,  Life's  Fainter, 
143.     Blowen,  a  woman. 

i8i2.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Flash.  Diet., 
Blowen,  a  prostitute:  a  woman  who 
cohabits   with  a   man   without  marriage. 

1823.  Grose,  Vulg.  Tongue  [Egan], 
S.v.  Nuts.  The  cove's  nutting  the 
blowen;  the  man  is  trying  to  please  the 
girl. 

1847.  Lttton,  Lucretia,  II.,  ii. 
'  If  she's  a  good  girl,  and  loves  you,  she'll 
not  let  you  spend  your  money  on  her.' 
'I  haint  such  a  ninny  as  that,'  said  Beck, 
with  majestic  contempt.  'I  spises  the 
flat  that  is  done  brown  by  the  blowens.' 

1848.  C.  Kingslev,  Yeasi,  xi.  Why 
don't  they  have  a  short  simple  service 
now  and  then,  that  might  catch  the  ears 
of  the  roughs  and  the  blowens,  without 
tiring  out  the  poor  thoughtless  creatures' 
patience,  as  they  do  now? 

Blower,  subs.  (old). — i.  A  girl; 
contemptuous,  in  opposition  to 
JOMER  (^.z^.);  see  Grose  (1785): 
see  quot  1696. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
Blower,  c.  a  mistress,  also  a  whore. 

2.  (American  and  colonial.) — 
A  good  talker  ;  a  boaster  ;  a  '  gas- 
bag':   cf.   BLOW,  verb,   sense   i. 


1863.  Manhattan,  \n  Evening  Stand- 
ard, 10  Dec.  General  Grant  ...  is  not 
one  of  the  blower  generals. 

1864.  Spectator,  22  Oct.,  1202,  col.  i. 
Notorious  among  our  bar  and  the  public 
as  a  blower. 

1871.  De  Vere,  Americanisms, 
584.  'You  need  not  blow  so,  my  friend. 
I  don't  believe  a  word  of  what  you  say.' 
Hence  also  the  noun  blower,  a  braggart, 
with  special  reference  to  his  success  in 
imitating  Baron  Munchausen. 

3.     A  pipe:  cf.  Blow  a  cloud. 

BLOWHARD,  subs.  (American) — A 
Western  term  of  abuse:  a  new- 
comer may,  in  one  and  the  same 
breath,  be  called  a  blarsted 
BRITISHER,    a    coyote,    and     a 

BLOWHARD. 

BLOWSE,  (BLOWSY,  BLOUZE,  BLOWZY, 

etc.).  subs.  (old). — A  beggar's 
trull;  a  wench;  a  slatternly  wo- 
man: also  personified  as  BLOWS- 
ABELLA. 

1557.  TusSER,  Husbandrie,  xvi.,  37, 
43  (E.  D.  S).  Whiles  Gillet,  his  blouse 
is  a  milking  thy  cow. 

1605.     Chapman,   All  Fooles,   iv.,  68 
{Plays,  1874)- 
Wed    without    my    advice,    my   love,  my 

knowledge. 
Ay,  and  a  beggar,  too,  a  trull,  a  blowse! 

1638.  Ford,  Lady's  Trial,  IIL,  i. 
Wench  is  your  trull,  your  blouze,  your 
dowdie, 

1705.  Ward,  Hudibras  Redivivus, 
II.,  VII.,  20. 

So  the  old  Babylonian  blouze, 
And  her  demure  fanatic  Spouse. 

1706.  Ward,  Hud.  Red.,  I.  x.  10. 
Such  red-fac'd  blouzabellas. 

17..     Gay,  Shepherd's  Week. 
We    fair,    fine    ladies,    who  park  out  our 

lives 
From   common   sheep-paths,   cannot  help 

crows,  ,       .,, 

From    flying  over;   were  as  natural  still 
As  blousalinda. 


Bloxford. 


280 


Blubber-belly. 


184.  Halliwell,  Archaic  Phrases, 
etc.  s.v.  BLOUSE...  a  woman  with  hair 
or  head-dress  loose  and  disordered,  or 
decorated  with  vulgar  finery.  (East.) 
Thoresby  has,  "a  blowse  or  blawze, 
proper  to  women,  a  blossom,  a  wild  rinish 
girl,  proud  light  skirts;"  and  Kennett, 
MS.  Lansd.  1033,  "a  girl  or  wench  whose 
face  looks  red  by  running  abroad  in  the 
wind  and  weather,  is  called  a  blouz,  and 
said  to  have  a  blouzing  colour.''  The 
word  occurs  in  this  last  sense  in  Tusser, 
24;  Hevwood's  Eiivard  11'.  62;  Clarke's 
Phraseologia  Piierilis,  1655,  380;  Ken- 
nett's  Glossary,  30.  Blowesse,  Hall's 
Satires,  4.  To  be  in  a  blouze,  to  look 
red  from  heat,  a  phrase  that  is  used  by 
Goldsmith  in  the  Vicar  of  Wakefield. 
In  some  glossaries,  blousy,  wild,  dis- 
ordered, confused. 

iSsi-  Thackeray,  English  Humor- 
ists, 167.  Are  not  the  Rosalindas  of 
Britain  as  charming  as  the  blousalindas 
of  the  Hague.'' 

Bloxford,  subs.,  (old).— A  jocular 
and  satirical  corruption  of  the 
name  of  Oxford,  quasi  Block's- 
ford,  or  the  ford  of  Blockheads. 
(Nares.) 

[?].    Corbet,  Poems, 
What    was    the   jest,    d'ye    ask?    I   dare 

repeat  it. 
And  put  it  home  before  you  shall  entreat  it  ; 
He  call'd  me  BLOXFORD-man,  confess  I  must 
'Twas  bitter;  and  it  grieved  me  in  a  thrust 
That  most    ungrateful  word  bloxford  to 

hear, 
From   him    whose    breath    yet   stunk   of 

Oxford  beer. 

i6[?].  Healey,  Disc.  New  World. 
[Blockford  is  the   capital  of  Fooliana]. 

BLUB.— 5^<r  BLUBBER,  vcrb. 

Blubber,  subs,  (common), — I.  The 
mouth.     See  potato-trap. 

1785.     Grose,     Dictionary    of  the 

Vulgar     Tongue.     I     have    stopped  the 

cull's    BLUBBER,    I   havc   Stopped   the  fel- 
low's mouth. 

2.  (Common).  A  woman's 
breasts  ;  the  paps  :  see  dairies. 
Hence  TO  sport  (or  flash  the) 


BLUBBER  phr.  (common)  =  To 
expose  the  breasts  :  especially 
of  women  with  large  and  fully 
developed  bosoms. 

Verb  (colloquial). — To  cry;  to 
NAP  THE  BIB  {jj.v^:  in  contempt: 
also  blub:  see  blubberation. 

1360.  Sir  Gawayn  [E.E.T.S.].  [Oli- 
phant, New  Eng.  i.  59.  Akin  to  the  Dutch 
and  German  are  waist,  tap,  blubber...] 

1400.  Test.  Love,  \\.  (1560),  283,  i.  Han 
women  none  other  wrech...  but  blober 
and  wepe  till  hem  list  stint. 

[?].  Dido,  Queen  of  Carthage,  56 
[Halliwell].  By  these  blubbered  cheeks. 

1748.  Smollett,  Roderick  Random, 
xliv.  (1804),  202.  He  blubbered  like  a 
great  school-boy  who  had  been  whipped. 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  6.  Thus  did 
this  waring  red-nos'd  dubber  Make  a 
great  noise,  and  pray,  and  blubber. 

1826.  Scott,  Woodstock,  IV.,  Phoebe 
Mayflower  blubbered  heartily  for  com- 
pany. 

1888.     Sims,  Ballads  of  Babylon. 
Don't    be    a    fool  and    blub,   Jim,   it's    a 

darned  good  thing  for  you. 
You'll   find   a  mate  as  can  carry  and  I'll 

play  the  music  too. 

BLUBBER-AND-GUTS,  subs. phr.  (com- 
mon).—Obesity  :  hence  ALL  blub- 
ber-and-guts  =:  very  fat:  also 
as  an  address,  'OLD  BLUBBER-AND- 
GUTS.' 

Blubberation,    subs,  (common).- 
Cryiug:  see  BLUBBER. 

18..     H.     and    J.    Smith,    Rejected 
Addresses,  177. 
They  sang  a  quartetto  in  grand  blubber.\- 

TIO.V. 

The  stranger  cried.  Oh!  Mrs.  Haller 
cried.  Ah! 

BLUBBER-BELLY,  subs. phr.  (common). 
—A  fat  person  ;  F0RTY-GUTS(7.z'.). 


Blubber-cheeks. 


281 


Bludgeoner. 


Blubber-cheeks,  sitbs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— Fat,  flaccid  cheeks  :  also 
'  Old  Blubber-cheeks  '  rz:  a  jeering 
address.  Hence  blubber-  (or 
blub)  cheeked  =:  Swollen  cheek- 
ed ;  so  also  with  other  obvious 
combinations  such  as  BLUBBER- 
lips,  etc. 

1606.  Sylvester,  The  Latue,  1004. 
Rough-blustering   Boreas,    nurst  with  Ri- 

phean  snowe. 
And  BLUB  CHEEKT  Austcr,  puft  with  fumes 

before. 
Met   in   the   midst,  justling  for  room,  do 

roar. 

Blubber-head,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— A  fool;  an  empty-headed  indi- 
vidual; a  STUPID  {q.v.). 

BLUCHER  (ch.  hard)  subs.  (Win- 
chester College). —  I.  A  College 
prœfect  in  half  power.  Their 
jurisdiction  does  not  extend  be- 
yond '  Seventh  Chamber  passage,' 
though  their  privileges  are  the 
same  as  those  of  other  prœfects. 
They  are  eight  in  number. 

1864.  Blackwood,  86.  The  remain- 
ing eight  college  prôefects  (called  in 
Winchester  tongue,  bluchers)  have  a 
more  limited  authority,  confined  to  Cham- 
bers and  the  Quadrangle. 

1870.  Mansfield,  School-Life  at 
Winchester  College,  30.  The  eight  sen- 
ior prxfects  were  said  to  have  'full 
power,'  and  had  some  slight  privileges 
not  enjoyed  by  the  remaining  ten,  who 
were  generally  called  bluchers. 

2.     A  non-privileged  cab,  ply- 
ing at  railway  stations:  see  quots. 

1864.  Soc.  Sc.  Review,  I.,  406.  The 
railway  companies  recognise  two  other 
classes  of  cabs,  called  the  'privileged' 
.  .  .  and  the  '  Bluchers,'  named  after 
the  Prussian  Field-Marshal  who  arrived 
on  the  field  of  Waterloo  only  to  do  the 
work  that  chanced  to  be  undone. 


1870.  Athenceuni,  5  March,  p.  318. 
Non-privileged  cabs,  which  are  admitted 
to  stations  after  all  the  privileged  have 
been  hired,  are  known  as  Bluchers. 

3.  (colloquial). — A  trade  term 
for  'boots  of  somewhat  common 
and  clumsy  description  '  (Halh- 
well). 

1836.  DiCKE.NS,  Boz,  'Bloomsbury 
Christening.'  Islington  clerks  .  .  walked 
to  town  in  the  conscious  pride  of  white 
stockings  and  cleanly-brushed  BLUCHERS. 

1854-5.  Th.^ckeray,  Newcomes,  xi. 
It  will  not  unfrequently  happen  that  a 
pair  of  trowsers  inclosing  a  pair  of  toots 
with  iron  heels,  and  known  by  the  name 
of  the  celebrated  Prussian  General  who 
came  up  to  help  the  other  christener  of 
boots  at  Waterloo,  will  be  flung  down 
from  the  topmost  story. — Ibid.  xiii.  I 
wouldn't  have  come  in  these  bluchers,  if 
I  had  known  it.  Confound  it,  no.  Hoby 
himself,  my  own  bootmaker,  wouldn't 
have  allowed  poor  F.  B.  to  appear  in 
bluchers  if  he  had  known  that  I  was 
going  to  meet  the  Duke. 

BLUDDER,  verb  (old). — To  talk  non- 
sensically. 

is[?]  Bale,  Select  Works,  193.  Ye 
are  much  better  overseen  than  learned 
in  the  Scriptures  of  God,  as  your  blind 
BLUBBERING  predecessors  hath  been. — 
Ibid.  Bonner's  Arts,  xxxvi,  this  bussard 
this  beast,  and  this    bluddering  papiste. 

BLUDGEONER  (or  BLUDGER)  Subs. 
(venery). — A  thief  using  violence: 
spec,  a  bully;  a  ponce  {q.v^  at- 
tached to  a  house  of  ill-fame  for 
the  purpose  of  terrorising  victims  : 
cf.  bludget. 

1852.  Blackwood's  Magazine,  224. 
Those  brutal  bludgeoneers  ...  go  out 
...  in  gangs  to  poach. 

1855.  Trollope,  Warden,  xiv.,  144. 
Old  St.  Dunstan  with  its  smiting  blud- 
Geoneer  has  been  removed. 

1S56.  H.  Mavhew,  Gt.  World  of 
London,  46.  Those  who  plunder  with 
violence;  as  .  .  .  bludgers  or_  'stick 
slingers,'  who  rob  in  company  with  low 
women. 


Bludget. 


282 


Blue. 


Bludget,  subs.  (American) — '  A  low 
female  thief,  who  decoys  her 
victims  into  alley-ways,  etc.,  to 
rob  them.'  New  York  Slang  Dic- 
tionary [1881],  cf.  Bludge. 

Blue,  subs,  (common) — I.  A  police- 
man formerly  a  beadle,  or,  in- 
deed, a  serving-man,  traceable 
to  Elizabethan  days  {see  Blue- 
bottle), the  uniform  seems  to 
have  been  blue  from  time  imme- 
morial ;  the  colour  from  the  earliest 
times  has  been  the  badge  of 
servitude.  Pliny  tells  us  blue 
was  the  colour  in  which  the 
Gauls  clothed  their  slaves;  and, 
for  many  ages,  blue  coats  were  the 
liveries  of  servants,  apprentices, 
and  those  in  humble  stations  of 
life — to  wit,  the  blue-clad  beadles, 
the  'varlets'  who  wore  the  blue, 
the  blue-coats  boys,  and  even 
harlots,  in  a  house  of  correction, 
wore  blue  as  a  dress  of  ignominy. 
The  proverb  quoted  by  Ray,  'he's 
in  his  better  blue  clothes,'  i.e., 
'he  thinks  himself  wondrous  fine, 
has  reference  to  the  livery  of  a 
servant.]     Also,  collectively,  the 

BLUES,  THE  MEN  IN  BLUE,  BLUE- 
BOYS,  BLUE-BOTTLES,  BLUE-DEVILS, 
ROYAL  REGIMENT  OF  FOOT-GUARDS 
BLUE. 

d.  1631.  Donne,  Satires,  i,  21.  Come 
a  velvet  justice  with  a  long  Great  train 
of  BLEW  COATS,  twelve  or  fourt«en  strong. 

1609.  Hekkkr,  Honest  IVkore  ['Dons- 
lev],  Old  Plays  (Reed),  iii.  389.  You 
proud  varlets,  you  need  not  be  ashamed 
to  wear  blue,  when  your  master  is  one 
of  your  fellows. — Ibid,  Belman,  E.  3. 
The  other  act  their  parts  in  blew  coaxes, 
as  (if)  they  were  their  serving  men. 

1608.  MiDDLETOhf,  Trick  to  Catch 
etc.  ii.  There's  more  true  honesty  in  such 
a  country  serving  man,  than  in  a  hundred 
of  our  cloak  companions.  I  may  well 
call  'em  companions,  for  since  blue  coats 
have    been    turned    into   cloaks,   one  can 


scarce  know  the  man  from  the  master. — 
Ibid.  Mich.  Term.  And  to  be  free  from 
the  interruption  of  blue  beadles,  and  other 
bawdy  officers. 

161 6.  JoNSON,  Case  Altered,  i.  2. 
Ever  since  I  was  of  the  blue  order. — 
Ibid,  Mask  of  Christmas.  In  a  blew  coat, 
serving-man  like,  with  an  orange,  &c. 

1637.  Nabbes,  Microcos.  [Dodslev], 
Old  Plays  (Reed),  ix.  161.  The  whips 
of  furies  are  not  half  so  terrible  as  a 
blue  coat. 

i8(?).     Hood,    Row   at   the  •  Oxford 
Arms' 
This  here  mobbing,  as  some  longish  heads 

foretell  it, 
Will  grow  to  such  a  riot  that  the  Oxford 

BLUES  must  quell  it. 

1877.  Five  Years'  Penal  Servitude, 
iv.,  257.  He  would  chatter  gaily  and 
enter  with  great  gusto  into  the  details 
of  some  cleverly  executed  '  bit  of  busi- 
ness,' or  'bilking  the  blues,' — evading 
the  police. 

1S80.  Jas.  Greenwood,  Help  My- 
self Society,  in  Odd  People  in  Odd  Places, 
68.  The  '  Help  Yourselves  '  are  espe- 
cially strong  in  instrumental  music. 
They  have  a  friend  in  Colonel  Fraser, 
the  head  of  the  City  police,  and  the  ex- 
cellent band  of  that  branch  of  the  force 
is  at  their  service,  and  Sir  E.  Henderson 
shows  himself  to  be  at  heart  a  '  Help 
Yourself,'  by  permitting  the  instrumental 
blue  boys  belonging  to  several  metro- 
politan divisions  to  spend  a  Saturday 
night  there.  Besides  these,  they  have 
the  Polytechnic  orchestral  band  when  it 
is  required,  and  an  excellent  grand  piano 
with    a  skilled  player  and  accompanyist. 

1882.  Besant,  All  Sorts  and  Cond. 
of  Men,  xliii.  '  You  must  now  begin  to 
think  seriously  about  handcuffs  and  prison, 
and    MEN    IN    BLUE.' 

1886.  G.  A.  Apperson,  Graphic,  30 
Jan.,  137.  The  police  in  recent  times 
have  been  known  as  the  blues  and  the 
MEN   IN    BLUE. 

2.  (licensed  victuallers'). — In 
certain  districts  of  Wales  a  com- 
promise between  the  half-pint  and 
the  pint  pot.  It  is  not  recognised 
as  a  legal  measure  by  the  authori- 


Blue. 


283 


Blue. 


ties,  but  it  has  something  like  a 
status:  there  is  no  Board  of  Trade 
standard  of  the  blue,  and  inspect- 
ors have  no  power  to  stamp 
measures  of  this  denomination 
for  use  in  trade,  but  the  Board 
of  Trade  has  pointed  out  to  the 
local  authorities  that  there  is  no- 
thing in  the  Weights  and  Mea- 
sures Act  to  prevent  the  use  of 
the  BLUE,  or  to  make  its  possessor 
liable  to  penalties,  always  pro- 
vided of  course  that  the  vessel 
is  not  used  as  a  measure. 

3.  (common). — A  scholar  of 
Christ's  Hospital  ;  a  blue-coat 
BOY.  A  blue  drugget  gown  or 
body  with  ample  skirts  to  it,  a 
yellow  vest  underneath  in  winter 
time,  small  clothes  of  Russia 
duck,  worsted  yellow  stockings, 
a  leathern  girdle,  and  a  little 
black  worsted  cap,  usually  carried 
in  the  hand,  was  the  ordinary 
dress  of  children  in  humble  life 
during  the  reigns  of  the  Tudors. 

1834.  W.  Trollope  [Title],  Christ's 
Hospital  .  .  .  -with  Ttiemoirs  of  Eminent 
Blues. 

1877.  W.  H.  Blan'CH,  Blue-Coat 
Boys,  33.  To  some  extent  it  holds  also 
with  regard  to  Civil  Engineers,  amongst 
whom,  however,  one  well-known  name  is 
that  of  a  BLUE. 

4.  (old),— Short  for  BLUE- 
STOCKING {q.v.);  formerly  a  con- 
temptuous term  for  a  woman 
having  or  affecting  literary  tastes. 

1788.  Madame  D'Arblay,  Diary 
(1876),  iv.,  2ig.  He  was  a  little  the  more 
anxious  not  to  be  surprised  to-night,  but 
his  being  too  tired  for  walking  should 
be  imputed  to  his  literary  preference  of 
reading  to  a  blue.  At  tea  IMiss  Planta 
again    joined    us,    and    instantly    behind 


him  went  the  book;  he  was  very  right, 
for  nobody  would  have  thought  it  more 
odd,  or  more  blue. 


1823.  Byron,  Don  Juan,  xi.,  50. 
The  Blues,  that  tender  tribe,  who  sigh 
o'er  sonnets. 

1834.  Süuthey,  The  Doctor,  Ixxxix. 
Mad.  D'Arblay,  Diary,  IV,  219.  Les  Dames 
des  Roches,  both  mother  and  daughter,  were 
remarkable  and  exemplary  women;  and 
there  was  a  time  when  Poictiers  derived 
as  much  glory  from  those  blue  ladies  as 
from  the    Black  Prince. 

1845.  Disraeli,  Syôil,  76.  'But 
she  was  very  clever  ..."  'Accom- 
plished ?  '  '  Oh,  far  beyond  that  .  .  .' 
'  A  regular  blue.' 

1853.  Rev.  E.  Bradley  ('  Cuthbert 
Bede'),  Adventures  of  Verdant  Green,  I., 
7.  His  Aunt  Virginia  was  as  learned  a 
BLUE  as  her  esteemed  ancestress  in  the 
court  of  Elizabeth,  the  very  Virgin  Queen 

of   BLUES. 

5.  (old).  Female  learning  or 
pedantry. 

1824.  Byron,  Don  Juan,  xvi.,  47. 
She  also  had  a  twilight  tinge  of  blue. 

6.  (University). — At  Oxford 
and  Cambridge  a  man  is  said  TO 
GET  HIS  BLUE  when  selected  as 
a  competitor  in  inter-university 
sports.  The  Varsity  colours  are, 
for  Oxford,  dark  blue;  and  for 
Cambridge,  light  blue:  cf.  to 
GET  one's  silk,  Said  of  a  barrister 
when  made  King's  Counsel. 

Adj.  (old).— I.  Applied  in  con- 
tempt to  women  of  literary  tastes: 
see  Blue-stocking  ;  Fr.  elle  est 
bleue  celle-là;  en  voila  une  de 
bleue;  Je  la  trouve  bleue. 

178S.  Mad.  D'Arblay,  Diary  (1876), 
iv.,  p.  219.  Nobody  would  have  thought 
it  more  odd  or  more  blue. 


Blue. 


284 


Blue. 


1834.  SouTHEY,  The  Doctor,  Ixxxix. 
Les  Dames  des  Roches,  both  mother  and 
daughter  were  remarkable  and  exemplary 
women;  and  there  was  a  time  when 
Poictiers  derived  as  much  glory  from  those 
BLUE  ladies  as  from  the  Black  Prince. 

1839.  Lever,  Harry  Lorrequer,  xi. 
She  was  a  little,  a  very  little  blue — 
rather  a  babbler  in  the  '  ologies  '  than  a 
real  disciple. 

1842.  Dickens,  American  Notes, 
"'•)  333-  Blue  ladies  there  are,  in 
Boston;  but  like  philosophers  of  that 
colour  and  sex  in  most  other  latitudes, 
they  rather  desire  to  be  thought  superior 
than  to  be  so. 

1852.  F.  E.  Smedley,  Lewis  Arundel, 
xxxiii.  She  had  been  growing  decidedly 
blue.  Not  only  had  she,  under  Bray's 
auspices,  published  a  series  of  papers  in 
Blunt's  Magazine,  but  she  had  positively 
written  a  child's  book. 

1864.  Spectator,  No.  1875,  660.  A 
clever,  sensible  woman,  rather  blue. 

2.  (veaery). — Indecent  ;  smutty 
iq.v.)  ;  obscene.  [The  dress  of 
harlots  under  discipline  {see  blue- 
gown)  was  blue  ;  c/.,  however, 
the  French  Biblioihiqtie  Bleue,  a 
series  of  books  of  questionable 
character.]  See  brown,  Quakerish  ; 
serious  ;  grave  ;  decent. 

3.  (colloquial). — Gloomy  ;  fear- 
ful ;  depressed  ;  low-spirited  e.g. 
TO  LOOK  blue:  which  also=  to 
be  confounded  ;  surprised  ;  aston- 
ished ;  annoyed  ;  disappointed  : 
Fr.  en  rester  tout  bleu;  en  être 
bleu;  en  bailler  tout  bleu;  and 
baba  from  ébahi,  astounded,  BLUE 
FUNK,  and  IN  THE  blues:  hence 
BLUELY  =:  badly. 

c.  1600.  Rob.  Hood  ('Ritson'),  II., 
xxxvi.,  84.  It  made  the  sunne  looke  blue. 

1653.  Urquhart,  Rabelais,  iv,  xxxv. 
He  still  came  off  but  bluelv. 

i6[?].  T.  Brown,  Works,  i.  284.  Our 
cavalier  had  come  oflF  but  bluelv,  had 
the  lady's  rigour  continu'd. 


1761.  Ward,  England's  Re/ormationt 
i.  67. 

Wise  sir,  I  fear 
We  shall  come  off  but  blewly  here. 

1754.  B.  Martin,  Eng.  Diet.  Blue, 
adj.  ...   2,   blank,   or  cast  down;  as,  he 

LOOKED    blue    upon   it. 

1760.     Warton,    Newsman's    Verses. 
But  when  Boscawen  came,  La  Clue 
Sheer'd  off,  and  look'd  confounded  blue. 

1857.  A.  Trollopk,  Three  Clerks, 
xxviii.  Charley  replied,  that  neither  had 
he  any  money  at  home.  '  That's  blue,' 
said  the  man.  '  It  is  rather  blue,'  said 
Charley. 

184S.  Carlyle,  Fr.  Revol.  i.,  v.  i. 
The  cunningest  engineers  can  do  nothing, 
Necker  himself,  were  he  ever  listened,  to. 
begins  to  look  blue. 

1862.  'ïv.oiA.o-?^,  Orley  Farm,  I.,  93. 
It's  blue;  uncommon  blue. 

1864.  Yates,  Broken  to  Harness,  I., 
60.  'My  dear  Charlie,'  said  the  girl 
.  .  .  'That  certainly  is  a  blue  look-out,' 
she  continued  —  for  however  earnest  was 
her  purpose  she  would  not  but  express 
herself  in  her  slang  metaphor. 

1872.  S.  L.  Clemens  ('  Mark  Twain  '), 
Roughing  It,  xl.  I  kept  up  my  blue 
meditations. 

1S74.  S.  L.  Clemens  ('Mark  Twain'), 
Gilded  Age,  xxvii.  I  had  forgotten  dear, 
but  when  a  body  gets  blue,  a  body  for- 
gets everything.  ...  I  am  sorry  I  was 
BLUE,  but  it  did  seem  as  if  everything 
had  been  going  against  me  for  whole  ages. 

1884.  Cornhill  Mag.,  Jan.,  in.  The 
prudent  (and  sagacious)  officer  looked 
BLUE.  But  he  speedily  recovered  himself. 

Verb.     (old). — To    blush  :  also 
to  disconcert. 

1709.  Steele  and  Swift,  Tatler, 
No.  71,  8.  If  a  virgin  blushes,  we  no 
longer  cry  she  blues. 

[?]  MissoN,  Travels  in  Eng.  170. 
King  Edward  III.,  who  was  deeply  in 
love  with  the  Countess  of  Salisbury,  was 
very  forward  to  take  up  a  (blue)  garter 
which  happened  to  drop  from  a  lady's 
leg  while  she  was  dancing  at  a  ball... 
This  action  set  many  of  the  company 
laughing,  which  very  much  blhw'd  the 
Countess. 


Blue. 


285 


Blue. 


2.  (common). — To  pawn;  to 
pledge  ;  to  spend  ;  actually  to  get 
rid  of  money  quickly:  j-^ìtblew: 
Fr.  faire  passer  au  bleu  =  dissi- 
pate, spend,  or  squander. 

1880.     Punch's  Almanac,  2.   This  top 

coat? — would    BLUE    IT. 

1887.  Piitich,  10  Sept.,  iii.  I  never 
minds  blueing  the  pieces  purvided  I 
gets  a  good  spree. 

1896.  Farjeon,  Betray.  John  Ford- 
ham,  III,  280.  'Arf  a  quid  was  all  I  'ad, 
and  that  was  soon  blooed. 

1899.  Whiteing,  John  St.,  xxviii. 
You've  BLUED  everything  'cept  the  gold 
what's  in  yer  'art. 

3.  (colloquial). — To  miscalcul- 
ate; to  make  a  mess  (^ç.v.)  of 
anything;  to  mull  (ç.v.). 

4.  (thieves'). — To  steal  ;  to 
plunder.  Hence  to  be  blued  = 
to  be  robbed:  see  prig. 

By  all  that's  blue!  pkr. 
(common) — A  euphemistic  oath  ; 
'  by  Heaven  !  '  c/.  Fr.  parbleu  = 
par  Dieu. 

1840.  Marry  AT,  Poor  Jack,  xxiii. 
'The  black  cat,  by  all  that's  blue!' 
cried  the  Captain. 

TILL  ALL  IS  BLUE.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— To  the  utmost  ;  to  the  end  ; 
for  an  indefinite  period.  [Smyth, 
Sailor's  IVord  Book  : — '  borrowed 
from  the  idea  of  a  vessel  making 
out  of  port  and  getting  into  deep 
water.'] 

1833.     Haliburton,  The  Clockmaker, 

2  S.,   xix.     [The  land]  could  be  made  to 
carry  wheat  till  all's  blue  again.    Ibid, 

3  S.,  .Kx.     Your  mother  kickin'  and  scream- 
in'  till  ALL  WAS  blue  again. 

1850.  Smedley,  Frank  Fairlegh,  I., 
184.  I'll  have  at  her  again,  and  dance 
till  all's  blue  before  I  give  in. 


1901.  People, _  7  April,  13,  2.  And 
argue  in  a  didactic,  not  to  say  opinionated, 
manner  till  all  was  blue. 

2.  (common). — Exceeding  tipsy  : 
set  SCREWED  and  cf.  Fr.  avoir 
un  coup  d'bleu  (=  to  be  slightly 
tipsy). 

1616.  R.  C,  Times'  VVhis.,  v.,  1833. 
They  drink  .  .  .  Vntil  their  adle  heads 
doe  make  the  ground  Seeme  blew  vnto 
them. 

1638.  Ford,  Lady's  Trial,  iv.,  2, 
We  can  drink  till  all  loOp:  blue. 

1837.  Barham,  I.  L.  (Lay  of  St. 
Dunstan). 

'I  have  nothing  to  do: 
And    'fore    George,    I'll   sit    here,  and  I'll 
drink  till  all's  blue  !  ' 

TO  MAKE  THE  AIR  BLUE,  verb, 
phr.  (common). — To  curse;  to 
swear;  to  use  obscene  language  : 
also,  in  a  milder  sense,  to  talk 
slang. 

TRUE  BLUE. ///r.  (coUoquial). — 
— Faithful;  genuine;  real  blue  is 
the  colour  of  constancy,  and 
COVENTRY  BLUE  a  dye  that  would 
neither  change  its  colour  nor  be 
discharged  by  washing.  Also 
(proverbial)  'true  blue  will  never 
stain.' 

1383.     Chaucer,  Squieres  Tale. 
And  by  hire  bedde's  bed  she  made  a  mew, 
And  covered  it  with  velouettes  blew, 
In  signe  of  trouthe  that  is  in  woman  sene. 

Ibid,  Court  of  Love,  line  246. 
So  you  dir  folke  (quod  she)  that  knele  in 

blew. 
They   were  the  colour  ay  and  ever  shal, 
In  signe  they  were,  and  ever  wil  be  true, 
Withoutin  change. 

i6[.']  Lines  beneath  an  Old  Portrait. 
A    true    BLUE   Priest,  a  Lincey    Woolsey 

Brother, 
One  legg  a  pulpit  holds,  a  tub  the  other. 

i8[?]  New  York  2"rz7'?<«^[BARTLETT]. 
The  bluest  description  of  old  Van  Rens- 
selaer Federalists  have  followed  Colonel 
Prentiss  (in  Otsego  County). 


Blue-apron. 


286 


Blue-blanket. 


Blue-apron,  subs,  (common)- — A 
tradesman. 

1721.  Amherst,  Terree  FiL,  xliii., 
230.  For  if  any  saucy  blue-apron  dares 
to  affront  any  venerable  person  ...  all 
scholars  are  immediately  forbid  to  have 
any  dealing  or  commerce  with  him. 

1868.  Brewer,  Dictionary  of  Phrase 
and  Fable,  98.  A  blue-apron  states- 
man, a  lay  politician,  a  tradesman  who 
interferes  with  the  affairs  of  the  nation. 
The  reference  is  to  the  blue  apron  once 
worn  by  nearly  all  tradesmen,  but  now 
restricted  to  butchers,  poulterers,  fish- 
mongers, and  so  on. 

BLUEBACKS,  sîihs.  pi.  (American: 
obsolete) — i.  The  paper  money 
of  the  Confederate  States  :  cf. 
GREENBACKS  =  the  United  States 
paper  currency  :  the  colour  of  the 
printing  on  the  reverse  is  blue 
and  green  respectively. 

1871.  De  Vere,  Americanisms,  291. 
The  Confederate  notes  bore,  for  the 
same  reason,  the  name  of  bluebacks, 
which  was,  however,  soon  exchanged  for 
the  slang  term  of  '  shucks.' 

iSgo.  Family  Herald,  8  Feb.  227. 
If  you  obey  me  you  shall  have  a  blueback. 

2.  (S.  African  :  obsolete). — 
The  late  Orange  Free  State  paper 
money. 

1878.  Trollope,  South  Africa,  II., 
206.  Bluebacks,  as  they  were  called, 
were  printed.  Ibid.,  p.  222.  The  blue- 
backs  as  the  Orange  Free  State  bank- 
notes were  called. 

Blue-belly.  A  nickname  bestowed 
by  Southerners,  during  the  Civil 
War,  upon  their  opponents  of 
the  North,  whose  uniform  was 
blue;  also  iîoys  in  blue,  yanks, 
etc.  The  Southerners,  on  the 
other  hand,  received  such  names 
as  THE  SECESH,  REBS,  and  JOHNNY 

REBS,  the  latter  being  sometimes 


shortened  to  johnnies.  The  grey 
uniform  of  the  Confederates  like- 
wise caused  them  to  be  styled 
BOYS  IN  GREY,  and  Greybacks. 

1883.  Daily  Telegraph,  Feb.  9,  p.  5. 
col.  4.  The  Confederate  armies  during 
the  great  Civil  War  in  America...  were 
known...  as  'Greybacks,'  whereas  their 
Federal  opponents,  from  the  light-azure 
gaberdines  which  they  wore,  were  dub- 
bed 'blue- bellies.' 

Blue-bill,  subs.  phr.  (Winchester 
College). — A  tradesman's  bill  :  as 
sent  home  to  parents  and  guar- 
dians. [The  colour  of  the  enve- 
lope was  blue.] 

Blue-billy,  subs.  phr.  (pugilistic. — 
I.  A  handkerchief  (blue  ground 
with  white  spots)  sometimes  worn 
and  used  as  a  colour  at  prize- 
fights   and    boxing-matches  :    see 

BILLY. 

2.     (mining). — See  quot. 

1887.  'Death  of  blue  billy,'  in 
Chamb.  four.,  Dec.  17,  812.  blue 
billy  is  the  technical  name  given  to  the 
lime  rendered  foul  in  the  purification  of 
the  gas. 

Blue-blanket,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
—  I.  The  sky:  Defoe's  use  of  this 
simile  may  probably  have  been 
suggested  by  Shakspeare's  '  blank- 
et of  the  dark  '  (Macbeth,  i,  v.). 

c.  1720.  Defoe,  Hist,  of  Devil. 
quoted  in  N.  and  Q.,  7  S.,  ii.,  289;  see 
also  7  S.,  ii.,  492.  We  must  be  content 
till  we  come  on  the  other  side  the  BLUE 
BLANKET,  and  then  we  shall  know  the 
whole  story. 

1877.  Greenwood,  Under  the  Blue 
Blanket.  The  vagrant  brotherhood  have 
several  slang  terms  for  sleeping  out  in  a 
field  or  meadow.  It  is  called  'snoozing 
in  Hedge  Square';  'dossing  with  the  dai- 
sies'; and  'lying  under  the  blue  blanket.' 
[Fr.  'coucher  à  l'hotel  de  l'Etoile,'  •-=  'to 
sleep  at  the  Star  Hotel';  Fourb.  coper- 
tore  —  sky  —  a  covering  or  blanket]. 


Blue  Blazes. 


287 


Blue-coat. 


2.  (common). —  A  rough  over- 
coat  made  of  coarse  pilot  cloth. 

Blue  blazes.  See  blazes. 

Blue  boar,  subs.  (old). — A  venereal 
disease. 

BLUE-BOTTLE,  subs.  fhr.  (old). —  I. 
A  policeman;  a  beadle;  a  guard- 
ian of  the  peace:  see  blue, 
sense  i. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  2  Henry  IV.,  v., 
4.  Dall  [addressing  beadle]  . . .  you  blue- 
bottle rogue,  you  filthy  famished  cor- 
rectioner. 

1888.  MiDDLETON,  Michaelmas  Term. 
And  to  be  free  from  the  interruption  of 
BLUE  BEADLES,  and  Other  bawdy  officers. 

1852.  F.  E.  Smedley,  Leivis  Arundel, 
Ixiv.  'Police,  indeed!'  muttered  Charley, 
'the  General  can't  remember  that  he  is 
out  of  London. . .  These  confounded  sulky 
Austrian  officials  are  rather  different 
customers  to  deal  with  from  our  blue- 
bottles.'— Messrs.  Ai  and  Co. 

1864.  Sala,  Daily  Telegraph, 
Sept.  13.  Caught  in  his  own  toils  by  the 
BLUE-BOTTLES  of  Scotland  Yard. 

1864.  Blackivood's  Mag.,  15.  He 
who  could  summon  to  his  aid  every 
alphabetical  blue-bottle  that  ever  handl- 
ed a  truncheon. 

2.  (old). — A  serving-man  :  blue 
was  the  usual  habit  of  servants: 
cf.  blue-coat,  hence  a  term  of 
reproach. 

1602.  Hoiiest  Whore,  O.  PI.,  iii.,  389. 
You  proud  varlets,  you  need  not  be 
ashamed  to  wear  blue,  when  your  master 
is  one  of  your  fellows. 

1608.  Dekker,  Belman,  sign  E.,  3. 
The  others  act  their  parts  in  blezu  coates, 
as  (if)  they  were  their  serving-men. 

1822.  Scott,  Fortunes  of  Nigel,  x. 
(L,  p.  173).  I  fancy  you  would  love  to 
move  to  court  like  him,  followed  by  a 
round  score  of  old  blue-bottles,  /aid, 
xi.  My  lord,  my  father  .  .  .  has  BLUE- 
BOTTLES enough  to  wait  on  him. 


1845.  G.  P.  R.  James,  Arrak,  Neil, 
325.  The  personage  to  whom  he  ad- 
dressed himself,  was  one  of  the  serving- 
men  of  that  day,  known  by  the  general 
term  of  blue-bottles. 

BLUE-BOY,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
I.  A  bubo  ;  a  tumour,  or  abscess 
with  inflammation:  spec,  applied 
to  a  result  of  venereal  disease. 

2.    (common). — A    policeman: 
see  BLUE,  sense  i. 

BLUE-BUTTER,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— Mercurial  ointment. 


Blue-cap,  subs.  phr.  (old).- 

man. 


-A  Scots- 


I4[?].  Hist.  Edward  II., -ig.  A  rabble 
multitude  of  despised  blue-caps  encounter, 
rout,  and  break  ';he  flower  of  England. 

1660.  Meriy  Drollery,  ()^.  Although 
he  could  neither  write  nor  read,  yet  our 
General  Lashby  cross'd  the  Tweed,  With 
his  gay  gang  of  blue-caps  all. 

2.     (old). — A  kind  of  ale  (1822). 

Blue-cheek,  subs.  phr.  (obsolete).— 
See  quot. 

187g.  GrZ¥:n\voot>,  Outcasts  of  Lon- 
don. There  were  three  fashions  for 
whiskers  when  I  was  a  child,  and  they 
were  variously  known  as  blue  cheek,  the 
whisker  shaved  off  and  leaving  the  cheek 
blue;  "bacca  pipe,"  the  whisker  curled 
in  tiny  ringlets;  and  "touzle,"  or  whisker 
worn  bushy. 

BLUE-COAT,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
constable;  a  guardia.^  of  the  peace: 
see  BLUE,  sub  i. 

1610.  Rowlands,  Martin  Mark-all, 
19  (H.  Club's  Repr.,  1874).  And  being 
so  taken,  haue  beene  carried  to  places  of 
correction,  there  wofuUy  tormented  by 
BLEW-coates,  cowardly  fello  wes,  that 
. . .  haue  so  scourged  vs,  that  flesh  and 
blood  could  hardly  endure  it. 


Blued. 


Blue  Fujîk. 


1851-61.  H.  Mayhew,  London  Lab. 
and  Lon.  Poor,  IL,  417.  'I  thinks 
them    Chartists    are    a    weak-minded   set 

a  hundred  o'  them  would  run  away 
from  one  blue-coat.' 

1890.  Family  Herald,  8  Feb.  237. 
The  BLUE-COATS...  may  turn  up  at  any 
moment. 

2.     See  Blue,  in  several  senses. 

BLUED  (or  BLEWED),  adj.  phr.  (com- 
mon). —  I.    Tipsy;    drunk:     see 

SCREWED. 

2.     See  Blue,  verb. 

BLUE-DAHLI,"  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— Something  ^"-e  or  seldom  seen  ; 
a  rara  avis. 

Blue-devils,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
I.  Dejection;  lowness  of  spirits; 
hypochondria;  Ft.  s'emboucaner, 
and  s'encoliflucheter.  Hence  such 
derivatives  as  BLUE  devilage, 
BLUE  devilry,  BLl  E  DEVILISM  ; 
and  BLUE  DEVILLY. 

1786.  Cowper,  Letters,  No.  219, 
IL,  143  (ed.  1834).  I  have  not  that 
which  commonly  is  a  s'mptom  of  such 
a  case  belonging  to  me  -I  mean  e.xtra- 
ordinary  elevation  in  the  absence  of  Mr. 
BLUE  DEVIL.  When  I  P  n  in  the  best 
health,  my  tide  of  aniival  sprightliness 
flows  with  great  equality. 

1790.  W.  B.  Rhc-des,  Bombastes 
Furioso,  Sc.  I. 

Or,  dropping  poisons  i"  the  cup  of  joy. 
Do  the  BLUE  DEVILS  y'^ur  repose  annoy? 

1809.    MaLKIN,  G'7.S/rti[R0UTLEDGE], 

105.  What  BLUE  ur.viL  has  perched  upon 
your  shoulder  in  nr  y  absence?  You  look 
gloomy  and  out  c    temper. 

1871.  Planché,  King  Christmas. 
There  are  blue  i;evils  which  defy  blue  pills. 

1880.  G.  R.  Sims,  Three  Brass  Balls, 
pledge  iii.    He  got  discontented  and  had 

fits   of    BLUE    DEVILS. 

2.  (common). — Deliriittn  tre- 
mens: ulso  BLUES  with  derivatives 
as  in  sense  i. 


1818-9.  CoBBETT,  Resid.  U.  S;  4S.  It 
was  just   the  weather  to  give  drunkards 

the   BLUE   DEVILS. 

1831.  Scott,  Demonology,  i.,  18. 
They,  by  a  continued  series  of  intoxica- 
tion, became  subject  to  what  is  popularly 
called  the  blue  devils. 

1871.  Lockhart,  Fair  to  See,  I., 
208.  On  the  lower  hills  the  pine-trees 
loomed  through  stagnant  mists  with  a 
dejected  and  blue-devilly  aspect. 

BLUE-DOG.  See  Blush. 

Blue   fear,  subs.  phr.  (colloquial). 
— Extreme  fright  ;  BLUE  FUNK  (jj.v.). 

18S3.  R.  L.  Stevenson,  The  Treas- 
ure of  Franchard,  in  Longman's  Mag., 
April,  683.  Anastasie  had  saved  the 
remainder  of  his  fortune  by  keeping  him 
strictly  in  the  country.  The  very  name 
of  Paris  put  her  in  a  blue  fear. 

Blue  flag,  subs.  phr.  (old). — A 
BLUE  APRON  {q.v.)'.  as  woFQ  by 
butchers,  publicans,  and  other 
tradesmen. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the  Vul- 
gar Tongue.  He  has  hoisted  the  blub 
FLAG,  he  has  commenced  publican,  or 
taken  a  public  house,  alluding  to  the 
blue  aprons  worn  by  publicans. 

Blue  funk,  subs.  phr.  (colloquial). 
— Extreme  fright  ;  nervousness  ; 
or  dread,  [funk  =  to  stink  through 
fear;  Wedgwood  connects  it  with 
the  Walloon /««X'^r  ■=.  to  smoke]. 

1856.  Thomas  Hughes,  Tom  Brown's 
School-days,  196.  If  I  was  going  to  be 
flogged  next  minute,  I  should  be  in  a 
blue  funk. 

1861.  MacmillatC s  Magazine.  ■2X1.  I 
was  in  a  real  blue  funk. 

1861  .Saturday  Review,  Nov.  23,  534. 
We  encounter  .  .  .  the  miserable  Dr. 
Blandling  in  what  is  called  a  blue  funk. 

1871.  Maxwell,  Life  (1882),  xvi., 
382.  Certainly  %AwpÒv  Seoç  is  the 
Homeric  for  a  blub  funk. 


Blue  Gown. 


289 


Blue-laws. 


Ï900.  Kipling,  Stalky  &'  Co,  16. 
Even  suppose  we  were  miles  out  of  bounds, 
no  one  could  get  at  us  through  this 
wussy,  unless  he  knew  the  tunnel.  Isn't 
this  better  than  lyin'  up  just  behind  the 
coll. — in  a  BLUE  FUNK  every  time  we  had 
a  smoke  ? 

Blue-gown.  i.  A  loose  woman; 
a  wanton:  see  tart.  [Nares:  a 
blue-gown  was  the  dress  of  ig- 
nominy for  a  harlot  in  the  house 
of  correction]. 

i5[?].     Edward,   Promos,  and   Cass. 
iii.  6. 
Lain.  Teare  not  my  clothes,  my  friends, 

they  cost  more  than  you  are  aware. 
Bedell.  Tush,  soon  you  shall  have  a  blew 

gown;  for  these  take  you  no  care. 

1609.  Dekker,  Honest  Whore  [DoDS- 
lev],  Old  Plays  (Reed),  iii,  464.  Your 
puritanical  honest  whore  sits  in  a  blue 
GOWN. — Where! — do  you  know  the  brick 
house  of  castigation? 

2.  (old).— A  beggar:  especially 
a  licensed  beggar  who  wore  the 
dress  as  a  badge. 

BLUE  HEN'S  CHICKENS,  subs.  phr. 
(American). — The  inhabitants  of 
Delaware.  The  nickname  arose 
thus:  Captain  Caldwell,  an  officer 
of  the  first  Delaware  regiment  in 
the  American  War  of  Independ- 
ence, was  noted  for  his  love  of 
cock-fighting.  Being  personally 
popular,  and  his  regiment  be- 
coming famous  for  their  valour, 
they  were  soon  known  as  'game- 
cocks'; and  as  Caldwell  main- 
tained that  no  cock  was  truly 
game  unless  its  mother  was  a 
blue  hen,  his  regiment,  and  sub- 
sequently Delawareans  generally, 
became  known  as  blue  hen's 
chicken's,  and  Delaware  as  the 
BLUE  HEN  STATE  for  the  same 
reason.  A  boaster  is  also  often 
brought  to  book  by  the  sarcasm, 
'  Your  mother  was  a  blue  hen 
no  doubt.' 


Blue  horse,  subs.  phr.  (military). 
— The  Fourth  Dragoon  Horse  : 
from  its  facings  (1746—88). 

Blueism,  sub.  (old). — The  possess- 
ion or  affectation  of  learning  in 
a  woman. 

18..  Hook.  Mati  of  Mciny  Friends. 
He  had  seen  the  lovely,  learned  Lady 
Frances  Bellamy,  and  had  fallen  a  victim 
to  her  beauty  and  blueism. 

Blue-jacket,  subs.  phr.  (naval). — 
A  sailor;  especially  used  to  dis- 
tinguish seamen  from  the  marines. 

BLUE-LAWS,  subs.  phr.  (American). 
— Puritanic  laws  of  extreme  sever- 
ity :  orig.  of  enactments  at  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  U.S.A.  [Kingsley 
{Hist.  Disc): — Where  and  how 
the  story  of  the  New  Haven  BLUE 
LAWS  originated  is  a  matter  of 
some  curiosity.  According  to 
Dr.  Peters,  the  epithet  blue  was 
applied  to  the  laws  of  New  Haven 
by  the  neighbouring  colonies,  be- 
cause these  laws  were  thought 
peculiarly  sanguinary;  and  he 
says  that  blite  is  equivalent  to 
bloody.  It  is  a  sufficient  refuta- 
tion of  this  account  of  the  matter 
to  say  that,  if  there  was  any 
distinction  between  the  colony  of 
New  Haven  and  the  other  united 
colonies  of  New  England  in  the 
severity  of  their  punishments, 
New  Haven  was  the  last  of  the 
number  to  gain  this  bad  pre- 
eminence. Others  have  said  that 
certain  laws  of  New  Haven,  of  a 
more  private  and  domestic  kind, 
were  bound  in  a  blue  cover  ;  and 
hence  the  name.  This  explana- 
tion has  as  little  probability  as 
the  preceding  for  its  support.  It 
is  well  known  that,  on  that  re- 
storation of  Charles  11.,  the  Puri- 
tans became  the  subject  of  every 


Blue-Lisrh  tninsr. 


290 


Blue-noses. 


kind  of  reproach  and  contumely. 
Not  only  what  was  deserving  of 
censure  in  their  deportment,  but 
their  morality,  was  especially  held 
up  to  scorn.  The  epithet  blue 
was  applied  to  any  one  who 
looked  with  disapprobation  on 
the  licentiousness  of  the  times. 
The  Presbyterians,  under  which 
name  all  dissenters  were  often 
included,  as  they  still  dared  to 
be  the  advocates  of  decency,  were 
more  particularly  designated  by 
this  terra  ;  their  religion  and  their 
morality  being  marked  by  it  as 
mean  and  contemptible.  Thus 
Butler:— 

'For  his  religion,  it  was  fit 
To  match  his  learning  and  his  wit; 
'T  was  Presbyterian  true  blue.'  (Hudib., 
Canto  I.) 

That  this  epithet  of  derision 
should  find  its  way  to  the  colo- 
nies was  a  matter  of  course.  It 
was  here  applied,  not  only  to 
persons,  but  to  customs,  institu- 
tions, and  laws  of  the  Puritans, 
by  those  who  wished  to  render 
the  prevailing  system  ridiculous. 
Hence  probably  a  belief  with 
some,  that  a  distinct  system  of 
laws,  known  as  the  Bleu  Laws, 
must  have  somewhere  a  local 
habitation.] 

BLUE  LIGHTNING,  subs.  (American). 
— A  revolver. 

BLUE-MILK,  subs.  phr.  (provincial).— 
Old  skimmed  milk:  cf.  sky-blue. 

Blue  Monday,  subs.  phr.  (work- 
men's).— A  Monday  spent  in  dis- 
sipation and  abscence  from  work. 
Hence  Mondayish  =  disinclined 
for  work  :  Ger.  blauer  Monta  g:  cf. 
BLACK   SATURDAY. 

1885.  Harper's  Magazine,  873,  i. 
The  workman  getting  sober  after  his  usual 
BLUE   MONDAY. 


Blue-moon,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
An  unlimited  period:  hence  ONCE 
IN  A  BLUE  MOON  =:  extremely 
seldom:  see  queen  dick. 

1526.     Rov   AND  Barlowe,  Rede  me 
and  be  not  wroth,   114  [ed.  Arber,  1871]. 
Yf  they  saye  the  mone  is  belewe, 
We  must  beleve  that  it  is  true, 
Admittynge  their  interpretacion. 

i860.  F.  W.  Robinson,  Grand- 
tnother's  Money,  I.,  144.  If  he  talked  till 
a  BLUE  MOON,  etc. 

1876.  Miss  Braddon,  Joshua  Hag- 
gard's Daughter,  x.\iv.  Why  should  she 
stint  as  to  one  or  two  puddings  a  week 
.  .  .  and   a   fruit   pasty   once   in  a  blue 

MOON. 

1884.  R.  E.  Francillon,  Ropes  of 
Sand,  xxi.  'I've  made  bold  to  take  the 
chance  of  your  being  at  home  for  once 
IN   A   BLUE   moon,   Mr.   Carew,'  said  she. 

1901.  People,  7  April,  13,  i.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  some  of  the  inmates  have 
a  bath  once  in  a  blue  moon,  and  give 
their  faces  and  hands  a  cat-lick  once  a  week. 

Blue-murder  (or  blue-murders), 
subs.  phr.  (common). — A  term 
used  to  describe  cries  of  terror 
or  alarm-,  a  great  noise;  an  un- 
usual racket:  cf.  Fr.  morbleu. 

1887.  J.  S.  Winter,  Eng.  III.  Mag., 
Dec,  179.  The  dingy  person  dropped 
his  victim  and  howled  what  the  half- 
dozen  officers  .  .  .  graphically  described 
as  blue  murder. 

BluenesS,  subs,  (common). — In- 
decency-, SMUT  {q.v.):  see  BLUE, 
subs.,  sense  2.  Fr.  horreurs  ;  bêtises  -, 
gueulces  -,  and  décravater  ses  propos 
=  to  talk  blue. 

1840.  Carlyle,  Diderot  Ess.,  240. 
Tile  occasional  dlueness  of  both  [writ- 
ings] shall  not  altogether  affright  us. 

Blue-noses,  subs.  phr.  (American). 
— The  natives  of  Nova  Scotia. 
[In  allusion,  it  is  said,  to  a  jiotato 
of  that  name  which  Nova  Scotians 


Blue-peter. 


291 


Blue-pill. 


claim  to  be  the  best  in  the  world. 
Proctor,  however,  would  wager 
that  the  Nova  Scotians  were  call- 
ed BLUE  NOS  ,s  before  the  potato 
which  they  rear  was  so  named, 
and  hazards  the  suggestion  that 
the  nickname  refers  to  the  blue- 
ness  of  nose  resulting  from  intense 
cold.] 

1837-40.  Haliburton  ('Sam  Slick'). 
Do  you  know  the  reason  monkeys  are  no 
good  ?  Because  they  chatter  all  day 
long, — as  do  the  niggers, — and  so  do  the 
BLUE  NOSES  of  Nova  Scotia. 

1846.     Lowell,  Biglow  Papers. 
The  sort  o'  trash  a  feller  gits  to  eat  doos 

beat  all  nater. 
I  'd  give  a  year's  pay  for  a  smell  o'  one 

good  BLUE-KOSE  tater. 

i8[?].  Sir  George  Simpson  Over- 
land jfourney,  I.,  ig.  After  a  run  [in 
the  steamer]  of  fourteen  days,  we 
entered  the  harbour  of  Halifax,  amid  the 
hearty  cheers  of  a  large  number  of  blue 
noses. 

Blue-peter,  j;/i5j.//;r.(card-players'). 
— The  signal  or  call  for  trumps 
at  whist.  [Properly,  a  blue  flag 
with  white  square  in  centre, 
hoisted  as  a  signal  for  immediate 
sailing.] 

1875.  Breton,  Handy  Book  of  Games, 
358.  Since  the  introduction  of  Blue 
Peter,  the  necessity  of  leading  through 
your  adversary's  hand  has  become  less 
and  less. 

Bull-pigeon,  subs.phr  (thieves'), — 
I.  Lead  used  for  roofing  purposes: 
cf.   BLUEY    =   (lead)    and    BLUE 

PIGEON    FLYER. 

1887.  Judy,  27  April,  zoo.  A  bur- 
glar whose  particular  'lay'  was  flying  the 
BLUE  pigeon,  i.e.,  stealing  lead. 

2     (nautical). — The     sounding 
lead. 

Blue-pigeon  flyer,  subs.  pkr. 
(thieves'). — i.  A  thief  who  steals 


lead  from  the  roofs  of  buildings. 
[Hotten  :— Sometimes  a  journey- 
man plumber,  glazier,  or  other 
workman,  who,  when  repairing 
houses,  strips  off  the  lead,  and 
makes  away  with  it.  This  per- 
formance is,  though,  by  no  means 
confined  to  workmen.  An  empty 
house  is  often  entered  and  the 
whole  of  the  roof  in  its  vicinity 
stripped,  the  only  notice  given 
to  the  folks  below  being  received 
by  them  on  the  occasion  of  a 
heavy  downfall  of  rain.  The  term 
FLYER  has,  indeed,  of  late  years 
been  more  peculiarly  applied  to 
the  man  who  steals  the  lead  in 
pursuance  of  his  vocation  as  a 
thief,  than  to  him  who  takes  it 
because  it  comes  in  the  way  of 
his  work]. 

2.     Fr.    limoitslneur  ;  gras-doit- 
blicr ;    niastaroußeur.     Hence    TO 

FLY   THE   BLUE  PIGEON  =z  to  Steal 

lead  from  the  roofs  of  houses. 
Fr.  fairt  la  mastar  au  gras-double  ; 
ratisser  du  gras  double. 

1789.  Geo.  Parker,  Life's  Painter, 
165.  Blue  pigeon  flying.  Fellows 
who  steal  lead  off  houses,  or  cut  pipes 
away. 

1872.  J.  DoRAN,  Notes  a7id  Queries,  4 
S.,  X.,  308.  Even  at  the  present  day,  no 
rascal  would  stoop  to  strip  lc;<d  from  the 
roof  of  a  house.  At  least,  what  honest 
men  would  call  by  that  name,  he  would 
prettily  designate  as  'FLYING  THE  BLUB 
pigeon  '. 

igoi.  Daily  Telegraph,  21  Mar.  11. 
5.  Persons  addicted  to  what  is  known 
among  the  criminal  classes  as  'flying 
the  blue  pigeon  ',  usually  mount  on  to 
the  roofs  of  buildings  that  are  covered 
with  the  metal,  and  this  they  do  at  times 
when  they  are  least  likely  to  be  observed 
or  interrupted. 

Blue-pill,  subs.  fhr.  (colloquial). — 
A  bullet:  also  blue  plu.mb  and 
BLUE  whistler:  see  pill. 


Blue-point. 


292 


Blues  (the). 


1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the  Vul- 
gar Tongue.  Surfeited  with  a  blue  plumb, 
wounded  with  a  bullet;  a  sortment  of 
George  R — 's  blue  plumbs,  a  volley  of 
ball,  shot  from  soldier's  firelocks. 

1834.     Harrison    Ainsworth,  Rook- 
wood  (1884),  95. 
Believe    me,    there    is    not    a    game,    my 

brave  boys, 
To  compare  with  the  game  of  high  toby; 
No  rapture  can  equal  the  toby  man's  joys, 
To   blue    devils,    blub    plumbs    give  the 

go  by. 

1861.  N.  V.  Tribune  (Let.  from 
Missouri),  Nov.  10.  Between  blue  pills, 
halters,  and  the  penitentiary,  we  shall 
soon  work  oft"  this  element  of  rascaldom 
and  horse-thieves. 

Blue-point,  subs.,  phr.,  (old). — A 
small  standard  of  value;  some- 
thing worthless:  cf.  rap,  straw, 
CURSE,  damn.  [A  point  was  a 
tag  of  lace,  and  blue  was  the 
usual  colour  of  a  servant's  livery; 
also  BLUE  POINT  =  some  coarse 
lace  or  string  on  a  servant's  coat. 
Point  by  itself  was  used  in  this 
disparaging  sense]. 

1543-  Udal,  Erasmus,  8.  In  matters 
not  worth  a  blewe  poinct. . ,  we  will  spare 
for  no  cost.  Ibid,  187.  He  was,  for  the 
respect  of  his  qualities  not  to  be  estem- 
ed  worth  a  blewe  point  or  a  good  lous. 

1598.  Breton,  Dream  Str.  Effects, 
17.  I  am  sworn  servant  to  Virtue;  there- 
fore a  BLUE  POINT  for  thee  and  viUanies. 

Blue-ribbon,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
—  I.     Gin:  see  drinks. 

2.     (colloquial). — A    first-prize, 
the   greatest  distinction.     Hence, 

THE  BLUE  RIBBON  OF  THE  TURF  = 

the  Derby  (racing). 

Blue-ruin,  st4bs.  phr.  (common). — 
Gin:  see  DRINKS. 

[1753.  Tract,  [Notes  and  Queries,  i 
S.  ii.  246.J  [The  English  are  here  spoken 
of  as  'expensive  in  blbw  besr'  (?  blue 
ruin)]. 


c.  1817.  Keats,  A  Portrait.  He 
sipped  no  olden  Tom,  or  ruin  BLtre,  or 
Nantz,  or  cherry  brandy. 

iSig.  Moore,  Tom  Crib^s  3Ie}norial 
to   Congress,  39. 

A  few  short  words  I  first  must  spare, 
To  him,  the  Hero,   that  sits  there. 
Swigging  blue  ruin,  in  that  chair. 

1821.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
ferry,  Act  iii.,  3.  Log.  Here,  Land- 
lord, more  blue  ruin,  my  boy  !  Sal. 
Massa  Bob,  you  find  me  no  such  bad 
partner;  many  de  good  vili  and  de  power 
me  get  from  de  Jack  Tar. 

1836.  SouTHEY,  Doctor,  Int.  xvi. 
Some  of  the  whole-hoggery  in  the  House 
of  Commons  he  would  designate  by  Deady, 
or  Wet  and  Heavy,  some  by  weak  tea, 
others  by  blue  ruin.  Old  Tom,  which 
rises  above  blue  ruin  to  the  tune  of 
threepence  a  glass,  and,  yet  more  fiery 
than  Old  Tom,  as  being  a  fit  beverage 
for  another  Old  One  who  shall  be  name- 
less, gin  and  brimstone. 

1837.     Barham,    Ingoldsby    Legends, 
'Bagman's  Dog.' 
He   conceived   she   referr'd    to  a  delicate 

brewing. 
Which    is    almost    synonymous,    namely, 

blue  ruin. 

1847.  Lvtton,  Z?/fr<?/!rt,  II.,  XX.  'The 
littel  un  .  .  .  had  been  abrought  up  upon 
spoon-meat,  with  a  dash  o'  blue  ruin 
to  make  him  slim  and  ginteel.' 

1859.  Sala,  Gaslight  ond  Daylight, 
xxiii.  The  stuff  itself,  which  in  the 
western  gin-shops  goes  generally  by  the 
name  of  blue  ruin,  or  'short.' 

BLUES  (The),  subs,  (common).— I. 
Despondency;  hypochondria;  de- 
pression of  spirits.  [A  shortened 
form  of  BLUE  DEVILS  iq.v.).]  Fr. 
se  faire  des  plumes  or  paumer  ses 
p/umes. 

1807.  Washington  Irving,  Salma- 
gundi (1824),  96.     In  a  fit  of  the  blues. 

1856.  Whyte  Melville,  Kate  Co- 
ventry, viii.  The  moat  alone  is  enough 
to  give  one  the  blues. 


Blue-skin. 


293 


Bluestocking. 


1889.  John  Strange  Winter,  That 
Imp,  10.  '  Miss  Aurora,'  lie  said  sud- 
denly, one  evening  after  dinner,  'It's 
awfully  dull  at  Drive  now;  does  it  never 
strike  you  so?'  'Very  often,  my  dear,' 
answered  Miss  Aurora  promptly.  'It's 
as  dull  as — '  'Ditch-water,'  supplied 
Driver,  finding  she  paused  for  a  word 
which  would  express  dulness  enough. 
'I  wonder  you  and  Betty  don't  die  of  the 

BLUES.' 

2.     (common). — The  police  :  see 
Blue,  subs,  sense  i. 

1836.     Hood,    Row    at    the    Oxford 
Arms. 
Well,  that's  the  row,  and  who  can  guess 

the  upshot  after  all? 
Whether    Harmony    will   ever   make  the 

'Arms'  her  house  of  call: 
Or    whether    this  here  mobbing,  as  some 

longish  heads  fortell  it, 
Will  grow  to  such  a  riot,  that  the  Oxford 

BLUES  must  quell  it. 

3.  (military). — The  Royal  Horse 
Guards  Blue  :  from  the  blue  fac- 
ings on  the  scarlet  uniform.  The 
corps  first  obtained  the  name  of 
'Oxford  Blues'  in  1690,  to  dis- 
tinguish it  from  a  Dutch  regi- 
ment of  Horse  Guards  dressed 
in  blue,  commanded  by  the  Earl 
of  Portland,  the  former  being 
commanded  by  the  Earl  of  Ox- 
ford. Subsequently  the  regiment 
was,  during  the  campaign  in 
Flanders  1742-45,  known  as  the 
'Blue  Guards.' 

4.     (old). — Blue    clothes:     cf. 

SMALLS    (ç.V.);    DITTOES    (_Ç.V.). 

1412.  OccLEVE,  De  Reg.  Prin.  [Rox- 
burgh].26.  [There  is  the  phrase]  my  blewes 
(blue  clothes)]. 

Blue-skin,  sues.  phr.  (old). — i.  A 
Presbyterian  :  in  contempt,  blue 
is  still  the  Presbyterian  colour, 
and  with  them,  as  an  adjective, 
describes  books  and  people. 


1620.     Butler,   Hudibras,  Sc.  I.  26. 
'Twas  Presbyterian  true  blue. 

2.  (West  Indian). — A  half- 
breed — the  child  of  a  black  woman 
by  a  white  man  :  cf.  blue  squad- 
ron. 

Blue-squadron,  subs.  phr.  (colon- 
ial).— One  of  mixed  blood  ;  pro- 
perly one  with  a  Hindoo  strain. 
Eurasians  belong  to  the  blue 
squadron:    cf.    blue-skin    and 

TOUCH   OF   the  tar   BRUSH. 

Blue-stocking,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
A  literary  lady:  applied  usually 
with  the  imputation  of  pedantry. 
The  generally  recived  explana- 
tion is  that  the  term  is  derived 
from  the  name  given  to  certain 
meetings  held  by  ladies  in  the 
days  of  Dr.  Johnson  for  conversa- 
tion with  distinguished  literary 
men.  One  of  the  most  eminent 
of  these  literati  was  a  iMr.  Ben- 
jamin Stillingfleet,  who  always 
wore  blue  stockings,  and  whose 
conversation  at  these  meetings 
was  so  much  prized,  that  his 
absence  at  any  time  was  felt  to 
be  a  great  loss,  so  that  the  remark 
became  common,  '  We  can  do 
nothing  without  the  BLUE  STOCK- 
INGS '  ;  hence  these  meetings 
were  sportively  called  blue- 
stocking CLUBS,  and  the  ladies 
who  attended  them  blue-stock- 
ings. It  is  stated  that  the  name 
specially  arose  in  this  way.  A 
foreigner  of  rank  refused  to  ac- 
company a  friend  to  one  of  these 
parties  on  the  plea  of  being  in 
his  travelling  costume,  to  which 
there  was  the  reply,  'Oh!  we 
never  mind  dress  on  these  occa- 
sions ;  you  may  come  in  bas  bleus  or 
BLUE  stockings',  with  allusion 
to  Stillingfleet 's  stockings,  when 


Blue-stone. 


294 


Bluey. 


the  foreigner,  fancing  that  has 
bleus  were  p^rt  of  the  necessary 
costume,  called  the  meeting  ever 
after  the  Bas-bleu  Society.  Also 
(modern)  BLUE.  Derivatives  are 
BLUE-STOCKINGISM,  BLUE-STOCK- 
INGER,   etc. 

1780.  Mad.  D'Arblav,  Diary,  \.,  326. 
Who  would  not  be  a  blue-stockinger 
at  this  rate? 

1784.  Walpole,  Letters,  iv.,  381. 
[Walpole,  writing  to  Hannah  More,  play- 
fully makes  it  a  verb  =  to  put  on  BLUE 
STOCKINGS.]  When  will  you  blue-stocking 
yourself,  and  come  amongst  us.' 

h.  1738,  d.  1819.  WoLCOT  ('P.  Pin- 
dar'), B^nez'olent  Epistle,  in  Wks.  (Dublin, 
179s),  II.,  125. 

I  see  the  band  of  blue-stockings  arise, 
Historic,  critic,  and  poetic  dames! 

1824.  Scott,  St.  Roiian's  Well,  ii., 
345.  That  d — d,  vindictive,  blue  stocking'd 
•wild  cat. 

1836.  Southey,  Doctor,  xxxiv.  Ma- 
dame de  Staci  collected  round  her  a  circle 
of  literati,  the  blue  legs  of  Geneva. 

d.  i860.  Dk  Quincey,  Auto  Sk.,  i., 
358.  He  refers  it  to  an  old  Oxford  Statute 
enjoining  the  wearing  of  blue  stockings 
on  the  students. 

1877.  Macmillan's  Mag.,  May,  50. 
On  the  airs  and  graces  of  the  gushing 
blue  stockings  who  were  in  vogue  in 
that  day  .  .  .  she  had  no  mercy. 

1877.  Miss  Martineau,  Autob.,  I., 
100.  Young  ladies  (at  least  in  pro- 
vincial towns)  were  expected  to  sit  down 
in  the  parlour  to  sew,— during  which 
reading  aloud  was  permitted— or  to  prac- 
tise their  music;  but  so  as  to  be  fit  to  re- 
ceive callers,  without  any  signs  of  blub- 
STOCKINGISM  which  couki  be  reported 
abroiid. 

BLUE-STONE,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
Spirits  so  bad  in  quality  that  they 
can  only  be  compared  to  vitriol, 
of  which  BLUE-STONE  is  also  a 
nickname  in  the  north  of  England 
and  Scotland. 


1S80.  Blackwood' s  Mag.,  June,  786. 
The  bar  was  sliU  thronged,  and  the 
effects  of  the  mixture  of  spirits  of  wine, 
bluestone,  and  tobacco-juice,  were  to 
be  seen  on  a  miserable  wretch  who  lay 
stretched  in  the  courtyard. 

1882.  W.  G.  Black,  Notes  and 
Queries,  6  S.,  v.,  348.  A  witness  was 
asked  in  the  Northern  Police  Court, 
Glaigow,  a  few  weeks  ago,  a  question 
relative  to  the  quality  of  certain  whiskey 
said  to  have  been  supplied  to  him.  '  It 
wasn't  whiskey,'  he  said,  'it  was  nothing 
but  bluestone.'  'But  what?'  inquired 
the  magistrate.  'Bluestone,  your  hon- 
our,' was  the  answer — 'poison.'  I  heard 
the  question  and  answer,  and  there  can 
be  no  doubt  that  the  word  was  used  as 
a  familiar  one. 

Blue-tape,  subs.  phr.  (old).— Gin: 

see   DRINKS. 

Blueth,  adj.  (Walpole:  nonce 
word). — Blueness. 

1754.  Walpole,  Letters,  i.,  347. 
[Strawberry  Hill]  is  now  in  the  height  of 
its  greenth,  blueth,  gloomth,  honeysuckle. 
Ibid,  i.,  363.  I  will  not,  however,  tell 
you  that  I  am  content  with  your  being 
there,  till  you  have  seen  it  in  all  its 
greenth  and  blueth. 

BLUE-WATER,  subs.  phr.  (nautical). — 
The  open  sea. 

Blue-whistler,  suts.  phr.  (Amer- 
ican)— A  bullet:  see  pill. 

1888.  New  York  Herald,  Nov.  4.  It 
was  Mr.  Barbour's  rifle  shot  which  had 
hit  him  in  the  head  and  caused  him  to 
stagger.  The  pellet  of  lead  passed  deep 
into  the  brain  The  second  shot  was  from 
the  Atlanta  drummer,  and  his  thirteen 
BLUE  WHISTLEKS  tore  the  brute's  liver 
into  shreds  and  made  a  great  hole  in 
his  side.  Ibid.  After  a  few  moments  of 
reflection,  being  nearest  to  the  quarry,  I 
lifted  my  double-barrelled  shotgun  and 
let  drive  a  volley  of  blue  WHISTLERS 
straight  at  bruin's  yawning  jaws. 

Bluey,  subs,  (thieves')— i.  Lead: 
also  BLUE  PIGEON  {q'J.').  Fr. 
doussin ;  noir;  saucisson;  porter 
du  gras-double  au  moulin  ^  to 
dispose    of  BLUEY    at    the    fence. 


Bluey-Hunter. 


295 


Blunderbuss. 


2.  (Australian). — A  bushman's 
bundle,  the  outside  wrapper  of 
■which  is  generally  a  blue  blanket 
— hence  the  name:  also  called 
his  SWAG  {(j.v^;  and  drum  {q-v^. 

BLUEY-HUNTER,  subs.phr,  (thieves'). 
— A  thief  who  steals  lead,  as 
described  under  blue  pigeon 
FLYER  (^.z/.). 

1851-61.  H.  Mayhew,  Lon.  Lab.  aitd 
Lon.  Poor,  IV.,  26.  Bluey-hunters.  or 
those  who  purloin  lead  from  the  tops  of 
houses. 

1856.  H.  Mayhew,  Gt.  World  of 
London,  46.  Bluey-hunters,  who  take 
lead  from  the  tops  of  houses. 

Bluff,  subs,  (common). — An  excuse  ; 
a  pretence;  that  which  is  intended 
to  hoodwink  or  'to  blind.'  Hence 
BLUFFER. 

c.  1696.  B.E.  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.  s.v. 
Bluffer,  to  look  bluff,  to  look  big,  or 
like  Bull-beef 

1851-61.  H.  Mayhew,  London  Lao. 
and  Lon.  Poor,  I.,  231.  [List  of  pat- 
terer's  words.]     Bluff,  an  excuse. 

1879.  Bret  Harte,  Gabriel  Conroy, 
xxxix.  There  is  a  strong  suspicion  among 
men  whose  heads  are  level,  that  this 
Minstrel  Variety  Performance  is  a  bluff 
of  the  ^Messenger'  to  keep  from  the 
public  the  real  motives  of  the  murder. 

1884.  Boston  (U.S.)  Journal,  Sept.  25, 
The  offer  was  only  a  bluff. 

1896.  LiLLARD,  Poker  Stories,  26. 
How  a  New  Jersey  Congressman  once 
made  a  leather  bluff  is  a  good  one.  A 
certain  very  well  known  New  Jersey 
politician — an  old  man,  whose  fame  extends 
far  beyond  the  borders  of  his  own  State 
— is  celebrated  as  a  great  bluffer. 

Verb  (common). — To  turn  aside  ; 
to  stop;  to  hoodwink;  to  blind 
as  to  one's  real  intention  :  pro- 
perly, to  brag;  to  conceal  one's 
weakness;  from  poker.  Ray 
(1674-91)  gives  BLUFF  =:  blind- 
fold, and  Bailey  (1721)  c=  hood- 
wink. 


1871.  De  Vere,  Americanisms, 
327.  Like  its  near  cousin,  suggestively 
called  BLUFF,  poker  is  a  mere  hazard 
game,  with  which,  however,  is  combined 
great  skill  in  bragging  to  a  purpose.  One 
man  offers  a  bet  on  his  hand;  another 
doubles  the  bet  and  'goes  one  better'; 
then  the  first  tries  TO  bluff  him  off  by  a 
still  higher  bet,  and  thus  the  stake  rises 
rapidly  to  often  enormous  sums. 

1883.  Echo,  April  20,  3,  col.  5. 
Subsequently  a  prominent  bookmaker 
attempted  to  bluff  Captain  Machel  by 
laying  him  2,000  to  1,000  on  Goggles 
against  Sweetbread — a  merry  little  bit  of 
financial  diplomacy,  which  was  promptly 
followed  by  Goggles  being  struck  out. 

1885.  Bret  Harte,  Ship  of  '49.  v. 
'Far  from  bluffing.  Sleight,  I  am  throw- 
ing my  cards  on  the  table.  Consider 
that  I've  passed  out.  Let  some  other 
man  take  my  hand.' 

1889.  Answers,  July  20,  121,  col. 
2.  The  youths  evidently  disagreed  as 
to  the  nature  of  my  business;  one,  as 
far  as  I  could  gather,  assumed  that  I  was 
a  'nark,'  and  that  I  was  bluffing  (mak- 
ing   an    excuse),    and    'flamming'  (lying). 

Bluffer,,  subs.phr.  (old). — An  inn- 
keeper.   Bailey  and  Grose. 

I.  c.  1696.  B.E.  Diet.   Cant.  Crew.,  s.v, 
BLUFFER,  c  a  Host,  Innkeeper  or  Victualler. 

2.     (nautical). — A  bo'sum. 

See  bluff. 

Blunderbuss,  subs.  (old). — A  stupid 
blundering  fellow.  (Grose). 

1694.  Plautus  made  English,  Preface, 
If  any  man  can  shew  me  a  greater  Lyer, 
or  a  more  bragging  coxcomb  than  this 
BLUNDERBUSS,  he  shall  take  me,  make  me 
his  slave,  and  starve  me  with  whey  and 
buttermilk. 

c.  1696.  B.E.  Diet.    Cant.  Crew.,  blun- 
derbuss,   a   Dunce,   an  unganely  Fellow. 

1729.  WooLSTON,  Sixth  Disc,  on 
Miracles,  50.  No  wise  man  hardly  ever 
reprehends  a  blunderbuss  for  his  bulle, 
any  ether  way  than  by  laughing  at  him. 


Blunt. 


296 


Blurt. 


1771.  Smollett,  Humphrey  Clinker, 
i.,  112.  He  too  pronounced  ex  cathedra, 
upon  the  characters  of  his  cotemporaries. . . 
One  is  a  blunderbuss,  as  being  a  native 
of  Ireland,  another  a  half-starved  louse 
of  literature  from  the  banks  of  the  Tweed. 

18..  Notes  and  Queries,  4  S.,  iii., 
561.  [An  old  story  is  related  of  a  lady- 
in  a  cathedral  town  asking  the  school- 
master, "Is  my  son  in  a  fair  way  to  be 
a  canon?"  "A  very  fair  way,  madam; 
he  is  a  blunderbuss  already."] 

Blunt,  subs,  (common). — Generic 
for  money:  especially  ready  mo- 
ney :  see  Rhino.  [There  are 
several  suggested  derivations;  (i) 
blonde  sandy  or  golden  colour, 
and  of  that  a  parallel  may  be 
found  in  brown  or  browns 
=  halfpence;  (2)  in  allusion  to 
the  BLUNT  rim  of  coins;  (3)  from 
Mr.  John  Blunt,  the  chairman 
of  the  South  Sea  Bubble].  Hence 
blunted  =:  possessed  of  money; 
in  comfortable  circumstances; 
WARM  {q.v.). 

1714.  Memoirs  of  John  Hall  (4  ed.) 
II.   [List   of  cant   words.]  blunt,  money' 

i8(?).  English  Spy  255.  Most  noble 
cracks,  and  worthy  cousin  trumps, — per- 
mit me  to  introduce  a  brother  of  the 
togati,  fresh  as  a  newblown  rose,  and 
innocent  as  the  lilies  of  St.  Clements. 
Be  unto  him  ever  ready  to  promote  his 
wishes,  whether  for  spree  or  sport,  in 
term  and  out  of  term, — against  the  In- 
quisition and  their  bulldogs — the  town- 
raff  and  the  bargees — well-BLUNTED  or 
stiver-cramped — against  dun  or  don — nob 
or  big  wig — so  may  you  never  want  a 
bumper  of  bishop. 

182 1.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
Jerry,  ii.,  3,  (/folding  out  his  right 
hand  for  the  money,  and  keeping  the 
forter  away  with  the  other  )  Dob. 
That's  your  sort;  give  us  hold  on  it. 
[JTakes  Mace's  empty  hand.)  Vy,  vhere? 
Mace.  (Keeping  the  porter  back.)  Vy, 
here.  Bob.  Oh,  you  are  afcard  of  the 
BLUNT,  arc  you.'  Mace.  No,  it  ain't  that; 
only  I'm  no  schollard — so  I  alvays  takes 
the  BLUNT  vith  von  hand,  and  gives  the 
pot  vith  t'other.  It  saves  chalk  and  pre- 
wents  mistakes,  you  know. 


1837.  Dickens,  Oliver  Twist,  xxxix. 
'It's  all  very  well,'  said  Mr.  Sikes;  'but 
I  must  have  some  blunt  from  you  to- 
night.' '  I  haven't  a  piece  of  coin  about 
me,'  replied  the  Jew. 

1878.  Notes  and  Queries,  s  S.,  x., 
315.  Blunt  ...  is  also  a  well-know 
slang  term  for  money. 

18S2.  Punch,  vol.  LXXXIL,  147, 
col.  2.  'The  New  Almacks.'  'It  appears, 
my  dear  Jerry,'  said  the  Corinthian, 
'  that  anybody  can  enter  here  who  chooses 
to   "sport  his  blunt"' — that  is,  to  pay. 

Blunt-worker,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 

A  blunderer  (1440).  BLUNT-WORK- 
ING r=  blundering. 

Blunty,  subs.  (old). — A  stupid  fel- 
low, one  slow-witted  :  see  BUFFLE. 

Blur-paper,    subs.  phr.   (old). — A 

scribbler  (1603). 

Blurt  1  intj.  (old). — An  exclamation 
of  contempt.  'Blurt,  master 
CONSTABLE,'  a  fig  for  the  con- 
stable, seems  to  have  been  a 
proverbial  phrase.  To  BLURT  AT, 
to  hold  in  contempt. 

1598.  Florio,  IVorlde  of  Wordes, 
s.v.  Boccheggiare,  to  make  mouthes  or 
BLURT  with  ones  lips;  Ibid  s.v.  chicchere, 
a  flurt  with  ones  fingers,  or  blukt  with 
ones  mouth  in  scorne  or  derision. 

I5[?]  Edward  III,  iv.  6.  And  all 
the  world  will  blurt  and  scorn  at  us. 

1602.  MiDDLETON,  Blurt,  Master 
Constable  [Tille]  Blirt!  arime;BLiRT! 
a  rime. 

1606.  Shakspeare,  Pericles,  iv.  4. 
But  cast  their  gazes  on  Marina's  face, 
While  ours  was  blurted  at. 

1606.  Puritan,  iv.  2.  blurt,  blurt  ! 
there's  nothing  remains  to  put  thee  to 
pain  now,  captain. 

1607.  fests  to  Make  you  Aferry,  6. 
Yes,  that  1  am  for  fault  of  a  better, 
quoth  he.  Why  then,  blurt!  maister 
CONSTAiiLF-,  sales  the  other,  and  clapping 
spurres  to  his  horse,  gallop'd  away  amainc. 


Bhish. 


297 


Board. 


Blush.  To  blush  like  a  black 
(or  blue)  dog,  verb.  phr.  (old). 
— Not  to  blush  at  all. 

1579.  GossoN,  Apologie  of  School  of 
Abuse,  75.  If  it  bee  my  fortune  too 
meete  with  the  learned  vvoorkes  of  this 
London  Sabinus,  that  can  not  playe  the 
part  without  a  prompter,  nor  utter  a  wise 
worde  without  a  piper,  you  shall  see  we 
will  make  him  to  blush  like  a  blacke 
DOGGE,  when  he  is  graveled. 

ed.  1634.  Withal,  Dictionary,  557. 
Faciem  perfricuit.  Hee  blusheth  like 
A  BLACKE  DOGGE,  hee  hath  a  brazen  face. 

1738.  Swift,  Polite  Conversation 
(Conv..  i.). 

Lord    Sp.    (to   the  IMaid).     Mrs.  Betty, 
,  how  does  your  body  politick? 

Col.     Fye,    my    lord,  you'll  make  Mrs. 
Betty  blusli. 

Lady  Sm.     Blush!     Ay,  blush  like  a 
BLUE  DOG. 

1828.  C.  K.  Sharpe  to  a  lady,  in 
C.  K.  S.'s  Correspondence  (1888),  11.,  421. 
I  send  you  a  pair  of  blue  stockings  of 
my  own  knitting.  I  blush  like  a  blue 
DOG  about  the  workmanship,  for  I  fear 
they  are  too  short. 

BLUSHET,  subs. phr.  (old). — A  modest 
girl;  a  little  blusher  (1625). 

BLUSTERATION,  subs,  (colloquial).— 
Blustering. 

B.N.C.,  (university). — For  Brasenose; 
initials  of  Brasen  Nose  College. 
In  spite  of  the  nose  over  the  gate, 
the  probability  is  that  the  real 
name  was  Brasioium.  It  is  still 
famous  for  its  beer. 

1885.  Daily  News,  March  13,  5, 
I.  As  when  Corpus  bumped  B.  N.  C. 
years  ago,  and  went  head  of  the  river, 
whereon  a  spirit  of  wrath  entered  into 
the  B.N.C,  men,  and  next  night  they 
bumped  Corpus  back  again. 

Bo  (or  BOH).     To  CRY  (or  say)  bo 

TO  A  GOOSE  (battledore,  BULL, 
etc.),  verb.  phr.  (old). — To  open 
one's  wouth;  to  speak;  to  gainsay 
a  matter. 


1599.  Nashe,  Lenten  Stuffe  [Hart. 
Misc.  vi.  174].  AU  this  may  passe  in  the 
Queene's  peace,  and  no  man  say  Bo 
to  it. 

c.  1600.  Heywood,  Womati  Killedwith 
Kindness  [Dodsley,  Old  Flays  (Reed), 
iv.  113].  We  have  such  a  household  of 
serving  creatures,  unless  it  be  Nick  and 
I,   there's   not  one  amongst  them  all  can 

SAY    Bo    TO    A    GOOSE. 

1709.  Swift,  Polite  Conversation,  i. 
s  V.  Ibid,  Hatnilton^s  Bawn.  A  scholard, 
when  just  from  his  college  broke  loose, 
Can  hardley  tell  how  to  cry  bo  TO  A 
goose. 

1748.  Smollett,  Roderick  Random, 
liv.  The  soldier  with  great  vociferation 
swore  I  was  either  dumb  or  deaf,  if  not 
both,  and  that  I  looked  as  if  I  could  not 
boh  !  TO  A  goose.  Aroused  at  this  observa- 
tion, I  fixed  my  eyes  upon  him,  and 
pronounced  with  emphasis  the  interjec- 
tion, boh! 

Boanerges,  sttbs.  (colloquial). — A 
loud,  vociferous  speaker  :  i.e.  '  a 
son    of  thunder'   (Mark  iii.,  17). 

Board,  verb  (military). —  I.  To 
borrow. 

2.  (nautical). — To  accost;  to 
address;  to  ask  of;  to  make  a 
demand  ;  i.e.,  to  come  to  close 
quarters. 

1547.  Earl  Surrey,  Aineid,  IV.,  395, 
At  length  her  self  bordeth  Aeneas  thus. 

1596.  Shakspeare,  Hamlet,  ii.,  2. 
\_Enter  Hamlet,  reading.]  Queen.  But 
look,  where  sadly  the  poor  wretch  comes 
reading.  Pol....  I'll  board  him  present- 
ly : — Ü,  give  me  leave. 

1672-1726.  Vanbrugh,  False  Friend, 
I.,  i.,  97.  What  do  you  expect  from  board- 
ing a  woman  .  .  .  already  heart  and  soul 
engaged  to  another. 

1867.  Smyth,  Sailors'  Word  Book. 
Board  him,  a  colloquialism  for  I'll  ask, 
demand,  or  accost  him. 

See  BORD. 

To  BOARD  IN  THE  SMOKE,  fkr. 
(nautical). — To  take  one  un- 
awares,   or    by    surprise;    in   the 


Boards. 


298       Board-of-green-cloth. 


midst  of  a  naval  fight  boarding 
operations  were  often  success- 
fully carried  out  under  cover  of 
the  smoke  from  a  broadside. 

On  the  board  phr.  (tailors'). 
— Enjoying  all  the  privileges  and 
emoluments  of  a  competent  work- 
man: when  an  apprentice  becomes 
a    regular    journeyman    he    goes 

•ON    THE   BOARD.' 

1877.  Five  Years'  Penal  Servitude, 
iii.,  146.  During  the  term  of  his  im- 
prisonment he  became  an  excellent  work- 
ing tailor,  and  was  on  the  board,  as  it  is 
termed,  among  those  who  are  efficient 
hands. 

To  KEEP  one's  name  ON  THE 
BOARD,  pkr.  (Cambridge  Univ.). 
— To  remain  a  member  of  a 
College. 

To     SWEEP     THE     BOARD,     verb. 

phr.  (colloquial).— To  pocket  all 
the  stakes. 

To  BEGIN  THE  BOARD,  verb. 
phr.  (colloquial). — To  take  prece- 
dence. 

To     GO    BY     THE    BOARD,    verb. 

phr.  (colloquial). — To  go  for  '  good 
and  all';  be  completely  done  for; 
to  be  ruined. 

To    SAIL    ON    ANOTHER    BOARD, 

verb.  phr.  (colloquial). — To  change 
one's  tactics. 

Boards  (the),  subs.  phr.  (theatric- 
al)—  The  theatrical  possession: 
hence  to  go  on  the  boards  = 
to  become  an  actor. 

1809.    MaLKIN,  Gil  Bill s[R0VTLnV>GK], 

7a.     It    is    no    easy    matter   to   get  upon 

THE    BOARDS. 

Boarding-house  school,  subs.  phr. 

(old). — Newgate  gaol,  but  equally 
applicable  to  any  goal.  New 
York  thieves  apply  the  term  to 
the  Tombs:  ¥x.  collège:  see  CAGE. 


c.  i6g6.    B.E.,    Did.    Cant.    Crew.   s.v. 
Boarding-school,  c.  Bridewell. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  Boarding  School. 
Bridewell,  Newgate,  or  any  other  prison 
or  house  of  correction. 

Boarding-scholar,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— A  gaol  bird. 

c.  1696.    B.E.,    Diet.    Cant.    Crew.   s.v. 
Boarding-scholars,  c.  Bridewell-birds. 

Boar  OMAN,  subs,  (vagrants'). — A 
standing  patterer :  j-^' quot.  Also: 
SANDWICH   man   {q.V.). 

1851.  H.  Mayhew,  London  Latour 
and  London  Poor,  I.,  251.  I  have  no 
doubt  that  there  are  always  at  least 
twenty  standing  patterers — sometimes 
they  are  called  boardmen — at  work  in 
London.  I6id,  p.  248.  They  endeavour 
to  attract  attention  to  their  papers,  or, 
more  commonly,  pamplilets  ...  by 
means  of  a  board  with  coloured  pictures 
upon  it,  illustrative  of  the  contents  of 
what  they  sell  .  .  .  (This)  is  what  is 
usually  denominated  in  street  technology 
'board  work.' 

BOARD-OF-QREEN-CLOTH,  subs.  phr. 
(colloquial). — A  card  (or  billiard) 
table. 

1771.  P.  Parsons,  Ne^v  Neivmarket, 
II.,  24.  That  board  of  green  cloth, 
the  billiard  table. 

1850.     Smedley,     Frank    Fairlegk, 

23.      'I   am    going    down    to    F '   'As 

usual,  the  board  ok  green  cloth,  eh? 
you  will  go  there  once  too  often,  if  you 
don't  mind,  old  fellow.'  'That's  my  look 
out,'  replied  Cumberland. 

1853.  Whvte  Melville,  Digby 
Grand,  vi.  Often  have  I  seen  him  rise 
from  the  board  of  green  cloth,  and 
turning  his  chair  thrice,  from  right  to 
left,  reseat  himself  at  the  play-table, 
confident  that  success  would  follow  the 
mystical  manœuvre. 

1886.  Miss  Braddon,  Mohawks,  viii. 
The  soft  seductive  sound  of  the  dice 
sliding  gently  on  to  the  board  of  gkben 
cloth. 


Boat. 


299 


Bob. 


Boat,  subs.  (old). — Formerly  the 
hulks;  now  applied  to  any  prison: 
see  CAGE. 

1856.  H.  Mayhew,  Great  World 
of  London,  S2,  7tote.  [List  of  thieves' 
names  of  prisons.]  The  Hulks,  or  any 
Public  Works — The  boat. 

Good  boat,  subs.  phr.  (mil- 
itary).— A  soldier  who  spends 
his  money  freely  with  his  poorer 
comrades. 

Verb  (old). —  I.  Originally  to 
transport  ;  the  term  is  now  applied 
to  penal  servitude.  To  get  the 
BOAT  (or  TO  BE  BOATED)  =  to 
be  sentenced  to  a  long  term  of 
imprisonment,  equivalent  to  trans- 
portation  under   the   old  system. 

2.  (American  thieves'). — To 
join  as  partner;  evidently  a  cor- 
ruption of  '  to  be  in  the  same 
boat,'  i.e.,  to  be  in  the  same 
position  or  circumstances. 

1859.  Matsell,  Vocabulum.  '  On 
the  Trail.'  'Does  he  boat  with  you?' 
'Yes,  and  he's  an  artist.  Only  last  night, 
down  at  the  Albany  break-up,  he  buzzed 
a  bloke  and  a  shakester  of  a  reader.' 

To  SAIL  one's  OWN  BOAT,  verb, 
phr.  (Americ). — To  be  self-reliant; 
TO  PADDLE  one's  OWN  CAN0E(^.Z'.). 

To  ROW  IN  THE  BOAT,  verb. 
phr.  (old). — To  go  snacks  ;  to 
have  a  share  in  any  transaction. 
To     LET     A     PERSON    ROW    WITH 

YOU  =  to  admit  to  a  share  (Faux). 

To  SAIL  (or  row)  in  the  same 
BOAT,  verb,  phr.  (colloquial). — To 
pursue  the  same  course  ;  to  be  in 
the  same  condition  ;  to  be  subject 
to  the  same  circumstances. 

i5[?]  Hudson,  Judith,  sc.  HI,  352. 
What!    haue   ye   pain?   so    likewise   pain 

haue  we  ; 
For  in  one  boat  we  both  imbarked  be; 
Upon  one  tide  one  tempest  doth  us  tosse; 
Your  common  ill,  it  is  our  common  losse. 


To  HAVE  AN  OAR  IN  ANOTHER'S 

BOAT,  verb.  phr.  (colloquial). — To 
meddle;  to  busybody. 

Bob,  subs,  (popular). —  i.  A  shilling: 
see  Rhino.  [Murray:  There  was 
an  old  French  coin  called  a  bobe, 
but  its  survival  in  English  slang 
is  very  unlikely.  Others  think 
it  a  corruption  of  'baubee'  or 
'  bawbee  ',  a  debased  Scotch 
coin,  issued  in  the  reign  of  James 
VI.  of  Scotland,  equal  in  value 
to  a  halfpenny].  A  spurious 
plural    is    sometimes    formed    of 

BOB,  thus  BOBBER — TWO  BOBBER  = 

a  two-shilling  piece. 

1812.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Flash  Dictionary. 
Bob  or  bobstick,  a  shilling. 

1821.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  To7n  and 
yerry,  iii.,  3.  Tom.  Now  then,  what's 
to  pay,  landlord?  Mace.  All  out, 
will  be  fourteen  bob  and  a  kick,  your 
honour.  Tom.  Well,  there's  a  flimsy  for 
you  ;  serve  the  change  out  in  max  to  the 
covies.     [Gives  money.) 

1837.  Barham,  /.  L.  [Misadventures 
at  Margate).  I  changed  a  shilling — (which 
in  town  the  people  call  a  bob). 

18..  LvTTON,  My  Novel,  IV.,  v., 
'Well,  please  yourself,' quoth  the  tinker; 
'you  shall  have  the  books  for  four  bob, 
and  you  can  pay  me  next  month.*  'Four 
bobs — four  shillings:  it  is  a  great  sum,' 
said  Lenny. 

1882.  Punch,  LXXXn.,  74,  col.  i. 
Accommodation.  Swell.  '  Haw  —  no 
small  change  about  me.'  Minstrel.  'Oh, 
don't  mention  't  sar.  A  bob  will  do 
sar,  and  if  you'll  call  at  my  club  to- 
morrow, sar,  the  hall  portar  will  give  you 
sixpence  back,  sar.     My  kyard,  sar,  etc.:! 

1893.  Emerson,  Signor  Lippa,  xx. 
I  gets  sixteen  bob  a  week  .  ,  .  and  I  get 
my  kip  for  nenti  here  for  helping  old 
Blower  tidy  up. 

2.  (old). — A  shoplifter's  assist- 
ant; one  who  received  and  carried 
off  stolen  goods:  Fr.  nonne  (or 
nonne). 


Bob. 


300 


Bob. 


c.  1696.  B.E.  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
Bob,  c.  a.  Shop-lift's  camrade,  assistant, 
or  receiver. 

3.  (old). — Gin  :  see  quots.  under 

BOBSTICK   and   DRINKS. 

1749.  'Honours  of  the  Fleet,' quoted 
in  Ashton's  The  Fleet,  p.  286.  H'  had 
strain'd    his  credit  for  a  dram  of  bob. 

4.  (military). — An  infantry  sol- 
dier; generally  LIGHT-BOB,  i.e.  a 
soldier  of  the  light  infantry. 

1844.  W.  H.  Maxwell,  Sports  and 
Adve7itures  in  Scotland,  xxxv.,  282.  Me, 
that   never  .  .  .  listened  to  a  light-bob. 

1848.  Thackeray,  Vatiitv  Pair, 
xxiv.  Mr.  Stubble,  as  may  be  supposed 
from  his  size  and  slenderness,  was  of  the 

LIGHT-BOBS. 

5.  (Winchester  College). — A 
large  white  jug  used  for  beer, 
and  containing  about  a  gallon  in 
measure. 

1870.  Mansfield,  School-Life  at 
Winchester  College.  85.  Each  end  and 
Prsefect's  mess  had  their  beer  served  up 
in  a  large  white  jug,  or  'bob.'  The  ves- 
sel used  for  the  same  purpose  in  Com- 
moner's was  called  a  'Jorum.' 

188S.  T.  A.  Trollope,  What  I  Re- 
vtember.  Only  those  'Juniors'  attended 
whose  office  it  was  to  bring  away  the 
portions  of  bread  and  cheese  and  BOBS 
of  beer  for  consumption  in  the  afternoon. 

6.  (old). — 'A  very  short  per- 
iwig' (B.E.). 

7.  (old).— 'For  Robert  (B.E.). 

8.  (old). — A  thump  :  also  as 
verb. 

1576.  Gascoigne,  Steele  Glas  [Arber], 
80.  [Apes  rewards  are]  a  peece  of  breade 
and  therewithal  a  boube  (modern  'kicks 
and  halfpence' =  monkey's  allowance). 

1608.  Armin,  Nest  of  Ninnies.  In 
an  envious  spicene,  smarting  ripe,  runes 
after  him,  fais  at  fistie  cufifes  with  him; 
but  the  fellow  belaboured  the  foole  cun- 
ningly, and  got  the  fooles  head  under  his 
arme,  and  nou'u  his  nose. 


1655.  Francion  [Nares].  Suppose 
then  you  see  Francion  enter  into  the 
school,  his  lynings  hanging  out  of  his 
breeches  down  unto  his  shoes,  his  gown 
wrapped  about  him,  his  book  under  his 
arm,  undertaking  to  give  a  fillip  to  one, 
and  a  bob  unto  an  other. 

9.  (old). — A  taunt  ;  a  scoff: 
hence  TO  give  the  bob  =  to 
give  one  the  door;  to  dismiss 
summarily  and  without  ceremony: 
see  Bobber  2. 

1591.  Lyly,  Alex,  and  Campaspe 
[DoDSLEY,  Old  Plays]  (Reed)  ii.,  113.  I 
have  drawn  blood  at  one's  brains  with  a 
bitter  BOB. 

1600.  Shakspeare,  As  You  Like  It, 
ii.,  7.  He  that  a  fool  doth  very  wisely 
hit.  Doth  very  foolishly,  altho'  he  smart. 
Not  to  seem  senseless  of  the  bob. 

1632.  Massinger,  Maid  of  Honour, 
iv.,  5.  C.  I  guess  the  business.  S.  It  can 
be  no  other  But  to  give  me  the  bob, 
that  being  a  matter  of  main  importance. 

1633.  Fletcher,  Purple  Island,  vii., 
25.  Oft'  takes  (his  mistress  by)  the  bitter 
bob. 

Adj.  (old). — Generic  for  O.K. 
{j].v.);  nice;  in  good  spirits;  safe; 
secure;  as  right  as  may  be. 

c.  1696.    B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 


1721.  ClBBER,  Refusal,  I.,  sp.  109. 
Yesterday  at  Marybone,  they  had  me 
all  BOJJ  as  a  Robin. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  [All's  bob  is  defined 
as  foregoing] 

1839.  Harkisson  Ainsworth,  Jack 
Sheppard.  12.  A  moment  afterwards, 
the  street  was  illumined  by  a  blaze  of 
torchlight,  and  a  tumultuous  uproar  an- 
nounced the  arrival  of  tlie  first  detach- 
ment of  Miniers.  Mr.  Wood  rushed 
instantly  to  meet  them.  '  Hurrah  !  '  shouted 
he,  waving  his  hat  triumphantly  over  his 
head.  'Saved!'  'Ay,  ay,  it's  all  bob, 
my  covey!  You're  safe  enough,  that's 
certain!'  responded  the  Miniers. 


Bob. 


301 


Bob. 


1864.  Miss  Yonge,  Trial,  I.,  113. 
'That's  a  nice  girl'  .  .  .  'Bobber  than 
bobtail.' 

Verb  (old).— I.  To  cheat;  to 
trick  ;  to  disappoint  :  also  TO  BOB 
OUT  OF. 

1580.  Sidney,  Arcadia,  ii.  203.  Let 
him  be  bob'd  that  bobs  will  have;  But 
who  by  means  of  wisdom  hie  Hath  sav'd 
his  charge? — It  is  even  I. 

1602.  Shakespeare,  Othello,  v.  i. 
He  calls  me  to  a  restitution  large  Of 
gold  and  jewels  that  I  bobb'd  from  him. 

1605.  Tryall  Chev.,  I.,  in  Bullen's 
O.  Plays,  iii.,  273.  I  had  rather  dye  in  a 
ditch  than  be  bobd  of  my  fayre  Thomasin. 

1613.  Tailor,  Hog  hath  Lost,  etc. 
[DODSLEY,  Old  Play  (Reed),  vi.  386]. 
Disgrace  me  on  the  open  stage,  and  BOB 
me  off  with  ne'er  a  penny. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  sv. 
Bob'd,  c.  Cheated,  Trick'd,  Disappointed, 
or  Baulk'd. 

1707.  Ward,  Hud.  Rediv.  H.  ii.  ig. 
They  would  bob  their  Ladies  of  a  merry 
Job. 

1748.  T.  Dyche,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Bob  (v.),  to  jog,  touch,  or  give  notice  by 
some  such  like  sign;  also  a  cant  word 
for  to  trick  or  cheat. 

2.     (old). — See  subs.  8. 

Intj.  (common). — Stop ,  That's 
enough  !  a  dovetail  to  the  phrase, 
'  Say  when  ',  in  helping  to  water, 
etc. 

1889.  Moderti  Society,  June  6.  '  Say 
when,'  said  Bonko,  taking  up  a  flagon  of 
whiskey  and  commencing  to  pour  out 
the  spirit  into  my  glass,   'bob!'  replied  L 

Dry  bob,  szibs.  phr.  (venery). 
— I.  Coition  without  emission: 
a  single  drop  (or  blob)  =  a 
SNOWBALL   (^.Z'.). 

d.  1680.     Rochester,  Works. 
Resolved     to    win,    like     Hercules,    the 

prÌ2e  .  .  . 
The   cheating  jilt,  at  the  twelfth,  a  DRY 

bob  cries. 


2.  (Eton  College). — A  cricketer 
or  footballer:  that  is  one  addicted 
to  land  sports  as  distinguished 
from  a  wet-bob  who  favours 
rowing  and  aquatics. 

1844.  Disraeli,  Coni»gs6y,  42.  'It 
is  settled,  the  match  to-morrow,  shall  be 
between  Aquatics  and  dry  bobs,'  said  a 
senior  boy. 

1874.  Saturday  Revie^v,  Aug.,  212. 
The  friendly  rivalry  between  England 
and  America  led  some  while  ago  to  a 
contest  between  the  wet  bobs,  to  use  an 
Eton  phrase,  of  either  country,  and  it 
was  only  fair  that  the  dry  bobs  should 
show  what  they  could  do. 

Bear  a  bob  !  phr.  (common). 
— Be  brisk  !  look  sharp  ! 

1703.  Ward,  Hud.  Rediv.  i.  vi.  6. 
AU  strain'd  their  throats  to  bear  a  bob. 

1772.  Bridges, //<7»«^;-,  85.  She  lugg'd 
the  Fainting  Grecian  hearts. . .  Out  of  their 
breeks,,.  Stroak'd  'em  and  plac'd  'em 
where  they  should  be.  For  wives  they 
now  no  longer  sob.  Finding  that  they 
must  bear  a  bob  At  other  work. 

1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias  [Routledge], 
94.  The  conversation  became  general, 
lively,  jovial. . .    We  all  of  us  bore  a  BOB. 

Bob  a  nod,  phr.  (common).- 
A  shilling  a  head. 

S'help  me  bob,  phr.  (low). — 
A  street  oath:  'So  help  me  God.' 
'So   help'    is   pronounced   swelp. 

Also  s'help  the  cat  ;  MY  GREENS  ; 
THE  TATURS,   etc. 

1837.  Bakham,  I.L.  (Dead Drummer), 
For  his  jaw-work  would  never,  I'm  sure, 
s'elp  me  bob.  Have  come  for  to  go  for 
to  do  sich  a  job! 

1880.  Jas.  Pain,  Cotifid.  Agent,  xix. 
'Not  another  word  will  I  say,  s'help  me 
BOB.'  And  John  rolled  over  in  his  bed 
like  an  indignant  porpoise. 


Bobber. 


302 


Bobby. 


To  SHIFT  one's  bob,  Verb.  phr. 
(common).— To  go  away:  cf.  TO 
BOB  AROUND  =  to  go  expeditiously 
from  place  to  place. 

Bobber,  subs,  (common). —  I,  A  fel- 
low-workman;  a  mate;    a    CHUM 

i860.  W.  White,  Round  IVrekin,  34. 
Bobber  being  the  equivalent  of  chum. 

1871  Daily  News,  May  19.  As  he 
sells  these,  the  buyers  or  their  bobbers 
carry  them  off. 

2.  (old). — A  scoffer:  see  bob, 
sub  9. 

1575.  To-Kchstone  of  Cotnplexions^ 
gg.  The  Cholérique  are  bitter  taunters, 
dry  BOBBEKS,  nyppinge  gybers  and  skorne- 
fuU  mockers  of  others. 

3.  (common). — A  spurious'plur- 
al  of  BOB  {jl-v^  ■=.  a  shilling. 

i8[?].  Sporting  Times  [S.  J.  and  C.]. 
So  down  I  gets  and  finds  a  two  bobber. 
My  mate  gives  me  the  wink,  but  the 
slavey's  on  the  job,  so  I  say,  'Oh,  miss, 
if  I  ain't  found  a  two  bobber.' 

BOBBEROUS,  adj.  (provincial). — 
Saucy;  forward  (Halliwell). 

Bobbery,  subs,  (popular). — A  noise; 
a  squabble  ;  a  disturbance  ;  a  rack- 
et (i^.z'.).  [Yule:  An  Anglo- 
Indian  representation  of  Bapre! 
O  faiher  !  a  common  exclamation 
of  surprise  or  grief.  Murray: 
the  evidence  for  its  origination  in 
India  is  decisive,  other  plausible 
derivations  to  the  contrary  not- 
withstanding.] 

1803.  Kenney,  Raising  the  Wind, 
II.,   i.     If  I   don't   go  back,  and  kick  up 

such   a    BOBBERY. 

1833.  Marryat,  Peter  Simple,  ii. 
I'll  bet  a  wager  there'll  be  a  bobuerv  in 
the  pigsty  before  long,  for  they  arc  ripe 
for  mischief. 


1836.  Marryat,  Midshipman  Easy, 
xix.  'I  can  do  nothing,  but  there's  a 
bobbery  at  the  bottom  of  it.' 

1S37.  Barham,  higoldsby  Legends, 
(Hermann).  Kicking  up  all  sorts  of 
shindies  aud  bobberies. 

1879.  Pitnch,  17  May,  227.  I  might 
in  quiet  hold  my  own,  And  not  go  kicking 

up    a   BOBBERY. 

BOBBING-BLOCK,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
A  block  that  persons  can  strike; 
an  unresisting  fool. 

1576.  Gascoigne,  Devises,  337.  Be- 
came a  foole,  yea  more  then  that,  an  asse, 
A  BOBBING-BLOKE,  a  beating  stock,  an 
owle. 

Bobbish,  adj.  (common). — Hearty; 
in  good  health  and  spirits;  clever; 
spruce  :  cf.  Bob,  adj.  also  pretty 
BOBBISH  and  bobbishly,  adv. 

1819.  Scott,  in  Lockhart,  xliv  (1842), 
394.  I  trust  you  will  find  me  pretty 
BOBBISH. 

1S57.  Dickens,  The  Detective  Pol- 
ice, in  Reprinted  Pieces,  247.  'Halloa, 
Butcher!  is  that  you?'  'Yes,  it's  me. 
How  do  you  find  yourself?'  'bobbish,' 
he  says. 

1S60.  Dickens,  Great  Expectations, 
iv.,  13.  Every  Christmas  Day,  he  re- 
torted, as  he  now  retorted,  'It's  no 
more  than  your  merits.  And  now  are 
you  all  DOHBiSH,  and  how's  sixpennorth 
of  halfpence?'  meaning  me. 

1881.  W.  D.  HowELLS,  Dr.  Breen's 
Practice,  vii.  '  I  didn't  know  that  I 
mustn't  look  downcast.  I  didn't  suppose 
it  would  be  very  polite,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, to  go  round  looking  as 
BOBuisH  as  I  feel.' 

Bobble,  sub.  (venery). —  In  pi.  = 
the  testes;  bawbells  {q.v.),  see 
CODS. 

Bobby,  subs,  (popular). — A  police- 
man. Though  possil)ly  not  derived 
from,  popularised  by  the  fact  that 
the    Metropolitan   Police   Act   of 


Bobby-tivister.  303 


Bobstick. 


1828  was  mainly  the  work  of  Mr., 
afterwards  Sir  Robert  Peel.  Long 
before  that  statesman  remodelled 
the  police,  however,  the  term 
'  lîOBBY  the  beadle  '  was  in  use 
to  signify  a  guardian  of  a  public 
square  or  other  open  space.  There 
seems,  however,  a  lack  of  ev- 
idence, and  examples  of  its  lit- 
erary use  prior  to  1851  have  not 
been  discovered.  At  the  Universi- 
ties the  Proctors  are,  or  used  to 
be,  called  bobiues. 

1851.  H.  Mavhew,  London  Labour 
and  London  Poor,  I.,  16.  It  is  often 
said  in  admiration  of  such  a  man  that 
he  could  muzzle  half  a  dozen  BOBBIES 
before  breakfast! 

1851-61.     Mayhew,    Loud.    Lao.    etc. 

1.  40.  'But  the  worst  of  hair  is,' 
they  add,  'that  it  is  always  getting  cut 
off   in    quod,   all   along   of  muzzling   the 

BOBBIES.' 

i860.  Dickens,  Vncoiiimercial  Trav- 
eller, iii.  They  don't  go  a  headerin'  down 
here  wen  there  an't  no  bobbv  nor  gen'ral 
Cove  fur  to  hear  the  splash. 

1880.  Punch,  No.  2038.  Going  round 
a  corner  and  crying,  bobbv!  bobbv  ! 
liOBBv!  when  he  saw  a  Proctor. 

1884.  Punch,  July  26,  41,  2. 
But  oh,  for  the  grip  of  the  '  bobby's' 
hand  Upon  his  neck  that  day. 

1899.      The     Mirror,     Aug.     26,     7, 

2.  On  the  back  seat  was  perched 
the  perfidious  Amelia  Ann,  the  lust  of 
conquest  clearly  written  upon  her  sinful 
and  perspiring  face.  She  had  put  her  cat 
in  the  birdcage,  its  former  occupant  being, 
I  presume,  inside  the  cat.  ...  In  this 
order  the  ghastly  procession  moved  off, 
to  the  evident  amusement  of  a  'BOBBV,' 
whose  beat  seems  to  include  nothing 
beyond  the  area-railings  of  the  opposite 
house. 

1899.  Whitei.ng,  yohn  St.,  xxi. 
That's  why  they  always  have  so  many 
lobsters  an'  bobbies  ab.-iht. 

BOBBY-TWISTER,  subs.  phr.  (thieves'). 
— A  burglar  or  thief,  using  vi- 
olence: see  THIEF. 


Bob-cull,  subs.  phr.  (thieves').— A 
good  fellow  ;  a  pleasant  companion. 

1830.  Lytton,  Paul  Clifford  '  Where 
be  you  going,  you  imp  of  the  world  f  ' 
cried  the  dame.  'Get  in  with  you,  and 
say  no  more  on  the  matter;  be  a  bob- 
cull — drop  the  bullies,  and  you  shall 
have  the  blunt  !  ' 

Bob-fool,    verb.   phr.    (old).— To 
mock  ;  TO  FOOL  ((/.v.). 

1594.  Greene,  Alph.  K.of  Arragon, 
iv.  What,  do  they  think  TO  pl.\y  bob- 
fool  with  me? 

BOB-JEROM,     subs.    phr.    (old).— A 
short,  unfashionable  wig. 

1782.  D'Arblav,  Cecilia,  ix.  i. 
'Hate  a  plaistered  pate;  commonly  a 
numscull  ;  love  a  good  bob  jerom.' 
'Why,  this  is  talking  quite  wide  of  the 
mark,'  said  Mr.  Hobson,  'to  suppose  a 
young  lady  of  fortune  would  marry  a 
man  with  a  bob  jero.m.'  Ibid  (1796J 
Camilla,  in,  xiii.  The  effect  of  this 
full-buckled  bob  jerom  which  stuck  hollow 
from  the  young  face  and  powdered  locks 
of  the   ensign   was  irresistibly  ludicrous. 

BOB-MY-PAL,   subs.  phr.   (rhyming). 
— A  girl;  GAL  {q.v.). 

BOB's-HORSE.     Off     like    bob's- 
HORSE  ;  phr.  (nautical). — See  quot. 

1836.  D-^NA,  Bef.  the  Mast,  239. 
Going  off  to  sea  again,  leaving  his  wife 
half  pay,  like  a  fool,  coming  home  and 
finding  her  'off,  like  bob's  horse,  with 
nobody  to  pay  the  reckoning';  furni- 
ture gone, — flag-bottomed  chairs  and  all; 
— and  with  it,  his  'long  togs,'  the  half 
pay,  his  beaver  hat,  white  linen  shirts, 
and  everything  else. 

BOBSTICK,  subs,  (old).— A  shilling's 
worth:  see  bob.  Cf.,  bob,  sense  i. 

1789.  Geo.  Vi^^vx.V'.,  Life's  Painter, 
162.  BoßSTlCK  of  rum  slim.  That  is, 
a  shilling's  worth  of  punch. 

1821.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
Jerry,  Act  ii.,  5.  Tom.  Allons  donc — 
Waiter,  bring  some  wine.  Log.  Hang. 
cards!  bring  me  a  bobstick  of  rum  slim, 
or  a  glass  of  Barsac — stay,  on  second 
thoughts,  I'll  have  a  sniker  of  green  tea 
punch. 

U 


Bobtail. 


304 


Bocardo. 


BOB-TAIL,    sttbs.  phr.   (old).— I.    A 
wanton  :  see  tart  (B.E.). 

2.  (old). — An  impotent  man; 
a  eunuch. 

3.  (old  archery). — The  steel 
of  a  shaft  or  arrow  that  is  small- 
breasted,  and  big  towards  the 
head.  (Kersey)  ;  a  short  arrow- 
head (B.E.). 

1544.  AscHAM,  To.xophilus  [arber] 
126.  Those  that  be  lytle  brested  and  big 
toward  the  hede  called  by  theyr  lykenesse 
taper  fashion,  reshe  growne,  and  of  some 
merrye  fellowes  bobtavles,  be  fit  for 
them  whiche  shote  vnder  hande. 

Kindred  by  bobtail,  subs, 
phr.  {o\à).—See  quot. 

i6[?].  Noinenclator,  533.  Cousins  by 
mariage,  or  kinred  (as  they  commonly 
terrae  it)  by  bobtaile. 

Tag,  rag,  and  bobtail  ;  a  mob 
of  all  sorts  of  low  people  ;  the 
common  herd;  the  rabble:  bob- 
tail is  a  comparatively  modern 
usage,  the  orig.  phrase  having 
been  tag  and  rag  and  'longtail.' 

1535.  BvGOD  [Oliphant,  New  Eng., 
i.  481.  Bygod  has  'your  fathers  were 
wyse,  both  tagge  and  rag';  that  is  one 
and  all]. 

1597.  Hevwood,  Tiinon  [Five  Plays 
in  One,  10].  I  am  not  of  the  raggs 
or  FAGG  ENU  of  the  people. 

d.  1599.     Spencer,    State   of  Ireland. 
They  all  came  in  both  tagge  and  ragge 

CUTTE   AND    LONG  TAVLE. 

i6io.  JoNSON,  Alchemist,  i.  5.  Gal- 
lants,   men    and    women,    and    All   sorts, 

TAG-RAG. 

1637.  Hevwood,  Royal  Kivi;  {Vv-Kv.- 
SON,  Works  (1894),  vi.  14].  Stood  1  but  in 
the  midst  of  my  followers,  I  might  say  I 
had    nothing    about    me   but  tagge  and 

KAGGB. 

1659-60.  Pepvs,  Diary,  Mar.  6.  The 
dining-room...  was  full  of  tag,  rag,  and 
KOBTAiL,   dancing,  singing,  and  drinking. 


1785.  WoLCOT  ('P.  Pindar'),  Ode  to 
R.  A.'s  ii.,  Wks.  (1812)  L,  80.  Tagrags 
and  bobtails  of  the  sacred  Brush. 

iSoo.  CoLQUHOUN,  Cojnm.  Thames, 
ii.  75.  That  lowest  class  of  the  commun- 
ity who  are  vulgarly  denominated  the 
tag  rag  and  bobtail. 

1820.  Byron,  Blues,  ii.,  23.  The  rag, 
tag,  and  bobtail  of  those  they  call 
'Blues.' 

i83[?].  Greville,  Memoirs,  19  Jan. 
He  [William  IV.J  lives  a  strange  life  at 
Brighton,  with  t.\g,  rag  and  bobtail  about 
him,  and  always  open  house. 

1S37.  Barham,  Ingolds.  Leg.  11.  109. 
tag,  rag,  and  bobtail  are  capering 
there. 

1840.  Dickens,  Barn.  Rudge,  xxxv. 
We  don't  take  in  no  tag,  RAG  and  bobtail 
at  our  house. 

1855.  Thackeray,  Newcotnes,  xxxv. 
Old  hags...   draped  in  majestic  RAGGERY. 

Bocardo,  subs.  (old). — A  prison  : 
see  cage:  specially  the  prison  in 
the  old  North  Gate  of  Oxford, 
demolished  in  1 771. 

1548.  Latimer,  Sermons,  foL  105  C. 
Was  not  this  [Achab]  a  seditious  fellow? 
— Was  he  not  worthy  to  be  cast  in 
BOCARDO  or  little-ease? 

1582.  Stanyhurst,^^«^«,  [Oliphant, 
Xe'M  Eng.  i.  604.  Virgil's  words  are 
Englished  by  such  terms  as  bocardo... 
Bedlam,  limbo], 

1S96.  Lodge,  Incarnate  Devils. 
There  are  many  in  London  now  adaies 
that  are  besotted  with  this  sinne,  one  of 
whom  I  saw  on  a  white  horse  in  Fleet 
street,  a  tanner  knave  I  never  lookt  on, 
who  with  one  figure  (cast  out  of  a  schollers 
Studie  for  a  necessary  servant  at  bocardo) 
promised  to  find  any  man's  oxen  were 
they  lost,  restore  any  man's  goods  if  they 
were  stolne,  and  win  any  man  love,  wlierc 
or  howsoever  he  settled  it. 

1772.  Warton,  NetusmaiCs  Verses. 
Rare  tidings  for  the  wretch  whose  ling'ring 

score 
Remains  unpaid,  bocardo  is  no  more. 


Baco. 


305 


Body-slangs. 


BOCO  (or  Boko),  subs,  (originally 
pugilistic,  now  common). —  i.  The 
nose:  see  conk. 

1880.  Besant  and  Rice,  Seamy 
Side,  i.  'A  common  keeper,  who  was  in 
the  lot,  got  a  heavy  oner  on  the  boko 
for  his  share.'  'Boys,'  said  Mr.  Hamblin, 
'who  use  slang  come  to  the  gallows. 
Boko  is — '  'Conk  or  boko,'  said  Nicolas 
the  vulgar.     'It's  all  the  same.' 

1889.  Ally  Sloper's  Half  Holiday, 
July  6:  Dear  Old  Blistered  Boko,— I 
trust  you  will  allow  me  to  thank  you  and 
your  Graphologist  for  my  character  I 
received  this  morning.  My  friends  say 
it  is  correct.  I  am  saving  up  my  pocket- 
money  for  a  bottle  of  nose  bloomer.  I 
can  see  your  boko  blushing  at  the 
prospect. 

1889.  Sporting  Times,  July  6.  The 
Gnat,  with  the  Cunning  peculiar  to  the 
Wicked  flew  up  the  Lion's  boko  and 
Stung  him  so  Badly,  that  the  Great  Beast 
rent  himself  to  Death  with  his  Own  Claws. 

2.  (colloquial).  —  Nonsense; 
BOSH  (^.w.).  [Of  unknown  deriva- 
tion, and,  apparently,  no  connec- 
tion with  sense  i]. 

1886.  Punch,  25  Sept.,  145.  Lop- 
sided Free  Trade  is  all  boko. 

BOCTAIL,  subs.  (old). — A  bad  woman, 
(Coles). 

Bode-ill,  phr.  (old  colloquial).— To 
presage  or  betoken  ill.  (B.E.). 

BODGE.   See  BOTCH. 

BODIER,  stibs.  (pugilistic). — A  blow 
on  the  side  of  the  body  ;  see  rib- 
roaster. 

BODKIN,  subs,  (sporting). — Amongst 
sporting  men,  a  person  who  takes 
his  turn  between  the  sheets  on 
alternate  nights,  when  an  hotel 
has  twice  as  many  visitors  as  it 
can  comfortably  lodge;  as,  for 
instance,  during  a  race-week:  a 
transferred  sense  from  next  entry. 


To  RIDE  (or  sit)  bodkin, /Ar. 
(common). — To  take  a  place  and 
be  wedged  in  between  other  per- 
sons when  the  accommodation 
is  intended  for  two  only. 

1638.  Ford,  Fancies,  IV.,  i.  (1811), 
1S6.  Where  but  two  lie  in  a  bed,  you 
must    be — bodkin,  bitch-baby — must   ye? 

1798.  Loves  of  the  Triangles,  i8j. 
While  the  pressed  bodkin,  punched  and 
squeezed  to  death.  Sweats  in  the  mid- 
most place. 

1848.  Thackeray,  Book  of  Snobs, 
xxxiv.  The  writer  supposes  Aubrey  to 
come  to  town  in  post-chaise  and  pair, 
sitting  bodkin  probably  between  his  wife 
and  sister. 

BODLE,  subs.  (B.E.). — 'Six  make  a 
penney,  Scotch  coin.' 

BODY,  subs,  (old  ;  now  colloquial). 
— A  person.  POOR  BODY  =  a 
simpleton. 

d.  1796.     Burns,  ComiiC  thro'  the  Rye. 
If  a  BODY  kiss  a  body,  Need  a  body  cry  ? 

BODY  OF  DIVINITY  BOUND  IN  BLACK 
CALF  =11  a  parson  {^Lexicon  Bala- 
tronicuni). 

BODY-COVER,  subs.  phr.  (American 
thieves'). — A  coat:  cf.  wrap- 
rascal. 

BODY-SLANGS,  subs. phr.  (thieves'). — 
Fetters:  darbies. 

iSig.  Vaux,  Memoirs.  Body-slangs 
are  of  two  kinds.  Each  consists  _  of  a 
heavy  iron  ring  to  go  round  the  waist,  to 
which  are  attached  in  one  case  two  bars 
or  heavy  chains,  connected  with  the 
fetters  round  the  ankles,  in  the  other 
case  a  link  at  each  side  attached  to  a 
handcuff.  Into  these  the  wrists  are 
locked,  and  thus  held  down  to  the 
prisoner's  sides.  The  latter  are  now 
only  to  be  found  in  museums. 


Body-snatcher. 


306 


Boggy-bo. 


Body-snatcher,  subs.phr.  (old).— i. 
A  bailiff;  a  Bow-street  runner.  [The 
SNATCH  was  the  trick  by  which 
the  bailiff  captured  the  delin- 
quent: now  obsolete]. 

2.  (common). — A    policeman. 

1858.  A.  Mayhew,  Paved  -with  Gold, 
Bk.  III.,  i.,  254.  'Now,  if  you  or  I 
was  to  do  such  a  dodge  as  that,  we  should 
have  the  body-snatchers  (police  officers) 
after  us.' 

3.  (American). — A  generally 
objectionable  individual;  a  snide 
(^.z'.):  also  :  mean  body-snatcher. 

4.  (common). — A  violator  of 
graves,  a  resurrectionist  (^/.z'.). 

1833.  Sir  F.  Head,  Bubbles  from 
the  Bruiinen,  126.  Any  one  of  our  bodv- 
SNATCHEKS  would  have  rubbed  his  rough 
hands. 

1863.  Reader,  Aug.  22.  At  that  time 
(1827-28)  .  .  .  BODY-SN.A.TCHiNG  became 
a  trade. 

5.  (common). — An  undertaker  ; 
a  COLD  cook  {/i-v.y 

Boer,  subs.  (b.e.). — A  country-fellow 
or  clown.  Hence  (B.E.).  '  boerish, 
rude,  unmannerly,  clownish.' 

Bog,  siibs.  (prison). —  i.  The  works 
at  Dartmoor,  on  which  convicts 
labour;  during  recent  years  a 
large  quantity  of  land  has  been 
reclaimed  in  this  way. 

1877.  Five  Years'  Penal  Servitude, 
iii.,  158.  These  were  the  men  destined 
for  outdoor  work,  the  bogs,  as  the  places 
where  the  different  outside  gangs  worked 
were  called  [at  Dartmoor]. 

2.  (low).  A  noG-HousE  ((^.t/.  ): 
also  BOG-SHOP.  Hence,  as  verb  = 
to  ease  oneself;  to  evacuate;  TO 
SHIT  {q.v.):  see  bury  a  quaker. 

3.  (old). — A  simile  of  softness 
and  tenderness  (Nares). 


1633.  Marmyon,  Fine  Companion. 
Car.    I    will    not  raile  at  you,  but  I  will 

cudgell    you,    and  kicke  you,  you  man 

of  valour. 
Cap.  Hold  as  thou  art  a  man  of  renowne, 

thou  wilt  strike  thy  foote  into  me  else, 

my  body  is  as  tender  as  a  bogg. 

To      TAKE     BOG.      See    BOGGLE. 

BOGEY.     See  BOGY. 

Boggle,  si^bs.  (colloquial).  —  A 
bungle;  MESS  (i/.v.)-,  HASH  {ç.v.): 
generic  for  clumsy  disorder:  also 
BOGGLE-DE-BOTCH  and  BOGGLEDY- 
BOTCH.  Also  as  verb  (and  to 
TAKE  BOG)  1=  (i)  to  bungle,to  make 
a  mess  of;  and  (2)  to  scruple, 
to  hesitate  ;  to  fight  shy  of.  Also 
BOGGLER. 

c.  1400  [Ellis,  Letters,  2S.  i.  15.  To 
BOGiL  us  (delay)]. 

d.  1663.  Sanderson,  IVorks,  ii,  230. 
Daily  experience  showeth  that  many  men 
who  make  no  conscience  of  a  lie,  do  yet 
TAKE  SOME  BOG  at  an  oath. 

1706.  Ward,  IVooden  IVorld,  10.  He 
BOGGLES  at  no  imaginary  quicksands. 

1749.  Smollett  Gil  Bias  (1812) 
I,  V.  I  don't  believe  thee  fool  enough 
to  BOGGLE  at  living  with  robbers  .  ,  . 
dost  thou  think  there  are  any  honester 
people  in  the  world  than  we? 

1834.  Miss  Edgeworth,  Helen,  xxvi. 
A  fine  boggle-de-botch  I  have  made  of 
it  ...  I  am  aware  it  is  not  a  canonical 
word, — classical,  I  mean;  nor  in  nor  out 
of  any  dictionary  perhaps — but  when 
people  are  warm,  they  cannot  stand  pick- 
ing terms. 

BOGGLER,  subs.  (old). —  i.  A  vicious 
woman  [Nares]. 

1607.  Shakespeare,  Ant.  and  Clcop. 
iii.  II.     You  have  been  a  boggler  ever. 

2.      See  BOGGLE. 

BOGGY-BO.      ^V^   r.UGAKO. 


Bog-house. 


307 


Bogus. 


Bog-house  or  bog-shop,  subs.phr. 
(low). -A  privy  ;  a  necessary  house  : 
see  Mks.  Jones,  and  my  aunt. 

167 Ï.  R.  Head,  English  Rogtie,  pt. 
I.,  xii.,  123  {1874).  Fearing  I  should 
catch  cold,  they  out  of  pity  covered  me 
warm  in  a  bogg-house. 

1689.  Gen.  Ac.  Book,  Oct.  1689— 
Oct.  1690  [Cal.  Inner  Temple,  III.]  'To 
Browne,  the  watchman,  for  hurying  the 
old  man  that  kept  the  bog-house,  16^.' 

c.  i6g6  B.E.  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
Bog-houses,  privies. 

1703.  Ward,  London  Spy,  pt.  III., 
47.  Its  walls  being  adorn'd  with  as 
many  unsavoury  Finger-dabs  as  an  Inns 

of  Court   BOG-HOUSE. 

1754.  B.  Martin,  Eng.  Diet.,  2  ed. 
Bog-house,  a  privy,  or  necessary-house. 

BOGLANDER,  subs,  (old).— An  Irish- 
man:  sec  BOG-TROTTER. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crezu.,  s,v. 
BoG-LANDERs,  Irishmen. 

1698-1700.  Ward,  London  Spy,  pt. 
XVI.,  383.  [Boglander  is  the  name 
applied  to  an  Irishman  in  this  work.] 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the  l'ili- 
gar  Tongue.  Bog  lander,  an  Irishman. 
Ireland  being  famous  for  its  large  bogs 
which  furnish  the  chief  fuel  in  many 
parts  of  that  kingdom. 

181 1.  Lexicon  Balatronicuvt.  [The 
same  definition  given  as  in  Grose.]. 

Bog  latin,  subs.  phr.  (Irish). — A 
spurious  mode  of  speech  simulat- 
ing the  Latin  in  construction:  see 
DOG   LATIN. 

Bog-oranges,  subs.phr.  (common). 
— A  potato:  a  murphy  (17.2/.):  .r^^ 
BOGLAND,  with  an  eye  to  the 
vegetable  in  question  forming  a 
substantial  food  staple. 

BOG-TROTTER,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
An  Irishman.  Camden,  however, 
[c.  1605),  speaking  of  the  '  debate- 


able  land  '  on  the  borders  of 
England  and  Scotland,  says,  '  both 
these  dales  breed  notable  bog- 
TROTTERS  :  hence  the  original 
sense  appears  to  ■=.  one  accustom- 
ed to  walk  across  bogs  :  a  nick- 
name for  an  Irishman,  it  dates 
at  least  from  167 1.  Hence  bog- 
TROTTiNG  (in  contempt)  and 
BOG-TROT,  verb. 

1671.  R.  Head,  English  Rogue,  pt. 
I.,  xxvii.  (Repr.  1874),  232.  [Irishmen 
are  spoken  of  as  dog-trotteks  in  this 
work.] 

1677.  Miege,  Diet.  s.v.  bog-trotter. 
An  Irish  robber. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Creìv.,  s.v. 
Bog-trotters,  Scotch  or  North  Country 
Mosstroopers  or  High-way  Men  formerly, 
and  now  Irish  Men. 

1740.  North,  Exa>nen,  323.  It  is  a 
thousand  times  better,  as  one  would  think, 
to  bogtrot  in  Ireland,  than  to  pirk  it 
in  preferment  no  better  dressed. 

1758-65.  Goldsmith,  On  Quack 
Doctors  (Essays  and  Poems,  1836),  127. 
Rock  advises  the  world  to  beware  of 
bog-trotting  quacks. 

1849.  Thackeray,  Pendennis,  I., 
169.  The  impudent,  bog-trotting  scamp 
dare  not  threaten  me! 

185g.  Sala,  Gaslight  and  Daylight, 
xxix.  Gaunt  reapers  and  bog-trotters 
in  those  traditional  blue  bodycoats,  leathern 
smalls,  and  bell-crowned  hats,  that  seem 
to  be  manufactured  nowhere  save  in 
Ireland. 

1876.  C.  HiNDLEV,  Adventures  of  a 
Cheap  Jack,  191.  'What  do  you  mean 
by    calling   vie   Irish  ?   it    is  yon  that  are 

Irish,     you .'       'Ha!     ha!     ha!     hai' 

jerked  out  Fagan.  'There,  I  tould  you 
so.  He  can't  stand  to  be  called  by  his 
true  name;  the  bog-trotting  rascal 
denies  his  Ould  Ireland  for  a  mother.' 

Bogus,  adj.  (orig.  American:  now 
common). — Spurious  ;  fictitious  ; 
sham  ;  not  what  it  professes  to 
be.     [Murray,   who,  while  slily 


Bogus. 


308 


Bogue. 


satirising  the  '  bogus  derivations 
circumstantially  given,'  says:  '  Dr. 
S.  Willard,  of  Chicago,  in  a  letter 
to  the  editor  of  this  Dictionary, 
quotes  from  the  Painesville  (Ohio) 
Telegraph  of  July  6  and  Nov.  2, 
1827,  the  word  BOGUS  as  a  subs., 
applied  to  an  apparatus  for  coin- 
ing false  money.  Mr.  Eber.  D. 
Howe,  who  was  then  editor  of 
that  paper,  describes  in  his  Autobio- 
graphy (1878)  the  discovery  of 
such  a  piece  of  mechanism  in  the 
hands  of  a  gang  of  coiners  at 
Painesville  in  May,  1827  ;  it  was 
a  mysterious  looking  object,  and 
some  one  in  the  crowd  styled  it 
a  BOGUS,  a  designation  adopted 
in  the  succeeding  numbers  of  the 
paper.  Dr.  Willard  considers  this 
to  have  been  short  for  tatifra- 
bogus,  a  word  familiar  to  him 
from  his  childhood,  and  which 
in  his  father's  time  was  commonly 
applied  in  Vermont  to  any  ill- 
looking  object;  he  points  out  that 
tantrabogtts  is  given  in  Halliwell 
as  a  Devonshire  word  for  the 
devil.' 

Bogus  seems  thus  to  be  related 
to  bogy,  etc.]. 

1825.  Hughes,  in  J.  Ludlow's  Hist. 
U.  S.,  338.  This  precious  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives— the  BOGUS  legislature  as  it 
was  at  once  called. 

18. .  North,  Slave  0/  the  Latii/r,  3^. 
'  Look  at  these  bank-bills,'  said  the 
stranger;  'keep  those  that  are  good,  and 
return  me  the  bad.'  'I  guess  the  whole 
pile  are  bogus,'  said  Confidence  Bob,  as 
he  turned  over  his  roll. 

i8[?]  Boston  Alias  [Baktlett],  Not 
one  cent  should  be  given  to  pay  the 
members  of  the  bogus  legislature  of 
Kansas,  or  for  the  support  of  the  bogus 
laws  passed  by  them. 

iSr.'].  New  y'oi-k  Herald  [ßMiTV-KTt]. 
The  Know-Nothings  of  Massachusetts 
must  behave  themselves  better  than  they 


did  in  their  visit  to  the  Catholic  nunnery, 
or  they  will  be  repudiated  by  their 
brethren  in  other  States,  as  bogus  mem- 
bers of  the  order. 

1857.  Ailier.  Azotes  and  Queries, 
July.  The  wide-awake  citizens  of  Boston 
have  been  sadly  bitten  by  a  bogus  issue 
of  the  old  'Pine-Tree  Shilling  currency,' 
got  up  by  a  smart  Gothamite. 

1862.  IVew  York  Herald,  2  May, 
'Washington  Letter.'  I  and  my  assistants 
[in  Tennessee]  are  loyal  to  the  United 
States;  that  when  this  office  came  under 
the  rebel  government,  and  the  oath  was 
sent  to  us,  we  filed  it  bogously  \sic\, 
and  sent  it  to  Richmond  without  swearing 
to  it. 

1869.  S.  L.  Clemens  ('Mark Twain'}, 
Innocents  at  Home,  xvii.  Nobody  had 
ever  received  his  bogus  history  as  gospel 
before;  its  genuineness  had  always  been 
called  in  question  either  by  words  or 
looks;  but  here  was  a  man  that  not  only 
swallowed  it  all  down,  but  was  grateful 
for  the  dose. 

1874.  ISL  Collins,  Frances,  xxxv. 
'They've  got  some  good  money,  as  well 
as  bogus  notes.' 

1883.  Satiirday  Review,  March  31, 
399,  2.  M.  Soleirol  had  probably  a 
number  of  forged  autographs  of  Molière; 
his  whole  collection  was  a  bogus  assort- 
ment of  frauds. 

BOGY  (or  BOGEY),  subs,  (com- 
mon).— A  landlord  :  Fr.  Monsieur 
Vmitour  (=^  a  vulture.) 

Adj.  (studios'). — Sombre  ;  dark 
in  tint:  said  of  a  painting  ex- 
hibiting these  characteristics. 

Ask  hogy,  phr.  (old). — An 
inconsequent  answer  to  a  ques- 
tion: 'sea-wit'  (Grose):  r/.  bra- 
mai! KNOWS. 

Bogue,  verb.  (American). — To  apply 
oneself;  '  put  the  best  foot  fore- 
most'; 'use  plenty  of  elbow- 
grease!'  e.g.,  'I  don't  git  much 
done  without  I  kogue  right  in 
along  with  my  men.' 


Bohemian. 


309 


Boiled- Shirt. 


Bohemian,  subs,  (colloquial).— A 
gipsy  of  society;  one  who  either 
cuts  himself  off,  or  is  by  his 
habits  cut  off,  from  society  for 
which  he  is  otherwise  fitted  ;  es- 
pecially an  artist,  literary  man, 
or  actor,  who  leads  a  free,  vag- 
abond, or  irregular  life,  not  being 
particular  as  to  the  society  he 
frequents,  and  despising  con- 
ventionality generally  ;  used  with 
considerable  latitude,  with  or  with- 
out reference  to  morals  {O.E.D.). 

BOHN,  subs.  (American  college). — 
A  translation  ;  a  pony  {q-v.)  :  see 
BLUE-RUIN.  [The  volumes  of 
Bohn's  Claszical  Library  are  in 
such  general  use  among  under- 
graduates in  American  colleges, 
that  BOHN  has  come  to  be  a 
common  name  for  a  translation.] 

1855.  Songs,  Biennial  Jubilee,  Yale 
College.  'Twas  plenty  of  skin  with  a 
good  deal  of  bohn. 


Boil,    verb    (old).- 

PEACH. 


-To    betray  :  TO 


1602.  Rowlands,  Greene'' s  Coney 
Catchers,  16.  His  cloyer  or  follower 
fortwith  BOVLES  him,  that  is,  bewrayes 
him. 

1611.         MiDDLETON        AND      DeKKEK, 

Roaring  Girle,  Wks.,  1873,  III.,  220.  Wee 
are  smoakt  .  .  .  wee  are  bovl'd,  pox 
on  her! 

TO  BOIL  DOWN,  Verb.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— To  reduce  in  bulk  by 
condensing  or  epitomizing. 

1880.  Sat.  Revient',  No.  1288,  28.  It 
is  surprising  to  see  how  much  research 
Mr.  S.  has  sometimes  contrived  TO  boil 
DOWN  into  a  single  line. 

1883.  G.  Dolly,  Dickens  as  I  kne^u 
Him,  125.  The  newspaper  and  politi- 
cal elements  having  been  consulted,  and 
their  opinions  having  been  boiled  down. 


1887.  H.  Frederick,  [Scribner,  I., 
47g].  To  BOIL  DOWN  columns  of  narrative 
into   a  few  lines  of  bald,  cold  statement. 

1888.  Polytecimic  Mag.,  35  Oct., 
258.  Whatever  you  have  to  say,  my 
friend,  Just    a  word  of  friendly  advice — 

BOIL    IT    DOWN. 

Phrases. — To  boil  the  pot 
=  to  gain  (or  supply)  one's  liveli- 
hood: hence  to  keep  the  pot 
BOILING  =  to  keep  going.  The 
BLOOD  BOILS  (of  Strong  emotion 
or  resentment).  To  boil  one's 
LOBSTER  =z  to  enter  the  army  after 
having  been  in  the  church. 

BOILED-SHIRT  (BILED-SHIRT  or  BOIL- 
ED-RAG), subs.  phr.  (American). — 
A  white  shirt:  cf.  bald-faced 
SHIRT. 

1S54.  McCluke,  Rocky  Mountains, 
412.  In  order  to  attend  the  Governor's 
reception,  I  borrowed  a  boiled  shirt, 
.ind  plunged  in  with  a  Byron  collar,  and 
polished  boots,  and  also  the  other  neces- 
sary apparel. 

i8[?].  Burton,  Songs  [Baktlett]. 
'T   was   only  last  night,  sure,  they  gave 

me  a  call 
To  deliver  a  lecture  at  Hibernia  Hall. 
I    put    on    a   BILED   shirt,  and  hastened 

there  quick. 
But    the    blackguards    did    serve  me  tlie 

divil's  own  trick. 

1869.  S.  L.  Clemens  ('  Mark  Twain  '), 
Innocents  at  Home,  xii.  They  had  a 
particular  and  malignant  animosity  to- 
ward  what  they  called  a  biled  shirt. 

1872.  Dublin  Univ.  Mag.,  Feb., 
219.  Every  man  arrays  himself  in  'store- 
clothes'  and  boiled  shirts. 

1888.  New  York  World,  13  May. 
Is  it  possible  that  the  Chicagoans  never 
heard  of  white  shirts  before  this  spring? 
May-be  the  street-railway  presidents 
never  saw  a  starched  shirt  {I  must  de- 
plore the  use  of  the  word  biled  as 
applied  to  shirts)  until  this  year. 


Boiler. 


iio 


Bold. 


Boiler,  subs.  (Winchester  College). 
—  I.  A  plain  coffee-pot  used 
for  heating  water:  called  four- 
penny  and  sixpenny  boilers,  not 
from  their  price,  but  from  the 
quantity  of  milk  they  will  hold  : 
TO  täv  boilers  were  large  tin 
saucepan-like  vessels  in  which 
water  for  hot  BIDETS  (^.z'.)  was 
heated. 

2.  See   POT   BOILER. 

3.  (Royal  Military  Academy). 
— A  boiled  potato:  fried  potatoes 
are  called  greasers. 

The  BOILERS  (or  brompton- 
BOILERS),  subs,  pin:  (old). — The 
Kensington  Museum  and  School 
of  Art:  in  allusion  to  the  pecul- 
iar form  of  the  buildings,  and 
the  fact  of  their  being  mainly 
composed  of,  and  covered  with, 
sheet  iron;  this  has  been  changed 
since  the  extensive  alterations  in 
the  building,  or  rather  pile  of 
buildings,  and  the  term  is  now 
applied  to  the  Bethnal  Green 
Museum:  see  pepper-boxes. 

1885.  Daily  News,  July  9,  5,  i. 
The  building  is  merely  a  fragment  of  the 
old  'Brompton  boilers,'  set  up  originally 
for  the  South  Kensington  Museum. 

BOILER-PLATED,  adj.phr.  (American). 
— Imperturbable;   stolid;  stoical. 

BOILING  (or  BILING),  subs.  phr. 
(common). — A  lot;  a  quantity;  a 
number  of  persons  or  things:  also 
CKIDIRON  {(J.v?)  and  SIIOOT  ((7.7'.). 

1833.  Halidurton  ('  Sam  Slick  '), 
Clockmakcr,  3  S.,  xviii.  The  last  mile, 
he  said,  tho'  the  shortest  one  of  the 
WHOLE  bilin',  took  the  longest  [timej 
to  do  it  by  a  jug-full. 


1S37.  Marry  AT,  Dog  Fiend,  xiii. 
[He]  may...  whip  the  whole  boiling 
of  us  off  to  the  Ingees. 

1852.  Dickens,  Bleak  Hoicse,  lix., 
496.  'And  the  whole  bileing  of  people 
was  mixed  up  in  the  same  business,  and 
no  other.' 


1S74.  E.  L.  Linton,  Patricia  Kern- 
ball,  xxii.  '  He  have  Dora  ?  No,  not  if 
he  licked  my  foot  for  her,  and  I  broke 
the    WHOLE  boiling  of  them — as  I  will!' 

2.     (Old    cant.). — A    discovery 
(Dekker). 

BOILING-HOUSE,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
An  eating-house:  sec  History  of 
Colouel  yack,   1723. 

BOINARD,  S2ib.  (old). — Alow  person: 
in  reproach  :  sec  Dcpos.  Rich.  II. 
8,    13;   Wright,   Amcd.  Lit.   9. 

BOISTEROUS-FELLOW  (or  SEA),  Sllbs. 

phr.     (B.E). — '  Blustering,      rude, 
rough.' 

BOKE,  S2tbs.  (American  thieves'). — 
The  nose:  see  BOCO. 

1893.  Emerson,  Signor  Lippo,  xx. 
I  was  knocked  silly  and  taken  to  the 
same  'orspital,  and  when  I  woke  I  was 
in  bed,  my  boko  all  plastered  up  like  a 
broken  arm,  and  a  gal  in  a  white  hat 
and  blue  dress  a-waiting  on  me — a  real 
lady,  no  kid. 

BOLD.  Bold  as  brass,  adv. phr.  (col- 
loquial).— Audaciously  forward  ; 
presumptuous  ;  without  shame. 
Shakspeare  uses  the  expression 
'  a  face  of  brass  '  :  sec  brass. 

1594.    Shakspeare,    Love's    Labour 
Lost,  v.,  2. 
Biron.  Thus  pour  the  stars  down  plagues 

for  perjury. 
Can    any    face    of    brass    hold    longer 

out? 


Boldriimptioiis . 


311 


Bolt. 


1846.  Ï1IACKERAY,  Vanity  Fair,  II., 
12.     He  came  in  us  bold  as  brass. 

1854.  Thackeray,  Lovel  the  Wid- 
dower,  195.  'A  nursery  governess  at 
the  wages  of  a  housemaid'  I  continued, 
Ì30LD  AS  Corinthian  brass. 

c.  1882.     Broadside   Ballad,    'Timothy 
Titus.' 
The    name    belongs    to    brave    men,    and 

I'm  as  BOLD  AS  brass. 

BOLDRUMPTIOUS,  ad;,  (colloquial), 
— Presumptions. 

BOLER  (also  BOWLER),  suòs.  (com- 
mon).— A  stiff  felt  hat  :  see  Gol- 
gotha. 

1861,  Sat.  Review,  Sept.  21,  297.  We 
are  informed  that  he  .  .  .  wore,  or  rather 
carried  in  his  hand,  a  white  bowler  hat. 

1882.  Peabodv,  Eng.  yonrnalisiit,\\\., 
158.  The  ministers,  in  bowlers  and 
pea-jackets,  are  to  be  found  upon  the 
shores  of  highland  lochs. 

i88g.  Aiis7uers,  June  8,  24.  IMost 
of  the  men  were  clothed  in  loud  and 
greasy  suits  of  tweed,  and  wore  what  are 
known  as  bowler  hats,  many  of  them 
much  the  worse  for  wear.  The  ladies 
affected  fine  and  smart  costumes,  but  as 
the  greater  part  of  their  dresses  had  seen 
long  months  of  service,  the  smartness 
was   somewhat    of  the    bedraggled  order. 

BOLLER,  (i.e.  BOWLER),  subs.  (old). 
A    tippler;    LUSHINGTON    {'/.v.); 

one    fond   of   the    flowing   bowl. 

15,.  Udal.  Erasmus,  36.  A  feloe 
hauying  sight  in  Phisiognomie. . .  when 
he  had  well  vewed  Socrates  gaue  plain 
sentence  that  he  was.  .  .  a  greate  boller 
of  wine,  and  a  vicious  foloer  of  all  naughtie 
appetites. 

BOLLY,  sit/is.  (Marlborough  Col- 
lege).— Pudding. 

BOLSTER-LECTURE,  suas.  phr.  (old). 
— .\  jobation  from  a  wife  when 
in  bed  ;  a  CURTAIN-LECTURE  {q.v^. 


BOLSTER-PUDDING,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  long  round  jam  pud- 
ding; a  ROLY-POLY  {q.v):  no 
doubt  from  its  shape. 

BOLT,  subs,  (old)  —The  throat.  As 
verb  =  to  eat  hurriedly  without 
chewing  ;  to  swallow  whole  ;  to 
gulp  down. 

1794.     Wolcot  ('P.  Pindar'),  Ode  to 
Tyrants,  in  Wks.  (Dublin,  1795},  vol.  II., 
327. 
Bold   push'd  the  Emp'ror  on,  with  stride 

so  noble. 
Bolting  his  subjects  with  majestic  gobble. 

1821.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
Jerry,  Act  iii..  Sc.  3.  Tom.  Here,  Dusty, 
my  prince,  now  then,  sluice  your  BOLT. 
[Gives  Bob  gin.)  Boo.  Veil,  your  honours, 
here's  luck.  (Bolts  gin.)  That's  a  re- 
gular  kwortern,    I   knows  by  my  mouth. 

1843.  Dickens,  Martin  Chnzzlewit, 
xvi.,  171.  Dyspeptic  individuals  bolt- 
ed their  food  in  wedges. 

1857.  Dickens,  Dorrit,  bk.  I.,  xiii., 
loi.  'Give  me  as  short  a  time  as  you 
like  to  BOLT  my  meals  in,  and  keep  me 
at  it.' 

1883.  Daily  Telegraph,  Jan.  10,  Si 
col.  3.  The  dangerous  habit  of  bolting 
a  light  luncheon  in  two  or  three  minutes. 

Verb  (old:  now  recognised). — 
I.  To  escape;  to  leave  suddenly. 

1668.  Etherege,  She  Would  if  She 
Could,  I.,  i.  (1704),  94.  Is  he  gone? 
Court.  Ay,  ay!  you  may  venture  to 
BOLT  now. 

17 1 2.  Arbuthnot,  Hist,  of  John 
Bull,  pt.  IV.,  vi.  Then,  of  a  sudden, 
BOLTING  into  the  room,  he  began  to 
tell... 

1752.  Fielding,  Amelia,  bk.  XL, 
vii.  In  his  way  home.  Booth  was  met 
by  a  lady  in  a  chair,  who  immediately 
upon  seeing  him...  bolted  out  of  it. 

1821.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
Jerry,  Act  i..  Sc.  7.  Log.  Come  along, 
then.  Now,  Jerry,  chivey  !  Jerry.  ÇXw^yi 
Log.    Mizzle?    Jerry.    Mizzle?    Log.    Tip 


Bolter. 


312 


Bolt-in-tun. 


your  rags  a  gallop!  Jerry.  Tip  my  rags 
a  gallop  ?  Log.  Walk  your  trotters! 
Jerry.  Walk  my  trotters?  Log.  Bolt! 
Jerry.  Bolt?  oh,  aye!  I'm  fly  now. 
You  mean  go. 

1837.  Barham,  /.  L.  (I^L  of  Venice). 
Jessy  ransack'd  the  house,  popp'd  her 
breeks  on,  and  when  so  Disguis'd,  bolted 
off  with  her  beau — one  Lorenzo. 

1843.  Dickens,  Martin  Chuzzlewit, 
ix.,  90.  He  was  more  strongly  temp- 
ed ..  .  to  make  excursive  bolts  into 
the  neighbouring  alleys  when  he  answer- 
ed the  door. 

2.  (American).  —  To  revolt 
against  party  rule,  as  'He  bolted 
the  party  nominations.'  Also  sub- 
stantively, as  '  He  has  organized 
a   BOLT.' 

1871.  Si.  Louis  Democrat,  3  April. 
'  Several  of  our  contemporaries  have 
announced  it  as  a  well-established  fact, 
that  Carl  Schurz  has  bolted  from  the 
Republican  party.  We  have  the  very 
best  authority  for  denying  the  report.' 

1888.  Daily  Inter-Oceaii,  3  Feb. 
What  the  Register  does  object  to  are  the 
fellows  who  BOLT  the  ticket  and  support 
the  opposition  candidate  when  they  can 
not  control  nominations. 

To  GET  THE  BOLT, ///r.  (thieves'). 
— To  be  sentenced  to  penal  serv- 
itude: cf.  BOAT. 

To  TURN  THE  CORNER  OF  BOLT 
STREET,  phr.  (common). — To  run 
away:     cf.      bolt     and     queer 

STREET. 

To  BOLT  (or  shoot)  THK  MOON. 

See  MOON. 

BOLTER,J-M/v.(old).-I.  Ävquot.  1748  : 
the  privileged  places  referred  to 
were  such  as  Whitefriars,  the 
Mint,  Higher  and  Lower  Alsa- 
tia,  etc. 

e.  1696.  B.E.  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
Bolter  ok  White  Friers,  c.  one  that 
Peeps  out,  but  dares  not  venture  abroad, 
as  a  Coney  bolts  out  of  the  Hole  in  a 
Warren,  and  starts  b.ick  again. 


1748.  T.  DvCHE,  Dictionary  {5  ed.). 
Bolter  (s.),  a  cant  name  for  one  who 
hides  himself  in  his  own  house,  or  some 
privileged  place,  and  dares  only  peep, 
but  not  go  out  of  his  retreat. 

2.  (common). — One  who  'bolts'  ; 
especially  applied  to  horses,  but 
figuratively  to  persons  in  the 
sense  of  one  given  to  throwing 
off  restraint;  in  American  par- 
lance one  who  kicks  {q.v.). 

1840.  Thackeray,  Paris  Sk.  Bk. 
(1872),  244.  The  engine  may  explode, , . 
or  be  a  bolter. 

1850.  F.  E.  Smedley,  Frank  Fair- 
legh,  xiii.  'Three  of  the  horses  had  never 
been  in  harness  before,  and  the  fourth 
was   a   BOLTER.' 

1852.  Dickens,  Bleak  House,  Iviii., 
483.  This  sparkling  sally  is  to  the  ef- 
fect that,  although  he  always  knew  she 
was  the  best-groomed  woman  in  the  stud, 
he  had  no  idea  she  was  a  bolter.  It  is 
immensely  received  in  turf-circles. 

1881.  C.  J.  Dlinphie,  The  Chameleon, 
17.  It  is  better  to  ride  a  steady  old 
plodder  than  to  trust  your  neck  to  a 
bolter. 

3.  (American). — One  who  ex- 
ercises the  right  of  abstention  in 
regard  to  party  requirements. 

1883.  Atlantic  Monthly,  LIL,  3*7. 
To  whom  a  'scratclier'  or  a  bolter  is 
more  hateful  than  the  Beast. 

1884.  American,  VIII.,  100.  To 
denounce  the  twenty-seven  as  bolters 
from  their  party. 

BOLT-IN-TUN, ///;•.  (London  thieves'). 
— Bolted  ;  run  away. 

1S19.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Memoirs.  A  term 
founded  on  the  cant  word  'bolt,'  and 
merely  a  fanciful  variation  very  common 
among  ßash  persons,  there  being  in 
London  a  famous  inn  so  called.  It  is 
customary  when  a  man  has  run  away 
from  his  lodgings,  broken  out  of  jail,  or 
made  any  other  sudden  movement,  to  say 
'the  BoLT-iN-TUN  is  concerned,'  or  'he's 
gone  to  the  Bolt-in-tun'  instead  of 
simply  saying,  '  he  has  bolted,'  etc. 


Bolsprit. 


313 


Bombo. 


BOLTSPRIT  (BOLTSPREET  or  BOW- 
SPRIT,«//'.f. (common). — The  nose  : 
see   CONK. 

1690.  Shadwei.l,  Amorous  Bigot, 
Act  V.  As  thou  lovest  thy  ears,  or  nose, 
that  BOLT-SPRIT  of  thy  face. 

1691.  Shadwell,  Scoiverers,  Act  v. 
They   do   not  consider  the  tenderness  of 

my    BOLT-SPRIT. 

c.  1696.  B.E.  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.  s.v. 
RoLTSPRiT,  a  Nose.  He  has  broke  his 
Boltsprit,  he  has  lost  his  Nose  with  the  Pox. 

1748.  T.  DvcHE,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Boltsprit  (s.),  a  cant  name  for  the  nose. 

Bolus,  subs,  (common). — An  apo- 
thecary ;  a  doctor. 

1878.  Hatton,  Cruel  London,  bk. 
VI.,  ii.  'The  doctor,  up  from  the  Indian 
bar,  came  and  said  I  was  wanted  in 
London'  .  .  .  'good  for  old  Bolus,'  said 
Kernan;  'and  I  believe  him.' 

Bo  MAN,  subs.  (old).  I.  A  gallant 
fellow. 

2.    (old). — A  hobgoblin,  or  kid- 
napper. 

BOMBARD-PHRASE,  stlbs.phr.  (old). — 
Grandiloquence  ;    high-faluting 

{fJ.V.);    FLEET-STREETESE   {q.V.). 

15..  Puttenham,  Art  of  Poes.  vii. 
173.  Their  bombard  phrase,  their  foot 
and  half  foot  words. 

1601.     Death  of  R.  Earle  of  Hunting- 
don. Remember,  once 
You  brav'd  us  with  your  bombard  boast- 
ing words. 

1650.  HowBLL,  Letters.  A  warrior 
appointed  by  heaven  in  the  edge  of  the 
sword,  a  persecutor  of  his  enemies,  a 
most  perfect  Jewell  of  the  blessed  tree, 
tlie  chiefest  keeper  of  the  crucified  God, 
ftc,  with  other  such  bomba rdicall  titles. 

BOMBAST,  stihs.  (old).— Inflated 
language  ;  BARNUMESE  ('/.î'.)  ; 
HIGH.FALUTING  (f.7/.).  Also  aS 
verb:    cf.   BOMBARD-PHRASE. 


1622.     Drayton,  Folyolb.  xxi 
Give    me    those    lines    (whose   touch    the 

skilful  ear  to  please) 
That   gliding  slow  in  state,  like  swelling 

Euphrates, 
In   which    things    natural   be,  and  not  in 

falsely  wrong. 
The  sounds  are  fine  and  smooth,  the  sense 

is  full  and  strong: 
Not  bombasted  with  words,  vain  ticklish 

ears  to  feed. 
But    such    as    may    content    the    perfect 

man  to  read. 

1622.     Taylor,  Motto. 
To  flourish  o're,  or  bumbast  out  my  stile, 
To  make  such  as  not  understand  me  smile. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Did.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
Bombast-poetry,  in  Words  of  lofty  Sound 
and  humble  Sense. 

See  BUMBASTE. 

BOMBAY-DUCKS,  siibs.  phr.  (old).— I. 
The  Bombay  regiments  of  the 
East  India  Company's  army. 

2.     A  well  known  delicacy:  see 

(|UOtS. 

1865.  G.  A.  Sala,  Daily  Tele- 
graph, 14  August,  5,4.  His  c«iVz;»^  was, 
with  the  occasional  interpolation  of  a. 
not  entirely  objectionable  curry,  accom- 
panied by  BOMBAY  DUCKS,  exclusively 
old-fashioned  English. 

1886.     G.  A.  Sala,  in  ///.  Lon.  News, 

7     August,     138,    2.      The   BOMBAY    DUCK   is 

the  Anglo-Indian  relation  of  the  Digby 
chick.  Alive,  it  is  a  fish  called  the 
bummelo;    dead    and   dried,  it  becomes  a 

DUCK. 

Bombo  (or  Bumbo),  subs,  (common). 
— A  nickname  given  to  various 
mixtures,  but  chiefly  to  cold 
punch.  Smollett,  in  a  note  in 
Roderick  Randoin,  speaks  of  it  as 
'  a  liquor  composed  of  rum, 
sugar,  water,  and  nutmeg.' 

1748.  Smollett,  Roderick  Random, 
xxxiv.  A  table  well  stored  with  bumbo 
and  wine. 

1867.  Smyth,  Sailors'  li'ord  Book. 
Bombo,  weak  cold  punch. 


Bonanza. 


314 


Bona-roba. 


a.  1886.  Northuiiib.  Song,  in  A'',  and 
Q.,  6  March,  195.  The  pitmen  and  the 
keelman  .  .  .   drink   bumbo   made  of  gin. 

Bona.    See  BONA-ROB.'^. 

Adj.      (theatrical). — Good  :    see 
RUMBO.  [Latin.] 

BONANZA,  S2dis.  (American).  —  A 
happy  hit  ;  a  stroke  of  fortune  ; 
a  success.  [Spanish  =  a  fair  wind, 
fine  weather,  prosperous  voyage.] 
Bonanza  was  originally  the  name 
of  a  mine  in  Nevada,  which  once, 
quite  unexpectly,  turned  out  to 
be  a  big  thing,  and  of  enormous 
value  ;  now  applied  to  any  lucky 
hit  or  successful  enterprise. 

1S47.  Northeyn  Mexico.  The  prin- 
cipal place  for  mining  is  at  the  foot  of 
a  naked  granite  mountain,  the  so  called 
Bonanza — Wizlizenus. 

1875.  Scribiier's  Mag.,  July,  272. 
But  a  BONANZA  with  millions  in  it  is  not 
struck  every  week. 

1873.  Boston  Herald,  Mar.  The 
buyer  of  the  lottery  tickets  is  ever  hopeful 
of  a  big  BONANZA,  that  he  may  recover 
the  thousands  of  dollars  sunk  during 
many  years  of  indulging  in  this  folly. 

1876.  Boston  Post.,  s  May.  The 
recent  rapid  decline  in  bonanza  stocks 
in  the  San  Francisco  market  has  occasi- 
oned considerable  uneasiness  among  the 
holders  of  these  securities  ...  A  reporter 
interviewed  Mr.  Tlood  on  the  subject. 
'J'he  BONANZA  king  was  bitterly  indignant 
at  the  means  employed  to  depreciate 
his  mines. 

1876.  I^'eiu  York  Tribune,  2  Mar- 
The  contract  fur  the  Legislative  printing, 
awarded  by  the  Controller  to  Parmenter, 
of  Troy,  has  been  generally  regarded 
here  as  in  the  nature  of  a  big  bonanza. 

1 888.  San  Francisco  News  Letter, 
4  Feb.  The  mines  along  the  veins  running 
north  and  south,  of  which  North  Belle  Isle 
is  the  center,  are  all  stayers,  and  in  the 
east  and  west  ledge  Grand  Prize  has 
entered  a  body  of  ore  which  may  <Ievelop 
into  a  bonanza  as  big  as  the  one  which 
paid  millions  in  dividends  in  years  gone  by. 


BONA-ROBA  (or  BOZA),  subs.  phr. 
(old). — A  courtesan  ;  a  showy  pros- 
titute. [Ital.  buona,  good,  -(-  ROBA 
=:  a  robe  or  dress.]  The  term 
was  much  in  use  among  the  older 
dramatists.  Ben  Jonson  speaks 
of  a  bouncing  BONA-ROBA;  and 
Cowley  seems  to  have  considered 
it  as  implying  a  fine,  tall  figure. 
Bona  (modern)  ■=.  a  girl  or  young 
woman,  without  reference  to 
morals. 

I\Iis.  of  Inf.  M.  [DoDSLEV,  Old  Plays 
(Reed)  v.  75].  Wenches,  bona-robas, 
blessed  beauties,  without  colour  or  coun- 
terfeit. 

1398.  Shakspeare,  2  Henry  IV., 
iii.,  2.  We  knew  where  the  bona-robas 
were;  and  had  the  best  of  them  all  at 
commandment. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  2  Hen.  IV.,  iii., 
2.  Shallcnu.  And  is  Jane  Night  work 
alive?  .  .  .  She  was  a  bona-roba  .  .  . 
certain  she's  old,  and  had  Robin  Night- 
work  by  old  Nightwork  before  I  came  to 
Clement's  Inn. 

b.  1618,  d.  1667.  CowLEV,  Essay  on 
Greatness  (quoted  by  Nares).  I  would 
neither  wish  that  my  mistress  nor  my 
fortune  should  be  a  bona-roba  ; — but  as 
Lucretius  says,  Parvnla,  piiinilio,  tota 
meruin  sal. 

1822.  Scott,  N'igei,  .\vi.  Vour  lord- 
ship is  for  a  frolic  into  Alsatia  ?  .  .  . 
there  are  bona-robas  to  be  found  there. 

1839.  Harrison  Ainsworth,  Jack 
Sheppard  [:888],  69.  The  other  bona- 
KOBA,  known  amongst  her  companions 
as  Mistress  Poll  Maggot,  was  a  beauty 
on  a  much  larger  scale — in  fact,  a  perfect 
Amazon. 

c.  i8[.>].  Broadside  Ballad,  Oh,  Fred, 
don't  be  so  frivolous.  Girls  are  in  vulgar 
called  donas.  Some  are  called  Miss  and  some 
Mrs.  The  best  of  them  all  are  called  BONAS. 

161T.     CoTGRAVE,  Diet.  s.v.  Robbe.  X. 

16..     Tarleton,  yests,  s.v. 

c.  1650.  Brathwaith,  Drunken  Bar- 
nabys  Jl.  (1723).  93.  Once  a  bona-roba, 
trust  nie,  though  now  buttock-shrunk 
and  rusty. 


Bona-socias. 


315 


Bone. 


1309.  Malkix,  Gil  Blas  [R  utledge], 
72.  As  eccentric  as  any  bona-roba  of 
the  Green-room. 


BONA-SOCIAS,  subs.  plir.  (old). — 
Good  companions,  properly  BON 
socios. 


c.  1600.  jSIerry  Devil  of  Edmoiitoii, 
[DoDSLEY,  Old  Plays  (Reed),  v.  268]. 
The  Knaves  Keepers  are  my  bona-socias, 
and  my  pensioners. 


Bonce,    subs,    (popular). — i. 
head:  see  crumpet. 


The 


2.      (schoolboys').  —  A     large 
marble:  see  alley. 


Bond.  Our  lady's  bond,  subs. 
phr.  (old). — Pregnancy  confine- 
ment. 

Bone,  subs.  (American). —  i.  A  bribe 
to  a  custom's  officer:  of  a  trav- 
eller, in  passing  his  luggage 
through  the  Custom  House,  in  the 
expectation  that  the  latter's  ex- 
amination will  be  superficial. 

2.  (colloquial).  —  Something 
relished  (1884). 

Adj.  (thieves'). — Good  ;  excel- 
lent; <>  is  the  vagabonds'  hiero- 
glyphic for  BONE,  or  good,  chalked 
by  them  on  houses  and  street 
corners  as  a  hint  to  succeeding 
beggars. 

1851-61.  H.  Mavhew,  London  Lab. 
and  Lon.  Poor,  vol.  L,  232.  He  [beggar] 
mostly  chalks  a  signal  on  or  near  the 
door.  I  give  one  or  two  instances. 
O  'BONE,'  meaning  good. 

Verb  (old).— I.  To  filch;  to 
steal  ;  to  make  off  with  ;  to  lake 
into  custody. 


c.  1696.  B.E,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.  s.v. 
Bone,  c.  to  Apprehend,  Seize,  Take  or 
Arrest.  PU  bonne  ye,  c.  I'll  cause  you 
to  be  Arrested.  We  shall  be  bon'd  c. 
we  shall  be  Apprehended  for  the  Rob- 
bery. The  Cove  is  bon'd  and  gone  to 
the  H'hit,  c.  the  Rogue  is  taken  up  and 
carried  to  Newgate,  or  any  other  Goal. 
The  Cull  has  bon'd  /he  Pen,  (for  Pence) 
or  Bloss  that  bit  the  Bloiu,  c.  the  Man 
has  Taken  the  Thief  that  Robb'd  his 
House,  Shop,  or  Pickt  hi»  Pocket.  He 
has  bit  his  Blow,  but  if  he  be  bon'd, 
he  mast  shove  the  Tiunbler,  c.  he  has 
Stole  the  Goods,  or  done  the  Feat,  but 
if  he  be  Taken,  he'll  be  Whipt  at  the 
Cart-tail.  /  have  bon'd  her  Dudds  Fags' d, 
and  Brush' d,  c.  I  have  took  away  my 
Misstress  Cloathes,  Beat  her,  and  am 
troop'd  off.  Boning  the  Fence,  c.  finding 
the  Goods  where  Coiiceal'd,  and  Seizing, 
he  made  no  bones  of  it,  he  swallow'd  it 
without  Drinking  after  it. 

1748.  T.  Dyche,  Dictionary  (5  ed.j. 
Bone  (v.),  a  cant  word  to  seize  or  arrest  ; 
also  to  cheat  or  strip  a  person  of  his 
money  or  goods. 

1S19.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Memoirs  H.,  157. 
Tell  us  how  you  was  boned,  signifies 
tell  us  the  story  of  your  apprehension,  a 
common  request  among  fellow-prisoners 
in  a  jail,  which  is  readily  complied  with 
as  a  rule  ;  and  the  various  circumstances 
therein  related  afford  present  amusement, 
and  also  useful  hints  for  regulating  their 
future  operations,  so  as  to  avoid  the  like 
misfortune. 

1S38.  Dickens,  Nich.  Nickleby  Ivii., 
467.  '  And  why  you  were  living  so 
quiet  here  and  what  you  had  boned, 
and   who  you  had  boned  it  from,  wasn't 

it?' 

1S61.  Miss  Braddon,  Trail  of  the 
Serpent,  bk.  H.,  ii.  '  I'm  blest  if  he  hasn't 
been  and  boned  my  mug.  I  hope  it'll 
do  him  more  good  than  it's  done  me.' 

1871.  Chamber's  fotirnal,  Dec.  9, 
A  Double  Event,  774.  It  would  be  a 
breach  of  confidence  to  tell  you  how  it 
was  arranged,  but,  after  some  haggling, 
it  was  arranged  that,  on  the  understand- 
ing that  I  gave  up  the  securities,  I  was 
to  BONE  the  reward  which  the  detectives 
had  missed. 


Bone. 


316 


Bone. 


2.  (American). — To  bribe;  to 
grease  the  palm  :  see  bone,  subs. 

3.  (American  cadets').  —  To 
study  :  see  bohn.    Hence  to  bone 

INTO  IT  (or  bone  standing)  := 
to  apply  oneself  closely  ;  to  study 
hard. 

The  ten  bones  (or  command- 
ments), subs.  phr.  (old). — The 
fingers  :  spec,  of  a  woman  as  in 
the  asseveration,  'By  these  ten 
bones':  once  a  common  oath  in 
reference  to  the  Decalogue. 

c.  1485.  Digby  Myst.  (1882),  4,  note. 
By  thes  bonvs  ten  thei  be  to  you  vntrue. 

c.  1540.  Heywood.  Four  P's  [Dod- 
SLEY,  Old  Plays  (Reed),  i.  92].  Now  ten 
tymes  I  beseche  hym  that  hye  syttes, 
'J'hy  wives  ten  commandements  may 
serch  thy  five  wyttes. 

1542.  Udal,  Erasiniis,  27.  [Socrates 
is  advised  to  use  his  tenne  commaunde- 
MENTES  in  a  brawl.] 

1562.  Jacke  Juggeler  Dodsley,  Old 
Plays  (Hazlitt),  ii.  125].  I  am  a  servant 
of  this  house,  by  these  ten  bones. 

c.  1575.  Am  Ballai  of  Matrymonie 
[Laing,  Early  Pop.  Poet.  Scotland,  ii. 
76].  She  .  .  .  pylled  the  barke  even  of 
hys  face  With  her  commaundements 
ten. 

1589.  Pappe  with  Hatchet,  Ciiij.  b, 
Martin  swears  by  his  ten  bones. 

1593.  Shakspeare,  2  Henry  l'I.,  1. 
3.  Could  I  come  near  your  beauty  with 
my  nails,  I'd  set  my  ten  commandments 
in  your  face.  lòid.,  i.  4.  Bv  these  ten 
BONES,  my  lord  [holding  up  his  hands], 
he  did  speak  lo  me  in  the  garret  one 
night. 


1607.  Dekker,  Westw.  Hoe,  v.  3. 
Your  harpy  that  set  his  ten  command- 
ments upon  my  back, 

1609.  Fletcher,  Monsieur  Thomas, 
iv.  2.  By  these  ten  bones,  sir,  if  these 
eyes  and  ears  Can  hear  and  see.  Ibid. 
(c.  1613),    Woman's  Prize,  i.  3.     I'll  devil 

em,    BY   THESE    TEN    BONES,    I    will. 

1621.  Jonson,  Masque  of  Gipsies, 
vi.  84.  I  swear  BY  these  ten  You  shall 
have  it  again. 

1648.  Herrick,  Hesperides  [Haz- 
litt, i.  209].  Skurffe  by  his  nine-bones 
swears,  and  well  he  may.  All  know  a 
fellon  eat  the  tenth  away. 

1814.  Scott,  Waverley,  xxx.  I'll 
set  my  ten  commandments  in  the  face 
of  the  first  loon  that  lays  a  finger  on  him 

1830.  Marryat,  King's  Own,  xl. 
I'll  write  the  ten  commandments  on 
your  face. 

1842.  Longfellow,  Sp.  Student, 
iii.  3.  In  with  you,  and  be  busy  with  the 
TEN  commandments,  Under  the  sly. 

1903.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  6  Ap.  2.  3. 
The  mother  attacked  the  unfortunate 
master,  and  began  the  time-honoured  but 
painful  ceremony  of  setting  her  ten 
commandments  in  his  face,  while  her 
hopeful  offspring  got  the  school  cane  and 
belaboured  his  instructor. 

A  nONE  IN  THE  ARM  (l.EG, 
throat,  etc.),  fhr.  (common). — 
A  feigned  obstacle;  a  humorous 
reason  for  declining  to  do  any- 
thing. 

1542.  Nicholas  Udall,  Erasmus's 
Apcphthcgines  {1S77,  Reprint  of  ed.  1562), 
375.  He  refused  to  speake,  allegeing 
that  HE  HAD  a  bone  IN  HIS  THROTE,  and 
he  could  not  speake. 


1595.  Locrine  [Shaks.,  Suppt.,  ii. 
242].  I  trembled,  fearing  she  would  set 
her  TEN  COMMANDMENTS  in  my  face. 

1597.  Lyly,  IVoman  in  Moon,  v. 
Now  he  swears  BV  his  ten  dones. 


1709.  Swift,  Polite  Conversation 
(conv.  iii.).  Nez'.  Miss,  come,  be  kind, 
for  once,  and  order  me  a  dish  of  coffee. 
Miss.  Pray  go  yourself;  let  us  wear  out 
the  oldest  first  ;  besides,  I  can't  go,  for  I 

HAVE    A    bone    in    MV    LEG. 


Bone. 


317 


Bone. 


A  BONE  TO  PICK  WITH  ONE, 
phr.  (old). — A  difficulty  to  solve, 
nut  to  crack,  a  matter  of  dispute, 
something  disagreeable  needing 
explanation,  a  settlement  to  make. 

1565.  COLFHILL,  Ansv).  Treat.  Cron. 
(1846),  277.     A  BONE  for  you  to  pick  on. 

1580.  LvLY,  Eiiphues.  When  the 
company  was  dissolved,  Camilla  not  think- 
ing to  receive  an  answere,  but  a  lecture, 
went  to  her  Italian  booke,  where  she 
found  the  letter  of  Philautus,  who  with- 
out any  further  advise,  as  one  very  much 
offended,    or    in   a  great  heate,  sent  him 

this    BONE    to   gnaw    ON. 

1581.  Rich,  Faren.  mil.  Prof.  My 
maide,  who  shall  of  purpose  be  readie 
to  waite  for  your  commyng  at  the  houre, 
shall  MAKE  NO  BONES  to  deliver  you  this 
male. 

1614.      Terence  in  English. 
C.  This  is  strange  as  God  helpe  me. 
T.  I  have  given  them  a  bone  to  picke. 

1665.     Homer  ii  la  Mode. 
This   when  she  said,  her  wall-ey'd  maid 
Made   no  more  bones  on't,  but  obey'd. 

1749.  Smollett,  Gil  Bias  (1812), 
III.,  iii.  If  you  are  dextrous  enough  to 
acquire  his  confidence,  he  may  give  you 
some  pretty  bone  to  pick. 

17S3.  AiNSwoRTH,  Lat.  Diet.  (Mo- 
rell),  I  s.v.  Pick,  To  give  one  a  bone 
TO  PICK,  scrupiihi>n  aliceli  injicere. 

1850-68.  H.  Rogers,  Ess.  II.,  ii.  (1874), 
103.  Many  a  bone  in  these  lectures  which 
a  keen  metaphysician  would  be  disposed 
TO  PICK  WITH  the  author. 

A  BONE  IN  THE  MONTH,  phr. 
(nautical). — A  ship  is  said  to 
carry  a  bone  in  her  mouth,  and 
cut  a  feather,  when  she  makes 
the  water  foam  before  her  (How- 
ell). 

A  BONE  OF  CONTENTION,  Sllbs. 
phr.  (colloquial). — A  source  of 
contention  or  discord. 


1766.  Brooke,  Fool  of  Quality,  i., 
249.  While  any  flesh  remains  on  a  bone, 
it  continues  a  bone  of  contention. 

1S36.     Hood,  liliss  Kilinansegg. 
Now  the  precious  leg  while  cash  was  flush. 
Or  the  Count's  acceptance  worth  a  rush, 

Had  never  excited  dissension; 
But   no    sooner   the  stocks  began  to  fall, 
Than,  without  any  ossification  at  all, 
The  limb  became  what  people  call 

A  perfect  bone  of  contention. 

As  DRY  or  HARD  AS  A  BONE, 
phr.  (common),  i.e.,  as  free  from 
moisture  as  a  bone  after  it  has 
been  picked  and  cleaned,  as  by 
a  dog, 

1833.     Marrvat,     Peter    Simple    i. 

It's    as    DRV    as    a    bone. 

1837.     R.   NicoLL,   Poems  (1843),  83. 
Dubs  were  hard  as  onv  bane. 

Phrases  and  colloquialisms: 
— To  MAKE  BONES  OF  =  to  make 
objection  to,  have  scruples  of, 
hestitate.  To  FIND  bones  in  = 
to  be  unable  to  credit,  believe, 
or  'swallow.'  To  put  a  bone 
to  one's  hood  =  to  break  one's 
head.  One  end  is  pretty  sure 
TO  be  bone  =:  an  old-time  saying 
equivalent  to  an  admission  that 
'all  is  not  gold  that  glitters'; 
that  the  realization  of  one's  hopes 
never  comes  up  to  the  ideal  formed. 

To      BE      UPON      THE      BONES     = 

to  attack  (16 16).  To  feel  a 
thing  in  one's  bones  =  assur- 
ance: conviction. 

1459.  Paston  Lett.,  331,  I.,  444.  And 
fond  that  tyme  no  bonvs  in  the  matere. 

1542.  Udall,  Apoph.  of  Erasmus, 
133  (1877).  Yea,  and  rather  then  faill,  both 
whole  mainor  places,  and  also  whole 
Lordships,  the  'make  no  bones,  ne 
sticke  not,  quite  and  clene  to  swallow 
doune  the  narrow  lane,  and  the  same  to 
spue  up  again.' 


Bone-ache. 


318 


Boned. 


1563.  Shacklock,  Hatchet  of  Here- 
sies. And  instede  of  that  whiche  he 
saide,  This  is  my  body,  they  haue  made 
NO  BONES  AT  IT,  to  say,  this  is  my  brade. 

1590.  Greene,  Francesco' s  Fortuite, 
in  Wks.  VIII.,  1S9.  Tricke  thy  selfe  vp  in 
thy  best  reparrell,  and  make  no  bones 
at  it  but  on  a  woing  [wooing]. 

1596.  Nashe,  Saffron  Waiden,  in 
Wks.  Ill,,  112.  He  .  ,  .  would  make  no 
BONES  to  take  the  wall  of  Sir  Philip 
Sidnev. 

b.  1616,  d.  1704.  Sir  R.  L'EsTR.\NGE 
(in  Annandale).     Puss  had  a  month's  mind 

TO    BE    UPON    THE    BONES    OF    him,    but  WaS 

not  willing  to  pick  a  quarrel. 

1677.  WvcHERLEY,  Plain  Dealer, 
Act  iii.  Man.  How  could  I  refrain?  A 
lawyer  talked  peremptorily  and  saucily 
to  me,  and  as  good  as  gave  me  the  lie. 
Free.  They  do  it  so  often  to  one  another 
at  the  bar,  that  they  m.-\ke  no  bones 
on't  elsewhere. 

1849.  Thackeray,  Pendennis,  Ixiv. 
Do  you  think  that  the  Government  or 
the  Opposition  would  make  any  bones 
about  accepting  the  seat  if  it  be  offered 
to  them  ? 

1887.  Scribner's  Magazine..  I  ain"t 
a-goin'  to  mention  no  names  but  I  kin 
FEEL  IT  IN  my  BONES  that  things  ain't 
on  the  square  here,  there's  a  nigger  in 
the  fence. 

1888.  Missouri  Republican,  22  Feb. 
Nat._  M.  Shelton,  of  Lancaster,  said:  'I 
am  in  the  race  for  attorney-general,  and 

I     FEEL    IT    IN     MY    BONES    that    I    will    get 

the  nomination. 

1888.  The  World,  13  May.  People  here 
(in  the  west)  have  to  get  up  and  get  in 
order  to  make  both  ends  meet,  and  even 

then  ONE  END  IS  PRETTY  SIRE  TO  BE  BONE. 

Bone-ache,  subs.  phr.  (old).— The 
Ines  venerea:  also  Neapolitan 
BONE-ACHE    and   BONE-AGUE;   see 

LADIES   FEVER. 

1392.  Nashe,  Pierce  Pcnilesse.  But 
cncullus  non  facit  monachuni — '  tis  not 
their  newe  bonnets  will  kcepc  them  from 

ths  old    BOAN-ACK. 


1606.  Shakspeare,  Tro.  and  C,  ii., 
3.  After  this  the  vengeance  on  the 
whole  camp!  or  rather  the  bone-ache! 
for  that,  methinks,  is  the  curse  dependent 
on  those  that  war  for  a  placket. 

1659.  Clobery,  Divine  Glimpses. 
Which    they   so   dearly  pay  for,  that  oft 

times 
They  a  bone-ague  get    to    plague    their 

crimes. 

BONE-BASTER,  subs.  phr.  (colloquial). 
— A  Staff;  a  cudgel  (1600). 

Bone-box,  stibs.  phr.  (common). — 
The  mouth:  see  potato-trap. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  0/  the  Vul- 
gar Tongue.  Shut  your  bone-box;  shut 
your  mouth. 

Bone-breaker,  subs. phr.  (common). 
— Fever  and  ague. 

Bone-cart,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
The  body.  Moor  gives  it  as  a 
verb,  to  carry  on  the  shoulder 
articles  more  fitted  from  their 
weight  to  be  moved  in  a  cart 
(Halliwell). 

Bone-cleaner,  subs.  phr.  (collo- 
quial).— A  servant. 

Bone-crusher,  subs. phr.  (sporting). 
— A  heavy-bore  rifle  used  for  kil- 
ling big  game  :  rf.  bone-shaker. 

1872.  H.  I\I.  Stanley,  How  I  Found 
Livingstone  (2  ed.),  63.  African  game 
require  bone-CRUSHERS;  for  any  ordinary 
carbine  possesses  sufficient  penetrative 
qualities,  yet  has  not  the  disabling  quali- 
ties which  a  gun  must  possess  to  be 
useful  in  the  hands  of  an  walls  in 
'promising'  neighbourhoods  stands  for 
'  bone,'  a  corruption  of  the  French  'bon,' 
as  a  hint  to  succeeding  vagebonds  that 
they  will  find  the  happiest  of  hunting- 
grounds  in  the  locality. 

Bone-dry,  adj.  phr.  (colloquial).— 
Perfectly  dry. 

Boned.     See   bone,   verb,    sense    i 


Bone- Grubber. 


319 


Bones. 


Bone-grubber,  suòs.phr.  (common). 

—  I.  One  who  lives  by  collecting 
bones  from  heaps  of  refuse,  sell- 
ing his  spoils  at  the  marine 
stores,  or  to  bone  grinders.  Fr. 
liiffin  (which  also  =:  a  foot-soldier, 
his  knapsack  being  compared  to 
a  rag  or  bone-picker's  basket); 
chifferton  (or  chiffortin)  ;  aipidon 
(an  ironical  allusion  to  his  hook 
and  basket)  grappin. 

c.  1750.  'The  Hunter's  Wedding,' 
quoted  in  J.  Ashton's  The  Fleet,  1888, 
366. 

Sam  the  grubber,  he  having  had 
warning, 

His  wallet  and  broom  down  did  lay. 

1851-61.  H.  Mayhew,  Loii.  Lab.  and 
Lon.  Poor,  H.,  155.  The  bone-grubber 
generally  seeks  out  the  narrow  back 
streets,  where  dust  and  refuse  are  cast, 
01  where  any  dust-bins  are  accessible. 
The  articles  for  which  he  chiefly  searches 
are  rags  and  bones, — rags  he  prefers, — 
but  waste  metals,  such  as  bits  of  lead, 
pewter,  copper,  brass,  or  old  iron,  he 
prizes  above  all. 

1862  Mayhew,  Crini.  Prisons,  40. 
A  black-chinned  andlanthorn-jawedaoNE- 

GRUBBER. 

2.  (old).  •  A  resurrectionist  ;  a 
violator  of  graves  :  Cobbett  was 
called  'a  bone-grubber,'  be- 
cause he  brought  the  remains 
of  Tom  Paine  from  America. 
Latterly  the  term  includes  all 
having  to  do  with  funerals. 

1863.  G.  A.  Sala,  Breakfast  in  Bed, 
essay  vii.,  181  (1864).  The  crowd  in 
Cheapside  declared  that  I  was  a  mute. 
They  called  me  a  bonegrubber. 

Bone-house,  subs.pkr.  (colloquial). 

—  I.  The  human  body. 

1870.  Emerson,  Soc.  and  Sol.,  vi., 
119.  This  wonderful  bone-house  which 
is  called  man. 

2.  (common). — A  coffin  :  also 
a  charnel-house.  Americans  gener- 
ally call  a  cemetery  a  bone-yard. 


1836.  Dickens,  Piclnuick  Papers' 
II.,  207.  Nothing  soon — lie  in  bed — starve 
— die — inquest — little  BONE-HOUSE — poor 
prisoner. 

1846.  Walbran,  Guide  Ripoit.  The 
celebrated   bone-house   no  longer  exists. 

1848.  Forster,  Li/e  and  Times  of 
Oliver  Goldsmith,  11.,  165  (bk.  IV.,  ch. 
viii).  The  body  [of  a  man  who  had 
poisoned  himself]  was  taken  to  the  bone- 
house  of  St.  Andrew's,  but  no  one  came 
to  claim  it. 

Bone-lazy,  adj.  phr.  (colloquial). — 
Excessively  indolent. 

BONE  Muscle,  verb.  phr.  (Ameri- 
can college). — To  practice  gymnas- 
tics: see  BONE,  verb,  sense  3. 

BONE-PICKER,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
—  I.  A  footman:  Fr.  larbin. 

2.  (common). — A  collector  of 
bones,  rags,  and  other  refuse 
from  the  streets  and  places  where 
rubbish  is  placed,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  sale  to  marine  dealers 
and  bone  crushers  ;  a  BONE-GRUB- 

BER   (^.Z'.). 

1866.  RusKiN,  Croton  of  Wild  Olives, 
25.  The  deceased  was  a  bone-picker. 
He  was  in  the  lowest  stage  of  poverty, 
etc. 

BONE-POLISHER,  j«/'j.//;;'.  (common). 
The  cat-o'-nine-tails. 

BONER,  subs.  (Winchester  College). 
— A  sharp  blow  on  the  spine. 

BONES,  subs,  (common). — i.  Dice: 
also  St.  Hugh's  bones  {ji-v^. 
Hence,  TO  rattle  the  bones  = 
to  play  at  dice. 

c.  1386.  Chaucer,  Pard.  T.,  328. 
This  fruyt  cometh  of  the  bicched  bones 
two,  Forsweryng,  Ire,  Falsnesse,  Homy- 
cide. 

a.  1529.  Skelton,  U'ks.  (ed.  Dyce) 
I.,  52.  On  the  borde  he  whyrled  a  payre 
of  bones. 


Bones. 


320 


Bonesetter. 


1608.  Dekker,  Belman  of  London, 
in  Wks.  (Grosart)  111.,  123.  Who  being 
left  by  his  parents  rich  in  money  and 
possessions,  hath  to  the  musicke  of  square 
ratling  bones  danced  so  long,  that  hee 
hath  danced  himselfe  into  the  company 
of  beggers. 

1662.     Rump  Songs,  ii.,   152. 
Crispin  and  he  were  near  of  Kin, 
The  gentle  craft  had  a  noble  Twin, 
But  he'd  give  St.  Hugh's  bones  to  save 
his  skin. 

1698.     Drvden,  Persius,  III.,  96. 
But  then  my  study  was  to  cog  the  dice, 
And  dexterously  to  throw  the  lucky  sice: 
To  shun  ames-ace,  that  swept  my  stakes 

away  ; 
And  watch  the  box,  for  fear  they  should 

convey 
False  BONES,  and  put  upon  me  in  the  play. 

1767.     Ray,  Proverbs,  65.  sv. 

1772.  FooTE,  Nabob,  Act  ii.  When 
your  chance  is  low,  as  tray,  ace,  or  two 
deuces,  the  best  method  is  to  dribble  out 
the  bones  from  the  box. 

1849.  Thackeray,  Pendennis,  xviii. 
'I  saw  you  sit  down  to  écarté  last  week 
at  Trumpington's,  and  taking  your  turn 
with  the  BONES  after  Ringwood's  supper.' 

1861.  Whyte  Melville,  Good  for 
Nothing,  xxviii.  'What  with  specula- 
tions failing,  and  Consols  dropping  all  at 
once,  not  to  mention  a  continual  run  of 
ill-luck  with  the  bones,  I  saw  no  way 
out  of  it  but  to  bolt.' 

2.  (common). — Pieces  of  bones 
held  between  the  fingers,  and 
played  Spanish  castanet  fashion, 
used  as  an  accompaniment  to 
banjo  and  other  '  negro  '  minstrel 
music:  In  minstrel  'shows'  one 
of  the  'lud'  men  is  called  bones. 

1592.  Shakspeare,  Midsummer 
Night's  Dream,  iv.,  1,  1.  27.  Tita. 
What,  wilt  thou  hear  some  music,  my 
sweet  love.*  Bot.  I  have  a  reasonable 
good  ear  in  music:  let  us  have  the  tongs 
and  the  bones. 

1851.  Mavhew,  London  Labour  ana 
London  Poor,  ni.,  195.  Peter  rolling 
about  in  his  chair  like  a  serenader  play- 


ing the  bones,  and  the  young  Othello 
laughing  as  if  he  was  being  tickled. 
Ibid,  201.  The  bones,  we've  real  bones, 
rib-of-beef  bones,  but  some  have  ebony 
bones,  which  sound  better  than  rib-BONES 
— they  tell  best,  etc. 

1865.  Times,  17  July.  Amateur 
negro  melodists  .  .  .  thumped  the  banjo 
and  rattled  the  bones. 

3.  (common). —  A  member  of 
a  'negro' minstrel  troupe;  gener- 
ally applied  to  one  of  the  '  end  ' 
men  who  plays  the  BONES  (sense  2). 

1851.  Mavhew,  London  Labour  and 
London  Poor,  111.  First  of  all  we  formed 
a  school  of  three — two  banjos  and  a 
tambourine,  and  after  that  we  added  a 
BONES  and  a  fiddle. 

1867.  Rhoda  Broughton,  Cometh 
up  as  a  Flower,  236.  The  band  clashes 
out;  big  fiddle  and  little  fiddle,  harp  and 
bones,  off  they  go. 

1884.  Sat.  Rez'ic-w,  June  7,  740,  i. 
A  single  row  of  negro  minstrels,  seated 
on  chairs  .  .  .  while  at  the  end  are  bones 
and  Sambo. 

4.  (common). — The  bones  of 
the  human  body,  but  more  gener- 
ally applied  to  the  teeth:  Fr. 
piioches  (/.);  and  osselots  (m.): 
cf.  BONE-BOX,  BONE-HOUSE  and 
GRINDERS. 

5.  (common). — A  surgeon;  saw- 
bones (^.i'.). 

1887.  Chamb.  Journal,  Jan.  8,  30. 
'I  have  sent  for  the  village  bones,  and 
if  he  can  but  patch  me  up,  it  may  not 
yet  be  too  late. 

6.  (Stock  Exchange).— (i).  The 
shares  of  Wickens,  Pease  and  Co.  ; 
(2)  North  British  4%  ist  Pref- 
erence Shares;  the  4%  2nd 
Preference    Stock    are   Bonetas. 

Bonesetter,  subs.  (old). — A  hard 
riding  horse;  a  rickety  convey- 
ance: cf.  BONESHAKER. 


Bone-shake. 


321 


Bonk. 


1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  Bone-setter,  a  hard 
trotting  horse. 

1821.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
yerry,  Act  i.,  Sc.  7.  Jerry.  I  long  to 
be  there, — let's  hasten  to  dress  at  once. 
Log.  Aye  ;  call  a  rattler.  Jerry.  A 
rattler  !  I'm  at  fault  again.  Log.  A 
rattler  is  a  rumbler,  otherwise  a  jarvey  ! 
better  known  perhaps  by  the  name  of  a 
hack;  handy  enough  in  a  wet  day,  or  a 
hurry.  Jerry.  A  hack  !  If  it's  the  thing 
we  rattled  over  the  stones  in  to-day,  it 
might  more  properly  be  called  a  bone- 
setter.  Tom.  Or  bone-breaker. — But  if 
you  dislike  going  in  a  hack,  we'll  get  you 
a  mab.  Jerry.  A  mab  !  I'm  at  fault  again 
— never  shall  get  properly  broken  in. 
Tom.  A  mab  is  a  jingling  jarvey, — a  cab- 
riolet, Jerry. — But  we  must  mind  our 
flash  doesn't  peep  out  at  Almack's.  'Tis 
classic  ground  there. 

BONE-SHAKE,  verb.  phr.  (popular). — 
To   ride    a   bone-shaker    {q.v.). 

BONE-SHAKER,  subs.  (old). —  I.  A 
hard  trotting  horse:  see  BONE- 
SETTER. 

2.  (cycling). — An  '  ordinary,' 
as  distinguished  from  a  '  safety,' 
a  type  of  bicycle  in  use  prior  to 
the  introduction  of  india-rubber 
tyres  and  other  manifold  improve- 
ments. 

1889.  Answers,  Feb.  23,  195,  i, 
Amonfc  those  who  learnt  to  boneshake 
was  Charles  Dickens,  who,  had  he  lived, 
would  have  been  a  devoted  cyclist. 

1874.  A.  Howard,  Bicycle,  10.  In 
1870  and  1871,  the  low,  long  bone-shaker 
began  to  fall  in  public  esteem. 

1884.  G.  L.  HiLLiER,  in  Longman's 
Mag.,  March,  4S7.  The  bone-shaker, 
as  the  ribald  cyclist  of  the  present  day 
designates  the  ancestor  of  his  present 
bicycle. 

1885.  Nineteenth  Century,  Jan.,  92. 
In  the  Field's  report  of  the  performance 
of  the  Cambridge  Town  Bicycle  Club  we 
find  this  entry:  'Half  Mile  Race  on 
BONE-SHAKERS,  not  exceeding  36  in.' 


1901.  Troddles,  44.  Fetch  out  your 
trusty  untamed  steeds,  furbish  up  your 
bone-shakers,  and  come  along  of  I.  I 
have  got  invitations  to  the  meet  at  Wim- 
bledon. 

BONE-SORE,  adj.  phr.  (colloquial). 
— Very  idle:  sometimes  bone- 
TIRED  is  used  in  the  same  sense. 

BONE-STANDiNG,  verbal  phr.  (Ame- 
rican college):  see  bone,  verb. 

BONETTAS,  subs.  (Stock  Exchange). 
—The  4%  2nd  North  British  2nd 
Preference  Stock  :  see  bones,  stibs., 
sense  6,  §  2. 

Bong. — See  BouNG. 

BONIFACE,  siibs.  (popular).  —  The 
landlord  of  a  tavern  or  inn.  [From 
Farquhar's  play]. 

1707.  Farquhar,  Beaiix'  Stratagem. 
[Boniface  is  here  given  as  the  name  of 
the  landlord  of  the  inn.] 

1803.  Bristed,  Pedest.  Tour,  I.,  120. 
To  give  the  characteristic  features,  and 
to  stamp  the  peculiar  traits  of  honest 
Boniface. 

1854.  Whvte  Melville,  General 
Bounce,  xvi.  The  landlord  either  could 
not,  or  would  not,  give  them  any  actual 
information  as  to  his  guests.  ...  So  the 
blue-coated  myrmidons  of  Scotland  Yard 
got  but  little  information  from  Boniface. 

Boning  Adjutant,  verbal  phr. 
(American  cadets').  —  Aping  a 
military  bearing  :  see  BONE,  verb. 

BONK,  subs,  (travelling  show^-men's). 
— A  short,  steep  hill.  [Possibly 
only  a  provincialism,  or  an  ob- 
solete form  of  'bank']. 

1876.  Hindley,  Adventures  of  a 
Cheap  Jack,  302.  In  Lancashire,  York- 
shire, Derbyshire,  and  Staffordshire,  the 
approaches  to  some  of  the  large  works 
are  either  up  or  down  some  steep,  short 
hill,  usually  termed  bonk,  and  the  drivers 
of  heavily    laden    carts  with  two  horses 


Bonnering. 


122 


Bonnet. 


have  the  breeching  on  the  leading  chain- 
horse,  as  well  as  the  horse  in  the  shafts, 
so  that  when  they  are  going  down  one 
of  these  steep  bonks,  the  horse  is  as 
useful  as  a  help  in  drawing  up. 

BONNERING,  subs.  (old). — Burning 
for  heresy  (1612):  cf.  BOYCOTT, 
BURKE,   MAFFICK,    etc. 

BONNET,  subs.  (old). —  I.  A  gambl- 
ing cheat;  a  decoy  at  auctions; 
a  BEARER-UP  {q.V.y.  the  BONNET 
plays  as  though  he  were  a  mem- 
iDer  of  the  general  public,  and 
by  his  good  luck,  or  by  the  force 
of  his  example,  induces  others  to 
venture  their  stakes.  Bonneting 
is  often  done  in  much  better 
society  than  that  to  be  found  in 
the  ordinary  gaming-rooms  ;  a 
man  who  persuades  another  to 
buy  an  article  on  which  he  re- 
ceives commission  or  percentage, 
is  said  to  bonnet,  or  bear-up,  for 
the  seller:  also  bonneter:  Fr. 
bonneteur  ^  one  profuse  in  com- 
pliments and  bows. 

181».  J.  H.  Vaux,  Flash  Dictionary. 
BONNET,  a  concealment. 

1841.  Cojnic  Almanack,  October.  Or 
a    man   at  a  hell,  Playing  the  part  of  a 

BONNETTER    Well. 

T853.  Whyte  Melville,  Digby 
Grand,  xxi.  I  began  to  think  my  military 
friend  was  'a  bo.nnrt,' — one  of  those 
harpies  employed  by  gambling-house 
keepers  to  enhance  temptation  by  the 
influence  of  example,  and  generally  select- 
ed for  their  respectable  and  innocent 
appearance. 

(?)  1868.  Times  (quoted  by  Brewer, 
Phrase  and  Fable,  104).  A  man  who 
sits  at  a  gaming-table,  and  appears  to 
be  playing  against  the  table  ;  when  a 
stranger  appears,  the  bonnet  generally 
wins. 

1876.  HiNDLEY,  Life  and  Adi'cntures 
cf  a  Cheap  Jack,  217.  We  bid  or  praised 
up  his  goods  :  in  fact,  often  acted  as 
•  puffers',  or  bonnets,  to  give  him  a  leg  up. 


1885.  Mornitig  Post,  Sept.  5,  7 
3.  There  was  no  distinct  evidence 
to  connect  him  with  a  conspiracy  to 
defraud.  .  .  He  might  have  been  used  as 
a  sort  of  BONNET  to  conceal  the  utter 
worthlessness  of  propositions  made  by 
the  others. 

2.  (old).  A  pretext;  a  pretence  ; 
a  make-believe  {q.v.^. 

3.  A  woman:  cf.  petticoat 

1880.  Punch's  Almanac,  3.  Then 
comes  Easter,  Got  some  coin  in  hand, 
Trot  a  BONNET  out,  and  do  the  grand. 

Verb  (common). — I.  To  act 
as  a  bonnet  {q.v.)  ;  to  cheat  ;  to 

puff;    to    'BEAR    UP  '    {q.V.). 

1871.  '  Hawk's-Eye,'  Budget  of  Turf 
jVotes.  2.  I  could  point  out  now  what 
horses  he  is  bonneting  for  the  2,000 
Guineas  and  Derby  of  this  year,  and  the 
horses  whose  pretensions  he  is  trying  to 
discredit. 

1887.  Referee,  15  May,  i,  3. 
Nobody  can  suppose  that  I  am  anxious 
to  bonnet  for  the   Times  newspaper. 

2.  (common).  —  To  crush  a 
man's   hat   down   over  his  eyes. 

1835.  Dickens,  Sketches  by  Boz, 
229.  Two  young  men,  who,  now  and 
then,  varied  their  amusements  by  bon- 
neting the  proprietor  of  this  itinerant 
coffee-house. 

1836.  Dickens,  Pickwick,  11.,  216. 
Vou  are  a  dutiful  and  affectionate  little 
boy  to  come  a  bonnetin'  your  father  in 
his  old  age. 

1843.  Dickens,  Christmas  Carol 
in  Prose,  22.  Scrooge  reverently  dis- 
claimed .  .  .  any  knowledge  of  having 
wilfully  bonneted  the  Spirit  at  any 
period  of  his  life. 

1882.  Saturday  Review,  Liv.,  62g. 
The  students  hustled  and  'uonnetteu' 
a  new  professor. 

To  HAVE  A  GREEN  BONNET, 
phr.  (common). — To  fail  in  busi- 
ness. [From  the  green  cloth  cap 
formerly  worn  by  bankrupts]. 


Bonnet-builder. 


323 


Booby -hutch. 


Bonnet-builder,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  milliner. 

1S39.  Song  in  The  Little  Melodist, 
qnoted  in  J.  Ashton's  The  Fleet,  93. 
Will  you  go  to  Dagnigge  Wells,  bonnet 

BUILDER,    O! 

1868.  Brewer,  Phrase  and  Fable, 
s.v.  'Build.'  A  milliner  is  jestingly 
called  a  'bonnet-builder.' 

BONNETER. —  I.  See  bonnet,  subs., 
sense  i. 

2.  (common).  —  A  crushing 
blow  on  the  hat:  See  bonnet, 
verb,  sense  2. 

BONNET-MAN,  stibs.  phr.  (Scots).— 
A  Highlander. 

BONNET-LAIRD,  subs.  phr.  (Scots). — 
A  petty  proprietor  in  Scotland  : 
as  wearing  a  bonnet,  like  humbler 
folk. 

BONNETS-SO-BLUE,  subs. phr.  (rhym- 
ing).— Irish  stew. 

BONNY,  adj.  (colloquial).— (i)  Look- 
ing well  ;  plump.  Hence  (2)  fine  ; 
good  ;  very  :  thus  TO  give  a  bonny 
PENNY  FOR  =  to  pay  a  long 
price;  A  BONNY  ROW  =  a  jolly 
uproar. 

Bonny-clabber,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
Sour  buttermilk:  but  see  quots. 
(B.E.)    [Nares:    an    Irish    term]. 

1630.  JONSON,  New  hut,  i.  i.  To 
drink  such  balderdash,  or  BONNY-CLABBER. 

1633.    Harington,  Epigrams,  of  the 

Warres  in  Ireland. 

That  warre  is  sweet  to  those  that  have 
not  try'd  it; 

For  I  have  prov'd  it  now,  and  plainly  see't. 

It  is  so  sweet  it  maketh  all  things  sweet. 

Here  milk  is  nectar,  water  tasteth  tooth- 
some ; 

There,  without  bak'd,  rost,  boyl'd,  it  is 
no  cheere; 

Bisket  we  like,  and  bony-clabo  here. 


1634.  Ford,  Perkin  Warbeck,  iii.,  2. 
The   healths  in  usquebaugh,  and  bonny- 

CLABBORE. 

1688.  Randal  Holme,  Acad.  Arm. 
r73.  BoNlCLATTER,  Cream  gone  thick; 
and  in  another  place,  boni  thloiuìer  is 
good  milk  gone  thick. 

Bono,  adj.  (colloquial). — Good. 
[Latin]. 

Bono-johnny,  subs.  phr.  (East  End). 
— An  Englishman,  (S.  J.  &  C). 

Booby,  j-«^j-. (common). —  I.  A  stupid 
fellow  ;  a  clown.  Whence  BOO- 
BYISM  ■=.  stupidity,  clownishness  ; 
and   TO   PLAY   THE   BOOBY  (or  TO 

BOOBY)  =  to  act  the  fool. 

c.  i6g6.  B.E.  Diet.  Cant.  Creiv,  s.v. 
BOOBV,  a  dull  heavy  lob.  Ibid.  s.v.  BOO- 
BERKiN,  the  same. 

1749.  Smollett,  Gil  Bias  (i3i2),  i., 
.wii.  When  I  reflected  that  in  so  doing 
I  should  ...  be  looked  upon  as  a  booby, 
I  relinquished  that  thought. 

1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias.  [RoutledgeJ, 
84.  It  was  that  booby  just  gone  out .  . . 
just  such  another  scarecrow. 

1807  8.     Irving,  Salmagundi,  in. 
Those  sprigs  of  the  town  who  run  decency 

down  ; 
Who    lounge,    and    who    loot,    and    who 

BOOBY  about. 

1836.  DiCKENStSA-etc/ieséy  Saz,  'A  pri- 
vate theatre.'  The  donkeys  who  are  prevail- 
ed upon  to  pay  for  permission  to  exhibit 
their  lamentable  ignorance  and  boobyisri 
on  the  stage  of  a  private  theatre. 

2.     (schools). — A    dunce;    the 
last  in  a  class. 

To  BEAT  THE  BOOBY.   See  BE.\T. 

Booby-hut,  subs.  phr.  (American). 
— A  carriage-body  put  upon  sleigh- 
runners  :  also  BOOBY-HUTCH  {ç.z>.). 

Booby-hutch,  subs. phr.  (common). 
—  I.   A  police-station;  a  palace 

{Ç.V.). 


Booby-trap. 


324 


Boodle. 


2.  (common). — A  clumsy  and 
ill-contrived  covered  carriage  or 
seat  (Halliwell). 

3.  (American).  —  See  booby- 


BOOBY-TRAP,j«/^j'.//ir.(schoolboys'). 
— An  arrangement  of  books,  wet 
sponges,  vessels  of  water,  etc., 
arranged  on  the  top  of  a  door  set 
ajar:  when  the  victim  enters  the 
room,  the  whole  falls  upon  him. 

1850.  Smedley,  Frank  Fairlegh, 
iii.,  28.  He  had  devoted  it  to  the  con- 
struction of  what  he  called  a  booby- 
trap.  .  .  .  The  victim's  room-door  was 
placed  ajar,  and  upon  the  top  thereof  a 
Greek  Lexicon,  or  any  other  equally 
ponderous  volume,  was  carefully  balanced, 
and  upon  this  was  set  in  its  turn  a  jug 
of  water.  If  all  these  were  properly  ad- 
justed, the  catastrophe  above  described 
was  certain  to  ensue  when  the  door  was 
opened. 

1882.  Akstev.  Vice  Versa,  xiv.  'I 
made  a  first-rate  boobv-trap,  though, 
one  day  for  an  old  yellow  buffer  who 
came  in  to  see  you.' 

1883.  Sat,  Review,  3  Nov.  566,  2. 
He  is  suddenly  drenched  from  head  to 
foot  by  a  booby-trap — a  sponge  soaked 
in    water  placed  above  a  half-open  door. 

Boodle,  subs.  (American). —  i.  A 
crowd  ;  a  company  ;  the  '  whole 
boiling'  iq.v.):  also  caboodle 
{q.v.).  [MURRAY;  the  same  as 
Markham's  'buddle'  {see  quot.)  : 
BOODLE  =  money  {see  sense  2), 
may  be  a  different  word]. 

1635.  Markham,  Bk.  Honour,  IV.,  ii. 
Men  curiously  and  carefully  chosen  out 
(from  all  the  budble  and  masse  of  great 
ones)   for  their  approoved  wisedome. 

1857.  Holmes,  Autocrat,  13g.  He 
would  like  to  have  the  whole  boodle  of 
them  (I  remonstrated  against  this  word, 
but  the  professor  said  it  was  a  diabolish 
good  word  .  .  .  ). 


1865.  Bacon,  Handbook  of  America, 
361.  Boodle,  'the  whole  boodle  of  them.' 
[List  of  Americanisms.] 

1884.  Hale,  Xinas.  in  Narragan- 
sett,  ix.,  272.  At  eleven  o'clock  the 
'whole  BOODLE  of  them,'  as  Uncle  Nahum 
called  the  caravan  .  .  .  had  to  boot  and 
spur  for  church. 

2.  (American).  —  Generic  for 
illicit  gain  or  contraband  profit: 
e.g.  money  used  for  briber}';  the 
result  of  some  secret  deal;  a 
secret  commission;  the  booty  of 
a  bank  thief  or  absconding  cashier; 
also  (thieves')  money  that  is  actu- 
ally spurious  or  counterfeit  ;  also 
(loosely)  generic  for  money:  see 
rhino.  Hence  boodler  =  one 
who  bribes  or  is  bribed,  who 
gets  (or  gives)  a  secret  commis- 
sion— the  whole  army  of  shady 
workers  on  the  cross  {q.v^;  spec, 
the  utterer  of  base  money,  who 
CARRIES  BOODLE(or  a  FAKEBOODLE) 
■=.  a  roll  of  paper  over  which, 
after  folding,  a  dollar  bill  is 
pasted,  and  another  bill  being 
loosely  wrapped  round  this  it 
looks  as  if  the  whole  roll  is 
made  up  of  a  large  sum  of  mo- 
ney in  bills. 

1884.  Boston  (Mass.)  Globe,  7  Oct; 
'Sinews  of  war,'  and  'living  issues,'  'soap,' 
and  other  synonyms  for  campaign  boodle 
are  familiar. 

1888.  Philadelphia  Bulletin,  24  Feb. 
The  best  man  in  the  world  cannot  make 
an  honest  living  by  being  a  City  Council- 
man. The  office  is  an  unsalaried  one, 
and  any  money  that  is  made  out  of  it 
is  BOODLE.  This  is  the  new  term  for 
plunder,  fraud  and  every  form  of  stealing 
that  can  be  practised  by  office-holders, 
who,  in  the  practice,  add  the  crime  of 
perjury.  It  is  an  easy  business  for  men 
of  easy  virtue. 

1888.  Puck's  Library,  Jan.  4. 
Aber  rake  right  in  dot  boodle.  Quiet, 
calm,  and  all  serene. 


Booget. 


325 


Book. 


1888.  Puck's  Library,  May,  3. 
In  the  evening,  up  the  street,  As  you  see 
him  passing  by,  You're  convinced  ...  he 
ponders  of  divorce.  Or  of  boodle  cases 
great. 

1888.  Omaha  World.  We  have 
elections  and  campaigns,  and  political 
parties,    and    bosses,    and   ringsters,   and 

BOODLKRS. 

1896.  Lii.LARD,  Poker  Stories,  76. 
As  the  "yaller  pine"  raked  in  the  boodle, 
Sam  started  out  to  have  his  whack  out 
of  the  pile. 

3.     (common).  —  A     fool  ;     a 

NOODLE  {q.V.). 

Booget,  subs.  (Old  Cant).— A  trav- 
elling tinker's  basket.  Harman, 
1567- 

BOOHOO,  verb,  (colloquial). — To  cry; 
to  bawl;  to  bellow:  NAP  THE 
BIB  {ç.v.)'.  onomatopceia. 

1837.  Barham,  Ingoldsby  Legends, 
'Babes  in  the  wood.'  The  babes..  .  pass'd 
all  that  day  and  that  night  In  wandering 
about  and  boohooing. 

i8s6.  Dow,  Sermons,  11.,  277.  You 
will  go  down  to  your  graves  boo-hooing 
like  a  kicked  booby. 

i8[.'].  Field,  Drama  in  Pokerville. 
The  little  woman  boo-hoo'd  right  out. 

Book,  stibs.  (sporting). —  i.  A  re- 
cord of  bets  :  see  bookmaker,  and 
BOOK,  sense  3. 

1836.  Dickens,  Pickwick,  i.,  400. 
And  Wilkins  Flasher,  Esquire,  entered 
it  (the  bet)  in  a  little  book  with  a  gold 
pencil-case;  and  the  other  gentleman 
entered  it  also,  in  another  little  BOOK 
with  another  gold  pencil-case. 

1837.  Disraeli,  Henrietta  Temple, 
260.  Am  I  to  be  branded  because  I  have 
made  half  a  million  by  a  good  BOOK? 

1852.  F.  E.  Smedlev,  Lewis  Arun- 
del, liii.  '  He  has  backed  the  Dodona 
colt  for  the  Derby,  and  has  got  a  heavier 
book  on  the  race  than  he  likes.' 


1864.  Hotten,  Diet.  s.v.  Book  .  .  . 
The  principle  of  making  a  book,  or  betting 
round,  as  it  is  sometimes  termed,  is  to 
lay  a  previously-determined  sum  against 
every  horse  in  the  race,  or  as  many  horses 
as  possible;  and  should  the  bookmaker 
'get  round,'  i.e.,  succeed  in  laying  against 
as  many  horses  as  will  more  than  balance 
the  odds  laid,  he  is  certain  to  be  a  winner. 

1869.  Gent.  Mag.,  July,  231.  He 
wins  your  money  with  a  smile,  will  ac- 
commodate his  book  to  suit  what  bets 
you  may  choose  to  make. 

1879.  Jas.  Pavn.  High  Spirits 
(Change  of  Views).  He  had  a  know- 
ledge, too,  of  practical  mathematics,  which 
enabled  him  to  make  a  book  upon  every 
great  racing  event  of  the  year. 

1889.  Pall  Mall  Gazette,  Oct.  21, 
6,  I.  Every  sporting  man  is  flattered  if 
termed  a  sportsman,  but  it  would  be  al- 
most an  insult  to  speak  to  a  sportsman 
as  a  sporting  man  who  looks  at  sport 
through  the  glasses  of  a  BOOK. 

2.  (gaming). —  The  first  six 
tricks  at  whist:  see  books. 

3.  (general). — The  copy  of  words 
to  which  music  is  set  ;  the  words 
of  a  play;  formerly  only  applied 
to  the  libretto  of  an  opera. 
[Halliwell:  formerly  used  for 
any  composition  from  a  volume 
to  a  single  sheet,  particularly 
where  a  list  is  spoken  of;  Shakes- 
peare uses  it  for  'articles  of  agree- 
ment']. 

1513-25.  State  Papers,  iv.  66.  [Oli- 
phant, New  Eng.  i.  387.  A  merchant  in 
our  days  would  shudder  if  he  found  his 
clerk  making  a  book;  but  this  phrase  is 
used  for  casting  up  accounts]. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  I  Henry  IV,  iii.  i. 
By  that  time  will  our  book,  I  think,  be 
drawn.  Ibid.  By  this  our  book  is  drawn, 
we  will  but  seal.  And  then  to  horse 
immediately. 

1768.  Sterne,  Sentimental  Journey, 
I.,  180.  A  small  pamphlet,  it  might  be 
the  BOOK  of  the  opera. 


Book. 


326  Book-learning. 


1889.  Answers,  8  June,  24.  The 
prompter  had  a  little  table  on  the  '  prompt  ' 
side;  his  'book'  was  one  mass  of  direc- 
tions, the  margins  being  covered  with 
little  pictures  and  diagrams  of  the  stage, 
showing  the  positions  of  the  leading  actors 
in  every  scene. 

To  KNOW  one's  book,  verb, 
phr.  (popular). — To  make  up  one's 
mind;  to  know  what  is  best  for 
one's  interest. 

c.    187g.     Broadside    Ballad,    'Ain't 
you  glad  you  didn't.' 
Ain't  you  glad  sometimes  to  know, 

A  second  thought  you  took. 
About  a  subject  upon  which 

You  thought  you  knew  your  book. 

To  SUIT  one's  book,  verb.  phr. 
(common). — To  suit  one's  arrange- 
ments, fancy,  or  wish. 

1852.  F.  E.  Smedlev,  Le-<ms  Arun- 
del, vi.  As  there  will  be  plenty  of  the 
needful,  she  will  suit  his  book  as  well 
as  any  other. 

Phrases  :  to  say  off  book  =: 
to  repeat.  By  the  book  =  for- 
mally ;  in  set  phrase.  Ina  person's 
GOOD  (or  bad)  books  =  in  favour 
(or  disfavour).  Out  of  one's 
book  =  mistaken  ;  out  of  one's 
reckoning.  Without  one's  book 
=r(i)  unauthorised;  (2)  by  rote. 
To  drive  the  book  =  to  compel 
to  give  evidence  on  oath.  To 
BRING  TO  BOOK  ==  to  bring  to 
account.  To  speak  like  a  book 
^=  to  speak  with  authority.  To 
TALK  LIKE  A  BOOK  =1  to  Speak 
in  set  terms,  as  a  precision.  To 
TAKE  A  LEAF  OUT  OF  A  PERSON'S 
BOOK  ■=.  to  take  example  by  him. 

Verb,  (colloquial). — To  catch  ; 
to  FIX  {q.v^,  to  dispose  of:  that 
is  entered  or  registered  ;  Fr.  être 
planché,  être  mort  (to  be  booked); 
faitré  (=  booked)  and  gerbabk 
(=  the  subject). 


1840.  Hood,  Up  the  Rhine,  6.  I  ani 
BOOKED  for  a  much  longer  journey. 

1857.  Snowden,  Mag.  Assistant,  3, 
ed.  446.  Booked,  caught,  taken,  or 
disposed  of. 

1881.  Jas.  Pavn,  Grape  from  a  Thorn^ 
xxiii.  '  I  dun't  remember  anyone  having 
given  me  an  'engaged  ring'  before;  and 
it's  not  leap-year,  neither.  However,  the 
lady's    BOOKED,    which    is  a  great  relief.' 

Book-form,  subs.  phr.  (sporting). — 
The  relative  power  of  speed  or 
endurance  of  race-horses,  as  set 
down  in  the  Racing  Calendar,  or 
'  book.'  Also  extended  to  all 
records  of  '  form.' 

Bookie  (or  Booky),  subs,  (racing). 
—  A  book-maker  {q.v.), 

1885.  Eng.  III.  Mag,,  April,  509.  No 
rowdy  ring,  but  a  few  quiet  and  well- 
known  BOOKIES,  who  were  ready  enough 
to  lay  the  odds  to  a  modest  fiver. 

1889.     Sporting  Times,  29  June. 
He  now  had  occasion  to  speedily  hie 

To    the    BOOKIE  who  laid  him  the  bet, 
Who  was  one  of  the  small  and  particular 
fry. 
That  at  times,  when  convenient,  forget. 

1902.  D.  Telegrath,  II  Feb.  10.  7. 
He  knew  of  a  case  in  which  a  bookie 
made  £5,846  in  five  months,  without  ever 
coming  near  his  office. 

Booking,  subs,  (provincial).— A 
scolding;  a  flogging (Halliwell). 

Book-learning,  subs.  phr.  (collo- 
quial).— Education  ;  scholarship  : 
a  common  phrase  among  the  poor. 

18  .  .  SouTHEY,  Doctor,  c.  The  com- 
mon wish  of  advancing  their  children  in 
the  world  made  most  parents  in  this 
station  desire  to  obtain  the  advantage  of 
what  they  called  book-learning  for  any 
son  who  was  supposed  to  manifest  a  dis« 
position  likely  to  profit  by  it. 


Bookmaker. 


327 


Books. 


Bookmaker,  suhs.  (common). — A 
professional  betting-man.  [English 
Encyclopadia: — In  betting  there 
are  two  parties — one  called  layers, 
as  the  BOOKMAKERS  are  termed, 
and  the  other  backers,  in  which 
class  may  be  included  owners  of 
horses  as  well  as  the  public. 
The  backer  takes  the  odds  which 
the  BOOKMAKER  lays  against  a 
horse,  the  former  speculating  upon 
the  success  of  the  animal,  the 
latter  upon  its  defeat;  and,  taking 
the  case  of  Cremorne  for  the 
Derby  of  1872,  just  before  the 
race,  the  bookmaker  would  have 
laid  3  to  I,  or  perhaps  £1000 
to  £300  against  him,  by  which 
transaction,  if  the  horse  won,  as 
he  did,  the  backer  would  win 
JEigoo  for  risking  £300,  and  the 
bookmaker  lose  the  smaller  sum. 
At  first  sight  this  may  appear 
an  act  of  very  questionable  policy 
on  the  part  of  the  bookmaker  ; 
but  really  it  is  not  so,  because, 
so  far  from  running  a  greater 
risk  than  the  backer,  he  runs 
less,  inasmuch  as  it  is  his  plan 
to  lay  the  same  amount  (£1000) 
against  every  horse  in  the  race, 
and  as  there  can  be  but  one 
winner,  he  would  in  all  pro- 
bability receive  more  than  enough 
money  from  the  many  losers  to 
pay  the  stated  sum  of  £1000, 
which  the  chances  are,  he  has 
laid  against  the  one  winner  which- 
ever it  is]. 

1862.  London  Revie^iU,  Aug.  30,  188. 
Betting  there  seemed  to  be  none  .  .  .  we 
could     not     perceive    a    single    book    or 

BOOKMAKER. 

1880.  W.  Day,  Racehorse  in  Train- 
ing,  xxiv.,  245.  BOOKMAKERS  pursue  a 
legitimate  and  lucrative  trade  by  laying 
against  all  horses  as  they  appear  in  the 
market. 


1883.  Hawlev  Smart.  Hard  Lines, 
iii.  Finding  .  .  .  that  the  bookmaker 
whom  for  once  they  have  landed  for  'a 
thousand  to  thirty'  is  hopelessly  insolvent. 

BOOKMAKER'S-POCKET,  suòs.  phr. 
(racing). — A  breast-pocket  made 
inside  the  waistcoat,  for  notes  of 
large  amount  (Hotten). 

BOOK-MONGER,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
A  writer  of  books  ;  an  author. 

1662.  Fuller,  Wör/ÄzVj, 'Wills',  ii., 
468.  He  was  a  great  book-monger  ;  and 
on  that  score  Bale  (no  friend  to  Friers) 
giveth  him  a  large  testimonial. 

BOOK-OATH,  subs.  phr.  (old  collo- 
quial).— A   BIBLE-OATH   {q.V^. 

d.  1563.  Bale,  Works.  'Exam.  W. 
Thorpe,'  in.  He  that  layeth  his  hand 
upon  a  book  in  this  wise,  and  maketh 
there  a  promise  to  do  that  thing  that  he 
is  commanded,  is  obliged  there,  by  book- 
oath,  then  to  fulfil  his  charge. 

Books,  subs,  (card-players'). —  I.  A 
pack  of  cards  :  used  mainly  by 
professional     card-players:     also 

devil's  BOOKS;  BOOK  OF  BOARDS  ; 

BOOK  OF  BRIEFS;  Yr.juge  de paix. 

1706.  Mrs.  Centlivre,  Basset  Table, 
IV.,  ii.,   U'ks.  (1872)  I.,  245. 

L.  Revel.     Clean  cards  here. 

Mrs.  Sago.  Burn  this  book,  't  has 
an  unlucky  air  [tears  them].  Bring  some 
more  books. 

2.  (Winchester  College),  (a). 
The  prizes  formerly  presented  by 
Lord  Say  and  Sele,  now  given 
by  the  governing  body,  to  the 
'Senior'  in  each  division  at  the 
end  of  '  Half.'  {l>).  The  school 
is  thus  divided  :— Sixth  Book — 
Senior  and  Junior  Division;  the 
whole  of  the  rest  of  the  School 
is  in  Fifth  Book — Senior  Part, 
Middle  Part,  Junior  Part,  each 
part  being  divided  into  so  many 
divisions,     Senior,    Middle,    and 


Bookwork. 


328 


Boom. 


Junior,  or  Senior,  2nd,  3rd,  and 
Junior,  as  the  case  may  require. 
Formerly  there  was  also  '  Fourth 
Book,'  but  it  ceased  to  exist  about 
twenty-five  years  ago  (1840).  (f). 
Up  at  books  =  in  class,  repeat- 
ing lessons:  now  called  UP  TO 
BOOKS.  (</).  Books  chambers, 
on  Remedies  (a  kind  of  whole 
holiday). 

1876.  Mansfield,  School-Life  at 
Winchester  College,  104.  The  school  was 
divided  into  three  classes,  or  books,  as 
they  were  called.  Of  these,  the  Praefects 
formed  one;  Sixth  book.  Fifth  Book 
was  sub-divided  into  three  parts,  called 
respectively,  'Senior,  Middle,  and  Junior 
part  of  the  Fifth';  in  speaking  of  thern, 
the  words,  'of  the  Fifth'  were  generally 
omitted.  The  rest  of  the  boys  made  up 
'  Fourth  Book.'  Ibid.  loi.  At  each  end 
of  school  are  three  tiers  of  benches  rising 
gradually  one  above  the  other, — that  on 
the  ground  being  called  'Senior  Row,' 
and  the  others,  'Middle,'  and  'Junior  Row  ' 
respectively.  On  these  the  Classes  sit 
when  '  UP  at  books,'  i.e.,  when  repeating 
lessons.  Ibid.  103.  On  Remedies  (a  kind 
of  whole  holiday),  we  also  went  into 
School  in  the  morning  and  afternoon  for 
an  hour  or  two  without  masters;  this  was 
called  books  chambers;  and  on  Sundays, 
from  four  till  a  quarter  to  five. 

To  get  or  make  books,  verb, 
phr.  (colloquial). — To  make  the 
highest  score  at  anything. 

Bookwork,  stibs.  (University).— 
Mathematics  that  can  be  learned 
verbatim  from  books — all  that 
are  not  problems. 

BOOK-WRIGHT,  subs. phr.  (colloquial). 
— An  author:  cf.  book-monger. 

1857.  KiNGSLEV  Two  Years  Ago,  xi. 
In  London,  at  this  moment,  any  young 
man  of  real  power  will  find  friends  enough 
and    too    many    among    his  fellow   book- 

WRIGHTS. 

BOOM,  subs,  (common). — Commer- 
cial   activity  ;    rapid    advance    in 


prices;  a  flourishing  state  of  affairs 
— in  all  its  applications  it  is  sy- 
nonymous with  extreme  vigour 
and  effectiveness.  [A  compara- 
tively recent  production.  Within 
a  few  years,  it  has  made  its  ap- 
pearance in  a  variety  of  combina- 
tions :  e.g.  '  the  whole  State  is 
BOOMING  for  Smith;'  'the  boys 
have  whooped  up  the  State  to 
BOOM  for  Smith  ;'  '  the  Smith 
BOOM  is  ahead  iu  this  State,' 
etc.,  etc.  Stocks  and  money  are 
BOOMING  when  active;  and  any 
particular  spot  within  a  flourishing 
district  is  regarded  as  within  the 
BOOM-BELT.  A  successful  team 
or  party  is  said  to  be  a  booming 
SQUAD,  and  boomlets  express 
progress  of  a  lesser  degree. 
Murray: — The  most  probable 
derivation  is  from  the  nautical 
phrase  'boom-out,'  signifying  a 
vessel  running  rapidly  before 
the  wind  ;  but  as,  however, 
various  associations  are  probable, 
and  as  the  actual  use  of  the 
word  has  not  been  regulated  by 
any  distinct  etymological  feeling, 
it  is  not  likely  that  any  derivation 
will  account  for  all  its  applica- 
tions.] As  verb  =  to  make  rapid 
and  vigorous  progress  ;  to  advance 
by  leaps  and  bounds  ;  to  push  ; 
to  puff;  to  bring  into  prominence 
with  a  rush. 


1874.  S.  L.  Clemens  ('Mark  Twain'), 
Gilded  Age,  xxvii.  There's  200,000  dol- 
lars coming,  and  that  will  set  things 
BOOMING  again. 


1875.  Scribiier's  Mag.,  July,  177. 
Another  boom  in  prices  is  to  be  looked  for. 

1875.  Scribiier's  Mag.,  July.  272. 
Stocks  may  boom  to-day,  but  droop  to- 
morrow, and  with  the  crash  come  remorse 
and  repentance.  Ibid,  277.  When  stocks 
are   active  they  are  said  to  be  booming. 


Boom. 


329 


Boon. 


1883.  Referee.  May  6,  3,  2.  'The 
Merry  Duchess'  is  a  big  boom,  and 
I  understand  that  money  is  being  turned 
away  nightly. 

1883.  M.  Twain,  Life  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi, Ivii.,  499.  I  lived  here  in  1857 
— an  extraordinary  year  there  in  real- 
estate  matters.  The  boom  was  something 
wonderful.  Everybody  bought,  everybody 
sold  .  .  .  anything  in  the  semblance  of 
a  town  lot,  no  matter  how  situated,  was 
saleable.  Ibid.  (1884)  Huckleberry  Finti, 
xiii ,  3.  We  BOOMEO  along  down  the 
river,  watching  for  lights  and  watching 
for  our  raft. 

1888.  Chicago  Daily  Inter-Ocean. 
The  city  of  Paris  is  said  to  be  diminish- 
ing instead  of  increasing  in  population. 
They  don't  know  how  to  boom  a  town 
over  there. 

1888.  New  Orleans  Picayune.  A 
boom  in  North  Carolina  is  not  the  kind 
of  phenomenon  to  which  we  are  accus- 
tomed here.  Sales  of  land  at  from  2 
dois,  to  10  dois,  an  acre  in  a  boom  belt 
are  not  of  record  hereabout. 

1888.  Chicago  Herald.  Ben  Butter- 
worth,  of  Ohio,  one  of  the  mainstays  of 
John  Sherman's  booming  squad,  has  just 
had  the  title  of  boss  Republican  tariff 
debater  conferred  upon  him  by  the  culture 
of  Boston. 

1888.  Boston  Daily  Globe.  After  the 
Sheridan  reception,  of  course  John  Sher- 
man must  come  to  Boston.  The  Ohio 
statesman  knows  where  all  the  real  live 
BOOMS  start.  If  Mr.  Blaine  is  wise  he 
also  will  come  to  the  'Hub'  without 
delay. 

1888.  Missouri  Republican,  16  Feb. 
'Jim,  they  say  thar  is  a  big  bum  up  at 
Rome.'  'What's  that?'  said  Jim.  'It's 
a  kind  of  new  tradin'  business  what  swells 
and  shrinks,  and  the  sweller  and  shrinker 
stays  down  in  a  celler  and  works  the 
machine. 

To  TOP  one's  boom  off,  verb. 
phr.  (nautical). — To  be  off,  or  to 
start  in  a  certain  direction. 

1S71.  G  Meredith,  Harry  Rich- 
mond, xxxviii.,  346  (1886).  'And  now 
TOP   YOUR    boom,  and  to  bed  here.' 


To  boom  the  census,  verb. phr, 
(common). — To    get    with    child. 

Boomer,  JMiJj-.  (American). —  i.  One 
who  booms  or  causes  an  enter- 
prise to  become  flourishing,  active 
or  notorious. 

1883.      Times,    Sept.    26,    8.     [He]  is 
a  North- Western  boo.mer  of  great  earnest- 


1885.  Boston  (Mass.)  Journal,  Aug. 
19,   2.   4.     The   Oklahoma  boomers. 

2.  (common). — Anybody  (or 
anything)  considerably  above  the 
average:  a  fine  woman,  a  horse 
with  extra  good  points,  etc.,  etc. 

Boomerang,  subs.  (American). — 
Acts  or  words,  the  results  of 
which  recoil  upon  the  person 
from  whom  they  originate:  pro- 
perly an  Australian  missile  weapon 
which,  when  thrown,  can  be  made 
to  return  to  the  thrower  ;  or  which, 
likewise,  can  be  caused  to  take 
an  opposite  direction  to  that  in 
which  it  is  first  thrown. 

1845.  Holmes,  Modest  Request,  Voctcl^ 
(r884),  42.  Like  the  strange  weapon,  which 
the  Australian  throws,  Your  verbal  boome- 
rang slaps  you  on  the  nose. 

1870.  Lowell,  Among  My  Books, 
I  S.  (1873),  219.  The  boomerang  of  ar- 
gument, which  one  throws  in  the  opposite 
direction  of  what  he  means  to  hit. 

Boom-passenger,  subs.  phr.  (naut- 
ical).— A  convict  on  board  ship  : 
prisoners  on  board  convict  ships 
were  chained  to,  or  were  made 
to  crawl  along,  or  stand  on,  the 
booms  for  exercise  or  punishment 
(Hotten). 

Boon,  subs.  (B.  E.). — 'A  gift,  re- 
ward, or  gratification.' 


Bo  on- comp  anion. 


330 


Boot. 


Boon-companion,  subs.phr.  (collo- 
quial).— A  comrade  in  a  drinking 
bout;  a  convivialist ;  a  good 
fellow.  Hence  boon-companion- 
SHIP  =  jollity;  conviviality. 

1566.  Draxt,  Med.  Morali,  A.  v. 
He  is  my  bone  companion,  it's  he  that 
cheares  up  me. 

1592.  Greene,  Qui^,  in  IVks.  XI., 
220.  To  seeke  good  consortes  and  BOONE 
COMPANIONS  to  passe  away  the  day  withall. 

1592.  "i^hSWS.,  Strange N'eweSjm  li'ks. 
II.,  176.  Thinke  not,  though  vnder  cor- 
rection of  your  BOONE-COMPANIONSHIP,  I 
am  disposed  to  be  a  little  pleasant,  I 
condamne  you  of  anie  immoderation, 
either  in  eating  or  drinking. 

1594.  Nashe,  Terrors  0/ the  Night, 
in  IVks.  III.,  228.  Our  poets  or  boone 
COMPANIONS  they  are  out  of  question. 

1600.  W.  Kemp  Nine  Days'  Wonder, 
in  Arber's  English  Gamer,  VII.,  27.  And 
coming  to  my  inn,  where  the  host  was 
a  very  BOON  COMp,\nion,  I  desired  to 
see  him. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Did.  Cant.  Crew, 
s.v.  BOON-COMPANION,  a  merry  drinking 
fellow. 

1712.  Arbuthnot,  History  of  John 
Bull,  I.,  V.  This  was  occasioned  by  his 
being  a  boon  coMPANion,  loving  his  bottle 
and  his  diversion. 

1825.  Scott,  St.  Ronan's  Well,  xxiii. 
The  morning  after  a  deb.iuch  is  usually 
one  of  reflection,  even  to  the  most 
customary  boon  companion. 

1827.  Lytton,  Pelham,  Ixvii.  We 
went  downstairs  to  our  dinner,  as  charmed 
with  each  other  as  boon  companions 
always  should  be. 

1849.  Lytton,  Caxtons,  XII.,  iv.  A 
little  society,  and  boon-companionship..  . 
would  take  Roland  out  of  those  gloomy 
reveries. 

BOONG.     See  HUNG. 

BOORDE.      See  BORD, 

BOOSE,  BOOSY,  etc  See  Booze. 


Boost,  subs,  (American). — A  hoist- 
ing; a  shove;  a  lift;  a  push  up 
— a  New  England  vulgarism.  As 
verb  ■=.  to  hoist  ;  to  lift  up  ;  to 
shove. 

1856.  Dow,  Sermons.  Office  seekers 
ask  you  to  give  them  a  boost  into  the 
tree  of  office.  Ibid.  It  is  just  as  difficult 
to  BOOST  a  sinner  up  to  heaven  without 
corresponding  effort  on  his  part,  as  it 
would  be  for  a  child  to  shoulder  a  sack 
of  Turk's  Island  salt. 

i8[?].  Field,  Drama  in  Pokerville. 
He  clambered  back  into  the  box  (in  the 
theatre),  the  manager  assisting  to  boost 
him  with  the  most  friendly  solicitude. 

i8[?].  Neiv  KörÄ//^raW[BARTLETT]. 
Lord  Palmerston  was  boosted  into  power 
by  the  agricultural  interests  of  England. 

1866.  T.  A.  Richards,  Rice  Fields 
of  the  South.  For,  my  bredderen,  little 
Zaccheus  was  bound  to  see  the  Lord  for 
once,  dough  he  had  to  climb  up  de  tree. 
Did  he  wait  to  be  boosted?  Ah,  no,  my 
bredderen.  Not  a  boost!  He  climbed 
right  straight  up  der  tree  hisself. 

1888.  Puck's  Library,  May,  11. 
A  genius  took  hold  of  the  business,  and 
gave  it  a  little  boost. 

1848-64.  J.  R.  Lowell,  Biglow 
Papers,  II.,  106.  Whereas  ole  Abram  'd 
sink   afore  he'd   let  a  darkie  boost  him. 

1872.  S.  L.  Clemens  ('  Mark  Twain  '), 
Roughing  It,  vii.  Vou  ought  to  have 
seen  that  spider-legged  old  skeleton  go. .. 
boosting  up  the  sand  like  a  whirl-wind  ! 

1884.  Harper's  Magazine,  Aug.,  481, 
I.  To  boost  a  jurist  of  so  much 
helpless  avoirdupois  in  through  the  carri- 
age door. 

1896.  Lillard,  Poker  Stories,  25. 
The  old  General  .  .  .  remarked  as  he 
dropped  in  an  extra  blue  chip:  'As  you 
all  seem  to  be  in  a  raising  mood  I'll 
BOOST  her  myself.'  To  make  a  long 
story  short,  they  kept  BOOSTING  each 
other  for  a  long  time. 

Boot,  subs,  (colloquial). —  I.  In  pi. 
a  servant,  at  hotels  and  places  of 
a   kindred  character,  who  cleans 


Boot. 


331 


Booth-burster. 


the  boots  of  visitors  ;  formerly 
BOOT-CATCHERS,  because  in  the 
old  riding  and  coaching  days 
part  of  their  duty  was  to  divest 
travellers  of  their  footgear. 

2.  (military). — The  youngest 
officer  in  a  regimental  mess. 

3.  (old:  B.  E.).— 'A  Scotch 
torture,  or  rack,  for  the  leg,  to 
draw  to  confession.' 

4.  (colloquial). — In  humorous 
(or  sarcastic)  combination  ;  e.g.^ 
CLUMSY-BOOTS,  LAZY-BOOTS,  SLY- 
BOOTS,  SMOOTH-BOOTS,   etc. 

c.  1680.  "i^ioicxH,  Lives  of  the  Norths, 
169.     [Lord    Guildford    was    nicknamed] 

SLYBOOTS. 

1729.  Addison,  Adri.  of  Ab  dalla,  32. 
The  frog  call'd  .  .  .  several  times,  but  in 
vain  .  .  .  though  the  sly-boots  heard 
well  enough  all  the  while. 

Verb  (military). —  I.  To  beat; 
to  strap  :  the  punishment  is  irreg- 
ular and  unconventional,  being 
inflicted  by  soldiers  on  a  com- 
rade discovered  guilty  of  some 
serious  breach  of  the  unwritten 
law  of  comradeship,  such  as  theft, 
etc.:  formerly  inflicted  with  a 
bootjack. 

2.  (common). — To  kick  ;  to 
hoop  a  man. 

What  boots  it  ?  phr.  (B.  E.). 
— What  avails  it? 

Phrases: — To  make  one  boot 

SERVE  for  either  LEG  =:  tO  Speak 

with  double  meaning.  The  boot 
is  on  the  other  LEG  =:  the  case 
is  altered,  responsibility  is  shifted. 
To  have  one's  heart  in  one's 
boots  z=z  to  be  in  extreme  fear. 
Over  shoes,  over  boots  z= 
reckless  continuance  of  a  course 
begun;    in    for   a  lamb,   in  for  a 


sheep.  Like  old  BOOTS=:vigorous- 
ly,  thorough-going.  To  die  in  one's 
BOOTS  or  shoes  =:  to  be  hanged. 
To  BUY  OLD  BOOTS  =  to  marry 
or  keep  another  man's  cast-off 
mistress.  In  one's  boots  =  very 
drunk  :  see  screwed.  To  give  the 
BOOTS  r=  to  jeer  at;  to  make  a 
laughing- stock  of.  To  bet  one's 
BOOTS  :=■  a  fanciful  bet. 

1595.     Shakspeare,    Two  Gent.  i.  i. 

Nay    GIVE    ME    NOT    THE    BOOTS. 

1630.  Taylor,  Works,  ii.  145.  For 
where   true  courage  roots,     The  proverb 

says,    ONCE    OVER    SHOES,    o'er    boots. 

1653.  UrQUHArt,  Rabelais,  iv.,  xlv. 
[Bohn].  Whoever  refused  to  do  this 
should  presently  swing  for  it  and  die  in 

HIS    SHOES. 

d.  1734.  North,  Life  of  Lord  Guild- 
ford, ii.  96.  He  used  to  say  George 
(his  son)  would  die  in  his  shoes. 

1742.  Branston  [Walpole,  Lett,  to 
Mann  (1833),  i.  180].  At  the  end  of  the 
walk  hung  a  rogue  on  a  gibbet!  He 
beheld  it  and  wept,  for  it  caus'd  him  to 
muse  on  Full  many  a  Campbell,  that 
died  with  his  shoes  on. 

1816.  Kennet,  Glossary,  32.  'A 
country  proverb'. 

1840.  Barham,  Ingold.  Leg.  And 
there  is  Sir  Carnaby  Jenks,  of  the  Blues, 
All  come  to  see  a  man  die  in  his  shoes. 

1868.  Miss  Braddon,  Sir  Jasper, 
xxvii.,  282.  I'll  stick  to  you  like  old 
boots. 

1874.  Saturday  Revie^v,  Jan.,  55. 
An  Oxford  man,  nay  even  a  Balliol  man 
.  .  .  introduced  in  the  story  a  pleasing 
change  by  such  a  phrase  as  jawing  away 
like  old  boots. 

BOOTH,  S2il)s.  (old  cant). — A  house  ; 
TO    have    a  BOOTH   =   to   lob   a 

house  (Karman). 

BOOTH-BURSTER,  subs. phr.  (theatri- 
cal).— A  loud  and  noisy  actor; 
a  barn-stormer  {q.i'.). 


Boot- Joe. 


332 


Booty-haler. 


Boot-Joe,  subs.  phr.  (military).— 
Musketry  drill. 

BOOTLICK,  subs.  (American).— A 
flunkey;  a  hanger-on;  a  LICK 
SPITTLE  {jj.v^.  As  verb  =  to 
toady;  to  JACKAL  (ç.v.). 

BOOTS.     See  BOOT. 


BOOTS  AND  Leathers. 

MONER   PEAL. 


See  COM- 


BOOTY,  subs,  (old  :  now  recognised). 
— Plunder;    spoils;   swag   (ç.v.). 

To  PLAY  (cry  or  BOWL)  BOOTY 
^  to  play  falsely,  dishonestly, 
or  unfairly,  with  the  object  of 
not  winning,  a  previous  arrange- 
ment having  been  made  with  a 
confederate  to  share  the  spoils: 
also  BOOTY  =  playing  booty, 
and  BOOTY-FELLOW,  a  sharer  in 
the  plunder. 

1575.  Frat.  of  Vacaòondes,  13.  They 
wil  make  as  much  as  they  can,  and 
consent  as  though  they  wil  play  booty 
againt  him. 

1608.  Dekker,  Belman  of  London, 
in  XVks.  (Grosart)  IIL,  133.  They  .  .  . 
haue  still  an  eare  how  the  layes  [bets] 
are  made,  and  according  to  that  leuell 
doe  they  throw  their  bowles,  so  that  be 
sure  the  bowlers  play  booty. 

1614.  OvERBURY,  Characters.  She 
divides  it  so  equally  between  the  master 
and  the  serving  man,  as  if  she  had  cut 
out  the  getting  of  it  by  a  thread,  only 
the  knave  makes  her  bowl  booty  and 
overreach  the  master. 

1631.  Cariwright,  Royall  Slave. 
No  envy  then  or  faction  fear  we,  where 
All  like  yourselves  is  innocent  and  clear; 
The   stage   being  private   then,    as  none 

must  sit. 
And,  like  a  trap,  lay  wait  foi  sixpence  wit; 
So  none  must  CRY  UP  BOOTY,  or  cry  down; 
Such  mercenary  guise  fits  not  the  gown. 

c  1696.  n.  E.  Diet.  Cant,  Crew.,  s.v. 
Booty-play,  False,  Cheating,  also  Plunder, 
HE  BOWLS  booty,  when  great  Odds  are  laid, 
and  he  goes  Halves,  his  Cast  is  designed 
by  Bad. 


1742.  Fielding,  Joseph  Andre'jjs, 
I.,  ii.  The  best  gamesters,  before  they 
laid  their  money,  always  inquired  which 
horse  little  Joey  was  to  ride;  and  the 
bets  were  rather  proportioned  by  the 
rider  than  by  the  horse  himself;  especi- 
ally after  he  had  scornfully  refused  a 
considerable  bribe  to  play  booty  on  such 
an  occasion. 

1748.  T.  Dyche,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Booty  (s.),  plunder,  spoil,  prize;  also  a 
cant  word  signifying  a  pretence  to  one 
thing,  and  at  the  same  time  an  intention 
to  do  the  contrary,  in  order  to  cheat,  im- 
pose upon,  and  draw  in  a  person  to  lay 
wagers,  play  at  some  game,  etc. 

1776.  CoLMAN,  The  Spleen,  in  Wks. 
(1777)  IV.,  276.  Jubilee  started  and 
stumbled  but,  by-the-bye,  I  believe  his 
rider  played  booty — Duenna  won  the 
stakes,  and  the  knowing  ones  were  all 
taken  in. 

1817.  Scott,  Rob  Roy,  vii.  'Were 
he  caught  playing  booty,  he  would  be 
disarmed,  and  probably  dismounted.' 

1 83 1.  Disraeli,  Young  Duke.  One 
thing  remained  to  be  lost — what  he  called 
his  honour,  which  was  already  on  the 
scent  to  play  booty. 

1822.  Nares,  Glossary  s  v.  booty. 
To  play,  or  bowl,  or  cry  booty,  appears 
to  have  meant  to  give  people  an  advant- 
age at  first  in  order  to  draw  them  on 
to  their  loss. 

1847.  Halliweli-,  Arch.  lVords,sv. 
booty.  To  PLAY  booty,  to  allow  one's 
adversary  to  win  at  first,  in  order  to 
induce  him  to  continue  playing  afterwards. 

BOOTY-  (BOOT-)  HALER,  subs.  phr. 
(old).  —  A  robber  ;  freebooter. 
Hence  boot-haling  =  a  plunder- 
ing expedition,  a  knavish  advent- 


1592.  ^.\SHE,  Piers  Pennilesse.  How, 
when  all  supply  of  victualls  fayled  them, 
they  went  a  boot-haling  one  night  to 
sinior  Greedinesse  bed-chambers. 

161 1.  MiDDLETON,  Roaring  Girl 
[DoDSLEV,  Old  Plays  (Reed),  vi,  103]. 
My  own  father  laid  these  London  boot- 
halers  the  catch-poles  in  ambuih  to  set 
upon  me. 


Booze. 


333 


Booze. 


1620.  Fletcher,  Chances,  i,  4.  Well 
don  John,  If  you  do  spring  a  leak,  or  get 
an  itch,  'Till  ye  claw  off  your  curl'd 
pate,  thank  your  nightwalks.  You  must 
be  still  a  ioot-haling. 

Booze  (Bouse,  Bowse,  etc.),  subs. 
(old  cant.). —  i.  Drink  ;  lap  («^.z'.): 
generic.  Also  (2)  =1  a  drinking 
bout,  a  carouse  ;  (3)  =  a  draught, 
a  GO  {ç-V')'  As  verli  (or  TO 
BOUSE  THE  jib)  =  to  drink  ;  drink 
heavily,  to  tipple,  to  guzzle  : 
employed  in  some  sense  of  '  to 
drink'  as  early  as  1300:  See  lush. 
Whence  BOOZED==drunk, fuddled; 
BOOZY  =  drunken,  screwed  (^ç.v.)  ; 
BOOZING  ==  the  act  of  drinking 
hard  ;  and  boozer  z=.  a  confirmed 
tippler.  Also  derivatives,  and  in 
combination  :  e.g.  boozing-cheat 
=  a  bottle;  boozing-ken  =  a 
drinking-den  :  see  lush-crib  ;  BOO- 
ZINGTON  (or  MR.  BOOZINGTON)  = 

a  mock  adress  ;  see  lushington. 

c.  1303.  Friar  Michael  of  Kildare 
[Oliphant,  New  Eng.  i,  3.  We  have  the 
phrase   drmk  dep,  and  the  verb  bouse]. 

b.  1539.  Sk-RI-TOì^,  Elynoor  Ro»i7nin, 
in  Hart.  Misc.  (ed.  Park),  L,  416.  Droupy 
and  drowsie,  Scurvy  and  lousie  Her  face 

all    BOWSIE. 

1536.  Copland,  Spittel-hous  [Haz- 
LlTT,  Early  Pop.  Poet.  (1866),  iv.  69J. 
With  Bousv  cove  maimed  nace. 

1567.  Karman,  Caveat.  86.  Now  I 
tower  that  bene  bouse  makes  nase  nahes. 
Ibid.  s.  The  buriall  was  tourned  to 
BOUSING  and  belly  cheere.  Ibid.  32.  They 
bowle  and  bowse  one  to  another,  and 
for  the  tyme  bousing  belly  chere.  Ibid. 
65.  A  BOWSING-KEN,  a  ale  house.  Ibid. 
Man.  What,  stowe  your  bene,  cofe,  and 
cut  benat  whydds,  and  byng  we  to  rome 
vyle,  to  nyp  a  bong;  so  shall  we  haue 
lowre  for  the  bousing  ken,  and  when 
we  byng  back  to  the  deuseauyel,  we 
wyll  fylche  some  duddes  of  the  Ruffe- 
mans,  or  myll  the  ken  for  a  bagge  of 
dudes.  Ibid.  65.  Bowse,  drinke. 

1590.  Spenser,  Fairy  Queen,  i,  iv,  22. 
And  in  his  hand  did  beare  a  bouzing  can. 


1592.  Nashe,  Pierce  Pennilesse,  in 
Wks.  II.,  91.  They  should  haue  all  the 
companie  that  resort  to  them,  bye  uowzing 
and  beere-bathing  in  their  houses  every 
after-noone. 

1592.  Greene,  Quip,  in  Wks.  XI., 
253.  To  marke  the  bowsie  drunkard  to 
dye  of  the  dropsy. 

1608.  Dekker,  Lanthorne  and 
Candlelight  [Grosart,  Works  {i'&%&),\\\., 
203].  If  we  niggle,  or  mill  a  bowzing-ken. 

1610.  Rowlands,  Martin  Mark-all, 
37  (H.  Club's  Repr.,  1874).  Bowse,  drinke. 
Ibid.  Bowsing-ken,  an  Ale-house. 

161 1.  CoTGRAVE,  Diet.  Piailleur 
s.v.  ...   a  tipler,  bowser. 

1611.  Middleton  and  Dekker, 
Roaring  Girl,  v.  i.  So  my  bousv  nab 
might  skew  some  BOUSE. 

1615.  Harington,  Epigrams.  Yet 
such  the  fashion  is  of  Bacchus  crue  To 
quaffe  and  bowze,  until  they  belch  and 
spue. 

16 16.  Jonson,  Devil's  an  Ass,  v.,  4. 
And  in  the  meantime,  to  be  greasy,  and 

BOUZV. 

1622.  Fletcher,  Beggar's  Bush, 
'The  Maunder's  Initiation.'  I  crown  thy 
nab  with  a  gage  of  ben  bouse.  Ibid.  II., 
i.  When  last  in  conference  at  the  booz- 
ing-ken,  This  other  day  we  sat  about 
our  dead  prince. 

1633.  Massinger,  New  Way  to  Pay 
Old  Debts,  I.,  i.  Well.  No  bouse  ?  nor 
no  tobacco  ? 

1639.  Optick  Glasse  0/ Humors.  For 
drinkes,  we  must  not  like  bouzers  carouse 
boule  after  boule  to  Bacchus  his  diety, 
like  the  Grecians,  nor  use  smaller  cups 
in  the  beginning  of  our  banquet,  more 
large  and  capacious  bouls  at  the  later  end. 

c.  1650.  Brathwayte,  Barnaby's  Jl. 
(1723),  47.  Hence  to  Ridgeley,  where  a 
Blacksmith  .  .  .  douzed  with  me. 

1652.  Brome,  Jovial  Crtïv,  IL,  Wks. 
(1873)  III.,  390  ...  As  Tom  or  Tib 
When  they  at  bowsing-ken  do  swill. 

1671.  R.  Head,  English  Rogue, 
I.,  iv.,  36  (1874).  Most  part  of  the  night 
we  spent  in  boozing,  pecking  rumly  .  .  . 
that  is  drinking,  eating. 


Booze. 


334 


Borak. 


1693.  Dryden,  yuvenal,  x.,  288. 
Which  in  his  cups  the  bowsy  poet  sings. 

c.  1696.  B.E.  Diet.  Ca?ti.  Cre^v.,  s.v. 
BOWLE,  c.  Drink,  or  to  Drink,  see  ben- 
BOWLE  and  rumbowle.  Bowlingken,  c. 
an  Alehouse.  The  Cui  tipt  us  a  Hog, 
ivhich  we  jnelted  in  Riimhmvle  c.  the 
Gentleman  gave  us  a  Shilling,  which  we 
spent  in  Strong  Drink.  BowsY.  c.  Drunk. 
IVe  bows'd  it  about,  we  Drank  damn'd 
hard. 

1705.  Ward,  Hudiira%  Redivivus, 
II.,  IV.,  14.  Amongst  a  Crowd  of  Sots, 
half  BOOZY. 

1714.  Memoirs  0/  John  Hall  (4  ed.), 
II.  BooziNG-KEN,  an  Ale-house.  [List  of 
cant  words  in.] 

1714.  Memoirs  of  John  Hall  (4  ed.). 
II.     Booze,  Drink.     [List  of  cant  words]. 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  403.  Booze 
it  about  to  drown  all  sorrow,  Boxing  will 
make  us  cool  tomorrow. 

1777.  CoLMAN,  Epilogue  to  Sheridan' s 
School  for  Sca/idal.  While  good  Sir 
Peter  boozes  with  the  squire. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  Vulgar 
Tongue.     Bouze,  etc.,  drink. 

d.  1796.  Burns,  Tant  o'  Shanter. 
While  we  sit  bousing  at  the  nappy. 

181 1.     Lexicon  Balatronicum  s.v. 

c.  1819.  WoLCOT,  P.  Pindar,  303, 
(ed.  1830).  This  landlord  was  a  boozer 
stout,  A  snufftaker  and  smoker. 

1819.  Moore,  Tom  Crib's  Memorial 
to  Congress,  27.  Many  of  the  words  used 
by  the  Canting  Beggars  in  Beaumont  and 
Fletcher,  and  the  Gipsies  in  Ben  Jon- 
son's  Masque,  are  still  to  be  heard  among 
the  Gnostics  of  Dyot-street  and  Tothill- 
fields.  To  prig  is  still  to  steal;  bouzing- 
ken,  an  alehouse  ;  cove,  a  fellow  .... 

1821.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
Jerry,  ii.,  6  Jemmy.  Gemmen,  have 
you  ordered  the  peck  and  booze  for 
the  evening? 

1834.  H.  AiNSWORTH,  Rookwood,  III., 
V.  '  We'll  have  a  jolly  boose  when  all's 
over.'  Ibid.  The  hovel  which  they  termed 
their  BOOZING-KEN. 


1848.  Thackeray,  Book  of  Snobs, 
xxiii.  The  BOOZY  unshorn  wretch  is  seen 
hovering  round  quays  as  packets  arrive, 
and  tippling  drams  in  inn  bars  where  he 
gets  credit.  Ibid,  xxxiii.  The  quantity  of 
brandy-and-water  that  Jack  took  showed 
what  a  regular  boozer  he  was.  Ibid. 
(1853).  Barry  Lyndon,  xiii.,  173.  '  I  won- 
der, Sir  Charles  Lyndon  .  .  .  can  demean 
himself  by  gambling  and  boozinG  with 
low  Irish  black-legs!' 

1830.  P.  Crook,  War  of  Hats,  50. 
Boozed  in  their  tavern  dens.  The  scurril 
Press  drove  all  their  dirty  pens. 

1857.  C.  KiNGsLEV,  Two  Years  Ago, 
iii.  Ere  the  Doctor  could  be  stirred  out 
of  his  boozy  slumbers,  and  thrust  into 
his  clothes  by  his  wife,  the  schoolmistress 
was  safe  in  bed. 

1866.  G.  Eliot,  Felix  Holt,  xi. 
'Till  they  can  show  there's  something 
they  love  better  than  swilling  themselves 
with  ale,  entension  of  the  suffrage  can 
never  mean  anything  for  them  but 
entension  of  boozing.' 

1884.  St  James's  Gazette,  19  Dec, 
4.,  I.     There  was  a  great  BOOZE  on  board. 

1889.  sporting  Times,  6  July.  ICid. 
The  Music  Hall  Sports  are  at  Alexandra 
Park  on  the  23rd,  and  there  will  be  rare 
doings  on  that  occasion.  Master  and 
Shifter  both  give  prizes,  and  there  will 
be  BOOZE  in  our  drag. 

1889.  Ally  Sloper's  Half  Holiday, 
Aug.  24,  267,  2.  In  Canton  gardens  I 
have  BOOZED. 

BORACHIO,  subs,  (old).— A  drunk- 
ard:  see  LUSHIXGTON, 

c.  1696.  B.E.  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.  s.v. 
Boracho,  a  But,  a  Drunkard,  and  a 
Ilogskin. 

BORAK.  To  POKE  BORAK,  vcrb.phr. 
(colonial).  —  To  pour  fictitious 
news    into     credulous    ears  ;    to 

STUFF   {q.V^;    to    KID   (i'.Z'.). 

1857.  Notes  and  Queries,  7  S.,  iii., 
476.  Poke  borak,  applied  in  Colonial 
conversation  to  the  operations  of  a  per- 
son who  pours  fictitious  information  into 
the  ears  of  a  credulous  listener. 


Bord. 


335 


Bore. 


Bord  (Borde  or  Boorde),  subs. 
(old  cant). — A  shilling:  it's? RHINO. 
The  origin  is  unknown.  For 
synonyms,  sec  blow. 

1567.  Karman,  Caveat,  85.  Roge, 
But  bouse  there  a  bord,  i.e.,  but  drink 
there  a  shilling. 

1610.  Rowlands,  Martin  Mark-all, 
37  (H.  Club's  repr.,  1874).  Boord,  a 
shilling;  Hälfe  a  boord,  sixepence. 

i6ii.  Dekker,  Roaring  Girl,  Wks. 
(1873)  III.,  219.  My  Lord  Noland  .  .  . 
bestowes  vpon  you  two,  two  boordes 
and  a  half. 

1671.  R.  Head,  English  Rogue,  I.,  v., 
47  (1874).    Bords,  a  shilling. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Creiv, 
s.v.  BORDE,  c.  a  shilling,  half  a  borde, 
c.  sixpence. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the  l'iti- 
s;ar   Tongue.   [The  same  definition.] 

Bord  you!  phr.  (nautical).— An 
expression  used  to  claim  the  next 
turn  in  drinking. 

BoRDEL  (or  Bordello),  subs.  (old). 
A  brothel:  see  nanny-shop. 

d.  1402.  GowKR,  MS.  Soc.  Antic., 
134.  /•  238- 

He  ladde  hire  to  the  bordel  thoo. 
No  wondir  is  thouze  sehe  be  wo. 

1596.  JoNSON,  £v.  Man  in  Humoiir, 
i.  2. 

From  the  windmill! 
From  the  bordello,  it  might  come  as  well. 

d.  1617.  CoRYAT,  Works,  ii.  175. 
Also  crept  into  all  the  stewes,  all  the 
brothell-houses,  and  burdelloes  of  Italy. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
Bordel-lo,  a  bawdy-house. 

Bordeaux,  subs,  (pugilists').  — 
Blood,  c/. CLARET  and  badminton. 

Bore,  subs,  (old  :  now  recognised). 
— Anybody  or  anything  weari- 
some or  annoying.  As  verb  = 
to    weary,    or   to  be  wearied  (in 


quot.  1781=  a  slow  clumsy  fel- 
low): cf.  Shakspeare,  King 
Henry  VIII. ,  i.,  I,  '  At  this  instant 
he  bores  me  with  some  trick, 
i.e.  wound,  and  hence  metaphor- 
ically to  torment);  possibly  an 
eye  should  be  kept  on  boor  = 
Hollander,  but  see  quots. 

i6o2.  Cromwell,  iii,  2.  One  that  hath 
gulled  you,  that  hath  BORED  f?  sense] 
you,  sir. 

1661.  Merry  Drollery  [Ebsworth], 
282.  [The  word  BOOR  is  used  in  scorn]. 

1682.  Sup  pi.  to  Last  Will .  .  .  of 
Anthony,  Earl  of  Shaftesbury  (Davies). 
My    Lungs    (my    Ignoramus    Friends)    is 

yours; 
But    for    my   leights,    I    leave   'em  to  the 

Bores  [.'sense;  possibly  a  pun  on  boer 

=    Hollander]. 

1782.  Burgovne,  Lord  of  Manor,  i. 
A  spring  of  the  chaise  broke  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  hill;  the  boy  was  quite  a 
bore  in  tying  it  up,  so  I  took  out  my 
luggage,    and   determined   to  walk  home. 

1781.  D'Arblay,  Cecilia,  i,  viii.  He 
is  known  by  fifty  names,  said  Mr.  Monck- 
ton;  his  friends  call  him  the  moralist; 
the  young  ladies,  the  crazy  man,  the 
macaronis,  the  bore. 

1785.  Grose,  I'ulg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
Bore  .  .  .  much  in  fashion  about  the  year 
1780 — 81;  it  vanished  of  a  sudden  with- 
out leaving  a  trace  behind['.]. 

1809.    MaLKIN,   Gz7.5/aj'(R0UTLEDGE), 

84.     You  are  a  very  great  bore. 

1812.  Combe,  Syntax,  i,  vi.  Learn- 
ing's become  a  very  bore;  That  fashion 
long  since  has  been  o'er. 

1814.  Austen,  Mansfield  Park,  ix. 
Seeing  a  great  house  ...  is  generally 
allowed  to  be  the  greatest  bore  in  the 
world. 

1859.  Prince  Consort,  Speech  at 
Aberdeen,  14  Sep.  Men  who  will  bring 
the  well-considered  and  understood  wants 
of  science  before  the  public  and  the 
Government,  who  will  even  hand  round 
the  begging-box,  and  expose  themselves 
to  refusals  and  rebuffs,  to  which  all 
beggars  are  liable,  with  the  certainty 
besides  of  being  considered  great  bores. 
Please  to  recollect  that  this  species  of 
BORE  is  a  most  useful  animal. 

w 


Born. 


336 


Bosh. 


Verb.     I.     See  subs. 

2.  (sporting).  —  To  push  (or 
thrust)  out  of  a  course;  BORING  = 
the  practice  of 'boring.'  Amongst 
pugilists,  it  signifies  to  drive  an 
opponent  on  to  the  ropes  of  the 
ring  by  sheer  weight;  amongst 
rowing  men  it  denotes  the  action 
of  coxswain  in  so  steering  a  boat 
as  to  force  his  opponent  into  the 
shore,  or  into  still  water,  thus 
obtaining  an  unfair  advantage;  also 
applied  to  horse-racing. 

1672.  Vanbrugh,  Lover's  Quarrels, 
317,  in  Hazl.  E.P.,  II.,  266.  He  bor'd 
him  out  of  the  saddle  fair. 

1819.  Moore,  Tom  Crib's  Memorial 
to  Congress.  M — ri — y,  that  very  great 
Count,  stood  deploring.  He  hadn't  taught 
Georgy  his  new  modes  of  boring. 

1821.  The  Fancy,  I.,  255.  Evans 
BORED  in,  and  upset  his  man  in  the  first 
round. 

1870.  Dickens,  Edwin  Drood,  xvii., 
lag.  Their  fighting  code  stood  in  great 
need  of  revision,  as  empowering  them 
not  only  to  bore  their  man  to  the  ropes, 
but  .  .  .  also  to  hit  him  when  he  was 
down. 

3.  (venery).  —  To  possess  a 
woman  ;  see  greens  and  ride, 
and  cf.  PUNCTURE. 

Born.    All  one's  born  D\'^s,pkr. 
(colloquial). — One's  lifetime. 

1740.  Richardson,  Pamela,  III.,  383. 
He   never   was   so  delighted  in  his  born 

DAVS. 

1753.  Richardson,  Grandison,  I., 
103.  There  was  one  Miss  Byron,  a 
Northamptonshire  lady,  whom  I  never 
saw  before  in  my  born  days. 

1809.  Miss  Edgeworth,  Ennui,  ix. 
Craiglethorpe  will  know  just  as  much  of 
the  lower  Irish  as  the  Cockney  who  has 
never  been  out  of  London,  and  who  has 
never  in  all  his  born  days  seen  an  Irish- 
man but  on  the  English  stage. 


Born  weak,  adv.  phr.  (naut- 
ical).— Said  of  a  vessel  feebly 
laid  down.  Also  born  tired  = 
a  humourous  confession  of  fatigue, 
or  a  feigned  excuse  :  See  bone 
IN   leg. 

1899.  Whitking,  John  St.,  xxi. 
The  fact  is  I  was  born  tired. 

BORN-FOOL,  subs.  phr.  (provincial). 
An  idiot  (Halliwell). 

Bosh,  subs,  (common). — Nonsense  ; 
rubbish;  stuff  {q.v^\  ROT  (^.z'.) 
— anything  beneath  contempt. 
[Murray  :  the  word  became  cur- 
rent in  England  from  its  frequent 
occurrence  in  Morier's  Persian 
novels,  Ayesha  (1834)  etc.,  most 
of  them  extremely  popular  pro- 
ductions. Its  source  has  been 
suggested  in  the  Turkish  bosh 
lakerdi,  'empty  talk']. 

1834.  Morier,  Ayesha,  I.,  219.  This 
firman  is  bosh — nothing. 

1857.  C.  KiNGSLEY,  Two  Years  Age, 
X.  I  always  like  to  read  old  Darwin's 
Loves  of  the  Plants,  bosh  as  it  is  in  a 
scientific  point  of  view. 

1880.  Punch,  10  Jan.,  9,  2. 
'  Prophet,'  said  I,  'of  things  evil!  '  'Things 
are  going  to  the  devil'  Is  the  formula  of 
fogies,  I  have  heard  that  BOSH   before. 

Verb,  (colloquial). — To  hum- 
bug; to  spoil;  to  mar. 

1870.  Macmillan's  Magazine,  XXI., 
71.  You  BOSH  his  joke  [a  man's]  by 
refusing  to  laugh  at  it;  you  bosh  his 
chance  of  sleep  by  playing  on  the  cornet 
all  night  in  the  room  next  to  him. 

1883.  Miss  Br  addon.  Golden  Calf, 
xiv,  '  And  wouldn't  he  make  a  jolly  school- 
master.>'  exclaimed  Reginald.  'Boys 
would  get  on  capitally  with.  Jardine. 
They'd  never  try  to  bosh  him.' 

Intj. — Nonsense  !  Rubbish  ?  All 
my  eye  ! 


Bosh-faker. 


337 


Boss. 


1852.  Dickens,  Bleak  House,  xxi. 
Bosh!  It's  all  correct. 

i88g.  Pall  Mall  Gazette,  October  30, 
?,  I.  'You  always  learn  in  front  of 
the  looking-glass,  do  you  not,  Mr.  Brand- 
ram?' — 'Bosh!'   was  the  laughing  reply. 

BOSH-FAKER,  sîibs.  phr.  (vagrants'). 
— A  violinist. 

1876.  HiNDLKV,  Li/e  and  Adveni7ires 
of  a  Cheap  Jack,  231.  Can  you  rocker 
Romanie  Can  you  patter  flash.  Can  you 
rocker   Romanie   Can  you  fake  a  bosh. 

Boshing,  subs.  (American  thieves'). 
— A  flogging:  apparently  a  cor- 
ruption of  BASHING. 

BOSHY,  adj.  (common).  —  Trum- 
pery; nonsensical. 

1882.  F.  Anstey,  Vice  Versa,  iv. 
There  was  no  dancing,  only  boshv 
games  and  a  conjuror. 

BoS-KEN,  subs.  phr.  (old  cant.) — 
A  farmhouse  :  cf.  bos  =  ox  -f  ken, 
a  house. 

1851-61.  H.  Mavhew,  London  Lab. 
and  Lon.  Poor,  I.,  472.  Up  at  a  bosken 
(farm-house)  they'll  get  among  the  ser- 
vant girls. 

BOSKINESS,  subs,  (common).  —  A 
state  of  drunkenness;  hence  BOSKY 
=  fuddled  with  drink  ;  bemused  : 

see   SCREWED. 

1748.  T.  Dyche,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Bosky  (a.),  fuddled,  half,  or  quite  drunk. 

1824.  Blackw.  Mag.,  XVI.,  573.  He 
may  be  tipsy,  bosky,  cut,  or  anything 
but  drunk. 

1886.  Punch,  17  April,  183.  I  got  a 
bit  BOSKY  last  night.  Has  the  'eadache 
got  into  my  rhymes? 

1887.  yudy,  31  August,  loi.  The 
Town  Councillor  had  a  squabble  with 
his    parent    .    .    .     and    accused    him    of 

BOSKINESS. 

BOSMAN,  subs,  (vagrants') — A  farm- 
er;  cf.   BOSKEN. 


1851-61.  H.  Mavhew,  London  Lab. 
and  Lon.  Poor,  I.,  471.  I've  seen  the 
swell  busmen  (farmers)  buy  the  pills  to 
give  the  people  standing  about. 

Boss,  subs,  (common). —  i.  A  mas- 
ter; a  head  man;  one  who  directs. 
Dutch  baas  ■=.  a  master.  Whence 
BOSSING  =  acting  as  a  boss  ;  boss- 
ism  =  a  system  of  management 
or  wire-pulling;  bossy  ==  pertain- 
ing   to    the  qualities  of  a  leader 

1679.     M.  Philipse,  Early  Voyage 
New   Netherlands  (quoted  by  De  Vere). 
Here  they  had  their  first  interview  with 
the    female    boss    or    supercargo    of   the 
vessel. 

1848.  Bartlett,  Americanisms.  I 
have  never  known  a  second  wife  but 
what  was  boss  of  the  situation. 

1850.  New  York  Herald,  May  24. 
The  Father  of  Holiness  is  the  dependent 
of  the  Jew,  and  Rothschild  is  the  real 
Pope  and  boss  of  all  Europe. 

1856.  Nat.  Intelligencer,  3  Nov. 
'Well,  squire,'  said  he,  'the  little  fellow 
that  sits  up  in  the  pulpit,  and  kinder 
bosses  it  over  the  crowd,  gin  us  a  talk; 
but  I  don't  know  whether  he  charged 
any  thing  or  not.' 

1839.  KiNGSLEY,  Geoffrey  Hamlyyi, 
xxiii.  '  So,  boss,'  began  the  ruffian,  not 
looking  at  him,  'we  ain't  fit  company  for 
the  likes  of  that  kinchin,  eh? 

1888.  New  York  Herald,  Jan.  12. 
Alderm.^n  Campbell  — I  move  an  amend 
ment,  to  make  Hamline  the  general 
superintendent  and  chief  boss  of  this 
whole  gas  business. 

1901,  Free  Lance,  27  April,  75,  i. 
Our  tight  little  island  does  not  often 
produce  railway  BOSSES  of  the  masterful 
American  type. 

2.  (common). — A  short-sighted 
person;  a  squinter;  also  bosser: 
cf.  boss-eyed,  and  verb. 

3.  (common).  —  A  miss  ;  a 
blunder. 

4     (old). — A  term  of  contempt. 


Boss. 


338 


Botany  Bay. 


1590.  Marlowe,  Tamburlaine,  I., 
iii.,  3.  Zab.  Base  concubine,  must 
thou  be  placed  by  me,  That  am  the 
empress  of  the  mighty  Turk?  Zen.  Dis- 
dainful Turkess  and  unreverend   BOSS! 

161 1.  CoTGRAVE,  Diet.,  s.v.  A  fat 
BOSSB.  Femme  bien  grasse  et  grosse;  une 
coche. 

Adj.  (common). — Pleasant  ;  first 
rate  ;  chief. 

1S8-Ì.  Echo,  March  3,  i,  4.  The 
Americans  are  acknowledged  to  be  the 
BOSS  artificers  in  wood. 

i883.  Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle,  March 
i3.  Take  it  all  together,  with  scarcity 
of  food  and  little  sleep,  we  had  a  hard, 
but  a  BOSS  time. 

Verb,  (common). — I.  To  man- 
age ;  to  direct;  to  control. 

1856.  National  Intelligencer,  Nov.  3. 
The  little  fellow  that  bosses  it  over  the 
crowd. 

1872.  Athenceum,  March  9.  A  child 
wishing  to  charge  his  sister  with  being 
the  aggressor  in  a  quarrel  for  which  he 
was  punished,  exclaimed,  'I  did  not  boss 
the  job;  it  was  sister.' 

1883.  Saturday  Review,  April  28, 
S15,  I.  It  is  long  since  the  more 
respectable  inhabitants  of  America  have 
been  divided  between  the  convenience 
of  the  Irish  as  hewers  of  wood  and 
drawers  of  water,  and  as  voters  easily 
BOSSED  or  bribed,  on  the  one  hand,  and 
the  manifold  nuisance  of  them  on  the  other. 

1885.  Sporting  Times,  July  6.  The 
Shah  has  fairly  BOSSED  everything  this 
week — he  has  been  chief  actor  in  our 
social  system. 

1888.     Texas  Si/lings,  July. 
When  lovely  woman  hires  a  servant 

And   BOSSES  her  around  all  day. 
What  makes  the  girl  pray  half  so  fervent 

As  her  desire  to  run  away. 

2.  (popular). — To  miss  aim  ; 
to  make  such  a  shot  as  a  boss- 
eyed  {ç-v.)  jierson  would  be  ex- 
pected to  make.  Boss-shot  ^  a 
shot  failing  of  its  mark. 


1887.  N.  and  Q.,  7  S.,  iii.,  236.  To 
BOSS  is  schoolboy  slang  for  'to  miss.' 

BOSSER,  subs,  (common). — i.  In  pi. 
spectacles:  set  barnacles. 

2.     See  BOSS. 

Boss-eyed,  adj.  phr.  (common). — 
One-eyed;  oblique  of  vision; 
SQUINNY-EYED  {q.v.y.  also  subs. 
BOSS-EYE. 

c.  1884.  Broadside  Ballad,  'Put  me 
some  Jam  Roll  by,  Jenny.'  Come  where 
the  waves  roll  high,  Jenny,  Come  with 
your  old  BOSS-EVE. 

BOSTRUOHYZER,  subs.  (Oxford  Uni- 
versity: obsolete). — A  small  kind 
of  comb  for  curling  the  whiskers. 
(Hotten). 

BOT  (BOTT  or  BOTTS),  subs,  (com- 
mon). —  The  colic  ;  belly-ache  ; 
gripes:  tourmente. 

1787.  Burns,  Death  and  Dr.  Horn- 
book, 27.  A  countra  Laird  had  ta'en  the 
BATTS,   Or  some  curmurring  in  his  guts. 

1816.  Scott,  Old  Mortality,  viii. 
'  I  ne'er  gat  ony  gude  by  his  doctrine,  as 
ye  ca't,  but  a  sour  fit  o'  the  bitts  wi' 
sitting  amang  the  wet  moss-hays  for  four 
hours  at  a  yoking. 

BOTANICAL-EXCURSION,  subs.  (old). 
— Transportation  to  BOTANY  BAY 
phr.  sense  3  {q.v.). 

BOTANY  BAY,  subs. p/ir.  (University). 
—  I.  Worcester  College  Oxford: 
on  account  of  its  remote  situa- 
tion as  regards  other  collegiate 
buildings.  A  certain  portion  of 
Trinity  College,  Dublin:  for  the 
same  reason. 

1841.  Levf.r,  Charles  O'Malley,  xx., 
note.  Botany  Bay  was  the  slang  name 
given  by  college  men  to  a  new  square, 
rather  remotely  situated  from  the  re- 
mainder of  the  college  [i.e.,  Trinity, 
Dublini. 


Botany-Bay  fever.        339 


Bottle-boy. 


1853.  Rev.  E.  Bradley  (' Ciuhbert 
Bede'),  Adventures  of  V  erdant  Green,  I., 
63.  A  name  given  to  W.  College,  from 
its  being  the  most  distant  college. 

2.  (thieves'  and  prison).  — 
Penal  servitude.  Formerly  con- 
victs [i  787-1867]  were  transported 
to  Botany  Bay,  a  convict  settle- 
ment at  the  Antipodes.  Hence 
TO  GO  TO  Botany  Bay  =  to 
be  in  for  a  long  term  of  imprison- 
ment. 

BOTANY-BAY  FEVER,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— Transportation  ;  penal  servitude  : 
see  Botany  Bay,  and  cf.  hempen 
FEVER  =  hanging. 

BOTCH,  subs.  (old). — A  tailor  :  i.e. 
a  botcher:  see  snip.  To  pass  the 
BOTTLE  OF  SMOKE,  verb.  phr.  (old). 
— To  countenance  a  lie;  to  cant 
{q.v>). 

Bottle,  subs.  (Stock  Exchange). 
— In  pi.  Barrett's  Brewery  and 
Bottling  Co.  shares. 

To  TURN  OUT  NO  BOTTLE,  verb. 
phr.  (sporting).  —  To  turn  out 
badly-,  to  fail. 

To  LOOK  FOR  a  needle  IN  A 
BOTTLE  OF  HAY,  verb.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— To  seek  what  it  is  im- 
possible (or  at  lest,  difficult)  to 
find,  Fr./5<?//^.  [bottle=:Bundle]. 

Also,    pin's  head  in  A  CARTLOAD 

OF  HAY,  and  needle  in  a  hay- 
stack. 

1565.  Calfhill  on  Marshall's, 
Treatise  of  the  Cross  [Parker  Soc]  173. 

PiNSHEAD    IN    A   CARTLOAD    OF    HAY. 

159a.  Greene,  Upstart  Courtier 
(1871),    4.     He.  .  .  .  gropeth   in  the  dark 

TO    FIND    A   NEEDLE    IN    A    BOTTLE  OF   HAY. 

1661.     Merry  Drollery  [Ebsworth], 

79.      As   soon  FIND    A  NEEDLE  IN  A  BOTTLE 
OF  HAY.. 


c.  1845.  Hood,  Lost  Heir,  ii.  A  child 
as   is  lost  about  London  streets  ....  is 

A    NEEDLE   IN    A    BOTTLE    OF    HAY. 

c.  1880.  W.  M.  Baker,  New  Timothy, 
200.  How  in  the  world  will  we  manage 
to  find  you  afterwards?  After  we  get 
into  the  thick  of  the  bush,  it'll  be  like 
lookin'  FOR  A  NEEDLE  IN  the  biggest  sort 

of  A    HAYSTACK. 

To  BOTTLE  \JV, verb. phr.  (old). 
— To  restrain  temper  (or  feelings)  ; 
to  hold  (or  keep)  back  ;  to  treas- 
ure in  one's  memory. 

1622.  T.  Scott,  Belg.  Pismire,  53. 
Vapours  .  .  .  botteled  up   in  cloudes. 

1863.  H.  KiNGSLEY,  Austin  Elliot, 
xi.  Austin  played  very  bad,  trumped 
his  partner's  .  .  .  knave,  led  out  strong 
suits  of  trumps  without  any  suit  to 
follow,  BOTTLED  them  when  his  partner 
led  them  first  time  round. 

1871.  Cincinnati  Commercial,  April, 
637.  He  will  BOTTLE  UP  his  wrath,  hav- 
ing had  some  experience  in  the  line  of 
BOTTLING  UP  during  the  war,  and  pour 
out  his  vials  upon  General  Farnsworth's 
head,  whenever  the  occasion  offers. 

BOTTLE  OF  BR\NDY  IN  A  GLASS, 
phr.  (common).— A  LONG  DRINK 
{q-v.)  of  beer. 

Bottle-ache,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— Drunkenness  ;  also  delirium  tre- 
fjiens;    see    gallon    distemper. 

Bottle-arse,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  full-breeched  man  or 
woman.  Whence  bottle-arsed 
=  broad  in  the  beam  ;  fuU-buttock- 
ed  :  also  see  next  entry. 

Bottle-arsed,  adj.  phr.  (printers'). 
—  I.  Type  thicker  at  one  end  than 
the  other:  a  result  of  wear  and 
tear. 

2.     See  bottle-arse. 

Bottle-boy,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— An  apothecary's  assistant;  a 
doctor's  page. 


Bottle-companion.         340 


Bottom. 


1S57.  KiNGSLEY,  Two  Years  Ago,\. 
He  .  .  .  utterly  fulfilled  the  ideal  of  a 
BOTTLE-BOV,  for  of  him  too  as  of  all  things, 
I  presume,  an  ideal  exists  eternally  in 
the  supra-sensual  Platonic  uni%'erse. 

BOTTLE-COMPANION,  subs. phr.  {com- 
mon). — Atippling-brother;  aboon- 
companion:  See  LUSHiNGTON. 

1809.  MaLKIN,  Gj7  5/rt^[R0UTLEDGE], 

188.  I  was  determined  no  longer  to  open 
either  my  cellar  or  my  soul  in  the  pre- 
sence of  Arabian  or  Jew.  My  bottle- 
COMPANION  henceforward  was  a  young 
gentleman  from  Leghorn. 

BOTTLE-HEAD,  subs.  phr.  (collo- 
quial). —  A  fool.  As  adj.  = 
stupid. 

c.  1696.  ß.E.  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
Bottle-head,  void  of  Wit. 

BOTTLE-HOLDER,  subs.  phr.  (pugil- 
ists').—  I.  A  second  at  a  prize- 
fight. 

1753.  Smollett,  Ct.  Fathom  (l.). 
An  old  bruiser  makes  a  good  bottle- 
holder. 

1822.  Scott,  The  Fortunes  of  Nigel, 
ii.  Cold  water,  and  a  little  vinegar, 
applied  according  to  the  scientific  method 
practised  by  the  bottle-holders  in  a 
modern  ring. 

i85o.  Thackeray,  Philip,  xl.  'Do 
you  remember  his  tremendous  fight  with 
Biggs?'  'Remember?  who  didn't?  Mar- 
ston  was  Berry's  bottle-holder.' 

2.  (common). — One  who  gives 
moral  support;  a  backer;  an 
adviser.  [In  The  Times  of  1851, 
Lord  Palmerston  was  reported  to 
consider  himself  the  bottle- 
holder  of  oppressed  States  ;  and 
in  Punch  of  the  same  year  a 
cartoon  appeared  representing  that 
statesman  as  the 'judiciousBOTTLE- 
HOLDER.']  Hence  bottle-hold- 
ing =  backing;  supporting. 


1816.  Scott,  Antiquary,  xxxix.  Pé- 
trie .  .  .  recommends,  upon  his  own 
experience,  as  tutor  in  a  family  of  dis- 
tinction, this  attitude  to  all  led  captains, 
tutors,  dependents,  and  bottle-holdbrs 
of  every  description. 

1878-80,  Justin  MacCarthy,  His- 
tory of  Our  Own  Times,  II.,  115.  The 
noble  lord  (Palmerston)  told  the  deputa- 
tion that  the  past  crisis  was  one  which 
required  on  the  part  of  the  British 
Government  much  generalship  and  judg- 
ment, and  that  a  good  deal  of  judicious 
bottle-holding  was  obliged  to  be  brought 
into  play. 

BOTTLE-NOSE,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
A  person  with  a  large  nose.  Also 
as  adj. 

1568.  Falwell,  Like  Will  to  Like 
[DodsleyJ,  Old  Plays  [There  occurs] 
bottle-nosed. 

1899.    Besant,  Orange  Girl,  66.    At 

forty-five  his  circumference  is  great:  his 
neck  is  swollen;  his  cheek  is  red:  per- 
haps his  nose  has  become  what  is  called 
BOTTLE. 

BOTTLE-OP-SPRUCE,J?<^j./Är.(rhym- 
ing). — Twopence:  /.«.  deuce :=  two. 

Bottle-sucker,  subs.  phr.  (naut- 
ical).— An  able-bodied  seaman, 
colloquially  A.B.S. 

Bottle-washer,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  scullion.  Hence  head- 
cook  AND  bottle-washer  =  a 
general  servant;  a  slavey  (jj.v.'): 
in  contempt. 

1876.  HiNDLEY,  Adv.  of  a  Cheap- 
Jack,  66.  Fred  Jolly  being  the  head- 
cook    AND    BOTTLE-WASHER. 

Bottom,  subs,  (colloquial). —  I. 
The  posteriors  ;  not  now  in  polite 
literary  use:  see  BLIND-CHEKKS. 
and  bun. 

1794-6.  E.  Darwin,  Zoon  (1801),  III., 
353.  So  as  to  have  his  head  and  shoulders 
much  lower  than  his  bottom. 


Bottom. 


341 


Bottom-facts. 


1823-36.  J.  Wilson,  Nodes,  Amor., 
xxxix.  (1864),  iv.,  79.  The  Dunghill  cock 
.  .  .  hides  his  head  in  a  hole  .  .  .  un- 
ashamed of  the  exposure  of  his  enormous 

BOTTOM. 

1837.  Carlyi.k,  Fr.  Rev.,  II.,  iv.,  i., 
185.  Patriot  women  take  their  hazel 
wands,  and  fustigate  .  ,  .  broad  BOTTOM 
of  priests. 

2.  (colloquial).  —  Capital;  re- 
sources ;  stamina  ;  GRIT  {,q.v^. 

1662.  Fuller,  Worthies,  (1840),  II, 
451.  Beginning  on  a  good  bottom  left 
him  by  his  father. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
Bottom,  a  »tan  of  no  bottom,  of  no  basis 
of  principles,  or  no  settlement  of  fortune, 
or  ol  no  ground  in  his  art. 

1747.  Captn.  Godfrey,  Science  of 
Defence,  54.  I  have  mentioned  strength 
and  art  as  the  two  ingredients  of  a  boxer. 
But  there  is  another,  which  is  vastly 
necessary;  that  is,  what  we  call  a  bot- 
tom. .  .  .  There  are  two  things  required 
to  make  this  bottom,  that  is,  wind  and 
spirit,  or  heart,  or  wherever  you  can  fix 
the  residence  of  courage. 

1819.  Moore,  Totn  Crib's  Memorial 
to  Congress,  pref.,  xv.  The  peculiarities 
of  this  boxer  discussed — his  power  of 
standing  with  his  arms  extended  for  two 
whole  days,  without  any  rest,  by  which 
means  he  wore  out  his  adversaries' 
bottom,  and  conquered  without  either 
giving  or  taking. 

1846.  Thackeray,  l'.  Fair,  II.,  xiv. 
He  did  not  like  to  dine  with  Steyne 
now.  They  had  run  races  of  pleasure 
together  in  youth  when  Bareacres  was 
the  winner.  But  Steyne  had  more  bottom 
than  he,  and  had  lasted  him  out. 

3.  (common). — Spirit  placed 
in  a  glass  prior  to  the  addition 
of  water  or  other  fluid  :  e.g.  soda 
AND  DARK  BOTTOM  =  soda  and 
brown  brandy  ;  also  as  verb. 

1854.  Sir  Theo.  Martin,  Bon 
Gaultier  Ballads.  Bottomed  well  with 
brandy. 


1857.  A.  Trollope,  Three  Clerks, 
xxxi.  Gin  and  water  was  the  ordinary 
tipple  in  the  front  parlour;  and  any  one 
of  its  denizens  inclined  to  cut  a  dash 
above  his  neighbours,  generally  did  so 
with  a  bottom  of  brandy. 

1883.  Daily  Telegraph,  2  July,  5, 
3.  Soda  and  dark  bottom  is  men- 
tioned in  a  list  of  American  drinks  in 
this  article. 

To  KNOCK  THE  BOTTOM  OUT 
OF  ONE,  verb.  phr.  (American). 
— To    overcome:    to    defeat,  etc. 

1888.  Cleveland  Leader.  The  de- 
clination of  Mr.  Blaine,  has  knocked  the 
bottom  out  of  Mugwumpery. 

To  STAND  ON  one's  OWN  BOT- 
TOM  (or   EVERY    TUB  ON  ITS  OWN 

BOTTOM),   7<erb.  phr.     (old).— To 
act  for  oneself,  to  be  independent. 

1630-40,  Court  and  Times  Charles  I , 
II,  159.  Every  man  must  stand  on  his 
own  bottom. 

Bottom-dollar,  subs.  phr.  (Amer- 
ican).— The  last  dollar:  cf.  bed- 
rock. To  BET  one's  bottom 
dollar  r=  to  risk  all. 

1877.  Miss  Kate  Field  [Truth, 
8  Feb.].  I  saw  the  whole  play;  admired 
the  Queen's  dignity,  and  you  may  bet 
your  bottom  dollar  I  don't  want  to 
go  again. 

Bottom-facts,  subs.  phr.  (Amer- 
ican).— The  exact  truth  about  a 
matter.  To  get  to  the  bot- 
tom facts  (or  bottom-rock),  to 
arrive  at  an  unquestionable  con- 
clusion, to  get  to  the  root  of  a 
question. 

i2,[i].  Methodist  [Bartlett].  Take 
it  altogether,  there  is  no  way  to  raise 
money  for  the  church  without  giving  it. 
And  here  is  the  'bottom  fact'  in  the 
trouble:  we  want  the  church  to  have 
the  money;  but  we  want  somebody  else 
to  pay  it. 


Bottomless- Pit. 


342 


Bounce. 


1S77.  S.  L.  Clemens  ('Mark  Twain'), 
Life  on  the  Mississippi,  393.  You  take  a 
family  able  to  emba'm,  and  you've  got 
a  soft  thing.  You  can  mention  sixteen 
different  ways  to  do  it — though  there 
aint  only  one  or  two  ways  when  you 
come  down  to  the  bottom  facts  of  it. 

1877.  New  York  Tribune,  17  Mar. 
The  public  has  a  large  interest  in  the 
case  of  the  election  of  Senator  Grever 
[of  Oregon].  Curiosity  has  been  on  the 
tiptoe  these  many  weeks  to  know  the 
BOTTOM   FACTS  in  it. 

1888.  Omaha  World.  Bottom  rock. 
Conductor  (on  California  train  some  years 
hence) — 'All  out  for  Pitholeville.'  Real 
Estate  Agent  (entering  car)  — 'Orange 
groves  and  apple  orchards,  two  for  a 
penny.' 

BOTTOMUESS-PIT,   subs.  phr.    (ven- 
ery). — The  female  ptidendum.  See 

MONOSYLLABLE. 

BOTTY,   subs,     (common). — An   in- 
fant's posteriors.  Fr.  tutu. 

Adj.  (colloquial). — Conceited  ; 
swaggering.  Yx.  faire  sa  merde,  or 
faire  son  matador  =  TO  LOOK 
BOTTY. 

BOUGH,  subs.    (Old).— The  gallows. 
See  TREE. 

1590.  SwiNBURN,  Testaments,  52-  Or 
in  Kent  in  Gauelkind  .  .  .  for  there  it  is 
said,  the  father  to  the  boughe,  and  the 
son  to  the  ploughe. 

1596.  Spenser,  State  Irei.,  H'ks. 
{1862),  S53,  col.  2.  Some...  have  beene 
for  their  goods  sake  caught  up,  and 
carryed  straight  to  the  bough. 

1870.  Morris,  Earthly  Par.,  III., 
iv.,  77.     If  she  doom  thee  to  the  bough. 

Up  in  the  boughs, /Ar.  (old). 
— In  a  passion. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
Boughs,  he  is  up  in  the  boughs,  or  a 
top  of  the  house,  of  one  upon  the  Rant, 
or  in  a  great  Ferment. 


BOUGHT.BOUGHT  AND  SOLD,//%n(old.) 
— Entirely  overreached,  utterly 
made  away  with. 

1591.  Harrington,  Ariosto,  xvi.  33. 
Then  were  the  Roman  empire  bought 
AND  SOLD,  The  holy  church  were  spoyl'd, 
and  quite  undone. 

1593.  Shakespeare,  Com.  of  Errors, 
iii.  I.  It  would  make  a  man  mad  as  a 
buck  to  be  so  bought  and  sold.  Ibid. 
1597.  Richard  III,  v.  3.  Jockey  of  Nor- 
folk be  not  too  bold,  For  Diccon  thy 
master  is  bought  and  sold. 

BOUGOUR.     See  BUGGER. 

Bounce,  j^^^ì-.  (common). —  I.  Brag; 
swagger;  boastful  falsehood;  ex- 
aggeration. 

1714.  Steele,  Lover  (1723),  93.  This 
is  supposed  to  be  only  a  bounce. 

1748.  T.  DvcHE,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Bounce  (s.)  .  .  .  also  the  bluff,  brag,  or 
swaggering  of  a  bully  or  great  pretender. 

1765.  Goldsmith,  Haunch  of  Veni- 
son, \.  14.  But  hold — let  me  pause — 
don't  I  hear  you  pronounce  This  tale  of 
the  bacon  3  damnable  bounce? 

1856.  Whvte  Melville,  Kate  Cov- 
entry, i.  Only  tell  a  man  you  think 
him  good-looking,  and  he  falls  in  love 
with  you  directly;  or  if  that  is  too  great 
a  BOUNCE  .  .  .  you  need  only  hint  that 
he  rides  gallantly. 

1880.  Blackwood's  Mag.,  May,  670. 
The  whole  heroic  adventure  was  the 
veriest  bounce,  the  merest  bunkum! 

2.  Impudence;  cheek;  BRASS 
{q.v.). 

1872-4.  John  Forster,  Life  of 
Dickens,  Ix.  It  is  the  face  of  the  Webster 
type,  but  without  the  BOUNCE  of  Webster's 
face. 

3.  A  boaster;  swaggerer;  showy 
swindler;  bully:  also r/.  bouncer 
{q.v.). 

1812.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Flash  Diet. 
Bounce,  a  person  well  or  fashionably 
drest  is  said  to  be  a  rank  bounce. 


Bounce. 


343 


Bouncer. 


4.  (common). — Cherry  brandy. 

Verb,  (common). —  i.  To  boast; 
bluster;  hector;  bully;  blow  up. 

1633.  Fletcher,  Nt.  Walkers,  IV., 
i.  1  doe  so  whivle  her  to  the  Counsellors' 
chambers  .  ,  .  and  bounce  her  for  more 
money. 

c.  1696.  B.E.  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.  s.v. 
Bounce,  to  boast  and  vapour.  A  meer 
BOUNCE,  a  swaggering  fellow. 

1698.  Ward,  London  Spy,  XVIII., 
428.  With  lies  he  tells  his  Bloody  Feats, 
And  BOUNCES  like  a  Bully. 

1707.  Ward,  Hud.  Red.  ii.  3.  The 
BOUNCING  Quack's  alluring  Babble. 

1748.  T.  Dyche,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Bounce  (v.),  to  swagger,  boast,  crack, 
stump,  or  pretend  to  great  manners. 

1749.  Walpole,  Lett,  to  Mann,  3. 
May  (1833),  II.,  374.  The  Lords  had  four 
tickets  a-piece,  and  each  Commoner  at 
first  but  two,  till  the  Speaker  bounced, 
and  obtained  a  third. 

1760.  CoLMAN,  Polly  Honeycombe,  in 
wks.  (1777)  IV.,  55.  Nay,  nay,  old  gentle- 
man, no  bouncing;  you're  mistaken  in 
your  man,  sir! 

1859.  H.  KiNGSLEV,  Geoffrey  Ham- 
lyn,  V,  'He'll  be  drinking  at  all  the 
places  coming  along  to  get  his  courage 
up  to  bounce  me.' 

1883.  Daily  News,  July  26,  4.  col.  8. 
To  BOUNCE  is  simply  to  prevail  on  per- 
sons whose  mirth  interferes  with  the 
general  enjoyment  to  withdraw  from 
society  which  they  embarrass  rather  than 
adorn. 

2.  (common). — To    lie;    to 
cheat;  to  swindle. 

1762.  FooTE,  Liar,  II.,  i.  If  it  had 
come  to  an  oath,  I  don't  think  he  would 
have  BOUNCED. 

1863.  H.  KiNGSLEY,  Austin  Elliot,  X. 
It's  them  gals,  Mr.  Austin,  got  a  shilling 
of  mine  among  un  somewhere,  and  wants 
to  BOUNCE  me  out  of  it.' 

3.  (venery). — To    possess    a 
woman:  see  greens  and  kids. 


To  GET  THE  GRAND  BOUNCE, 
phr.  (American). — To  be  sum- 
marily dismissed  ;  to  be  chucked 
OUT  {q.v.):  also,  in  political  par- 
lance ;  to  be  thrown  out  of  office. 

On  the  BOUNCE,  phr.  (com- 
mon).— In  a  state  of  spasmodic 
movement;  general  liveliness, 

1889.  Sporting  Times,  June  29. 
Several  well  known  defaulters  would  be 
observed  going  to  and  fro  on  the  bounce. 

BOUNCEABLE,  adj.  (common).  — 
Given  to  bouncing  {g.v.)\  boast- 
ing ;  uppish  ;  bumptious. 

1830.  S.  Warren,  Diary  of  a  Late 
Physician,  xvi.  As  soon  as  we  had  ex- 
hibited sundry  doses  of  Irish  cordial  to 
our  friend  Tip — under  the  effects  of 
which  he  became  quite  bouncible,  and 
ranted  about  the  feat  he  was  to  take  a 
prominent  part  in. 

1849  Dickens,  David  Copperfield, 
iv.  I  heard  that  Mr.  Sharp's  wig  didn't 
fit  him;  and  that  he  needn't  be  so  bounce- 
able — somebody  else  said 'bumptious  ' — 
about  it. 

BOUNCER,  subs,  (old).— I.  A  bully  ; 
hector;  blusterer;  one  who  talks 
swaggeringly. 

c.     1696.    B.E.    Diet.    Cant.  Crew.   s.v. 
Bouncer,  c.  a  bully. 

1748.  T.  Dyche,  Dictionary  (4  ed.). 
Bouncer  (i.),  a  bully  or  hectoring  bravado. 

1851-61.  H.  Mavhew,  Lon.  Lai.  and 
Lon.  Poor,  IV.,  24.  Those  who  cheat 
the  Public  .  .  .  bouncers  and  Besters  de- 
frauding by  laying  wagers,  swaggering, 
or  using  threats. 

2.  (thieves'). — A  thief  who 
steals  goods  from  shop  counters 
while  bargaining  with  the  trades- 
man; a  SHOPLIFTER  ((/.z/.).  Yx.  dé- 
gringoleur,  the  practice  being 
dégringoler  à  la  carre. 

3.  (common). — A   lie  ;   a  liar. 


Bouncing. 


344 


Bounder. 


1762.  FooTE,  Liar,  11.,  i.  He  will 
tell  ye  more  lies  in  an  hour,  than  all  the 
circulating  libraries  put  together  will 
publish  in  a  year  ...  he  was  always 
distinguished  by  the  facetious  appella- 
tion  of  the   BOUNCER. 

1833.  Marry.^t,  Peter  Simple,  xxxi. 
'He's  .  .  .  such  a  bouncer!  !  .  .  .  I  mean 
that  he's  the  greatest  liar  that  ever 
walked  a  deck.' 

1872.  M.  E.  Braddon,  Dead  Sea 
Fruit,  xxii.  'In  that  case,  I  should  say 
wait,  and  put  your  trust  in  Time — Time, 
the  father  of  Truth,  as  Mary  Stuart  called 
him  when  she  wanted  to  go  in  for  a 
bouncer, — and  oh,  what  an  incredible 
number  of  royal  bouncers  were  carried 
to  and  fro  in  the  despatches  of  that 
period  !  ' 

4.  (common). — Anything  large 
or  uncommon,  a  whopper  (^.f.)  ; 
a  THUMPER  (jJ.V.)  ;  a  CORKER 
(^.z/.). 

1596.  Nashe,  Saffron  Waiden,  in 
Wks.  III.,  140.  My  Book  will  grow  such 
a  BOUNCER,  that  those  which  buy  it  must 
bee  faine  to  hire  a  porter  to  carry  it 
after  them  in  a  basket. 

5.  American). — A    CHUCKER- 

OUT  {(J.V.). 

1883.  Daily  News,  July  26,  4,  8. 
The  other  fresh  American  type  is  less 
remarkable — the  bouncer.  One  might 
suppose  that  a  bouncer  was  a  noisy 
braggart;  but  no.  A  scientific  writer  in 
the  Nation  describes  a  bouncer  as  a 
'silent,  strong  man.'  Everyone  who 
mixes  much  in  society  in  Whitechapel 
will  understand  the  functions  of  the 
bouncer,  when  we  explain  that  he  is 
merely  the  English  '  chucker-out.' 

6.  (venery).  —  A  prostitute's 
BULLY  {q.V>);  a  PONCE  {q.v.). 

7.  (naval). — A  gun  that  kicks 
{q.v.)  when  fired. 

Bouncing,  ort)',  (common). — Vigour- 
ous;  lusty;  exaggerated;  excess- 
ive ;  big. 


c.  1563.  Jacke  yugder,  42  (ed.  Gros- 
art). And  made  you  a  banket  [banquet], 
and  BOUNCING  cheare. 

1588.  Marprelate's  Epistle,  14  (ed. 
Arber).  For  there  must  bee  orders  of 
ministers  in  the  congregation  where  you 
meane  this  bounsing  priest  should  haue 
superiortie. 

i6ii.  MiDDLETON,  Roaring  Girle, 
iii.,  3.  The  duck  that  sits  is  the 
BOUNCING  ramp,  that  roaring  girl,  my 
mistress. 

1748.  Smollett,  Rod.  Random,  xix. 
While  I  was  at  work  in  the  shop,  a 
bouncing  damsel,  well  dressed,  came  in. 

1846.  Thackeray,  I'anitv  Fair,  ii. 
By  the  side  of  many  tall  and  bouncing 
young  ladies  in  the  establishment,  Rebec- 
ca Sharp  looked  like  a  child. 

BOUNClNG-CHEAT,««^J-.////-.(oldcant). 
— A  bottle  :  see  cheat.  Fr.  rouil- 
larde  (or  rouille^.   See  dead-men. 

Bound.   See  had;  shine  ;  go  ;  get 

THERE,    etc. 

Bounder,  subs,  (common). — I.  A 
four-wheeled  cab  ;  a  GROWLER 
{q.v.). 

2.  (University). —  A     dog-cart. 

3.  (University).  —  A  student 
whose  manners  are  not  accept- 
able ;  one  whose  companionship 
is  not  cared  for.  Hence  a  vulgar, 
though  well-dressed,  man  ;  a  super- 
ior kind  of  '  Arry  '  ;  one  whose 
dress  and  personal  appearance  are 
correct,  but  whose  manners  are 
questionable  ;  a  snide  (q.v.)  :  often 
BALLY  BOUNDER.  Fr.  wu/e  and 
espèce  de  cafouilkux. 

i8[?].  St.  James's  Gaz.,  'Culture  of 
the  Masses'  (S.J.  &  C).  I  said  something 
one  day  about  my  own  attire,  and  she 
remarked  that  if  1  ordered  the  particular 
hat  I  desired  I  should  be  taken  for  a 
bounder;  and  when  I  asked  what  that 
meant,  she  said,  'Oh,  a  toff,  you  know.' 
Feeling  that  my  ignorance  had  better  be 
displayed  no  further,  1  departed  by  the 
next  train. 


Boung. 


345 


Bow. 


1892.  Ally  Sloper,  19  Mar.,  go,  3. 
When  death  of  Uncle  John  bereft  us,  We 
said  we  mourned  because  he'd  left  us; 
Our  mourning  was  a  lot  profounder  To 
find  heV  left  us  nix — the  bounder! 

1900.  White,  West  End,  39.  '  Dignity, 
courtesy,  and  self-restraint  are  the  signs 
of  an  English  gentleman.  Let  .  .  .  the 
newly  acquired  splendours  .  .  .  leave  you 
at  least  outwardly  unimpressed.'  'You 
mean  .  .  .  that  I'm  not  to  be  a  bounder 
because  the  mater's  been  presented,  and 
the  guv'nor's  built  a  jolly  new  big  house  ?  ' 

BOUNG.     See  BUNG. 

BOUNG-NIPPER.      See     BUNG-NIPPER, 

Bounty-jumper,  subs.  (American). 
— A  man  who,  receiving  a  bounty 
when  'listing,  deserts,  re-enlists, 
and  receives  a  second  bounty. 
[The  War  of  the  Rebellion  is 
responsible  for  this  colloquialism. 
As  the  conflict  lengthened  out, 
men  were  in  request,  and  large 
bounties  were  offered  by  the 
North  for  volunteers].  Hence 
derivatives,  such  as  BOUNTY- 
JUMPING,  etc. 

c.      i860.      Song     of     the     Bounty- 
Jumper  (Bartlett). 
But     as    he    lov'd    a    soldier's    life,    and 

wished  strange  things  to  see. 
So  the  thought  struck  him  that  he  would 

go  and  JUMP  the  bounti-e. 

1875.  HiGGiNSON,  History  of  United 
States,  306.  Bringing  into  the  service 
many  bountv-jumpers,  who  enlisted 
merely  for  money,  and  soon  deserted  to 
enlist  again. 

1887.  Illus.  Lon.  Neivs,  May  14, 
552,  I.  In  the  Civil  War  in  America 
between  the  Northern  and  Southern 
States,  BOUNTY-JUMPING,  or  enlisting,  and 
obtaining  the  bounty  in  several  regiments, 
and  then  deserting,  rose  to  the  dignity 
of  a  fine  art. 

Bourbon,  subs.  i.  (American  polit- 
ical).— A  Democrat  of  the  straitest 
sect;  a  fire-eater:  applied,  for  the 
most  part,  to  Southern  Democrats 


of  the  old  shool  who  like  the 
old  Bourbon  party  in  France  were 
imcompromising  adherents  of 
political  tradition. 

2.  (American).  —  A  superior 
kind  of  whiskey:  originally  manu- 
factured   in    Bourbon,   Kentucky. 

Bouse  (or  Bowse).    See  booze. 

Bout,  subs.  (B.E.). — 'A  tryal,  act, 
essay  '. 

BOUZY. — See  BOOZY. 

Bow.  Two  (or  many)  strings  to 
one's  bow,  phr.  (colloquial). — 
An  alternative  ;  more  resources 
than  one.  Of  old,  archery,  as  the 
dominant  pursuit,  gave  many 
figures  of  speech  to  the  language  : 
e.g.  '  Get  the  shaft-hand  of  your 
adversaries  '  ;  '  Draw  not  thy  bow 
before  thy  arrow  be  fixed  '  ;  '  Kill 
two  birds  with  one  shaft  '  ;  '  Never 
shoot  wide  of  the  mark';  'The 
fool's  bolt  is  soon  shot';  'Draw 
a  long  bow';  'Many  talk  of 
Robin  Hood,  who  never  shot 
his  bow';  'An  archer  is  known 
by  his  aim,  and  not  by  his 
arrows  '  ;  etc. 

1562.  Hevwood,  Prov,  and  Epigr. 
(1867),    30.     Ye   have    many  stryngis  to 

THE    BOWE. 

1588.  Marprelate" s  Epistle,  18  (eJ. 
Arber).  Doe  you  not  thinke  that  I  haue 
TWO   STRINGS  TO   MY   BOW. 

1606.  John  Day,  Isle  of  Gulls, 
ii.,      2,     39.      A     wise     man's     BOW    goes 

with    a   TWO-FOLD    STRING. 

1748.  Smollett,  Rod.  Random,  xvii 
He  was  resolved  to  have  two  strings 
to  his  BOW,  that  in  case  the  one  failed, 
he  might  use  the  other. 

(?)  T.  Brown,  IV.,  115,  ed.  1760.  A 
man  in  Amsterdam  is  sufFer'd  to  have 
but  one  religion,  whereas  in  London  he 
may  have  two  strings  to  his  bow. 


Bow. 


346 


Bow-catcher. 


1886.  Mrs.  Riddell,  For  Dick's 
Sake,  iv.,  II  (SP.C.K.)  She  had  a  SECOND 
STRING  TO  HER  BOW,  which  suited  her  far 
better;  and  she  sent  Dick  back  his  letters 
and  his  presents,  and  a  note  beginning, 
'  Dear  sir,'  and  ending  '  Yours  truly.' 

To  DRAW  (or  pull)  the  long 
BOW,  phr.  (colloquial). — To  ex- 
aggerate ;  TO  GAS  {q.V.)  ;  TO  TALK 
UP  (^g.v.);  to  tell  improbable  stories. 
Hence   long-bow  man  =  a  liar. 

English  synonyms,  to  climb 
a  steep  hill,  to  come  (or  cut)  it 
strong  (or  fat,  or  thick),  to  em- 
broider, TO  gammon  (ç.v.),  to 
lay  it  on  thick,  to  put  on  the 
pot,   to  pull  a  leg,  to  slop  over. 

French  synonyms.  La  faire 
à  l'oseille;  en  voila  une  sévère; 
c'est  plus  fort  que  de  jouer  au 
bouchon. 

[1662.  Fuller,  Worthies,  'Notts'. 
Surely  the  poet  gives  a  twang  to  the 
loose  of  his  arrow,  making  him  [Robin 
Hood]  shoot  one  a  cloth-yard  long  at  full 
forty-score  mark,  for  compass  never  higher 
than  the  breast,  and  within  less  than  a 
foot  of  the  mark]. 

1653  Urquhakt,  Rabelais,  v.,  30. 
'Twas  ^lian,  that  long-bow  man,  that 
told  you  so,  never  believe  him,  for  he 
lies  as  fast  as  a  dog  can  trot. 

1767.  Ray,  Proverbs  [Bohn  (1893), 
64],  s.v. 

1798-1821.  Poetry,  Anti-Jacobin,  63. 
But  still,  howe'er  you  draw  your  bow, 
Your  charms  improve,  yourtriumphsgrow. 

1819-24.  BïRON,  Don  Juan,  xvi.,  i. 
They  .  .  .  draw  the  long  bow  better 
now  than  ever. 

1849.  Thackeray,  Pendennis,  xxx. 
What  is  it  makes  him  pull  the  long 
BOW  in  that  wonderful  manner?  Ibid. 
1 1854-5).  Newcomes,  i.  King  of  Corpus 
(who  was  an  incorrigible  wag)  was  on 
the  point  of  pulling  some  dreadful  long 
p.ow,  and  pointing  out  a  half  dozen  of 
people  in  the  room  as  K.  and  H.  and 
L.  etc.,  the  most  celebrated  wits  ofthat  day. 


1871.  Daily  Ne^us,  29  Dec.  If  now 
and  then  he  appears  to  draw  the  long 
Bow,  or  rather  to  shoot  with  an  extra- 
ordinary rifle,  he  does  not  abuse  the 
reader's  faith  unmercifully. 

1883.  A  DOBSON,  Old-World  Idylls, 
134.  The  great  Gargilius,  then,  behold! 
His  long  bow  hunting-tales  of  old  Are 
now  but  duller. 

To  DRAW  THE  BOW  UP  TO  THE 
EAR,  phr.  (colloquial). — To  do  a 
thing  with  alacrity  ;  to  put  on 
FULL  STEAM  {q.V?)  ;  to  exert  one- 
self to  the  utmost. 

i860.  Macmillan's  Mag.,  Feb.,  258. 
So  Miller,  the  coxswain,  took  to  drawing 

THE    BOW    UP   TO   THE    EAR   at   OnCe. 

To  shoot  in  another's  BOW, 
verb.  phr.  (old). — To  undertake 
another's  work  ;  to  practise  an 
art  or  profession  other  than  one's 
own. 

By  the  string  rather  than 
the  bow,  verb.  phr.  (old).— In 
a  direct  fashion  ;  by  the  straightest 
way  to  an  end. 

The  bent  of  one's  bow,  phr. 
(old). — One's  intention,  inclina- 
tion, disposition. 

To  bend  (or  bring)  to  one's 
BOW,  verb.  phr.  (old). — To  con- 
trol ;  to  compel  to  one's  will  or 
inclination. 

To  COME  TO  one's  BOW,  verb, 
phr.  (old)  — To  be  complaisant  ; 
become  compliant. 

Bow-bell,  subs.  phr.  (old).  —  A 
Cockney  ;    one    born    within  the 

sound    of  BOW-BELLS. 
1605.     Loudon  Prodigal,  15.  s.v. 

Bow-catcher,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— A  kiss-curl  :  see  aggerawator. 
[A  corruption  of  beau-catcher: 
cf.  bell-rope]. 


Bowdikite. 


347 


Bowie. 


Bowdikite,  subs,  (provincial). — A 
contemptuous  name  for  a  mischiev- 
ous child  ;  an  insignificant  or 
corpulent   person.    [Halliwell]. 

Bowdlerize,  verb,  (colloquial). — 
To  expurgate;  to  remove  anything 
offensive  or  questionable  from  a 
book  or  writing.  [Dr.  T.  Bowd- 
ler's  method  in  editing  an  edition 
of  Shakspeare,  was,  to  use  his 
own  words,  '  Those  .  .  .  expres- 
sions are  omitted  which  cannot 
with  propriety  be  read  aloud  in 
a  family.']  Hence  bowdleriza- 
TION  =  squeamish  emasculation 
of  a  work  ;  and  bowdlerizer  = 
a  prudish  editor,  etc. 

1836.  Gen.  p.  Thompson,  Let.  in 
Exerc.  (1842),  IV.,  124.  Among  the  names 
.  .  .  are  many,  like  Hermes,  Nereus,  .  .  . 
which  modern  ultra-christians  would  have 
thought  formidably  heatheni-ih  ;  while 
Epaphroditus  and  Narcissus  they  would 
probably  have  bowdlerized. 

1870.  Notes  and  Queries,  4  S.,  vi., 
47.  No  profane  hand  shall  dare,  for  me, 
to  curtail  my  Chaucer,  to  bovvdlerise  my 
Shakspeare,  or  to  mutilate  my  Milton. 

1874.  E.  L.  Linton,  Patricia  Kern- 
ball,  iii.  Her  uncle  had  not  made  her 
read  much  beside  the  Bible  and  Shak- 
speare, which  last  he  had  bowdlerised 
on  his  own  account  with  a  broad  pen 
and  very  thick  ink. 

1882.  Westm.  Review,  April,  583. 
The  BOWDLERIZATION  which  the  editor 
has  thought  necessary  is  done  in  an 
exceedingly  awkward  and  clumsy  fashion. 

Bower,  subs.  (American  thieves'). 
— A  prison:  set  cage. 

Bowery-boy,  Bowery-girl,  «^/^j.//^/-. 

(American). — The  'Arry  and  'Ar- 
riet  of  New  York  of  some  years 
ago.  [The  Bowery  is  a  well 
known  thoroughfare  in  the  Amer- 
ican metropolis  and  is  situated 
on  what  was  formerly  the  farm 
of  Governor  Stuyvesant. 


i8[?j  Chicago  Tribune  (S.  J.  &  C.) 
When  I  first  knew  it,  both  the  old  Bowery 
Theatre  and  the  old  bowery  boy  were 
in  their  glory.  It  was  about  that  time 
that  Thackeray,  taking  some  notes  in 
Gotham,  had  an  encounter  with  the 
BowEkV  BOY  that  seems  to  have  slipped 
into  history.  The  caustic  satirist  had 
heard  of  the  bowery  boy,  as  the  story 
goes,  and  went  to  see  him  on  his  native 
heath.  He  found  him  leaning  on  a  fire 
hydrant,  and  accosted  him  with,  'My 
friend,  I  want  to  go  to  Broadway.' 
Whereupon  the  bowery  boy,  drawing  up 
his   shoulders   and    taking   another  chew 

on    his  cigar,  'Well,  why  the don't 

yer  go,  then?' 

Bow-hand,  subs.  phr.  (old).— The 
left  hand.  To  BE  TOO  much  of 
THE  BOW-HAND  =  to  fail  in  any 
design. 

Bowie,  subs.  (American). — A  large 
clasp-knife:  a  knife  (Bartlett) 
from  ten  to  fifteen  inches  long, 
and  about  two  inches  broad,  so 
named  after  its  inventor.  Colonel 
Bowie  ;  they  are  worn  as  weapons 
by  persons  in  the  South  and 
South-western  States  only,  and 
concealed  in  the  back  part  of 
the  coat  or  in  the  sleeve  :  see 
Arkansan-toothpick. 

1843.  Dickens,  Martin  Chuzzlewit, 
xxxiii.  '  No  stakes,  no  dungeons,  no  blocks, 
no  racks,  no  scaffolds,  no  thumbscrews, 
no  pikes,  no  pillories,'  said  ChoUop. 
'Nothing  but  revolvers  and  bowie  knives,' 
returned  Mark;  'and  what  are  they? 
not  worth  mentioning.' 

1849.  Kingsley,  Alton  Locke,  xxvii. 
I  took  the  precaution  of  bringing  my 
BOWIE  and  revolver  with  me,  in  case  the 
worst  came  to  the  worst. 


i8[?]  Song  of  Border  Ruffian  (Bart- 
lett). There's  some  men  here  as  I  have 
got  to  shoot,  There's  some  men  here  as 
I  have  got  to  stick.  Let  any  on  you  jest 
my  words  dispute,  I'll  put  this  bowie- 
knife  into  him,  slick. 


Bowl. 


348 


Bow-wow. 


i8[?J.  General STRiNGFELLow.S'/f^cA 
in  Kaiisas  Legislature  (Bartlett).  I 
advise  you,  one  and  all,  to  enter  every 
election  district  in  Kansas,  and  vote  at 
the  point  of  the  bowie  knife  and  revolver. 
Neither  give  nor  take  quarter,  as  our 
case  demands  it. 

1854.  Martin  and  Aytoun,  Bon 
Gualtier  Ballads.  And  in  his  hand,  for 
deadly  strife,  a  bowie-knifk  he  bears. 

1862.  A^iw  York  Tribune,  12  June. 
He  has  already  made  12,000  pikes  and 
a  number  of  bowies. 

Bowl.  To  bowl  out,  verb.  phr. 
(common). — To  overcome  ;  to  get 
the  better  of;  to  defeat.  Also 
thieves'  =  to  arrest,  TO  lag  {q.v  ). 

1812.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Flash  Dictionary. 
Bowled  out,  when  he  [a  thief]  is  ulti- 
mately taken,  tried,  and  convicted  [he] 
is  said  TO  be  bowled  out  at  last. 

181 7.  Scott,  Rob  Roy,  iii.  The 
polite  and  accomplished  adventurer,  who 
nicked  you  out  of  your  money  at  White's, 
or   bowled   you   out  of  it  at  Marybone. 

1852.  F.  E.  Smedlev,  Lewis  Arun- 
del, xxiv.  '  He's  handsomer  than  you 
are;  if  you  don't  mind  your  play,  he'll 
BOWL  you  out.' 

1877.  Five  Years''  Peiial  Servitude, 
ii.,  121.  Now  and  again  a  warder  does 
get  BOWLED  OUT,  and  comes  to  grief.  At 
the  very  least  he  loses  his  situation. 

To     BOWL    OVER,    verb.    phr. 
(colloquial). — To  defeat  ;  to  worst. 

1862.  Cornhill  Mag.,  729.  You  have 
bowled  me  over,  and  I  know  I  can't 
get  up  again. 

1878.  Stanley,  Through  the  Dark 
Continent,  II.,  291.  I  sent  in  a  zinc 
bullet  close  to  the  ear,  which  bowled  it 
[the  rhinoceros]  over,  dead. 

1880.  A.  Trollope,  The  Duke's 
Children,  xlvii.  He  confessed  to  him- 
self that  he  was  completely  BOWLED 
OVER,— 'knocked  off  his  pins!' 

BOWLAS,  subs,  {commovi).— See  quot. 


1851-61.  H.  Mayhew,  London  Lab. 
and  Lon.  Poor,  I.,  208.  Bowlas,  or  round 
tarts  made  of  sugar,  apple,  and  bread. 

BOWLED,  adj.  (Winchester). — Crop- 
PLED  {q.v.). 

BOWLER.     See  Boler. 

Bowles,  subs,    (common). — Shoes: 

see   TROTTER-CASES. 

BOWL-THE-HOOP,  subs.  phr.  (rhym- 
ing).— Soup. 

BOWMAN.  All's  bowman!  pkr 
(old).— All's  well! 

1839,  Harrison  Ainsworth,  Jack 
Sheppard  [1889],  11.  Help!  ejaculated 
Wood,  renewing  his  cries.  Arrest!  Jig- 
ger closed!  shouted  a  hoarse  voice  in 
reply.  All's  bowman,  my  covey.  Fear 
nothing.  We'll  be  upon  the  ban-dogs 
before  they  can  shake  their  trotters! 

BOWSE.  See  booze. 

Bowsprit,  5«^^.  (common). — The 
nose:   see   Boltsprit.  Hence  to 

HAVE   one's   bowsprit  IN  PAREN- 

THESis=:to    have    it    pulled  :    cf. 

to  HAVE  one's  head  IN  COVENTRY. 

Bow-window,  subs. phr.  (common). 
— A  large  stomach  :  spec,  that  of 
a  pregnant  woman.  Hence  bow- 
windowed  =  big-bellied  ;  LUMPY 
{q.v.). 

1840.  Marryat,  Poor  Jack,  i.  He 
was  a  very  large  man...  with  what  is 
termed  a  considerable  bow-window  in 
front. 

1849-50.  Thackeray,  Pendennis, 
xxxiv.  (1884),  334.  Look  at  that  very 
dow-windowed  man. 

1889.  Daily  Telegraph,  May  6.  She 
was  what  is  vulgarly  called  Bow- 
windowed. 

Bow-wow,  subs.  phr.  (nursery). — 
I.     A  dog. 


Bo  WW oiv -mutton . 


349 


Box. 


i8qo.  CowPER,  Beau's  Reply.  Let 
my  obedience  then  excuse  My  disobe- 
dience now,  Nor  some  reproof  yourself 
refuse  From  your  aggrieved  Bow-wow. 

1839.  Dickens,  Nicholas  Nickleby, 
Ixiv.  It's  all  up  with  its  handsome  friend  ; 
he  has  gone  to  the  demnition  bow-wows. 

i8(?82).  Broadside  Ballad,  '  I  haven't 
for  a  long  time  now.'  I  sang  outside  her 
door  each  night  Till  her  father  bought 
a  big  bow-wow. 

2.  (old). — A  Bostonian:  in  con- 
tempt. 


(common).  —  A    cavalier; 
spec,  a  petticoat-dangler: 
see  TAME  CAT. 


3- 
lover: 


1877.  Chamo,  yournal,  13  March, 
173.  Mrs.  Brittomart  was  one  of  those 
who  never  tolerated  a  bow-wow — a  species 
of  animal  well  known  in  India — and  never 
went  to  the  hills  as  a  'grass-widow.' 

BOWWOW-MUTTON,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
—  Dog's  flesh. 

BOWWOW-WORD,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  word  claimed  to  be 
in  imitation  of  natural  sounds,  i.e., 
onomatopoetic  words:  a  sarcastic 
coinage  of  Max  Miiller's. 

1570.  Lambarde,  Peram.  Kent,  233. 
[Bawwaw  is  used  when  reference  is  made 
to  Erasmus  comparing  the  English  tongue, 
abounding  in  monosyllables,  to  a  dog's 
bark — Oliphant]. 

BOWYER,  sttbs.  (old).— One  who 
draws  a  LONG  bow  (^q.v.)  ;  a  dealer 
in  the  marvellous  ;  a  teller  of 
improbable  stories  :  a  liar  :  see 
LONG   BOW. 

Box,  subs,  (thieves'). — i.  A  prison 
cell:  cf.  JUG. 

1834.  Harrison  Ainsworth,  Rook- 
wood,  8g.  In  a  Box  of  the  stone-jug  I  was 
born.  Of  a  hempen  widow  the  kid  forlorn 
Fake  away. 


1878.  Notes  and  Queries,  5  S.,  x., 
214.  The  BOX  in  the  stone-jug  is  doubt- 
less a  cell. 

2.  (old  :  now  recognised). — 
See  quot. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
Box...  A  pretty  box,  a  Compleat  little 
House,  also  a  small  drinking  place. 

Verb.  (Westminster  School). — 
I.  To  take  possession;  to  bag 
{q.v.). 

2.  (pugilists'). — 'To  fight  with 
the  fists'  (B.E.  c.  1696). 

To  be  in  a  box,  phr.  (com- 
mon).— To  be  CORNERED  {q.v.); 
in  a  FIX  {q.v.)  ;  to  be  stuck  {q.v.)  ; 
to  be  HUNG  UP  {q.v.). 

To  BE  IN  THE  WRONG  BOX, 
verb.  phr.  (colloquial). — To  be 
out  of  one's  element  ;  to  be  in  a 
false   position.;    to    be  mistaken. 

1534.  Ridley  (Foxc,  1838),  vi.,  348. 
Sir,  quoth  I,  if  you  will  hear  how  St. 
Augustine  expoundeth  that  place,  you 
shall  perceive  that  you  are  IN  A  wrong 
box. 

1588.  J.  Udall,  Distrephes,  31.  I 
perceive  that  you  and  I  are  IN  A  wrong 

BOX. 

163g.  Optick  Glasse  of  Humors.  But 
Socrates  said.  Laugh  not,  Zophirus  is  not 

IN    A    wrong    BOX. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
Box...  In  a  wrong  box,  of  one  that  has 
taken  wrong  measures,  or  made  false  steps. 

1751.  Smollett,  Peregrine  Pickle, 
xliii.  'That,  I  grant  you,  must  be  con- 
fessed:   doctor,    I'm   afraid    we   have  got 

INTO   THE    wrong    BOX.' 

1836.  Marrvat,  Midshipman  Easy, 
X.  'Take  care  your  rights  of  man  don't 
get  you  IN  THE  wrong  BOX — there's  no 
arguing  on  board  of  a  man-of-war.' 


Box. 


350 


Boy. 


On  the  box, phr.  (workmen's). 
On  strike,  and  in  receipt  of  strike 
pay. 

1889.  Daily  News,  ig  Nov.,  6,  7. 
The  'Blackleg'  Question  Arising.  As 
these  have  to  be  allowed  strike  pay  in 
order  to  keep  them  out  of  temptation, 
the  number  of  men  on  the  box,  as  they 
say  in  the  North,  may  be  taken  to  be  a 
thousand. 

To  BOX  ABOUT,  verb.phr.  (old). 
— See  quot. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
Box. . .  Box  IT  ABOUT  BOYS,  Drink  briskly 
round. 

To  BOX  THE  FOX,  verb.  phr. 
(provincial). — To  rob  an  orchard. 
(Halliwell). 

To  BOX  THE  COMPASS.  Verb, 
phr.  (old).  To  repeat  in  succes- 
sion, or  irregularly,  the  thirty- 
two  points  of  the  compass;  be- 
ginners, on  accomplishing  this 
feat,  are  said  to  be  able  to  box 
the  compass. 

1751.  Smollett,  Peregrine  Pickle, 
vi.  'A  light,  good-humoured,  sensible 
wench,    who    knows    very    well    how    to 

BOX    HER    COMPASS.' 

1753.  Chambers,  Cycl.  Supp.  Box- 
ing, among  sailors,  is  used  to  denote  the 
rehearsing  the  several  points  of  the  com- 
pass in  their  proper  order. 

1836.  Marrvat,  Midsh.  Easy,  xviii. 
I  can  raise  a  perpendicular...  and  Box 
THE    COMPASS. 

1867.  Smyth,  Sailors'  Word  Book. 
To  BOX  THE  COMPASS.  Not  Only  to  re- 
peat the  names  of  the  thirty-two  points 
in  order  and  backwards,  but  also  to  be 
able  to  answer  any  and  all  questions 
respecting  its  division. 

1869.  Blackmore,  Lorna  Doone,  xlii. 
After  a  week  or  so,  the  wind  would 
regularly  box  the  compass  fas  the  sailors 
call  it)  in  the  course  of  every  day,  follow- 
ing where  the  sun  should  be,  as  if  to 
make  a  mock  of  him. 


To  BOX  Harry,  verb.  phr. 
(commercial  travellers'). — I.  To 
take  dinner  and  tea  together  ; 
(2)  TO  dine  out  {q.v.)  i.e.,  to  do 
without  a  meal  at  all  (but  see 
quot.). 

1847.  Halliwell,  Archaic  Words, 
s.v.  box-harry.  To  dine  with  Duke 
Humphrey;  to  care  after  having  been 
extravagant. 

To  BOX  THE  JESUIT,  vcrb.  phr. 
(venery).  —To  masturbate:  see  FRIG 
and   COCKROACHES. 

BOX-HAT,  sicbs.  phr.  (common). — 
A  silk  hat  :  see  cady. 

Box-irons,  subs. phr.  (old).— Shoes  : 
see  trotter-cases. 

1789.  Geo  Parker,  Life's  Painter, 
173.      Shoes.     Hocksy-dockies,     or     Box- 

IRONS. 

BOX-OF-DOMINOES,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— The  mouth  :  properly  the 
teeth  :  see  potato-trap. 

Boy,  subs,  (common). — I.  Cham- 
pagne: see  quot.  1882. 

1882.     Punch,  LXXXIL,  69,  2.  'The 
fine  young  London  Gentleman.' 
He'll  nothing  drink  but  '  B.  and  S.',  and 
big  magnums  of  the  bov. 

1882.  Punch,  LXXXIL,  155,  i. 
Dined  with  Tom  and  Corky  at  a  new 
place  they  had  discovered,  and  raved  of. 
Of  course,  beastly  dinner,  but  very  good 
boy.     Had  two  magnums  of  it. 

1883.  Punch,  August  18,  84,  i. 
Shall  it  be  B.  and  S.,  or  bumpers  of  the 
boy  .' 

1898.  Pink  'Un  and  Pelican,  63. 
Half  a  dozen  bottles  of  the  choicest  Bov 
to  be  found  in  Fleet  St...  (The  young 
bucks  of  the  present  day,  by  the  way, 
generally  allude  to  a  bottle  of  cham- 
pagne erroneously  as  'the  boy,'  in  evident 
ignorance  of  the  origin  of  the  term, 
which  is  as  follows:  At  a  shooting  party 
of  His  Royal  Highness's,  the  guns  were 


Boy 


351 


Boy. 


followed  at  a  distance  by  a  lad  who 
wheeled  a  barrow-load  of  champagne, 
packed  in  ice.  The  weather  was  intensely 
close  and  muggy,  and  whenever  anybody 
fell  inclined  for  a  drink  he  called  out 
'Boy!'...  the  frequency  with  which  this 
happened  led  to  the  adoption  of  the  term. 

2.  (common). — A  hump  on  a 
man's  back;  it  is  frequently  usual 
to  speak  of  a  humpbacked  man 
as  two  persons — 'him  and  his 
boy':  cf.  LORD  and  lady. 

3.  (Anglo-Indian  and  colonial.) 
— A  servant  of  whatever  age. 

4.  (old  colloquial). — A  tort- 
urer; a  hangman. 

1280.  [Oliphant,  Nezv  Eng.  i.  gg.  It 
is  curious  that  boy  had  been  used  for  a 
torturer  or  hangman  since  1280,  remind- 
ing us  of  the  Italian  boja]. 

1377.  Langland,  Piers  Plmvman, 
[E.  E.  T.  S.j,  371.  s.v. 

Verb.  (old). — To  beget  (or  give 
birth)  to  boys. 

d.  1635.  Corbet,  Death  of  Lady  Had- 
dington. Nor  hast  thou  in  his  nuptial 
arms  enjoy'd  Barren  embraces,  but  wast 
girl'd  and  bov'd. 

Old  boy  (or  my  boy),  subs. 
(popular). —  I.  A  familiar  address: 
spec,  (modern)  one's  father  ;  the 
GUV'NOR    (^.■y.)  ;    the   BOSS  {jj.v^. 

1383.  Chaucer,  Cant.  TVi/w  (Aldine), 
ii.  214.  Min  OWEN  boy. 

1567.  Edwards,  Damon  and  Pithias 
[DoDSLEY,  Old  Plays  (Hazlitt),  iv.  28]. 
My  boy!  (in  addressing  a  servant). 

1602.  Shaks.,  Twelfth.  N.  ,ii.,  4,  122. 
But  di'de  the  sister  of  her  loue,  my  boy? 

1740.      Richardson,  Patnela,     in., 

380.     Never     fear,     old  boy,     said    Sir 

Charles,  we'll  bear  our  Parts  in  Con- 
versation. 

174g.  Smollett,  Gil  Bias  (1812)  iv. 
vii.  One  of  the  old  boys.  . .  great-rakes 
in  their  youth. . .  not  a  whit  more  sedate 
in  their  age. 


1854.  Our  Cruise  in  the  Undine, 
142.  Here^s  a  go,  Bill  !  said  the  Doctor. 
Never  mind,  old  boy,  replied  the  Captain; 
we'll  get  the  other  side  of  hini  yet. 

1871.  The  Echo,  16  March.  Are  you 
going  to  have  a  wet,  old  boy?  one 
familiarly  remarked. 

i88g.  Illus.  London  News,  Summer 
Number,  26,  2.  You  are  right  there,  old 
boy,  said  Eustace. 

i8g2.  Hume  Nisbet,  Bushranger's 
Siveetheart,  165.  Now  for  business, 
old  boy. 

2.     (common). — The  devil. 

1835-40.  Haliburton,  Clockmaker, 
(1862),  140.  As  we  invigorate  the  form 
of  government  (as  we  must  do,  or  go  to 
the  old  boy). 

The  BOYS,  stibs.  phr.  (turf). 
—  Race-course    rogues;  rampers 

{_q.V^  ;       BRIEF-SNATCHERS     (l/.V.)  ; 
MAGSMEN   ((^.ÎV)  ;  LUMBERERS  ((^.Z/.) 

and  the  like. 

i8[?]  Bird  o'  Freedom.  I  should 
think  that  there  is  hardly  a  bookmaker 
in  Tattersall's,  or  even  one  of  the  ready- 
money  fraternity,  who  would  not  willingly 
subscribe  to  a  fund  for  the  laudable 
purpose  of  cleansing  the  rings  from  those 
foul  abominations,  those  criminal  scoun- 
drels known  as  the  boys.  These  vermin 
rob  the  public  annually  of  thousands  of 
pounds,  and  divert  from  the  pockets  of 
the   bookmakers   a  perfect  river  of  gold. 

Yellow-boy  (or  hammer), 
subs.  phr.  (common). — Formerly 
a  guinea,  21/;  now  one  pound 
sterling,  20/  :  see  RHINO. 

1633.  Shirley,  Bird  in  a  Cage,  ii. 
Is  that  he  that  has  gold  enough  ?  would 
I  had  some  of  his  yellow-hammers. 

1661.  Middleton,  Mayor  of  Quin- 
borough,  ii.  Simon  the  Tanner.  Now, 
by  this  light,  a  nest  of  yellow-hammers. 
.  . .  I'll  undertake,  sir,  you  shall  have 
all  the  skins  in  our  parish  at  this  price. 

1663.  Dryden,  Wild  Gallant,  I.  How 
now,  yellow  boys,  by  this  good  light  ! 
Sirrah,  varlet,  how  came  I  by  this  gold  ? 

X 


Boy. 


352 


Boy. 


1706.  Ward,  Wooden  World,  24. 
No  Liquor  could  overcome  him,  the  last 
Remedy    then    was,    to    bring   out   some 

YBLLOW    BOYS. 

1712.  Arbuthnot,  History  of  John 
Bull,  I.,  vi.  There  wanted  not  yellow 
BOYS  to  fee  counsel,  hire  witnesses,  and 
bribe  juries. 

1751.  Smollett,  Peregrine  Pickle, 
vili.  I  wish  both  their  necks  were  broke, 
though  the  two  cost  me  forty  good 
yellow  boys. 

1830.  Lytton,  Paid  Clifford.  Fight- 
ing Attie,  my  hero,  I  saw  you  to-day 
A  purse  full  of  yellow  boys  seize. 

1840.  Dickens,  Old  Ciiriosity  Shop, 
xHi.  'The  delight  of  picking  up  the 
money — the  bright,  shining  yellow  boys 
— and  sweeping  'em  into  one'a  pocket!' 

1884.  Clemens,  Huckleberry  Finn. 
When  they  found  the  bag  they  spilt  it 
out  on  the  floor,  and  it  was  a  lovely 
sight,  all  them  yaller  boys. 

Angry  (or  roaring)  boys,  stibs. 
phr.  (old).  —  A  set  of  young 
BUCKS,  BLOODS,  Or  BLADES,  all  of 
which  see,  of  noisy  manners  and 
fire-eating  tastes  ;  who,  like  the 
MOHAWKS  {q.v^  delighted  to 
commit  outrages  and  get  into 
quarrels,  also  roaring-girls, 
ROARERS,  etc.:  see  oatmeal  and 

ROARING-BOYS. 

1599.  Grsene,  Til  Quoque,  Old 
Plays,  vii,  25.  This  is  no  angry,  nor  no 
ROARING  BOY,  but  a  blustering  boy. 

c.  1600.  Brave  English  Gypsey  [Col- 
lier, Roxburghe-Ballads  (1847),  185]. 
Our  knockers  make  no  noise.  We  are 
no  roaring  boyes. 

1603.  Dbkker,  London's  Tempe. 
The  gallant  roars;  roarers  drink  oathes 
and  gall. 

i6og.  Shakspeare,  Tempest,  i.  i. 
What  care  these  roarers  for  the  name 
of  King? 


1609.  Ben  Jonson,  Epiccene,  i.,  4, 
The  doubtfulness  of  your  phrase,  believe 
it,  sir,  would  breed  you  a  quarrel  once 
an  hour  with  the  terrible  boys,  if  you 
should  but  keep  'em  fellowship  a  day, 

1610.  Ben  Jonson,  Alchemist,  iii.,  4. 
Sir,  not  so  young,  but  I  have  heard  some 
speech  Of  the  angry  boys,  and  seen 
'em  take  tobacco. 

1616.  Beaumont  and  Fletcher, 
Scornful  Lady,  iv.,  i.  Get  thee  another 
nose,  that  will  be  pull'd  Off,  by  the  angry 
boys,  for  thy  conversion.  Ibid.  (1610). 
Philastcr,  v.  4.  We  are  thy  myrmidons, 
thy  guard,  thy  roarers.  Ibid.  (1616), 
Widow,  ii.  3.  Two  roaring-boys  of  Rome 
that  made  all  split. 

i6ii.  Middleton,  The  Roaring 
Girl  [Title].  Ibid.  (1617),  A  Faire  Quar- 
rell,  V.  i.  I  saw  a  youth,  a  gentleman, 
a  roarer. 

c.  1620.  Court  and  Times  James  /. 
[Oliphant,  New  Eng.,  ii.  58.  The  new 
cant  word  roaring  boy  comes  up  in  p.  322]. 

1630.  Taylor,  Works  [Nares]. 
Virago  ROARING  girles,  that  to  their 
middle.  To  know  what  sexe  they  were, 
was  hälfe  a  riddle. 

1640.  Humphry  Mill,  Night's  Search, 
8,  42.  Two  ROARING  blades  being  on  a 
time  in  drink. 

1640.  The  Wandering  Jew.  'I  am 
a  man  of  the  Sword;  a  Battoon  Gallant, 
one  of  our  Dammees,  a  bouncing  Boy,  a 
kicker  of  Bawdes,  a  tyrant  over  Puncks,  a 
terrour  to  Fencers,  a  mewer  of  Playes, 
a  jeerer  of  Poets,  a  gallon-pot-flinger  ;  in 
rugged  English,  a  roarer.' 

1653.  Wilson,  James  I.  The  king 
minding  his  sports,  many  riotous  demean- 
ours crept  into  the  kingdom;  divers  sects 
of  vicious  persons,  going  under  the  title 
of  roaring  boys,  bravadoes,  roysterers, 
etc.,  commit  many  insolencie«;  the  streets 
swarm,  night  and  day,  with  bloody 
quarrels,  private  duels  fomented,  etc. 

1658.  Rowley  [Nares],  i.  2.  One 
of  the  country  roaring  lads;  we  have 
such,  as  well  as  the  city,  and  as  arrant 
rakehcUs  as  they  are. 


Boycott. 


353 


Bracelet. 


1822.  Scott,  Fort,  of  Nigel,  xvii. 
The  tarnished  doublet  of  bald  velvet... 
will  best  suit  the  garb  of  a  roaring  boy. 

Boys  of  the  holt  ground, 
sufis.phr.  (old). — Formerly  (1800- 
25)  bands  of  roughs,  infesting  a 
well-known   region  in  St.  Giles: 

see   HOLY-LAND. 

1819.  Moore,  Tom  Crib's  Memorial 
to  Congress,  7.  For  we  are  the  boys  of 
THE  HOLY  GROUND,  And  We'll  dancc  upon 
nothing  and  turn  us  round. 

Boycott,  verb,  (common).  —  To 
combine  in  refusing  to  hold  rela- 
tions of  any  kind,  social  or 
commercial,  public  or  private, 
with  a  person  on  account  of 
political  or  other  differences,  so 
as  to  punish  or  coerce  him.  The 
word  arose  in  the  autumn  of 
1880 — Capt.  Boycott,  an  Irish 
landlord,  was  the  original  victim 
— to  describe  the  action  instituted 
by  the  Irish  Land  League  towards 
those  who  incurred  its  hostility. 
It  was  speedily  adopted  into  every 
European  language. 

BOYKIN,  subs,  (old).— A  boy  :  spec. 
of  tender  years  :  an  endearment, 

1540.    Palsgrave,  Acalastus,  s.v. 

1600.     j^olin  Oldcastle,  38.  s.v. 

1675.  Cotton,  Scarronides,  80.  But 
now  I'm  fixt  to  go  along  With  thee,  my 
BOYKiN,  right  or  wrong. 

Brace,  verb.  (American  thieves'). 
— To  get  credit  by  swagger. 

Brace  of  shakes,  subs.phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  moment;  a  jiffy;  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye:  also  a 
COUPLE  OF  SHAKES.   Fr.  far-far. 

1837.  Barham,  /.  L.  (Baies  in  the 
Wood).    I'll    be    back    in    a    couple    of 

SHAKES. 


1841.  Punch,  i.  135.  A  couple  of 
agues,    caught,   to   speak   vulgarly,   in  A 

BRACE    OF   SHAKES. 

1854.  Martin  and  Aytoun,  Bon 
Gaultier  Ballads,  'Jupiter  and  the  Indian 
Ale.'  Quick!  invent  some  other  drink. 
Or,  IN  A  BRACE  OF  SHAKES,  thou  Standest 
On  Cocytus'  sulph'ry  brink. 

1866.  Reade,  Cloister  and  Hearth, 
xciii.     Now   Dragon  could  kill  a  wolf  in 

a   BRACE    OF    SHAKES. 

1868.  OuiDA,  Under  Two  Flags, 
xii.  'But  I've  a  trick  with  a  'oss  that'll 
set  that  sort  o*  thing  — if  it  ain't  gone 
too  far,  that  is  to  say — right  in  a  brace 

OF   SHAKES.' 

1884.  Cornhill  Mag.,  Jan.,  loi.  '  If 
there  were  any  boys  at  Oppingbury  now 
like  those  who  were  here  when  I  was 
young,    they'd    break    the    window   in    a 

COUPLE   OF    SHAKES.' 

To  BRACE  IT  THROUGH,  verb, 
phr.  (American). — To  succeed  by 
sheer  impudence:  cf.  brace  up, 
to  gird  oneself  up,  to  buckle  to. 

To  brace  up,  verb.  phr. 
(thieves'). —  i.  To  pawn  stolen 
goods:  spec,  to  pledge  their  ut- 
most value. 

2.  (American). — To  take  a 
drink. 

1888.  Prick's  Library,  A-p.,  20.  Come 
old  boy,  let's  BRACE  up;  a  bumper  will 
pull  you  together  again. 

Bracelet,  subs,  (common).  —  A 
handcuff,  Fr.  alliances  ^  wedding 
rings  :  tartouve  ;  lacets  ;  see  DAR- 
BIES. 

1661.  Wit  and  Drollery,  quoted  in 
Disraeli  Ciir.  of  Wit  (Tom  O'Bedlams.) 
[Fetters  are  called  bracelets  in  a  song 
in  this  work.] 

1671.  R.  Head,  English  Rogtte,  I., 
Iv.,  371  (1874).  Fetters  confined  my  legs 
from  stragling,  and  bracelets  were  clapt 
upon  my  arms. 


Bracket- face. 


354 


Brain. 


183g.  W.  Harrison  Ainsworth,  Jack 
Sheppard [iZiq),  62.  'Thank  you— thank 
you!'  faltered  Jack,  in  a  voice  full  of 
emotion.     '  I'll   soon  free  you  from  these 

BRACELETS.' 

1848.  W.  H.  Ainsworth,  James  the 
Second,  I.,  ii.  '  It  may  be,  young  squire, 
you'll  have  to  go...  with  a  pair  of 
BRACELETS  OU  your  wrists,  and  pay 
your  next  reck'nin'  to  the  gov'nor  of 
Newgate.' 

1871.  Braddon,  Rob.  Ai)!sleigh.  You'd 
better  slip  the  bracelets  on  him,  Jim. 
The  fellow  on  my  left  produced  a  pair 
of  handcuffs. 

1877.  Five  Years  Penal  Servitude, 
v.,  359.  He  travels  with  other  people 
who  are  also  bound  to  London,  and  who, 
seeing  him  handcuffed,  know  very  well 
his  steel  bracelets  are  not  the  insignia 
of  honour. 

1885.  Sims,  Rogues  and  Vagebonds. 
'Ah,  but  I  do!'  exclaimed  the  detective, 
suddenly  seizing  the  trembling  wretch. 
'Come,  let's  slip  the  bracelets  on.' 

Bracket-face  (or  -mug),  subs.phr. 
(common). — Au  ugly  face;  hatch- 
et-face {q.V.)  ;  BRACKET-FACE  := 
Ugly;  hard-featured  (B.E.  and 
Grose). 

Brads,  subs,  (common). — Generic 
for  money  :  see  rhino. 

To   TIP  the  brads  =  to  pay; 

TO   shell   out   {q.V.). 

i8i2.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Flash  Diet. 
Brads,  halfpence  ;  also  money  in  general. 

1821.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
Jerry,  i.,  4.  [To]  tip  the  brads — and 
down  with  the  dust,  is  to  be  at  once 
good,  great,  handsome,  accomplished, 
and  everything  that's  desirable — money, 
money,  is  your  universal  good, — only  get 
into  Tip  Street,  Jerry. 

1855.  Punch,  XXIX.,  10.  [C/.,  Punch's 
suggestion  for  a  'fast'  partner  in  banks 
who  should  enquire  of  customers]  'Will 
you  take  it  in  flimsies,  or  will  you  have 
it  all  in  tin?  Come,  look  sharp,  my 
downy  one,  and  I'll  fork  out  the  braus 
like  bricksy  wicksy.' 


1868.  Brewer,  Phrase  and  Fable, 
s.v.  '  B  Flats.'  Four  B's,  essential  for 
social  success. — Blood,  brains,  brass, 
BRADS  [money]. — American. 

1888-9.  Payne,  Eavesdropper,  11.,  ii. 
They  used  such  funny  terms;  'brads' 
and  'dihbs'...  at  last  it  was  borne  in 
upon  me  that  they  were  talking  about 
money. 

i8[?].  Sporting  T/wf.?.  Get  any  thing  ? 
Not  a  BRAD,  s'welp  my  never. 

Brag,  subs.  (B.E.) — i.  A  vapouring, 
swaggering,  bullying  fellow  ;  i.e. 
BRAGGADOCIO   (^.I^.)- 

2.  (thieves').  —  A  usurer;  a 
Jew:   cf.   SIXTY-PER-CENT. 

BraGGADOCIA,  subs,  (thieves').  — 
See  quot. 

1857.  Dickens,  Reprinted  Pieces 
[Three  'Detective'  Anecdotes,  The  Artful 
Touch),  253.  '  We  don't  take  much  by 
this  move,  anyway,  for  nothing's  found 
upon  'em,  and  it's  only  the  braggadocia 
after  all.'  [Footnote.  Three  months 
imprisonment,  as  reputed  thieves]. 

Bragging-Jack,  subs.fhr.  (old). — 
A  boaster;  swaggerer  {q.v):  see 
Jack. 

1572.  Higgins,  Diet.  532.  S.v.  Thraso, 
a  vaine-glorious  fellow,  a  craker,  a  boaster, 
a  bragging  Jacke. 

Brain,  subs,  (colloquial). — Cuteness  ; 
cleverness  ;  nous  (q.v.).  Hence 
BRAINY  =  smart;  clever;  ui'-TO- 
DATE  {q  v.). 

Phrases.  To  beat  (break, 
busy,  cudgel,  drag,  or  puzzle) 
one's  BRAINS  z=  to  excrt  oneself 
to  thought  or  contrivance.  To 
crack  one's  brains  =:  to  be- 
come crazy.  On  the  brain  = 
crazy  about  (a  matter).  To  turn 
onk's    brain  =  to    bewilder,    to 

FI.UMMOX  {q.V.).      A  DRY  BRAIN  = 

silly  (stupid  or  barren)  brain.  A 
HOT  braiin  =  an  inventive  fancy. 


Brain-brat. 


355 


Branch. 


Boiled  brains  =  a  hot-headed 
person.  To  bear  a  brain  =:  to 
be  cautious.  To  suck  (or  pick) 
a  person's  brains  =  to  get  and 
appropriate  information.  Of  THE 
SAME  BRAIN  =  indentical  in  con- 
ception or  doing. 

BRAIN-BRAT,  subs.  phr.  (old). — A 
creature  of  the  fancy  (1630). 

Brain-crack,  subs.  phr.  (collo- 
quial).— A  craze,  crotchell,  'bee' 
(1851). 

Brain-foolery,  subs.  phr.  (old 
colloquial). — Folly. 

1606.  Chapman,  Mons.  UOlive,  v. 
The  very  essence  of  his  soule  is  pure 
villany;  the  substance  of  his  brain- 
foolery;  one  that  beleeues  nothing  from 
the  starres  upward. 

Brain-pan  (-box,  -canister,  -mill), 
subs.  phr.  (common). — i.  The 
skull,  or  skull-cap.  Hence  (2) 
the  head. 

b.  1529.  Skelton,  Elvnoor  Roiiimin, 
in  Hart.  Misc.  (cd.  Park),  I.,  417.  Upon 
her  BRAIN  PAN  Like  an  Egyptian  Capped 
about. 

1594.  Shakspeare,  2  Henry  VI,  iv. 
10.  Many  a  time,  but  for  a  sallet,  my 
BRAIN-PAN  had  been  cleft  withabrown-biU. 

1608.  Dekker,  Belntan  of  London, 
in  Wks.  (Grosart)  IIL,  91.  The  spirit  of 
her  owne  malt  walkt  in  her  bravnk  pan. 

i6og.  Dekkkr,  Gull's  Hornbook, 
Prœmium.  TarUton,  Kemp,  nor  Singer 
.  .  .  never  played  the  clownes  more 
naturally  then  the  airantest  Sot  of  you 
all  shall  if  hee  will  but  boyle  my  Instruc- 
tions in  his  braine-pan. 

1622.  Massinger,  Virgin-Martyr, 
ii.,  2.  Oh,  sir,  his  brain-pan  is  a  bed  of 
snakes,  Whose  sting  shoots  through  his 
eyeballs. 

1692.  Hacket,  Williams,  i,  102. 
Had  the  Gensdarmery  of  our  great  writers 
no  other  enemy  to  fight  with?  nothing 
to  grind  in  their  brain-mill  but  orts? 


1817.  Scott,  Rob  Roy,-yt.-x.iC\n.  '  Weize 
a  brace  of  balls  through  his  harn-pan!' 
Ibid.  (1822),  Fortunes  0/ Nigel,  xi.  'Were 
I  your  master,  sirrah,...  I  would  make 
your  brain-pan,  as  you  call  it,  boil  over, 
were  you  to  speak  a  word  in  my  pres- 
ence before  you  were  spoken  to.' 

Brain-sick,  subs.phr.  (old). — A  fool  ; 
a  madman.  As  adj.  =  foolish  ; 
crazy. 

1603.  Sylvester,  Dtt  Bartas,' iourlh 
day,  first  week,'  150.  Even  so,  some 
brainsicks  Hue  there  now-a-daies,  That 
lose    themselves   still   in    contrary  waies. 

BRAIN-SQURT,  subs.  phr. — Childish 
reasoning  (1654). 

Brain-trick,  subs.  phr.  (old). — A 
cunning  device. 

Brain-worm,  subs.  phr.    (old). — A 

wriggling  disputant  (1645). 

BRAIN-WRIGHT,  subs.  phr.  (old 
colloquial). — The  creator  of  the 
brain. 

1602.  Davies,  Mirum  in  Modutn, 
7.  In  this  part  of  the  Brayn  the  bravn- 
wright's  skill,  And  wisdome  infinite  do 
most  appeare. 

Bramble,  subs,  (provincial  :  Kent). 
A  lawyer  ;  a  '  tangle  of  the  law.' 

BraMBLE-GELDER,  (provincial).— An 
agriculturist;  spec,  a  hedger  and 
ditcher:  a  Suffolk  term. 

Bran,  subs,  (common). — A  loaf;  i.e. 
a  bran-loaf. 

1837.  Dickens,  Oliver  Twist,  viii. 
He  purchased  a  sufficiency  of  ready- 
dressed  ham  and  a  half-quartern  loaf,  or, 
as  he  himself  expressed  it,  'afourpenny 
bran  !'  Ibid,  306.  Two  half-quartern 
BRANS,  pound  of  best  fresh. 

Branch,  branch  of  red  coral, 
subs.  phr.  (venery). —  The  penis: 
see  PRICK. 


Branded-ticket. 


356  Brandy-smash . 


Branded-ticket,  subs.  phr.  (naut- 
ical).— A  discharge  given  to  an 
infamous  man,  on  which  his  char- 
acter is  given,  and  the  reason 
he  is  turned  out  of  the  service 
(Smyth). 

Brand-fire-new,  adj.phr.  (common). 
— Quite    new:    also    bran-new, 

BRAN-SPAN-NEW,        and       BRAND- 
SPANDER-NEW. 

BRANDY,  verb,  (colloquial).  —  To 
drink  brandy:  cf.  TO  BEER,  TO 
WINE,  etc. 

c.  1796.  WoLCOT  (Peter  Pindar), 
Works,  138.  He  surely  had  been  brandy- 
ING  it,  or  beering.  That  is,  in  plainer 
English,  he  was  drnnk. 

All  brandy,  adv.  phr.  (com- 
mon). A.L  ;  the  pure  quill  {q-v.); 
O.K  {q.v.). 

Brandy  is  latin  for  goose, 
phr.    (old). — See  quots. 

1710.  Swift,  Polite  Conv.  ii.  Lord. 
Sm.  Well,  but  after  all,  Tom,  can  you 
tell  me  what's  Latin  for  a  goose?  Nev. 
O  my  lord,  I  know  that;  why,  brandy 
IS  I,ATIN  FOR  A  GOOSB,  and  Tace  is  Latin 
for  a  candle. 

1868.  Brewer,  Phrase  and  Fable, 
s.v.  Brandy  is  Latin  for  goose  (or 
fish),  this  punning  vulgarism  appears 
first  in  Swift's  Polite  Cotiversation  :  the 
pun  is  on  the  word  answer.  Aiiser  is  the 
Latin  for  goose,  which  brandy  follows  as 
surely  and  quickly  as  an  answer  follows 
a  question. 

z88i.  Da  VIES,  Supp.  Glossary,  s.v. 
brandy  IS  LATIN  FOR  A  GOOSE,  probably 
because  people  took  a  dram  after  eating 
goose.  There  may  be  a  catch  in  this 
way.  'What  is  the  Latin  for  a  goose?' 
'Ans(w)er,  Brandy';  attser  being  the 
Latin  word  for  goose. 

BRANDY-FACE,  sul>s.  phr.  (old).— A 
tippler;  espec.  one  whose  favourite 
drink  is  brandy:  jc^ LUSHINGTON. 
I  lence  BR  andy-faced  =:  red-faced; 
bloated. 


a.  1687.  Cotton,  ^neid,  II.  Burl. 
(1692),  85.  You  goodman  brandy-face, 
unfist  her. 

1859.  G.  A.  Sala,  Tzv.  Round  Clock, 
2B4.  Hulking  labourers  and  brandv- 
faced  viragos,  squabbling  at  tavern 
doors. 

Brandy-pawnee,  subs.  phr.  (Anglo- 
Indian). — Brandy  and  water. 

1816.  Quiz,  Grand  Master,  pref. 
And  died  at  last  with  brandy  pauny. 

1855.  Thackeray,  Netvcomes,  i. 
'I'm  sorry  to  see  you,  gentlemen,  drink- 
ing brandy-pawnee,'  says  he;  'it  plays 
the  deuce  with  our  young  men  in  India.' 

1857.  KiNGSLEY,  Two  Years  Ago, 
XV.  I  took  up  natural  history  in  India 
years  ago  to  drive  away  thought,  as 
other  men  might  take  to  opium,  or  to 
brandy-pawnee. 

i860.  W.  H.  Russell,  My  Diary  in 
India,  I.,  120.  They  had  tiffin  at  two; 
hot  lunch,  and   ale,  and  brandy-pawnee. 

Brandy-smash,    subs.  phr.    (Amer- 
ican).— Brandy  and  crushed  ice: 

see   DRINKS. 

1863.  E.  MacDermott,  Popular 
Guide  to  International  E~xhibition,  1862, 
185.  In  the  vestibule  of  each  refresh- 
ment room  there  is  an  American  bar, 
where  visitors  may  indulge  in  'juleps,' 
'cocktails,'  'cobblers,'  'rattlesnakes,* 
'gum-ticklers,'  'eye-openers,'  'flashes-o'- 
lightning,'  brandy-smashes,  'stone-fences,' 
and  a  variety  of  similar  beverages. 

i86g.  S.  Clemens,  ("Mark  Twain'), 
Innocents  Abroad.  Our  general  said 
(after  naming  several  other  drinks)  give 
us  a  brandy  smash;  the  Frenchman 
began  to  back  aw.iy,  suspicious  of  the 
ominous  vigour  of  the  last  order. 

1883.  Daily  Telegraph,  2  July,  5, 
3.  [Brandy-smash  is  mentioned  in  a  list 
of  American  drinks.] 

1888.  Neiv  York  Evening  Post,  24 
Feb.  Philological.— Gallic  Tourist — 'I  do 
not  sec  how  any  one  ever  learns  the 
absurd  English.  I  read  on  the  menu  of 
drinks,  "Sherree  Cobblair,"  I  find  in  the 
dictionary — a  mender  of  shoes  of  sherry 
wine;  "Santa  Cruz  Sour,"  La  Sainte 
Croix  acide;  hkandv  smash,  "Eau  de 
vie  écrasé."  Bite  de  langue!' 


Brangle-òuitock.  357 


Brass. 


BRANGLE-BUTTOCK.      To    PLAY    AT 

BRANGLE-BUTTOCK,  verb.  phr. 
(venery).— To  copulate:  JwGREENS 
and  RIDE  (Urquhart). 

BRAN-MASH,  subs.  phr.  (military). 
— Bread  sopped  in  coffee  or  tea: 

cf.   FLOATING   BATTERIES. 

Brass,  subs,  (common). —  i.  Impu- 
dence; effrontery;  unblushing 
hardness  ;  shamelessness,  etc.  :  also 
BOLD   AS   BRASS:   set  CHEEK. 

1594.  Shakspeare,  Loves  Labour 
Lost,  v.,  2,  395.  Biron.  Thus  pour  the 
stars  down  plagues  for  perjury.  Can 
any  face  of  brass  hold  longer  out  ? 

1701.  Defoe,  True  Born  English- 
tnan,  ii.  By  my  Old  Friend  [The 
Devil],  who  printed  in  my  face  A  needful 
competence  of  English  brass. 

1703.  Farquhar,  Inconstant,  i.,  2. 
Thou  hast  impudence  to  set  a  good  face 
upon  anything;  I  would  change  half  my 
gold  for  half  thy  brass,  with  all  my 
heart. 

1740.  North,  Examen,  256.  She 
in  her  defence  made  him  appear  such  a 
rogue  upon  record,  that  the  Chief  Justice 
wondered  he  had  the  BRASS  to  appear  in 
a  court  of  justice. 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer.  164.  You'll 
then  convince  each  Grecian  ass,  That 
tho'  his  face  is  made  of  brass... 

1773.  O.  Goldsmith,  She  Stoops  to 
Conquer,  iii.,  i.  'To  me  he  appears  the 
most  impudent  piece  of  brass  that  ever 
spoke  with  a  tongue.' 

1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias  [Routledge], 
171.  There  was  brass  in  his  forehead  for 
an  inexhaustible  coinage. 

1819.  Moore,  Tctn  Crib's  Memorial 
to  Congress,  68.  Oh,  what  a  face  of 
BRASS  was  his,  Who  first  at  Congress 
show'd  his  phiz. 

1852.  Dickens,  Bleak  House,  Iv., 
462.  'I  haven't  brass  enough  in  my 
composition,  to  see  him  in  this  place  and 
under  this  charge.' 


1876.  C.  H.  Wall,  trans.  Molière, 
I.,  18.  Gorgibus  is  a  simpleton,  a  boor, 
who  will  readily  believe  everything 
you  say,  provided...  you  have  brass 
enough. 

1876.  C.  HiiiDLKV,  Li/e  and  Adven- 
tures of  a  Cheap  Jack,  199.  He  started 
with  a  lot  of  tin,  but  had  not  sufficient 
brass  or  physique  to  stand  the  wear-and- 
tear  of  the  life. 

2.  (old). — Generic  for  money  : 
see  rhino:  formerly  the  baser 
mintage  was  of  brass  instead  of 
copper. 

1526.  TvNDALE,  Matt.  X.,  g.  Posses 
not  golde,  nor  silver,  nor  BRASSE  yn 
youre  gerdels. 

1597.  Hall,  Satires,  IV.,  v.,  12. 
Hirelings  enow  beside  can  be  so  base, 
Tho'  we  should  scorn  each  bribing  var- 
let's  BRASS. 

1796.  Reynolds,  Fortune's  Fool,  iii. 
He  expects  to  finger  the  brass,  does  he  ? 

i860.  Mrs.  Gaskell,  Sylvia's 
Lovers,  xx.  'There'll  be  Fosters  i'  th' 
background,  as  one  may  say,  to  take 
t'  biggest  share  on  t'  profits,'  said  Bell. 
'  Av,  ay,  that's  but  as  it  should  be,  for  I 
reckon  they'll  ha'  to  find  the  br.\ss  the 
first.' 

1864.  M.  E.  Braddon,  Aurora 
Floyd,  xii.  'Steeve's  a  little  too  fond 
of  the  brass  to  murder  any  of  you  for 
nothing.' 

1884.  Hawley  Smart,  From  Post 
to  Finish,  129.  '  It's  noa  use  they're 
telling  us  afterwards  they  ain't  collared 
the  brass.' 

1889.  Sporting  Times,  June  29. 
Billy  Wells.  What  the  dickens  is  all 
this  about  the  hats?  We  have  seventy- 
two  telegrams  and  letters  on  the  subject, 
and  would  prefer  the  br.\ss. 

i8g8.  Pink  'Un  and  Pelican,  25. 
Always  woefully  short  of  brass,  and 
instead  of  being  able  to  stick  to  work 
with  the  clear  mind  that  a  tenner  in 
the  inside  pocket  assures,  had  to  go 
hedging  and  ditching...  to  square  the 
hotel  bill. 


Brass-basin. 


358 


Bratful. 


Brass-bound  and  copper 
FASTENED,  adj.  phr.  (nautical). — 
Said  of  a  lad  dressed  in  a  mid- 
shipman's   uniform.     See   BRASS- 

BOÜNDER. 

Brass-basin,  subs.  phr.    (old).— A 
barber;  a  surgeon-barber  (1599). 

Brass-bounder,    stibs.  phr.  (nau- 
tical).— A  midshipman:  see  brass. 

BRASSER,  stibs.  (Christ's  Hospital). 
—A  bully. 


BRASS-FACE,  subs.  phr. 
impudent  person. 


(old).— An 


Brass  farthing  (or  farde),  subs. 
phr.  (old). — The  lowest  limit  of 
value. 

1642.  Rogers,  Naaman,  33.  As 
bare   and  beggarly  as  if  he  had  not  one 

BRASSE    FARTHING. 

1880.  Punch's  Almanac,  5.  Nobby 
button'-oler  very  well  When  one  wants 
to  do  the  'eavy  swell;  Otherwise  don't 
care  not  one  brass  farden,  For  the 
best  ever  blowed  in  Covent  Garden. 

i88o.  Besant  and  Rice,  Seamy 
Side,  X.,  78.  I  care  not  one  brass  far- 
thing. 

Brass-knocker,  sicbs.  phr.  (va- 
grants').— Broken  victuals;  the 
remains  of  a  meal  :  spec,  scraps 
given  to  beggars. 

Brass-nail.    See  nail. 

Brass-plate  merchant,  subs. phr. 
(common). — See  quot. 

1851.  H.  Mavhew,  London  Labour 
and  London  Poor,  II.,  95.  The  brass- 
plate  merchant,  as  he  is  called  in  the 
trade,  being  a  person  who  merely  pro- 
cures orders  for  coal,  gets  some  mer- 
chant who  buys  in  the  coal-market  to 
execute  them  in  his  name,  and  manages 
to  make  a  living  by  the  profits  of  these 
transactions. 


Brassy,  adj.  (common). — Impu- 
dent; impertinent;  shameless:  jf« 
brass,  sense  i. 

1570-76.  Lambarde,  Peramb.  Kent 
(1826),  156.  To  make  them  blush,.» 
were  they  never  so  brassie  and  impu- 
dent. 

1661.  T.  MiDDLETON,  Mayor  of 
Quinborough,  iii ,  i.  There's  no  gallant 
so  BRASSY  impudent  durst  undertake  the 
words  that  shall  belong  to't. 

1738-1819.  WoLCOT,  P.  Pindar,  73, 
1830.  No,  Mr.  Gattle — Betty  was  too 
brassy.  We  never  keep  a  servant  that 
is  saucy. 

1862.  Mrs.  H.  Wood,  Channings, 
xxxii.  'I  asked  him  to  leave  his  name, 
sir,  and  he  said  Mr.  Rowland  Yorke 
knew  his  name  quite  well  enough  with- 
out having  it  left  for  him.'  'As  brassy 
as  that  was  he  !  I  wish  to  (goodness 
it  was  the  fashion  to  have  a  cistern  in 
your  house  roofs  '  ! 

Brat,  subs,  (old).— i.  A  child:  in 
modern  use  almost  invariably  in 
contempt. 

1566.  Gascoigne,  Flowers,  etc.,  'De 
Profundis  '  O  Abrahams  brattes,  Q 
broode  of  blessed  seede. 

1596.  GossoN,  Quippes  for  Up, 
Gentle^Momen  [Hazlitt,  Pop.  Poet,  iv. 
250].  And  when  proud  princoks,  rascals 
bratte.  In  fashion  will  be  princes  mate. 

c.  1696.  B.E.  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.  s.v. 
Brat,  a  little  Child. 

1809.  MalivIn,  (7î7  5/a.j  [Routlkdge], 
168.     A  father's  pride  in  the  brat. 

1868.  Browning,  Ring  and  Bk.,  iv., 
612.  A  drab's  brat,  A  beggar's  bye- 
blow. 

2.  (common). — A  rag;  shabby 
clothes;  articles  that  are  'mere 
rags  '  :  see  bratful. 

BRATCHET,  subs,  (provincial). — 
A  term  of  contempt. 

Bratful,  subs,  (colloquial). — Att 
apronful:  see  brat,  sense  2. 


Brattery. 


359 


Bread. 


Brattery,  stths.  (common).  —  A 
nursery  (1788). 

Bravado,  subs.  (B.E.). — A  vapour- 
ing, or  bouncing. 

Bravo,  siihs.  (B.E.). — A  mercenary 
murderer,  that  will  kill  anybody. 

BRAWL,  subs.     (B.E.).— Ä^  quot. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BRAWL,  squabble,  quarrel.  TO  brangle, 
and  BRAWL,  to  squabble  and  scold. 

Brazen-faced,  adj.phr.  (common). 
— Shameless  ;  impudent  ;  unblush- 
ing ;  with  a  face  as  of  brass  :  see 
brass:  sometimes  a  face  rubbed 

WITH   A   BRASS   CANDLE-STICK. 

1571.  GoLDiNG,  Calvin  on  Ps.,  xii., 
5.  With  such  BRAZENFASTE  baldnesse. 

1596.  Nashe,  Saffron  Waiden,  in 
Wks.  III.,  84.  Amidst  his  impudent 
brazen-fac'd  defamation  of  Doctor  Ferne. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Did.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
brazen-fac'd,  bold,  impudent,  audacious. 

1693.  Drvden,  yuvenal,  III.,  133. 
Quick-witted,  brazen-fac'd,  with  fluent 
tongues. 

1714.  Memoirs  of  yohn  Hall  (4 
ed.),  10.  Thus  with  an  unparallell'd 
Impudence  every  brXzen-fac'd  Male- 
factor is  harden'd  in  his  Sin. 

1874.  Mrs.  H.  Wood,  Johnny  Ludlow, 
I  S.,  viii.,  137.  'Of  all  the  impudent 
brazen-faced  rascals  that  are  cheating 
the  gallows,  you  must  be  the  worst.' 

Brazil.  Hard  as  brazil,  phr. 
(old). — As  hard  as  may  be. 

1633.  Quarlks,  Enihlems.  Thou 
know'st  my  brittle  temper's  prone  to 
break.  Are  my  bones  brazil  or  my 
flesh  of  oak? 

Bread,  s^ibs.  (old). — Employment, 
cf.  BREAD  AND  CHEESE  =  a  bare 
subsistence;  plain  living  ;  needful 
food.  Whence  a  bread-and- 
CHEESE    BOOK    (publishers')  =  a 


book  that  has  a  steady  sale  ;  one 
that  year  in  and  out  has  a  cer- 
tain even  if  small  demand.  Bread- 
AND-SCRAPE  =  the  poorest  of 
living. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
bread  and  cheese  bowling-green,  a 
very  ord'nary  one,  where  they  play  for 
drink  and  tobacco,  all  wet,  as  'tis  called. 

1783.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  Out  of  bread,  out  of 
employment. 

1809.  Malkin,  G275/ii^[Routledge], 
233.  I  was  not  such  a  fool  as  to  quarrel 
with  my  bread-and-butter.  Ibid.  26, 
I  should  want  for  nothing  in  the  bread 
AND  water  way. 

1838.  Trollope,  Dr.  Thorne,  xxxv. 
He's  got  what  will  buy  him  bread  and 
cheese,  when  the  Rads  shut  up  the 
church. 

1873.  Broughton,  Nancy,  xlvii. 
Some  people  have  their  happiness  thinly 
spread  over  their  whole  lives,  like  bread 

AND    scrape! 

To  TAKE  BREAD  AND  SALT, 
verb.  phr.  (old). — To  swear;  to 
take  an  oath  :  formerly  the  eating 
of  bread  and  salt  were  parts  of 
the  act. 

1586-1606.     Warner,    Albion's  Eng- 
land, iv.  22. 
The  traitrous  earle  TOOK  bread  and  said, 

so  this  digested  be 
As    I   am   guiltlesse    of  his  death;  these 

words  he  scarcely  spoke. 
But    that    in    presence    of  the    king    the 

bread  did  Goodwyn  choke. 

i6o2.  Dekker,  Honest  Whore 
[DoDSLEV,  Old  Plays],  iii.  350.  And 
there  be  no  faith  in  men,  if  a  man  shall 
not  believe  oaths.  He  took  bread  and 
SALT,  by  this  light,  that  he  would  never 
open  his  lips.  Ibid.  (1605),  Dekker, 
Eastward  Hoe,  Ibid.  (Reed),  iv.  278.  Our 
hostess,    profane    woman  !    has  sworn  by 

BREAD     AND    SALT     shc     will    nOt    trUSt    US 

another  meal. 


Bread-and-Butter.        360 


Bread-basket. 


d.  i6a2.  B.  Rich,  Descr.  of  Ireland, 
ag.  I  will  trust  him  better  that  ofifereth 
to  sweare  by  bread  and  salt,  than  him 
that  offereth  to  sweare  by  the  Bible. 

1613.  Beaumont  and  Fletcher, 
Hottest  Man's  Fort.  ii.  My  friends,  no 
later  than  yesternight.  Made  me  take 
BREAD  and  eat  IT,  that  I  should  not 
Do  it  for  any  man  breathing  in  the  world. 

To     KNOW      ON      WHICH     SIDE 

one's  bread  is  buttered,  verb. 
phr.  (common). — To  recognise 
one's  interests. 

1546.     Heywood,  Proverbs,  s.v. 

To  TAKE  THE  BREAD  OUT  OF 
one's  mouth,  verb.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— To  deprive  of  the  means 
of  livelihood. 

Bread  buttered  on  both 
SIDES,  phr.  (common).  —  The 
height  of  good  fortune  ;  the  best 
of  luck. 

Bread-and-butter,  adj. phr.  (collo- 
quial).— Immature  ;  spec,  in  con- 
tempt of  young  and  shy  girls: 
e.g.   A   bread-and-butter  miss. 

1818.  BvRON,  Beppo,  39.  The  Nursery 
still  lisps  out  in  all  they  utter — Besides, 
they  always  smell  of  bread-and-butter. 

1837.  Trollope,  Barchester  To^uers, 
xli.  One  was  a  middle-aged  clergyman, 
and  the  other  a  lady  at  any  rate  past  the 
wishy-washy  bread-and-butter  period 
of  life. 

No  bread  and  butter  ok 
mine,  phr.  (common). — No  con- 
cern (or  business)  of  mine  (1764). 

Bread  and  butter  fashion,  phr. 
(venery). — A  posture  in  coïtion  : 
i.e.  one  on  top  of  tlie  other:  see 
GREENS  and  HIDE.  Also  bread- 
AND-BUTTER    warehouse    {q.V.). 


Bread-and-butter  Warehouse. 
subs.  phr.  (old). — The  old  Rane- 
lagh  Gardens:  see  BREAD-AND- 
BUTTER  fashion. 

BREAD-AND-CHEESE.      See    BREAD. 

BREAD -AND -CHEESE       CONSTABLE, 

subs.  phr.     (old). — See  quot. 

c.     1696.   B.E.   Diet.    Cant.  Creiv.,  s.v. 

bread  and  cheese  constables,  that 
trats  their  neighbors  and  friends  at  their 
coming  into  ofSce  with  such  mean  food 
only. 

BREAD-AND-CROW,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— See  quot.  1847. 

1599.  Nashe,  Lenten  Stuffe  (Harl. 
Misc.  vi.  168).  The  gods  and  goddesses, 
all  on  a  rowe,  bread  and  crow,  from 
Ops  to  Pomona  (the  first  apple-wife), 
were  so  dumpt  with  this  miserable  wracke 
that  they  begänne  to  abhorre  all  moysture 
for  the  sea's  sake. 

1847.  Halliwell,  Archaic  IVords, 
s.v.  Bread  and  crow  seems  to  be  used 
proverbially  for  'every  one.'  Perhaps 
there  is  some  allusion  to  /Esop's  fable, 
as  though  the  fo.x  ate  not  only  the  crow's 
bread,  but  the  crow  herself. 

BREAD-AND-MEAT,  subs.  phr.  (mili- 
tary).— The  commissariat. 

BREAD-ARTIST,  subs.  phr.  (artists'). 
One   working   merely   to   gain  a 

living;    cf.   POTBOILER. 

Bread  Bags,  subs. — (military). — In 
contempt,  of  any  one  connected 
with  the  victualing  department: 
e.g.  a  purser  or  purveyor  in  the 
commissariat:  also  called  muck- 
ers: Fr.  riz-pain-sel. 

Bread-barge,  subs.  phr.  (nautical). 
— The  distributing  basket  (or 
tray)  containing  rations  of  bis- 
cuit. 

Bread-basket,  subs. phr,  (common). 
— The  stomach  :  see  bread-room. 


Bread-picker. 


361 


Break. 


English  Synonyms.  Bread- 
room  ;  dumpling-depot  ;  victual- 
ling-office ;  porridge-bowl. 

French  Synonyms.  Panetière 
{cf.  pontière  =  the  mouth)  :  panier 
au  pain  (a  literal  translation); 
Jabot:  se  remplir  le  jabot  z=  to  have 
a  *  blow  out  ')  :  /lalle  aux  croûtes  =: 
Crust  Hall  ;  also,  a  baker's  shop)  ; 
place  d' armes \  soute  au  pain. 

*753-  FooTE,  Englishman  in  Paris, 
I.  Another  came  up  to  second  time,  but 
I  let  drive  at  the  mark,  made  the  soup- 
maigre  rumble  in  his  bread-basket,  and 
laid  him  sprawling. 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  165.  Then 
threw  his  stick,  which  with  a  thump 
On  his  BREAD-BASKET  hit  him  plump. 

1819.  Moore,  Tom  Crib's  Memorial 
to  Congress,  18.  Neat  milling  this  Round  — 
what  with  clouts  on  the  nol>,  Home  hits 
in   the   BREAD-BASKET,  cHcks  in  the  goo. 

1821.  Fancy,  I.  255.  In  the  fourth 
round  he  came  in  all  abroad,  and  got 
a  doubler  in  the  bread-uasket. 

1821.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
yerry,  iii.,  i.  Jerry.  Now,  doctor,  take 
care  of  your  bread-basket — eyes  right, 
look  to  your  napper. 

184g.  KiNGSLEV,  Alton  Locke,  xxxiii. 
A  heavy  blow  was  struck  on  the  panel 
from  the  inside,  and  the  point  of  a  sharp 
instrument  driven  right  throught,  close  to 
my  knees,  with  the  exclamation,  '  What 
do  you  think  o'  that  now  in  a  policeman's 
bread-basket?' 

1856.  Reade,  Never  too  Late  to 
Mend,  Ixx.  When  you  can't  fill  the 
bread-basket,  shut  it.  Go  to  sleep  till 
the  Southern  Cross  comes  out  again. 

1S76.  C.  H.  Wall,  trans.  Molière, 
I.,  194.  And  get  as  a  reward  an  ugly 
piece  of  cold  steel  right  through  my 
bread-basket. 

BREAD-PICKER,  subs.phr.  (Winchester 
College). — The  four  senior  prœ- 
fects  used  to  appoint  a  'Junior' 
to  this  office,  which  was  nominal, 


but  which  carried  with  it  exemp- 
tion from  fagging  at  meal  times. 
No  'notion'  book  states  in  what 
the  office  consisted,  but  it  is 
supposed  that  it  relates  to  times 
when  Juniors  had  to  secure  the 
bread,  etc.,  served  out  for  their 
masters. 

Bread-room,  subs.phr.  (old).— The 
stomach:  see  basket. 

1760-61.  Smollett,  Sir  L.  Greaves, 
II.,  V.  He  ordered  the  waiter  ...  to 
.  .  .  bring  along-side  a  short  allowance 
of  brandy  or  grog,  that  he  might  cant 
a  slug  [dram]  into  his  bread-room.  Ibid, 
xvii.  The  waiter  .  .  .  returned  with  a 
quartern  of  brandy,  which  Crowe,  snatch- 
ing eagerly,  started  into  his  bread-room 
at  one  cant. 

Bread-room  Jack,  subs.  phr.  (nau- 
tical).— A  purser's  servant. 

Break,  subs,  (thieves'). — A  collec- 
tion (of  money)  got  up  by  a 
prisoner's  friends,  either  to  defray 
the  expenses  of  his  defence,  or 
as  a  'lift'  when  leaving  prison: 
orig.  a  pause  in  street-perform- 
ances to  enable  the  hat  to  be 
passed  round:  see  lead,  Fr. 
bouline, 

1879.  J.  W.  HoRSLEV,  in  Macm. 
Mag.,  XL.,  502.  The  mob  got  me  up  a 
break  (collection),  and  I  got  between 
five  or  six  foont  (sovereigns). 

Verb,  (old  cant). — To  deflow- 
er; to  CRACK  THE  RING  {q.V.):  tO 
PUNCTURE(i/.&'.):j^^ DOCK,  GREENS, 

and   ride:   also  to  broke  {q.v.). 

1567.  Karman,  Caveat,  75.  A  dell 
is  a  yonge  wenche,  able  for  generation, 
and  not  yet  knowen  or  broken  by  the 
upright  man. 

1606.  Dariel,  Queen's  Arcadia,  iii. 
3.  'Tis  as  I  tell  you,  Colax,  she's  as  coy, 
And  hath  as  shrewd  a  spirit,  as  quicke 
conceipt,  As  ever  wench  I  brok'd  in  all 
my  life. 


Break. 


362 


Break. 


A  BREAK  IN  THE  STOCK-MARKET, 

subs.  phr.     (American   Stock-Ex- 
change).— Ste  quot. 

1870.  Medberg,  Men  and  Mysteries, 
[Bartlett].  a  break  in  the  stock- 
market.  A  Wall  Street  phrase:  where 
stock  is  kept  up  by  artificial  means,  and 
a  money  stringency,  or  similar  cause, 
makes  it  difficult  to  carry  a  load,  the 
attack  of  a  bear  clique  or  the  actual 
inability  to  holders  will  produce  a  decline 
in  value.     The  market  breaks  down. 


1630.     Taylor,   Works. 
Let   fortunes   mounted   minions  sinke  or 

swim, 
Hee    never    breakes   his   braines;   all's 

one  to  him. 
He's    free    from    fearefull   curses    of  the 

poore, 
And    lives,   and   dies  content,  with  lesse 

or  more. 

i66i.  Pepvs,  Diary.  Nor  his  papers 
so  well  sorted  as  I  would  have  had  them, 
but  all  in  confusion,  that  break  my 
brains  to  understand  them. 


To  BREAK  one's  BACK,  verb, 
phr.  I.  (colloquial). — -To  be  over- 
burdened ;   to   become   bankrupt. 

1601.  Shakspeare,  Henry  VIII., 
i.,  I.  O,  many  have  broke  their  backs 
with  laying  manors  on  'em  For  this  great 
journey. 

1620.  Middleton,  Chaste  Maid, 
iii.,  3.  [The  word  is  here  used  in  the 
sense  of  bankruptcy  and  ruin.] 

1887.  Baring  Gould,  The  Game- 
cocks, xxviii.  'They  are  very  poor  and 
have  made  a  hard  fight  to  get  on.  I 
fear  this  change  would  BREAK  their 
backs.' 

i888.  Ashton,  Mod.  Street  Ballads, 
13.     The  cesses,  rates,  and  tithes  nearly 

BREAKS   their    BACKS. 

2.  (venery). — To  exhaust  one- 
self in  the  act  of  kind. 

c.  1709.  Ward,  Terrafiliiis,  i.  21. 
She  never  gets  a  man  upon  the  Hug,  but 
she  always  breaks  his  hack  before  she 
has  done  with  him. 

3.  See    TO    BREAK    THE   NECK. 

To  BREAK  THE  BALLS,  verb, 
phr.  (billiards). — To  commence 
playing. 

To  BREAK  THE  BRAINS,  verb. 
phr.     (old). — To  drive  mad. 


To  BREAK  DOWN,  verb.  phr. 
I.  (colloquial). — To  show  strong 
emotion;   to    be   deeply  affected. 

2.  (colloquial). — To  fail;  to 
withdraw. 

1877.  Ne^v  York  Tribune,  11  May. 
The  District  Attorney  entered  a  nolle 
prosequi  in  its  [a  court's]  indictment 
of  ...  It  would  be  interesting  after  this 
flat  break-down. 

3.  See  BREAK-DOWN. 

To    BREAK     one's     EGG.     See 

CRACK. 

To  BREAK  THE  ICE,  verb.  phr. 
(colloquial). — To  commence  ;  to 
lead  the  way. 

To  BREAK  THE  MOLASSES  JUG, 
vcrb.phr.  (American). — To  come  to 
grief;  to  make  a  mistake. 

To     BREAK     THE     NECK,     verb. 

phr.     (old). — To  disconcert. 

[?].  Select  Lives  of  English 
Worthies.  Yet  did  not  this  break  the 
NECK  of  Henries  design,  but  having  by 
his  fair  deportment  gained  forces  from 
the  duke  of  I'rittain,  and  some  other 
princes  envious  of  the  prosperity  of  the 
house  of  York,  Richmond  puts  forth  to 
sea,  and  lands  at  Milford  Haven  in  Wales. 

To  BREAK  THE  NECK  (or  BACK) 
OK  ANYTHING,  Verb.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— To  accomplish  the  major 


Break. 


363 


Break-down. 


portion  of  a  task  ;  to  be  near  the 
end  of  an  undertaking  ;  to  be 
past  the  middle  of  same, 

To     BREAK    OUT    ALL    OVER    (or 

IN  A  FRESH  spot),  vcrb.  phr. 
(American). — To  commence  some 
new  undertaking;  to  assume  a 
different  position  in  argument  or 
action;  to  do  something  else. 

To  BREAK  SHINS,  verb.  phr. 
(old). — To    borrow    money.     See 

SHIN. 

c.   1696.   B.E.,   Diet.    Cant.    Crew.,  s.v. 
BREAKING  SHINS,  c.  borrowing  of  money. 

To  BREAK  WITH,  Verb.  phr. 
(old). —  I.  To  open  a  secret  to.  Also 
— 2.  (modern)  =1  to  cease  friendly 
relations:    also    to    break   off 

WITH. 

1607.  Shakspeare,  Julius  Casar,\\.  i. 

0  name  him  not,  let  us  not  break  with  him; 
For  he  will  never  follow  anything 
That  other  men  begin. 

1809.  MaLKIN,  Gi75/ai[RoUTLEDGE], 

138.  It  may  be,  you  will  repent  hereafter 
of  having  broken  off  with  Isabella. 

To  BREAK  NO  SQUARES,  Verb, 
phr.     (old). — To    do    no    harm. 

To   BREAK    (or  HEED)  SQUARES  = 

to  give  offence. 

1696.  Lestrange,  Msop.  I  will 
BREAK  NO  SQUARES  whether  it  be  so  or 
not. 

To     BREAK     A     STRAW     WITH, 

verb.  phr.  (old). — To  fall  out 
with  ;  to  quarrel. 

1564.     Udal,  Erasmus's  Apoph.,  68. 

1  prophecie  (quoth  he)  that  Plato  and 
Dyonysius  wil  erre  many  dales  to  an 
«nde    BREAKE    A  STRAWS  betwene  them. 

To  BREAK  A  LANCE  WITH,  verb, 
phr.  (colloquial). — To  enter  into 
competition;   to   try  conclusions. 


To  BREAK  PrISCIAN'S  HEAD, 
verb.  phr.  (old). — To  violate  the 
laws  of  grammar.  [Lat.  diminuère 
Prisciani  caput.  Priscian  a  famous 
grammarian   of  the  5th  century]. 

IS27-37.  Ellis,  Orig.  Letters  .  .  . 
[The  well-known  Father  Forrest  being 
ungrammatical  is  said  toj  breke  master 

PRKCVENS    HEDE. 

1664.  Butler,  Hudibras,  11.  ii.  219. 
And    hold   no  sin  so  deeply  red  As  that 

of  BREAKING    PRISCIAn'S    HEAD. 

1728.  Pope,  Dnnciad,  iii.  161.  Some, 
free  from  rhyme  or  reason,  rule  or  check, 
BREAK  PRisci  an's  HEAD.and  Pegasus's  neck. 

1819.  Byron  \Life,  'To  Moore']. 
Also  if  there  be  any  further  breaking 
OF  priscian's  HEAD,  wiU  you  Supply  the 
plaster. 

BREAKBONE-FEVER,.f//^j-.//^r.  (Amer- 
ican.— The  '  Dengue,'  a  malarious 
fever  of  the  South:  either  from 
the  '  pain  in  the  bones,'  of  which 
the  patients  complain,  or  from 
the  great  debility  which  follows 
the  attack  ;  both  reasons  have 
been  assigned  for  the  appellation 
(Bartlett.) 

1862.  N.  Y.  Tribune,  16  May. 
'Letter  from  Cincinnati.'  The  warm 
weather  is  adding  to  this  the  typhoid, 
the  bilious,  and  another  fever,  to  which 
the  natives  [of  the  South-western  States] 
give  the  name  (said  to  be  very  graphic) 
of  breakbone,  in  which  every  bone  in 
the  body  feels  as  if  it  were  broken.  It 
is  a  cousin-german  to  the  typhus. 

Break-down,  subs. phr.  (Australian). 
—  I.     A  measure  of  liquor. 

1759.  Frank  Fowler,  Southern 
Lights  and  Shadows,  53.  To  pay  for 
liquor  for  another  is  to  'stand,'  or  to 
'  shout,'  or  to  '  sacrifice.'  The  measure 
is    called   a   'nobbier,'  or  a  break-down. 

2.  (common). — A  noisy  dance  ; 
a  convivial  gathering;  spec,  a 
negro  dance.  Also  as  verb  =  to 
dance  riotously;  tobe  boisterous; 
to  be  'spreeish.' 


Break  o'day  drum.       364 


Breath. 


1850.  Southern  Sketches,  60.  Take 
up  the  carpet — move  the  bed — call  the 
fiddler,  and  let's  have  a  regular  break- 
down. 

i8[?]  New  England  Ta/irf  [Bartlett]. 
Come,  hold  on,  boys,  don't  clear  out 
when  the  quadrilles  are  over,  for  we  are 
going  to  have  a  breakdown  to  wind  up 
with. 

1864.  Yates,  Broken  to  Harness,  II , 
54.  And  Mr.  Pingle  retired  into  the 
next  room,  where  he  indulged  in  the 
steps  of  a  comic  dance,  popular  with 
burlesque  actors,  and  known  as  a  nigger 

BREAK-DOWN. 

1873.  Sat.  Review,  May,  676.  We 
shall  not  be  surprised  to  learn  that  they 
have  serious  thoughts  of  engaging  a  few 
comic  singers  and  break-down  dancers 
for  their  next  campaign. 

1883.  Daily  Nezvs,  March  26,  2,  4. 
A  patter  song  .  .  .  was  twice  redemand- 
ed,  chiefly,  it  appeared,  for  the  sake  of 
a  comical  'break-down'  danced  by  the 
demented  king. 

1885.  D.  Telegraph,  16  Nov.  Pro- 
vide   comic   actors,   pantomimes,   rallies, 

and    BREAKDOWNS. 

3.      See  BREAK. 

Break  O'day  OR\jm,si(l>s.pkr.  (Amer- 
ican  thieves'). — A    night  saloon. 

BREAKY-LEG,  subs. phr.  I. (common). 
Intoxicating    drink:    see   drinks. 

2.     (thieves'). — A  shilling. 

1857.  Snowden,  Mag.  Assistant, 
3  ed.,  446.     A  shilling.     Breake-leg. 

Breast.  To  make  a  clf.an  breast, 
v€rl>.  phr.  (colloquial). — To  tell 
everything. 

1871-2.  EnOT,  Middlemarch,  Ixvi. 
You    know   all   about   it;  .  .  .    I  m.ide  a 

CLEAN    BREAST    tO    yOU. 

Breast-fleet,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
See  quot. 


1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongiie.  He  (or  she)  belongs  to 
the  BREAST  fleet;  i.e.,  is  a  Roman 
Catholic;  an  appellation  derived  from 
their  custom  of  beating  their  breasts  in 
the  confession  of  their  sins. 

Breath,  verb,    (venery). — To  cop- 
ulate :  see  greens  and  ride. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  All's  Well,  ii.  3. 
Methinks,  thou  art  a  general  offence,  and 
every  man  should  beat  thee.  I  think 
thou  wast  created  for  men  to  breathe 
themselves  upon.  Hid.  (1609),  Pericles, 
ii.  3.  Here  is  a  lady  that  wants  breathing 
too. 

1609.  LvLY,  Alan  in  the  Moone.  It 
seemed  some  gentleman's  manner,  but  I 
could  espie  no  wagges  watching,  nor 
wantons  wagging  out  to  breath  them- 
selves when  their  maddam  was  covered. 

1637.  Hevwood,  Royall  King,  sig.  F. 
iii.  And  think'st  thou  to  breath  me 
on  trust  ? 

Change  your  breath,  verb.phr. 
(American). — An  injunction  to 
adopt  a  different  manner  or  bear- 
ing. 

To  KEEP  (or  save)  one's 
breath  (or  wind)  to  cool  one's 
BROTH  (or  porridge),  verb.  phr. 
(old). — To  desist  from  useless 
argument,  doing,  or  remonstrance. 

1608.  Machin,  Dumb  Knight,  ii. 
My  lord,  save  vour  breath  for  your 
broth  ;  I  am  not  now  at  leisure  to 
attend  you. 

1660.  Howbll,  Parly  of  Beasts,  %$. 
Truly,  sir,  you  may  please,  as  the  proverb 

runs,     to     KEEP     YOUR     BREATH     TO     COOL 

YOUR   POTTAGE,  and  spend  it  no  longer 
upon  me. 

1706.  Ward,  If'ooden  il'orld,  3», 
He  makes  no  long-winded  graces,  because 
he  loves  to  keep  his  breath  to  cool  his 

POTTAGE. 

1725.  Bailey,  Erasmus,  312.  You 
have  no  reason  to  fear  a  peace  for  these 
ten  years:  the  pope  is  the  only  man  that 
persuades  them  to  come  to  an  agreement 
among  themselves,  but  he  had  as  good 
KEEP   HIS   BREATH   TO  COOL  HIS  PORRIDGE. 


Breath-bubble. 


365 


Breeches. 


1773.  Bridges,  Homer,  539.  But 
might  as  well  have  sav'd  his  wind  to 
COOL  his  pottage. 

1896.  BooTHLY,  Maker  of  Nations, 
viii.  If  it's  wanting  to  be  let  out  ye 
are,  let  me  tell  ye  ye  may  as  well  save 

VER  BREATH  TO  COOL  VER  PORRIDGE. 

Breath-bubble,  subs.  phr.  (collo- 
quial).— An  empty  thing,  trifle 
(1835)- 

Breath-seller,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
—  I.     A  perfumer  (1601). 

2.  (colloquial). — A  paid  speaker. 

Breech,  verb,  (once  literary:  now 
vulgar). — To  flog  on  the  posteriors. 
Hence   breeching  =  a  flogging, 

1510.  Whittington,  Vulg.  (1527), 
26.     I    studye   to-daye   bycause  I  fere  a 

BRKCHYNG. 

1557.  TussER,  Husbandrie,  Ixxiv., 
6,  166  (S.D.S.).  Maides,  up  I  beseech 
yee.  Least  Mistress  doe  breech  yee. 

1593.  Shakspeare,  Taming  of 
Shrew,  iii.  i.  I  am  no  breeching  scholar 
in  the  schools,  I  11  not  be  ty'd  to  hours, 
nor  'pointed  times.  Ibid,  (1596),  Merry 
Wives,  iv.  I.  If  you  forget  your  kies, 
your  kas,   and   your  cods,   you  must  be 

PREECHES. 

1594.  Nashe,  Unfortunate  Traveller, 
in  Wks.  v.,  149.  Heeres  a  stirre,  thought 
I  to  my  selfe  after  I  was  set  at  libertie, 
that  is  worse  than  an  upbrayding  lesson 
after  a  britching. 

1613.  Tailor,  Hog  hath  Lost  his 
Pearl  [Dodslev,  Old  Plays  (Reed)  vi. 
42:].  Had  not  a  courteous  serving-man 
convey'd  me  away,  whilst  he  went  to 
fetch  whips,  I  think  in  my  conscience 
he  would  have  breech'd  me. 

1637.  Massingkr,  Guardian,  i.,  i. 
How  he  looks  !  like  a  school-boy  that 
had  play'd  the  truant,  And  went  to  be 
breech'd. 

1647.  FLETCHZRiLittle  French  Lawyer, 
V.  1.  Kneeling  and  whining  like  a  boy 
new-brbech'd. 


1647.  Beaumont  and  Fletcher, 
Humourous  Lieut,  iv.  4,  With  sighs  as 
though  his  heart  would  break:  Cry  like 
a  breech'd  boy,  not  eat  a  bit. 

1821.  Scott,  Kenilworth,  xxiv.  'Go 
to,'  said  Wayland,  '  thou  art  a  prating 
boy,  and  should  be  BREECHED  for  thine 
assurance.' 

Breeched,  adj.  (common).—  Well 
off;  plenty  of  money;  hence  TO 
BE  WELL  BREECHED  =r  to  be  in 
good  circumstances:  cf.  déculotté 
— imbreeched  =  bankrupt. 

Breeches,  subs,  (old).— Ironically 
applied  to  the  Commonwealth 
coinage:  suggested  by  the  arrange- 
ment of  two  shields  on  the  reverse 
of  the  coin. 

To  WEAR  THE  BREECHES,  verb, 
phr.  (common),  —  To  rule;  to 
usurp  a  husband's  prerogative  ; 
to  be  ' master '  '.cf.  ' The  grey  mare 
is  the  better  horse.'  [An  allusion 
to  BREECHES  as  the  symbol  of 
authority,  i.e.,  of  manhood  ;  the 
expression  is  found  in  French  as 
early  as  1450.]  Dutch  '  De  vrouio 
draagd'er  de  broek'  -,  German,  'Sic 
hat  die  Hosen.' 

1450.  Les  Quinze  Joyes  du  Mariage: 
La  Dixiesine  Joye.  Edition  Elzévirienne, 
Paris  (1853),  113.  Et  sachez  qu'il  est 
avenu  à  aucuns  que  l'en  leur  faisoit  boire 
de  mauves  brouez  affin  de  porter  les 
braies  ou  pour  autres  choses  pires. 

i4[?].  Songs  and  Carols  of  the  Fif- 
teenth Century,  Percy  Soc.  Pub.,  XXIII., 
65.  Nova,  nova,  sawe  you  ever  such. 
The  moste  mayster  of  the  hows  wervth 
no  brych. 

The  Büke  of  Maid  Emlyn,  VI.,  at. 
All  women  be  suche,  Thoughe  the  man 
wear  the  breche. 

1557.  TusSER.  Husbandrie,  Ixvii.  18, 
156  (E.D.S.).  Least  some  should  talke, 
as  in  the  speech,  The  good  wiues'  husband 

WEARES    no    breech. 


Breeding-cage. 


366 


Brian-ó'-Linn. 


1591.  Nashe,  a  Prognostication,  in 
Wks,  II.,  158.  Diverse  great  stormes  are 
this  yere  to  be  feared,  especially  in 
houses     where     the    wives    weare    the 

BREECHES. 

1663.  T.  KiLLEGREW,  Parson's  Wed- 
ding, ii.,  3,  [DODSLEY,  OW/'irtW(l78o)xi., 
413].  Anything  that  may  get  rule;  1  love 

to    WEAR    THE    BREECHES. 

1724.  Swift,  Misc.  Poems,  in  IVks. 
(1824)  XIV.,  199.  Those  men,  who  WORE 
THE  BREECHES  least,  Call'd  him  a  cuckold, 
fool,  and  beast. 

1820.  CoOMBE,  Syntax,  Consolation, 
V.  When  she  doth  wear  the  breeches; 
And  the  poor  fool  dare  not  resist  The 
terrors  of  her  threat'ning  fist. 

1821.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
Jerry,  ii.,  4.  Mrs.  T.  No,  no — no  mischief 
— harkye,  you  did  me  a  service  just  now 
in  the  street.  Tom.  I  know  I  did,  down 
ty  the  pump.  Mrs.  T.  Well,  now,  I'll  do 
you  one — my  husband  is  asleep:  I  have 
the  keys;  and  I  wear  the  breeches. 

To  WRONG  one's  breeches, 
verb.  phr.  (common). — To  shit 
i^q.v^   to  be  taken  short  (jl-v^  : 

c.  1650.  Brathwavte,  Barnaèy's  Jl. 
(1723),  59.  And  like  two  mishapen 
Wretches,  Made  me,  ay  me,  wrong  my 
Bretches. 

Breeding-cage,  subs.phr.  (common). 
— A  bed  :  see  kip. 

Breef.     See  brief. 

Breeze,    stibs.    (general). — A   row; 
a  quarrel  ;  a  disturbance  ;  coolness. 

1785.  Qko^v.,  Dictionary  of  the  Vul- 
gar Tongue.  To  kick  up  a  breeze,  to 
breed  a  disturbance. 

1819.  Moore,  Tom  Crib' s  Memorial 
to  Congress,  5.  But,  though  we  must 
hope  for  such  good  times  as  these,  Yet, 
as  something  may  happen  to  kick  up  a 
breeze. 

1865.  Saturday  Review,  28  Jan., 
iig.  'Don't  be  angry;  we've  had  our 
BREEZE.     Shake  hands!' 


Brekker,  j«ì5j-.  (School s  and  Univers- 
ity).— Breakfast  :  cf.  er  a  species 
of  slang  formation,  which  originat- 
ed at  Harrow. 

Brevet-hell,  subs.  phr.  (American), 
— A  battle:  the  term  originated 
during  the  Civil  War  :  cf.  brevet- 
WIFE,   BREVET-RANK   etc 

Brevet-wife,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— A  woman  who,  lives  with  a 
man,  takes  his  name,  and  enjoys 
all  the  privileges  of  a  wife;  cf. 
BED-SISTER.  A  transferred  figurat- 
ive  sense  of  the  legitimate  word. 

Brew,  verb.  (Marlborough  School). 
— To  make  afternoon  tea. 

Brewer.  To  fetch  the  brewer, 
verb.  phr.  (common). — To  get 
drunk:  see  screwed. 

BREWER'S-BASKET.   A   LOAF   OUT  OF 

A    brewer's-basket,    stibs.  phr. 
(old). — 5^1?  quot. 

162^.  Taylor,  A  Very  Merry 
Wherry-Ferry  (Hindlev,  Works,  1872), 
19.  Hull-chkese,  is  much  like  a  loafe 
out  of  a  brewers  basket,  it  is  composed 
of  two  simples,  mault  and  water,  in  one 
compound,  and  is  cousin  germane  to  the 
mightiest  ale  in  England. 

BREWER'S-HORSE,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— A  drunkard  ;  a  tippler  ;  LUSH- 
INGTON  {q.v.):  also  ONE  which 
the  brewer's  horse  has  bit. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  Henry  IV.  iii.  3. 
I  am  brewer's  horse  .  .  .  Company, 
villainous  company  hath  been  the  spoil 
of  me. 

BRIAN-O'-LINN,  subs.fhr.  (rhyming). 
— Gin:  see  drinks. 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  76.  No- 
thing moan  about  uncle — he  squandered 
the  tin — Kor  the  gals  he  had  gallons  of 
Bryan  o'-LvNN. 


Briar. 


367 


Brick. 


Briar  (or  brier),  subs,  (colloquial). 
— A  brier-wood  pipe. 

1882.  Graphic,  Dec.  16,  683,  2. 
Nowadays,  every  third  man  you  meet 
has  a  cigarette  or  a  briar  in  his  mouth. 

1886.  Harper's  Mag.,  ■ijXitc.  There 
is  the  ever-ready  BRiER-root  pipe,  loaded 
with  Caporal. 

To    BE    IN    THE    BRIARS,    Subs. 

phr.  (old). — To   be   in   difficulty 
or  misfortune. 

1614.  Terence  in  English.  Davus 
interturbat  omnia.  Davus  brings  all  out 
of  square:  he  marres  all;  he  brings  all 
INTO  THE  BRIARS.  Ibid,  Nummam  perimus  ? 
Are   we   not   in    ill   case?    be   we   not  IN 

THE    BRIARS  \ 

c.    1696.    B.E.,   Diet.    Cant.   Crew.,  s.v. 
Briers,  in  the  briers  in  trouble. 

1723.  History  0/ Colonel  yack.  The 
wonders  of  that  merciful  Providence, 
which,  when  it  has  mercy  in  store  for  a 
man,  often  brings  him  into  the  briers, 
into  sorrow  and  misery  for  lesser  sins, 
that  men  may  be  led  to  see  how  they  are 
spared  from  the  punishment  due  to  them 
for  the  greater  guilt  which  they  know 
lies  upon  them. 

BRIBBLE-BRABBLE,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— Chattering  ;  quarrelling. 

1670.  Howard,  Comtnitfee,  iii.  You 
are  a  foolish  bribble-brabble  woman, 
that  you  are. 

Brick,  subs,  (common). — A  good 
fellow;  a  staunch  and  loyal  man: 
said  to  be  of  University  origin, 
the  simile  being  drawn  from 
Aristotle (j5'//î.i.  id)TeTÇici'y(iovoq 

1837.  Barham,  Ingoldsby  Legends 
[Brothers  of  Birchington).  In  brief  I 
don't  stick  to  declare.  Father  Dick,  So 
they  called  him  for  short,  was  a  regular 
brick;  a  metaphor  taken,  I  have  not  the 
page  aright,  Out  of  an  ethical  work  by 
the  Stagyrite. 

1849.  LvTTON,  Caxtons,  xi,  v.  '  I 
may  say,'  continued  Mr.  Peacock  em- 
phatically, 'that  he  was  a  regular  trump 
— trump!'  he  reiterated  with  a  start,  as 
if  the  word  had  stung  him— 'trump!  he 
was  a  BRICK.' 


1850.  Smedlev,  Frank  Fairlegh,  10. 
'Mr.  Fairlegh,  let  me  introduce  this 
gentleman,  Mr.  George  Lawless;  he  is, 
if  he  will  allow  me  to  say  so,  one  of  the 
most  rising  young  men  of  his  generation, 
one  of  the  firmest  props  of  the  glorious 
edifice  of  our  rights  and  privileges.'  '  A 
regular  brick,'  interposed  Coleman. 

1855.  Thackeray,  Newcomes,  x. 
But  the  others  are  capital.  There  is 
that  little  chap  who  has  just  had  the 
measles — he's  a  dear  little  brick. 

1856.  T.  Hughes,  Tovt  BroimCs 
School-days,  100.  He  voted  E.'s  new 
crony  a  brick. 

1857.  KiNGSLEY,  Two  Years  Ago, 
xvii.  Never  mind  me,  but  mind  yourself, 
and  mind  that  curate;  he  is  a  noble  BRICK. 

1876.  George  Eliot,  Daniel 
Deronda,  xvi.  Their  brothers'  friend, 
declared  by  Hans  to  be  the  salvation  of 
him,  a  fellow  like  nobody  else,  and,  in 
fine,  a  brick. 

1878.  Hallierger's  Mag.,  635.  The 
expression  is  logically  deduced  in  the 
following  amusing  manner.  A  brick  is 
'deep-red,'  so  a  'deep-read'  man  is  a 
brick.  The  syllogism  may  be  carried 
further.  To  read  like  a  brick  is  to  read 
till  you  are  deep-'read';  a  deep-read  man 
is  in  University-phrase  a  'good  man'; 
a  good  man  is  a  jolly  fellow  with  non- 
reading  men,  ago  a  jolly  fellow  is  a 
brick. 

iSgi.  Harry  Fludyer  at  Cambridge. 
16.     She's  a  real  BRICK  about  letters. 

Verb  (American). — To  bring  a 
man's  knees  close  up  to  the  chin, 
and  lash  the  arms  tightly  to 
the  knees — a  species  of  trussing. 

Like    a  brick   (bricks,  or  a 

THOUSAND    OF    BRICKS),    adv.  phr. 

(common). — With  energy  ;  ala- 
crity ;  thoroughly  ;  vehemently 
and  with  much  display  :  cf.  subs. 
and  see  LIKE. 

1835.  Dickens,  Sketches,  139.  Bump 
they  [cab  and  horse]  cums  agin  the  post, 
and  out  flies  the  fare  like  bricks. 


Brick-duster. 


368 


Brickfielder. 


1837.  Barham,  /.  L.  (Ingoldsby 
Penance).  For  the  Friar  to  his  skirts 
closely  sticks,  '  Running  after  him,' — so 
said  the  Abbot, — 'like  bricks!' 

1847.  RoBB,  Squatter  Life,  37.  He 
lit  upon  the  upper  town  and  its  member 

LIKE    A   THOUSAND    OF    BRICK  ! 

i860.  NcT-U  Orleans  Picayune,  April 
27  (Police  Report),  He  fell  upon  us  like 
A  THOUSAND  OF  BRICKS,  and  threatened 
to  make  minced  meat  of  the  police  and 
every  one  of  us. 

1864.  Western  ÌForld,  March  5. 
When  Mr.  Nye  had  finished,  Mr. 
Stewart  rose,  and  with  his  irresistible 
logic  and  impressive  language  came 
down  upon  him  like  a  thousand  of 
BRICKS,  till  he  was  utterly  crushed  and 
demolished. 

A  BRICK  IN  THE  HAT,  phr. 
(American). — Drunk  ;  top-heavy  : 
see  SCREWED. 

Brick-duster. — See  brickfielder. 

BRICKDUSTS  (the),  subs,  (military). 
— The  Fifty-third  Regiment  of 
Foot,  now  the  King's  (Shropshire 
Light  Infantry):  its  facings  were 
brick-red:  also  the  old  five- 
and-threepennies,  (from  its 
number  and  the  daily  pay  of  an 
ensign). 

Brickfielder    (or    Brickduster), 

sul's.  (Australian). — A  dust  or 
sand-storm  brought  by  cold 
southerly  winds  from  sand  hills, 
locally  known  in  Sydney  as  the 
brickfields:  also  buster  (or 
southerly   burster):  see  quot. 


1833.  Lt.  Breton,  R.N.,  Excursions 
in  New  South  Wales  and  l^an  DietneiCs 
Land,  293.  It  sometimes  happens  that 
a  change  takes  place  from  a  hot  wind 
to  a  BRICKFIELDER,  On  which  occasions 
the  thermometer  has  been  known  to  fall, 
within  half  an  hour,  upwards  of  fifty 
degrees! 


1839.  Leigh,  Reconnoitering  Voy- 
ages, Travels,  atid  Adventures  in  the 
new  Colony  of  South  Australia,  184. 
Whirlwinds  of  sand  come  rushing  upon 
the  traveller,  half  blinding  and  choking 
him, — a  miniature  sirocco,  and  decidedly 
cousin-german  to  the  delightful  sandy 
puffs  so  frequent  at  Cape  Town.  The 
inhabitants  call  these  miseries  brick- 
FIELDERS,  but  why  they  do  so  I  am 
unable  to  divine;  probably  because  they 
are  in  their  utmost  vigour  on  a  certain 
hill  here,  where  bricks  are  made. 

1844.  ]0Hi<  Rae.,  Sydney  Illustrated, 
26.  The  BRICKFIELDER  is  merely  a 
colonial  name  for  a  violent  gust  of  wind, 
which,  succeeding  a  season  of  great  heat, 
rushes  in  to  supply  the  vacuum,  and 
equalises  the  temperature  of  the  atmos- 
phere. 

1844.  Mrs.  Meredith,  Notes  and 
Sketches  of  New  South  Wales,  44.  These 
dust  winds  are  locally  named  brick- 
FIELDERS,  from  the  direction  in  which 
they  come. 

1845.  J.  O.  Balfour,  Sketch  of  New 
South  Wales,  4.  The  greatest  peculiarity 
in  the  climate  is  what  is  called  by 
colonists  a  brickfielder.  This  wind  has 
all  the  characteristics  of  a  sirocco  in 
miniature. .  , 

1853.  Eraser's  Mag.,  XLVIH.,  515. 
What  the  Sydney  people  call  a  brick- 
fielder. 

i8[:].  MuNDAV,  Our  Antipodes.  In 
October,  1848,  as  I  find  by  my  diary,  I 
witnessed  a  fine  instance  of  a  nocturnal 
BRICKFIELDER.  Awakened  by  the  roar- 
ing of  the  wind  I  arose  and  looked  out. 
It  was  bright  moonlight,  or  it  would  have 
been  bright  but  for  the  clouds  of  dust, 
which,  impelled  by  a  perfect  hurricane, 
curled  up  from  the  earth,  and  absolutely 
muffled  the  fair  face  of  the  planet.  Pul- 
verised specimens  of  every  kind  and 
colour  of  soil  within  two  miles  of  Sydney, 
flew  past  the  house  high  over  the  chim- 
ney tops  in  lurid  whirl-winds,  now  white, 
now  red.  It  had  all  the  appearance  of 
an  American  prairie  fire,  barring  the  fire. 

1861.  T.      McCombie,      Australian 

Sketches,  79.      She    passed    a    gang    of 

convicts,  toiling     in    a    broiling    brick- 
fielder. 


Brickfielder. 


369 


Bride-ale. 


1862.  F.  J.  JoBSON,  Australia  with 
Notes  by  the  U^ay,  155.  The  BRICK- 
FiELDERS  are  usually  followed,  before  the 
day  close j,  with  'south-busters'  [sic.]. 

1863.  Frank  Fowler,  The  Athe- 
näum, Feb.  21,  264,  I.  The  brick- 
fielder  is  not  the  hot  wind  at  all;  it 
is  but  another  name  for  the  cold  wind 
or  southerly  buster,  which  follows  the 
hot  breeze,  and  which,  blowing  over  an 
extensive  sweep  of  sandhills  called  the 
Brickfields,  semi-circling  Sydney,  carries 
a  thick  cloud  of  dust  (or  brickfielder) 
across  the  city. 

1886.  Cowan,  Charcoal  Sk.  The 
buster  and  brickfielder  :  Austral  red- 
dust  blizzard  ard  red-hot  simoon. 

1890.  Lyth,  Golden  South,  ii.,  11. 
A  dust  which  covered  and  penetrated 
everything  and  everywhere.  This  is 
generally  known  as  a  brickfielder. 

1896.  Three  Essays  on  Australiatt 
Weather,  '  On  Southerly  Buster,'  by  H. 
A.  Hunt,  17.  In  the  early  days  of 
Australian  settlement,  when  the  shores 
of  Port  Jackson  were  occupied  by  a 
sparse  population,  and  the  region  beyond 
was  unknown  wilderness  and  desolation, 
a  great  part  of  the  Haymarket  was 
occupied  by  the  brickfields  from  which 
Brickfield  Hill  takes  its  name.  When 
a  'Southerly  Burster'  struck  the  infant 
city,  its  approach  was  always  heralded 
by  a  cloud  of  reddish  dust  from  this 
locality,  and  in  consequence  the  phe- 
nomenon gained  the  local  name  of 
BRICKFIELDER.  The  brickfields  have 
long  since  vanished,  and  with  them 
the  name  to  which  they  gave  rise,  but 
the  wind  continues  to  raise  clouds  of 
dust  as  of  old  under  its  modern  name 
of  'Southerly  Burster.' 

1898.  Morris,  Austral  English,  s.v. 
Brickfielder.  The  brickfields  lay  to  be 
south  of  Sydney,  and  when,  after  a  hot 
wind  from  the  west  or  north-west,  the 
wind  went  round  to  the  south,  it  was 
accompanied  by  great  clouds  of  dust, 
brought  up  from  the  brickfields.  These 
brickfields  have  long  been  a  thing  of  the 
past,  surviving  only  in  'Brickfield  Hill,' 
the  hilly  part  of  George  Street,  between 
the  Cathedral  and  the  Railway  Station. 
The  name,  as  denoting  a  cold  wind,  is 
now  almost  obsolete,  and  its  meaning 
has  been  very  curiously  changed  and 
extended  to  other  colonies  to  denote  a 
very  hot  wind. 


Bricklayer,  sul/s.  (clerical). — A 
clergyman. 

BRICKLAYER'S-CLERK,J«3j.//ir.  (nauti- 
cal).— A  lubberly  sailor.  (Clark 
Russell). 

Bricks,  suòs.  (Wellington  College). 
— A  sort  of  pudding. 

Brick  wall.    To  run  one's  head 

AGAINST   A  BRICK  WALL  Verò.  phr. 

(common). — To  pursue  a  course 
distinctly  to  certain  disaster,  ruin, 
or  death. 

To  MAKE  BRICK  WALLS,  verb, 
phr.  (common). — To  bolt  one's 
foot  without  masticating  it. 

Bride-ale,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
wedding  feast:  see  ale. 

1587.  Harrison,  England,  i.  11.  i. 
32  (1877).  The  superfluous  numbers  of 
idle  waks...  church-ales,  helpe-ales,  and 
soule-ales,  called  also  dirge-ales,  with  the 
heathenish  rioting  at  bride-ales  are  well 
diminished. 

158g.  PuTTENHAM,  Arte  of  Eng. 
Poesie,  4to  M.  i.  Romances  or  histor- 
ical rimes  made  on  purpose  for  recreation 
of  the  common  people,  at  Christmasse 
dinner  or  bride-ales. 

1609.  Smith,  Sermons.  How  happy 
are  those,  in  whom  faith,  and  love,  and 
godlinesse  are  maried  together,  before 
they  marry  themselves?  For  none  of 
these  martiall,  and  cloudy,  and  whining 
mariages  can  say,  that  godlines  was 
invited  to  their  bride-ale;  and  therefore 
the  blessings  which  are  promised  to 
godlinesse,  doe  flie  from  them. 

1633.  JONSON.  Tale  of  a  Tub,  ii.  i. 
A  man  that's  bid  to  bride-ale,  if  he  ha' 
cake  And  drink  enough,  he  need  not  vear 

(fear)  his  stake. 

1776.  Brand,  Pop.  Antic.,  i.  229. 
There  were  bride-ales,  church-ales, 
clerk-ales,  give-ales,  lamb-ales,  leet-ales. 
Midsummer-ales,  Scot-ales,  Whitsun-ales, 
and  several  more. 


Bride-door. 


370 


Bridsre. 


Bride-door.  To  run  for  the 
BRIDE-DOOR,  verh.phr.  (provincial). 
— To  start  for  a  favour  given  by 
a  bride  to  be  run  for  by  the 
youth  of  the  neighbourhood,  who 
wait  at  the  church-door  until  the 
marriage  is  over,  and  then  run 
to  the  bride's  door.  The  prize, 
a  riband,  is  worn  for  the  day 
in  the  hat  of  the  winner. 
(Halliwell). 

Bridewell,  subs.  (old). — A  prison  : 
see  CAGE.  [Bridewell  was  once 
(Nares)  a  royal  palace,  rebuilt 
by  Henry  VIII  in  1522,  for  the 
reception  of  Charles  V,  and  called 
Bridewell,  from  a  famous  well 
in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Bride's 
church.  Cardinal  Campeius  had 
his  first  audience  there.  Edward 
VI  gave  it  to  the  City  for  a  house 
of  correction,  endowing  it  with 
lands  and  furniture  from  the 
Savoy.  All  this  history  is,  by  a 
curious  licence,  transferred  to 
Milan,  by  Decker,  in  the  second 
part  of  the  Honest  Whore,  O. 
PI.,  iii,  465.  The  account  is  very 
exact,  compared  with  Entick's 
Hist,  of  Loud.,  iv,  284]. 

Bridge,  subs,  (cards'). — A  cheating 
trick  at  cards  ;  any  particular 
card  is  cut  by  previously  curving 
it  by  the  pressure  qi  the  hand: 
Fr.  pont  sec .  [The  modus  operandi 
of  avoiding,  or  rather  of  neutraliz- 
ing the  cut — the  very  backbone 
of  the  card-sharper's  art — is 
somewhat  difficult,  and  is  gener- 
ally performed  by  one  of  two 
methods,  the  bridge  and  the 
'pass.'  In  the  former  method 
the  sharper,  at  the  end  of  his 
shufile— the  cards  being  still 
held  backs  uppermost  in  the 
left  hand  — takes  some  twelve  or 
fifteen    of  the   underneath    cards 


lengthwise  between  the  thumb 
and  first  and  second  fingers  of 
the  right  hand  and  throws 
them  on  the  top  of  the  pack,  at 
the  same  time  giving  them  a 
slight  squeeze  outwards  which 
causes  them  to  assume  an  imper- 
ceptible curve.  When  placed  on 
the  table  to  be  cut,  the  pack 
will  now,  owing  to  this  curve  or 
'  bridge,'  present  in  the  middle 
a  very  slight  gap,  almost  in- 
visible to  the  eye;  and  experi- 
ence shows  that  the  odds  are 
twenty  to  one,  that  the  adver- 
sary will  cut  exactly  at  that 
very  spot,  thus  taking  off  the 
twelve  or  fifteen  cards  thrown 
on  the  top,  and  bringing  the 
'  readied  '  portion  of  the  pack 
back  to  its  original  position.] 

1851.  Mavhew,  Londott  Labour  and 
London  Poor,  I.,  266.  I  got  my  living 
by  card-playing  in  the  low  lodging- 
houses  ...  I  worked  the  oracle;  they 
were  not  up  to  me.  I  put  the  first  and 
seconds  on,  and  the  bridge  too. 

1859.  Lever,  Davenport  Dunn,  I., 
251.  I've  found  out  the  way  that 
Yankee  fellows  does  the  king.  It's  not 
the  common  bridge  that  everybody 
knows. 

1866.  Y.\TES,  Black  Sheep,  I.,  70. 
The  genius  which  had  hitherto  been 
confined  to  bkidging  a  pack  of  cards, 
or  'securing'  a  die,  talking  over  a  flat, 
or  winning  money  of  a  greenhorn,  was 
to  have  its  vent  in  launching  a  great 
City  Company. 

Verb  (old), — See  quot. 

■  1812.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Flash  Diet.  To 
bridge  a  person,  or  to  throw  him  over 
the  bridge,  is  .  .  .  to  deceive  him  by 
betraying  the  confidence  he  has  reposed 
in  you. 

To     THROW     A     I'ERSON     OVER 

THE  BRIDGE,  verb.  phr.  {common). 
— To  betray  confidence. 


Bridle. 


371 


Brief. 


A  GOLD  (or  silver)  bridge, 
subs.  pIiK.  (colloquial). — An  easy 
way  cf  escape. 

Beside  the  bridge,  adv.  phr. 
(colloquial). — Off  the  track;  astray. 

Bridle,  subs.  (old). — An  instrument 
formerly  in  use  to  punish  a  scold. 

Verb,  (venery). — To  be  sexu- 
ally excited  ;  on  heat  ;  HOT  ($'.t'.)  : 
properly  of  bitches. 

To  BITE  ON  the  bridle,  Vtrb. 
phr.   (old). — To    suffer  hardship. 

BRIDLE-CULL,  siibs.  phr.  (old).— A 
highwayman  :  Fr.  garçon  de  cam- 
pagne ;  grinche  de  cambrouse  :  cf. 
SNAFFLING-LAY. 

1754.  Fielding,  Jonathan  IVilii, 
I.,  V.  A  booty  of  £10  looks  as  great  in 
the  eye  of  a  bridle-cull,  and  gives  as 
much  real  happiness  to  his  fancy,  as  that 
of   as  many  thousands  to  the  statesman. 

BRIDPORT  (or  BRYDPORT)  DAGGER, 
subs.  phr.  (old). — The  hangman's 

rope.      To     BE    STABBED    WITH    A 

BRiDPORT-DAGGER=:to  be  hanged: 
see  horse's  nightcap  and  hem- 
pen-fever. 

1662.  Fuller,  Worthies,  Dorset 
(I.,  310).  'Stab'd  with  a  Brydport 
DAGGER.'  That  is,  hang'd  or  executed 
at  the  Gallowes;  the  best,  if  not  the 
most,  hemp  (for  the  quantity  of  ground) 
growing  about  Brydport. 

1787.  Grose,  Prozi.  Glossary,  etc. 
(1811),  67.  Stabbed  with  a  Brydport 
DAGGER.  That  is  hanged.  Great  quantity 
of  hemp  is  grown  about  this  town;  and, 
on  account  of  its  superior  qualities. 
Fuller  says  there  was  an  ancient  statute, 
now  disused,  that  the  cables  for  the  royal 
navy  should  be  made  thereabouts. 

1807.  Souths Y,  Espriella's  Letters, 
j-i  35  (3  ed.).  The  neighbourhood  is  so 
proverbially  productive  of  hemp,  that 
when  a  man  is  hanged,  they  have  a 
vulgar  saying,  that  he  has  been  stabbed 
with  a  Bridport  dagger. 


Brief,  subs,  (thieves'). —  I.  A  ticket 
of  any  kind — railway  pass,  pawn- 
brokers' duplicate,  raffle  voucher 
(or  bookie's)  ;  also  a  pocket  book. 
Hence  briefless  =r  ticketless  ; 
BRiEF-SNATCHiNG,  stealingpockct- 
books,  also  see  quot.   1885. 

1879.  J.  W.  HoRSLEV,  in  Macm. 
Mag.,  XL.,  501.  I  took  a  brief  (ticket) 
to  London  Bridge 

1885.  Daily  Telegraph,  Aug.  18, 
3,  2.  His  usual  line  of  business  was 
'BRIEF-SNATCHING,'  i.e.,  hovering  about 
the  crowd  that  surrounds  a  small  book- 
maker, and  snatching  from  the  hands  of 
the  unwary  the  credential  they  with  rash 
eagerness  exhibit,  and  which  they  desire 
to  exchange  with  the  man  they  have  bet 
with  for  their  winnings. 

1889.  Bird  o'  Freedom,  Aug.  7,  3. 
Following  close  at  the  heels  of  Newman, 
I  soon  found  myself  within  the  Aqua- 
rium, all  BRIEFLESS  as  I  was,  and  with- 
out having  been  asked  any  questions. 

18S9.  Sporting  Times,  6  ]a\y.  They 
copped  the  briefs  at  the  ne.xt  station, 
and  he  changed  carriages. 

2.  (gaming). — Chiefly  in  pi.  = 
cards  tampered  with  for  swind- 
ling purposes.  Bridge,  con- 
caves, and  convexes,  longs, 
and  shorts,  reflectors,  etc. 
German  Briefe,  Baron  Heinecken 
says,  was  the  name  given  to  the 
cards  manufactured  at  Ulm. 

152g.  [Edited  by]  Luther,  Liber 
Vagatoruiii  (i860),  47.  Item — beware 
of  the  Joners  (gamblers),  who  practice 
Beseflery  with  the  brief  (cheating  at 
cards),  who  deal  falsely  and  cut  one  for 
the  other,  cheat  with  Boglein  and  spies, 
pick  one  BRIEF  from  the  ground,  and 
another  from  a  cupboard,  etc. 

1720.  Old  Book  of  Games,  qnolcdihy 
Hotten.  Take  a  pack  of  cards  and  open 
them,  then  take  out  all  the  honours. . . 
and  cut  a  little  from  the  edges  of  the  rest 
all  alike,  so  as  to  make  the  honours 
broader  than  the  rest,  so  that  when  your 
adversary  cuts  to  you,  you  are  certain 
of  an   honour.     When   you   cut   to  your 


Brief-sftatcher. 


372 


Brimmer. 


adversary  cut  at  the  ends,  and  then  it 
is  a  chance  if  you  cut  him  an  honour, 
because  the  cards  at  the  ends  are  all  of 
a  length.  Thus  you  may  make  breefs 
endways  as  well  as  side-ways. 

Brother  of  the  brief,  subs, 
phr.  (old). — An  advocate. 

1749.  Smollett,  Gil  Bias  [Rout- 
ledge],    193.     My    husband's  brethren 

OF    THE    QUILL    and    BRIEF. 

To  GET  one's  brief,  verb.  phr. 
(prison), — To  get  one's  ticket-of- 
leave. 

BRIEF-SNATCHER,  (or  -SNATCHING). 
— See  BRIEF. 

Brier,    See  briar. 

Brigh,  stibs.  (thieves'). — A  pocket; 
a  CLY  {q.v.)  ;  a  sky-rocket  {q.v.) 

French  Synonyms:  grande; 
profonde,  {par/onde  ov  prophète)  ; 
foîii lieuse  /gi/euìarde  ;  baguenaude; 
balade  (or  ballade)  ;  fond)  ière  ; 
four  banal  ;  sonde. 

1879.  J.  W.  HORSLEV,  in  Macm. 
Mag.,  XL.,  502.  Having  a  new  suit  of 
clobber  on  me,  and  about  fifty  blow  in 
my  BRIGH  (pocket). 

Bright,  bright  in  THEEYE,ûrt>".///;-. 
(common). — Tipsy  :  see  screwed. 

Brighton-tipper,  subs.  phr.  —  A 
particular  brew  of  ale. 

1843.  Dickens,  Mart  hi  Chnzzlewit, 
I.,  347.  Requiring  ...  a  pint  of  the 
celebrated  staggering  ale,  or  Real  Old 
BRIGHTON  TIPPER,  at  supper.  Ibid,  447. 
If  they  draws  the  Brighton  tipper  here, 
I  takes  that  ale  at  night,  my  love. 

Brim,  subs.  (old). — A  prostitute: 
spec,  a  termagant  whore  ;  occasion- 
ally used,  without  reference  to 
moral  character,  for  an  angry, 
shrewish,  woman:  also  brimstone, 
of  which  BRIM  is  a  contraction. 
See  tart.  As  adj.  =  wanton; 
shrewish:  also  brimstone.  As -'^;v!i. 
=to  whore. 


c.    i6g6.  B.E.   Diet.    Cant.    Creiv.,   s.v. 

Brimming,  a    Boor's    copulating    with    a 

Sow,   also  now    us'd  for  a  Man's  with  a 

brim. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,.  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BRIM,  or  Brimstone,  a  very  Impudent, 
Lew'd  Woman. 

1712.  Bp.  Burnet,  in  Walpole's 
Remitiiscences  (1819),  75.  'Oh,  madam,' 
said  the  bishop,  'do  not  you  know  what 
a  BRIMSTONE  of  a  wife  he  had  ?  ' 

1730-6.  Bailev.  Brim  \q.  a  contrac- 
tion  of  Brimstone],  a  common  strumpet. 

1 75 1.  Smollett,  Peregrine  Pickle, 
vi.  'She  is  .  .  .  not  a  brimstone,  like 
Kate  Koddle,  of  Chatham.' 

1760.  C.  Johnston,  Chrysal,  II.,  190. 
I  hate  the  law  damnably,  ever  since  I 
lost  a  year's  pay  for  hindering  our  boats- 
wain's mate's  brother  from  beating  his 
wife.  The  brimstone  swore  I  beat  her 
husband,  and  so  I  paid  for  meddling. 

1764.  T.  Brvdges,  Homer  Travesi. 
(1797),  i.,  173.  Can  mortal  scoundrels 
thee  [Hera]  perplex.  And  the  great  brim 
of  brimstones  ve.x  ?  Iiid,(i-jT2)  16.  Hither 
we  came,  'tis  shame  I'm  sure.  To  fight, 
for  what?  a  brimstone  whore.  Ibid.  17. 
For  some  brimstone  always  jangling. 

1785.  Grose.  Brim  (abbreviation 
of  brimstone),  an  abandoned  woman; 
perhaps  originally  only  a  passionate  or 
irascible  woman,  compared  to  brimstone 
for  its  inflammability. 

1789.  Parker,  Bunter's  Christening, 
[Life's  Painter\  A  queer  procession  of 
seedy  brims  and  kids. 

1799.  Whim  of  the  Day.  She  raved, 
she  abused  me,  and  splenetic  was;  She's 
a  vixen,  she's  a  brim,  zounds!  She's  all 
that  is  bad. 

1808.  Jamieson.  Brim,  a  cant  term 
for  a  trull. — Loth. 

1859.  H.  Kingslev,  Geoffrey  Hatn- 
lyn,  xxiii.  Who  seemed,  too,  to  have 
a  temper  of  her  own,  and  promised, 
under  circumstances,  to  turn  out  a  bit 
of  a  H — MST — ne. 

Brimmer,  subs.  (old). —  i.  A  broad- 
brimmed  hat:  see  golgotha. 


Brimstone. 


373 


Bristle-dice. 


1661.  Brome,  Songs.  Now  takes  his 
BRIMMER  off,  and  to  her  flyes,  Singing 
thy  rhimes,  and  straight  she  is  his  prize. 

1671.  Eachard,  Observatiotis .  I 
cannot  forget  (before  sashes  and  broad 
hats  came  into  fashion)  how  much  I  have 
seen  a  small  puny  wit  delight  in  himself, 
and  how  horribly  he  has  thought  to  have 
abused  a  divine,  only  in  twisting  the 
ends  of  his  girdle,  and  asking  him  the 
price  of  his  brimmer. 


2.     (old).— A     full 

BUMPER   {q.V^j 


jlass 


1706.  Drvden,  Juvenal,  vi.  Full 
BRIMMERS   to  their  fuddled  noses  thrust. 

Brimstone.    See  brim. 

BRINEY  (or  Briny),  subs,  (common). 
— The  sea. 

English  synonyms.  Herring- 
pond  ;  big  pond  ;  big  drink  ; 
the  puddle  ;  Davy's  locker. 

French  Synonyms.  Grande 
tasse  {lìoire  dans  la  grande  tasse 
=z  to  be  drowned)  ;  grande  bleu  ; 
grand  salé  ;  pré  salé. 

1856.  Whvte  Melville,  Kate  Cov- 
entry, xiv.  The  luckless  plight  in  which 
a  stout  gentleman  had  found  himself, 
by  the  temporary  loss  of  all  his  apparel, 
while  he  was  disporting  in  the  briny. 

1881.  Punch,  Jan.  15,  14.  Grigsby. 
Hullo,  my  Jellaby,  you  here!  Come  and 
take  a  dip  in  the  briny,  old  man.  I'm 
sure  you  look  as  if  you  luanted  it. 
Postlethiuaite.  Thanks,  no.  I  never 
bathe.  I  always  see  myself  so  dread- 
fully foreshortened  in  the  water,  you 
know! 

i88g,  Sporting  Ti»ies,^\xn^7.<).  Next 
day  bathing,  returning  from  which  we 
beheld  a  curious  sight,  three  nymphs 
carrying  down  to  the  strand  a  bath  in 
which  one  of  them  was,  apparently  with 
a  curious  mistrust  of  the  sea,  going  to 
try  the  briny. 

Bring.  To  bring  down  the  house, 
verb.  phr.  (theatrical). — To  elicit 
loud  applause  ;  to  be  successful. 


1754.  ITorld,  II.,  76,  125.  His 
apprehension     that     your    statues     will 

BRING   the    house    DOWN. 

1853.  Rev.  E.  Bradley  ('Cuthbert 
Bede '),  Adventures  of  Verdant  Green, 
II.,  23.  Why,  it  would  surpass  the  British 
sailor's   broadsword    combat    for  six,  and 

BRING    DOWN    THE    HOUSE. 

1872.  Forster,  Life  of  Charles 
Dickens,  xliv.  (IV.,  252).  'And  give 
us     your    applause,    for    that    is    always 

just'!    which    BROUGHT    DOWN    THE    HOUSE 

with  rapture. 

1877.  Mrs.  Riddell,  Her  Mother^s 
Darling,  It.,  61  (xii).  I  do  not  fancy 
she  would  ever  forgive  any  of  us  if  Honie 
were  to  bring  down  the  house  at 
Elm  Vale. 

1889.  Bird  o'  Freedom,  Aug.  7,  3. 
But  Samson's  crowning  feat  of  all  was 
to  break  with  his  fist  two  steel  chains, 
suspended  from  a  couple  of  posts.  This 
fairly  brought  down  the  house. 

Brisk.  Brisk  as  a  body-louse, 
adj.  phr.  (common). — As  lively 
as  may  be. 

BRISKET-BEATER,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— A  Roman  Catholic  :  cf.,  BREAST 
FLEET         and  CRAW-THUMPER 

(Grose). 

Bristle.  To  set  up  one's  bristles, 
verb.  phr.  (colloquial).— To  show 
anger.  To  raise  bristles  =  to 
anger;  to  irritate. 

Bristle-dice  (or  Bristles),  subs, 
phr.  (old  gaming). — A  method  of 
'cogging'  dice  into  which  bristles 
have  been  inserted,  thus  influenc- 
ing the  position  of  the  cubes 
when  'thrown.' 

1532.  Dice  Play,  28.  Bristle  dice, 
be  now  too  gross  a  practice  to  be  put 
in  use. 

1680.  Cotton,  in  Singer,  Hist.  Cards, 
333.     This  they  do  by  false  dice,  as.  .  . 

By    BRISTLB-DICE. 


Bristol-milk. 


ZIA 


Broad. 


1822.  Scott,  Fortuites  of  Nigel, 
xxiii.  'Men  talk  of  high  and  low  dice, 
Fulhams,  and  bristles  .  .  .  and  a  hun- 
dred ways  of  rooking  besides.' 

Bristol-milk  (or  -rack)  stibs. 
phr.  (old). — Sherry.  [Sherry  was 
formerly  a  large  import  of  the 
city  of  Bristol]. 

1644.  Prynne  and  Walker,  Fiennes' 
Trial,  78.  Good  store  of  bristol  milk, 
strong  wines  and  waters. 

1662.  Fuller,  Worthies,  Bristol- 
'Bristol  milk';  this  metaphorical  milki 
whereby  Xeres  or  Sherry  Sack  intended. 

1668.  Pepys,  Diary,  13  June. 
Enjoyed  plenty  of  brave  wine,  and  above 

all    BRISTOL   milk. 

c.    1696.   B.E.    Diet.    Cant.    Crew.,   s.v. 
BRISTOL-MILK,  Sherry. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  Bristol  milk,  a  Spanish 
wine  called  sherry,  much  drank  at  that 
place,  particularly  in  the  morning. 

1809.  BvRON,  Eng.  Bards,  (ist  ed.) 
To  much  in  turtle  Bristol's  sons  delight. 
Too  much  o'er  bowls  of  rack  prolong 
the  night  [altered  in  subsequent  editions]. 

1849-61.  Macaulav,  Hist.  Eng.,  I., 
iii.  A  rich  beverage  made  of  the  best 
Spanish  wine,  and  celebrated  ...  as 
Bristol  milk. 

BRISTOL-STONE,  sulis.  phr.  (old). — 
A  paste  diamond  (B.E.,  c.  1696). 

BRITISH  CONSTITUTION.  UNABLE 
TO  SAY  liRITISH  CONSTITUTION, 
phr.  (common). — Gibberishly,  if 
not  speechlessly  drunk  :  see 
SCREWED  and  NATIONAL  IN- 
TELLIGENCER. 

Broach,  verb,  (venery).  —To  de- 
flower:  see    DOCK;   GREENS;  and 

RIDE  (MiEGE). 

To  «ROACH  (or  tap)  claret, 
verb.  phr.  (pugilistic), — To  draw 
blood;  see  claret. 


Broad,  subs,  (gaming). — In  pi,  := 
playing  cards:  see  STOCK  broads. 
Hence  broadsman  (or  broad- 
cove)  z=  a  card-sharper:  Fr. 
bremeur  ;  cf.  broad-fencer  ; 
broad-faking  =  card-playing, 
but  spec,  work  of  the  three  card 
and  kindred  character. 

1789.  Geo.  Parker,  Life's  Painter, 
142.  Who  are  continually  looking  out 
for  flats,  in  order  to  do  them  upon  the 
broads,  that  is  cards. 

1812.  J.     H.     Val-x,     Flash.     Diet. 

Broads,  cards;     a     person     expert     at 

which     is  said     to     be     a    good    BROAD- 
player. 

1821.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
ferry,  ii.,  5.  Your  swell  broad  coves, 
with  all  their  airs  Can't  match  the  kids 
near  Wapping  stairs. 

1834.  Harrison  Ainsworth,  Rooh 
wood,  IV.,  ii.     I  nick  the  broads. 

1877.  Five  Years'  Penal  Servitude^ 
iv.,  262.  He  .  .  .  became  one  of  a  gang 
who  practised  with  the  broads  card 
sharping  and  the  '  confidence  trick.' 

1879.  J.  W.  Horsley,  'Autobio 
graphy  of  a  Thief,'  Macm.  Mag.,  XL. 
502.     Broadsmen  (card-sharpers). 

1887.  Henley,  yillou's  Straight 
Tip,  i.     Or  fake  the  broads,  or  fig  a  nag. 

1888.  G.  R.  Sims,  in  Cass.  .Sat. 
journal,  31  March,  7.  The  broadsman 
is  a  card-sharper. 

Ac/j.  (colloquial). —  i.  KNOWING 

(ç.V.);    CUTE   (ç.V.);  SMART  (ç.V.)'. 
cf.    WIDE. 

2.   (colloquial)  — Bordering  on 
the  indecent;  smutty  {q.v^. 

1902.  Free  Lance,  ig  July,  364,  2, 
'In  all  my  repertory,'  says  the  lady, 
'there  is,  I  think,  but  one  expression 
which  is  a  little  broad,  and  I  always 
deliver  that  with  an  apologetic  glance  at 
my  audience.'  Well  all  we  can  say  is 
this,  an  audience  who  jibbed  at  an  ex- 
pression a  'little  broad,'  accompanied 
by  an  '  apologetic  glance,'  must  be  more 
than  a  little  narrow.  It  is  glances  such 
as  those  that  disarm  criticism,  and  are 
apt  to  cause  smiles  even  broader  than 
the  expression. 


Broad-and-shalloiu .       375 


Broadbrim. 


Phrases — In  the  broad  or 
THE  LONG  =z  in  oue  way  or  an- 
other. It's  as  broad  as  it's 
LONG  ■=.  there's  no  difference, 
there's  not  a  pin  to  choose 
between  them. 

BROAD-AND-SHALLOW,  subs.  phr. 
(clerical).  —  Broad  Church,  in 
contra-distinction  to  'High'  and 
'Low'  Church. 

1886.  Graphic,  lo  April,  39g.  In 
the  Church  have  we  not  the  three 
schools  of  High  and  Dry,  Low  and  Slow, 

and    BROAD    AND    SHALLOW  ? 

BROAD-ARSE,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— A  man  (or  woman)  broad  in 
the  beam  ;  a  barge-arse  (ç.v-). 
As  adj.  =  big-bottomed. 

BROADBOTTOMS  (THE),  subs,  (polit- 
ical).— A  nickname  given  to  two 
Coalition  Governments,  one  in 
the  last  century  (1741),  and  the 
other  in  1807. 

1742.  Walpole,  Le/f.  to  Maim 
(1833),  No.  22,  Feb.  18,  I.,  106.  The  Tories 
declare  against  any  farther  prosecution 
— if  Tories  there  are,  for  now  one  heard 
of  nothing  but  the  broad-bottom;  it  is 
the  reigning  cant  word,  and  means  the 
taking  all  parties  and  people,  indifferently, 
into  the  Ministry. 

1807.  The  Pigs  possessed,  or  the 
broad-bottom'd  Litter  riinning  headlong 
into  the  Sea  of  Perdition.  [The  char- 
acters are  George  IIL,  as  the  British 
farmer;  Lords  Sidmouth,  Ellenborough, 
Howick  ('Test  Act');  Mr.  Wyndham; 
Lords  Holland,  Walpole,  Carlisle  St, 
Vincent;  Earls  Temple  ('Last  Stake'), 
Grenville  ('Catholic  Bill'),  and  of  Derby; 
Lords  Erskine,  Lauderdale  (a  Scotch  pig), 
H.  Petty,  and  Moira;  the  Duke  of  Bed- 
ford, who  was  Lord  Lieutenant  of  Ireland, 
marked  'Erin  go  Bragh';  Earl  Spencer, 
Marquis  of  Buckingham  ('Family'),  R. 
B.  Sheridan  (Harlequin),  Courtney,  Tier- 
ney,  and  Whitbread  ('Entire').  Courtney 
is  placed  in  profile  between  Ellenborough 
and  Sidmouth.  He  was  an  intimate 
friend    of   Fo.x.     This   is   said   to  be  the 


only  portrait  of  him.  The  print  is  a 
supplement  to  another  styled  'More  Pigs 
than  Teats.'  The  pigs  represent  the 
Ministers  described  commonly  by  the 
phrase  'All  the  Talents,'  or  the  'bro.\d- 
BOTTOiMS'  who  were  succeeded,  April, 
1807,  by  the  Duke  of  Portland  and  his 
supporters.  An  earlier  '  bkoad-bottom' 
Administration  was  commemorated  in  the 
satirical  inscription  for  Fox's  tomb,  Hie 
jacet  Pater  Broad-Bottomosi\ 

1843.  Macaulav,  Historical  Essays, 
II.,  244.  The  Pelhams  had  forced  the 
King,  much  against  his  will,  to  part  with 
Lord  Carteret...  They  proceeded,  after 
this  victory,  to  form  the  Government 
on  that  basis,  called  by  the  cant  name 
of  the  'broad-bottom.' 

1S63.  Jeaffreson,  Live  It  Do-,v»,  I., 
249.  The  star  of  Granville  is  falling, 
that  of  Pelham  is  in  the  ascendant;  and 
the  great  coalition  on  'The  BR.  B.'  is 
managing  the  affairs  of  the  State. 

1 871.  Miss  Braddon,  Robert  Ains- 
leigh,  I.,  37.  A  scathing  reply  from 
the  polished  chief  of  the  famous  BR.  B. 
Administration. 

1887.  Pol.  Slang,  in  Cornhill  Mag., 
June,  628.  A  Coalition  Government  in 
the  last  century  was  known  by  the  apt 
nickname  of  the  'broad  bottom.' 

Broadbrim,  subs,  (common). — A 
Quaker.  [An  allusion  to  the 
hat  once  peculiar  to  the  '  Society 
of  Friends']. 

1712.  Spectator,  276.  [Broad-brim 
is  used  as  the  name  of  a  Quaker 
correspondent.] 

1750.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  VII.,  x. 
This  the  Quaker  had  observed,  and  this, 
added  to  the  rest  of  his  behaviour, 
inspired  honest  broadbrim  with  a  conceit 
that  his  companion  was,  in  realitj',  out 
of  his  senses. 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  4S3.  There- 
fore the  broad-brims  for  the  Knave, 
Upon  this  hillock  dug  a  grave. 

1864.  Reader  (quoted  in  Nc'tes  and 
Queries,  5,  ix.,  263)  Broadbrim,  a  Quaker. 
This  word  clearly  owes  its  origin  to  the 
peculiar  hat  worn  by  the  Society  of 
Friends. 


Broad-cooper. 


376 


Broke. 


1876.  Jas.  Grant,  One  of  the  Six 
Hundred,  i.  The  sly  broad-br!m,  and 
popularity-hunters  of  the  Peace  Society 
lent  a  deputation  to  the  Emperor  Nicholas. 

Broad-cooper,  subs.phr.  (brewers'). 
— A  brewer's  agent  in  negotiating 
with  publicans. 

BROAD-COVE.      See  BROAD. 

Broad-ditch,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
The  English  Channel  :  also  THE 
DITCH   {q.V.):   cf.   HERRING-POND. 

1583.  PuTTENHAM,  Art  of  Eng. 
Poesie,  277.  [Charles  V  spoke  of  the 
English   Channel   as]   the  broad  ditch. 

Broad-fencer,  subs.  phr.  (thieves'). 
— A  '  k'rect  card  '  vendor. 

Broadsman.     See  broad. 

BroADY,  subs,  (common). —  i.  Cloth, 
i.e.,  broad-cloth. 

1851.  M.WHEW,  London  Labour  and 
London  Poor,  I.,  54.  Gentlemen  find- 
ing their  own  broadv  can  be  accom- 
modated. 

1883.  Daily  Telegraph,  August  7, 
6,  2.  The  prospectus  further  inti- 
mated that...  gentlemen  'finding  their 
own  BRO.^DV...   could  be  accommodated.' 

2.    (thieves'). — Anything  worth 
stealing:  see  BROADY  worker. 

BROADY-WORKER,««iJj./Än(thieves'). 
— A  peddlar  of  shoddy  as  ex- 
cellent material,  got  'on  the  cross," 
i.e.,  stolen. 

Brock,  subs.  (old).  —  A  term  of 
contempt  {see  verb). 

1602.  Shakspeare,  Twelfth  A'ight, 
ii,  5.     Marry,  hang  thee,  brock. 

1606.  Day,  lie  of  Giils,  410  H.  2. 
What,  with  a  brace  of  wenches,  I'fatth, 
old  BROCK,  have  I  tane  you? 

d.  1637.  JoMSON,  Sad  Shepherd.  Or, 
with  pretence  of  chacing  thence  the  brock, 
Send  in  a  cur  to  worry  the  whole  Hock. 


Verb.  (Winchester  College). — 
To  bully  ;  to  tease  ;  to  badger. 
[Brock  is  North  Country  and 
Hampshire  for  badger.]  Fr.  (mili- 
tary) faire  tine  brimade  (or  faire 
brimer'). 

Brockster,  subs.  (Winchester  Col- 
lege).— A  bully:  see  brock. 

Brogues,  subs.  (Christ's  Hospital). 
— Breeches  :  a  piece  of  obsolete 
English  which  has  survived  among 
the  'Blues.' 

Broiled-  (or  Boiled-)  crow.    To 

EAT  BOILED -crow,  verb.  phr. 
(American). — To  advocate  '  prin- 
ciples '  different  from  those  already 
advanced  :  of  newspaper  editors 
and  others  who  are  coerced  by 
'party'  or  other  outside  pressure: 
originally  TO  EAT  crow. 

Broke,    verb.    (old). — To    procure; 

to    PANDER   (r/.7'.):    cf.    BREAK   (or 

BROKE  =  to  deflower. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  AlVs  Well,  iii.  5. 
And  BROKES  with  all  that  can,  in  such 
a  suit.  Corrupt  a  maid. 

1612.  Beaumont  and  Fletcher, 
Coxcomb,  ii.  And  I  shall  hate  my  name, 
worse  than  the  matter,  for  this  base 
broking. 

1655.  Fanshaw,  Lusiad,  ix.  44.  But 
we  do  want  a  certain  necessary  Woman, 
to  BROKE  between  them,  Cupid  said. 

Broke  (dead-broke,  clear-broke 
or  stone-broke),  adj. phr.  (com- 
mon).— Ruined  ;  decayed  ;  hard 
up — of  health  or  pecuniary  cir- 
cumstances :  Fr.  pas  un  radis. 
Hence  the  broke  =:  the  world 
of  the  needy  ;  also  broker  {q.v.). 

English  Synonyms.  Wound 
up  ;  settled  ;  coopered  ;  smashed 
up  ;  under  a  cloud  ;  cleaned  out  ; 
cracked    up  ;   done   up  ;  on  one's 


Broke. 


377 


Broker. 


back  ;  floored  ;  ou  oae's  beam 
ends  ;  gone  to  pot  ;  broken- 
backed  ;  all  U.  P.;  in  the  wrong 
box;  stumped;  feathered;  squeezed 
dry  ;  gutted  ;  burnt  one's  fingers 
dished;  in  a  bad  way;  gone  up 
gone  by  the  board  ;  made  mince 
meat  of;  broziered  ;  willowed  ; 
not  to  have  a  feather  to  fly  with  ; 
burst;  fleeced;  stony;  pebble- 
beached;  in  Queer  Street;  strip- 
ped ;  rooked  ;  hard  up  ;  hooped- 
up  ;  strapped  ;  gruelled. 

1561-7.  Stow,  Three  Fifteenth 
Century  Chronicles,  [Camden  See],  127. 
[A  merchant  braky  (bkoke,  became 
bankrupt)]. 

1641.  Peacham,  Worth  of  a  Penny, 
[Arber,  Eng.  Garner,  vi.  Broken  (ruined) 
Knaves. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crezu.,  s.v. 
Broke,  Officers  turn'd  out  of  Coramis- 
sion,  Traders  Absconding,  Quitting  their 
Business  and  Paying  no  Debts. 

1705.  Vanbrugh,  Confederacy,  iv.. 
Gripe.  Dead?  Brass.  No  .  .  .  worse  .  .  . 
broke  .  .  .  She  is,  poor  lady,  in  the 
most  unfortunate  situation  of  affairs. 

1840.  American  Song. . .  The  banks 
are  all  clean  broke.  Their  rags  are  good 
for  naught. 

1866.  Cincinnata  Enquirer,  i  June. 
When  he  left  the  gambling-house,  he  was 
observed  to  turn  toward  a  friend  with 
the  words,  dead-broke!  and  then  to 
disappear  round  the  corner. 

1878.  J.  H.  Beadle,  IVestern  Wilds, 
46.  He...  staked  a  pile  of  'chips'  and 
won;  then  made  and  lost,  and  made  and 
lost  alternately,  selling  his  stock,  when 
broke,  and  scarcely  ate  or  drank  till 
the  tail  of  his  last  mule  was  coppered 
on  the  jack. 

1887.  G.  R.  Sims,  How  the  Poor 
Live,  16.  '  How  do  you  do  when  you're 
STONE  broke.''  I  ask  him.  'Well,  sir, 
sometimes  I  comes  across  a  gentleman 
as  gives  me  a  bob  and  starts  me  again.' 


1889.  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  Aug.  14.  I 
see  that  Sullivan  made  21,000  dois,  out 
of  his  fight,  but  as  he  was  dead  broke 
before  the  battle,  there  won't  be  much  of 
it  left.  Nevertheless,  Sullivan  has  re- 
ceived hundreds  of  begging  letters  from 
folks  who  want  him  to  pay  off  mortgages 
on  their  homes,  or  buy  them  houses  and 
lots,  and  things  of  that  sort. 

1899.  Whiteing,  John  St.,  xxviii. 
You're   a  toff,  stone-broke — that's  what 

you  are. 

1891.  Harry  Fludyer,  ï2'2.  Pat  said 
he  was  stoney  or  broke  or  something,  but 
he  gave  me  a  sov.,  which  was  ripping  of 
him. 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  106.  Full 
of  fixes,  assets  '  nixes,'  stoney-broke, 
and  hence  these  tears.  Ibid.,  120.  On 
his  right  a  stoney-broke-er  In  bad 
financial  health.  Hid.,  62.  Such  forget- 
fulness  is  frequent  in  the  annals  of 
THE  broke. 

1901.  Walker,  In  the  Blood,  159. 
'Twon't  be  a  bad  lay  fer  us  when  we're 
stoney  broke  down  'ere. 

Broken -FEATHER.     A    broken - 

FEATHER     IN     ONE'S    WING,    Subs. 

phr.  (colloquial). — A  blot  on  one's 
character. 

1880.  Mrs.  Oliphant,  Phcebe,  jun., 
ii.,  6.  If  an  angel  were  to  walk  about, 
Mrs.  Sam  Hurst  would  never  rest  till  she 
had  found  out  where  he  came  from. 
And  perhaps  whether  he  had  a  BROKEN 
feather  in  his  wing. 

Broken-kneed  (or  -legged),  adj. 
phr.  (common). — Seduced  :  Fr.  vial 
aux  genoux.  See  DOCK,  greens, 
and  RIDE. 

BROKER,   subs,   (old).— I.   A  PANDER 

{q.v.);  a  go-between;  a  bawd  (^.w.). 

1595.  Shakspeare,  Two  Gentlemen, 
i.,  2.  Now,  by  my  modesty,  a  goodly 
broker!  Dare  you  presume  to  harbour 
wanton  lines?  Ibid.,  (1602),  Troilus  and 
Cressida,  iii.  2.  Let  all  inconstant  men 
be  Troiluses,  all  false  women  Cressids, 
and  all  brokers  between,  pandars. 


Brolly. 


378 


Broomstick. 


1617.  Fletcher,  Valentin,  ii.,  2. 
Madam,  I  am  no  broker. — Nor  base 
procurer  of  men's  lusts. 

2.  (common). — A  ruined  man  : 
also   stony-broker:  see  broke. 

1891.  The  Australasian.  Nov.  21, 
1014.  We're  nearly  'dead  brokers,'  as 
they  say  out  here.  Let's  harness  up 
Eclipse  and  go  over  to  old  Vaninibar. 

A  CRAFTY  KNAVE  NEEDS  NO 
BROKER,  phr.  (old).  —  A  rogue 
needs  no  go-between. 

Brolly,  subs,  (general). — An  um- 
brella: first  used  at  Winchester, 
and  subsequently  adopted  at  both 
Oxford  and  Cambridge  Univers- 
ities. 

1885.  Punch,  June  6,  273.  Pair  o' 
pattens  and  brolly  are  more  in  your 
line. 

1900.  Kipling,  Stalky  £f  Co.,  81. 
'An'  I'm  catty  all  over,'  said  M'Turk, 
'though  I  washed  twice.'  'An'  I  nearly 
broke  Beetle's  brolly  plantin'  her  where 
she  would  blossom  !  ' 

BROMIGHAM.      See  BRUMMAGEM. 

Broncho,  adj.  (American). — Un- 
ruly ;  wild  ;  savage.  [The  broncho 
=  the  native  horse  of  California, 
a  somewhat  tricky  and  uncertain 
quadruped  ;  Spanish  broncho  ^ 
rough  and  crabbed  little  beast, 
and    in    truth    he    deserves    this 


1888.  Francis,  Saddle  and  Mocas- 
sin. Oh  !  I  don't  know.  He'd  been 
singing  the  music  to  'em'  (imitating 
them).     Sam's  too  BRONCHO. 

Broncho-buster,  subs.  phr.  (Amer- 
ican).— A  breaker-in  of  a  broncho 
{q.V.);   also   FLASH-RIDER. 

Bronze-John,  subs. phr.  (American). 
— A  Texan  name  for  yellow 
Jack  {q.v.). 


Broom,   subs.  (old). — i.     See  quot. 

1 81 5.  Scott,  Guy  Mannering,  xxviii. 
The  people  got  rusty  about  it,  and  would 
not   deal,  and  they  had  bought  so  many 

BROOMS    that Ibid,    xxxiii.    (II.,    96). 

What  are  you  wanting  here  ?  Ye'U  be 
come  wi'  a  broom  in  your  pocket  frae 
EUengowan  ?     Got  so  many  warrants  out. 

2.  (venery). — The  female  pu- 
dendum :  see  monosyllable. 
Hence  broomstick  (or  broom- 
handle)  :=  the  penis:  see  prick. 

Verb.  (old). — To  run  away. 

1821.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and  Jerry, 
6.  Tom.  That  will  do — now  then  Dicky, 
mizzle! — be  scarce!  —  broom!  Prime. 
Wouldn't  intrude  a  moment,  gentlemen, 
good  morning — order  my  carriage. 

A  NEW  broom  SWEEPS  CLEAN, 
phr.  (old). — Zeal  is  to  be  expected 
of  one  new  to  an  office. 

1546.  Hey  WOOD,  Proverbs.  New 
brome  swepth  cleene. 

1571.  Edwards,  Damon  and Pithias 
fDoDSLEV,  Old  Plays  (Hazlitt),  i.,  233.] 
For     wot     you    what  ?    a    new    broome 

SWEEPES    CLEANE. 

Broom-squire,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— See  quot. 

1857.  Kingsley,  Two  'i'ears  Ago, 
xiv.  'Did  you  ever,'  said  Tom,  'hear 
the  story  of  the  two  Sandhurst  broom- 
squires?'  'Broom-squires?'  'So  we 
call  in  Berkshire,  squatters  on  the  moor 
who   live   by    tying   heath   into    brooms.' 

Broomstick, .f/z/'-c  (athletic).-  i.  A 
sort  of  cricket-bat,  roughly  made 
from  one  piece  of  word,  and 
shaped  narrow  in  the  blade. 

2.  (venery).  —  The  fenis:  see 
broom  and  prick. 

3.  (old). — In  pi.  =  worthless 
bail:  see  straw  bail. 


Broomstick . 


379 


Brasier. 


1812.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Flash  Dictionary. 
Queer  bail  are  persons  of  no  repute, 
hired  to  bail  a  prisoner  in  any  bailable 
case.  These  men  are  to  be  had  in 
London  for  a  trifling  sum,  and  are  called 

BROOMSTICKS 

4.  (colloquial)' — An  awkward, 
dull,  impotent,  or  stupid  person  : 
also   STICK,   POOR  STICK,   etc. 

1803.  Edgbworth,  Belinda,  xx. 
'  Vou  .  .  .  will  go  and  marry,  I  know 
you  will,  some  stick  of  a  rival.'.  .  .  'I 
hope  1  shall  never  marry  a  broomstick.' 

1809.    MaLKIN,  Gz7i)/rtj[R0UTLEDGE], 

32.  It  is  hard  if  you  cannot  turn  the 
head  of  some  rich  widow,  or  handsome 
wife  with  a  broomstick  for  her  husband. 

1814.  Austen,  Mansßeld  Park,  x\n. 
I  was  surprised  to  see  Sir  Henry  such  a 
stick;  luckily  the  strength  of  the  piece 
did  not  depend  upon  him. 

1847.  Bronte,  yane  Eyre,  xvii. 
The  poor  old  stick  used  to  cry  out,  '  Oh 
you  villains  childs,'  and  then  we  sermon- 
ised her  on  the  presumption  of  attempting 
to  teach  such  clever  blades  as  we  were, 
when  she  was  herself  so  ignorant. 

1855.  New  York  Tribune,  4  Sep. 
About  the  poorest  stick  for  a  legislator 
ever  elected. 

1886.  D.  Teleg.,  13  July.  A  great 
actor  may  not  exhibit  himself  as  a  stick 
for  half-an-hour  together,  and  claim  to  re- 
deem his  fame  by  a  few  magnificent 
moments. 

1899.  Kernahan,  Scoiindrels,  xxi. 
The  stick  will  find  himself  .  .  .  cold- 
shouldered,  and  the  assumer  of  'side' 
may  think  himself  lucky  if  he  be  allowed 
to  depart  unbailed. 

1900.  White,  West  End,  131. 
'Elsenham's  a  stick.'  'He  is  rather,' 
said  my  aunt.  'But  he  is  heir  to  one  of 
the  oldest  earldoms  in  the  kingdom.' 

To  JUMP  THE  BROOMSTICK  (HOP 
THE  BROOM,  Or  JUMP  THE  BESOM), 

vrrb.  phr.  (common). — To  live  as 
man  and  wife  without  the  legal 
tie:  formerly  a  quasi  marriage 
ceremony  performed  by  both 
parties  jumping  over  a  broomstick. 


181 1.  Poole, //a?« W  Travestied,,  Vi., 
3.  Jump  o'er  a  broomstick,  but  don't 
make  a  farce  on  The  marriage  ceremon- 
ies of  the  parson. 

1837.     Barham,    Ingoldsly    Legends, 
('S.  Romwold.') 
Young   ladies  had  fain  single  women  re-' 

main. 
And   unwedded   dames  to  the  last  crack 

of  doom  stick. 
Ere     marry    by    taking    a    jump    o'er    a 

broomstick. 

1851.  Mavhew,  London  Labour  and 
London  Poor,  I.,  336.  The  old  woman 
(who  kept  the  ken),  when  any  female, 
old  or  young,  who  had  no  tin,  came  into 
the  kitchen,  made  up  a  match  for  her 
with  some  men.  Fellows  half-drunk 
had  the  old  women.  There  was  always 
a  broomstick  wedding.  Without  that 
ceremony  a  couple  weren't  looked  on  as 
man  and  wife. 

1800.  Dickens,  Great  Expectations, 
xlviii.,  227.  They  both  led  tramping 
lives,  and  this  woman  in  Gerrard  St. 
here,  had  been  married  very  young, 
over  the  broomstick  (as  we  say),  to  a 
tramping  man,  and  was  a  perfect  fury  in 
point  of  jealousy. 

c.  18(79).  Broadside  Ballad,  David 
Dove  that  fell  in  love.  By  L.  M. 
Thornton.  The  girl  that  I  had  hoped 
to  hear  Pronounce  my  happy  doom,  sir. 
Had  bolted  with  a  carpenter.  In  fact 
hopped  o'er  the  broom,  sir. 

BROSIER  (or  BROZIER),  subs.  ^Eton 
College).  A  boy  when  he  had 
spent  all  his  pocket  -  money. 
[Brozier  is  Cheshire  for  a  bank- 
rupt.] Broziered  rr  cleaned  out; 
done  up  ;  ruined  ;  bankrupt.  Bro- 
zier-my-dame  =:  eating  one  out 
of  house  and  home.  At  Eton, 
when  a  dame  {q.v.)  keeps  an 
unusually  bad  table,  the  boys 
agree  together  on  a  day,  to  eat, 
pocket,  or  waste  everything  eat- 
able in  the  house.  The  censure 
is  well  understood,  and  the  hint 
is  generally  effective. 


Broth. 


380 


Brother. 


1796.  Merton,  Way  to  get  Married 
(in  Inchbald's  'British  Theatre,'  vol. 
XXVI).     [The  term  is  so  used  herej. 

1850.  Notes  and  Queries,  June  15, 
44.  I  well  remember  the  phrase  brozier- 
MY-DAME,  signifying  to  eat  her  out  of 
house  and  home. 

1888.  Rev.  W.  Rogers,  Reminis- 
cences, 15.  Etonians  of  my  standing 
will  remember  John  Francis  Plumptre, 
one  of  the  Fellows  ...  I  once  behaved 
very  shabbily  to  him,  for  I  joined  a  con- 
spiracy to  'brozier'  him.  There  were 
ten  or  twelve  of  us  [at  breakfast],  and 
we  devoured  everything  within  reach. 

Broth,    szths.    (common). — Breath. 

To  MAKE  WHITE  BROTH  OF, 
verb.  phr.{  old). — To  boil  to  death. 

A  BROTH  OF  A  BOY,  Sllbs.  phr. 
(common). — A  downright  good 
fellow. 

1819-24.  Byron,  Don  Juan,  viii., 
24,  But  Juan  was  quite  a  broth  of  a 
boy,  a  thing  of  impulse  and  a  child  of 
song. 

1877.  Besant  and  Rice,  Sou  of 
Vulcan,  XX.  You  ought  to  have  been 
a  preacher  and  a  boy.  Faith,  and  a 
broth  of  a  boy,  and  a  broth  of  a 
preacher  you'd  have  made. 

BROTH-BELLY,  sîibs.phr.  (provincial). 
— A  glutton  (Halliwell). 

In  lunatic's  broth,  adj.  phr. 
(colloquial). — See  quot. 

1902.  D.  Tel.,  20  June,  ii.,  i.  He 
explained  his  action  by  saying  that  he 
was  in  lunatic's  broth — otherwise  drunk 
— at  the  time. 

Brothel,  subs,  (old).— A  wretch; 
a  worthless  person.  As  adj.  ^ 
lewd,  wanton  ;  hence  brothel- 
HOUSE  (now  shortened  to  brothel) 
=  a  bawdy-hou.se  {(j.v^. 

c.    1696.    B.E.   Did.    Cant.    Crew.,  s.v. 
Brothel-house,  a  bawdy-house. 


1847.  Halliwell,  ^rcA.  Words,  s,.\. 
Brothel  .  .  .  The  term  was  often  applied 
to  a  harlot,  especially  by  later  writers. 
Elyot  translates  meretrix,  'an  harlot,  a 
brothel,'  and  the  word  also  occurs  in 
Skelton  and  Piers  Ploughman. 

Brother.  Like  knight  ((^.z/.), 
brother  is  largely  found  in  com- 
bination. Thus  brother-blade 
=:  a  fellow-soldier:  also  brother 

OF    THE  blade:  See  MUDCRUSHER; 

brother-chip  =z  a  fellow  car- 
penter; brother-of-the-brush 
=  an  artist  ;  a  house-painter  ; 
brother  -  of  -  the  -  bung  =  a 
brewer  ;  brother-of-the-buskin 
z=.  a  player  ;  an  actor  (buskin  = 
the  covering  for  the  foot  and  leg 
(cothiirnits)  worn  by  actors  in  trag- 
edy among  the  ancients ,  in  con- 
trast to  the  sock  {soccus)  worn 
by  comedians);  brother-of-the- 
COIF  =z  a  serjeant-at-law  (the  coif 
was  a  close-fitting  cap  worn  by 
the  serjeants-at-law)  ;  brother- 
OF- the -gusset  —  a    pimp;    a 

PONCE     {q.V.)  ;     BROTHER-OF-THE- 

nuiLL  z=  an  author;  brother- 
smut  =z  a  term  of  familiarity  ; 
'ditto,  brother  (or  sister) 
SMUT,'  a  tu  quoque;  brother- 
starling  =r  a  man  who  shares  his 
mistress  with  another;  buother- 
OF  -  the  -  string  =  a  fiddler  ; 
brotiier-of-the-whip:=  a  coach- 
man. 

1687.  Bp.  Cartwright,  in  Hist. 
Magd.  Coll.  (Oxf.  Hist.  Soc),  143.  Pray 
make  use  of  my  brother  of  the  brush. 

c.  1696.  B.E.  Diet.  Cant.  Creiv.,  s.v. 
Brother  of  the  blade,  a  swordman  or 
soldier. 

Brother  of  the  gussit,  a  pimp,  procur- 
er, also,  whore-master. 

Brother  of  the  quill,  of  the  scrib- 
bling tribe. 

Brother  of  the  string,  a  fidler,  or 
musician. 

Brother-starlinc,  that  lies  with  the 
same  woman,  or  builds  in  the  same  nest. 


Brous^htonian. 


381 


Brown. 


1754.  B.  Martin,  Eng.  Diet.  (2  ed.). 
Brotheu  of  the  quill,  an  author,  one 
of  the  same  profession. 

1756.  The  World,  207.  He  .  .  . 
had  always  greased  my  heels  himself, 
and  upon  every  one  of  my  birthdays, 
had  treated  all  his  brother  whips  at 
his  own  expence. 

175g.  Sterne,  TV.  Shandy  (1793) 
I.,  133.  The  honourable  devices  which 
the  Pentagraphic  bretheren  of  the 
BRUSH  have  shewn  in  taking  copies. 


1551.  Still,  Gammer  Gurion  [Dous- 
LEV,  Old  Plays,  (Reed)  ii.,  67].  1  am  as 
TRUE,  I  wold  thou  knew,  as  skin  betwene 
thy  browes. 

1599.  JONSON,  Ev.  Man  out  of  His 
Humour,  ii.,  2.  Punt.  Is  he  magnanimous? 
Gent.  AS  the  skin  between  your 
BROWS,  sir. 

1600.  Shakspeare,  Much  Ado,  iii.  5. 
An  old  man,  sir,  and  his  wits  are  not  so 
blunt,  as,  God  help,  I  would  desire  they 
were,  but  in  faith  honest,  as  the  skin 
between  his  brows. 


1785.  GK.05V.,  Dictionary  0/ the  Vul- 
gar Tongue.  Brother  starling  .  .  . 
one  who  .  .  .  builds  in  the  same  nest. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the  Vul- 
gar Tongue.  Brother  of  the  blade, 
a  soldier. 

1820.  Clare,  Poems  of  Rural  Life, 
Familiar  Epistle,  3.  And,  brother 
chip,  I  love  ye  dearly,  poor  as  ye  be! 

1833.  Byron,  Wks.  (1846),  585,  i. 
A  young  American  brother  of  the 
brush. 

1834.  H.  Ainsworth,  Rookzvood,  IV., 
ii.  I  heard  some  devilish  good  stories 
of  you  at  D'Osyndar's  t'other  day;  the 
fellow  who  told  them  to  me  little  thought 
1  was  a  brother  blade. 

1849.  T.  Miller,  Gabarni  in 
London,  39.  He  is  very  kind  to  any 
poor  brother  of  the  whip  whom  he 
sees  tugging  up-hill  in  vain,  with  a 
weighty  load  and  an  ill-fed  team. 

BROUGHTONIAN,  Sitbs.  (old). —A 
bruiser  ;  a  boxer  ;  a  pugilist. 
[Broughton  was  once  the  best 
boxer  of  his  day.] 

BROW.  Honest  as  the  skin  on  his 

BROW(or  BETWEEN  HIS  brows),  ar^". 
phr.  (old). — As  honest  {i.e.  chaste  : 
see  honest)  or  otherwise  (in  sar- 
casm) as  may  be:  the  allusion 
is  to  the  presence  (or  absence) 
of  the  horns  of  cuckoldry. 


1611.  JoNSON,  Bartholomevj  Fayre, 
iv.,  5.  It  shall  be  justified  to  thy  husband's 
faish,  now:  tou  shalt  be  as  honesht  as 
the  skin  between  his  hornsh,  la. 

1647.  Cart  WRIGHT,  Ordinary  \V)0Xi%- 
ley.  Old  Plays  (Reed),   x.,  308]. 
I   am   as   honest   as   the  skin  that  is 
Between  thy  brows.     Constable.   What 

skin  between  my  brows  ? 
What  skin,  thou  knave.'  I  am  a  Christian; 
And  what  is  more,  a  constable  !  What  skin  ? 

Brow-beat,  verb.  phr.  (B.  E.).— 
'To  cow,  to  daunt,  to  awe  with 
big  looks,  or  snub'  (c.  1696). 

Brown,  subs,  (common). —  i.  A 
halfpenny:  see  rhino  and  cf.  quot 
1812.  To  flutter  A  BROWN  = 
to  spin  a  coin. 

1812.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Flash  Diet. 
Browns  and  whistlers,  bad  halfpence  and 
farthings. 

1821.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
ferry,  ii.,  3.  Bob.  Now  then  for  the 
stumpy.  [Searching  about  in  his  pockets 
for  the  7noney.)  My  tanners  are  like 
young  colts;  I'm  obliged  to  hunt  'em 
into  a  corner,  afore  I  can  get  hold  on 
'cm — there  ! — hand  us  over  three  browns 
out  of  that  'ere  tizzy;  and  tip  us  the 
heavy,  [^Landlord  receives  motiey,  and 
delivers  porter.) 

1836.  Milner,  Turpins  Ride  to 
York,  ii.  5.  Sam.  Peel  my  skin  and 
dub  up  the  browns!  What  do  you  mean  ? 
Bal.  Just  this — that  if  you  do  not  hand 
over  your  money  I  shall  blow  out  your 
brains! 


Brown. 


382 


Browìi. 


1837.  Barham,  /.  L.  {Black  Mousque- 
taire). The  magic  effect  of  a  handful  of 
crowns  Upon  people  whose  pockets  boast 
nothing  but  browns. 

1851,  Mayhew,  London  Labour  and 
London  Poor,  III.,  57.  If  I  takes  a  hat 
round,  they  has  a  plate,  and  they  gets 
sovereigns  where  we  has  only  browns. 
Ibid.  We  keeps  it  up  for  half  an  hour 
or  an  hour  ...  if  the  browns  tumble  in 
well 

1853.  WKrTEMELViLLEii^z^i^)'  Grand, 
iv.  A  shower  of  browns,  the  coppers 
mingled  with  silver,  from  our  private 
box,  rewards  their  exertions. 

c.  1884.  Broadside  Ballad,  'Jimmy 
Johnson's  Holiday.'  But  Violet,  the  Mar- 
gate pet.  Who  always  call'd  him  Teaser, 
Said  '  She  would  stick  like  mortar'd  brick. 
While  Johnson  had  a  brown.' 

1899.  Whiteing,  John  St.,  xi.  At 
your  elbow  to  cadge  a  brown. 

2.      (old). —  Porter.      [Qy.    an 
abbreviation   of  'Brown   Stout.'] 

1820.  Glossary  at  end  of  Corcoran's 
The  Fancy.  Brown,  porter;  he.\vy 
brown,  stout. 


1861.  Times  (on  American  aflairs). 
Let  us  wallop  great  Doodle  now  when  he 

is  down  ; 
If  we  wallops  him  well,  we  will  do  him 

UP    BROWN. 

1876.  HiNDLEY,  Life  and  Adventures 
of  a  Cheap  Jack,  267.  I  was  once  done 
myself  with  some  pigs — I!  and  done 
BROWN  too,  and  at  a  time  when  I  ought 
to  have  known  better. 


2.  (common). — To  understand  ; 
comprehend. 

i8[?].  I.  K.  Symns,  The  Age  of 
Betting.  And  when  they  ask  me  if  I 
BROWN  such  language,  I  ne'er  hear  or 
read  as  to  browning;  I'm  done  done 
BROWN  instead. 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  38.  You 
will  easily  brown  that  the  case  was 
dismissed  by  the  beak,  with  a  frown. 
Ibid.,  74.  You'll  brown  to  the  hint — she'd 
red  hair  and  a  squint. 

To  DO  UP  (or  it)  brown,  verb, 
phr.  (common). — To  do  to  perfec- 
tion ;  to  prolong  a  drinking  bout  -, 
TO    GO    THE    WHOLE    HOG   (^.^'.). 


Verb,  (common). — i.  To  get 
the  better  of;  to  outwit;  to  roast 
{jl-v.y.  also  to  do  brown. 


c.     1600. 

E.   P.   P.,    i 


John    Bon,    162    in    Hazl. 

.,      16.      Ha!     BROWNE    DONE. 


1828.  Jon.  Bee,  Picture  of  London, 
5.  'Those  who  consider  themselves  brown 
to  every  move  upon  the  board'  of  act- 
ual life. 

1837.  Barham,  /.  L.  (  The  Execution). 
'Why,  they'd  laugh  at  and  quiz  us  all 
over  the  town.  We  are  all  of  us  done  so 
uncommonly  brown!' 

1854.     Harper's    Monthly,    January. 
.  .  .  those  who  succeeded 
In  reaching  the  town, 
Confessed  they  were  done, 
Most  exceedingly  brown.,' 


1850.  Southern  Sketches,  57.  Well, 
I  think  Ellen's  a  doin'  it  up  brown! 
There  '11  be  another  weddin'  soon,  guess. 

1861.  I'anitv  Fair,  '  Parody  Jefferson 
Davis's  Proclamation.'  To  pay  his  best  in 
duty  bound  each  faithful  rebel  knave  is, 
So  let  the  thing  be  done  up  brown,  for 
things  look  black. 

1871.     Atkin,  House  Scraps. 

To  send  the  market  either  up  or  down, 
In  aiirated  'Breads,' 
Or  'Shores,'  or  'Yanks,'  or  'Reds,' 

In  slang  we  really  do  it  rather  brown. 

To   roast   brown,   verb.  phr. 
(thieves'). — To  watch  closely. 

1888.  Sims,  Plunk  Bed  Ballad 
[Referee,  la  Feb.].  A  Peeler  was  roasting 

MB   BROWN. 


Brown-bess. 


383 


Brown  George. 


As  BROWN  AS  A  BERRY,  plir. 
(old). — As  brown  as  may  be 
(Chaucer). 

Brown-bess,  subs.  phr.  (rhyming). 
—  I.    Yes. 

2.  (military). — The  old  regula- 
tion musket  (1708).  Hence  TO 
HUG  (or  marry)  brown  Bess  = 
to  serve  as  a  private  soldier. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the  Vul- 
gar Tongue.  Brown  bess,  a  soldier's 
firelock. 

1820.  CooMBE,  Dr.  Syntax,  Tour  II., 
ii.  Religion  Jack  did  never  profess.  Till 
he  had  shoulder'd  old  brown  bess. 

1844.  Thackeray,  Barry  Lyndon, 
iv.     You    can  tell  her  that  you  are  safe, 

and    MARRIED    TO    BROWN    BESS. 

1854.  Whvte  Melville,  General 
Bounce,  xi.  The  British  soldier,  with 
his  clothing  and  accoutrements,  ...  — 
not  to  mention  brown  bess,  his  main- 
stay and  dependence — nothing  punishes 
him  so  much  as  wet. 

1877.  Chambers'  Journal,  720.  Such 
may  have  been  the  case  in  the  days  of 
BROWN  BESS,  but  a  spinning  conical  ball 
from  tho  Martini-Henry  will  pierce  the 
largest  crocodile. 

3.  (old). — A  prostitute:  j-«tart. 

1631.  DoRE,  Polydorum.  Things 
proffered  and  easie  to  come  by  diminish 
themselves  in  reputation  and  price,  for 
how  full  of  pangs  and  dotage  is  a  way- 
ling  lover,  for  it  may  be  some  brown 
Bessie. 

Brown-bread,    adj.  phr.   (old). — 
Ordinary;  homely. 

1606.  Wily  Beguild  [Hawkins], 
Eng.  Drama,  iii,  313.  He's  a  very  idiot 
and  brown-bread  clown,  and  one  I  know 
the  wench  does  deadly  hate. 

d.  1635.  Corbet,  Great  Tom  of  Christ 
Church.  They  drew  his  brown-bread 
face  on  pretty  gins,  And  made  him  stalk 
upon  two  rolling-pins. 


BROWN-DAY,  subs.  phr.  (provincial). 
— A   gloomy   day  (Halliwell). 

BROWN-DEEP,  adj.  phr.  (provincial). 
— Lost  in  reflection:  cf.  brown- 
study  (Halliwell). 

Brown  (or  round)  -dozen,  subs, 
phr.  (old). — A  simile  of  complete- 
ness: see  round. 

1820.  Byron,  Blues,  I.  26.  A  round 
dozen  of  authors  and  others. 

BroWNETTA,  subs,  (old  colloquial). 
— A  brunette. 

1582.  Stanyhurst,  Aincis  [Arber] 
141,     A  brave  brownetta. 

Brown  George,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
I.     See  quot. 

1837.  Barham,  Ingoldsby  L.,  3  S. 
[Jerry  Jarvis's  Wig.)  He  looked  dis- 
dainfully at  the  wig;  it  had  once  been 
a  comely  jasey  enough,  of  the  colour  of 
over-baked  ginger-bread,  one  of  the  des- 
cription commonly  known  during  the 
latter  half  of  the  last  century  by  the 
name  of  a  brown  George. 

1882.  G/oi5^,  24  July,  2,  I.  The  King 
[George  III.]  wore  a  brown  wig. . .  known 
popularly  a  century  ago  as  brown  GEORGE. 

2.  (common). — A  jug;  a  brown 
earthenware  pitcher  :  cf.  black- 
jack. 

1 861.  Hughes,  Totn  Brown  at  Ox- 
ford, xxiv.  He  ,  .  .  stood  behind  his 
oak,  holding  his  brown  George,  or  huge 
earthenware  receptacle,  half  full  of  dirty 
water,  in  which  his  bedmaker  had  been 
washing  up  his  tea-things. 

1881.  Besant  and  Rice,  Chap,  of 
the  Fleet,  II.,  iii.  His  country  brother 
might  have  been  seen  at  the  Crown, 
over  a  pipe  and  a  brown  George  full  of 
strong  October. 

3.  (old). — A  coarse  brown  loaf; 
hard  brown  biscuit. 


Brownie. 


384 


Bruise. 


1653.  Urqvhart,  Rabelais,  IV. 
Author's  Prologue.  The  devil  of  one 
musty  crust  of  a  brown  George  the 
poor  boys  had  to  scour  their  grinders 
with. 

1693.  DuYDEN,  Perseus,  V.,  215. 
Cubb'd  in  a  cabin,  on  a  mattrass  laid, 
On   a  BROWN    GEORGE,  with  lousy  swab- 
bers fed. 

1694.  Plautvs's  Cotnedies  made 
English.  Faith,  I've  great  designs  i'  my 
head;  but  first  and  foremost,  let  me  hide 

this  portmantle. After  all,  this  monarch 

here,    must    dine   to   day   with  a  brown 
GEORGE,  and  only  salt  and  vineagersawce. 

Brownie,  subs,  (nautical).— A  polar 
bear. 

BROWN  Janet,  subs.  phr.  (nautical). 
— A  knapsack. 

Brown-Joe,  intj.  (rhyming).— No  ! 
cf.  BROWN  Bess  ■=  Yes  ! 

BROWN-PAPERMEN,  subs.  phr. 
(thieves'). — See  quot. 

1851.     H.  Mavhew,  London  Lab.  and 
Lon.  Poor,  I.,  502.     But  the  Little   Nick 
is  what   we   call   only  brown-papermen, 
low  gamblers — playing  for  pence,  and  Is. .. 
being  a  great  go. 

BROWN-SKIN,  subs.  phr.  (American). 
— A  North  American  Indian  ;  a 
red-skin:  cf.  paleface  =  a  white 
man. 

1848.  RuxTON,  Life  in  the  Far 
West  14.  'Yep,  old  gal  !  and  keep  your 
nose  open;  thar's  brown-skin  about. 

BROWN-PAPER  WARRANT,  Sttbs.  phr. 
(nautical).— A  warrant  given  by 
a  captain:  this  he  can  cancel 
(Smyth)- 

BROWN-STONE,  subs. phr.  (American). 
—Beer:  see  swipes. 

BROWN-STUDY,  stibs.phr.  (colloquial). 
— Mental  abstraction  ;  musing  ; 
thoughtful  absentmindedness;  idle 
reverie:  cf.  brown-deep. 


1559.  Mariage  of  Wit  and  Wisdome. 
I  must  be  firme  to  bring  him  out  of  his 
BROUNE  STODIE,  on  this  fashion,  I  will 
turne  my  name  from  Idlenes  To  Honest 
Recreation. 

[?]  Tales  and  Quicke  Answers 
[Nares].  And  in  the  mornynge  when 
every  man  made  hym  redy  to  ryde,  and 
some  were  on  horsebacke  setting  forwarde, 
John  Reynoldes  founde  his  companion 
syttynge  in  a  browne  study  at  the  inne 
gate. 

1609.  JoNSON,  Case  Altered,  iv.,  i. 
Why  how  now,  sister,  in  a  motley  muse? 
Faith,  this  brown  study  suits  not  with 
your  black.  Your  habit  and  your  thoughts 
are  of  two  colours. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Cre'iu.,  s.v. 
Brown-study,  a  deep  thought  or  specula- 
tion. 

1809.    MaLKIN,  Gj7£/aj[R0UTLEDGE], 

61.     My  uncle  was  evidently  in  a  BROWN 

study. 

Brown-talk,  sttbs.  phr.  (common). 
— Conversation  of  an  exceedingly 
'  proper  '  character  ;  quakerish 
speech  :  cf.  blue. 

Browse,  verb.  (Marlborough  and 
Royal  Military  Academy). — To 
idle;  to  loll;  to  take  things  easy. 
Also  as  adj.:  e.g.  A  browse 
morning  =  one  in  which  there  is 
little  work. 

Bruise,  verb,  (pugilistic). — .i  To 
fight;  to  box:  the  idea  is  that 
of  mauling  :  see  bruiser. 

To   bruise   along,   verb.  phr. 
(hunting). — To  pound  along. 

1865.  Dublin  University  Magazine, 
II..  19.  A  majority  of  those  who  follow 
them    have  ...    no    notion    of   hunting, 

but   go    BRUISING    ALONG. 

1872.  Anteros,  xii.,  110.  The  baron 
hunted  his  five  days...  bruising  along 

determinedly. 


Bruiser. 


38s 


Brummagem. 


1872.  Atiieros,  by  the  author  of 
Guy  Livingstone,  I.,  207.  He  was  a  good 
second-rate  shot,  and  a  fair,  though  by 
no  means  bruising  rider  to  hounds. 
Ibid,  234.  There  were  not  a  few  ad- 
mirers of  his  BRUISING  style,  etc. 

BRUISER,  subs,  (pugilistic). —  I.  A 
prize-fighter  '■  a  boxer:  see  HiTTlTE 
and  Lamb.  Hence  (common),  a 
fighting-man  ;  a  CHUCKER  -  out 
(ç.v.).  Also  BRUISING  =:  prize- 
fighting, boxing  ;  and  bruise  (fj.v.). 

1744.  Nov.  26,  Walpole,  Leii.  to 
Mann  (1833),  II.,  57.  He  let  into  the  pit 
great  numbers  of  bear-garden  bruisers 
(that  is  the  term),  to  knock  down  every- 
body that  hissed. 

1751.  Smollett,  Peregrine  Pickle, 
c.  The  combatants  were  in  point 
of  strength  and  agility,  pretty  equally 
matched;  but  the  jailer  had  been  regular- 
ly trained  to  the  art  of  bruising. 

1753.  Smollett,  Ct.  Fathom,  1. 
An  old  bruiser  makes  a  good  bottle- 
holder. 

1753-  FoOTE,  Englishman  in  Paris, 
i.  Dick  Daylight  and  Bob  Breadbasket, 
the  bruisers. 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  2.  And  in  a 
manner  quite  uncivil.  Sent  fifty  bruisers 
to  the  devil. 

1830.  S.  Warren,  Diary  of  a  Late 
Physician,  xii.  The  man  last  named 
was  short  in  stature,  but  of  a  square 
iron  build;  and  it  needed  only  a  glance 
at  his  posture  to  see  he  was  a  scientific, 
perhaps  a  thorough-bred  bruiser. 

1846-48.  Thackeray,  V.  Fair,  xi. 
At  college  he  pulled  stroke-oar  in  the 
Christchurch  boat,  and  had  thrashed  all 
the  best  bruisers  of  the  'town.' 

1855.  Thackeray,  Newcomes,  x. 
At  that  time  the  Sunday  newspapers 
contained  many  and  many  exciting  re- 
ports of  boxing  matches.  Bruising  was 
considered  a  fine  manly  old  English  custom. 

1855.  Taylor,  Still  Waters.  Mrs.  S. 
If  a  man  gave  you  a  blow,  what  would 
you  do  ?  Mild.  Hit  him  again.  Mrs.  S. 
Yes,  if  he  were  a  bruiser. 


1SÓ0.  Thackeray,  Philip,  xlii.  A 
jolly  wag,  a  fellow  of  indifferent  char- 
acter, a  frequenter  of  all  the  alehouses 
in  the  neighbourhood,  and  rather  cele- 
brated for  his  skill  as  a  bruiser. 

1S60.  Thackeray,  Philip,  xxxv. 
Mugford  always  persisted  that  he  could 
have  got  the  better  of  his  great  hulking 
sub-editor,  who  did  not  know  the  use  of 
his  fists.  In  Mugford's  youthful  time, 
BRUISING  was  a  fashionable  art. 

1880.  Jas.  Greenwood,  Fly/aker's 
Hotel,  in  Odd  People  in  Odd  Places,  58. 
Nearly  every  one  seemed  to  have  some 
little  job  or  other  that  was  necessary  to 
be  done  at  this  almost  last  moment  for 
the  business  of  to-morrow;  even  one  of 
the  two  villanous-looking  bruisers  had. 
They  were  of  the  very  lowest  of  the 
'rough'  type  —  broken-nosed,  besotted, 
pimple-visaged,  and  unwholesome-look- 
ing fellows,  whose  foul  and  blasphemous 
language  seemed  to  pollute  the  pestilent 
air  of  the  place  more  than  anything  else 
that  contributed  thereto. 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  87.'  A 
bruiser  .  .  .  socked  her  in  the  eye  .  .  . 
and  stars  she'd  often  view. 

2.     (thieves').  —  A   prostitute's 

bully;    a   FANCY   MAN    {q.V.). 

1877.  Davitt,  Leaves  from  a  Prison 
Diary.  The  bruiser  is  the  nearest 
approach  to  Dickens'  hero.  Bill  Sykes. 

Brum,  adj.  (Winchester  College). — 
I.  Mean  ;  poor  ;  stingy  :  also  DEAD 
BRUM.  [Two  derivations  are  sug- 
gested; viz.  (i)  from  bruma  == 
winter;  and  (2)  traditional  in 
'College'  that  it  is  an  abbreviated 
form  of  brevissimurn.']  Fr.  {subs. 
and  adj.')  =  rapiat. 

2.      See   BRUMMAGEM. 

Brummagem  (or  Brum),  subs.  (old). 
— Birmingham.  Hence  contempt- 
ously  in  allusion  to  the  evil 
reputation  of  the  city  for  spurious 
and  shoddy  manufacture  (i)  := 
base  money  of  various  denomina- 
tions: spec.  {c.  1691)  counterfeit 
groats  :  see  brummagem-buttons  ; 


Brummagem. 


386 


Brumby. 


(2)  anything  spurious,  showy,  or 
pretentious:  e.g.  'That's  brum- 
magem :  also  as  adj.  (or  brum- 
mish);  (3)  copper  money  struck 
by  Boulton  and  Watt  at  their 
works  at  Soho,  Birmingham  (1787); 
(4)  an  inhabitant  of  Birmingham  ; 
usually  BRUM.   See  brums. 

1637.  Calendar  Dom.  St.  Papers, 
105.  Those  swords  which  he.  .  .  pretends 
to  be  blades  of  his  owne  makeing  are 
all  Bromkdgham  blades  and  forraine 
blades. 

1686.  D'Urfey,  Coinmon-ivealth  of 
Women,  I.,  i.  A  Brummingham,  son  of 
a  wh— ,  affront  the  Noble  Admiral! 

1691.  G.  MiEGE,  Netv  State  Eng., 
235.  Bkomicham,  particularly  noted  a 
few  years  ago  for  the  conterfeit  groats 
made  here,  and  from  hence  dispersed  all 
over  the  kingdom. 

c.     1696.     B.E.,     Diet.     Cant.    Crew., 

s.v.  BROMIGHAM-CONSCIENCE,  Very  bad, 
BROMiGHAM-protestants,  Dissenters  or 
Whiggs.  BROMiGHAM-wine,  Balderdash, 
Sophisticate  Taplash. 

1754.  B.  Martin,  Eng.  Diet.,  2ed. 
Bromidgham,  money  of  base  metal. 

1787.  J.  West,  Trip  to  Richmond, 
in  Ashton's  Eighteenth  Century  Waifs, 
133.  My  silver  I  chang'd  for  a  handful 
of  Brums. 

1805.  G.  Colman,  7'>hn  Bull  Brit. 
Theat.,  55.  Two  guineas  .  .  .  one  seems 
light,  and  t'other  looks  a  little  brummish. 

1834.  SouTHEY,  The  Doctor,  cxl. 
He  picked  it  up,  and  it  proved  to  be  a 
Brummejam  of  the  coarsest  and  clumsiest 
kind,  with  a  head  on  each  side. 

1836.  Dickens,  Posthumous  Papers 
of  the  Pickwick  Club,  I.,  11.  Bad  silver, 
Brummagem  buttons,  etc. 

1847.  Halliweli-,  Archaic  Words, 
s.v.  Bromidgham.  A  corruption  of  Bir- 
mingham. A  bromidgham  groat,  a  spu- 
rious fourpeiinypiece.  A  person  neither 
Whig  nor  Tory,  but  between  both. 


1861.  New  York  Tribune,  28  Nov. 
This  silence  on  the  part  of  the  Rebel 
President  as  to  the  cause  of  the  war,  and 
the  sole  reason  for  setting  up  his  brum- 
m.\gem  government,  etc. 

1862.  Cornhill,  Nov.,  648.  We  have 
just  touched  for  a  rattling  stake  of  sugar 
[i.e.,    a    large    stake  of  money)  at  Brum. 

i856.  G.  Eliot,  Felix  Holt,  v.  The 
most  of  the  middle  class  are  as  ignorant 
as  the  working  people  about  every- 
thing that  doesn't  belong  to  their  own 
Brummagem  life.  Ibid.  xix.  If  anybody 
says  the  Radicals  are  a  set  of  sneaks, 
Brummagem  halfpennies,  scamps  who 
want  to  play  pitch-and-toss  with  the 
property  of  the  country,  you  can  say. 
Look  at  the  member  for  North  Loam- 
shire. 

1873.  Saturday  Review,  Nov.,  661. 
They  [Brummagem  buttons]  were 
marvellously  inexpensive,  and  being 
such  ingenious  imitations  of  the  spade 
guineas  and  half-guineas  then  current 
that  may  Englishmen  might  have  failed 
to  detect  the  difference;  they  must  have 
been  of  very  great  'use  to  the  Indians' 
indeed. 

1876.  HiNDLEV,  Life  and  Adventures 
of  a  Cheap  Jack,  321.  For  Notting- 
ham is  a  rare  place  for  good  eating;  here 
you  may  buy  anything  to  eat  of  the 
commonest  person,  or  in  the  commonest 
place  with  confidence  that  it  is  good, 
clean,  and  wholesome,  very  different  to 
dirty  Birmingham  and  the  Brums. 

1867.  Bkoughton,  Cometh  up  as  a 
Flower.  Those  may  be  Brummagem  or 
Manchester  manners,  but  they  won't  go 
down  here. 

1883.  Fxho,  March  28,  i,  5.  There 
is  little  of  a  Brummagem  character  about 
the  municipal,  parochial,  and  philanthrop- 
ic work  of  Birmingham,  whatever  we 
may  think  of  some  of  her  industrial 
productions. 

1883.  Daily  Telegraph,  July  9,  3, 
2.  One  [earring]  might  be  gold,  and  the 
other  a  Brum,  though  ex.-ictly  alike. 

BRUMBY,  subs.  (Australian). — A  wild 
horse:  the  Antipodean  counter- 
part of  the  American  broncho 
[q.V.). 


Brums. 


387 


Brüsker 


Brums,  subs.  (Stock  Exchange). — 
London  and  North  Western  Stock. 
(Formerly  the  London  and  Bir- 
mingham Ry.). 

1887,  Atkin,  House  Scraps.  We 
kneel  at  the  feet  of  our  'Nancys.'  We 
load  them  with  'cottons'  and  'tapes.' 
If  anything  tickles  our  fancies,  We  buy 
them,  BRUMS,  '  Caleys  '  or  'Apei.' 

BRUSH,  subs.  (old).~l.  A  hasty 
departure.  As  verb  =  to  run  away  ; 
to  decamp:  also  TO  BRUSH  OFF: 

see  BRUSHER. 

1690.  B.K.,  Did.  Cani.  Crew.  Brush, 
to  Fly  or  Run  away.  The  cully  is 
BRUSHT  OR  rub'd,  c.  the  Fellow  is  raarch'd 
off,  or  Broke,  bought  a  brush,  c.  Run 
away. 


1706.    E.  Coles,  Eng.  Dici, 
e,  run  away. 


Brush, 


1726.  Vanbrvg»,  Provoked  NusSand, 
ii.  I  don't  like  his  looks  ...  I  believe 
I  had  as  good  brush  off. 

1750.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  VIII., 
xii,  I  reminded  him,  not  without  blush- 
ing,of  my  having  no  money.  He  answered, 
'That  signifies  nothing,  score  it  behind 
the  door,  or  make  a  bold  brush,  and 
take  no  notice.' 

1764.  A.  Murphy,  No  One's  Enemy 
hut  his  Chun,  ii.  Rascal,  says  my  Master, 
do  as  I  bid  you,  and  so  ofif  he  brushed 
to  the  tune  of  an  old  song. 

1776.  FooTE,  Bankrupt,  I.  But  I 
must  BRUSH  OFF,  for  here  comes  my  lady. 

i8og.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias,  [Rout- 
ledge],  136.  The  old  lady  brushed  off 
to  go  and  usher  him  in. 

1837.  Barham,  /.  L.  {Dead  Drum- 
mer). One  of  their  drummers,  and  one 
Sergeant  Matcham,  Had  brush'd  with 
the  dibs,  and  they  never  could  catch'eni. 

2.  (old).  —  A  person  who 
decamps  hastily  ;  one  who  evades 
his  creditors. 


1748.  T.  Dyche,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Brush  (v.)  ,  .  .  also  a  canting  term  for 
one  who  goes  off  privately,  or  runs  away 
from    his  creditors,  or  with  stolen  goods. 

3.  (old). — An  encounter:  either 
a  heated  argument,  bout  of  fisti- 
cuffs; or  skirmish:  e.g.  a  BRUSH 
with  the  enemy. 

1749.  Smollett,  Gil  Bias,  (1812), 
VII,  vii.  Scarce  .  .  .  time  to  sit  before 
we  began  to  chatter.  We  had  a  severe 
brush...  questions  and  replies  succeed- 
ing one  another  with  surprising  volubility. 

Verb,  (common). — i.  To  flog; 
to  thrash:  e.g.  to  brush  one's 
jacket  :   see  dust,  tan.,  etc.  :  see 

BRUSHER. 

2.     (venery). — To  copulate  :  see 

GREENS   and   RIDE. 

Knight  of  the  brush,  subs, 
phr.  (common). — (i)  An  artist; 
(2)  a  house-painter  :  see  brother. 

1785.  WoLCOT  ('P.  Pindar'),  Ode 
to  R.  A.'s,  ii.,  IVks.  (1812)  I.,  80.  Tag- 
rags  and  bobtails  of  the  sacred  brush. 

1885.  John  Coleman,  in  Longm. 
Mag.,  VII.  78.  Occasionally  however,  the 
author  has  his  nose  put  out  of  joint  by 
the  scene-painter.  I  once  heard  a  distin- 
guished knight  of  the  brush  e.\claim  .  . . 

To  brush  up,  verb.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— To    humbug;    to    flatter: 

e.g.  TO  BRUSH  UP  A  FLAT  =  tO 
cajole  a  victim  ;  TO  LAY  IT  ON 
THICK  (^.î'.)  ;  TO  SOFT-SOAP  {q.V.). 

BRUSHER,    subs.    (old). —  I.     A    full 
glass. 

c,  1696.  B.E.  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
Brusher,  c.  an  exceeding  full  Glass. 

2.     (old). — See  quot. 

1748.  T.  Dyche,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Brusher  (s.)  .  .  .  also  one  that  gets  or 
steals  away  privately. 


Brute. 


388 


Bub. 


3.  (common  and  schools'). — A 
schoolmaster:   also  bumbrusher. 

4.  (Australian). — A  small  walla- 
by which  hops  about  in  the  bush 
or  scrub  with  considerable  speed. 
Hence  TO  give  brusher  =  to 
leave  without  paying  one's  debts: 
e.g.  '  Has  so-and-so  left  the  town- 
ship?' 'Oh  yes,  he  gave  them 
brusher.' 

Brute,  s/3s.  (University). — See  quot. 

1868.  Brewer,  Phrase  and  Fable, 
s.v.  Brute,  in  Cambridge  University 
slang,  is  a  man  who  has  not  yet  matricu- 
lated. The  play  is  evident.  A  'man,' 
in  college  phrase,  is  a  collegian;  and  as 
matriculation  is  the  sign  and  seal  of 
acceptance,  a  scholar  before  that  cere- 
mony is  not  a  '  man,'  and  therefore  anly 

a   'BIPED    BRUTE.' 

BRYDPORT-DAGGER.      See    BRIDPORT 

dagger. 

B.  T.  I.,  phr.  (American). — An  ab- 
breviation   of    A    BIG    THING    ON 
ICE  :    cf.    P.D.Q.  ;   O.K.  ;   N.G.   and 
Q.      K.,  etc.   Xq.v). 

Bub,  subs.  (old). —  I.  Strong  drink 
of  any  kind  :  spec,  malt  liquor. 
As  verb  (or  to  bub  and  grub) 
=:  (l)  to  eat  and  drink;  (2)  see 
verb  sense:  to  KNOCK  about  THE 
bub  =:  to  pass  round  the  drink: 
bubber  and  bubbing. 

1671.  R.  Head,  English  Rogue,  I., 
iv.,  36  (1874).  In  a  short  time  these  four 
return'd  laden  with  bub  and  food.  Ibid, 
VI.,  54  (1874).  We  straight  betook  ourselves 
to  the  Boozing  Ken;  and  having  bubb'd 
rumly,  we  concluded  an  everlasting 
friendship. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cani.  Crew.,  s.v. 
Bi;b,  c.  Drink.   Rumbub,  c.  very  good  Tip. 

d.  1742.  SoMiSRViLLE,  Occasional 
Poems,  etc.,  {The  Foritine-Hunter),  canto 
iii.  (Chalmers,  English  Poets,  1810,  xi., 
aai.)  Drinks  double  bub  with  all  his 
might   And    hugs  his  doxy  every  night. 


1748.    DoDSLEY,  Collection  0/ Poems, 
in.,  2Ó2. 
Tho'    beef   twice    boil'd    his    meal,    with 

P — n's  bub, 
And  sixpence  chang'd  defrays  the  frugal 

club. 

1781.  G.  P.\RKER,  I'iezv  of  Society, 
I.  212.  They  went  away  seemingly  very 
well    satisfied,    leaving   master    and   man 

KNOCKING    ABOUT    THE    BUB. 

1781.  G.  Parker,  Vieiv  of  Society, 
I.,  171.     How  did  you  procure  your  GRUB 

AND    BUB? 

1789.  Geo.  Parker,  Life's  Painter, 
149.  BuB  AND  Grub.  A  mighty  low 
expression,  signifying  victuals  and  drink. 

1837.  Barham,  /.  L.  (  The  Wedding 
Day).  A  mighty  magnificent  tub  Of  what 
men,  in  our  hemisphere,  term  Humming 
Bub,  But  which  gods — who,  it  seems,  use 
a  different  lingo  From  mortals,  are  wont 
to  denominate  'Stingo.' 

1839.  H.  AiNSwORTH,  JackSheppard, 
n.,  xi.  Och!  many  a  mug  o'  bubb  have 
I  drained  wi'  the  landlord. 

d.  1842.  Maginn,  l 'idocç' s  Song.  Any 

BUBBV    AND    GRUB,    I   Say.* 

2.  See  BUBBY. 

3.  (old). — A  brother. 

4.  (American).  —  An  endear- 
ment :  also  BUBBY  :  of  a  little  boy. 
[Said  to  have  originated  in  Penn- 
sylvania from  the  German  Buhc.\ 
Also  (5)  a  familiar  address. 

1872.  S.  Clemens  (' Mark  Twain'), 
Roughing  It.  The  cayote  turns,  smiles 
blandly  upon  him  once  more,  and 
with  a  something  about  it  which  seems 
to  say  :  '  Well,  I  shall  have  to  tear 
myself  away  from  you,  nuB — business  is 
business,  and  it  will  not  do  for  me  to  be 
fooling  along  this  way  all  day.' 

18S8.  San  Francisco  U'cel-ly  Ex- 
aminer. When  she  was  ready  to  go 
home,  she  did  so  without  carriage  or 
baby.  Shortly  after,  bubbv  kicked  up 
high  jinks,  and  the  joker  clerk  was  sent 
for  to  take  him  away. 


Bubber. 


389 


Bubble. 


6.    (old).— Bubble  (ç.z>.). 
Verb.  (old). — i.     See  subs. 

2.  (old). — To  bribe;  to  cheat: 
see  BUBBLE. 

3.  See  subs.,  supra. 

BUBBER,  subs.  (old). —  I.  A  hard 
drinker;  a  confirmed  tippler:  see 
lushington:  Fr.  bibassicr. 

1653.       MiDDLETON,     Sp.     Gipsy,    Ü.,    I. 

Though  I  am  no  mark  in  respect  of  a 
huge  butt,  yet  I  can  tell  you  great  bub- 
BERS  have  shot  at  me.  [There  is  a  play 
in  the  word  'butt.'] 

c,  1696.  B.E  ,  Diet.  Cant,  Crew.,  s.v. 
BUBBER,  c.  a  drinking  bowl;  also  a  great 
drinker,  and  he  that  used  to  steal  plate 
from  publick-houses. 

2.  (old). — A    drinking    bowl. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 

1785.  Grose,  Dietionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  Bubber,  a  drinking- 
bowl,  etc. 

3.  (old). — A  public  house  thief 

1674.  R.  Head,  Canting  Aead.,\r)i. 
The  tenth  is  a  shop-lift  that  carris  a  bob, 
When    he    ranges  the  city  the  shops  for 

to  rob; 
Th'    eleventh's   a  bubber,  much  used  of 

late, 
He  goes  to  the  alehouse  and  there  steals 

the  plate. 

c.  1696.     B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 

1785.  G^osn,  Dictionary  0/ the  Vul- 
gar Tongue.  Bubber,  ...  a  great 
drinker.  A  thief  that  steals  plate  from 
public  houses. 

4.  (American).  —An  old  woman 
with  large  pendulous  breasts  :  see 
BUBBY. 


1848.  Bartlett,  Americanisms 
Bubber.  A  stout  or  stoutly  mamma- 
lated  old  woman.  Used  in  Salem, 
Mass.,  in  1820,  and  since.  'Bubber 
Jones.'  (Fr.  poitron,  old  woman;  Old 
Fr.  peet.  poitron;  1,3.1.  pectus,  the  breast.) 

Busbies,    See  bubby. 

BUBBING,  subs.  (old). — Drinking  ; 
tippling:  see  bub. 

1678.  Poor  Robin's  Char,  of  Scold, 
6.  She  clamours  at  him  so  long. .  .  which 
makes  him  seek  BUBBiNG-schools  to  hide 
himself  in  from  her  fury. 

Bubble  (or  Bub),  subs.  (old). — A 
dupe;  a  gull;  a  caravan  (ç.v.)-, 
a  ROOK  (ç-v.)  ;  also,  as  verb  :=  to 
cheat;  to  humbug;  to  delude  as 
with  bubbles  ;  to  overreach  (c/. 
South  Sea  bubble).  Also  bub- 
bleable  =  easy  to  dupe  ;  gullible. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  All's  Well,  ili., 
vi.,  5.  Sec.  Lord.  On  my  life,  my  lord, 
a  BUBBLE.  Ber,  Do  you  think  I  am  so 
far  deceived  in  him? 

1614.  J.  Cooke,  Green's  Tu  Quoque, 
in  Ane.  Brit.  Drama  (1810),  ii.,  567. 
Sir  Lion.  Aye,  but  son  bubble,  where  did 
you  two  buy  your  felts?  Scat.  Felts! 
by  this  light  mine  is  a  good  beaver. 

1664.  Etheridge,  Comical  Revenge, 
IL,  iii.,  in  IVks.  (1704),  24.  I  believe  he's 
gone  down  to  Receive  money;  'twere  an 
excellent  design  to  bubble  him. 

1669.  Nicker  Kicked,  in  Hart.  Misc. 
(ed.  Park),  IL,  log.  If  the  winner  be 
bubbleable,  they  will  insinuate  them- 
sslves  into  his  acquaintance,  and  civilly 
invite  him  to  drink  a  glass  of  wine; 
wheedle  him  into  play,  and  win  all  his 
money. 

c.  1683.  Oluham,  IVks.  and  Rem. 
(1686),  66.  Bubled  Monarchs  are  at  first 
beguil'd  ...    at   last  depos'd,  and  kill'd. 

i68s-  Drvden,  Prol.  to  Albion  and 
Albanius,  23.  Freedom  and  zeal  have 
choused  you  o'er  and  o'er;  Pray  give  us 
leave  to  bubble  you  once  more. 


Bubble. 


390 


Bubble. 


1686.  Twelve  Ingenious  Characters. 
The  tincture  of  the  sun's-beard;  the 
powder  of  the  moon's-horns;  or  a  quintes- 
sence extracted  from  the  souls  of  the 
heathen  gods;  will  go  off  rarely  for  an 
universal  medicine,  and  bubble  the  simple 
out  of  their  money  first,  and  their  lives 
afterwards. 

1688.  Shadwell,  Sq.  o/Alsatia,  III., 
in  Wks.  (1720)  IV.,  62.  This  kinsman 
a  most  silly  bubble  first,  and  afterwards 
a  betrayer  of  young  heirs. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Did.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
Bub,  or  bubble,  c.  one  that  is  Cheated; 
also  an  Easy,  Soft  Fellow.  Hid,  s.v. 
SETTERS,  or  Setting-dogs,  they  that  draw 
in  BUBBLES  for  old  Gamesters  to  Rook; 
also  a  Sergeant's  Yeoman,  or  Bailiffs 
Follower,  or  Second,  and  an  Excize-Officer 
to  prevent  the  Brewers  defrauding  the 
King. 

1697.  Country  Gentleman's  Vade 
Meeunt,  And  here  begins  the  fatal  catas- 
trophe; if  they  think  that  he  has  too 
much  regard  for  his  reputation,  or  too 
much  modesty  to  make  use  of  the  statute 
for  his  defence,  or  perhaps  (what's  more 
prevalent  with  him  than  either)  will  be 
unwilling  that  the  town  should  know  he 
has  been  a  bubble,  then  they  stick  him 
in  earnest,  so  deep,  it  may  be,  that  he 
must  be  forc'd  to  cut  off  a  limb  of  his 
estate  to  get  out  of  their  clutches. 

1697.  Vanbrugh,  Frozwked  Wife,  V., 
iii.  If  her  conduct  has  put  a  trick  upon 
her  virtue,  her  virtue's  the  bubble,  but 
her  husband's  the  loser. 

1 701.  Defoe,  True  Born  English- 
man. Introd.  Who  shall  this  bubbled 
nation  disabuse,  While  they,  their  own 
felicities  refuse? 

1703.  Towii-Misses  Catechism. 
Q.  Which  are  your  best  sort  of  customers? 
A.  Either  your  city-aprentice  that  robs 
his  master  for  me,  or  your  country-gentle- 
man that  sells  his  estate,  or  else  your 
young  extravagant  shop-keeper,  that  is 
newly  set  up:  these  I  bubble  till  they 
grow  weary  of  me,  and  never  leave  them 
till  I  have  ruin'd  them,  and  if  they  leave 
me,  I  either  force  them  to  purchase  my 
silence  at  a  dear  rate,  or  swear  a  bastard 
to  th«m,  the'  I  was  never  with  child. 


1705.  \Minit.vcw.,Con/ederacy,\.  An 
old  dangling  cheat,  that  hobbles  abo.ut 
from  house  to  house  to  bubble  the  ladies 
of  their  money. 

1706.  Ward,  iVooden  World,  10. 
BuBLiNG,  he  says,  is  the  result  of  sound 
reasoning. 

1711.  Spectator,  No.  89.  That  she  has 
BUBBLED  him  out  of  his  youth  .  .  .  and 
that  he  verily  believes  she  will  drop 
him  in  his  old  age,  if  she  can  find  her 
account  in  another. 

171 1.  Swift,  Conduct  0/ the  Allies. 
We  are  thus  become  the  dupes  and  bub- 
bles of  Enrope. 

1 712.  Arbuthnot,  History  0/ John 
Bull,  II.,  iii.  He  has  been  my  bubble 
[tool]  these  twenty  years;  and  to  my 
certain  knowledge,  understands  no  more 
of  his  own  affairs  than  a  child  in  swad- 
dling clothes. 

1 7 19.  D'Urfev,  Pills,  II.,  54.  Another 
makes  Racing  a  Trade...  And  many  a 
Crimp  Match  has  made.  By  bubbing 
another  Man's  Groom. 

1724.  Jotirney  through  England. 
Adjoyning  to  this  village,  the  duke  of 
Argyle  had  a  fine  seat  called  Caen-wood. 
You  remember  him  at  the  head  of  the 
English  at  the  famous  battel  of  Blaregnies; 
but  I  shall  do  him  wrong  to  mention  him 
till  I  come  to  his  own  country,  where 
his  ancient  and  noble  family  have  been 
very  conspicuous  for  so  many  ages,  and 
where  his  personal  character  will  be  best 
placed.  It  now  belongs  to  one  Dale,  an 
upholsterer,  who  bought  it  out  of  the 
bubbles  [i.e.  of  the  bubbles  of  the  South- 
sea  year,  1720) 

1729.  Ç>K\,  Polly,'\\.,<)  Honourplays 
a  bubble's  part,  ever  bilk'd  and  cheated. 

1731.  Poor  Robin.  Towards  the  latter 
end  of  this  month  there  will  be  more 
people  in  SmithfielJ  than  in  Westminster 
Hall;  Jack  Pudding  and  Harlequin  telling 
stories  in  jest  to  got  money  in  earnest, 
and  have  much  better  luck  than  those 
who,  while  they  are  making  a  play  day, 
lose  one  half  of  their  money  at  gaming, 
and  have  the  other  half  pick'd  out  of 
their  pocket;  such  people  are  in  more 
danger  of  going  home  mad  than  drunk; 
and  it  is  hard  to  say  which  of  the  two 
looks  more  like  a  fool,  he  that  wants 
wit,  or  he  that  has  so  foolishly  been 
BUBBLED  out  of  his  money. 


Bubble. 


391  Bubble-company . 


1748.  T.  Dyche,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Bilk'  (v.),  to  cheat,  balk,  disappoint,  de- 
ceive, gull,  or  bubble;  also  to  go  out  of  a 
publick-house  or  tavern,  without  paying 
the  reckoning. 

1750.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  I.,  vii. 
This  would  be  to  own  herself  the  mere 
tool  and  bubble  of  the  man. 

1752.  Fielding,  Amelia,  XL,  iv. 
He...  actually  bubbled  several  of  their 
money  by  undertaking  to  do  them  serv- 
ices, which,  in  reality,  were  not  within 
his  power. 

1754.  B.  Martin,  Eug.  Diet.  (2nd 
ed.),  s.v.  'Setter'  ...  (3)  an  associate  of 
sharpers  to  get  them  bubbles. 

1772.     Bridges,  Homer,  241. 
What   could  the  bubbl'd  King  do  better 
Than  cheat  him  with  Uriah's  letter. 

1777.  Sheridan,  Trip  to  Scarborough, 
ii.  Help  the  gentleman  with  a  chair,  and 
carry  him  to  my  house  presently — that's 
the  properest  place. — \aside'\ — to  bubble 
him  out  of  his  money. 

1788.  G.  A.  Stevens,  Adv.  of  a 
Speculisi,  I.,  69.  He  persuades  his  bubble 
that  he  will  insure  him  a  certain  safe 
way  of  getting  a  sum  of  money.  Ibid., 
I.,  75.  And  this  was  the  language  which 
the  pretenders  to  the  Philosopher's  Stone 
used  to  bubble  their  pigeons  with. 

1795.  R.Cumberland,  The  yew,m., 
2.  If  he  attempts  to  raise  money  upon 
expectancies,  be  at  their  peril  who  are 
fools  enough  to  trust  him:  No  prudent 
man  will  be  his  bubble. 

1805.  G.  Barrington,  New  London 
•^Py>  (4  *d.),  24.  The  shame  of  being 
thought  a  bubble,  and  exposed  to  the 
town,  frequently  prevents  gentlemen 
from  making  use  of  the  statute  provided 
in  such  cases. 

1809.  Malkin,  Gì7^/(zì[Routledge], 
37.  Far  from  being  point,  quint,  and 
quatorze  with  the  ladies  .  .  .  you  are  to 
know,  my  friend,  that  I  am  their  complete 
bubble. 

i860.  The  Druid,  'Post  and  Pad- 
dock.' Alas!  my  innocent  rural  police, 
Your  fondest  hopes  were  a  bubble. 


1S80.  McCarthy,  Own  Times,  HI., 
xli.,  235.  Some  critics  declared  .  .  .  that 
the  French  Emperor  had  bubbled  him 
[Mr.  Cobden]. 

1889.  Gentleman's  Mag.,  June,  598. 
Towards  the  end  of  the  century  [xvii] 
a  person  easily  gulled,  or  bubbled  was 
known  as  a  'caravan,'  but  earlier  the 
term  'rook,'  which  is  now  restricted  to 
a  cheat  or  sharper,  appears  to  have  been 
applied  to  the  person  cheated. 

BUBBLE-AND-SQUEAK,  J'«/;j./y^r.(com- 
mon). —  Cold  meat  fried  with 
potatoes  and  greens,  originally 
nautical. 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  507.  Bubble, -f 
they  call  this  dish,  and  squeak.  Note.\ 
Fried  beef  and  cabbage  is  a  dish  so  well 
known  in  town  by  the  name  of  bubble 
and  squeak,  that  it  is  only  for  the  sake 
of  my  country  readers  I  insert  this  note. 

1785.  GliOS-E,  Dictionary  of  the  Vul- 
gar Tongue.  Bubble  and  squeak,  beef 
and  cabbage  fried  together;  it  is  so  called 
from  its  bubbling  up  and  squeaking 
whilst  over  the  fire. 

1786-89.  WoLCOT,  ('P.  Pindar"), 
Lousiad,  i.,  366.  Such  is  the  sound  (the 
simile's  not  weak)  Form'd  by  what  mortals 
BUBBLE  call,  and  SQUEAK,  When  'midst 
the  frying-pan,  in  accents  savage.  The 
beef  so  sorely  quarrels  with  the  cabbage. 

1853.  Lytton,  My  Novel,  VHL, 
viii.  'Rank  and  title!  bubble  and 
squeak  !  No,  not  half  so  good  as  bub- 
ble and  squeak.  English  beef  and  good 
cabbage.' 

Bubble-buff,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
bailiff. 

Bubble-company,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  swindling  association, 
enterprise  or  project.  The  South 
Sea  BUBBLE  will  occur  to  mind 
in  this  connection:  see  bubble. 

1754.  B.  Martin,  Eng.  Diet.  (2  ed.). 
Bubble  .  .  .  {5)  (in  Commerce),  a  cant 
name  given  to  certain  projects  for  raising 
money  on  imaginary  grounds. 


Bubbling-squeak.  392 


Bucephalus. 


1880.  Hawley  Smart,  Social  Sin- 
ners, xix.  My  inheritance  disappears 
as   if  it   had   been  invested  in  a  bubble 

COMPANY. 

Bubbling-squeak,  sì(òs.  phr.  (army). 
— Hot  soup. 

Bubbly-jock,  mbs.phr.  (old  Scotch). 
—  I.  A  turkey-cock;  a  'gobbler.' 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  Bubbly  jock,  a  turkey- 
cock. 

1843.  Thackeray, /rzi/t  Sketch  Book, 
XV.  He  took  but  one  glass  of  water 
to  that  intolerable  deal  of  bubbly  jock. 
.  .  .  Three  turkey-wings  and  a  glass  of 
water. 

1877.  Besant  and  Rice,  Son  of 
Vulcan,  II.,  xviii.  Puffing  his  cheeks 
like  some  infuriated  bubbly  jock  in  a 
stable-yard. 

2.  (common). — A  stupid  brag- 
gart. 

3.  (popular). —  A  pert,  con- 
ceited, pragmatical  fellow  ;  a  prig  ; 
a  cad. 

1883.  G.  A.  Sala,  Living  London, 
113.  Mr.  Benjamin  Bunny  (Mr.  J.  L. 
Toole)  is  the  good-natured  husband  of  a 
pretty  young  wife  (Miss  Winifred  Emery). 
Mr.  Bunny  is,  to  use  a  Scotticism,  '  sair 
owerhanded,'  not  by  a  '  bubbly  JOCK,'  but 
by  his  wife's  aunt. 

The  bubbly  jocks,  subs.  phr. 
(military). 

BUBBY  (or  BUB}.— A  teat  ;  the  breast  ; 
in  pi.  =  the  paps  :  see  dairies.  To 

FLAST    THE    HUBBIES  ^  tO   expose 
one's  MEAT  {q.v^. 

1686.  D'Urfev,  New  Poems  (1690), 
206.  The  Ladies  here  may  without 
Scandal  shew,  Face  or  white  dudbies,  to 
each  ogling  Beau. 

1693.  CoNGREVE,  Old  Batchelor,  v., 
7.  Did  not  her  eyes  twinkle,  and  her 
mouth    water.'     Did  not  she  pull  up  her 

little    UUBUIES  ? 


c.  1707.  Old  Ballad,  Wooòtirn  Fair 
[Farmer,  Merry  Songs  and  Ballads 
(1897),  I  S.  iv.  179J.  And  tho"  I  let 
Loobies  Oft  finger  my  bubbies:  Who 
think  when  they  kiss  me,  That  they  shall 
possess  me. 

c.  1707.  Broadside  Ballad,  The 
Harlot  Unmask'd  [Farmer,  Merry  Songs 
and  Ballads  (1897),  iv.  ill].  Tho'  her 
Hands  they  are  red,  and  her  bubbies  are 
coarse,  Her  quim,  for  all  that,  may  be 
never  the  worse. 

1707.  Ward,  Hud.  Rediv,  11.,  iii.  17. 
Her  bubbies,  which  she  forward  thrust, 
Boil'd  o'er  her  Stays  with  very  Lust. 

1708.  King,  Art  of  Love,  iv.  The 
bubbies  then  are  beat  again,  Women  in 
passion  feel  no  pain. 

1712.  Arbuthnot,  Hist,  of  John 
Bull,  III.,  viii.  To  see  a  handsome, 
brisk,  genteel,  young  fellow  so  much 
governed  by  a  doating  old  woman  !  Why 
don't  you  go  and  suck  the  bubbv? 

1715.  Vanbrugh,  Country  House, 
II.,  v.  He  talked  to  me  of  you,  and 
said   you   had   the   charmingest  bubbies. 

1748.  DODSLKY,  Collection  of  Poems, 
III.,  191.  And  snowy  bubbies  pull'd 
above  the  stays. 

1754.  B.  Martin,  Eng.  Diet.,  2  ed. 
Bubbys,  a  woman's  breasts. 

1887.  W.  E.  Henley,  Villon's  Good- 
Alight.  Likewise  you  molls  that  flash 
your  bubs.  For  swells  to  spot  and  stand 
you  sam. 

BUBE,  subs,  (venery). — See  quot. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BuBE,  c.  the  Pox.  The  Mort  has  tipt  the 
Bube  upon  the  Cully,  c,  the  Wench  has 
clapt  the  Fellow. 

BUCANEER,  subs.  (H.E.).  —  West- 
Indian  pirates,  of  several  nations-, 
also  the  rude  rabble  in  Jamaica. 

BUCCO,  sttbs.  (American  thieves'). 
— A  dandy;  a  BUCK  (ç.v.). 

BUCEPHALUS,  subs,  (common).— A 
horse  ;    a    MOUNT  (ç.v.)  ;  a  PRAD 


Buck. 


393 


Buck. 


Buck,  subs,  (common). —  I.  A  man 
of  spirit  or  gaiety  of  conduct; 
hence  a  fop,  a  dandy.  Old  buck 
■=.  a  familiar  address  :  cf.  masher, 
DUDE,  SWELL,  and  BLOOD.  AS 
MERRY  AS  A  BUCK  =  as  gay  and 
merry  as  may  be. 

?  MS.  Harl.  1701,  f.  22.  And  of 
these  berded  buckys  also,  With  himself 
they  moche  mysdo. 

1657.  BiLLlNGSLY,  Brachy-Martyrol- 
egia,  187.  s.v. 

1725.  AVto  Cant.  Diet.  Buck,  as  a 
bold  BUCK,  is  sometimes  used  to  signify 
a   forward   daring   Person   of  either  Sex. 

1752.  Fielding,  Amelia,  X.,  ii.  A 
large  assembly  of  young  fellows,  whom 
they  call  bucks 

1772,  Bridges,  Homer,  17.  Militia 
BUCKS  that  know  no  fears. 

1825.  Scott,  St.  Roman's  U'ell,xxi. 
'Come,  none  of  your  quizzing,  my  old 
BUCK,'  said  Sir  Bingo — 'what  the  devil 
has  a  ship  to  do  with  horse's  furniture? — 
Do  you  think  we  belong  to  the  horse- 
marines?' 

1844.  Thackeray,  Barry  Lyndon, 
xvi.  They  had  some  friend  of  their  own 
in  view  for  the  young  lady,  and  had 
scornfully  rejected  the  proposal  of  Ulick 
Brady,  the  ruined  gentleman;  who  was 
quite  unworthy,  as  these  rustic  bucks 
thought,  of  the  hand  of  such  a  prodig- 
iously wealthy  heiress  as  their  sister. 

1846-48.  Thackeray,  V.  Fair,  vi. 
She  had  sate  by  him  on  the  box  of  his 
open  carriage  (a  most  tremendous  buck 
he  was,  as  he  sat  there,  serene,  in  state, 
driving  his  greys). 

1865.  KiNGSLEY,  H  illy  ars  and  Bur- 
tons,  xix.  My  pad-clinking  .  .  .  bucks, 
Good  day. 

i88g.  Ansii<ers,'Fch.().  The  ancient 
buck  was  last  seen  (at  the  age  of  eighty- 
four)  wearing  a  wig,  a  pair  of  stays, 
'plumpers,'  rouge,  and  padding,  and  he 
daily  anointed  his  face  with  a  compound 
called  'skin-tightener.'  'Skin-tightener' 
removes  wrinkles,  and  after  the  face  has 
been   washed   with   'bloom  of  roses,'  the 


wearer  can  strut  forth  with  the  con- 
sciousness that  all  the  world  takes  him 
for  a  quarter  of  a  century  younger  than 
he  is. 

2.  (common). — An  unlicensed 
cabdriver:  also  a  sham  fare:  see 
last  quot. 

1851-61.  H.  Mavhew,  London  Lab. 
and  Lon.  Poor,  III.,  362.  The  long-day 
men  are  the  parties  who  mostly  employ 
the  bucks  .  .  .  they  are  glad  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  services  of  a  buck 
for  some  hours  at  the  end  of  the  day. 
lòid.  The  BUCKS  are  unlicensed  cab- 
drivers,  who  are  employed  by  those  who 
have  a  license  to  take  charge  of  the  cab 
while  the  regular  drivers  are  at  ther 
meals  or  enjoying  themselves. 

1865.  Aforning Star,  Ï4  Sept.  What 
is    the    prisoner?     Constable:     He    is    a 

BUCK,  who  hangs  about  an  omnibus 
stand. 

1887.  Daily  News,  5  October,  5,  4. 
At  Bow  Street  something  was  further 
heard  of  the  BUCK.  This  person  ...  is 
the  sham  fare  whom  a  cabby  drives  past 
the  police  in  order  to  get  up  to  the  theatre 
doors  out  of  his  proper  turn,  and  so 
increase  his  chance  of  securing  a  legiti- 
mate fare. 

3.  (old).  —  A  sixpence  :  cf. 
fyebuck:  rarely  used  by  itself, 
but  generally  denoting  the  six- 
pence attached  to  shillings  in 
reference  to  cost  ;  e.g.  three  and 
A  BUCK  =.  three  shillings  and  six- 
pence: see  RHINO. 

1885.  Household  iCords,  June  20, 
155.  'Buck'  is  most  likely  a  corruption 
of  'fyebuck,'  a  slang  name  for  sixpence 
which  is  now  almost,  if  not  altogether 
obsolete. 

4.  (schoolboys'). — A  large  mar 

ble:  cf.  ALLEY,  BONCE,  MIVEY,  etc 

1885.     Household    Words,    June    20 
155.    Readers  whose  school-days  are  still 
green  in   their  memories  will  also  reco 
nise    in    BUCK    the    name    for    the    large 
marble  once  dear  to  their  boyish  hearts 


Buck. 


394 


Buck. 


5.  (American). — A  term  used 
in  POKER  {q.v^:  cf.  tiger. 

Adj.  (American  University). — 
An  intensive:  good;  excellent; 
pleasant;  agreeable  (Princetown 
College). 


Verb. 
oppose  ; 


(American).  —  i. 
to  run  counter  to. 


To 


2.  (Western  American). — As 
applied  to  horses  this  term  is 
used  to  describe  the  action  of 
plunging  forward  and  throwing 
the  head  to  the  ground  in  an 
effort  to  unseat  the  rider;  also 
as  S2ibs.  and  bucking:  see  buck- 
jumper. 

i8[?].  NcMspaper  Cutting.  Wlien  I 
was  told  how  hard  he  could  buck,  I  only 
laughed,  my  impression  being  that  no 
pony  standing  on  four  legs  could  throw 
me  off.  I  mounted,  and  galloped  away 
in  a  dignified  style.  Suddenly  the  horse 
stopped.  His  ears  went  back,  and  his 
hinds  legs  went  between  his  front.  Re- 
alizing that  the  man  on  his  back  could 
ride  a  little  bit,  the  pony  got  right  down 
to  business.  My  stomach  seemed  to  fly 
up  into  my  mouth,  and  millions  of  stars 
floated  about  my  head.  1  stuck  on  well, 
however,  as  the  saddle,  blanket,  gun  and 
bridle  came  off  with  me.  When  an  old- 
timer  tried  to  fix  things  for  me  by 
saying.  'It's  no  disgrace,  pardner,  that 
horse  can  buck  off  a  porus  plaster,'  I 
thanked  him  from  the  bottom  of  my 
heart. 

1859.  H.  KiNGSLEY,  Geoffrey  Havilyii, 
xxviii.  'He  can  sit  some  bucking  horses 
which  very  few  men  will  attempt  to 
mount.'  'And  that  same  bucking,  Miss 
Brentwood,'  said  Halbert,  'is  just  what 
puzzles  me  utterly.  I  got  on  a  bucking 
horse  in  Sydney  the  other  day,  and  had 
an  ignominious  tumble  in  the  sale-yard, 
to  everybody's  great  amusement.' 

18J?].  McClukk,  Rocky  Mountains, 
301.  As  if  some  devilish  infection  pervaded 
the    atmosphere,    one    of   our    horses,    a 


Kiyuse,  or  native  pony,  took  a  fit  of 
bucking  soon  after  we  left,  and  was 
particular  to  select  the  most  dangerous 
portions  of  the  road  for  the  display  of 
his  skill  in  that  line. 

1868.  Lady  Barker,  Statioti  Lift 
in  Ne-Jj  Zealand,  224.  I  never  saw  such 
bucks  and  jumps  into  the  air  as  she 
[the  mare]  performed. 

iSSi.  A.  C.  Grant,  BhsIi  Life  in 
Queensland,  i.,  131.  'Well,'  said  one, 
'that  fellow  went  to  market  like  a  bird.' 
'Yes,'  echoed  another,  'bucked  a  blessed 
hurricane.'  'Buck  a  town  down,'  cried  a 
third.  'Never  seed  a  horse  strip  himself 
quicker,'  cried  a  fourth. 

1882.  Baillie-Grohm.^n,  Camps  in 
the  Rockies,  iv.,  102  ('Standard').  There 
are  two  ways,  I  understand,  of  sitting  a 
bucking  horse  .  ,  .  one  is  '  to  follow  the 
DUCK,'    the    other    'to  receive   the  nuCK.' 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  Advance 
Australia,  55.  The  performance  is  quite 
peculiar  to  Australian  horses,  and  no 
one  who  has  not  seen  them  at  it  would 
believe  the  rapid  contortions  of  which 
they  are  capable.  In  bucking,  a  horse 
tucks  his  head  right  between  his  fore- 
legs, sometimes  striking  his  jaw  with  his 
hind  feet.  The  back  meantime  is  arched 
like  a  boiled  prawn's;  and  in  this  position 
the  animal  makes  a  series  of  tremendous 
bounds,  sometimes  forwards,  sometimes 
sideways  and  backwards,  keeping  it  up 
for  several  minutes  at  intervals  of  a  few 
seconds. 

1 886.  H.  C.  Kendall,  Poems,  206. 
For,  mark  me,  he  can  sit  a  DUCK  For 
hours  and  hours  together;  And  never 
horse  has  had  the  luck  To  pitch  him 
from  the  leather. 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  .4  Colonial 
Reform:.}-,  94.  '  I  should  say  that  buck- 
jumping  was  produced  in  this  country 
by  bad  breaking,'  said  Mr.  Neuchamp 
oracularly.  'Don't  you  believe  it,  sir. 
Bucking  is  like  other  vices — runs  in  the 
blood.' 

i8[.'].  Chicago  Tribune  [BaktlhttJ. 
'In  this  event,'  writes  he,  'do  not  select 
a  mustang  ,  .  ,  unless  you  want  to  be 
initiated    into    the  mysteries  of  IIUCKING. 


Buck. 


395 


Buck-jumper. 


The  mustang  is  the  only  animal  in  the 
world  that  can  suck,  anJ  it  ought  to  be 
a  source  of  thanksgiving  that  such  is  the 
case.  The  buck  consists  of  the  mustang's 
springing  forward  with  quick,  short, plung- 
ing leaps,  and  coming  down  stiff-legged, 
with  his  head  between  his  forelegs,  and 
as  near  the  ground  as  possible.' 

3.  (commercial).— To  manip- 
ulate figures  ;  to  COOK  {([.v.)  ac- 
counts ;   TO  WINDOW-DRESS  {q.v!). 

4.  (Western  American). — To 
play  against  the  bank;  to  gamble 
heavily,  usually  to  buck  the 
TIGER. 

1879.  Bret  Harte,  Gabriel  Conroy, 
375.  I  don't  like  your  looks  at  all.  I'd 
BUCK  against  any  bank  you  ran,  all  night. 
Ibid  {1880).  Brmun  of  Calaveras.  [Tales 
of  the  Arg.,  81).  Why  don't  you  say  you 
want  to  BUCK  agin'  faro  ? 

1S88.  Hotel  Mail.  A  man  may  hunt 
the  wildest  game  Along  the  Nile  or  the 
Niger,  In  woods  or  ranch;  But  he  will 
find  the  sport  most  tame  Compared  with 
BUCKING  the  tiger  At  dear  Long  Branch. 

1888.  Daily  Inter-Ocean,  Feb.  14. 
More  than  one  unsuspecting  wife  will 
have  her  eyes  opened  to  the  fact  that 
the  wicked  tiger,  and  not  legitimate 
business,  has  been  detaining  her  husband 
out  so  late  at  night. 

1896.  LiLLARD,  Poker  Stories,  8. 
The  gambler  who  was  indicted  for  running 
a  game  of  chance,  and  was  triumphantly 
acquitted  on  his  counsel's  plea  that  the 
players  who  bucked  against  his  bank 
didn't  have  any  chance  ì 

5.  (Western  American). — To 
rouse  oneself;  to  put  forth  one's 
whole  energy  :  also  TO  BUCK  UP. 

1870.  Sati  Antonio  Paper.  You'll 
have  to  buck  at  it  like  a  whole  team, 
gentlemen,  or  you  won't  hear  the  whistle 
near  your  diggings  for  many  a  year. 

1898.  Pink  'Un  and  Pelican,  11. 
Who  was  it  then,  that  .  .  .  Soothed  the 
sobbing  girl,  bade  her  dry  her  tears,  and 
BUCK-UP  'poor  old  dear!'  and  his  gov'nor 
would  take  up  the  case  and  make  a 
fortune  for  her!     Why,  Swears. 


igoo.      White,     ll'esi    End,    48. 
suppose  you  know  there's  an  examination 
to    pass,'    said    his   sister.     'I  know  that, 
'Randa,  and  of  course  I'd  have  to  buck-up. 

1901.  Troddles,  36.  Buck-up,  Bobby! 
We'll  attend  to  your  portion  if  you  are 
captured,  and  you  can  pay  us  when 
you're  out  again. 

6.  (venery).^To  copulate  :  see 

GREENS   and   RIDE. 

To  RUN  A  BUCK,  verb.  phr.  (old 
Irish). — To  poll  a  bad  vote  at 
an  election  (Grose). 

To  BUCK  DOWN,  verb.  phr. 
(Winchester  College).  —  To  be 
sorry;   to  feel  unhappy. 

To  BE  BUCKED,  verb.  phr.  (Up- 
pingham).—To  be  tired. 

To  BUCK  UP,  verb.  phr.  (Win- 
chester College). — To  be  glad,  to 
be  pleased  ;  the  usual  expression 
is  'Oh,  BUCK  nv,^  a  phrase  which 
at  Westminster  School  would 
have  a  very  different  meaning, 
namely,  exert  yourself. 

7.  (colloquial). — See^xscviverb.  5. 

Buck-bail,  stibs.  phr.  (thieves').— 
Bail  given  by  a  confederate. 

BUCKEEN,  subs.  (Irish).—  !.  A  bully 
(Grose). 

2.  (Irish). — A  young  man  of 
the  poorer  aristocracy  ;  a  squireen 
{q.v.). 

1809-12.  Edgeworth,  Absentee,  vii. 
There  were  several  squireens  or  little 
squires,  a  race  of  men  who  have  succeeded 
to  the  buckeens  described  by  Young  and 
Crumpe.  Ibid,  Love  and  Law.  The  spal- 
peen !  turned  into  a  buckeen,  that  would 
be  a  squireen,  but  can't. 

Buck-jumper  (or  Bucker),  subs, 
phr.  (American  and  colonial). — 
A  horse  given  to  buck  (jj.v.^. 
Also   buck-jump,  subs,  and  verb. 


Bucket. 


396 


Bucket. 


1853.  H.  Berkeley  Jones,  Advent- 
ures in  Australia  in  1852  and  1853, 
[Footnote]  143.  A  'bucker'  is  a  vicious 
horse,  to  be  found  only  in  Australia. 

1855.  W.  HowiTT,  Tii.>o  Years  in 
Victoria,  i.,  43.  At  length  it  shook  off 
all  its  holders,  and  made  one  of  those 
extraordinary  vaults  that  they  call  buck- 
jumping. 

1S59.  Rev.  J.  D.  Mereweather, 
Diary  of  a  Working  Clergyman  in 
Australia  and  Tasmania,  kept  during 
the  years  1850-1853,  177.  I  believe  that 
an  inveterate  buck-jumper  can  be  cured 
by  slinging  up  one  of  the  four  legs,  and 
lunging  him  about  severely  in  heavy 
ground  on  the  three  legs.  The  action 
they  must  needs  make  use  of  on  such  an 
occasion  somewhat  resembles  the  action 
of  bucking;  and  after  some  severe  trials 
of  that  sort,  they  take  a  dislike  to  the 
whole  style  of  thing.  An  Irishman  on 
the  Murrumbidgee  is  very  clever  at  this 
schooling.  It  is  called  here  'turning  a 
horse  inside  out.' 

1864.  G.  A.  Lawrence,  Guy  Living- 
stone,  ix.  The  instant  the  chestnut  was 
mounted,  he  reared,  and  indulged  in  two 
or  three  'buck-jumps'  that  would  have 
made  a  weaker  man  tremble  for  his 
backbone. 

1884.  Harper's  Magazine,  July,  301, 
1.  If  we  should...  select  a  'bucker,' 
the  probabilities  are  that  we  will  come 
to  grief. 

1885.  FoRMAN  (Dakota),  item  26, 
May  6,  3.  The  m.ijority  of  the  horses 
there  fin  Australia]  are  vicious  and  given 
to  the  trick  of  buck-jumping.  [It  may  be 
worth  while  to  add  that  this  is  not  strictly 
accurate.].  1893.  Ibid,  187.  'Were  you 
ever  on  a  buck-jumper?'  I  was  asked 
by  a  friend,  shortly  after  my  return  from 
Australia. 

1893.  Haddon  Chambers,  Thumb- 
nail Sketches  of  Australian  Life,  64. 
No  buck-jumper  could  shake  him  off. 

Bucket,     subs.     (American).  —  An 
anonymous  letter. 

Verb,  (common). — I.     To  ride 
hard;   not   to   spare  one's  beast. 


1856.  Whyte  Melville,  Kate  Cov- 
entry, xi.  '  I  had  rather  give  Brilliant  a 
good  bucketing'  [Aunt  Horsingham 
shuddered — I  knew  she  would,  and  used 
the  word  on  purpose]  'over  an  even 
heath  or  a  line  of  grass,  than  go  bodkin 
in  a  chariot.' 

1864.  Yates,  Broken  to  Harness,  \l., 
218.  There's  room  in  the  Row  to  give 
him  [the  horse]  a  very  good  bucketing. 

1865.  Tottenham,  C.  I'illars,  I., 
243.  Bucketing  his  wretched  horse 
home  to  Cambridge. 

1884.  Hawley  Smart,  From  Post 
to  Finish,  342.  Ten  thousand  pardons, 
Dollie,  dearest;  but  I  onlj'  got  your 
message  an  hour  or  so  ago,  and  am  so 
busy  I  couldn't  get  here  before.  As  it 
is  I  have  had  to  bucket  my  hack  un- 
mercifully. 

2.  (old). — To  cheat;  to  ruin; 
to  deceive:  see  bucket-shop. 

1812.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Flash  Diet.,  s.v. 
To  bucket  a  person  is  synonymous  with 
putting  him  in  the  well. 

3.  (rowing). — To  take  the  water 
unfairly — with  a  scoop  at  the 
beginning  of  the  stroke  instead 
of  a  steady  even  pull  throughout. 

182S.  Scott,  Diary,  in  Lockhart 
(1839),  ix.,  253.  Thnrteil  .  .  .  must  in 
slang   phrase    have    bucketed   his  palls. 

1876.    Besant    and    Rice,    Golden 
Butterfly,     xv.,     130.     He     was     not    so 
straight  in  the  back  as  an  Oxford  stroke 
and    he    bucketed    about    a    good   deal, 
but  he  got  along. 

1891.  Harry  Fludyer  at  Cam- 
bridge. . .  62.  He  kept  muttering  some- 
thing about  three  (that's  me)  bucketing. 

To  GIVE  THE  BUCKET,  verb.phr. 
(old). — To  dismiss  ;  to  send  a 
person  about  his  business  :  cf. 
BAG,  and  SACK. 

i860.  Mrs.  Gaskeli-,  Sylvia's  Lovers, 
xxi.  He  were  sore  put  about  because 
Hester  had     gi'en  him  the  ducket. 


Bucket-afloat. 


397 


Buckeye. 


To  KICK  THE  BUCKET,  verh.phr. 
(common). — To  die:  see  hop  the 
TWIG.  [The  bucket  here  is  thought 
to  refer  to  a  Norfolk  term  for  a 
pulley.]  When  pigs  are  killed 
they  are  hung  by  their  hind  legs 
on  a  BUCKET. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  Bucket;  to  kick  the 
bucket;  to  die. 

1796.  Woi.cOT  ('P.  Pindar '),  Tristia, 
iVks.    (1812)    v.,    242.     Pitt    has   kicked 

THE   DUCKET. 

i8[?]  CoLMAN,  Poetical  Vagaries,  $$. 
If  the  bucket  come  not  down,  Soon  shall 
I  be  doom'd  to  kick  it. 

1840.  Marry  AT,  Poor  yack,  XXX.  He 
drained    it    dry    .  .  .    and    kicked    the 

BUCKET. 

184g.  Kingslev,  Alton  Locke,  ii. 
'Fine  him  a  pot'  roared  one,  'for  talking 
about  KICKING  THE  BUCKET.  He's  a  nice 
young  man  to  keep  a  cove's  spirits  up, 
and  talk  about  a  short  life  and  a  merry  one.' 

1876  (:).  Broadside  Ballad,  Ten 
Little  Niggers.  Eight  little  niggers  never 
heard  of  heav'n.  One  kicked  the  bucket, 
and  then  there  were  seven. 

1889.  Answers,  luly  27,  141,  3.  The 
high-school  girl  explained  to  her  partic- 
ular friend  yesterday  that  he  kicked 
THE  bucket  was  slang,  and  that  the 
polite  expression  was,  '  He  propelled  his 
pedal  extremities  with  violence  against  a 
familiar  utensil  used  for  the  transporta- 
tion of  water  and  other  fluids.' 

Bucket-afloat,  subsphr.  (rhyming). 
— A  coat. 

BUCKETSFUL.  CoMING  DOWN 
BUCKETSFUL,  phr.  (colloquial). — 
Falling  heavily;  in  torrents:  of 
heavy  rain. 

Bucket-shop,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
—  I.  A  stock-gambling  den  carried 
on  in  opposition  to  regular  ex- 
change business  ;  usually  of  a 
more  than  doubtful  character  :  cf. 
BUCKET  =  to  cheat. 


1887.  Daily  News,  14  April,  7,  1. 
Mr.  Charles  Fiiher  said  that  he  carried 
on  business  as  an  agent  .  .  .  He  did 
Stock  Kxchange  business,  for  clients. 
Mr.  Besley:  Commonly  called  a  bucket 
SHOP,  I  think. 

1888.  Missouri  RepnUican,  Feb.  12. 
New  York,  Feb.  11. — (Special). — Inspec- 
tor Brynes  was  seized  with  another 
spasm  of  indignation  against  the  bucket- 
shops  this  morning,  and,  accompanied 
by  detectives  and  a  squad  of  officers,  he 
swooped  down  upon  the  lairs  of  these 
enemies  of  the  Stock  Exchange  that 
abound  on  Lower  Broadway  and  New 
Street. 

1889.  Pall  Mall  Gazette,  Nov.  12, 
3,  I.  The  tape  is  credited  with  foster- 
ing gambling.  Well,  we  know  that 
there  are  bucket-shops,  but  we  have 
for  some  time  refused  to  entertain  any 
proposal  for  a  machine  if  there  is  the 
least  prospect  of  its  being  used  for 
bucket-shop  purposes.  There  is  gam- 
bling, of  course,  but  it  is  unfair  to  say 
that  the  tape  is  responsible  for  it.  The 
tape  was  not  originated  for  that  purpose, 
but  in  order  to  inform  the  public,  through 
the  newspapers  or  otherwise,  how  secur- 
ities were  going,  and  it  does  that.  In 
practice  it  serves  as  a  check  between 
client  and  broker,  and  broker  and  jobber. 

i8[.>]  Ne%v  York  World.  Wallstreet 
and  its  vicinity  did  not  contain  a  single 
'square  and  honest'  bucket-shop;  all 
their  dealings  were  nothing  but  'a  brace 
gambling  game.'  By  their  schemes  the 
customer  had  'not  the  ghost  of  a  chance 
to  win.'  Their  quotations  were  obtained 
surreptitiously,  and,  in  handling  them, 
the  bucket-shop  keepers  in  several  ways 
take  unfair  advantage  of  their  clients. 

2.  (American). — A  low  groggy; 
a  lottery  office;  a  gambling  den,  etc. 

BUCKEYE,  subs.  (American). — A  na- 
tive of  Ohio.  Buck-eye  State 
=  Ohio. 

1S77.  Pres.  Haves,  Speech  [Provi- 
dence, 28  June].  I  ask  every  lady  and 
gentleman  to  consider  that  here  and  now 
I  give  you  a  hearty  buckeye  shake. 


Buck-face. 


398 


Buckle. 


Buck-face,  subs.  phr.  (old).  —  A 
cuckold  ;  Fr.  tm  loger  rut  du 
Croissant. 

BUCK-FITCH,  subs.  phr.  (old). — An 
old    roué;   a    lecherous  old  man. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BuCK-FiTCHES,  c.  old  leacherous,  nasty, 
stinking  Fellows;  also  he  Polecats,  and 
their  Fur. 

BUCKHARA,  sîibs.  (American).  —  A 
cattle-driver;  a  cowboy. 

BUCKHORSE,  subs,  (pugilistic). — A 
smart  blow  on  the  ear.  [BuCK- 
HORSE,  a  celebrated  '  bruiser'  was 
a  man  who  either  possessed,  or 
professed,  insensibility  to  pain, 
and  who  would  for  a  small  sum 
allow  anyone  to  strike  him  with 
the  utmost  force  on  the  side  of 
the  face.  His  real  name  was  John 
Smith,  and  he  fought  in  public 
1732-46.] 

1864.  Blackwood's  Mag.,  II.,  463 
(the  Public  Schools'  Report,  1864 — West- 
minster School).  One  of  the  Seniors 
informs  us  that  the  common  punishment 
was  BUCKHORSiNG.  'That  was  boxing 
the  ears,  was  it?'  'Yes.'  'Buckhors- 
ING  was  rather  severe,  was  it  not?'  etc. 
•I  got  BUCKHORSBD  pretty  often.' 

1876.  Lord  Albemarle, /^zyVy  Years 
of  my  Life,  quoted  in  Temple  Bar, 
August,  1884,  517.  He  then  felled  me 
to  the  ground  by  a  swinging  buckhokse 
on  my  right  cheek. 

Buckish,  adj.  (old).  —  Foppish  ; 
dandyish. 

1782.  D'Arblav,  Diary,  etc.  (1876), 
i.,  463.  A  BUCKISH  kind  of  young  man 
of  fashion. 

1785.  WOLCOT,  ('  P.  Pindar'),  Apolog. 
Postcript  to  Ode  upon  Ode,  in  Whs. 
(Dublin,  1795).  I.,  365.  Did  not  good 
Nathan  tell  that  buckish  youth,  David 
the  King,  that  he  stole  sheep? 


178g.  Geo  Parker,  Life's  Painter, 
57.  Having  beat  the  rounds  (as  buckish 
spirits  phrase  it)  of  that  bustling  micro- 
cosm, the  British  metropolis,  for  eighteen 
months. 

1812.  CoOMBE,  Dr.  Syntax,  Pictur- 
esque, xvii.  A  buckish  blade,  who  kept 
a  horse.  To  try  his  fortune  on  the  course. 

1858.  G.  Eliot,  Janet's  Repentance, 
V.  I've  made  him  as  neat  as  a  new  pin 
this  morning,  and  he  says  the  Bishop 
will  think  him  too  buckish  by  half. 

1873.  ^^''  D.  HowELLS,  A  Chance 
Acquaintance,  xiii.  A  very  buckish  young 
fellow,  with  a  heavy  black  moustache 
and  black  eyes,  who  wore  a  jaunty  round 
hat,  blue  checked  trousers,  a  white  vest, 
and  a  morning-coat  of  blue  diagonals. 


Buckle,   subs.    (old), 
fetters  :  see  darbies. 


In    pi.  = 


Verb  (colloquial). —  i.  To  marry; 
TO  SPLICE  {q.V.);  TO  HITCH  {q.V.). 

1594.  LvLY,  Mother  Bombie.  Good 
silly  Stellio,  we  must  buckle  shortly. 

1693.  Drvden,  yuvenal,  vi.,  37.  Is 
this  an  age  to  buckle  with  a  bride  ? 

1751.  Smollett,  Peregrine  Pickle, 
Ixvii.  Who  .  .  .  declared  himself  well 
satisfied  with  the  young  man's  addresses, 
and  desired  that  they  might  be  buckled 
with  all  expedition. 

1822.  Scott,  The  Fortunes  of  Nigel, 
xxxii.  Buckle  them,  my  Lord  Bishop, 
as  fast  as  you  can.. .  .  The  Bishop  accord- 
ingly opened  his  book  and  commenced 
the  marriage  ceremony. 

1857.  A.  Trollope,  Three  Clerks, 
xlvi.  We  could  have  half  a  dozen  marriiîd 
couples  all  separating,  getting  rid  of  their 
ribs,  and  buckling  again,  helter-skelter, 
every  man  to  somebody  else's  wife. 

2.     (old). — To    bend;   to  yield 
to  pressure  ;  to  give  way. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
Buckle,  to  bend  or  give  way.  He'll 
buckle  to  no  man,  he  won't  yield  to 
stoop  to  any  man. 


Buckle-beggar. 


399 


Btickler. 


1 8...  Thom,  Anecdotes  and  Tradi- 
tions,  54.     Ninepences  a  little  buckled. 

3.  (thieves'). — To  arrest  ;  TO 
SCRAG  i^q.v.).  Hence  BUCKLED  = 
arrested. 

To  BUCKLE  DOWN,  verb.  phr. 
(common). — To  settle  down  ;  to 
become  reconciled  to  ;  to  knuckle 
DOWN  {q-v^). 

1874.  Jos.  Hatton,  Clytie,  III.,  iv. 
'But  you  do  not  buckle  down  to  your 
position,'  said  Cuffing...  'you  wrangle, 
you  higgle.' 

To  BUCKLE  TO  verb.  phr.  (collo- 
quial).— To  undertake  ;  to  grapple 
with  ;  to  slip  in  ;  to  work  vig- 
orously. 

1557.  TusSER,  Husbandrie,  xcvi.,  84, 
187  (E.D.S.).  Then  purchase  some  pelfe, 
by  flftie  and  three:  or  buckle  thy  selfe, 
a  drudge  for  to  bee. 

1663.  Butler,  Hudibras,  I.,  ii.,  926. 
And  fitting  it  for  sudden  fight,  Straight 
drew  it  up,  t'attack  the  Knight,  For 
getting  up  on  stump  and  huckle.  He 
with   the  foe  began  to  buckle. 

1712.  Arbuthnot,  Hist,  of  John 
Bull,  IV.,  viii.  At  last  Esquire  South 
BUCKLED  TO,   to  assist  his  friend  Nie. 

1883.  James  Payn,  Thicker  than 
Water,  xxvii.  Of  course  it  could  never 
have  been  taken  up  as  a  serious  occupa- 
tion ;  the  way  you  buckled  to  at  it,  as  I 
told  Mr.  Payton,  was  something  amazing. 

1889  Modern  Society,  19  Oct.,  1302. 
('How  the  Nobility  live  in  Germany.') 
Though,  as  a  rule,  courteous  to  ladies  at 
dinner,  when  a  course  is  served  all  buckle 
TO,  and  conversation  is  at  an  end.  Each 
gentleman  forgets  his  fair  neighbour,  and 
minds  only  number  one.  Between  the 
courses,  when  nothing  better  is  on,  they 
converse,  and  always  everything  is  served 
à  la  Russe. 

Buckle-beggar,  subs.pkr.  (old). — 
A  Fleet  clergyman  ;  one  who 
celebrated  marriage  ceremonies 
therein  ;  hence,  one  who  celebrat- 


ed irregular  marriages  ;  a  hedge 
priest  ;  one  who  undertook  similar 
offices  for  gypsies  and  tramps, 
i.e.,  a  BUCKLE  THE  BEGGARS:  See 
COUPLE-BEGGAR,  and  BUCKLE,  Verb, 
sense  i. 

c.  1700.  Ld.  Fountainhill,  Diary, 
in  Lakwood,  Bk.  Cleric.  Anecd.,  294.  He 
after  turn'd  a  buckle-beggar,  i.e.,  one 
who  married  without  license. 

1822.  Scott,  Fortunes  of  Nigel, 
xvii.  (II.,  86).  A  hedge  parson,  or  buckle- 
beggar,  as  that  order  of  priesthood  has 
been  irreverently  termed.  Ibid,  xxvii. 
(III.,  22).  Dr.  R.,  who  buckles  beggars 
for  a  tester  [sixpence]  and  a  dram  of 
Geneva. 

Buckle-bosom,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
A  catchpoll;  a  constable. 

Buckle-mouthed,  adj. phr.  (provin- 
cial).— Having  large  straggling 
teeth  (Halliwell). 

Buckler,  subs.  (American  thieves'). 
— I.  A  collar:  cf.  all-rounder. 

2.  (old). — In  pi.  :=  fetters:  .f« 
BUCKLE  and  darbies. 

To  GIVE  BUCKLERS,  verb.  phr. 
(old)  — To  yield  ;  to  give  way  ; 
to  submit.  Hence  TO  take  (bang, 

SNATCH,  or  hold)  UP  THE  BUCK- 
LERS =  tO  contend;  to  fight;  TO 
carry  BUCKLERS  FROM  z=.  to 
conquer. 

1600.  Shakspeare,  Much  Ado,  v.,  2. 
A  most  manly  wit,  Margaret,  it  will  not 
hurt  a  woman;  and  so,  I  pray  thee,  call 
Beatrice:  I  give  thee  the  bucklers. 

1602.  DEKKER,Sa)'jr<7waj/r4r[NARES] 
Charge  one  of  them  to  take  up  the 
BUCKLERS  Against  that  hair- monger 
Horace. 

i6og.  JONSON,  Case  is  Altered^yiKf.^%\. 
Play  an  honest  part,  and  bear  away  the 

BUCKLERS. 

AA 


Buckram. 


400 


Budge. 


16..     Every  Wotnan  inker  Hutnour 

[NaRESJ.    If  you  LAY  DOWN  THE  BUCKLERS, 

you  lose  the  victory. 

16..  Old  Meg  of  Her  e  f.,  3.  Age 
is    nobodie — when    youth   is   in    place,   it 

GIVES   THE    OTHER    THE    BUCKLERS. 

1644.  Heylin,  Life  of  Laud,  64. 
They  found  the  king  to  be  well  affected 
[to  Bp.  Andrewes]  for  taking  up  the 
bucklers  for  him  against  Cardinal  Bel- 
iarmine. 

1648-53.  Fuller.  Church  Hist.,  x., 
iii.,  EG.  Were  it  not  for  God's  marvellous 
blessing  on  our  studies,  and  the  infinite 
odds  of  truth  on  our  side,  it  were  impos- 
sible, in  human  proability,  that  we  should 
HOLD  UP  THE  BUCKLERS  against  [the 
Papists]. 

d.  1663.  Sanderson,  Works,  i.,  2S9. 
These  great  undertakers  have  snatched 
UP  THE  BUCKLERS,  as  if  they  would  make 
it  good  against  all  comers. 

i6g6.  Aubrey,  Misc.,  214.  Their 
servants  at  market,  or  where  they  met 
(in  that  slashing  age),  did  commonly 
bang  one  another's  bucklers. 

Buckram.  Men  in  buckram,  subs, 
phr.  (old). — Non-existent  persons  : 
in  allusion  to  Falstaff's  '  four 
men  in  buckram.' 

BUCKRAM-BAG,  st(bs.  phr.  (old). — 
An  attorney  of  small  standing: 
cf.  GREEN-BAG. 

1592.  Nashe,  Piers  Pennilesse.  To 
Westminster  Hall  I  went,  and  made  a 
search  of  enquirie,  from  the  blacke  gowne 
to  the  buckram  bag,  if  there  were  anie 
such  Serjeant,  bencher,  counsailer,  attur- 
ney,  or  pettifogger. 

BUCK'S-FACE,  subs,  phr  (old).— A 
cuckold  (B.E.,  c.   1696). 

Buckskin,  subs.  phr.  (old).— In  pi. 
=  A  term  applied  to  the  Ame- 
rican troops  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.  The  Marquis  de 
Chastellux,  in  his  I'ravels  in  A^orth 
America,  in  1 780-82,  says  :  '  The 
name    of  buckskin    is   given    to 


the  inhabitants  of  Virginia,  be- 
cause their  ancestors  were  hunters, 
and  sold  buck  or  rather  deer 
skins.'  As  applied  to  certain 
American  soldiers,  we  are  inclined 
to  believe  that  from  their  wearing 
garments  made  of  dressed  deer- 
skins the  term  was  applied  to 
them  (Bartlett). 

BUCKSOME,  ad;.  (Winchester  Col- 
lege).—  I.  Happy;  in  a  state  of 
BUCK-uppiSHNEss:  see  buck-up. 

2.     (old). — See  quot. 

c    1696.  B.E.,  Diet.   Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BuCKSOM,  wanton,   merry. 

BUCKTAILS,  subs.  phr.  (American). 
— The  name  of  a  political  party 
in  the  State  of  New  York,  about 
the  year  1815.  [HAMMOND  Polit. 
Hist,  of  Neiu  York,  i.  450:  There 
was  an  order  of  the  Tammany 
Society  who  wore  in  their  hats, 
as  an  insignia,  on  certain  occa- 
sions, a  portion  of  the  tail  of 
the  deer.  They  were  a  leading 
order,  and  from  this  circumstance 
the  friends  of  De  Witt  Clinton 
gave  those  who  adopted  the  views 
of  the  members  of  the  Tammany 
Society,  in  relation  to  him,  the 
name  of  bucktails  -,  which  name 
was  eventually  applied  to  their 
friends  and  supporters  in  the 
country.  Hence  the  party  opposed 
to  the  administration  of  Mr.  Clinton 
were  for  a  long  time  called  the 
BucKTAiL  Party. 

Bud,  subs.  (American). — An  endear- 
ment of  children:  cf.  bud-of- 
PROMiSE  and  rosebud. 

Budge,  subs,  (old).— i.  A  thief 
{q.v.y.  spec,  (also  sneaking-budge) 
:=  an  accomplice  who  gains  access 


Budge-a-beake. 


401 


Buff. 


to  a  building  during  the  day,  to 
be  locked  in,  so  that  at  night  he 
is  able  to  admit  his  fellows:  but 
see  quots. 

1671.  R.  Head,  English  Rogue,  I., 
v.,  48  (1874).  Budge,  one  that  steals 
cloaks. 

1674.  R.  Head,  Canting  Acad.,  95. 
The  BUDGE  ,  .  .  his  employment  is  in 
the  dark  of  the  Evening,  to  go  into  any 
door  that  he  seeth  open,  and  .  .  .  take 
whatever  next  Cometh  to  hand. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
Budge,  c.  one  that  slips  into  an  house 
in  the  dark,  and  taketh  cloaks,  coats,  or 
what  comes  next  to  hand,  marching  off 
with  them;  also  lambs-fur,  and  to  stir, 
or  move.  Standing  budge,  c.  the  thieves 
scout  or  perdu. 

1752.  Fielding,  Amelia,  I.,  iii.  I 
find  you  are  some  sneaking  budge  rascal 
("cant  term  for  pilfering]. 

2.  (old). — Drink  ;  liquor.  Hence, 

BUDGY  =  drunk;  BUDGING-KEN  = 

a  public  house;  cove  of  the 
BUDGING  -  KEN  =  a  publican  ; 
BUDGER  =  a  drunkard. 

1821.  D.  Haggart,  Life,  Glossary, 
171.  Budge,  drink.  lòid.  171.  Budge 
KAiN,  a  public-house. 

Verb,     (old     colloquial).  —  To 

move  ;  to  MAKE  TRACKS  {q.V.)  l  cf. 
BUDGE-A-BEAKE. 

BUDGE-A-BEAKE,  verb.  phr.  (old).— 
To   run   away  (presumably  from 

justice)  ;  TO  BILK  THE  BLUES  {q.V  ). 

1610.  Rowlands,  Martin  Mark-all, 
37  (H.  Club's  Repr.,  1874).  Budge-a- 
BEAKE,  runne  away. 

BUDGEREE,  adj.  (Australian).— Good: 
an  aboriginal  word  common  collo- 
quially in  the  bush  (Morris). 

1793.  J.  Hunter,  Port  Jackson,  195. 
They  very  frequently,  at  the  conclusion 
cf   the    dance,    would   apply   to   us  .  .  . 


for  marks  of  our  approbation  .  .  ,  which 
we  never  failed  to  give  by  often  repeat- 
ing the  word  boojekv,  good;  or  boojkrv 
CARIBBKRIE,  a  good  dance. 

BUD-OF-PROMISE,  subs.  phr.  (Ameri- 
can).— A  young,unmarried  woman: 
see  BUD  and  rosebud. 

1889.  Charlestoivn  Enterprise.  The 
young,  unmarried  girl,  in  sport.  Is  called 
a  bud  of  promise. 

Budget.  To  open  one's  budget, 
verb.  phr.  (colloquial). — To  speak 
one's  mind. 

Bud-SALLOGH,  (old  Irish).  —A 
masturbator:  see  JESUIT. 

Buenos  AYRES,  (provincial).— The 
Royal  Crescent  at  Margate,  at  the 
extreme  end  of  the  town,  used 
to  be  so  called.  The  houses 
remained  unfinished  for  a  very 
considerable  time  (H.  J.  Byron). 

BUFE,  subs,  (old  cant). — A  dog: 
see  BUFFER.  [Murray:  from  the 
sound  of  its  bark.] 

1567.  Harman,  Caveat,  84.  BuFE, 
a  dogge. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BUFE,  c.  a  dog. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  BuFE,  a  dog;  bufb's 
NOB,  a  dog's  head. 

BUFE-NABBER  (or  -NAPPER),  subs. phr. 
(old).— A  dog  thief  (B.E.  and 
Grose). 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
buffenapper,  c.  a  dogstealer,  that  trades 
in  setters,  hounds,  spaniels,  lap,  and  all 
sorts  of  dogs,  selling  them  at  a  round 
rate,  and  himself  or  partner  stealing  them 
away  the  first  opportunity. 

Buff,  subs,  (common). —  i.  The  bare 
skin  ;  nakedness.  Hence  as  verb 
=  to  strip:  also  TO  buff  IT;  IN 
BUFF  =  naked  :  see  nature's  garb. 


Buff. 


402 


Buff 


1602.     Dekker,  Satiro-Mastix.    I  go 

in    stag,    IN    BUFF. 

i6s4-  Chapman,  Revenge  /or  Honour, 
I.,  i.  Then  for  accoutrements  you  wear 
the  BUFF,  As  you  believed  it  heresy  to 
change  For  linen:  surely  most  of  yours 
is  spent  In  lint. 

174g.  H.  FiTZCOTTON,  Homer,  I.,  38. 
If  you  perplex  me  with  your  stuff — All 
that  are  here  shan't  save  your  buff. 

1760.  Johnston,  Chrysal,  II.,  235. 
'I  have  got  as  many  clothes  and  things 
of  all  kinds  as  would  serve  to  set  up  a 
Monmouth-street  merchant;  if  the  place 
had  held  out  but  a  few  days  longer,  the 
poor  devils  must  have  done  duty  in 
their  buff;  ha!  ha!  ha!'  'And  the 
properest  dress  for  them,'  returned  the 
admiral  ;  '  who  wants  any  clothes  in  such 
a  climate  as  this.'' 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  26.  Yèt, 
tho'  you'll  box  the  devil  in  buff  .  .  . 
Ibia.  54.  As  IN  BUFF  the  gen'ral  lay. 
Ibid.  297.  Trimming  her  bewitching  buff. 

1824.  Hughes,  Magic  Lay  of  the 
Onehorse  Shay  (Blackwood).  When  our 
pair  were  soused  enough,  and  returned 
in  their  buff. 

i8[?]  CoLMAN,  Poet.  Vagar,  145. 
Titian's  famed  Goddess,  in  luxurious 
BUFF,  Was  the  first  piece  the  Parson 
thrust  his  nose  on. 

1851.  Mayhew,  London  Labour  and 
London  Poor,  II.,  416.  'You  had  better 
BUFF  it,  Jim,'  says  I;  but  Jim  wouldn't 
do  it,  and  kept  his  trowsers  on.  Ibid, 
417.  So  I  locks  the  door,  and  BUFFS  it, 
and  forces  myself  up,  etc. 

....  Jarvis,  Don  Quixote,  i,  ni,  viii. 
The  slaves  .  .  .  had  stripped  the  commis- 
sary  to   his  BUFF. 

1855.  Notes  and  Queries,  i.,  xi.,  467. 
We  say  of  one  in  a  state  of  nudity,  'he 

is   in    BUFF.' 

1856.  H.  Mayhew,  Gt.  World  of 
London,  ■2.'2-i-  There's  a  fine  young  chap 
there,  »tript  to  the  buff,  and  working 
away  hard! 

1872.  C.  King,  Sierra  Nev.,  viii., 
176.  Stripping  ourselves  to  the  buff,  we 
hung  up  our  steaming  clothes. 


2.  (old). — A  man  ;  a  fellow  ; 
also  BUFFER  {q.v^. 

1703-15.  Kersey.  Buff  ...  a  dull 
Sot,  or  drcnish  Fellow. 

1709.  Brit.  Apollo,  II,  8,  3,  2.  Tell 
me    Grave    Buffs,    Partly    Gods,   partly 

men. 

1725.  New  Cant.  Diet.,  s.v.  buff, 
a  Newgate  Cant  Word  used  in  familiar 
salutation  as.  How  dost  do,  my  buff? 

1748.  Smollett,  Roderick  Random, 
iv.,  15.  Mayhaps  old  buff  has  left  my 
kinsm.^n  here  his  heir. 

1764.  Bridges,  Homer  Trauest. 
(1797),  II.,  420.  You  seem  afraid  these 
BUFFS  will  flinch. 

To  BUFF  IT,  verb.  phr.  (com- 
mon)—  I.  To  swear  tO;  to  adhere 
to  a  statement  hard  and  fast;  to 
stand  firm  :  also  TO  buff  it  home. 

1812.  J.  H.  Vau.\',  Flash  Diet.,  s.v. 
Buff,  to  buff  to  a  person  or  thing,  is 
to  swear  to  the  identity  of  them. 

1881.  New  York  Slang  Dictionary. 
Buffing  it  home  is  swearing  point-blank 
to  anything,  about  the  same  as  bluffing 
it,    making   a    bold  stand  on  no  backing. 

2.     See  buff,  subs.     i. 

To  STAND  BUFF,  verb.  phr.  (old). 
— To  stand  the  bnmt  ;  to  pay  the 
piper;  to  endure  without  flinching. 

c.  1680.  Butler,  Ifudibras'  Epi- 
taph. And  for  the  good  old  cause  stood 
BUFF  'Gainst  many  a  bitter  kick  and 
cuff. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BUFF,  TO  STAND  BUFF,  to  Stand  tightly 
or  resolutely  to  any  thing. 

1697.  Vanbrugh,  Provoked  IVife, 
I.,  i.  Would  my  courage  come  up  to  a 
fourth  part  of  my  ill-nature,  I'd  stand 
BUFF  to  her  relations,  and  thrust  her  out 
of  doors. 


Buffard. 


403 


Buffer. 


1737.  Fielding,  The  Miser,  ii.,  2. 
Love.  How!  rascal,  is  it  you  that  aban- 
don yourielf  to  those  intolerable  extrav- 
agancies? Fred.  I  must  even  STAND 
BUFF,  and  outface  him. 

1748.  T.  Dyche,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
To  STAND  BUFF  (v.),  to  Stand  stoutly  to 
a  thing,  to  be  resolute  and  unmoved, 
though   the  danger  be  great. 

1761.  CoLMAN,  Jealous  Wife,  V.,  i., 
139.  Stick  close  to  my  advice  and  you 
may  stand  buff  to  a  tigress. 

1822.  Scott,  Fortunes  of  Nigel, -xxi. 
'Stand  buff  against  the  reproach  of 
thine  over-tender  conscience.' 

The  BUFFS.  S^-«  buff  Howards. 


incendiaries.  Ibid,  ii.,  224.  'Tis  a  buff- 
coat  objection  that  his  Majesty  consum'd 
as  much  in  embassies  to  settle  differences 
by  accord,  and  did  no  good,  as  would 
have  maintain'd  a  noble  war,  and  made 
him  sure  of  his  demands. 

Buffer,  subs,  (old).— i.  A  dog. 
[Considerable  obscurity  surrounds 
the  origin  of  this  term  ;  for  vary- 
ing forms  see  quots]. 

1567.  Harman,  Caveat  (1814),  65. 
BuFE,  a  dogge.     Ibid,  (1575)  bufa. 

1610.  Rowlands,  Martin  Mark-all, 
37  (H.  Club's  Repr.,  1874).  Buffa,  a 
Dogge. 


Phrases  : — To  say  neither 
buff  nor  baff  (not  to  say 
buff  to  a  wolf's  shoulder, 
or  TO  know  neither  buff  nor 
stye)  =:  to  say  neither  one  thing 
nor  another;  to  know  nothing 
at  all. 

1542.  Udall,  Apophth,  g.  A  certaine 
persone  being  of  hym  [Socrates]  bidden 
good  speede,  saied  to  him  againe  neither 
BUFFE  NE  BAFF  [that  is,  made  him  no 
kind  of  answer].  Neither  was  Socrates 
therewith  any  thing  discontented. 

Buffard,  subs.  (old). —  A   foolish 
fellow  :  see  buffle. 

Buff-ball,  subs.phr.  (vagrants'). — See 
quot.  and  cf.  BALLUM-RANCUM. 

1880.  Greenwood,  In  Strange  Com- 
pany. The  most  favourite  entertainment 
at  this  place  is  known  as  buff-ball,  in 
which  both  sexes — innocent  of  clothing 
— madly  join,  stimulated  with  raw  whis- 
key, and  the  music  of  a  fiddle  and  a  tin 
whistle. 

Buff-coat,  subs.phr.  (old).— A  sol- 
dier: cf.  red-coat  (B.E.  c.  1696). 

1692.  Hacket,  Life  of  IVilliains, 
ii.,  170.  Schismatical  depravity  will  grow 
up  under  the  licentiousness  of  war;  some 
profane    buff-coats   will   authorize  such 


1673.  Head,  £ng.  Iiogue,s.v.  bvchzr. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BUGHER,  c.  a  Dog. 

1714.  Memoirs  of  John  Hall  (4  ed.), 
II.    Buffer,  a  Dog. 

1842.  Lover,  Handy  Andy,  iv.  It 
is  not  every  day  we  get  a  badger,  you 
know  .  .  .  Reilly  the  butcher  has  two 
or  three  capital  dogs,  and  there's  a  wicked 
mastiff  below  stairs,  and  I'll  send  for  my 
'buffer'  and  we'd  have  some  spanking 
sport. 

1876.  C.  Hii^DLKV,  Life  and  Adven- 
tures of  a  Cheap  fack,  162.  They  had 
a  dog  belonging  to  them  that  would  be 
sure  to  begin  a  quarrel  with  another 
BUFFER,  whenever  his  master  or  mistress 
found  a  match. 

2.  (common). — A  man  ;  a  fellow  : 
sometimes  contemptuously,  but 
generally  speaking  a  familiar 
address:  eg.  old  buffer. 

1749.  H.  Fitzcotton,  Homer,  I. 
(1748),  23.  You're  a  BUFFER  always 
rear'd  in  The  brutal  pleasures  of  Bear- 
garden. 

1760.  Old  Song,  'Come  AU  You 
Buffers  Gay  '  [  The  Humourist,  2].  Come 
all  you  BUFFERS  gay,  That  rumly  do  pad 
the  city. 


Buffer. 


404 


Buff  Howards. 


1837.  Barham,  /.  L.  ('The  Bagman's 
Dog').  So  I'll  merely  observe,  as  the 
water  grew  rougher,  The  more  my  poor 
hero  continued  to  suffer,  Till  the  Sailors 
themselves  cried,  in  pity,  'Poor  buffer!' 

i832.  F.  Anstev,  I'ice  Versa,  xiv. 
I  made  a  first-rate  booby-trap,  though, 
one  day  for  an  old  yellow  buffer  who 
came  in  to  see  you. 

1893.  MiLLiKEN,  \Arry  Ballads,  14. 
Bald  buffers  seem  fair  in  the  run. 

3.  (pugilistic). — A  boxer;  one 

of  THE    FANCY    {q.V.). 

i8ig.  Moore,  Tom  Cr ib^ s  Memorial 
to  Congress,  7.  The  buffers,  both  'Boys 
of  the  Holy  Ground.'  Ibid,  51.  Sprightly 
to  the  scratch  both  buffers  came. 

1834.  Ainsworth,  Rookwood,  iv.  ii. 
Bold   came   each   buffer  to  the  scratch. 

4.  (old). — Set  quots. 

1690.  B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew. 
Buffer,  a  Rogue  that  kills  good  sound 
Horses  only  for  their  Skins,  by  running 
a  long  Wyre  into  them,  and  semetimes 
knocking  them  on  the  Head,  for  the 
quicker  Dispatch. 

1737.  Bacchus  and  Venus.  Buffer, 
a  rogue  that  killed  good  sound  horses 
for  the  sake  of  their  skins,  by  running 
a  long  wire  into  them. 

1785.  Gkosk,  Dictionarv  0/ ike  Vul- 
gar Tongue.  Buffer,  one  that  steals 
and  kills  horses  and  dogs  for  their  skins. 

5.  (old). — A  hired  false  wit- 
ness; a  STRAWSHOES  {q.v.). 

6.  (old). — A  pistol. 

1824.  S[R  VV.  Scott,  Red  Gauntlet, 
iii.  Here  be  a  pair  of  duffers  will  bite 
as  well  as  bark. 

7.  (old). — A  smuggler;  a  rogue  ; 
a  cheat. 

8.  (nautical). — A  boatswain's 
mate:  his  duty  it  is — or  was — to 
administer  the  CAT  {q.i'.)- 


BUFFER'S-NAB,  subs.  phr.  (old  cant). 
— See  quot. 

c.  i6g6.  B.E  ,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
buffers  nab,  c.  a  Dog's  Head,  used  in 
a  Counterfeit  Seal  to  a  false   Pass. 

Buff  Howards  (The,  or  The  Buffs), 

subs.  phr.  (military). — The  Third 
Regiment  of  Foot,  now  the  East 
Kent  Regiment  ;  from  its  facings 
and    Colonel's    name    from    1737 

to  1749;  also  THE  NUT-CRACKERS 
{q.v.);  and  THE  RESURRECTIONISTS 

{q.v.),  from  its  reappearing  at  the 
Battle  of  Albuera  after  being 
dispersed  by  the  Polish  Lancers; 
also  THE  OLD  BUFFS,  from  its 
facings,  and  to  distinguish  it  from 

the    31st,    THE    YOUNG   BUFFS;  but 

the  most  ancient  old  buffs  were 
the  Duke  of  York  and  Albany's 
Maritime  Regiment,  raised  in  1664, 
and  incorporated  into  the  2nd  or 
Coldstream  Guards  in  1689. 

1849.  Macaulav,  Hist.  England,  I., 
295.  The  third  regiment,  distinguished 
by  flesh-coloured  f.icings,  from  which  it 
derived     the    well-known    name    of   the 

buffs. 

1851.  Mavhew,  London  Labour  and 
London  Poor,  I.,  232.  His  father  was 
a  captain  in  the  buffs,  and  himself  a 
commissioned  officer  at  seventeen. 

1874.  Saturday  Rc7iiew,  95.  This 
regiment  [the  F'irst  or  Grenadier  Guards] 
has  almost  the  longest  record  of  any  in 
the  service,  only  yielding,  we  believe, 
to  the  ist  Roy:ils,  and  to  the  3rd  BuFFS, 
which  were  originally  raised  for  the 
service  of  the  States-General  of  Holland. 

1886.  Tinsley's  Mag.,  'Our  Regi- 
mental Mottoes  and  Nicknames,'  April, 
31g.  The  buffs — a  corps  which  enjoys 
the  almost  unique  privilege  of  m.arch- 
ing  through  the  city  of  London  with 
bayonets  fixed.  The  3rd  Foot  owes  its 
immortal  cognomen  to  the  fact  of  its 
having  originally  been  clad  in  scarlet, 
lined  and  faced  with  buff;  its  members 
also  had  uukf  waistcoats,  huff  breeches, 
and    BDFF    stockings.     Being    the    senior 


Buffle. 


405 


Bug. 


regiment  thus  clothed,  they  were  oc- 
casionally styled  the  OLD  buffs  ;  and 
the  31st,  raised  in  1702,  and  dressed  in 
a  precisely  similar  fashion,  were  known 
as  the  YOUNG  buffs.  The  following 
tradition,  however,  offers  a  more  circum- 
stantial account  of  the  latter  appellation. 
Having  earned  in  some  hotly-contested 
action,  the  good  opinion  of  a  general 
under  whom  they  were  serving,  and  who 
expressed  his  approbation  by  calling 
out  to  the  31st,  'Well  done,  OLD  buffs!' 
a  few  of  the  men,  somewhat  excited  by 
close  combat,  replied,  'We  are  not  the 
OLD  buffs,  Sir.'  Whereupon  the  general 
cried,  'Then  well  done,  young  buffs!' 
And  so  the  'young  buffs' they  became, 
and  have  since  remained,  although  the 
days  of  'buff'  waistcoats  and  stockings 
have  long  passed  away. 

Buffle,  subs.  (old).  —  A  fool  ;  a 
stupid  blunderer  a  conceited 
PUPPY  {q.v  )  :  also  buefle-head 
and    BUFF.     Hence    buffle    (or 

BUFFLEHEADED)  =  stupid  ;  idiotic; 

foolish  ;  blundering  ;  conceited. 

1580.  Beehive  of  the  Romish  Churche, 
fo.  06b.     An  unlearned  buffle  did  babble. 

1655.  Comic  Hist.  Francion,  iv.,  22. 
He  said  to  the  three  buffles  who  stood 
with  their  hats  in  their  hands.  Tell  me, 
you  Waggs,  etc.  ■** 

1659.  Lady  Alimony,  I.,  ii.,  [Dodsley, 
Old  Plays  (Hazlitt)  xiv.,  278.]  What  a 
drolling  buffle-head  is  this! 

1663.  Pepys,  Diary,  March  17.  But 
my  Lord  Mayor,  a  talking,  bragging, 
bi;ffle-headed  fellow. 

1668.  Pepvs,  Diary,  Jan.  29.  He 
tells  me  that  Townsend,  of  the  Ward- 
robe, is  the  veriest  knave  and  buffle- 
HBAD  that  ever  he  saw. 

1677.  Wycherley,  Plain  Dealer, 
ii.  Oliv.  You  know  nothing,  you  buffle- 
HEADED  stupid  creature  you. 

1686.  D'Urfey,  Commomuealtk  of 
Women,  I.,  i.  A  damn'd  huffing  fellow 
yonder,    a  Rebel,  Whiggy  buffle-head. 

1694.  Plautus's  Comedies  made 
English.  Why,  you  blockhead,  you've 
almost    thrown   the   door  off  the  hinges. 


D'ye  think  our  doors  are  made  at  the 
publick  charge.-' — Whit  makes  you  stare 
so,  BUFFLEHEAD?  What's  your  business, 
I  say?  And  who  are  ye.> 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
BUFFLB-HEAD,  a  Foolish  Fellow. 

1710.  Pol.  Ballads  (i860),  II.,  90.  To 
see    the    chief   attorney   such   a  buffle. 

1734.  B.  Martin,  Eng.  Diet.,  3  ed. 
BUFFLE-HEAD,  an  ignoramus,  or  dull  sot. 

1883.  Baring  Gould,  John  Herring, 
II.,  XXV.,  275.  (Tauchnitz  ed.)  'A  buffle- 
headed  sort  of  a  chap,'  said  Joyce. 

1887.  Dead  Man's  Rock,  I.,  v. 
Jonathan's  a  buffle-he.\d.  .  .a  daft  fuie 
like  Jonathan. 

Buffle-head    and   Buffleheaded. 

See  BUFFLE. 

Buffo,  subs.  (old). — A  comic  actor, 
singer  in  comic  opera,  or  burles- 
que  (1764):   cf.   BUFFOON. 

Buffoon  (and  Buffoonery),  subs. 
(B.E.). — '  Buffoon,  a  great  man's 
jester  or  fool.'  'Buffoonery, 
jesting,  or  playing  the  fool's  part.' 

Buffs  (The).    See  buff  Howards. 

Buffy,  adj.  (common). — Intoxicated  : 
see  SCREWED. 

1866.  Yates,  Land  at  Last,  I.,  85. 
Flexor  was  fine  and  buffy  when  he  came 
home  last  night,  after  you  was  gone,  sir. 

1S72.  Besant  and  Rice,  R.  M. 
Mortiboy,  xlii.  My  ideas  take  me  first 
of  all  unawares.  They  generally  begin, 
'.ike  a  toothache,  when  I  least  expect 
them.  Perhaps  when  I  feel  a  little 
BUFFY,  in  the  morning;  mayhap,  after 
an  extra  go  of  grog  the  night  before. 
Then  one  comes  all  of  a  sudden. 

BUG,^«<5j-. (thieves'). — I.  A  breast  pin. 

1859.  Matsell,  I'ocabulum,  or 
Rogue's  Lexicon,  124  And  where  .  .  . 
The  Chips,  the  Fawneys,  Chatty-feeders, 
The  BUGS,  the  boungs,  and  well-filled 
readers. 


Bug. 


406 


Bug. 


2.  (Old  Irish).— An  English- 
man. [Grose:  'because  bugs 
were  introduced  into  Ireland  by 
Englishmen  !  !  '] 

3.  (American). — A  beetle  :  the 
term  is  not  confined,  as  in  Eng- 
land, to  the  domestic  pest,  but 
is  applied  to  all  insects  of  the 
Coleoptera  order  ;  the  Cimex  lec- 
tularius  is,  in  the  Southern  States, 
known  as  the  chinch  :  cf.  the 
Winchester  usage  of  BUG  =:  an 
insect,  whether  of  the  Coleoptera, 
Lepidoptera,  or  any  other  order. 
Hence  bug-hunting  =z  entomol- 
ogy; and  bug-hunter  =  an 
entomologist. 

1642.  Rogers,  Naaman  the  Syrian, 
74.  Do  not  all  as  much  and  more  wonder 
at  God's  rare  workmanship  in  the  Ant, 
the  poorest  bugge  that  creeps. 

1888.  Grass  Valley  (Cal.)  Tidings. 
Entomology,  or  bugology,  is  now  taught 
to  some  extent  in  our  public  schools. 
This  is  well,  and  is  of  use.  The  children 
ought  to  learn  about  the  bugs  that  are 
destructive  to  useful  vegetation.  It  is 
better  to  learn  much  about  bugs  than  so 
much  about  how  to  solve  those  arith- 
metical problems  that  will  never  face 
anybody   in   the   practical   affairs  of  life. 

1888.  Daily  Inter-Ocean,  March. 
The  Insane  Asylum  Board  some  time 
ago  discontinued  a  bug-killer's  employ- 
ment, and  the  doctor  avers  that  the  old 
hospital  building  is  swarming  with  cock- 
roaches, and  that  these  bugs  will  soon 
be  large  and  fat  enough  to  carry  out  the 
inmates  and  take  their  food  and  clothes. 

igoo.  Kipling,  Stalky  èf  Co.,  3. 
I  conciliated  Hartopp  Told  him  that 
you'd  read  papers  to  bug-hunters  if  he 
let  you  join,  Beetle.  Told  him  you  liked 
butter-llics,  Turkey.  Anyhow,  I  soothed 
the  Hartogges,  and  we're  bug-kunters 
now.' 

4.  (American).  —  In  various 
combinations,  as  big  bug  (</.v.), 
a  man  of  wealth  or  distinction  ; 
CATTi.E-BUG  =  a  wealthy  stock- 
raiser;  gold-bug,  a  rich  man; 
FIRE-BUG  =  an  incendiary,  etc. 


1567.  EDWARDS,  Damon  and Fiihias 
[DoDSLEV,  Old  Plays  (Hazlitt),  iv.  72.] 
[Here  it  is  said  a  man  may  seemj  a 
great  bug. 

1S43.  Haliburton,  Sam  Slick  in 
England,  xv.  The  great  guns  and  big 
bugs  have  to  take  in  each  other's  ladies. 
Hid,  24.  Pick  out  the  big  bugs  and  see 
what  sort  of  stuff  they're  made  of. 

1854.  Widow  Bedott  Papers,  301. 
Miss  Samson  Savage  is  one  of  the  big 
bugs, — that  is,  she's  got  more  money 
than  a'most  anybody  else  in  town. 

1857.  N.  Y.  Times,  February.  The 
free-and-easy  manner  in  which  the  hair- 
brained  Sir  Robert  Peel  described  some 
of  the  big  bugs  at  Moscow  has  got  him 
into  difficulty. 

1888.  St.  Louis  Globe  Democrat, 
March  5.  '  Would  Senator  Allison's  well- 
known  views  on  silver  coinage  operate 
materially  against  him  in  New  York.' 
'  I  think  not  ;  I  do  not  think  the  feeling 
against  silver  is  anything  like  as  strong 
as  it  was.  Of  course,  a  few  gold-bugs 
might  fifjht  him,  but  any  of  the  men  I 
have  mentioned  are  reasonably  certain 
to  carry  New  York.' 

5.  (old).— (a)  An  object  01 
terror;  a  goblin:  also  bugbear, 
BUGABOO  (ji.v^  and  (provincial) 
boggv-bo.  Bug-words  =  ugly 
words;  disgusting  language.  Hence 
{F),  in  modern  usage  bugbear 
=:  anything  causing  fright,  annoy- 
ance, or  even  iuconvenience. 

1544.  AscHAM,  ToxophiUis,  61.  Which 
be  the  very  dugges  that  the  Psalme 
meaneth  on,  walking  in  the  night  and  in 

corners. 

1572.  Lavaterus  de  Speciris,  ai. 
Afterwards  they  tell  them,  that  those 
which  they  saw,  were  bugs,  witches, 
and  hags. 

1593.  Shakspeare,  Taming 0/ Shrew, 
i.  2.  Tush,  tush!  fear  boys  with  BUGS. 
Ibid.  (1605)  Cymheline,  v.  3.  Those  that 
would  die  or  ere  resist,  are  grown  The 
mortal  bugs  o'  the  field. 

1599.  Hall,  Satires,  iv.  Care  we 
for  all  these  bugs  of  idle  fears. 


Bug. 


407 


Bîie:aboo. 


1603.  KvD,  Spanish  Tragedy  [DODS- 
LEV,  Old  Plays  (Reed),  iii,  234].  This 
hand  shall  hale  them  down  to  deepest 
hell,  Where  none  but  furies,  bugs,  and 
tortures  dwell. 

16...  Fleming,  Noinenclator,  47ia- 
s.v.  Lémures.  Hobgoblins,  or  night-walking 

spirits,    BLACK    BUGS. 

i6n.  CoTGRAvE,  Diet.,  s.v.  Cheval 
de  trompette,  one  that's  not  afraid  of 
shadows,  one  whom  no  big,  nor  bugs- 
WORDS  can   terrifie.' 

1687.  Sedley,  Bellamira.  Merry. 
You  are  resolved  to  go  to  her  again  ; 
notwithstanding  the  damn'd  trick  she 
serv'd  you  with  the  sea  captain,  and  your 
noble  resolution  to  the  contrary  ?  I'll 
see  her  hang'd  first  !  No,  tho'  she  beg  it 
a  thousand  times,  and  with  a  thousand 
tears,  I'll  n'e'rgo  near  her  !  Keepiu.  Did 
I  say  such  bug-words  ? 

1696.  Behn,  Younger  Brother.  Tere. 
But  heark  ye,  my  fellow-adventurer,  are 
you  not  marry'd  ?  Geo.  Marry'd  ? — that's 
a  bug-word — prithee,  if  thou  hast  any 
such  design,  keep  on  thy  mask,  lest  I  be 
tempted  to  wickedness. 

1704.     Ward,  Hudibras  Rediz'.  11,  v. 
I    tell   you,    sir,   I    know    your   creature; 
I  say,  sir,  she's  a  whore,  no  better. 
And  you're  a  pimp  to  vindicate  her. 
At  these  provoking  bugbear  words. 
Amidst  the  crowd,  both  drew  their  swords. 

1704.  10.  Mathew  Henry,  Bible, 
Psalm  xci,  5.  Thou  shalt  not  nede  to 
be  afraid  of  any  bugs  by  night. 

d.  17H.  Duke,  To  a  Roman  Catholic 
on  Marriage.  Censure  and  penances, 
excommunication.  Are  bugbear  words 
to  fight  a  bigot  nation. 

17...  Coles,  Diet,  s.v  bugabo. 
formerly.,  .an  ugly  wide-mouthed  picture, 
carried  about  at  the  May  games. 

Adj.  (old). — Proud  ;  conceited  : 
e.g.  'BUG  as  a  lord.' 

^ifr^  (old). — I.  Among  journey- 
men hatters  =:  to  exchange  the 
dear  material  for  that  of  less 
value  :  e.g.  when  hats  were  made 


of  fur  and  wool  with  a  small 
portion  of  beaver's  fur  to  steal  the 
beaver,  and  substitute  an  equal 
weight  of  some  cheaper  ingredient. 

2.  (thieves'). — To  bribe:  bailiffs 
accepting  money  to  delay  service 
were  said  TO  BUG  the  writ. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
bugging,  c.  taking  Money  by  Bailiffs 
and  Serjeants  of  the  Defendant  not  to 
Arrest  him. 

3.  (thieves'). — To  give  ;  to  hand 
over;  to  deliver. 

1812.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Flash  Diet.  'He 
bug'd   me   a   quid.'   'Bug  over  the  rag.' 

To  TAKE  BUG,  vcrb.  fhr.  (old;. 
— To  take  offence. 

That  beats  the  bugs,  fhr. 
(American). — A    high    meed    of 

praise;  cf.  THAT  BEATS  COCK- 
FIGHTING. 

To  SWEAR  BY  NO  BUGS,  verb. 
fhr.  (old). — To  swear  earnestly 
{i.e.   by    no  mere  empty  things)  : 

also    TO    SWEAR    BY    NO    BEGGARS. 

1650.  Fuller,  Pisgah  Sight,  11.,  ix.,  8. 
Caligula. . .  bid  his  horse  to  supper,  gave 
him  wine  to  drink  in  cups  of  estate,  set 
barlygraines  of  golde  before  him  to  eate, 
and  swore  by  no  bugs  that  hee  would 
make  him  a  Consul. 

As  SNUG  AS  A  BUG  IN  A  RUG 
(or  blanket),  phr.  (common). — 
As  snug  as  may  be. 

Bugaboo,  subs.  (old). —  l.  A  sheriff's 
officer  (Grose). 

1827.  LvTTON,  Pelham.,  xxix.  We 
have  done  many  a  mad  prank  together, 
which  I  should  not  like  the  BUGABOOS 
and  bulkies  to  know. 

2.  (provincial). — A  tally-man. 

3.  (common). — A  weekly  cred- 
itor: e.g.  a  landlord's  agent  or 
the  like. 


Bugaroch. 


408 


Bug-walk. 


Bugaroch,  adj.  (Old  Irish).— Pretty  ; 
comely  ;  handsome  (Grose). 

Bugbear.    See  bug  5. 

Bug-blinder,  subs.  phr.  (trade).— A 

whitewasher  ;      BUG-BLINDING    = 
whitewashing  operations. 

Bugger,  subs.  (old). — i.  A  thief 
(^.z^.)  whose  speciality  is  stealing 
breast-pins  from  drunken  men: 
also   BUG   HUNTER  (^.Z'.):  J^^  BUG. 

2.  (low). — A  man;  a  fellow: 
coarse  abuse  without,  as  a  rule, 
any  reference  to  the  legal  mean- 
ing of  sodomite.  Fr.  boiigrc[\\'\C\ç)[\ 
Littré  says  is  une  terme  de  mépris 
et  d'itijure,  usité  dans  le  langage 
populaire  le  plus  trivial  et  le  plus 
grossier).  Applied  to  a  man  =: 
BITCH  {q.v.),  applied  to  women: 
hence  BUGGERY  =1  bloody  {q.v.)  -, 

BLASTED     {q.V.);     BLAMED     (ç.V.); 

FUCKING    Iq.v.)  ;    and    the    usual 
derivatives. 

1562 — 77.  Gascoigne,  Fruités  of 
Warre,  128.  Yet  still  the  bowgers 
(Burghers  should  I  saye)  Encreast  their 
doubtes  and  watcht  me  day  by  day. 

1719.  D"Urfev,  Pills,  I.,  59.  From 
every  trench  the  bougers  fly. 

1851.  Mavhew,  London  Labour  and 
London  Poor,  I.,  23.  A  buggery  fool, 
why  don't  he  let  people  go  to  hell  their 
own  way?  Ibid,  180.  Here  mother, 
give    us   one   of  your   buggery  trotters. 

1854.  M.  Holmes,  Tempest  and  Sun, 
203.  If  I'll  known  all  you  city  buggers 
was    comin',    I'd   a    kivered  my  bar  feet. 

Verb,  (common). — To  cheat  at 
play. 

To  BUGGER  UP,  verb.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— To  spoil;  to  disappoint; 
to  nullify:  cf.  TO  bitch  up:  e.g. 
'  He  BUGGERED  (or  bitched)  up 
all  his  chances." 


Buggy,  subs,  (old).— A  leather  bottle. 
BUGHER.      See  BUFFER. 

Bug-hunter,  j;</^j-.///r.(thieves'). — A 
THIEF  q.v?j  who  plunders  drunken 
men,  see  bugger,  sense  i. 

1-56.  H.  Mavhew,  Gt.  World  of 
London,  46.  Those  who  hocus  or  plunder 
persons  by  stupefying;  as  'drummers,' 
who  drug  liquor,  and  BUG-HUNTERS,  who 
plunder  drunken   men. 

2.  subs.  (old). — An  upholsterer. 
{^Lexicon  Balatronicutrt). 

3.  See  BUG,  sense  3. 

Bug-juice,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
I.     Ginger  ale. 

2.  (American). — The  Schlechter 
whiskey  of  the  PeunsylvaniaDutch 
— a  very  inferior  spirit  :  also  called 
bug-poison:  now  applied  to  bad 
whiskey  of  every  brand. 

18...  Osborne  (Kansas)  Farmer 
[Bartlett].  VVe  have  taken  wood,  eggs, 
cabbages,  lumber,  saur  krout,  coon-skins, 
and  bug  juice  on  subscriptions  in  our 
time,  and  now  a  man  writes  us  to  know 
if  we  would  like  to  send  our  paper  six 
months,  for  a  large  owl.  If  we  come 
across  any  fellow  who  is  out  of  owl  we'll 
do  it. 

1888.  Texas  Sif  tings,  7  July.  It  is 
a  singular  fact,  that  nearly  every  charac- 
ter introduced  by  Charles  Dickens  into 
his  numerous  novels,  was  addicted  to 
drinking.  .  .each  and  every  individual 
took  his  bug-poison  with  surprising  re- 
guhirity  and  eminent  satisfaction. 

Bugle.  To  bugle  it,  verb.  phr. 
(American  cadets'). — To  abstain 
from  going  into  class  until  the 
last  moment — i.e.,  until  the  bugle 
sounds. 

Bug-walk,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
A  bed. 


Build. 


409 


Build. 


English  Synonyms.  Bedford- 
shire; Sheet  Alley;  Blanket  Fair; 
Feathers  Inn  ;  Land  of  Nod  ;  Cloth 
Market.  Also  Breeding-cage;  Bunk; 
Cage;  Clothmarket;  Dab;  Doss; 
Dossing  crib  ;  Downy  ;  Flea- 
pasture  ;  Latty  ;  Letty  ;  Libb  ; 
Lypken  ;  Perch  ;  Rip  ;  Ruggins  ; 
Shake-down  ;  Snooze. 

French  Synonyms.  Portfeniile-, 
boite  a  puces  {=.  Flea-pasture); 
pucier;  tremblant;  plumard-,  halle 
aux  draps  {:=.  Cloth-market  :  cf. 
Blanket  Fair)  ;  paglie  ;  panier  aux 
ordures;  bâche;  flac;  flacul; 
fournil. 

BuiLD,  w^r(5.(colloquial). — [Murray  : 
Properly  to  construct  a  dwelling, 
and  by  extension  of  meaning.  .  . 
to  construct  by  fitting  together 
of  separate  parts  ;  chiefly  with 
reference  to  structures  of  consider- 
able size . . .  (not,  e.g.,  a  watch, 
a  dress,  or  a  piano.)]  In  the  United 
States,  BUILD  (like  fix,  {q.v.)  )  is 
used  with  much  more  latitude 
than  in  England.  There,  as  Fenni- 
more  Cooper  puts  it,  everything 
is  BUILT.  The  priest  builds  up 
a  flock  ;  the  speculator  a  fortune  ; 
the  lawyer  a  reputation  ;  the  land- 
lord a  town  ;  and  the  tailor,  as 
in  England,  builds  up  a  suit  of 
clothes.  A  fire  is  built  instead 
of  made,  and  the  expression  is 
even  extended  to  individuals,  to 
be  BUILT  being  used  with  the 
meaning  of  formed.  '  I  was  not 
BUILT  that  way  '  ;  and  hence  in 
a  still  more  idiomatic  sense  to 
express  unwillingness  to  adopt 
a  specified  course  or  carry  out 
any  inconvenient  plan. 

c.  1640.  [Shirley],  Capt.  Underwit 
[Bullen,  Old  Plays,  ii.  323!.  1  can 
teach  you  to  build  a  sconce,  Sir. 


d.  1704.  T.  Brown,  Works,  ii.  38». 
I  never  parted  with  any  of  my  favours, 
nay,  not  ...  a  clap  gratis,  except  a 
lieutenant  and  ensign  .  .  .  once  .  .  . 
BUILT  UP  A  SCONCE,  and  left  me  in  the 
lurch. 

1857.  Wh.  Melville,  Dighy  Grand, 
XX.  That  creator  of  manly  beauty,  who 
BUILDS  your  coat  on  the  model  of  an 
Apollo. 

1853.  Rev.  E.  Bradley  ('Cuthbert 
Bede'),  I'erdant  Green,  I.,  x.  If  he 
forswore  the  primitive  garments  that  his 
country-tailor  had  condemned  him  to 
wear,  and  adapted  the  build  of  his  dress 
to  the  peculiar  requirements  of  university 
fashion. 

1864.  Vancr,  Chickaleary  Cove.  My 
downy  kicksies...  built  on  a  plan  werry 
naughty. 

1871,  A.  Forbes,  My  Experience  of 
the  IVar,  etc.,  II.,  19.  I  met  a  gentle- 
man who  had  got  a  dress  coat  built  in 
the  place  [Versailles]. 

1880.     Punch,     Jan.      10,     6.      The 

SPREAD       OF       education       AND      LIBERAL 

ideas. — His  Grace  the  Duke  of  Poplar 
and  Bermoiidsey.  'Just  look  at  these 
bags  you  last  built  me,  Snippe!  J'ever 
see  such  beastly  bags  in  your  life?  I 
shall  always  be  glad  to  come  and  dine 
with  you,  old  man  ;  but  I'll  be  hanged  if 
you  shall  ever  measure  me  for  another 
pair  of  bags!'  Mr.  Snippe  (of  Snippe 
a?id  Son,  St.  yames's  Street).  'You've 
always  grumbled  about  your  bags,  as 
you  call  'em,  ever  since  you  were  my  fag 
at  Eton;  and  at  Christchurch  you  were 
just  as  bad,  even  though  my  poor  dear 
old  governor  used  to  come  all  the  way 
down  and  measure  you  himself.  It  ain't 
the  fault  of  the  bags,  my  dear  Popsy — 
it's  the  fault  of  the  legs  inside  'em!  So, 
shut  up,  old  Stick-in-the-mud,  and  let's 
join  the  ladies — the  duchess  has  promised 
to  give  us  "Little  Billee."  ' 

Trouser's  BUILDER,  subs.  phr. 
(American). — A  tailor. 

To  BUILD  A  CHAPEL,  verb.  phr. 
(nautical). — To  steer  badly,  and 
so   cause   a    ship   to  veer  round. 


Build. 


410 


Bulge. 


Not  built  that  way,  phr. 
(general). — Not  to  one's  taste, 
out  of  one's  line — a  general  ex- 
pression of  disapproval  or  dissent  : 
of  persons  or  things. 

1881.  American  Humorist,  May  12. 
We  cannot  shut  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that 
mankind  is  passing  through  a  great  era 
of  change;  even  womankind  is  not  built 
as  she  was  a  few  brief  years  ago. 

1888.  Missouri  Republican,  Jan.  25. 
'Why  didn't  you  roll  down?'     'I  wasn't 

BUILT   THAT   WAY.' 

To  BUILD  (HAVE,  PLAN  Or  OWN) 
A  CASTLE  IN  SpAIN  (IN  THE  AIR, 
THE  SKIES,  or  TO  BUILD  A  CASTLE), 

verb.  phr.  (old). — To  indulge  in 
visionary  projects  or  schemes  ;  to 
romance  :  Fr.  château  en  Espagne, 
en   Asie,   en  Albanie,  &c.     Hence 

A     CASTLE     IN     SPAIN    (ctC.)    =    a 

day  dream  ;  air-bl'ILT  =  chimer- 
ical; etc. 

c.  1400.  Rom.  Rose,  2573.  Thou  shall 
make  castels  thanne  in  spayne,  And 
dreme  of  joye,  alle  but  in  vayne. 

1475.  Caxton,  yason,  19.  He  began 
to  make  castellis  in  spaygne  as  louers 
doo. 

'575-  Gascoigne,  Steel  Glass 
[Chalmers,  Eng.  Poets,  ii.  58].  Things 
are  thought,  which  never  yet  were  wrought, 
And  CASTELS  BUILT  aboue  in  lofty  skies. 

1580.  North,  Plutarch  (1696).  171. 
They  built  castles  in  the  air  and 
thought  to  do  great  wonders. 

1586.  T.  B.,  La  Primand  Fr.  Acad., 
ii.  182.  Some  .  .  .  have  their  wittes  a 
wool  gathering,  and  as  wee  use  commonly 
to  say,  are  building  of  castles  in  spaine. 

1590.  Greene,  Ori.  Fur.  (159^),  16. 
In  conceite  builde  castles  in  the  skie. 

1594.  Shakspeare,  Richard  III., 
iii.  4.  100.  Who  builds  his  hopes  in  air 
of  his  good  looks. 

1601.  Imp.  Consid.  (1675),  60.  Mr. 
Saunders  (building  castlbs  in  the  air 
amongst  his  Books). 


161 1.  Cotgrave,  Diet.,  s.v.  Faire 
des  chasteaux  en  Espaigne,  to  build 
castles  in  the  aire  (say  we). 

£■.  1630.    DRUMMONDof  Hawth.,  Z'i?^»«, 

42.2.     Strange   castles    builded  in  the 

SKIES. 

1621.     Burton,    Anat  Melan.,  I.  iii. 

i.  2.  (1651),   187.     That  CASTLE  IN  the  AYR, 

that  crochet,  that  whimsie. 

1727.  Pope,  Dunciad,  iii.  10.  The 
AIR-BUILT  CASTLE  and  the  golden  Dream. 

1757.  Wesley,  Works  (1872),  ix. 
304.     A  mere  castlk  in  the  air. 

c.  1763  Shenstone,  Odes  (1765),  237. 
To  plan  frail  castles  in  the  skies. 

1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias  (1812),  vii. 
X.  I  was  gradually  lulled  with  so  much 
wealth,  and  fell  asleep  in  the  very  act  of 
building  castles  in  Spain. 

1831.  Carlyle,  Sari.  Res.  (1858), 
32.  High  air-castles  cunningly  built 
of  Words. 

i860.  Motley,  Netherlands,  iv.  282. 
The  explosion  of  the  Gunpowder  Plot 
blowing  the  castles  in  Spain  into  the  air. 

1871.  M.  Collins,  Marquis  and 
Merchant,  ii.  vii.  203.  We  have  all  had 
our  castles  in  Spain. 

1879.  Farrar,  St.  Paul,  I.  642. 
These. .  .points. ,  .were  not  peculiar  to 
Philo.     They    were,   so  to  speak,  in  the 

AIK. 

Bulgarian-atrocities,  subs.  phr. 
(Stock  Exchange).  —  Varna  and 
Rutschuk  Ry.  3  per  cent,  obliga- 
tions. 

1887.  Atkin,  House  Scraps.  And 
we've  really  quite  a  crew  Of  fancy 
names  to  represent  a  share.  .  .  But  fancy, 
by  the  way,  Now,  in  the  present  day, 
A  Varna's  a  Bulgarian  atrocity. 

Bulge,  verb.  (American). — The  le- 
gitimate meaning  is  extended  in 
many  old  ways.  '  Bags  '  bulge, 
but  do  not  get  baggy  ;  and  in  a 
similar  fashion  when  a  man  is 
'  all  attention,'  his  eyes  are  said 
TO   BULGE. 


Bulger. 


411 


Bulky. 


1888.  Puck's  Library,  May,  31. 
'I  hadn't  been  downtown  half  an  hour 
this  morninç,  before  I  got  a  fee  of  ten 
dollars!'  Then  the  eyes  of  a  man  who 
was  hanging  on  to  a  strap  began  TO 
BULGE. 

To  GO  or  BE  ON  a  BULGE,  Verb. 
phr.  (American). — To  drink  to 
excess:  see  screwed. 

To  GET  THE  BULGE  ON  ONE, 
verb.  phr.  (orig.  American  mining 
slang). — To  obtain  an  advantage, 
TO   GET   THE  DROP  ON  ONE  (^q.V.). 

1869.  S.  L.  Clemens  ('  Mark  Twain  '), 
Innocents  at  Home,  18.  Well,  you've 
rather  got  the  bulge  on  me.  Or  may 
be  we've  both  got  the  bulge,  somehow. 

1885.  Household  Words,  Oct.  10, 466. 
'Smart  chap,  that  Jacob,  for  a  nig!' 
remarked  he,  as  we  told  him  the  out- 
lines of  our  story.  '  I  guess  now  he's 
HAD  the  bulge  ON  YOU  pretty  consider- 
able this  trip.' 

1888.  American  Humorist,  May  12. 
'Pop!  are  you  up  there?'  'Yes,  my 
son.'  'I  saw  he  had  the  bulge  on  you 
and  I  got  the  gun  and  dropped  him!' 
'Right,  my  boy.  That's  what  I  was 
praying  for.' 

Bulger,    adj.    (common).  —  Large. 

As   subs.    =    BESTER  {ç."'.). 

1835.  Crockett,  Tour  down  East,  ■^j. 
We  soon  came  to  New  York,  and  a 
BULGER  of  a  place  it  is. 

Bulk.      See  BULKER. 

BULKER  (or  BULK),  Sttbs.  (old).— I. 
'One  that  lodges  all  Night  on 
Shopwindows  and  Bulkheads.' 
(B.E.)  [Bulk  =  the  stall  (or 
window  sill)  of  a  shop]. 

1598.  Florio,  IVcrlde  of  Wordes,  s.v., 
balcone. 

2.  A  low  prostitute:  lit.  one 
with  no  settled  home  who  slept 
on  a  'bulk,'  a  kind  of  sill  project- 
irLg    from    a    window  :    see  t.\rt. 


1670.  Ravenscroft  [S.  J.  and  C.]. 
She  must  turn  bulker  (when  her  cloathes 
are  worn  out),  at  which  trade  I  hope  to 
see  you  suddenly. 

1691.  Shadwell,  Scowerers,  Act  i., 
Sc.  I.  Every  one  in  a  petticoat  is  thy 
mistress,  from  humble  bulker  to  haughty 
countess. 

i6go      D'Urfev,     Collins     Walk,    4. 
For    all    your    majors   scarce   will   make, 
Me    think  what's  past  for  Virtue's  sake; 
Or  that  this  bulker  of  thè  town 
Came  only  here  to  rub  ye  down. 

1728.  Baily.  Bulker,  a  Common 
Jilt;  a  Whore. — Canting  term.  [In  a 
later  edition  (r79o)  he  adds  'one  who 
would   lay    down   on  a  bulk  to  anyone.'] 

BULK,  subs.  (old). — See  quots:  also 
bulker:  see  file  and  bulker, 
sense  2. 

3.     See  quots.,  and  FILE. 

1669.  Nicker  Nicked,  in  Hart.  Misc. 
(ed.  Park),  II.,  108.  Bulker  occurs  in  a 
list  of  names  of  thieves. 

1674.  R.  Head,  Canting  Acad.,  35. 
Bulk  and  File.  The  one  jostles  you, 
whilst  the  other  picks  your  pocket. 

1678.  Four  for  a  Penny,  in  Hart. 
Misc.  (ed.  Park),  IV.,  147.  He  is  the 
treasurer  of  the  thieves'  exchequer,  the 
common  fender  of  all  bulkers  and  shop- 
lifts in  the  town. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet  Cant  Cre^u,  s.v. 
Bulk  and  file,  c.  one  jostles  while  the 
other  Picks  the  Pocket. 

d.  1704.  Brown,  Works,  iii.,  60.  In 
comparison  of  whom  (cheating  gamesters) 
the  common  bulkers  and  pickpockets 
are  a  very  honest  society. 

1725.  New  Cant.  Diet.  Bulk,  an 
assistant  to  a  File  or  Pickpocket,  who 
jostles  a  Person  up  .^gainst  the  Wall, 
while  the  other  picks  his  Pocket. 

1785.  Gros,^,  Dictionary  of  the  I'ul- 
gar  Tongue.  Bulk  and  file,  two  pick- 
pockets; the  bulk  jostles  the  party  to  be 
robbed,    and    the    file   does  the  business. 

BULKY,  subs,  (provincial). — A  police 
constable. 


Bull. 


412 


Bull. 


1821.  Edinburgh  Mag;  August,  p. 
156.  This  enterprising  ruffian  boasts  of 
his  success  in  deceiving  the  bllkies  on 
a  search,  by  concealing  his  stolen  notes 
in  the  cape  of  his  coat. 

1841.  Lytton,  Night  and  Morning, 
v.,  ii.  Inquiries  about  your  respectab- 
ility would  soon  bring  the  bulkies 
about  me. 

1886.  Graphic,  30  Jan.,  130,  i.  In 
the  North  a  constable  is,  or  was,  known 
as  a  scufter  and  a  bulky. 

Adj.  (Winchester  College). — 
I.  Rich  or  generous,  or  both: 
the  opposite  of  brum  (ç-z'). 

2.  (old:  B.E.).— 'Strong  like 
common  Oyl,  also  of  large  bulk 
or  size.' 

Bull,  suh.  (colloquial).  —  I.  A 
blunder  ;  a  mistake  ;  hence  an 
inconsistent  statement;  a  ludicrous 
contradiction,  often  partaking 
largely  of  the  nature  of  a  pun  : 
the  term  was  current  long  before 
the  form  Irish  bull  is  met  with. 
In  French  cavalry  regiments/örte/ 
and  remettez!  are  mock  commands 
given  upon  the  perpetration  of 
a   BULL. 

1642.  Milton,  Apol.  for  Smeci.,  6. 
But  that  such  a  poem  should  be  tooth- 
less, I  still  affirm  it  to  be  a  bull,  taking 
away  the  essence  of  thrtt  which  it  calls 
itself.  For  if  it  bite  neither  the  persons 
nor  the  vices,  how  is  it  a  satire.'  And  if 
it  bite  either,  how  is  it  toothless? 

i6[?l  Selden,  Taile  Talk,  96. 
(Arber's  ed.).  We  can  make  no  notion 
of  it,  'tis  so  full  of  intricacy,  so  full  of 
contradiction:  'tis  in  good  earnest,  as  we 
state  it,  half-a-dozen  bulls  one  upon 
another. 

1673.  Dryden,  The  Assignation, 
iii.,  I.  Ben.  Faith,  Lidy,  I  could  not 
sleep  one  wink,  for  dreaming  of  you. 
Lan.  Not  sleep  for  dreaming?  When 
the  place  falls,  you  shall  be  bull  master 
general  at  Court. 


c.  1696.  B.E. ,  Did.  Catti.  Crew.,  s.v. 
Bull,  an  absurd  contradiction  or  incon- 
gruity. 

1705.  Ward,  Hudibras  Redivivus, 
II.,  I.,  6.  With  Stale  Quibbles,  Puns, 
and  BULLS. 

1841.  Lever,  Charles  O'Malley,  i. 
I  have  got  into  such  an  infernal  habit 
of  making  Bulls,  that  I  can't  write  sense 
when  1  want  it. 

1859.  H.  KiNGSLEY,  Geoffrey  Hamlyn 
xxxix.  He  was  telling  the  most  out- 
rageous of  Iri>h  stories,  and  making,  on 
purpose,    the    most    outrageous    of  Irish 

BULLS. 

2.     (thieves'). — A  crown;  5/-: 
formerley   bull's   eye  {q.v!):  see 

RHINO. 

1812.  J.  H.V AVK,  Flash  Dictionary. 
Bull,  a  crown,  or  five  shillings. 

1823.  Bee,  Diet.  Turf,  etc.,  s.v. 
Nibble.  I  only  nibbled  half  a  BULL  for 
my  regulars. 

1851-61.  H.  Mayhew,  London  Lab. 
and  Lon.  Poor,  I.,  232.  List  of  patterers' 
words.     Bull,  a  crown. 

1852.  Dickens,  Bleak  House,  xlvi. 
Four  half-BULLS,  wot  you  may  call  half- 
crowns. 

1857.  Notes  and  Queries,  2  S.,  4  July. 
And  therefore  much  as  a  bull  (or  a  hog) 
stand  arbitrarily  for  a  five-shilling-piece, 
half-a-uuLL  for  half-a-crown,  a  bob  for  a 
shilling,  a  tanner  for  sixpence,  etc.,  with 
equal  propriety  might  a  plum  stand  for 
JE  100,000. 

i88g.  Anszuers,  July  27,  136,  2. 
Once  found,  the  Murker'  is  pretty  sure 
to  draw  a  bull  (five  shillings),  or  even 
a  'counter'  (pound). 

1901.  Referee,  14  Ap.,  p.,  a.  I  am 
not  versed  in  the  technicaluies  of  the 
trade,  so  I  don't  quite  know  to  what 
portion  of  their  task  such  remarks  as 
'second,'  'five  to  one,'  'odds  on,'  'two 
non-starters  and  a  third,'  'a  deaner  each 
way  and  all  on  for  the  four-thirty,'  and 
'half  a  bull  out  on  the  day'  referred. 
I  strolled  along. 


Bull. 


413 


Bull. 


3.  (Stock  Exchange). — Origi- 
nally a  speculative  purchase  for 
a  rise;  i.e.,  a  man  would  agree 
to  buy  stock  at  a  future  day  at 
a  stated  price,  with  no  intention 
of  taking  it  up,  but  trusting  to 
the  market  advancing  in  value 
to  make  the  transaction  profit- 
able: the  reverse  of  bear  (q.v,): 
now  more  frequently  applied  to 
the  person  who  tries  to  enhance 
the  value  of  stocks  by  speculative 
purchases  or  otherwise.  Also  as 
verb  and  adjective.  Fr.  a  haussier-, 
in  Berlin  liebhaber-,  and  in  Vienna 
contremine.  Hence  STALE  bull  := 
stock  held  over  for  a  long  period 
with  profit. 

b.  1671,  d.  1757.  CiBBER,  The  Refusal, 
or  The  Ladies'  Philosophy.  Granger  (to 
Witling,  who  has  been  boasting  of  bis 
gain):  And  all  this  out  of 'Change  Alley'? 
Witling:  Every  shilling,  Sir,  all  out  of 
stocks,  Pulls,  BULLS,  Rams,  Bears,  and 
Bubbles. 

1768.    YooTB.,  Devil  1/pofi  Two  Sticks, 
A    mere    bull   and   bear   booby;   the 
patron  of  lame  ducks,  brokers,  and  fraud- 
ulent foot  bankrupts. 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  281.  Ye 
Grecian  bulls  and  Trojan  bears. 

1774.  Coleman,  Man  of  Business, 
IV.,  i.,  IVks.  (1777)  II.,  179.  My  young 
master  is  the  bull,  and  Sir  Charles  is 
the  bear.  He  agreed  for  stock,  expecting 
it  to  be  up  at  three  hundred  by  this 
time;  but,  lack-a-day,  sir,  it  has  been 
falling  ever  since. 

1817.  Scott,  Rob  Roy,  iv.  The 
hum  and  bustle  which  his  approach  was 
wont  to  produce  among  the  bulls,  bears, 
and  brokers  of  Stock  Alley. 

1845.  New  York  Tribune,  10  Dec. 
There  was  a  sauve  qui  peut  movement 
to-day  in  the  stock-market  ;  and  the  clique 
of  BULLS,  finding  it  impossible  to  stem 
the  rush,  gave  up  the  attempt  to  sustain 
the  market,  and  let  things  go  down  with 
a  run.  .  .  .  Such  a  state  of  the  market 
as  is  now  exhibited  is  nearly  as  bad  for 
the  bears  as  the  bulls. 


i860.  Peacock,  Gryll  Grange,  xviii. 
In  Stock  Exchange  slang,  bulls  are 
speculators    for    a    rise,    bears  for  a  fall. 

1 88 1.  Mark  Lane  Express,  Aug.  8, 
1085.  The  speculative  movement  which 
has,  so  far,  exerted  a  bull  influence  on 
the  maize  market. 

4.  (common). — See  quot. 

1887.  G.  R.  Sims,  How  the  Poor  Live, 
148.  In  these  places,  too,  the  lodgers 
divide  their  food  frequently,  and  a  man, 
seeing  a  neighbour  without  anything, 
will  hand  him  his  teapot,  and  say,  '  Here 
you  are,  mate;  here's  a  bull  for  you.' 
A  'bull'  is  a  teapot  with  the  leaves  left 
in  for  a  second  brew. 

5.  (prison). — Rations  of  meat: 
an  allusion  to  its  toughness;  also 
generic  for  meat:  Fr.  bidoche. 

1883.  Echo,  Jan.  25,  2,  3.  Thus 
from  the  French  'bouilli'  we  problably 
get  the  prison  slang  term  bull  for  a 
ration  of  meat. 

6.  (American). — A  locomotive  : 
also   BULLGINE. 

185g.  Matsell,     Vocabulum,    'On 

the  Wail.'  . .  .Had  just  touched  a  bloke's 

leather  as  the  bull  bellowed  for  the  last 
time. 

7.  (Winchester  College). — Cold 
beef,  introduced  at  breakfast  about 
1873:  see  sense  5. 

8.  (old). — See  quot. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Did  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
Bull...  also  false  Hair  worn  (formerly 
much)  by  Women. 

9.  (old).— A  bubble. 

d.  1602.  NowELL,  Lit.  Serv.,  301. 
This  life  is  as  a  vapour,  as  a  shadow 
passing  and  fleeing  away,  as  a  fading 
flower,    as   a  bull   rising   on    the   water. 

10.  (common).  —  A  broken- 
winded    horse;    a   roarer  {q.v.). 


Bull. 


414 


Bull-and-coiv. 


Verb.  (American  :  Dartmouth 
College). —  I.  To  recite  badly; 
to  make  a  poor  recitation. 

2.  (venery). — To  copulate:  see 
GREENS  and  RIDE  :  a  cow  maris 
appetcns  is  said  to  be  bulled. 
Hence  town-bull  =  a  whore- 
master  (B.E.). 

To  TAKE  THE  BULL  BY  THE 
HORNS  (or  tail),  verb.  fhr.  (collo- 
quial).— To  meet  a  difficulty  with 
resolution  or  courage. 

1835.  Dana,  Two  Years,  ii.  I  felt 
tempted  to  tell  him  that  I  had  rather 
wait  till  after  breakfast;  but  I  knew  that 

I     must     TAKE     THE    BULL    BV    THE    HORNS, 

and  that  if  I  showed  any  sign  of  want 
of  spirit  or  of  backwardness,  I  should  be 
ruined  at  once. 

To  TRUST  ONE  AS  FAR  AS  ONE 
COULD  FLING  A  BULL  BY  THE 
TAIL,  verb.  phr.  (colloquial). — To 
have  no  confidence  whatever. 

1853.  Reade,  Gold,  i.  Levi.  This  is 
not  enmity,  sir;  it  is  but  a  matter  of 
profit  and  loss,  trust  me.    Mea.  I'd  trust 

VOU  AS  FAR  AS  I  COULU  FLING  A  BULL 
BY  THE  tail! 

To  BULL  THE  CASK  (or  BARREL), 
verb.  phr.  (nautical). — To  pour 
water  into  an  empty  rum  cask 
to  keep  the  wood  moist  and 
prevent  leakage;  the  water  after 
some  lime  is  intoxicating,  and 
the  authorities,  not  looking  with 
much  favour  upon  wholesale 
brewing  of  grog,  sometimes  use 
salt  water  as  a  déterrant,  though 
even  this  salt  water  bull  as 
it  is  called,  has  often  proved  too 
attractive    for  seamen  ;  hence  TO 

BULL   A  teapot,  COKKEKI'OT,  CtC.  ; 

that  is,  after  the  first  brew  has  been 
exhausted,  to  add  water  and  make 
a  second  brew. 


1824.  Cochrane,  Narrative  of  a 
Pedestriaji  Jo-uruey  through  Russia  and 
Siberiayi  Tartary,  225.  My  liquor  was 
at  end  from  the  effects  of  a  very  common 
sort  of  leak — it  had  been  tapped  too 
often.  I  could  do  nothing  but  bull  the 
barrel,  that  is,  put  a  little  water  into 
it,  and  so  preserve  at  least  the  appear- 
ance of  vookey. 

1S35.  Marrvat,  yacob  Faithful, hx. 
Why,  Jacob,  a  bull  means  putting  a 
quart  or  two  of  water  into  a  cask  which 
has  had  spirits  in  it. 

To  LOOK  LIKE  BULL-BEEF,  verb, 
phr.  (old). — 'To  look  big  and 
grim'  (B.E.). 

To     SHOW     the     BULL     HORN, 

verb.  phr.  (old). — To  make  a  show 
of  resistance. 

He  may  BEAR  A  BULL  THAT 
HATH  BORNE  A  CALF,  phr.   (old). 

—  After     little,     big    things    are 
possible. 

A  BULL  IN  A  CHINA  SHOP,  Subs. 
phr.  (common).  —  A  simile  of 
reckless  destruction. 

The  bull -LION,  subs.  phr. 
(American). — John  Bull  ;  England 
[a  pun  on  John  Bull  with  an  eye 
on  the  Lion  of  England]. 

1862.  New- York  Tribune,  i  June. 
This  profuse  magnanimous  Lion,  or  Bull 
lion,  [talks]  as  if  it  were  glory  to  adore 
guineas,  and  shame  to  be  fond  of  dollars. — 
As  if,  BULL  LION,  as  he  is,  he  would  not  give 
Magna  Charta,  Milton,  Shakspeare,  and 
even  Bacon,  for  the  convenience  and 
profit  of  a  single  cotton  crop. 

BULLACE,  subs.  (old). — A  black  eye 
(1659). 

BULL-AND-COW,  subs.  phr.  (rhyming). 
— A  row. 

1879.  Marshall,  Potties,  86.  I  know 
they  had  a  rare  old  bull  and-COW  one 
sunny  day. 


Bull-back. 


415 


Bull-dance. 


Bull-back,  aJj.  phr.  Pickaback 
{q.v.)  (1600). 

BULL-öAIT,  verb. phr.  (?  nonce  word). 
— To  bully  ;  to  hector  ;  to  badger. 

i860.  Dickens,  Great  Expectations, 
xviii.,  82.  'Which  I  meantersay,'  cried 
Joe,  'that  if  you  come  into  my  plac3 
BULL-BAITING  and  badgering  me,  come 
out!' 

BULL-BEEF,  subs.  phr.  (old).— Hard, 
stringy  meat:  formerly  in  general 
use:  now  mainly  of  prison  rations. 
Also   BULLY-BEEF. 

1579.  GossoN,  Apol.  of  the  Schoole 
of  Aluse,  64  (Arber).  I  understand  they 
are  all  in  a  fustian  fume... They  haue 
eaten  bul-bief,  and  threatned  highly 
too  put  water  in  my  woortes  whensoeuer 
they  catche  me. 

1607.  Rowlands,  Diogenes  Lan- 
thorite,  8  (H.  CI.  Repr.,  1873).  How  lookes 
yonder  fellow?  what's  the  matter  with 
him  trow?  has  a  eaten  bul-beefe?  there's 
a  lofty  slaue  indeede,  hee's  in  the  alti- 
tudes. 

1738-1819.  WoLCOT  {'P.  Pindar'), 
Eights  of  Kings,  Ode  I.,  in  Wks.  (Dublin, 
179s),  IL,  219.  The  Cooks,  Bluff  on  th' 
occasion,  put  on  bull's-bkef  looks. 

1782.  WoLCOT,  Lyric  Odes,  No.  3, 
in  Wks.  (1809)  L,  62.  Yet  thou  may'st 
bluster  like  bull-beef  so  big. 

i860.  Haliburton  ('Sam  Slick'), 
The  Season  Ticket,  x.  Which  look  as 
cheap  as  bull-beef  at  one  cent  a  pound. 

1868.  Brewer,  Phrase  and  Fable, 
524.  To  look  as  big  as  bull-beef.  To 
look  stout  and  hearty,  as  if  fed  on  bull- 
beef.  Bull-beef  was  formerly  recom- 
mended for  making  men  strong  and 
muscular. 

1888.  AsHTON,  Mod.  street  Ballads, 
61.  For  soon  he  will  his  trial  take,  And 
hard  bull-beef  be  munching. 

To  BLUSTER  LIKE  BULL-BEEF, 
verb.  phr.  (old). — To  tear  round 
like  mad. 

Go,  SELL  YOURSELF  FOR  BULL- 
BEEF  \phr.  (old). — Go  to  the  devil  ! 


As  UGLY  (or  AS  BIG)  AS  BULL- 
BEEF,  phr.  (old). — Uninviting  (or 
as  ungainly)  as  bull-beef;  as  ugly 
(or  as  clumsy)  as  may  be. 

Bull-Beggar,  subs.  phr.  (old). — A 
hobgoblin  :  hence  anything  to 
terrify  or  disconcert. 

1580.  Scot,  Disc.  Witchcraft,  152. 
And  they  have  so  fraid  us  with  bull- 
beggers,  spirits,  witches,  urchens,  elves, 
etc. — and  such  other  bugs,  that  we  are 
afraid  of  our  own  shadowes. 

16...  Fleming,  Nomenclator,  s.v. 
terriculamentutn,  A  scarebug,  a  bull- 
begger,  a  sight  that  frayeth,  and  frighteth. 

1612.  Shelton,  Don  Quixote,  190. 
Look  what  a  troop  of  hobgoblins  oppose 
themselves  against  me;  look  what  ugly 
visages   play  the  bull-beggers  with  us. 

1677.  Coles,  Lat.  Eng.  Diet.,  s.v. 
Bull-beggar,    Larva,    terriculamentum. 

Bull-calf  (or  -dog),  subs.  phr. 
(old). — See  quot. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  Bull-calf,  a  great 
hulkey  or  clumsy  fellow. 

BULLCHIN  (or  BULCHIN),  subs.  (old). 
— I.  A  bull  calf:  often  in  con- 
tempt: cf.  CALF. 

2.     (old). — See  quots. 

c.  1696.  B.E.  Bulchin,  subs.  A 
Chubbingly  Boy  or  Lad. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  Bull  chin,  a  fat,  chubby 
child. 

Bull-dance,  subs.  phr.  (nautical). — 
A  dance  in  which  men  only  take 
part:  cf.  stag-dance,  gander- 
party,  HEN-PARTY,  etc. 

1867.  Smyth,  Sailor's  Word  Book. 
Bull-dance.  At  sea  it  is  performed  by 
men  only,  when  without  women.  It  is 
sometimes  called  a  st.\g-dance. 

BB 


Bull-dog. 


416 


Bulldose. 


1887.  Graphic,  March  26,  315,  3. 
It  is  obliged  to  be  a  bull-dance.  Gen- 
tlemen dance  with  gentlemen,  and  the 
pianist    is,   of  course,   a  gentleman  also. 

BULL-DOG,  subs.  phr.  (old). —  i.     A 
sheriffs  officer;  a  bailiff. 

1698.  Farquhar,  Love  and  a  Bottle, 
iii.,  z.  Mock.  But  pray  what's  the  matter, 
Mrs.  Lyric? 

Lyric.  Nothing,  sir,  but  a  shirking 
bookseller  that  owed  me  about  forty 
guineas  for  a  few  lines.  He  would  have 
put  me  off,  so  I  sent  for  a  couple  of 
BULL-DOGS,  and  arrested  him. 

2.  (old). — A  pistol  ;  in  the 
naval  service,  a  main-deck  gun  : 
cf.  BARKER  and  BULL-DOG  BLAZER. 

1700.  Farquhar,  Constant  Couple, 
iii.,  2.  He  whips  out  his  stiletto,  and  I 
whips  out  my  bull-dog. 

1825.  Scott,  St.  Jionan's  Well,  ii., 
191.  'I  have  always  a  brace  of  bull- 
dogs about  me.'  ...  So  saying,  he  ex- 
hibited a  very  handsome,  highly-finished, 
and  richly-mounted  pair  of  pistols. 

1867.  Smvth,  Sailor's  Word  Book. 
Bull-dog  or  muzzled  bull-dog,  the 
great  gun  which  stands  housed  in  the 
officers'  ward-room  cabin.  General  term 
for  main-deck  guns. 

1881.  Daily  News,  Oct.  27,  6,  2. 
Revolver  cartridges  of  the  ordinary 
bull-dog  pattern. 

3.  (old). — See  quot. 

1812.  J.  H.  Vau.x,  Flash  Did.  Bull- 
dog, a  sugar-loaf. 

4.  (University). — A  proctor's 
assistant  or  marshall 

1823.  Lockhart,  Reg.  Dalton,  I„  x. 
(1842),  59.  Long  forgotten  stories  about 
proctors  bit  and  bull  dogs  baffled. 

1841.  LvTTON,  Night  and  Af or ning, 
III.,  iii.  The  proctor  and  his  bull-dogs 
came  up  .  .  .  and  gave  chase  to  the 
delinquents  .  .  .  the  night  was  dark,  and 
they  reached  the  College  in  safety. 


1847.  Tennyson,  Princess,  Prologue. 
We  unworthier  told  Of  college:  he  hau 
climb'd  across  the  spikes.  And  he  had 
squeezed  himself  betwixt  the  bars,  And 
he  had  breath'd  the  Proctor's  dogs. 

1S80.  Brewer,  Header's  Handbook. 
Bull-dogs,  the  two  servants  of  a  uni- 
versity proctor,  who  follow  him  in  his 
rounds,  to  assist  him  in  apprehending 
students  who  are  violating  the  university 
statutes,  such  as  appearing  in  the  streets 
after  dinner  without  cap  and  gown,  etc. 

1882.  F.  Anstey,  Vice  i^ersâ,  v. 
Who  should  we  see  coming  straight  down 
on  us  but  a  Proctor  with  his  bull-bogs 
(not  dogs,  you  know,  but  the  strongest 
gj'ps  in  the  college). 

5.  (University;  obsolete). — A 
member  of  Trinity  College,  Cam- 
bridge. 

BULL-DOG  BLAZER,  siibs.  phr.  (Amer- 
ican).—  A  revolver:  see  barker 
and  BULL-DOG. 

BULL-DOGISM,  subs.  phr.  (colloquial). 
— Tenacity  ;  courage  :  qualities 
such  are  usually  associated  with 
bulldogs, 

i8[?]  Savage,  R.  Medlicott,  11.,  vi. 
He  possessed  the  element  of  bull-dogism 
also. 

BULLDOSE,  subs.  (American).  —  A 
severe  castigation  ;  a  flogging. 
As  verb.  =  to  thrash;  to  intim- 
idate by  violent  and  unlawful 
means;  to  bully.  [Of  Southern 
political  origin  ;  originally  the 
method  of  an  association  of 
negroes  formed  to  insure,  by 
violent  and  unlawful  means,  the 
success  of  an  election;  the  deriva- 
tion is  almost  literal — a  BULL- 
DOSE,  a  flogging  with  a  strip  of 
hide.]     Hence   bulldoser  Q/.v.). 

1859.  Baktlett,  Americanisms,  s.v. 
Bulldoze.  The  origin  of  this  terra  hps 
been  furnished  me  by  Dr.  J.  Dickson 
Burns,  of  New  Orleans.  BuLLDOSB  orig- 
inated   in    Louisiana    with    the   'Union 


Bîdldose. 


417 


Bullet. 


Rights  Stop'  Leagues  (Negro),  whose 
enthusiasm  on  the  suffrage  question  led 
them  to  form  oath-bound  societies,  which 
scrutinized  closely  the  politics  of  disaffect- 
ed brethren;  and  if  any  Negro  were 
found  voting,  or  was  suspected  of  an 
intention  to  vote  the  Democratic  ticket, 
he  was  first  warned,  then  flogged,  and, 
if  these  milder  measures  failed  to  convert 
him  to  the  true  faith,  shot. 

1876.  New  York  Tribune,  Dec.  There 
was  a  bad  case  of  bulldozing  in  Cin- 
cinnati on  Monday  night.  A  handful  of 
bold  Democrats  had  gathered  to  let  out 
their  pent-up  desire  for  Tilden  or  blood. 

.  .   .    Mr.    C was   in    the   chair,  and 

was  warming  up  the  faithful  with  an  ad- 
dress, when  the  Republicans  crowded 
around  him  in  so  threatening  a  manner 
that  he  mounted  the  table,  shook  his 
address  in  their  faces,  and  declared,  like 
a  true  hero,  that  he  was  not  to  be  'inti- 
midated.' Ibid.  23  Dec.  ^  Not  to  be 
bulldozed'  [Title]. 

1877.  Providence  Press. 
Louisiana,  too,  was  mixed. 

And  ere  they  got  the  matter  fixed, 

Bulldozing  had  been  introduced, 

And   many   from  their  homes  vamoosed. 

1880.  Ilhist.  London  Neivs,  LXXVIL, 
587,  I.  The  Americans  have  lately  been 
using  a  strange  word,  bull-dosing,  which 
signifies,  I  believe,  political  intimidation, 
but  not  personal  molestation. 

1881.  Sat.  Revieiv,  July  9,  40,  2. 
To  bull-dose  a  negro  in  the  Southern 
States  means  to  flog  him  to  death  or 
nearly  to  death.  Ibid.  A  bull-dose  means 
a  large  efficient  dose  of  any  sort  of 
medicine  or  punishment. 

1887.  CasseU's  Mag.  (Art.  on  'Ameri- 
canisms'). June,  412.  To  eull-doze  is 
to  intimidate,  and  the  word  was  orgin- 
ally  used  respecting  the  alleged  interfer- 
ence with  negro  voters  in  Louisiana. 

1888.  Detroit  Evening  Journal,  20 
Feb.  The  Democrats  complain  of  the 
amounts  of  money  they  had  to  face,  but 
that  was  not  such  a  source  of  trouble 
as  the  bulldozing  of  voters  by  the 
mining  bosses.  They  were  driven  to 
the  polls,  and  compelled  to  vote  for  Sey- 
mour. 


BULLDOSER,  subs.  (American). —  i. 
A  bully  ;  a  braggart  ;  a  swaggerer  : 
cf.    BULL-DOSE. 

1878.  N.  American  Reviezu,  CXXVIL, 
426.     The  great  'bulldozer'  of  Europe. 

1882.  New  York  Tribune,  3  May. 
The  hotel  where  he  was  staying  was 
visited... by  a  mob  of  bull-dozers. 

2.  (common). — A  pistol:  see 
BULLDOG  and  barker. 

1881.  Sat  Review,  July  9,  40,  2. 
A  Californian  bull-doser  is  a  pistol 
which  carries  a  bullet  heavy  enough  to 
destroy  human  life  with  certainty. 

Bullet,  subs,  (venery). —  i.  In  pi, 
:=  testes  :  see  cods. 

1598.  Shakspeare,  2  Hen.  IV,  ii., 
4,    121.      I   will   discharge  upon  her,  sir, 

with    two    BULLETS. 

2.  (American). — In  pi.  =  aces: 
see  quot. 

1890.  Lkland.  {Slang  Jargon  and 
Cant.,  s.v.  bullets].  In  American  brag, 
are  aces;  sometimes  called  white  aces,  in 
contradistinction  to  aces  made  up  by 
holding  braggers.  The  highest  hand  in 
the  game  is  three  white  (or  real)  aces, 
the  next  highest  is  two  bullets  and 
a  bragger,  which  cannot,  of  course,  occur 
in  the  same  round  in  which  th:  ^e  real 
aces  are  held,  though  another  player  may 
hold  two  other  bullets  and  a  bragger 
at  the  same  time.  Hence  the  expres- 
sion 'the  serene  confidence  which  a 
Christian   feels  in   the  three  white  aces.' 

To  GIVE  THE  BULLET,  verb.phr. 
(common). — To  discharge  an  em- 
ployé; TO  GIVE  THE  BAG  (i^.Z'.)  ; 
TO  SACK  {q.V^.  To  SHAKE  THE 
BULLET  zz:  to  threaten  (but  not  to 
give  actual  notice  to  leave).    To 

GET  THE  BULLET  z=.  to  get  notice  ; 
TO   GET   THE  INSTANT  BULLET  = 

to  be  discharged  upon  the  spot. 

1841.  Savage,  Diet,  of  Art  of 
Printing.  A  workman  was  said  to  have 
got  the  bullet  when  he  was  discharged 
ittstanter — without  the  customary  notice 
on  either  side. 


Bullet-head. 


418 


Bullion  State. 


1S73.  Chamo,  jfour.,  March  9,  147. 
When  a  fellow  GETS  the  bullet  from 
his  work,  he  mostly  has  a  spell  at  cab- 
driving. 

18S7.  Punch,  Sept.  17,  126.  I  have 
just  GOT  THE  BULLET,  Mate — Sacked 
without  notice. 

Every  bullet  has  its  billet. 

See  BILLET. 

1562-77.  G^scoiGiiz,  Fruités  0/  Warre, 
67.  SufSseth  this  to  prooue  my  theame 
withall.      That    every    bullet   hath    a 

LIGHTING    PLACE. 

Bullet  in  mouth,  phr.  (old). 
— Ready  for  action. 

Full  bullet,  ///;-.  (old). — 
Full  size. 

BULLET-HEAD,  siibs.phr.  I.  A  person 
with  a  round  head  like  a  bullet.  2. 
An  obstinate,  fellow,  pig-headed 
fool,  dull  silly  fellow  (B.E.).  Hence 

bullet  -  HEADEDNESS     =:      Stolid 

obstinacy. 

Bullfinch,  st(bs.  (old). — i.  A  stupid 
fellow. 

16...  Jests  of  George  Peele  [N ares]. 
He,  after  a  distracted  countenance,  and 
strange  words,  takes  this  bulfinch  by 
the  wrist,  and  carried  him  into  the  privy, 
and  there  willed  him  to  put  in  his  head 
but  while  he  had  written  his  name  and 
told  forty. 

2.  (hunting). — A  high  thick 
hedge;  one  difficult  to  jump  or 
rush  through,  [Most  authorities 
agree  this  term  =  '  buU-ferce,'  i.e., 
a  fence  capable  of  preventing 
cattle  from  straying.]  Hence,  as 
verb.  ■=.  to  leap  a  horse  through 
such  a  fence. 

1832.  Quart.  Rev.,  Mar.,  226.  The 
BULL-FiN'CH  fence...  is  a  quickset  hedge 
of  perhaps  fifty  years'  growth,  with  a 
ditch  on  one  side  or  the  other,  and  so 
high  and  strong  that  [one]  cannot  clear  it. 


1864.  G.  A.  Lawrence,  Guy  Living- 
stone, ix.  The  third  is  a  teaser — an  ugly 
black  bull-finch  with  a  ditch  on  the 
landing  side,  and  a  drop  into  a  ploughed 
field. 

1868.  Ouida,  Two  Flags,  iii.  Right 
in  front  of  that  Stand  was  an  artificial 
bullfinch  that  promised  to  treat  most  of 
the  field  to  a  purler,  a  deep  ditch  dug 
and  filled  with  water,  with  two  towering 
black-thorn   fences   on  either   side   of  it. 

i8[?].  C.  Kingslev,  Life,  11.,  56. 
Sit  down  in  your  saddles  and  race  at  the 
brook,  then  smash  at  the  bullfinch. 

1880.  The  Times,  Nov.  2,  4,  5. 
They  are  almost  invariably  attired  in 
double-stitched  shooting  coats,  that  will 
stand  the  ordeal  of  bull-finches  and 
brambles. 

i88g.     hian   of  the   W'orld,  June  29. 
See     Harrington,    the    belled    earl,    bear  " 
down  an  opponent  in  the  jousts,  charging 
with  lance  or  sword  as  if  he  were  riding 
at  a  South  Notts  bull-finch. 

Bull-flesh,  subs.  phr.  (colloquial). 
— Brag  {(J.v^j  ;  swagger  {q-v^ 
(1820). 

Bull-head,  subs.  phr.  (old).— i. 
Hair,  curled  and  frizzled,  worn 
on    a   woman's    forehead  (1672). 

2.  (old).— A  fool;  a  block- 
head. BüLL-HEADED=:pig-headed- 
ly  impetuous,  blockheaded. 

BULLION  State  (The),  subs.  phr. 
(American). — Missouri.  [In  con- 
sequence of  the  exertions  made 
by  its  Senator,  Mr.  Benton,  in 
favour  of  gold  and  silver  currency, 
in  opposition  to  banks  and  a 
paper  currency.  The  honorable 
Senator  was  hence  often  nick- 
named Old  Bullion,  and  the  State 
herepresented  theBULLiON  state.] 

1848.  Ne^v  York  Herald,  13  June. 
Thank  God,  in  my  own  State,  in  the 
bullion  state,  they  did  not  succeed  in 
depreciating  our  majority. 


Bìill-jine. 


419 


Bull-puncher . 


BULL-JINE,  subs.  phr.  (nautical). — 
A  locomotive:  see  bull. 

Bull-money,  subs.  phr.  (venery).— 
Blackmail  :  the  price  of  being 
caught  in  flagrante  delicto  with 
a  woman  in  public. 

BULL-NECK.  To  TUMBLE  A  BULL- 
NECK,  verb.  phr.  (provincial). — 
To  place  the  hands  under  the 
thighs,  and  the  head  on  the 
ground  between  the  feet,  and 
tumble  over  (Halliwell). 

BULL-NURSE,  subs.  phr.  (nautical).— 
See  quot. 

1885.  Graphic,  April  4,  326,  3. 
Bull-nurses.  Perhaps  we  ought  to 
apologise  for  using  this  word  ;  but  years 
ago  (it  may  be  so  still)  it  was  the  sailors' 
phrase  to  indicate  a  male-attendant  on 
the  sick. 

Bullock,  subs,  (schoolboys'). — i. 
See  quot. 

1855.  J.  K.,  in  Notes  and  Queries, 
s.v.,  12,  3  Nov.,  344.  Bullock,  a  cheat; 
but  as  I  think,  only  when  cheating  at 
marbles. 

2.  (Australian).  —  A  country- 
man, a  bushman  :  cf.  bullock- 
puncher. 

3.  (old). — A  papal  brief. 

d.  1555.  Latimer,  Sermons,  n,  378. 
I  send  you  here  a  bullock  which  I  did 
find  amongst  my  bulls,  that  you  may  see 
how  closely  in  the  time  past  the  foreign 
prelates  did  practise  about  their  prey. 

Verb,  (old).  — To  bully;  to 
BOUNCE  \q.v^  ;  to  intimidate. 
[Query  bully.] 

171.6.  M.  Davies,  Ath.  Brit.,  I.,  272. 
Upon  the  evidence  of  that  bullocking 
Fryer  Campanella. 

1750.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  IL,  vi. 
And  then  you  have  charged  me  with 
BULLOCKING  you  into    owning  the  truth. 


1763.  FoOTE,  Mayor  of  Garratt, 
ii,  2.  She  shan't  think  to  bullock  and 
domineer  over  me. 

1785,  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  BuLLOCK,  to  hector, 
bounce,  or  bully. 

BULLOCK's-HEART,  subs.  phr.  (prin- 
ters').— See  quot.,  and  TOKEN. 

1890.  Jacobi,  [Sla7ig  Diet.,  s.v.]. 
bullock's  heart.  This  is  a  term  of  con- 
tempt that  pressmen  apply  to  a  single 
'token,'  or  order  to  print,  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  copies  only,  the  lowest  paying 
number  in  the  scale  of  prices.  This 
expression  is  due  to  the  circumstance 
that  it  is  not  a  'fat'  but  a  'lean'  job, 
hence  the  comparison  to  a  bullock's 
heart,  which,  unless  suffering  from  'fatty 
degeneration,'  is  the  essence  ofleanness. 

BULLOCK'S-HORN,  verb.  phr.  (rhym- 
ing).— To  pawn:  see  pop. 

BULLOCKY.     See  BÜLL-PUNCHER. 

Bull-party,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
party   of  men  :    cf.   bull-dance, 

STAG-PARTY,    HEN-TEA,    etc. 

Bull-puncher  (bullock-puncher 
or  BULLOCKY),  «^/'i-./z^r.  (colonial). 
— A  bullock-driver;  a  cow-punch- 

ER((7.Z/.).BULLOCKY,ö^'.=zthickset; 

bovine. 

1872.  C.  H.  Eden,  My  Wife  and 
I  in  Queensland,  49.  The  bullpuncher, 
as    bullock-drivers   are   familiarly  called. 

1873.  J.  Mathew,  Hawking,  in 
Queenslaiider,  Oct.  4.  The  stockmen, 
and  the  bushmen,  and  the  shepherds  leave 
the  station,  And  the  hardy  bullock- 
PUNCHERS   throw   aside   their  occupation. 

1889.  CasselVs  Pictiiresqne  Austra- 
lasia, iv.  143.  These  teams  would  com- 
prise from  five  to  six  pairs  of  bullocks 
each,  and  were  driven  by  a  man  euphon- 
iously termed  a  bull-puncher.  Armed 
with  a  six-foot  thong,  fastened  to  a  supple 
stick  seven  feet  long.... 

1890.  Rolf  Boldrewood,  Colonial 
Reformer,  xii.,  121.  By  George,  Jack, 
you're  a  regular  bullockv  boy. 


BulFs-eye. 


420 


Bu  ll-speaking. 


Bull's-eye,  subs.pkr.  (schoolboys'). 
—  I.  A  sweetmeat  of  which  pep- 
permint is  an  important  ingre- 
dient. [In  allusion  to  its  globular 
shape  and  markings.] 

1825.  Hone,  Everyday  Bk.,  I.,  51. 
Hardbake,  brandy  balls,  and  bull's-kyes. 

1857.  C.  KiNGSLEV,  Two  Years  Ago, 
XV.  He  had  just  arranged  a  master-piece; 
half-a-dozen  of  the  prettiest  children 
sitting  beneath  a  broken  boat,...  while 
the  black-bearded  sea-kings  round  were 
promising  them  rock  and  bull's-eyes  if 
they  would  only  sit  still  like  gude 
maids. 

1882.  Punch,  LXXXII.,  83.  Dr. 
Switcher  (who  had  discovered  bull's 
EVES  about,  and  traced  them  to  the 
original  donor). 

2.  (old). — A  five-shilling  piece  ; 
a  BULL  {q.V.);  see  RHINO. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Did.  Caiit.  Crew,  s.v. 
BULLS-EVE,  c.  a  Crown,  or  Five  shilling 
Piece. 

1714.  Memoirs  of  John  Hall  (4  ed.), 
II.    Bull's-eye,  a  Crown. 

1785.  Grosk,  Dictionary  0/  the  Vul- 
gar Tongue.     Bull's-eye,  a  crown  piece. 

3.  (common). — A  policeman's 
lantern. 

1856.  C.  Kingsley,  Letter,  May. 
We  don't  see  but  half  the  bull's-eye  yet, 
and  don't  see  at  all  the  policeman  which 
is  a-going  on  his  beat  behind  the 
bull's  eye. 

4.  (old). — A  small  and  thick 
old-fashioned  watch  ;  a  TURNIP 
(^q.v.). 

BULL'S-EYE  VILLAS,  sitlis.  phr.  (mili- 
tary).— The  sniall  open  tents  used 
by  Volunteers  at  the  annual 
gathering. 


Bull's    Feather  (or  Horn).    To 

GIVE  (or  GET)  THE  BULL'S  FEATHER 
(or  horn),  verb.  phr.  (old). — To 
cuckold  or  be  cuckolded  :  cf. 
ACTEON  :  also  to  stick  a  bull's- 
feather.in  one's  cap:  see  horn. 
Yx. plumes  de  bœtif.  Hence  KNIGHT 
OF  the  bull's-feather  =  a 
cuckold. 

1600.  Shakspeare,  Miuh  Ado  about 
Nothing,  v.,  I.  But  when  shall  we  see 
the  savage  bull's  horns  on  the  sensible 
Benedict's  head. 

1660.  Merry  Drollery,  264.  The  bull's 
feather  (Title).  Ibid.  Dye  had  I  rather, 
Than  to  be  cornuted  and  wear  a  bull's 

feather. 

1662.  Wilson,  The  Cheats,  v.,  2. 
How  ?  Stick  a  bull's  feather  in  my 
cap!  Make  me  a  knight  of  the  Forked 
Order!     Ibid.  iv.  i. 

1664.  Cotton,  Works  (1734),  234. 
And  this  same  huffing  Ironside  Stuck  a 
bull's  feather  in  his  cap. 

1748.  Richardson,  CI.  Harlowe,  v., 
295.  A  good  whimsical  instrument,  take 
it  altogether!  But  what,  thinkest  thou, 
are  the  arras  to  this  matrimonial  har- 
binger? .  .  .  Three  crooked  horns, 
smartly  top-knotted  with  ribands;  which 
being  the  ladies'  wear,  seem  to  intimate 
that  they  may  very  probably  adorn,  as 
well  as  bestow,  the  bull's  feather. 

BULL's-HEAD,  subs.  phr.  (Scots).— 
A  signal  of  condemnation,  and 
prelude  of  immediate  execution, 
said  to  have  been  actually  used 
in  Scotland  (Jamieson). 

BULL'S-NOON,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
—Midnight  (1839). 

Bull-speaking,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
Boasting  language  (Nares). 

16..     Brome,  Northern  Lass. 
Luc.    He  is  doubtful,  but  yet  he  is  sure 

he  knows  him. 
What    a    bulfinch    is   this!    Sure    'tis  hii 

language  they  call  bull-speaking. 


Bull-trap. 


421 


Bully. 


BULL-TRAP,  subs.  phr.  (American 
thieves'). — A  thief  {q.v^  sham- 
ming constable. 

BULL-WEEK,  subs.  phr.  (provincial). 
— The  week  before  Christmas, 
when  work-people  at  Sheffield, 
allow  themselves  scarcely  any 
rest,  and  earn  more  than  usual 
to  prepare  for  the  rest  and  enjoy- 
ment of  Christmas  :  see  C.4,LF,  cow, 

.A.ND    BULL    WEEK. 

BULLWORKS,  subs.  phr.  (provincial). 
— Boisterous  behaviour  (Halli- 
well). 

Bully,  siibs.  (old). —  i.  A  prostitute's 
man;  a  fancy  man  i^q.v^:  also 
BULLY-BACK  (or  buck)  and  bully- 
boss  ijl-v^. 

1626.  Amherst,  Terrœ  FU.,  xxxiii,, 
17g.  They  have  spirtual  bravves  on  their 
side,  and  old  lecherous  bully-backs  to 
revenge  their  cause. 

c.  i6g6.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
Bully,  c.  a  supposed  Husband  to  a  Bawd, 
or  Whore;  also  a  huffing  Fellow.  Ibid.  s.v. 
BULLY  BUFF,  c.  a  poor  sorry  Rogue  that 
haunts  Bawdy-houses,  and  pretends  to 
get  Money  out  of  Gentlemen  and  others, 
ratling  and  swearing  the  Whore  is  his 
Wife,  calling  to  his  assistance  a  parcel 
of  Hectors. 

1706.  Defoe,  yure  Divino,  i.,  8. 
Mars  the  celestial  bully  they  adore,  And 
Venus  for  an  everlasting  whore. 

1729.  Gay,  PoUy,  ii.,  7.  Jimmy: 
Sure  never  was  such  insolence!  how  could 
you  leave  me  with  this  bawdyhouse 
BULLY  ? 

1753.  Adventurer,  No.  100.  I  learned 
to  pack  cards  and  to  cog  a  die;  became 
a  BULLY  to  whores. 

1766.  Goldsmith,  Vicar  of  Wake- 
field, XX.  The  lady  was  only  a  woman 
of  the  town,  and  the  fellow  her  ejlly 
and  a  »harper. 

1772.  Bridges,  Burlesqiie  Homer, 
216.  As  to  that  copper-nosed  rabscallion, 
Venus's  bully-b.\ck  and  stallion. 


1785.  Grose,  Vidg.  Tongue,  s.v. 
bully-back,  a  bully  to  a  bawdy  house, 
one  who  is  kept  in  pay  to  oblige  the 
frequenters  of  the  house  to  submit  to 
the  impositions  of  the  mother  abbess  or 
bawd,  and  who  also  sometimes  pretends 
to  be  the  husband  of  one  of  the  ladies, 
and  under  that  pretence  extorts  money 
from  greenhorns,  or  ignorant  young  men, 
whom  he  finds  with  her. 

1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias,  [Rout- 
ledge].  147.  Women  of  light  character 
. .  .play  the  comedy  of  love  in  many 
masks,...  as  they  fall  in  with  the  quiz, 
the  coxcomb,  or  the  bully. 

1821.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
Jerry,  ii.,  4.  When  I  civilly  axed  her, 
how  she  could  think  of  getting  drunk, 
and  acting  so,  she  called  her  bullies  here. 

1883.  A.  DoBSON,  Fielding,  129. 
Probably  a  professed  sabreur,  if  not  a 
salaried  bully  like  Captain  Stab  in  the 
Rake's  Progress. 

1887.  Daily  News,  15  July,  6,  5.  It 
was  not  an  uncommon  thing  for  a  pros- 
titute to  solicit  a  man,  and  if  he  refused 
her  importunities,  to  call  upon  a  bully, 
and  complain  that  she  had  been  assaulted. 

2.  (Eton  College). — A  mellay 
at  football;  the  Rugby  scrim- 
mage {q.v.);  the  Winchester  HOT 

(^.Z'.). 

1864.  Eton  School  Days,  23  225. 
He  possessed  good  wind,  and  was  a  very 
good  'kick-off,'  and  he  could  bully  a 
ball  as  well  as  any  one.  He  was  a  little 
too  heavy  for  '  flying-man,'  but  he  made 
a  decent  'sidepost,'  and  now  and  then 
he  officiated  as  'corner.' 

3.  (nautical). — An  endearment  : 
originally  of  either  sex  (=  sweet- 
heart, darling);  now  of  men  only 
=  a  PAL  {q.v.)  ;  a  MATE  {q.v.). 
Hence  (Halliwell)  a  familiar 
term  of  address,  as  bully  Jack, 
BULLY  Bob,  etc.,  formerly  in  very 
common  use,  and  not  quite  ob- 
solete in  the  provinces,  where 
BUTTY  is  perhaps  now  more 
generally  heard. 


Bully. 


422 


Bully. 


1590,  Play  of  Sir  Thomas  More, 
[Shakspeare  Soc],  19.  [We  have  büllie 
used  as  an  endearing  phrase]. 

1592.  Shakspeare,  Mid.  Sum.  Night's 
Dreatn,  iii.,  i.  What  sayst  thou  bully 
Bottom  ?  Ibid,  iv.  2.  O  sweet  bully 
Bottom. 

c.  1600.  Merry  Devil  of  Edmonton, 
iv.,  I.  Mine  host,  my  bully,  my  precious 
consul. 

4.  (American  thieves').  —  A 
weapon  formed  by  tying  a  stone 
or  a  piece  of  lead  in  a  hand- 
kerchief, and  used  knuckleduster 
fashion. 

5.  (common). — A  bravo  ;  a 
HECTOR  {q.V^\  a  SWASHBUCKLER 
(jj.v.)  ;  spec,  a  tyrannical  coward  : 
see  sense  i. 

1684.  Dryden,  The  Disappoint- 
ment. 'Prologue.'  The  doughty  bullies 
enter  bloody  drunk,  Invade  and  grubble 
one  another's  punk. 

1688.  Shadwell,  Sq  of  Alsatia  I . 
in  Wks.  (1720),  iv.  27.  He  came  out  of 
White  Fryers:  he's  some  Alsatian  bully. 

c.  1696.  B.  E.,  Diet.  Cant  Cr  cm,  s.v. 
Bully,  a  huffing  Fellow. 

1657-1733.  John  Dennis,  Letters,  ii., 
407.  Shadwell  is  of  opinion,  that  your 
bully,  with  his  box  and  his  false  dice, 
is  an  honester  fellow.... 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  2.  Some 
men  were  knaves,  and  some  were  bullies. 

1822.  Scott,  Fortunes  of  Nigel, 
xvii.  You  shall  sink  a  nobleman  in  the 
Temp'e  Gardens,  and  rise  an  Alsatian 
at  Whitefriars.  .  .  .  An  extravagantly 
long  rapier  and  poinard  marked  the  true 
Alsatian  bully. 

1885.  Chamb.  Journal,  28  Feb.,  136. 
He  is  a  ramper  and  bully  to  a  couple 
of  outside  betting-men. 

Adj.  (orig.  American:  now 
conimoo). — Fine;  capital;  CRACK 
{q.v^;  SPIFF  {q.v.):  see  fizzing. 
Hence  that's  bully  for  you. 


phr.  (American). — That's  O.K.  ; 
it's  just  as  it  should  be:  during 
the  Civil  War  the  phrase  had  a 
remarkably  popular  run. 

1681.  Chetham,  Anglers'  Vade 
Mecum  (1689),  Pref.  From  such  bully 
fishers  this  book  expects  no  other 
reception. 

17..  Swift,  City  Shower.  Those 
bully  [heroic]  Greeks,  who,  as  the 
moderns  do,  Instead  of  paying  chairmen, 
run  them  thro'. 

1846.  Carlton,  Home  Ballads,  86. 
You're  doin'  the  politics  bully,  as  all 
our  family  agree;  Just  keep  your  old 
goose  quill  a-floppin,  and  give  'em  a  good 
one  for  me. 

1855.  Cairo  City  Tivies.  The  bully 
steamboat  'Crystal  Palace'  pas-ed  up  to 
St.  Louis  on  Monday.  We  have  no 
doubt  she  left  papers. 

i8[?]  Poem  on  American  Affairs 
[Bartlett].  So  he  sent  not  a  vessel 
across  the  broad  sea,  Vich  vas  hawful 
'ard  times  for  poor  Jefferson  D.,  And 
wrote  unto  Doodle,  'Hold  on,  and  be 
true  !  '      And    Jonathan    answered    Bull, 

'BULLY    FOR    YOU.' 

1872.  Clemens,  ['Mark  Twain'] 
Roughing  It,  333.  I  don't  want  no  better 
friend  than  Buck  Fanshaw.  .  .  .  Take 
him  all  round,  pard,  there  never  was  a 
BULLIER  man  in  the  mines.  .  .  .  No  man 
ever  know'd  Buck  to  go  back  on  a  friend. 

i8[.>]     Boatman's  Song  [Bartlett]. 
Now  is  the  time  for  a  bully  trip, 
So  shake  her  up  and  let  her  rip. 

i8[?]  Shanlev,  The  Brier-wood  Pipe. 
Ha!  Bully  for  me  again,  when  my  turn 

for  picket  is  over; 
And  now  for  a  smoke,  as  I  lie,  with  the 

moonlight  in  the  clover. 

1870.  Meade,  New  Zealaud,  331. 
The  roof  fell  in,  there  was  a  bully 
blaze. 

1873.  Jiistin  McCarthy,  Fair 
Saxon,  xix.  '  Darling  boy  !  I  had  thought 
of  this  already.'  '  Bully  for  you,  mamma! 
Of  course  you  did.' 


Bully-back. 


423 


Bullyrag. 


1875.  N.  Amer.  Review,  CXX.,  128. 
'That,'  replied  Earney,  'is  Mercury,  the 
god  of  merchants  and  thieves.'  'Good! 
that's  BULLv!'  exclaimed  Tweed. 

1880.  Bret  Harte,  A  Lonely  Ride. 
'I  thought  you  changed  horses  on  the 
road?'  'So  we  did.  Two  hours  ago.' 
'That's  odd.  I  didn't  notice  it.'  'Must 
have  been  asleep  sir.  Hope  you  had  a 
pleasant  nap.  Bully  place  for  a  nice 
quiet  snooze, — empty  stage,  sir!' 

1896.  LiLLARD,  Poker  Stories,  178. 
The/  go  around  with  a  sign  hanging  out, 
'  I'm  out  of  sorts  this  morning,'  or  '  I'm 
just  feeling  bully — got  my  deal  through.' 

Bully    boy    (or   bully    boy 

WITH   THE   GLASS   EYE),  SUbs.  phr. 

(American). — A  good  fellow. 

i8is.  Scott,  Guy M'annering,xxxiv. 
'Well  said,  my  hearty  captain!'  cried 
Glossin,  endeavouring  to  catch  the  tone 
of  revelry.  .  .  .  'That's  it,  my  bully 
BOY  !     Why,   you're   alive   again  now  ! — ' 

1817.  Scott,  Ro5  Roy,  viii.  And 
you,  Mr.  Frank  Osbaldistone,  are  not  the 
first  BULLY-BOY  that  has  said  stand  to  a 
true  mn. 

1869.  S.  L.  Clemens  (Mark  Twain). 
Innocents  at  Home,  20.  You  ought  to 
seen   him   get   started   once.     He   was  a 

BULLY    BOY    WITH    A    GLASS    EYE. 

To  BULLY  UP,  veri>.  phr.  (Up- 
pingham School). — To  hurry  up: 
mostly  in  the  imperative. 

BULLY-BACK   (or   BUCK).    Sit  BULLY. 

Bully-beef,  subs.  phr.  (military). — 
Tinned  meat;  iron  ration  {q.v): 
also  (navy)  =:  boiled  salt  beef. 

1883.  Clark  Russell,  Sailors' 
Language,  pref.,  xii.  Soup-and-bouilli  is 
another  standing  sea  dish,  and,  taking 
it  all  round,  is  the  most  disgusting  of  the 
provisions  served  out  to  the  merchant 
sailor.  I  have  known  many  a  strong 
stomach,  made  food-proof  by  years  of 
pork  eaten  with  molasses,  and  biscuit 
alive  with  worms,  to  be  utterly  capsized 


by  the  mere  smell  of  soup-and-bouilli. 
Jack  calls  it  'soap  and  bullion,  one  onion 
to  a  gallon  of  water,'  and  thus  fairly 
expresses  the  character  of  the  nauseous 
compound. 

1887.  Daily  News,  July  9,  6,  4. 
The  rations  will  be  of  the  kind  known  to 
Tommy  Atkins  as  bully  beef.  There 
may  be  in  it  a  considerable  proportion 
of  mutton,  but  that  makes  no  difference 
to  him. 

BULLY-BOSS,  subs.  phr.  (American). 
— The  landlord  of  a  brothel,  or 
thieves'  den. 


BULLY-BUCK.      See   BULLY. 

BULLY-COCK,  subs.  phr.  (old).— I. 
See  quot. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongtie.  Bully-coCK,  one  who 
foments  quarrels  in  order  to  rob  the 
persons  quarrelling. 

2.      See  BILLY-COCK. 

BULLY-HUFF.      See  BULLY. 

Bullyrag  (or  Ballyrag),  verb,  (col- 
loquial).— To  revile;  to  abuse; 
to  scold  in  vulgar  or  obscene 
language;  also  to  swindle  by 
means  of  intimidation:  also  BALLY- 
RAGGING. 

1760.  T.  Warton,  Oxford  News- 
man's Verses.  On  Minden's  plains,  ye 
meek  Mounseers!  Remember  Kingsley's 
grenadiers.  You  vainly  thought  to  bal- 
LARAG  us,  Like  your  fine  squadron  off 
Cape  Lagos. 

1861.  Charles  Lever,  One  of  Them, 
36.     He  BULLYRAGGED  me. 

1863.  H.  Kingsley,  Austin  Elliot, 
xviii.  It  would  be  a  good  thing  for 
she, . .  if  she  could  bully  Miss  Eleanor 
into  marrying  Captain  Hertford,  and 
then  that  the  pair  on  'em  should  have 
the  bullying  and  bally-ragging  of  nine 
thousand  a  year. 


Bully-rook. 


424 


Bum. 


1876.  s.  Clemens  (Mark  Twain), 
Tom  Sawyer,  118.  I  don't  want  nothing 
better  'n  this;  I  don't  git  enough  to  eat 
gin'ally, — and  here  they  can't  come  and 
pick  a  feller  and  bullyrag  him  so. 

1880.  Mrs.  Parr,  Adam  and  Eve, 
xxi.,  292.  There'll  be  more  set  to  the 
score  o'  my  coaxin'  than  ever  '  all  be  to 
Adam's  bully-ragging.' 

1S80.  Jas.  Greenwood,  Maids  in 
Waiting,  (in  Odd  People  in  Odd  Places), 
143.  You  should  have  heard  the  bully- 
ragging I  got,  ma'am,  from  the  mistress 
and  the  master  as  well,  and  I  was  turned 
out  in  the  shameful  way  I've  already 
explained  to  you,  for  doing  what  was  no 
wrong  at  all,  but  only  what  me  good- 
nature tempted  me  to. 

1882.  Daily  Telegraph,  Oct.  19,  3, 
I.  And  you  should  have  heard  the 
bully-ragging  I  got,  ma'am,  from  the 
mistress  and  the  master  as  well. 

1884.  Jas.  Payn,  Talk  0/ the  To  mm, 
V.  He  had  never  been  bally-ragged  in 
his  own  house  for  'nothing' — except  by 
his  wife^before. 

BULLY-ROOK  (or  BULLY-ROCK),  subs, 
phr.  (old). — Originally  a  boon- 
companion;  later,  however  =:  a 
swaggerer,  a  bully,  a  bravo. 

1S96.  'üv.h.vizve.KYce.,  Merry  Wives  of 
Windsor,   i.,    3.     Why   says   my    bullv- 

ROOK? 

1633.  Shirley,  Wittie  Faire  One, 
iii.,  4.  Such  in  the  spirit  of  sack,  till 
we  be  delphic,  and  prophesy,  my  bullv- 
ROOK. 

C.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
Bi;llv-rock,  c,  a  Hector,  or  Bravo. 

1697.  Praise  of  Yorkshire  Ale.  My 
BULLY-ROCKS,  I've  been  experienced  long 
In  most  of  Liquors. 

1754.  B.  Martin,  Eng.  Diet.  {2  ed.). 
Bully,  or  BULLY-ROCK,  I.  a  boisterous, 
hectoring  fellow. 

Bully-ruffian,  su/>s.  phr.  (old).— 
A  footpad,  or  highwayman,  who, 
robbed  with  menace. 


c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BuLLY-RUFFiNS,      c.      Highway-men,      or 

Padders. 

BULLY-SOP,  subs.  phr.  (B.E.),— 'A 
maggot-pated,  huffing,  silly  tatling 
fellow.' 

Bully-trap,  subs.  phr.  (old).— i. 
'  A  sharper  or  cheat  '  (B.E.)  ;  (2) 
'  a  man  who,  though  of  mild 
outside  demeanour,  is  a  match 
for  any  ruffian  who  may  attack 
him.'    Quoted   by  Grose  (1785). 

Bulrush,  siibs.  (old). — A  slender 
person;  a  LAMPOST  {q.v^:  also  a 
simile  of  delusive  strength. 

1614.  Terence  in  English.  These 
therefore  they  diet,  albeit  that  the  nature 
of  the  gyrles  is  to  be  fui  and  fatte; 
neverthelesse  by  this,  their  diligent  dress- 
ing and  trimming  of  them,  they  make 
them  as  small  as  a  bulrush  ;  and  here- 
upon it  falls  out  that  young  men  are 
enamoured  of  them. 

To  SEEK  A  KNOT  IN  A  BULRUSH, 
verb.  phr.  (old). — To  cavil  ;  to 
find  difficulties  where  there  are 
none  :  also  (in  sarcasm)  TO  TAKE 
AWAY  EVERY  KNOT  IN  A  BULRUSH. 

Bum,  siihs.  (vulgar). —  i.  The  poste- 
riors ;  or  (Jamieson)  •  the  part 
on  which  we  sit.'  Murray:  the 
guess  that  BUM  is  an  abbreviation 
of  'bottom'  is  at  variance  with 
the  historical  fact,  that  the  latter, 
in  this  sense,  is  found  only  from 
the  eighteenth  century  ;  besides 
which  there  are  phonetic  dif- 
ficulties. The  origin  is  probably 
onamatopoetic.  Also  bumkin. 
Hence  to  toe  one's  bum  =  to  put 
or  '  chuck  '  out  ;  to  show  the  door 
to:  also  TO  HOOF  one's  bum. 

1387.  Trevisa,  Higden  Rolls,  6,  as?- 
It  semetli  that  his  dom  is  oute  that  hath 
that  euel  [ficus,  i.e.,  piles]. 


Bum. 


425 


Bum-Bailijf. 


1592.  Shakspeare,  Mids.  Night's 
Dream,  ii.,  i,  51.  The  wisest  aunt  telling 
the  saddest  tale,  Sometime  for  three-foot 
stool  mistaketh  me;  Then  slip  I  from 
her  BUM,  down  topples  she. 

1600.  Dekker,  Shoemakers  Holiday, 
in  Wks.  (1873)  !•'  39'  ■^'''  '^°"  acquainted 
with  neuer  a  fardingalemaker,  nor  a 
French-hood  maker,  I  must  enlarge  my 
BUMME. 

1609.  Shakspeare,  Tiinon  of  Athens, 
i.,  2.  What  a  coil's  here!  Serving  of 
becks,  and  jutting  out  of  bums! 

1614.  JoNSON,  Bartholomew  Fai-/, 
iv.,  4.  Your  breeches  sit  close  enough 
to  your  BUM. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s,v. 
Bum,,,  one's  Breech. 

1706.  Ward,  Hud.  Redivivus,  vi.,  10. 
Thought  I,  for  all  your  pulpit-drumming, 
Had    you  no  Hose  to  hide  your  bum  in. 

1729.  Swift,  h-.telligencer,  8,  83 
(2  ed.).  And  first  his  bum  you  see  him 
clap  Upon  the  Queen  of  Sheba's  lap. 

1742.  Shenstone,  Schoolmistress,  18, 
All,  but  the  wight  of  bum  y-galled,  he 
Abhors  both  bench,  and  stool,  and  fourm, 
and  chair. 

1782.  WoLCOT,  Lyric  Odes,  i.,  in 
Wks.  (1809)  I.,  12.  That  lazy  BUM-delight- 
ing  thing,  Ridly,  the  Chancellor. 

Verb,  (venery). — (a)  To  cop- 
ulate: see  GREENS  and  RIDE;  (ij) 
TO  BUGGER  {q.V^.  AlsO  TO  GO 
BUM  -  FIGHTING,  BUM  -  WORKING, 
BUM-TICKLING  or  BUM-FAKING  ; 
TO  DO  (or  have)  a  BIT  OF  BUM 
(or BUM-DANCING);  TO  BUM-BOARD, 
and   TO   BUM-FIDDLE. 

2.  See  BUM-BAILIFF  (or-BAILLIE). 

3.  (public  schools'). — A  birch- 
ing ;   a   HIDING  {C[.V^  ;  a  TANNING 


Verb.    See  bum-bailiff. 

Cherry  bums  subs,  (military). 
— The  nth  Hussars:  the  obvious 
reference  is  to  the  scarlet  trow- 
sers:  a  similar  nickname  is  given 
to  the  French  Chasseurs — Culs 
rouges. 

To  SAY  neither  BA  NOR  BUM, 
subs.  phr.  (old). — To  say  not  a 
wrord. 

Bum-bags  (or  Bum-curtain),  subs. 
phr.  (common).  —  Trowsers  :  see 
KICKS. 

Bum  Bailiff  (Bum  Baily,  or  Bummy 
Bum),  siibs.  phr.  (old).— A  bailiff 
or  sheriff's  officer.  As  verb.  =  to 
arrest. 

1602.  Shakspeare,  Twelfth  Night, 
iii.,  4.  Sir  yo.  Go,  Sir  Andrew;  scout 
me  for  him  at  the  corner  of  the  orchard 
like  a  bum-baily. 

1628.  H.  Shirley,  Martyrd  Souldier, 
Y.  I  was  first  a  Varlet,  then  a  BUM- 
BAILY,  now  an  under  Jailor. 

1663.  Butler,  Hudibras,  I.,  i.,  393. 
It  had  appeared  with  courage  bolder. 
Then   Sergeant   Bum,   invading  shoulder. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
bum,  a  Bailiff,  or  Serjeant. 

1698-1700.  Ward,  London  Spy,  vu., 
153.  The  Vermin  of  the  Law,  the  bum, 
Who  gladly  kept  his  distance,  Does  safely 
now  in  Triumph  come. 

1761.  Dr.  Hawkesworth,  Edgar 
and  Emmeline,  ii.,  I.  By  the  heavens! 
she  has  the  gripe  of  a  bum-baiuff. 

1822.  Scott,  Fortunes  of  Nigel, 
xvii.  We  are  in  right  opposition  to 
sign  and  seal,  writ  and  warrant,  Serjeant 
and   tipstaff,    catch-poll  and  bum-bailev. 

1845.  Disraeli,  Sybil,  iii.,i.  Juggings 
has  got  his  rent  to  pay,  and  is  afeard 
of  the  bums. 


Bum  bard. 


426 


Bumble-puppy 


1869.  Mrs.  H.  Wood,  Roland  Vorke, 
xxxii.  You  know  the  state  we  were 
in  all  the  summer;  Gerald  next  to  pen- 
niless,   and   going   about    in   fear   of  the 

BUM-BAILIES. 

BUMBARD.     See  BUM,  verb. 
Bum-bass,  szibs.phr.  (old). — 5£^quot. 

1809.  S.  Pegge,  Anonymiana,  415. 
The  humble-bee  ought  rather,  perhaps, 
to  be  called  the  bumble-bee  as  it  is  in 
some  parts,  from  the  deepness  of  the  note, 
just  as  the  violoncello  is  called  by  the 
vulgar  a  bum-bass, 

BUMBASTE,  verb,  (old).— I.  To  flog: 
spec,  on  the  bum  {(l-v^. 

1571.  Edwards,  Damon  and Pithias 
[DoDSLE/,  Oid  Plays  (Reed)  i.  209].  I 
shall  BUMBASTE  you,  you  mocking  knave. 

1610.  Rowlands,  Martin  MarkAll, 
40  (H.  Club's  Repr.,  1874).  The  muggill 
will  tip  you  fat  scraps  and  glorious  bits, 
the  Beadle  will  well  bumbast  you. 

c.  1096.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BUMBASTE,  to  Beat  much,  or  hard,  on 
the  Breech. 

2.     (venery). — To  copulate:  see 

GREENS,   and   RIDE. 

BUM-BEATING,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
Jostling  ;  pushing  others  off  the 
pavement  (1616). 

BUMBEE,j?^Z'j.(old).— A  bailiff  (1653). 

BUM-BLADE,  subs. phr.  (old).— A  large 
sword  (1632). 

Bumble,  subs,  (common). — i.  A 
beadle.  [The  name  of  the  beadle 
in  Dicken^'  Oliver  Twist.]  Hence 
BUMBLE-CREW  {iJ.V.)  and  BUMBLE- 
DOM {q.v.). 

1883.  Punch,  August  4,  51,  I.  A 
helpless  'nuisance'  shunned  by  the 
Inspector,  Ignored  by  BUMBLES  and  by 
Boards  of  Works. 

2.     (old:  B.E.).— 'Cloaths  sett- 
ing in  a  heap,  or  ruck.' 


3.  (common). — A  shade  for 
the  eye  of  a  horse  given  to  shy 
in  harness  :  cf.  blinkers. 

Bumble-crew,  subs.  phr.  (popular). 
Corporations,  vestries,  and  other 
official  bodies. 

Bumbledom,  subs,  (popular).— The 
world  of  collective  petty  official- 
ism ;  red  tape  fussiness  and 
pomposity. 

1856.  Saturday  Review,  II.,  12,  i. 
The  collective  bumbledom  of  Westminster. 

1884.  Daily  News,  Dec.  27,  6,  i. 
Our  scheme  is  unfolded  to  the  chief 
officer — not  the  slightest  trace  of  bumble- 
dom about  him — a  kind-hearted,  genial, 
happy-faced  individual. 

Bumble-bath  (or  broth),  subs.  phr. 
(old).— A  mess  ;  a  pickle  {^q.v)  -,  a 
confusion  ;  as  adj.  =  clumsy  (1595)- 

[?].  The  Unliickie Fir/nentie[HA-LLi- 
well]  The  olde  woman  to  her  p-yne 
In  such  a  bumble-broth  had  layne. 

Bumble-foot,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— A  thick  heavy  foot;  a  club-foot. 

1861.  H.  Kingslev,  Ravenshoe,  xli. 
She  died  mostly  along  of  Mr.  Malone's 
bumble-foot,  I  fancy.  Him  and  old  Biddy 
were  both  drunk,  a  fighting  on  the  stairs, 
and  she  was  a  step  below  he;  and  he 
being  drunk  and  bumble  footed  too,  lost 
his  balance,  and  down  they  came  together. 

Bumble-puppy,  subs. phr.  (common). 
—  I.  Family  whist,  i.e.,  'un- 
scientific'whist.  Also  (2)  =:  nine- 
holes,  a  game  played  on  a  large 
stone,  placed  in  a  slanting  direc- 
tion, on  the  lower  end  of  which 
holes  are  made,  and  numbered 
like  the  holes  in  a  bagatelle- 
table;  the  player  rolls  a  stone 
ball,  or  marble,  from  the  higher 
end,  and  according  to  the  number 
of  the  hole  it  falls  into  the  game 
is  counted  ;  it  is  undoubtedly  the 
very  ancient  game  of  Troule-in- 
madatne. 


Bumbler. 


427 


Bum-creeper. 


i886.  Daily  News,  Dec.  23,  5,  2. 
Christmas  cards,  and  mince-pies,  and 
another   helping    of   turkey,   and   family 

whist,    or    BUMBLE    PUPPY. 


Bumbler,  stibs.  (old).— i. 
fellow. 


An  idle 


2.  (old). — A  blunderer. 

3.  (provincial). — A  Tyneside 
artillery-man. 

Bumble-staff,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— A  thick  staff;  a  cudgel. 

Bumbo,  subs.  (West  Indian). —  I. 
The  female  pudendum:  a  negro 
term:  sec  monosyllable. 

2.  (old). — A  liquor,  composed 
of  rum,  sugar,  water,  and  nutmeg 
(Smollett);  brandy,  water,  and 
sugar  (Grose). 

1748.  Smollett,  Rod.  Random,  xxxiv. 
Who  were  making  merry  in  the  ward- 
room, round  a  table  well  stored  with 
BUMBO  and  wine. 

1756.  Diary  of  a  Sussex  Tradesman, 
in  Sussex  Arch.  Coll.,  IX.,  188,  quoted 
in  N.  and  Q.,  7,  i.,  194.  1756,  April  28. 
We    drank   one   bowl   of  punch  and  two 

mUggS   of  BUMBOO. 

1882.  Northumbrian  Minstrelsy,  etc., 
113,  quoted  in  N,  and  Q.,  7,  i.,  195.  The 
pitmen  and  the  keelmen  trim,  They  drink 
BUMBO  made  of  gin. 

Bum-boat,  subs.  phr.  (nautical). — 
A  boat  attending  ships  on  their 
coming  into  harbour,  to  retail 
greens,   spirits,  etc. 

BUM-BRUSHER,  subs.  phr.  (school- 
boys').— A  schoolmaster  ;  also  an 
usher.  Hence  TO  brush  the  bum 
=  to  flog. 

English  Synonyms.  Flay-bot- 
tom  ;    haberdasher    of  pronouns. 

French  Synonyms.  Marchand 
de  soupe  ;  chien  de  cour-,  fouette-cul. 


d.  1742.  SOMKWILLE,  Fables,  xiv. 
His   BUM  was  often  brushed,  you'll  say. 

1704.  T.  Brown,  Wks.  (1760)  11.,  86. 
[Dionysius]     was    forced    to    turn    bum- 

BRUSHER. 

1788.  New  London  Magazine,  137. 
A  successor  was  immediately  called  from 
that  great  nursery  of  bum-brushers, 
Appleby  School. 

1832.  Blackzvood's  Mag.,  Oct.,  426. 
To  protract  existence  ...  in  the  shape 
of  bum-brushers,  and  so  forth,  after  the 
fashion   of  the  exalted  emigres  of  1792? 

1838.  Comic  Almanac,  "Dee.  [School- 
master's Letter  signed]  Barnabas  Bom- 
brush. 

BUM-CARD,  subs.  phr.  (old).  —  A 
marked  playing  card. 

1577.  Northbrook,  Treat,  against 
Dicing.  Eyther  by  pricking  of  a  carde, 
or  pinching  of  it,  cutting  at  the  nicke; 
eyther  by  a  bumbe  carde  finely  under, 
over,  or  in  the  middes,  etc.,  and  what  not 
to  deceyve? 

1608.  Rowland,  Humour's  Ordinarie. 
To  those  exploy ts  he  ever  stands  prepar'd  ; 
A  villaine  excellent  at  a  bumcard. 

Bum-charter,  subs. phr.  (thieves'). 
— See  quot. 

1 8 19.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Memoirs.  Bum- 
charter  is  the  name  given  to  bread 
steeped  in  hot  water  by  the  first  unfortu- 
nate inhabitants  of  the  English  Bastile, 
where  this  miserable  fare  was  their 
daily  breakfast,  each  man  receiving  with 
his  scanty  portion  of  bread  a  quart  of 
boiled  water  from  the  Cook's  Coppers. 

BUMCLINCK,  subs,  (provincial). — The 
inferior  beer  brewed  in  the  Mid- 
land counties  for  haymakers  and 
harvest   labourers;  swipes  {q-v."). 

Bum-court,  subs.  phr.  (old). — The 
Eccleciastical  Court  (1544). 

Bum-creeper,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— One  who  walks  bent  almost 
double. 


Bunt-curtain. 


428 


Bummaree. 


Bum-curtain,  stibs.phr.  (Cambridge 
Univ.). —  I.  An  academical  gown  : 
worn  scant  and  short,  and  especi- 
ally applied  to  the  short  black 
gown  worn  till  1835  by  mem- 
bers  of  Caius  College:  cf.  bum- 

PERISHER. 

1835.  (Quoted  in  Whibley's  Three 
Centuries  of  Cambridge  Wit  [1889].) 
'Tis  the  College  of  Caius — 'tis  the  land 
where  the  'bum  curtain'  lately  was 
spoUed  by  each  jolly  chum. 

2.     Trowsers:  see  kicks. 

BUM-DAGGER,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
large  dagger  formerly  worn  at  the 
side,  as  bayonets  were  later. 

1636.  Sampson,  Vow  Breaker.  Two 
thousand  hardy  Scots,  with  glaved  blades, 
EUM-DAGGERS,  and  white  kerchers,  such 
as   will   fight   and  face  the  fiery  French. 

BUMF,  subs,  (schoolboys'). — Paper; 
AMMUNITION  {qv.)\  TOILET-PAPER 
(^.Z/.);    CURL-PAPERS   {jJ.V^. 

BUMFEAGUE  (BUMFEAGLE,  BUMFEG), 
verb.  (old). — To  flog;  to  thrash 
(1589). 

BUMFHUNT,  subs.  (Wellington  Col- 
lege).— A  paper-chase:  see  bumf. 

Bum-fiddle,  subs.  phr.  (old). — The 
posteriors:  see  bum. 

170g.  Ward,  Clubs.  (1756).  14.  To 
keep  their  laxative  bumfiddles  from 
dishonouring  their  sheets. 

Verb,    (venery). — To  copulate: 
also      BUMFIDDLEDUMDICK  :      see 

GREENS,   and   RIDE.     BUMFIDDLED 
=:  (l)  deflowered  ;  (2)  =.  pregnant. 

1620.  Fletcher,  The  Chances,  I., 
V.  And  am  I  now  bum-fiddled  with  a 
bastard? 

Bum-fidget,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
restless  individual. 


BUMFIGHTING,  subs,  (venery). — Cop- 
ulation: see  GREENS,  and  RIDE. 
Hence  bum-fighter  =z  a  whore- 
master. 

1719.  DuRFEV, /"z'//^,  etc.,  ii.  'Hey! 
for  Richmond  Eall'!  Fortune-biters, 
Hags,  BUM-FIGHTERS,  Nymphs  of  the 
Woods,  And  stale  City  goods. 

BUM-FODDER,  subs.  phr.  (old). — I. 
Low  class  literature;  a  BLOOD- 
AND-THUNDER  {q.v)  Stuff";  a  half- 
penny RAG  {q-v^'.  once  in  lit- 
erary u^e. 

1753'  Scots^  Magazine,  April,  208, 
I  (title).     Bum  fodder  for  the  ladies. 

2.     (low). — Sanitary  paper:  see 

BUMF. 

1653.  Urquhart,  Rabelais,  I.,  xiii. 
Torche-culs,  arsewisps,  bum  fodders. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Ca?it.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BUMFODDER,   what  serves  to  wipe  the  tail. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the  I'ul- 
gar  Tongue.  Bum  fodder,  soft  paper  for 
the  necessary  house,  or  torche-cul. 

BUM-JERKER,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
A  schoolmaster  :  see  bum-brusher. 

1809.  Malkin,  (7z7  5/(7^  [Routledge], 
75.  Each  scholar.  .  .  went  humbly  to  re- 
ceive a  book  from  the  hands  of  the  bum- 

JERKER. 

BUMKIN.      See  BUMPKIN. 

BUM-LEAF,  subs. phr.  (old). — See  quot. 

1611.  CoTGRAVE,  Diet.,  89.  At  each 
BUM  LEAF,  or  high  inch  of  paper  seven 
leaves  distant  [in  a  book]. 

BUMMAREE,  subs,  (common).  —  A 
Billingsgate  middle-man.  These 
men,  who  are  not  recognised  by 
the  trade,  are  speculative  buyers 
of  fish.  Hence,  to  bummaree  IT 
=  to  speculate  in  fish. 


Bummed. 


429 


Bummer. 


1660.  Public  Intelligencer,  25  June, 
17.  Touching  advice  from  the  office,  you 
are  desired  to  give  and  take  notice  as 
foUoweth; —  Of  monies  to  be  taken  up, 
or  delivered  on  botto-maria,  commonly 
called  BOMARiE.  Of  money  to  be  put  out 
or  taken  upon  interest,  etc. 

1786.  Rejort  of  Committee  of  City 
of  Lo.tdon  on  Price  of  Provisions,  31. 
The  BOMAREES  will  buy  up  half  the  f  sh 
the  Salesmen  have,  and  sell  to  the  fish- 
mongers. 

1831.  MAYHEvif,  London  Labour  and 
London  Poor,  I.,  71.  In  Billingsgate  the 
'forestallers',  or  middle  men,  are  known 
as   BUMMAREES.  .  .  .    The  BUMMAREE  is  the 

jobber,  or  speculator,  on  the  fish  exchange. 

1859.  Sala,  Twice  Ronnd  the  Clock, 
4  a.m.,  17.  Anyone  can  be  a  bump  \ree.  . . 
The  process  of  bumbareeing  is  very 
simple.  It  consists  in  buying  as  largely 
as  your  means  will  afford  of  an  auctioneer, 
hiring  a  stall  for  sixpence,  and  retailing 
the  fish  at  a  swinging  profit. 

1859.  Hotten,  Slang  Did.,  s.v. 
BUMMAREES.  The  BUMMAREES  are  accused 
of  many  trade  tricks.  One  of  them  is  to 
blow  up  codfish  with  a  pipe  until  they 
look  double  their  actual  size.  Of  course 
when  the  fish  come  to  table  they  are 
flabby,  sunken,  and  half  dwindled  away. 
In  Norwich,  to  bummaree  one  is  to  run 
up  a  score  at  a  public-house  just  open, 
and  is  equivalent  to  running  into  debt 
with  one. 

Bummed,  ß«^'.  (common). —  i.  Drunk  : 
see  SCREWED  {^Piers  Plo-wmaii). 

2.  (old).  —  Arrested.  Also 
(modern)  :=.  served  with  a  county- 
court  summons  :  see  bum-bailiff. 

Bummer,  subs,  (old).— i.    A  bum- 
bailiff  {^q.v^. 

2.  (turf). — A  heavy  loss  ;  a 
severe  pecuniary  reverse. 

3.  (American). — An    idler;    a 

LOAFER  ((7,t^)  ;  a  SPONGER  {q.V?j  ;  a 

LOOTER  ((j.v^  [see  quots).  [German 
Bumm/er,  of  somewhat  similar 
meaning,  but  used  good  naturedly, 
and  without  the  offensive  meaning 


of  the  American  equivalent.]  The 
term  came  into  general  use  during 
the  Civil  War,  and  was  specially 
applied  to  a  straggler,  hanger- 
on,  or  free-lance,  particularity  in 
connection  with  General  Sher- 
man's famous  march  from  Atlanta 
to  the  sea  :  now  a  general  reproach  : 
cf.  RASCAL,  BLACKLEG,  etc.: 
also  X^^  HEELER, STR1KER,STUFFER, 

and  PRACTICAL  POLITICIAN.  Hcnce 
BUMMERISM  z=  loafing,  petty  pil- 
fering, and  BUMMERISM  {adj.). 

ca.  1865.  Major  Nichols,  Skermaii's 
Great  March.  Look  hyar.  Captain,  we 
bummers  ain't  so  bad  after  all. 

1870.  Philadelphia  Press,  $  Jan. 
Bummerism.  If  Deputy  Sheriffs  might 
attend  without  scandal,  if  beautiful  bum- 
merism, feminine  and  fair  etc. 

1872.  S.  L.  Clemens  (Mark  Twain), 
Roughing  It,  xxi  V.  The  auctioneer  stormed 
up  and  down...  and  never  got  a  bid — 
at  least  never  any  but  the  eighteen-doUar 
one  he  hired  a  notoriously  substanceless 
ruMMER  to  make. 

1872.  Sacrame7ito  Weekly  Union, 
Feb.    24,   2.     All   the  boys  to  be  trained 

as  scriveners,  tape-measurers,  counter- 
hoppers,  clerks,  pettifoggers,  polite  loafers, 
street-hounds,    hoodlums,    and    bummers. 

1874.  N.  Y.  Commercial  Advertiser, 
9  Sept.  So  long  as  substantial  citizens 
choose  to  leave  po'itics  to  shoulder-hit- 
ters, rum-sellers  and  bummers  of  every 
degree,  so  long  will  they  be  robbed  at 
every  turn, 

1875.  Scribner's  Magazine,  274.  San 
Francisco  is  the  Elysium  of  bummers. 
Nowhere  can  a  worthless  fellow,  too  lazy 
to  work,  too  cowardly  to  steal,  get  on 
so  well, 

1C7S.  Ne^u  I'ork  Herald, 'Letter  to 
Gov.  of  Tennessee.'  We  thought  that 
the  war  would  thereby  sooner  come  to 
an  end,  with  less  destruction  of  life. , .  and 
rei^uce  the  number  of  army  followers, 
bummers,  etc.  who  were  the  curse  of  all 
armed  invasions.  Ibid,  2  May.  The  army 
bummer  is  usually  a  'General'  who  hdS 
been  in  the  Quartermaster's  or  Com- 
missary Department,  and  whose  rank 
represents  influence  about  the  War  Office. 


Bunintinsr- 


430 


Bumper. 


1877.  Boston  Herald,  8  April.  A  bill 
is  before  the  Legislature  of  Illinois,  with 
a  view  to  control  the  operations  of  the 
BUMMER  element  in  the  primary  meetings 
of  political  parties. 

1877.  W.  Black,  Green  Past.  a7id 
Pice,  xiii.  Then  the  great  crowd  of 
BUMMERS  and  loafers,  not  finding  the  soil 
teeming  with  nuggets,  stampeded  off  like 
a  herd  of  buffalo. 

1888.  Denver  Republican,  29  Feb. 
The  heelers  and  strikers,  bummers  and 
stuffers,  otherwise  known  as  practical 
politicians,  who  do  the  work  at  the 
Democratic  polls,  and  manipulate  the 
primaries  and  local  conventions. 

1887.  MoRLEY  Roberts,  The  iVest- 
em  Avernns.  Some  of  the  boys  said  it 
was  a  regular  hand-out,  and  that  we 
looked  like  a  crowd  of  old  bummers. 

1888.  Philadelphia  Press,  Jan.  29. 
Coy  is  the  chairman  of  the  Democratic 
Central  Committee  in  Marion  County, 
and  has  wielded  great  power  in  politics 
as  the  boss  of  the  bummers. 

1888.  Detroit  Free  Press,  May  16. 
Ten  per  cent  earn  excellent  wages,  and 
twenty  per  cent,  are  chronic  bums,  who 
beg   or   steal  the  price  of  their  lodgings. 

Bumming,  su^>s.  (Wellington  College). 
A  thrashing  ;  a  licking  (ç.v.)  : 
see  BUM,  BUM-BAILIFF  and  bummer. 

Bump,  suds.  (Oxford  University). — 
I.  When  one  boat  touches  another 
in  a  race  it  is  said  to  make  a 
BUMP,  and  technically  to  beat  its 
opponent:  see  bumping  race. 

1865.  Sketches  /rout  Cambridge,  7. 
I  can  still  condescend  to  give  our  boat 
a  stout  when  it  makes  a  bump. 

i860.  Macmillan' s  Magatine,  March, 
331.  The  chances  of  St.  Ambrose's  making 
a  bump  the  first  night  were  weighed. 

Verb.  (University). —  i.  To  over- 
take and  touch  an  opposing  boat, 
thus  winning  the  heat  or  race 
(figuratively  used  in  quot.  1897). 


1849.  Thackeray,  Pendennis,  iii. 
He  listened,  and  with  respect  too,  to 
Mr.  Foker's  accounts  of  what  the  men 
did  at  the  University  of  which  Mr.  F. 
was  an  ornament,  and  encountered  a 
long  series  of  stories  about  boat-racing, 
bumping,  College  grass-plats,  and  milk- 
punch. 

1885.  Daily  News,  March,  13,  5,  i. 
As  when  Corpus  bumped  b.n.c.  years 
ago,  and  went  head  of  the  river,  whereon 
a  spirit  of  wrath  entered  into  the  b.n.c. 
men,  and  next  night  they  bumped  Corpus 
back  again. 

1886-7.  Dickens,  Dictionary  of  Cam- 
bridge, II.  Any  boat  which  overtakes 
and  bumps  another  .  .  .  before  the 
winning  post  is  reached,  changes  place 
with  it  for  the  next  race. 

1897.  Marshall,  Po7nes,  63.  Little 
thinking  that  on  such  a  course  he'd  end 
by  being  bumped. 

1899.  Whiteing,  John  St.,  xi.  The 
Eights  have  come  out  at  Oxford,  and  my 
old  college  has  been  bumped  to  the 
general  consternation — even  of  the  victors. 

2.  (venery). — To  copulate:  see 
GREENS,   and   RIDE, 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  188.  Faith, 
it  odd  is.  For  mortal  to  bump  a  goddess. , . 
Yeh...  I'll  try  if  I  ca'nt  get  a  stroke 
[and    make]   the   light-heeled  gipsy  grin. 

Now  SHE  BUMPS,//;r.  (common). 
— An  expression  of  satisfaction. 
That's  O.K.  !  Things  will  go  now! 
Now,  we  shan't  be  long  ! 

Bumper,  subs,  (old  and  still  collo- 
quial).—!. A  full  glass  (B.E.): 
e.g.  'bumpers  round,  and  no 
heeltaps'  {(i-v.'). 

1703.  English  Spy,  255.  Most  noble 
cracks,  and  worthy  cousin  trumps,  or 
sport,  in  term  and  out  of  term, — against 
the  Inquisition  and  their  bulldogs — the 
town-ralT  and  the  bargees — well  blunted 
or  stiver  cramped — against  dun  or  don — 
nob  or  big-wig — so  may  you  never  want 
a  BUMPER  of  bishop. 


Bum-perisher. 


431 


Bumpsie. 


1795.  Gent.  Mag.,  n8.  Briskly  pushed 
towards  me  the  decanter  containing  a 
tolerable  bumper,  and  exclaimed,  ":ir, 
I'll  buzz  you:  come,  no  heel-taps!' 

1796.  Fevnolds,  Fortune's  Fool,  iv. 
Let's  steer  to  the  cluh,  and  drink  Juliana's 
health  in  a  thousand  bumpers. 

1888.  Puck's  Librarv,  Apr.,  20.  Come 
old  boy,  let's  brace  up;  a  bumper  will 
pull  you  together  again. 

2.  (common), — Anything  super- 
lative: a  big  lie,  thoroujibred 
horse,  large  house,  or  fine  woman  : 
see  WHOPPER. 


3.     (theatrical), 
crowded  house. 


A     full     or 


1838.  Dickens,  Nidi.  Nickleby,  xxiv., 
192.  In  the  confidence  that  our  fellow- 
towsmen  have  not  lost  that  high  apprecia- 
•Jtion  of  public  utility  and  private  worth, 
for  which  they  have  long  been  so  pre- 
eminently distinguished,  we  predict  that 
this    charming    actress    will    be    greeted 

with   a   BUMPER. 

4.  (cards'i. — When,  in  long 
whist,  one  side  has  scored  eight 
before  the  other  has  scored  a 
point,  a  BUMPER  is  the  result. 

8UM-PERISHER  (or  BUM-SHAVER),J«^^. 
phr.  (c<jmmon). — A  short-tailed 
coat;  a  jacket:  cf.  bum-curtain. 

Bumping,  adj.  (common). — Large. 
Also  as  stilus.  =:  a  mode  of  punish- 
ment in  schools. 

3UMPING-RACE,  subs.  phr.  (Oxford 
University).  —  Eight-oared  inter- 
collegiate races,  rowed  in  two 
divisions,  of  fifteen  and  sixteen 
boats  respectively,  including  a 
SANDWICH  BOAT  {q.v.),  i.e.,  the 
top  boat  of  the  second  division, 
which  rows  bottom  of  the  first. 
The  boats  in  each  division  start 
at  a  distance  apart  of  175  feet 
from  stern  to  stern,  in  the  order 
at  which  they  left  off  at  the  last 


preceding  race,  and  any  boat  which 
overtakes,  and  bumps  another  («>., 
touches  it  in  any  part)  before  the 
winning  post  is  reached,  changes 
place  with  it  for  the  next  race: 
see  bump. 

Bumpkin  (or  Bumkin),  subs,  (old).— 
I.  The  posteriors:  see  bum. 

1658.  [In  Nares]  If^it  Restored. 
And  so  I  take  my  leave;  prithee,  sweet 
Thumkin,  Hold  up  thy  coats,  that  I  may 
kisse  thy  bumkin. 

2.  (common). — A  countryman; 
a  loutish  fellow  ;  a  clodhopper 
{q.V.). 

1692.  Drvden,  Juvenal,  iii.  The 
country  bumpkin  the  same  livery  wears. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Did  Cant,  Crew.,  s.v. 
BUMPKIN,  a  country  fellow  or  clown. 

1705.  Ward,  Works  (ed.  1717),  ii ,  3. 
When  ready  we  adjourned  to  an  Ale- 
house.... And  there  I  made  the  bumkik 
fuddle  Till  muddy  ale  had  seized  his 
noddle. 

1796.  \aoi,yi\ii,  Abroad  and  at  Home, 
i.,  I.  Old  Tesiy's  stupid  bumpkin  of  a 
son  is  to  be  introduced  to  you  this  morning. 

18 1 g.  Chas.  Lamb,  Letter  to  Mr. 
Manning.  I  hate  the  joskins,  a  name  for 
Hertfordshire  bumpkins. 

1861.  Reade,  Cloi'^ter  and  Hearth, 
Iv.  What  with  my  crippledom  and  thy 
piety,  a  wheeling  of  thy  poor  old  dad, 
we'll  bleed  the  bumpkins  of  a  dacha-saltee. 

BUMPOLOGY,  subs,  (common).  — 
Phrenology.  BuMPOSOPHER  =  a 
phrenologist. 

Bumpsie  (or  Bumpsy),  adj.  (old). — 
Drunk:  see  screwed. 

1611.  Tarleton's  7>i/j  [Halliwkll]. 
Tarlton  being  one  Sunday  at  court  all 
day,  caused  a  paire  of  cares  to  tend  him, 
who  at  night  called  on  him  to  be  gone. 
Tarlton,  being  a  carousing,  drunk  so  long 
to  the  w:itermen,  that  one  of  them  was 
bumpsie;  and  so,  indeede,  were  all  three 
for  the  most  part. 

cc 


Bump-supper. 


432 


Bum-troth. 


Bump-supper,  subs.  phr.  (Oxford 
University). — A  supper  to  com- 
memorate the  fact  of  the  boat  of 
the  college  having,  in  the  annual 
races,  bumped  or  touched  the 
boat  of  another  college  imme- 
diately in  front  :  j-«??  bumping  race. 

BUMPTIOUS,  adj.  (colloquial). — Ar- 
rogant; self-sufficient;  on  good 
terms  with  oneself.  [Murray  :  a 
formation  from  bump  on  the 
model  of  '  fractious.']  Hence 
bumptiousness  z=z  self-assertive- 
ness;  arrogance;  self-conceit. 

1803.  Mad.  D'Arblay,  Diary  and 
Letters,  vi.,  324.  No,  my  dearest  Padre, 
bumptious!  no,  I  deny  the  charge  in  foto. 

1849.  Dickens,  D  Copperfield,  vi., 
53  (CD.).  I  heard  that  Mr.  Sharp's  wig 
didn't  fit  him,  and  that  he  needn't  be  so 
'bounceable' — somebody  else  said  'bump- 
tious'— about  it,  because  his  own  red 
hair  was  very  plainly  to  be  seen  behind. 

1853.  LvTTON,  My  Novel,  iv,  xii. 
'She  was  always...  what  I  calls  ^?^/«/- 
tioiisJ' 

'  1  never  heard  that  word  before,'  said 
the  Parson...  'bumptious,  indeed,  though 
I  believe  it  is  not  in  the  dictionary,  has 
crept  into  familiar  parlance,  especially 
amongst  young  folks  at  school  and  college.' 

'  Bumptious  is  bumptious,  and  gump- 
tious is  gumptious,'  said  the  landlord. 

1865.  Sala,  Trip  to  Darbary,  150. 
Poor  Albert  Smith,  than  whom,  with 
all  his  occasional  bumptiousness,  an 
honester  and  more  clear-sighted  hater  of 
snobbery  and  shams  never  lived. 

1883.  Hawlev  Smart,  Hard  Lines, 
xiii.  It  was  all  very  well. . .  having  things 
pretty  much  as  he  liked.  So  long,  he 
w.as  bumptious  enough. 

Bum-roll,  suh.  phr.  (old). — A  pad 
or  cushion  worn  by  women  to 
extend  the  dress  at  the  back  ;  the 
equivalent  of  the  modern  bustle, 
or  dress-improver  :  also  cork 
RUMPS   (q.v.),  but  set  bird-cage. 


1601.  BenJonson,  7 he  Poetaster,  W., 
i.  Nor  you  nor  your  house  was  so  much 
as  spoken  of,  before  1  disbased  myself 
from  my  hood  and  my  farthingal,  to 
these  BUM-ROWLS,  and  your  whale-bone 
bodice. 

1663.  KiLLiGREW, /*ario«'f  Wedding, 
{Old  Plays),  XI.,  460.  Those  worthies  [of 
a  bawd]  rais'd  her  from  the  flat  petticoat 
and  kercher,  to  the  gorget  and  bum-roll. 

1824.  Nares,  Glossary,  s.v.  bum- 
rolls.  Stuffed  cushions,  used  by  women 
of  middling  rank,  to  make  their  petti- 
coats swell  out,  in  lieu  of  the  farthingales, 
which  were  more  expensive. 

Bum-shop,  subs.  phr.  (venery). —  I. 
The  ievaaXe pudendum:  see  t/iOiiO- 
SYLLABLE.    Hence  (2)  a  brothel  t 

see   NANNY-SHOP. 

Bum-squabbled,  adj.  (American). — 
Discomfitted  ;  defeated  ;  stupified. 

1835-40.  Haliburton,  The  Clock- 
maker,  251  (ed.  1862).  Gave  the  case  in 
our  favour  in  two  twos...  and  made  him 
pay  all  costs.  If  he  didn't  look  bum- 
squabbled  it's  a  pity. 

Bum-sucker,  subs.  phr.  (common). 
— A  sponger;  a  toady  {q.v^-,  a 
LICK-SPITTLE  (^.1'.);  a  HANGER- 
ON  {/J.t>^'.  Fr.  lèche-cul. 

Bum-trap,  subs.  phr.  (old).  —  A 
bailiff:  see  bum-bailiff. 

1750.  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  VII., 
iii.  The  noble  bum-trap,  blind  and  deaf 
to  every  circumstance  of  distress. . .  into 
the  hands  of  ihe  jailor  resolves  to  deliver 
his  miserable  prey. 

Bum-troth  (or  -lady),  phr.  (old). 
— By  my  troth.  Bum-ladie  =  by 
my  lady. 

1571.  Edwards,  Damon  and  Pithias 
[DoDSLEY,  Old  Plays  (Reed),  i.,  arij. 
No,  BUM  troth,  good  man  Grumbe,  his 
name  is  Stcphano.  Ibid,  iia.  Hum  tkOth, 
but  few  such  roystevs  come  to  my  ycares 
at  this  day. 


Bun. 


433 


Bunch  -of five  s. 


1578.  Whelstone,  Promos  and 
Cassandra,  iv,  7.  Nay,  bum-ladie,  1  will 
aot    by  St.  Anne. 

Bun,  subs.  (American). —  I.  A  par- 
asite ;   a  SPONGER   [q.V^. 

2.  (venery). — The  female /«(/tv/- 
dum:  see  monosyllable. 

3.  (common). — A  knob  of  hair 
worn  at  the  back  of  the  head  : 
modish  in  the  late  Eighties, 
following  the  more  elaborate  and 
cumbrous  chignon. 

4.  (old). — An  endearment  (1 587). 

5.  See  BUNNY. 

To  TAKE  (or  yank)  the  BUN, 
7>erb.  phr.  (common). — To  take 
first  place;  to  obtain  first  honours 
a  variant  of  take  the  cake 
(q.v.)  :    Fr.   décrocher   la  tìmballe. 

1901.  Troddles,  96.  'I  think  this 
TAKES  THE  BUN,'  observed  Murray  frankly. 

BUNCE,  BUNSE  or  BUNT,  subs.  (old). 
—  Originally  money:  see  rhino  ; 
but  more  generally,  profit,  gain, 
anything  to  the  good:  see  quot, 
1851.  Hence  buncer  =  one  who 
sells  on  commission. 

1719.  D'Urfey, /'zV/i',  278.  If  cards 
come  no  better.  Oh  !  oh  !  I  shall  lose 
all  my  buns. 

1851-61.  H.  Mayhew,  London  Lab. 
and  London  Poor,  I.,  37.  There  are 
still  other  'agents'  among  the  coster- 
mongers,  and  these  are  the  'boys'  de- 
puted to  sell  a  man  s  goods  for  a  certain 
sum,  all  over  that  amount  being  the 
boys'  profit  or  nuNTS.  Ibid,  526.  There 
are  a  great  number  of  boys...  engaged 
by  costermongers  or  small  tradesmen,  to 
sell  upon  commission,  or,  as  it  is  termed, 
for  BUNSE  (probably  a  corruption  of 
bonus,  bone  being  the  slang  for  good). 
...The  mode  is  this:  a  certain  quan- 
tity of  saleable  commodities  is  given  to 
3  boy  whom  a  costermonger  knows  and 
perhaps  employs,  and  it  is  arranged  that 


the  young  commission-agent  is  to  get  a 
particular  sum  for  them,  which  must  be 
paid  to  the  costermonger;  I  will  say  3s. 
For  these  articles  the  lad  may  ask  and 
obtain  any  price  he  can,  and  whatever 
he  obtains  beyond  the  stipulated  3s.,  is 
his  own  profit  or  bunsb.  Ibid,  36.  But 
you  see  the  hoys  will  try  it  on  for  their 

BUNTS. 

185g,  Hotten,  Slang  Diet.,  s.v. 
BuNCE,  costermongers'  perquisites;  the 
money  obtained  by  giving  light  weight, 
etc.;  costermongers'  goods  sold  by  boys 
on  commission.  In  fact  anything  which 
is  clear  profit  or  gain  is  said  to  be  'all 
BUNCE.'  Probably  a  corruption  of  bonus; 
BONE,  or  BONER,  being  the  slang  for  good. 

1881.  A  Chequered  Career,  2jo.  In 
the  stable,  and  particularly  in  livery- 
stables,  there  is  a  box  into  which  all 
tips  are  placed.    This  is  called  bunt. 

igoi.  Sportine;  Times,  17  Aug.,  i,  4. 
There's  no  bunce  in  letting  lodgings, 
when  the  lodgers  only  pay  In  their  tancy  ! 

Bunch,  stibs.  (old). — A  worthless 
woman. 

Verb.     (old). — To     thump;    to 
beat;  to  strike. 

1608.  WiTHALS,  Diet.,  354.  That  is 
worthie  to  bee  beaten,  bunched,  battered, 
punished,  etc. 

Bunch-back,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
humped-back  man  or  woman  ;  a 
hunchback  (Shakspeare). 

Bunch-clod,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
lad  ;  a  clodhopper. 

1740.  Poor  Robin  [Nares].  There 
are  a  great  many  bunch-clods  in  the 
world,  that  had  rather  have  a  belly  full 
ot   victuals  than  a  handsome  sweetheart. 

BUNCH-OF-FlVES,jMi5j./Är.(common). 
— The  hand  ;  the  fist. 

1847.  LvTTON,  Lueretia,  II.,  vii. 
Is    this   a   h-arm,   and   this   a   bunch   of 

FIVES? 


Bunch  of  Onions.        434 


Bundle. 


1863.  C.  Readk,  Hard  Cash,  xxxiv. 
'Now  look  at  that  bunch  of  fives,' 
continued  the  master;  and  laid  a  hand, 
white  and  soft  as  a  duchess's,  on  the 
table. 

1883.  Daily  Telegraph,  April  30,  3, 
2.  The  fingers  are  bent  into  such  an 
ungraceful  bunch  of  fives,  as  to  be 
suggestive  both  of  chalkstones  and  of 
sau!>ages. 

1882,  Punch,  LXXXIL,  133,  i.  He 
smote  crashingly  down...  with  a  lead- 
weighted  truncheon  he  held  in  his  dexter 

BUNCH    OF    FIVES. 

BUNCH-OF-ONIONS,j«i^.f.//ir.(thieves': 
obsolete). — A  bunch  of  seals  :  see 

ONION. 

Bunco  (Bunco-game  and  Bunco- 
steerer),  subs.  phr.  (American). 
—  I.  A  swindling  game  played 
with  cards  or  dice,  not  unlike 
three  card  monté.  [From  the 
Italian  banco,  a  bench  or  bank]. 
Hence  as  verb,  (or  to  play  the 
bunco-game)  =  to  work  the  con- 
fidence-trick ;  and  in  a  less  offen- 
sive sense,  TO  bluff  ;  whence  to 
rob;  to  cheat,  to  swindle.  Also 
BUNCO-CASE  =  a  confidence-trick 
BUNCO-MAN    (or    bunco-steerer) 

=  a  swindler;  a  confidence-trick 


1876.  Besant  and  Rice,  Golden 
Butterfly,  235.  The  bunco-steerer... 
will  find  vou  out  the  morning  after  you 
land  in  Chicago  or  St.  Louis.  He  will 
accost  you — very  friendly,  wonderful 
friendly — when  you  come  out  of  your 
hotel,  by  your  name,  and  he  will  remind 
you — which  is  most  surprising,  considei in' 
you  never  set  eyes  on  his  face  before — 
how  you  have  dined  together  in  Cincin- 
nati, or  it  may  be  Orleans,  or  perhaps 
Francisco,  because  he  finds  out  where 
you  came  from  last;  and  he  will  shake 
hands  with  you;  and  he  will  propose  a 
drink;  and  he  will  pay  for  that  drink; 
and  presently  he  will  take  you  somi-where 
else,   among   his   pals,   and   he  will  strip 


you  so  clean,  that  there  won't  be  left 
the  price  of  a  four  cent  paper  to  throw 
around  your  face  and  hide  your  blushes. 
In  London...  they  do  the  confidence 
trick. 

1883.  Philadelphia  Times,  289  2,  2. 
Tom's  method  of  bunco  was  the  well- 
known  lottery  game. 

1887.  Cincinnati  Enquirer.  Detec- 
tives Kirby  and  Funk  last  night  spotted 
J.  P.  Ramby,  the  person  accused  of  hav 
ing  BUNKOED  Ex-county  Commissioner 
Stephens,  of  Greene  Cointy,  out  of  2,300 
dois,  in  Xenia  recently. 

1888.  Chicago  Daily  Inter  Ocean, 
April  14.  John  Brothers,  a  farmer  living 
near  Canton,  Ohio,  was  bunkoed  out  of 
2,000  dois,  to-day  by  two  sharpers  who 
escaped. 

1888.  Daily  Inter-Ocean,  Feb.  14. 
Andrew  Carnegie  fell  into  the  hands  of 
a  BUNCO-STEERER  in  Pittsburg,  Saturday 
night,  but  was  rescued  by  a  detective 
before  he  lost  anything. 

1896.  LiLLARD,  Poker  Stories,  165. 
Hoping  to  BUNCO  the  bone -man  to  make 
a  foolish  play. 

1898.  Pink  'Un  and  Pelican,  8. 
Men  would  rather  be  bunkoed  and  bested 
by  a  polished,  well-dressed  villain  .  .  . 
than  be  taken  out  for  a  whole  evening 
by  one  who  makes  no  attempt  to  cir- 
cumstances. 

BUNCOME.      See  BUNKUM. 

BUNDLE,   subs.  (old). — A  worthless 
woman. 

Verb.     (old). — See  quots. 

1759-60.  Rev.  Andrew  Barnably, 
Travels,  144.  [Travelling  in  Now  England 
he  notices  this  custom  of  bundling  which 
then  prevailed.  He  thinks  that  though 
it  may  at  first]  appear  to  be  the  effects 
of  grossness  of  character,  it  will,  upon 
deeper  research,  be  found  to  proceed 
from  simplicity  and  innocence. 

18..  Rev.  Dr.  Emmons,  IVorhs,  i, 
81.  Is  not  this  custom,  which  has  no 
name  in  the  dictionary,  but  which  is 
commonly  called  bundling,  a  sinful 
custom  Ì 


Bundle. 


435 


Bung. 


1781.  s.  Peters,  Gen.  Hist.  Connecti- 
cut. Notwithstanding  the  great  modesty 
of  the  females  is  such  that  it  would  be 
accounted  the  greatest  rudeness  for  a 
gentleman  to  speak  before  a  lady  of  a 
garter  or  leg,  yet  it  is  thought  but  a 
piece  of  civility   to  ask  her  to  bundle. 

1809.  W.  Irving,  Knickerbocker 
History  of  New  York.  Among  other 
hideous  customs,  they  [the  Yankees] 
attempted  to  introduce  that  of  bundling, 
which  the  Dutch  lasses  of  the  Neder- 
landts,  with  their  eager  passion  for 
novelty  and  for  the  fashions,  natural  to 
their  sex,  seemed  very  well  inclined  to 
follow,  but  that  their  mothers,  being 
more  experienced  in  the  world  and 
better  acquainted  with  men  and  things, 
discountenanced  all  such  outlandish 
innovations.  Ibid.  Van  Corlear  stopped 
occasionally  in  the  villages  to  .  .  .  dance 
at  country  frolics,  and  bundle  with  the 
Vankee  lasses. 

1814.  Quarterly  Review,  X.,  517. 
[The  custom  spoken  ofj. 

18.,  Masson,  Journeys  in  Belooch- 
istan,  Afghanistan,  etc,  ill.,  287.  Many 
of  the  Afghan  tribes  have  a  custom  in 
wooing  similar  to  what  in  Wales  is  known 
as  BUNDLiNGUP,  and  which  they  term 
natnzat  bazi.  The  lover  presents  himself 
at  the  house  of  his  betrothed  with  a 
suitable  gift,  and,  in  return,  is  allowed 
to  pass  the  night  with  her,  on  the 
understanding  that  innocent  endearments 
are  not  to  be  exceeded. 

1868.  W.  H.  Dixon,  Spiritual  IVives, 
II.,  31.  An  old  custom,  which  exists 
(I  believe)  in  Wales  as  well  as  in  parts 
of  Pennsylvania  and  New  England, 
permits  under  the  name  of  bundling, 
certain  free,  but  still  innocent,  endear- 
ments to  pass  between  lovers  who  are 
engaged. 

1871.  ScHELE  De  Vere,  Ameri- 
canisms,  448.  To  bundle,  a  custom 
still  prevalent  in  Wales,  and  not  unfre- 
quently  practised  in  the  West,  of  men 
and  women  sleeping  with  all  their 
clothes  On,  when  there  is  not  house- 
room   to   provide   better  accommodation. 

1871.  H.  R.  Styles,  Bundling;  its 
Origin,  Progres;  and  Decline  in  America, 
title.  [Contains  also  its  history  in  England, 
Wales,  Holland,  curious  songs,  etc.] 


1878.  C.  Wake,  Evol.  Moral.,  I.,  401. 
The  custom  of  bundling  .  .  .  among 
Celtic  peoples. 

1888.  Proctok,  Americanisms  [in 
'Knowledge'].  One  young  woman  who,  so 
the  story  goes,  had  been  properly  bundled 
UP  overnight  by  having  her  nether  limbs 
securely  tied  in  a  bolster-case,  on  being 
asked  by  her  moiher  next  morning 
whether  the  fastenings  had  remained 
intact,  replied  that  'only  one  leg  had 
slipped  out!' 

To  IÎUNDLE  OFF,  7Jerb.  phr. 
(colloquial). —  To  setoff  in  a  hurry; 
to  decamp  with  alacrity. 

Bundle  (or  rack)  of  bones, 
subs.  phr.  (common). — A  sorry 
looking  man  or  animal;  a  walk- 
ing-skeleton (<7.W.)  ;  SHAPES  (q.v). 
Hence,  OLD  bundle  of  bones 
=:  a  jeering  address. 

1836.  Dana,  Before  the  Mast,  xx  viii. 
'What's  that.''  said  one  of  the  crew; 
'has  the  bloody  agent  slipped  off  the 
hooks?  Has  the  old  bundle  of  bones 
got  him  at  last  ?  ' 

1862.  Ne^v  York  Tribune,  13  June. 
He  is  a  little  afraid  that  this  mettlesome 
charger  cannot  be  trusted  going  down 
hill  ;  otherwise  he  would  let  go  of  the  old 
RACKABONES  that  hobbles  behind. 

BUNDLETAIL,  subs,  (old).—'  A  short 
fat  or  squat  lass  '  (B.E.). 

Bun-feast  (-struggle  or -worry), 
subs.plir.  (common). — A  tea-drink- 
ing: see  tea-fight. 

Bung,  subs,  (old  cant). —  I.  A  purse  ; 
a  SKIN  {q.v.);  a  POGE  {i/.v.):  also 
BONG  and  BOUNG  :  Fr.  platte. 
[Murray  :  '  its  resemblance  to  the 
O.E.  pitng,  "a  purse,"  is  worth 
notice.']  Hence  TO  nip  a  buno 
=  to  cut  a  purse. 

1567.  Karman,  Caveat  (1814),  65. 
BouNG,  a  purse.  Ibid,  86.  /^irf,  (1573)  66. 
To  nyp  a  boung,  to  cut  a  purse. 


Bung. 


436 


Bung. 


1591.  Greene,  Connycatching,  (Se' 
cond  Part)  in  Works.,  X.,  96.  The  Nip 
vseth  his  knife,  and  if  he  see  a  boung 
He  faire,  strikes  the  stroke.  Ibid,  (1592) 
Connycatching,  (  Third  Pari]  in  U'orks, 
X.,  157.  Oft  this  crew  of  mates  met 
together,  and  said  there  was  no  hope  of 
nipping  the  boung  [purse]  because  he 
held  open  his  gowne  so  wide,  and  walked 
in  such  an  open  place. 

159a.  Greene,  Qui/i  [Grosart, 
IForks  (18.,)  xi.,  283].  You  can  lift  or 
nip  a  BOUNGE  like  a  quire  coue,  if  you 
want  pence. 

1600.  Sir  John  Oldcastle,  v.,  2.  Be 
lusty,  my  lass;  come,  for  Lancashire:  we 
must  nip  the  bung  for  these  crowns. 

1607.  Dekker,  Jests  to  make  you 
Merie,  in  IVks.  (Grosart),  h.,  30S.  A 
rum  cove's  bung  (so  called  in  their  canting 
use  of  speech)  (and  as  much  as  to  say 
in  ours,  a  rich  chuffe's  purse). 

1610.  Rowlands,  Martin  Mark-all, 
37  (H.  Club's  Repr.,  1874).  Bung  is  now 
vsed  for  a  pocket,  heretolore  for  a  purse. 

1620.  Descr.of  Love\^  KKViv.'s.,Musa 
Pcdestris  (1896),  15].  Then  in  a  throng, 
I  nip  his  bung. 

1621.  Braithwaite,  Clitus's  IVhim- 
zies,  12.  His  nipps,  ints,  bungs,  and 
prinados,  of  whom  he  holds  in  fee,  oft 
times  prevent  the  lawyer  by  diving  too 
deep  into  his  client's  pocket. 

c.  1636.  London  Chanticleers,  i.  I 
mean  to  be  as  perfect  a  pick  pocket,  as 
good  as  ever  nipped  the  judge's  bung 
while  he  was  condemning  him. 

c.  1658.  Cleveland,  Cleivelandi 
Vindiciit,  99  (ed.  1677).  He  is  in  the 
Inquisition  of  the  Purse  an  Authentick 
Gypsie,  that  nips  your  nuNG  with  a  cant- 
ing Ordinance. 

1671.  R.  Head,  Eni;lish  Rogue,  I., 
v.,  47,    Boung,  a  Purse. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Creiv.,  s.v. 
Bung,  a  purse,  pocket,  or  fob. 

1706.  E.  Coles,  Eng.  Diet.  Bung, 
a  purse. 

1740.  Poor  Robin.  Meanwhile  the 
cut-purse  in  the  throng.  Hath  a  fair 
means  to  nyp  a  bung. 


2.  (old). — A  pickpocket:  also 
BUNG-NIPPER    {q.V.). 

1598.  Shakspeare,  King  Henry  JV., 
ii.,  4.  Doll.  Away,  you  cut-purse  rascal! 
you  filthy  bung,  away  !  By  this  wine, 
I'll  thrust  my  knife  in  your  mouldy  chaps, 
an'   you   play  the  saucy  cuttle  with  me. 

1658.  An  Age  for  Apes,  232.  My 
bung  observing  this,  takes  hold  of  time, 
Just  as  this  lord  was  drawing  for  a  prime. 
And  smoothly  rims  his  purse  that  lay 
beside  him. 

3.  (common). — A  brewer:  the 
landlord   of  a  public  house,  etc. 

1863.  Cornhill  Magazine (  The  Inner 
Life  of  a  Man-ofWar),  Feb.  From  time 
immemorial  these  gentlemen  [master's 
assistants]  have  had  to  stand  at  the 
grog-butt  and  see  the  grog  served  out — 
an  important  duty,  the  discharge  of 
which  has  invested  them,  such  is  the 
playfulness  of  naval  humour,  with  the 
title  of  bungs. 

1884.  Graphic,  Feb.  23,  170,  i.  That 
Sir  Wilfrid  Lawson  had  turned  bung, 
and  applied  for  a  spirit  licence. 

4.  (vulgar). — The  anus:  also 
BUNÇHOLE  (^.z/.).  Bung-upwards 
=  arse-upwards  :  of  one  lying  on 
his  face. 

Adj.  (common). — Tipsy;  fud- 
dled; SCREWED  {(}.v^. 

Verb,  (pugilistic). — i.  To  close; 
to  shut  up  :  usually  to  bung  up. 

1593.  G.  Harvey,  Pierces  Super., 
in  lyks.  (Grosart)  II.,  128.  That  will 
hungup  their  mouthes  with  a  CoUyrium 
of  all  the  stale  testes  in  a  country. 

1599.  i^A^nz,  Lenien  Stuffe,  in  IVks. 
v.,  247'.  The  waies  beyond  sea  were  so 
JlUNCD  VP  with  your  dayly  oratours  01 
Beadsmen  and  your  crutchet  or  crout- 
chant  friers. .  .  that  a  snaile  coulde  not 
wriggle  in  her  homes  betwixt  them. 

1835.  Haliburton,  Clockmaker,  1  s., 
xix.   I  bunged  up  both  eyes  for  him. 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  76.  She 
bunged  up  his  left  just  to  steady  his  phlr. 


Bung. 


437 


Bung-eyed. 


2.  (old). — To  give  ;  to  pass  ; 
to  hand  over;  to  drink;  to  per- 
form almost  any  action.  Bung 
over  the  rag  =  hand  over  the 
money. 

3.  (old). — To  deceive  by  lying  : 
set  CRAM. 

To  GO  ^vno.subs.phr.  (Austral- 
ian).—  I.  To  become  bankrupt; 
to  fail. 

1885.  AusU-alian  Printers^  Keepsake, 
40.  He  was  importuned  to  desist,  as  his 
musical  talent  had  '  gone  bung,'  probably 
from  over-indulgence  in  confectionery. 

1893.  The  Arç;us,  April  15  (by  Oriel), 
33,  2.  All  flesh  is  grass...  like  grass  it 
is  withered  away.  And  we  gaze  on  a 
bank  in  the  evening,  and  lo,  in  the  morn 

'tis   BUNG. 

1893.  Professor  GosMAN,  The  Argus, 
April  24,  7,  4.  Banks  might  fail,  but  the 
aeasures  of  thought  could  never 'go  bung.' 

1893.  TAS //fraW  (Melbourne),  April 
a5,  2,  4.  One  rrember  of  the  mischief- 
malting  brotherhood  wrote  the  words 
•'GONE  BUNG'  urder  a  notice  on  the  Go- 
vernment ^avirgs  Bank,  and  he  was 
brought  before  ihe  Police  Court  charged 
with  damaging  the  bank's  property  to 
ihe  extent  of  -kd. 

1896.  Morris,  Austral  English,  s.v. 
BUNG.  In  Melbourne  in  the  times  that 
followed  the  collapse  of  the  landboom,  it 
was  a  common  expression  to  say  that 
Mr.  So-and-so  had  'gone  bung,'  sc.  filed 
his  schedule,  or  made  a  composition  with 
creditors;  or  that  an  institution  had  '  gone 
BUNG,'  sc.  closed  its  doors,  collapsed.  In 
parts  of  Australia,  in  New  South  Wales 
and  Queensland,  the  word  bung  is  an 
aboriginal  word  meaning  'dead,'  and 
«ven  though  the  slang  word  be  of  ünglish 
•rigin,  its  frequency  of  use  in  Australia 
may  be  due  to  the  existence  of  the 
aboriginal  word,  which  forms  the  last 
syllable  in  Billabong  (q  v  ),  and  in  the 
aboriginal  word  milbung,  blind,  literally, 
eye-dead. 

2.  (Australian). — To  die:  see 
quot  1896.  Subs.  I,  and  HOP- 
THE-TWIG. 


1847.  J-  D-  Lang,  Cooksland,  430. 
A  place  called  Urapie  bung,  or  the  dead 
houses.  [It  is  now  a  suburb  of  Brisbane, 
Humpy-BONG.] 

1 88 1.  A.  C.  Grant,  Bush  Life  in 
Queensland  ii.,  175  |in  Blacks'  pigeon 
English].  Missis  bail  bong,  ony  cawbawn 
prighten.  (Missis  not  dead,  only  dread- 
fully frightened.) 

1882.  A.  J.  BoVD,  Old  Colonials,  73. 
But  just  before  you  hands  'im  [the  horse] 
over  and  gets  the  money,  he  goes  BONG 
on  you  {i.e.  he  dies). 

1885.  H.  Finch-Hatton,  Advance 
Australia,  142.  Their  [the  blacks']  ordin- 
ary creed  is  very  simple.  'Directly  me 
BUNG  (die)  me  jump  up  white  feller,'  and 
this  seems  to  be  the  height  of  their 
ambition. 

To    GO     BUNG    INTO,    Verb.  plir. 

(colloquial). — To  fall  (or  be  pitch- 
forked) stap  into. 

1900.  Kipling,  Stalky  is'  Co.,  30. 
We  mayn't  be  aware  you  were  followin' 
us  this  afternoon  mayn't  we .'  Thought 
you  were  stalkin'  us,  eh?  Why,  we  led 
you  BUNG  INTO  it,  of  coursc. 

.  Bungay.    Go    to    bungay  !   />/ir. 
(common). — Go  to  hell. 

BUNGAY-PLAY,  subs.pkr.  (provincial). 
— In  playing  whist,  to  lead  all 
the  winning  cards  in  succession, 
without  endeavouring  to  make  the 
best  of  the  hand  :  sec  bumble- 
puppy. 

Bung-dock,  subs.  phr.  (provincial). 
—  A  curtail;  a  bob-tailed  dog 
(Halliwell). 

Bung-eyed,  adj.  (common). —  i. 
Drunk  ;  fuddled  ;  screwed  {q.v^. 

1858.  A.  Mayhew,  Paz'edivith  Gold, 
III.,  iii  ,  268.  One  coarse  featured  fellow, 
who  was  nearly  bung-eyed  over  his  beer 
(as  they  call  being  drunk). 

2.     Cross-eyed  ;    unable  to  see 

Straight;Bi  iSS-EYED(^.Z/.);  SQUINNY- 
EYED  {q.v!). 


Bungf unger. 


438 


Bunk. 


BUNGFUNGER,  verb.  (American)  — 
To  startle  :  to  confuse  :  cf.  bumb- 

SQUABBLED.       BUNGFUNGERED    = 

confounded. 

1835-40.  Haliburton,  The  Clock- 
maker,  91  (ed.  1862).  Well,  lather,  I 
thought  he'd  a  fainted  too,  he  was  so 
struck  up  all  of  a  heap;  he  was  com- 
pletely  BUNG  FUNGERED. 

Bung-hole,  subs.phr.  (common).— 
The  anus. 

Bung-juice,  subs.  phr.  (thieves').— 
Porter;  beer:  cf.  cow-juice  = 
milk:  see  drinks. 

Bung-knife  (or  Boung-knife),  subs, 
phr.  (old). —  I.  Considerable  un- 
certainty exists  as  to  the  nature 
or  use  of  this  implement:  see 
BUNG  =  a  purse,  whence  boung 
KNIFE  may  therefore  have  been 
a  knife  kept  in  the  purse  or 
girdle,  or  {^see  bung-nipper)  it 
may  have  been  a  knife  used  for 
cutting  purses:  see  next  sense. 

1592.  Greenk,  Quip  for  Upstart 
Courtier  [Hart.  Misc.,  V.,  407).  One  of 
them  had  on  ...  a  skeine  like  a  bruer's 

MOUNG-KNIFB. 

2.     (old).  —  A     cut-purse  ;     a 
sharper:  see  bung-nipper. 

Bungler,  subs.  (B  E.).— •  An  unper- 
forming   husband,    or  mechanic' 

Bung-nipper  (Boung-nipper,  Bung- 
knife  or  Bung),  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— A  cut-purse;  a  sharper:  Fr. 
couper  une  queue  de  rat  {i.e.,  to 
cut  off  a  rat's  tail)zz:  TO  NIP  A 
nuNC. 

c.  i6g6.  B.E,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew,  s.v. 
RUNG-NIPPER,  c.  a  Cut  purse,  or  Pick- 
pocket. Claying  the  bung,  c.  cutting 
the  Purse,  or  Picking  the  Pocket. 


Bungtown.  subs,  (old).— Birming- 
ham.BUNGTOWN-coppERS=rmone7 
coined  for  the  government  by 
private  Birmingham  firms  :  hence 
counterfeit  coin.  Also  (American) 
see  quot  1859. 

1848.  Lowell,  Biglow  Papers,  147. 
Anti-slavery  professions  ju^t  before  an 
election  ain't  worth  a  bungtown  copper. 

i8[?]  Doesticks,  62,  [Bartlktt].  The 
last  thing  I  remember  [having  been  tipsy] 
was  trying  to  pay  my  fare  with  a  bung- 

.   TOWN    COPPER. 

1859.  Bartlett,  Americanisms,  s.v. 
Bungtown  copper  A  spurious  coin,  of 
base  metal,  a  very  clumsy  counterfeit 
of  the  English  halfpenny  or  copper.  It 
derived  its  name  from  the  place  where 
it  was  first  manufactured,  then  called 
bungtown,  now  Barneysville,  in  the  town 
of  Rehobotli,  Mass.  The  BUNGTOW>f 
copper  never  was  a  legal  coin.  The 
British  halfpenny  or  copper  was.  The 
term  is  used  only  in  New  England. 

1870.  JuDD,  Margaret,  19.  These 
flowers  wouldn't  fetchaBUNGTowN copper. 

BUNGY,  acfj.  (provincial).  —  Intox- 
icated :  jffSCREWKD(IlALLiWELL). 

Bunk,  verb,  (common). —  I.  To  be 
off;  to  decamp  :  also  to  no  a  bunk. 

c.  1870.  Broadside  Ballad.  'Peck's 
Bad  Boy.'  The  keeper  tried  to  catch  him, 
but  the  bad  boy  did  a  hunk.  I6id,  1872. 
'Oh,  we  are  a  getting  on.'  There's  another 
bald-headed  Manageer,  Has  bunked  across 
to  Spain, 

1885.  Referee,  Feb.  i6,  7,  3.  It 
was  just  such  a  parcel,  bless  him!  he'd 
clasped  to  his  noble  breast.  And  bi;nkbo 
with  out  o'  the  building. 

1887.  Fun,  9  Nov.  20I.  '  What  is 
a  vanishing  point.''  said  the  schoolmaster 
to  little  Billy.  'The  corner  >  ou  bunks 
round  when  the  "slops'"  after  ycr,' 
warbled   the  golden-haired  child. 

1901.  Troddles,  35.  You  can  bunk 
a  bit,  when  its  forty  shillings  or  a  month 
at  stake,  with  sweet  liberty  as  the  crown 
of  the  award. 


Bunker. 


439 


Bunny. 


1900.  Kipling,  Stalky  b*  Co.,  45. 
Any  fool  could  hive  told  you  where 
Manders  would  nuNK  to. 

2.     (Wellington  College). — To 
expel  [from  the  school]. 

Bunker,  subs,  (common). — Beer  :  see 

DRINKS. 

Bunkum  (Buncombe  or  buncome), 
subs.  (American).  —  Talking  for 
talking's  sake  ;  claptrap  ;  gas  ;  tall 
talk  :  orig.  insincere  political  dis- 
cussion. Hence,  as  ad;'.  =  bogus, 
insincere,  etc.:  e.g.,  a  BUNKUM 
proclamation,  bunkum  logic,  bun- 
kum politicians,  etc.  That's  all 
bunkum  =  that's  all  nonsense! 
The  thing's  absurd  ! 

i8..  Wheeler,  f/isf.  North  Cam- 
lina.  Several  years  ago,  in  Congress, 
the  member  from  this  district  arose  to 
address  the  House,  without  any  extra- 
ordinary powers,  in  manner  or  matter, 
to  interest  the  audience.  Many  members 
left  the  hall.  Very  naively,  he  told  those 
who  remained  that  they  might  go  too; 
he  should  speak  for  some  time,  but  'he 
was  only  talking  for  buncombe.' 

1841.  Richmond  Compiler,  Aug.  17. 
He  was  not  speaking  to  the  House,  but 

to    BUNKUM. 

1855.  Haliburton,  Human  Nature, 
175.  Our  people  talk  a  great  deal  of 
nonsense  about  emancipation,  but  they 
know  it's  all  buncombe. 

1857.  New  York  Tribune,  2  March. 
The  House  of  Representatives  broke  down 
upon  the  Corruption  committee's  bill  to 
protect  the  integrity  of  members  of 
Congress,  having  first  passed  it  for  bun- 
combe, leid.,  Here  is  an  amusing  bio- 
graphy of  General  Houston,  bulky  in  size, 
capital  in  paper,  and  evidently  got  up 
for  BUNCOMBE.  Ibid.,  (1862)  Feb.  11. 
Despatch  from  Kansas.  General  Sibley 
was  within  thirty  miles  of  Fort  Craig, 
with  twenty-five  hundred  Texans,  with 
artillery,  and  had  issued  a  bunkum 
proclamation. 


1857.  KiNGSLEV,  Two  Years  Ago, 
XXV.  Talk  plain  truth,  and  leave  bun- 
kum for  right  honourables  who  keep  their 
places  thereby. 

1859.  Sala,  Tw.  Round  the  Clock, 
2  A.M.,  9.  These  tales,full  of  sound  and  fury, 
told  by  honourable  idiots  full  of  unut'er- 
able  BUNKUM  (an  Americanism  1  feel 
constrained  to  use,  as  signifying  nothing- 
ness, inefiably  inept  and  irremediably 
fire-perforated  windbaggery,  and  sub- 
limated cucumber  sunbeams  hopelessly 
eclipsed  into  Dis) — 

1861.  Blackwood's  Mag.,  April. 
This  parable,  explaining  the  origin  of 
BUNCOMBE,  would  form  a  very  useful 
text  to  set  up,  handsomely  illustrated, 
over   the   Speaker's   chair  in  Parliament. 

18..  BiGELOW,  Am.  Rejected 
Addresses,  '  American  Congress.'  Come 
on,  ye  stump  men  eloquent,  in  never- 
ending  stream,  Let  office  be  your  glorious 
goal,  and  bunkum  be  your  theme. 

18..  Saxe,  Progress  Here,  would- 
be  Tullys  pompously  parade  Their  tumid 
tropes  for  simple  buncombe  made. 

18..  Goodrich,  Reminiscences,  1, 
tot.  On  every  side  the  ear  was  saluted 
by  the  mocking  screams  of  the  red-headed 
woodpecker,  the  cawing  of  congresses  of 
crows,  clamorous  as  if  talking  to  bun- 
combe. 

1884.  Echo,  May  12,  4,  2.  It  will 
be  seen  that  the  wonderful  tales  about 
the  favourites  were  like  the  reports  about 
Richmond's  lameness,  all  bunkum. 

1888.  Daily  Inter-Ocean,  March  3. 
This  thinfî  of  trying  to  rule  a  husband 
is  all  buncombe;  it  can't  be  done. 

1889.  Pall  Mall  Gazette,  18  Oct.,  ó. 
2.  His  explanation  was  contained  in  the 
three  words,  'Bosh,  rubbish,  and  bunkum.' 

BUNKY,    acij.   (Christ's   Hospital).— 
Awkward  ;  ill-finished. 

BUNNICK,  verb,  (common).— To  settle; 
to  dispose  of. 

1886.  Punch,  17  July,  25.  'Owsom- 
ever  we've  bunnicked  up  Gladsting,  a 
barney  all  patriots  enjoy. 

BUNNY   (or   Bun),  subs,  (common). 
—  I.     A  rabbit  (B.E.). 


Bunny-grub. 


440 


Burford-bait. 


1900.  Kipling,  Stalky  àf  Co.,  71. 
'This  is  pifling',  said  McTurk.  '  Lei's  get 
our  sallies,  and  go  and  shoot  bunnies.' 

2.  (old), — An  endearment:  of 
women  and  children. 

3.  (venery). — The  female  pu- 
dendum :  i.e.,  coney  (cunny  ;  CUNT, 
Ç.V.):  see  monosyllable. 

c.  1720.  Old  Song  [DuRFEY,  Pills,  etc. 
(1720)  VI.  324].  Old  musty  Maids  that 
have  Money  .  . .  May  have  a  Hit  for  their 
Bunny,  To  pleasure  them  in  their  Beds. 

BUNNY-GRUB,  suòs.  phr.  (Cheltenham 
College).  —  Green  vegetables  ; 
GRASS  {q.v.^  :  e.g.  cabbage,  lettuce, 
and  the  like. 

BUNSE.      Sec   BUNCE. 

Bun-struggle  (or  bun-worry).  Sec 

BUN-FEAST. 

Bunt.    See  BUNCE. 

Bunter,  subs,  (venery). —  i.  A  pro- 
stitute ;  spec,  a  whore-thief:  also 
a  generic  contempt;  see  tart. 

1705-7.  E.  Ward,  Hudibras  Rediv., 
IL,  ii.  (1715),  25.  Punks,  Stiolers,  Market 
Dames,  and  Bunters. 

1748.  Smollett.  Rod.  Random,  xlvii. 
And  asked  with  some  heat,  if  he  thought 
I  had  spent  the  evening  in  a  cellar  with 
chairmen  and  bunteks. 

1748.  T.  DvcHE,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
Bi;nter  (s.),  one  who  goes  about  the 
streets  to  gather  rags,  bones,  etc. 

1759.     Walpole,  Parish  Register. 
ilere    Fielding   met    his  buniek  Muse, 
And,   as   they    qualT'd    the   fiery  juice, 
Droll    Nature    stanip'd   each  lucky  hit. 
With  unimaginable  wit. 

1763.  British  Magazine,  IV.,  542. 
I  heard  a  bunter  at  the  Horse-Guards... 
swear  she  would  not  venture  into  the  Park. 

1765.  Goldsmith,  Essays,  x.  The 
Bt/NTERS  who  swagger  in  the  streets  of 
London. 


1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  85.  As  thick 
as  bunters  in  the  Strand.  Ibid.,  188. 
This  BUNTER  Venus. 

1851.  H.  Mavhew,  London  Lab. 
and  Lon.  Poor,  II.,  158.  They  were 
known  by  the  name  of  bunters,  which 
signifies  properly  gatherers  of  rags. 

2.     (common). — See  quot  :  and 

cf.   BUNKER. 

1851.  H.  Mayhew,  London  Lab.  and 
Lon.  Poor,  IV.,  223.  There  is  a  class  of 
women  technically  known  as  bunters, 
who  take  lodgings,  and  after  staying 
some  time  run  away  without  paying 
their  rent. 

Bunting,  subs,  (common).  —  An 
endearment  to  a  child  :  as  in 
'baby  BUNTING.' 

Bunting-time,  subs.  fhr.  (B.E.). — 
'  When  the  grass  is  high  enough 
to  hide  the  young  men  and  maids  '  : 
cf.   PULLING-ABOUT   TIME. 

BUNTLING,  subs.  (B.E.).— In  pi.  = 
'Pettycoats.  Hale  up  the  main- 
BUNTLINGS,  take  up  the  womans 
pettycoats.' 

Bur,  subs.  (B.E.).— '  A  cloud,  or  dark 
circle  about  the  moon,  boding 
wind  and  rain.' 

BURDON's  Hotel,  5«/^f.//!r.(thieves'j. 
— Whitecross  Street  Prison,  of 
which  a  one-time  Governor  was 
Mr.  Burdon:  see  cage. 

1S61.  Dutton  Cook,  Paul  Foster's 
Daughter,  ii.  David,  be  respectable, 
whatever  you  are,  be  respectable,  and 
burdon's  hotel  is  not  for  you  to  so- 
journ at. 

BURFORD-BAIT,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
See  quot. 

1657.  HowELi.,  Lexicon,  20.  A 
BURFOKT  »ait,  when  one  sipps  or  drinks 
but  part,  they  still  fill  his  cupp  uatill 
liu  drinketh  all. 


Burgullian. 


441 


Burn. 


Burgullian,  subs,  (old) —A  bully 

{q.V^\  a  BRAGGADOCIO  {^qv.\ 

irg6.  JoNSON,  Every  Man  in  His 
Humour,  iv.,  2.  When  was  Bobadill  here, 
your  captain  ?  that  rogue,  that  foist,  that 
fencing  burgullian. 

1824.  Nares,  Glossary,  s.v.  bur- 
gullian. Supposed  to  mean  a  bully  or 
braggadocio;  and  conjectured  to  be  a 
term  of  contempt,  invented  upon  the 
overthrow  of  the  Bastard  of  Burgundy 
in  a  contest  with  Anthony  Woodville,  in 
Smithfield,  1467. 

BURICK  (or  BURERK),  subs.  (old). — 
A  woman  :  spec,  a  showily  dressed 
one:  formerly  a  thief's  term  for 
a  prostitute. 

i8ig.  J  H.  Vaux,  Memoirs.  Burick 
is  a  prostitute,  or  common  woman. 

1851.  Mayhevv,  London  Laiour  and 
London  Poor,  I.,  262.  If  they  can  meet 
with  the  BUKERK  (mistress)  or  the  young 
ladies,  etc, 

1889.  Answers,  July  20,  121,  2.  Let 
him  ask  the  loafer...  which  sex  gives 
him   most — the   burerks,   or  the  'Toffs.' 

Burgle,  verb.  (American).  —  To 
commit  burglary  ;  to  break  into  ; 
to  rob. 

1870.  Philadelphia  Press,  15  Mar. 
The  Waverly  National  Bank  burgled 
[Title]. 

Burke,  verb,  (colloquial).— I.  To 
murder  by  strangling:  as  Burke 
for  the  sake  of  bodies  for  dissec- 
tion: cf.  BISHOP;  BOYCOTT;  MÜL- 
LER; etc. 

2.  (colloquial). — To  hush  up  ; 
to  smother  a  matter,  or  thing. 

1874.  Siliad,  2.  Which  did  essay 
to  tax  poor  misery's  work,  And  helpless 
poverty  to  strike  and  bukke. 

3.  (military).  —  To  dye  the 
moustache  and  whiskers  :  a  prac- 
tice once  prevailed  in  smart  regi- 
ments  of  dyeing   or  smothering 


the  natural  colour  of  the  hair 
for  the  sake  of  uniformity,  the 
regulations  at  one  time  as  regards 
the  style  of  wearing  the  hair 
being  very  stringent  and  precise. 

Burlesque,  subs.  (15.E.). — 'Raillery 
in  verse,  or  verse  in  ridicule.' 

Burn,  verb,  (old) — I.  To  cheat;  to 
swindle:  spec,  gaming.  Hence 
BURNER  =  a  card-sharper. 

2.  (nursery). — At  hide-and-seek 
to  be  very  near  indeed  to  the 
hidden  object:  cf.  warm. 

3.  (venery).  —  To  infect;  To 
POX  ('/.^^.).  Whence  as  stibs. 
(burning  or  burner)  =  the  lues 
venerea,  a  dose  of  clap  or  jjox  ; 
BURNED  =  infected. 

[?].  Bod.  MS.  e.  Mus.,Q.i<i.  'Regula- 
tions of  the  stews  in  Southwark.'  Item 
that  no  stueholder  kepe  noo  wommau 
withynne  his  hows  that  hath  any  sikenes 
of  BRENNYNGE,  but  that  she  be  putte  out. 

1605.  Shakspeare,  Lear,  iii,  2.  No 
heritics  burn'd,  but  wenches'  suitors.' 

1630.  Taylor,  Laugh  and  Be  Fat, 
8g.  No  sooner  had  he  found  that  she 
had  burnt  his  Pope. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
'burnt,  Poxt,  or  swingingly  Clapt.' 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  He  was  sent  out  a 
sacrifice,  and  came  home  a  burnt  offer- 
ing; saying  of  seamen  who  have  caught 
the  venereal  disease  abroad. 

To   BURN    DAYLIGHT   (or  TIME), 

verb.  phr.  (colloquial). — To  light 
up  before  darkness  renders  it 
necessary:  hence  proverbial  for 
superfluous  or  absurd  action. 

1594.    Lyly,   Mother  Bombit  (163a). 

Wee    BURNE    TIME. 


Bum. 


442 


Burn-crust. 


1595.  Shakspeare,  Romeo  and  Juliet, 
i.,  4.  Come,  we  bukn  daylight,  hoi 
Rom.  Nay,  that's  not  so.  Merc.  I  mean, 
sir,  in  delay  We  waste  our  lights  in  vain, 
like  lamps  by  day.  Ibid,  (159s)  Merry 
Wives,  ii.,  I.  We  burn  daylight:  here, 
read,  read. 

1587.  Churchyard,  Worth,  of  Wales, 
96.  Tyme  rouleth  on,  1  Doo  BUT  day- 
light BURNE,  And  many  things  indeede 
to  doe  I  have. 

1647.  Carturight,  The  Ordinary, 
i.,  2.  Hearsay.  Her  nose  the  candle... 
Shape.  How  bright  it  flames!  Put  out 
your  nose,  good  lady,  you  burn  daylight. 

1710  Swift,  Polite  Coiiv.,  iii.  Lady 
.Sm.  Here,  take  away  the  tea-table,  and 
bring  up  candles.  Lady  Ans.  O,  Madam, 
no  candles  yet,  I  beseech  you;  don't  let 
us  burn  daylight.  AV?'.  I  dare  swear, 
Miss  for  her  part  will  never  burn  day- 
light, if  she  can  help  it. 

1819.  Scott,  Ivanhoe,  ii.,  ^64.  'Your 
story,'  said  the  stalwart  Churchman; 
'BURN  not  DAYLIGHT  about  it;  we  have 
short  time  to  spare.' 

To     1ÎURN     A     HOLE     IN     ONE'S 

POCKET,  vero.  phr.  (colloquial). — 
To  be  eager  to  spend  money: 
which  is  said  to  burn  a  hole  in 
a  spendthrift's  pocket  if  not  dis- 
bursed. 

1573.  TussER,  Five  Hundred  Good 
Points,  tg.  [Money  is  said  to  burn  the 
bottom  of  the  purse]. 

To  BURN  THE  PARADE,  verb. 
phr.  (old  military).  —  To  warn 
more  men  for  a  guard  than  are 
necessary,  and  excusing  the  super- 
numeraries for  money.  This  was 
a  practice  formerly  winked  at  in 
most  garrisons,  and  was  a  very 
considerable  perquisite  to  the 
adjutants  and  sergeant-majors; 
the  ])retence  for  it  was  to  pur- 
chase coal  and  candle  for  the 
guard,  whence  it  was  called  burn- 
ing  THE   PARADE  (GrOSE). 


Burn  my  breeches  !  phr.  (old) 
— A  mild  oath. 

1819.  Moore,  7otn  Crib's  Memorial, 
46.  .  .  .(Bill  Gibbons  ne'er  In  all  his  days 
was  known  to  swear,  Except  light  oaths, 
to  grace  his  speeches.  Like  'dash  my 
wig,'  or  '  burn  my  breeches.') 

To  burn  the  town  (or  ken), 
verb.  phr.  (old  military). — To  leave 
a  town  (or  inn)  without  paying 
one's  reckoning. 

c.  1696.  B  E.,  Did.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BURNT  THE  TOWN,  when  the  Soldiers 
leave  the  Place  without  paying  their 
Quarters. 

Phrases:  to  burn  one's  boats 
behind  one  =  to  cut  off  all  chance 
of  retreat.  To  birn  the  Thames 
=  to  perform  some  prodigy.  To 
burn  fine  weather  =  to  fail  to 
use  it  to  advantage.  To  BURN 
the  candle  at  both  ends  {see 

CANHLE).    To    BURN    THE    PLANKS 

1=  to  remain  long  sitting.  To 
BURN  one's  fingeks  =:  to  suffer 
through  meddling.  To  burn  a 
STONE  =  to  displace  by  accident. 

BURNAND,  verb.  (?  nonce  word). — 
To  pilfer  plots  (of  plays,  novels, 
etc.).  [Probably  only  a  nonce 
word  ;  a  formation  on  the  same 
lines  as  '  Burke,'  '  Boycott,'  etc., 
from  the  name  of  Mr.  F.  Burnand, 
the  editor  of  Punch.] 

1882.  Echo,  Feb.  11,  3.  The  Amer- 
ican papers  continue  to  attack  the  play 
['/he  Colonel]  vigorously  One  of  the 
journals  there  has  invented  a  new  verb 
to  signify  the  pilfering  of  plots.  '  Bur- 
nanded'  is  the  term. 

Burn-crust,  subs.  phr.  (old). — A 
baker:  cf.  master  of  the  mint 
=z  a  gardener;  bung  =  a  brewer 
BALL  OF  WAX  =  a  shoemaker . 
QUILI -DKIVER  =  a  clcrk  ;  SNIP  ::= 
a  tailor,  etc. 


Burning- shame. 


443 


Bury. 


Burning-shame,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
'  A  lighted  candle,  stuck  in  a 
wouan's  vulva  or  podex  '  (Grose). 

Burnish,  verb.  (B.E.).— 'To  spread, 
or  grow  broad.' 

Burr,  subs.  (old). — A  hanger  on;  a 
dependent;  a  sponger  ijj.v^. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Cr.'w.,  s.v. 
BURRB,  a  Hanger  011,  or  Dependant. 

Verb.     (Marlborough  College). 

— To    fight  ;    to  SCRIMMAGE  {q.V.)  ; 
to   RAG  {q.V.). 

Burr  castle,  subs. phr.  (provincial). 
— Newcastle,  so  called  from  the 
BURR,  a  particular  sound  made 
by  the  natives  of  that  place  in 
pronouncing  the  letter  R. 

Burst,  J«(5.y.  (common). — l.  A  spree; 
a  drunken  frolic  ;  a  big  feed  ;  a 
BLOW  OUT  {q.v.):  also  on  the 
BURST  :  see  bust. 

1880.  Blackwood's  Mag.,  June,  775. 
He  became  a  madman  when  drunk.  Once 
'ON  THE  BUKST,"  .  .  .  money,  horses,  cows, 
furniture,  even  his  wife's  wearing  apparel, 
went  to  feed  the  insatiable  and  cruel 
demon  who  possessed  him. 

iSSi.  Praed,  Policy  and  Passion, 
1.,  228.  When  his  men  go  on  the  burst, 
what  can  he  do  but  make  his  daughters 
help? 

2.  (sporting). — A  sudden  and 
vigorous  access,  or  display  of 
energy  ;    a    lively   pace  or  spurt. 


3.      (colloquial), 
immoderately. 


To     laugh 


1809.  Malkin,  Gil  Bias  f  Routledge], 
41.  I  thought  old  Chalkstone  would  have 
BURST,  for  as  he  laughed  with  all  his 
might,  so  violent  a  cough  laid  hold  of 
him,  as  went  very  near  to  have  carried 
him  off. 

BURSTED,    adj.    (common). — Hard 

up;    STONY-BROKE   (q.V.). 


1873.  Chicago  Daily  Tribune,  June 
30.  At  the  far  end  [of  the  roomj  four 
lank  and  'ìitrsted  frontiersmen  sang, 
with  a  doleful  want  of  melody  or  atten- 
tion, the  celebrated  ballad  by  John  Hay 
on  the  fate  of  Little  Breeches. 

Burster,  J«3j.(racing).— I.  Aheavy 
fall;  a  CROPPER  (q.v.). 

1863.  Evening  Standard.  Z4  April. 
Benedict  came  down  a  nuRSTER,  and 
was  out  of  the  race. 

2.     See  buster,  sense  i. 

Bury.  Go  bury  yourself!  phr. 
(American). — A  Californianism  =: 
go  to  hell  ! 

To  bury  (or  BIG  up)  the 
HATCHET,  verb.  phr.  (American). 
— Amongst  Indian  tribes  certain 
symbolic  ceremonies  areconnected 
with  the  war-hatchet  or  tomahawk, 
which  are  equivalent  to  a  declara- 
tion of  war,  or  a  compact  of 
peace.  To  bury  the  hatchet 
is  the  emblem  of  the  putting 
away  of  strife  and  enmity;  on 
the  other  hand,  the  red  skin,  be- 
fore he  commences  hostilities, 
digs  up  afresh  the  fateful  symbol. 

[1609.  SiAKSPEARE,  Tempest,  v.,  i, 
53.  rie  breake  MV  staffe,  bury  it  cer- 
taine fadomes  in  the  earth.] 

1855-59.  Washington  Irving,  Life 
of  Washington,  I.,  361.  They  smoked 
the  pipe  of  peace  together,  and  the 
colonel  claimed  the  credit  of  having,  by 
his  diplomacy,  persuaded  the  sachem  to 

BURY   the    hatchet. 

1855.  Longfellow,  Hiawatha,  13. 
Buried  was  the  bloody  hatchet;  Buried 
was  the  dreadful  war-club;  Buried  were 
all  warlike  weapons.  And  the  war-cry 
was  forgotten;  Then  was  peace  among 
the  nations. 

1873.  Carleton  Ballads.  I  told  her 
we'd  BURY  the  hatchet  alongside  of 
the  cow;  And  we  struck  an  agreement 
never  to  have  another  row. 


Bus. 


444 


Busk. 


To  BURY  A  MOLL,  verb.  phr. 
(common). — To  desert  or  forsake 
a  wife  or  mistress. 

To  BURY  A  QUAKER,  phr.  (Irish 
slang). — To  evacuate.:  to  REAR 
iç.vl):  see  Mrs.  Jones. 

To  BURY  A  WIFE,  vera.  phr. 
(old) — To  feast  and  make  merry  : 
spec,  used  of  the  jollifications 
frequently  indulged  in  by  appren- 
tices on  the  completion  of  their 
term  of  indenture,  and  become 
'full  blown'  craftsmen. 

1847.  Halliwell,  ..4?-fÄ.  Words,etc., 
s.v.  Outing.  A  feast  given  to  his  friends 
by  an  apprentice,  at  the  end  of  his  ap- 
prenticeship: when  he  is  out  of  his  time. 
In  some  parts  of  the  kingdom,  this  cere- 
mony is  termed  by  an  apprentice  and 
his  friends  'burying  his  wife.' 

Bus  (or  Buss),  subs,  (theatrical). —  i. 
Busi.NESS  {q.v^:   pronounced  biz. 

2.  (common). — A  contraction 
of  'omnibus.' 

1832.  Ht.  Martineau,  Weal  and 
Woe,  i.,  14.  If  the  station  offers  me  a 
place  in  a  Bi;ss. 

1837.  Dickens,  Sketches  (The  Last 
Cabdriver)  Rumours  were  rife  on  the 
hackney-coach  stands  that  a  buss  was 
building  to  run  from  Lisson-Grove  to  the 
Bank,  down  Oxford  Street  and  Holborn. 

1837.  Barham,  Ingoldsby  Legends 
(S.  Romwold).  There  was  no  taking 
refuge  too  then,  as  with  us,  On  a  slip- 
sloppy  day,  in  a  cab  or  a  BUS. 

1852.  Dickens,  Bleak  House,  93. 
He  proposed  that  they  should  go,  per 
BUSS,  a  little  way  into  the  country. 

i860.  Arthur  Smith,  Thames  Angler, 
ii.  On  busses'  knitebo;irds  siretch'd. 
The  City  clerks  all  tonguc-protrudcd  lay. 

i86i.  THArKRRAV,  Adventures  of 
Philift,  II.  316.  We  were  mortified  to 
see  that  of  the  five  persons  conveyed  by 
the  'bus,  one  was  a  tradesman,  etc. 


1869.  Black,  In  Silk  Attire,  II.,  205. 
Annie  Brunei  got  out  of  the  Hampstead 
'bus,  and  found  herself  in  the  muddy 
highway. 

Verb.  (American). — To  punch 
the  head. 

See  BUSS. 

Bush,  verb.  (Australian). — To  camp 
out  in  the  bush  ;  hence  TO  BE 
BUSHED  =  (")  to  get  lost  in  the 
bush  :  whence  also  to  be  in  a 
mental  or  physical  difficulty  or 
muddle;  (2)  to  be  hard  up;  to 
be  destitute. 

1812.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Flash  Dictionary, 
bush'd,  poor;  without  money. 

1887.  All  the  Year  Round,  July  30, 
68.  An  Australian  says  that  he  IS  bushed, 
just  as  an  Englishman,  eijually  characteris- 
tically, declares  that  he  is  fogged. 

1889.  B.  L.  Farjeon,  In  Australian 
Wilds.  'We  shall  have  TO  bush  it, 
mate,'  I  said.  'That's  so,'  said  Lilly 
Trot.  lòid.  We  were  on  horseback,  with 
blankets  before  us  on  our  saddles,  to 
provide  for  our  getting  bushed. 

To  BE  BUSHED  ON,  verb.  phr. 
(common). — To  be  pleased  ;  to 
be  delighted. 

To  BEAT  ABOUT  THE  BUSH, 
verb. phr.  (colloquial). — To  prevar- 
icate; to  avoid  coming  to  the 
point  ;  to  go  indirectly  to  one's 
object. 

1546.     Hevwood,  Proverbs,  s.v. 

1589.  PUTTENHAM,  Art.  of  Eng. 
Poesie,  MI,  xviii  Then  have  ye  the  figure 
Periphrasis  ...  as  when  we  go  about 
the  hush,  and  will  not  in  one  or  a  few 
words  expresse  that  thing  which  we 
desire  to  have  knowen,  but  do  choose 
rather  to  do  it  by   many  words. 

1603.  Breton,  Mother's  Blessing,  12. 
Stand  not  too  long  in  beating  ok  a  bush. 
For  feare  the  bird  beguile  thee  with  hor 
flight. 


Bushel. 


445 


Buskwhacker. 


1623.     Mabbe,  Evglish  Rogue,  (1630), 


17öS'  Vanbrugh,  Confederacy,  iii,  2. 
You  must  know  I  went  round  the  bush, 
and  ROUNU  the  bush,  before  I  came  to 
the  matter. 

The  nest  in  the  bush,  subs. 
phr.  (venery). —  The  k\na.\Q puden- 
dum:   see    MONOSYLLABLE.      THE 

BUSH     (or    bushy-park)   =:   the 
female  pubic  hair:  see  fleece. 

1782.  Stevens,  Songs  Comic  and 
Satyrical,  124.  Here's  the  nest  in  that 
8i;sH,  and  the  bird-nesting  lover. 

Bushel,   adj.   (colloquial). — Large: 

thus      a      BUSHEL-WIG  ;       BUSHEL- 
BUBBIES  ;    BUSHEL-BREECHES,    etc. 

1796.  WoLCOT, Peter Pindar[lVorks, 
236.]  When  judges  a  campaigning  go. 
And  on  their  benches  look  so  big,  What 
gives  them  consequence,  I  trow.  Is  noth- 
ing  but   a   BUSHEL  WIG. 

1837.  Carlvle,  French  Revolution , 
II,  I,  xi.  The  snowy  linen  and  delicate 
pantaloon  alternates  with  the  soiled  check 
shirt  and  bushel  breeches. 

Bush-lawyer,  subs.  phr.  (colonial 
and  nautical). — An  argumentative 
ignoramus  :  see  quots.,  and  cf.  sea- 
lawyer. 

1901.  Referee.  7  Ap.,  i,  2.  Great 
care  should  be  exercised  so  as  to  minimise 
chances  of  their  being  able  to  take  two 
chances  for  their  money,  one  in  the  game, 
and  the  other  by  'sea-lawyering.' 

1896.  H.  G.  Turner,  Lecturg  on 
y.  P.  Faivkner.  For  some  years  he 
cultivated  and  developed  his  capacity  for 
rhetorical  argument  by  practising  in  the 
minor  courts  of  law  in  Tasmania  as  a 
paid  advocate,  a  position  which  in  those 
days,  and  under  the  exceptional  cir- 
cumstances of  the  Colony,  was  not  restric- 
ed  to  members  of  the  legal  profession, 
and  the  term  bush  lawyer  probably 
takes  its  origin  from  the  practice  of  this 
period. 


1896.  Morris,  Austral-English,  s.v. 
bush-lawyer.  Name  often  used  for  a 
layman  who  fancies  he  knows  all  about 
the  law  without  consulting  a  solicitor. 
He  talks  a  great  deal,  and  'lays  down 
the  law.' 

189g.  Hyne,  Fürth.  Adv.  Captain 
Kettle,  V.  Robinson's  a  sea-lawyer,  is 
he?     Courts,  he  talks  about. 

BUSHRANGING,  subs,  (venery). — The 
act  of  kind:  cf.  hush  =:  female 
pubic  hair:  see  greens  and  ride 
and  cf.  birdsnesting. 

BUSH-SCRUBBER,  subs.  phr.  (Austra- 
lian).—A  boor;  a  bumpkin;  a 
slattern. 

1896.  [Modern.  Up-country  manser- 
vant on  seeing  his  new  mistress].  My 
word!  a  real  lady!  she's  no  bush-scrubber  ! 

BuSH-TELEGRAPH,  subs. phr.  (Austra- 
lian).— Confederates  of  bushran- 
gers, who  supply  them  with  secret 
information  of  the  movements  of 
the  police  (Morris). 

1878.  The  Australian,  i.,  507.  The 
police  are  baffled  by  the  false  reports 
of  the  confederates,  and  the  number  and 
activity  of  the  bush  telegraphs. 

1893.  Kenneth  Mack  ay,  Out  Back, 
74.  A  hint  dropped  in  this  town  set  the 
bush  telegraphs  riding  in  all  directions. 

BUSHWHACKER,  subs.  (American 
political). —  I.  A  free-lance:  during 
the  Rebellion  deserters  from  the 
ranks  of  both  armies  infested  the 
country,  bands  of  these  marauders 
making  raids  upon  defenceless 
houses  and  even  going  the  length 
of  sacking  whole  towns.  Hence 
BUSHWHACK  =  to  fight  in  guerilla 
style. 

1862.  Col.  Deitzler  [in  New  York 
Herald,  29  June].  The  fiends,  in  small 
parties,  select  a  position  behind  fences, 
trees,  etc.,  fire  upon  the  Union  iroops  as 
they  pass,  and  then  run.  .  .  .  This  infernal 
bushwhacking  shall  not  be  practised  on 
the  men  of  my  command,  without  my 
enforcing  the  severest  retaliation. 


Bushy-park. 


446 


Business. 


1864.  Gen  Sherman,  Field  Order, 
9  Nqv.  >hould  guerillas  or  bushwhackers 
molest  our  march,  or  should  the  inhabitants 
burn  bridges,  or  otherwise  manifest  local 
hostility,  then  army  commanders  should 
order  and  enforce  a  devastation  more  or 
less  relentless, 

2.  (American).  —  A  country 
BUMPKIN  (ç.V.);  a  CLODHOPPER 
(ç.V.). 

1809.  Irving,  Knickerbocker  Hist, 
of  New  York.  The  Van  B — s  of  Nyack 
were  the  first  that  did  ever  kick  with 
the  left  foot;  they  were  gallant  bush- 
whackers, and  hunters  of  raccoons  by 
moonlight. 

1843.  Carltok,  Neiu  Purchase,  11, 
87.  Do  you  think  all  our  eastern  dig- 
nitaries combined  could  have  compelled 
young  BUSHWHACKERS  to  Wear  coats  and 
shoes  in  recitation-rooms? 

1855.  Haliburton,  Human  Nature, 
15.  Every  bushwhacker  and  forest 
ranger  thought  he  knew  where  to  find 
the  trees. 

Bushy-park,   subs.  phr.   (rhyming). 
I. — A  lark. 

2.  (venery). — The  female  pubic 
hair  :  jf^  fleece.  Hence  the  nest 

IN     HUSHY-PARK     (or     THE    BUSH) 

=:  the  female  pudendum  :  see 
MONOSYLLABLE;  to  take  a  turn 
in  BUSHY-PARK  z=  to  possess  a 
woman:  see  greens  and  ride. 

To  BE  IN  BUSHY  PARK,  phr. 
(old). — To  be  poor. 

BUSINESS,    suh.   (old).— I.     Sexual 
intercourse  :  see  greens  and  ride. 

1630.  Taylor,  Workes.  And  Lais 
of  Corinth,  ask'd  Demosthenes  One 
hundred    crowncs    for    one    night's    BUSl- 

NESSE. 

1654.  Wit's  Recreations.  He's  proctor 
of  a  court,  thou  say'st,  and  does  Some 
BUSINESS  of  my  wives:  thou  brainless 
goose,  He  do-s  no  business  of  thy  wives, 
not  he,  He  does  thy  business  (Coracioc) 
for  thee. 


1692.  Drvden,  Juvenal,  vi.  The 
sotted  moon-calf  gapes,  and  staring  on, 
Sees  his  own  business  by  another  done. 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  33.  But 
that's  as  sure  as  cits  of  London  Oft  leave 
their  spouses'  business  undone;  And 
trudge  away  to  Russel-street  Some  little 
dirty  whore  to  meet. 


2.     (theatrical).- 
tion:  bye-play. 


-Dramatic  ac- 


1753.  The  World,  26.  We  are 
too  much  enamoured  with  what  is  called 
intrigue,  business,  and  bustle,  in  our 
plays. 

1820.  Scott,  The  Abbot,  xxvii.  {HI., 
6).  The  .  .  .  went,  came,  and  returned, 
mingling  in  every  scene  of  the  piece, 
and  interrupting  the  business. 

1 860.  Cornhill  Magazine,  Dec,  749. 
So  well  do  performers  understand  this 
principle,  that  they  give  the  literary 
composition  the  utmost  contem|5tuous 
title  of  'words'  while  they  dignify  the 
movements  of  the  characters  with  the 
name  of  business. 

1876.  C.  HiNDLEV.  Li/e  and  Adven- 
tures 0/  a  Cheap  Jack,  282.  Tom 
observed,  '  I  never  saw  such  business 
before;   how  do  you  do  it?' 

1880.  Punch,  Sept.  18,  130.  Ya-as 
— but — aw — I  didn't  copy  him  in  the 
least — aw -my  own  'Business.'  Aw — 
Entirely  different  reading. 

1883.  H.  Irving,  in  Good  Words, 
Jan.,  34.  Then  consider  what  scope  the 
'business'  of  the  scene  gives  to  thr 
actor's  purpose. 

190a  D.  Telegraph,  14  Jan.,  7,,  ;^. 
By  Mr.  Smith:  On  Dec.  21  she  told  mc 
to  get  ready,  she  was  not  going  to  play 
any  more,  and  she  added,  '  Don't  do  any 
of  my  business  ;,1  shall  be  in  front  to  see.' 

To     DO      one's     BUSINESS      FOR 

ONE,   phr.    (common). — To    kill . 
to  cause  one's  death. 

1750,  Fielding,  Tom  Jones,  viii., 
X.  He  concluded  he  had  pretty  well 
DONE  THEIK  BUSINESS,  for  both  of  ihem, 
as  they  ran  off,  cried  out  with  bitter 
oaths,  that  they  were  dead  men. 


Business-end. 


447 


Bîtst. 


1849.  Thackeray,  Pendennis,  xii. 
Then  he  took  down  his  venerable  and 
murderous  duelling-pistols,  with  flint  locks, 
that  had  done  the  business  of  many  a 
pretty  fellow  in  Dublin. 

1856.  C.  Reade,  Never  Too  Late, 
xvi.  bhe  was  stronger  than  he  was  for 
a  moment  or  two,  and  that  moment  would 
have  DONE  HIS  BUSINESS.  She  meant 
killing. 

1880.  Jas.  Greenwood,  Grandmother 
Cooper,  (in  Odd  People  in  Odd  Places). 
They  said  it  was  his  hurts  killed  him.  It 
was  the  bricks  and  mortar  that  did  his 
business,  poor  chap. 

Business-end  [of  a  thing],  subs. 
phr.  (American). — The  practical 
part. 

Busk.  To  busk  it,  verb.  phr. 
(tramps'). — To  sell  obscene  songs 
and  books  at  bars  and  in  tap- 
rooms; sometimes  it  implies  sell- 
ing other  articles;  also  to  'work' 
public  houses  and  certain  spots 
as  in  itinerant  musician,  or  vocalist, 
hence  so  also,  BUSKING,  and 
BUSKER  =  a  man  who  sings  and 
performs  in  public  houses  ;  an 
itinerant. 

1851.  Mayhew,  London  Labour  and 
London  Poor,  1.,  229.  They  obtained  a 
livelihood  by  busking,  as  it  is  termed, 
or  in  other  words,  by  offering  their  goods 
for  sale  only  at  the  bars,  or  in  the  tap- 
rooms and  parlours  of  taverns.  Ibid,  234. 
From  a  furniturecarter  of  this  description 
I  received  some  most  shocking  details 
of  having  to  busk  it,  as  this  Liking  about 
goods  for  sale  is  called  by  those  in  the 
trade.  Ibid,  III.,  216.  Busking  is  going 
into  public  houses  and  playing  and  singing 
and  dancing.  Ibid,  222.  I  now  thought 
I'd  try  what  is  termed  busking,  that 
is,  going  into  public  houses  and  cutting 
likenesses  of  the  company. 

1883.  Advt.  Echo,  May  10,  4,  6. 
Busking. — A  player  on  the  harp  and 
violin  wants  a  mate. 

1887.  Referee,  August  21,  3,  2.  Mac 
himself...  will  appear  in  the  Racecourse 
scene  as  a  busker. 


Free  of  both  ends  of  i'TE 
BUSK,  phr.  (venery).  —  Free  l  f 
everything  even  to  the  LAST 
FAVOUR   (^.Z'.). 

d.  1796.  Burns,  Merry  Muses  (i8oo), 
7.  'Bonny  Lass  o'  Liviston':  old  song 
revised  by  Burns.  Wi  baith  ends  o' 
THE  BUSK,  I  made  me  free. 

BUSNAPPER.      See  BUZ-NAPPER. 

Buss  (or  Bus),  verb,  (once  literary: 
now  colloquial). — To  kiss:  also 
as  sîibs.  ■=.  a  kiss. 

1500-13.  Skelton,  Works  [Dyce], 
14S.     Bas  me,  buttyng,  pratyCis! 

1596.  Shakspeare,  King  John,  iii., 
4.  Come  grin  on  me;  and  I  will  think 
thou  smil'st,  And  buss  thee  as  thy  wife. 

•  1596.     Drayton,  Baron's  Wars,  c  3. 
And  we  by  signs  sent  many  a  secret  buss. 

c.  1650.  Brathvvayte,  Barnabys'  Jl. 
(1723),  61.  With  me  toy'd  they,  buss'd 
me,  cuU'd  me. 

1647-8.  Herrick,  JFö/-^-^,  219.  Kissing 
and  bussing  differ  both  in  this,  We  busse 
our  wantons,  but  our  wives  we  kiss. 

BUSS-BEGGAR,  subs.  phr.  (old). — A 
beggar-whore;  a  trull  {^q.v.). 

Bust,  j-«/5j. (vulgar) — I.  A  corrupted 
form  of  burst:  hence  busting, 
BUSTED,  etc. 

1837.  Dickens,  Oliver  Twist,  219. 
A  kind  of  busting  noise. 

2.  (thieves'). — A  burglary. 

i8(?79).  Horsley,  Jottings  from 
Jail.  'Fatty  Bill,  from  City  Road,  rem. 
for  a  bust  ex.  two  years,'  means  that 
William...  has  been  compelled  to  leave 
his  congenial  haunts  in  the  City  Road, 
as  he  is  remanded  for  a  burglary,  and 
anticipates  two  years'  hard  labour. 

3.  (common). — -A  frolic;  a 
spree  ;  a  drunken  debauch  :  see 
TO   GO   ON   THE   BUST. 

DD 


Bust. 


448 


Buster. 


i860.  Bartlett  (quoted  in),  A  Cali- 
fornian  Song.  And  when  we  get  our 
pockets  full  Of  his  bright,  shinin'  dust, 
We'll  travel  straight  for  home  again, 
And  spend  it  on  a  el'ST. 

1862.  New  York  Herald,  11  Jan. 
In  old  times,  Joshua  sent  Jericho  on  a 
BUST  with  his  horns. 

1897.  Marshall,  Pomes,  65.  I'm 
resolv'd,  don't  you  see,  to  go  in  for  a 
BUST  On  the  forthcoming  Derby. 

4.  (American). — A  failure;  a 
fizzle. 

1839.  Bartlett,  Americanisms,  s.v. 
BUST.  The  following  conundrum  went 
the  rounds  of  the  papers  at  the  time  the 
Whig  party  failed  to  elect  Mr.  Clay  to 
the  Presidency;  'Why  is  the  Whig  party 
like  a  sculptor?  Because  it  takes  Clay, 
and  makes  a  bust.' 

VWb.  (vulgar). —  I.  To  burst; 
to  explode. 

1838.  Dickens,  Nicholas  Nicklehy, 
II.,  366.   His  genius  would  have  busted. 

1843.  Dickens,  Martin  Chuzzlcjuit, 
1.,  286.  Keep  cool,  Jefferson...  don't 
bust!  Ibid,  II.,  124.  If  the  biler  of  this 
vessel  was  Toe  bust  Sir.  .  .  and  Toe  bust 
now,  it  would  be  a  festival  day  in  the 
calendar  of  despotism. 

2.  (thieves'). — To  commit  a 
burglary. 

3.  (thieves'). — To  inform  against 
an  accomplice  ;  to  split  ;  TO  PEACH 
(y.f.)  ;    to    turn    king's    evidence. 

4.  (American).  —  To  fail  in 
business  or  other  transactions. 

i8[?].  J.  C.  Neal,  Dolly  7<;««[Bart- 
lett].  I  was  soon  fotch'd  up  in  the 
victualling  line — and  I  busted  for  the 
benefit  of  my  creditors. 

5.  (general). — To  put  out  of 
breath  ;  to  wind  {q.z\). 


c.  1880.  Broadside  Ballad,  'Taking 
out  the  Baby.'  Spoken — And  they  had 
all  been  taking  out  the  baby,  and  all  had 
had  such  a  doing — that  boy  o'  mine 
nearly  busted  me — and  of  course  tliey 
all  think  they  deserve  a  glass  of  beer. 

6.  (American). — To  indulge  in 
a  drunken  frolic  ;  to  go  on  the 
spree:   cf.  to  go  on  the  bust. 

1869.  New  Orleans  Picayune,  Feb. 
14.  Because  I  was  a  good-natured  fel- 
low, I  had  to  go  with  them,  rollicking, 
teaparting,  excursioning,  and  busting 
generally. 

7.  (American). — To  destroy; 
to  commit  suicide;  to  set  aside; 
to  expose. 

1880.  Bret  Hartk,  Chiquita,  22. 
Did  you  know  Briggs  of  Tuolumne  Ì 
Busted  hisself  in  White  Pine,  and  blew 
out  is  brains. 

1883.  North  of  England  Advertiser, 
Sept.  I.  Then  he  got  the  Moabite  pottery 
which  Mr.  Clement  Ganneau  busted. 

Bust  me  !  phr.  (common). — A 
mild  oath  ;  blow  me  !  jigger 
me!  {ji.v^. 

1859.  Dickens,  Tale  of  Two  Cities^ 
I.,  iii.  Bust  me  if  I  don't  think  he'd 
been  a  drinking! 

To  GO  ON  THE  BUST,  phr. 
(common). — To  go  on  a  frolic 
or  spree. 

Buster,  stibs.  (common). —  I.  A 
small  new  loaf;  also  a  coarse 
cake   or   bun   of  large   size:   cf. 

STARVER. 

182 1.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
jferry,  ii.,  3.  I  say,  do  you  hear,  let's 
have  a  twopenny  burster,  half  a  quartern 
of  beesvax,  a  ha'p'orth  'o  ingens,  and 
a   dollop   o'   salt  along  vith  it,  vili  youf 

1841.  Contic  Almanacks,  1835-43 
(Ilotten)  295.  Cut  us  a  slap-up  slice  of 
Cheshire  cheese.  And  tip's  a  twopenny 
BURSTER  if  you  please. 


Buster. 


449 


Busler. 


1849.  BelVs  Life.  [From  BaumannJ. 
A  BURSTER  with  a  slice  of  beeswax. 

1876.  li\nDLì!.\,  Life  and  Adventures 
of  a  Cheap  Jack,  192.  Mo  and  his  man 
were  having  a  great  breakfast  one  morn- 
ing at  Newcastle,  offa  twopenny  buster 
and  a  small  bit  of  butter,  with  some 
wishy-washy  coffee.... 

c.  1882.  Broadside  Ballad,  I  can't 
get  at  it.  I  like  the  faggots  tho'  they 
smell,  But  now  the  penny's  down  the 
well,  I  thought  I'd  have  a  buster  but 
it's  all  no  go! 

1899.  Whiteing,  John  St.,  ix.  A 
formidable  kind  of  bun  which  here  cir- 
culates under  the  name  of  buster. 

2.  (thieves'). — A  burglar:  sea 
BUST  and  thief. 

187g.  J.  W.  HoRSLEV,  'Autobiography 
of  a  Thief,'  in  Maon.  Mag.,  XL.,  582. 
Busters  and  screwsmen  (burglars). 

3.  (common).  —  Anything  of 
superior  size,  unusual  capacity, 
or  the  highest  quality.  Hence  to 
COME  AN  AWFUL  BUSTER  =  to  fall 
heavily,  to  come  a  cropper;  IN 
FOR  A  BUSTER  =:  prepared,  ready, 
determined  for  a  spree,  or  any 
matter. 

18..  Thorpe,  Bear  of  Arkansas. 
I  went  on,  larning  something  every  day, 
until  I  was  reckened  a  buster,  and 
allowed  to  be  the  best  bar-hunter  in  my 
district. 

1852.  H.  B.  Stowe,  Uncle  Tom's 
Cabin,  x.  '  Lor,  Pete,'  said  Mose,  triumph- 
antly, 'han't  we  got  a  buster  of  a 
breakfast!'  at  the  same  time  catching  at 
a  fragment  of  the  chicken. 

i860.  Dickens,  Great  Expectations, 
vii.,  28.  'At  such  time  as  when  your 
sister  is  on  the  Ram-page,  Pip,'  Joe  sank 
his  voice  to  a  whisper,  and  glanced  at 
the  door,  'candour  compels  fur  to  admit 
that  she  is  a  busier.' 

1859.  Bartlett,  Diet. Americanisms, 
s.v.  BUSTER.  Applied  also  to  any  large 
person,  especially  to  overgrown  children. 
'Ain't  he  a  buster.'  'Come  here,  bustkr,' 
in  the  sense  of  'sonny,'  'who's  yo^ur 
daddy  ?' 


1870.  Popular  Song  on  Franco- 
German  War  .  .  .  Thank  God,  my  dear 
Augusta,  We've  had  another  awful  buster, 
Ten  thousand  Frenchmen  sent  below, 
Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow!' 

c.  i83o.  Broadside  Ballad,  'I'll  never 
go  courting  again.'  And  a  baker  he  gave 
me  a  buster.  With  a  'brick,'  sent  me 
rolling  about. 

4.  (Australian). — A  heavy  dust 
storm  from  the  south  :  also  SOUTH- 
ERLY-BUSTER  and  BRICK-FIELDER 
{q.V.). 

1863.  F.  Fowler,  in  Athenäum, 
Feb.  21,  264, 1.  The  cold  wind  or  SOUTHERLY 
buster  which  .  .  .  carries  a  thick  cloud 
of  dust  .  .  .  across  the  city. 

1878.  The  Australian,!.,  s?>7.  SOUTH- 
ERLY Busters  by  'Ironbark.' 

1885.  Household  Words,  10  Oct., 
463.  In  anxious  expectation  we  now 
awaited  the  result  of  this  curious  pheno- 
menon of  darkest  night  in  day,  which, 
accustomed  to  the  portents  that  some- 
times herald  in  the  terrific  busters  of 
these  southern  seas,  as  most  of  us  were, 
all  declared  they  had  never  seen  it 
equalled. 

1886.  F.  Cowan,  Australia,  a  Char- 
coal Sketch.  The  buster  and  brickfielder  : 
austral  red-dust  blizzard  ;  and  red-hot 
Simoom. 

i8Sû.  Rev.  J.  H.  Zillman'n,  Austral- 
ian Life,  40.  Generally  these  winds 
end  in  what  is  commonly  called  a  south- 
eklv  buster.  This  is  preceded  by  a  lull 
in  the  hot  wind;  then  suddenly  (as  it  has 
been  put)  it  is  as  though  a  bladder  of 
cool  air  were  exploded,  and  the  strong 
cool  southerly  air  drives  up  with  tremen- 
dous force.  However  pleasant  the  change 
of  temperature  may  be,  it  is  no  mere 
pastime  to  be  caught  in  a  southerly 
buster,  but  the  drifting  rain  which 
always  follows  soon  sets  matters  right, 
allays  the  dust,  and  then  follows  the 
calm  fresh  bracing  wind  which  is  the 
more  delightful  by  contrast  with  the 
misery  through  which  one  has  passed 
for    three   long   dreary   days  and  nights. 


Bust-head. 


450 


Busy-head. 


1893.  The  Australian,  Aug.  12,  30Ì, 
X.  You  should  see  him  with  Commodore 
Jack  out  in  the  teeth  of  the  'hard  glad 
weather,'  when  a  soctheklv  buster 
sweeps  up  the  harbour. 

1896.  H.  A.  Hunt,  in  Three  Essays 
on  Australian  Weather  (Sydney)  16.  An 
Essay  on  southerly  bursters,  .  .  .  with 
Four  Photographs  and  Five  Diagrams. 
[Title]. 

5.  (common). — A  frolic,  a  spree. 

6.  (common).  —  A  roistering 
blade;  a  dashing  fellow. 

Bust-head,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
Common  whiskey:  j^i?  drinks. 

Busting,  subs,  (thieves').— Inform- 
ing against  accomplices  ;  turning 
King's  evidence  :  see  bust. 

Bustle,  subs,  (common). —  I.  A  pad, 
roll,  or  wire  contrivance  worn 
by  women  at  the  back  in  order 
to  extend  the  dress  :  see  BUM-ROLL 
and   BIRD-CAGE. 

1788.  T.  Monro,  in  Olla  Podrida, 
40.  Such  locks  the  nymphs  now  wear 
(in  silks  who  rustle),  In  rich  luxuriance 
reaching  to  the  bustle. 

1835.  Sketches  by  Boz,  323.  Whether 
she  was  pretty,  whether  she  wore  much 
bustle,  etc.  laid,  488.  'Did  you  ever,' 
said  a  little  coquette  with  a  large  bustle. 

1857.  Trollope,  Barchester  Towers, 
xlv.,  384.  Bertie  finished  off  the  countess's 
bustle. 

2.  (old). — Money  :  generic  :  see 
RHINO. 

1812.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Flash  Dictionary. 
Bustle,  a  cant  term  for  money.  Ibid. 
Any  object  effected  very  suddenly,  or  in 
a  hurry,  is  said  to  be  done  on  the  bustle. 

3.  (B.E.).— 'A  fray,  stir,  tu- 
mult in  the  streets;  also  a  noise 
in  any  place.  What  a  bustle  you 


make?  What  a  hurry  or  rattle 
you  cause?  Rustle  about,  to 
be   very   stirring,  or  bestir  one's 

stumps.' 

Verb  (common). — To  confuse; 
to  confound  ;  to  perplex. 

1876.  HiNDLEV,  Life  and  Adventures 
of  a  Cheap  Jack,  237.  'Now  BUSTLE 
him,'  said  Tom  Maley ;  'you  have  got 
him  to-rights  now.  Let  go  your  left 
straight.' 

Bust-maker,  subs.  phr.  (venery). — 
A  whoremonger  :  spec,  a  seducer. 

Busy.  Busy  as  a  hen  with  one 
CHICK,  adj. phr.  (old). — See  quot. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Did.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
Busy-bodies,  as  busy  as  a  hen  with  one 
CHICK,  of  one  that  has  a  great  deal  of 
business  and  nothing  to  do. 

To  BE  BUSY,  verb.  phr.  (venery). 
— I.  To  have  sexual  intercourse: 
see  GREENS  and  ride. 

1612.  PasqtiiVs  NightCap.  Thou 
hast  beene  too  busy  with  a  man.  And 
art  with  child;  deny  it,  if  thou  can. 

2.  (nurser)'). — To  defsecate  ;  TO 
shit  (î^.f.). 

Busy-head  (-good  or  -body),  subs, 
phr.  (old.) — A  meddler.  Hence 
BUSY-BouiNESS  =  a  meddling 
disposition. 

1603.  Dww.s,  IHicrocosinus,  57.  Many 
a  BUSIE-HKAD  by  words  and  deeds  put 
in  their  heads  how  they  may  compasse 
crownes. 

1C48.  Fuller,  Church  Hist.,  IL,  IX., 
23...  If  I  chance  to  make  an  excursion 
into  the  matters  of  Commonwealth,  it  is 
not  out  of  curiosity  or  busv-bqdinessb 
to  be  tnedling  in  other  men's  lines. 

1659.  Howell,  Lexicon.  He  is  such 
a  Busv-BODV  as  deserves  to  be  hitt  in 
thè  teeth. 


Busy-idler. 


451 


Butler. 


c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crciv.,  s.y. 
Busy-bodies,  pryers  into  other  folks  con- 
cerns, such  as  thrust  their  sickle  in 
another's,  harvest;  and  will  have  an  oar 
in  every  boat. 

Busy-idler,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A 
person  busy  about  trifles. 

Busy-sack,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
A    carpet    bag  :    in    America    a 

GRIP-SACK. 

Butch,  verb,  (common). — To  follow 
the  trade  of  a  butcher. 

BUTCHER,  stibs.  (cards').— I  The 
king:  Yr.bauf:  when  card-playing 
in  public  houses  was  common, 
the  kings  were  called  butchers, 
the  queens,  bitches,  and  the  knaves, 
jacks:  this  last  is  now  in  gen- 
eral use. 

2.  (American). — A  small-boy 
vendor  of  'varieties'  and  'notions' 
on  railway  cars — at  once  a  con- 
venience and  a  '  terror.' 

3.  (thieves'). — The  prison 
doctor  :  also  (general)  =.  a  po.x- 
doctor. 

4.  (South  Australian).  —  A 
long  drink  of  beer,  so-called  (it 
is  said)  because  the  men  of  a 
certain  butchery  in  Adelaide  used 
this  refreshment  regularly;  cf. 
'porter'  iu  England,  after  the 
drink  of  the  old  London  porters. 

5.  (literary). — A  slashing  critic. 
As  z'erb-=z\.o  murder  a  reputation  ; 
to  mangle  an  author's  lines. 

To  BUTCHER  ABOUT,  Verb  phr. 
(Wellington  College). — To  make 
a  great  noise;  to  humbug  about. 

Butchered,  adj.  (B.E.).—' Barbar- 
ously murder'd  on  the  ground, 
or  kill'd  before  his  sword  is  out  ; 
also  in  cold  blood.' 


BUTCHER'S-BILL,  subs.  phr.  (collo- 
quial). The  list  of  those  killed 
in  battle. 

BUTCHER'S-MOURNING,  subs.  phr. 
(common). — A  white  hat  with  a 
black  mourning  hat-band. 

BUTLER'S-GRACE,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— No  thanks. 

[?].  Melton,  Sixef  old  Politician,  33. 
The  respect  which  the  wantonest  and 
vainest  heads  have  of  them  is  as  of 
fidlers,  who  are  regarded  but  for  a  baudy 
song,  at  a  merry  meeting,  and  when  they 
have  done,  are  commonly  sent  away 
with  butler's  grace. 

BUTTEKER,  subs,  (old).— A  shop. 

Butter,  szcbs.  (common). — Fulsome 
flattery;  unctuous  praise;  SOFT 
SOAP    {q.v.):    Hence    as    verb    TO 

EMPTY    THE     BUTTER     BOAT  =  to 

flatter  fulsomely;  to  indulge  in 
rhodomantic  praise;  to  SOFT- 
SAWDER  ($'."'.);  Fr.  cirer  :  also 
BUTTERING-UP. 

1700.  Congreve,  Way  of  World, 
prol.  (1866),  259.  The  squire  that's 
BUTTERED  Still  is  sure  to  be  undone. 

1725.  New  Canting  Dictionary.  To 
BUTTER  signifies  also  to  cheat  or  defraud 
in  a  smooth  and  plausible  manner. 

1816.  Scott,  Antiquary,  xxxviii. 
Keep  him  employed,  man,  for  half-an- 
hour  or  so — butter  him  with  some  war- 
like terms — praise  his   dress  and  address. 

iSig.  MoORE,  Tom  Crib's  Memorial 
to  Congress,  40.  For,  knowing  how,  on 
Moulsey's  plain.  The  champion  fibb'd 
the  Poet's  nob,  This  buttering-up  against 
the  grain.  We  thought  was  curs'd  genteel 
in  Bob. 

1823,  Black'jjood's  Magazine,  XIV., 
30g.  You  have  been  daubed  over  by  the 
dirty  BUTTER  of  his  applause. 

1839.  Lever,  Harry  Lorrequer,  xii. 
He  first  BUTTHERS  them  up  and  then 
slithers  them  down! 


Butter. 


452 


Butter. 


1837.  A.  Trollope,  Three  Clerks,  i. 
The  quantity  of  butter  which  he  poured 
oyer  Mr.  Hardline's  head  and  shoulders 
with  the  view  of  alleviating  the  misery 
which  such  a  communication  would  be 
sure  to  infîict,  was  very  great. 

1S57.  C.  KiNGSLEV,  T'd}o  Years  Ago. 
I'll  BUTTER  him,  trust  me.  Nothing  com- 
forts a  poor  beggar  like  a  bit  of  praise 
when  he  is  down. 

1880.  World,  13  Oct.  A  lavish 
interchange  of  compliments,  the  butter 
being  laid  on  pretty  thick. 

1SS4.  Saturday  Revie'a',  5  July,  27, 
I.  The  Lord  Chief  Justice  of  England 
made  a  tour  through  America,  and 
generously  buttered  the  natives. 

1901.  Free  Lance,  14  Dec,  272,  i. 
Speaking  of  my  book,  you  say  that  I 
fall  back  on  'the  chance  ofifence  of  a 
critic  that  no  amount  of  butter  or  oint- 
ment can  soothe.' 

1902,  Pall  Mall  Gaz.,  19  Sept.,  7,  i. 
The  Mayor  was  dined  by  his  friends  in 
grateful  recognition  of  his  continuance 
in  ofEce  at  a  critical  juncture.  Having 
been  duly  toasted  and  buttered,  he 
returned  thanks.  'Gentlemen,'  he  said, 
'I  rejoice  that  you  have  assembled  in 
such  large  numbers  to  pay  honour  to 
whom  honour  is  due.' 

Verb  (old). — i.  Jamieson  says, 
'  to  increase  the  stakes  every 
throw  or  every  game.' 

1690.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
butter,  to  double  or  treble  the  bet  or 
wager  to  recover  all  losses. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongue.  Butter  a  bet,  to 
double  or  triple  it. 

2.     See  siths. 

To  KNOW  ON  WHICH  SIDE  ONE'S 
BREAD  IS  BUTTERED  (or  OUGHT 
TO  BE  spread),  rerh  fhr.  (old). 
— To    recognise    one's    interests. 

1637.  P.reton,  a  Speedy  Post  and 
a  Packet  of  Letters.  For  I  have  of  late 
heard  much  talk  (but  to  little  purpose) 
of   him:    Some    say    he    is    a   very   wise 


man    for   he    knows    on    which   side  of 

HIS    BREAD   TO  SPREAD  HIS  BUTTER;  Others 

say  he  is  a  good  man,  for  his  word  will 
be  taken  with  the  best  in  the  town. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BUTTER,  he  knows  on  which  side  his 
bread  is  butter'd,  or  the  stronger  side, 
and  his  own  interest. 

To   LOOK  AS  IF  BUTTER  WOULD 
NOT     MELT    IN    ONE'S    MOUTH,    a 

contemptuous  saying,   of  persons 
of  simple  demeanour. 

1475.  Les  Evangiles  des  Quenouilles 
—  P'iite  fournée.  Edition  Elzévirienne. 
Paris  (1855),  72.  A  cette  paroUe  mist 
dame  INIehault  ses  mains  à  ses  costez  et 
en  grant  couroux  luy  respondy  que,  etc., 
et  que.  Dieu  merci,  aincoires  fondoit  lb 
burre  en  sa  bouche,  combien  qu'elle 
ne  peust  croquier  noisettes,  car  elle  n'avoit 
que  un  seul  dent. 

1530.  Palgrave,  620,  I.  He  maketh 
as  thoughe  butter  wolde  not  melte 
in  his  mouth. 

1538.  Lambert  [Foxe,  VL,  37]. 
[Gardiner   cares   not   to  talk]  as  butter 

WOULD    NOT    melt    IN    HIS    MOUTH. 

1546.  Heywood,  Proverbs.  She 
looketh  as  butter  will  not  melt  in 
her  mouth. 

1362.  Latimer,  5^t-wj.  Lord's  Prayer, 
v.,  n.,  79.  These  fellows...  can  speak 
so  finely,  that  a  man  would  think  butter 
should   scant   melt   in  their  mouths. 

1687.  Sedley,  Bellaniira.  Sil.  He 
look'd  so  demurely,  I  thought  butter 
wou'd  not  have  melted  in  his  mouth, 
I  hope  you  will  make  sure  work  with 
him  before  you  send  him  again. 

1738.  Swift,  Polite  Conversation,  i. 
She  looks  as  if  butter  would  not 
melt  in  her  mouth,  but  I  warrant  cheese 
won't  choak  her. 

1825.  Scott,  St.  Ronan's  Well, 
xxviii  (UL,  26).  I  am  beginning  te  think 
ye   are   but  a  queer  ane,  ye  look  as  if 

butter     WANDA      MKLT     IN     YOUR    MOUTH, 

but    I   sail    warrant  cheese  no  choak  ye. 


Butter-basr- 


453 


Buttercup. 


1850.  Thackeray,  Petidennis,  I.,  149. 
Telling  her  landlady  how...  the  Mayor 
was...  a  nice,  soft-spoken  old  gentle- 
man; that  BUTTER  WOULD'nT  TBELT  IH 
HIS  MOUTH,  etc. 

Will  cut  butter  when  it's 
HOT,  phr.  (common). — Said  of  a 
knife  when  blunt. 

No  BUTTER  WILL  STICK  ON 
HIS  BREAD,  phr.  (old). — Set  quot. 

c.  1696.     B.E.,  Did.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 

BUTTER,  .  .    NO   BUTTER  WILL  STICK  ON  HIS 

BREAD,    nothing   thrives  or  goes  forward 
in  his  band. 

Butter  and  eggs,  phr.  (com- 
mon).— Going  down  a  slide  on 
one  foot,  and  beating  with  the 
heel  and  toe  of  the  other  at  short 
intervals:  cf.  quot.  1836. 

[1836.  Dickens,  Pickwick  Papers, 
II.,  9.  Sam  Weiler,  in  particular,  was 
displaying  that  beautiful  feat  of  fancy 
sliding  which  is  currently  denominated 
'knocking  at  the  cobblers'  door,'  and 
which  is  achieved  by  skimming  over  the 
ice  on  one  foot,  and  occasion.TUy  giving 
a  two-penny  postman's  knock  upon  it, 
with  the  other.] 

1862.  MacmillaiC s  Mag.,  Jan.,  238. 
And  I  can  do  butter-and-eggs  all  down 
the  slide...  The  feat  of  butter  and- 
EGGS  consists  in  going  down  the  slide  on 
one  foot,  and  beating  with  the  heel  and 
toe  of  the  other  at  short  intervals. 

Butter-bag  (or  Qutter-^o\),  subs, 
phr.  (old). —  I.  A  Dutchman. 

1600.  Dekker,  Gentle  Craft,  IVks. 
(1873)  I.,  21.  We  have  not  men  enow,  but 
wee    must  entertaine  every  butter-box. 

ï6[?].  Westward  for  5/«^/<j  [Nares]. 
At  this  time  of  the  yeere,  the  pudding- 
house  at  Brooke's  wharfe  is  watched  by 
the  Hollanders  eeles-ships,  lest  the  in- 
habitants, contrarie  to  the  law,  should 
spill  the  bloud  of  innocents,  which  would 
be  greatly  to  the  hinderance  of  these 
butter-boxes. 


1650.  Howell,  Familiar  Letters. 
And  for  the  latter  strength  we  may  thank 
our  countryman  Ward,  and  Dansker  the 
butterdag  Hollander,  which  may  be 
said  to  have  bin  two  of  the  fatallest  and 
most  infamoust  men  that  ever  Christen- 
dom bred. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Creiv. 
Butter-boxes,  Dutchmen. 

1707.  Ward,  Hud.  Rediv.,  11.,  iv. 
The  fro  believing  from  my  joaks,  I 
fancy'd  not  her  butter-box.  Cock  d  up 
her  head,  took  leave  in  scorn,  To  seek 
one  fitter  for  her  turn. 

iSii.  Lexicon  Bala  iron  icuni.'BuTTZì!.- 
box.  a  Dutchman,  from  the  great  quantity 
of  butter  eaten  by  the  people  of  that 
country. 

Butter-boat.  To  empty  the 
butter-boat,  verb.  phr.  (com- 
mon). —  To  lavish  praise  ;  to 
butter  (</.Z'.). 

1865.  Sat.  Rc-vie^M,  7  Jan.,  t6,  2. 
That  kind  of  praise  which  feels  like  the 
butter-boat  down  one's  back. 

1866.  J.  H.  Skinner,  After  Storm, 
I.,  i3i.  He  praised  some  things  and  gave 
advice  about  others,  using  the  butter- 
boat less  freely  than  is  customary  at 
volunteer  inspections. 

Butter-box.    i.  See  butter-bag. 

2.     (nautical). — See  quot. 

1833.  Dana,  Before  the  Mast,  ix. 
The  crew  of  the  brig's  boat  were  Sand- 
wich Islanders,  but  one  of  them,  who 
spoke  a  little  English,  told  us  that  she 
was  the  Loriotte,  Captain  Nye,  from 
Oahu,  and  was  engaged  in  this  trade. 
She  was  a  lump  of  a  thing — what  the 
sailors  call  a  butter-box. 

Buttercup,  sìós.  (common). — An 
endearment:  of  children. 

1S77.  E.  L.  Linton,  If'VrW  Well 
Lost,  vii.  Hilda  was  still  in  the  school- 
room, and  seldom  appeared,  even  at 
afternoon  tea;  which  in  general  is  licensed 

to  include  'buttercups.* 


Buttered. 


454 


Butter-ivliore. 


Buttered,  adj.  (old).— i.  Whipped  : 

cf.   DUSTED,   TANNED. 

2.     (common). — Flattered  :    see 
BUTTER. 


Butter-flap,  subs.phr.  (rhyming). 
— A  trap;  a  light  cart. 


Butterfly,  subs,  (nautical), 
river  barge. 


-I.  A 


BUTTERED-BUN,  subs.  phr.  (old). — 
A  prostitute:  spec,  as  in  quots: 
see  TART. 


2.  (cabmen's). — The  guard  for 
the  reins  affixed  to  the  top  of  a 
hansom  cab. 


1679.  CiLLEN,  W.,  Flock  of  Court 
Misses,  in  Roxburgh  Ballads  (1884),  V., 
126.  This  is  the  day  .  .  .  that  sets  our 
Monarch  free  From  buttered  buns  \i.e., 
Louise  de  Quérouaille]  and  Slavery. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BUTTER'D  BUN,  Lying  with  a  Woman  that 
has  been  just  Layn  with  by  another  Man. 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  180.  Two 
pretty  lads,  old  Priam's  sons.  Both  very 

fond   of  BUTTERED    BUNS. 

1811.  Lexicon  Balatronicum.  One 
lying  with  a  woman  that  has  just  lain 
with    another    man,    is    said    to    have    a 

BUTTERED    BUN. 

Butter-fingered,  adj.  phr.  (com- 
mon).—  Apt  to  let  things  fall  ; 
greasy  ;  slippery.  Hence,  butter- 
FiNGERS^a  sarcastic  address. 

1615.  Markham,  Er.glish  Housewife, 
IL,  ii.  (16Ó8),  51.  She  must  not  be 
BUTTER-riNGERED,  sweet-toothed,  nor 
faint-hearted;  for  the  first  will  let  every- 
thing fall,  etc. 

1857.  Hood,  Pen  and  Pencil  Pictures, 
141.  He  was  a  slovenly  player,  and 
went  among  the  cricket  lovers  by  the 
sobriquet  of  butter-fingers. 

1 86 1.  G.  Meredith,  Evan  Harring- 
ton. The  long-hit-off,  he  who  never  was 
known  to  miss  a  catch — hutter-pi.ngeked 
beast! — he  has  let  the  ball  slip  through 
his  fingers. 

1883.  Miss  Braddon,  Golden  Calf, 
xiv.  I  never  allow  no  butter-fingered 
girls  in  this  room,  except  to  sweep  or 
scrub,  under  my  own  eye.  There's  not 
many  ornaments,  but  what  there  is  is 
precious,  and  the  apple  of  master's   eye. 


1883.  Standard,  March  6,  6,  3.  The 
box  covered  the  whole  roof  of  the  cab, 
preventing  him  [the  cabman]  from  seeing 
the  butterfly. 

Butternut,  subs.  (American).— i. 
A  Confederate  soldier.  Also  (2) 
a  Northern  and  Middle  State 
sympathiser  with  the  South  in 
the  American  Civil  War:  the 
uniforms  worn  in  the  early  part 
of  the  war  by  Confederate  sol- 
diers in  the  West  were  homespun, 
dyed  brown  with  the  juice  of  the 
butternut  {jfuglans  cinerea). 

1862.  Independent,  22  Mar.  The 
butternut  gentry  .  .  .  about  four  hundred 
of  them  [here  prisoners]  are  in  the  camp 
hospitals. 

1862.  Neiv  York  Tribune,  11  June. 
We  marvelled  as  we  went  by  that  no 
ambitious  butternut  discharged  his  rifle 
or  shot-gun  at  the  fleet  as  it  passed;  but 
he  did  not. 

Butter-print,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
A  child  ;  spec,  a  bastard. 

1620.  Fletcher,  Chances,  L,  v. 
You  will  be  wiser  one  day,  when  you 
have  purchased  A  bevy  of  these  bi/tter- 

PKINTS. 

1639.  Beaumont  and  Fletcher, 
Wit  Without  Money,  V.,  iv.  I  hope  she 
has  brought  me  no  butter-print  along 
with  her  to  lay  to  my  charge. 

1709.  Brit.  Apollo,  IL,  46,  3,  2.  Her 
Girl  and  her  Boy,  For  P.itterns  employ, 
To  make  little  Butter-Prints  by. 

Butter-whore,  subs.  phr.  A  scold. 
(Halliwell). 


Buttery. 


455  Bu  t toc  king-  s  h  op . 


1642.  Howell,  J^am.  Letters,  20. 
They  scold  like  so  many  butter-whores 
or  oyster-women  at  Billingsgate. 

Buttery.  Tyb  of  the  buttery, 
subs.  phr.   (old  cant). — A  goose. 

Buttock,  stibs.  (old).— i.  A  com- 
mon whore  ;  see  buttock-and- 
FiLE,  and  TART.  'Like  abarber's- 
chair,  open  to  all.'  , 

1598.  Shakspeare,  AlVs  Well,  ii. 
2,  18.  Like  A  barber's  chair  that  fits 
ALL  buttocks;  the  pin-buttock,  the 
quatch-buttock,  ...  or  any  buttock. 

1674.  R.  Head,  Canting  Academy, 
105.  The  Bawds  and  the  buttocks  that 
lived  there  round. 

1688.  Shadwell,  Squire  of  Alsatia, 
I.,  iVks.  (1720)  IV,  17.  What  ogling  there 
will  be  between  thee  and  the  Blowings  ! 
.  .  .  Every  buttock  shall  fall  down 
before  thee. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
buttock,  c.  a  Whore. 

Verb,  (or  TO  BANG  THE  but- 
tocks), verb  phr.  (venery). — To 
possess  a  woman  :  see  greens  and 
RIDE. 

d.  1796.  Burns,  Merry  Muses  (1800), 
31.  'Cuddle  the  Cooper,'  He  bang'd  her 
buttocks  agen  the  wa'. 

BUTTOCK-AND-FILE,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— A  prostitute  and  her  com- 
panion; sometimes  BULK  AND 
file:  occasionally,  BUTTOCK  and 
FlLE=an  individual  who  is  both 
thief  and  whore. 

1671.  R.  Head,  English  Rogue,  I., 
v.,  48  (1874).  Bulk  and  file,  the  Pick- 
pocket and  his  mate. 

1696.  B.E.,  Dictionary  0/ the  Cant- 
ing Crew.  Buttock  and  file,  both 
whore  and  pickpocket. 

1754.  Fielding,  Jonathan  Wild, 
I.,  V.  The  same  capacity  which  qualifies 
a    mill-ben,    a   bridle-cull,   or  a  buttock 


and  file  to  arrive  at  any  degree  of 
eminence  in  his  profession  would  likewise 
raise  a  man  in  what  the  world  esteems 
a  more  honourable  calling. 

181 1.  Lexicon  Balatronicum.  But- 
tock and  file,  a  common  whore  and  a 
pickpocket. 

BUTTOCK-AND-TONGUE,  subs.  phr. 
(old). — A  shrewish  whore. 

BUTTOCK-AND-TWANG,  subs.  phr. 
(old). — A  common  prostitute,  but 
no  thief:  cf.  buttock-and-file. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BUTTOCK  AND  TWANG,  or  a  downright 
buttock  and  sham  file,  c,  a  common 
whore,  but  no  pickpocket. 

BUTTOCK-BALL,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
I.  A  dance  frequented  by  pros- 
titutes: cf.  BALLU.M  RANCUM  and 
BUFF   BALL. 

1687.  T.  Brown,  Lib.,  Consc,  in 
'Dk.  Buckingkatn's  Wks.  (1705),  II.,  131, 
Why  not  into  a  Bibbing-house,  as  well 
as  a  Dancing  School,  A  buttoc-ball,  or 
thejike. 

2.  (old). — The  sexual  embrace: 
(T/. BAWDY-BANQUET  and  BUTTOCK- 
BANQUETTING. 

i8ii.  Lexicon  Balatronicum.  BuT- 
tock-ball,  the  amorous  congress. 

BUTTOCK-BANQUETTING,  subs.  phr. 
(old).— Harlotry 

1555.  Fardle  Facicns,  II.,  vili.,  167. 
Whiche  [wiues]  male  neuerthelesse  vse 
BUTTOCKE  banquetvng  abrode. 

BUTTOCK-BROKER,  subs.  phr.  (old). 
— A   procuress;  a  bawd;  abbess 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v. 
BUTTECK-BROKER,  a  bawd,  also  a  match- 
maker. 

BUTTOCKING-SHOP,  subs.  fhr.  (old). 
— A  brothel  ;  a  house  of  ill  fame. 


Biittock-shraìik. 


456 


Button. 


Buttock-shrank,  adj.  phr.  (old). 
— Foundered;  past  service  of  man. 

c.  1Ó50.  Brathwayte,  Barnahys  Jl. 
(1723),  03.  Once  a  Bona-roba  trust  me, 
Tho'  now  BUTTOCK-SHRANK  and  rusty. 

Button,  jM/5j. (old) —I.  A  shilling; 
\s  :  see  rhino  :  formerly  of  good 
currency;  now  only  of  counterfeit 
coin. 

2.  (common). — A  decoy  or 
confederate  of  any  kind:  e.g.  a 
confederate  of  a  confidence  trick 
man,  a  sham  buyer  at  an  auction, 
etc.:  also  buttoner  {q.'j.)\  Fr. 
allumé. 

1742-4.  North,  Lives  0/  the  Norths. 
And  herein  she  served  herself  another 
way,  for  her  adversary  defamed  her  for 
swearing  and  unswearing,  and  it  was  not 

amiss    to    HAVE    A    BUTTON    IN    THE    ROOM. 

1877.  Besant  and  Rice,  Son  of 
Vulcan,  ix.  The  button,  that  is  the  con- 
federate who  egged  on  the  fiats. 

3.  (common). — In  pl.^a  place  : 
also  BOY  IN   BUTTONS. 

1 860.  Thackeray,  Lovel  the  Widower, 
289.     [Herein   quoted    as   the  name  of  a 

page.] 

1873.  Chambers'  Jour.,  605.  Even 
the  smallest  boy  in  buttons  would  have 
been  a  retainer  too  costly  for  us. 

1874.  H.  MAYHEW,Z.«î7;(fc«  Characters, 
311.  Others  limit  their  views  to  a  page, 
or  buttons. 

1885.  ///.  Lon.  News,  April  11,  376, 
I.  Such  a  man  is  only  fit  to  be  dressed 
like  a  buttons,  and  set  to  open  the  door 
to  visitors  who  come  to  call  on  his  family. 

Verb,  (common). — To  decoy  ; 
to  act  in  confederacy  :  Fr.  aguicher. 

Button  of  Naples,  stibs.  phr. 
(old). — A  syphylitic  bubo. 

[?].  Extract  (no  reference)  quoted 
by  Nares.  Specially  because  hissouldicrs 
were  much  given  to  vénerie.  The  French- 


men at  that  siege  got  the  buttons  of 
Naples  (as  we  terme  them)  which  doth 
much  annoy  them  at  this  day.  But  the 
first  finding  of  this  grievous  sickness, 
was  brought  into  Spaine,  by  Columbus 
at  his  coming  home,  so  that  all  Christen- 
Qome  may  curse  the  king  and  Columbus. 

Not  to  care  (or  be  worth) 

A  BUTTON  (or  brass-button), 
phr.  (old). — To  care  (or  be  worth) 
nothing  at  all. 

1630.  Taylor,  Works,  7.  A  lawyer 
hath  but  a  bad  trade  there,  for  any 
cause  or  controversie  is  tryed  and  determin- 
ed in  three  dayes,  quirks,  quiddits, 
demurs,  habeas  corposes,  sursararaes, 
procedendoes,  or  any  such  dilatory  law- 
tricks  are  abolished,  and  not  worth  a 
button. 

1654.  Witfs  Recreations.  As  cid  and 
goat,  and  great  goats  mother,  And  runt, 
and  cow,  and  good  cows  uther:  And  once 
but  taste  of  the  Welse  mutton.  Your 
Englis  sheep's  not  worth  a  button. 

c.  1816.  Old  Song,  'The  Night  Before 
Larry  was  Stretched,'  [Farmer,  Muscb 
Pedestris  (i8g6),  79].  For  the  neckcloth 
I  don't  care  a  button. 

To  DRINK  one's  buttons  OFF, 
verb  phr.  (old). — To  tipple  heavily: 
see  LUSH,  and  cf.  '  to  gamble  one's 
shirt  off  one's  back.' 

1640.  Glapthorne,  Ladies  Privi- 
ledge.  As,  in  the  common  proverb.  The 
Dutchman  drinks  his  buttons  off,  the 
English  Doublet  and  all  away. 

To  HAVE  A  BUTTON  ON,  7'erb. 
phr.  (old). — To  have  a  fit  of  the 
BLUES  {ç.v.)  to  be  despondent. 

To  HAVE  LOST  A  BUTTON  (or 
BE  A  BUTTON  SHORT)  7'erb.  phr. 
(common). — To  be  slightly  crazy; 
to  have  a  tile  {<j.v.)  loose. 

To  BUTTON  UP,  z'crb phr. (.\mcr- 
ican  Stock  Exchange). — When  a 
broker  has  bought  stock  on 
speculation  and  it  falls  suddenly 


Button. 


457 


Button-hole . 


on  his  hands,  whereby  he  is  a 
loser,  he  keeps  the  matter  to 
himself,  and  is  reluctant  to  con- 
fess the  ownership  of  a  share: 
this  is  called  BUTTONING  UP. 

Dash  (or  damn)  my  buttons 
(wig),  phr.  (common). — A  mild 
oath. 

i860.  Wm.  Howard  Russell,  My 
Diary  in  India,  I.,  26.  Darn  my  but- 
tons if  I  haven't  jest  a  mind  to  .  .  . 

To  HAVE  A  SOUL  ABOVE  BUT- 
TONS, phr.  (common). — To  be 
above  one's  work  or  duty  ;  to 
think  one's  ability  superior  to 
one's  position:  see  quot.  1795. 

1795.  G.  CoLMAN,  Sylv.  Dagger-wood, 
I.  (1808),  10.  My  father  was  an  eminent 
Button-Maker  .  .  .  but  I  had  a  soul 
ABOVE  buttons  ...  I  panted  for  a 
liberal  profession. 

1 821.  Egan,  Li/e  in  London,  i.  Few, 
if  any,  writers,  out  of  the  great  mass  of 
living  scribblers,  whether  of  Grub-Street 
fabrication,  or  of  University  passport  .  .  . 
possess  SOULS  above  buttons. 

1833.  Marrvat,  Peter  Simple,  i. 
But  my  father,  who  was  a  clergyman  of 
the  Church  of  England,  and  the  youngest 
brother  of  a  noble  family,  had  a  lucra- 
tive living  and  A  SOUL  above  buttons, 
if  his  son  had  not. 

1855.  Thackeray,  Ne-jicomes,  III., 
93.  If  I  were  to  say  to  Captain  Crack- 
thorpe,  'What  pretty  buttons!  '  he  would 
be   -delighted.      But    you — you    have    a 

SOUL  above  BUTTONS,  I  SUppOSC. 

To  MAKE  BUTTONS,  phr.  (old). 
—  I.  To  look  sorry;  to  be  sad; 
to  be  in  great  fear.  Hence  (2):= 
to  SHIT  iq.v.")  through  fear  e.g. 
'His  tail  makes  buttons '=He  is 
in  great  fear. 

1593.  G.  'tì.KSN'e.s,  Pierces  Super  er og., 
in     IVks.     II.,    238.     Thy    witt    already 

MAKETH   BUTTONS. 

1653.     MiDDLETON,    Sp.    Gipsy,    IV., 

iii.       Sam.      O    Soto,    I    MAKE    BUTTONS'. 


Button-bung,  subs.  phr.  (old).— 
A  button  thief:  see  bu.ng. 

Button-burster  (or  Button- 
BuSTERj,  subs.  phr.  (theatrical).— 
A  low  comedian. 

Button-catcher,  subs.  phr.  (com- 
mon).— A  tailor. 

English  Synonyms,  snip  ;  cab- 
bage contractor;  steel-bar  driver; 
goose  persuader;  sufferer;  ninth 
part  of  a  man,  etc. 

French  Synonyms.  Gobe-prune 
(thieves')  ;  emmailloteur  (popular)  ; 
f/tangeurde pru/:es{gç.Tiera.\}  ;  pique- 
poux  ;  pique-prunes  ;  pique-puces  ; 
croque-prunes  ;  frusquineur. 

Buttoner,  sitbs.  (thieves').  —  A 
card-sharper's  decoy:  see  BUTTON, 
stibs.,  sense  2. 

1841.  Blackwood's  Mag.,  L.,  302. 
Buttoners  are  those  accomplices  of 
thimble-riggers  .  .  .  whose  duty  it  is  to 
act  as  fiat-catchers,  or  decoys,  by  per- 
sonating fiats. 

1857.  SnOwden,  Mag.  Assistant  (3 
ed.),  446.  To  entice  another  to  play — 
buttoner. 

i860.  Cornhill  Mag.,  II.,  334.  En- 
tleer of  another  to  play — buttoner. 

BUTTON-HOUE,  subs. phr.  (venery). — 
The  female  pudendum  :  see  mono- 
syllable. Button-hole  WORKER 
:=(i)  the  penis:  j'é'^  prick  ;  and 
(2)=a  performer  {q.v.).  Button- 
hole woRKiNG=:copulation:  see 
greens  and  ride.  Button-hole 
factory  =  (i)  a  brothel:  see 
n.\nny-shoP;  and  (2)=a  bed. 

F^3.  (colloquial). — (i)  To  stop; 
to  detain  :  with  such  mild  coercion 
as  putting  a  finger  in  the  button- 
hole of  a  coat  would  imply. 
Hence  (2)=to  mildly  coerce. 


Button-pound. 


458 


Buz. 


1902.  D.  Mail  13  Nov.,  3,  4.  The 
houses  must  also  be  places  where  the 
members  would  no  more  be  buttonholed 
to  join  any  particular  religious  sect  or 
political  organisation  than  a  bishop  was 
BiTTTONHOLED  at  the  AtlienaEUm  to  join 
the  Land  League. 

Button-pound,  subs.phr.  (provin- 
cial).— Money  :  generic  :  see  RHINO. 

Butty,  sub%.  (common). — A  com- 
rade; a  partner:  see  Bully. 

1845.  Disraeli,  Sybil,  Wks.  IIL,  i. 
Suppose  we  were  to  make  a  shift  for  a 
month  or  six  weeks,...  and  have  no 
tommy  out  of  the  shop,  what  would  the 
BUTTY  say  to  me  ?  [A  note  to  foregoing 
explains  that  a  euttv  in  the  raining  dis- 
tricts is  a  middleman:  a  Doggy  is  his 
manager.  The  butty  generally  keeps  a 
Tommy  or  Truck-shop  and  pays  the 
wages  of  the  labourers  in  goods.]  Ibid, 
385.  The  BUTTY  has  given  notice  to  quit 
in  Parker's  field  this  se'nnight.  Ibid,  38g. 
The  enemies  of  the  people:  all  butties, 
doggies,  dealers  in  truck  and  tommy. 

1859.  H.KlNGSLEY,  Geoffrey  Hainlyn, 
xxxi.  He  and  I  cottoned  together,  and 
found  out  that  we  had  been  prisoners 
together  five-and-twenty  years  agone.  And 
so  I  shouted  [stood  drinks\  for  him,  and 
he  for  me,  and  at  last  I  says,  'butty,' 
says  1,  'who  are  those  chaps  round  here 
on  the  lay?' 

BUVARE,  subs,  (strolling  players'). 
— See  quot.  and  beware. 

1851-61.  H.  Mavhew,  London  Lab. 
and  Lon.  Poor,  IIL,  201.  [Ethiopian 
serenader  loq-l  '  We  could  then,  after 
our  'nunyare'  and  '  buvare'  (that's  what 
we  call  eat  and  drink,  and  I  think  it's 
broken  Italian),  carry  home  our  5/-  or 
6/-  each,  easy.' 

1876.  C.  HiNDLEY,  Life  and  Adven- 
tures of  a  Cheap  Jack,  101.  William 
Carrol  was  his  partner,  or  BUTTY,  in  the 
'lollipop'  business — a  dismal  looking  man, 
who  had  always  a  burnt  short  clay  pipe 
in  his  mouth. 

Buy.  To  buy  a  prop,  verb.  phr. 
(Stock  Exchange). — To  seek  sup- 
port when  the  market  has  gone 
flat  with  no  one  to  support  it. 


Buz  or  Buzz,  subs,  (common). — 
A  parlour  game:  —  The  leader 
commences,  saying  '  one,'  the  next 
on  the  left  hand  '  two,'  the  next 
'  three,'  and  so  on  to  seven,  when 
'  BUZ  '  must  be  said  ;  every  seven 
and  multiple  of  7,  as  14,  17,  21, 
27,  28,  etc.,  must  not  be  mention- 
ed, but  '  BUZ  '  instead  ;  whoever 
breaks  the  rule  pays  a  fine. 
(Hotten). 

1S68.  Miss  Alcott,  Little  Women, 
iii.  They...  were  in  the  midst  of  a  quiet 
game  of  'buzz'  with  two  or  three  other 
young  people  who  had  strayed  in,  when 
Hannah  appeared. 

"Verb.  (old). —  i.  See  quot. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
I'nlgar  Tongue.  To  buzza  one,  is  to 
challenge  him  to  pour  out  all  the  wine 
in  the  bottle  into  his  glass,  undertaking 
to  drink  it  should  it  prove  more  than 
the  glass  would  hold;  it  is  commonly 
said  to  one  who  hesitates  to  empty  a 
bottle  that  is  nearly  out. 

1795.  Gent.  Mag.,  wZ.  Briskly  pushed 
towards  me  the  decanter  containing  a 
tolerable  bumper,  and  exclaimed,  'Sir, 
I'll  BUZZ  you:  come,  no  heel  taps!' 

1S21.  W.  T.  Moncrieff,  Tom  and 
Jerry,  ii.,  i.  Cribb....  I'll  give  you, 
'May  the  best  man  win.'  (All  drink). 
May  the  best  man  win.  Green.  May  the 
best  man  vin.  Log.  With  all  my  heart; 
but,  zounds!  we've  almost  Buzz'D  the 
bowl.  Let's  have  another,  and  d'ye  hear, 
Tom,  serve  it  up  in  your  prize  cup; 
Jerry  hasn't  seen  it,  and  we  mustn't 
omit  that. 

1846-48.  Thackeray,  Inanity  Fair, 
II.,  138.  'Get  some  more  port,  Bowls,  old 
boy,  whilst  I  BUZZ  this  bottle  here  — 
what  was  I  saying?'  'I  think  you  were 
speaking  of  dogs  killing  rats,'  Pitt  re- 
marked mildly,  handing  his  cousin  the 
decanter  to  suzz. 

1871.  Archibald  Forbes,  My  Ex- 
periences of  the  War  betiveen  France  and 
Germany,  I.,  234.  The  Hotel  which  I  had 
seen  a  few  days  before,  where  Von  Turn- 
pang's  staff  were  üuzzikg  the  bottles. 


Buz-bloke. 


459 


Buz-zvig. 


2.  To  pick  pockets:  the  victim 
is  engaged  in  conversation  by  a 
confederate,  while  the  BUZZER  is 
committing  the  robbery  :  see  BUZ- 

NAPPER. 

1789.  Gho.  Parker,  Lz'/h's  Painter, 
158.  In  order  to  given  them  an  oppor- 
tunity of  working  upon  the  ^rig,  and 
BUZ,  that  is,  picking  of  pockets. 

1857.  Snowden,  Mag.  Assistant, 
3ed.,  44s.     To  pick  pockets — to  buzz. 

1876.  C.  KisDLEV,  Li/e  and  Adven- 
tures of  a  Cheap  Jack,  261.  In  my 
young  days  there  used  to  travel  about 
in  gangs,  like  men  of  business,  a  lot  of 
people  called  'Nobblers,'  who  used  to 
work  the  'thimble  and  pea  rig'  and  go 
BUZZING,  that  is,  picking  pockets,  assisted 
by  some  small  boys. 

3.  (American  thieves').  —  To 
search    for;    to   look   about   one. 

BUZ-BLOKE.    (-COVE,   -GLOAK,   -MAN, 

etc.).    See  Buz-napper. 
Buz-MAN,    subs,    (thieves').— I.    See 

BuZ-NAPPER. 

2.  (thieves').  —  An  informer: 
see  NARK. 

1877.  W.  Black,  Gréent  Past,  and 
Pice,  xi.  What  was  all  this  about  '  Billy 
Rowland,'  'Scotland  Yard,'  'Spy,'  'buz- 
MAN,'  and  the  rest  ? 

Buz-NAPPER,  (Buzzer,  Buz-man, 
etc.).  subs.  phr.  (old). —  i.  A  pick- 
pocket: see  BUZ,  verb,  2. 

17S1.  G.  Parker,  Vie^v  of  Society, 
II.,  174.  A  young  fry  of  boys...  folloiv 
the  profession  of  a  buz-napper. 

1819.  J.  H.  Vaux,  Memoirs  of  Convict 
Life  in  Australia.  Buz-COVE,  or  BUZ- 
GLOAK,  a  pickpocket;  a  person  who  is 
clever  at  this  practice  is  said  to  be  a 
'good    BUZ.' 

1834.  H.  Ai.NSwoKTH,  Rook-jjood, 
III.,  V.  Until  at  last  there  was  none  so 
knowing,  No  such  sneaksman  or  buz- 
GLOAK  going. 


1S56.  H.  Mavhkw,  Gt.  World  of 
London,  46.  Those  who  plunder  by  ^<^a//Ä, 
as...  BUZZERS,  who  pick  gentlemen's 
pockets. 

1856.  H.  Mayhew,  Gt.  World  of 
London,  iii.  The  London  buzman  (swell 
mobsman)  can  keep  his  pony  by  abstract- 
ing 'skin'  (purses)  from  gentlemen's 
pockets. 

1S59.  Sala,  Twice  Round  the  Clock,  ■ì 
p.m.,  10.  Where  these  rußiani,  these  copper 
captains  and  cozening  Buz  gloaks,  are 
to  be  found  during  the  day,  or  even  up 
to   midnight    .  .  .  must   remain   a  secret. 

1862.  Mavhew,  Crim.  Prisons,  46. 
Buzzers  who  pick  gentlemen's  pockets, 
and  'wires'  who  pick  ladies'  pockets. 

1867.  Galaxy,  634.  While  the  [New 
York]  police  had  no  right  to  arrest 
pickpockets  unless  they  caught  them 
committing  a  theft,  yet  as  they  had  the 
power  to  do  so,  they  exercised  it,  and 
many  were  the  car-BUZZERS  they  led 
captives  to  police  headquarters. 

Buz-napper's  Academy,  subs.  phr. 
(old). — A  school  in  which  yonng 
thieves  were  trained  :  figures  were 
dressed  up,  and  experienced 
thieves  stood  in  various  difficult 
attitudes  for  the  boys  to  practise 
upon  ;  when  clever  enough  they 
were  sent  on  the  streets.  Dickens 
gives  full  particulars  of  this  old 
style  of  '  business  '  in  Oliver 
Twist. 

1781.  G.  Parker,  Vie'jj  of  Society, 
II.,  173.  [A  buz-napper's  academy  is 
named  and  described  in  this  work.] 

Buz-napper's  kinchin,  subs.  phr. 
(old). — A  watchman. 

BUZ-WIG,  subs.  phr.  (common).— A 
pompous  fool. 

i8..  De  Quin'CEY,  Spanish  Nun,  i\. 
All  was  upset  by  two  witnesses,  whom 
the  reader  .  .  .  will  at  once  know  to  be 
false  witnesses,  but  whom  the  old  Spanish 
BUZ-wiGS  doated  on  as  models  of  all  that 
could  be  looked  for  in  the  best. 


Buzzard. 


460 


By-blow. 


Buzzard,  suis,  (old).  — A  stupid 
fellow;  a  BUFFE  {q.v.). 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Did.  Catti.  Crev:.,  s.v. 
ErzzARD,  c.  a  foolish  soft  fellow,  easily 
drawn  in  and  cuUied  or  trickt. 

Buzzer.    5^^  duz-n.-\.pper. 

By.  Frequently  used  in  combina- 
tion for  oaths  :  among  semi-veiled 
imprecations  are: — By  cracky  ; 
By  George;  Bt  Golda.M;  By 
Golly  ;  By  Gorram;  By  Gosh; 
By  Gum;  By  Hooky  ;  By  the 

EVER-LIVING  JUMPING  MoSES  ;  By 

the  LIVING  Jingo,  etc. 

1 731.  Fielding,  Grub  Street  Opera, 
iii.,  7.  Bv  GEORGE,  I'll  make  an  example 
of  him. 

1737.  Bacchus  and  I'enus,  111,  'Fore 
GEORGE,  I'd  knock  him  down. 

1743.  \J.'^KR'REii,  Five  Arguments 
against  Tythes.  The  first  person  con- 
sulted a  gentleman-farmer,  and  declared 
that  he  never  read  anything  so  good  in 
his  life.  'By  gollv,'  says  he,  'he  'as 
mauled  the  parsons.' 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  256.  I  will, 
BY  George;  so  there's  an  end  on't. 

1804.  C.  K.  Sharpe,  in  Correspon- 
dence (1888),  I.,  210.  I  promise,  by  GOSH 
(which  is  the  most  elegant  and  classical 
oath  imaginable). 

1831-61.  H.  Mayhew,  London  Lao. 
and  Lon.  Poor,  III.,  204.  Then  I  turn 
round  to  him  and  say,  'Bv  golly,  if 
you  don't  leave  off,  I'll  broke  you  over 
de  jaw.' 

1852.  Dickens,  Bleak  House,  xxxviii. 
I — er — a  little  subject  to  this  sort  of 
thing — cr— by  George! 

i860.  Haliburton  ('Sam  Slick'), 
The  Season  Ticket,  ix.  By  gum,  Squire 
Shegog,  we  have  had  the  greatest  bobbery 
of  a  shindy  in  our  carriage  you  ever 
knowed  in  all  our  born  days. 

1877.  W.  Black,  Green  Past,  and 
Pice,  xxxv.  'If  this  goes  on,'  said  he 
suddenly,  'iiv  gosh,  I'll  heave!' 


1S82.  Jas.  Payn,  For  Cash  Only, 
xxii.  '  Pay  me  what  you  owe  me,'  says 
I,  'or,  by  hooky,  I'll  tell  your  father.' 

1887.  Francis,  Saddle  and  Moccasin, 
He's  a  high  roller,  by  gum! 

1888.  American  Humorist.  'Bill, 
are  you  hurt  ì  '  '  Yes,  by  gum  ;  I've  broke 
my  goldarned  neck.' 

1888.  Superior  Inter-Ocean.  Say, 
haint  Tubbs  a  Methodist?  By  cracky! 
here's  where  it  is,  and  in  we  walked. 

1900.  Kipling,  Stalky  &>  Co.,  18. 
Loco  parentis,  by  gum  !  But  what's  the 
odds,  as  long  as  you're  'appy.'  We're 
all  right. 

By  the  wind,  phr.  (nautical). 
— Hard  up  ;  in  difficulties. 

By-blow,  (or  by-scape),  by-chop, 
by-slip,  subs.  phr.  (old)  =  a 
bastard  ;  a  side-slip  {q.v.)  :  in 
BY-SC.\PE  an  eye  may  be  kept 
on  BLOODY-ESCAPE  {ç.V.)  FROM  A 
FRENCH   LETTER   (ç.V.). 

1594.  Barnfield,  Affectionate  Shep- 
herd. In  such  a  ladies  lappe,  at  such  a 
slipperie  by-blow,  That  in  a  world  so 
wide  could  not  be  found  such  a  wilie 
Lad  ;  in  an  age  so  old,  could  not  be 
found  such  an  old  lad. 

1625.  Massinger,  Pari,  of  Love, 
II.,  i.  Give  to  each  by-blow,  I  know 
mine,  a  farm. 

1632.  JONSON,  Magnetic  Lady,  iv.,  2. 
First  I  have  sent  by-chop  away;  the 
cause  gone,  the  fame  ceaseth. 

1646.  Earl  Monm.,  Biondi's  List., 
VI.,  ix.,  197.  For  his  being  God-son  to 
her  Brother,  and...  for  that  (being  very 
fair)  she  thought  him  a  by-scape  of  his. 

1663.  Stapylton,  Slighted  Maid, 
27.  The  English  Drakes,  great  Captain 
Drake  (That  sail'd  the  world  round)  left 
in  Spain  a  bydlow,  Of  whom  I  come. 

1678.  C.  Cotton,  Scarronides,  I., 
21  (ed.  1725).  Now  I'enus  was  .Eneas' 
Mother,'  In  the  behalf  then  of  her  BY- 
BLOW,  Which  had  endured  many  a  dry- 
Blow. 


By-by. 


461 


Byte. 


1693.  Hacket,  Life  of  IVilliams, 
ii.,  37.  As  Pope  Paul  the  Third  carried 
himself  to  his  ungracious  by-slips  (an 
Incubus  could  not  have  begot  worse), 
who  made  no  further  inquisition  after 
their  horrid  facts  but  to  say,  They  learnt 
it  not  of  him. 

c.  1696.  B.E.,  Diet.  Cant.  Crew.,  s.v 
BY-BLOW,  a  bastard. 

1705-7.  Ward,  Hudibras  Redivivus, 
II.,  II.,  19.  The  poor  Man's  House  abounds 
with  Brats,  As  country  Barn  with  Mice 
and  Rats;  And  Parishes  be  fill'd  with 
BV-DLOws  As  thick  as  Butchers'  Stalls 
with  Fly-blows. 

1748.  T.  Dyche,  Dictionary  (5  ed.). 
By-blow  (s.),  a  bastard  or  illegitimate 
child. 

1772.  Bridges,  Homer,  175.  One  of 
old  Antenor's  by-blows:  His  wife  Theano, 
'tis  well  known,  nurs'd  this  young  bastarci 
like  her  own. 

186S.  Browning,  Ring  and  Bk.,  iv., 
612.  A  drab's  brat,  A  beggar's  bye-blow. 

1875.  OuiDA,  Signa,  I.,  iii.,  34.  The 
one  who  held  the  child  turned  his  light 
on  the  little  wet  face;...  'And  whose 
BY-BLOW  is  this?'  said  he.  'The  devil 
knows,'  said  he  who  knelt  by  the  mother. 
'But  it  is  Pippa.' 

BY-BY,    subs.  phr.   (nursery).— Bed. 

BYE-DRINK,  subs.  phr.  (common). — 
Liquid  refreshment  taken  between 
meals. 

17Ó6.  Kenrick,  Falstaff's  Wedding, 
i.,  I.  I  could  wish,  nevertheless,  old 
white  wine  stood  higher  in  his  lordship's 
favour;  that  I  may  not  be  stinted  at 
table,  or  in  my  by-drinkings. 

1883.  Daily  Telegraph,  Jan.  10,  5. 
3.  Our  business  men — and  many  others 
who  are  not  men  of  business — take,  as  it 
is,  a  great  many  more  'bye-drinKS'  in 
the  way  of  'sherry'  and  -whiskey  cold' 
than  is  good  for  them. 

By-job,  subs.  phr.  (old).— A  matter 
outside  the  ordinary  run  of  busi- 
ness. 


1772.  Graves,  Spiritual  Quixoit, 
II.,  ii.  Dorothy  kept  the  cash,  and  by 
that  means  kept  Jerry  within  tolerable 
bounds,  unless  when  he  could  secrete  a 
tester  for  some  bye-job. 

A    lassie's   by-job,   siibs.  phr. 
(Scots'). — The    act    of   kind:   see 

GREENS   and   RIDE. 

d.  1796.  BcrnS,  Court  of  Equity. 
The  sneak  wha'  at  a  lassie's  by-job 
Defrauds  her  wi'  a  frig  or  dry-bob. 

Byng  (Bing),  verb  (old  cant).- To 
go.  BYNGE-AWASTE=to  go  away. 

1567.  Karman,  Caveat,  or  Warening 
for  Commen  Cursetors,  86.  Man.  What, 
stowe  your  bene,  cofe,  and  cut  benat 
whydds,  and  byng  we  to  romevyle,  to 
nyp  a  bong;  so  shall  we  haue  lowre  for 
the  bousing  ken  and  when  we  byng  back 
to  the  deuseauyel,  we  wyll  fylche  some 
duddes  of  the  Ruffemans,  or  myll  the 
ken  for  a  lagge  of  dudes,  [i.e.']  What, 
holde  your  peace,  good  fellowe,  and 
speake  better  wordes,  and  go  we  to 
London,  to  cut  a  purse;  then  shall  we 
haue  money  for  the  ale  house,  and  when 
wee  come  backe  agayne  into  the  country 
we  wyll  steale  some  lynnen  clothes  of 
one  hedges,  or  robbe  some  house  for  a 
bucke  of  clothes. 

1610.  Bowlands,  Martin  Mark-all, 
37  (H.  Club's  Repr.,  1874}.  Bing  A  wast 
get  you  hence. 

1785.  Grose,  Dictionary  of  the 
Vulgar  Tongite.  Binged  avast  in  a 
darkmans,  stole  away  in  the  night.  Bing 
we  to  Rumeville,  shall  we  go  to  London? 

1815.  Scott,  Guy  .Man?!ering,xxyin. 
Bing  out  and  tour  [go  out  and  watch] 
ye  auld  devil,  and  see  that  nobody  has 
scented. 

1822.  Scott,  Fortunes  of  Xigel, 
xvii.  '  I  smell  a  spy,'  replied  the  other, 
looking  at  Nigel....  'Bing  avast,  bino 
avast!'  replied  his  companion. 

BYSCAPE.      See  BY-BLOW. 

Byte.    See  bit. 


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