1892.HenleyandStevenson,Deacon Brodie, i., 7, p. 18. You always was a neathandwith the bones.A hand like a foot,phr.(common).—A large, coarse hand. Also a vulgar or uneducated handwriting.1738.Swift,Polite Conversation, i.Col.Whoe’er writ it witha hand like a foot.Ahand like a fist,phr.(gamesters’).—A hand full of trumps. Also (in derision) a hand there’s no playing.To take a hand with the outside music,verb. phr.(American).—Seequot.1892.J. L. Sullivan,A 19th Century Gladiator, iii. After thirty-seven rounds in fifty-five minutes, the umpires and seconds got into a fight, and Sullivan felt fresh enoughto take a hand in the outside music.To get a hand on,verb. phr.(tailors’).—To suspect; to be distrustful.To get one’s hand in,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To practise with a view to proficiency.To get one’s hand on it,verb. phr.(venery).—To grope a woman.To bear a hand,verb. phr.(old).—Seequot.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Bear a hand, make haste.To bring up by hand,verb. phr.(venery).—To procure erection manually.To bring down(oroff)by hand,verb. phr.(venery).—To masturbate. For synonyms,seeFrig.To stand one’s hand,verb. phr.(Australian).—ToTreat(q.v.); toStand Sam(q.v.).1892.Hume Nisbet,Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 58. I used to see her at some of the public-houses frequented by Mrs. Condon,standing her handliberally to all who happened to be in the bar, and therefore being made much of by the thirsty loafers whom she treated.To hand in one’s chips(orchecks).—SeeCash one’s Checks.To have(orget)the upper hand,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To have at an advantage; to get towindward(q.v.).1886.R. L. Stevenson,Kidnapped, p. 173. I was growing impatient to get back andhave the upper handof my uncle.To hand up,verb.(Winchester College).—To give information against; to betray.—Notions.Hands up!intj.(common).—An injunction to desist;stow it!(q.v.). Also (police) = a command to surrender.Bail up(q.v.).1888.J. Runciman,The Chequers, p. 120.Hands up!Jerry.[257][Amongst other colloquial usages ofHandare the following:—At hand= readily, hard by;at any hand(Shakspeare) = on any account;at no hand= on no account;for one’s own hand= for one’s own purpose or interest;from hand to hand= from one to another;in hand= in a state of preparation, under consideration, or control;off one’s hands= finished;on hand= in possession;in one’s hands= in one’s care;out of hand= completed, without hesitation;to one’s hand= ready;hand over head= negligently, rashly;hand to mouth= improvident;hands off!= stand off;heavy on hand= hard to manage;hot at hand= difficult to manage;light in hand= easy to manage;to ask(orgive)the hand of= to ask (or give) in marriage;to be hand and glove with= to be very intimate with;to bear a hand= to help;to bear in(oron)hand= to cheat or mock by false promises;to change hands= to change owners;to come to hand= to be received;to get hand= to gain influence;to give a hand= to applaud;to give the hand to= to be reconciled to;to have a hand in= to have a share in;to have one’s hands full= to be fully occupied;to hold hands with= to vie with, to hold one’s own;to lay hands on= to assault, to seize;to lend a hand= to help;to make a hand= to gain an advantage;to put(orstretch)forth the hand against= to use violence;to set the hand to= to undertake;to strike hands= to make a bargain;to take by the hand= to take under one’s guidance;to take in hand= to attempt;to wash one’s hands of= to disclaim responsibility;a heavy hand= severity;a light hand= gentleness;a slack hand= idleness, carelessness;a strict hand= severe discipline;clean hands= freedom from guilt;to stand one in hand= to concern, to be of importance to;hand to fist=tête-a-tête, hip to haunch;hand over hand= easily;to get a hand= to be applauded.]Hand-and-Pocket Shop,subs. phr.(old).—Seequot.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Hand-and-Pocket-Shop. An eating house, where ready money is paid for what is called for.Handbasket-portion,subs.(old).—Seequot.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Hand-basket-portion. A woman whose husband receives frequent presents from her father, or family, is said to have ahand-basket-portion.Handbinder(in. pl.),subs.(old).—Chains for the wrists. For synonyms,seeDarbies.1696.Ray,Nomenclator, Menotes, liens à lier les mains, fers à enferrer les mains. Manicls, orhandbinders.Hander,subs.(schoolboys’).—A stroke on the hand with a cane;a palmie(q.v.).1868.Jas. Greenwood,Purgatory of Peter the Cruel, v., 149. You’ve been playing the wag, and you’ve got to take yourhanders.Handicap,subs.(colloquial).—An arrangement in racing, etc., by which every competitor is, or is supposed to be, brought on an equality so far as regards his chance of winning by an adjustment of the weights to be carried, the distance to be run, etc.: extra weight or distance being imposed in proportion to their supposed merits on those held better than the others. [A handicap is framed in accordance with the known performances of the competitors, and, in horse-racing, with regard to the age and sex of the entries. The term is derived from the old game ofhand-in-cap, or handicap.]1660.Pepys,Diary, 18 Sep. Here some of us fell tohandycapp, a sport that I never knew before.1883.Hawley Smart,Hard Linesxxi. The race carried so many penalties and allowances that it partook somewhat of the nature of ahandicap.Verb(colloquial). 1. To adjust or proportion weights, starts, etc., in order to bring a number of competitors as nearly as possible to an equality.[258]1841.Lever,Charles O’Malley, ch. lxviii. Pleasant and cheerful enough, when they’rehandicappingthe coat off your back, and your new tilbury for a spavined pony and a cotton umbrella; but regular devils if you come to cross them the least in life.2. To make even or level; to equalise between.3. To embarrass, burden, hinder, or impede in any way.1883.Grenville-Murray,People I Have Met, 123. He was nothandicappedby a title, so that the beautiful ethics of hereditary legislation had no claim on his attention.Handie-Dandie,subs. phr.(old).—Copulation.1490–1554.David Lyndsay,Kitty’s Confessioun[Laing], i., 136. Ane plack I will gar Sandie, Gie the agane withHandie-Dandie.Handle,subs.(common).—1. The nose. For synonyms,seeConk.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum. The cove flashes a rarehandleto his physog; the fellow has a large nose.1887.Modern Society, 27 Aug., 864. A restless, intriguing, and busy old lady, with an immensehandleto her face.2. (colloquial).—A title. Fr.,une queue, asMonsieur Sans-queue= Mr. Nobody.1855.Thackeray,Newcomes, xxiii. She … entertained us with stories of colonial governors and their ladies, mentioning no persons but those who hadhandlesto their names, as the phrase is.1857.Ducange Anglicus,Vulg. Tongue.Handle,n.Title. Oh, you want ahandleto your name.1871.London Figaro, 17 June, ‘The plaint of a poor Parson.’ Neither he nor his clerical neighbours—unless they belong to county families, or havehandlesto their names—have ever been invited by the Dean to partake of the hospitalities of the Deanery.1886.J. S. Winter,Army Society, ch. ii. That’s the worst of having ahandleto one’s name.1891.Licensed Vict. Gaz., 16 Jan. Here’s the Honourable Tom Jones, and Lord Smith, and Viscount Brown—that’s them, with thehandlesknocked off their names.1892.HenleyandStevenson,Deacon Brodie, i., 2. He was aye ettling after a bithandleto his name.3. (colloquial).—Occasion; opportunity; means.1753–77.Melmoth,Cicero, bk. ii., let. 17 (note 5). The defence of Vatinius gave a plausiblehandlefor some censure upon Cicero.Verb(cardsharpers’).—1. To conceal cards in the palm of the hand, or up the sleeves;to palm(q.v.).2. (colloquial).—To use; to make use of; to manage.1606.Chapman,Gentleman Usher, iii., 5. Now let the sport begin: I think my love willhandlehim as well as I have done.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Handle. To know how tohandleone’s fists; to be skilful in the art of boxing.1836.Dickens,Pickwick, ii., 7. Smart chap that cabman—handledhis fives well.1892.HenleyandStevenson,Admiral Guinea, ii., 5. Commander, youhandledhim like a babby, kept the weather gauge, and hulled him every shot.To handle the ribbons,verb. phr.(common).—To drive.1857.Moncrieff,Bashful Man, ii. 4. Shouldn’t have any objection in life, squire, to let youhandle the ribandsfor a stage or two, but four-in-hand, you know, requires——.1872.Evening Standard, 10 Aug. The Princess of Wales is expected, and her Royal Highness has several times during the week driven through the town in an open phaeton, drawn by four beautiful ponies, and she appearsto handle the ribbonsin a very skilful manner.1891.N. Gould,Double Event, p. 198. It was agreed Marston shouldhandle the ribbons.[259]1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 32. He’andled the ribbingsto rights.To fly off the handle.SeeFly, to which add the following earlier quot.1825.Neal,Brother Jonathan, bk. I., ch. iv. Mostoff the handle, some o’ the tribe, I guess.Hand-me-downs(orHand-’em-downs),subs.(common).—Second-hand clothes.Hand-me-down-shop, orNever-too-late-to-mend-shop= a repairing tailors’.Fr.,un decrochez-moi-ça.1878.Notes and Queries, 5, s. ix., 6 Apr., p. 263.Hand-’em-down—A second-hand garment (Northamptonshire).1888.New York World, 5 Mar. Russell Sage, it is said, walked into a Broadway clothing store the other day and tried on and purchased a twelve-dollar suit ofhand-me-downs.1889.Sporting Times, 29 June. Trousers which fit him nowhere in particular, and which all over proclaim themselves entitled to the epithet ofhand-me-downs.English Synonyms.—Reach-me-downs; translations; wall-flowers.French Synonyms.—La musique(popular);la mise-bas(servants’: especially ‘perks’).Hand-out,subs.(American).—Food to a tramp at the door.1887.Morley Roberts,The Western Avernus. Some of the boys said it was a regularhand-out, and that we looked like a crowd of old bummers.Handpiece,subs.(American).—A handkerchief. For synonyms,seeWipe.1852.Bristed,Upper Ten Thousand, p. 67. Then … he tied his whitehand-piecesto an opening made for the purpose on one side of the dashboard.Handsaw,subs.(common).—A street vendor of knives and razors; an itinerantChive-fencer(q.v.).Handsome,adj.andadv.(colloquial, and formerly literary).—Sharp, severe; convenient, fit; neat, graceful; dextrous, skilful, ready; ample, generous, liberal; manageable; in good or proper style; and (in America) grand or beautiful.1553.Wilson,Arte of Rhetorique, p. 3. Phauorinus the Philosopher did hit a yong man ouer the thumbes veryhandsomely.1553–99.Spenser,Wks.For a thief it is sohandsome, As it may seem it was first invented by him.1590.Goldynge,Cæsar, p. 220. They had not sohandsomehorses.1593.Shakspeare,Titus Andronicus, ii., 3. If we miss to meet himhandsomely.1600.P. Holland,Livy, p. 255. A light footman’s shield he takes with him, and a Spanish blade by his side, morehandsometo fight short and close.1604.Shakspeare,Winter’s Tale, iv., 3. His garments are rich, but he wears them nothandsomely.1614.Raleigh,History of the World, Bk. III., ch. viii., § 6. Playing their gameshandsomelyagainst so nimble a wit.1672–1719.Addison,Wks.An alms-house, which I intend to endow veryhandsomely.1778–79.V. Knox,Essays, 102. Ahandsomesum of money.1798.Lodge,Illust. Brit. Hist., i., 178. He is very desyrus to serve your Grace, and seymes to me to be a veryhandsomeman.1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 8. He turned on his backhandsome.To do the handsome(orthe handsome thing),verb. phr.(common).—To behave extremely well; to be ‘civil.’[260]1887.Manville Fenn,This Man’s Wife, ii., 15. Sir Gordon’s readyto do the handsome thing.Handsome is that handsome does,phr.(colloquial).—‘Actions, not words, are the test of merit’; also ironically of ill-favoured persons.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum.Handsome is that handsome does: a proverb frequently cited by ugly women.Handsome-bodied in the face,adv. phr.(old).—Seequot.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Handsome Bodied Man in the Face, ajeeringcommendation of an ugly fellow.Handsome as a last year’s corpse,adv. phr.(American).—A sarcastic compliment.Handsomely!intj.(nautical).—Gently! A cry to signify smartly, but carefully. AlsoHandsomely over the bricks= Go cautiously.Handsome-reward,subs. phr.(old).—Seequot.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum.Handsome-reward.This, in advertisements, means a horse-whipping.Handsprings.To chuck handsprings,verb.phr.(common).—To turn somersaults.Handstaff,subs.(venery).—Thepenis. For synonyms,seeCreamstickandPrick. [From that member of the flail which is held in the hands].Handy.Handy as a pocket in a shirt,phr.(American).—Very convenient.Handy-blows, (or cuffs),subs.(old).—Cuffs with the hand; fisticuffs; hence close quarters.1603.Knolles,Hist. of the Turkes. If ever they came tohandy-blows.1690. B. E.,Cant. Crew, s.v.Handy Blows, Fistycuffs.1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.Handy-man,subs.(colloquial).—A servant or workman doing odd jobs.1847.De Quincey,The Spanish Military Nun,Wks.(1890), xiii., 165. She was ahandy girl. She could turn her hand to anything.1872.Times, 27 Aug. ‘Autumn Manœuvres.’ The result is he cannot be called ahandy-man.1889.Pall Mall Gaz., 8 Nov., p. 2, c. 1. Again did Mr. Sambourne’shandy-manappear, this time clad in the real robes of the Lord Mayor.1892.Hume Nisbet,Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 55. He was ahandy-man.Hang,subs.(colloquial).—1. The general drift, tendency, or bent: as into get the hang of= to get conversant with; to acquire the trick, or knack, or knowledge of.1847.Darley,Drama in Pokerville, p. 67. The theatre was cleared in an instant … all running toget the hang ofthe scrape.1848.Jones,Sketches of Travel, p. 70. By this time I began togit the hang ofthe place a little better.1851.Hooper,Widow Rugby’s Husband, etc., p. 64. To be efficient a solicitor mustget the hang ofhis customers.a.1871.Prime,Hist. of Long Island, p. 82. If ever you must have an indifferent teacher for your children, let it be after they have got a fair start and haveacquired the hang ofthe tools for themselves.1884.Milliken,Punch, 11 Oct. They ain’tgot the ’ang ofit, Charlie,the toffs ain’t.1890.Daily Chronicle, 4 Apr., p. 7 c. 2. When the Raw Cadet enters Woolwich Academy, it is sometime before hegetswhat some callthe hang ofthe place.[261]1892.Illustrated Bits, Oct. 22, p. 6. c. 2. When Iget the hang ofthem I shall be a regular dab at theosophy.2. (colloquial).—A little bit; a bit; aDamn.SeeCare. Fr.,s’en contreficherors’en tamponner le coquard(orcoquillard).1861.H. Kingsley,Ravenshoe, ch. xliii. She looks as well as you by candle-light, but she can’t ride ahang.Verb(generallyHang it!).—An exclamation of vexation, disgust, or disappointment; also, more forcibly, a euphemism forDamn it!Fr.,Ah! mince alors.1598.Shakspeare,2 Henry IV., ii., 4. He a good wit?hang him, baboon!1609.Jonson,Epicœne, ii., 2. A mere talking mole,hang him.1614.Jonson,Bartholomew Fair, v. 3. Ay, andbe hanged.1694.Dunton,Ladies’ Dict., p. 229. Aristænetus telling a brisk buxom Lass of a proper fine Man that would make her a good Husband,Hang him[reply’d she] he has no Mony.1772.Coles,Eng.-Lat. Dict., s.v. Hanged.Go and be hanged.1780.Mrs. Cowley,Belle’s Stratagem, iv., 1.HangHarriet, and Charlotte, and Maria! the name your father gave ye?1823.W. T. Moncrieff,Tom and Jerry, ii., 5.Hangcards! bring me a bobstick of rum slim.1836.M. Scott,Cruise of the Midge, p. 169. ‘Yoube hanged, Felix,’ quoth his ally, with a most quizzical grin.1863.Ch. Reade,Hard Cash, ii., 218.Hangthe grub; it turns my stomach.1883.R. L. Stevenson,Treasure Island, p. 161. You cango hang!1889.Sporting Times, 6 July.Hebrew Scholar: Rub up your Hebrew. Orgo and hangyourself.1890.Grant Allen,Tents of Shem, ch. xvii.Hang it all, if that’s English law, you know, I don’t thing very much of the wisdom of our ancestors.1891.N. Gould,Double Event, p. 164.Hang it all.1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 7. But’ang it, I can’t stand the style of the silent and the stare-me-down sort.1892.F. Anstey,Voces Populi, ‘On the Ice,’ p. 122. Stick by me, old fellow, till I begin to feel my——Oh,hang it all!To hang an arse,verb. phr.(old).—To hang back; to hesitate.1598.Marston,Satyres, ‘Ad Rythmum.’ But if youhang an arselike Tubered, When Chremes dragged him from his brothel bed.1637.Massinger,Guardian, v, 5.Nay, nohanging an arse.1639–61.Rump Songs, ii., 86. Nay, if ithang an arse; We’ll pluck it from the stares, And roast it at hell for its grease.1748.Smollett,Roderick Random, ch. lxv. My lads, I’m told youhang an arse.1780.Tomlinson,Slang Pastoral, 2. Myarse hangsbehind me as heavy as lead.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.To hang in,verb. phr.(common).—To get to work; to do one’s best; towire in(q.v.).To hang in the bellropes,verb. phr.(common).—To defer marriage after being ‘asked’ in church.To hang on by one’s eyelashes,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To persist at any cost, and in the teeth of any discouragement.To hang on by the splash-board,verb. phr.(common).—To ‘catch’ a tram, omnibus, etc., when it is on the move; hence to succeed by the ‘skin of one’s teeth.’ Fr.,arcpincer l’omnibus.To hang around(orabout),verb. phr.(American).—To loiter; to loaf; to haunt.[262]To hang out,verb(common).—To live; to reside. Also (subs.), a residence; a lodging; and (American university) a feast; an entertainment.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Hang out.The traps scavey where wehang out; the officers know where we live.1836.Dickens,Pickwick, ch. xxx. ‘I say, old boy, where do youhang out?’ Mr. Pickwick replied that he was at present suspended at the George and Vulture.1852.Bristed,Five Years in an English University, p. 80. The fourth of July I celebrated by ahang-out.1871.City Press, 21 Jan. ‘Curiosities of Street Literature.’ Hehangs outin Monmouth-court.1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 14. I should like to go in for blue blood, and’ang outnear the clubs and the parks.To hang out a shingle,verb. phr.(American).—To start or carry on business.1871.Public Opinion, Dec. Tom Stowellhung out his shingleas a lawyer at the Tombs, afterwards at Essex-market, and eventually in Brooklyn.To hang one’s latchpan,verb. phr.(common).—To be dejected; to pout. Fr.,faire son aquilin.To hang it out,verb. phr.(common).—To skulk;to mike(q.v.).To hang up,verb. phr.(common).—1. To give credit; to score (or chalk) up: said of a reckoning. Also ‘to put on the slate’ or (American)on the ice(q.v.).1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.Hang-it-up, speaking of the Reckoning at a Bowsing-Ken, when the Rogues are obliged, for want of Money, to run on Tick.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.2. (American).—To bear in mind; to remember.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hang it up.Think of it, remember it.3. (American).—To pawn, For synonyms,seePop.4. (thieves’).—To rob with violence on the street;to hold up(q.v.). Fr.,la faire au père François.5. (common).—To bein extremis; to know not which way to turn for relief:e.g.,a man hanging= one to whom any change must be for the better.6. (colloquial).—To postpone; to leave undecided.1887.Cornhill Magazine, June, p. 624.To hang up a billis to pass it through one or more of its stages, and then to lay it aside, and defer its further consideration for a more or less indefinite period.To hang on,verb. phr.(colloquial).—(1) To sponge; and (2) to pursue an individual or a design.1601.Shakspeare,Henry VIII., iii., 2. Oh, how wretched Is that poor man thathangs onprinces’ favours!To hang off,verb. phr.(printers’).—To fight shy of.To hang up one’s fiddle,verb. phr.(American).—To retire; to desist.To hang up one’s fiddle anywhere= To adapt oneself to circumstances.To hang up one’s hat,verb. phr.(common).—1. To die. For synonyms,seeAloft.1854.Notes and Queries, Vol. X., p. 203. He hashung up his hat. This sentence, which is sometimes used in reference to persons deceased, etc.1882.Punch, lxxxii., 185, c. 1.2. (common).—To make oneself permanently at home.[263]Hang-bluff,subs.(rhyming).—Snuff.1857.Ducange Anglicus,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hang-by,subs.(old).—A hanger-on; a parasite; a companion.1598.Jonson,Every Man in his Humour, iv., 2. I am not afraid of you nor them neither, youhang-byeshere.Hang-dog,subs.(old).—A pitiful rascal, only fit for the rope or the hanging of superfluous curs.Cf.,Gallows-bird.1732.Fielding,Mock Doctor, i., 4. Heaven has inspired me with one of the most wonderful inventions to be revenged on myhang-dog.Adj.(old).—Vile, or suspicious, in aspect;gallows-looking(q.v.).Hang-gallows,adj.(old).—Seequot.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hang-gallowsLook, a thievish, or villainous appearance.Hanger,subs.(old).—A side-arm—short sword or cutlass—hanging from the girdle. (SeeHangers,in. pl., sense 1.)1815.Scott,Guy Mannering, x. Acouteau dechasse, or shorthanger.In. pl.(old).—1. Ornamental loops from the girdle to suspend the sword and dagger.1596.Shakspeare,Hamlet, v. 2. Six French rapiers and poignards, with their assigns, as girdle,hangers, and so on.1596.Nashe,Unf. Trav.[Chiswick Press, 1891]. Hugehangersthat have half a cowhide in them.1599.Jonson,Every Man out of his Humour, iv., 4. I had thrown off thehangersa little before.1610.Jonson,Alchemist, v., 2. Where be the French petticoats, And girdles andhangers?2. (common).—Gloves; specifically gloves in the hand.3.SeePothooks.Hang-in-chains,subs. phr.(old).—Seequots.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hang-in-chains, a vile desperate fellow.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum,Hang-in-chains.A vile, desperate fellow. Persons guilty of murder, or other atrocious crimes, are frequently, after execution, hanged on a gibbet, to which they are fastened by iron bandages; the gibbet is commonly placed on or near the place where the crime was committed.Hanging,adj.(colloquial).—Fit for the halter.Hanging-bee,subs.(American).—A gathering of lynch-lawmongers, bent on the application of the rope.SeeBee.Hanging Johnny,subs. phr.(venery).—Thepenis: specifically, in a condition of impotence or disease. For synonyms,seeCreamstickandPrick.Hangman,subs.(old).—A jocular endearment.1600.Shakspeare,Much Ado About Nothing, iii., 2. He had twice or thrice cut Cupid’s bowstring, and the littlehangmandare not shoot at him.Hangman’s-day,subs.(old).—Monday, and (in America) Friday.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hangman’s day.Friday is so called from the custom of hanging people on a Friday.Hangman’s-wages,subs.(old).—Thirteen-pence-halfpenny. [The fee for an execution was a Scots[264]mark: the value of which piece was settled, by a proclamation of James I., at 13½d.]1602.Decker,Honest Whore, Pt. II., inWks.(1873) ii., 171. Why should I eate hempe-seed at thehangman’s thirteene-pence halfe-pennyordinary?1659.Hangman’s Last Will(Rump Song quoted inNotes and Queries, 2 S. xi., 316). For halfthirteen-pence half-penny wages, I would have cleared out all the town cages, And you should have been rid of all the sages. I and my gallows groan.1678.Butler,Hudibras, Pt. III., c. 2. To find us pillories and cart’s-tails, Orhangman’s wages.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hangman’s wages, thirteenpence half-penny, which according to the vulgar tradition was thus allotted, one shilling for the execution, and three halfpence for the rope.Hang-slang about,verb. phr.(common).—To abuse;to slang(q.v.);to Billingsgate(q.v.).Hank,subs.(old colloquial).—1. A tie; a hold; an advantage; a difficulty. [In a hank= in trouble].1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. He has ahankupon him, or the Ascendant over him.1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v. He has ahankupon him; He … will make him do what he pleases.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v. He has ahankon him,i.e., an ascendant over him, or a hold upon him: ASmithfield hank= An ox rendered furious by over driving and barbarous treatment.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hank.To know something about a man that is disreputable. He has ahankon the bloke, whereby he sucks honey when he chooses, he knows something about the man, and therefore induces him to give him money when he chooses.2. (common).—A spell of rest; an easy time.1888.Sporting Life, 7 Dec. So quiet was the first round that the ire of the company was raised, and they called out, ‘Nohank!’Verb(common).—To worry; to bait; to drive from pillar to post.Hanker,verb(old: now recognised).—To desire eagerly; to fret after; to long or pine for: generally with ‘after.’ Also,Hankering(subs.) = an importunate and irritating longing.1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hanker after, to Long or wish much for.1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.To hanker afteranything, to have a longing after or for it.1847.Robb,Squatter Life, p. 98. I did see a creatur’ once, named Sofy Mason … that I tuk an orfulhankerin’ arter.1878.Whitman,Leaves of Grass, ‘Spontaneous Me,’ 90 (ed. 1884). The hairy wild-bee that murmurs andhankersup and down.Hankin,subs.(commercial).—The trick of putting off bad work for good. [Cf.,To play hankey, orTo play hanky-panky.]Hanktelo,subs.(old).—Seequots.1593.Nashe,Strange Newes(Grosart,Wks., ii., 251). Is theAstrologicaallDiscourse a better booke than Pierce Pennilesse? GabrielHangtelowsaies it is?1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hanktelo, a silly Fellow, a meer Cods-head.1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hanky-Panky,subs.(common).—(1) Legerdemain; whence (2) trickery;underhand(q.v.) work; cheating; any manner of[265]double-dealing or intrigue.Hanky-panky business= conjuring;hanky-panky work(ortricks) = double-dealing. Abit of hanky-panky= a trick; a piece of knavery.1841.Punch, Vol. I., p. 88. Only a littlehanky-panky.1880.G. R. Sims,Zeph, ch. xiii. He knew that … any crime committed on his premises would tell against him on licensing day, and he kept a pretty sharp look out to see that what he was pleased to termhanky pankywas not carried on under his nose.1864.E. Yates,Broken to Harness, ch. xxxviii. If there was anyhanky panky, any mystery I mean, he’d always swear he was out whenever he called, for fear it should be bullied out of him.1877.Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. v., p. 323.——There’s somehanky pankybusiness going on among the men of No. 2 prison; the Catholic side is ringing changes and it is done in this shop.Hanky-panky-bloke,subs. phr.(theatrical).—A conjuror; apile of mags(q.v.).Hanky-Spanky,adj.(common).—Dashing;nobby(q.v.). Specifically of well-cut clothes.Hannah.That’s the man as married Hannah,phr.(streets’).—‘That’s the thing’: used of a thing well begun and well ended; or as an expressive of certainty. Varied sometimes bythat’s what’s the matter with Hannah.Hans Carvel’s Ring,subs. phr.(venery).—The femalepudendum. For synonyms,seeMonosyllable. [From Poggio (tit.Annulus);Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles(xi.); Ariosto (Sat.v.); theNouvelleof Malespini (89, ii.); Rabelais (Pantagruel, iii., 28); and Matthew Prior.]Hansel(orHandsel),subs.(common).—The first money taken in the morning; lucky money. Hence, earnest money; first-fruits, &c.Hansel-Monday= the first Monday in the new year, when presents were received by children and servants. [A. S.,handselen= to deliver into the hand.]1587.Greene,Menaphon(Arber), p. 71. He should like inough haue had firsthandsellof our new Shepheards sheepehooke.1614.Jonson,Bartholomew Fair, ii. Bring him a sixpenny bottle of ale: They say a fool’shandselis lucky.1679.Holland,Ammianus Marcellinus. With which wofull tidings being sore astonied, as if it were the firsthanselland beginning of evils comming toward him.1787.Grose,Prov. Glossary, etc. (1811), p. 121. It is a common practice among the lower class of hucksters, pedlars, or dealers in fruit or fish, on receiving the price of the first goods sold that day, which they callhansel, to spit on the money, as they term it, for good luck.1815.Scott,Guy Mannering, ch.iii. There was a whin bonnie lasses there, forbye mysel’, and deil ane to gie themhansels.Ibid., ch. xxxii. Grizzy has naething frae me, by twa pair o’ new shoon ilka year, and maybe a bit compliment atHansel Monanday.1821.Scott,Kenilworth, ch. xix. ‘How wears the Hollands you won of me?’‘Why, well, as you may see, Master Goldthred,’ answered Mike; ‘I will bestow a pot on thee for thehandsel.’Verb(common).—1. To give handsel to; also (2), to use for the first time.1599.Nashe,Lenten Stuffe, inWks., v., 249. And gather about him as flocking tohansellhim and strike him good luck.1605.Chapman, etc.,Eastward Hoe, ii. My lady … is so ravished with desire tohansellher new coach.1639–61.Rump Songs, i. [1662], 137. Belike he meant toHansellhis New Satten.[266]1663.Pepys,Diary, 12 Apr. Coming home to-night, a drunken boy was carrying by our constable to our new pair of stocks tohandselthem.1874. [G. A. Lawrence],Hagarene, ch. xvii. The habit of stout blue cloth … was Pete Harradine’s last and crowning extravagance, as they passed through town on their way to Fulmerstone, and it had never beenhanselledyet.1881.BesantandRice,Sweet Nelly, inTen Years’ Tenant, etc., Vol. I., p. 200. I wanted to present her with something tohanselfriendship.Hanseller,subs.(common).—A street vendor; a Cheap Jack.1851–61.H. Mayhew,Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, i., 392. The sellers of tins, who carry them under their arms, or in any way on a round, apart from the use of a vehicle, are known ashand-sellers.1876.Hindley,Adventures of a Cheap Jack, p. 10. Cheap-Jacks, as they were then as now called by the people, although the termhan’-selleris mostly used by themselves.Hans-en-Kelder,subs.(old).—A child in the womb: literally,Jack-in-the-Cellar(q.v.). [From the Dutch.]1647.Cleaveland,Character of a London Diurnall. The originall sinner in this kind was Dutch; Galliobelgicus, the Protoplast; and the moderne Mercuries, buthans-en-kelders. The countesse of Zealand was brought to bed of an almanack; as many children as dayes in the yeare.1648.Mercurius Pragmaticus, i. The birthday of that precious new government which is yet but aHans-en-kelder.d.1658.Lovelace,Poems, p. 63. Next beg I to present my duty To pregnant sister in prime beauty, Whom [who] well I deem (ere few months elder) Will take outHans fromprettykelder.1663.Dryden,Wild Gallant, v.,Wks., i. 61 (1701). Seems you are desirous I should Father thisHans en Kelderheere.1672.Marvell,Char. of Holland, line 65. More pregnant then their Marg’ret, that laid down ForHans-in-Kelderof a whole Hanse town.1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hans-en-Kelder, Jack in the Box, the Child in the Womb, or a Health to it.1672.Wycherley,Love in a Wood, v. Then I am as it were a grandfather to your new Wiffe’s,hans en kelder.1678.T. Baker,Tunbridge Wells, p. 27. Here’s a health to this Lady’sHans in Kelder!1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hans in Kelder, a health frequently drank to breeding women, or their husbands.Hansom,subs.(coster).—A chop.Hap-Harlot,subs.(old).—A coarse stuff to make rugs or coverlets with; a rug.Cf.,Wrap-rascal= an overcoat.1577–87.Holinshed,Description of England, bk. ii., ch. xii. A sheet vnder couerlets made of dagswain, orhap-harlots(I vse their owne termes).Ha’porth o’ Coppers,subs. phr.(legal).—Habeas Corpus.Ha’porth of Liveliness,subs. phr.(Coster).—1. Music.1851–61.H. Mayhew,Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, i., p. 21. Or they will call to the orchestra, saying, ‘Now then you catgut-scrapers! Let’s have aha’porth of liveliness.’2. (common).—A loitering Lawrence; aslowcoach(q.v.).Happify,verb. (American).—To please.1612.Sylvester,Lach. Lach., 642. One short mishap for everhappifies.1848.Burton,Waggeries, etc., p. 70. For eatin’ and drinkin’, ithappifiesme to say that we bang the bush.Happy,adj.(common).—Slightly drunk;elevated(q.v.). For synonyms,seeDrinksandScrewed.[267]Happy-despatch,subs.(common).—Death, specifically, a sudden or violent end.Happy-dosser.SeeDosser.Happy Eliza,subs.(common).—A female Salvationist [As in theBroadside Ballad(1887–8), ‘They call me Happy Eliza, and I’m Converted Jane: We’ve been two hot’uns in our time.’]Happy-family,subs.(colloquial).—Seequot.1851–61.H. Mayhew,Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, iii., p. 224.Happy families, or assemblages of animals of diverse habits and propensities living amicably, or at least quietly, in one cage.Happy-go-lucky,subs.(colloquial).—Careless; thoughtless; improvident. Fr.,va comme je te pousseandà la flan.1856.Reade,Never Too Late to Mend, ch. xv. In thehappy-go-luckyway of his class.1883.Illust. London News, 8 Dec., p. 551, c. 1. He dashes off a play in ahappy-go-luckystyle, basing it on theatrical precedent so far as certain stock situations are concerned.Happy Hunting-grounds,subs.(American).—1. The future state;glory(q.v.). [From the North-American Indian’s conception of heaven.]1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 98. After a long journey, they will reach thehappy hunting-grounds.1891.Gunter,Miss Nobody of Nowhere, ch. v. Old Mescal is now keeping a sharp eye out for the child and the cowboy, that he may send them to thehappy hunting-groundsalso.2. (colloquial).—A favourable place for work or play.1892.Cassell’s Sat. Journal, 26 Oct., p. 119. Thehappy hunting-groundof the swell mobsman is the opening of some Exhibition.3. (venery).—The femalepudendum. For synonyms,seeMonosyllable.Happy-land,subs.(common).—The after life;glory(q.v.).1893.Danvers,The Grantham Mystery, ch. xiii. The old ’un will soon join the young ’un in thehappy land.Happy-returns,subs.(Australian).—Vomiting.SeeFlay the Fox.Harbour,subs.(venery).—The femalepudendum. For synonyms,seeMonosyllable. AlsoHarbour of Hope.Hard,subs.(prison).—1. Hard labour.1890.Globe, 26 Feb., p. 1, c. 4. Monetary penalties, therefore, do not act as deterrents, but the certainty of seven days’ incarceration, with or withouthard, would soon diminish the nuisance.2.SeeHard-Shell.3. (colloquial).—Third-class. As opposed tosoft(q.v.). Thus: ‘Do you gohardorsoft?’ = ‘Do you go Third or First?’ An abbreviation ofHard-arse.Adj.(American).—1. Applied to metal of all kinds:e.g.,hard(coleorstuff) = silver or gold as compared to cheques orsoft(q.v.).1825.Neal,Bro. Jonathan, ii., ch. 18. The bill … amounted to one dollar and a quarterhard money.1844.Puck, p. 146. That cunning old file wont let her go with thehard cashdown.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hard; metal.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hard cole.Silver or gold money.1863.Charles Reade,Hard Cash. [Title.][268]2. (old: now recognised).—1. Sour or souring; as inhard-cider; (2)harddrinks (American) = intoxicating liquors, as wine, ale, etc., while lemonade, soda-water, ginger-beer, etc., aresoft.1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hard drink, that is very Stale, or begining to Sower.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hard, stale beer nearly sour, is said to behard.1882.Daily Telegraph, 10 Oct., p. 5, c. 3. A fourth defendant, in pleading guilty, urged that the month of August last ‘turned a lot of beer sour,’ and that he had only used some sugar for the purpose of mollifying thehardor sour porter.Hard as a Bone(Nails, etc.),adj. phr.(colloquial).—Very hard; austere; unyielding.1885.Indoor Paupers, p. 79. He stood it for a week or two without flinching—being at that datehard as nails, as he expresses it.Hard at it,adj. phr.(colloquial).—Very busy; in the thick of a piece of work.To die hard,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To sell one’s life dearly;e.g., Thedie-hards(q.v.), the 59th Regiment, so called from their gallantry at Albuera.To give hard for soft,verb. phr.(venery).—To copulate.SeeGreens.To be Hard Hit.SeeHard-hit.[Hard,adj., is used in many combinations; generally with an unpleasant intention. Thus,hard-arsed(orfisted, orhanded) = very niggardly;hard-bit(orhard-mouthful) = an unpleasant experience;hard-driven(orhard-run) = sore bested;hard-faced(orfavoured, orfeatured) = grum, shrewish, or bony;hard-headed(orhard-witted) = shrewd and intelligent, but unimaginative and unsympathetic;hard-hearted= incapable of pity;hard-lipped= obstinate, dour;hard-master= a nigger-driver;hard-nut= a dangerous antagonist;hard-on= pitiless in severity;hard-riding= selfish and reckless equestration;hard-service= the worst kind of employment;hard-wrought= overworked, etc., etc.]Hard-a-weather,adj.(nautical).—Tough; weather-proof.1891.W. C. Russell,Ocean Tragedy, p. 44. They werehard-a-weatherfellows.Hard-bake,subs.(schoolboys’).—A sweetmeat made of boiled brown sugar or treacle with blanched almonds.1825.Hone,Every-day Bk., I., 51.Hardbake, brandy-balls, and bull’s-eyes.1836.Dickens,Pickwick, ii. The commodities exposed for sale in the public streets are marine stores,hard-bake, apples, etc.Hard-baked,adj.(old).—1. Constipated.1823.Jon Bee,Dict. of Turf, s.v.2. (common).—Stern; unflinching; strong.1847.Robb,Squatter Life, p. 73. It’s my opinion, these squirtish kind a fellars ain’t perticularhard-baked.Hard-bargain(orCase),subs.(common).—1. A lazy fellow; abad-egg(q.v.); a skulker.One of the Queen’s Hard-bargains= a bad soldier.1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 71. La Bonté had lost all traces of civilised humanity, and might justly claim to be considered ashard a caseas any of the mountaineers then present.1888.Lynch, Mountain Mystery, ch. xliii. A fellow who comes and goes between here and Rockville, generally considered ahard case, and believed to be more outlaw than miner.2. (trade).—A defaulting debtor.3. (nautical).—A brutal mate or officer. Alsohard-horse.[269]Hard-bit(orBit of Hard),subs.(venery).—1. Thepenisin erection; whence (2), for women, the act of connection.Hard-bitten,adj.(colloquial).—Resolute;game(q.v.); desperate.1815.Scott,Guy Mannering, liii. My sooth, they’ll behard-bittenterriers will worrie Dandie.Hard-cheese,subs.(Royal Military Academy).—Hard lines; bad luck; specifically at billiards.Hard-cole.SeeHardandCole.Hard-doings,subs.(American).—1. Rough fare; and (2) hard work.1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 37.Hard doinswhen it comes to that.Hard-drinking,subs.(old: now recognized).—Drinking to excess.1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hard-drinking, excessive Soking, or toping aboundance.Hard-head,subs.(American).—A man of good parts, physical, intellectual, or moral.1824.R. B. Peake,Americans Abroad, i., 1.Dou.None of your flouting, by jumping jigs, I won’t stand it—we Americans have gothard heads—we warn’t brought up in the woods to be scart at by an owl—you can’t scare me so.1848.Durivage,Stray Subjects, p. 110. Most of the passengers had disappeared for the night, and only a knot ofhard-headswere left upon deck.Hard-hit.To be hard hit,verb.phr.(colloquial).—1. To have experienced a heavy loss; as over a race, at cards, etc.2. (colloquial).—To be deeply in love; completelygone on(q.v.).1888.J. McCarthyandMrs. Campbell-Praed,Ladies’ Gallery, ch. xxv. The wound was keen, I had beenhit hard.1891.M. E. Braddon,Gerard, p. 312. You’ve beenhard hit.Hard-lines,subs.(colloquial).—Hardship; difficulty; an unfortunate result or occurrence. [Formerlyline= lot:Cf., Bible and Prayer book version of Psalm xvi., 5, 6.]1855.Notes and Queries, 1 S. xii., p. 287.Hard Lines.Whence is this expression, so common, particularly among seafaring men, derived?1881.W. Black,Beautiful Wretch, ch. xxiii. I think it’s deucedhard linesto lock up a fellow for merely humbugging an old parson up in Kentish Town.1888.Sporting Life, 15 Dec. For the Kempton folks it was ratherhard lines.1888.J. McCarthyandMrs. Campbell-Praed,Ladies’ Gallery, ch. xxvi. It’s awfulhard lines, Lady Star Strange, that I am only thought good enough for you Londoners in the dead season.1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 3. I call it’ard lines, dear old man.
1892.HenleyandStevenson,Deacon Brodie, i., 7, p. 18. You always was a neathandwith the bones.A hand like a foot,phr.(common).—A large, coarse hand. Also a vulgar or uneducated handwriting.1738.Swift,Polite Conversation, i.Col.Whoe’er writ it witha hand like a foot.Ahand like a fist,phr.(gamesters’).—A hand full of trumps. Also (in derision) a hand there’s no playing.To take a hand with the outside music,verb. phr.(American).—Seequot.1892.J. L. Sullivan,A 19th Century Gladiator, iii. After thirty-seven rounds in fifty-five minutes, the umpires and seconds got into a fight, and Sullivan felt fresh enoughto take a hand in the outside music.To get a hand on,verb. phr.(tailors’).—To suspect; to be distrustful.To get one’s hand in,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To practise with a view to proficiency.To get one’s hand on it,verb. phr.(venery).—To grope a woman.To bear a hand,verb. phr.(old).—Seequot.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Bear a hand, make haste.To bring up by hand,verb. phr.(venery).—To procure erection manually.To bring down(oroff)by hand,verb. phr.(venery).—To masturbate. For synonyms,seeFrig.To stand one’s hand,verb. phr.(Australian).—ToTreat(q.v.); toStand Sam(q.v.).1892.Hume Nisbet,Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 58. I used to see her at some of the public-houses frequented by Mrs. Condon,standing her handliberally to all who happened to be in the bar, and therefore being made much of by the thirsty loafers whom she treated.To hand in one’s chips(orchecks).—SeeCash one’s Checks.To have(orget)the upper hand,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To have at an advantage; to get towindward(q.v.).1886.R. L. Stevenson,Kidnapped, p. 173. I was growing impatient to get back andhave the upper handof my uncle.To hand up,verb.(Winchester College).—To give information against; to betray.—Notions.Hands up!intj.(common).—An injunction to desist;stow it!(q.v.). Also (police) = a command to surrender.Bail up(q.v.).1888.J. Runciman,The Chequers, p. 120.Hands up!Jerry.[257][Amongst other colloquial usages ofHandare the following:—At hand= readily, hard by;at any hand(Shakspeare) = on any account;at no hand= on no account;for one’s own hand= for one’s own purpose or interest;from hand to hand= from one to another;in hand= in a state of preparation, under consideration, or control;off one’s hands= finished;on hand= in possession;in one’s hands= in one’s care;out of hand= completed, without hesitation;to one’s hand= ready;hand over head= negligently, rashly;hand to mouth= improvident;hands off!= stand off;heavy on hand= hard to manage;hot at hand= difficult to manage;light in hand= easy to manage;to ask(orgive)the hand of= to ask (or give) in marriage;to be hand and glove with= to be very intimate with;to bear a hand= to help;to bear in(oron)hand= to cheat or mock by false promises;to change hands= to change owners;to come to hand= to be received;to get hand= to gain influence;to give a hand= to applaud;to give the hand to= to be reconciled to;to have a hand in= to have a share in;to have one’s hands full= to be fully occupied;to hold hands with= to vie with, to hold one’s own;to lay hands on= to assault, to seize;to lend a hand= to help;to make a hand= to gain an advantage;to put(orstretch)forth the hand against= to use violence;to set the hand to= to undertake;to strike hands= to make a bargain;to take by the hand= to take under one’s guidance;to take in hand= to attempt;to wash one’s hands of= to disclaim responsibility;a heavy hand= severity;a light hand= gentleness;a slack hand= idleness, carelessness;a strict hand= severe discipline;clean hands= freedom from guilt;to stand one in hand= to concern, to be of importance to;hand to fist=tête-a-tête, hip to haunch;hand over hand= easily;to get a hand= to be applauded.]Hand-and-Pocket Shop,subs. phr.(old).—Seequot.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Hand-and-Pocket-Shop. An eating house, where ready money is paid for what is called for.Handbasket-portion,subs.(old).—Seequot.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Hand-basket-portion. A woman whose husband receives frequent presents from her father, or family, is said to have ahand-basket-portion.Handbinder(in. pl.),subs.(old).—Chains for the wrists. For synonyms,seeDarbies.1696.Ray,Nomenclator, Menotes, liens à lier les mains, fers à enferrer les mains. Manicls, orhandbinders.Hander,subs.(schoolboys’).—A stroke on the hand with a cane;a palmie(q.v.).1868.Jas. Greenwood,Purgatory of Peter the Cruel, v., 149. You’ve been playing the wag, and you’ve got to take yourhanders.Handicap,subs.(colloquial).—An arrangement in racing, etc., by which every competitor is, or is supposed to be, brought on an equality so far as regards his chance of winning by an adjustment of the weights to be carried, the distance to be run, etc.: extra weight or distance being imposed in proportion to their supposed merits on those held better than the others. [A handicap is framed in accordance with the known performances of the competitors, and, in horse-racing, with regard to the age and sex of the entries. The term is derived from the old game ofhand-in-cap, or handicap.]1660.Pepys,Diary, 18 Sep. Here some of us fell tohandycapp, a sport that I never knew before.1883.Hawley Smart,Hard Linesxxi. The race carried so many penalties and allowances that it partook somewhat of the nature of ahandicap.Verb(colloquial). 1. To adjust or proportion weights, starts, etc., in order to bring a number of competitors as nearly as possible to an equality.[258]1841.Lever,Charles O’Malley, ch. lxviii. Pleasant and cheerful enough, when they’rehandicappingthe coat off your back, and your new tilbury for a spavined pony and a cotton umbrella; but regular devils if you come to cross them the least in life.2. To make even or level; to equalise between.3. To embarrass, burden, hinder, or impede in any way.1883.Grenville-Murray,People I Have Met, 123. He was nothandicappedby a title, so that the beautiful ethics of hereditary legislation had no claim on his attention.Handie-Dandie,subs. phr.(old).—Copulation.1490–1554.David Lyndsay,Kitty’s Confessioun[Laing], i., 136. Ane plack I will gar Sandie, Gie the agane withHandie-Dandie.Handle,subs.(common).—1. The nose. For synonyms,seeConk.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum. The cove flashes a rarehandleto his physog; the fellow has a large nose.1887.Modern Society, 27 Aug., 864. A restless, intriguing, and busy old lady, with an immensehandleto her face.2. (colloquial).—A title. Fr.,une queue, asMonsieur Sans-queue= Mr. Nobody.1855.Thackeray,Newcomes, xxiii. She … entertained us with stories of colonial governors and their ladies, mentioning no persons but those who hadhandlesto their names, as the phrase is.1857.Ducange Anglicus,Vulg. Tongue.Handle,n.Title. Oh, you want ahandleto your name.1871.London Figaro, 17 June, ‘The plaint of a poor Parson.’ Neither he nor his clerical neighbours—unless they belong to county families, or havehandlesto their names—have ever been invited by the Dean to partake of the hospitalities of the Deanery.1886.J. S. Winter,Army Society, ch. ii. That’s the worst of having ahandleto one’s name.1891.Licensed Vict. Gaz., 16 Jan. Here’s the Honourable Tom Jones, and Lord Smith, and Viscount Brown—that’s them, with thehandlesknocked off their names.1892.HenleyandStevenson,Deacon Brodie, i., 2. He was aye ettling after a bithandleto his name.3. (colloquial).—Occasion; opportunity; means.1753–77.Melmoth,Cicero, bk. ii., let. 17 (note 5). The defence of Vatinius gave a plausiblehandlefor some censure upon Cicero.Verb(cardsharpers’).—1. To conceal cards in the palm of the hand, or up the sleeves;to palm(q.v.).2. (colloquial).—To use; to make use of; to manage.1606.Chapman,Gentleman Usher, iii., 5. Now let the sport begin: I think my love willhandlehim as well as I have done.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Handle. To know how tohandleone’s fists; to be skilful in the art of boxing.1836.Dickens,Pickwick, ii., 7. Smart chap that cabman—handledhis fives well.1892.HenleyandStevenson,Admiral Guinea, ii., 5. Commander, youhandledhim like a babby, kept the weather gauge, and hulled him every shot.To handle the ribbons,verb. phr.(common).—To drive.1857.Moncrieff,Bashful Man, ii. 4. Shouldn’t have any objection in life, squire, to let youhandle the ribandsfor a stage or two, but four-in-hand, you know, requires——.1872.Evening Standard, 10 Aug. The Princess of Wales is expected, and her Royal Highness has several times during the week driven through the town in an open phaeton, drawn by four beautiful ponies, and she appearsto handle the ribbonsin a very skilful manner.1891.N. Gould,Double Event, p. 198. It was agreed Marston shouldhandle the ribbons.[259]1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 32. He’andled the ribbingsto rights.To fly off the handle.SeeFly, to which add the following earlier quot.1825.Neal,Brother Jonathan, bk. I., ch. iv. Mostoff the handle, some o’ the tribe, I guess.Hand-me-downs(orHand-’em-downs),subs.(common).—Second-hand clothes.Hand-me-down-shop, orNever-too-late-to-mend-shop= a repairing tailors’.Fr.,un decrochez-moi-ça.1878.Notes and Queries, 5, s. ix., 6 Apr., p. 263.Hand-’em-down—A second-hand garment (Northamptonshire).1888.New York World, 5 Mar. Russell Sage, it is said, walked into a Broadway clothing store the other day and tried on and purchased a twelve-dollar suit ofhand-me-downs.1889.Sporting Times, 29 June. Trousers which fit him nowhere in particular, and which all over proclaim themselves entitled to the epithet ofhand-me-downs.English Synonyms.—Reach-me-downs; translations; wall-flowers.French Synonyms.—La musique(popular);la mise-bas(servants’: especially ‘perks’).Hand-out,subs.(American).—Food to a tramp at the door.1887.Morley Roberts,The Western Avernus. Some of the boys said it was a regularhand-out, and that we looked like a crowd of old bummers.Handpiece,subs.(American).—A handkerchief. For synonyms,seeWipe.1852.Bristed,Upper Ten Thousand, p. 67. Then … he tied his whitehand-piecesto an opening made for the purpose on one side of the dashboard.Handsaw,subs.(common).—A street vendor of knives and razors; an itinerantChive-fencer(q.v.).Handsome,adj.andadv.(colloquial, and formerly literary).—Sharp, severe; convenient, fit; neat, graceful; dextrous, skilful, ready; ample, generous, liberal; manageable; in good or proper style; and (in America) grand or beautiful.1553.Wilson,Arte of Rhetorique, p. 3. Phauorinus the Philosopher did hit a yong man ouer the thumbes veryhandsomely.1553–99.Spenser,Wks.For a thief it is sohandsome, As it may seem it was first invented by him.1590.Goldynge,Cæsar, p. 220. They had not sohandsomehorses.1593.Shakspeare,Titus Andronicus, ii., 3. If we miss to meet himhandsomely.1600.P. Holland,Livy, p. 255. A light footman’s shield he takes with him, and a Spanish blade by his side, morehandsometo fight short and close.1604.Shakspeare,Winter’s Tale, iv., 3. His garments are rich, but he wears them nothandsomely.1614.Raleigh,History of the World, Bk. III., ch. viii., § 6. Playing their gameshandsomelyagainst so nimble a wit.1672–1719.Addison,Wks.An alms-house, which I intend to endow veryhandsomely.1778–79.V. Knox,Essays, 102. Ahandsomesum of money.1798.Lodge,Illust. Brit. Hist., i., 178. He is very desyrus to serve your Grace, and seymes to me to be a veryhandsomeman.1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 8. He turned on his backhandsome.To do the handsome(orthe handsome thing),verb. phr.(common).—To behave extremely well; to be ‘civil.’[260]1887.Manville Fenn,This Man’s Wife, ii., 15. Sir Gordon’s readyto do the handsome thing.Handsome is that handsome does,phr.(colloquial).—‘Actions, not words, are the test of merit’; also ironically of ill-favoured persons.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum.Handsome is that handsome does: a proverb frequently cited by ugly women.Handsome-bodied in the face,adv. phr.(old).—Seequot.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Handsome Bodied Man in the Face, ajeeringcommendation of an ugly fellow.Handsome as a last year’s corpse,adv. phr.(American).—A sarcastic compliment.Handsomely!intj.(nautical).—Gently! A cry to signify smartly, but carefully. AlsoHandsomely over the bricks= Go cautiously.Handsome-reward,subs. phr.(old).—Seequot.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum.Handsome-reward.This, in advertisements, means a horse-whipping.Handsprings.To chuck handsprings,verb.phr.(common).—To turn somersaults.Handstaff,subs.(venery).—Thepenis. For synonyms,seeCreamstickandPrick. [From that member of the flail which is held in the hands].Handy.Handy as a pocket in a shirt,phr.(American).—Very convenient.Handy-blows, (or cuffs),subs.(old).—Cuffs with the hand; fisticuffs; hence close quarters.1603.Knolles,Hist. of the Turkes. If ever they came tohandy-blows.1690. B. E.,Cant. Crew, s.v.Handy Blows, Fistycuffs.1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.Handy-man,subs.(colloquial).—A servant or workman doing odd jobs.1847.De Quincey,The Spanish Military Nun,Wks.(1890), xiii., 165. She was ahandy girl. She could turn her hand to anything.1872.Times, 27 Aug. ‘Autumn Manœuvres.’ The result is he cannot be called ahandy-man.1889.Pall Mall Gaz., 8 Nov., p. 2, c. 1. Again did Mr. Sambourne’shandy-manappear, this time clad in the real robes of the Lord Mayor.1892.Hume Nisbet,Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 55. He was ahandy-man.Hang,subs.(colloquial).—1. The general drift, tendency, or bent: as into get the hang of= to get conversant with; to acquire the trick, or knack, or knowledge of.1847.Darley,Drama in Pokerville, p. 67. The theatre was cleared in an instant … all running toget the hang ofthe scrape.1848.Jones,Sketches of Travel, p. 70. By this time I began togit the hang ofthe place a little better.1851.Hooper,Widow Rugby’s Husband, etc., p. 64. To be efficient a solicitor mustget the hang ofhis customers.a.1871.Prime,Hist. of Long Island, p. 82. If ever you must have an indifferent teacher for your children, let it be after they have got a fair start and haveacquired the hang ofthe tools for themselves.1884.Milliken,Punch, 11 Oct. They ain’tgot the ’ang ofit, Charlie,the toffs ain’t.1890.Daily Chronicle, 4 Apr., p. 7 c. 2. When the Raw Cadet enters Woolwich Academy, it is sometime before hegetswhat some callthe hang ofthe place.[261]1892.Illustrated Bits, Oct. 22, p. 6. c. 2. When Iget the hang ofthem I shall be a regular dab at theosophy.2. (colloquial).—A little bit; a bit; aDamn.SeeCare. Fr.,s’en contreficherors’en tamponner le coquard(orcoquillard).1861.H. Kingsley,Ravenshoe, ch. xliii. She looks as well as you by candle-light, but she can’t ride ahang.Verb(generallyHang it!).—An exclamation of vexation, disgust, or disappointment; also, more forcibly, a euphemism forDamn it!Fr.,Ah! mince alors.1598.Shakspeare,2 Henry IV., ii., 4. He a good wit?hang him, baboon!1609.Jonson,Epicœne, ii., 2. A mere talking mole,hang him.1614.Jonson,Bartholomew Fair, v. 3. Ay, andbe hanged.1694.Dunton,Ladies’ Dict., p. 229. Aristænetus telling a brisk buxom Lass of a proper fine Man that would make her a good Husband,Hang him[reply’d she] he has no Mony.1772.Coles,Eng.-Lat. Dict., s.v. Hanged.Go and be hanged.1780.Mrs. Cowley,Belle’s Stratagem, iv., 1.HangHarriet, and Charlotte, and Maria! the name your father gave ye?1823.W. T. Moncrieff,Tom and Jerry, ii., 5.Hangcards! bring me a bobstick of rum slim.1836.M. Scott,Cruise of the Midge, p. 169. ‘Yoube hanged, Felix,’ quoth his ally, with a most quizzical grin.1863.Ch. Reade,Hard Cash, ii., 218.Hangthe grub; it turns my stomach.1883.R. L. Stevenson,Treasure Island, p. 161. You cango hang!1889.Sporting Times, 6 July.Hebrew Scholar: Rub up your Hebrew. Orgo and hangyourself.1890.Grant Allen,Tents of Shem, ch. xvii.Hang it all, if that’s English law, you know, I don’t thing very much of the wisdom of our ancestors.1891.N. Gould,Double Event, p. 164.Hang it all.1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 7. But’ang it, I can’t stand the style of the silent and the stare-me-down sort.1892.F. Anstey,Voces Populi, ‘On the Ice,’ p. 122. Stick by me, old fellow, till I begin to feel my——Oh,hang it all!To hang an arse,verb. phr.(old).—To hang back; to hesitate.1598.Marston,Satyres, ‘Ad Rythmum.’ But if youhang an arselike Tubered, When Chremes dragged him from his brothel bed.1637.Massinger,Guardian, v, 5.Nay, nohanging an arse.1639–61.Rump Songs, ii., 86. Nay, if ithang an arse; We’ll pluck it from the stares, And roast it at hell for its grease.1748.Smollett,Roderick Random, ch. lxv. My lads, I’m told youhang an arse.1780.Tomlinson,Slang Pastoral, 2. Myarse hangsbehind me as heavy as lead.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.To hang in,verb. phr.(common).—To get to work; to do one’s best; towire in(q.v.).To hang in the bellropes,verb. phr.(common).—To defer marriage after being ‘asked’ in church.To hang on by one’s eyelashes,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To persist at any cost, and in the teeth of any discouragement.To hang on by the splash-board,verb. phr.(common).—To ‘catch’ a tram, omnibus, etc., when it is on the move; hence to succeed by the ‘skin of one’s teeth.’ Fr.,arcpincer l’omnibus.To hang around(orabout),verb. phr.(American).—To loiter; to loaf; to haunt.[262]To hang out,verb(common).—To live; to reside. Also (subs.), a residence; a lodging; and (American university) a feast; an entertainment.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Hang out.The traps scavey where wehang out; the officers know where we live.1836.Dickens,Pickwick, ch. xxx. ‘I say, old boy, where do youhang out?’ Mr. Pickwick replied that he was at present suspended at the George and Vulture.1852.Bristed,Five Years in an English University, p. 80. The fourth of July I celebrated by ahang-out.1871.City Press, 21 Jan. ‘Curiosities of Street Literature.’ Hehangs outin Monmouth-court.1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 14. I should like to go in for blue blood, and’ang outnear the clubs and the parks.To hang out a shingle,verb. phr.(American).—To start or carry on business.1871.Public Opinion, Dec. Tom Stowellhung out his shingleas a lawyer at the Tombs, afterwards at Essex-market, and eventually in Brooklyn.To hang one’s latchpan,verb. phr.(common).—To be dejected; to pout. Fr.,faire son aquilin.To hang it out,verb. phr.(common).—To skulk;to mike(q.v.).To hang up,verb. phr.(common).—1. To give credit; to score (or chalk) up: said of a reckoning. Also ‘to put on the slate’ or (American)on the ice(q.v.).1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.Hang-it-up, speaking of the Reckoning at a Bowsing-Ken, when the Rogues are obliged, for want of Money, to run on Tick.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.2. (American).—To bear in mind; to remember.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hang it up.Think of it, remember it.3. (American).—To pawn, For synonyms,seePop.4. (thieves’).—To rob with violence on the street;to hold up(q.v.). Fr.,la faire au père François.5. (common).—To bein extremis; to know not which way to turn for relief:e.g.,a man hanging= one to whom any change must be for the better.6. (colloquial).—To postpone; to leave undecided.1887.Cornhill Magazine, June, p. 624.To hang up a billis to pass it through one or more of its stages, and then to lay it aside, and defer its further consideration for a more or less indefinite period.To hang on,verb. phr.(colloquial).—(1) To sponge; and (2) to pursue an individual or a design.1601.Shakspeare,Henry VIII., iii., 2. Oh, how wretched Is that poor man thathangs onprinces’ favours!To hang off,verb. phr.(printers’).—To fight shy of.To hang up one’s fiddle,verb. phr.(American).—To retire; to desist.To hang up one’s fiddle anywhere= To adapt oneself to circumstances.To hang up one’s hat,verb. phr.(common).—1. To die. For synonyms,seeAloft.1854.Notes and Queries, Vol. X., p. 203. He hashung up his hat. This sentence, which is sometimes used in reference to persons deceased, etc.1882.Punch, lxxxii., 185, c. 1.2. (common).—To make oneself permanently at home.[263]Hang-bluff,subs.(rhyming).—Snuff.1857.Ducange Anglicus,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hang-by,subs.(old).—A hanger-on; a parasite; a companion.1598.Jonson,Every Man in his Humour, iv., 2. I am not afraid of you nor them neither, youhang-byeshere.Hang-dog,subs.(old).—A pitiful rascal, only fit for the rope or the hanging of superfluous curs.Cf.,Gallows-bird.1732.Fielding,Mock Doctor, i., 4. Heaven has inspired me with one of the most wonderful inventions to be revenged on myhang-dog.Adj.(old).—Vile, or suspicious, in aspect;gallows-looking(q.v.).Hang-gallows,adj.(old).—Seequot.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hang-gallowsLook, a thievish, or villainous appearance.Hanger,subs.(old).—A side-arm—short sword or cutlass—hanging from the girdle. (SeeHangers,in. pl., sense 1.)1815.Scott,Guy Mannering, x. Acouteau dechasse, or shorthanger.In. pl.(old).—1. Ornamental loops from the girdle to suspend the sword and dagger.1596.Shakspeare,Hamlet, v. 2. Six French rapiers and poignards, with their assigns, as girdle,hangers, and so on.1596.Nashe,Unf. Trav.[Chiswick Press, 1891]. Hugehangersthat have half a cowhide in them.1599.Jonson,Every Man out of his Humour, iv., 4. I had thrown off thehangersa little before.1610.Jonson,Alchemist, v., 2. Where be the French petticoats, And girdles andhangers?2. (common).—Gloves; specifically gloves in the hand.3.SeePothooks.Hang-in-chains,subs. phr.(old).—Seequots.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hang-in-chains, a vile desperate fellow.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum,Hang-in-chains.A vile, desperate fellow. Persons guilty of murder, or other atrocious crimes, are frequently, after execution, hanged on a gibbet, to which they are fastened by iron bandages; the gibbet is commonly placed on or near the place where the crime was committed.Hanging,adj.(colloquial).—Fit for the halter.Hanging-bee,subs.(American).—A gathering of lynch-lawmongers, bent on the application of the rope.SeeBee.Hanging Johnny,subs. phr.(venery).—Thepenis: specifically, in a condition of impotence or disease. For synonyms,seeCreamstickandPrick.Hangman,subs.(old).—A jocular endearment.1600.Shakspeare,Much Ado About Nothing, iii., 2. He had twice or thrice cut Cupid’s bowstring, and the littlehangmandare not shoot at him.Hangman’s-day,subs.(old).—Monday, and (in America) Friday.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hangman’s day.Friday is so called from the custom of hanging people on a Friday.Hangman’s-wages,subs.(old).—Thirteen-pence-halfpenny. [The fee for an execution was a Scots[264]mark: the value of which piece was settled, by a proclamation of James I., at 13½d.]1602.Decker,Honest Whore, Pt. II., inWks.(1873) ii., 171. Why should I eate hempe-seed at thehangman’s thirteene-pence halfe-pennyordinary?1659.Hangman’s Last Will(Rump Song quoted inNotes and Queries, 2 S. xi., 316). For halfthirteen-pence half-penny wages, I would have cleared out all the town cages, And you should have been rid of all the sages. I and my gallows groan.1678.Butler,Hudibras, Pt. III., c. 2. To find us pillories and cart’s-tails, Orhangman’s wages.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hangman’s wages, thirteenpence half-penny, which according to the vulgar tradition was thus allotted, one shilling for the execution, and three halfpence for the rope.Hang-slang about,verb. phr.(common).—To abuse;to slang(q.v.);to Billingsgate(q.v.).Hank,subs.(old colloquial).—1. A tie; a hold; an advantage; a difficulty. [In a hank= in trouble].1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. He has ahankupon him, or the Ascendant over him.1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v. He has ahankupon him; He … will make him do what he pleases.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v. He has ahankon him,i.e., an ascendant over him, or a hold upon him: ASmithfield hank= An ox rendered furious by over driving and barbarous treatment.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hank.To know something about a man that is disreputable. He has ahankon the bloke, whereby he sucks honey when he chooses, he knows something about the man, and therefore induces him to give him money when he chooses.2. (common).—A spell of rest; an easy time.1888.Sporting Life, 7 Dec. So quiet was the first round that the ire of the company was raised, and they called out, ‘Nohank!’Verb(common).—To worry; to bait; to drive from pillar to post.Hanker,verb(old: now recognised).—To desire eagerly; to fret after; to long or pine for: generally with ‘after.’ Also,Hankering(subs.) = an importunate and irritating longing.1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hanker after, to Long or wish much for.1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.To hanker afteranything, to have a longing after or for it.1847.Robb,Squatter Life, p. 98. I did see a creatur’ once, named Sofy Mason … that I tuk an orfulhankerin’ arter.1878.Whitman,Leaves of Grass, ‘Spontaneous Me,’ 90 (ed. 1884). The hairy wild-bee that murmurs andhankersup and down.Hankin,subs.(commercial).—The trick of putting off bad work for good. [Cf.,To play hankey, orTo play hanky-panky.]Hanktelo,subs.(old).—Seequots.1593.Nashe,Strange Newes(Grosart,Wks., ii., 251). Is theAstrologicaallDiscourse a better booke than Pierce Pennilesse? GabrielHangtelowsaies it is?1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hanktelo, a silly Fellow, a meer Cods-head.1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hanky-Panky,subs.(common).—(1) Legerdemain; whence (2) trickery;underhand(q.v.) work; cheating; any manner of[265]double-dealing or intrigue.Hanky-panky business= conjuring;hanky-panky work(ortricks) = double-dealing. Abit of hanky-panky= a trick; a piece of knavery.1841.Punch, Vol. I., p. 88. Only a littlehanky-panky.1880.G. R. Sims,Zeph, ch. xiii. He knew that … any crime committed on his premises would tell against him on licensing day, and he kept a pretty sharp look out to see that what he was pleased to termhanky pankywas not carried on under his nose.1864.E. Yates,Broken to Harness, ch. xxxviii. If there was anyhanky panky, any mystery I mean, he’d always swear he was out whenever he called, for fear it should be bullied out of him.1877.Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. v., p. 323.——There’s somehanky pankybusiness going on among the men of No. 2 prison; the Catholic side is ringing changes and it is done in this shop.Hanky-panky-bloke,subs. phr.(theatrical).—A conjuror; apile of mags(q.v.).Hanky-Spanky,adj.(common).—Dashing;nobby(q.v.). Specifically of well-cut clothes.Hannah.That’s the man as married Hannah,phr.(streets’).—‘That’s the thing’: used of a thing well begun and well ended; or as an expressive of certainty. Varied sometimes bythat’s what’s the matter with Hannah.Hans Carvel’s Ring,subs. phr.(venery).—The femalepudendum. For synonyms,seeMonosyllable. [From Poggio (tit.Annulus);Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles(xi.); Ariosto (Sat.v.); theNouvelleof Malespini (89, ii.); Rabelais (Pantagruel, iii., 28); and Matthew Prior.]Hansel(orHandsel),subs.(common).—The first money taken in the morning; lucky money. Hence, earnest money; first-fruits, &c.Hansel-Monday= the first Monday in the new year, when presents were received by children and servants. [A. S.,handselen= to deliver into the hand.]1587.Greene,Menaphon(Arber), p. 71. He should like inough haue had firsthandsellof our new Shepheards sheepehooke.1614.Jonson,Bartholomew Fair, ii. Bring him a sixpenny bottle of ale: They say a fool’shandselis lucky.1679.Holland,Ammianus Marcellinus. With which wofull tidings being sore astonied, as if it were the firsthanselland beginning of evils comming toward him.1787.Grose,Prov. Glossary, etc. (1811), p. 121. It is a common practice among the lower class of hucksters, pedlars, or dealers in fruit or fish, on receiving the price of the first goods sold that day, which they callhansel, to spit on the money, as they term it, for good luck.1815.Scott,Guy Mannering, ch.iii. There was a whin bonnie lasses there, forbye mysel’, and deil ane to gie themhansels.Ibid., ch. xxxii. Grizzy has naething frae me, by twa pair o’ new shoon ilka year, and maybe a bit compliment atHansel Monanday.1821.Scott,Kenilworth, ch. xix. ‘How wears the Hollands you won of me?’‘Why, well, as you may see, Master Goldthred,’ answered Mike; ‘I will bestow a pot on thee for thehandsel.’Verb(common).—1. To give handsel to; also (2), to use for the first time.1599.Nashe,Lenten Stuffe, inWks., v., 249. And gather about him as flocking tohansellhim and strike him good luck.1605.Chapman, etc.,Eastward Hoe, ii. My lady … is so ravished with desire tohansellher new coach.1639–61.Rump Songs, i. [1662], 137. Belike he meant toHansellhis New Satten.[266]1663.Pepys,Diary, 12 Apr. Coming home to-night, a drunken boy was carrying by our constable to our new pair of stocks tohandselthem.1874. [G. A. Lawrence],Hagarene, ch. xvii. The habit of stout blue cloth … was Pete Harradine’s last and crowning extravagance, as they passed through town on their way to Fulmerstone, and it had never beenhanselledyet.1881.BesantandRice,Sweet Nelly, inTen Years’ Tenant, etc., Vol. I., p. 200. I wanted to present her with something tohanselfriendship.Hanseller,subs.(common).—A street vendor; a Cheap Jack.1851–61.H. Mayhew,Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, i., 392. The sellers of tins, who carry them under their arms, or in any way on a round, apart from the use of a vehicle, are known ashand-sellers.1876.Hindley,Adventures of a Cheap Jack, p. 10. Cheap-Jacks, as they were then as now called by the people, although the termhan’-selleris mostly used by themselves.Hans-en-Kelder,subs.(old).—A child in the womb: literally,Jack-in-the-Cellar(q.v.). [From the Dutch.]1647.Cleaveland,Character of a London Diurnall. The originall sinner in this kind was Dutch; Galliobelgicus, the Protoplast; and the moderne Mercuries, buthans-en-kelders. The countesse of Zealand was brought to bed of an almanack; as many children as dayes in the yeare.1648.Mercurius Pragmaticus, i. The birthday of that precious new government which is yet but aHans-en-kelder.d.1658.Lovelace,Poems, p. 63. Next beg I to present my duty To pregnant sister in prime beauty, Whom [who] well I deem (ere few months elder) Will take outHans fromprettykelder.1663.Dryden,Wild Gallant, v.,Wks., i. 61 (1701). Seems you are desirous I should Father thisHans en Kelderheere.1672.Marvell,Char. of Holland, line 65. More pregnant then their Marg’ret, that laid down ForHans-in-Kelderof a whole Hanse town.1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hans-en-Kelder, Jack in the Box, the Child in the Womb, or a Health to it.1672.Wycherley,Love in a Wood, v. Then I am as it were a grandfather to your new Wiffe’s,hans en kelder.1678.T. Baker,Tunbridge Wells, p. 27. Here’s a health to this Lady’sHans in Kelder!1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hans in Kelder, a health frequently drank to breeding women, or their husbands.Hansom,subs.(coster).—A chop.Hap-Harlot,subs.(old).—A coarse stuff to make rugs or coverlets with; a rug.Cf.,Wrap-rascal= an overcoat.1577–87.Holinshed,Description of England, bk. ii., ch. xii. A sheet vnder couerlets made of dagswain, orhap-harlots(I vse their owne termes).Ha’porth o’ Coppers,subs. phr.(legal).—Habeas Corpus.Ha’porth of Liveliness,subs. phr.(Coster).—1. Music.1851–61.H. Mayhew,Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, i., p. 21. Or they will call to the orchestra, saying, ‘Now then you catgut-scrapers! Let’s have aha’porth of liveliness.’2. (common).—A loitering Lawrence; aslowcoach(q.v.).Happify,verb. (American).—To please.1612.Sylvester,Lach. Lach., 642. One short mishap for everhappifies.1848.Burton,Waggeries, etc., p. 70. For eatin’ and drinkin’, ithappifiesme to say that we bang the bush.Happy,adj.(common).—Slightly drunk;elevated(q.v.). For synonyms,seeDrinksandScrewed.[267]Happy-despatch,subs.(common).—Death, specifically, a sudden or violent end.Happy-dosser.SeeDosser.Happy Eliza,subs.(common).—A female Salvationist [As in theBroadside Ballad(1887–8), ‘They call me Happy Eliza, and I’m Converted Jane: We’ve been two hot’uns in our time.’]Happy-family,subs.(colloquial).—Seequot.1851–61.H. Mayhew,Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, iii., p. 224.Happy families, or assemblages of animals of diverse habits and propensities living amicably, or at least quietly, in one cage.Happy-go-lucky,subs.(colloquial).—Careless; thoughtless; improvident. Fr.,va comme je te pousseandà la flan.1856.Reade,Never Too Late to Mend, ch. xv. In thehappy-go-luckyway of his class.1883.Illust. London News, 8 Dec., p. 551, c. 1. He dashes off a play in ahappy-go-luckystyle, basing it on theatrical precedent so far as certain stock situations are concerned.Happy Hunting-grounds,subs.(American).—1. The future state;glory(q.v.). [From the North-American Indian’s conception of heaven.]1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 98. After a long journey, they will reach thehappy hunting-grounds.1891.Gunter,Miss Nobody of Nowhere, ch. v. Old Mescal is now keeping a sharp eye out for the child and the cowboy, that he may send them to thehappy hunting-groundsalso.2. (colloquial).—A favourable place for work or play.1892.Cassell’s Sat. Journal, 26 Oct., p. 119. Thehappy hunting-groundof the swell mobsman is the opening of some Exhibition.3. (venery).—The femalepudendum. For synonyms,seeMonosyllable.Happy-land,subs.(common).—The after life;glory(q.v.).1893.Danvers,The Grantham Mystery, ch. xiii. The old ’un will soon join the young ’un in thehappy land.Happy-returns,subs.(Australian).—Vomiting.SeeFlay the Fox.Harbour,subs.(venery).—The femalepudendum. For synonyms,seeMonosyllable. AlsoHarbour of Hope.Hard,subs.(prison).—1. Hard labour.1890.Globe, 26 Feb., p. 1, c. 4. Monetary penalties, therefore, do not act as deterrents, but the certainty of seven days’ incarceration, with or withouthard, would soon diminish the nuisance.2.SeeHard-Shell.3. (colloquial).—Third-class. As opposed tosoft(q.v.). Thus: ‘Do you gohardorsoft?’ = ‘Do you go Third or First?’ An abbreviation ofHard-arse.Adj.(American).—1. Applied to metal of all kinds:e.g.,hard(coleorstuff) = silver or gold as compared to cheques orsoft(q.v.).1825.Neal,Bro. Jonathan, ii., ch. 18. The bill … amounted to one dollar and a quarterhard money.1844.Puck, p. 146. That cunning old file wont let her go with thehard cashdown.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hard; metal.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hard cole.Silver or gold money.1863.Charles Reade,Hard Cash. [Title.][268]2. (old: now recognised).—1. Sour or souring; as inhard-cider; (2)harddrinks (American) = intoxicating liquors, as wine, ale, etc., while lemonade, soda-water, ginger-beer, etc., aresoft.1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hard drink, that is very Stale, or begining to Sower.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hard, stale beer nearly sour, is said to behard.1882.Daily Telegraph, 10 Oct., p. 5, c. 3. A fourth defendant, in pleading guilty, urged that the month of August last ‘turned a lot of beer sour,’ and that he had only used some sugar for the purpose of mollifying thehardor sour porter.Hard as a Bone(Nails, etc.),adj. phr.(colloquial).—Very hard; austere; unyielding.1885.Indoor Paupers, p. 79. He stood it for a week or two without flinching—being at that datehard as nails, as he expresses it.Hard at it,adj. phr.(colloquial).—Very busy; in the thick of a piece of work.To die hard,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To sell one’s life dearly;e.g., Thedie-hards(q.v.), the 59th Regiment, so called from their gallantry at Albuera.To give hard for soft,verb. phr.(venery).—To copulate.SeeGreens.To be Hard Hit.SeeHard-hit.[Hard,adj., is used in many combinations; generally with an unpleasant intention. Thus,hard-arsed(orfisted, orhanded) = very niggardly;hard-bit(orhard-mouthful) = an unpleasant experience;hard-driven(orhard-run) = sore bested;hard-faced(orfavoured, orfeatured) = grum, shrewish, or bony;hard-headed(orhard-witted) = shrewd and intelligent, but unimaginative and unsympathetic;hard-hearted= incapable of pity;hard-lipped= obstinate, dour;hard-master= a nigger-driver;hard-nut= a dangerous antagonist;hard-on= pitiless in severity;hard-riding= selfish and reckless equestration;hard-service= the worst kind of employment;hard-wrought= overworked, etc., etc.]Hard-a-weather,adj.(nautical).—Tough; weather-proof.1891.W. C. Russell,Ocean Tragedy, p. 44. They werehard-a-weatherfellows.Hard-bake,subs.(schoolboys’).—A sweetmeat made of boiled brown sugar or treacle with blanched almonds.1825.Hone,Every-day Bk., I., 51.Hardbake, brandy-balls, and bull’s-eyes.1836.Dickens,Pickwick, ii. The commodities exposed for sale in the public streets are marine stores,hard-bake, apples, etc.Hard-baked,adj.(old).—1. Constipated.1823.Jon Bee,Dict. of Turf, s.v.2. (common).—Stern; unflinching; strong.1847.Robb,Squatter Life, p. 73. It’s my opinion, these squirtish kind a fellars ain’t perticularhard-baked.Hard-bargain(orCase),subs.(common).—1. A lazy fellow; abad-egg(q.v.); a skulker.One of the Queen’s Hard-bargains= a bad soldier.1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 71. La Bonté had lost all traces of civilised humanity, and might justly claim to be considered ashard a caseas any of the mountaineers then present.1888.Lynch, Mountain Mystery, ch. xliii. A fellow who comes and goes between here and Rockville, generally considered ahard case, and believed to be more outlaw than miner.2. (trade).—A defaulting debtor.3. (nautical).—A brutal mate or officer. Alsohard-horse.[269]Hard-bit(orBit of Hard),subs.(venery).—1. Thepenisin erection; whence (2), for women, the act of connection.Hard-bitten,adj.(colloquial).—Resolute;game(q.v.); desperate.1815.Scott,Guy Mannering, liii. My sooth, they’ll behard-bittenterriers will worrie Dandie.Hard-cheese,subs.(Royal Military Academy).—Hard lines; bad luck; specifically at billiards.Hard-cole.SeeHardandCole.Hard-doings,subs.(American).—1. Rough fare; and (2) hard work.1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 37.Hard doinswhen it comes to that.Hard-drinking,subs.(old: now recognized).—Drinking to excess.1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hard-drinking, excessive Soking, or toping aboundance.Hard-head,subs.(American).—A man of good parts, physical, intellectual, or moral.1824.R. B. Peake,Americans Abroad, i., 1.Dou.None of your flouting, by jumping jigs, I won’t stand it—we Americans have gothard heads—we warn’t brought up in the woods to be scart at by an owl—you can’t scare me so.1848.Durivage,Stray Subjects, p. 110. Most of the passengers had disappeared for the night, and only a knot ofhard-headswere left upon deck.Hard-hit.To be hard hit,verb.phr.(colloquial).—1. To have experienced a heavy loss; as over a race, at cards, etc.2. (colloquial).—To be deeply in love; completelygone on(q.v.).1888.J. McCarthyandMrs. Campbell-Praed,Ladies’ Gallery, ch. xxv. The wound was keen, I had beenhit hard.1891.M. E. Braddon,Gerard, p. 312. You’ve beenhard hit.Hard-lines,subs.(colloquial).—Hardship; difficulty; an unfortunate result or occurrence. [Formerlyline= lot:Cf., Bible and Prayer book version of Psalm xvi., 5, 6.]1855.Notes and Queries, 1 S. xii., p. 287.Hard Lines.Whence is this expression, so common, particularly among seafaring men, derived?1881.W. Black,Beautiful Wretch, ch. xxiii. I think it’s deucedhard linesto lock up a fellow for merely humbugging an old parson up in Kentish Town.1888.Sporting Life, 15 Dec. For the Kempton folks it was ratherhard lines.1888.J. McCarthyandMrs. Campbell-Praed,Ladies’ Gallery, ch. xxvi. It’s awfulhard lines, Lady Star Strange, that I am only thought good enough for you Londoners in the dead season.1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 3. I call it’ard lines, dear old man.
1892.HenleyandStevenson,Deacon Brodie, i., 7, p. 18. You always was a neathandwith the bones.A hand like a foot,phr.(common).—A large, coarse hand. Also a vulgar or uneducated handwriting.1738.Swift,Polite Conversation, i.Col.Whoe’er writ it witha hand like a foot.Ahand like a fist,phr.(gamesters’).—A hand full of trumps. Also (in derision) a hand there’s no playing.To take a hand with the outside music,verb. phr.(American).—Seequot.1892.J. L. Sullivan,A 19th Century Gladiator, iii. After thirty-seven rounds in fifty-five minutes, the umpires and seconds got into a fight, and Sullivan felt fresh enoughto take a hand in the outside music.To get a hand on,verb. phr.(tailors’).—To suspect; to be distrustful.To get one’s hand in,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To practise with a view to proficiency.To get one’s hand on it,verb. phr.(venery).—To grope a woman.To bear a hand,verb. phr.(old).—Seequot.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Bear a hand, make haste.To bring up by hand,verb. phr.(venery).—To procure erection manually.To bring down(oroff)by hand,verb. phr.(venery).—To masturbate. For synonyms,seeFrig.To stand one’s hand,verb. phr.(Australian).—ToTreat(q.v.); toStand Sam(q.v.).1892.Hume Nisbet,Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 58. I used to see her at some of the public-houses frequented by Mrs. Condon,standing her handliberally to all who happened to be in the bar, and therefore being made much of by the thirsty loafers whom she treated.To hand in one’s chips(orchecks).—SeeCash one’s Checks.To have(orget)the upper hand,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To have at an advantage; to get towindward(q.v.).1886.R. L. Stevenson,Kidnapped, p. 173. I was growing impatient to get back andhave the upper handof my uncle.To hand up,verb.(Winchester College).—To give information against; to betray.—Notions.Hands up!intj.(common).—An injunction to desist;stow it!(q.v.). Also (police) = a command to surrender.Bail up(q.v.).1888.J. Runciman,The Chequers, p. 120.Hands up!Jerry.[257][Amongst other colloquial usages ofHandare the following:—At hand= readily, hard by;at any hand(Shakspeare) = on any account;at no hand= on no account;for one’s own hand= for one’s own purpose or interest;from hand to hand= from one to another;in hand= in a state of preparation, under consideration, or control;off one’s hands= finished;on hand= in possession;in one’s hands= in one’s care;out of hand= completed, without hesitation;to one’s hand= ready;hand over head= negligently, rashly;hand to mouth= improvident;hands off!= stand off;heavy on hand= hard to manage;hot at hand= difficult to manage;light in hand= easy to manage;to ask(orgive)the hand of= to ask (or give) in marriage;to be hand and glove with= to be very intimate with;to bear a hand= to help;to bear in(oron)hand= to cheat or mock by false promises;to change hands= to change owners;to come to hand= to be received;to get hand= to gain influence;to give a hand= to applaud;to give the hand to= to be reconciled to;to have a hand in= to have a share in;to have one’s hands full= to be fully occupied;to hold hands with= to vie with, to hold one’s own;to lay hands on= to assault, to seize;to lend a hand= to help;to make a hand= to gain an advantage;to put(orstretch)forth the hand against= to use violence;to set the hand to= to undertake;to strike hands= to make a bargain;to take by the hand= to take under one’s guidance;to take in hand= to attempt;to wash one’s hands of= to disclaim responsibility;a heavy hand= severity;a light hand= gentleness;a slack hand= idleness, carelessness;a strict hand= severe discipline;clean hands= freedom from guilt;to stand one in hand= to concern, to be of importance to;hand to fist=tête-a-tête, hip to haunch;hand over hand= easily;to get a hand= to be applauded.]Hand-and-Pocket Shop,subs. phr.(old).—Seequot.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Hand-and-Pocket-Shop. An eating house, where ready money is paid for what is called for.Handbasket-portion,subs.(old).—Seequot.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Hand-basket-portion. A woman whose husband receives frequent presents from her father, or family, is said to have ahand-basket-portion.Handbinder(in. pl.),subs.(old).—Chains for the wrists. For synonyms,seeDarbies.1696.Ray,Nomenclator, Menotes, liens à lier les mains, fers à enferrer les mains. Manicls, orhandbinders.Hander,subs.(schoolboys’).—A stroke on the hand with a cane;a palmie(q.v.).1868.Jas. Greenwood,Purgatory of Peter the Cruel, v., 149. You’ve been playing the wag, and you’ve got to take yourhanders.Handicap,subs.(colloquial).—An arrangement in racing, etc., by which every competitor is, or is supposed to be, brought on an equality so far as regards his chance of winning by an adjustment of the weights to be carried, the distance to be run, etc.: extra weight or distance being imposed in proportion to their supposed merits on those held better than the others. [A handicap is framed in accordance with the known performances of the competitors, and, in horse-racing, with regard to the age and sex of the entries. The term is derived from the old game ofhand-in-cap, or handicap.]1660.Pepys,Diary, 18 Sep. Here some of us fell tohandycapp, a sport that I never knew before.1883.Hawley Smart,Hard Linesxxi. The race carried so many penalties and allowances that it partook somewhat of the nature of ahandicap.Verb(colloquial). 1. To adjust or proportion weights, starts, etc., in order to bring a number of competitors as nearly as possible to an equality.[258]1841.Lever,Charles O’Malley, ch. lxviii. Pleasant and cheerful enough, when they’rehandicappingthe coat off your back, and your new tilbury for a spavined pony and a cotton umbrella; but regular devils if you come to cross them the least in life.2. To make even or level; to equalise between.3. To embarrass, burden, hinder, or impede in any way.1883.Grenville-Murray,People I Have Met, 123. He was nothandicappedby a title, so that the beautiful ethics of hereditary legislation had no claim on his attention.Handie-Dandie,subs. phr.(old).—Copulation.1490–1554.David Lyndsay,Kitty’s Confessioun[Laing], i., 136. Ane plack I will gar Sandie, Gie the agane withHandie-Dandie.Handle,subs.(common).—1. The nose. For synonyms,seeConk.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum. The cove flashes a rarehandleto his physog; the fellow has a large nose.1887.Modern Society, 27 Aug., 864. A restless, intriguing, and busy old lady, with an immensehandleto her face.2. (colloquial).—A title. Fr.,une queue, asMonsieur Sans-queue= Mr. Nobody.1855.Thackeray,Newcomes, xxiii. She … entertained us with stories of colonial governors and their ladies, mentioning no persons but those who hadhandlesto their names, as the phrase is.1857.Ducange Anglicus,Vulg. Tongue.Handle,n.Title. Oh, you want ahandleto your name.1871.London Figaro, 17 June, ‘The plaint of a poor Parson.’ Neither he nor his clerical neighbours—unless they belong to county families, or havehandlesto their names—have ever been invited by the Dean to partake of the hospitalities of the Deanery.1886.J. S. Winter,Army Society, ch. ii. That’s the worst of having ahandleto one’s name.1891.Licensed Vict. Gaz., 16 Jan. Here’s the Honourable Tom Jones, and Lord Smith, and Viscount Brown—that’s them, with thehandlesknocked off their names.1892.HenleyandStevenson,Deacon Brodie, i., 2. He was aye ettling after a bithandleto his name.3. (colloquial).—Occasion; opportunity; means.1753–77.Melmoth,Cicero, bk. ii., let. 17 (note 5). The defence of Vatinius gave a plausiblehandlefor some censure upon Cicero.Verb(cardsharpers’).—1. To conceal cards in the palm of the hand, or up the sleeves;to palm(q.v.).2. (colloquial).—To use; to make use of; to manage.1606.Chapman,Gentleman Usher, iii., 5. Now let the sport begin: I think my love willhandlehim as well as I have done.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Handle. To know how tohandleone’s fists; to be skilful in the art of boxing.1836.Dickens,Pickwick, ii., 7. Smart chap that cabman—handledhis fives well.1892.HenleyandStevenson,Admiral Guinea, ii., 5. Commander, youhandledhim like a babby, kept the weather gauge, and hulled him every shot.To handle the ribbons,verb. phr.(common).—To drive.1857.Moncrieff,Bashful Man, ii. 4. Shouldn’t have any objection in life, squire, to let youhandle the ribandsfor a stage or two, but four-in-hand, you know, requires——.1872.Evening Standard, 10 Aug. The Princess of Wales is expected, and her Royal Highness has several times during the week driven through the town in an open phaeton, drawn by four beautiful ponies, and she appearsto handle the ribbonsin a very skilful manner.1891.N. Gould,Double Event, p. 198. It was agreed Marston shouldhandle the ribbons.[259]1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 32. He’andled the ribbingsto rights.To fly off the handle.SeeFly, to which add the following earlier quot.1825.Neal,Brother Jonathan, bk. I., ch. iv. Mostoff the handle, some o’ the tribe, I guess.Hand-me-downs(orHand-’em-downs),subs.(common).—Second-hand clothes.Hand-me-down-shop, orNever-too-late-to-mend-shop= a repairing tailors’.Fr.,un decrochez-moi-ça.1878.Notes and Queries, 5, s. ix., 6 Apr., p. 263.Hand-’em-down—A second-hand garment (Northamptonshire).1888.New York World, 5 Mar. Russell Sage, it is said, walked into a Broadway clothing store the other day and tried on and purchased a twelve-dollar suit ofhand-me-downs.1889.Sporting Times, 29 June. Trousers which fit him nowhere in particular, and which all over proclaim themselves entitled to the epithet ofhand-me-downs.English Synonyms.—Reach-me-downs; translations; wall-flowers.French Synonyms.—La musique(popular);la mise-bas(servants’: especially ‘perks’).Hand-out,subs.(American).—Food to a tramp at the door.1887.Morley Roberts,The Western Avernus. Some of the boys said it was a regularhand-out, and that we looked like a crowd of old bummers.Handpiece,subs.(American).—A handkerchief. For synonyms,seeWipe.1852.Bristed,Upper Ten Thousand, p. 67. Then … he tied his whitehand-piecesto an opening made for the purpose on one side of the dashboard.Handsaw,subs.(common).—A street vendor of knives and razors; an itinerantChive-fencer(q.v.).Handsome,adj.andadv.(colloquial, and formerly literary).—Sharp, severe; convenient, fit; neat, graceful; dextrous, skilful, ready; ample, generous, liberal; manageable; in good or proper style; and (in America) grand or beautiful.1553.Wilson,Arte of Rhetorique, p. 3. Phauorinus the Philosopher did hit a yong man ouer the thumbes veryhandsomely.1553–99.Spenser,Wks.For a thief it is sohandsome, As it may seem it was first invented by him.1590.Goldynge,Cæsar, p. 220. They had not sohandsomehorses.1593.Shakspeare,Titus Andronicus, ii., 3. If we miss to meet himhandsomely.1600.P. Holland,Livy, p. 255. A light footman’s shield he takes with him, and a Spanish blade by his side, morehandsometo fight short and close.1604.Shakspeare,Winter’s Tale, iv., 3. His garments are rich, but he wears them nothandsomely.1614.Raleigh,History of the World, Bk. III., ch. viii., § 6. Playing their gameshandsomelyagainst so nimble a wit.1672–1719.Addison,Wks.An alms-house, which I intend to endow veryhandsomely.1778–79.V. Knox,Essays, 102. Ahandsomesum of money.1798.Lodge,Illust. Brit. Hist., i., 178. He is very desyrus to serve your Grace, and seymes to me to be a veryhandsomeman.1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 8. He turned on his backhandsome.To do the handsome(orthe handsome thing),verb. phr.(common).—To behave extremely well; to be ‘civil.’[260]1887.Manville Fenn,This Man’s Wife, ii., 15. Sir Gordon’s readyto do the handsome thing.Handsome is that handsome does,phr.(colloquial).—‘Actions, not words, are the test of merit’; also ironically of ill-favoured persons.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum.Handsome is that handsome does: a proverb frequently cited by ugly women.Handsome-bodied in the face,adv. phr.(old).—Seequot.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Handsome Bodied Man in the Face, ajeeringcommendation of an ugly fellow.Handsome as a last year’s corpse,adv. phr.(American).—A sarcastic compliment.Handsomely!intj.(nautical).—Gently! A cry to signify smartly, but carefully. AlsoHandsomely over the bricks= Go cautiously.Handsome-reward,subs. phr.(old).—Seequot.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum.Handsome-reward.This, in advertisements, means a horse-whipping.Handsprings.To chuck handsprings,verb.phr.(common).—To turn somersaults.Handstaff,subs.(venery).—Thepenis. For synonyms,seeCreamstickandPrick. [From that member of the flail which is held in the hands].Handy.Handy as a pocket in a shirt,phr.(American).—Very convenient.Handy-blows, (or cuffs),subs.(old).—Cuffs with the hand; fisticuffs; hence close quarters.1603.Knolles,Hist. of the Turkes. If ever they came tohandy-blows.1690. B. E.,Cant. Crew, s.v.Handy Blows, Fistycuffs.1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.Handy-man,subs.(colloquial).—A servant or workman doing odd jobs.1847.De Quincey,The Spanish Military Nun,Wks.(1890), xiii., 165. She was ahandy girl. She could turn her hand to anything.1872.Times, 27 Aug. ‘Autumn Manœuvres.’ The result is he cannot be called ahandy-man.1889.Pall Mall Gaz., 8 Nov., p. 2, c. 1. Again did Mr. Sambourne’shandy-manappear, this time clad in the real robes of the Lord Mayor.1892.Hume Nisbet,Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 55. He was ahandy-man.Hang,subs.(colloquial).—1. The general drift, tendency, or bent: as into get the hang of= to get conversant with; to acquire the trick, or knack, or knowledge of.1847.Darley,Drama in Pokerville, p. 67. The theatre was cleared in an instant … all running toget the hang ofthe scrape.1848.Jones,Sketches of Travel, p. 70. By this time I began togit the hang ofthe place a little better.1851.Hooper,Widow Rugby’s Husband, etc., p. 64. To be efficient a solicitor mustget the hang ofhis customers.a.1871.Prime,Hist. of Long Island, p. 82. If ever you must have an indifferent teacher for your children, let it be after they have got a fair start and haveacquired the hang ofthe tools for themselves.1884.Milliken,Punch, 11 Oct. They ain’tgot the ’ang ofit, Charlie,the toffs ain’t.1890.Daily Chronicle, 4 Apr., p. 7 c. 2. When the Raw Cadet enters Woolwich Academy, it is sometime before hegetswhat some callthe hang ofthe place.[261]1892.Illustrated Bits, Oct. 22, p. 6. c. 2. When Iget the hang ofthem I shall be a regular dab at theosophy.2. (colloquial).—A little bit; a bit; aDamn.SeeCare. Fr.,s’en contreficherors’en tamponner le coquard(orcoquillard).1861.H. Kingsley,Ravenshoe, ch. xliii. She looks as well as you by candle-light, but she can’t ride ahang.Verb(generallyHang it!).—An exclamation of vexation, disgust, or disappointment; also, more forcibly, a euphemism forDamn it!Fr.,Ah! mince alors.1598.Shakspeare,2 Henry IV., ii., 4. He a good wit?hang him, baboon!1609.Jonson,Epicœne, ii., 2. A mere talking mole,hang him.1614.Jonson,Bartholomew Fair, v. 3. Ay, andbe hanged.1694.Dunton,Ladies’ Dict., p. 229. Aristænetus telling a brisk buxom Lass of a proper fine Man that would make her a good Husband,Hang him[reply’d she] he has no Mony.1772.Coles,Eng.-Lat. Dict., s.v. Hanged.Go and be hanged.1780.Mrs. Cowley,Belle’s Stratagem, iv., 1.HangHarriet, and Charlotte, and Maria! the name your father gave ye?1823.W. T. Moncrieff,Tom and Jerry, ii., 5.Hangcards! bring me a bobstick of rum slim.1836.M. Scott,Cruise of the Midge, p. 169. ‘Yoube hanged, Felix,’ quoth his ally, with a most quizzical grin.1863.Ch. Reade,Hard Cash, ii., 218.Hangthe grub; it turns my stomach.1883.R. L. Stevenson,Treasure Island, p. 161. You cango hang!1889.Sporting Times, 6 July.Hebrew Scholar: Rub up your Hebrew. Orgo and hangyourself.1890.Grant Allen,Tents of Shem, ch. xvii.Hang it all, if that’s English law, you know, I don’t thing very much of the wisdom of our ancestors.1891.N. Gould,Double Event, p. 164.Hang it all.1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 7. But’ang it, I can’t stand the style of the silent and the stare-me-down sort.1892.F. Anstey,Voces Populi, ‘On the Ice,’ p. 122. Stick by me, old fellow, till I begin to feel my——Oh,hang it all!To hang an arse,verb. phr.(old).—To hang back; to hesitate.1598.Marston,Satyres, ‘Ad Rythmum.’ But if youhang an arselike Tubered, When Chremes dragged him from his brothel bed.1637.Massinger,Guardian, v, 5.Nay, nohanging an arse.1639–61.Rump Songs, ii., 86. Nay, if ithang an arse; We’ll pluck it from the stares, And roast it at hell for its grease.1748.Smollett,Roderick Random, ch. lxv. My lads, I’m told youhang an arse.1780.Tomlinson,Slang Pastoral, 2. Myarse hangsbehind me as heavy as lead.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.To hang in,verb. phr.(common).—To get to work; to do one’s best; towire in(q.v.).To hang in the bellropes,verb. phr.(common).—To defer marriage after being ‘asked’ in church.To hang on by one’s eyelashes,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To persist at any cost, and in the teeth of any discouragement.To hang on by the splash-board,verb. phr.(common).—To ‘catch’ a tram, omnibus, etc., when it is on the move; hence to succeed by the ‘skin of one’s teeth.’ Fr.,arcpincer l’omnibus.To hang around(orabout),verb. phr.(American).—To loiter; to loaf; to haunt.[262]To hang out,verb(common).—To live; to reside. Also (subs.), a residence; a lodging; and (American university) a feast; an entertainment.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Hang out.The traps scavey where wehang out; the officers know where we live.1836.Dickens,Pickwick, ch. xxx. ‘I say, old boy, where do youhang out?’ Mr. Pickwick replied that he was at present suspended at the George and Vulture.1852.Bristed,Five Years in an English University, p. 80. The fourth of July I celebrated by ahang-out.1871.City Press, 21 Jan. ‘Curiosities of Street Literature.’ Hehangs outin Monmouth-court.1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 14. I should like to go in for blue blood, and’ang outnear the clubs and the parks.To hang out a shingle,verb. phr.(American).—To start or carry on business.1871.Public Opinion, Dec. Tom Stowellhung out his shingleas a lawyer at the Tombs, afterwards at Essex-market, and eventually in Brooklyn.To hang one’s latchpan,verb. phr.(common).—To be dejected; to pout. Fr.,faire son aquilin.To hang it out,verb. phr.(common).—To skulk;to mike(q.v.).To hang up,verb. phr.(common).—1. To give credit; to score (or chalk) up: said of a reckoning. Also ‘to put on the slate’ or (American)on the ice(q.v.).1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.Hang-it-up, speaking of the Reckoning at a Bowsing-Ken, when the Rogues are obliged, for want of Money, to run on Tick.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.2. (American).—To bear in mind; to remember.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hang it up.Think of it, remember it.3. (American).—To pawn, For synonyms,seePop.4. (thieves’).—To rob with violence on the street;to hold up(q.v.). Fr.,la faire au père François.5. (common).—To bein extremis; to know not which way to turn for relief:e.g.,a man hanging= one to whom any change must be for the better.6. (colloquial).—To postpone; to leave undecided.1887.Cornhill Magazine, June, p. 624.To hang up a billis to pass it through one or more of its stages, and then to lay it aside, and defer its further consideration for a more or less indefinite period.To hang on,verb. phr.(colloquial).—(1) To sponge; and (2) to pursue an individual or a design.1601.Shakspeare,Henry VIII., iii., 2. Oh, how wretched Is that poor man thathangs onprinces’ favours!To hang off,verb. phr.(printers’).—To fight shy of.To hang up one’s fiddle,verb. phr.(American).—To retire; to desist.To hang up one’s fiddle anywhere= To adapt oneself to circumstances.To hang up one’s hat,verb. phr.(common).—1. To die. For synonyms,seeAloft.1854.Notes and Queries, Vol. X., p. 203. He hashung up his hat. This sentence, which is sometimes used in reference to persons deceased, etc.1882.Punch, lxxxii., 185, c. 1.2. (common).—To make oneself permanently at home.[263]Hang-bluff,subs.(rhyming).—Snuff.1857.Ducange Anglicus,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hang-by,subs.(old).—A hanger-on; a parasite; a companion.1598.Jonson,Every Man in his Humour, iv., 2. I am not afraid of you nor them neither, youhang-byeshere.Hang-dog,subs.(old).—A pitiful rascal, only fit for the rope or the hanging of superfluous curs.Cf.,Gallows-bird.1732.Fielding,Mock Doctor, i., 4. Heaven has inspired me with one of the most wonderful inventions to be revenged on myhang-dog.Adj.(old).—Vile, or suspicious, in aspect;gallows-looking(q.v.).Hang-gallows,adj.(old).—Seequot.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hang-gallowsLook, a thievish, or villainous appearance.Hanger,subs.(old).—A side-arm—short sword or cutlass—hanging from the girdle. (SeeHangers,in. pl., sense 1.)1815.Scott,Guy Mannering, x. Acouteau dechasse, or shorthanger.In. pl.(old).—1. Ornamental loops from the girdle to suspend the sword and dagger.1596.Shakspeare,Hamlet, v. 2. Six French rapiers and poignards, with their assigns, as girdle,hangers, and so on.1596.Nashe,Unf. Trav.[Chiswick Press, 1891]. Hugehangersthat have half a cowhide in them.1599.Jonson,Every Man out of his Humour, iv., 4. I had thrown off thehangersa little before.1610.Jonson,Alchemist, v., 2. Where be the French petticoats, And girdles andhangers?2. (common).—Gloves; specifically gloves in the hand.3.SeePothooks.Hang-in-chains,subs. phr.(old).—Seequots.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hang-in-chains, a vile desperate fellow.1811.Lexicon Balatronicum,Hang-in-chains.A vile, desperate fellow. Persons guilty of murder, or other atrocious crimes, are frequently, after execution, hanged on a gibbet, to which they are fastened by iron bandages; the gibbet is commonly placed on or near the place where the crime was committed.Hanging,adj.(colloquial).—Fit for the halter.Hanging-bee,subs.(American).—A gathering of lynch-lawmongers, bent on the application of the rope.SeeBee.Hanging Johnny,subs. phr.(venery).—Thepenis: specifically, in a condition of impotence or disease. For synonyms,seeCreamstickandPrick.Hangman,subs.(old).—A jocular endearment.1600.Shakspeare,Much Ado About Nothing, iii., 2. He had twice or thrice cut Cupid’s bowstring, and the littlehangmandare not shoot at him.Hangman’s-day,subs.(old).—Monday, and (in America) Friday.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hangman’s day.Friday is so called from the custom of hanging people on a Friday.Hangman’s-wages,subs.(old).—Thirteen-pence-halfpenny. [The fee for an execution was a Scots[264]mark: the value of which piece was settled, by a proclamation of James I., at 13½d.]1602.Decker,Honest Whore, Pt. II., inWks.(1873) ii., 171. Why should I eate hempe-seed at thehangman’s thirteene-pence halfe-pennyordinary?1659.Hangman’s Last Will(Rump Song quoted inNotes and Queries, 2 S. xi., 316). For halfthirteen-pence half-penny wages, I would have cleared out all the town cages, And you should have been rid of all the sages. I and my gallows groan.1678.Butler,Hudibras, Pt. III., c. 2. To find us pillories and cart’s-tails, Orhangman’s wages.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hangman’s wages, thirteenpence half-penny, which according to the vulgar tradition was thus allotted, one shilling for the execution, and three halfpence for the rope.Hang-slang about,verb. phr.(common).—To abuse;to slang(q.v.);to Billingsgate(q.v.).Hank,subs.(old colloquial).—1. A tie; a hold; an advantage; a difficulty. [In a hank= in trouble].1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. He has ahankupon him, or the Ascendant over him.1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v. He has ahankupon him; He … will make him do what he pleases.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v. He has ahankon him,i.e., an ascendant over him, or a hold upon him: ASmithfield hank= An ox rendered furious by over driving and barbarous treatment.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hank.To know something about a man that is disreputable. He has ahankon the bloke, whereby he sucks honey when he chooses, he knows something about the man, and therefore induces him to give him money when he chooses.2. (common).—A spell of rest; an easy time.1888.Sporting Life, 7 Dec. So quiet was the first round that the ire of the company was raised, and they called out, ‘Nohank!’Verb(common).—To worry; to bait; to drive from pillar to post.Hanker,verb(old: now recognised).—To desire eagerly; to fret after; to long or pine for: generally with ‘after.’ Also,Hankering(subs.) = an importunate and irritating longing.1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hanker after, to Long or wish much for.1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.To hanker afteranything, to have a longing after or for it.1847.Robb,Squatter Life, p. 98. I did see a creatur’ once, named Sofy Mason … that I tuk an orfulhankerin’ arter.1878.Whitman,Leaves of Grass, ‘Spontaneous Me,’ 90 (ed. 1884). The hairy wild-bee that murmurs andhankersup and down.Hankin,subs.(commercial).—The trick of putting off bad work for good. [Cf.,To play hankey, orTo play hanky-panky.]Hanktelo,subs.(old).—Seequots.1593.Nashe,Strange Newes(Grosart,Wks., ii., 251). Is theAstrologicaallDiscourse a better booke than Pierce Pennilesse? GabrielHangtelowsaies it is?1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hanktelo, a silly Fellow, a meer Cods-head.1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hanky-Panky,subs.(common).—(1) Legerdemain; whence (2) trickery;underhand(q.v.) work; cheating; any manner of[265]double-dealing or intrigue.Hanky-panky business= conjuring;hanky-panky work(ortricks) = double-dealing. Abit of hanky-panky= a trick; a piece of knavery.1841.Punch, Vol. I., p. 88. Only a littlehanky-panky.1880.G. R. Sims,Zeph, ch. xiii. He knew that … any crime committed on his premises would tell against him on licensing day, and he kept a pretty sharp look out to see that what he was pleased to termhanky pankywas not carried on under his nose.1864.E. Yates,Broken to Harness, ch. xxxviii. If there was anyhanky panky, any mystery I mean, he’d always swear he was out whenever he called, for fear it should be bullied out of him.1877.Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. v., p. 323.——There’s somehanky pankybusiness going on among the men of No. 2 prison; the Catholic side is ringing changes and it is done in this shop.Hanky-panky-bloke,subs. phr.(theatrical).—A conjuror; apile of mags(q.v.).Hanky-Spanky,adj.(common).—Dashing;nobby(q.v.). Specifically of well-cut clothes.Hannah.That’s the man as married Hannah,phr.(streets’).—‘That’s the thing’: used of a thing well begun and well ended; or as an expressive of certainty. Varied sometimes bythat’s what’s the matter with Hannah.Hans Carvel’s Ring,subs. phr.(venery).—The femalepudendum. For synonyms,seeMonosyllable. [From Poggio (tit.Annulus);Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles(xi.); Ariosto (Sat.v.); theNouvelleof Malespini (89, ii.); Rabelais (Pantagruel, iii., 28); and Matthew Prior.]Hansel(orHandsel),subs.(common).—The first money taken in the morning; lucky money. Hence, earnest money; first-fruits, &c.Hansel-Monday= the first Monday in the new year, when presents were received by children and servants. [A. S.,handselen= to deliver into the hand.]1587.Greene,Menaphon(Arber), p. 71. He should like inough haue had firsthandsellof our new Shepheards sheepehooke.1614.Jonson,Bartholomew Fair, ii. Bring him a sixpenny bottle of ale: They say a fool’shandselis lucky.1679.Holland,Ammianus Marcellinus. With which wofull tidings being sore astonied, as if it were the firsthanselland beginning of evils comming toward him.1787.Grose,Prov. Glossary, etc. (1811), p. 121. It is a common practice among the lower class of hucksters, pedlars, or dealers in fruit or fish, on receiving the price of the first goods sold that day, which they callhansel, to spit on the money, as they term it, for good luck.1815.Scott,Guy Mannering, ch.iii. There was a whin bonnie lasses there, forbye mysel’, and deil ane to gie themhansels.Ibid., ch. xxxii. Grizzy has naething frae me, by twa pair o’ new shoon ilka year, and maybe a bit compliment atHansel Monanday.1821.Scott,Kenilworth, ch. xix. ‘How wears the Hollands you won of me?’‘Why, well, as you may see, Master Goldthred,’ answered Mike; ‘I will bestow a pot on thee for thehandsel.’Verb(common).—1. To give handsel to; also (2), to use for the first time.1599.Nashe,Lenten Stuffe, inWks., v., 249. And gather about him as flocking tohansellhim and strike him good luck.1605.Chapman, etc.,Eastward Hoe, ii. My lady … is so ravished with desire tohansellher new coach.1639–61.Rump Songs, i. [1662], 137. Belike he meant toHansellhis New Satten.[266]1663.Pepys,Diary, 12 Apr. Coming home to-night, a drunken boy was carrying by our constable to our new pair of stocks tohandselthem.1874. [G. A. Lawrence],Hagarene, ch. xvii. The habit of stout blue cloth … was Pete Harradine’s last and crowning extravagance, as they passed through town on their way to Fulmerstone, and it had never beenhanselledyet.1881.BesantandRice,Sweet Nelly, inTen Years’ Tenant, etc., Vol. I., p. 200. I wanted to present her with something tohanselfriendship.Hanseller,subs.(common).—A street vendor; a Cheap Jack.1851–61.H. Mayhew,Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, i., 392. The sellers of tins, who carry them under their arms, or in any way on a round, apart from the use of a vehicle, are known ashand-sellers.1876.Hindley,Adventures of a Cheap Jack, p. 10. Cheap-Jacks, as they were then as now called by the people, although the termhan’-selleris mostly used by themselves.Hans-en-Kelder,subs.(old).—A child in the womb: literally,Jack-in-the-Cellar(q.v.). [From the Dutch.]1647.Cleaveland,Character of a London Diurnall. The originall sinner in this kind was Dutch; Galliobelgicus, the Protoplast; and the moderne Mercuries, buthans-en-kelders. The countesse of Zealand was brought to bed of an almanack; as many children as dayes in the yeare.1648.Mercurius Pragmaticus, i. The birthday of that precious new government which is yet but aHans-en-kelder.d.1658.Lovelace,Poems, p. 63. Next beg I to present my duty To pregnant sister in prime beauty, Whom [who] well I deem (ere few months elder) Will take outHans fromprettykelder.1663.Dryden,Wild Gallant, v.,Wks., i. 61 (1701). Seems you are desirous I should Father thisHans en Kelderheere.1672.Marvell,Char. of Holland, line 65. More pregnant then their Marg’ret, that laid down ForHans-in-Kelderof a whole Hanse town.1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hans-en-Kelder, Jack in the Box, the Child in the Womb, or a Health to it.1672.Wycherley,Love in a Wood, v. Then I am as it were a grandfather to your new Wiffe’s,hans en kelder.1678.T. Baker,Tunbridge Wells, p. 27. Here’s a health to this Lady’sHans in Kelder!1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hans in Kelder, a health frequently drank to breeding women, or their husbands.Hansom,subs.(coster).—A chop.Hap-Harlot,subs.(old).—A coarse stuff to make rugs or coverlets with; a rug.Cf.,Wrap-rascal= an overcoat.1577–87.Holinshed,Description of England, bk. ii., ch. xii. A sheet vnder couerlets made of dagswain, orhap-harlots(I vse their owne termes).Ha’porth o’ Coppers,subs. phr.(legal).—Habeas Corpus.Ha’porth of Liveliness,subs. phr.(Coster).—1. Music.1851–61.H. Mayhew,Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, i., p. 21. Or they will call to the orchestra, saying, ‘Now then you catgut-scrapers! Let’s have aha’porth of liveliness.’2. (common).—A loitering Lawrence; aslowcoach(q.v.).Happify,verb. (American).—To please.1612.Sylvester,Lach. Lach., 642. One short mishap for everhappifies.1848.Burton,Waggeries, etc., p. 70. For eatin’ and drinkin’, ithappifiesme to say that we bang the bush.Happy,adj.(common).—Slightly drunk;elevated(q.v.). For synonyms,seeDrinksandScrewed.[267]Happy-despatch,subs.(common).—Death, specifically, a sudden or violent end.Happy-dosser.SeeDosser.Happy Eliza,subs.(common).—A female Salvationist [As in theBroadside Ballad(1887–8), ‘They call me Happy Eliza, and I’m Converted Jane: We’ve been two hot’uns in our time.’]Happy-family,subs.(colloquial).—Seequot.1851–61.H. Mayhew,Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, iii., p. 224.Happy families, or assemblages of animals of diverse habits and propensities living amicably, or at least quietly, in one cage.Happy-go-lucky,subs.(colloquial).—Careless; thoughtless; improvident. Fr.,va comme je te pousseandà la flan.1856.Reade,Never Too Late to Mend, ch. xv. In thehappy-go-luckyway of his class.1883.Illust. London News, 8 Dec., p. 551, c. 1. He dashes off a play in ahappy-go-luckystyle, basing it on theatrical precedent so far as certain stock situations are concerned.Happy Hunting-grounds,subs.(American).—1. The future state;glory(q.v.). [From the North-American Indian’s conception of heaven.]1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 98. After a long journey, they will reach thehappy hunting-grounds.1891.Gunter,Miss Nobody of Nowhere, ch. v. Old Mescal is now keeping a sharp eye out for the child and the cowboy, that he may send them to thehappy hunting-groundsalso.2. (colloquial).—A favourable place for work or play.1892.Cassell’s Sat. Journal, 26 Oct., p. 119. Thehappy hunting-groundof the swell mobsman is the opening of some Exhibition.3. (venery).—The femalepudendum. For synonyms,seeMonosyllable.Happy-land,subs.(common).—The after life;glory(q.v.).1893.Danvers,The Grantham Mystery, ch. xiii. The old ’un will soon join the young ’un in thehappy land.Happy-returns,subs.(Australian).—Vomiting.SeeFlay the Fox.Harbour,subs.(venery).—The femalepudendum. For synonyms,seeMonosyllable. AlsoHarbour of Hope.Hard,subs.(prison).—1. Hard labour.1890.Globe, 26 Feb., p. 1, c. 4. Monetary penalties, therefore, do not act as deterrents, but the certainty of seven days’ incarceration, with or withouthard, would soon diminish the nuisance.2.SeeHard-Shell.3. (colloquial).—Third-class. As opposed tosoft(q.v.). Thus: ‘Do you gohardorsoft?’ = ‘Do you go Third or First?’ An abbreviation ofHard-arse.Adj.(American).—1. Applied to metal of all kinds:e.g.,hard(coleorstuff) = silver or gold as compared to cheques orsoft(q.v.).1825.Neal,Bro. Jonathan, ii., ch. 18. The bill … amounted to one dollar and a quarterhard money.1844.Puck, p. 146. That cunning old file wont let her go with thehard cashdown.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hard; metal.1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hard cole.Silver or gold money.1863.Charles Reade,Hard Cash. [Title.][268]2. (old: now recognised).—1. Sour or souring; as inhard-cider; (2)harddrinks (American) = intoxicating liquors, as wine, ale, etc., while lemonade, soda-water, ginger-beer, etc., aresoft.1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hard drink, that is very Stale, or begining to Sower.1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hard, stale beer nearly sour, is said to behard.1882.Daily Telegraph, 10 Oct., p. 5, c. 3. A fourth defendant, in pleading guilty, urged that the month of August last ‘turned a lot of beer sour,’ and that he had only used some sugar for the purpose of mollifying thehardor sour porter.Hard as a Bone(Nails, etc.),adj. phr.(colloquial).—Very hard; austere; unyielding.1885.Indoor Paupers, p. 79. He stood it for a week or two without flinching—being at that datehard as nails, as he expresses it.Hard at it,adj. phr.(colloquial).—Very busy; in the thick of a piece of work.To die hard,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To sell one’s life dearly;e.g., Thedie-hards(q.v.), the 59th Regiment, so called from their gallantry at Albuera.To give hard for soft,verb. phr.(venery).—To copulate.SeeGreens.To be Hard Hit.SeeHard-hit.[Hard,adj., is used in many combinations; generally with an unpleasant intention. Thus,hard-arsed(orfisted, orhanded) = very niggardly;hard-bit(orhard-mouthful) = an unpleasant experience;hard-driven(orhard-run) = sore bested;hard-faced(orfavoured, orfeatured) = grum, shrewish, or bony;hard-headed(orhard-witted) = shrewd and intelligent, but unimaginative and unsympathetic;hard-hearted= incapable of pity;hard-lipped= obstinate, dour;hard-master= a nigger-driver;hard-nut= a dangerous antagonist;hard-on= pitiless in severity;hard-riding= selfish and reckless equestration;hard-service= the worst kind of employment;hard-wrought= overworked, etc., etc.]Hard-a-weather,adj.(nautical).—Tough; weather-proof.1891.W. C. Russell,Ocean Tragedy, p. 44. They werehard-a-weatherfellows.Hard-bake,subs.(schoolboys’).—A sweetmeat made of boiled brown sugar or treacle with blanched almonds.1825.Hone,Every-day Bk., I., 51.Hardbake, brandy-balls, and bull’s-eyes.1836.Dickens,Pickwick, ii. The commodities exposed for sale in the public streets are marine stores,hard-bake, apples, etc.Hard-baked,adj.(old).—1. Constipated.1823.Jon Bee,Dict. of Turf, s.v.2. (common).—Stern; unflinching; strong.1847.Robb,Squatter Life, p. 73. It’s my opinion, these squirtish kind a fellars ain’t perticularhard-baked.Hard-bargain(orCase),subs.(common).—1. A lazy fellow; abad-egg(q.v.); a skulker.One of the Queen’s Hard-bargains= a bad soldier.1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 71. La Bonté had lost all traces of civilised humanity, and might justly claim to be considered ashard a caseas any of the mountaineers then present.1888.Lynch, Mountain Mystery, ch. xliii. A fellow who comes and goes between here and Rockville, generally considered ahard case, and believed to be more outlaw than miner.2. (trade).—A defaulting debtor.3. (nautical).—A brutal mate or officer. Alsohard-horse.[269]Hard-bit(orBit of Hard),subs.(venery).—1. Thepenisin erection; whence (2), for women, the act of connection.Hard-bitten,adj.(colloquial).—Resolute;game(q.v.); desperate.1815.Scott,Guy Mannering, liii. My sooth, they’ll behard-bittenterriers will worrie Dandie.Hard-cheese,subs.(Royal Military Academy).—Hard lines; bad luck; specifically at billiards.Hard-cole.SeeHardandCole.Hard-doings,subs.(American).—1. Rough fare; and (2) hard work.1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 37.Hard doinswhen it comes to that.Hard-drinking,subs.(old: now recognized).—Drinking to excess.1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hard-drinking, excessive Soking, or toping aboundance.Hard-head,subs.(American).—A man of good parts, physical, intellectual, or moral.1824.R. B. Peake,Americans Abroad, i., 1.Dou.None of your flouting, by jumping jigs, I won’t stand it—we Americans have gothard heads—we warn’t brought up in the woods to be scart at by an owl—you can’t scare me so.1848.Durivage,Stray Subjects, p. 110. Most of the passengers had disappeared for the night, and only a knot ofhard-headswere left upon deck.Hard-hit.To be hard hit,verb.phr.(colloquial).—1. To have experienced a heavy loss; as over a race, at cards, etc.2. (colloquial).—To be deeply in love; completelygone on(q.v.).1888.J. McCarthyandMrs. Campbell-Praed,Ladies’ Gallery, ch. xxv. The wound was keen, I had beenhit hard.1891.M. E. Braddon,Gerard, p. 312. You’ve beenhard hit.Hard-lines,subs.(colloquial).—Hardship; difficulty; an unfortunate result or occurrence. [Formerlyline= lot:Cf., Bible and Prayer book version of Psalm xvi., 5, 6.]1855.Notes and Queries, 1 S. xii., p. 287.Hard Lines.Whence is this expression, so common, particularly among seafaring men, derived?1881.W. Black,Beautiful Wretch, ch. xxiii. I think it’s deucedhard linesto lock up a fellow for merely humbugging an old parson up in Kentish Town.1888.Sporting Life, 15 Dec. For the Kempton folks it was ratherhard lines.1888.J. McCarthyandMrs. Campbell-Praed,Ladies’ Gallery, ch. xxvi. It’s awfulhard lines, Lady Star Strange, that I am only thought good enough for you Londoners in the dead season.1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 3. I call it’ard lines, dear old man.
1892.HenleyandStevenson,Deacon Brodie, i., 7, p. 18. You always was a neathandwith the bones.
A hand like a foot,phr.(common).—A large, coarse hand. Also a vulgar or uneducated handwriting.
1738.Swift,Polite Conversation, i.Col.Whoe’er writ it witha hand like a foot.
Ahand like a fist,phr.(gamesters’).—A hand full of trumps. Also (in derision) a hand there’s no playing.
To take a hand with the outside music,verb. phr.(American).—Seequot.
1892.J. L. Sullivan,A 19th Century Gladiator, iii. After thirty-seven rounds in fifty-five minutes, the umpires and seconds got into a fight, and Sullivan felt fresh enoughto take a hand in the outside music.
To get a hand on,verb. phr.(tailors’).—To suspect; to be distrustful.
To get one’s hand in,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To practise with a view to proficiency.
To get one’s hand on it,verb. phr.(venery).—To grope a woman.
To bear a hand,verb. phr.(old).—Seequot.
1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Bear a hand, make haste.
To bring up by hand,verb. phr.(venery).—To procure erection manually.
To bring down(oroff)by hand,verb. phr.(venery).—To masturbate. For synonyms,seeFrig.
To stand one’s hand,verb. phr.(Australian).—ToTreat(q.v.); toStand Sam(q.v.).
1892.Hume Nisbet,Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 58. I used to see her at some of the public-houses frequented by Mrs. Condon,standing her handliberally to all who happened to be in the bar, and therefore being made much of by the thirsty loafers whom she treated.
To hand in one’s chips(orchecks).—SeeCash one’s Checks.
To have(orget)the upper hand,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To have at an advantage; to get towindward(q.v.).
1886.R. L. Stevenson,Kidnapped, p. 173. I was growing impatient to get back andhave the upper handof my uncle.
To hand up,verb.(Winchester College).—To give information against; to betray.—Notions.
Hands up!intj.(common).—An injunction to desist;stow it!(q.v.). Also (police) = a command to surrender.Bail up(q.v.).
1888.J. Runciman,The Chequers, p. 120.Hands up!Jerry.[257]
[Amongst other colloquial usages ofHandare the following:—At hand= readily, hard by;at any hand(Shakspeare) = on any account;at no hand= on no account;for one’s own hand= for one’s own purpose or interest;from hand to hand= from one to another;in hand= in a state of preparation, under consideration, or control;off one’s hands= finished;on hand= in possession;in one’s hands= in one’s care;out of hand= completed, without hesitation;to one’s hand= ready;hand over head= negligently, rashly;hand to mouth= improvident;hands off!= stand off;heavy on hand= hard to manage;hot at hand= difficult to manage;light in hand= easy to manage;to ask(orgive)the hand of= to ask (or give) in marriage;to be hand and glove with= to be very intimate with;to bear a hand= to help;to bear in(oron)hand= to cheat or mock by false promises;to change hands= to change owners;to come to hand= to be received;to get hand= to gain influence;to give a hand= to applaud;to give the hand to= to be reconciled to;to have a hand in= to have a share in;to have one’s hands full= to be fully occupied;to hold hands with= to vie with, to hold one’s own;to lay hands on= to assault, to seize;to lend a hand= to help;to make a hand= to gain an advantage;to put(orstretch)forth the hand against= to use violence;to set the hand to= to undertake;to strike hands= to make a bargain;to take by the hand= to take under one’s guidance;to take in hand= to attempt;to wash one’s hands of= to disclaim responsibility;a heavy hand= severity;a light hand= gentleness;a slack hand= idleness, carelessness;a strict hand= severe discipline;clean hands= freedom from guilt;to stand one in hand= to concern, to be of importance to;hand to fist=tête-a-tête, hip to haunch;hand over hand= easily;to get a hand= to be applauded.]
Hand-and-Pocket Shop,subs. phr.(old).—Seequot.
1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Hand-and-Pocket-Shop. An eating house, where ready money is paid for what is called for.
Handbasket-portion,subs.(old).—Seequot.
1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Hand-basket-portion. A woman whose husband receives frequent presents from her father, or family, is said to have ahand-basket-portion.
Handbinder(in. pl.),subs.(old).—Chains for the wrists. For synonyms,seeDarbies.
1696.Ray,Nomenclator, Menotes, liens à lier les mains, fers à enferrer les mains. Manicls, orhandbinders.
Hander,subs.(schoolboys’).—A stroke on the hand with a cane;a palmie(q.v.).
1868.Jas. Greenwood,Purgatory of Peter the Cruel, v., 149. You’ve been playing the wag, and you’ve got to take yourhanders.
Handicap,subs.(colloquial).—An arrangement in racing, etc., by which every competitor is, or is supposed to be, brought on an equality so far as regards his chance of winning by an adjustment of the weights to be carried, the distance to be run, etc.: extra weight or distance being imposed in proportion to their supposed merits on those held better than the others. [A handicap is framed in accordance with the known performances of the competitors, and, in horse-racing, with regard to the age and sex of the entries. The term is derived from the old game ofhand-in-cap, or handicap.]
1660.Pepys,Diary, 18 Sep. Here some of us fell tohandycapp, a sport that I never knew before.
1883.Hawley Smart,Hard Linesxxi. The race carried so many penalties and allowances that it partook somewhat of the nature of ahandicap.
Verb(colloquial). 1. To adjust or proportion weights, starts, etc., in order to bring a number of competitors as nearly as possible to an equality.[258]
1841.Lever,Charles O’Malley, ch. lxviii. Pleasant and cheerful enough, when they’rehandicappingthe coat off your back, and your new tilbury for a spavined pony and a cotton umbrella; but regular devils if you come to cross them the least in life.
2. To make even or level; to equalise between.
3. To embarrass, burden, hinder, or impede in any way.
1883.Grenville-Murray,People I Have Met, 123. He was nothandicappedby a title, so that the beautiful ethics of hereditary legislation had no claim on his attention.
Handie-Dandie,subs. phr.(old).—Copulation.
1490–1554.David Lyndsay,Kitty’s Confessioun[Laing], i., 136. Ane plack I will gar Sandie, Gie the agane withHandie-Dandie.
Handle,subs.(common).—1. The nose. For synonyms,seeConk.
1811.Lexicon Balatronicum. The cove flashes a rarehandleto his physog; the fellow has a large nose.
1887.Modern Society, 27 Aug., 864. A restless, intriguing, and busy old lady, with an immensehandleto her face.
2. (colloquial).—A title. Fr.,une queue, asMonsieur Sans-queue= Mr. Nobody.
1855.Thackeray,Newcomes, xxiii. She … entertained us with stories of colonial governors and their ladies, mentioning no persons but those who hadhandlesto their names, as the phrase is.
1857.Ducange Anglicus,Vulg. Tongue.Handle,n.Title. Oh, you want ahandleto your name.
1871.London Figaro, 17 June, ‘The plaint of a poor Parson.’ Neither he nor his clerical neighbours—unless they belong to county families, or havehandlesto their names—have ever been invited by the Dean to partake of the hospitalities of the Deanery.
1886.J. S. Winter,Army Society, ch. ii. That’s the worst of having ahandleto one’s name.
1891.Licensed Vict. Gaz., 16 Jan. Here’s the Honourable Tom Jones, and Lord Smith, and Viscount Brown—that’s them, with thehandlesknocked off their names.
1892.HenleyandStevenson,Deacon Brodie, i., 2. He was aye ettling after a bithandleto his name.
3. (colloquial).—Occasion; opportunity; means.
1753–77.Melmoth,Cicero, bk. ii., let. 17 (note 5). The defence of Vatinius gave a plausiblehandlefor some censure upon Cicero.
Verb(cardsharpers’).—1. To conceal cards in the palm of the hand, or up the sleeves;to palm(q.v.).
2. (colloquial).—To use; to make use of; to manage.
1606.Chapman,Gentleman Usher, iii., 5. Now let the sport begin: I think my love willhandlehim as well as I have done.
1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Handle. To know how tohandleone’s fists; to be skilful in the art of boxing.
1836.Dickens,Pickwick, ii., 7. Smart chap that cabman—handledhis fives well.
1892.HenleyandStevenson,Admiral Guinea, ii., 5. Commander, youhandledhim like a babby, kept the weather gauge, and hulled him every shot.
To handle the ribbons,verb. phr.(common).—To drive.
1857.Moncrieff,Bashful Man, ii. 4. Shouldn’t have any objection in life, squire, to let youhandle the ribandsfor a stage or two, but four-in-hand, you know, requires——.
1872.Evening Standard, 10 Aug. The Princess of Wales is expected, and her Royal Highness has several times during the week driven through the town in an open phaeton, drawn by four beautiful ponies, and she appearsto handle the ribbonsin a very skilful manner.
1891.N. Gould,Double Event, p. 198. It was agreed Marston shouldhandle the ribbons.[259]
1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 32. He’andled the ribbingsto rights.
To fly off the handle.SeeFly, to which add the following earlier quot.
1825.Neal,Brother Jonathan, bk. I., ch. iv. Mostoff the handle, some o’ the tribe, I guess.
Hand-me-downs(orHand-’em-downs),subs.(common).—Second-hand clothes.Hand-me-down-shop, orNever-too-late-to-mend-shop= a repairing tailors’.Fr.,un decrochez-moi-ça.
1878.Notes and Queries, 5, s. ix., 6 Apr., p. 263.Hand-’em-down—A second-hand garment (Northamptonshire).
1888.New York World, 5 Mar. Russell Sage, it is said, walked into a Broadway clothing store the other day and tried on and purchased a twelve-dollar suit ofhand-me-downs.
1889.Sporting Times, 29 June. Trousers which fit him nowhere in particular, and which all over proclaim themselves entitled to the epithet ofhand-me-downs.
English Synonyms.—Reach-me-downs; translations; wall-flowers.
French Synonyms.—La musique(popular);la mise-bas(servants’: especially ‘perks’).
Hand-out,subs.(American).—Food to a tramp at the door.
1887.Morley Roberts,The Western Avernus. Some of the boys said it was a regularhand-out, and that we looked like a crowd of old bummers.
Handpiece,subs.(American).—A handkerchief. For synonyms,seeWipe.
1852.Bristed,Upper Ten Thousand, p. 67. Then … he tied his whitehand-piecesto an opening made for the purpose on one side of the dashboard.
Handsaw,subs.(common).—A street vendor of knives and razors; an itinerantChive-fencer(q.v.).
Handsome,adj.andadv.(colloquial, and formerly literary).—Sharp, severe; convenient, fit; neat, graceful; dextrous, skilful, ready; ample, generous, liberal; manageable; in good or proper style; and (in America) grand or beautiful.
1553.Wilson,Arte of Rhetorique, p. 3. Phauorinus the Philosopher did hit a yong man ouer the thumbes veryhandsomely.
1553–99.Spenser,Wks.For a thief it is sohandsome, As it may seem it was first invented by him.
1590.Goldynge,Cæsar, p. 220. They had not sohandsomehorses.
1593.Shakspeare,Titus Andronicus, ii., 3. If we miss to meet himhandsomely.
1600.P. Holland,Livy, p. 255. A light footman’s shield he takes with him, and a Spanish blade by his side, morehandsometo fight short and close.
1604.Shakspeare,Winter’s Tale, iv., 3. His garments are rich, but he wears them nothandsomely.
1614.Raleigh,History of the World, Bk. III., ch. viii., § 6. Playing their gameshandsomelyagainst so nimble a wit.
1672–1719.Addison,Wks.An alms-house, which I intend to endow veryhandsomely.
1778–79.V. Knox,Essays, 102. Ahandsomesum of money.
1798.Lodge,Illust. Brit. Hist., i., 178. He is very desyrus to serve your Grace, and seymes to me to be a veryhandsomeman.
1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 8. He turned on his backhandsome.
To do the handsome(orthe handsome thing),verb. phr.(common).—To behave extremely well; to be ‘civil.’[260]
1887.Manville Fenn,This Man’s Wife, ii., 15. Sir Gordon’s readyto do the handsome thing.
Handsome is that handsome does,phr.(colloquial).—‘Actions, not words, are the test of merit’; also ironically of ill-favoured persons.
1811.Lexicon Balatronicum.Handsome is that handsome does: a proverb frequently cited by ugly women.
Handsome-bodied in the face,adv. phr.(old).—Seequot.
1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Handsome Bodied Man in the Face, ajeeringcommendation of an ugly fellow.
Handsome as a last year’s corpse,adv. phr.(American).—A sarcastic compliment.
Handsomely!intj.(nautical).—Gently! A cry to signify smartly, but carefully. AlsoHandsomely over the bricks= Go cautiously.
Handsome-reward,subs. phr.(old).—Seequot.
1811.Lexicon Balatronicum.Handsome-reward.This, in advertisements, means a horse-whipping.
Handsprings.To chuck handsprings,verb.phr.(common).—To turn somersaults.
Handstaff,subs.(venery).—Thepenis. For synonyms,seeCreamstickandPrick. [From that member of the flail which is held in the hands].
Handy.Handy as a pocket in a shirt,phr.(American).—Very convenient.
Handy-blows, (or cuffs),subs.(old).—Cuffs with the hand; fisticuffs; hence close quarters.
1603.Knolles,Hist. of the Turkes. If ever they came tohandy-blows.
1690. B. E.,Cant. Crew, s.v.Handy Blows, Fistycuffs.
1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.
Handy-man,subs.(colloquial).—A servant or workman doing odd jobs.
1847.De Quincey,The Spanish Military Nun,Wks.(1890), xiii., 165. She was ahandy girl. She could turn her hand to anything.
1872.Times, 27 Aug. ‘Autumn Manœuvres.’ The result is he cannot be called ahandy-man.
1889.Pall Mall Gaz., 8 Nov., p. 2, c. 1. Again did Mr. Sambourne’shandy-manappear, this time clad in the real robes of the Lord Mayor.
1892.Hume Nisbet,Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 55. He was ahandy-man.
Hang,subs.(colloquial).—1. The general drift, tendency, or bent: as into get the hang of= to get conversant with; to acquire the trick, or knack, or knowledge of.
1847.Darley,Drama in Pokerville, p. 67. The theatre was cleared in an instant … all running toget the hang ofthe scrape.
1848.Jones,Sketches of Travel, p. 70. By this time I began togit the hang ofthe place a little better.
1851.Hooper,Widow Rugby’s Husband, etc., p. 64. To be efficient a solicitor mustget the hang ofhis customers.
a.1871.Prime,Hist. of Long Island, p. 82. If ever you must have an indifferent teacher for your children, let it be after they have got a fair start and haveacquired the hang ofthe tools for themselves.
1884.Milliken,Punch, 11 Oct. They ain’tgot the ’ang ofit, Charlie,the toffs ain’t.
1890.Daily Chronicle, 4 Apr., p. 7 c. 2. When the Raw Cadet enters Woolwich Academy, it is sometime before hegetswhat some callthe hang ofthe place.[261]
1892.Illustrated Bits, Oct. 22, p. 6. c. 2. When Iget the hang ofthem I shall be a regular dab at theosophy.
2. (colloquial).—A little bit; a bit; aDamn.SeeCare. Fr.,s’en contreficherors’en tamponner le coquard(orcoquillard).
1861.H. Kingsley,Ravenshoe, ch. xliii. She looks as well as you by candle-light, but she can’t ride ahang.
Verb(generallyHang it!).—An exclamation of vexation, disgust, or disappointment; also, more forcibly, a euphemism forDamn it!Fr.,Ah! mince alors.
1598.Shakspeare,2 Henry IV., ii., 4. He a good wit?hang him, baboon!
1609.Jonson,Epicœne, ii., 2. A mere talking mole,hang him.
1614.Jonson,Bartholomew Fair, v. 3. Ay, andbe hanged.
1694.Dunton,Ladies’ Dict., p. 229. Aristænetus telling a brisk buxom Lass of a proper fine Man that would make her a good Husband,Hang him[reply’d she] he has no Mony.
1772.Coles,Eng.-Lat. Dict., s.v. Hanged.Go and be hanged.
1780.Mrs. Cowley,Belle’s Stratagem, iv., 1.HangHarriet, and Charlotte, and Maria! the name your father gave ye?
1823.W. T. Moncrieff,Tom and Jerry, ii., 5.Hangcards! bring me a bobstick of rum slim.
1836.M. Scott,Cruise of the Midge, p. 169. ‘Yoube hanged, Felix,’ quoth his ally, with a most quizzical grin.
1863.Ch. Reade,Hard Cash, ii., 218.Hangthe grub; it turns my stomach.
1883.R. L. Stevenson,Treasure Island, p. 161. You cango hang!
1889.Sporting Times, 6 July.Hebrew Scholar: Rub up your Hebrew. Orgo and hangyourself.
1890.Grant Allen,Tents of Shem, ch. xvii.Hang it all, if that’s English law, you know, I don’t thing very much of the wisdom of our ancestors.
1891.N. Gould,Double Event, p. 164.Hang it all.
1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 7. But’ang it, I can’t stand the style of the silent and the stare-me-down sort.
1892.F. Anstey,Voces Populi, ‘On the Ice,’ p. 122. Stick by me, old fellow, till I begin to feel my——Oh,hang it all!
To hang an arse,verb. phr.(old).—To hang back; to hesitate.
1598.Marston,Satyres, ‘Ad Rythmum.’ But if youhang an arselike Tubered, When Chremes dragged him from his brothel bed.
1637.Massinger,Guardian, v, 5.Nay, nohanging an arse.
1639–61.Rump Songs, ii., 86. Nay, if ithang an arse; We’ll pluck it from the stares, And roast it at hell for its grease.
1748.Smollett,Roderick Random, ch. lxv. My lads, I’m told youhang an arse.
1780.Tomlinson,Slang Pastoral, 2. Myarse hangsbehind me as heavy as lead.
1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
To hang in,verb. phr.(common).—To get to work; to do one’s best; towire in(q.v.).
To hang in the bellropes,verb. phr.(common).—To defer marriage after being ‘asked’ in church.
To hang on by one’s eyelashes,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To persist at any cost, and in the teeth of any discouragement.
To hang on by the splash-board,verb. phr.(common).—To ‘catch’ a tram, omnibus, etc., when it is on the move; hence to succeed by the ‘skin of one’s teeth.’ Fr.,arcpincer l’omnibus.
To hang around(orabout),verb. phr.(American).—To loiter; to loaf; to haunt.[262]
To hang out,verb(common).—To live; to reside. Also (subs.), a residence; a lodging; and (American university) a feast; an entertainment.
1811.Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.Hang out.The traps scavey where wehang out; the officers know where we live.
1836.Dickens,Pickwick, ch. xxx. ‘I say, old boy, where do youhang out?’ Mr. Pickwick replied that he was at present suspended at the George and Vulture.
1852.Bristed,Five Years in an English University, p. 80. The fourth of July I celebrated by ahang-out.
1871.City Press, 21 Jan. ‘Curiosities of Street Literature.’ Hehangs outin Monmouth-court.
1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 14. I should like to go in for blue blood, and’ang outnear the clubs and the parks.
To hang out a shingle,verb. phr.(American).—To start or carry on business.
1871.Public Opinion, Dec. Tom Stowellhung out his shingleas a lawyer at the Tombs, afterwards at Essex-market, and eventually in Brooklyn.
To hang one’s latchpan,verb. phr.(common).—To be dejected; to pout. Fr.,faire son aquilin.
To hang it out,verb. phr.(common).—To skulk;to mike(q.v.).
To hang up,verb. phr.(common).—1. To give credit; to score (or chalk) up: said of a reckoning. Also ‘to put on the slate’ or (American)on the ice(q.v.).
1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.Hang-it-up, speaking of the Reckoning at a Bowsing-Ken, when the Rogues are obliged, for want of Money, to run on Tick.
1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
2. (American).—To bear in mind; to remember.
1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hang it up.Think of it, remember it.
3. (American).—To pawn, For synonyms,seePop.
4. (thieves’).—To rob with violence on the street;to hold up(q.v.). Fr.,la faire au père François.
5. (common).—To bein extremis; to know not which way to turn for relief:e.g.,a man hanging= one to whom any change must be for the better.
6. (colloquial).—To postpone; to leave undecided.
1887.Cornhill Magazine, June, p. 624.To hang up a billis to pass it through one or more of its stages, and then to lay it aside, and defer its further consideration for a more or less indefinite period.
To hang on,verb. phr.(colloquial).—(1) To sponge; and (2) to pursue an individual or a design.
1601.Shakspeare,Henry VIII., iii., 2. Oh, how wretched Is that poor man thathangs onprinces’ favours!
To hang off,verb. phr.(printers’).—To fight shy of.
To hang up one’s fiddle,verb. phr.(American).—To retire; to desist.To hang up one’s fiddle anywhere= To adapt oneself to circumstances.
To hang up one’s hat,verb. phr.(common).—1. To die. For synonyms,seeAloft.
1854.Notes and Queries, Vol. X., p. 203. He hashung up his hat. This sentence, which is sometimes used in reference to persons deceased, etc.
1882.Punch, lxxxii., 185, c. 1.
2. (common).—To make oneself permanently at home.[263]
Hang-bluff,subs.(rhyming).—Snuff.
1857.Ducange Anglicus,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.
Hang-by,subs.(old).—A hanger-on; a parasite; a companion.
1598.Jonson,Every Man in his Humour, iv., 2. I am not afraid of you nor them neither, youhang-byeshere.
Hang-dog,subs.(old).—A pitiful rascal, only fit for the rope or the hanging of superfluous curs.Cf.,Gallows-bird.
1732.Fielding,Mock Doctor, i., 4. Heaven has inspired me with one of the most wonderful inventions to be revenged on myhang-dog.
Adj.(old).—Vile, or suspicious, in aspect;gallows-looking(q.v.).
Hang-gallows,adj.(old).—Seequot.
1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hang-gallowsLook, a thievish, or villainous appearance.
Hanger,subs.(old).—A side-arm—short sword or cutlass—hanging from the girdle. (SeeHangers,in. pl., sense 1.)
1815.Scott,Guy Mannering, x. Acouteau dechasse, or shorthanger.
In. pl.(old).—1. Ornamental loops from the girdle to suspend the sword and dagger.
1596.Shakspeare,Hamlet, v. 2. Six French rapiers and poignards, with their assigns, as girdle,hangers, and so on.
1596.Nashe,Unf. Trav.[Chiswick Press, 1891]. Hugehangersthat have half a cowhide in them.
1599.Jonson,Every Man out of his Humour, iv., 4. I had thrown off thehangersa little before.
1610.Jonson,Alchemist, v., 2. Where be the French petticoats, And girdles andhangers?
2. (common).—Gloves; specifically gloves in the hand.
3.SeePothooks.
Hang-in-chains,subs. phr.(old).—Seequots.
1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hang-in-chains, a vile desperate fellow.
1811.Lexicon Balatronicum,Hang-in-chains.A vile, desperate fellow. Persons guilty of murder, or other atrocious crimes, are frequently, after execution, hanged on a gibbet, to which they are fastened by iron bandages; the gibbet is commonly placed on or near the place where the crime was committed.
Hanging,adj.(colloquial).—Fit for the halter.
Hanging-bee,subs.(American).—A gathering of lynch-lawmongers, bent on the application of the rope.SeeBee.
Hanging Johnny,subs. phr.(venery).—Thepenis: specifically, in a condition of impotence or disease. For synonyms,seeCreamstickandPrick.
Hangman,subs.(old).—A jocular endearment.
1600.Shakspeare,Much Ado About Nothing, iii., 2. He had twice or thrice cut Cupid’s bowstring, and the littlehangmandare not shoot at him.
Hangman’s-day,subs.(old).—Monday, and (in America) Friday.
1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hangman’s day.Friday is so called from the custom of hanging people on a Friday.
Hangman’s-wages,subs.(old).—Thirteen-pence-halfpenny. [The fee for an execution was a Scots[264]mark: the value of which piece was settled, by a proclamation of James I., at 13½d.]
1602.Decker,Honest Whore, Pt. II., inWks.(1873) ii., 171. Why should I eate hempe-seed at thehangman’s thirteene-pence halfe-pennyordinary?
1659.Hangman’s Last Will(Rump Song quoted inNotes and Queries, 2 S. xi., 316). For halfthirteen-pence half-penny wages, I would have cleared out all the town cages, And you should have been rid of all the sages. I and my gallows groan.
1678.Butler,Hudibras, Pt. III., c. 2. To find us pillories and cart’s-tails, Orhangman’s wages.
1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hangman’s wages, thirteenpence half-penny, which according to the vulgar tradition was thus allotted, one shilling for the execution, and three halfpence for the rope.
Hang-slang about,verb. phr.(common).—To abuse;to slang(q.v.);to Billingsgate(q.v.).
Hank,subs.(old colloquial).—1. A tie; a hold; an advantage; a difficulty. [In a hank= in trouble].
1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. He has ahankupon him, or the Ascendant over him.
1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v. He has ahankupon him; He … will make him do what he pleases.
1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v. He has ahankon him,i.e., an ascendant over him, or a hold upon him: ASmithfield hank= An ox rendered furious by over driving and barbarous treatment.
1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hank.To know something about a man that is disreputable. He has ahankon the bloke, whereby he sucks honey when he chooses, he knows something about the man, and therefore induces him to give him money when he chooses.
2. (common).—A spell of rest; an easy time.
1888.Sporting Life, 7 Dec. So quiet was the first round that the ire of the company was raised, and they called out, ‘Nohank!’
Verb(common).—To worry; to bait; to drive from pillar to post.
Hanker,verb(old: now recognised).—To desire eagerly; to fret after; to long or pine for: generally with ‘after.’ Also,Hankering(subs.) = an importunate and irritating longing.
1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hanker after, to Long or wish much for.
1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.To hanker afteranything, to have a longing after or for it.
1847.Robb,Squatter Life, p. 98. I did see a creatur’ once, named Sofy Mason … that I tuk an orfulhankerin’ arter.
1878.Whitman,Leaves of Grass, ‘Spontaneous Me,’ 90 (ed. 1884). The hairy wild-bee that murmurs andhankersup and down.
Hankin,subs.(commercial).—The trick of putting off bad work for good. [Cf.,To play hankey, orTo play hanky-panky.]
Hanktelo,subs.(old).—Seequots.
1593.Nashe,Strange Newes(Grosart,Wks., ii., 251). Is theAstrologicaallDiscourse a better booke than Pierce Pennilesse? GabrielHangtelowsaies it is?
1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hanktelo, a silly Fellow, a meer Cods-head.
1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Hanky-Panky,subs.(common).—(1) Legerdemain; whence (2) trickery;underhand(q.v.) work; cheating; any manner of[265]double-dealing or intrigue.Hanky-panky business= conjuring;hanky-panky work(ortricks) = double-dealing. Abit of hanky-panky= a trick; a piece of knavery.
1841.Punch, Vol. I., p. 88. Only a littlehanky-panky.
1880.G. R. Sims,Zeph, ch. xiii. He knew that … any crime committed on his premises would tell against him on licensing day, and he kept a pretty sharp look out to see that what he was pleased to termhanky pankywas not carried on under his nose.
1864.E. Yates,Broken to Harness, ch. xxxviii. If there was anyhanky panky, any mystery I mean, he’d always swear he was out whenever he called, for fear it should be bullied out of him.
1877.Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. v., p. 323.——There’s somehanky pankybusiness going on among the men of No. 2 prison; the Catholic side is ringing changes and it is done in this shop.
Hanky-panky-bloke,subs. phr.(theatrical).—A conjuror; apile of mags(q.v.).
Hanky-Spanky,adj.(common).—Dashing;nobby(q.v.). Specifically of well-cut clothes.
Hannah.That’s the man as married Hannah,phr.(streets’).—‘That’s the thing’: used of a thing well begun and well ended; or as an expressive of certainty. Varied sometimes bythat’s what’s the matter with Hannah.
Hans Carvel’s Ring,subs. phr.(venery).—The femalepudendum. For synonyms,seeMonosyllable. [From Poggio (tit.Annulus);Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles(xi.); Ariosto (Sat.v.); theNouvelleof Malespini (89, ii.); Rabelais (Pantagruel, iii., 28); and Matthew Prior.]
Hansel(orHandsel),subs.(common).—The first money taken in the morning; lucky money. Hence, earnest money; first-fruits, &c.Hansel-Monday= the first Monday in the new year, when presents were received by children and servants. [A. S.,handselen= to deliver into the hand.]
1587.Greene,Menaphon(Arber), p. 71. He should like inough haue had firsthandsellof our new Shepheards sheepehooke.
1614.Jonson,Bartholomew Fair, ii. Bring him a sixpenny bottle of ale: They say a fool’shandselis lucky.
1679.Holland,Ammianus Marcellinus. With which wofull tidings being sore astonied, as if it were the firsthanselland beginning of evils comming toward him.
1787.Grose,Prov. Glossary, etc. (1811), p. 121. It is a common practice among the lower class of hucksters, pedlars, or dealers in fruit or fish, on receiving the price of the first goods sold that day, which they callhansel, to spit on the money, as they term it, for good luck.
1815.Scott,Guy Mannering, ch.iii. There was a whin bonnie lasses there, forbye mysel’, and deil ane to gie themhansels.Ibid., ch. xxxii. Grizzy has naething frae me, by twa pair o’ new shoon ilka year, and maybe a bit compliment atHansel Monanday.
1821.Scott,Kenilworth, ch. xix. ‘How wears the Hollands you won of me?’‘Why, well, as you may see, Master Goldthred,’ answered Mike; ‘I will bestow a pot on thee for thehandsel.’
Verb(common).—1. To give handsel to; also (2), to use for the first time.
1599.Nashe,Lenten Stuffe, inWks., v., 249. And gather about him as flocking tohansellhim and strike him good luck.
1605.Chapman, etc.,Eastward Hoe, ii. My lady … is so ravished with desire tohansellher new coach.
1639–61.Rump Songs, i. [1662], 137. Belike he meant toHansellhis New Satten.[266]
1663.Pepys,Diary, 12 Apr. Coming home to-night, a drunken boy was carrying by our constable to our new pair of stocks tohandselthem.
1874. [G. A. Lawrence],Hagarene, ch. xvii. The habit of stout blue cloth … was Pete Harradine’s last and crowning extravagance, as they passed through town on their way to Fulmerstone, and it had never beenhanselledyet.
1881.BesantandRice,Sweet Nelly, inTen Years’ Tenant, etc., Vol. I., p. 200. I wanted to present her with something tohanselfriendship.
Hanseller,subs.(common).—A street vendor; a Cheap Jack.
1851–61.H. Mayhew,Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, i., 392. The sellers of tins, who carry them under their arms, or in any way on a round, apart from the use of a vehicle, are known ashand-sellers.
1876.Hindley,Adventures of a Cheap Jack, p. 10. Cheap-Jacks, as they were then as now called by the people, although the termhan’-selleris mostly used by themselves.
Hans-en-Kelder,subs.(old).—A child in the womb: literally,Jack-in-the-Cellar(q.v.). [From the Dutch.]
1647.Cleaveland,Character of a London Diurnall. The originall sinner in this kind was Dutch; Galliobelgicus, the Protoplast; and the moderne Mercuries, buthans-en-kelders. The countesse of Zealand was brought to bed of an almanack; as many children as dayes in the yeare.
1648.Mercurius Pragmaticus, i. The birthday of that precious new government which is yet but aHans-en-kelder.
d.1658.Lovelace,Poems, p. 63. Next beg I to present my duty To pregnant sister in prime beauty, Whom [who] well I deem (ere few months elder) Will take outHans fromprettykelder.
1663.Dryden,Wild Gallant, v.,Wks., i. 61 (1701). Seems you are desirous I should Father thisHans en Kelderheere.
1672.Marvell,Char. of Holland, line 65. More pregnant then their Marg’ret, that laid down ForHans-in-Kelderof a whole Hanse town.
1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hans-en-Kelder, Jack in the Box, the Child in the Womb, or a Health to it.
1672.Wycherley,Love in a Wood, v. Then I am as it were a grandfather to your new Wiffe’s,hans en kelder.
1678.T. Baker,Tunbridge Wells, p. 27. Here’s a health to this Lady’sHans in Kelder!
1725.New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hans in Kelder, a health frequently drank to breeding women, or their husbands.
Hansom,subs.(coster).—A chop.
Hap-Harlot,subs.(old).—A coarse stuff to make rugs or coverlets with; a rug.Cf.,Wrap-rascal= an overcoat.
1577–87.Holinshed,Description of England, bk. ii., ch. xii. A sheet vnder couerlets made of dagswain, orhap-harlots(I vse their owne termes).
Ha’porth o’ Coppers,subs. phr.(legal).—Habeas Corpus.
Ha’porth of Liveliness,subs. phr.(Coster).—1. Music.
1851–61.H. Mayhew,Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, i., p. 21. Or they will call to the orchestra, saying, ‘Now then you catgut-scrapers! Let’s have aha’porth of liveliness.’
2. (common).—A loitering Lawrence; aslowcoach(q.v.).
Happify,verb. (American).—To please.
1612.Sylvester,Lach. Lach., 642. One short mishap for everhappifies.
1848.Burton,Waggeries, etc., p. 70. For eatin’ and drinkin’, ithappifiesme to say that we bang the bush.
Happy,adj.(common).—Slightly drunk;elevated(q.v.). For synonyms,seeDrinksandScrewed.[267]
Happy-despatch,subs.(common).—Death, specifically, a sudden or violent end.
Happy-dosser.SeeDosser.
Happy Eliza,subs.(common).—A female Salvationist [As in theBroadside Ballad(1887–8), ‘They call me Happy Eliza, and I’m Converted Jane: We’ve been two hot’uns in our time.’]
Happy-family,subs.(colloquial).—Seequot.
1851–61.H. Mayhew,Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, iii., p. 224.Happy families, or assemblages of animals of diverse habits and propensities living amicably, or at least quietly, in one cage.
Happy-go-lucky,subs.(colloquial).—Careless; thoughtless; improvident. Fr.,va comme je te pousseandà la flan.
1856.Reade,Never Too Late to Mend, ch. xv. In thehappy-go-luckyway of his class.
1883.Illust. London News, 8 Dec., p. 551, c. 1. He dashes off a play in ahappy-go-luckystyle, basing it on theatrical precedent so far as certain stock situations are concerned.
Happy Hunting-grounds,subs.(American).—1. The future state;glory(q.v.). [From the North-American Indian’s conception of heaven.]
1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 98. After a long journey, they will reach thehappy hunting-grounds.
1891.Gunter,Miss Nobody of Nowhere, ch. v. Old Mescal is now keeping a sharp eye out for the child and the cowboy, that he may send them to thehappy hunting-groundsalso.
2. (colloquial).—A favourable place for work or play.
1892.Cassell’s Sat. Journal, 26 Oct., p. 119. Thehappy hunting-groundof the swell mobsman is the opening of some Exhibition.
3. (venery).—The femalepudendum. For synonyms,seeMonosyllable.
Happy-land,subs.(common).—The after life;glory(q.v.).
1893.Danvers,The Grantham Mystery, ch. xiii. The old ’un will soon join the young ’un in thehappy land.
Happy-returns,subs.(Australian).—Vomiting.SeeFlay the Fox.
Harbour,subs.(venery).—The femalepudendum. For synonyms,seeMonosyllable. AlsoHarbour of Hope.
Hard,subs.(prison).—1. Hard labour.
1890.Globe, 26 Feb., p. 1, c. 4. Monetary penalties, therefore, do not act as deterrents, but the certainty of seven days’ incarceration, with or withouthard, would soon diminish the nuisance.
2.SeeHard-Shell.
3. (colloquial).—Third-class. As opposed tosoft(q.v.). Thus: ‘Do you gohardorsoft?’ = ‘Do you go Third or First?’ An abbreviation ofHard-arse.
Adj.(American).—1. Applied to metal of all kinds:e.g.,hard(coleorstuff) = silver or gold as compared to cheques orsoft(q.v.).
1825.Neal,Bro. Jonathan, ii., ch. 18. The bill … amounted to one dollar and a quarterhard money.
1844.Puck, p. 146. That cunning old file wont let her go with thehard cashdown.
1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hard; metal.
1859.Matsell,Vocabulum, s.v.Hard cole.Silver or gold money.
1863.Charles Reade,Hard Cash. [Title.][268]
2. (old: now recognised).—1. Sour or souring; as inhard-cider; (2)harddrinks (American) = intoxicating liquors, as wine, ale, etc., while lemonade, soda-water, ginger-beer, etc., aresoft.
1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hard drink, that is very Stale, or begining to Sower.
1785.Grose,Vulg. Tongue, s.v.Hard, stale beer nearly sour, is said to behard.
1882.Daily Telegraph, 10 Oct., p. 5, c. 3. A fourth defendant, in pleading guilty, urged that the month of August last ‘turned a lot of beer sour,’ and that he had only used some sugar for the purpose of mollifying thehardor sour porter.
Hard as a Bone(Nails, etc.),adj. phr.(colloquial).—Very hard; austere; unyielding.
1885.Indoor Paupers, p. 79. He stood it for a week or two without flinching—being at that datehard as nails, as he expresses it.
Hard at it,adj. phr.(colloquial).—Very busy; in the thick of a piece of work.
To die hard,verb. phr.(colloquial).—To sell one’s life dearly;e.g., Thedie-hards(q.v.), the 59th Regiment, so called from their gallantry at Albuera.
To give hard for soft,verb. phr.(venery).—To copulate.SeeGreens.
To be Hard Hit.SeeHard-hit.
[Hard,adj., is used in many combinations; generally with an unpleasant intention. Thus,hard-arsed(orfisted, orhanded) = very niggardly;hard-bit(orhard-mouthful) = an unpleasant experience;hard-driven(orhard-run) = sore bested;hard-faced(orfavoured, orfeatured) = grum, shrewish, or bony;hard-headed(orhard-witted) = shrewd and intelligent, but unimaginative and unsympathetic;hard-hearted= incapable of pity;hard-lipped= obstinate, dour;hard-master= a nigger-driver;hard-nut= a dangerous antagonist;hard-on= pitiless in severity;hard-riding= selfish and reckless equestration;hard-service= the worst kind of employment;hard-wrought= overworked, etc., etc.]
Hard-a-weather,adj.(nautical).—Tough; weather-proof.
1891.W. C. Russell,Ocean Tragedy, p. 44. They werehard-a-weatherfellows.
Hard-bake,subs.(schoolboys’).—A sweetmeat made of boiled brown sugar or treacle with blanched almonds.
1825.Hone,Every-day Bk., I., 51.Hardbake, brandy-balls, and bull’s-eyes.
1836.Dickens,Pickwick, ii. The commodities exposed for sale in the public streets are marine stores,hard-bake, apples, etc.
Hard-baked,adj.(old).—1. Constipated.
1823.Jon Bee,Dict. of Turf, s.v.
2. (common).—Stern; unflinching; strong.
1847.Robb,Squatter Life, p. 73. It’s my opinion, these squirtish kind a fellars ain’t perticularhard-baked.
Hard-bargain(orCase),subs.(common).—1. A lazy fellow; abad-egg(q.v.); a skulker.One of the Queen’s Hard-bargains= a bad soldier.
1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 71. La Bonté had lost all traces of civilised humanity, and might justly claim to be considered ashard a caseas any of the mountaineers then present.
1888.Lynch, Mountain Mystery, ch. xliii. A fellow who comes and goes between here and Rockville, generally considered ahard case, and believed to be more outlaw than miner.
2. (trade).—A defaulting debtor.
3. (nautical).—A brutal mate or officer. Alsohard-horse.[269]
Hard-bit(orBit of Hard),subs.(venery).—1. Thepenisin erection; whence (2), for women, the act of connection.
Hard-bitten,adj.(colloquial).—Resolute;game(q.v.); desperate.
1815.Scott,Guy Mannering, liii. My sooth, they’ll behard-bittenterriers will worrie Dandie.
Hard-cheese,subs.(Royal Military Academy).—Hard lines; bad luck; specifically at billiards.
Hard-cole.SeeHardandCole.
Hard-doings,subs.(American).—1. Rough fare; and (2) hard work.
1848.Ruxton,Life in the Far West, p. 37.Hard doinswhen it comes to that.
Hard-drinking,subs.(old: now recognized).—Drinking to excess.
1690. B. E.,Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.Hard-drinking, excessive Soking, or toping aboundance.
Hard-head,subs.(American).—A man of good parts, physical, intellectual, or moral.
1824.R. B. Peake,Americans Abroad, i., 1.Dou.None of your flouting, by jumping jigs, I won’t stand it—we Americans have gothard heads—we warn’t brought up in the woods to be scart at by an owl—you can’t scare me so.
1848.Durivage,Stray Subjects, p. 110. Most of the passengers had disappeared for the night, and only a knot ofhard-headswere left upon deck.
Hard-hit.To be hard hit,verb.phr.(colloquial).—1. To have experienced a heavy loss; as over a race, at cards, etc.
2. (colloquial).—To be deeply in love; completelygone on(q.v.).
1888.J. McCarthyandMrs. Campbell-Praed,Ladies’ Gallery, ch. xxv. The wound was keen, I had beenhit hard.
1891.M. E. Braddon,Gerard, p. 312. You’ve beenhard hit.
Hard-lines,subs.(colloquial).—Hardship; difficulty; an unfortunate result or occurrence. [Formerlyline= lot:Cf., Bible and Prayer book version of Psalm xvi., 5, 6.]
1855.Notes and Queries, 1 S. xii., p. 287.Hard Lines.Whence is this expression, so common, particularly among seafaring men, derived?
1881.W. Black,Beautiful Wretch, ch. xxiii. I think it’s deucedhard linesto lock up a fellow for merely humbugging an old parson up in Kentish Town.
1888.Sporting Life, 15 Dec. For the Kempton folks it was ratherhard lines.
1888.J. McCarthyandMrs. Campbell-Praed,Ladies’ Gallery, ch. xxvi. It’s awfulhard lines, Lady Star Strange, that I am only thought good enough for you Londoners in the dead season.
1892.Milliken,’Arry Ballads, p. 3. I call it’ard lines, dear old man.