Dab, orDABSTER, an expert person. Most probably derived from the Latinadeptus.Dab, street term for small flat fish of any kind.—Old.Dacha-saltee, tenpence. Probably from theLingua Franca.Modern Greek, δέκα;Italian,DIECI SOLDI, tenpence;Gipsy,DIK, ten. So alsoDACHA-ONE(oney),i.e.,dieci uno, elevenpence.—SeeSALTEE.Daddle, the hand; “tip us yourDADDLE,”i.e., shake hands.Daddy, a stage manager.—Theatrical.Also the person who gives away the bride at a wedding.Daddy;at mock raffles, lotteries, &c., theDADDYis an accomplice, most commonly the getter-up of the swindle, and in all cases the person that has been previously selected to win the prize.Daddy, the old man in charge—generally an aged pauper—at casual wards. Most people will remember “kind oldDADDY.”Daffy, gin. A term with monthly nurses, who are always extolling the virtues of Daffy’s Elixir, and who occasionally comfort themselves with a stronger medicine under Daffy’s name. Of late years the term has been altered to “soothing syrup.”Dags, feat or performance; “I’ll do yourDAGS,”i.e., I will do something that you cannot do. Corruption ofDARINGS.Dairies, a woman’s breasts, which are also calledCHARLIES.Daisy-cutter, a horse that trots or gallops without lifting its feet much from the ground.Daisy-kicker, the name ostlers at large inns used to give each other, now nearly obsolete.Daisy-kicker, orGROGHAM, was likewise the cant term for a horse. TheDAISY-KICKERSwere sad rogues in the old posting days; frequently the landlords rented the stables to them, as the only plan to make them return a profit.Damage, in the sense of recompense; “what’s theDAMAGE?”i.e., what is to pay? or actually, what is theDAMAGEto my pocket?Damper, a shop till; toDRAW A DAMPER,i.e., rob a till. A till is more modernly called a “lob,” and stealing from tills is known as “lob-sneaking.”Dancer, or dancing-master, a thief who prowls about the roofs of houses, and effects an entrance by attic windows, &c. Called also a “garreter.”Dance upon nothing, to be hanged.Dander, passion or temper; “to get one’sDANDERup,” to rouse his passion.—Old, but now much used in America.Dando, a great eater, who cheats at hotels, eating shops, oyster-cellars, &c., from a person of that name who lived many years ago, and who was an enormous oyster-eater. According to the stories related of him, Dando would visit an oyster-room, devour an almost fabulous quantity of bivalves, with porter and bread and butter to match, and then calmly state that he had no money.Dandy, a fop, or fashionable nondescript. This word, in the sense of a fop, is of modern origin. Egan says it was first used in 1820, and Bee in 1816. Johnson does not mention it, although it is to be found in all late dictionaries.Dandieswore stays, studied a feminine style, and tried to undo their manhood by all manner of affectations which were not actually immoral. Lord Petersham headed them. At the present day dandies of this stamp have almost entirely disappeared, but the new school of muscular Christians is not altogether faultless. The feminine ofDANDYwasDANDIZETTE, but the term only lived for a short season.Dandy, a small glass of whisky.—Irish.“Dimidium cyathi vero apud Metropolitanos Hibernicos diciturDANDY.”—Father Tom and the Pope, inBlackwood’s Magazinefor May 1838.Dandy, a boatman.—Anglo-Indian.Dandypratt, a funny little fellow, a mannikin; originally a half-farthing of the time of Henry VII.Danna, human ordure;DANNA DRAG, a nightman’s or dustman’s cart; henceDUNNA-KEN, whichsee.Darbies, handcuffs.—Old Cant.—SeeJOHNNY DARBIES. Sir Walter Scott mentions these, in the sense of fetters, in hisPeveril of the Peak—“‘Hark ye! Jem Clink will fetch you theDARBIES.’ ‘Derby!’ interrupted Julian, ‘has the Earl or Countess’”——Had Sir Walter known of any connexion between them and this family he would undoubtedly have mentioned it. The mistake of Julian is corrected in the next paragraph. It is said that handcuffs were, when used to keep two prisoners together, calledDarbiesandJoans—a term which would soon be shortened as a natural consequence.Darble, the devil.French,DIABLE.Dark, “keep itDARK,”i.e., secret. ADARKhorse is, in racing phraseology, a horse of whom nothing positive is known, but who is generallysupposed to have claims to the consideration of all interested, whether bookmakers or backers.Darky, twilight; also a negro.Darkmans, the night.Darn, vulgar corruption ofDAMN.—American.Dash, to jot down suddenly. “Things I haveDASHEDoff at a moment’s notice.”Dash, fire, vigour, manliness. Literary and artistic work is often said to be full ofDASH.Dash, an ejaculation, as “DASHmy wig!” “DASHmy buttons!” A relic of the attempts made, when cursing was fashionable, to be in the mode without using “bad words.”Dashing, showy, fast.Daub, in low language, an artist. Also a badly painted picture.David’s sow, “as drunk asDAVID’Ssow,”i.e., beastly drunk.Seeorigin of the phrase in Grose’sDictionary.Davy, “on myDAVY,” on my affidavit, of which it is a vulgar corruption. LatterlyDAVYhas become synonymous in street language with the name of the Deity; “so help meDAVY,” generally rendered, “swelp myDAVY.” Slang version of the conclusion of the oath usually exacted of witnesses.Davy’s locker, orDavy Jones’s locker, the sea, the common receptacle for all things thrown overboard;—a nautical phrase for death, is “gone toDavy Jones’s locker,” which there means the other world.—SeeDUFFY.Dawdle, to loiter, or fritter away time.Dawk, the post.—Anglo-Indian.Daylights, eyes; “to darken hisDAYLIGHTS,” to give a person black eyes. Also the spaces left in glasses between the liquor and the brim,—not allowed when bumpers are drunk. The toast-master in such cases cries “noDAYLIGHTSor heeltaps!”Daze, to confound or bewilder; an ancient form of dazzle used by Spenser, Drayton, &c. This is more obsolete English than slang, though its use nowadays might fairly bring it within the latter category.Dead-against, decidedly opposed to.Dead-alive, stupid, dull.Dead-amiss, said of a horse that from illness is utterly unable to run for a prize.Dead-beat, utterly exhausted, utterly “done up.”Dead-heat, when two horses run home so exactly equal that the judge cannot place one before the other; consequently, aDEAD-HEATis a heat which counts for nothing, so far as the even runners are concerned, as it has to be run over again. When a race between dead-heaters has been unusually severe, or when the stake is sufficiently good to bear division, it is usual to let one of the animals walk over the course so as to make a deciding heat, and to divide the money. In such case all bets are divided. Sometimes, however, when no arrangementcan be made, an owner will withdraw his horse, in which case the animal that walks over wins the whole of the stake, and his backers the whole of their money. Where the course is short and the money of small amount, theDEAD-HEATis run off, the second essay being called the decider, though on certain occasions even the decider has resulted in aDEAD-HEAT.—SeeNECK AND NECK.Dead-horse, “to draw theDEAD-HORSE;”DEAD-HORSEwork—working for wages already paid; also any thankless or unassisted service.Dead-letter, an action of no value or weight; an article, owing to some mistake in its production, rendered utterly valueless,—often applied to any instrument in writing, which by some apparently trivial omission, becomes useless. At the general and large district post-offices, there is a department for letters which have been erroneously addressed, or for which, from many and various causes, there are no receivers. These are calledDEAD-LETTERS, and the office in connexion with them is known as theDEAD-LETTERoffice.Dead-lock, a permanent standstill, an inextricable entanglement.Dead-lurk, entering a dwelling-house during divine service.Dead-man, a baker. Properly speaking, it is an extra loaf smuggled into the basket by the man who carries it out, to the loss of the master. Sometimes theDEAD-MANis charged to a customer, though never delivered. Among London thieves and low people generally a “dead’un” is a half-quartern loaf.Dead-men, the term for wine bottles after they are emptied of their contents.—Old.—SeeMARINES.Dead-men’s shoes, property which cannot be claimed until after decease of present holder. “To wait for a pair ofDEAD-MEN’S SHOES,” is considered a wearisome affair. It is used by Fletcher:—“And ’tis a general shrift, that most men use,But yet ’tis tedious waitingDEAD MEN’S SHOES.”Fletcher’s Poems, p. 256.Dead-set, a pointed and persistent attack on a person.Dead’un, a horse which will not run or will not try in a race, and against which money may be betted with safety.—SeeSAFE UN.Deaner, a shilling. FromDENIER.Death, “to dress toDEATH,”i.e., to the very extreme of fashion, perhaps so as to be killing.Death-hunter, a running patterer, who vends last dying speeches and confessions. More modernly the term is supposed to mean an undertaker, or any one engaged in or concerned with burials.Deck, a pack of cards. Used by Shakspeare, 3K. Hen. VI., v. 1. Probably because ofDECKINGor arranging the table for a game at cards. General in the United States.Dee, a pocket-book; term used by tramps.—Gipsy.Dee(properly D), a detective policeman. “TheDEESare about, so look out.”Delicate, a false subscription-book carried by aLURKER.Demirep(orDEMIRIP), a courtezan. Contraction ofDEMI-REPUTATION, which is, in turn, a contraction fordemi-mondereputation.Derby-dog, a masterless animal, who is sure to appear as soon as the Epsom course is cleared for the great race of the season. No year passes without a dog running between the two dense lines of spectators and searching in vain for an outlet, and he is almost as eagerly looked for as are the “preliminary canters.” It is said that when noDERBY-DOGappears on the course between Tattenham Corner and the judge’s box, just before the start, a dead-heat will take place between all the placed horses.Derrick, an apparatus for raising sunken ships, &c. The term is curiously derived from a hangman of that name frequently mentioned in Old Plays, as in theBellman of London, 1616.“He rides circuit with the devil, andDERRICKmust be his host, and Tyborne the inn at which he will light.”The term is now almost general for all cranes used in loading ships, or doing similar work of a heavy nature.Despatchers, false dice with two sets of numbers, and, of course, no low pips. So called because they bring the matter to a speedy issue. Great skill in palming is necessary for their successful use.Deuce, the devil.—Old.Stated byJuniusand others to be fromDeusorZeus.Deuce, twopence;DEUCEat cards or dice, one with two pips or spots.Devil, among barristers, to get up the facts of a case for a leader; to arrange everything in the most comprehensive form, so that the Q.C. or Serjeant can absorb the question without much trouble.Devillingis juniors’ work, but much depends on it, and on the ability with which it is done.Devil, a printer’s youngest apprentice, an errand-boy in a printing-office.Devil dodger, a clergyman; also a person who goes sometimes to church and sometimes to meeting.Devil-may-care, reckless, rash.Devil’s bed-posts, the four of clubs. Otherwise Old Gentleman’sBED-POSTS.Devil’s books, a pack of playing-cards; a phrase of Presbyterian origin.—SeeFOUR KINGS.Devil’s delight, a noise or row of any description. Generally used thus:—“They kicked up theDEVIL’S DELIGHT.”Devil’s dung, the fetid drug assafœtida.Devil’s dust, a term used in the manufacturing districts of Yorkshire to denote shreds of old cloth torn up to re-manufacture; also calledSHODDY. Mr. Ferrand, in his speech in the House, March 4, 1842, produced a piece of cloth made chiefly fromDEVIL’S DUST, and tore it into shreds to prove its worthlessness.—See Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates, third series, vol. lxi. p. 140.Devil-scolder, a clergyman.Devil’s livery, black and yellow. From the mourning and quarantine uses of the colours.Devil’s teeth, orDEVIL’S BONES, dice.Devotional habits, horses weak in the knees, and apt to stumble and fall, are said to have these.—Stable.Dew-beaters, feet; “hold out yourDEW-BEATERStill I take off the darbies.”—Peveril of the Peak.Forby says the word is used in Norfolk for heavy shoes to resist wet.Dew-drink, a morning draught, such as is served out to labourers in harvest time before commencing work.Dewskitch, a good thrashing, perhaps from catching one’s due.Dibbs, money; so called from the huckle bones of sheep, which have been used from the earliest times for gambling purposes when money was not obtainable—in one particular game being thrown up five at a time and caught on the back of the hand like halfpence.Dick, a riding whip; gold-headedDICK, one so ornamented.Dick, abbreviation of “Dictionary,” but often euphemistically rendered “Richard,”—fine language, long words. A man who uses fine words without much judgment is said to have “swallowed theDICK.”Dickens, synonymous with devil; “what theDICKENSare you after?” what the devil are you doing? Used by Shakspeare in theMerry Wives of Windsor. In many old stories his Satanic Majesty is called theDICKENS, and by no other name, while in some others the word is spelt “diconce.”Dickey, bad, sorry, or foolish; food or lodging is pronouncedDICKEYwhen of a poor description; “veryDICKEY”, very inferior; “it’s allDICKEYwith him,”i.e., all over with him.Dickey, formerly the cant for a worn-out shirt, but nowadays used for a front or half-shirt.Dickeywas originally “tommy” (from the Greek, τομή, a section), a name which was formerly used in Trinity College, Dublin. The students are said to have invented the term, and love of change and circumlocution soon changed it toDICKEY, in which dress it is supposed to have been imported into England.Dickey, a donkey.—Norfolk.Dickey Sam, a native of Liverpool.Dicking;“look! the bulky isDICKING,”i.e., the constable has his eye on you.—North Country Cant.Diddle, old cant word for geneva, or gin.Diddle, to cheat, or defraud.—Old.InGerman,DUDELNis to play on the bagpipe; and the ideas of piping and cheating seem to have been much connected. “Do you think I am easier played on than a pipe?” occurs inHamlet.Diddler, orJEREMY DIDDLER, an artful swindler. A diddler is generally one who borrows money without any intention of ever repaying it; the sort of man who, having asked for half-a-crown and receivedonly a shilling, would consider that eighteenpence was owing to him.—FromRaising the Wind.Diddling, cheating or swindling. Borrowing money without any intention of repaying it. Edgar Allan Poe wrote a very amusing article once onDIDDLING, which he seemed to regard as a rather high art.Didoes, pranks or capers; “to cut upDIDOES,” to make pranks.Dig, a hard blow. Generally in pugilistic circles applied to a straight “left-hander,” delivered under the guard on the “mark.”Diggers, spurs; also the spades on cards.Diggings, lodgings, apartments, residence; an expression probably imported from California, or Australia, with reference to the gold diggings. It is very common nowadays for a man moving in very decent society to call his abode or his office, or anyplace to which he frequently resorts, his “DIGGINGS.”Dilly, originally a coach, fromdiligence. Now a night-cart.Dilly-dally, to trifle.Dimber, neat or pretty.—Worcestershire, but old cant.Dimber-damber, very pretty; a clever rogue who excels his fellows; chief of a gang.Old Cantin the latter sense.Dimmock, money; “how are you off forDIMMOCK?” diminutive ofDIME, a small foreign silver coin, in the United States 10 cents.Dinarly, money; “NANTEE DINARLY,” I have no money, corrupted from theLingua Franca, “NIENTE DINARO,” not a penny.Turkish,DINARI;Spanish,DINERO;Latin,DENARIUS.Dine out, to go without dinner. “IDINED OUTto-day,” would express the same among the very lower classes that “dining with Duke Humphrey” expresses among the middle and upper.Ding, to strike; to throw away, or get rid of anything; to pass to a confederate by throwing.Old, used in old plays.“The butcher’s axe (like great Alcides’ bat)Dingsdeadly downe ten thousand thousand flat.”Taylor’s Works, 1630.Dingy, a small boat. Generally the smallest boat carried by a ship. Thegin this is pronounced hard.Dipped, mortgaged.Dirt,TO EAT, an expression derived from the East, nearly the same as “to eat humble (Umble) pie,” to put up with a mortification or insult.Dirty Half-hundred, a nickname given to the 50th Regiment on account of their tattered and soiled appearance during the Peninsular War. A term to be proud of, as it implies much work and little reward.Disguised, intoxicated. A very old term is that of “DISGUISEDin drink.”“Some say drinking doesDISGUISEmen.”—Old Song.“The saylers and the shipmen all,Through foul excesse of wine,Were soDISGUISEDthat at the seaThey shew’d themselves like swine.”Thos. Deloney’s Strange Histories, p. 14.Dish, to stop, to do away with, to suppress;DISHED, done for, floored, beaten, or silenced. To “do brown” and to “DISH,” both verbs with very similar meanings, have an evident connexion so far as origin is concerned, and most likely were both first used in the kitchen as synonymous with “done for.” The late Lord Derby made the word “DISH” famous by his latest public act, that of “DISHINGthe Whigs.”Dithers, nervous or cold shiverings; “it gave me theDITHERS.”Dittoes,A SUIT OF, coat, waistcoat, and trousers of the same material.—Tailor’s term.Ditty-bag, the bag or huswife in which sailors keep needles, thread, buttons, &c., for mending their clothes.Diver, a pickpocket. Also applied to fingers, no doubt from a similar reason. ToDIVEis to pick pockets.Do, this useful and industrious verb has for many years done service as a slang term. ToDOa person is to cheat him. Sometimes another tense is employed, such as “IDONEhim,” meaning, I cheated or “paid him out;” this is only used in the lowest grades of society.Done brown, cheated thoroughly, befooled;DONE OVER, upset, cheated, knocked down, ruined. Among thievesDONE OVERmeans that a man’s pockets have been all quietly searched; the term also means among low people seduced;DONE UP, used up, finished, or quieted.Donealso means convicted, or sentenced; so doesDONE-FOR. ToDOa person in pugilism is to beat him. Humphreys, who fought Mendoza, a Jew, wrote this laconic note to his supporter—“I haveDONEthe Jew, and am in good health.—Rich. Humphreys.” Tourists use the expression, “I haveDONEFrance and Italy,” meaning I have been through those countries.Dobie, an Indian washerman; and though women wash clothes in this country, Anglo-Indians speak of a washerwoman as aDOBIE.Doctor, to adulterate or drug liquor; to poison, to hocus; also to falsify accounts. A publican who sells bad liquors is said to keep theDOCTORin his cellars. On board ship the cook is always termed “theDOCTOR.”—SeeCOOK.Doddy, a term applied in Norfolk to any person of low stature. SometimesHODMANDODand “HODDY-DODDY, all head and no body.”Dodmanin the same dialect denotes a garden snail.Dodge, a cunning trick. “Dodge, that homely but expressive phrase.”—Sir Hugh Cairns on the Reform Bill, 2nd March, 1859.Anglo-Saxon,DEOGIAN, to colour, to conceal. TheTIDY DODGE, as it is called by street-folk, consists in dressing up a family clean and tidy, and parading in the streets to excite compassion and obtain alms.Dodger, a dram. In Kent, aDODGERsignifies a nightcap; which name is often given to the last dram at night.Dodger, a tricky person, or one who, to use the popular phrase, “knows too much.” Also one who knows all phases of London life, and profits by such knowledge.Dogberry, a foolish constable.—Shakspeare.Dog cheap, orDOG-FOOLISH, very or singularly cheap, or foolish. Latham, in hisEnglish Language, says:—“This has nothing to do with dogs. The first syllable is god=good, transposed, and the second, the ch‑‑p, is chapman, merchant: compareEASTCHEAP.”—Old term.Doggery, nonsense, transparent attempts to cheat.Dog gone, a form of mild swearing used by boys.Dog in a blanket, a kind of pudding, made of preserved fruit spread on thin dough, and then rolled up and boiled. This pudding is also called “rolly-polly” and “stocking.”Dog in the manger, a scurvy, ill-conditioned, selfish fellow. From the fable of that title.Dog Latin, barbarous Latin, such as was formerly used by lawyers in their pleadings. Now applied to medical Latin.Dogs,TO GO TO THE, to be commercially or socially ruined. Originally a stable term applied to old or worthless horses, sold to feed hounds.Dog’s body, a kind of pease pudding.—Sea.Dog’s ears, the curled corners of the leaves of books, which have been carelessly treated. The use of this term is so common that it is hardly to be considered slang.Dog’s nose, gin and beer, so called from the mixture beingcold, like a dog’s nose.Dog stealer, aDOG DEALER. There is sometimes less difference between the two trades than between “d” and “st.”Doing time, working out a sentence in prison. “He’s done time,” is a slang phrase used in reference to a man who is known to have been in gaol.Doldrums, difficulties, low spirits, dumps.—Sea.Dollop, a lump or portion.—Norfolk.Anglo-Saxon,DALE,dole.Dollop, todole up, to give up a share.—Ibid.Dolly, a very mild gambling contrivance, generally used in sweetmeat and other child’s-ware shops, until stopped by the authorities a few years back, and consisting of a round board and the figure of an old man or “DOLLY,” down which was a spiral hole. A marble dropped “down theDOLLY,” would stop in one of the small holes or pits (numbered) on the board. The bet was decided according as the marble stopped on a high or low figure.SeeDOLLY-SHOP.Dollymop, a tawdrily-dressed maid-servant, a semi-professional street-walker.Dolly shop, an illegal pawnshop,—where goods, or stolen property, not good enough for the pawnbroker, are received, and charged at so much per day. If not redeemed the third day the goods are forfeited. Originally these shops were rag shops as well, and were represented by theblack doll, the usual sign of a rag shop. Twenty years ago, aDOLLY SHOPwas, among boys, a small sweetstuff and fruit shop where a hollow wooden figure, of the kind described above, was kept. Awager was made, and the customer got double quantity for his money, or nothing. A paternal legislature, and a police system worthy of the task, have long since wiped this blot from a nation’s face. The amount at stake was generally a halfpenny, sometimes less.Dominie, a parson, or master at a grammar school.Domino, a common ejaculation of soldiers and sailors when they receive the last lash of a flogging. The allusion may be understood from the game of dominoes. ADOMINOmeans either a blow, or the last of a series of things, whether pleasant or otherwise, so the ejaculation savours somewhat of wit.Dominoes, the teeth.Don, a clever fellow, the opposite of a muff; a person of distinction in his line or walk. At the English Universities, the Masters and Fellows are theDONS.Donis also used as an adjective, “aDONhand at a knife and fork,”i.e., a first-rate feeder at a dinner-table.Dona and feeles, a woman and children.ItalianorLingua Franca,DONNE E FIGLIE. The wordDONAis usually pronouncedDONER.Done!the expression used when a bet is accepted. To beDONE, is to be considerably worsted.—SeealsoDO.Done up, an equivalent expression to “dead beat.”Donkey, “tuppence more and up goes theDONKEY,” a vulgar street phrase for extracting as much money as possible before performing any task. The phrase had its origin with a travelling showman, the finale of whose performance was the hoisting of aDONKEYon a pole or ladder; but this consummation was never arrived at unless the required amount was first paid up, and “tuppence more” was generally the sum demanded.Donkey, in printers’ slang, means a compositor. In the days before steam machinery was invented, the men who worked at press—the pressmen—were so dirty and drunken a body that they earned the name of pigs. In revenge, and for no reason that can be discovered, they christened the compositorsDONKEYS.Don Pedro, a game at cards. It is a compound of All Fours, and the Irish game variously termed All Fives, Five and Ten, Fifteen, Forty-five, &c. It was probably invented by the mixed English and Irish rabble who fought in Portugal in 1832-3.Dookin, fortune-telling.Gipsy,DUKKERIN.Dose, three months’ imprisonment with hard labour.Doss, a bed. Probably fromDOZE, though quite as likely fromDORSE, the back. Least likely of all, as any one who knows aught about the surrounding circumstances of those who use the term will admit, is it from the Norman,DOSSEL, a hanging or bed canopy, from which some have professed to derive it.Doss, to sleep, formerly speltDORSE.Gael.,DOSAL, slumber. In the old pugilistic days a man knocked down, or out of time, was said to be “sent toDORSE,” but whether because he was senseless, or because he lay on his back, is not known, though most likely the latter.Dossing-ken, a lodging-house.Dot and go one, a lame or limping man.Do the high, to walk up and down High Street on Sunday evenings, especially just after Church.—Oxford University.Double, “to tip (or give) theDOUBLE,” to run away from any person; to double back, turn short round upon one’s pursuers, and so escape, as a hare does.—Sporting.Double cross, aCROSSin which a man who has engaged to lose breaks his engagement, and “goes straight” at the last moment. This proceeding is called “doubling” or “putting the double on,” and is often productive of much excitement in athletic circles.—SeeCROSS.Double lines, ship casualties. So called at Lloyd’s from the manner of entering in books kept for the purpose.Double-shuffle, a low, shuffling, noisy dance, common amongst costermongers. Sometimes called “cellar flap,” from its being danced by the impecunious on the cellar-flaps of public-houses, outside which they must perforce remain.Doublet, a spurious diamond, made up of two smaller stones for pawning or duffing purposes. These articles are cleverly manufactured and excellently set, and a practised eye can alone detect the imposition.—SeeMoskeneer.Double up, to pair off, or “chum” with another man; to beat severely, so as to leave the sufferer “all of a heap.”Doughy, a sufficiently obvious nickname for a baker.Douse, to put out; “DOUSEthat glim,” put out that candle. In Norfolk this expression isDOUT, which is clearly forDO OUT. SometimesDOUSEmeans to rinse; and sometimes to throw water, clean or dirty, over any one, is to “DOUSEit.”Dovercourt, a noisy assemblage; “all talkers and no hearers, likeDovercourt.” At Dovercourt, in Essex, a court is annually held; and as the members principally consist of rude fishermen, the irregularity noticed in the proverbial saying frequently prevails. Bramston in hisArt of Politicssays:—“Those who would captivate the well-bred throng,Should not too often speak, nor speak too long;Church, nor church matters, ever turn to sport,Nor make St. Stephen’s ChapelDover Court.”This would seem to be more properly applied to a Court of Dover people, aDover Court, not aDovercourt Court.Dove-tart, a pigeon pie. A snake tart is an eel pie.Dowd, a woman’s nightcap.—Devonshire: also an American term; possibly fromDOWDY, a slatternly woman.Dowlas, a linendraper.Dowlasis a sort of towelling.Down, to be aware of, or awake to, any move—in this meaning, exchangeable withUP; “DOWNupon one’s luck,” unfortunate; “DOWNin the mouth,” disconsolate; “to beDOWNon one,” to treat him harshly or suspiciously, to pounce upon him, or detect his tricks.Downer, a sixpence; apparently the Gipsy word,TAWNO, “little one,” in course of metamorphosis into the more usual “tanner.”Downs, Tothill Fields’ Prison.Down the road, stylish, showy, after the fashion.Down to the ground, an American rendering of the word entirely; as, “that suits meDOWN TO THE GROUND.”Downy, knowing or cunning; “aDOWNY COVE,” a knowing or experienced sharper. Literally, aDOWNYperson is one who is “DOWNto every move on the board.” In Norfolk, however, it means low-spirited,i.e.,DOWNin the mouth.Dowry, a lot, a great deal; “DOWRYof parny,” lot of rain or water.—SeePARNY. Probably from the Gipsy.Dowsers, men who profess to tell fortunes, and who, by the use of the divining rod, pretend to be able to discover treasure-trove.—Cornish.Doxy, the female companion of a tramp or beggar. In the West of England, the women frequently call their little girlsDOXIES, in a familiar or endearing sense.Orthodoxyhas been described as being a man’s ownDOXY, andheterodoxyanother man’sDOXY.—Ancient Cant.Drab, a vulgar or low woman.—Shakspeare.Drab, poison.—Romany.Draft on Aldgate Pump, an old mercantile phrase for a fictitious banknote or fraudulent bill.Drag, a cart of any kind, term generally used to denote any particularly well-appointed turnout, drawn by a pair or four horses, especially at race meetings.Drag, feminine attire worn by men. A recent notorious impersonation case led to the publication of the word in that sense.Drag, a street, or road;BACK-DRAG, back street.Drag, orTHREE MOON, three months in prison.Drag,THE, a favourite pursuit with fast-hunting sets; as,THE DRAGcan be trailed over very stiff country.Dragging, robbing carts, &c., by means of a light trap which follows behind laden vehicles. Cabs are sometimes eased of trunks in this way, though it is hard to say whether with or without the complicity of the cabmen.Dragging time, the evening of a country fair day, when the young fellows begin pulling the wenches about.Draggletail, a dirty, dissipated woman; a prostitute of the lowest class.Drain, a drink; “to do aDRAIN,” to take a friendly drink—“do a wet;” sometimes called a “common sewer.”Draw, used in several senses:—1, of a theatre, new piece or exhibition, when it attracts the public and succeeds; 2, to induce—as, “DRAWhim on;” 3, of pocket-picking—as, “DRAWhis wipe,” “DRAWhis ticker.” In sporting parlance it is used with an ellipsis of “trigger,” “IDREWon it as it rose.” In America to “DRAWon a man” is to produce knife or pistol, and to use it as well. Where lethal weapons areused in the States, no man raises his weapon till he means to use it, and a celebrated American writer has recently given a dissertation on the relative advantages of cocking and firing a pistol by an almost simultaneous action as it is raised, and of cocking as the instrument is raised, and of then dropping the muzzle slightly as the trigger is pulled. The former way is more speedy, the latter more effective. “Come,DRAWit mild!”i.e., don’t exaggerate; opposite of “come it strong,” from the phraseology of the bar (of a “public”), where customers desire the beer to be “drawn mild.”Draw-boy, a cunning device used by puffing tradesmen. A really good article is advertised or ticketed and exposed for sale in the shop window at a very low price, with a view of drawing in customers to purchase other and inferior articles at high prices. These gentry have fortunately found to their cost, on one or two occasions, by means of magisterial decisions, thatDRAW-BOYShave drawn for their owners something other than profit.Drawers, formerly the ancient cant name for very long stockings.Drawing teeth, wrenching off knockers.—Medical Student slang.Drawlatch, a loiterer.Draw off, to throw back the body to give impetus to a blow; “heDREW OFF, and delivered on the left drum.”—Pugilistic.A sailor would say, “he hauled off and slipped in.”Draw the long bow, to tell extravagant stories, to exaggerate overmuch; same as “throw the hatchet.” From the extremely wonderful stories which used to be told of the Norman archers, and more subsequently of Indians’ skill with the tomahawk.Dress a hat,TO, to rob in a manner very difficult of detection. The business is managed by two or more servants or shopmen of different employers, exchanging their master’s goods; as, for instance, a shoemaker’s shopman receives shirts or other articles from a hosier’s, in return for a pair of boots. Another very ingenious method may be witnessed about eleven o’clock in the forenoon in any of the suburban districts of London. A butcher’s boy, with a bit of steak filched from his master’s shop, or from a customer, falls in with a neighbouring baker’s man, who has a loaf obtained in a similar manner. Their mutual friend, the potboy, in full expectation of their visit, has the tap-room fire bright and clear, and not only cooks the steak, but again, by means of collusion, this time with the barman or barmaid, “stands a shant of gatter” as his share. So a capital luncheon is improvised for the three, without the necessity of paying for it; and this practical communistic operation is styledDRESSING A HAT. Most likely from the fact that a hat receives the attention of three or four people before it is properly fit for wear.Dripping, a cook.Drive, a term used by tradesmen in speaking of business; “he’sDRIVINGa roaring trade,”i.e., a very good one; hence, to succeed in a bargain, “IDROVEa good bargain,”i.e., got the best end of it. To “LET DRIVEat one,” to strike out. A man snoring hard is said to be “DRIVINGhis pigs to market.”Drive at, to aim at; “what is heDRIVING AT?” “what does he intend to imply?” a phrase often used when a circuitous line of argument is adopted by a barrister, or a strange set of questions asked, the purport of which is not very evident.Driz, lace. In a low lodging-house this singular autograph inscription appeared over the mantelpiece. “Scotch Mary, withDRIZ[lace], bound to Dover and back, please God.” It is a common thing for ignorant or superstitious people to make some mark or sign before going on a journey, and then to wonder whether it will be there when they return.Driz-fencer, a person who sells lace.Drop, “toDROPan acquaintance,” to relinquish a connexion, is very polite slang.Droppingis distinguished from cutting by being done gradually and almost imperceptibly, whereas cutting has outward and visible signs which may be unpleasantly resented. To “DROPmoney” at any form of speculation or gambling, is to lose it.Drop, to quit, go off, or turn aside; “DROPthe main Toby,” go off the main road.Drop, “toDROPa man,” to knock him down; “toDROPinto a person,” to give him a thrashing.SeeSLIPandWALK. “ToDROPon a man,” to accuse or rebuke him suddenly.Drop it, synonymous with “cut it” or “cheese it.” Probably from the signal given in the good old hanging days by the culprit, who used generally to drop a handkerchief when he was ready for the cart to be moved from under him.Drum, a house, a lodging, a street;HAZARD-DRUM, a gambling-house;FLASH-DRUM, a house of ill-fame.Drum, the ear.—Pugilistic.An example of slang synecdoche.Drum, as applied to the road, is doubtless from the Wallachian gipsy word “DRUMRI,” derived from theGreek, δρόμος.Drum, old slang for a ball or rout; afterwards called a hop.Drummer, a robber who first makes his victims insensible by drugs or violence, and then plunders them.Drumsticks, legs;DRUMSTICK CASES, trousers. The leg of a fowl is generally called aDRUMSTICK.Dryasdust, an antiquary. From Scott.Dry lodging, sleeping and sitting accommodation only, without board. This is lodging-house keepers’ slang, and is generally used in reference to rooms let to lodgers who take their meals at their clubs, or in the City, according to their social positions.Dry nurse, when an inferior officer on board ship carries on the duty, on account of the captain’s ignorance of seamanship, the junior officer is said toDRY-NURSEhis captain. Majors and adjutants in the army also not unfrequentlyDRY-NURSEthe colonels of their regiments in a similar manner. The sergeant who coaches very young officers, is called a “wet nurse.” The abolition of purchase has, however, considerably modified all this.D.T., a popular abbreviation of delirium tremens; sometimes written and pronounceddel. trem.D.T. also often represents theDaily Telegraph.Dub, to pay or give; “DUB UP,” pay up.Dubash, a general agent.—Anglo-Indian.Dubber, the mouth or tongue; “mum yourDUBBER,” hold your tongue.Dubsman, orSCREW, a turnkey.—Old Cant.Ducats, money.—Theatrical Slang.Duck, a bundle of bits of the “stickings” of beef sold for food to the London poor.—SeeFAGGOT.Ducket, a ticket of any kind. Generally applied to pawnbroker’s duplicates and raffle cards. Probably fromDOCKET.Ducks, trousers.Seaterm. The expression most in use on land is “whiteDUCKS,”i.e., white pantaloons or trousers.Ducks and Drakes, “to makeDUCKS AND DRAKESof one’s money,” to throw it away childishly—derived from children “shying” flat stones on the surface of a pool, which they callDUCKS AND DRAKES, according to the number of skips they make.Dudder, orDUDSMAN, a person who formerly travelled the country as a pedlar, selling gown-pieces, silk waistcoats, &c., to countrymen. In selling a waistcoat-piece, which cost him perhaps five shillings, for thirty shillings or two pounds, he would show great fear of the revenue officer, and beg the purchasing clodhopper to kneel down in a puddle of water, crook his arm, and swear that it might never become straight if he told an exciseman, or even his own wife. The term and practice are nearly obsolete. In Liverpool, however, and at the East-end of London, men dressed up as sailors, with pretended silk handkerchiefs and cigars “only just smuggled from the Indies,” are still to be plentifully found.Dudeen, orDUDHEEN, a short tobacco-pipe. Common term in Ireland and the Irish quarters of London.Duds, clothes, or personal property.Gaelic,DUD;Ancient Cant; alsoDutch.Duff, to cheat, to sell spurious goods, often under pretence of their being stolen or smuggled.Duff, pudding; vulgar pronunciation of dough.—Sea.Duffer, a hawker of “Brummagem” or sham jewellery, or of shams of any kind, a fool, a worthless person.Dufferwas formerly synonymous withDUDDER, and was a general term given to pedlars. It is mentioned in theFrauds of London(1760) as a word in frequent use in the last century to express cheats of all kinds.Duffer, anything of no merit. A term applied by artists to a picture below mediocrity, and by dealers in jewellery to any spurious article. It is now general in its application to a worthless fellow.Duffing, false, counterfeit, worthless.Duffy, a term for a ghost or spirit among the West Indian negroes. In all probability theDAVY JONESof sailors, and a contraction thereof originally.Duke, gin, a term amongst livery servants.Duke Humphrey.“To dine withDuke Humphrey” is aeuphuism for dining not at all. Many reasons have been given for the saying, and the one most worthy of credence is this:—Some visitors were inspecting the abbey where the remains of Humphrey Duke of Gloucester lie, and one of them was unfortunately shut in, and remained theresoluswhile his companions were feasting at a neighbouring hostelry. He was afterwards said to have dined withDuke Humphrey, and the saying eventually passed into a proverb.Dukes, orDOOKS, the hands, originally modification of the rhyming slang, “Duke of Yorks,” forks = fingers, hands—a long way round, but quite true. The word is in very common use among low folk. “Put up yourDOOKS” is a kind invitation to fight.Dukey, orDOOKEY, apenny gaff, whichsee.Dumbfound, to perplex, to beat soundly till not able to speak. Originally a cant word. Johnson cites theSpectatorfor the earliest use.Scotch,DUMBFOUNDER.Dummacker, a knowing or acute person.Dummies, empty bottles, and drawers in an apothecary’s shop, labelled so as to give the idea of an extensive stock. Chandlers’ shop keepers and small general dealers use dummies largely, half-tubs of butter, bladders of lard, hams, cheeses, &c., being specially manufactured for them. Dummies in libraries generally take the form of “Hume and Smollett’s History of England” and other works not likely to tempt the general reader.Dummy, a deaf-and-dumb person; a clumsy, awkward fellow; any one unusually thick-witted.Dummy, in three-handed whist the person who holds two hands playsDUMMY.Dummy, a pocket-book. In this word the derivation is obvious, being connected withDUMB,i.e., that which makes no sound. As a thieves’ term for a pocket-book, it is peculiarly applicable, for the contents of pocket-books, bank-notes and papers, make no noise, while the money in a purse may betray its presence by chinking.Dump fencer, a man who sells buttons.Dumpish, sullen or gloomy.Dumpy, short and stout.Dun, to solicit payment.—Old Cant, from the FrenchDONNEZ, give; or fromJoe Din, orDun, a famous bailiff; or simply a corruption ofDIN, from theAnglo-SaxonDUNAN, to clamour.Dunderhead, a blockhead.Dundreary, an empty swell.Dung, an operative who works for an employer who does not give full or “society” wages.Dungaree, low, common, coarse, vulgar.—Anglo-Indian.Dungareeis the name of a disreputable suburb of Bombay, and also of a coarse blue cloth worn by sailors.“As smart a young fellow as ever you’d see,In jacket and trousers of blueDungaree.”Dunkhorned, sneaking, shabby.Dunkhornin Norfolk is the short, blunt horn of a beast, and the adjective is applied to a cuckold who has not spirit to resist his disgrace.Dunnage, baggage, clothes. Also, a sea term for wood or loose faggots laid at the bottom of ships, upon which is placed the cargo.Dunnyken, originallyDannaken,a watercloset.—FromDANNAandKEN, whichsee.Durrynacking, offering lace or any other article as an introduction to fortune-telling; generally practised by women.Dust, money; “down with theDUST,” put down the money.—Ancient.Dean Swift once took for his text, “He who giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord.” His sermon was short. “Now, my brethren,” said he, “if you are satisfied with the security, down with theDUST.”Dust, a disturbance, or noise, “to raise aDUST,” to make a row.Dust, to beat; “DUSTone’s jacket,”i.e., give him a beating.Dust-hole, Sidney Sussex College at Cambridge.—Univ. Slang.Dust-hole, the Queen’s Theatre, Tottenham Court Road, was so called until comparatively recently, when it was entirely renovated and renamed, and now, as the Prince of Wales’s, it is one of the most fortunate and fashionable theatres in London.Dustoorie, commission, douceur, bribe.—Anglo-Indian.Dusty, a phrase used in answering a question where one expects approbation. “What do you think of this?” “Well, it’s not soDUSTY,”i.e., not so bad; sometimes varied to “none soDUSTY.”Dutch, orDouble Dutch, gibberish, or any foreign tongue. “To talkDouble Dutchbackwards on a Sunday” is a humorous locution for extraordinary linguistic facility.Dutch auction, a method of selling goods, adopted by “CHEAP JOHNS,” to evade the penalties for selling without a licence. The article is offered all round at a high price, which is then dropped until it is taken.Dutch auctionsneed not be illegitimate transactions, and their economy (as likewise that of puffing) will be found minutely explained in Sugden (Lord St. Leonards) “On Vendors and Purchasers.”Dutch concert, where each performer plays a different tune. Sometimes called aDutch medleywhen vocal efforts only are used.Dutch consolation, “thank God it is no worse.” “It might have been worse,” said a man whom the devil was carrying to hell. “How?” asked a neighbour. “Well, he’s carrying me—he might have made me carry him.”Dutch courage, false courage, generally excited by drink—pot-valour.Dutch feast, where the host gets drunk before his guest.Dutch uncle, a personage often introduced in conversation, but exceedingly difficult to describe; “I’ll talk to him like aDutch uncle!” conveys the notion of anything but a desirable relation.
Dab, orDABSTER, an expert person. Most probably derived from the Latinadeptus.
Dab, street term for small flat fish of any kind.—Old.
Dacha-saltee, tenpence. Probably from theLingua Franca.Modern Greek, δέκα;Italian,DIECI SOLDI, tenpence;Gipsy,DIK, ten. So alsoDACHA-ONE(oney),i.e.,dieci uno, elevenpence.—SeeSALTEE.
Daddle, the hand; “tip us yourDADDLE,”i.e., shake hands.
Daddy, a stage manager.—Theatrical.Also the person who gives away the bride at a wedding.
Daddy;at mock raffles, lotteries, &c., theDADDYis an accomplice, most commonly the getter-up of the swindle, and in all cases the person that has been previously selected to win the prize.
Daddy, the old man in charge—generally an aged pauper—at casual wards. Most people will remember “kind oldDADDY.”
Daffy, gin. A term with monthly nurses, who are always extolling the virtues of Daffy’s Elixir, and who occasionally comfort themselves with a stronger medicine under Daffy’s name. Of late years the term has been altered to “soothing syrup.”
Dags, feat or performance; “I’ll do yourDAGS,”i.e., I will do something that you cannot do. Corruption ofDARINGS.
Dairies, a woman’s breasts, which are also calledCHARLIES.
Daisy-cutter, a horse that trots or gallops without lifting its feet much from the ground.
Daisy-kicker, the name ostlers at large inns used to give each other, now nearly obsolete.Daisy-kicker, orGROGHAM, was likewise the cant term for a horse. TheDAISY-KICKERSwere sad rogues in the old posting days; frequently the landlords rented the stables to them, as the only plan to make them return a profit.
Damage, in the sense of recompense; “what’s theDAMAGE?”i.e., what is to pay? or actually, what is theDAMAGEto my pocket?
Damper, a shop till; toDRAW A DAMPER,i.e., rob a till. A till is more modernly called a “lob,” and stealing from tills is known as “lob-sneaking.”
Dancer, or dancing-master, a thief who prowls about the roofs of houses, and effects an entrance by attic windows, &c. Called also a “garreter.”
Dance upon nothing, to be hanged.
Dander, passion or temper; “to get one’sDANDERup,” to rouse his passion.—Old, but now much used in America.
Dando, a great eater, who cheats at hotels, eating shops, oyster-cellars, &c., from a person of that name who lived many years ago, and who was an enormous oyster-eater. According to the stories related of him, Dando would visit an oyster-room, devour an almost fabulous quantity of bivalves, with porter and bread and butter to match, and then calmly state that he had no money.
Dandy, a fop, or fashionable nondescript. This word, in the sense of a fop, is of modern origin. Egan says it was first used in 1820, and Bee in 1816. Johnson does not mention it, although it is to be found in all late dictionaries.Dandieswore stays, studied a feminine style, and tried to undo their manhood by all manner of affectations which were not actually immoral. Lord Petersham headed them. At the present day dandies of this stamp have almost entirely disappeared, but the new school of muscular Christians is not altogether faultless. The feminine ofDANDYwasDANDIZETTE, but the term only lived for a short season.
Dandy, a small glass of whisky.—Irish.“Dimidium cyathi vero apud Metropolitanos Hibernicos diciturDANDY.”—Father Tom and the Pope, inBlackwood’s Magazinefor May 1838.
Dandy, a boatman.—Anglo-Indian.
Dandypratt, a funny little fellow, a mannikin; originally a half-farthing of the time of Henry VII.
Danna, human ordure;DANNA DRAG, a nightman’s or dustman’s cart; henceDUNNA-KEN, whichsee.
Darbies, handcuffs.—Old Cant.—SeeJOHNNY DARBIES. Sir Walter Scott mentions these, in the sense of fetters, in hisPeveril of the Peak—“‘Hark ye! Jem Clink will fetch you theDARBIES.’ ‘Derby!’ interrupted Julian, ‘has the Earl or Countess’”——Had Sir Walter known of any connexion between them and this family he would undoubtedly have mentioned it. The mistake of Julian is corrected in the next paragraph. It is said that handcuffs were, when used to keep two prisoners together, calledDarbiesandJoans—a term which would soon be shortened as a natural consequence.
Darbies, handcuffs.—Old Cant.—SeeJOHNNY DARBIES. Sir Walter Scott mentions these, in the sense of fetters, in hisPeveril of the Peak—
“‘Hark ye! Jem Clink will fetch you theDARBIES.’ ‘Derby!’ interrupted Julian, ‘has the Earl or Countess’”——
“‘Hark ye! Jem Clink will fetch you theDARBIES.’ ‘Derby!’ interrupted Julian, ‘has the Earl or Countess’”——
Had Sir Walter known of any connexion between them and this family he would undoubtedly have mentioned it. The mistake of Julian is corrected in the next paragraph. It is said that handcuffs were, when used to keep two prisoners together, calledDarbiesandJoans—a term which would soon be shortened as a natural consequence.
Darble, the devil.French,DIABLE.
Dark, “keep itDARK,”i.e., secret. ADARKhorse is, in racing phraseology, a horse of whom nothing positive is known, but who is generallysupposed to have claims to the consideration of all interested, whether bookmakers or backers.
Darky, twilight; also a negro.Darkmans, the night.
Darn, vulgar corruption ofDAMN.—American.
Dash, to jot down suddenly. “Things I haveDASHEDoff at a moment’s notice.”
Dash, fire, vigour, manliness. Literary and artistic work is often said to be full ofDASH.
Dash, an ejaculation, as “DASHmy wig!” “DASHmy buttons!” A relic of the attempts made, when cursing was fashionable, to be in the mode without using “bad words.”
Dashing, showy, fast.
Daub, in low language, an artist. Also a badly painted picture.
David’s sow, “as drunk asDAVID’Ssow,”i.e., beastly drunk.Seeorigin of the phrase in Grose’sDictionary.
Davy, “on myDAVY,” on my affidavit, of which it is a vulgar corruption. LatterlyDAVYhas become synonymous in street language with the name of the Deity; “so help meDAVY,” generally rendered, “swelp myDAVY.” Slang version of the conclusion of the oath usually exacted of witnesses.
Davy’s locker, orDavy Jones’s locker, the sea, the common receptacle for all things thrown overboard;—a nautical phrase for death, is “gone toDavy Jones’s locker,” which there means the other world.—SeeDUFFY.
Dawdle, to loiter, or fritter away time.
Dawk, the post.—Anglo-Indian.
Daylights, eyes; “to darken hisDAYLIGHTS,” to give a person black eyes. Also the spaces left in glasses between the liquor and the brim,—not allowed when bumpers are drunk. The toast-master in such cases cries “noDAYLIGHTSor heeltaps!”
Daze, to confound or bewilder; an ancient form of dazzle used by Spenser, Drayton, &c. This is more obsolete English than slang, though its use nowadays might fairly bring it within the latter category.
Dead-against, decidedly opposed to.
Dead-alive, stupid, dull.
Dead-amiss, said of a horse that from illness is utterly unable to run for a prize.
Dead-beat, utterly exhausted, utterly “done up.”
Dead-heat, when two horses run home so exactly equal that the judge cannot place one before the other; consequently, aDEAD-HEATis a heat which counts for nothing, so far as the even runners are concerned, as it has to be run over again. When a race between dead-heaters has been unusually severe, or when the stake is sufficiently good to bear division, it is usual to let one of the animals walk over the course so as to make a deciding heat, and to divide the money. In such case all bets are divided. Sometimes, however, when no arrangementcan be made, an owner will withdraw his horse, in which case the animal that walks over wins the whole of the stake, and his backers the whole of their money. Where the course is short and the money of small amount, theDEAD-HEATis run off, the second essay being called the decider, though on certain occasions even the decider has resulted in aDEAD-HEAT.—SeeNECK AND NECK.
Dead-horse, “to draw theDEAD-HORSE;”DEAD-HORSEwork—working for wages already paid; also any thankless or unassisted service.
Dead-letter, an action of no value or weight; an article, owing to some mistake in its production, rendered utterly valueless,—often applied to any instrument in writing, which by some apparently trivial omission, becomes useless. At the general and large district post-offices, there is a department for letters which have been erroneously addressed, or for which, from many and various causes, there are no receivers. These are calledDEAD-LETTERS, and the office in connexion with them is known as theDEAD-LETTERoffice.
Dead-lock, a permanent standstill, an inextricable entanglement.
Dead-lurk, entering a dwelling-house during divine service.
Dead-man, a baker. Properly speaking, it is an extra loaf smuggled into the basket by the man who carries it out, to the loss of the master. Sometimes theDEAD-MANis charged to a customer, though never delivered. Among London thieves and low people generally a “dead’un” is a half-quartern loaf.
Dead-men, the term for wine bottles after they are emptied of their contents.—Old.—SeeMARINES.
Dead-men’s shoes, property which cannot be claimed until after decease of present holder. “To wait for a pair ofDEAD-MEN’S SHOES,” is considered a wearisome affair. It is used by Fletcher:—“And ’tis a general shrift, that most men use,But yet ’tis tedious waitingDEAD MEN’S SHOES.”Fletcher’s Poems, p. 256.
Dead-men’s shoes, property which cannot be claimed until after decease of present holder. “To wait for a pair ofDEAD-MEN’S SHOES,” is considered a wearisome affair. It is used by Fletcher:—
“And ’tis a general shrift, that most men use,But yet ’tis tedious waitingDEAD MEN’S SHOES.”Fletcher’s Poems, p. 256.
“And ’tis a general shrift, that most men use,But yet ’tis tedious waitingDEAD MEN’S SHOES.”
Dead-set, a pointed and persistent attack on a person.
Dead’un, a horse which will not run or will not try in a race, and against which money may be betted with safety.—SeeSAFE UN.
Deaner, a shilling. FromDENIER.
Death, “to dress toDEATH,”i.e., to the very extreme of fashion, perhaps so as to be killing.
Death-hunter, a running patterer, who vends last dying speeches and confessions. More modernly the term is supposed to mean an undertaker, or any one engaged in or concerned with burials.
Deck, a pack of cards. Used by Shakspeare, 3K. Hen. VI., v. 1. Probably because ofDECKINGor arranging the table for a game at cards. General in the United States.
Dee, a pocket-book; term used by tramps.—Gipsy.Dee(properly D), a detective policeman. “TheDEESare about, so look out.”
Delicate, a false subscription-book carried by aLURKER.
Demirep(orDEMIRIP), a courtezan. Contraction ofDEMI-REPUTATION, which is, in turn, a contraction fordemi-mondereputation.
Derby-dog, a masterless animal, who is sure to appear as soon as the Epsom course is cleared for the great race of the season. No year passes without a dog running between the two dense lines of spectators and searching in vain for an outlet, and he is almost as eagerly looked for as are the “preliminary canters.” It is said that when noDERBY-DOGappears on the course between Tattenham Corner and the judge’s box, just before the start, a dead-heat will take place between all the placed horses.
Derrick, an apparatus for raising sunken ships, &c. The term is curiously derived from a hangman of that name frequently mentioned in Old Plays, as in theBellman of London, 1616.“He rides circuit with the devil, andDERRICKmust be his host, and Tyborne the inn at which he will light.”The term is now almost general for all cranes used in loading ships, or doing similar work of a heavy nature.
Derrick, an apparatus for raising sunken ships, &c. The term is curiously derived from a hangman of that name frequently mentioned in Old Plays, as in theBellman of London, 1616.
“He rides circuit with the devil, andDERRICKmust be his host, and Tyborne the inn at which he will light.”
“He rides circuit with the devil, andDERRICKmust be his host, and Tyborne the inn at which he will light.”
The term is now almost general for all cranes used in loading ships, or doing similar work of a heavy nature.
Despatchers, false dice with two sets of numbers, and, of course, no low pips. So called because they bring the matter to a speedy issue. Great skill in palming is necessary for their successful use.
Deuce, the devil.—Old.Stated byJuniusand others to be fromDeusorZeus.
Deuce, twopence;DEUCEat cards or dice, one with two pips or spots.
Devil, among barristers, to get up the facts of a case for a leader; to arrange everything in the most comprehensive form, so that the Q.C. or Serjeant can absorb the question without much trouble.Devillingis juniors’ work, but much depends on it, and on the ability with which it is done.
Devil, a printer’s youngest apprentice, an errand-boy in a printing-office.
Devil dodger, a clergyman; also a person who goes sometimes to church and sometimes to meeting.
Devil-may-care, reckless, rash.
Devil’s bed-posts, the four of clubs. Otherwise Old Gentleman’sBED-POSTS.
Devil’s books, a pack of playing-cards; a phrase of Presbyterian origin.—SeeFOUR KINGS.
Devil’s delight, a noise or row of any description. Generally used thus:—“They kicked up theDEVIL’S DELIGHT.”
Devil’s dung, the fetid drug assafœtida.
Devil’s dust, a term used in the manufacturing districts of Yorkshire to denote shreds of old cloth torn up to re-manufacture; also calledSHODDY. Mr. Ferrand, in his speech in the House, March 4, 1842, produced a piece of cloth made chiefly fromDEVIL’S DUST, and tore it into shreds to prove its worthlessness.—See Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates, third series, vol. lxi. p. 140.
Devil-scolder, a clergyman.
Devil’s livery, black and yellow. From the mourning and quarantine uses of the colours.
Devil’s teeth, orDEVIL’S BONES, dice.
Devotional habits, horses weak in the knees, and apt to stumble and fall, are said to have these.—Stable.
Dew-beaters, feet; “hold out yourDEW-BEATERStill I take off the darbies.”—Peveril of the Peak.Forby says the word is used in Norfolk for heavy shoes to resist wet.
Dew-drink, a morning draught, such as is served out to labourers in harvest time before commencing work.
Dewskitch, a good thrashing, perhaps from catching one’s due.
Dibbs, money; so called from the huckle bones of sheep, which have been used from the earliest times for gambling purposes when money was not obtainable—in one particular game being thrown up five at a time and caught on the back of the hand like halfpence.
Dick, a riding whip; gold-headedDICK, one so ornamented.
Dick, abbreviation of “Dictionary,” but often euphemistically rendered “Richard,”—fine language, long words. A man who uses fine words without much judgment is said to have “swallowed theDICK.”
Dickens, synonymous with devil; “what theDICKENSare you after?” what the devil are you doing? Used by Shakspeare in theMerry Wives of Windsor. In many old stories his Satanic Majesty is called theDICKENS, and by no other name, while in some others the word is spelt “diconce.”
Dickey, bad, sorry, or foolish; food or lodging is pronouncedDICKEYwhen of a poor description; “veryDICKEY”, very inferior; “it’s allDICKEYwith him,”i.e., all over with him.
Dickey, formerly the cant for a worn-out shirt, but nowadays used for a front or half-shirt.Dickeywas originally “tommy” (from the Greek, τομή, a section), a name which was formerly used in Trinity College, Dublin. The students are said to have invented the term, and love of change and circumlocution soon changed it toDICKEY, in which dress it is supposed to have been imported into England.
Dickey, a donkey.—Norfolk.
Dickey Sam, a native of Liverpool.
Dicking;“look! the bulky isDICKING,”i.e., the constable has his eye on you.—North Country Cant.
Diddle, old cant word for geneva, or gin.
Diddle, to cheat, or defraud.—Old.InGerman,DUDELNis to play on the bagpipe; and the ideas of piping and cheating seem to have been much connected. “Do you think I am easier played on than a pipe?” occurs inHamlet.
Diddler, orJEREMY DIDDLER, an artful swindler. A diddler is generally one who borrows money without any intention of ever repaying it; the sort of man who, having asked for half-a-crown and receivedonly a shilling, would consider that eighteenpence was owing to him.—FromRaising the Wind.
Diddling, cheating or swindling. Borrowing money without any intention of repaying it. Edgar Allan Poe wrote a very amusing article once onDIDDLING, which he seemed to regard as a rather high art.
Didoes, pranks or capers; “to cut upDIDOES,” to make pranks.
Dig, a hard blow. Generally in pugilistic circles applied to a straight “left-hander,” delivered under the guard on the “mark.”
Diggers, spurs; also the spades on cards.
Diggings, lodgings, apartments, residence; an expression probably imported from California, or Australia, with reference to the gold diggings. It is very common nowadays for a man moving in very decent society to call his abode or his office, or anyplace to which he frequently resorts, his “DIGGINGS.”
Dilly, originally a coach, fromdiligence. Now a night-cart.
Dilly-dally, to trifle.
Dimber, neat or pretty.—Worcestershire, but old cant.
Dimber-damber, very pretty; a clever rogue who excels his fellows; chief of a gang.Old Cantin the latter sense.
Dimmock, money; “how are you off forDIMMOCK?” diminutive ofDIME, a small foreign silver coin, in the United States 10 cents.
Dinarly, money; “NANTEE DINARLY,” I have no money, corrupted from theLingua Franca, “NIENTE DINARO,” not a penny.Turkish,DINARI;Spanish,DINERO;Latin,DENARIUS.
Dine out, to go without dinner. “IDINED OUTto-day,” would express the same among the very lower classes that “dining with Duke Humphrey” expresses among the middle and upper.
Ding, to strike; to throw away, or get rid of anything; to pass to a confederate by throwing.Old, used in old plays.“The butcher’s axe (like great Alcides’ bat)Dingsdeadly downe ten thousand thousand flat.”Taylor’s Works, 1630.
Ding, to strike; to throw away, or get rid of anything; to pass to a confederate by throwing.Old, used in old plays.
“The butcher’s axe (like great Alcides’ bat)Dingsdeadly downe ten thousand thousand flat.”Taylor’s Works, 1630.
“The butcher’s axe (like great Alcides’ bat)Dingsdeadly downe ten thousand thousand flat.”
Dingy, a small boat. Generally the smallest boat carried by a ship. Thegin this is pronounced hard.
Dipped, mortgaged.
Dirt,TO EAT, an expression derived from the East, nearly the same as “to eat humble (Umble) pie,” to put up with a mortification or insult.
Dirty Half-hundred, a nickname given to the 50th Regiment on account of their tattered and soiled appearance during the Peninsular War. A term to be proud of, as it implies much work and little reward.
Disguised, intoxicated. A very old term is that of “DISGUISEDin drink.”“Some say drinking doesDISGUISEmen.”—Old Song.“The saylers and the shipmen all,Through foul excesse of wine,Were soDISGUISEDthat at the seaThey shew’d themselves like swine.”Thos. Deloney’s Strange Histories, p. 14.
Disguised, intoxicated. A very old term is that of “DISGUISEDin drink.”
“Some say drinking doesDISGUISEmen.”—Old Song.
“Some say drinking doesDISGUISEmen.”—Old Song.
“The saylers and the shipmen all,Through foul excesse of wine,Were soDISGUISEDthat at the seaThey shew’d themselves like swine.”Thos. Deloney’s Strange Histories, p. 14.
“The saylers and the shipmen all,Through foul excesse of wine,Were soDISGUISEDthat at the seaThey shew’d themselves like swine.”
Dish, to stop, to do away with, to suppress;DISHED, done for, floored, beaten, or silenced. To “do brown” and to “DISH,” both verbs with very similar meanings, have an evident connexion so far as origin is concerned, and most likely were both first used in the kitchen as synonymous with “done for.” The late Lord Derby made the word “DISH” famous by his latest public act, that of “DISHINGthe Whigs.”
Dithers, nervous or cold shiverings; “it gave me theDITHERS.”
Dittoes,A SUIT OF, coat, waistcoat, and trousers of the same material.—Tailor’s term.
Ditty-bag, the bag or huswife in which sailors keep needles, thread, buttons, &c., for mending their clothes.
Diver, a pickpocket. Also applied to fingers, no doubt from a similar reason. ToDIVEis to pick pockets.
Do, this useful and industrious verb has for many years done service as a slang term. ToDOa person is to cheat him. Sometimes another tense is employed, such as “IDONEhim,” meaning, I cheated or “paid him out;” this is only used in the lowest grades of society.Done brown, cheated thoroughly, befooled;DONE OVER, upset, cheated, knocked down, ruined. Among thievesDONE OVERmeans that a man’s pockets have been all quietly searched; the term also means among low people seduced;DONE UP, used up, finished, or quieted.Donealso means convicted, or sentenced; so doesDONE-FOR. ToDOa person in pugilism is to beat him. Humphreys, who fought Mendoza, a Jew, wrote this laconic note to his supporter—“I haveDONEthe Jew, and am in good health.—Rich. Humphreys.” Tourists use the expression, “I haveDONEFrance and Italy,” meaning I have been through those countries.
Dobie, an Indian washerman; and though women wash clothes in this country, Anglo-Indians speak of a washerwoman as aDOBIE.
Doctor, to adulterate or drug liquor; to poison, to hocus; also to falsify accounts. A publican who sells bad liquors is said to keep theDOCTORin his cellars. On board ship the cook is always termed “theDOCTOR.”—SeeCOOK.
Doddy, a term applied in Norfolk to any person of low stature. SometimesHODMANDODand “HODDY-DODDY, all head and no body.”Dodmanin the same dialect denotes a garden snail.
Dodge, a cunning trick. “Dodge, that homely but expressive phrase.”—Sir Hugh Cairns on the Reform Bill, 2nd March, 1859.Anglo-Saxon,DEOGIAN, to colour, to conceal. TheTIDY DODGE, as it is called by street-folk, consists in dressing up a family clean and tidy, and parading in the streets to excite compassion and obtain alms.
Dodger, a dram. In Kent, aDODGERsignifies a nightcap; which name is often given to the last dram at night.
Dodger, a tricky person, or one who, to use the popular phrase, “knows too much.” Also one who knows all phases of London life, and profits by such knowledge.
Dogberry, a foolish constable.—Shakspeare.
Dog cheap, orDOG-FOOLISH, very or singularly cheap, or foolish. Latham, in hisEnglish Language, says:—“This has nothing to do with dogs. The first syllable is god=good, transposed, and the second, the ch‑‑p, is chapman, merchant: compareEASTCHEAP.”—Old term.
Doggery, nonsense, transparent attempts to cheat.
Dog gone, a form of mild swearing used by boys.
Dog in a blanket, a kind of pudding, made of preserved fruit spread on thin dough, and then rolled up and boiled. This pudding is also called “rolly-polly” and “stocking.”
Dog in the manger, a scurvy, ill-conditioned, selfish fellow. From the fable of that title.
Dog Latin, barbarous Latin, such as was formerly used by lawyers in their pleadings. Now applied to medical Latin.
Dogs,TO GO TO THE, to be commercially or socially ruined. Originally a stable term applied to old or worthless horses, sold to feed hounds.
Dog’s body, a kind of pease pudding.—Sea.
Dog’s ears, the curled corners of the leaves of books, which have been carelessly treated. The use of this term is so common that it is hardly to be considered slang.
Dog’s nose, gin and beer, so called from the mixture beingcold, like a dog’s nose.
Dog stealer, aDOG DEALER. There is sometimes less difference between the two trades than between “d” and “st.”
Doing time, working out a sentence in prison. “He’s done time,” is a slang phrase used in reference to a man who is known to have been in gaol.
Doldrums, difficulties, low spirits, dumps.—Sea.
Dollop, a lump or portion.—Norfolk.Anglo-Saxon,DALE,dole.
Dollop, todole up, to give up a share.—Ibid.
Dolly, a very mild gambling contrivance, generally used in sweetmeat and other child’s-ware shops, until stopped by the authorities a few years back, and consisting of a round board and the figure of an old man or “DOLLY,” down which was a spiral hole. A marble dropped “down theDOLLY,” would stop in one of the small holes or pits (numbered) on the board. The bet was decided according as the marble stopped on a high or low figure.SeeDOLLY-SHOP.
Dollymop, a tawdrily-dressed maid-servant, a semi-professional street-walker.
Dolly shop, an illegal pawnshop,—where goods, or stolen property, not good enough for the pawnbroker, are received, and charged at so much per day. If not redeemed the third day the goods are forfeited. Originally these shops were rag shops as well, and were represented by theblack doll, the usual sign of a rag shop. Twenty years ago, aDOLLY SHOPwas, among boys, a small sweetstuff and fruit shop where a hollow wooden figure, of the kind described above, was kept. Awager was made, and the customer got double quantity for his money, or nothing. A paternal legislature, and a police system worthy of the task, have long since wiped this blot from a nation’s face. The amount at stake was generally a halfpenny, sometimes less.
Dominie, a parson, or master at a grammar school.
Domino, a common ejaculation of soldiers and sailors when they receive the last lash of a flogging. The allusion may be understood from the game of dominoes. ADOMINOmeans either a blow, or the last of a series of things, whether pleasant or otherwise, so the ejaculation savours somewhat of wit.
Dominoes, the teeth.
Don, a clever fellow, the opposite of a muff; a person of distinction in his line or walk. At the English Universities, the Masters and Fellows are theDONS.Donis also used as an adjective, “aDONhand at a knife and fork,”i.e., a first-rate feeder at a dinner-table.
Dona and feeles, a woman and children.ItalianorLingua Franca,DONNE E FIGLIE. The wordDONAis usually pronouncedDONER.
Done!the expression used when a bet is accepted. To beDONE, is to be considerably worsted.—SeealsoDO.
Done up, an equivalent expression to “dead beat.”
Donkey, “tuppence more and up goes theDONKEY,” a vulgar street phrase for extracting as much money as possible before performing any task. The phrase had its origin with a travelling showman, the finale of whose performance was the hoisting of aDONKEYon a pole or ladder; but this consummation was never arrived at unless the required amount was first paid up, and “tuppence more” was generally the sum demanded.
Donkey, in printers’ slang, means a compositor. In the days before steam machinery was invented, the men who worked at press—the pressmen—were so dirty and drunken a body that they earned the name of pigs. In revenge, and for no reason that can be discovered, they christened the compositorsDONKEYS.
Don Pedro, a game at cards. It is a compound of All Fours, and the Irish game variously termed All Fives, Five and Ten, Fifteen, Forty-five, &c. It was probably invented by the mixed English and Irish rabble who fought in Portugal in 1832-3.
Dookin, fortune-telling.Gipsy,DUKKERIN.
Dose, three months’ imprisonment with hard labour.
Doss, a bed. Probably fromDOZE, though quite as likely fromDORSE, the back. Least likely of all, as any one who knows aught about the surrounding circumstances of those who use the term will admit, is it from the Norman,DOSSEL, a hanging or bed canopy, from which some have professed to derive it.
Doss, to sleep, formerly speltDORSE.Gael.,DOSAL, slumber. In the old pugilistic days a man knocked down, or out of time, was said to be “sent toDORSE,” but whether because he was senseless, or because he lay on his back, is not known, though most likely the latter.
Dossing-ken, a lodging-house.
Dot and go one, a lame or limping man.
Do the high, to walk up and down High Street on Sunday evenings, especially just after Church.—Oxford University.
Double, “to tip (or give) theDOUBLE,” to run away from any person; to double back, turn short round upon one’s pursuers, and so escape, as a hare does.—Sporting.
Double cross, aCROSSin which a man who has engaged to lose breaks his engagement, and “goes straight” at the last moment. This proceeding is called “doubling” or “putting the double on,” and is often productive of much excitement in athletic circles.—SeeCROSS.
Double lines, ship casualties. So called at Lloyd’s from the manner of entering in books kept for the purpose.
Double-shuffle, a low, shuffling, noisy dance, common amongst costermongers. Sometimes called “cellar flap,” from its being danced by the impecunious on the cellar-flaps of public-houses, outside which they must perforce remain.
Doublet, a spurious diamond, made up of two smaller stones for pawning or duffing purposes. These articles are cleverly manufactured and excellently set, and a practised eye can alone detect the imposition.—SeeMoskeneer.
Double up, to pair off, or “chum” with another man; to beat severely, so as to leave the sufferer “all of a heap.”
Doughy, a sufficiently obvious nickname for a baker.
Douse, to put out; “DOUSEthat glim,” put out that candle. In Norfolk this expression isDOUT, which is clearly forDO OUT. SometimesDOUSEmeans to rinse; and sometimes to throw water, clean or dirty, over any one, is to “DOUSEit.”
Dovercourt, a noisy assemblage; “all talkers and no hearers, likeDovercourt.” At Dovercourt, in Essex, a court is annually held; and as the members principally consist of rude fishermen, the irregularity noticed in the proverbial saying frequently prevails. Bramston in hisArt of Politicssays:—“Those who would captivate the well-bred throng,Should not too often speak, nor speak too long;Church, nor church matters, ever turn to sport,Nor make St. Stephen’s ChapelDover Court.”This would seem to be more properly applied to a Court of Dover people, aDover Court, not aDovercourt Court.
Dovercourt, a noisy assemblage; “all talkers and no hearers, likeDovercourt.” At Dovercourt, in Essex, a court is annually held; and as the members principally consist of rude fishermen, the irregularity noticed in the proverbial saying frequently prevails. Bramston in hisArt of Politicssays:—
“Those who would captivate the well-bred throng,Should not too often speak, nor speak too long;Church, nor church matters, ever turn to sport,Nor make St. Stephen’s ChapelDover Court.”
“Those who would captivate the well-bred throng,Should not too often speak, nor speak too long;Church, nor church matters, ever turn to sport,Nor make St. Stephen’s ChapelDover Court.”
This would seem to be more properly applied to a Court of Dover people, aDover Court, not aDovercourt Court.
Dove-tart, a pigeon pie. A snake tart is an eel pie.
Dowd, a woman’s nightcap.—Devonshire: also an American term; possibly fromDOWDY, a slatternly woman.
Dowlas, a linendraper.Dowlasis a sort of towelling.
Down, to be aware of, or awake to, any move—in this meaning, exchangeable withUP; “DOWNupon one’s luck,” unfortunate; “DOWNin the mouth,” disconsolate; “to beDOWNon one,” to treat him harshly or suspiciously, to pounce upon him, or detect his tricks.
Downer, a sixpence; apparently the Gipsy word,TAWNO, “little one,” in course of metamorphosis into the more usual “tanner.”
Downs, Tothill Fields’ Prison.
Down the road, stylish, showy, after the fashion.
Down to the ground, an American rendering of the word entirely; as, “that suits meDOWN TO THE GROUND.”
Downy, knowing or cunning; “aDOWNY COVE,” a knowing or experienced sharper. Literally, aDOWNYperson is one who is “DOWNto every move on the board.” In Norfolk, however, it means low-spirited,i.e.,DOWNin the mouth.
Dowry, a lot, a great deal; “DOWRYof parny,” lot of rain or water.—SeePARNY. Probably from the Gipsy.
Dowsers, men who profess to tell fortunes, and who, by the use of the divining rod, pretend to be able to discover treasure-trove.—Cornish.
Doxy, the female companion of a tramp or beggar. In the West of England, the women frequently call their little girlsDOXIES, in a familiar or endearing sense.Orthodoxyhas been described as being a man’s ownDOXY, andheterodoxyanother man’sDOXY.—Ancient Cant.
Drab, a vulgar or low woman.—Shakspeare.
Drab, poison.—Romany.
Draft on Aldgate Pump, an old mercantile phrase for a fictitious banknote or fraudulent bill.
Drag, a cart of any kind, term generally used to denote any particularly well-appointed turnout, drawn by a pair or four horses, especially at race meetings.
Drag, feminine attire worn by men. A recent notorious impersonation case led to the publication of the word in that sense.
Drag, a street, or road;BACK-DRAG, back street.
Drag, orTHREE MOON, three months in prison.
Drag,THE, a favourite pursuit with fast-hunting sets; as,THE DRAGcan be trailed over very stiff country.
Dragging, robbing carts, &c., by means of a light trap which follows behind laden vehicles. Cabs are sometimes eased of trunks in this way, though it is hard to say whether with or without the complicity of the cabmen.
Dragging time, the evening of a country fair day, when the young fellows begin pulling the wenches about.
Draggletail, a dirty, dissipated woman; a prostitute of the lowest class.
Drain, a drink; “to do aDRAIN,” to take a friendly drink—“do a wet;” sometimes called a “common sewer.”
Draw, used in several senses:—1, of a theatre, new piece or exhibition, when it attracts the public and succeeds; 2, to induce—as, “DRAWhim on;” 3, of pocket-picking—as, “DRAWhis wipe,” “DRAWhis ticker.” In sporting parlance it is used with an ellipsis of “trigger,” “IDREWon it as it rose.” In America to “DRAWon a man” is to produce knife or pistol, and to use it as well. Where lethal weapons areused in the States, no man raises his weapon till he means to use it, and a celebrated American writer has recently given a dissertation on the relative advantages of cocking and firing a pistol by an almost simultaneous action as it is raised, and of cocking as the instrument is raised, and of then dropping the muzzle slightly as the trigger is pulled. The former way is more speedy, the latter more effective. “Come,DRAWit mild!”i.e., don’t exaggerate; opposite of “come it strong,” from the phraseology of the bar (of a “public”), where customers desire the beer to be “drawn mild.”
Draw-boy, a cunning device used by puffing tradesmen. A really good article is advertised or ticketed and exposed for sale in the shop window at a very low price, with a view of drawing in customers to purchase other and inferior articles at high prices. These gentry have fortunately found to their cost, on one or two occasions, by means of magisterial decisions, thatDRAW-BOYShave drawn for their owners something other than profit.
Drawers, formerly the ancient cant name for very long stockings.
Drawing teeth, wrenching off knockers.—Medical Student slang.
Drawlatch, a loiterer.
Draw off, to throw back the body to give impetus to a blow; “heDREW OFF, and delivered on the left drum.”—Pugilistic.A sailor would say, “he hauled off and slipped in.”
Draw the long bow, to tell extravagant stories, to exaggerate overmuch; same as “throw the hatchet.” From the extremely wonderful stories which used to be told of the Norman archers, and more subsequently of Indians’ skill with the tomahawk.
Dress a hat,TO, to rob in a manner very difficult of detection. The business is managed by two or more servants or shopmen of different employers, exchanging their master’s goods; as, for instance, a shoemaker’s shopman receives shirts or other articles from a hosier’s, in return for a pair of boots. Another very ingenious method may be witnessed about eleven o’clock in the forenoon in any of the suburban districts of London. A butcher’s boy, with a bit of steak filched from his master’s shop, or from a customer, falls in with a neighbouring baker’s man, who has a loaf obtained in a similar manner. Their mutual friend, the potboy, in full expectation of their visit, has the tap-room fire bright and clear, and not only cooks the steak, but again, by means of collusion, this time with the barman or barmaid, “stands a shant of gatter” as his share. So a capital luncheon is improvised for the three, without the necessity of paying for it; and this practical communistic operation is styledDRESSING A HAT. Most likely from the fact that a hat receives the attention of three or four people before it is properly fit for wear.
Dripping, a cook.
Drive, a term used by tradesmen in speaking of business; “he’sDRIVINGa roaring trade,”i.e., a very good one; hence, to succeed in a bargain, “IDROVEa good bargain,”i.e., got the best end of it. To “LET DRIVEat one,” to strike out. A man snoring hard is said to be “DRIVINGhis pigs to market.”
Drive at, to aim at; “what is heDRIVING AT?” “what does he intend to imply?” a phrase often used when a circuitous line of argument is adopted by a barrister, or a strange set of questions asked, the purport of which is not very evident.
Driz, lace. In a low lodging-house this singular autograph inscription appeared over the mantelpiece. “Scotch Mary, withDRIZ[lace], bound to Dover and back, please God.” It is a common thing for ignorant or superstitious people to make some mark or sign before going on a journey, and then to wonder whether it will be there when they return.
Driz-fencer, a person who sells lace.
Drop, “toDROPan acquaintance,” to relinquish a connexion, is very polite slang.Droppingis distinguished from cutting by being done gradually and almost imperceptibly, whereas cutting has outward and visible signs which may be unpleasantly resented. To “DROPmoney” at any form of speculation or gambling, is to lose it.
Drop, to quit, go off, or turn aside; “DROPthe main Toby,” go off the main road.
Drop, “toDROPa man,” to knock him down; “toDROPinto a person,” to give him a thrashing.SeeSLIPandWALK. “ToDROPon a man,” to accuse or rebuke him suddenly.
Drop it, synonymous with “cut it” or “cheese it.” Probably from the signal given in the good old hanging days by the culprit, who used generally to drop a handkerchief when he was ready for the cart to be moved from under him.
Drum, a house, a lodging, a street;HAZARD-DRUM, a gambling-house;FLASH-DRUM, a house of ill-fame.
Drum, the ear.—Pugilistic.An example of slang synecdoche.
Drum, as applied to the road, is doubtless from the Wallachian gipsy word “DRUMRI,” derived from theGreek, δρόμος.
Drum, old slang for a ball or rout; afterwards called a hop.
Drummer, a robber who first makes his victims insensible by drugs or violence, and then plunders them.
Drumsticks, legs;DRUMSTICK CASES, trousers. The leg of a fowl is generally called aDRUMSTICK.
Dryasdust, an antiquary. From Scott.
Dry lodging, sleeping and sitting accommodation only, without board. This is lodging-house keepers’ slang, and is generally used in reference to rooms let to lodgers who take their meals at their clubs, or in the City, according to their social positions.
Dry nurse, when an inferior officer on board ship carries on the duty, on account of the captain’s ignorance of seamanship, the junior officer is said toDRY-NURSEhis captain. Majors and adjutants in the army also not unfrequentlyDRY-NURSEthe colonels of their regiments in a similar manner. The sergeant who coaches very young officers, is called a “wet nurse.” The abolition of purchase has, however, considerably modified all this.
D.T., a popular abbreviation of delirium tremens; sometimes written and pronounceddel. trem.D.T. also often represents theDaily Telegraph.
Dub, to pay or give; “DUB UP,” pay up.
Dubash, a general agent.—Anglo-Indian.
Dubber, the mouth or tongue; “mum yourDUBBER,” hold your tongue.
Dubsman, orSCREW, a turnkey.—Old Cant.
Ducats, money.—Theatrical Slang.
Duck, a bundle of bits of the “stickings” of beef sold for food to the London poor.—SeeFAGGOT.
Ducket, a ticket of any kind. Generally applied to pawnbroker’s duplicates and raffle cards. Probably fromDOCKET.
Ducks, trousers.Seaterm. The expression most in use on land is “whiteDUCKS,”i.e., white pantaloons or trousers.
Ducks and Drakes, “to makeDUCKS AND DRAKESof one’s money,” to throw it away childishly—derived from children “shying” flat stones on the surface of a pool, which they callDUCKS AND DRAKES, according to the number of skips they make.
Dudder, orDUDSMAN, a person who formerly travelled the country as a pedlar, selling gown-pieces, silk waistcoats, &c., to countrymen. In selling a waistcoat-piece, which cost him perhaps five shillings, for thirty shillings or two pounds, he would show great fear of the revenue officer, and beg the purchasing clodhopper to kneel down in a puddle of water, crook his arm, and swear that it might never become straight if he told an exciseman, or even his own wife. The term and practice are nearly obsolete. In Liverpool, however, and at the East-end of London, men dressed up as sailors, with pretended silk handkerchiefs and cigars “only just smuggled from the Indies,” are still to be plentifully found.
Dudeen, orDUDHEEN, a short tobacco-pipe. Common term in Ireland and the Irish quarters of London.
Duds, clothes, or personal property.Gaelic,DUD;Ancient Cant; alsoDutch.
Duff, to cheat, to sell spurious goods, often under pretence of their being stolen or smuggled.
Duff, pudding; vulgar pronunciation of dough.—Sea.
Duffer, a hawker of “Brummagem” or sham jewellery, or of shams of any kind, a fool, a worthless person.Dufferwas formerly synonymous withDUDDER, and was a general term given to pedlars. It is mentioned in theFrauds of London(1760) as a word in frequent use in the last century to express cheats of all kinds.
Duffer, anything of no merit. A term applied by artists to a picture below mediocrity, and by dealers in jewellery to any spurious article. It is now general in its application to a worthless fellow.
Duffing, false, counterfeit, worthless.
Duffy, a term for a ghost or spirit among the West Indian negroes. In all probability theDAVY JONESof sailors, and a contraction thereof originally.
Duke, gin, a term amongst livery servants.
Duke Humphrey.“To dine withDuke Humphrey” is aeuphuism for dining not at all. Many reasons have been given for the saying, and the one most worthy of credence is this:—Some visitors were inspecting the abbey where the remains of Humphrey Duke of Gloucester lie, and one of them was unfortunately shut in, and remained theresoluswhile his companions were feasting at a neighbouring hostelry. He was afterwards said to have dined withDuke Humphrey, and the saying eventually passed into a proverb.
Dukes, orDOOKS, the hands, originally modification of the rhyming slang, “Duke of Yorks,” forks = fingers, hands—a long way round, but quite true. The word is in very common use among low folk. “Put up yourDOOKS” is a kind invitation to fight.
Dukey, orDOOKEY, apenny gaff, whichsee.
Dumbfound, to perplex, to beat soundly till not able to speak. Originally a cant word. Johnson cites theSpectatorfor the earliest use.Scotch,DUMBFOUNDER.
Dummacker, a knowing or acute person.
Dummies, empty bottles, and drawers in an apothecary’s shop, labelled so as to give the idea of an extensive stock. Chandlers’ shop keepers and small general dealers use dummies largely, half-tubs of butter, bladders of lard, hams, cheeses, &c., being specially manufactured for them. Dummies in libraries generally take the form of “Hume and Smollett’s History of England” and other works not likely to tempt the general reader.
Dummy, a deaf-and-dumb person; a clumsy, awkward fellow; any one unusually thick-witted.
Dummy, in three-handed whist the person who holds two hands playsDUMMY.
Dummy, a pocket-book. In this word the derivation is obvious, being connected withDUMB,i.e., that which makes no sound. As a thieves’ term for a pocket-book, it is peculiarly applicable, for the contents of pocket-books, bank-notes and papers, make no noise, while the money in a purse may betray its presence by chinking.
Dump fencer, a man who sells buttons.
Dumpish, sullen or gloomy.
Dumpy, short and stout.
Dun, to solicit payment.—Old Cant, from the FrenchDONNEZ, give; or fromJoe Din, orDun, a famous bailiff; or simply a corruption ofDIN, from theAnglo-SaxonDUNAN, to clamour.
Dunderhead, a blockhead.
Dundreary, an empty swell.
Dung, an operative who works for an employer who does not give full or “society” wages.
Dungaree, low, common, coarse, vulgar.—Anglo-Indian.Dungareeis the name of a disreputable suburb of Bombay, and also of a coarse blue cloth worn by sailors.“As smart a young fellow as ever you’d see,In jacket and trousers of blueDungaree.”
Dungaree, low, common, coarse, vulgar.—Anglo-Indian.Dungareeis the name of a disreputable suburb of Bombay, and also of a coarse blue cloth worn by sailors.
“As smart a young fellow as ever you’d see,In jacket and trousers of blueDungaree.”
“As smart a young fellow as ever you’d see,In jacket and trousers of blueDungaree.”
Dunkhorned, sneaking, shabby.Dunkhornin Norfolk is the short, blunt horn of a beast, and the adjective is applied to a cuckold who has not spirit to resist his disgrace.
Dunnage, baggage, clothes. Also, a sea term for wood or loose faggots laid at the bottom of ships, upon which is placed the cargo.
Dunnyken, originallyDannaken,a watercloset.—FromDANNAandKEN, whichsee.
Durrynacking, offering lace or any other article as an introduction to fortune-telling; generally practised by women.
Dust, money; “down with theDUST,” put down the money.—Ancient.Dean Swift once took for his text, “He who giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord.” His sermon was short. “Now, my brethren,” said he, “if you are satisfied with the security, down with theDUST.”
Dust, a disturbance, or noise, “to raise aDUST,” to make a row.
Dust, to beat; “DUSTone’s jacket,”i.e., give him a beating.
Dust-hole, Sidney Sussex College at Cambridge.—Univ. Slang.
Dust-hole, the Queen’s Theatre, Tottenham Court Road, was so called until comparatively recently, when it was entirely renovated and renamed, and now, as the Prince of Wales’s, it is one of the most fortunate and fashionable theatres in London.
Dustoorie, commission, douceur, bribe.—Anglo-Indian.
Dusty, a phrase used in answering a question where one expects approbation. “What do you think of this?” “Well, it’s not soDUSTY,”i.e., not so bad; sometimes varied to “none soDUSTY.”
Dutch, orDouble Dutch, gibberish, or any foreign tongue. “To talkDouble Dutchbackwards on a Sunday” is a humorous locution for extraordinary linguistic facility.
Dutch auction, a method of selling goods, adopted by “CHEAP JOHNS,” to evade the penalties for selling without a licence. The article is offered all round at a high price, which is then dropped until it is taken.Dutch auctionsneed not be illegitimate transactions, and their economy (as likewise that of puffing) will be found minutely explained in Sugden (Lord St. Leonards) “On Vendors and Purchasers.”
Dutch concert, where each performer plays a different tune. Sometimes called aDutch medleywhen vocal efforts only are used.
Dutch consolation, “thank God it is no worse.” “It might have been worse,” said a man whom the devil was carrying to hell. “How?” asked a neighbour. “Well, he’s carrying me—he might have made me carry him.”
Dutch courage, false courage, generally excited by drink—pot-valour.
Dutch feast, where the host gets drunk before his guest.
Dutch uncle, a personage often introduced in conversation, but exceedingly difficult to describe; “I’ll talk to him like aDutch uncle!” conveys the notion of anything but a desirable relation.