Quad.SeeQUOD.Quaker, a lump of excrement.Quality, gentry, the upper classes.Quandary, described in the dictionaries as a “low word,” may fittingly be given here. It illustrates, like “hocus-pocus,” and other compound colloquialisms, the singular origin of slang expressions.Quandary, a dilemma, a doubt, a difficulty, is from the French,QU’EN DIRAI-JE?—Skinner.Quartereen, a farthing.—Gibraltar term.Italian,QUATTRINO.Quaver, a musician.Quean, a strumpet. In Scotland, a lower-class woman.Saxon,CWEAN, a barren old cow.Queen Bess, the Queen of Clubs,—perhaps because that queen, history says, was of a swarthy complexion.—North Hants.See Gentleman’s Magazine for 1791, p. 141.Queen’s tobacco-pipe, the kiln in which all contraband tobacco seized by the Custom-house officers is burned.Queer, an old cant word, once in continual use as a prefix, signifying base, roguish, or worthless,—the opposite ofRUM, which signified good and genuine.Queer, in all probability, is immediately derived from the cant language. It has been mooted that it came into use from aquære(?) being set before a man’s name; but it is more than probable that it was brought into this country, by the gipsies, from Germany, whereQUERsignifies “cross” or “crooked.” At all events it is believed to have been first used in England as a cant word.Queer, “toQUEERa flat,” to puzzle or confound a “gull,” or silly fellow.“Who in a row like Tom could lead the van,Booze in the ken, or at the spellken hustle?WhoQUEERa flat,” &c.—Don Juan, xi. 19.Queer bail, worthless persons who for a consideration formerly stood bail for any one in court. Insolvent Jews generally performed this office, which gave rise to the termJew-bail, otherwiseSTRAW BAIL.Queer-bit-makers, coiners.Queer cuffen, a justice of the peace, or magistrate,—a very ancient term, mentioned in the earliest slang dictionary. In this sense, as well as in that of the verb just given, the term is evidently derived fromquæro, to inquire, to question. Quiz andquis?have also an undoubted connexion.Queer-soft, bad notes.Queer-street, “inQUEER STREET,” in difficulty or in want.Querier, a chimney-sweep who calls from house to house soliciting employment,—formerly termedKNULLER, whichsee.Qui-hi, an English resident at Calcutta.—Anglo-Indian.Quick sticks, in a hurry, rapidly; “to cutQUICK STICKS,” to start off hurriedly, or without more ado.SeeCUT ONE’S STICK.Quid, orTHICK UN, a sovereign; “half aQUID,” half a sovereign;QUIDS, money generally; “QUIDfor aQUOD,” one good turn for another. The word is used by old French writers:—“Des testamens qu’on dit le maistreDe mon fait n’auraQUIDneQUOD.”Grand testament de Villon.Quid, a small piece of tobacco—one mouthful.Quid est hoc?asked one, tapping the swelled cheek of another;Hoc est quid, promptly replied the other, exhibiting at the same time a “chaw” of the weed.Cudis probably a corruption. Derivation,O. F., orNorman,QUIDER, to ruminate.Quid-nunc, an inquisitive person, always seeking for news. The words translated simply signify, “What now?”Quiet, “on theQUIET,” clandestinely, so as to avoid observation, “under the rose.”Quill-driver, a scrivener, a clerk,—satirical phrase similar to “steel bar driver,” a tailor.Quiller, a parasite, a person who sucks neatly through a quill.SeeSUCK UP.Quilt, to thrash, or beat.Quisby, bankrupt, poverty-stricken. Amplification ofQUEER.Quisi, roguish, low, obscene.—Anglo-Chinese.Qui-tam, a solicitor.He who,i.e., “he who, as much for himself as for the King,” seeks a conviction, the penalty for which goes half to the informer and half to the Crown. The term would, therefore, with greater propriety, be applied to a spy than to a solicitor.Quiz, a prying person, an odd fellow. Originally Oxford slang, but now general, and lately admitted into some dictionaries.SeeQUEER CUFFEN.Quiz, to pry, or joke; to hoax.Quizzical, jocose, humorous.Quizzing-glass, an eyeglass. This was applied to the old single eyeglass, which was not stuck in the eye, as now, but was held in the hand.Quockerwodger, a wooden toy figure which, when pulled by a string, jerks its limbs about. The term is used in a slang sense, to signify a pseudo-politician, one whose strings of action are pulled by somebody else.Quod, a prison, a lock-up;QUODDED, put in prison.Quodis really a shortening of quadrangle; so to beQUODDEDis to be within four walls. The expression is, however, seldom used now except to mean in prison. At Oxford, where it is speltQUAD, the word has its original signification.Quodger, a contraction, or corruption rather, of theLatinlaw phrase,QUO JURE? by what law?—Legal.
Quad.SeeQUOD.
Quaker, a lump of excrement.
Quality, gentry, the upper classes.
Quandary, described in the dictionaries as a “low word,” may fittingly be given here. It illustrates, like “hocus-pocus,” and other compound colloquialisms, the singular origin of slang expressions.Quandary, a dilemma, a doubt, a difficulty, is from the French,QU’EN DIRAI-JE?—Skinner.
Quartereen, a farthing.—Gibraltar term.Italian,QUATTRINO.
Quaver, a musician.
Quean, a strumpet. In Scotland, a lower-class woman.Saxon,CWEAN, a barren old cow.
Queen Bess, the Queen of Clubs,—perhaps because that queen, history says, was of a swarthy complexion.—North Hants.See Gentleman’s Magazine for 1791, p. 141.
Queen’s tobacco-pipe, the kiln in which all contraband tobacco seized by the Custom-house officers is burned.
Queer, an old cant word, once in continual use as a prefix, signifying base, roguish, or worthless,—the opposite ofRUM, which signified good and genuine.Queer, in all probability, is immediately derived from the cant language. It has been mooted that it came into use from aquære(?) being set before a man’s name; but it is more than probable that it was brought into this country, by the gipsies, from Germany, whereQUERsignifies “cross” or “crooked.” At all events it is believed to have been first used in England as a cant word.
Queer, “toQUEERa flat,” to puzzle or confound a “gull,” or silly fellow.“Who in a row like Tom could lead the van,Booze in the ken, or at the spellken hustle?WhoQUEERa flat,” &c.—Don Juan, xi. 19.
Queer, “toQUEERa flat,” to puzzle or confound a “gull,” or silly fellow.
“Who in a row like Tom could lead the van,Booze in the ken, or at the spellken hustle?WhoQUEERa flat,” &c.—Don Juan, xi. 19.
“Who in a row like Tom could lead the van,Booze in the ken, or at the spellken hustle?WhoQUEERa flat,” &c.—Don Juan, xi. 19.
Queer bail, worthless persons who for a consideration formerly stood bail for any one in court. Insolvent Jews generally performed this office, which gave rise to the termJew-bail, otherwiseSTRAW BAIL.
Queer-bit-makers, coiners.
Queer cuffen, a justice of the peace, or magistrate,—a very ancient term, mentioned in the earliest slang dictionary. In this sense, as well as in that of the verb just given, the term is evidently derived fromquæro, to inquire, to question. Quiz andquis?have also an undoubted connexion.
Queer-soft, bad notes.
Queer-street, “inQUEER STREET,” in difficulty or in want.
Querier, a chimney-sweep who calls from house to house soliciting employment,—formerly termedKNULLER, whichsee.
Qui-hi, an English resident at Calcutta.—Anglo-Indian.
Quick sticks, in a hurry, rapidly; “to cutQUICK STICKS,” to start off hurriedly, or without more ado.SeeCUT ONE’S STICK.
Quid, orTHICK UN, a sovereign; “half aQUID,” half a sovereign;QUIDS, money generally; “QUIDfor aQUOD,” one good turn for another. The word is used by old French writers:—“Des testamens qu’on dit le maistreDe mon fait n’auraQUIDneQUOD.”Grand testament de Villon.
Quid, orTHICK UN, a sovereign; “half aQUID,” half a sovereign;QUIDS, money generally; “QUIDfor aQUOD,” one good turn for another. The word is used by old French writers:—
“Des testamens qu’on dit le maistreDe mon fait n’auraQUIDneQUOD.”Grand testament de Villon.
“Des testamens qu’on dit le maistreDe mon fait n’auraQUIDneQUOD.”
Quid, a small piece of tobacco—one mouthful.Quid est hoc?asked one, tapping the swelled cheek of another;Hoc est quid, promptly replied the other, exhibiting at the same time a “chaw” of the weed.Cudis probably a corruption. Derivation,O. F., orNorman,QUIDER, to ruminate.
Quid-nunc, an inquisitive person, always seeking for news. The words translated simply signify, “What now?”
Quiet, “on theQUIET,” clandestinely, so as to avoid observation, “under the rose.”
Quill-driver, a scrivener, a clerk,—satirical phrase similar to “steel bar driver,” a tailor.
Quiller, a parasite, a person who sucks neatly through a quill.SeeSUCK UP.
Quilt, to thrash, or beat.
Quisby, bankrupt, poverty-stricken. Amplification ofQUEER.
Quisi, roguish, low, obscene.—Anglo-Chinese.
Qui-tam, a solicitor.He who,i.e., “he who, as much for himself as for the King,” seeks a conviction, the penalty for which goes half to the informer and half to the Crown. The term would, therefore, with greater propriety, be applied to a spy than to a solicitor.
Quiz, a prying person, an odd fellow. Originally Oxford slang, but now general, and lately admitted into some dictionaries.SeeQUEER CUFFEN.
Quiz, to pry, or joke; to hoax.
Quizzical, jocose, humorous.
Quizzing-glass, an eyeglass. This was applied to the old single eyeglass, which was not stuck in the eye, as now, but was held in the hand.
Quockerwodger, a wooden toy figure which, when pulled by a string, jerks its limbs about. The term is used in a slang sense, to signify a pseudo-politician, one whose strings of action are pulled by somebody else.
Quod, a prison, a lock-up;QUODDED, put in prison.Quodis really a shortening of quadrangle; so to beQUODDEDis to be within four walls. The expression is, however, seldom used now except to mean in prison. At Oxford, where it is speltQUAD, the word has its original signification.
Quodger, a contraction, or corruption rather, of theLatinlaw phrase,QUO JURE? by what law?—Legal.