FIERI FACIAS. A red-faced man is said to have been served
with a writ of fieri facias.
FIERI FACIAS. A red-faced man is said to have been served
with a writ of fieri facias.
PISSING DOWN ANY ONE'S BACK. Flattering him.
BAWBELS, or BAWBLES. Trinkets; a man's testicles.
VIXEN. A termagant; also a she fox, who, when she has
cubs, is remarkably fierce.
FREE. Free of fumblers hall; a saying of one who cannot
get his wife with child.
TO TOWER. To overlook, to rise aloft as in a high tower.
PICKLE. An arch waggish fellow. In pickle, or in the
pickling tub; in a salivation. There are rods in brine, or
pickle, for him; a punishment awaits him, or is prepared
for him. Pickle herring; the zany or merry andrew
of a mountebank. See JACK PUDDING.
PURL. Ale in which wormwood has been infused, or ale
and bitters drunk warm.
TAPE. Red tape; brandy. Blue or white tape; gin.
VARMENT. (Whip and Cambridge.) Natty, dashing. He is
quite varment, he is quite the go. He sports a varment
hat, coat, &c.; he is dressed like a gentleman Jehu.
PILLALOO. The Irish cry or howl at funerals.
ABBESS, or LADY ABBESS, A bawd, the mistress of a
brothel.
PLAY. To play booty; to play with an intention to lose. To
play the whole game; to cheat. To play least in sight;
to hide, or keep out of the way. To play the devil; to be
guilty of some great irregularity or mismanagement.
TRAP STICKS. Thin legs, gambs: from the sticks with
which boys play at trap-ball.
PRINCOD. A pincushion. SCOTCH--Also a round plump
man or woman.
TROLLY LOLLY. Coarse lace once much in fashion.
PETER GUNNER, will kill all the birds that died last summer.
A piece of wit commonly thrown out at a person
walking through a street or village near London, with a
gun in his hand.
BUCKET. To kick the bucket; to die.
SALMON or SALAMON. The beggars'sacrament or oath.
PLATTER-FACED. Broad-faced.
TRUMPERY. An old whore, or goods of no value; rubbish.
QUEER ROOSTER. An informer that pretends to be sleeping,
and thereby overhears the conversation of thieves in
night cellars.
TAFFY, i.e. Davy. A general name for a Welchman, St.
David being the tutelar saint of Wales. Taffy's day; the
first of March, St. David's day.
VINCENT'S LAW. The art of cheating at cards, composed of
the following associates: bankers, those who play booty;
the gripe, he that betteth; and the person cheated, who
is styled the vincent; the gains acquired, termage.
POUND. A prison. See LOB'S POUND. Pounded; imprisoned.
Shut up in the parson's pound; married. POWDER
FRENCHIFIED. Infected with the venereal disease. The
mort is Frenchified: the wench is infected.
SHOULDER CLAPPER. A bailiff, or member of the catch
club. Shoulder-clapped; arrested.
TONY. A silly fellow, or ninny. A mere tony: a simpleton.
QUEER STREET. Wrong. Improper. Contrary to one's
wish. It is queer street, a cant phrase, to signify
that it is wrong or different to our wish.
SCOTCH PINT. A bottle containing two quarts.