The Slang Dictionary, by John Camden Hotten–The Project Gutenberg eBook

“Of Monies to be taken up, or delivered on Botto-maria, commonly called
Bomarie. Bullfinch, a hunting term for a large, thick, quickset hedge, difficult
alike to “top” or burst through. Probably a corruption of BULL-FENCE,
a fence made to prevent cattle straying either in or out. Bull, a crown-piece, formerly BULL’S EYE.

Humming, strong as applied to drink. Extra strong ale is often characterized
as “HUMMING October.” Maybe from its effect on heads
not quite so strong. Humdrum, monotonous, tedious, tiresome, boring; “a society of
gentlemen who used to meet near the Charter House, and at the King’s
Head, St. John’s Street, Clerkenwell.

hush Price

When a professional at any game loses heart in a match he is said to
get his TAIL DOWN. “His TAIL was quite DOWN, and it was all over.”
The origin is obvious. This word originated at the great slang manufactory for the army,
the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, in the broad Scotch pronunciation
by Dr. Wallace, one of the Professors, of the word sweat. It
has since become fashionable at the Universities. Swarry, a boiled leg of mutton and trimmings. Sam Weller’s adventure
with the Bath footmen originated the term.

Some of
them, however, still bear their old definitions, while others
have adopted fresh meanings. “Abraham-man” is yet seen in[12]
our modern “sham Abraham,” or “play the old soldier”—i.e.,
to feign sickness or distress. “Autum” is still a church or
chapel amongst sgatonline Gipsies; and “beck,” a constable, is our
modern Cant and Slang “beak,” once a policeman, but now a
magistrate. “Bene,” or “bone,” stands for good in Seven Dials
and the back streets of Westminster; and “bowse” is our
modern “booze,” to drink or fuddle.

SLANG, CANT, AND VULGAR LANGUAGE:

Tin-pot, “he plays a TIN-POT game,” i.e., a low, mean, or shabby game. In the Contes d’Eutrapel, a French officer at the siege of Chatillon is
ridiculously spoken of as Captain Tin-pot—Capitaine du Pot d’Etain. Tin-pot, as generally used, means worthless. As applied to billiards
and kindred games, it means pretentious and inferior play.

The Catholic Church teaches that LIMBO
was that part of hell where holy people who died before the Redemption
were kept. Lights, a worthless piece of meat; applied metaphorically to a fool, a
soft or stupid person. Light, credit, trust; “to get a LIGHT at a house” is to get credit. When
a man’s credit is stopped, his LIGHT is said to be put out.

HUSH priceHUSH $0.00139

Plebs, a term used to stigmatize a tradesman’s son at Westminster
School. Plant, a hidden store of money or variables. To “spring a PLANT” is
to unearth another person’s hoard. “Where, in these PINCHBECK days, can we hope to find the old agricultural virtue
in all its purity? Pill, to blackball a man at a club. Sometimes a man who is blackballed
is described as having received too much medicine.

Sov, contraction of sovereign; much used in sporting parlance to denote
the amount of entrance money, forfeit, and added coin in connexion
with a race. In the published conditions of a race the word SOVS is
almost invariably used in preference to pounds, though in reckoning
the net value of a big stake, after its decision, the common £ is used. Snide, bad, spurious, contemptible. As, “a SNIDE fellow,” “SNIDE
coin,” &c. Also used as a substantive, as, “He’s a SNIDE,” though
this seems but a contraction of SNIDE ’UN. Slap-bang-shops, originally low eating-houses where the ready-money
was paid down with a SLAP-BANG.—Grose.

About HUSH

Chimney-Sweep, the aperient mixture commonly called a black
draught. Chi-ike, a hail; a good loud word of hearty praise; term used by the
costermongers, who assist the sale of each other’s goods by a little
friendly, although noisy, commendation. Chi-ike, to hail in a rough though friendly manner; to support by means
of vociferation.

• Contains a Canter’s Dictionary, every word in
  which appears to have been taken from Harman without acknowledgment.
• The name was first given by a wag, in
  allusion to the cupolas erected by Wilkins, the architect, upon the roof,
  which, from their form and awkward appearance, at a distance suggest
  to the stranger the fact of their being enlarged PEPPER-BOXES.
• Should a
  man be found guilty of murder, or start as a candidate for the Presidency,
  he will be INTERVIEWED by “our special correspondent,” and
  there are already signs of this objectionable form of newspaper work
  finding its way here.
• Black and White, handwriting or print.
• Carpet, “upon the CARPET,” any subject or matter that is uppermost for
  discussion or conversation.

If rotten eggs are not obtainable, ordinary ones will do. Menavelings, odd money remaining after the daily accounts are made
up at a railway booking-office,—usually divided among the clerks. Coat, (i.e., Mark of the Beast,) a name given to the long surtout
worn by some of the clergy,—a modern Puritan form of abuse, said to
have been accidentally disclosed to a High Church customer by a tailor’s
orders to his foreman. Marrow-bones, the knees; “I’ll bring him down upon his MARROW
BONES,” i.e., I’ll make him bend his knees as he does to the Virgin
Mary. Supposed to be from Mary Bones, an objectionable term used
by the first Protestants in reference to the supposed adoration of the
Virgin Mary by Catholics. Marbles, furniture, movables; “money and MARBLES,” cash and personal
effects.

Catch-’em-Alive, a humane trap; also a small-tooth comb. A piece
of paper smeared with a sweet sticky substance which is spread about
where flies most abound, and in this sense not particularly humane. The CATCH-’EM-ALIVE trap for rats and other such animals is humane
compared with the gin trap. Cat—CAT O’ NINE TAILS, a whip with that number of lashes used to
punish refractory sailors.—Sea.

In military slang that part of the
barracks occupied by subalterns, often by no means a pattern of good
order. Rook, a clergyman, not only from his black attire, but also, perhaps,
from the old nursery favourite, the History of Cock Robin. Rise, “to take a RISE out of a person.” A metaphor from fly-fishing,
the silly fish RISING to be caught by an artificial fly; to mortify, outwit,
or cheat him, by superior cunning. Ringdropping, is a pursuit to which London “magsmen” and “street-muggers”
are prone. A ring or other spurious article is supposed to
be found just in front of a “soft-looking party,” and he or she is tempted
to buy it at less than half its supposed value.

Stock, “to take STOCK of one,” to scrutinize narrowly one whom you
have reason to suspect, or one with whom you are likely to have business
transactions; taken from the tradesmen’s term for the annual
examination and valuation of their stock of goods. “To STOCK cards” is to arrange cards in a certain manner for
cheating purposes. Stilton, “that’s the STILTON,” or “it’s not the STILTON,” i.e., that is[311]
quite the thing, or that is not quite the thing;—affected rendering of
“that is not the CHEESE,” which see. Stickings, coarse, bruised, or damaged meat sold to sausage-makers and
penny pie-shops. Stick-up, to keep any one waiting at an appointed place or time.

In the United States,
amongst females, the phrase is equivalent to being enceinte, so that
Englishmen often unconsciously commit themselves when amongst our
Yankee cousins. Also, a collection of anything, “the whole KIT
of ’em,” the entire lot. Kennedy, a poker; to “give Kennedy” is to strike or kill with a
poker. A St. Giles’s term, so given from a man of that name being
killed by a poker.

The apparatus then was placed on the tin lids of their pie-cans,
and the bets were ostensibly for pies, but were frequently for “coppers,”
or for beer when two or three apprentices or porters happened
to meet. An active and efficient police have, however, changed all that
now. Son of a gun, a familiar term for a man. Sometimes applied eulogistically,
never contemptuously. Generally said of an artful person,
and perhaps, originally, son of a “gun,” (or “gonnof”). In the army
it is sometimes applied to an artilleryman.

Also a drink out of turn, as when a greedy person delays
the decanter to get a second glass. Anything done slyly or secretly
is said to be done in a back-handed manner. Babes, the lowest order of KNOCK-OUTS (which see), who are prevailed
upon not to give opposing biddings at auctions, in consideration of
their receiving a small sum (from one shilling to half-a-crown), and a
certain quantity of beer. They can, however, even after this agreement,
be secured on the other side for a little longer price.