Part 3
=Beige=—(1) the color of undyed, unbleacht wool; (2) a light-weight, plain fabric of such wool; also called debeige.
=Bell=—see Flare, also Spring.
=Bell=—the side of a cap, especially of uniform style.
=Bell bottoms=—vernacular for sailor’s wide-mouthed trousers.
=Bell-mouth=—flared at the opening, as sailor’s trousers, bell-sleeves, etc.
=Belled=—flared.
=Belled-skirt=—a flaring s.
=Bellows pocket=—an outside or patch p. made with an extension strip or bellows-fold around sides and bottom, making such p. larger and more capacious than the flat patch p., and especially adapted to shooting or hunting jackets. A variety of bellows p. is made by means of an open box plait in the center thereof, permitting stuffing.
=Bellows suit case=—a s. c. (qv) having one or both sides bellowed by means of extendible folds for extra capacity.
=Bellows tongue=—a t. fastened to both sides of the opening in a laced shoe and not left free as ordinary tongues.
=Belly button=—not an article of apparel.
=Belly doublet=—a d. covering the belly.
=Bellyband=—a band of woolen or silk material worn by babies.
=Belongings=—synonym for “property”, in which sense it is a survival of old English usage; often employed as euphemism for “trousers” by the prudishly inclined.
=Belt=—(1) a band or girdle of leather or other material, worn to sustain trousers in place without the aid of suspenders; (2) a b. worn with uniforms in army, navy, police and fire departments, and by various societies, for dress, for carrying sword, club, etc.; (3) a sash or band, more or less ornate, worn by pugilists to awe each other and mark the line between fair and unfair punches. See Championship b.
=Belt loops=—l. or straps sewn at intervals around the waist band of trousers, for the insertion and holding in place of a belt, the object being to sustain the trousers without the use of suspenders.
=Bench=—(=1=) a table that journeymen tailors squat upon while working; (=2=) a small table or stand holding a shoemaker’s tools.
=Bench-made=—a term used to describe “bespoken”, as the English call it, or custom handmade shoes. Before the advent of machinery, when shoes were all made by hand, the workmen sat along on benches and each workman made a complete shoe, performing all the operations. They were, therefore, called b-m. and the term today is used to designate handmade or custom-made shoes as compared with factory or all-machine-made shoes.
=Bend=—leather trade term for the hinder-part of the hide, used especially in connection with sole leather, this particular portion being the firmest, toughest, closest-fibered part.
=Bengaline=—general term for silk and woolen fabrics with a repp or corded effect produced by using a heavy, soft-spun woolen (or cotton) weft closely covered in the weaving with the silk (or wool) warp threads so as not to be exposed when finisht; also woven with wide, irregular or knobby ribs (especially in silk).
=Benjamin=—an overcoat once fashionable in England, invented by a tailor of that name.
=Benny=—slang for overcoat.
=Benzine=—good to eradicate grease spots. See Slob.
=Berretta=—see Biretta.
=Berlin=—trade term for fabric gloves of cotton in contradistinction to gloves of silk, lisle or wool.
=Berlin toe=—in shoemaking one of the many names for a narrow toe.
=Bespoke=—“English” for clothes tailored to order.
=Best seller=—that which makes the most profit for the dealer and, usually, shows the poor taste of his customers.
=Betrothal ring=—a r. that sometimes comes back.
=Betweens=—see Needle.
=Bezel=—a facet of a gem; a seal, as of a ring, fob, etc.; a flat engraved gold seal.
=Bias=—diagonally.
=Bib=—a drizzle shield.
=Bib top=—trade term applied to overalls made with a sort of apron partially covering the breast.
=Bicycle hose=—stout woolen or cotton stockings, knee length or longer.
=Bicycle shoe=—a high or low s., with front lacing nearly to the toe, and with a low heel, the inner corner of which is beveled off to prevent contact with pedaling gear.
=Bicycle stocking=—same as b. hose.
=Bicycle tights=—just t., but quite heavy.
=Bicycle trousers=—knickerbockers with re-enforced seats.
=Bifocal spectacles=—s. the lenses of which have a smaller lense adhering to the larger, permitting different ranges of vision. Compare Compound s.
=Bifurcated=—divided from a point into two divisions—trousers, for instance.
=Bilbo=—an old term for a flexible kind of cutlas from Bilboa, where the best Spanish sword blades were made.
=Bilboes=—bolts and shackles used by the Spanish to confine the legs of prisoners.
=Biled rag=—see Boiled shirt.
=Bill=—generally an unwelcome reminder of a thoughtlessly incurred obligation.
=Bill book=—a wallet for banknotes and papers.
=Billy=—a thug’s sleep producer.
=Billycock=—Briticism for a bowler or derby (hat), which see (corrupted from William Coke, Earl of Norfolk, who introduced the hat to popularity.) Also see Bowler.
=Billygoat whiskers=—long, spiky chinbeard.
=Binding=—any tape or braid used to secure or decorate the edges of a garment or any article of apparel.
=Birdcage=—slang for umpire’s mask.
=Birdseye=—a small diamond-shaped pattern or effect; name given to various clear-finisht fabrics so woven; armor.
=Biretta=—a square cap of silk or velvet with three ridges extending outward from the center of the top or four in case of doctors of divinity; also worn by the Anglican and Lutheran ministry, the latter being much plainer. A smoking cap is also so-called.
=Birthday attire=—ideal for hot weather.
=Birthday suit=—public display punishable by fine.
=Bishop=—trade term for extra-length overcoats for tall men.
=Bishop’s lawn=—a variety of lawn (qv) originally made for clerical vestments.
=Bit=—12½ cents; a shilling; two-bits, 25c.; six-bits, 75c., etc. These expressions are still used in the southwest.
=B. L.=—overheard by bowlegged men on being measured for trousers.
=Black amber=—jet (qv).
=Black cap=—(=1=) a plain black silk cap assumed by judges of some criminal courts when pronouncing sentence of death; (=2=) a sort of bag covering the entire head of the condemned, rendering him semi-oblivious of his surroundings immediately prior to strangulation.
=Blacking set=—a box or stand containing shoe polishing materials.
=Blacksnake=—a tapering, flexible whip of black leather, used by carters and sometimes on unruly urchins; name from resemblance to a blacksnake.
=Blade=—the standing portion of a folded (shirt) collar; more particularly the ends that meet in front.
=Blade=—the shoulder b. See B. measure.
=Blade measure=—in tailoring a measure taken from middle of back to front of arm scye at level thereof under the arm.
=Blanket=—a sheet of loosely woven heavy woolen cloth, or wool-and-cotton, usually with a nap, used for a bed covering, a garment, or to cover a horse.
=Blanket=—in textil designing an experimental strip or length of fabric (usually 1 to 2 yards), made up of anywhere from 2 to 100 or more variations of a design or designs, ranging from dark to light color effects, changes of color being accomplisht in the loom by changing the shuttles after every few inches of each sample. These “blankets” are passed upon by designers and stylists to determin the particular patterns to be adopted; often not over 4 or 5 are chosen from a large b.
=Blanks=—in button making the discs of ivory or other material not pierced or colored.
=Blarney=—idle discourse; obsequious flattery.
=Blarney tweed=—an unusually fine grade of tweed suitings manufactured by Mahoney Bros., a famous mill in the north of Ireland. (Mahoney pronounced Marney.)
=Blather=—idle nonsense.
=Blazer=—a light unlined summer coat, most frequently of flannel, and in bright parti-colors.
=Bleach=—see Bleaching.
=Bleachery=—a place where textil fabrics are bleacht, whether by chemical processes or by exposure on a lawn.
=Bleaching=—any process of freeing textil fabrics or fibers from their natural color; or whitening.
=Bleaching powder=—usually or largely chlorin.
=Bleacht muslin=—whitened; usually of finer weave than unbleacht or brown m. (=Bleached.=)
=Blended=—furrier’s term for furs so arranged as to form a sort of shaded pattern.
=Bliaus=—early spelling of blouse.
=Blind edge=—see Plain e.
=Blind eye=—a strongly workt but nearly invisible silk loop or eye used in connection with hooks for fastening garments, preferable to more conspicuous metal eyes or catches.
=Blind fly=—a placket fastening, the outer edge of which is closed instead of open as in the ordinary trousers f.; mostly used on overcoats and also known as box f. and French f. See Fly.
=Blind pocket=—any concealed p.; oftenest a small p. on the inside of the waistband of the trousers—perhaps less as a protection against footpads than one’s wife.
=Blind stitch=—to s. in such a way that the stitches don’t show.
=Bliss tweeds=—peculiar sort of t., slightly resembling whipcord, made by Wm. Bliss & Sons, Chipping Norton, Eng., rated the finest known and extensivly employed for fine livery and stable wear.
=Block=—see Tailor’s b.
=Block=—the general style, lines, dimensions, etc., of a hat.
=Block patterns=—tailoring term for (1) conventionalized patterns used by tailors as a working basis, individual differences being added or subtracted as necessary; it is claimed that as perfect fitting garments are produced this way as by drafting separately—and many more of them per day; (2) similar patterns used by clothing manufacturers, from which no variations are made, the style being as per pattern, and sizes being conventionalized—necessarily. A method of garment drafting based on the principle that like causes produce like effects, which is to say, a pattern having fitted one man of a given size and attitude, it would fit any other man of identical proportions and posture; and by proper variation, as required, would fit a man differing in some respect, thus saving a special drafting. Block p. are in wide use at the present day as time savers, a complete range of sizes for each style of garment usually being carried.
=Block toes=—in shoemaking, t. made with stiffened leather, so as not to crease.
=Blocking=—a process in hat manufacture wherein the sized cones are given shape, the crowns and brims being carefully stretched and blocked out.
=Blood=—a gallant.
=Blood=—the finest wool is that of full-blooded merino sheep; the terms ½-b., ⅜-b., ¼-b., etc., refer to that standard and are coarser in a descending scale. See Wool.
=Bloody shirt=—fortunately not a washable article, but a term of reproach reminiscent of Civil War amenities.
=Bloom=—the lustrous effect given to broadcloth, alpaca and other fabrics by pressing.
=Bloomers=—Zouave trousers appropriated by women during the late bicycle craze.
=Blouse=—(1) a short, loose shirt or frock, usually of linen or cotton, with or without belt; (2) a loose jacket or body coat, of military wear; (3) the characteristic garment of Chinamen—need a description?
=Blouse collar=—same as Prussian c.
=Blow of cotton=—a Southern phrase, employed when the pods of the cotton plant burst; from the old English “blowth”, a blossoming.
=Blucher=—a peculiar style or pattern used in cutting the upper of a laced shoe—having tops lapping together at the throat and not joined together as in plain lace shoes.
=Blue=—the color supposed to exercise a gracious influence over the budding destinies of, and to be especially becoming and appropriate to, boy babies as, conversely, pink is for girls.
=Blue=—see Wool.
=Blue book=—broadly, a directory of les noveaux riches.
=Blue dress coat=—(=navy=) for chief petty officers, except bandmasters, a 4-button double-breasted sack coat of dark blue cloth with 3 outside pockets (2 lower, 1 breast) with flaps, the coat worn buttoned; for officers’ stewards and officers’ cooks, the same except with black buttons instead of gilt.
=Blue jackets=—navy seamen as distinguisht from the marines.
=Blue pencil=—supposed to be specially efficacious in marking down prices for a “sale”.
=Blue undress coat=—(=navy=) for chief petty officers except bandmasters, same as blue dress c., but of flannel or serge.
=Blue working dress=—(=navy=) see Working d.
=Bluestocking=—not an article of attire, but a Bostonprig.
=Bluff edge=—in tailoring a variety of plain e. (qv) not made by hand, but by first sewing the edges of garment together wrong side out, then turning and pressing flat without other finish; a cheap substitute for felled or prickt edges (qv).
=Bluff try-on=—not a real one, just a bluff. See Dummy t. (Tailoring term.)
=Blunderbuss=—a short fire arm with a large bore and a wide mouth.
=Blunts=—see Needle.
=Boarded calf=—see below.
=Boarding=—a term used in the leather trade, denoting a process of making leather supple and raising the grain after shaving, dyeing, etc., by doubling it with the flesh side in and working the folds back and forth by a graining board.
=Boarding officer’s uniform=—see Custom officer’s u.
=Boardwalk=—the ocean promenade at Atlantic City, where, in season, and on Easter Sunday particularly, those who have them proceed to strut up and down showing off their new clothes.
=Boat cloak=—a cape or mantle for use of (naval) officers in a (small) boat.
=Boater=—British for the stiff, straight-brimmed straw hat known here as “yacht” shape. See Straw hat.
=Boatswain’s uniform=—(=navy=) see Special full dress, Full dress, Dress, Undress, Service dress; (=revenue cutter service=) Full dress, Service dress. See also variations.
=Bob=—see Bob-wig and Wig.
=Bobbin=—a slender spool or reel used in the shuttle of a loom, conveying the weft or filling.
=Bob-jerom=—a bob wig.
=Bobtailed=—short tailed—give it any application you fancy.
=Bob-wig=—a small or medium size w. of the time of George II; specifically, minor b.-w. and major b.-w., the latter with several rows of curls.
=Bodkin=—a needle-like instrument for piercing holes in cloth, or for drawing tape thru hems, etc.
=Body-coat=—a dress c.; an under-c.; a close-fitting c.; a livery c.
=Body-cover=—cant for coat.
=Bogus=—counterfeit or of inferior quality, as manipulated cloth.
=Boil out=—trade term indicating the quality of a piece of goods, as “this will boil out”, meaning if woolen, the goods will in the boiling potash test resolve into nothing without trace of cotton or similar non-boilable adulterant. See Boiling-o. test.
=Boiled off=—commercial term for Shantung silk, to distinguish from silk “in the gum”.
=Boiled shirt=—inelegant for a white shirt with stiff linen bosom.
=Boiling-out test=—a means employed to determin the quality of suspected woolen or silk fabrics, a piece of the goods being boiled in a solution of potash, in which the wool or silk is consumed, but any cotton therein remains. See also Acid t. and Cotton cheat.
=Bolt=—a rolled or folded quantity of goods, of various yardage, according to the fabric or material. Cloth usually runs 40 to 60 yards to the b.
=Bombast=—cotton or other material of soft, loose texture, employed for padding garments; wadding.
=Bombazine=—a light, plain woven fabric of silk warp and worsted weft, used for mourning.
=Bonbon=—general trade term for fine lisle and balbriggan underwear and hosiery manufactured by C. & G. Bonbon et Cie, Troyes, France; also C. Bonbon et Cie, Paris.
=Bone=—journeyman tailors’ term for a peculiar hard feeling noticeable in the handling of certain kinds of cloths, as heavy overcoatings and experienct especially in working the needle thru; as, “it has a bone in it”.
=Bonnet=—a Scotch cap.
=Book muslin=—a thin, glazed, starch-filled cotton fabric, often mechanically crinkled, used for cheap cap linings, etc.
=Boon=—the woody core of flax.
=Boot=—a leather or other foot covering differing from a shoe (qv) in that it reaches usually to the knee or above. In England the word boot is synonymous with our word shoe.
=Boot=—a leather or rubber-cloth flap fastened to the front or dashboard of a carriage or coach and drawn up over the lap of the rider as a protection against rain, etc.
=Bootblack=—an irreverent urchin who “shines” the fronts of your shoes, but forgets the heels.
=Boot-hook=—an implement to pull boots on with.
=Boot-hose=—spatterdashes; stirrup h.
=Boot-jack=—a wooden or metal contrivance for engaging the heel of a boot while the wearer drags himself out therefrom.
=Boot-last=—same as b.-tree.
=Boot-lick=—a flunkey; a hanger-on; one who cringes and flatters to obtain favors.
=Boot powder=—powdered soapstone to make tight boots go on easier.
=Boot slippers=—light, soft leather feet for wear inside of rubber boots.
=Boot-straps=—the loops sewed in the back part of boots for the purpose of pulling them on.
=Boot stud=—a small, steel roset having prominent sharp points at right angles to the back; used by golf players and others for surety of footing; 8 to 12 are required for a pair of boots, affixt by screws or cleats.
=Boot-tree=—a stretcher for shaping boots when not in use.
=Bootee=—an infant’s knit woolen foot covering.
=Bootmaker=—Briticism for what we call shoemaker.
=Boots=—a servant, usually a boy or young man, at an inn, hotel, club, etc., who blacks boots and performs other small services for guests.
=Bosom=—the front or display part of a shirt, specifically known according to style, shape, etc., as dress b., puff b., shield b., plaited b., etc.
=Botany=—trade diminutiv for the line of cloths made by the Botany mills, Passaic, N. J. A peculiarity of these goods is that they closely approximate fine imported goods, being woven by German workmen (mostly) on imported German looms.
=Botch work=—bungled.
=Bottle coat=—a proprietary term for a certain style of form fitting overcoat. (1907.)
=Bottle nest=—a leather case with 3 or 4 bottles snugly fitted; for the spiritual refreshment of travelers.
=Bottom=—trousers seat.
=Bottom facing=—in tailoring the strip of goods turned up within or sewed on along the inside of a garment, as of a vest or coat.
=Boucle=—an irregular curly-faced fabric, the effect being produced by the use of a two-ply yarn in which one thread is wound around the other and drawn to make curls or loops at uneven distances; properly a rough, lobby, sort of “worsted cheviot”, tho frequently made with a jersey or stockinet body.
=Boughten=—past participle of “to buy”, in which the archaic termination is still preserved; like gotten, putten, etc., serving to distinguish shop-bought goods from home manufactures.
=Bound-edge=—in tailoring, covered or bound with braid; for this purpose edges of the garment itself are often left raw. See Flat b., Half-and-half-b., Narrow b.
=Bounder=—English slang for one who dresses in bad taste, or whose manners, etc., are offensiv; a “cheap dude”.
=Bouquet hole=—the buttonhole in a coat lapel.
=Bourre=—a sort of silk shoddy.
=Bourette=—a woolen cloth with lumps or knobs at intervals over its surface, an effect produced by manipulation of warp and weft yarns before weaving.
=Bournous=—a long woolen cloak with hood, worn by men in the Orient.
=Boutonniere=—a little bunch of flowers; the principal excuse for the lapel buttonhole.
=Bow=—that part of a pair of spectacles clasping the temple or engaging behind the ear.
=Bow tie=—a t. tied in a bowknot.
=Bowback=—rather humped.
=Bowie knife=—a long, formidable weapon, sometimes over a foot in length and two inches broad, worn by hunters and desperadoes in the wilder and more unsettled parts of the Union. One kind is facetiously called Arkansas toothpick. The term “bowie” was derived from a notorious character, Colonel Jim Bowie.
=Bowk=—a step in the process of cotton bleaching, being boiling in weak lye.
=Bowlegged=—parenthetical.
=Bowler=—the common English name for the derby hat, from the name of the hatter who invented it. See also Billycock.
=Box calf=—a trademark or fancy name for boarded c. (qv).
=Box cloth=—a superior quality of thick, heavy beaver c. of close, hard texture, fulled and milled until practically waterproof; similar to pilot c. and in appearance midway between melton and beaver, and not unlike kersey; also called livery c.
=Box coat=—(1) a short, loose fitting top c.; (2) a coachman’s driving c., with or without cape.
=Box collar=—a high-banded Prussian or military (coat) c.
=Box fly=—see Blind f.
=Box-plait=—a plait flattened with the stitching midway underneath so that there is a leaf or fold on each side of the stitching. Compare One-way p.
=Box toe=—having a stiff piece of sole leather inserted under the upper leather around the toe of a shoe to make it stand up as a solid protection for the human toes.
=Box waterproof=—a coachman’s mackintosh.
=Boxing glove=—a padded leather mitten that can hurt.
=Boxy=—loose fitting.
=Boy=—the kid who is supposed to be everywhere and everything, and generally is, except when wanted.
=Brab=—the sheaf of the young leaves of the Palmyra palm, from which “sennit” for hats is made.
=Braces=—English for suspenders; American for suspender-harness for correcting stoop-shoulders and other light deformities.
=Bradford system=—weaving term for worsted yarns spun by a method carrying that name, (see textil encyclopedia) producing a harder yarn than by the French system (qv) of spinning on mules.
=Bradford yarns=—see above. See also English y.
=Braid=—a narrow textil band or tape formed by plaiting together or crossing diagonally and lengthwise several threads of silk, cotton, mohair or other material, in a manner to achieve a certain width, style, pattern or effect, known in trade as silk b., mohair b., hercules b., soutache b., flat b., half-and-half b., etc. Used for binding coat edges, etc., and decorativly, as in uniforms.
=Braid combing=—wool classification term. See Wool.
=Braided edges=—see Bound e., Braiding, etc.
=Braided seam=—a s. covered with braid laid on and stitched.
=Braiding=—the process of forming tape or cord like fabrics in which threads held longitudinally, are woven diagonally in and out of each other.
=Braiding=—the act or operation of binding or decorating a garment with braid.
=Brakeman’s uniform=—varies with different roads; usually a sack suit of blue cloth, the coat being most frequently double-breasted with brass buttons; blue cloth cap.
=Brandenburgs=—long, narrow, ornamental buttons of silk or wool on a wooden mold, used chiefly for military overcoats; also known as olives.
=Brass=—impudent assurance.
=Brass buttons=—slang for over-gaudy uniforms, livery, etc.
=Brass knuckles=—see Knucks.
=Brassard=—(=army, navy, etc.=) (1) a band of white cloth usually about 4 in. wide, fastened around the upper part of the right sleeve, a red Geneva cross, 3 in. in hight and width, having arms 1 in. wide, stitched or painted upon it; (2) a similar band of black cloth or crepe worn for mourning.
=Brave=—a swaggering fellow; a rowdyish gallant; a roystering fop.
=Bravery=—elegance of attire; finery.
=Brazilian linen=—a fiber obtained from a common South American weed, possessing strength, fineness, flexibility and adaptability for bleaching, dyeing, etc., expected soon to be a popular substitute for flax in nearly all its uses.
=Breach=—see Wool.
=Break=—see Collar b.
=Break=—trade term for tender wool that breaks when stretched—a defectiv condition caused by exposure, insufficient feeding, etc.
=Breakfast jacket=—(1) a house coat; (2) a butler’s morning coat.