Part 41

1810. Crabbe, The Borough, Letter 6, Law. For he’d a way that many judg’d polite, A cunning dog—he’d fawn before he’d bite.

1836. C. Dickens, Pickwick Papers, p. 369. (ed. 1857). Curse me, they’re friends of mine from this minute and friends of Mivins, too. Infernal pleasant, gentlemenly, dog Mivins, isn’t he? said Smangle, with great feeling.

1856. Whyte Melville, Kate Coventry, ch. vii. Then comes Ascot, for which meeting they leave the metropolis, and enjoy some quiet retreat in the neighbourhood of Windsor, taking with them many potables, and what they call a dog cook.

2. (thieves’).—A burglar’s iron. For synonyms, see Jemmy.

1888. American Humorist, 31 Mar. The safe was rifled, and every appearance of robbery was manifest. In this case the murderer was discovered by means of a dog, which was described in the newspapers as having certain peculiar scratches on it.

Verb (venery).—To copulate on all fours.

To go, or throw to the dogs.—See Go and Demnition Bow-wows.

Hair of the dog that bit you.—See Hair.

To blush like a blue dog.—See Blush.

Dogberry, subs. (common).—A stupid constable, or magistrate. [From Much Ado about Nothing.] For synonyms, see Beak and Copper.

1864. M. E. Braddon, Aurora Floyd, ch. xxxviii. The detective had reason to know that the dogberries of Doncaster, ... were on the wrong scent.

1869. Gent. Mag., July, p. 195. I trust I shall not be accounted a dogberry, lavish in my tediousness, if I bestow one more anecdote upon my readers.

Dog Biting Dog, adv. phr. (theatrical).—Said of actors who spitefully criticise each others performance.

Dog-Cheap, adj. (colloquial).—Very cheap; of little worth; foolish. [Skeat: from Swed., dog, = very; Latham: the first syllable is god = good, transposed + cheap, from chapman, a merchant—hence, a good bargain (Fr., bon marché).]

1598. Shakspeare, 1 Henry IV., iii. 3. The sack ... would have bought me lights as good-cheap at the dearest chandler’s in Europe.

1606. Dekker, Newes from Hell, in wks. (Grosart), ii., 116. Three things there are dog-cheap, learning, poore men’s sweat, and others.

1663. Dryden, Wild Gallant, Act II. No fat over-grown virgin of forty ever offered herself so dog cheap, or was more despised.

1772. Foote, Nabob, Act II. dog-cheap; neck-beef; a penny-loaf for a halfpenny.

1830. Marryat, Kings Own, ch. xxx. I’ll sell mine, dog-cheap, if any one will buy it.

1851. Carlyle, John Sterling, pt. I., ch. x. There lay in a certain neighbouring creek of the Irish coast, a worn-out royal gun-brig condemned to sale, to be had dog-cheap.

Dog-Collar, subs. (common).—A ‘stand-up’ shirt collar; an all-rounder (q.v.).

1883. Grenville-Murray, People I have Met, p. 42. The dog-collar which rose above the black cloth was of spotless purity.

Dog-Drawn (old), adj. phr.—Said of a bitch from which a dog has been removed by force during coition. Sometimes applied to women.

Dogger, verb (Charterhouse).—To cheat; to sell rubbish.

Doggery, subs. (popular).—1. Transparent cheating. Cf., dogger.

[Carlyle in Frederick uses doggery = the doings of a scurvy set of soldiers.]

2. (American).—A low drinking saloon.

1871. De Vere, Americanisms, p. 315. Doggeries are only found near the shanties of Irish laborers or in remote western and southern settlements.

Doggoned, adj. (American).—A euphemistic oath.—See Oaths.

1852. Gladstone, Englishman in Kansas, p. 46. If there’s a dog-goned abolitionist aboard this boat, I should like to see him. I’m the man to put a chunk o’ lead into his woolly head right off.

1873. Carlton, Farm Ballads, p. 80. But when that choir got up to sing, I couldn’t catch a word; They sung the most dog-gondest thing A body ever heard!

1879. Eggleston, The Hoosier Schoolmaster. I never knowed but one gal in my life as had cyphered into fractions, and she was so dog on stuck up, that she turned up her nose one night at an apple-peelin’ bekase I tuck a sheet off the bed to splice out the table-cloth, which was rather short.

Doggy, subs. (mining).—See quot.

1845. Disraeli, Sybil, bk. III., ch. i., note. A Batty in the mining districts is a middleman; a doggy is his manager.

Adj. (colloquial).—1. Connected with, or relating to dogs.

1883. Graphic, 24 Feb., p. 199, col. 3. Liverpool and the Adelphi Hotel in particular, are now [time of Altcar coursing meeting] the headquarters of all the doggy men of the three kingdoms.

2. (colloquial).—Stylish.

Dog in a Blanket, subs. phr. (colloquial).—A pudding of preserved fruit spread on thin dough, rolled up, and boiled; also called roly-poly and stocking.

1887. G. A. Sala, in Ill. Lon. News, 12 Feb., p. 174, col. 3. Bubble and squeak ... is a colloquialism, and no more slangy than ‘toad in the hole’ or dog in a blanket.

Like a dog in shoes, adv. phr. (Irish).—A pattering sound; as the noise of a brisk walk.

Dog in the Manger, subs. phr. (colloquial).—A selfish churl; who does not want himself, yet will not let others enjoy. [From the fable.]

1621. Burton, Anat. of Mel., I., II., III., xii., 189 (1836). Like a hog, or dog in the manger, he doth only keep it, because it shall do nobody else good.

1673. Dryden, Amboyna, Act ii. You’re like dogs in the manger, you will neither manage it yourselves nor permit your neighbours.

1757. Garrick, Irish Widow, II. That’s the dog in the manger; you can’t eat the oats, and won’t let those who can.

1836. Marryat, Japhet, ch. lxxii. Why, what a dog in the manger you must be—you can’t marry them both.

Dog-Latin, subs. (colloquial).—Barbarous or sham Latin; also Kitchen, Bog, Garden, or Apothecaries’ Latin.

1856. H. Mayhew, Great World of London, p. 149. A Spaniard ... who called himself a physician, and who, being unable to speak English, communicated with the doctor in a kind of Spanish dog-Latin.

Dogs, subs. (university).—1. Sausages; otherwise Bags of Mystery (q.v.), or Chambers of Horrors (q.v.).

2. (Stock Exchange).—Newfoundland Land Company’s shares; now amalgamated with the Anglo-American United, and called Anglos.

To go to the dogs.—See under Go.

To let sleeping dogs lie.—See Sleeping Dogs.

Dog’s-Body, subs. (nautical).—Pease pudding.

1851. Chambers’ Papers, No. 52, p. 16. Peas-pudding (alias dog’s body) is often allowed upon pork days.

1883. W. Clark Russell, Sailors’ Language, p. 42. dogs-body.—A mess made of pea-soup, powdered biscuit, and slush.

1889. Chambers’ Journal, 3 Aug., p. 495, col. 1.

Dog’s-eared, adj. (colloquial).—Crumpled, as the leaves of a page with much reading.

Dog’s Match. To make a dog’s match of it, verb. phr. (vulgar).—To copulate by the wayside.

Dog’s Meat, subs. (colloquial).—Anything worthless; as a bad book, a common tale, a villainous picture, etc.

Dog-shooter, subs. (old).—1. A volunteer.

2. (Royal Military Academy).—See quot.

1889. Barrère, Slang, Jargon and Cant, p. 317. Cadets thus term a student who accelerates, that is, who, being pretty certain of not being able to obtain a commission in the engineers, or not caring for it, elects to join a superior class before the end of the term.

Dog’s-nose, subs. (common).—A mixture of gin and beer.—See Drinks.

1812. Vaux, Flash Dict., s.v.

1836. Dickens, Pickwick, ch. xxxiii., p. 285. dog’s nose ... your committee find upon enquiry, to be compounded of warm porter, moist sugar, gin, and nutmeg.

1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, ch. xl. Ah! that’s not bad tipple after such a ducking as we’ve had. dog’s nose, isn’t it?

Dog’s-paste, subs. (common).—Sausage or mince-meat. Cf., bags of mystery and chambers of horror (q.v.).

Dog’s-portion, subs. (common).—‘A lick and a smell,’ i.e., next to nothing.

Dog’s Sleep, subs. phr. (colloquial).—The lightest possible form of slumber.

Dog’s-soup, subs. (common).—Water. For synonyms, see Adam’s Ale and Fish Broth.

1836. W. H. Smith. ‘The Thieves’ Chaunt.’ For she never lushes dog’s-soup or lap.

Dog’s-tail, subs. (nautical).—The constellation of Ursa minor or Little Bear.

Dog-stealer, subs. (common).—A dog-dealer; applied sarcastically.

1854. Whyte Melville, General Bounce, ch. xiii. Now nodding to a trainer, now indulging in quaint badinage, which the vulgar call ‘chaff,’ with a dog-stealer.

Doldrums, subs. (colloquial).—Low spirits; the dumps or hump (q.v.). [Properly parts of the ocean near the Equator abounding in calms and light, baffling winds.]

1865. M. Browne, in the ‘Argosy,’ I., 36. An Apology for the Nerves. All I say is, do not let us have any abuse of the nerves. Do not confound nervousness with the megrims, or the doldrums, or any other complaint. Do not confound it with cowardice or ill-temper.

1883. James Payn, The Canon’s Ward, ch. xi. She treated all subjects in the same light way; ... from aversion to serious thoughts of any kind, which she stigmatised generally as the doldrums.

Dole, subs. (Winchester College).—A stratagem or trick. [From Latin dolus.]

Dolifier, subs. (Winchester College).—One who contrives a trick.—See Dole.

Dollar, subs. (common).—A five-shilling piece. Half-dollar = half-a-crown, or two shillings. For synonyms, see Caroon.

Dollop, subs. and verb (common).—A lot; All the dollop = the whole thing. Cf., quot., 1812. In Norfolk to dollop = to dole out; also to ‘plank.’ Dolloping = throwing down.

1812. Vaux, Flash Dict., s.v. = the whole sum of money.

1853. Notes and Queries, 16 July, p. 65, col. 2. Applied to lumps of any substances, whether food or otherwise. Such a phrase as this might be heard: What a dollop of fat you have given me.

1871. Beli’s Life, 23 Dec. All we wish to convey is, that a large bait is absolutely necessary to a heavy bag of chub. Exceptions may arise, as giants may dally with crumbs, but as a rule these fish desire a dollop.

1876. Hindley, Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack, p. 28. I have known men literally give their goods away, or to throw them at each other, which is termed dolloping.

1883. Daily Telegraph, 8 March, p. 4, col. 1. A dollop of something having a mortar-like appearance, imaginatively styled pudding.

Dolly, subs. (venery).—1. A mistress. For synonyms, see Barrack-hack and Tart.

1647–48. Herrick, Hesperides, p. 38. Drink, and dance, and pipe, and play, Kisse our dollies night and day.

1843. Punch, vol. V., p. 8. Dol is a pure Anglo-Saxon word signifying dull, erring—whence the English Dolly, any one who has made a faux pas.

2. (tailors’).—A piece of cloth used as a sponge.

3. (venery).—The penis. For synonyms, see Creamstick.

Adj. (popular).—Silly.

1864. Dickens, Our Mutual Friend, bk. I., chap. 4. You are a chit and a little idiot, returned Bella, or you wouldn’t make such a dolly speech.

Dolly-mop, subs. (common).—Specifically, a professional strumpet, but see quot., 1851. For synonyms, see Barrack-hack and Tart.

1833. Marryat, Peter Simple, ch. iv. The captain says we are to take the young gentleman on board directly. His liberty’s stopped for getting drunk and running after the Dolly-Mops!

1851. H. Mayhew, Lon. Lab. and Lon. Poor, IV., 234. Those women who, for the sake of distinguishing them from the professionals, I must call amateurs, are generally spoken of as Dolly-mops.

Dolly-Shop, subs. (common).—A marine store: really an illegal pawn-shop and fence (q.v.); also leaving-shop. No questions are asked; all goods are received on the understanding that they may be repurchased within a given time; so much per day is charged; no duplicate is given; and no books are kept. [From the black doll (q.v.) suspended outside as a sign.]

1851–61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. I., p. 142. If she hasn’t, or if the neighbours hasn’t it, she borrows it at a dolly-shop (the illegal pawnshop).

1860–68. Chambers’ Encyclopædia, s.v.

1871. Echo, 16 March. Chimney sweeps having lent their machines to dolly-shop keepers for the price of a spree, could not redeem them to commence business.

Dome, subs. (common).—The head. For synonyms, see Crumpet.

Domestic-Afflictions, subs. (common).—The menstrual flux; a woman’s flower-time. For synonyms, see Flag-up.

Dome-stick, subs. (common).—A ‘domestic’ servant.

Dominie, subs. (old).—A clergyman; modern Scots = a pedagogue or schoolmaster. [From Latin dominus, a lord or master.]

1616. Beaumont and Fletcher, Scornful Lady, II., i. Wel. [addressing parson], Adieu, dear Domine!

1754. Foote, Knights, Act ii. She falls in love with young Sleek, her father’s chaplain; ... what does me I, but slips on Domine’s robes, you; passed myself upon her for him, and we were tacked together.

1819. Moore, Tom Crib’s Memorial, p. 21. And, take him at ruffianing work (though, in common, he Hums about Peace and all that, like a Domine.

1883. Brinsley-Richards, Seven Years at Eton, xii., 122. The Scotch dominie, from whom he had learnt Latin ... knew nothing of elegiacs.

Dominie Do-Little, subs. phr. (old).—An impotent old man.

Domino! intj. (common).—An ejaculation of completion: e.g., for sailors and soldiers at the last lash of a flogging; and for ’bus conductors when an omnibus is full inside and out [N. and Q., 6 S., v., 229]; also, by implication, a knock-down blow, or the last of a series. [From the call at the end of a game of dominoes.]

Domino-Box, subs. (old).—The mouth. For synonyms, see Potato-trap.

1812. Vaux, Flash Dictionary, s.v.

Dominoes, subs. (popular).—1. The teeth. For synonyms, see Grinders.

1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, ii., 6. Mr. J. Sluice your dominos—vill you? Green. Vot! I never plays at dominos—It’s too wulgar. Mr. J. Vy, then vash your ivories? Green. I’ve got no hiveries to vash. Mr. J. Drink, vill you? don’t you understand Hinglish?

1856. H. Mayhew, Gt. World of London, p. 6, note. Fanciful metaphors contribute largely to the formation of slang. It is upon this principle that the mouth has come to be styled the ‘tater-trap’; the teeth, dominoes.

1864. E. D. Forgues, in Revue des deux Mondes, 15 Sept., p. 470. Le mot ‘dents’ est remplacé par celui de dominos aussi bien sur les bordes de la Tamise que sur ceux de la Seine.

2. (colloquial).—The keys of a piano.

To sluice one’s dominoes, verb. phr. (common).—To drink.—See quot., 1823 ante.

Domino-thumper, subs. (common).—A pianist.

Dommerar, Dommerer, or Dummerer, subs. (old).—A beggar feigning to be deaf and dumb; also, a madman.

1567. Harman, Caveat, p. 57. These Dommerars are leud and most subtyll people: the moste part of these are Walch men, and wyll neuer speake, vnlesse they haue extreame punishment, but wyll gape, and with a maruelous force wyll hold downe their toungs doubled, groning for your charyty, and holding vp their handes full pitiously, so that with their deepe dissimulation they get very much.

1621. Burton, Anat. of Mel., I., II., IV., vi., 233 (1836). It compels some miserable wretches to counterfeit several diseases, to dismember, make themselves blind, lame, to have a more plausible cause to beg ... we have dummerers, Abraham men, etc.

1671. R. Head, English Rogue, pt. I., ch. v. (Repr. 1874), p. 49. Dommerar, a Madman.

1706. E. Coles, Eng. Dict. Dommeror, a Madman.

1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

1859. Matsell, Vocabulum. Dommerer, a fellow that pretends to be deaf and dumb.

Don, subs. (colloquial).—An adept; a swell; also a man that ‘puts on side.’ At the Universities a fellow or officer of a college; whence the vulgar usage. [From Latin, dominus, a lord, through the Spanish title.]

1665. Dryden, Indian Emperor, Epilogue, 21. For the great dons of wit—Phœbus gives them full privilege alone, To damn all others, and cry up their own.

1698–1700. Ward, London Spy, pt. xiii., p. 299. Like the Great Old Dons of the Law, when they dance the Measures in an Inns-of-Court Hall upon the first day of Christmas.

1730. Jas. Miller, Humours of Oxford, Act I., p. 7 (2 ed.) The old dons ... will come cringing, cap in hand, to offer to show the ladies the curiosities of the college.

1826. Reynolds (‘Peter Corcoran’), Song on the Fancy. Dull innocence! Twaddle on, Thy weary worshipper—and fain Would give thee up, to be a don, And beat the watch in Drury Lane.

1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, ch. xi. Does not go much into society, except ... once or twice to the houses of great country dons who dwell near him in the country.

c. 1880. Broadside Ballad, sung by Jenny Hill. ‘’Arry, ’Arry, There you are now, ’Arry, I say, ’Arry, by Jove, you are a Don.’

Adj. (common).—Clever, expert; first rate. [From the subs. sense.]

Dona, Donna, Donny, or Doner, subs. (vulgar).—A woman. [From the Italian.] For synonyms, see Petticoat.

1875. Athenæum, 24 April, p. 545, col. 2. A circus man almost always speaks of a circus woman, not as a woman, but a dona.

Donaker, subs. (old).—A cattle-lifter.

1669. Nicker Nicked, in Harl. Misc. (ed. Park), ii., 108.

Done! intj. (common).—An interjection of acceptance or agreement.

1602. Dekker, Honest Whore, in wks. (1873), ii., 17. Cast. ... I’le wage a hundred duckats upon the head on’t, that it moves him, frets him, and galles him. Pio. Done, ’tis a lay, joyne gols [hands] on’t.

1761. Colman, Jealous Wife, IV., in wks. (1777), i., 106. Why, it’s a match, miss! it’s done and done on both sides.

1762. Goldsmith, Life of Nash, in wks., p. 546 (Globe). Why, if you think me a dab I will get this strange gentleman, or this, pointing to the flat. done! cries the sailor, but you shall not tell him.

1840. Thackeray, Paris Sketch-book, p. 196. ‘I will bet thee thy water for a year that none of the three will pray for thee.’ ‘Done!’ said Rollo. ‘Done! said the daemon.’

Ppl. adj. (common).—Exhausted; ruined; cheated; convicted.

[See Do in most of its senses.]

Done-over, adj. (common).—1. Intoxicated. For synonyms, see Screwed.

2. (venery). Possessed in kind; said only of women.

Donkey, subs. (printers’).—1. A compositor; pressmen are in turn called Pigs (q.v.).

English Synonyms.—Ass; moke; galley-slave.

French Synonyms.—Un mulet (printers’); un compositeur mie de pain (an unskilled or clumsy workman; mie de pain also = a louse); un marron (a compositor working on his own account with another printer’s plant); un homme de lettres (= a man of letters); un singe (= a monkey); un amphibie (a compositor who is donkey and pig [q.v.] together).

1857. In Notes and Queries, 2 S., iv., 192. Compositors are jocosely called mokes or donkeys.

2. (nautical).—A sailor’s chest.

3. (colloquial).—A blockhead. For synonyms, see Cabbage-head and Buffle.

A penny, twopence or threepence more and up goes the donkey, phr. (common).—An exclamation of derision. [Street acrobats’: the custom was to finish off the pitch by balancing a donkey at the top of a ladder on receipt of ‘tuppence more’; which sum, however often subscribed, was always re-demanded, so that the donkey never ‘went up’ at all.]

1841. Punch, vol. I., p. 41, col. 2. Mr. Joseph Muggins begs to inform his old crony, Punch, that the report of Sir John Pullon, ‘as to the possibility of elevating an ass to the head of the poll by bribery and corruption’ is perfectly correct, provided there is no abatement in the price. Let him canvass again, and Mr. J. M. pledges himself, whatever his weight, if he will only stand one penny more, up goes the donkey!

1850. F. E. Smedley, Frank Fairleigh, ch. xv. He ... has left the key in the lock; so I shall take the liberty of exploring a little; I’ve a strong though undeveloped taste for architectural antiquities. Twopence more, and up goes the donkey! Come along! So saying, he flung open the door.

Who stole the donkey? phr. (common).—A street cry once in vogue on the appearance of a man in a white hat. With a similar expression ‘Who stole the leg of mutton’? applied to the police, it had its rise in a case of larceny. J. H. Dixon, writing to Hotten, Nov. 6th, 1864, remembered both. The first occurred at Hatton Garden Police Court, where a man, wearing a white hat, was charged with stealing a costermonger’s donkey.

1889. Sporting Times, 3 Aug., p. 3, col. 5. Who stole the donkey? The man with the white hat! This was a very popular street colloquy some years ago.

To ride the donkey, verb. phr. (common).—To cheat with weights and measures. Also donkey-riding = cheating as aforesaid. Cf., Ambush.

1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue’s Lexicon. Donkey-Riding. Cheating in weight or measure; miscounting.

To talk the hind leg off a donkey.—See Talk.

Donkey-Drops, subs. phr. (cricket).—See quot.

1890. The Hon. and Rev. E. Lyttelton, Cricket, p. 69. Slow round-hand bowling, such as is seldom seen in good matches, but is effective against boys, and is known by the contumelious designation of donkey-drops.

Donkey’s-ears, subs. (old).—An old-fashioned shirt-collar with long points.

Donna.—See Dona.

Donnish, adj. Donnism, Donnishness, subs. (University).—Arrogant; arrogance. [From Don (q.v.).]

1823. Hints for Oxford, p. 66. The Bachelors, we imagine, are the most pleasant set of beings in Oxford.... They have luckily not been so long emancipated as to have become stiff, and donnish, and disagreeable.

c. 1830. Ballad, quoted in N. and Q., 2nd S., xii., 154. Our Yankee, who’d commenced the fight and rather to be donnish meant, Sam squabbled felt (as well he might) with genu-ine astonishment.

1853. Thackeray, in Scribner’s Mag., Oct., 1887, p. 415. At Boston is very good literate company indeed; it is like Edinburgh for that,—a vast amount of toryism and donnishness everywhere.

1888. Mrs. Ward, Robt. Elsmere, vol. I., bk. I., ch. ii., p. 48. He was a curious man, a refined-looking, melancholy creature, with a face that reminded you of Wordsworth, and cold donnish ways, except to his children and the poor.

Donny.—See Dona.

Donovans, subs. (old).—Potatoes. Cf., Murphy. [Donovan, like Murphy, is a common Irish patronym.]

Don’s Week, subs. phr. (tailors’).—The week before a general holiday.

Don’t get your Back up.—See Back, and Hold your Hair on.

Don’t-name-’ems, subs. phr. (common).—Trousers. For synonyms, see Kicksies.

Don’t you wish you may get it, phr. (street).—A retort forcible.

1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends (ed. 1862), p. 179. A thousand marks, continued the confessor.... Sir Guy shrank from the monk’s gaze; he turned to the window, and muttered to himself something that sounded like, ‘don’t you wish you may get it?’

1841. Punch, vol. I., p. 22, col. 2. Who would own her heart thine, Though a monarch beset it, And love on unchanged, ‘don’t you wish you may get it?’

1844. Puck, p. 14. The Proctor caught him in a spree, Asked his name and college with courtesie; ‘Don’t you wish you may get it?’ and off he ran, Did my spicy swell small college man.

Doodle, subs. (old).—1. A dolt. For synonyms, see Buffle and Cabbage-head. [Thought to be a corruption of Dawdle, to trifle.]

1775. Ash, Eng. Dict., s.v.

1830. S. Warren, Diary of a Late Physician, ch. v. I know it was every word composed by that abominable old addlehead, Dr. ——, a doodle that he is!

2. (old).—The penis. For synonyms, see Creamstick.

1785. Grose, Dic. Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Doodled, ppl. adj. (old).—Cheated, ‘done.’

1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, i., 7. No, I’m out of spirits because I have been dished and doodled out of forty pounds to-day.

Doodle-dasher, subs. (venery).—A masturbator. [From Doodle, the penis + dasher.]

Doodle-doo-man, subs. (old cock-pit).—A cockfighter or breeder. [From the childish name for poultry.]