Part 35

~Sufferer~, a tailor; the loser at any game.

~Sugar~, money.

~Suicide~, four horses driven in a line. _See_ HARUM-SCARUM.

~Sulky~, a one-horse chaise, having only room for one person. Used nowadays only in trotting matches.

~Sumsy~, an action of _assumpsit_.—_Legal Slang._

~Sun in the eyes~, too much drink. A person who is tipsy is said to have the SUN IN HIS EYES. He is also said to have been “standing too long in the SUN.”

~Supe~, or super, abbreviation of SUPERNUMERARY.—_Theatrical._

~Super~, a watch; SUPER-SCREWING, stealing watches.

~Surat~, an adulterated article of inferior quality. This word affords a remarkable instance of the manner in which slang phrases are coined. In the report of an action for libel in the _Times_, some few years back, it was stated “that, since the American civil war, it has been not unusual for manufacturers to mix American cotton with surat, and, the latter being an inferior article, the people in Lancashire have begun to apply the term SURAT to any article of inferior or adulterated quality. The plaintiffs were brewers, and the action was brought to recover special damages resulting from the publication of an advertisement in these words:—‘All in want of beerhouses must beware of Beaumont and White, the SURAT brewers.’”

~Surf~, an actor who frequently pursues another calling.—_Theatrical._ SURF, or SERF, is also a term much in use among the lower orders to denote a crawling or sycophantic wretch.

~Suspicion~, a scarcely perceptible flavour; as, “There was just a SUSPICION of oil in the mixture.” _French_, SOUPÇON.

~Swab~, an epaulet.—_Sea._

~Swack-up~, a falsehood.

~Swaddler~, a Wesleyan Methodist; a name originally given to members of that body by the Irish mob; said to have originated with an ignorant Romanist, to whom the words of the English Bible were a novelty, and who, hearing one of John Wesley’s preachers mention the swaddling clothes of the Holy Infant, in a sermon on Christmas-day at Dublin, shouted out in derision, “A SWADDLER! a SWADDLER!” as if the whole story were the preacher’s invention.—_Southey’s Life of Wesley_, vol. ii. p. 109. _See_ introductory article.

~Swaddler~, _see_ SOUPER.

~Swaddy~, or COOLIE, a soldier. The former was originally applied to a discharged soldier, and perhaps came from SHODDY, which is made from soldiers’ and policemen’s worn-out coats. The term was one of opprobrium, and was probably the result of a long peace, for it became obsolete as soon as the Crimean War commenced.

~Swag~, a lot or plenty of anything, a portion or division of property. In Australia the term is used for the luggage carried by diggers. _Scotch_, SWEG, or SWACK; _German_, SWEIG, a flock. Old cant for a shop.

~Swag-shop~, a warehouse where “Brummagem” and general wares, fancy trinkets, plated goods, &c., are sold. Jews are the general proprietors; and the goods are very low-priced, trashy, and showy. SWAG-SHOPS were formerly plunder depôts.—_Old Cant._

~Swagsman~, one who carries the booty after a burglary.

~Swank~, to boast or “gas” unduly.

~Swankey~, cheap or small beer. Any weak fermented beverage.

~Swap~, to exchange. Grose says it is Irish cant, but the term is now included in most dictionaries as an allowed vulgarism.

~Swarry~, a boiled leg of mutton and trimmings. Sam Weller’s adventure with the Bath footmen originated the term. _See_ TRIMMINGS.

~Swatchel-cove~, the master of a Punch-and-Judy exhibition who “fakes the slum,” and does the necessary squeak for the amusement of the bystanders. _See_ SCHWASSLE BOX. The orthography of many of these colloquial expressions differs. It was thought best to give the various renderings as collected.

~Sweat~, to extract money from a person, to “bleed.” Also, to squander riches.—_Bulwer._

~Sweat~, to violently shake up a lot of guineas or sovereigns in a leathern bag for the purpose of benefiting by the perspiration.

~Sweater~, common term for a “cutting” or “grinding” employer,—one who SWEATS his workpeople. A cheap tailor, who pays starvation wages.

~Sweep~, a contemptuous term for a low or shabby man.

~Sweet~, loving or fond; “how SWEET he was upon the moll,” _i.e._, what marked attention he paid the girl.

~Sweetener~, a person who runs up the prices of articles at an auction. _See_ JOLLYING, BONNET, &c.

~Swell~, a man of importance; a person with a showy, jaunty exterior, “a rank SWELL,” a very flashily dressed person, a man who by excessive dress apes a higher position than he actually occupies. Any one occupying a superior position in society is by the mob called a SWELL. Anything is said to be SWELL or SWELLISH that looks showy, or is many coloured, or is of a desirable quality. Dickens and Thackeray were termed great SWELLS in literature, and so are the first persons in the learned professions SWELLS in their way.

~Swell hung in chains~, said of a showy man in the habit of wearing much jewellery.

~Swell street~, the West-end of London.

~Swig~, a hearty drink.

~Swig~, to drink. _Saxon_, SWIGAN.

~Swill~, to drink inordinately. SWILL, hog-wash. From which the verb has possibly been derived.—_Norfolk._

~Swim~, “a good SWIM,” a good run of luck, a long time out of the policeman’s clutches.—_Thieves’ term._ Among anglers “a good SWIM” is a good pitch for a part where fish are plentiful—that is, because a lot of fish keeping together are called a SWIM. Thus one who is in luck, is well connected, or is doing a good business, is said to be in a good SWIM.

~Swindler~, although a recognised word in standard dictionaries, commenced service as a slang term. It was used as such by the poor Londoners against the German Jews who set up in London about the year 1762, also by our soldiers in the German war about that time. SCHWINDELN, in _German_, signifies to cheat.

~Swing.~ To have one’s SWING is to have a full turn at anything.

~Swing~, to be hanged; “if you don’t do what’s right, I’ll SWING for you,” _i.e._, take your life,—a common threat in low neighbourhoods.

~Swingeing~, large, huge, powerful. As a SWINGEING blow, SWINGEING damages, &c.

~Swipe~, at cricket, to hit hard with a full swing of the bat. Most probably a condensation of “wipe swingeing” or “swinging wipe.”

~Swipes~, sour or small beer. SWIPE, to drink.—_Sea._

~Swipey~ (from SWIPES), intoxicated.

~Swish~, to flog, derived perhaps from the sound. Maybe, a corruption of SWITCH.

~Swished~, or SWITCHED, married.

~Swivel-eye~, a squinting eye.

~Swizzle~, small beer, drink.

~Swot~, mathematics; also, a mathematician; as a verb, to work hard for an examination, to be diligent in one’s studies.—_Army._

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.

~Syce~, a groom.—_Anglo-Indian._

~T~, “to suit to a T,” to fit to a nicety.—_Old._ Perhaps from the T-square of carpenters, by which the accuracy of work is tested.

~Tabby party~, a party consisting entirely of women, a tea and tattle gathering. In America, a gathering of men only is called a “stag party.”

~Tabooed~, forbidden. This word, now very common, is derived from a custom of the South-Sea islanders, first noticed in _Cook’s Voyages_.

~Tack~, a taste foreign to what was intended; a barrel may get a TACK upon it, either permanently mouldy, sour, or otherwise.

~Tacked~, tied down. When a man has another vanquished, or for certain reasons bound to his service, he is said to have “got him TACKED.”

~Tackle~, clothes.—_Sea._ Also to encounter a person in argument.

~Taffy~ (corruption of David), a Welshman. Compare Sawney (from Alexander), a Scotchman; Paddy (from Patrick), an Irishman; and Johnny (from John Bull), an Englishman.

~Tag-rag-and-bobtail~, a mixed crowd of low people, the lower orders generally.

~Tail-block~, a watch.—_Sea._

~Tail-buzzer~, a thief who picks coat-pockets.

~Tail-down~, “to get the TAIL DOWN,” generally means to lose courage. 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.

~Take~, to succeed, or be patronized. “Do you think the new opera will TAKE?” “No, because the same company TOOK so badly under the old management.” “To TAKE on,” to grieve; Shakspeare uses the word TAKING in this sense. To “TAKE up for any one,” to protect or defend a person; “to TAKE off,” to mimic; “to TAKE heart,” to have courage; “to TAKE down a peg or two,” to humiliate, or tame; “to TAKE up,” to reprove; “to TAKE after,” to resemble; “to TAKE in,” to cheat or defraud, probably from the lower class lodging-house-keepers’ advertisements, “Single men TAKEN in and done for,”—an engagement which is as frequently performed in a bad as a good sense; in reference to this performance, Scripture is often quoted: “I was a stranger and ye TOOK me in.” “To TAKE the field,” when said of a general, to commence operations against the enemy. When a racing man TAKES the field he stakes his money against the favourite, that is, he takes the chances of the field against the chance of one horse.

~Take beef~, to run away.

~Take in~, a cheating or swindling transaction,—sometimes termed “a dead TAKE IN.” Shakspeare has TAKE IN in the sense of conquering. To be “had,” or to be “spoken to,” were formerly synonymous phrases with to be TAKEN IN.

~Take it out~, to obtain value for money, labour, &c. A rich man is said to “TAKE IT (_i.e._, his money) OUT in fine footmen, fine feeding,” &c. A poor man “TAKES IT (_i.e._, his trouble) OUT in drink.”

~Talking~, a stable term, of a milder kind, applied to those horses which are addicted to ROARING. _See_ the latter expression.

~Talk shop~, to intrude oneself or one’s private business too freely into conversation. Any one who does this is said to be shoppy.

~Tall~, extensive, exaggerated,—generally applied to conversation, as “loud” is to dress, or personal appearance; “TALL talk that,” _i.e._, conversation too boastful or high-flown to be true. Among pedestrians a great rate of speed is spoken of as TALL.

~Tally~, five dozen bunches of turnips.—_Costermongers’ term._

~Tally~, “to live TALLY,” to live in a state of unmarried impropriety; TALLY-WIFE, a woman who cohabits with a man to whom she is not married.

~Tallyman~, an accommodating salesman who takes payment by instalments to suit the convenience of the purchaser, but who is anything but accommodating when payments are irregular. TALLYMEN are the cause of much misfortune to the working classes, from their high and exorbitant rates, and the temptations they offer to weak-minded women, who purchase in haste and repent at leisure.

~Tan~, to beat or thrash; “I’ll TAN your hide,” _i.e._, I’ll give you a good beating.

~Tan~, an order to pull.—_Anglo-Indian._

~Tanner~, a sixpence. Perhaps _Gipsy_, TAWNO, little, or _Latin_, TENER, slender.

~Tanny~, or TEENY, little. _Gipsy_, TAWNO, little.

~Tantrems~, pranks, capers, frolicking; from the _Tarantula_ dance. _See_ account of the involuntary frenzy and motions caused by the bite of the tarantula in Italy.—_Penny Cyclopædia._

~Tantrums~, ill-tempers. “He’s in his TANTRUMS this morning,” is often said of a peevish, querulous man. They are not peculiar to the one sex, however.

~Tap the Admiral~, to suck liquor from a cask by means of a straw, said to have been done with the rum-cask in which Lord Nelson’s body was brought to England, to such an extent as to leave the gallant Admiral dry.

~Tap-tub~, the _Morning Advertiser_,—so called by vulgar people from the fact that this daily newspaper is the principal organ of the London brewers and publicans. Sometimes termed the _Gin and Gospel Gazette_, though this title is fast fading out since the paper has been in the hands of its present editor.

~Tape~, gin,—term with female servants. Also, a military term used in barracks when no spirits are allowed. _See_ RIBBON.

~Taper~, to give over gradually, to run short.

~Taradiddle~, a falsehood.

~Tar-brush~, a person whose complexion indicates a mixture of negro blood, is said to have had a lick of the TAR-BRUSH. Sometimes a man of this description is said to have been dipped in the black-pot, and he is often reminded that “another dip would have done it,” _i.e._, another dip would have made a negro of him.

~Tar-out~, to punish, to serve out.

~Tarpaulin~, a sailor.

~Tartar~, a savage fellow, an “ugly customer.” To “catch a TARTAR,” is to discover somewhat unpleasantly that a person is by no means so mild or good-tempered as he or she at first appeared.

~Tat-box~, a dice-box.

~Tater~, “s’elp my TATER,” an evasion of a profane oath, sometimes varied by “s’elp my greens.”

~Tatler~, a watch; “nimming a TATLER,” stealing a watch.

~Tats~, dice.

~Tats~, old rags; milky TATS, white rags.

~Tatterdemalion~, a ragged fellow.

~Tatting~, gathering old rags.

~Tattoo~, a pony.—_Anglo-Indian._

~Taw~, a large or principal marble; “I’ll be one on your TAW,” I will pay you out, or be even with you,—a simile taken from boys aiming always at winning the TAW when playing at marbles.

~Tea-fight~, an evening party, alias a “muffin-worry.”

~Tea-spoon~, five thousand pounds. _See_ SPOONS.

~Teagueland~, Ireland. From the national character of the name TEAGUE.

~Teeth~, “he has cut his eye TEETH,” _i.e._, is old and ’cute enough.

~Teeth-drawing~, wrenching off knockers. Medical students’ term.

~Teddy Hall~, St. Edmund Hall.—_Oxford University._

~Teetotaller~, a total abstainer from alcoholic drinks. The origin of this term is not known. It is said to be from the expression of a fanatical and stuttering enthusiast in the cause of total abstinence. It has nothing to do with tea.

~Teetotally~, amplification of TOTALLY.

~Te-he~, to titter, “Upon this I TE-HE’D.”—_Madame d’Arblay._ As an interjection it is as old as Chaucer. _See Miller’s Tale_:—

“TE-HE, quod she, and clapt the window to.”

~Tell on~, to tell about, to talk of, to inform against. (This is formed by a simple misuse of the preposition.)

~Ten commandments~, a virago’s fingers, or nails. Often heard in a female street disturbance. “I’ll leave the TEN COMMANDMENTS marked on his chump,” shows that the term may be applied to either the fingers or the scratchings. It would be a strange hand, however, that, with the best opportunity, could made five marks simultaneously.

~Tench~, the Penitentiary, of which it is a contraction. _See_ STEEL.

~Tenpence to the shilling~, a vulgar phrase denoting a deficiency in intellect.

~Testamur~, the slip of paper on which the examiners testify (testari) to the fact that the candidate has satisfied their requirements.—_University._

~Tester~, sixpence. From TESTONE, a shilling in the reign of Henry VIII., but a sixpence in the time of Queen Elizabeth.—_Shakspeare._ _French_, TESTE, or TÊTE, the head of the monarch on the coin.

~Teviss~, a shilling. Costermongers’ and tramps’ term.

~Thatch~, the human hair. “He’s well THATCHED,” is said of a man with a good head of hair.

~The Tavern~, New Inn Hall.—_Oxford University._

~The thing~, the style, the proper proportion. Application varied. A good appearance, a decent dinner, or a fair bottle of wine, is said to be “the THING,” sometimes “the correct THING.”

~Thick~, intimate, familiar. The Scotch use the word “chief” in this sense, as, “the two are very chief now.”

~Thick;~ “to lay it on THICK,” to flatter unduly, to surfeit with praise or adulation.

~Thick un~, a sovereign; originally a crown piece, or five shillings.

~Thimble~, or YACK, a watch.—_Prison Cant._

~Thimble-rig~, a noted cheating game some years back, played at fairs and places of great public thronging, consisting of two or three thimbles rapidly and dexterously placed over a pea. The THIMBLE-RIGGER, suddenly ceasing, asks under which thimble the pea is to be found. Any one not a practised hand would lose nine times out of ten any bet he might happen to make with him. The pea is generally concealed under his nail. THIMBLE-RIGGING has of late years given way to “broad-working.”

~Thimble-twisters~, thieves who rob persons of their watches.

~Thingumy~, THINGUMBOB, expressions used for the name of a thing which cannot be recollected at the instant.

~Thin-skinned~, over-nice, petulant, apt to get a “raw.” _See_ that term.

~Three-cornered scraper~, a cocked hat.—_Sea._

~Three sheets in the wind~, unsteady from drink.—_Sea._

~Three-up~, a gambling game played by costers and others of like grade. Three halfpennies are thrown up by one man to the call of another. If they do not come all alike, the cry is void, and the calling and tossing are resumed. When the three coins are all alike they are said to “come off,” and then all bets are decided according to the success or failure of the caller. When two men toss, they play “up for up,” _i.e._, they toss and cry alternately. When three or more join in, the gathering is named a school, and one man, who is called a pieman, cries to the halfpence of the others until he loses, when the winner of the toss becomes pieman in turn.

~Through~, finished. In America, where this word is most used in the sense now given, a guest who has had enough will, when asked to take more, say, “I’m THROUGH,” which is certainly preferable to the other Americanism, “crammed.”

~Thrummer~, a threepenny bit.

~Thrums~, threepence. Also, in Coventry, remnants and waste pieces of silk.

~Thrups~, threepence. _See_ the preceding, which is more general.

~Thud~, the dull, dead sound made by the fall of a heavy body, or the striking of a bullet against any soft, fleshy substance.

~Thumper~, a magnificently constructed lie, a lie about which there is no stint of imaginative power.

~Thumping~, large, fine, or strong.

~Thunderbomb~, an imaginary ship of vast size. _See_ MERRY DUN OF DOVER.

~Thunderer~, the _Times_ newspaper, sometimes termed “the THUNDERER of Printing House Square,” from the locality where it is printed.

~Thundering~, large, extra-sized.

~Tibbing out~, going out of bounds.—_Charterhouse._

~Tibby~, the head. Street slang, with no known etymology. To drop on one’s TIBBY is to frighten or startle any one, to take one unawares.

~Tib’s eve~, “neither before Christmas nor after,” an indefinite period; like the Greek Kalends, TIB’S EVE has a future application; an indefinite period of past time is sometimes said to be “when Adam was an oakum-boy in Chatham Dockyard.” “The reign of Queen Dick” is another form of this kind of expression, and is used to indicate either past time or future.

~Tick~, credit, trust. Johnson says it is a corruption of “ticket,”—tradesmen’s bills being formerly written on tickets or cards. On TICK, therefore, is equivalent to on TICKET, or on trust. In use in 1668, and before, as follows:—

“No matter upon landing whether you have money or no—you may swim in twentie of their boats over the river upon TICKET.”—_Decker’s Gulls’ Hornbook_, 1609.

~Ticker~, a watch. Formerly cant, now street slang.

~Ticket~, “that’s the TICKET,” _i.e._, that’s what is wanted, or what is best. Probable corruption of “that’s _etiquette_,” or, perhaps, from TICKET, a bill or invoice. This phrase is sometimes extended into “that’s the TICKET for soup,” in allusion to the card given to beggars for immediate relief at soup kitchens. _See_ TICK.

~Tickle~, to puzzle; “a reg’lar TICKLER” is a poser.

~Tiddlywink~, slim, puny; sometimes TILLYWINK.

~Tidy~, tolerably, or pretty well; “How did you get on to-day?”—“Oh, TIDY.”—_Saxon._

~Tie~, a dead heat. A game of any kind, in which the possibility exists, is said to end in a tie, if the markings are level on each side at the finish. In racing parlance, all level finishes are called dead-heats.

~Tied up~, given over, finished; also married, in allusion to the hymeneal knot, unless a jocose allusion be intended to the “halter” (altar). _See_ BUCKLED, term in use among costermongers and street folk generally.

~Tiff~, a pet, a fit of ill humour.

~Tiffin~, a breakfast, _déjeûner à la fourchette_.—_Anglo-Indian Slang._

~Tiffy~, easily offended, apt to be annoyed.

~Tiger~, a parasite; also a term for a ferocious woman; a boy employed to wait on gentlemen—one who waits on ladies is a page.

~Tiger~, a superlative yell. “Three cheers, and the last in TIGERS.”—_American._ To “fight the TIGER” is also American, and refers to gambling with professionals—dangerous pastime.

~Tight~, close, stingy; hard up, short of cash; TIGHT, spruce, strong, active; “a TIGHT lad,” a smart, active young fellow; TIGHT, drunk, or nearly so, generally the result of “going on the loose;” “TIGHT-laced,” puritanical, over-precise. Money is said to be TIGHT when the public, from want of confidence in the aspect of affairs, are not inclined to speculate.

~Tightener~, a dinner, or hearty meal. _See_ SPITALFIELDS’ BREAKFAST.

~Tike-~, or BUFFER-LURKING, dog-stealing.

~Tile~, a hat, a covering for the head.

“I’m a gent, I’m a gent, In the Regent-Street style,— Examine my costume, And look at my TILE.”—_Popular Song._

Sometimes used in another sense, “having a TILE loose,” _i.e._, being slightly crazy. _See_ PANTILE.

~Timber merchant~, or SPUNK FENCER, a lucifer-match seller.

~Timber-toes~, a wooden-legged man. Also at the East-end one who wears clogs, _i.e._, wooden soled boots.

~Time~, cabman’s slang for money. If they wish to express 9s. 9d. they say that “it is a quarter to ten;” if 3s. 6d., half-past three; if 11s. 9d. a quarter to twelve. Cab-drivers can hardly have originated a system which has been in existence as long as the adage, “Time is money.” They have, however, the full use of the arrangement, which is perhaps the simplest on record.

~Time~, TO DO, to work out a sentence of imprisonment. Time is the generic term for all quantities of incarceration, whether short or long. Sometimes stir-time (imprisonment in the House of Correction) is distinguished from the more extended system of punishment which is called “pinnel (penal) time.”

~Time o’ day~, a dodge, the latest aspect of affairs; “that’s your TIME O’ DAY,” _i.e._, that’s well done; to put a person up to the TIME O’ DAY, or let him know “what’s o’clock,” is to instruct him in the knowledge needful for him.

~Tin~, money,—generally applied to silver.

~Tinge~, the per-centage allowed by drapers and clothiers to their assistants upon the sale of old-fashioned articles. _See_ SPIFFS.

~Tinkler~, a bell. “Jerk the TINKLER,” ring the bell. Refined or affected slangists sometimes say, “Agitate the communicator,” which, though it represents “ring the bell,” should more properly mean “pull the cord.”

~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.

~Tip~, advice or information respecting anything, but mostly used in reference to horse-racing, so that the person TIPPED may know how to bet to the best advantage. The “straight TIP” is the TIP which comes direct from the owner or trainer of a horse. Of late years a “straight TIP” means a direct hint on any subject.

~Tip~, a douceur; “that’s the TIP,” _i.e._, that’s the proper thing to do. “To miss one’s TIP,” to fail in a scheme.—_Old Cant._

~Tip~, to give, lend, or hand over anything to another person; “come, TIP up the tin,” _i.e._, hand up the money; “TIP the wink,” to inform by winking; “TIP us your fin,” _i.e._, give me your hand; “TIP one’s boom off,” to make off, or depart. From the seafaring phrase.

~Tip the double~, to “bolt,” or run away from any one.

~Tip-top~, first-rate, of the best kind.

~Tip-topper~, a “swell,” or dressy man, a “Gorger.”