m" "^ <^ -^^-^Q. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 7 ■ A w f/. % ^ 1.0 I.I S J^ Ilia ^ Ufi 12.0 1.8 1:25 IIIIIU III 1.6 V] v2 w 4V/ '/ a h CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 1980 ▲ Technical Notes / Notes techniques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Physical features of this copy which may alter any of the images in the reproduction are checked below. D D n Coloured covers/ Couvertures de couleur Coloured maps/ Cartes gdographiques en couleur Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages d6color6es, tachetdes ou piqudes Tight binding (may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin)/ Reliure serrd (peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intdrieure) L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. 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The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol —► (meaning CONTINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. The original copy was borrowed from, and filmed with, the kind consent of the following institution: National Library of Canada Maps or plates too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper Inft hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les images suivantes ont iti reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetA de I'exemplaire film*, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Un des symboles suivants apparaTtra sur la der- niire image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". L'exemplaire f llmA fut reproduit grAce d la g6n6rosit6 de I'dtablissement prAteur suivant : Bibliothdque nationale du Canada Les cartes ou les planches trop grandes pour dtre reproduites en un seul clichd sont fiimAes d partir de Tangle sup6rieure gauche, de gauche d droite et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'imagas ndcessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la mAthode : 1 2 3 s 6 yr^ AnERiCANisyns ©Id ^"^ Ifew. UNIFOKM WITH '•AMERICANISMS— OLD & NEW" pamlly (TJOttOeS; Their origin and Meaning. [/;« preparation, and may be ordered forthwith. C0l09iali5n\S; a Dictionary of Modern Words, Ptirases, and Colloquialisms peculiar to the British Colonies. [Tufullo'w, prou^rbs 9 prou^rbial ^^y\^<^y* A Comparative Study of the proverbs of all Nations. . [Tofolloie. / / y .^ HERir/INISi^S-o^^- A DICTIONARY OF Word5, PLr2!.5e5 ^* Cono ave in the counsels of the Anglo-Saxon race in the very near future. At the close of the present century they will, in all probability, number close upon a hundred millions, as against a possible forty to forty-five millions of English subjects — at least two to one. What will be the result ? Even under the most adverse circumstances one cannot doubt that a vast extension of American influence as a factor in the life and thought of Anglo-Saxon peoples will ensue. This will probably extend in every direction — to politics, to social questions, and to all the arts and sciences. How far, therefore, is our heritage in the English language likely to be affected thereby ? The subject is a large one, and, moreover, too speculative at the moment to receive a direct answer. The present work will furnish some data as to how far American-English already differs from the vernacular of the Mother Country. Roughly speaking, Americanisms may be divided into several broad and distinct classes : — I. Words and Phrases of Purely American Derivation. Embracing words originating in — a. Indian and Aboriginal Life. b. Pioneer and Frontier Life. c. The Church. d. Politics. e. Trade of all kinds. /. Travel, Afloat and Ashore. )'■" I! RKSI Influence of the A borigines. 2. Words brought by Colonists, including — d. The Dutch. e. The Negro. /. The Chinese. in general use in a. The German Element. b. The French. c. The Spanish. 3. Names of American Things, embracing — a. Natural Products. | b. Manufactured Articles. 4. Perverted English Words. 5. Obsolete English Words still America. 6. English Words, American by Inflection and Modifi- cation. 7. Odd and Quaint Popular Phrases, Proverbs, Vul- garisms, and Colloquialisms, Cant and Slang. 8. Individualisms. 9. Do'" .TFLi and Miscellaneous. Coiice iig some of these classes, a few words of explanation may not ' unacceptable to the general reader. It Wv Id have been strange indeed had the Red Man failed to leave the most distinct impress upon the life and surroundings of the American nation. This expectation is fully borne out by facts. Not alone in the names of localities, of plants and animals indigenous to the soil, and of prepara- tions of food, but in metaphors and similes drawn from savage life and customs are found survivals, all replete with memories of the aborigines. These for the most part are sad and bitter, because born of the long and relentless struggle which has gone on between the two races ever since the white man first set foot on American soil. Within the memory of many living persons Indian tribes roamed over the greater part of the North American continent, virtually its masters. They hunted the buffalo, countless herds The Vigorous Vernacular of the West. xi of which swarmed on the prairies of the West, practically without restraint. Step by step, however, they and their main means of subsistence have been driven farther and farther afield, until now the buffalo is almost as extinct as the dodo ; and the Red Man also seems doomed to as certain an extinction. Reduced in numbers well-nigh to vanishing point, deprived of the chase (their chief support), unable in the "reservations" to which they are relegated to adapt themselves to the new order of things, the remnants of the aboriginal tribes are, by contracting the white man's vices, fast hastening the day when they will only be remembered as a tradition of the past. Still, traces of their having once possessed the land will remain. Many of the most notable aboriginal names still hold, and will doubtless retain a place in the popular speech. Among these geographical expressions stand first, not a few of the names of states, rivers, and mountains bearing their ancient Indian appellations. The designations of plants, animals, and prepara- tions of food come next ; but in all probability the influence of the Red Man on the vernacular will longest survive in the colloquialisms of everyday life. Some of these — as, for example, "burying the hatchet," "going on the warpath," "smoking the pipe of peace," and similarly expressive imagery — have established themselves wherever English is spoken. To the early colonist, however, such colloquialisms as these were fraught with a meaning the full import of which is little realised at the present day. Not less suggestively expressive, too, was and is the everyday speech of the pioneers, trappers, and plainsmen of the once "Wild" and always " Great West." These have impressed the stamp of their life in a remarkable degree, and no less distinctive a manner on what Mark Twain aptly calls " the vigorous vernacular." Vigorous it undoubtedly is; often coarse; sometimes cynically brutal too; yet always I xii Colloquialisms of Purely American Origin. I'i^ u i sententious, full of pith and point — the whole indicative of the unceasing activity of life in the backwoods and on the prairies. It is racy withal, and overflowing with wit and humor — of a kind. In the West, nature is young and fresh ; it is formed on a larger mould than obtains elsewhere. All things being free, is it surprising that speech should be as unfettered, or that at times it should even, like nature itself, burst all ordinary bounds ? The life is rough ; the work is hard — a continual struggle with the forces of nature, and the vernacular, but reflects the life and work. Repulsive and unlovely such speech may be, nay is ; yet all careful students of the subject must freely concede that it is but a partial aspect of American life. Indeed, though colloquialisms of the kind not unnaturally, under the circumstances, constitute what in England are typi- cally known as Americanisms, the present work will show how, in reality, they form but a very small proportion of the words and expressions properly so named. In respect to colloquialisms of purely American origin, it must be remembered that new needs, influences, and surroundings have contributed, and are still contributing largely to the introduction of fresh, oftentimes quaint, sometimes odd, and always forcible forms of expression. This tendency has not been confined to any single department of life and thought; " all sorts and conditions of men," indeed, have had their share in this enlargement of the spoken speech — and besides the pioneer in the wilds of the West, the politician in the Senate, the spiritual pastors of the people, in pulpit and on platform, and the trader both afloat and ashore, have had their due share in these additions to ** the written word." Scarcely less marked are the terms and phrases introduced by the heterogeneous multitudes from every European state, who have, during the past two hundred years, sought a new home in the " Land of the West." It is not a little curious I Perverted and Obsolete English Words. xiii that the Anglo-Saxon race of to-day, itself the mixed progeny of many different nationaHties, should again become, in the West and in the Southern Hemisphere, subjected to the incursion, and subsequent amalgamation with themselves, of motley hordes of people of more than one alien stock. What the result will be it is difficult to say. Already the American type is a distinct one; it stands by itself unique in many respects, and is by no means wanting in the most desirable racial rliaracteristics of the older types. All these people, whether of German, French, Spanish, or Dutch descent, have each and all left their mark on the common speech ; and with these must be included the negro and the Chinaman. The rare ingenuity and versatility of the American mind, and the enormous strides witnessed during the last half- century in the arts, sciences, and manufactures have also their most natural outlets in modifications of, and additions to the vernacular. Another important group — perverted and obsolete English words — is also largely responsible for such variation as exists in the speech of the two countries; indeed, these are by far the most fruitful source of turns of expression which we in England usually attribute to transatlantic origin. As a matter of fact, many so-called Americanisms are simply good Old English words which have dropped out of use in the Mother Country. Many causes have conduced to their retention across the water. Let only a thought be given to the subject, and it can hardly be a matter for surprise that words and expressions once current, but now disused here, are still in vogue there. Indeed, the marvel is not that the divergence is so great, but rather that, comparatively, it is so small. Every factor in the case would seem to have made for diversity rather than uniformity; and yet, in spite of a II XIV Plan of Present Work. m .Hi violent racial parturition, followed by decades of animosity and hate, a separation one from the other by thousands of leagues, the incursion of hordes of immigrants of every nation, and kindred, and tongue, all bringing their quota of new sounds, idioms, and idiosyncracies into the common language —yet, in spite of all this, the language of the Older England of the Seas and the Newer England of the West is essentially the same. Such a fact is assuredly a marvel. .; This volume is the first on the subject ever published on this side of the Atlantic, and it will be found to contain many authentic examples not included in any other authority what- soever. I have taken every care to ensure accuracy, and have regarded it as essential to completeness to give the dates of references and quotations. The numerous illustrative extracts present a bird's eye view of American wit and humor and the multifarious aspects of transatlantic life, such as cannot fail, I think, to interest the general reader. In compiling this Dictionary of Americanisms, I have followed, as closely as circumstances would permit, the lines of the scheme given on a previous page. I found, however, that certain modifications of my original plan were necessary, the most important of which is that each section of my subject is dealt with in its proper place in the body of the work. For example, the reader will find American dialects such as the Chinook Jargon, the Pennsylvania Dutch, also Peculiarities of Pronun- ciation, Orthography, Names, Nicknames and Sobriquets, etc., so treated. In reference to what is throughout this work classified as " Cant," it is necessary to explain that by this is meant the language peculiar to thieves and their associates. A compara- tive study of American and Old English cant fully exemplifies ill i. ^ A iithorities. XV the fact of " survival " in this as in the more legitimate paths of philology. Finally, I claim nc merit for originality. I have made use of whatever material came to my hands ; and, though in some cases I have been able to acknowledge in the text the source of my information, frequently no such course was possible, for, besides personal knowledge, my sources of information have been manifold. Many examples given as Americanisms by previous writers I have rejected, upon what I considered sufficient grounds, as having no legitimate claim to insertion. I append a list of authorities, and to those marked with an asterisk I wish specially to acknowledge my indebtedness. : , It. 1 i ! I i '■ AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES TO PERIODICAL LITERATURE. P.P. = Periodical Publication. Abilene (Kan.) Gazette, p.p., 1888. Across the Great Desert. Acts of CoHKress. p.p., W.ishinRton, passim. Adventures in the Apache Country. Age. p.p., i883. AiinarJ's (Gustav) Works, passim. Akennan's (I.Y.) Glossary of Wiltshire. London, 1842. Albany (N.Y.) lournal. p.p., 1888. Aldridge's (R.) Ranch Notes in Kansas, London, 1884. / lien's (Professor) Slave Songs of the United States. AUin's Yankee Ballads, Boston, 1851. All the Year Round, p.p., London, passim. America, p.p., 1888. American, The. p.p., 1888. Canoeist, p.p.. New York, 1888. Cultivator, p.p., Boston, 1888. Hoyle, The. Humorist, p.p., London, 1888. Journal of Philology, p.p., Baltimore, 18H; M,v izine. p.p.. New York, i83S. Naturalist, p.p., Philadelphia, 1888. ' Notes and Queries. Yachtsman, p.p.. New York, 1SS8. Appleton's Journal, p.p.. New York. Arkansaw (Little Rock, Ark.) Traveler, p.p., 1888. Army and Navy Journal, p.p.. New York, 1888. Atlanta Constitution, The. Atlantic Monthly, The. p.p., Boston and London, 1887-8. Audubon's Ornith. Biography. 5 vols. Edin- burgh, 1831-39. Baker's Glossary of Northampton Terms. London, 1854. Baltimore American, p.p., Baltimore, i8S8. News, p.p., 1888. Sim. p.p., 1S88. B. inner nf Light, p.p., Boston, 18S8. Banleti's (J. Russell) Dictionary of Ameri- canisms. Boston, Fourth Edition, 1884.* Bartrani's Travels in Florida, 1791, Bay State Monthly. Beadle's (J. R.) \Vcstern Wilds. Cincinnati, 1878. Bernard's Kentuckian. Besant's and Rice's Golden Butterfly. London, 1876. Beverley's History of Virginia. London, Bierbaum's (F. J.) History of the English Language. Hicdelberg, 1883. Biglow Papers. First and Second Series by James Russell Lowell. London, i886.* Billings (M. T.) Gazette, p.p., 18S8. Billin;5s (Josh) Humorous Works, passim. Blackwood's Magazine. p.p., London, passim. Bohn's Classical Library, passim. Bonaparte's (Louis Lucien) Dialects of Eleven Southern and Souih-Westeni Counties. London, 1876. Border Adventures. Boston (Mass.) Budget, p.p., 1888. Courier, p.p., 1888. Globe, p.p., 1888. JouPiial. p.p., i883. Post. P.P., 1888. Press, p.p., 18S8. Sturdy Oak. p.p., 18S8. Transcript, p.p., 188S. Brace's (C. L.) Dangerous Classes of New York. New York, 1872. Brainerd (Min.) Tribune, p.p., 1888. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. London, 18C8. British Annual Calendar, p.p., 1776. Guiana Almanack and Directory, p.p., 1888. Britten's (J.) Old Country and Farming Words. London, 1S80. Britten and Holland's Plant Names. London, i8^6. Brockett's (J. T.) Glossary of North Country Words. London, 1846. Brooklyn Eagle, p.p., i888. Broughton's (Rhoda) Good-bye, Sweet- heai t, good-bye ! London, 1873. A uthorittes and References. xvil Brown's Canoe atid Camp Life in British Guiana. Loudon, 1S76. Bryant's (William Cullcu) Poetical Works. 1807-1883. Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, p.p., 1888. Courier, p.p., 1888. Burdettc's (Robert J.y Miscellaneous Sketches in Periodical Press. 1887-3. Burlington Free Press, p.p., 1888. Butler's Hudibras. London, :C73-i678. Cable's (G. W.) Au Large. 1887. Canada Monthly, The. p.p., i«88. Canadian American, The. p.p., 1888. Carle tun's (Will) Poetical Works. New York, i8.Su. Canuina Colle;;ensia, Songs of Williams. Carr's (W.) Craven Dialect. London, 1828. Cart Wright's (Rev. P.) Autobiography. Lon- . ' don, 1S62. Carvalho's Adventures in the Far West. Centre-Pole 15111 in Overland Monthly. Century M.iu.i/ine. p.p., New York and London, 1887-1888. Charleston (La) Enterprise, p.p., i883. — - News and Courier, p.p., 1888. Charnock's (R. S.) Glossary of the English Dialect. (London, iS8o.) Chicago Inter-Ocean, p.p., i838. Herald, p.p., i838. Ledgur. p.p., i883. Mail. P.P., 1888. Rambler, p.p., i883. Times, p.p., 1888. Tribune, p.p., 1888. - Watchman, p.p., 1SS8. Christian at Work, p.p.. New York, 1888. Intelligencer, p.p.. New York, i883. Christy's Songster. Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, p.p., iSS8. Enquirer, p.p., i883. Weekly Gazette, p.p., 18S8. Cleveland Le.idcr. p.p., 1S88. Coldwater (Michigan) Sun. p.p., 1888. Colonist (Victoria, B. C). P.p., i8S3. Concord Monitor, p.p.. 18S8. Congressional Records, p.p., passim. Connecticut (Ohio) Gazette, p.p., 188S. Cooper's (Fenimore) Novels, passim, 1780- 1851. Cornhill Mag.azine. p.p., London, i8rf8. Coue's (Elliot) Key to North American Birds. Boston, 1884. Courtney's (Miss M. A.) Glossary of Words in Use in Cornwall. London, 1880. Crackett's Tour. Critic, p.p., New York, 1888. Cunliffe's (H y.) Glossary of Rochdale Words. Manchester, i8S5. De Kay's Natural History of New York. New York, 1842. Denison News, p.p., 18S8. Denver (Colo.) Republican, p.p., 1888. Detroit (Mich.) Evening Journal, p.p., 1888. Free Press, p.p., London, i883. De Quincey's Works. 1821-1844. De Vere's Americanisms, or the English of the New World. New York, 1872.* Studies in English. New York, 1857. Do ^Vitt's Base-Ball Guide, p.p., New York, passim. Dickenson's (W.) Glossary of Words and Phrases in Cumberland. London, 1878. Supplement to Cumberland Glossary. London, iS8r. Dinrdale's (F. T.) Glossary of Words Used ill Teesdale. London, 1849. Dodge's Plains of the Great West. Hart- ford, Conn., iH82.'» Dovvning's (Jack) Letters of New York, 1834. Dow's Patent Sermons. New York, 1841. Doyle's (J. A.) The English in America. London, i88i. Drake's Old Landmarks and Historic Pas- sages of Boston. Boston, 1873. Dn Ponceau's Les Langues d'Ainerique du Nord. Dupratz' History of Louisiana. Eclectic Review, The. p.p. JCgglcston's The Graysons. London, 18S8. Llworthy's (F.F.) Dialect of West Somerset. London, 1S75. Elwyn's (A. L.) Glossary of Supposed Americanisms. Philadelphia, 1859.* F.ncyclopiedia Americana. New York, 1883. English American, p.p.. New York, i888. Epoch, p.p.. New York, 1888. Evansville Argus, p.p., t888. Fallow's (S.) Handbook of Americanisms. Chicago, 1883. Fall River Advance, p.p., 1S8S. Farmer's Encyclopedia. Farmer's (J. S.) New Basis of Belief in Immortality. 1870. Farmer's Weekly Museum, The. Field, p.p., London, 18S8. Fielil and Farm. Flint's History and Geography of the Mississippi Valley. 1827. Florida Times Union, p.p., Jacksonville, 1888. Flush Times in Alabama. Forby's Vocabulary of East Anglia. Forest and Stream and Rod and Gun. p.p.. New York, i8S8. Fort Smith Tribune, p.p., 1888. Fostoria Democrat, p.p., 1888. Fowler's (W. W.) Twenty Years of Inside Life in Wall Street. New York, 1880. Frost's Naval History of the United States. New York, 1843. FuUarton's Faiths of the World. London. Galaxy, p.p. Galveston (Texas) News, p.p., 1888. Gentleman's Magazine, The. p.p., London, passim. Gibb's Chinook Jargon. Gladstone's Englishman in Texas. Glance at New York, A. Godey's Lady's Book. Gordon's History of the American Revolu- tion, 1788. Grandmother's Story of Bunker's Hill Battle. Grass Valley (California) Tidings, p.p., 1888. Greenleafs (A. B.) Ten Years in Texas. Selma Ala. 1881. » xvni Authorities and References, Gregory's Animal Magncti&iu, London, i»84. Grip, Tiie (Toronto), p.p., 1888. Grose's Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. London, ia78. Haberdasher, The. p.p., i838. Haldeman's (S. S.) Pennsylvania Dutch. London, 187-/. Hallbergcr's Illustrated Maganinc. Hallivvell's Dictionary of Archaic and Pro- vincial Words. London, 1850. Hall's (B. H.) College Words and Customs, Cambridge, Mass., 1856. Hammond's Wild Northern Scenes. Hampshire Gazette. Hardy's Between Two Oceans. London, 1884. Ilarland's (John) Glossary of Words used in Swalcdrtlo, Yorks. London, 1873. Harper's Bazaar, p.p.. New York, i883. Magazine, p.p., New York, 1888. Weekly, p.p., New York, 1SS8. Harte's (Francis Bret) Works. 1869-1888. Hartford Post, p.p., i883. Harvard Register, The. p.p., passim. Hawthorne's (Nathaniel) House of the Seven Gables. 1851. Hay's (Col. John) Song of The Prairie Bell. Henderson's (P.) Handbook of Plants. New York, 1881. Hidden Path, The. Hill's (Staveley) From Home to Home, f nil's Yankee Stories. IlofTmann's Winter in the West. Jiolme's (Oliver Wendell) Autocrat of the Breakfast Table, 1857. Hotel Gazette, The. Mai!, The. p.p., New York, 1888. Hours at Home. Howell's (W. D.) Undiscovered Country. London, i38o. Humphrey's (D.) Yankee in England. Hunter and the Squatter, The. Hunter's(J.) Hallamshirc Glossary. London, 1829. Hyde Park Journal, p.p., 1888. Indianapolis Journal, p.p., 1888. Sentinel, p.p., 1888. International Review, The. Irving's (Washington) Works, 1807-1859. Irving's Tour on the Prairies. Irwin's (Russell) Poems. Jackson's (G. F.) Shropshire Word Book, a Glossary of Archaic and Provincial Words. London and Bungay, 1879. Jamieson's Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language. 1808. Jenning's (J. A.) Readings from American Authors. Dublin, 188^. iones's (Major) Courtship, onson's (Ben) Works. 1574-1637, ournal of Agriculture, p.p., St. Louis, Mo., 1888. {ournal of American Folk-Lore. udge. p.p.. New York, 1888. Kansas City Advertiser, p.p., 1888. Kendall's Santa Fe Expedition. Kennedy's (J. P.) Swallow Barn, p.p. p.p. p.p., New York, x8S8. Kercheval's History of the V'allny of Vir- ginia. Kimball's Was He Successful ? Kingston (Canada) Daily Whig, p.p., 1888. Kin;;ton's New English. Kip's (Bishop) Life of Thomas Pickering. Knox's (J. S.) Devil of a Trip. London, 1S88. Kwaiig Ki Chaore's Dictionary of English Phrases, Lafayette Chronicle, The. p.p., 1888. Lakeside Monthly, The. p.p. Lalor's Cyclopajdia of Political Science. Lanman's Summer in the Wilderness. Laws of the Eastern States. Legend of the American War. Leisure Hour, The. p.p., London, 1877. Leland's (C. G.) Hans Breitmann's Ballads, 1870. Leslie's (Frank) Budget of Wit and Humor. p.p. Uhistrated Paper. Letters from Alabama. Letters from the South. Lewiston Journal, The. Library Journal, The. Lincoln Journal, p."., 1888. Lippincott's Magazine, p.p., Philadelphia, 1 888. Littell's Living Age. p.p., Boston, 1870-1888. Little Rock (Ark.T Democrat, The. p.p., 1888. London (Ontario) Adventurer, The. p.p., 1888. London Quarterly, The. p.p. Long Branch News, p.p., 1888. Longfellow's Poetical Works. Born 1807; died 1882. Long's Dictionary of the Isle of Wight, Newport. I.W., 1886. Longstreet's (Judge) Georgia Scenes. Louisiana Press, p.p. Louisville Courier Journal, The. p.p. Lowell's (J. Russell) Works, 1S41-1888. Lynch Law in the Sucker State. Mackay's (Dr. Chas.) Dictionary of Low- land Scotch. London, 1888. New Light on Obscure Phrases in Shakespeare. Magazine of American Historv. p.p., New York, 1888. Major Downing's Letters. Manhattan Athletic Club Chronicle, p.p., 1888. Massachusetts' Mercury, The. Mather's (W.) Literary Style. Mayo's(W. S.) Kaloolah. McCarthy's (Justin) History of Otu Own Times. London, 1878-1880. McClintock's Tales. McClure's Rocky Mountains. .Medbury's Men and Mysteries of Wall Street, Borton, 1870. Melville's (Hy.) Whaling Cruise. Memorial of George Bradburn. Boston, 1883. Merchant Traveller, The. p.p., Chicago, 1888. Mill's (Henry) Dimes and Dollars. i ii U ' A uthorities and References. xix P.I-., Min- MinneapoUs Tribune. p.I'., iS93 Mississippi Valley Lunibeimaii neapolis, i8S8. Missouri Republican, p.p., 1888. Mobile Kf-Kister. p.p., 1S8H. Montreal (Canada) Gazette, p.p., 1888. Morris's Monuments of Ancient America. Murray's New linglish Dictionary. London (in progress). MiMrav's(C. A.) Prairie Rose. My Opinion and Uetsy Uobbett's. Naiittukct UKpiircr. p.p., 1.SS8. Na',by's (Petroleum V.) Works. Nashville American, p.p., i8n8. Nation, p.p.. New York, passim. National Intelligrncer, The. National Police Gazette. IM'., 1888. Nears(J. C.) Charcoal Sketches. Nebraska State Journal, p.p., 1^88. Negro Ballads. Negro Melodies. Nevada City Journal, The. p.p., 18S8. Press, The. p.p., iSSS. Newark Advertiser, The. p.p., 1888. New Orleans Picayune. P.i"., 1888. Times Democrat, p.p. 1888. Newport Journal, p.p., 188S. New Princetown Review. New York Clipi)er. p.p., 1888. Commercial Advertiser, p.p., 1R88. Courier and Enquirer, p.p., 1888. Despatch, p.p., iti88. Evening Post, p.p., 1SS8. Evening Press, p.p., i838. Examiner, p.p., i888. Herald, p.p., 18S8. Mail aijd Express, p.p., 1SS8. Mercury, p.p., 1888. Morning Journal, p.p., 1888. Slang Dictionary. New York, 18S6.* Spirit of the Times, p.p., 1888. Sun. p.p., 18SS. Sunday Deinoci - p.p., 18S8. Sunday Times, i-.p., 1888. Telegram, p.p , 1888. Times, p.p., 1S88. Tribune, p.p., 1888. Wc( kly. p.p., 1888. Weekly Times, p.p., 1888. World, p.p., 18SS. NordhoQ's California. Norristown Herald, p.p., 1S88. North American Review, p.p., 188.1 North-Western Chronicle. P.t Minn., 18S8. Norton's (Chas.) Political Americanisms in Magadne of American History, p.p.. New York.* . Norwich (Connecticut) Bulletin. Nosdal's (J. H. and Milner) Glossary of the Lancashire Dialect. London, 1875. Notes and Queries, p.p., London, from commencement.* Nye (Bill) in New York World. Oddities of Southern Life. C'Flannagan's Lives of the Lord Chan- cellors of Ireland. New York, , St. Paul. Olmsted's Texas. Omaha World, p.p., i883. Orange Journal, p.p. Overland Monthly, p.p., passim. Owosso (Michigan) Press, p.p. Pall Mall (la/etlc. p.p., London, 1888. PaitL-rson's (W. H.) Cilossary of Words in l's(' ill Antiim and Down. London, iSoo, Peabody Reporter, The. p.p. Peacock's (Ed.) Glossary of Words of the Wapentakes of Mauley and Corriuham, Lincolnshire. London, 1877. Pensacola Commercial, p.p. Philadelpiiia Knntiirer. p.p., 1S88. Evening Bulletin, p.p., 1888. Ledger, p.p., 1888. News. P.p., 1888. Press, p.p., 1.S88. Times, p.p., 1888. Phillips -Woolley's Trottings of a Tender- foot. Pickering's Vocabulary of Words and Phrases, Supposed i'eculiar to U.S.A., Boston, i8i(>. ' Picket Guard, The. (Song.) Pickings from the Picayune. Pii rpont's (John) Wi)rks. Pinkerton's Molly Maguircsand Detectives. New York, 1882. Pittsburg Bulletin, p.p., 1888. Coniinercial Advertizcr. p.p., 1888. Despatch. P.P., 1888. Times, p.p., 18S8. Placer Herald. Pollard's (E. A.I Southern Scenery. Poor Richard's Almanac. Popular Science Monthly, p.p.. New York, 1888. Portland Oregonian, The. Portland (Maine) Transcript, p.p., 1S88. Proctor's (R. A.) Notes on Americanisms in Knowledge, p.p., London, 1887-1888.* Providence (Rhode Island) Journal, The. p.p., 1888. Press. P.p., 1S88. Puck, p.p.. New York, 188S. Putnam's Magazine, p.p., passim. Record of the Rebellion. Railway Advocate, The. Ray's (John) Collection of English Words not Generally Used ; Second Edition, Augmented. London, 1C91. Reed's (Thurlow) Memoirs. Reid's (Captain Mayne) Novels. 1849-1877. Reports of the Pacific Railroad. Rich Hill Review, The. p.p. Ride with Kit Carson, A. Rive's (Miss) The Quick and the Dead, Robb's Squatter Life. Robert's (E.) With the Inv.iders. Robinson's (C.Clough) Glossary of Words of Mid-Shropshire. London, i8/6. Robinson's {!•'. K.) Glossary of Whitby. London, 1876. Rocky Mountain News, p.p., Denver, 1888. Roosevelt's Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail. London, 1888.* Royal Masonic Cyclopaedia. London, 1877 i • XX Authorities and References, Rural Register, The. Kuxton's Life in the Far West. London, i«49. Sala's (G. A.) Gaslight and Daylifiht. Sam Slick's (Jucjgc Halliburton) Works, passim. San Francisco Chronicle, p.p., 1888. News Letter, i-.r., 188S. Weekly Uullctiii. p.p., 18SS. Weekly hxaininer. p.p., iS83. Santa Ana niade, The. p.p., 1887. Santa i-c DtiMotr.it, The. p.p., 1807, Savniinah Morning News, p.p., 1888, !)Cril>ner's Magazine, p.p., /•assim. Shakespeare's Dramatic Works, 15^1-1616. Silverlanil. Simnis' (\V. C.) Last Waser. Simpson's (Sir Geo.) Overland Journey. Slang Dictioiiary,The, Etymological, Histori- cal, and Anecdotal. London, 1888. Solid Ml''' jon, The (Ouray, Colo.), p.p., 18S8. Somtrvillo Journal, The. p.p., 1S88. Senses of the Uiennial Jubilee, Yale College. South Carolina Ga/cite, The. p.p. Southern Life. Southern Literary Messenger. P.P. Southern Review, The. p.p. Southern Sketches. Springfield Republican, p.p., 1888. St. Louis Globe Democrat, p.p., 1SS8. Post Despatch, p.p., 1H88. Times Democrat, p.p., 1K88. S. Paul and Minneapolis Pioneer Press, p.p., 1888. Stanley's (Henry M.) How I Found Living- stone. Stockton (Cal.) Mail, p.p., 1888. Stowc's (Mrs. Harriet Heecher) Dred. Stray Yankee in Texas, A. Sun, The. p.p.. New York, 18SS. Superior Inter-Ocean, p.p., iSSV Talmage's (De Witt) Sermons. Tenner's (Armin) Deutsch-.^merikanisches. Boston, 1884.* Texas Siftings. p.p., London, 1888. Thorpe's Mysteries of the Backwoods. Thorp's Big Bear of Arkansas. Tid Bits, p.p., New York, 1888. Toledo (Ohio) Blade, p.p., 18S8. Traits of American Humor. Troy Daily Times, p.p., 18S8. Tussaloos'a News, p.p., 1888. Twain's (Mark) Humorous Works, /"rtssim,* United States Exploring Expedition. Phila- delphi.i. Virginia (Nevada) City Chronicle, p.p., 1838. Enterprise, p.p., 18S8. Vulgarisms and Other Errors. Walker's (J. B.) Experiences of Pioneer Life. Walt Whitman's Diary. Ward's (Artcmun) Humorous Writings, W'iassim. asliim;lon Critic, p.p., 1S8S. Daily I'ost. P.P., 1888. P.itriot. p.p. 1888. Post. P.P., 1888. (Pa.) Review, p.p., 1888. Walterson's (H.) Oddities in Southern Life. Boston, i88j. Weavtrville Weekly Trinity Journal, p.p., 1888. Weill, ter's Universal Pronouncing and De- fining Dictionary of the English Lan- guage. Weekly Trinity Journal, p.p., i8S8. \S'est Point Academy, Official Reports of, pttS^ll. Wester: /estprn Clearini:s. Mana/ine, The. p.p. Monthly, The. p.p. I'ulpit, The. p.p. Rural, p.p., Chicago, 1888, Sketches. Watchman, The. p.p. White's (Richard Grant) Every Day Eng- lish.* Words and Their Uses.* Whittier's(Jas. Greenleaf) Poetical Works. i8Si— 88. Widow Barley's Husband. Widow Bedott Papers. Wilbraham's (R.) Glossary of the Cheshire Dialect. Loudon, 1820. Williams (H. T.) Pacific Tourist. William's View of East Florida. Winter in Canada, A. Wood's O. E.) West Point Scrap Rook. Worcester's Universal and Critical Dic- tionary of the English Language. World, p.p., New York, 1888. Wright's (Tho.) Dictionary of Obsolete and Provincial English. Vale Literary M^igazine, Tlie. Yankee in a Planter's House, A. i iolete and No. 1 AND NO Mistake. — Tliouph .1 I is not strictly an .\ineri- caiiism, some of its variants come within the catej^'ory ; as, for example, A No. i, and its intensified form /] No. i, and no mistake. The ori;,'in of the phrase is well known — the use of the mark at Lloyd's to signify that a vessel is ranked in the first class as regards hull, fittings, and stores has led to the expression being employed to denote excellence in men and things gene- rally. In chie time the aniswer came b.irk. The hroker's staiulinu in his native city wis a NO. I AND NO MISTAKE, and all tlic hoi scs, iiouses, and the rest wore tanf^iblc, taxable f)roperties. He proposed — slie accepted lini. — 2V.V(is Si/tings, September 15, 1888, 'You haven't got any first-class a no. i good apples, have you ? ' asked a would-be customer of his grocer. 'No, I haven't. I make ft a rule never to keep any first-class A NO. I goods of any kind.' ' Well, that's a queer way to do business.' ' It isn't half so (|ueer a way to do business as it is to tell a man what he hasn't got and then ask him all about it.' ' Send over a peck of the best apples you ha.\e.'—Hart/ont Post. AARON'S Band. — A Masonic degree, fabricated by Joseph Cerneau at New York, and conferred by an independent body. It was censured and suppressed by the Royal Arch C pter of New York State in 1825.— Si'C CeRNEAN RiTE. Abbreviations. — Americans, as a rule, employ abhreviations to an extent unknown in luirope. Lifo, they say, is short and tlie pare is quick ; brevity, therefore, is not only llie soul of wit, l>ut the essence of business i-.iji.'icity as well. This trait of the American character is discernible in every department of the n;itiorial life and thought — even slang being curtailed at times, as in 11. T I. (a big thing on ice) and 1' 1) Q , an injunction more forcible than polite, et multis iiliis. The following are the principal abbre- viations in use in the United States, other than those common to both England and America. The list is given in alphabetical order, and the figure in parentheses after each example refer it to one or other of the following classes. 1. The Government, Army and Navy. 2. Statutory and Legal. 3. Geoorai'iiical. 4. Scientific, Literary, and Medical. 5. Business, Weights and Mea- sures. 6. Societies and their Officers. 7. Religious. Abb. (2) Abbott's U.S. Circuit and District Court Reports.— A. B.C. F.M. (7) American Hoard of Commissioners for Foreign Mis- sions.— A.B.H. M.S. (7) American Baptist Home Missionary Society.— A. B.M.IJ. (7) American Baptist Missionary Union. — A.B P.S. (7) American Baptist Publication Society.— A B.S. (7) American Bible Society. — A.C.A. (7) American Congregational Asso- ciation.— Acad. Nat. Sci. (4) Academy of Natural Sciences.— A.C.U. (7) American Con- gregational Union. — A.F.A.M. -j) Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.— A.F.B.S. (7) American and Foreign Bible Society.— P A hhreviiitions A bbrcvialious A.FC.l'. (7) Aiiicriran niid I'oieinii Chiisii;iii I'liioii. A.II.M.S. (7) Amoii- lan llii;ii<.' Missionary Sicif'.j A^l. Ui'l't. (I) Ucpartiiiriit of Auriculiiirc. - Anl. (J) AKcnt.— Ala. (3) Alahania. — Ail). (.1) Alnany.— A.M.A. (7) American Mis- sionary Association. — Anicr. Acad. ( (1 Anu^ri- r.iti Aradeniy.— Aincr. Ass. Adv. Sci. (|) American Association for tli'j Advancyinont of Science. — Ainer. Phil. Soc. (4) American I'liilosophical Socirty. — Ann. ( i) Annalis, Annals. — A. P. (7 Associate Presbyterian. — A.P.A. (6) American Protestant Association. — Ari. or Ariz. (3) Ari/oiia.— Ark. (3) Arkan- sas.— A. ^M, (i) Assistant (Jiiartermastfr.— A.Q.M.G. (I) Assistant yiiarlcrinastiir-Cicne- ral.— A. R. P. (^) Associate Kefornied I'resl)y- terian. — A.b.S.U. (7) American Snnday School I'liion.— A.T.S. (7) AmRrican Tract Society. — A.V. (7) Authorized W'rsinn. — A. Y. M. (fi| Ancient York Masons.— Halt, or Halto. (3) Haltiinore.— 111)1. or l)h!s. (51 barrel, barrels.— HdU. (5) bundles. --lids. (5) bonds. --Diss (2) Hisscrs Circuit Cotnt Reports. — Hk.(5)bark— avessel.— Ulatch.(2iniatchford's Circuit Court Reports. — Ills. (51 bales.— Host. (3» Hostim.— Ur. (51 brij,'.— Hus. (51 bushel, IjUhhels.— Hx., bxB.(5 ) box, boxes.— C. orCels. (4) Celsius' scale for the thermometer. — C, cts. (5) cent, cents — money. — Cal. (31 Cali- fornia. —Card. (7) Cardinal. — Ches. (3) Chesa- peake.— Chic, (i) Chicago. — Cin. (3' Cincin- nati— C.J. (2) Chief Justice.— Ch. Clk. (1) Chief Clerk.— Clk. (2) Clerk.— CM. (7) Conf^rcgatin Missionum (Lazarist Fathers). — Coad. (7) Coadjutor.— CO. D. (5) Collect (or Cash) on Delivery, — Colo. (3) Colorado. — Com. (I) Conimodoij. — Com. & Nav. (i) Commerce and Navigation. — Cong, (i) Con- gress.— Conn, or Ct. (3) Connecticut.- C P. or C. Pass (7) Conf^rtgatio I'assionis (P.-.s- sionist Father).— C.P.S. (7) Congregational Publishing Society. — Cs.lj) Cases. — C.SS.K. (7) Congrceatio Sanctissimi Kedemptoris (RedennnonstFathcrs).—C.T.A.U.(6) Catho- lic Total Abstinence Union. — Ctl., ctls., (5) cental, centals, weight of one hundred pounds, used authoritatively in California for grain. — Cur. (5) currency. — Curt. (2) Curtis's Supreme Court Reports. — Cush. (2) Cusliing's Massachusetts Reports. — Cwt. (5) hundredweight. (In the United States Custom Houses a hundredweight is 112 pounds, in ordinary business transactions, m the United States, it is 100 pounds.) — Dak. (3) Dakota.— Dall. (2) Dallas's Penn- sylvania Reports. — D.C or. Dist. Col. (3) District of Columbia. — D.D.S. (4) Doctor of Dental Surgery.— Del. (3) Delaware.— D.F.M.S. {yj Domestic and Foreign Mis- sionary Society (of the P.H. church).— Dill. (2) Dillons Reports.— Dio. (7) Diocese.— Dis. (7) Discipline. — Dist. (i) District.— Div. (i) Division.— Doc. (i) Document.— K.L. (7) Evangelical Lutheran. — Fng. Dept. (i) Department of Engineers. — Es. Doc. (i) Executive Document.— F.B. (7) Free H.iptist. — Fla. (3) loreign Missions.- H.ipiist. — Ga. (3) (l.ilvision. -CAR. Florida. — F.M. (7) -F.W.H. (7» Freewill Geoigia. — Galv. (3) (6) Grand Army of the Republic.--II.M. (;•) lloini! Mission.— How. (a) Howaril's United States Supremo Court Repoits.- M.R. (il Mouse; of Ri^pn - sentatives. -H.Y.M.A. (;) Hebrew Young Men's Association.— la. (ii Iowa.— Id. (3) Idaho. -III. (3) Illinois.— Ind. (. Indiana.— Ind. Ter. 13) Indian Territory.— Int. Dept. (I) Departnu.'ut of the Interior. -Int. Rev. (11 Internal Keveime.— I.O.O.F. (ti) indi^pen- dent Order of Odd Fellows.— I. O.R.M. (^) Improved Order of Red Men.— J. (2) Justice or Juilge. — Kan. or Kans. (31 Kansas.— Kgs. (3)ki;gs.— K. of P. (i>) Knights of Pythias.— Ky. (3) Kentucky.— 1.1. (31 Louisiana.— L.I. (3) Loii'' lsl.ind.-Mass.(3) Massachusetts. — M.C (I) Menilx r of Congress.— Md. (3) Maryland. — M.lC.i;! Methodist Episrop.al. — Me. (5) .M.iine.— Mex. (3I Mexico.— Mich. (3) Michigan. — Minn. (3) Minnesota.— Miss. 13) Mississippi. — ^Mo. (4) Missouri.-Mon. or Mont. (3) Montana.— M. P. (7) Methodist Protestant.— N. A. (?l North America.— N.H. (3) New Hrunswick. — N.C. (3) North Caro- lina.— N.E. (3) New lM)gland.-Neb. i \) Nebraska.— Nev. (3) Nevada.— N.H. (3) New Hampshire.— N.J. (3) New Jersey.— N.M. or N. Mex. (3) New Mexico.— N.C. (3) New Orleans. — n.o.p. (4) Not otherwise provided for.- N.S. (3) Nova Scotia. — n.s. (5) Not specitied.— N.S. (7) New School or New Side. — N.V. (7) New Version.— N.W.K.C (7) Nortn-western ICducation Connnission.— N.Y. (3) New York.- O. (3) Ohio. — ol. (4) oleum, oil.— O.P. (7) Ordiiiis Frcedkatoruhi (Dominican Friar).— Or. or Greg. (3) Oregon. — O.S. (7) Old School or Old Side.— O.S. n. (;?) Ordiiiis Saiuti Heiie- dicti (Henedictine Friar).— O.S. F. (ytOr.linii Scincii Friiiicisci (Franciscan Friar). — O.U.A.M. (6) Order of United .\merican Mechanics. — Pa. or Penn. or Penna. (3) Pennsylvania. — P.H. (7) Primitive Haptist. — P.F:. (7) Protestant Episcopal.— P.b. I. (3) Prince Edward Island. — Pet. (2) Peter's Reports United States Circuit Court.— Ph. D. (4) Doctor of Philosophy.— Phila. or Phil. (3) Pliiladelphi.i. P.R. (3) Porto Rico. Pres. (7) Presbyteriin. — R.K. (7) Reformed Episcopal. — Rev. Stat. (2) Revised Statutes. —R.I. (3) Rhode Island.— R. P. (7) Reformed Presbyterian.— R.R. (5) Railroad.— S.U.C (7) Soiuhern Haptist Convention. — S.C (3) South Carolina. — Sen. Doc. (i) Senate Document. — S.I.M. (7) Society for the In- crease of the Ministry (P.E. Church).— S.P.R.L. (7) Society for the Promotion of Religion and Le.xrning (P.E. Church).— S.S. (7) Sunday School. — SS. (7) Saints. — S.T. (6) Sons of Temperance.— S.T.B. (7) Hachelor of Sacred Theology. — S.T.D. (7) Doctor of Sacred Theology.— Sum. (2) Sumner's Re- ports Unitad States Circuit Court.— T.A.U. (6) Total Abstinence Brotherhood.— Tab. (4) Ti lie pr to U Si N; U. A bcr^ot'tts A bout East (3) Talilc, taliiilar stateiiu-nt.— Ter.n. (j) Teii- lussce.— Tex. (1) Texas. — t.f. 15) till forbid; printer's mark on ndvi rtisoiiicnls — Tp. (3) township.— r.H. (7I I'niicd llrctlircn,— U.S.A. (I I I'nited States of Atnoricji, United States Army.— U.S.N, (i) Unit'd States Navy.— U.S. S. (t) Unitid States Senate.— U.S.S. (II United Statts Sli'anis!iip(of war). — Va. (J) Virginia.— Vt. (3) Verniont.— Wall. (21 Wallare's Supreme Court Keports.— Wash. (.1) WasliinRton. — W.H.M. (;) Women's jioard of Missions.— W.H.M. I. (7) WouH'n's IJoard of Missions of the Int( rior, — W.C. A. (71 Women's Ctirisli.in Association. W.C.T.U. 171 W^'men's Christian Tem- pi ranee Union.— Wheat. (2) Whraton's Supreme Coi'.rt Keports. --W.IIM. A. (7) Women's Home Missionary Assoeiation.— Wise, ni W'isronsin.- Wood. (Jl Woodhnry and Minol's United Slates Cireuit Court K< poits.— W.T. (}) WashinKlonTerriloiv. — W. Va. (',) West Virginia.— Wy. Ter. (?) Wyoming Territory.— .\. (71 x/'kttii'j; Christ. Y.M.C.U. (7) YomiK Men's Christian Union. Abcrcoins, Abrogans. — Illiteracies for "alidriKincs," sometimes heard in the Western States. Both forms are used interchangeably for the orthodox \vord. — Sec Aboriginal. Aboard. — To go or (;et aboard. — The manner in which Ameri- cans everywhere apply purely nautical phraseology to the inci- dents of land-travel strikes the English ear as somewhat curious. To ^0 aboard a ship or any floating craft is good enough English, but when railway-guards, stage-drivers, coachmen, and cab- men urge passengers am. aboard ! the perversion of language is apparent. Its use, however, is universal. About 9 o'clock last nit^ht, a Pacific meam laundry delivery wagon was damaeed about fifty dollars by comiPK into forcibla contact with Car No. iS of the Lindell Railway Blue line. Several windows in the car were broken, and one of the sides was shivt d, Riving the passengers on noARr a friglu. Nobody was injured.— 27ie Canadian Aiiuricait, ib88. Abolitionist,— With this word widely divergent meanings are associated in di/Tercnt parts of the country. In the North an Abnlilimist ts simply one who favors or favorrd the anolitinn of shu'ery, and the name is in itself honorable. In the South it is a synonym for all that is contemptible, int-an, and dis- honest ; this in addition to its true derivative signification as under- stood at the North. Many an affray has arisen in consequence of this divergence of meaning and the siilj.seqnent misunderstandings. The hist(;ry of abolition is co-extensive with that of the United States, the anti-slavery agitation having begun belore the Revolution, while Ver- mont abolished slavery within her borders in 1777. To adoli- TiONizE had its rise at the time of the revolt of the Southern States, and simply indicates the process of conversion to the prin- ciples of the Abolitionists. AnoLiTioNDOM was the term by which the Northern and Anti- Slavery States were known to, and spoken of by the Confederates. Honest Ingur I will. People would call nie « low down Au'litionist and despise nie for keeping nitnii— hut that don't make no difference. I ain't agoing to tell. — The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, p. 67. Aboriginal. — A perverted meaning is sometimes attached to this word, as e.g., when used to signify "original." That is an aisorioinal idea; I never heard it before. —Litters from the South. It is also employed "Indian," instead of Boiling Robertson, equally a descendant of Pocahontas, had 'h-s Indian eye and the whole cast of his countenance was ABORIGINAL.— /6l(/. About East.— To the frontiersman or pioneer, the Eastern or New England States are typical of m m ill i h I A bsquatulate A ccommodate I ( all that he cherishes most and loves best. The vicissitudes of his rough Western life, the toil and hardships he has undergone while battling with nature and building up a new habitation far from the old homestead, all predispose him to turn with longing eyes and undying, though quaintly ex- aggerated love, to the East — the home of his fathers. A famous Yankee character (Major Jack Downing) makes use of the expres- sion that he would " Go East of sunrise anyday to see sich a place." Everybody and everything con- nected with the East, i.e., his native land, is commendable. To his mind they cannot be surpassed — hence the things he would hold up to admiration he says are about East, i.e., "about right." Indeed, it is surprising what a strong hold this idea has upon the minds of men. Many a familiar phrase recalls the old times and the old folks to memory, which, in this respect, is evergreen. They talk of GOING DOWN East, that is, to New England, while the Down- Easter is neither more nor less than the pure and veritable Yankee. In no part of America (Iowa and Minne- sota) is a purer Englisli spoken. The native of Indiana finds vvlicn settled beside tlie Yankee, that he must drop some of his ' Hoosierisms,' wliile tlic accent and idiom broufiht from down liAsr are insensibly modified till the cliildieii of both com- promise on the written language, — J. H. Beadle's Wfitcrn Wiuh, 1S78. Absquatulate, also Absguotilate. — To run away ; to decamp ; with the more or less forcible idea of absconding in disgrace. A fac- titious word of American origin and jocular use, perhaps from Latin ab and American squat. It was first used by Mr. Hackett as Nimrod Wildfire, a Kentucky character in a play called " The Kentuckian," by Bernard, pro- duced in 1833. It is now less often heard than formerly, having been replaced in some degree by the word skedaddle {q.v.). ACADEMY. — A term grandiloquently applied even to the most insignifi- cant village school. A writer in Putnam's Magazine sarcastically remarks that "schools no longer exist in the towns and villages; academies and colleges supplant them." ACADIAN.— ometimes corrupted into " Cajen, ' a native or inhabitant of Acadia or Nova Scotia. Acadia was the old French name for Nova Scotia, that province being called after the river Shuben- acadie; thechangeof name to Nova Scotia, literally, New Scotland, took place in 1621. The native Louisianian, descendant of the early French settler, who called him- self a ' Creole,' and the ,\cadian, more universally known, through a corruption of his name, as the C.kjeh. — Hallbergcr's Illustrated Magazine, 1878, p. 577. Accepted. — The betrothed. Though generally reckoned an Ameri- canism this word is of some- what doubtful classification. At all events it is as frequently heard in England as in the States. To cut the story sliort the whole matter was pleasantly settled and Hiram estab- lished the ACCKi'TKU of Miss Tenant. — Kimball's Was lie Successful ? Accommodate, To. — Although the phrase "Accommodation for man and beast," is generally current in England as well as in the States, the verb to accommodate is used in America in a way that to English ears sounds novel ; as, for example, when a traveller inquir- ing for an hotel is informed that there are none, but that " so and so accommodates." Accommoda- Account Adam and Eve some- At heard the TioN TRAIN.— A slow train stopping at all stations. It was a inidsumnicr day, and the weather was delightful. The tram was neither an express nor an accom.modation, but one which stopped at the principal stations on the Toulc— American Yachtsman, 1888. ACCOUNT. — To speak of men or things as of no account is not unusual amongst English writers. In the Southern and Western States, however, the expression is used adjectively in a somewhat odd and distinctively American manner; as, for example, when a farm, a horse, or a journal is said to be a no account farm, & no account horse, etc., the meaning being tiiat they are worthless or of little value. What surprises me too, more than ever, is that Miy wife would have anything to do with this fellow Harding. HeisaKO account fellow who scarcely eve\ is employed, and I don t believe could earn ten dollars a week. —Weekly Examiner (San Francisco), March 22, 1888. AcEQuiA. — An irrigating ditch, the same kind of water canal as may be seen in the central parts and elevated plateaus of old Spain. Brought by Spanish Colonists and used in Texas and New Mexico. The spelling of the word is some- times varied — Azequia, Zequia. As to the canals and acequias, he has surveyed on this plain 375 miles of them, and the end is not yet. One of them is seventy- nine miles long and thirty-eight feet wide for a long distance from its he?('. They, as well as the reservoirs, fire-places (or basins) and the granaries are all lined with a greyish-white cement resembling chalk, both in appearance and in consistency. — Missouri Republican, April 8, 1888. Across Lots. — To go across lots is to proceed by the shortest route ; similarly to do anything in the most expeditious manner. The phrase had its rise in the natural tendency of settlers in thinly popu- lated districts to shorten the dis- tance from point to point by leav- ing the road and striking across vacant lots [q.v.). ' I didn't see Crosby go by, did you ? ' ' He'd have had to foot it by the path 'CKOSS-LOTS,' replied Ezra, gravely, from the doorstep. — Scribner's Mag.izine, 1887. -Brigham Young familiarized its idiomatic use in the no^ noto- riously historic saying attriouted to that " Saint "— " We'll send them (the Gentiles) to hell across lots." ACKHUFFS. — An old slang expression for river thieves. Ad. — An abbreviation of "adver- tisement. " This is another Americanism by birth which has been generally adopted on both sides of the Atlantic. Thus the country editor's wife — . . . . reads the ads with the editor, Just to find what each has paid. ' But the column ad. of the jeweller, there,' So he says, ' and the harness, and human hair. Must be taken out in trade ! ' She wears the corsets he gets for ads.. And rattles his sewing machine ; She uses the butter, and cups, and things. The country subscriber so faith- fully brings, With a cheerfulness seldom seen. Adam and Eve {At'lectrum hyemale). — The putty root ; an orchis. Many plants have been the recipients of this popular name, and it is applied to A. hyemale because its two tuberous roots co-exist although of different year's growths, the one nourishing the existing plant, the other, the succeeding one. Cf. art. i it] A ddition A dvanced Female I Adam and Eve in Britten and Hol- land's English Plant Names. Addition, Division, and Silence! — A Philadelphia expression, which, for a time, had a vogue as a catch phrase. Addressee. — This new word, "ad- dressee," has been popularised in the post office department. The post office clerks have constantly to refer to persons to whom letters, papers, etc., are addressed, and it being altogether too tedious to keep writing, " The person to whom the letter is addressed," " The person to whom the paper is addressed," and so on, they coined the word addressee. It is sr.ch a convenient word, that it is coming into general use, and even Dr. Murray has recognized it. De Quin- cey used it as far back as 1858. Adjective Jerker. — A term of deri- sion applied, like ink-slinger, to those who write for the press. The special allusion in the present case is doubtless to the want of dis- crimination which young writers, ana reporters on low-class papers, often exhibit in the use of a plethora of adjectives to qualify a simple statement of fact. Genevieve spent four hours last niRht in constructing a three-line letter, which she sent to an AnjKCTivE Jkukkr on a society weekly, and in whicli she said she would spend the summer months in the Rocky Mountains. — St, Louis Globe Democrat, April 29, 1888. Admiration, Sign of (Masonic). — Employed in the Most Excellent Master's degree, the sixth of the new American Rite. It refers to the legend of the visit of Balkis, Queen of Sheba, to Solomon. Admire, to. — (i) Common in New England in the sense of to be afiected by wonder or surprise ; and also (2) as expressive of keen desire, e.g.," I should admire tc be at the picnic next week." In the former sense it is used by Beaumont and Fletcher, Shake- speare, Milton, Pepys, and other old writers, but it is now rarely heard in England. They were under written contract . . . but they did not care anythint» for that. They said they would admikio to see a ' Gentile ' force a Mormon to fulfil a losing contract in Utah I — Mark Twain's Roughing It. Adobie, Adobe, 'dobie. — Explained by quotation. Of Mexican - Spanish origin. The station buildinpts were long, low huts, made of sun-dried, mud-coloured bricks, laid up without mortar (adohes, the Sviaiiiards call these bricks, and Americans shorten it to 'dobies). — Mark Tuiain't Roughing It. Adulte: -:r. — This word is, in the States, not solely applied, as in England, to a violator of the marriage vows ; it is also used, instead of adulterator, to signify the person who adulterates or debases. In this sense it has long been obsolete in England. Advance Backward, To. — A rather odd way of expressing retrogres- sion. The advice given to his company by a raw Yankee captain to advance backward seems paralleled in the Chicago Tribune of the i8tn inst.— Chicago Intcr-Oiavi, Jan. 23 1888. Advanced Female. — A sarcastic allu- sion to the " women's righters," as they are slangily called. The nick- name was introduced at the com- mencement of the agitation in favour of woman suffrage. One of the oddest instances of the short- sightedness of the advanced female to the interest of her own cause was given in the petition recently offered to our State Legislature— AVw York Tribune, i888, Adventism After Night Adventism and Adventist or, more commonly, Millekism and MiL- LiiKiTF- (qv.). ADVISEMENT.— To HAVK UNDER AD- visEMr.NT, i.e., under considera- tion. Rarely heard in England, but common in the States. Chief Justice Waito, on being informed tliat the matter wanted time to look up ci'rt.4iii records and precedents, said tlie matter would be taken under aovisemknt. —.MisscKii Kv[tiiliciin, Feb. n, 1.S88. Judge Miles lieach has under advist- MiiNT a demurrer in a most remarkable casc.—l'hilnclelpliia Evening Bulletin, Feb. 23, i883. Afeared. — Obsolete among people of education in England, its place having been taken by the modern form "afraid." It is still current in the Southern States. A.S. fen nni, and Old English " to fear," used transitively for " to frighten " or " terrify " — hence afeaukd, fright- ened. Though with his breath the hinges of the world Did crack, we should stand upright and L'NFKAKKD. — Shakespeare, ' What wu;; you lookin' over the cliff, fer ? ' 'Zeke Tucker. He's workin' fer me, an' he's been gone all the moriiin' arter my clayb.ink boss. I'm afeaku sumpin's hap- pened.'— 6'i;i6)k-r's Mdgaxine, 18S8. Affection, To. — To have a liking for. A very old form, and nearly, if not quite obsolete in England. Missus didn't afff.ction Yankees much ; and Cumiucks she hated like poison, 'cause they enticed off negroes. — 6\i;» Slick's Human iXatiire. Affinity.— A cant term in frequent use amongst the so-called frek- LovERs (q.v.). One's affinity is sup- posed to be a person of the opposite sex, for whom an attachment so strong is felt that even if already married, as more often than not is the case, the husband will abandon his legitimate wife, and vice versd, in favour of the new attraction, or affinity as he or she is called, 'i'he argument is generally only an excuse for unbridled sexual license; indeed, it is inconceivable that it could be ot*ierwise, except in a society of seraphs and arch- angels. Afore. — Modernised to "before." Afore is still current in tlie New England States, but is now obsolete in England as far as literature (ex- cepting the Bible and Prayer Book) and cultivated speech are con- cerned. So also AFOREHAND. Africanize, To.— Introduced by Southern political writers, in the sense of "placing under negro control." Since the extension of the franchise to the blacks, the colored vote in some of the Southern States completely dominates the white poll, and the term has con- sequently obtained a very wide and melancholy currency. Afri- canization, the act of placing under negro domination, is of similar origin. Afterclap.— (r) Current in Pennsyl- vania and the Western States to signify an attempt to unjustly ex- tort more in a bargain or agreement than has been agreed upon. His blamed afterci,ai's raised my rile, and made me rip. I was na' goin' to stan that rush anyhow, as I had agreed afore to pay fifty dollars for the Xta.v(; any other close calls wiih Kii.vlics ? ' wo asked. ' Von bet, stranLvr. One morning; I hoard an Ai.i.-iiKi'.n srroaniing and ycIliiiR down below my luit in a deep hollow, and so conchulcd I had canpht soniethinKin one of my traps. Slij'pir.t; along cautiously to sec what was np, I discovei( d that a bear cub had acciilently got into one of my traps and was making a terrible fuss to get loose again.' — Cincinnati Knqiiinr, i8SS. Alligator. — The American crocodile. From the Spanish ii7/i.'/:a;/o, v.liich by a series of corruptions has been Anglicised in its present form. The term alligaior is applied to all the saurians found in the New World, some only of which are true members of that genr.s. Now a dictionary v/ord. See Murray's New English Didioiutiy for ex- haustive etymology. Alliga- TUK Gar. — A large pike-like fish found in fresh wi..'crs. Adapted by nature for purposes of oilence and defence, being capable of living out of the water as well as in it. Sir Charles Lyall describes him as "a happy fellow who beats all creation ; he can hurt everything and nothing can hurt him." Its distinctive name is derived from a resemblance to the alligator. Alligator Pear or Apple (Laiirus persea f;ratissiiita).—A Negro corrup- tion of AvocAPO Pear (q.v.). An edible pear-shaped product of the tropics, very much esteemed on account of its dclicately-llavored buttery or mnrrow-like pulp, which, when perfectly ripe, is of the con- sistency of butter. The taste for this fruit is, generally speaking, an acquired one. It is usually eaten as dessert, with pepper and salt. Also called the Suiialtern's or the IMidship.man's butter. Alligator Tortoise (Chelydra ser- pentina). — A marsh tortoise found in Carolinian and other Southern waters. Another popular name for it is The S.\APriNG Turtle. Alligator Wood (Guarca sivartzii). — A West Indian Tree. Allottee. — One who receives an allot- ment. This class of words during late years has become increasing- ly numerous, the form of termin- ation being American in origin. Many of the words have now gained a permanent place in the language, e.g., legatee, referee, allottee, payee. Allot Upon, To. — To decide upon ; to have an intention. A New Eng- land colloquialism. Senator W. seems to have allotted upon a course that is hardly to be conmiended. — Banner of Lii;!tt (Boston). Allow, To. — (i) To assert, declare, or make a statement. So used in the ri! m A II sorts of 13 A Imighty Southern nnd Middle States, but rarely elsewhere. The expression seems to carry v.ith it a force hardly altriliutable to "said," its nearest equivalent. It is obviously a corruption of that meaning of to a!!(>u', which is synonymous with ' to admit," " to acknowledge." NTothcr irti/v Inter-Oican, March i.i, im. Arch of Zerubbabel, RoYAL(Masonic). — The seventh degree of the Ameri- can rite. Arctics. — Warm fur-lined foot gear, suitable for a rigorous climate. As in tobogganin}», the (ice) yachtsman's costume is appropriate to the sport. He wears a leather coat, or several cardigan jackets under a heavy pea jacket, or seal- skin ; his trousers are cither tied around the ankles or tucked into the legs of woollen hose ; he wears linen drawers over woollen ones; arctics are on his feet, and a fur cap is drawn down over his ears. When snow flies he wears wire goggles over his eyes and a wire covering over his mouth. Even with all these precautions he occasionally gets frost-bites, often forgetting his extremi- ties in the excitement of the sport. — Mon- treal Gazette, 1888. ard (Cant). — Hot; a corrupted form of ardent. Argufy, To. — A corruption of " to argue," i.e., " to debate," " to dis- cuss." It is regularly conjugated, and its participles argufied and ARGUFYING are also common. Arid Bflt. — A. tract of country which str .ches from British America on the north, to Mexico on the south, through the middle of the United States. Save in the moun- tain districts stock raising is almost the sole industry. Aristocratic. — As might have been expected in a country whose insti- tutions are Republican, aristocratic is used in a sense different from that in vogue in monarchical coun- tries. In the United States it merely refers to those who live in better style than their neighbours ; also to things of a superior quality, and does not carry with it any idea of hereditary rank or qualifi- cations. For example, a steamboat is sometimes said, when compared with other vessels, to be aristocratic Ark because of its superiority in build, fittings, etc. Ark. — A flat boat now largely super- seded by steamers, used for the transportation of merchandize. Whole families live on board these craft. President Lincoln began life as a flatboatman, and those who follow this calling are, though rough in mien, as a rule, sturdy, sterling, good-natured folk enough. Roughly built of logs, about 15 ft. wide and 50 to 100 ft. long, a slight improvement on the raft, they are sold as lumber on arrival at their destination, after discharging the miscellaneous cargo which forms their freight. Ark and Dove (Masonic). — An American illustrative degree, pre- paratory to the Royal Arch degrco, and, when conferred at all, given immediately before the ''eremony of exaltation. The name of Noachite sometimes bestowed upon it is, however, incorrect, as this belongs to the 21st degree of the Ancient and Accepted Rite, and the 35th of the Rite of Misraira. It is very probable that it was derived from an older rite, called the Royal Ark Mariner. Arkansas Toothpick. — A grimly face- tious name for a folding bowie knife of large dimensions. All these (men) irrespective of age, size, or conditio!! in life, could be seen with a Navy six-yhooter and an Arkansas tooth- pick suspended to a raw hide-belt tucked around their waists. Supplement the above equipment with a sore-backed mustang Eony, an old army saddle-tree and rope ridle and you have an exact picture and entire possession of the tiftceuth constitu- tional amendment. — A. II. Grcenleafs Ten Years in Texas, 1881, p. 27. It is not good form to use a toothpick in Arkansas now. A big revolver is the thing in the bust \iodcty,— Detroit Free Press, Aug. 1868. 22 A rrow Arm-Shop.— A gun-smith's. ' I want to know whero I can find an ARM-SHOP,' replied McCracken, mildly.— Mark Twain's Screamers. Around. — The misuse of around for " near by " or " about " is some- times very glaring, even amongst fairly educated persons in England, but it would be difhcult to find such an outrageous error as the following : — Presuming he was born around three o'clock in the afternoon, he is under Leo and the Sun. — New York Mercury', 188S. There was great excitement among the people who Imng around the hall in wliich the committee was in session, and tlie Mis- sourians were as thick as blackberries on a bush.— .UissoH;i Kipnblican, February 24, 1888. ARPtNT (Fr.) OR Arpens. — For acri:, is in use among the descendants of the old French settlers in Louisiana. Arrastra (Spanish) from armstre, a mining term. The drag-stone mill for pulverizing or amalga- mating ore. Arriero (Spanish), pack of mules. West generally. -The driver of a Texas and the Arrow. — The flower of the sugar- cane, previous to the appearance of which the sugar cane does not arrive at the maturity indispen- sable for grinding purposes. Planters never cut their canes until the arrow is well out. ARROWHiiAD {Sagittaria variabilis). — A well-known handsome aquatic plant with white flowers. The name is derived from the shape of the leaves ; it bears the same popular appellation in some parts of England. Arrow -root (Zaniia iiih'gri/olia).—A. native of the West indies, and the arrow- A rroyo 83 Asscutatiotts root of commerce. The tree is largely cultivated in Florida. The tubers also contain a deadly virus, formerly much used by Indian tribes for poisoning arrow heads. Arrow-wood (Vibiiniiim dcn- iatum, puhcscais, etc.). — A shrubby tree peculiar to the American continent, the long straight stems of which supplied the Indians with their arrows. Arroyo (Spanish). — In general use in New Mexico and California as the name for deep, rocky ravines or dry water-courses. Coulee, the French equivalent, has the same currency, and is met with quite as frequently in some States. ARTICHOKE (Cant). — An aged pros- titute of the lowest type. Articles (Cant). — A suit of clothes. AscoTCH. — A New York boy's term for gunpowder slightly damped and then worked up into pyramidal shape— the equivalent of the " fiz- gig" of English youth. As Good as. — Bartlett speaks of this as an illiteracy often heard in New York in place of the colloquial " as well," e.g., " I'das good'sgo to New York " instead of " I might as well go to New York." Ash-Cake. — A Southern name for an ash-baked corn cake. Ash-Cart. — A scavenger's cart. Ash-hopper. — A lye cask used in outlying country districts by people who make their own soap. Ash LANDERS. — A political club of row- dies identified with Ashland Square, in Baltimore, which city has been exceptionally prolific in names of this character, as H.VBES, PLUG-UGLIES, UEAD-RAIi- itiTs, BLooi)-Ti;]{s, etc. As I Can. — A rural New England phrase, generally tacked on to the end of a promise or assertion as a kind of prudent reservation ; it is akin to the Spanish Qiiieii sabe. Asininity. — A noun coined from the adjective "asinine"; a piece of egregious stupidity. As Long As. — A grammatical perver- sion for " because," " since." " That house is a desirable resi- dence as long as it is well situated." Assay (Cant). — Commence; try it. Obviously from the verb "to assay," and probably introduced by counter- feit coiners. Assemble To. — Assemble is still used in the sense — obsolete in England — of joining one thing to or with another. Tlie stoel forginRs have been made and turned over to our ordnance ofiicers to AK.sKMHi.i-: into mms, wiili yreat profit to the Pennsylvania contractors. — Thi: Sun, March 21, lSS8. Assemblymen. — Members of the House of Representatives in New York, and in some of the New England States. Albany, Jan 31. — Some assembi.vmen, especially Mr. Shea of New Yo- k and cer- tain of his colleagues, soeni to be in mortal dread of sudden death in the discharj^e of their dnties. — Troy Daily Times, January 31, 1888. AssENTATious. — A factitious word meaning "ready"; — willing to acquiesce in all that is said and done. >■'■ *l liiir -ii^- ■ • i-i¥ A ssign 24 (t A " Tent ' iii ll! ASSIGN. — To sign. A corruption fre- quently heard in the Southern States, even among educated people. Used in the sense of " to sign" a document, cheque, or letter. Assistant. — Court of Assistants. — A judicial tribunal formerly in exist- ence in New England. In 1848 these courts were merged in the County Courts. They were pre- sided over by a Magistrate or Assistant who ranked next to the Chief Magistrate, and who was ex officio a member of the Governor's Council. Associated Press. — A New York Agency somewhat similar to the Central News in London. It is com- posed of a number of newspapers \\ ho liavc combined for the purpose of collecting telegraphic and other intelligence. Astern of the lighter. — Failure; defeat. A phrase of nautical origin. At. — A very noticeable divergence is apparent in Transatlantic usage as regards this word. It is in effect a preposition-of-all-work, and is employed (i) instead of on or in as in lit hill or at wood. In this case there is ancient sanction for the form. One of the oldest streets in the City of London is named St. Mary-at-Hill, i.e., St. Mary on the Hill ; and proper names like Attwood are also similarly derived. (2) Also used for by as in "I bought that line of goods a^ auction" (3) for ABOUT or after (action). In the South it rounds off almost every phrase in the vernacular of all classes except the most highly educated. At that. — An intensitive phrase tacked on to the end of an assertion or some statement already made. " He's a slick 'cute rascal, and a pretty demon at that," i.e., he is a rascal of rascals, an adept at villainy. It is a purely cant phrase, and has achieved a degree of popu- larity quite out of proportion to its merits — if any. Procter sug- gests that the expression is an abbreviation of " added to that." A miner from Wadesvillc, was spoken of as an ancient MoUie — Cooney being actually what the detective assunie/ York Herald, July 22, 1888. Atajo (Spanish). — This, with a num- ber of other words of Mexico- Spanish origin, is current in the States bordering on the old Spanish Dominions. Atajo signifies a drove of pack-mules. Atamasco Lily (Amaryllis or Zephyr- aiithes atamasco). — A common wild lily with narrow grass-like leaves and profuse pink ilowers, similar to a crocus. It flourishes in and is a native of Virginia and South Caro- lina, and in the cottage gardens of those States it is known by the name of the fairy lily. There are several varieties of this plant which is the only representative in America of the natural order A maryllidacece. "a" Tent. — The simplest form of tent made. Also called wedge tent (^.i^.). Similar in shape to the tcnte d'abri as used in the French Ater 25 A unarugians army. Its name accurately dis- tinguishes it from the bell or wall tent. Tlireo wall tents in a line indicated wlieie the officers and the visitors slept, and twice as many "A," or "wed:,'e," or common tents, twenty or thirty yards away, showed where the men were sheltered. — Century Miisazinc, 1888. ATEH, ARTER.— After. A New Eng- land vulgarism, not at all uncom- mon. The pure Yankee curiously misplaces his "r's" and even omits them where they ought to be heard. With him this letter is subjected to as many indignities as the letter " h " is among uneducated people in England. Athens of America or Athens of thk New Wokld. — Boston. Also called The Hub, the Classic City, etc. Boston, perhaps more than any other city in the Union, has been the subject of a variety of nicknames. Undoubtedly the centre of modern culture in America, the name Classic City has been awarded her in envious derision, although some sarcastically affirm that the cog- nomen is self - given, and with John Randolph assert that it is "an Athens without Athenians." Others have styled it the City of Notions, a reference alike to the commercial and mental aptitude of its citizens. Oliver Wendell Holmes, himself one of the most gifted of her sons, dubbed the city The Hub of the Universe, and this has become by far the most popular of her nicknames. His- torically the oldest appellation is that which still survives in the famous Tremont Street and Tre- mont House, Boston having for- merly been styled the Tri-moun- TAiN City, from the fact of its being built upon three hills. Atlantic States. — The States imme- di.Uely conti;;uous to the .Mlantic. Atole (Spanish). — Gruel made from corn-meal ; common in those dis- tricts once under Spanish rule. Atomy (Cant). — An empty-headed person ; in English cant a deformed or diminutive individual. A-TREMBLE. — The old Anglo-Saxon prefix A , meaning at, to, in, on, is more generally retained in the States than in the Mother Country. The meaning of the word is not a.Tected. Attackted. — Merely a colloquial vul- garism for "attacked," but very common amongst the illiterate. Attitudinize, To. — This is given in Worcester as an ordinary dictionary word, but by no other authority. An American creation, meaning to assume a posture, and, metaphori- cally, a mental state, the idea of grotesqueness also being under- stood. Attleborough. — Sham jewelry ; used in precisely the same manner as " Brummagem," and as widely aj^ plied to men and things. It has now pas.sed from the classics of thit;fdom into general use, and is applied to anything of a sham, pinchbeck, insincere, or doubtful character. Attleborough is a town celebrated for its manufacture of sham jewelry. Auger. — A person given to prosiness is so called ; a bore. Aunarugians. — A local body of stu- dents at Centre College, Kentucky, was known by this name. A wild and boisterous band, who indulged A tint 26 A wful in the roughest horseplay, emula- ting the CAi.LiTHUMPiANs and CHARiVAi'.i [q.v.) of other localities. Aunt. — A familiar name often given in the States and West Indies to negresses advancing in age. Aunty Extension.— The war origi- nated a great many new phrases in the imaginative South — far more if they were all recorded than in the North. "Cousin Sal" is pretty generally lamented throughout the South as the deceased and only daughter of our very worthy and revered Uncle Sam — the same having been begotten by him in the bonds of lawful wedlock with Aunty Extension. Au Reservoir. — An revoir. A mere play upon sounds. Common, and now often heard in England. Authoress. — Though first coined in America, this has now become a genuine language word ; not, how- ever, without a struggle. The objections and prejudice to simi- lar words, such as poetess and brokeress, are still very numerous and strong. Avail, To. — To use this verb actively as now is frequently done instead of reflectively, borders upon jargon ; thus, people speak of availing of an offer or opportunity. Avails. — A New Englandism includ- ing the proceeds of a sale, the rents received for property, or the profits of a speculation. Literally, that which is available for use after all expenses are defrayed. James Russell Lowell in one of his prefaces to the Biglow Papers, affirms that the word is intimately related with the vails given to servants. Avalanche. — A corruption of " ambu- lance," much used in Texas and the outlying territories. It is said to have cau.sed no small merriment in the Confederate camp, when Prince Polignac was sent to hold an obscure command in the South- west, and once showed very great excitement upon being informed by a sergeant that the "avalanche was just coming down the hill as fast as fury." Avocado Pear (Launis persea gratis- siina). — A buttryceous pear-shaped fruit, the pulp of which is much esteemed. Vulgarly termed the ALLIGATOR PEAR (q.V.). Avoirdupois. — Solid Avoirdupois. — Thus, " She sat close by Mrs. Des- brough, a woman of solid avoir- dupois," i.e., of gross fleshly tissue ; stout ; inclined to embonpoint. Awful. — A hard-worked adjective which, in addition to its ordinary signification, is almost universally weighted with such meanings as — — (i) Very, and (2) Ugly, un- pleasant, and distasteful. Though inexcusable to ears polite, its use in this sense is very old, and was in past times a colloquialism often heard north of the Tweed. If people could now and then be placed where (themselves unseen) they were obliged to listen to a half-hour's conversation about nothing at all, and hear these poor adjectives forced into a conspicuous position in every sentence and on every topic of conversation — their real meaning and legitimate use being entirely disregarded — it might result in their own reforma- tion, and they might feel, like the poet at Delmonico's, who listened to the conversation of a charming little lady and her dapper little Awful 27 Axe beau, where every other word was awful. " I confess it sorely puzzled me to think what they could say, If something really awful were to happen in their way ; For I'm sure with simple English they could never be content. But their thoughts in foreign ex- pletives would have to find a vent. " While musing in this fashion (feel- ing rather cross and old), I forgot about my dinner, which was getting awful cold ; And the adjective kept dropping from the lips of either child. Till with awful, auful, awful, 1 was driven fairly wild." Ax, To. — To ask or make a request. This form of the verb has descended unmutilated from Anglo-Saxon times, and is still a provincialism in some parts of England. Axe. — An axe to grind. — A much- used phrase of political origin. Men are said to have axes to grind when suspected of selfish or in- terested motives. From politics the expression has passed into use among all classes of society. The Chicago Daily Inter-Ocean (Feb. 1888) spoke of certain politicians as " men with axes to grind." What we believe is right is more often so because it grinds our axe than otherwise. sll 4 iW'h I ^ i. ■ i &^J5 r^^^-^r. t JJ^^yA, ABE. — (i) A term of little wit or point applied to the young- est member of a class at the West Point (United Slates) Mili- tary College. In the English Parliament, the same name is given to the last elected member of the House, just as the oldest member is called the "father" of the House. (2) — //. A Baltimore term for a noisy set of rowdies. Bach, To. — To live as a bachelor. 'Lonesome? Well, not pariicularly.' llu hail always b.\ciiki) it. Next wiiitci Lis iiLpliew was coiniii;^ to livu with liini. — Century Magazine, i888, Back, To. — From the Western use of this verb in the sense of "to direct," when relating to documents and letters, is derived the fre- quently-heard commercial phrase of to buck, in the sense of "to endorse," literally, to write on the back of a letter, bill, or cheque. To go BACK or A13ACK is a term peculiar to Demerara. The manager of an estate or sugar plantation usually goes aback once every day. This does not e,\actly mean that he gets astride a horse or mule, although that, as a matter of fact, is ordinarily his means of locomotion. It refers to a daily inspection of the cane- pieces or fields and other appur- tenances which almost invariably lie to the rear of his residence, the houses in British Guiana being alw.tys built as near as possible to the coast in order to obtain the full benefit of the sea breezes. To HACK DOWN. — To beat a retreat ; to yield. Authorities differ as to whether the phrase originated in the stable or was taken from steam-boat phraseology. Those holding the latter view maintain that it is simply the antithesis of "going a-head." Be that as it may, how- ever, this suggestive expression is of Western origin. A similar meaning is given to the word when used as a noun. A square back DOWN is, therefore, a severe rebuff, or, it may be, utter collapse. Thus, in reference to a large strike of railway men it is said that — To-day's devulopnicnts are looked upon as a sQUAKK HACK DOWN for the men. Chair- man John L. Lee hurried home from Wash- ington, while John H. Davis and Huyh McGarvey, strike leaders, started on a Western trip. To-day 400 loaded coal cars left the regions, a larger nuniher than any other day since the strike. — Clevelami Leader, 1888. To nACK OUT is to abandon one's position, or to retreat from a difficulty. Sometimes to back DOWN (q.v.). The expression is also varied with to take the back track, or to back water. Mr. Barker's back-out has not much surprised me, though I doubt not that some of tlie readers of the Weekly Herald will be much surprised indeed. — Boston Weekly Globe, March 28, 1888, BACK. — Don't get your back up ! — There is, of course, little that is distinctively American in the idea Bach and Forth 29 Bach Salary Grab of putting? one's hack up whrn inclined to be angry ; but as a street catch phrase, at one time very popular, it claims a place. To UKKAK one's HACK. — To be crushed ; defeated ; to become bankrupt. A Californianism which has spread over the whole Union and the Mother Country. Back ! —A cowboy's equivalent for " gee !" — See Calls of animals. Back and forward, survival. Forth. — Backward and A New England Puritan Back and Hidden. — That which is secret, or kept back. A common colloquialism. Mr. Clark had heard a groat deal about SDinothiiif,' UACK and hiddkn. He didn't Kive a fiddler's malediction for Jay Gould or any other man. — Missouri Republi- can, Feb. 22, i8b8. Backbone. — To have back-bone is to possess weight of character, to be steady of purpose, and firm in carrying one's ideas into effect. The metaphor is now common wherever the English language is spoken, but in the first instr.nce it is believed to have been intro- duced by the Abolitionists in the stormy days jusi "before the War." Back Cap. — To give a back-cap is thieves' argot, meaning to expose one's past life. A pretended con- verted thief is made to say : — i told him all about my being in prison and about you, and how i had almost done giving up looking for work and how the Lord got me the job when i asked him , . ; . . and then i felt better than ever i had done in my life, for i had given Mr. Brown a fair start with me and now i didn't fear no one giving me a dack-cap and running me off the ]ob. — Mark Twain's Li/c on the Mississippi, p. 4G2. Back Country. — Thinly populated districts are so calledf. The ever advancing tide of emigration from east to west, has naturally caused this term to partake of a nomadic character as far as locality is con- cerned. The sparsely peopled bac/i country of one decade, with its primitive, simple folk and cheap living, becomes the teeming centre of a busy, thriving population in the next. In a few years there will be no back country left between the two great oceans, so rapidly is all the available land being taken up and settled in the great Republic of the West. .San Die;;o has a hack countrv, a fine, productive nACK countkv, l>ing among rocks, on steep hillsicJcs and in level valleys.— I>i7)0(< Free I'rfss, May, ib88. Back-End. — Lately ; towards the end. A quaint manner of speech. Hanover (a horse) did not do very well the nACK-KNn, and was twice beaten by Laggard. Therefore the latter ought to be re(iuired to carry at least seven pounds more.— Chicago Inler-Occan, i8b8. Back House. — A privy. Backing and Filling. — A hack in f: and filling policy is one that is trifling and irresolute. Thus the shilly-shally and backing and filling policy of the third George led to the War of Independence and the subsequent separation of the Ameri- can colonies from the Mother Country. Back- Log. — A large piece of wood forming the back-stay of a log fire. These are only seen in districts where wood is plentiful and larg' ' •' used as fuel. Back Salary Grab. — During the 42nd Congress, 1871-73, a bill was passed to increase the salaries of the Executive, and of Senators and Representatives. The popularly m Back Seat 30 Backwoods obnoxious feature of this Act was, that it gave back-pay for the entire Session, to the very men who had the measure under consideration, and eventually voted upon it. Such a howl of indignation went up from the whole country, that the Act was repealed, save in the executive clauses, and many of the offending members paid back into the treasury the money which they had drawn. Back Seat.— To take a ijack skat is, figuratively, to retire into ob- scurity ; it also sometimes implies a silent ccmfession of failure ; an inability to accomplish what one has attempted. The colloquialism has gained a world-wide currency ; it received an immense send off, as the Americans say, from Andrew Johnson's famous " hack seat in Reconstruction." Who will say the Britishers are not a forbearint; and forgiving race, and the in- habitants of Stratford-on-Avon don't by any means take a dack seat in that line ? Igna- tius Donnelly actually visited the birthplace of Shakespeare, and wasn't lynched I Far from it, he was ho.spitably received and en- tertained. — Texas Siftings, 1888. We of Jeff City are noted for never knowing anything, or, at any rate, for not saying anything after we have secured what we consider our full share of political favors. Since Clay Ewing stepped out of the race for the supreme bench, Jefferson City has taken a back SB^T.— Speech 0/ ^. W.Heier- lev, of yeffcisoH Cify, in Missouri Republican, April 1, 1888. BACK Talk. — No back talk !— A slang catch phrase indicating that the matter in question is closed to discussion ; there's nothing more to be said. Back Teeth. — To h/vve one's back TEETH WELL AFLOAT. — A faCC- tiously brutal way of implying that the subject of such a remark is well primed with liquor — even to the verge of drunkenness. When sober on the bench Judge Noonan is a model of all the virtuts. On l"riil.iy night, however, in company with Dr. Mim- ford,of Kansas City, ex-Speaker Wood, Mr. Charles Mead and several other gentlemen, his honor once more drank until, as an on- looker put it, his nACK teeth were well AFLOAT. — Missouri Republican, Jan. as, 1888. BACKWARD. — Bashful, retiring, or dif- fident. The antithesis of what, in Knglaiul, is called " forward," when applied to children. Backwoods. — The unsettled, un- cleared portion of a country. The Inickiroods of the United States are rapidly disappearing, even if, prac- tically, they have not already done so. Formerly, the whole country back of the Atlantic littoral was in- cluded in the term ; now, however, the limit of civilization is no longer bounded by the sea-board States, and, in one sense of the word, at least, the term is now a misnomer. Used, however, as synonymous with a backward state of civiliza- tion, sparse population, and indiffe- rent means of transit, it still applies to a certain portion of the country. This will not long be the case, for nothing has been more remarkable than the rapidity with which , during the past twenty years, State after State and Territory after Territory have entered and become part of the all-absorbing Union. More especially has this been the case since the Grand Pacific formed a connecting link between the At- lantic and Pacific sea-boards. Many American writers have dealt with the life of the old backwoods' days, but no pictures of backwoodsmen are more graphically drawn than those of Mark Twain and Bret Harte. Backwoods preacher. — One whose clerical functions were exercised in the wild, unsettled portions of the country or back- woods. His temple was more often than '.lot " one not .tiadc with Bacon 31 Bad Lands hands," — a church whose roof was the bhie vault of Heaven — its altar a tree stump, and its aisles the forest groves. Bacon. — To To effect danger. SAVF. ONE S DACON. — one's escape from Bad. — Procter with some show of reason draws attention to the very marked divergence which exists in one respect between English and American usage as regards the word "good" in the sense of well and happy. He is, however, utterly wrong in putting kul for ill or badly in the same category. He says " I feel bad is not, in America, an admission of moral depravity, but means simply I don't feel well." In this sense bad is as common to England as to America. — Sec Goou. ■ A BAD CROWD GENr.KALLY is, in Western parlance, a set of people not thought much of — merely what in England would be regarded as "no great shakes." Bad man. — A bud man, in the West, is a somewhat mixed character. The term is generally understood to mean a professional fighter or man-killer, but who, despite this drawback, is said by Roosevelt in Ranch ^ife in the Far West, to be sometimes, according to his light, perfectly honest. These are the men who do most of the killing in frontier communities ; yet it is a noteworthy fact that the men who are killed generally deserve their fate. These men are, of course, used to brawling, and are not only sure shots, but, what is equally important, able to "draw" their weapons with marvellous quick- ness. They think nothing whatever of murder, and are the dread and terror of their associates ; yet they are very chary of taking the life of a man of good stand 'ng, and will often " weaken" and "backdown" at once if confronted fearlessly. With many of them, their courage arises from confidence in their own powers and knowledge of the fear in which they are held ; and men of this type often sbjw the white feather when they get into a " tight p'aco." Others, however, will face aiy odds without flinching, and when mortally wounded, have been known to fight with a cool, fero- cious despair that was terrible. During the last two or three years, stockmen have united to put down these dangerous characters, I ften by the most summary exer- cise of lynch law; and, as a con- sequence, many localities once infested by had men are now per- fectly law-abiding. Bad Egg. — A Californianism worthless speculation. for a Badger. — In the cant language of the American criminal classes a badger or panel thief is one who robs a man after a woman accom- plice has enticed the victim into her den. In old English cant badgers were river thieves, and in modern English slang to badger is to tease ; to annoy ; in which sense it is also concurrently used in the States. Badger State. — A popular name for the State of Wisconsin, and so called because of the badgers which once abounded there. Bad Lands. — The Mauvaises Terres of the early French settlers in the districts west of the Missouri, and applied by them generically to the jagged, sterile, alkali hills which abound in that part of the country. The phrase is now applicable to any stretch of specially rough land. The French name still U I;' t ;| lA 1 I I I ^1 Baf^asse 32 Bail answers in the corruption " Movey Star" of some localities. Bagasse, or, as in the West Indies, MEGAssE ; both of French deriva- tion. The refuse of the sugar cane, which, after passing through the mill and the expression of the juice, goes to the furnace for use as fuel. Formerly, the bagasse was either burned in a furnace to get rid of it, or thrown out on the LEVKEs (q.v.) to help fight off the river from eating away the bank. Now every economically managed mill burns it to make steam, by the aid of the draught of an enormous chimney. The best method is to burn it on grates under which air is forced by a l)lower. When tlicy have finished grinding the c:ine, th;y form tlie refuse of the stalks (which they ca'l is.^gas.sk) into great piles and set liie to th;;ni, though in other suf^ar countries the ija iassk is used for fuel in the furnacis of the suyar mills. Now the piles of datn;) liA -.asse burn slowly, and smoke like Satan's own kitchen. — Mark Tioain's Lijc on the Mississippi, Baggage. — A railway term equivalent to the English ' ' luggage. ' ' The van in which impedimenta of this kind is carried is called a a\GGAGE-CAR in place of, as in England, a luggage, goods, or guards van. The attend- ant in charge is called the baggage- master, and by a most perfect sys- tem of bagg.\ge-checks issued at thecommencement of a journey, the traveller is relieved of all further anxiety or trouble concerning his belongings, whether the journey lasts six hours or six days. On arrival at his destination he may either claim his baggage forthwith, or, giving instructions to the agent, the company will deliver it at his hotel or residence, the counterfoil of the checl' being given up on delivery. Until this is done the company assume all responsibility. In this way the \mericans manage very largely to '.Tiitigate the incon- veniences and annoyances of travel, and the r^ystem adopted, thoucrh simple, is thoroughly effective. An approach to it has been recently introduced 01 the London Brighton and South Coast Railway, the main difference being that the checks are of paper instead of brass labels with straps to attach them to the trunks and other packages — a plan which, in the rough handling of trans -con- tinental travel in America, is preferable to pasted labels. The porter employed to handle and tr.'insfer passengers' baggage is facetiously and commonly called a baggage-smasher, and it must be confessed that in many cases he fully justifies his right to the title by the reckless and careless manner in which he performs his duties. From this special application of the term it has generally passed into everyday speech as signifying a coarse and brutal person. Bagged (Cant). — A term used to signify imprisonment and victimi- zation — probably only an extension of the idea of capture as derived from sport, through the slang " to bag," i.e., to steal. Bagging. — Specially applied in the States to the coarse hempen canvas of which cotton packages are made. This material is chiefly manu- factured in Kentucky. Bag OF Nails (Cant). — A state confusion or topsy-turveydom. of Bail. — A pail or bucket handle. This is given in Fuihv's Glossary as a Norfolk provinciali m, and its present use in New England must, therefore, be considered as a survival of the old Puritan days. Baile 33 Bald-faced Shirt BAiLc. — A Spanish term (corrupted into "bailee" among cow-boys) for a ball or dance, but it means also sheriff bailiff, which is significant. The connection between balls and bailiffs in New Mexico is, unfortu- nately, more intimate and frequent than would be thought desirable in Boston or New York. Bait. — In New England a bait is the means by which a leverage is obtained ; a fulcrum. Baiting. — Amongst haymakers this is the name given to a snack taken in the fields between breakfast and dinner. Bake-oven. — This form for oven is of Dutch origin, and is mostly used out West. Bakeh (Cant). — A loafer. Bakes (Cant). — A schoolboy. Bake-shop. — A baker's shop. An example occurs in the foreign intelligence of a Maine paper. A large number of uiivmiployed working men engaged in a riot in Rome, Thursday. Bakk-shoi's were broken into and pillaged, and the police, who attempted to arrest the rioters, were driven away with stones. Finally the mob was dispersed by troops, and many of the rioters were arrested. — Portland Transcript, March 7, 1888. Balance. — In the sense of rest, re- mainder, or residue, balance, says R. G. White, is an abomination. The balance is the difference be- tween two sides of an account — the amount of which is necessary to make the one equal to the other. It is not the rest or the remainder, yet we continually hear of the balance of this or that thing. This vulgarism is also very common in England. In the trial of Dave Walker, the Bald Knobber chief, at Ozork, Mo., the State closed its testimony to-day, after introducinij witnesses to re-affinn that Walker said, ' If I can get some one to take my son out of the country I will take some of the men and go back and kill the balance and burn the house. Dead men tell no tales.' — Daily Intcr-Occan, April 12, 18S8 I recognize the sum of 30,000 dollars to belong to me individually, that amount having been received from the estate of my father and by donation from my mother. All the BALANCE, movable and immovable, real and personal, rights and credits, be- longs to the community existing between nivself and wife. — Ct, Louis Times Demo- crat, Feb. 21, 1888. Bald-Eagle. — De Vera says, " The oft - quoted bald - eagle (Haliactns kiicacephaUis) or b.\ldheaded eagle and WHiTEHEADED EAGLE are only spurious book-names, and perhaps on this account the poor bird has so readily been adopted as the emblem of the United States. He does not seem to have always kept good company, for Richard Frame spoke already in 1692 of ' The turkey-buzzard and the bald-eagle high, wild ducks, which in great company es do iiy ' ; and Benjamin Franklin wrote almost plaintively, ' For my part, I wish the bald-eagle had not been chosen as the repre- sentative of our country.' " Baldface. — A villainous compound which only by courtesy can be recognised as whiskey. Many other slang names are given to bad and common spirit of this kind ; e.g., "red eye," " pine top," "lightning whiskey," or as the latter is more jocosely named "forty rod lightning," it being guaranteed to kill at forty rods. Bald-faced Shirt. — The name by which a Western cowboy knows a white shirt. It is thought to come from the fact of Hereford cattle having white faces. 5 W< M - p- ■ m\ Baldhcaded 34 Ballot-box Stuffing Baldheaded. — Togo itbaldheaded. — With eager impetuosity or great haste ; doing a thing with all one's might and main. A suggestion of action without stopping to cover one's head, i.e., on the spur of the moment. It ain't by princerples nor men My prciidunt course is steadied, — I scent wich pays the best, an' then Go into it B.\LniiKAnF,i). —The inflow Papers, The Chicago Republicans, to use an Americanism, liave gone baldheaded for protection. If shoutint; co\ild win a Presi- ilential contest, Hlaine and Protection would be certain.— /^i(// Stall Gti-itte, June 22, 18S8. -A somewhat different meaning is conveyed by snatched bald- headed, used of a person defeated in a street fight. Bald-headed Row. — The first row of stalls at theatr-^s, especially those which make a feature of ballets. The term is a cynical allusion to the fact that these seats are generally occupied by men of mature age ; the inuendo is obvious. balditude. — A state of baldness. Trouble has done it, Bilgewater, trouble has done it; tro' )le has brung these gray hairs and this .iremature balditude. — The Atheiitiins of Huckhbcriy Finn, p. 187. Bald-Knobbers. — A lawless band of ruffians infesting Christian County, Missouri. They seem to hold regular meetings and to be well organized, for in a trial of one of their number for murder it was given in evidence that the ceremony of initiation comprised the admin- istration of various oaths. A rope round the neck and a pistol to the breast of the candidate added weight to the rubric of the order. The initiate is informed that there are but two ways out of the order ; one at the end of a rope and the other at the muzzle of a shot- gun. Death is the penalty for revealing any of the secrets of the order. Baldv. — A colloquial vulgarism for a bald-headed man, Balk, To. — Sometimes baulk. In England to balk means to frustrate expectation ; to disappoint ; and has no reference to a jibbing horse or mule, the sense in which it is used in America. Spencer in his " Faerie Queen " (the legend of Sir Artegal, v.io.) uses to balk in a somewhat similar sense. Gentleman (to Uncle Rustus, who is t-oublcd with a iialky mule) — ' Uncle Rustus. do you think kicking that mule in the stomach will make him go ? ' Uncle Rustus — ' Da liaint muffin wot'U make dat mule go when he 'chide not to, sah. I'm only kickin' him fo' my own satisfaction. — The Jiiaiiierd (Min.) 'Tribune, itiSS. -Hence also the adjective balky with a similar meaning. Ball Face. — A contemptuous epithet applied by negroes to white persons. Salem, Mass., 1810-1820. Ballooning. — Inflating the price of stocks by fictitious means, such as newspaper articles, bogus sales, etc. A Wall Street phrase. Ballot-box Stuffing. — Originally practised in New York, where boxes were constructed with false bottoms so that an unlimited nun-.ber of spurious ballots could be introduced by the party having control of the polling place. By mutual consent of parties this is now almost impossible. As to the election having been stolen by BALLOT-BOX STUFi'iNG and bribery iu New York, the allegation shows silly ignorance of the conduct of elections in New York. IJALLOT-Box STUFFING is an almost obsolete Balls 35 Banibsquabbled form of knavery in New York under its elec- tion system, — Fottoria Democrat, March 8, 1888. Balls (Cant). — Prison rations; also a drink. Ball Up (College). — At Middlebury College. To fail at recitation or examination. — Hall's Collese Words and Customs. Ballyhack. — Go TO Ballyhack. — Bartlett quotes this as common in New England, but confesses his ignorance as to its meaning and origin. Of Irish birth it is equiva- lent to our own "Go to Bath" " Go to Hull " (corrupted into " Go to Hell ") — all of them peremptory injunctions for " Begone ! " Ballyrag, To. — To scold or accuse in scurrilous language. In use all over England. From A.S. bealn evil, and wregan to accuse. A milder signification is sometimes given, viz. "to banter in a contemp- tuous way." Balm of Gilcad {Popnlus caudicans) . — A well-known tree rarely met with wild, but largely cultivated in the Eastern States, more especially in New England. 'Ezra,' says I, 'if you git time, just run over to tlie edge o' my pasture and get me a handful o' balm o' gileau buds. Iwant to put 'em in a bilf a pint o' new ruin for Mis' Crosby, and , icre ain't a soul to send.' — Scribncr's Magazine, 1S87. Balsam Fir {Abies bulsamca). — This tree, which is of slender growth, delights in cold marshy spots. It produces the well-known Canada BALSAM, the resinous matter being obtained from blisters beneath the bark. Balsam Poplar (Popitlus bitlsamifct'u), — A common name derived from the fragrance exhaled by its unfold- ing leaves and expanding catkins. It is a native of New England and extends from Wisconsin north- wards. Its resinous buds do not, however, yield in sufficient quan- tities to render the product com- mercially valuable. BALTIMORE Oriole (Icterus baliimore). — Large numbers of these birds are found near the City of Baltimore, hence the name. The American species is deeper and richer in colour than the European, the pale yellow of the latter being replaced by a brilliant orange. A peculiar hanging nest has also given rise to its other popular name of the HANG-BIRD. Bam. — A jocular imposition ; the same as a humbug. Old Cant, compare with the following. Bamboo, To. — A corruption of " b,amboozle." To cheat; to victimize. According to Wright " to bam " with the same meaning is an English provincialism. Bamboo Briars otherwise bull BRIARS. — A farinaceous root which the Indians of the South-west use largely for food. In rich alluvial soil it attains a vigorous growth and in size and appearance is not un- like the BAMBOO, hence its name. Bambsquabbled. — This coined word, which is, however, rarely used except in humorous writings, first saw the light in The Legend of the American War. It signifies discomfiture and defeat, or stupe- faction ; sometimes written bum- squabbled. The judge said, ' He had got too much already, cut him ofif the other two- thirds, and make him pay all costs,' If he 11 Banana 35 Banjo didn't look DUMSQUADBLED it's A pity. — Sam Slick's Clockmakcr, Sermon ii., chap, xi. Banana (Musa sapientum). — A well- known tropical fruit, largely grown in the West Indies, where it and its kinsman, the plantain (Musa paradisiaca) are the chief staples of the food supply. The fruit is largely exported to the States. Band. — A prairie and Californiau term for large numbers of sheep, cattle, buffaloes, etc. Bandanna. — A special kind of red speckled handkerchief. The word hundanna comes from the Hindus- tani, and signifies a mode of dyeing in which hard knots are tied in the cloth before it is dipped. When these are opened the fabric has a speckled appearance, the dye hav- ing left the tied parts free from colour. Bang, Sister, bang with care; If your poker's too hot you'll lose your hair. —Detroit Free Press, 1888. BANGER (College). — A club-like cane or stick ; a bludgeon. This word is one of the Yale vocables. — Hall's College Words and Customs. The Freshman reluctantly turned the key. Expecting a Sophomore gang to see, Who, with faces masked ana bangi:rs stout, Had come resolved to smoke him out. — Yale Lit. Mag., vol. xx., p. 75. Banco ! — A negro expletive, without any special meaning, except one of general pleasure. It is fre- quently heard, and is common to the black race throughout the States and the West Indies. Bang Up. — First-rate. A bang up Banded DnuM(GenusPo^o«/flsCuvier). — Also popularly called the gkun- THR, GRUNTS, and YOUNG SHEEP- SKIN. A fish found in Atlantic waters south of New York. Banded Garfish (Belone truncata). — A slender spear-headed fish of a genus common to both hemis- pheres. This species frequents the coast, and is also popularly known as the BILL-FISH. Bandero (Cant). — Widow's weeds. Bang. — A style adopted by women in dressing the hair upon the fore- head, generally curled and frizzed, the process being thus described. To make the bang, you must begin by dividing your front hair at half-inch distances from ear to ear combing the rest back. This is repeated until the whole front hair has been successfully banged. The trouble with ahnost all the ministers is that they don't hear other ministers preach often enough to know what a really first- class, DANG LP sermon is. — Sumcivitte Jour- nal, 1S88. Banjo. — A musical instrument almost exclusively associated with negro minstrelsy, and the name is doubt- less a negro corruption of " ban- dore," itself descended from the Greek, -Kavcovixi supposed to have been invented by Pan. Thomas Jefferson, in his Notes on Virginia, describes the instrument as peculiar to the Blacks, which they brought from Africa, and which is the original of the guitar, its chords being precisely the four lower chords of the guitar. Niggers go to Alabama with their banjobs on their knees.— SoHaiis and knives and tongues. Gathered around the yawning tirc-place of a farmer's ample kitchen, faces all radiant with fun and fire- light, the i'AuiNG-Bi:i: that we recall was a scene of mirthful industry that we would travel many miles to see again. When the work was over how quickly they could clear the kitchen for a dance. Many was the life- match effected at the country pahing-hkk, the long walk home being speci.ally calcu- lated for such a conclusion. — Texas Si/tings, Oct. 13, 188S. BEECH DROP. — A vegetable parasite of the beech. Beef. — Used in the South and West as the singular of o.\en ; thus, a beef instead of " o.\." To beef. — To kill oxen, and convert their flesh into beef. Beefing bee. — An assembly of people for the purpose of slaughtering cattle. — See Bee. ' I'!! bet all the 'taters I'll raise this year th't you mean Phil Byer's beefin' bee!' exclaimed the squire. ' Boys, I unis' tell ye 'bout that. We had heerd th't Phil Byer were gointcr beef a steer o' his'n th't had got a leetle too rantaiikerous to be handled fer work. Ez none on us hadn't never heerd o' setch a thingez a bkehn' bee we ruther cal- c'lated ez 'twere 'bout time to get one up.' —Chicago Herald, 1888. Beef cattle. — By beef cattle is understood animals fit for food in contradistinction to those used as beasts of barden. Beef UODGEK. — -A meat biscuit made of beef and Indian corn. Beef STEERS. — See Beef cattle, above. The cattle are fattest and in best condition during the fall, and it is then that the bulk of the BKKr STEKKS are gathered and shipped — four-year olds as a rule, though some threes and some fives go with them — Century Magazine, 1887. BzEGUMS. — A name originally applied to beehives made of the hollow trunks of gum trees [Liquidambjy stynrijliui), which bees, in a wild state, very often select, when hollow, for building their hives. These trees are naturally very liable to rapid internal decay, liiaving only a shell ; the trunks are then made into casks, beehives, ei;c. The word bcegiim is also applied to any kind of hive made of wood. But time we wuz in our saddles crack went a gun fum behin' the court-house The Perrysburg people wus like a beegum that's been npsot. The people was now a-ruur\in', some one way un some t'other, un more guns wuz fired on fum some'ers, — we never stopped to eenquire fum whar, tell we'd got safe acrost the county line. — Centiny Maga.'.ine. Bee- Line. — To take or make a bee- line .br any spot or place is to go dinict, or "as the crow flies " ; an alh.'sion to the habit of bees, who, when fully laden with pollen, make for the hive in a straight or bee-line. The cattle are in great dread of this pest (the heel-fly), and the instant an animal feels om it hoists its tail in the air. and takes a BEE-LINE for tlie nearest water.— .'l/i/n Jg^c's Ranch Notes, 1884, p 78. The field o' Lexin'ton where England tried The fastest colors thet she ever dyed, An' Concord Bridge, thet Davis, when he came, Been There 49 Begosh Found was the bee-line track to heaven an' fame, Ez all roads be by natur', cf your sou! Don't sneak thur shun-pikes so's to save the toll. —Bigloii' Papers. One of the American railroads is called the bee-line road from the direct route it takes between its termini. Also air-line {q.v.). BEEN There.— Oh, yes, I've been THERE ; I know what I am about. A popular slang exclamation and usage. When it is said of a man that he has been there, shrewdness, pertinacity, and experience are implied. A variant may be found in the equally slang " he got there all the same." — See Get there. The Japanese say : ' A man takes a drink; tlien the drink takes a drink, and next the drink takes the man.' Evidently the Japanese ' have been there.' — Atlanta Constitution, i8S8. Beer. — Bemusing himself with beer, was a phrase which, ori- ginating with G. A. Sala (in Gas- light and Daylight), caught the popular fancy and ran a brief but riotous course throughout the Union to signify one who addicted himself to "soaking" with beer. BEER-JERKER.— A tipplcr. Bee TREE. — A Western and Southern phrase. A hollow tree in which bees have swarmed and made a hive. The gum-tree {Liquidambav styraiflua) , from the bark of which is obtained a fragrant gum much used for chewing purposes, is a favorite haunt of these useful little insects ; and as the tree, when wounded in the bark, quickly decays and becomes hollow, a bee-tree is in reality often synony- mous with a gum tree. BEFo' THE War, i.e., before the Rebel- lion, 1861-5. Mark Twain, in his Life on the Mississippi, graphi- cally describes the purport of this phrase : — " Mention of the war will wake up a dull company and set their tongues going, when nearly any other topic would fail. In the South, the war is what a.d. is elsewhere ; they date from it. All day long you hear things ' placed ' as having happened since the war ; or du'in' the war; or be/o' the war ; or right aftah the war ; or 'bout two yeahs, or five yeahs, or ten yeahs be/o' the war or aftah the war. It shows how intimately every individual was visited, in his own person, by that tremendous episode. It gives the inexperienced stranger a better idea of what a vast and comprehensive calamity invasion is, than he can ever get by reading books at the fireside." Further on he relates how "everything is changed since the war, for better or for worse ; but you'll find people down here born grumblers, who see no change except the change for the wor.se." There was an old negro woman of this so;:t. A young New Yorker said in her pre.sence, " What a wonderful moon you have down here ! ' ' She sighed and said, "Ah, bless yo' heart, honey, you ought to seen dat moon befo' (le war I " Beggar Ticks, also beggar lice and harvest lice. — In English cant, chats. Begosh! B'gosh ! — An expletive, probably of negro origin; a half veiled oath ; a corruption of " By God ! " Art dealer (descanting on the virtues of the picture) ' You will observe, sir, that the drawing is free, that— ' Agriculturalist ' Well, if the drawin's free an' you don't tax me too much for the frame b'gosh I'll take it'— The Epoch, May, 1888. Ii i ♦ ' > Behead 50 Belly-Bumper BEHEAD, To. — Used in political circles when an official's term of office has come to an end through change of Government, or supersession in other ways. Also to decapitate. Behindments. — Outstanding liabili- ties ; arrears ; a deficit. Being. — Used as an equivalent for "considering," "because," and, as such, a vulgarism; e.g., " Beu>g as you are going to town I need not trouble myself." Beliked. — Liked ; beloved ; formed on the model of the latter. BELITTLE. — To underrate ; to depre- ciate , or to disparage. A man's character may be belittled, i.e., disparaged, etc. Hence belittling and belittlement. All these words originated in the United States, belittle being first used about 1796. Now colloquial on both sides of the Atlantic. Bell. — To ring one's own bell. — A variation of " to blow one's trum- pet " ; to sound one's praises per- sonally. Bell-boy. — In American hotels the bell-boy occupies very much the place of the English boots. Bellmare. — A political leader. The term is a slang appropriation from the terminology of Western life, where it seems to be used in regard to mules much in the same way as bell-wether is employed in England in reference to sheep. Why the grey mare, says the author of A Ride with Kit Carson, should be the better horse in the estimation of mules I cannot say, but such is certainly the fact. Though very cautious animals when relying solely on their own judgment, they would appear to have a conscious- ness of their own inferiority, which induces them to entertain a great regard for the sagacity of the horse, and especially for that of a white mare. The wily Californians tak- ing advantage of this amiable weakness, employ a steady, old, white mare of known gentleness and good character, to act as a kind of mother and guide to each drove of unruly mules. Bellowses. — This term, pure slang'in England, is colloquial in Pennsyl- vania and the New England States for the lungs. Bellows Top. — An egg flip; the name beltoii'S top i:j conferred on it because of the whitish froth which rises to the surface when beaten with a whibk or swizzle stick. Bellyache, To. — A coined word, meaning "to grumble without good cause." Employes bellyache at being overworked, or when they fancy themselves underfed. A vulgarism. Belly-Bender. — A boy's term for weak and unsafe ice. Belly Bound. — This is supposed to be a corruption of the French Idle et bonne, and is the name in Con- necticut of a particular sort of apple. Belly-Bumper or Belly-Buster. — TO TAKE A belly-buster; i.e., to ride down a hill in a sled lying on one's stomach, an amusement confined, it hardly needs saying, to Young America. The idea of toboganning was derived from this boyish pastime, and the oaken board has been succeeded by the *^',^*^^,*..^.^m^.^„ Belly-Button 51 Best fleet-winged toboggan, made of seasoned maple with handsomely upholstered seats. With the ad- vent of the improved ice vehicles the interest in these sports has increased, and instead of being confined to the vulgar boys who used to ride do-vn hill beliy-biisiey fashion, men and even the most fashionable women now partake of this pleasant and invigorating pastime. Also belly-bumbo, belly- guts or GUTTER, BELLY-FLOUN- DERS, BELLY-FLUMPS and BELLY- PLUMPER. Barney has a sled, on which he hauls the fish in snowy weatlier, Barney had liis sled out yesterday, belly-bumi'ing on a little patch of ice and snow.— C/iia/g-o Intcr- Ocean, i8««. Belly-button. — A vulgar name for the navel. BcLLY-QuTs. — (i) In Pennsylvania, molasses candy. (2) Equiva- lent to BELLY-BUMPER \q.V.). BcLLY Plumper. — Sec Belly-bumper. Belongings. — Still current as a sy- nonym for "property," in which sense it is a survival of old English usage. More often, however, it is employed as a euphemism for "trousers" by the prudishly in- clined. Belt, To.— A Southern phrase equiva- lent to the North-western bark or the Western girdle (q.v). A process by which land is speedily cleared of trees by means of a belt or girdle cut round the bark with a hatchet, causing the tree gra- dually to wither and die. Bend. — Above one's bend, i.e., above one's ability, power or capacity, or out of one's reach. Probably a corruption of "above one's bent." Shakespeare puts the expression in the mouth of Hamlet, " to the top of my bent " (iii. 2.). In the Southern States its place is generally taken by above my huckleberry [q.v.). An English equivalent is " above one's hook." It would be ABOVE my bend to attempt telling you all we saw among the red skins. —y, F. Cooper's The Oak Openings. Bender. — In Lowland Scotch a hard and persistent drinker is so called. In the States, however, the term is more usually applied to a drinking bout or a spree, in the course of which, to use another slang ex- pression, " the town is painted red," and the participants decidedly unbent. He was a character noted for going on frequent benders until he came very near having the jinijams and then sobering up. — Ditroit Fr'e Press, Aug. 4, iSSS. Bens.— A workman's slang term for his tools. BERMUDA GRASS {Gliodoit dllCfylon) . A large leaved grass which has been acclimatized in the Southern States. Bermuda Vine. — The cultivated Vitis ripai'ia, grown for the sake of its highly scented flowers, and called, when found in a wild state, the river GRAPE, CHICKEN GRAPE, FROST GRAPE. Best, To. — To best one is to obtain an advantage, generally by mean and underhand methods. Like its antithesis "to worst" used in the sense of " to defeat," it is now a genuine vulgarism, though there is some reason for the contention that it formed at one time a legitimate component of the language. vi f Si jyt: Bestmost 52 Big Bestmost. — The best. Used abso- lutely and not relatively as is the colloquial English " bettermost." Though not a dictionary word bestmost is regularly formed, and, except that it is in reality a double superlative, is equally as respect- able as " bettermost." All her word was, ' Doctor, don' let 'i r suBcr ! ' but w'en she seen doctor war doin' his BESTMOST, she never said nary nuther word.— L«/i«'s lUustnitcd Paper, June, i8b8. Bet. — You bet ! A Californian phrase tacked on to an assertion to give it additional emphasis. So popular is the expression that it has been given as a name in the form of Ubet to a town in the Canadian North- west. Oftentimes it is amplified into "you bet your boots," "life," or "bottom dollar," and so on. The two former were used in New York and Boston as far back as 1840. Mr. Boutelle— That is the bravery to which you refer ? (Applause on the Repub- lican side.) Mr. O'Ferrall— Well, sir, it is the right kind of bravery ; you may bet your bottom DOLLAR on that.— CoH^nssi'oiKi/ Rcpoit in Daily Intcr-Occun, March 7, 188S. To BET one's eves is a gam- bler's term applied to an onlooker who neither takes part in nor bets upon the game. Better. — Used colloquially in the East for "more." Also provincial in England as a vulgarism, though dating back to Saxon times. Betterments. — A term equivalent to " improvements " (of property). Colloquial everywhere. Quoted by Mu-ray. ' And so Mr. Pinkerton is after sending me to England, as he kindly says, for the bet- terment of my health,' remarked McParlan, in his pleasant way, the next afternoon, to my cashier, as he received the advance ot money for his expenses.— P/«ftf>-/o;rs MoUie Maguircs aiid Detectives. Betty. — The straw-bound Florence- Hask of commerce, in which salad oil is usually shipped. Between iTY. — A state of uncertainty ; of trembling in the balance ; or, to use another Americanism, sitting Ul'ON THE fence (^.l'.). Bevel. — Bartlett quotes this as cur- rent in Long Island for a slope or declivity ; while Torby, in his Vocabulayy of East Aiiglia, defines a bevel as a ro.nd which is laid higher in the middio, hence bevel-edgeu. B'HOYs. — At one time a favorite appellation for the "rough" element in New York. With their g'hals, they made themselves conspicuous on high days and holidays, and, at times, at the polling booth. They were often more distinctively called bowekv BOYS, from the fact of their con- gregating mostly in that well- known thoroughfare. BiBiBLEs. — Food of a liquid kind. An innovation, formed on the model of "edibles," which has little to recommend it save its vulgarity. Biddable. — This savours considei^- ably of the Emerald Isle, and is prob- ably an importation into Western life therefrom. Biddable children or servants are those in whom obe- dience, compliance, and tractability are prominent qualities. Biddy. — An Irish female servant. Bridget is a favorite name with the Irish, and Biddy is its familiar form. Big. — Used not only as regards quan- tity, but quality also. Thus, what in England would be called fine old whiskey and brandy would, in Big-Bone Lick 53 Biggity America, be designated "big whis- key," etc. Big-Bone Lick. — A locality in Ken- tucky where immense numbers of animal remains have been found, more especially those of deer, buffalo, wild cattle, and even mas- todons, whole skeletons of the latter having been unearthed. The theory is that the spot was a favorite resort of game in the far away past. A lick means a place where rock-salt and saline springs abound, which, it is well-known, form an attraction for such animals. Big Bugs. — He's a big bug in his WAY, that is, a person of standing or consequence either self-esti- mated or in reality. A disre- spectful but common mode of allusion to persons of wealth or with other claims to distinction. Variants are big-dog or big-toad, and in English slang "big wig" and "great gun." Don't appear unduly surprised or flus- trated if, on answering the front door bell, you find Mr. Gladstone wiping his feet on the door mat. Invite him to walk in in a cool, collected tone of voice. . . . Show .him you have entertained uig bugs before. —Texas Si/tin js, Sept. 15, i838. Big Dog of the Tanyard. — A conse- quential, pompous individual ; one who will neither allow others a voice in any matter or permit dis- sent from his own views. The obvious derivation is from the customary guarding of tanyards by ferocious watch-dogs. Bio Dog with the Brass Collar. — The chief in any undertaking or enterprise; a leader. A simile evidently derived from the stable or kennel. The phrase is some- times shortened to big dog. ' Yes,' said Dormer, ' Lawler is the big dog in these parts now ; besides he kapes a good tavern, and will see no old-timer, or young one either, for that niatther, suffcrin' from want while he can relieve him ! '—I'inkcrton's Mullif Maf;uim and Ddictivcs. Big drink.— (i) When a Western plainsman talks of the big drink, he is always understood to mean the Mississippi river. (2) To take a big or LONG DKiNK is to partake of liquor from a large glass. It is very customary when calling for liquor to state whether a long or SHORT DRINK is required. Big Figure. — To go the big figure. — Merely a variant of "to go the whole hog," or " to go the whole animal," and signifies embarking upon an enterprise of magnitude. The phrase is mainly current in the South, and is derived from a term used in poker. Biggest. — A surperlative often used in the sense of "the best" or " the fin'^st." The Piltsbitrg Times is as breezy a journal as comes to this office. It is the biggest little paper we are acquainted with. — Wiish- iuglun {Pa.) KevieK', 1888. Biggest Toad IN the Puddle. — Oneof the many bold, if equi\-ocal meta- phors to which the West has given rise. The biggest toad in the puddle is the recognised leader or chief whether in politics, or in connection with the rougher avo- cations of pioneer life. Equivalent to the big DOG WITH THE BRASS COLLAR [q.v.) — See also Big bugs. B iGGiTv. — Consequential; giving one- self airs. A negro term. These railroads have made havoc with the steamboat commerce. The clerk of our boat was a steamboat clerk before these roads were built. In that day the influx of Eopulai.'on was so great, and the freight usiness so heavy, that the boats were not able to keep up with the demands made upion their carrying capacity; consequently the it. ■. Btghead 54 Big Trees captain was very independent and airy — pretty ni<;GiTY, as Uncle Remus would say. — Murk Twain's Life on the Missisiippi, p. ill. BiQHCAD. — (i) A disease peculiar to cattle, so named from the swelling produced in the head. (2) To GET A BIG HEAD, or TO HAVE ONE'S HEAD SWELLED, is a term applied in cases where new ideas result in unbearable conceit, or a twisted vision. Big Horn {Ovis montana). — A species of sheep peculiar to the Rocky Mountains, from California north- wards. Dodge describes it as a splendid animal, which, among the horned beasts of the Great West, ranks ne.xt in size to the elk. In appearance the big horn, or moun- tain SHEEP, as it is otherwise known, is a curious combination. His body is that of a very large deer ; his head that of a domestic sheep, except that no domestic sheep could possibly carry the enormous horns with which his mountain cousin is provided. These horns are often more than twenty inches in circumference at the base, and, starting out at the rear, make more than a complete circle, the points projecting below and in front of the eyes. Head and horns will often weigh si.\ty pounds. He sheds his winter covering very late, whilst, after shedding, his coat is thick with short greyish hair. By fall, this has changed to a dun, almost the color of the elk The outer hair has become more than an inch long, rather wiry, and, in winter, he puts on an additional jacket in the shape of a coating of exceedingly fine wool, which, though sometimes quite three inches long, never shows outside the other hair, but lies curled up close to the skin. From about the middle of August until the first of November, the flesh of the mountain sheep is the most delicious bonne boiiche that ever tickled the palate of the gourmand. It is impossible to describe it ; but if one can imagine a saddle of most delicious " South- down," flavored with the richest and most gamey juices of the black- tail, he will form some idea of the treat in store for him when he shall sit down to a feast of moun- tain SHEEP in season and properly cooked. Except when " in season," the mountain shekp is thin, tough, and the poorest food that the plains furnish to man. His home is among crags and " broken " rocks, generally at an elevation above tide-water of not less than 5,000 feet, but the sportsman may also, in many portions of the plains, very surely count on finding big horn, and if he does find him, and is cool, he may bag several from one herd. Big Meeting. — The Western term for the PROTRACTED (religious) MEETINGS of the uew England States. A preacher of note generally announces his advent in thinly populated districts some- time before his actual arrival. Once on the spot the devotional exercises are spread over whole days and sometimes weeks, hence the distinctive name. Compare with CAMP MEETING. Big Money. — To make, give, or SPEND big money is, as the term implies, simply, to obtain or expend a large sum. A speaker advocating the claims of the Y.M.C.A. said that to accomplish certain objects "big money must be subscribed." Big Trees. — The popular name of the giant pine trees of California {Sequoia gigaiiica, washingtonia, Bilberry 55 Billy vellingtonia). Only recently there was felled in Lonoma County, California, a tree which cut up as follows. The Pctaluma Argus says that the details can be relied upon. The standing height of the tree was 347 ft., and its diameter near the ground was 14 ft. In falling, the top was broken off nearly 200 ft. distant from the stump, and up to the point of breaking the tree was perfectly sound. From the tree saw-logs were cut of the following lengths and diameters: — i. 14 ft. long, 9 ft. dia. ; 2. 12 ft. long, 8 ft. dia. ; 3. 12 ft. long, 7 ft. 7 in. dia. ; 4. 14 ft. long, 7 ft. 6 in. dia. ; 5. 16 ft. long, 7 ft. dia. ; G. 16 ft. long, f ft. 10 in, dia. ; 7. 16 ft. long, 6 ft. f) in. dia. ; 8. 16 ft. long, 6 ft. 4 in. dia. ; g. 16 ft. long, 6 ft. 3 in. dia. ; 10. 18 ft. long, 6 ft. dia. ; 11. 12 ft. long, 5 ft. 10 in. dia. ; 12. 18 ft. long, 5 ft. 6 in. dia. It will thus be seen that 180 ft. of this remark- able tree were converted into saw- logs. Bilberry (Vaccinium). — The wortle- berry. The same plant was for- merly known in England as the BILBERRY WHORTLE ; the term, how- ever, is now obsolete. Bilk. — A strongly ofifensive term used in the West to signify a person who habitually sponges upon another, and who never by any chance makes a return or even offers to do so. In English slang it means a down- right cheat or swindler ; it will therefore be seen that Western usage has considerably softened its meaning. Bill. — To foot a bill. — A phrase now common in both hemispheres, signifying to settle an account. Bill-Board. — A notice-board. Bill-Fish (Bclonc truncata). — A salt- water fish which, in the summer, ascends the rivers into fresh waters. At times it is found at a consider- able distance inland. Billiardist. — A player at billiards. The form of this word like that of many of its congeners has little to re- commend it to purists and other ad- vocates of orthographical accuracy. Words terminating in ist (an " agent") are multiplying on every hand. One of the earliest intro- ductions was " scientist," about which a battle-royal was fought ; and now we have " bicyclist," and, save the gods ! e\en " walkist " and " runnist." Except in very rare mstances the combination is intolerable to educated ears, and little enough can be said in defence of the usage. Each competitor has put up fifty dollars entrance money in billiardist Daly's hands, and the money will be divided into four prize purses for the winners.— S<. Louis Globe Democrat, Jan. 24, 1888. Bill of Sale weeds. (Cant).— Widow's Billy. — A weapon used by despera- does, and also by the police when apprehending violence or dangerous resistance on the part of the former when pursued. The construction of a billy varies, but usually it is composed of a piece of untanned cowhide, as hard as horn itself, some six inches in length, twisted or braided into a sort of handle, and covered from end to end with woollen cloth. One extremity is loaded with three quarters of a pound of lead; to the other is firmly attached a loop, large enough to admit a man's hand, formed of strong linen cord, and intended to allow the billy to hang loose from the wrist and at the same time !Ji;l| tt i 1 i Billy-Button 56 Bison firevent it being lost or wrenched rom the grasp of its owner. At close quarters, it proves a very savage and formidable arm of defence, : "embling, but being much m' dangerous than the ordinar -shot in daily use by poli- a.id others. Twelve ounces c c,oiid lead and raw-hide, dashed against the thickest skull by a strong armed ruffian, would as effectually silence a man as an ounce of the same metal discharged from the bore of a Springfield rifle. It may be remarked that billy in English slang is a policeman's staff, a very different weapon. The condition of the man reported as having been shot twice in the head on Tlinisday afternoon, is not at a!l alarming. If transpires that iiis wounds are not of the gnn-shot sort, but were inflicted wiili a billy in the hands of a Pinkerton man. — Daily Inttr-Ocean, April 14, 1S88. Billy- Button. — Mutton is so called in American slang. Billy Noodle. — This combination stands in American slang for a fellow whose self-conceit leads him to suppose himself specially attrac- tive to the other sex. BiMS, BiMSHiRE.— Nicknames given in the West Indies to Barbadians and Barbadoes. This island is likewise sometimes jeeringly called Little England, and Barbadian is contracted into 'badian. Many women of a certain age are fond ot reading doctors' books, which, though not quite immoral, are none tlie less unpleasant. The applicant for an objectionable work is usually asked to fill out a slip, giving his age and occupation, together with his name, reference for character, and reason why he wants the book. This slip must receive the endorsement of the librarian before the re- quest is complitd with. At the niNnKKV, is the onlinaiy fornmla employed in such cases, which, being translated, means that on cannot liave wiiat you want. — Sew Yoik ro»-/(/, July22, i8US. \ BIRCH. — A canoe. BIRD'S Eye Limestone. — The popular name of a peculiar geological for- mation in the neighbourhood of New York. Bird's Eye Maple. — Wood much es- teemed for decorative purposes by cabinet makers. Picture frames are largely made of it, its distinc- tive name being derived from its peculiar markings. The maple, like the oak, is very abundant in the United States. Biscuit. — What English people call biscuits are in America called crackers ; the former are very like the hot breakfast rolls of the English table. They drank their breakfast coffee and ate their warm biscuit and butter and fried ham and eggs with rueful faces.— C«//(/»> Maga- Bishop. — A bustle — part of feminine attire. I Bindery. — Quoted by Webster as an Americanism. Many new words have been introduced into the lan- guage by a simple extension of the recognised principles of word for- mation to new needs and require- ments. Thus, as a tannery is a place where hides are tanned, so a bindeiy is an establishment for the binding of books. Bison {Bison americamis) . — More usually called the buffalo. The wild ox, a fierce and shaggy animal with one hump upon its back. At one time found from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast, but few now remain, and it has been ascertained that of the millions which once roamed the prairies of the West scarcely a hundred survive. A Bit 57 Blrckfellow scheme has been originated (i888) by Mr. Clinton A. Snowden of the Ciiiaigo Times to save the bisons still to be found on tlie plains. For this purpose an expedition is being organized to " corrall " those animals which are now located in the south-western portion of Te.\as. The leading idea is to perpetuate a species which is thoroughly typical of American animal Hfe, care being taken that none may be killed before or after capture. The American iiisoN and tho ERyptian ninminy are fading away. TIk; day will soon come; whf-n tliose wlio liavo slauRlucred whole lu;rds of Imlfalo for llicir tonRiies and t'erlilized tluir timoihy sod with tlie dust of dynasties will p;o ]iunt:,ry,—I'\'r»st and Stream, Nlay, iB88. Bit. — An old, cant word for money, and colloquially the name given to coins varying in value according to locality — usually, however, to the silver piece of the lowest deno- mination. Fourpenny pieces are still called bits in some parts of England, and in Demerara the term is in general use for the same coin. Biz. — A vulgar corruption for busi- ness. "Good biz" is profitable business. BLACK ACT (Cant). — Picking locks — a black act indeed. Black Bass. — This name is given in various parts of the Union, to two different kinds of fish, the Centra- py'stes ni^rieans or sea bass being known as black bass on the Jersey coast. The black bass of the lake and river districts of the North and West is a highly esteemed fresh- water fish. Black Box (Cant).— A limb of the law. The criminal classes ap- parently have no very exalted idea of the profession, as indeed might be e.xpected. Black Code. — De Vere says, " A word as hideous in sound as of import, connected with the negro, is the famous Black Code, a collection of laws first made by Bienville in Louisiana, which was ever after the model for all legislation on the relations of master and slave." When the colony was taken pos- session of by the Crown of Spain in the year 1769, the provisions of the Black Code were retained with such modifications as the Siete Par- tidas made on the subject of slavery. This system of laws has ever since been the "Blackstone" of Spain and her colonies, and is still the authority in the parts of America settled by Spaniards. Its power continued long in Louisiana, and largely controlled the rights of negroes, even after the colony be- came a State of the Union. Ill BLACKBALLING. — Stealing or pilfering. A sailor's word. It originated amongst the employees of the old Black Ball line of steamers between New York and Liverpool. The cruelty and scandalous conduct of officers to men — and sailors to each ■5r — became so proverbial, that ine line of vessels in question became known all over the world for the cruelty of its officers, and the thieving propensities of its sailors. Black -Eyed Susan. — Texan for a revolver. Among other slang equivalents for this weapon current in the Lone Star State may be mentioned meat in the pot, blue LIGHTNING, THE PEACE-MAKER, MR. SPEAKER, A ONE-EYED SCRIBE, PILL BOX and my unconverted FRIEND. — See Meat in the pot. Blackfellow. a negro. -A Southern name for 8 Blach-Fkh 58 Black Nigger i ¥ m i 11 Black-Fish {Labnis americanus). — The color of its back and sides fjives tlie special name to this fish which is cauf^ht in shoals oft Rhode Island and its neighbourhood. It is sometimes called by its Indian name, the TAUTAt'O. Blackfriars !— a thieves' exclama- tion of warning ; look out ! beware ! Black Grass. — A fine, short grass common on the salt, marshy lands of the New Iingland coast. Rich and abundant in growth it forms capital food for stock. The salt marshes upon which it grows, like the Irish bog lands, may often be probed to a depth of twenty feet or more without touch- ing bottom, hut in spite of this the hay crop is regularly reaped. Black-Qum. — .V well known tree be- longing to the genus Nyssa which flourishes in the Middle States. Black-head {FhUx mavUa). — The broad-bill ; popularly known on the Chesapeake Bay as a black-head, and in Virginia as a raft-duck. Black-Jack. — (i) {Qucrcus nigra). — Also SCRUB and barren oak. A small stunted species which thrives on the sea-shore and in other sandy localities. This species of the genus Quercus is so abundant in some parts, as to cover some thou- sands of acres, notably on both sides of the Cimmaron River, Indian Territory. Oaks of all kinds are very abundant throughout the States in great variety. Walk- ing sticks are largely manufactured from the black-jack kind. William Tartar, of Chestnut Hill, had been in the habit of boating his wife with a BLACKJACK for soiTie time. A stop was put to it this morning by Magistrate Smith hold- ing him in 600 dols. bail toTCOMTt.— Philadel- phia Evening nultetin, Feb. 23, 1888. (2) In the New England States, bhuhjack is the name given to rum to which molasses has been added to sweeten it. (3) The name by which miners know ore of zinc, the sulphurct of zinc of chemists. (.}) An army nick- name of the late (ieneral John A. Logan, given hiin because of his very dark comple.xion. He died early in the current year (1888). Blackleg. — A disease to which cattle on the Western plains are subject. It is rapidly fatal, and, on removing the skin of the animal after death, a discoloration as from blood stagna- tion is apparent, generally near the shoulder. Blackleg. — To blackleg it, i.e., amongst tnides' union men to return to work before the causes of a strike have been removed, or settled, to the satisfaction of the leaders. Early this morning the mountain paths leadingto the William l^enn colliery were lined with nun, dinner in hand, determined to go to work. Some were non-union miners, while the remainder wer.T Knights of Labor who had determined to blackleg it, regardless of the jeers and threats of their companions. Blacklist, To. — To post as a defaul- ter. Blacklists in mercantile par- lance are registers of bankrupts, insolvent persons, and others whose credit has been shaken. The Cli.irity Organization Society has been sued for 25,000 dols. damages for libel by Bertr.ini Hugh Fitzl- gh Howell, who says he was at one time a banker in this city and failed in business. He charges that the society blacklisted \\\m.— Chicago Herald. Black Nigger. — A term of reproach addressed by one negro to another. It is difficult to ascertain to a nicety the e.\act shade of mean- ing, as the speaker is sometimes of more dusky hue than the person Black Ointment 59 Blackwood addressed. That negroes them- selves recognise a difference, may be inferred from tlie simile which speaks of "a negro so black, that cnarcoal makes a chalk mark on him." Black Ointment.— A slang term for uncooked meat. Black Republicans. — The epithet BLACK was applied by Southerners to the Republican Party, on account of the antagonism shown by the latter to the introduction of slavery into any State where not already recognised. BLACK-RiDiNQ (College). — At the Col- lege of South Carolina, it has until within a few years been cus- tomary for the students, (u-^guised and painted black, to ude across the College yard at midnight, on horseback, with vociferations and the sound of horns. Black-riding is recognized by the laws of the College as a very high offence, punishable with e.xpulsion. — Hall's College Words and Customs. Blacksnake, To. — To castigate with a bhuksnahe whip. Now, don't ever let me catch you chewing tobacco before breakfast again, or I lay I'll ULACKSNAKE you within an inch of your life I — Mark Twain's Screamers. Blacksnake whip. — A short- handled but very long - thonged whip used by cowboys. Black Spy. — A devil. cant name for the Black Strap. — (i) Properly speak- ing, gin mixed with molasses, but frequently applied to a compound of any alcoholic liquor with molasses. Beverages of this des- cription were at one time the commonest of drinks among agri- cultural laborers. In England, thick, sweet port is known as hlacks'rap. From the great Irori kettle a savory inceiisi! arose: it c.imu from an arltiiixture of high-wines and common molasses, in abon^ the proportion o' one gallon of the latter to four of the spirit .... Tne seeth- ing ui.ACKSTKAi' was pronouuced ready for use. It rapidly disappeared, ana, as it diminished and was iinbibud, thu fun and hilarity proportionately increased.— I'iiiktrton'i Mollie Magtiins tiiid Detectives, -(2) Among sugar manufacturers blackstrap is the technical term for the residuum of molasses sugar, itself the product of a second boiling. BLACK Taggers. — Common rough, un- wrought iron. The fact that the article in question may be commercially known as filack taggers has no bearing on the question of classifi- cation under the statute, the merchandise containing in itself unmistakable proof that it is steel and not 'iron.— I'lUladdphin Bulletin, Febrr.ary 2;, iS«8. BLACK Tail Deer or Blacktails (Cervus columbiantts). — A species of deer common to the Pacific littoral. It is considerably larger than aie red deer . , . . in colour it is very dark, grey or mouse-colour . . . . its tail, unlike the broad, white flag of the red deer, is rather thinly haired, and the end is tipped for two or three inches with a thick tuft of short black hair, which gives the name to the animal Its ears are rather long and heavy, from which circumstance it is in some parts of the country called the mule DEER. BLACKWOOD. — A comprehensive term in the Northern States for the timber of the hemlock, pine, spruce, and fir. ., 11 mi Bladdcr-Trcc 60 Blanket}' Bladder-Tree. — Bip;elo\v in his Flora bostoniensis, describes this as a handsome shrub from six to ten feet high, remarkable for its large, inflated capsules. Blamed. — An expletive used to em- phasize a statement. It partakes slightly of the nature of an oath. Possibly English, but if so only slang; in the States it is colloquial. And so that pourin' dissentions in our cup; And so that blamed cow-critter was always coining up. — Cailloii Farm Ilallaih, p. 18. 'Why do you object to your daughter marryinfi ?' ' Wouldn't object ef she wuster marry the riKht sorter inan.' ' Isn't Tom the right sort of man ? ' ' Not by a ulamed sight.'— rortlniid Tran- script, 188a. Blanket. — To have wokn the F'ANKET is an imputation which, when applied to one's immediate progenitors, signifies that the person addressed is of Indian descent. The costume of the red - skin, whether composed of the typical blanket alone or of more complex clothing, is generally referred to as a blanket, hence the significance of the expression. Blanket COAT. — As red-skins gradually came in contact with, ' d under the influence more or Ic of civili- zation, they aped liiany of tlie cus- toms and habits peculiar to white men. The blankets, therefore, which at one time largely formed a staple of trade and exchange, instead of being worn thrown loosely around the body, were cut and shaped into co'ts, the coloured stripes of the blankets being so arranged as to cross the garment in the most odd and fantastic lashion. Also worn by trappers and hunters. The fourth member of our party round the camp-fire that night was a powerfully-built trapper, partly French by blood, who wore a gaily-coloured capote, or blanket-coat, a greasy fur cap, and moccasins. — Century Mai^a-Jui, Oct., 1888. Blanket Indian. — A Western term for an Indian who still re- mains in a savage state. Only about 250,000 red-skins are, at the present time, scattered about throughout the Union, chiefly in the tracts of country called Indian reservations. Of this number, 120,000 are reckoned to have been brought under civilize. ng influences, the remainder being counted as savages. It must, however, be confessed that rarely, if ever, is the "noble red man" of Fcnimore Co per, Gustav Aimard, and other writers, to be met with ; also that any attempt at civilization means, in the generality of cases, nothing more nor less than the improvement of the red man off the face of the earth altogether. This is owing largely to the facility with which this savage race, like all others, imitates the white man's vices withi/at in any degree acquiring his virtues. Mackinaw hlan- KET.-— A superior kind of blanket which derived its di.stinctive name from the island of Mackinaw, formerly one of the chief posts at which Indian tribes re- ceived their grants from the Go- vernment. A provision of one of the Indian Treaties was that part of the payment made to the red- skins should be in these superior blankets, and from that fact the name Mackinaiv blankets, or ]\Iac- kinatvs simply was derived. Blankety. — A euphemistic oath, the derivation of which is clearly an outcome of the practice of representing an oath in printing by a dash or blank space e.g., d — d. Blankety is used in many combina- tioi .., a person being told to be blankety blank blanked, or that a thing is not a? good as another by a blankety blank blank sight. \i Ilii IJil Blarney 6i Blaze The captain looked anxious, and an irate fellow-passenger, who had not ceased swearint; since we left Tuxpan, declared by all that is sacred and profane tliat he had known vessels to bo hindered thirty days ; yes, even three months, by tliat hlankkty ui,ani;i;tv bar!— 2" oj' Daily Times, Feb. 3, i88«. ' Doctor, I'm a dead man ! ' 'Not right now?' said I, as I kicked his do;^ out. 'just as good as dead,' said ho, 'or yon wouldn't kick that dog in that way with safety. Not by a hlankkty iilank dlank sight.' 'Needn't waste so nnicli profanity, Mr. Star, 'nil,' said l.—Owosso {Mich.) Press, April, itiHS. Blarney, To (Cant).— Besides the English slang signification of "to wheedle," it also bears the second- ary meaning of "to pick locks'' amongst the low and criminal classes of America. Blatancy. — Noisy self-assertion. This word, in spite of its orthodox appearance, has not yet been ad- mitted to the dictionaries. Blather, Blatherskite. — Factitious Western expressions for boastful, disputatious swagger ; in some parts of England a somewhat simi- lar phrase, " blatheration " is cur- rent. According to De Vere all are of Irish origin, and J. R. O'Flanigan's Lives of the Lord Chaiicelloi's of Ireland is quoted in support of this contention. Lord Rtclesdale was speaking of people who learned to skate with bladders under their arms to buoy them up if they should fall into a hole and risk being drowned. " Ah, my Lord," said Toler, "that is what we'call bladderum skate in Ireland." This derivation, however, seems too fanciful a one, and probably the word "blatant," noisy vaporing, is the true source from which these words originate. Every blatherskite Republican spouter is filled to the brim and spouting liigh pro- tection, while the Democrats are not pre- pared to meet tl em for want of docimients. —New Yurii Herald, July 29, iSS«. Dr. Hiookes, of St. Louis, must be a nice man to live with. He refers to Dr. R. W. Dale and Dr. Parker as 'blataat ulathek- SKiTKs,' and evidently regards Professor Drummond as beyond reformation. — Chicago Watchman. Blatt, To. — To talk with noisy assur- ance and bluster ; doubtless a derivative of " blatant." It is not so now to rattle off the easy names of disreputable Democratic 'chiefs' as it was in Bill Tweed's day. But now, one of these insects of an hour rears up and BLATTS, every monkey organ in the land needs put on its ULATTiNo-srop and grinds away in a frenzy.— Sau Francisco News Let- ter, February 4, 1888. b L A u s E R ( Vipcra herns) . blazer. The deaf adder. ■Dutch Blaze. — The early settlers in travers- ing the vast forests which abounded on the American conti- nent found it very necessary to mark their route. This they did by the simple expedient of blazing; the trees at convenient distances. Blazing consists merely m chopping a piece of the bark off each tree selected in the desired line of march. The mark itself is called a blaze. In addition to this, biasing was also adopted as an indication that the land within the limits of the trees thus marked had been appropriated by a settler — a rude and informal, but, in early days, a the ' "hly well recog- nized method of securing a title to the land. Some writers affect to derive the word from the old French blazon the armorial bearing of the Normans, and quote the use of " blazen," by Shakspeare, in a sense not altogether dissimilar to the meaning conveyed L-y blazing, as proof to this effect. It is doubtful, therefore, Vv-hether the word is a genuine Americanism ; at all events Bla:.'ing Stars 62 Blind i illi it is in general use in nearly all I'-n^^'lish colonics, especially those, like Australia, where there ha\'e been, or me still, lari^e tracts of primeval forest land. 'I'liewliiteZ/A*':' orspot ill tlieforeheadof ahorse will also be familiar. Hence prol)al)ly TO lii.AZK an;l to i!r..\zic out in the sense of marking out, etc. Thn direct ascent of the peak is no small task. Tlioie is very littk; trail just here. The trcei have; Ijccui iiiarkcMl or hi.azki), and that is about all. — iVt.v Yai-lt Ucralil, July 29, Adam was r,r;et bciaid in the family.' —Chicaj^o Liilgcr, May 12, i^iSH, Blind Eel. — Among fishermen, "to catch a blind eel " is to bring to the surface a piece of seaweed or some other worthless object in place of the fish supposed to have been hooked ; anil metaphorically the expression signhics obtaining a re- sult of little worth compared with that sought ; fruitless endeavour. Blind Poker. — A form of poker largely patronised by those whose gambling propensities are keenly developed. I'oker at its best is little else than a game of chance, but in blind pokci' the hazartls are indefinitely increased by betting on the cards in one's hand prior to examination. — See Poker. Blinkers.— Blank your blinkkrs. — A euphemistic oath, equivalent to the more common " D n your eyes." 'I'.i.ANK voi;i< ni.iNKP.RS,' aiiKiily retorted Hiudec), ' your bnsin(!ss was not to figlit, but sho.v us th(.- i'A\ii\\\y.'— American Humorist. Blivvy. — A command. Used as in quotation. If the comp'ny was fir to come 'round an' say, ' \iv not tor wear pluf! lials an' kid f^loves cr ijuit workin' 0.1 ih' road,' why, lli.U'd be a diif 'rent niatler .-iliojiellier — sei; ? itut, as 1 under;. l.'ind it, tli(ty don't inakf^:^ V.A 1.0 I.I |28 |Z5 2.2 ^ Itl 12.0 1.8 11.25 i 1.4 i 1.6 % ^ ^ A y /^ Boh-Veal 72 Bogue single animal, and on which the only official is a driver, whose office it is to collect fares and generally perform the duties of conductor in addition to his own. These vehicles have met with great opposition in American cities on account of the great danger to life and limb resulting from the driver's inability to attend properly to his own especial duty. The ANTi-BoiiTAiL CAR War, which lias broken out in New York, has extended to this city. North-east Washington has held a meeting, appointed a grievance coniinittce, and have pledged themselves not to deposit nor pass forward their own fare nor that of any other person on or after the ist of Sep- tember, 188S, in the one-horse cars of the Columbia Railway, b\it to tender it to any authorized person who shall come to collect the same. Congre.ss, which titilizos Wash- ington as an experimental legislative garden, might try the experiment of abolishing nou- TAii, CARS.— 7"/if Christian tit Work, 1S88. bob-Veal. — Veal so immature as to be unfit for food. The law pro- hibits the sale of prematurely born calves, and veal under a certain age. A prominent butcher, when questioned yesterday, said:— 'It is time this traffic in shrimp and bob-veal was stopped. If the public only knew how filthy some of the veal is that is sold, they would stop usinp it altogether.' — San Francisco Wetkly Exami- ner, March 22, i8«3. BoBWHiTc. — The American ruffled grouse (Bonasa umbella) . A popular name derived from the drumming sound produced by the rapid beating of its wings (though some suppose it to be vocal). Owing to the unsatisfactory state of knowledge concerning bird life in America, this bird is confused with the partridge in New England, and with the quail and the pheasant in the Middle and Southern States. BocKEv. — From the Dutch bokaal denotes a vessel made from a gourd. The use of this term is confined to New York city and its immediate neighbourhood. BoDETTE. — Of French - Canadian origin (French beaudette). — The name of a small cot or crib bed- stead. BoDEWASH. — The dried dung of cat- tle, which, on the arid treeless plains of New Mexico and Te.\as, is largely used for fuel. This is the BUFFALO CHIP (q.v.) of the Western hunter and trader. In many parts little or no other fuel is obtainable, and even when green brushwood is at hand dried dung is used in pre- ference, since it is a capital heat producer and givet- orth less smoke. The word bodewasli is a corruption of the French biis de vache. BoDOK, BowDARK (Miulunx auyaiittaca). — The osage orange. A beautiful shrub, which flourishes in Missouri and Arkansas, the bright yellow, elastic wood of which is largely used by the Indians for their bows. In consequence it received the name bois d'arc from the French settlers, and gradually got corrupted into buicdayk, and finally mtobodok, by which name it is now generally known. The plant is easily dwarfed and rendered bushy by pruning, and is, therefore, much used for hedge-rows. Body-Cover (Cant). — A coat. One is almost tempted to ask whether this is the only garment known to the criminal classes. BODY-SnaTCHEH. — A MEAN BODV- SNATCHER. — See Blowhard. Bogue. — Making a sudden appearance. New England. De Vere thinks this comes from the same root as bogey, and quotes it as in frequent use in the sense of coming sud- denly upon men. Bogus 73 Boiled Shirt Bogus. — Unreal ; counterfeit ; false. Various accounts are given as to the genesis of this word, which though undoubtedly of American origin has now passed as completely into the vernacular as " burke " and "boycott." Hartlett merely quotes the accounts given by the Boston Conner in 1857 to the effect that the word is a vile corruption of the Italian name Borghese, a notorious swindler, who, about the year 1837, literally flooded the Western and South-western States with fictitious cheques, notes and bills of exchange and similar securities to an enormous amount. It is said that the name was gradually corrupted first to borges and then to bogus, and the man Borghese being associated in the popular mind with doubtful money transactions, his name so corrupted into bogus became applied to frau- dulent papers and practices, and latterly to any spurious or counter- feit object, as bogus money, hair, diamonds, accusations, etc. James Russell Lowell, however, suggests another very different derivation of the word. He thinks it has de- scended in a corrupted form from the French bagnsse, the refuse of the sugar cane after the juice has been expressed. This worth- less product has, it is suggested, given the name to other worthless things, having travelled from Louisiana up the Mississippi, and thence throughout the Union, finally spreading itself over the English speaking world. Hence also BOGUSLY in a similar sense to the foregoing. BOHEA Tea. — The Bolua tea of the States must not by any means be confounded with the well - known Chinese brand. The term simply means a dark tea made of every other shrub and plant but the Simon Pure. BoHN. — A translation ; a " pony." The volumes of Bohn's Classical Library are in such general use among undergraduates in American Col- leges, that Bohn has come to be a common name for a translation. 'Twas plenty of skin with a good deal of BoiiN,— SoH'js, Jlicnntal Jubilee Yale College, i«55. Boies. — According to American -In- dian mythology, these are priests of the savages of Florida. Each priest has his special idol, which must be invoked by the fumes of tobacco. Boiled Shirt, otherwise Bilcd Shirt. —In the West biled shirt is the odd name given to one of white linen, and it is not difficult to see the line of reasoning from which the term derives its significance. In the active stirring life of the West little count is taken of the convenances of civilization, and only on Sundays and festive occasions would the woollen undergarment be discarded for the white linen article. Indeed, in many cases, the former would be worn until it literally dropped to pieces Now white shirts are facetiously known as biled shirts all over the States, and only recently (May, 1888) a question in dispute between the employes cf the Chicago Tramway Companies and the managers of the same was whether the former should wear, when on duty, colored or biled shirts. 'Go way, Ab'in, you sho'ly is childish I Git tor baid, case yer got terpit on yo' bilki) SHIRT in de uiawnin' arly, en git radey fur chu'ch.'— Z;rti7> Inter-Ocean, Feb. 13, i88vj. Is it possible! that the Chicagoans never heard of vvliitc shirts before this spring? May be the street-railway presidents never saw a starched shirt (I must deplore the use of the word uilkd as applied to shirts) until this yesLT.—New York World, May 1.1, 1888. 10 ». 1 ii Bois d'Arc 74 Bone lii i ;-< -This graceful appellation is sometimes varied by biled rag. If a man wanted a fight .... all he had to do was to appear in public in a white shirt and a stovc-uipe hat .... ; for they had a particular animosity to what tliey called a niLED RAO.— .Wrtfft Twain s Innocents at Home, chap. xii. BOIS o-ARc. — See Bodok. Bois de MACHC.—See Bodf.wash. BoKc (Cant). — The nose ; possibly only a corruption of "beak" used in English cant with a similar meaning. BoLtRO. — A favorite Spanish dance. In Spain bolnv is applied both to the dance and to the men who, on the stage, take part in it. Bolt. — Used as a verb to indicate the right of the independently minded to revolt against partisan rule, as "He bolted the party nomi- nations." Also pronominally, as " He has organized a bolt." The word derived this meaning from its sporting application to a horse when he becomes unmanageable on the race-course. It is rarely used with its dictionary meaning in political connections ; and, when so used, is generally misunder- stood by the average reader. Also BOLTER, one who exercises the right of abstention. What the Register does object to are the fellows who BOLT the ticket and support the opposition candidate when they cannot control nominations.— £>' Inter -Ocean, Feb. 3, 1888. BoMBo. — A hedge -hog -like animal found in North Carolina, and by some called a badger. BOMBPR00F8. — An epithet applied to a band of men who came from Cis-Mississippi States and claimed that each one of their number was an equal match for ten Yankees. —See Ten strikers. Bonanza. — The name of a mine in Nevada, which once, quite unex- pectedly, turned out to be "a big thing," and of enormous value ; now applied to any lucky hit or successful enterprise. The word is Spanish, meaning prosperity or success. The iTiines alonj: the veins running north and south, of which North Belle Isle is the centre, are all stayers, and in the east and west Icdjje Grand Pri/o lias entered a body of ore which may develop into a noNANZA as big as tlie one which paid millions in dividends in years gone by. — Siin Francisco JS'cic's Letter, Feb. 4, 1888. Bone. — When a traveller, in passing his luggage through the Custom House, tips the officer in the ex- pectation that the latter's exami- nation of his impedimenta will be more or less superficial, the fee thus given is termed a bone. The practice is, of course, contrary to all regulations ; but, human nature being human nature all the world over, it is believed that similar expedients for evading the law are not altogether unknown in England. Bone pits. — Indian places of interment. These iow^/Z/i are found scattered throughout the United States and Canada, the practice among Indian tribes being to de- posit such remains in long trenches or pits. This ceremony of con- signing their dead to a final resting-place is called the "second burying," and occurs at intervals varying from eight to ten years. The custom was known to the early settlers as "the festival of the dead." Bones. — Castanet-like instruments ; properties of " negro " or, as they are better known in England (from some famous per- Boneset 75 Bony Fish formers in this line) — Christy Min- strels. Generally one of the "end men " performs with these instru- ments, and is, in consequence, di>,'ni- fied with the title of " Hrudder Uones." To fkel a thing in ONi;'s BONKS. — A simile si},'nifying assurance ; conviction. I ain't a-goin' to niontion no names but I kin tKKL IT IN MV iioNr.s that thinKsniii't on tlic square licro ; tlicri^'s a iii^jRcr on the fence. ^Scnhiicr'i Sl(tf;azini\ Nat M. Shelloii uf I..incas(or saiibis. Ike Hill, Issq., who has betni so stioiii^ly, and on such hi^h authority, lepresiMitpd as cn|;a(;ed in the disli ihuliun of iioodi.k, is an otlicer of the National Mouse, and has no opportunity thereto vindicati; iiiinself wilh- oiil inveFtitjatiiin. I'eih.ips the RepiiMicaii niemhers will be able to accoiiiniodate him in that respect. — CiluiiiHilii Wifkly C'lZiite, Feb. 22, i««;i. (2) Its variants are almost numberless Amongst the thieving Hoodie 77 Boom ity fmidle is money that is rutually s|)uri()iis or C()unt>'l< tli'i' rniintry is all i iidS8. 'Jim, they say thar is a big bi;m up at Rome.' ' What's that ? ' said Jim. 'It's a kind of new tradin' business what swells and shrinks, and the swcller and shrinkor stays down in a celler and works the machine. They trade in stock.' ' Horses and mules ? ' said Jim. ' No, liit's all on paper, and nobody can see what he's buyin . You put your money ill and wait for a swell. If it comes you are all right, but if a shrink comes you are busted, and you feel so ashamed that you don't say anything about it, and it never gets into the papers — nothing but the swells gits into the papers.' — Miisoiiri Republican, Feb. 16, iS8«. By the sudden breaking of a very large BOOM of logs in Palouse River, near Colfax, Washington Territory, yesterday, Moses Ebert was killed, an unknown man was drowned, and three other men seriously injured. — ^cw York Evening Post, Feb. 24, 18S8. After the Sheridan reception of course John Sherman must come to Boston. The Ohio statesman knows where all the real live BOOMS start. If Mr. Blaine is wise he also will come to the ' Hub ' without delay. —Boston Daily Globe, i88b. A BOOM in North Carolina is not the kind of phenomenon to which we are accustomed here. Sales of land at from 2 dols. to 10 dols. an acre in a boom-belt are not of record hereabout. — Picuyuuc, 1888. Ben Butterworth, of Ohio, one of the mainstays of lohn Sherman's boominu SQUAU, has just had the title of boss Repub- lican tariff debater conferred upon him by the culture of Boston.— C/iica^o Herald, 1888. BooMA (Sciurus hudsonius). — This is a North Carolina term for the little red squirrel, which, in the Northern States, is popularly known as the CHICKAREE (qv.). JSooma is the Indian name. BooNocR. — A Dutch term for a brush. Still commonly used in New York and New Jersey. Boost, To. — To hoist or raise by pushing from below or behind. An Old English word. Boot, To. — To kick ; derivation ob- vioi's. Bootee. — A shoe of the blucher pattern. Boot-Lick. — A flunkey; hanger-on; or doer of dirty work. Boots. — At the College of South Carolina it is customary to present the most unpopular member of a class with a pair of handsome red- topped boots, on which is inscribed the word bi-auty. They were for- merly given to the ugliest person, whence the inscription. Border Ruffians. — This came promi- nently into use during the Kansa.s- Nebraska troubles of 1854-5, ^^^ was originally applied to bands of voters who crossed the border from the slave States in order to carry the elections in the territories. — See Bleeding Kansas. Borning Ground. — The country of one's birth ; thejground upon which one was born ; one's native soil. Bos 79 Dostoncse Bos. — At the University of Virginia, the dessert which the students, according to the statutes of the college, are allowed twice per week, are respectively called the senior and junior bos. BosAAL. — A halter of particular con- struction, used in the breaking-in of horses. From the Spanish bozal, a muzzle. BosHiNc (Cant). — A flogging. Boss. — The political /)05i is the leader who.se word is law to his hench- men. J3oss Tweed, of New York, is believed to have been the first to wear the title in a semi-official way. The phrase hoss kulf. is said to have been invented by Mr. Wayne MacVeagh, and was employed by him in political speeches in Chicago. It is now in common use in this sense. Originally the word (Dutch baas) was used in New York and vicinity in a semi-respectful way. Now in common use on both sides of the Atlantic — as a noun, a master ; adjective, pleasant ; and as a verb, to lead, to domineer. Alderman Campbell — I move an amend- ment to make Hamline the (general superin- tendent and chief iioss of this whole M'^s business. ' Didn't I rent you the land for a third of the crop ? ' ' Yes, hoss,' said the man ; ' but you see dere was no third. Derc was only two bales of cotton and two loads of corn ; all mine, and nuffin' foryoul)y the contract.' And the landlord could not make Cuflee believe any other way. — A mcrican Uuir.oiist, 1888. Take it all together, with scarcity of food and little sleep, we had a hard but a noss timc.—Iirooklyn Daily Eagle, March iS, 1888. When lovely woman hires a servant And BOSSES her around all day, What makes the girl pray half so fervent As her desire to run away. —Texas Si/tings, July, 1888. The organization of the Republican State Executive Committee the other evening de- veloped about the highest handed bit of uossiSM that has come to the surface for years.— Ci;ifi»i/i(''i Enquirer, 1888. Boston. — A card game of American origin and dating from the War of Independence. In The Laws of the Eastern States occurs the following note. A game of cards was invented in Versaul and called in honor of the town Boston ; the points of the game are allusive — "Great Independence," "Little Independence," "Great Misery," " Little Misery," etc. It was com- posed partly of whist and partly of another game partaking most of the former. A correspondent of the Magazine of American History, writing in 1879, reported that it was then hardly known in the States, but that it might be useful to card players to know that it was a most interesting game. At that time it was fretjuently played in France, and was almost the ex- clusive game in every "circle" in the North of Europe from Amster- dam to St. Petersburg. It has been suggested that this game was invented by Dr. Franldin, and there is a tradition that he was fond of playing it. The Boston ci.tJB of New Orleans, one of the oldest social clubs in that city, was named after it, and it is curious to note that there are islands in Boston Harbour about Salem, and other places perhaps, bearing the name of Independence, Great Misery and Little Misery. In this game Boston means "to get five tricks." Boston ESE. — Used in the same man- ner as telegraphese, i.e., in a manner peculiar to the Daily Telegraph. Bostonese, therefore, is .'> method of speech or manners supposed to be specially affected by the residents of that city. The lady was in jolly ^ond spirits, and she bore the honors of her position with her K! Bostov Xotions 80 I3ouf(hten customary tact and savoir/aire. There were a nuiiiber of neople present, principally BoKTONKSK.and tliey treated the l)rinlu Utile visitor with great respect and attention. — New York HeraUl, July 29, iB«8. Boston Notions. — This is a well- known expression and dates back many years. It was used during the last century, and even at that time had become proverbial. In the preface to an oration on the " Heauties of Liberty," delivered at Boston, December 3, 1773, by "a British Bostonian " (Mr. Allen), it says that "the Bostonians are very notional." Again in the Massa- chusetts Meniiiy, May 3, 1793, is an article headed " J3oston folks are full of notions," which speaks of the fact as a proverbial saying. BoTHCRsouc. — Annoying; vexatious. Bottom. — Power of endurance ; stamina. Hnglish slang which is thoroughly and respectably collo- quial in the States. A buffalo can run only about two-thirds as fast as a );ood horse ; but what he lacks in speed, he makes up in hot 1 om or endurance, in tenacity of purpose, and in most extra- ordinary vitality.— Do(/g^f'$ Plains of the Great West. To KNOCK THE BOTTOM OUT OF ONE, is to overcome ; to defeat, etc. The declination of Mr. Blaine has knock- ed the BOTTOM out of Mugwunipcry. — Cleveland Leader, ii>88. Bottom dollar. — The last dollar. The phrase " to bet one's bottom dollar" is frequently heard. Bottom facts. — The exact truth about any matter. To " get to the bottom facts " concerning a subject ir>to irrive at an unquestion- able conclusion concerning it, or, as we should say in England, to get to the root of the question. You take a family able to emba'ni, and you've got a suft thiiii;. You can mention sixteen diflorent ways to do it— though there aint only one or two ways when you conic down to till! noTToM facts of it — and they'll take the highest ])i iced way every time. It's human nature— human nature in urief.— .UiirA Twain's Lite on the Mississippi, V- 393- The phrase is also varied by BOTTOM KOCK. Bottom Kock, Conductor (on California train some years hence) — ' All out for Pitholeville.' Keal Kstate Anent (eiiteriu); car)— 'Orange groves and apple orchards, two for a penr.y.' —Omaha World, 1888. Bottom Lands or Bottom. — Flat land in the valleys. Dave K(;nsctt, an iiidustrous old negro who livrs down in the hottoms, is greatly annoyed by the inenihers of the churcli. — Amcncitn Humorist, i88t<. The bhills of the Mississipiii only follow the >;eneral course of the stream, and as one Hoe:; to the southward they get farther away from the strc.im, till the hot roM i.ANns are from thirty to sixty miles wide, and below Baton Kouge, as aforesaid, the wliole country is hottom. Above St. Louis these wide lowlands are rare ; but the noted American hottom is several miles wide oppoiitu Hannibal, Mo., and extends the length of two or three counties on the Illinois side. This tract contains some 200 square miles of the most fertile land in the wc:ld. — Ami-riciin Humorist, 1S88. BouGC, To. — From the old French boiige, a swelling. To be puffed out ; to bulge ; or swell out. An old provinciaHsra now rarely heard in England, but still current in the remote parts of New England. BoucHTtN. — Past participle of "to buy," in which the archaic termina- tion is still preserved ; like gotten, putten, etc. Used adjectively, it serves to distinguish shop bought goods from home manufactures (New England and New York). The distinction will be readily un- derstood in connection with baker's bread as compared with what is known as home - made bread. Doughlcn is yet a provincialism Bounce 8i Bower in use in the North of England as regards the former. Bounce, To. — To expel by force; \.j eject with violence. To-day Mayor Armstrong, with the chief of police and sixty regular and special policcnien, went to Arsenal Hill, the scene of tlieland-jtnnpinR, and ordered all the tres- passers off, warnin.4 them that the land was claimed by the city. The jnmpers did not go, whereupon the Mayor ordered his force to BouN'CE them and tear down their shanties, tents and fences, which was promptly done, and a guard left to prevent the jumpers' return. — Cinciiiiinti Weekly Gazette, February 22, i8b8. Also to swagger; hence a BOUN'CKR is a thief who commits his depredations with bravado and bullying. The term is also used to signify one who ejects, in Eng- lish slang a "chucker out." He settled in New Orleans, and was first employed as nouNCKii in a ball-room and cafe of old creoIe days. — Atiierican Humorist, i8«S. To GET THE GRAND BOUNCE is equivalent, in political parlance, to dismissal, especially in reference to government appointments. Bouncing Cheat (Cant). — A bottle. BouNG (Cant). — A purse. Bounty-Jumper. — The War of the Rebellion is responsible for this, as for many other colloquialisms. As the conflict lengthened out, men became in great request, and large bounties were offered by the North for volunteers. This bounty was found in many cases to be a direct incitement with unprincipled men to bad faith and unfair dealing. Such would eniist, receive their bounty, join their regiment, and then decamp, to reappear in an- other State to go through the same performance. Cases were known where this was done many times over, and the practice was called bounty-jumping. — Ste Jumping. Bourbon. — (i) A Democrat of the straitest sect ; a kire-eater (qv.). Applied for the most part to Southern Democrats of the old school. This use of the word jrobably ante-dates the Civil War, jut no instance of such use has been found in print. Bourbon County, Kentucky, is popularly associated with this kind of Demo- crat, but we must look to the old Bourbon party in France — uncom- promising adherents of political tradition— for its true paternity. (2) A superior kind of whiskey originally applied to that manu- factured in Bourbon, Kentucky. BowoARK or BODOK (q -v) . — Also bots d'arc. Bowel. — At Harvard, "To have no bowels" is to be poor, destitute, or without means. Of scriptural derivation, the word being used in a somewhat similar sense in the Bible. Bower (Right and left). — Terms at euchre, designating the two highest cards in the pack, the right bower being the knave of the suit turned up as trumps, and the left bower the corresponding card in the suit of the same colour, j.f., clubs if spades are trumps, or hearts if diamonds, and, of course, vice versd. Some philologists, es- pecially those who favor the theory that all card games, in the first instance, were full of polit- ical allusions and import, regard euchre as a case in point, and de- rive boiceriromthe German bauer, a peasant or yeoman, who thus ap- propriates kingly place and power. This may be so, but the idea is somewhat fanciful, especially as, if it II ■• 'i,iii::!i'' m Bowery 82 Box be true at all that the game is of (ierman origin, the Teutons of the f)erio(l of its birth were certainly ittle enough affected with Demo- cratic ideas, and it would rather seem that our American cousins in their loyalty to the Kepublican sentiment have, in seeking a deri- vation for the terms used in one of their favorite games, allowed the wish to become father of the thought. Idiomatically, botar is now used in the slang sense of "excellent," "foremost," etc. Tor example, a man might describe a good and true wife as his right bower ; or, as in one of the follow- ing quotations, the colloquial sense may be even more extended. Sandy Tipton .... rose for a moment superior to the fiict tliat he had an acR and two nouKK.s in his sleeve.— /^M Ihirte's Luck of Roariiij; Camp, p. 76. ' Wiiat have you got there ? I call,' said T. quietly. ' Two uowEKS and an ace ' said the stran- ger, showing two revolvers and a bowie knUe.—hnt Haiti's 'laiiKssee's Partner, p. zio. (Cant). — A prison. Bow'Rv Boys and Girls. — The 'Arry's and 'Arriet's of the New York of .ome years ago. The bowery is a well-known thorough- fare in the American metropolis where such congregate. Formerly spelt bouwerij and derived from bouti>, tillage, or bouwen, to till, to cultivate, and is equivalent to the modern Dutch word boerderij, a farm, or the business of farming. The bowery was the farm of Governor Stuyvesant. Bowit or Bowie- Knife. — A long, for- midable weapon, sometimes over a foot in length and two inches broad, only worn by hunters and desperadoes in the wilder and more unsettled parts of the Union. One kind is facetiously called an Arkan.sas toothpick (qv.). The term bowii' was derived from a notorious character. Colonel Jim Howie. A stalw.-irt ruffian .... who carried two revolvers in hi<^ belt, and a ikiwik-knifr prcijecting from liis hooi.— Mark Twain's A'iiii^'/ii«a; it, chap. 31. — Also TO BOWIE-KNIFE, i.e., tO biab with that weapon. . . . The same Mr. Softroc who would meet you at the liquor bar of a Mississippi sic.itner, inveigle yon to play Poker, cheat yon, ay, and quirkly iiowikknife you if you discovered that it was through cheating that you had lost your dollars. Bowman. — An antiquated Virginian term among army men for a body- servant. The name itself dates l)ack to a period prior to the intro- duction of powder and shot — perhaps one of the oldest relics of pre-colony days now extant in the New World. BOWMAN'S Boot {Gillenia trifoliata). — A medicinal plant with emetic qualities, perhaps more generally known as Indian physic. It is a species of ipecacuanha. Bowsprit (CantJ. — The nose; clearly of nautical origin. To HAVE one's BOWSPRIT IN PAREN- THESIS is tO have it pulled. "To have one's head in Coventry " will occur to mind as an English slang phrase very similar in character. Box. — (i) Also known as a battery {q.v) A kind of flat boat used in duck shooting. (2) A technical term, signifying, in North Carolina, a large bowl-like incision made in gum-bearing or resinous trees for the purpose of collecting the exuding sap. This operation is known as " boxing a tree," hence TO BOX in this sense. Box Car Box Car. — A holsk-car so called ; a close car used to convey furniture and merchandize by rail. When your legs fail you at last, you lie down on a small BOX CAR .... and are drat;«c(l up to daylight.— .Vrt;-* Twain't Iniwceiits at Home, chap. vii. Box Elder {Negundium aiuericanum). — Also known as the a.sh-leaved MAPLE. Bob McCord had stopped in the darkness under the sliah"p man to win the whole sum. There is not a surer game for the "house" in existence than this. Indeed the chances of Inickct-sliop customers winning are so very small that they amount to almost nil. As to other un- fair advantages that the biichctshopc drawn between tlie establishments known by that name in b'ngland, and those which flourish in America under the same title, though in very truth the proceedings of some of the former are scandalous enough. Now York, Fob. 11.— (Special.)— Inspector Byrnes was sci/cd with anotiicr spasm of in(li)>natioii aKaiiist the bl'ckkt-.shois this iiiorniiit;, and, accompanied l>y deH'clives antl a squad of ofliccis, he swooped down upon tint lidis of these enemies of the .-^toclt I£xclian»;c lliat aliound on Lower liroadway and New Street.— .Wissiiiiii Rcpubluiiii, I'l h. 12, iH«H. (2) A low groggcry. BucKcv.— The Ai.r.wiKK {qr). West- ern Conni'cticut. BUCKtYE : BUCKEVE STATE : BUCK- EYES. — The State and inhabitants of Ohio. The terms are derived from the hucheyc tree [Acsculus glabra) or Iwyse clicatniit tree which is not merely a native of the West, but peculiar to it, being the only forest tree which does not grow elsewhere in the Union. Indeed it has received from American bota- nists the specific name of Ohincnsis from its abundance in the beautiful valleys of the State of Ohio. The Ohio man has made his mark, and now the Oliio girl is coming to the fore. A Bi'CKEYK damsel, tired of hearing the farmers in her section growl about wheat- growing not paying decided she'd see about il.—Troy Daily Times, February 8, 1888. Buckeyes are very proud of the con- nection with their native State. Buckeyes are not easily conquered, and could not easily be destroyed. — Magazine 0/ American History, January, 1888. Buckeye is often used adjectively to signifj- excellence of quality. BUCK FEVER or BUCK AGUE {^.t'.). Buck Fly. -An insect pest, which, at certain seasons of the year, he- comes very troidjUsome to deer, sometimes being sullicient to drive them from one feeding ground to another. BucKiNQ. — A species of voudooism ((].v.), consisting of superstitious and barbarous rites. The qm;erest thing about the poor white is, that not one was ever known to make any kitxi of religious profession. There is, so far as I know, but one thing in which they btlirvf, .uid that is wh.it i> ier,ii< il further South voiiilooisni, or, as they term it here, iifcKiNo.— 7'»o.v Daily Times, Feb. 8, 1888. BUCKING-HORSE.— Str To HtlCK. BucKiNG-iRON (Mining). — A small flat iron tool used in huckittf; or breaking up ores. — U'chftey. Buckler (Cant). — A collar. Buck Negro. — A strong negro. — Sec Buck (section 2). Buck Party. — An assembly com- posed entirely of the male sex ; also STAG PAKTV. BucKRA. — A negro title for a white man. Also used adjectively in the sense of "superior," "first-rate," "excellent." The Rev. J. L. Wilson, familiar with the language of the Calabar coast, informed Mr. Bartlett that the natives of that region understood by the word buckra a powerful, superior intelli- gence ; hence, probably, its employ- ment by the negroes of the Ameri- can continent as a title for white men. This seems not unlikely when it is remembered that the former are descended from slaves brought, in the first instance, I Ihick Shot War 07 lUtfjalo Berry mainly from the West Coast of Africa. Buckshot War, — The disturbances wh \ occurred in Pennsylvania, in 1838, were so designated when, owinj,' to electoral disputes, the military had to Ije called out, orders being issued that they should bo supplied with cartridges of the bitc/isliot stamp. Buckskins. — The pre - revolutionary cognomen of the American troops. Opinions differ as to the derivation of the term. Some think it arose because of their dressed deer or biiilislJii garments ; others, that it was bestowed on account of the nucleus of Washington's troops being drawn from Virginia, a State settled by hunters, who traded in the skins of the animal in question. If we are to accept more recent instances as any criterion, the first- named derivation seems the most likely. Compare with bovs in IILUE, JOHNNY REBS, BLUE BELLIES, etc. BucKTAiLs. — A political faction orig- inating in New York in 1818, which was opposed to the administration of Governor De Witt Clinton. The members wore hucktails in their hats, and belonged to the benevo- lent association known as the Tammany Society {q.v.). Buckwheat-Cake. — Ducku'heat is little known in England save as food for birds, but, in the United States it enters largely into the pop- ir food supply, buckwhcat-cakcs being especially esteemed as delicacies. There were no books, no newspapers, no wife of my own race 91 blood, no theatres, no hotels, no restaura..ts, no Kast River oysters, no niince-pies, neither buckwiikat- CAKKS nor an; thing that was good for a cultivated palate to love. — Stanliy's How I found Livingstone, BuDQc (Cant). — An accomplice who gains access to a buililing dur- ing the day for the purpose of being locked in. When night comes he is thus easily able to admit his fellow thieves. Bud of Pnoiviisc,— A facetious slang term for a young, unmarried wo- man. The yoiinc, unmarried girl, in sport. Is called a nun oi' imki msk ; She blooms each year at some resort, The weather when it warm is. And in the Fall a score of men, Whose hearts till now have harm missed. Compare sad notes, and find out thc.a To each the uun is promised. —Charlatown Enterprise, iSSf, BUTE (Cant). — In the parlance of the criminid classes a hufc is a dog. BuKE-NAi'PER. — A dog thict J also a mean rogue. Buff. — To buff it home. — To swear hard and fast to a statement. Prob- ably a corruption of "to bluff" as used in poker, i.e., to make a bold stand without a backing upon which to rely. Buffalo (i) (Bison americanus). — The American bison ((7.1/.). (2) Often used instead of buffalo robe, the skin of that animal, it being thus distinguished from the skins of all other game. Generally speaking however, buffalo in this sense means a dressed skin used as a wrap or covering. (3) An extraordinarily shaped lish (Tuiiriclitliys) found in the Mississippi and other Southern rivers. Buffalo Berry [Shepherdia avgentea). — So called from its being mostly found on the plains once frequented by the buffalo, and especially in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains. The tree attains no great height, »3 I Bujjalo Bush 98 Buffalo Wallow but its scarlet berries form an article of food with Indian tribes. Buffalo Bush. — A native of the region round Humboldt River ; a shrub, the fruit of which is called the bull-berry. Buffalo Chips. — The dung of the BUFFALO which, when dried, is used for fuel. Also called by the French bois de vache (q.v). The next day was spent looking for the buffalo supposed to be somewhere on tlie Rid^e, which was followed up to the head of Chalcedony Creek. A great many elk were seen, a few sheep and much old buffalo sign. A camp was made on the Ridge by a large green pine, a fire was built of r' Ti'ALo CHIPS, of wliich a great quantity was lying arouud. — Forest and Stream, March 15, 1888. Buffalo Cider. — A liquid found in the stomach of the buffalo, which has sometimes served the hunter in good stead, when far removed from water. Buffalo Clover (Trifolium nJJexum and stolonifernum). — This popular name is derived from the fact of the plant abounding in the West, once the haunt of the buffalo. Buffalo Gnat. — A small, black insect pest, common on the prairies of the West. Very pertinaceous in habit, and wiih a poisonous bite. Buffalo Grass (Sesteria dadyloides). — A short grass found in great abun- dance on the prairies of the West, and which, at one time, formed the favorite food of the BUFFALO. A pe- culiarity of this herbage is that, in winter, the blades wither, but do not fall or decay, and in the foUow- ng spring they again become ver- dant — a process seemingly akin to the circulation of the sap in trees, with one important distinction, namely, that whereas the tree is re-invested with leaves each sea- son, the self -same blades of the buffalo grass are again and again re- vivified. — See Gramma grass. Buffalo Nut (Pyndia oleifera). — The oil nut of the West. BUFFALO ROBE.— A Tug or covcring made of the buffalo skin. More commonly called a buffalo [q.v.). A furious storm of wind and snow with the most intense cold set in, and we, with all the protection of the thickets, with our Sibley stoves red hot, were forced to remain undercover of piles of buffalo robks all next day.— iJoi/g-f's I'laiiis of the Great West. Buffalo Soldiers. — Colored regi- ments in the United States Army, An Indian term applied to the men on duty at the military posts scat- tered about the Indian reservations, probably from their dark color and woolly heads. Buffalo Wallow. — Curious depres- sions in the prairies are so called. These, says Dodge, are formed in the following manner. A heavy rainfall deluges the hard and level country. The water is soon ab- sorbed by the thirsty soil, or licked up by the hot sun-rays ; a portion of the soil, a little more moist than that adjoining, opens in cracks, such as can be seen in any ordinary dried-up mud hole. Another hard rain comes : these cracks are filled up by earth washed from their edges, which, packed more tightly, and retaining moisture longer than before, cracks again wider in drying. This process is repeated again and again, until quite a de- pression is made in the soil, which is now so tightly packed as to retain water for a considerable time. When the buffalo is shed- ding his coat in the spring, he is constantly endeavouring to get rid Bti^alo Wolf 99 Btig-jfnice of the superfluous hair, and, in the absence of trees against which to rub, he is frequently rolling and rubbing himself on the ground. These small water-holes are his especial delight. The buffalo is in no way necessary to the formation of the buffalo wallow, it being found in parts of the country where there are no buffalo. The process of for- mation is exactly similar to that of the HOG w.^LLOW (q.v.) of Southern Texas. Given certain conditions of soil, position, and rainfall, and prolific nature does the rest. Buffalo Wolf. — A lean, gaunt, and hungry looking animal, as tall as an ordinary greyhound. They are of an exceedingly cowardly disposi- tion, one alone not possessing courage to attack even a sheep. Buffers. — One of the names of the genus rough of American cities. Bug. — (i) The term bii^ is, in the United States, not confined merely, as in England, to the domestic pest, but is applied to all insects of the Coleoptera order, which includes what in this country are generally called beetles. The English bug (Cimcx kctularius) is, in the South, known as the chinch. Entomology, or bugology, is now taught to some extent in our public schools. This is well, and is of use. The ciiildrcn ought to learn about the bugs that are destructive to useful vegetation. It is better to learn much about BUGS than so much about how to solve those arithmetical problems that will never face anybody in the practical affairs of life.— Fro/u the Grass Valley (Cal.) Tidings, i«88. The Insane Asylum Board some time ago discontinued a bug-killer's employment, and the doctor avers that the old hospital building is swarming with cockroaches, and that these buos will soon be large and fat enough to carry out the inmates and take their food and clothes.— Dm/j' Iiitcr-Occuit, March, iSbH. (2) A cockade worn by servants on their hats when in livery ; for instance, Mark Twain in his Roughing It, speaks of a turn-out of grey horses, landau, and " a coach- man with a bug on his hat." (3] (Cant) A breast-pin. (4) Also used idiomatically ; as big- bug (q.v.). A jocose and vulgar name for a person of wealth or distinction. Thence also come CATTLE -BUGS, that is, wealthy stock - raisers ; gold - bugs, or monied men, etc. 'Would Senator Allison's well-known views on silver coinage operate materially against him in Now York?' ' I think not ; I do not think the feeling against silver is anything like as strong as it was. Of course, a few gold-bugs might fight him, but any of the men I have men- tioned arc reasonably certain to carry New York.'— S<. Louis Globe Democrat, March 5, 18S8. That beats the bugs, i.e., that beats cock-fighting. BUGAROCH (Cant).— Pretty. Bugging (Cant). — Policemen are bugged in criminal class phraseology when bribed by thieves. Buggy. — The American buggy differs somewhat from its English proto- type. The latter runs on two wheels, while the former is a light, one-horse, four-wheeled vehicle, usually with one seat and with or without a hood. Buggy {Adj.). — Eaten with worms. Why, from where every part of the vessel, except the sappy, buggy, dry-rotted wood she is built with, comes from — England. — Sam Slick's Clockmakcr, sermon iii., chap. vi. Bug-Juice. — The Schlechter whiskey of the Pennsylvania Dutch — a very inferior spirit. Also called bug- poison. These terms arc now applied to bad whiskey of all kinds. P I- Bugleweed too Buldose ■k It is a singular fact, that nearly every character introduced by Charles Dickens into his numerous novels, was addicted to drink- ing . . . each and every individual took his BUG-POISON with surprising regularity and eminent satisfaction.— rwrts Sijtinss, July 7, 1888. Bugleweed {Lycopus virginicus). — A medicinal plant, also known as the Virginia water horehound, which, taken as a tea, or manu- factured into a sweet-meat, is a favorite remedy in affections of the chest. It is not unknown in England. Bug out, To. — To extend or expand ; idiomatically to be filled with astonishment. I read considerable to Tim about kings, and dukes, and earls, and such, and how gaudy they dressed, and how much style they put on, and called each other 'your majesty,' and ' your grace,' and 'your lord- ship,' anil so on, 'stead of mister ; and Jim's eyes bugged out, and he was interested. — The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, p. 119, Build, To. — A verb used with much more latitude in the States than in England, where 'as Fenimore Cooper puts it everything is built. The priest builds up a flock ; the speculator a fortune ; the lawyer a reputation ; the landlord a town ; and even the tailor builds up a suit of clothes. A fire is built instead of made, probably from the piling up of logs one upon another for that purpose in the backwoods. The expression is even extended to individuals, to be built being used with the meaning of formed. "I was not built that way"; and hence in a still more idio- matic sense to express unwillingness to adopt a specified course or carry out any inconvenient plan. Wo cannot shut our eyes to the fact that mankind is passing through a great era of change ; even womankind is not built as she was a few brief years ago. — A merican Humorist, May 12, 1882. ' Why didn't you roll down ? ' ' I wasn't BUILT that way.' — Missouri Republican, Jan. 25, 1888. Congress-men have sometimes hired lite- rary grubs ^o DuiLD speeches for them. — Mark Twai.i's Gilded Age, chap. xlii. Building Bee. — The practice of neighbors uniting with a new- comer, in any settlement, to clear his land and build him a house. A joint effort which, in a few hours, furnishes the settler with what would otherwise take him weeks to provide. — See Bee. Buldose, Buldoze, Bulldose, Bull- doze. — To intimidate ; to bully. A term of Southern political origin, originally referring to an associa- tion of negroes formed to insure, by violent and unlawful means, the success of an election. The phrase has now passed into general use, political and otherwise, to signify the adoption and use of coercive measures. The derivation is almost literal — a bull dose, a flog- ging with a strip of hide ; the iction itself being represented by the verb to dulldose. Though indifferently spelt both with single and double " 1 " and with " s " and "z," the correct version is bulldose. An office-seeker, after several vain attempts to obtain a definite pro- mise from a member of the Cabinet, was informed that his request would be taken into consideration, whereupon — 'That's no answer at all!' shouted the caller. ' I know you I You are not fit for your place I I'll look after you!' and he uttered sundry oaths, and hammered the desk with his fist. 'See hcic!' said the secretary: 'I'm not to be nui,Lno/.'i;n by you 1 I know my busi- ness and shall attciul to it, and hope you will attend to yoms.' — St, Louis Globe Demo- crat, March 7, 18SS. The Democrats complain of the amount of money they had to face, but that was not such a source of trouble as the bulldozing of voters by the mining bosses. They were driven to the polls, and compelled to vote for ill Bulge lOI Bullhead Seymour.— Detroit Evening Journal, Feb. 20, 1888. A Democratic paper thus delivers itself concerning the negro vote. The Republican party sought to hold the negroes tliroufjh their churches and societies. If it were not for this system of intimidation and UULLUOZING by their preachers and leaders, the Republican party would not have enough colored votes in the South to furnish pall-bearcrs at the approaching funeral of tliat party in iS(>8. [Applause and laughter on the Democratic side.] BULGE. — To GET THE BULGE ON ONE. (Mining slang). — To obtain an advantage over ; an equivalent is TO GE-^ THE DROP ON ONE. ' Pop 1 are you up there ? ' ' Yes, my son.' ' I saw he had the bulge on you and I got the gun and dropped him I ' 'Right, my boy. That's what I was praying for.' — American Hutnorist, May 12, 1888. Well, yo.i've rather got the bulge on me. Or maybe we've both got the bulge, some- how. — Mark Tiijain's Innocents at Home, p. 18. Tu GO or BE ON a bulge. To drink to excess. A gang of rowdies in Washington City. Bull- Bo AT. — In the remote West the name of an ox-hide boat, once commonly enough used for crossing rivers ; similar in shape to the ancient British coracle. Bull-Briar or bamboo-Briar. — This plant derives its former name from the size which it attains in the rich alluvial bottoms of the South-west, where alone it is to be found. Its root is of a farinaceous character, and is much esteemed by the Indians for bread-making purposes. "Bull" is in America a general prefix for " large." Bull-Dog. — A pistol. Bull-Drag. To. — To go from place to place hurriedly and without cessation. If he will go a bulldraggin' of me about, I'll resign and go right oft home agin. — Sam Slick in England, chap, xxxii. m Bulger. — A bulgcy town, tree, fish — anything uncommonly large. A Western phrase, probably from bulge to swell. Also known in England. Bull (Cant). — A locomotive; the word is sometimes lengthened into bullgine. At Dartmouth Col- lege to recite badly ; to make a poor recitation. From the sub- stantive bull, a blunder or con- tradiction, or from the use of the word as a prefix, signifying large, lubberly, blundering. Bull-bat(i) {Caprimulgus amcruanus). — The night-hawk. The chuck will's widow ; also known as the WHIP - POOR - WILL from its peculiar cry. (2) Bull-bats. — Bull Frog (Rami pipkiis). — A large species of frog with a deep harsh croak. These reptiles, in the tropics, literally make night hideous with their chorus, especially on the near approach of rain. bullhead. — A popular name, together with horned-pout, mud-pout and MINISTER for several varieties of the genus Pimelodtis, but which is, perhaps, more commonly known as the CAT-FISH, cat, or catty. This fish has a thick head and long feelers, is usually dark in color, prefers the mud, and in the Missis- sippi attains a considerable size, sometimes even growing to a length of three or four feet, besides possessing great strength. From one or other of these character- ;, i Bull Lion 102 Bully istics or habits are derived its popular names, hoiicc. 15ull- UKADKiJ in tlie transatlantic senses of (i) clumsy; (2) strong. You svM, olil Mami used to own and coniniand a pickaninny, hum. - HKAnKi), nnKlluitle-siiaped c.iaft of a sci'.ooncr that hailed from rcitli A:nboy.— .UdM Twain's Scnamcrs. \Nv.U, tluMi, let it KG, l(;t it kg, if you're so nui.L-HKAnKU flioadstron^;! about it. We can tjot you some n-i'li^'-snakes, and you can tic some buttons on their tails, and let on they're rattlesnakes, and I reckon they'll have to do.— The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, p. 391. Bull Lion. — A punning play upon "John Hull," the generic nickname of an linglishman, the "lion" as the national emblem of England, and "bullion" in reference to his wealth and love of money. A half- sarcastic, half-jocose name for an Englishman. Bullion State. — The State of Mis- souri. One of its most distinguished sons, Colonel Thomas H. Benton, at the time when the question of paper versus gold and silver cur- rency was to the front, strongly urged the adoption of the latter, and thereby earned for himself the nickname of " Old Bullion," and for the State from which he came, that of the Bullion State. BuLL-NiGGER. — A large powerfully- built negro. If there was a thini; on airth that Ahab hated like pison, I do believe it was a great nuLL-NKJOKH. — .S'dHt SUck's Clockiniikcr, sermon iii., chap. iv. Bull Nut. nut. -A large variety of hickory BULL'S Eye.— A small, thick turnip- shaped watch. With some trouble lie drained up an ancient looking, thick, silver uuLL'si-tYE watch. He looked at it for a moment — hesitated — then opened the watch, and handi.'d me the loose outside case without a word. — O. W. Holmes's A ulocrat of the Breakfast Table, p. 221. Sometimes called Bkitish bull's- Eyii. Bull-Tailing. — A Mexican term in use in the Western prairies. Well- mounted horsemen chase the bulls, and when a favorable opportunity oilers, seize them by the tails and turn them somersaults. This requires considerable skill, and is done to perfection by Te.xan cow- boys. Bull-Traps (Cant). — A name given to those personating a policeman. Bullwhacker.— An ox-team driver. 'J'he derivation is doubtless from the drastic measures sometimes required to be put into practice when driving cattle for long distances. Many of these men were also expert buffalo hunters. To guard against the numerous mishaps of pr.iii ie travel, two or three of these prairie schooners usually 1^0 together, the brawny teamsters, known either as iium.-wiiackurs or as mi;lk-skinnkks, stalking beside their slow-moving teams.— A'a/it/i Life in the Far West. The largest contract for shooting buffalo was made by ine with the Government in 1872, I agreeing to kill 5,000 and deliver them at the Plum Creek station on the Union Pac- ific in less than three months. Havinjj made the contract, I hastily made preparations to carry it out. I employed old-time uull- wiiACKEUS, who had done nothing but scare about buffaloes all their life, and in a short time I had eighteen bull-teams and drivers employed, besides extra men whom wc termed butchers, whose duty it was to dress the animals and load tluun. When every- thing was in readiness, I gave instructions to the wagon boss, and the long bull-team moved away.— i'rt/t Francisco Weekly Examiner, Feb. 23, 1888. Bully. — A word used in an entirely different sense to the primary colloquial English one of an over- II Bwnincy 103 Butnsqnabblcd beariiiK rowdy or blusterer. To say that one has had a bully time or that any person or thinj; is bully, is to {^ive the hi^^hcst mead of praise. It is synonymous with our own slang use of the word "crack" in " a crack corps," "a crack shot," etc. Opinions vary on which side of the water bully was revived, for in reality it is a good old English term, having been used by Shak- speare and other writers. As a term of appreciation, Mark Twain in one of his sketches says of a bad boy: "He ate that jam, and said it was bully, in his sinful vulgar way ; and he put in the tar, and said that was Inilly also, and laughed, and observed ' that the old woman would get up and snort ' when she found it out ; and when she did find it out he denied knowing any- thing about it, and she whipped him severely, and he did the crying himself." Hope you have a ploasant nap. nui.i.v plac(! for a iiicft (luiot siioozu — eiiiply staj;!!, sk.—Unt Iliiitc'^i Luiiety Hide. Take liiiii all round, jjanl, thcio n(!v('r was a m)i,t,ii;ii man in tin: iiiiiics. — Mark Twiiiit's Jiiiwceiils (it Home, pp., ly, 20. -(Cant). — A weapon formed by tying a stone or a piece of lead in a handkerchief.. 'J his is used knuckleduster fashion. It has given rise to many catch phrases such as That's nui.i.v for YOU, grand or fine ; which during the Civil War had a remarkably popular run also iiuli.y hoy wnn THE GLASS livii. — A good fellow. You ounlu to scc'u liiin f^ct started once. He was a iiiii.i.v iiov with a (ilass icye. — Mark Twain's In>wa:ils at Home, p. 20. Bummer also bum. — Primarily an idle, worthless fellow. During the Civil War, a camp-follower or straggler, especially as connected with Geneial Sherman's march from Atlanta to the sea. Now used in a political as well as a general sense. Coy is tlio cliairnian of the Democratic Central Coumiittee in Marion County, and has wii^ldcd «>■';•" power in politics as the boss of the uummeks.— 7'/ii/(iut prefi:r this precarious mode of living to anylliiMK more respectable ; ten per cent, earn excelh;nt wages, ami twenty per cc^lit. are chronic nUMS, who beg or steal ihi; pi icu of their lo(lt;int;s. - Ddruit Free Press, iHSb. Also used as a general term of reproach in the same way as rascal, blackleg, etc., are used in England. Thus San Francisco has been called the Klysium of bummers. No- where can a worthless fellow, loo lazy to work, too cowardly to steal, get on so well. The climate be- friends him, for he can sleep out of doors four-fifths of the year. He can gorge himself daily for a nomi- nal sum, and get a dinner that a king might envy for fifty cents. Bummer is most probably from the German bummler. l'"quivalents arc ni:i:i.EK, stkikf.u, stuit-ick, pkac- TICAI. rOLITICIAN. AlsO liUM- MKHisM to express habits of loafmg and petty stealing. Bumper. — The buffer on a railway; perhaps the more appropriate term of the two. Bumpologize, To. — A factitious word used in connection with phrenology. Literally to read the "bumps" or depressions in the conformation of the human cranium. T'olhcr hand noes to tlie heail, iil'mt'olo- oi/i.n', and I whispers — wit, paintin', judg- ment, fancy, order.--6'«m Slick's Cluckmakir, sermon iii., chap. viii. BUM8QU AB BLED. — More generally written uamsquabbled (q.v). Bumy Juice 104 Bunco Bumy Juice. — Malt liquor of any kind. Bun. — This corruption of the old English nuNN (a survival of which we see in bunny) for rabbit is in America often applied to the squirrel. Bun (Cant). — A sponger; one who cannot be shaken off. Bunch. — (i) Used in mining to signify an irregular mass of ore. There is no doubt that some ore will be found, as rich bunchks exist all through this ground. That it will amount to much is anotlicr question, but the feature of specula- tion ought to mr.ke the shares active during tlie operation. — San Francisco N^ii's Letter, February 4, 1S88, -(2) A GROUP. The buffaloes which used to roam these plains in great herds are gone. Occasionally a solitary animal is found, or perhaps a little uuNCH of half-a-dozen, lurking in a ravine among the bad lands. — Century M adenine, 1887. -Bunch, to. To collect, to bring together. Two men often bunch on the march, i.e., unite their herds for convenience in driving. —Overland Monthly, 1887. The speaker bunched his thick lips together like the stem end of a tomato. — Mark Twain's Gilded Age, chap. i. With an unbroken line worthy of the Cent-Gardes, the swift impetus carried the sweeping crowd half-way from the ridge to the sleepy elk before the latter gained their feet, and by the time the dumbfounded brutes had BUNCHED, — the first act of an affrighted herd, — we were right in among them. — Century Magazine. Bunch-Grass. — Bnncli-grass grows on the bleak mountain-sides of Nevada, and neighbouring territories, and offers excellent feed for stock, even in the dead of winter, wherever the snow is blown aside and ex- poses it ; notwithstanding its un- promising home, buiuh-gyass is a better and more nutritious diet for cattle and horses than almost any other hay or grass that is known — so stockmen say. — Mark Tivain. Bunco, Bunko, To. — To rob, cheat or swindle by means allied to what is called in England the confidence trick. Detectives Kirby and Funk last night spotted J. P. Ramby, the person accused of having bunkoed Ex-County Commissioner Stephens, of Greene County, out of 2,300 dols. in Xerua recently.— Ci(iciH«rt/i£;;i(7i/i>f)', Aug. 20, 1887. John Brothers, a farmer living near Can- ton, Ohio, was bunkoed out of 2,ix)o dols. to- day by two sharpers who escaped.— C/iicrt,!>'0 D(ii7v Inter-Ocean, April 14, i883. From this we get such compounds as BUNCO-CASE, BUNCO-GAME, ClC, to signify the action itself. Robert B. Earnett, a plumber doing busi- ness in Grant Street, this city, was arrested in .Allegheny to-night, on the charge of being implicated in the recent bunco game in which Williaai Murdoch, an old and promi- nent citizen, was robbed of 10,000 dols. — Daily Inicr-Ocean, Feb. 2, 18S8. The men who thus swindle, are termed bunco-men or bunco- steerers, and the means they adopt to win confidence are always varied and sometimes unique. Mr. Walter Besant, in his Golden Butterfly, a novel which treats largely of some aspects of trans- atlantic life, pithily describes some of these practices. He says ; — "The bunco-steerer . . . will find you out the morning after you land in Chicago or St. Louis. He will accost you — very friendly, wonderful friendly — when you come out of your hotel, by your name, and he will remind you — which is most surprising, considerin' you never set eyes on his face before — how you have dined to- gether in Cincinnati, or it may be Orleans, or perhaps Francisco, because he finds out where you came from last ; and he will shake hands with you ; and he will pro- Bnncomc lo: BiiJigfwigcr pose a drink ; and he will pay for that drink; and presently he will take you .somewhere else, among his pals, and he will strip you so clean, that tlierc won't be left the price of a four-cent paper to throw around your face and hide your blushes. In London . . . they do . . . the confidence trick." These men are extremely wary, and it is oftentimes with considerable difficulty that the arm of the law, lonj( as it is assumed to be, can lay hold of them. A bunco- STKERiiR may be well known to the police as a professional swindler, and he may be seen talking to his intended victim, but, unless caught in an overt act, they cannot be in- terfered with. People whom bun- co-STEEKURS lay their snares for, are generally men who stand high in their communities ; consequently it is almost impossible to get victims to become complainants, as thej- do not care to figure in the police courts, and the thieves get practically a free field for their operations. Andrew Carnegie fell into the hands of a BUNCO - STKKRKR in Pittsljuig, Satur. .! Bungfl 1 06 Burnt District Well, father, T thouRlit he'd a fainted too, he was so struck up all of a heap, he was completely BUNOi-UNGiiuiii). — S(im Slick's Clockmakcr, chap. xx. Bunco — A Southern name for a species of small boat ; from the Spanish bon!;o. BuNGTowN CoppEHS. — Spiuious Cop- per coinage. Biuif;tou'ii is from the slang term " to bung," meaning "to lie" or "deceive." A great many counterfeit English halfpence known as Birmingham coppers were in circulation in New York State in 17X5-6. They were made in Birmingham by order of a New York merchant, and imported in casks under the name of hardware or wrought copper. This was the special origin of the word, but the same name was afterwards given to all spurious copper coins. BUNK. — A contrivance used on lum- bermen's sleds, by which heavy timber is supported. To bunk. — (i) To retire to rest — from " bunk," a berth or bed on board ship. (2) A lumberman's term for a deceitful practice which consists in so arranging lumber for inspection that a false impression is conveyed as to the cubic con- tents of any given pile or stack. BUNKER (Alosa menhaden). — See Bony FISH. BuNTY. — A tailless fowl. Pennsylvania. Bureaus. — There are no ofiices in America ; bureaus have taken their place. The language of oflicialdom, it may be remarked, is mainly pure French, or of French derivation. BuRGALL {Ctenolabias ccerulens). — This iish, like many other popular species, boasts of several names — BLUE PERCH, CONNER, and THE NiRiiLER (in New England waters) ; it goes by the nameof burgall in New York. It is small in size and very plentiful as a food fish, being found as far south as Delaware Bay. BuRGALOo.— A corruption of the French viygalieu, a much esteemed species of pear. — New York. Burglarize, To. LARV. -To CO.MMIT A EUUr.- ' What have you been doiiif; for a livinj:! lately ? ' asked a very touRh looking citizen of a man who loukc-ir contention. ' a Bust-Head lOQ Buttekcy > > ,; Ho tackled some of ilicni regular bustkrs, [in this case crackjaw words or tonj-uc; twistiisj and they tlirovvcd liiin. — Mmk Twain's Liti'iiiliirc in the Dry l)i;^f;inf;s. St. I.oiiis is 1 II top to-ni^'lit. Tlin San Francisco l)oon) is ni;sTKD, and tiie finht is now narrowed to Chirano and St. Louis. — Mtssoiiii Hi'pubtitiin, Ftb. 2i, iSSS. Bust- Head. — A Western term for common wliiskey. It is curious to note how rich and varied is the Wtst in terms for neat lifjuor, which, to judge from the similes used, must more often than not be execrably bad in quality. In not a few cases the idea enshrined in these epithets seems to point to the rapidity with which they send a man to the end of hfe's journey. The vernacular of the West, how- ever, is alwa)S brutal in its plain outspoken cynicism, as may be seen by comparinpf bint-hcad with STONK-VEN'CK, RAILRCAD, FOKTY- KUD-LIGIITMNO, STAGGKU - JUICE, TANGI.E-FOOT, TUUPr.NTINE, BALD- FACE, etc., all of which are syno- nyms for whiskey. Busy, To (University). — To attend to — a corruption of "to busy one- self about." The poor crook was almost annihilated by tliis suiinnons, and clin(;in^ to the bccl- cloilius in all the agony of despair, over- looked TO nusv his niidniglit visitor. — Har- vui'it Register. Butcher Bird [Laniiis scptciityionalis). — A bird of the shrike kind (Colly ris), about nine inches long and thirteen inclies broad from tip to tip of wing, and, in general appearance, of a dull slate color. Despite the fact of its mean appearance and song- lessness, this bird is in Canada and some of the Northern States con- founded with the true mocking- bird {Miiinis polyglottiis). An in- teresting piece of folk-lore is con- nected with its popular name of the NINE-KILLER, the Superstition being that the butchcy bird actually and exactly kills and impales nine grasshoppers a day as his store of food, a notion which is quoted by Dr. de Kay in his Nciiiinil Ilistoiy of New Yoili. Butt. — Common in the West as a contracted form of "buttock." The same abbreviation is in use in the West of England for a buttock of beef only. To uutt, in the South-west, to oppose. Butte (French, huttc). — No word in English exactly conveying the precise meaning of this French word, has led to its naturalization and incorporation into the common speech ot Californian, and subse- quently, American life generally, the nearest a])proach being knob. A butte is a hill or ridge detached and rising abruptly from the level, but which, though not lofty enough to be designated a mountain, is yet too imposing to be called a mere hill. The huttcs of the Rocky idountains and Oregon are extreme- ly picturesque as Inndmarks, a notably conspicuous one being that known as the Butte an chicn in the vicinity of the Red River, which, says Sir George Simpson, in his Overland 7 ountey, towers "with a height of about 400 feet over a boundless prairie as level and smooth as a pond." The two nLTTKS ... is a single hill of about 500 feet above the plain, the top of whicli is broken away in the middle, leaving two almost conical flat-topped peaks, more than ;,(.)of('et apart at the snnunils, and each rising probably 200 feet above their connnon base. It is a very prondnent and well-known landmark, and can be seen, under favorable conditions, for more than sixty miles. The country is an alternation of nearly level plain and very broken ground, and would be easy to get lost in, but for these BUTTics. — Richard Irvine DoJise's Plains of the Great West. BuTTEKER (Cant). — A shop. I I Ii ':i Biitterhird no Buy ■uTTtuBiRD (West Indies). — The Bobolink (qv). Butter-Bush. — A corruption of but- TON-IIU.SH (q.v.). BuTTCRCD (Cant). — Whipped ; also, as in English slang usage, " Mattered." BuTTCR Fish {Muruiwidcs). — A common slimy fish ; hence its popular name, the idea conveyed in which is akm to that in "butter fingers," i.e., it is difficult to handle. Butterflies of the Stage. — Ballet dancers. The name is derived from the always light and airy, and sometimes gorgeous dress worn by such in pursuit of their calling. _' Go to the corner at say eleven o'clock at nitjlit,' he continued, ' and see what a lot of stage struck dudes Rather there. The stage entrance to the Uijou is just above the cor- ner, and the mashers gather there to meet uutti;ri'liks of the stagk, and then ad- journ to the neighbouring restaurants to plow in the wealth they have succeeded in coaxing from a fond mother or an over- indulgent father in supper and wine or oysters and beer, according to the liberality of the parents aforesaid.— JVew York Herald, March 25, 1888. Butterfly. — This word in the States is rather a misnomer when con- trasted with English usage. Night flying moths are popularly, but erroneously, called butterflies, the former being confined to the domestic pest. A similar confusion exists between " beetles " and "bugs." BuTTERiNE. — Of American origin, but now equally applied in England, a. in the States, to a spurious kind of butter, composed of fatty sub- stances other than cream ; also called OLEO-MARGAKINE, MARGARINE, etc. The sale of these substitutes for butter is now prohibited by law in England, except distinctly sold under their true names and character, while in America even restaurant keepers are recjuired to make public announcement if they use the article in their business. Butternuts. — Equivalent in theNorth to coi'i'KKiiEAns {q.v.). It i.s derived from the popular name of a coarse brown homespun cloth commonly worn by Confederate soldiers dur- the Civil War. Button- Bush {Cephahintliiis occidentalis and cauadLiisis). — A shrub which aboundson the American continent, growing in low-lying swampy dis- tricts, and the globular flowers of which resembling buttons, supply its distinctive name. Button ing-Up. — A Wall Street phrase referring to the action of brokers who, having speculated in stock, find it cast upon their hands at a loss, and who for any reason keep the fact of such speculation secret. Button-Word (Plataitus occidentalis). — A New England term for the Sycamore ; also called button- ball TREE. In winter these trees are covered with suspended ball- shaped seed vessels — hence the popular name. Butty. — Explained by quotation. The place of buttv, or helper, even, was not so very easy of acquirement. — I'inkerton's Mollie Map;nins and Detectives. Buy. — To buy into. — To acquire a share of anything — an idiom which Mark Twain is fond of using. Why thiee years ago if a man . . went over to VJashoe and HouCfUT into a good silver mine, L\.c.~-Murk Ticain's Enquiry about Insurances. 111 Buzzard III ■uzzAno. — A name npplied to a vulture instead of to a hawk. ■uzzrn. — A pickpocket. English slang " buz-bloke." 8v Crackv!- tion. Dy -A meaningless exclama- Say, liaint Tiibbs a Methodist' Hv CRACKV, Ikmo's wliirc it is, and in wo Wiilkuii, — Superior Inter-Ocean. b' BUZZING (Cant). — (i) Searching or looking for ; as " What are you buzzing}" [2) Confidential talk. Buzz-Saw, — A circular saw. Paul Hastcr was ^ivcn cniployini;nt in iIh^ Rliipinan ku^ fartory ami had Ih;,c, Indeed, there are very few luisinesses so absolutely legitimate as stock-raising, and so beneficial to the nation at large.— TiJnHc/i Life in the Far West. Cattle range. — Parks, even those attached to country resi- dences, are so called in 'entucky ; this State is famous for its pasture and grazing lands. Catty. — The cat (q.v.). Caucus. — A meeting of p.irtisans, congressional or otherwise, to de- cide upon the action to be taken by the party. The word is said to have been used as early as 1724 (Gordon's History of American Re- volution), and Dr. Trumbull, of Hartford, derives it from the Indisincau-cau-as-ic, one who advises. Tliis in view of its undoubted trans- atlantic origin seems a far more likely derivation than that given by both Bartlett and De Vere (and Dr. Brewer in Phrase and Fable has followed them) to the effect that its derivation may be sought in the meetings held by ship caulkers to discuss grievances and suggest remedies when on strike. It cer- tainly appears very unlikely that such trade combinations were known at that time, especially in a new country like America. The word has now become part and parcel of political cant wherever English is spoken. In England it is generally associated with a private assembly of politicians, but in America this is not necessarily the case, but, says Procter, as it is generally to perpetrate some ras- cality the term has an unpleasant: sound in American ears. Hence ANTI-CAUCUS to signify those op- posed to the control of elections by these private committees. Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay .... be- came candidates for president in defiance of the CAUCUS. Mr. Calhoun finally with- drew, and received the votes of nearly all the ANTI-CAUCUS men for vice-president. — Neji' York Times, 1888. Causaltv. — A " casualty." corruption of Caution. — A caution to snakes, i.e., a warning. The expression is purely slang, and anything that causes surprise, wonder, fear, or indeed any unusual sensation, or anything out of the common, seems, in the vulgar tongue, to be " a caution " to this, that, and the other. To be a caution to snakes, however, bears the palm. Major Downing, in Mayday in New York, says: "There is a plaguy sight of folks in America, and the way they 17 iMi I M Cavalicrcss 130 Cayjiian swallow down the cheap books is ' a caution to old rugs andpapcr-mahers.' " Another writer (Thorpe's Mysteries of the Backwoods), describing the piano, winds up with the assertion that the way some dear creatures could pull music out of it was "a caution to hoarse owls" ; and in yet another place we read that the way the old bear caved around and roared was " a caution to snakes," Cautionary. — Phenomenal. From the slang expression, "a caution." Well, the way the cow cut dirt was cautionary; she cleared stumps, ditches, windfalls, and everything.— Sn/)i Slick in Ell gland. Cavalieress. — A horsewoman. Prob- ably one of Mark Twain's in- dividualisms. In the Innocents at Home, he speaks of the white folks at Honolulu having " to stay in doors, for every street was. . . . packed with charging cavaliers and CAVALiEREssEs." (From Latin caballus). Cavallahd otherwise caballada(^. v.). Cave. — To cave in. — This term, derived from a practice of navvies in digging earthworks, when the lower part is undermined until it can no longer sustain the over- hanging mass, has become, in America, a phrase to indicate giving way, when opposition can no longer be maintained ; to break down ; to give up. A bank caves in when it stops payment ; fortunes cave in when riches take wings ; and when a man threatens to cave in his opponent's head, he simply means that hewill break it. Thes'^ and other playfully idiomatic shades of meaning have gathered round the primary signification. 1 kin CAVE IN enny man's head that, etc. — Artemvs Ward, His Hook, In the meantime the tropical sun was beating down and threatening to cave the top of my head in,— .Mark Tii'ain's Innocents at Home, Cavendish. — A well-known brand of tobacco ; also called negro-head. Cavern Lime-Stone.— A carboniferous deposit of lime-stone in Kentucky, popularly so called from the large number of caves and holes with which it abounds. Caveson. — Of French extraction {cavc(;on) ; this is the name given, in New England, to the muzzle of a horse. Cavort, To. — To prance; to move about quickly. Probably derived from the Lingua TYanca cavolta, a prancing about on horseback. Some, however, derive it from " curvet- ting," a capering about to show off ; but whichever derivation is the true one, or whether it comes from the Spanish cavar, the proud paw- ing of a spirited horse ; or from the French courbetter — in any case it has come to mean colloquially a running or riding around in a heed- less, purposeless manner. He lunged and plunged, and wheezed and squeezed, and snorted and cavorted — till he was wedged, jammed in so tightly, that to move an inch backward or forward was simply impossible, — American Humorist, May 26, 1888. A sailornamed Jones jumped over after him, and after cavorting around about an hour or so succeeded in getting the miserable little scion of a worthless sire on board again. — Mark Twain's Screamers. Cawhalux! — Supposed to bean imi- tation of the sound produced in boxing the ears. Cayman. — The Indian name of the American alligator. ay Cayote 131 Cent m was AVE the niioccnts •and of l-HEAD. liferous ntucky, le large es with traction s given, luzzle of ;o move derived cavolta, a k. Some, " curvet- show oft ; n is the mes from Dud paw- or from any case jquially a n a heed- heczed and OUTER — till htly, that to rward was viorht. May er after him, out an hour iniserable ic on board De an imi- jduced in le of the Cayote or Coyote [Canis lactrans). — The prairie wolf, which, in Mexico, is called by its Aztek name coyotl. This animal is of the size of a pointer ; like the wolf they hunt in packs and are much less fearless ; ard like the fox they live in burrows. Mark Twain describes this animal somewhat humorously. The cAVcnE is a long, slim, sick- and sorry-lookinx skeleton, with a gray wolf-skin stretched over it, a tolerably bnshy tail that for ever saws down with a despairing ex- pression of forsakeness and misery, a furtive and evil eye, and a loi.i harp face, with slightly lifted lip and sed teeth. He has a general slinking fc.\,/iession all over. The cAvorii is a living, breathing alle.'^ory of w" ■• He is always hungry. He is always pi > ). out of luck, and friendless, [Dodge, in his Plains of the Gnat West (p. 209), says]: — The coyote proper I have never seen except in Texas and Mexico. It is a miserable little cur of an animal, scarcely larger than a fox. To CAYOTE or COYOTE. — From the habit of the coyote living in burrows has been derived the verb to coyote, used in California in the sense of to sink a shaft ; these shafts are sometimes called coyote diggings. Cayuse. — A common Indian pony ; called also the yacht ok the PRAIRIE on the same principle as the camel is the ship of the de- sert. These horses, thought to be the degenerate of English, as the mustang is of Spanish horses, are largely used by Indians. Their powers of endurance are remark- able, as also are some of their other qualities. ' How far will he carry me in a day, I ask ? ' 'As far as you can ride him,' answers the owner. ' Does he buck ? ' ' Every cavuse bucks 1 ' 'Does he bite?' 'Of course hu bites 1' 'Kick?' 'Kicks!' I had learned enough to start on.— /I Cruise on a Cayuse, in Over- land Monthly, 1886. Cayuse has now come to be used in a depreciative sense, being applied to any poor, broken-down jade. 'Caze. — The same as becaise (q.v.). Cedar. — This name is erroneously given to trees other than the genuine species, and more particu- larly, under the name of white ckdar, to a cypress {Cypressus thyoides). The red cedar is a juniper {Juniperus virginiana). The CEDAR swAMPb of the South, unlike the mere swampy marshes of the North, are low-lying grounds mainly under water ; these are also called cedar brakes. Celestial. — A Chinaman, or, when used adjectively, pertaining to the Celestial~~i.e., Chinese Empire. Cent. — A small copper coin worth the liundredth part of a dollar, and almost equivalent in value to a halfpenny. In ?ome parts, notably the West of New England, this coin is called a penny ; but whether this practice is a survival, or a mere vulgarism, is not quite clear ; in any case it is an inaccuracy. Cent shop. — A small shop, in which articles may be bought to the value of a cent. Hawthorne, in The House of the Seven Gables, speaks of the mistress of the Pyncheon house being " re- duced now in that very house to be the hucksteress of a cent shop," Not to care a cent, or not worth a cent ; to care very little or not at all, to be worth little or nothing. Boarder — ' I don't know what's the matter with me, but I haven't been able to eat WORTH A CENT siuce I Came to this house.' Landlady — ' Were you a nmseum freak before you lost your appetite?' — Nebraska State Journal, May, 1883. ' Don't fire,' sez Joe, ' it ain't no use, Thet's Deacon Peleg's tamo wil'-goose : ' Seys Isrel, ' I don't care a cent, I've sighted an' I'll let her went.' — Z/ig/ow Papers. 1 "I T* ■^ Centralization 132 Chance The Providence liquor-dealers sent an emissary to this city to see if they could not work up some enthusiasm for Barnaby ; but the dealers here would not enthuse WORTH A CEt^T.— Providence Joimial. Centralization. — The political creed which favors large powers for the general government, as opposed to the limitation of State rights. CtNTRE-BoARD. — This invention claims an American birth ; it consists of an arrangement by which the keel of a small craft can be let up and down, thereby affecting the speed, and permitting a vessel to ply in waters otherwise too shallow. The device is now largely adopted by English shipwrights. Centrical. — A synonym of " cen- tral," which, in some districts, es- pecially Virginia, is preferred to the more common expression. Scott seems to have used it largely, but otherwise the word is in little vogue in England ; its use, collo- quially, savoring somewhat of pedantry. Cerneau Masonry. — From Joseph Cerneau, who, born at Villeblerin, in France, in 1763, emigrated to America, and, in 1812, established a body called the " Sovereign Grand Consistory of the United States of America." For this Cerneau was expelled by the Supreme Grand Council, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, sitting at Charles- town, South Carolina, in 1813. There are still many Cerneau masons, in Ohio, where, quite recently (1888), there has been considerable agitation on the ques- tion of the legitimacy of the so-called Cerneau Scottish Rite, the result being that the Grand Commandery and the Grand Lodge have issued their edicts that mem- bers who affiliate with the Cerneau Scottish Rite Masons shall not be allowed to hold office. Certified. — Certain. — In Sam Slick's Clockmahcy occurs the phrase, " I ain't cjuite certified we shan't have a tower [tour] in Europe yet." Chained Lightning.— (i) Whiskey of the vilest description — a spirit that, with a horrible cynicism, a Western man says is warranted to kill at forty rods. Hence a synonym FORTY ROD LIGHTNING. The brutal irony enshrined in the slang names of the wretchedly bad and fiery spirit which, in the West, does duty for whiskey, is very suggestive. Amongst others may be named STONE-FENCE, RAILROAD and ROT- GUT. (2) The Western man never speaks of "forked" lightning; he calls it chained lightning. Chairwoman. — A title similar in for- mation to ALDER-WOMAN, CLERGY- WOMAN, etc. (q.v.) — all products of an advanced civilization. Chalk Talk. — A new name for a variation of an old amusement. This consists in illustrating a sub- ject by means of a black-board and chalk. A skilful artist will produce his drawings with extraordinary rapidity — " lightning sketches," usually of an amusing, comic, or satirical character. So also CHALK-TALKER. Rolo Byron, the celebrated chalk-t.\lkku, entertained a fair-sized audience tliis even- ing on prohibition.— Sf. Paul aiiil Minneapolis Pioneer Press, July 22, 1888. Chance, To. — (i) A shade of mean- ing other than the legitimate ones of " to happen " or "come unex- pectedly" has been applied, first in the States, and then in England, to this word, in ^he sense of to risk, f.^., "I'll chance that." Now ll Change 133 Chaw /ery commonly colloquial. "(2) A chance in the South signifies a (juantity ; a supply ; or portion. Change. — To mekt with a change, i.e., in the cant of certain sections of religionists, to be "convicted of sin " ; " struck under conviction " ; "to get religion" — all phrases in- tended to signify a new state of mind, and a change as regards the motive power regulating one's life conduct. Chaparajos or chaparro. — Trousers made of stout leather, and stitched with leather cording. Worn by cowboys, and other plainsmen. The term is often curtailed to CHAPS. On a board placed on two cliairs, lay alt that was niortal of Brooklyn Jim. Clad in tlic ".voollcn shirt and blue overalls over which were the leather CHArKUAjos of the cowpuncher, the long fringe hung down on each side of the board like fringe on a bier. —Detroit Free Press, July 21, ims. Chaparral. — A compound word, from the Spanish chapana, a dwarf evergreen oak, and al, a ter- mination equivalent to " a place of " ; thus, chaparral means primarily a tract of land covered with oak thickets or bushes. Introduced into general use frorr. Texas and New Mexico, and applied to any thick tangle of bramble bushes or thorny shrubs in clumps. He talked about delishis froots, but then it wuz a wopper all. The hoU on 't 's mud an' prickly pears, with here an' there a chai'parai,. — Biglow Papers. Chaps. — See Chapakajos. Charivari. — See Chiravari. Charley (Cant).— This word, which in old English slang stood for a watchman, or 1 lie, and latterly for a policeman, lioes duty amcng American thieves for a gold watch. Charm (Cant). — A pick lock. Charms. — A slang term for money ; not much used now, but like "John Davis," " Ready John" [or simply "John" or "Ready"] " Spondu- lics," " Dooteroomus " [or"doot"] "tow," "wad," "hard stuff" [or "hard"] "dirt," "shin-plasters" [or "plasters"] "wherewith," " shadscales " [or " scales "] "dye stuffs,''' "stamps" etc., has had a vogue. Charter-Oak City. — Hartford, Con- necticut. This singular cognomen is supposed to have been derived from a large oak, in the cavity of which the Charter of the colony of Connecticut was concealed by the Legislature when King James II., in i6g8, sent Sir Edmund Andros to demand its restitution, when that king determined to withdraw the privileges conferred by such a document. chates (Cant). — The gallows. Chatty Feeder (Cant). — A spoon. Chaw, To. — An old English word, still in popular use, for " to chew," in many parts of the States ; except as a provincialism, or as slang, chaw has, in England, been supplanted by its more modern form. Tobacco is chawed by the quid, or mouthful. To chaw UP has a slang sense in America — "to demolish"; or "discomfit." To chaw up one's words. — To retract an assertion ; or, as English people would put it, " to eat one's words." Chawing gum. — Gum prepared for mastication. You ought never to take your liule brother's CHAWING GUM away from him by main force ; riT PWBB!! TY* ,11 II ' i^lili Cheat 134 Checkerheryy it is liciter to rope liiin in with a promise. — Mark Twain's Sketches. Cheat. — The popular name of the Bromus scalinus or Che"S {qi')- Chebacco Boat. — A craft used in the cod-fisheries of Newfoundland, which derives its specific name from the fact that this class of vessel was, at one time, largely built and fitted out at Chebacco, Ipswich, Mass. The name is sometimes corrupted into tobacco- BO.\T, a transition readily under- stood. Also called pink-stern. Check. — (i) A Pennsylvanian term for an inpromptu cold meal. (2) A ticket. The priest was engaged in disposing of admission checks to a church fair, to tran- spire the following Saturday, and hoping the sooner to gut rid of him, and despite the utter impossibility that he would be present at the diversion, McKenna purchased a ticket. — I'iukerton's Mollic Maguires and Detectives. To CHECK, equivalent to the English " to book," e.g., Mark Twain in his Curious Pkasnye Excur- sion, speaks of baggage being checked through to any part of the route. Also to give tallies or other receipts for personal impedimenta when left in cloak - rooms and similar offices. One of the exciu'sionists from Northern New York, turning to the man who chkcks umbrellas and canes, said ; ' What is that great stone affair ? ' — A meri- can Humorist, July 21, 1B8B. Check clerk. — The clerk in charge of a cloak-room, or one em- ployed in the office at hotels, to allot rooms to visitors, and to book their names in the hotel register. Checks. — Money ; cash. A term derived from poker where counters or checks bought, as one enters, at certain fixed rates, are equivalent to current coin, To PASS IN or CASH one's CHECKS is a phrase also derived from the same source and signifies dijaih. This euphemistic simile is drawn from the analogy between settling one's earthly accounts, and the paying in to the banker of the dues at the end of the game. De Vere makes a sad mistake in defining the meaning of this expression. Well I owned the nmle for several years after that, and when he finally I'Asskd in m.'j CHKCKS I gave him as decent a butial as any pioneer ever got.— A'ew York Sun, iHSti. Do you and each of you solemnly sw'ar that you will marry each other in the pres- ence o' this court ; that you will do the squar' thing by each other ; that you will give everybody else the go-by, an' cling to each other through life till death calls upon you to cash in your earthly checks, an' that you will be to each other husban' an' wife, ac- cordin' to the law an' the prophets, an' the rules an' regulations o' this honor'ble court, in sich cases made an' pervided, so help ye God ? — A inerican Humorist, August u, 1888. I have heard many stories of hair-breadth 'scapes from buffalo ; I have seen railroad and wagon trains stopped to wait his pleasure ; and as close a shave as I ever made to passing in .my checks was from a bufialo stampede. — Richard Irvine Dodge's Plains of the Great West. -Check guerilla. — A gam- bling house sponger, who loafs about for the sake of such small coins or checks as the frequenters of such places may think fit to bestow upon him. To put a check- strap ON one is a phrase drawn from the training of horses; the check strap, in cow-boy parlance, controls the bit in the horse's mouth. Hence to put a check strap on an opponent is to adopt such measures as will enforce the doing of what is desired. Checkerberry, or Chequerberrv, also chickberry (Gaultheria pro- cumbens). — A night, red -colored aromatic berry. Chickberry is the New England name for it. Also called partriuge-berry {q.v.) and TWINBERRY. : Check IJ5 Chednut n the doaih. drawn ettling id the le dues le Vere .enning on. •al years il) IN HIS al as any i8«. ily sw'ai" the pres- the squai' will give g to each upon yoH ' that you wift", ac- ts, an' the ble court, io help ye ;t n, 1888. lir-breadth •n railroad wait his as I ever vas from a ne Dudae's A gam- ho loafs ch small enters of bestow CHECK- e drawn ses; the ce, horse's strap opt such doing [parlanc \heck the JCRBERRV, Vieria pro- - colored v)'y is the it. Also [q.v) and The sea air was min^ilcd with tho frai^rance of pines, wild flowers, and the spicy CHIXKKKBKRRV. — PoitldUit Trnnscii/>l , 1888. Cheek. — A door-post. Little heard now, but for a long period this linglish provincialism survived in . the States. It is used in the same sense in the Craven dialect. Cheese. — That's the cheese. — An expression signifying " e.Kcellent performance" — "quite the thing." Cheese it! — An exclamatory injunction to stop. The phrase " Now cheese it ! " is often heard. It is doubtful whether this can be classed as an Americanism. Authorities, however, differ as to its birthplace. In the Nation (1876), it was recorded as a recently intro- duced Americanism. Cheese Box. — A nickname applied by Confederates to gunboats of the Monitor type {q.v). Cheeseparing. — Tomfoolery. Chemiloon. — A feminine article of underwear, usually known in England as ' ' combinations," i.e. , the chemise and drawers united in one garment. Cherry (Cant). — A young girl; a full grown woman is similiarly called a cherry ripe. Chess {Byomus scalittus). — A weed, similar to oats in appearance. Growing up amongst wheat and other grain crops, it proves very troublesome to the farmer. Vul- garly but erroneously supposed to be degenerate wheat. It is nar- cotic in its effects. Also called cheat. Chest. — Chuck out your chest, i.e., pull yourself together ; stand firm ; keep a stiff upper lip. Chestnut. — An old story ; something that has been frequently said or done before. As to the variants of this phrase — their name is legion. The old songs are f/(«/;i«^ songs ; he who would foist a stale joke upon a company is implored to " spare the chcstmit tree," "not to rustle the chestnut leaves," or " set the chestnut bell a-ringing. ' Similarly, any- thing old or out of date is said to have a chestnutty flavor. According to the Philadelphia Press, the intro- duction of the word in its slang sense is to be attributed to Mr. William Warren, a veteran Boston comedian. It seems that in a melodrama, but little known to the present generation, written by William Dillon, and called 'The Broken Sword,' there were two characters, one a Capt. Xavier, and the other the comedy part of Pablo. The captain is a sort of Baron Munchausen, and in tollin}» of his exploits says : ' I entered the woods of CoUoway, when suddenly from the thick boushs of a cork tree' — Pablo interrupts him with the words: 'A chestnut, captain, a CHi:sTNiT.' 'Bah!' replies the captain, 'Booby, I say a cork tree.' 'A chestnut,' reiterates Pablo, ' I should know as well as you, havinf{ hoard you tell the tale these twentv-seven times.' William Warren, who had often played the part of Pablo, was at a stafi dinner, when one of the gentlemen present told a story of doubtful age and originality. ' A chi'.stnut,' murnuued Mr. Warren, quoting from the play, ' I have heard you tell the tale these twenty-seven times.' Tiie application of the lines pleased the rest of the table, and when the party broke up each helped to spread the story and Mr. Warren's couunentary, ' May I venture to tell the old, old story, Miss Maud,' he said, treimilously ; ' the old, old, yet ever new, story of — ' ' Pardon me, Mr. Sampson, if I cause you pain,' interrupted the girl, gently, ' but to me the story you wish to tell is a chestnu r.' ' A CHESTNUT ? ' ' Yes, Mr. Sampson, I'm already engaged ; but I will be a sister — ' ' It isn't as wormy as that one,' murmured Mr. Sampson, feeling for his hat. — Ntui York Siin, 18S8. ; Il Chctowaik 136 Chicken -Grape Tlic laiRe audience, wliicli filled the cliurcli lij its titinost capacity, evidently RiccK'd the question ' Who will take care of the baby when women vote ? ' as an old joke, for they all smiled, some blandly, except one young centlenian, who looke(l around in- quiringly and said in a whisper loud enouKh to be overheard ; 'Who rint;s that chksi- NL'T bell to-night?' But Mrs. Harbert, with undisturbed gravity, replied : ' Why, friends, that question was ask and answered forty years ago. — Chicai;o Iniir-Occan, 188B. His favorite song, which he tries to sing frequently, is ' Sweet Violets,' and the boys all veil CHKSTNUTs when he begins that tunc. —Citiciimati Enqtiinr, 1888. Chetowaik. — An Indian name for the plover. The term is used by Longfellow in his introduction to Hiawatha. Chewallop! — Objects falling heavily to the ground are said to fall che- wallop. Sam Slick used the ex- pression. I felt .... only one step more [and I] was over head and ears chewallop in the water.— Srtm Stick's Clockimiker. of its feathered companions it derives its popular name from its peculiar note or cry. Elsewhere it is known as the hoary tit- mouse. Far distant sounds the hidden chicadkk, Close at my side; far distant sound the leaves. . . . —J. K. LoK'fU's Imliaii Summer Reverie. Chickaree (Sciiints hiuhoniiis). — The red squirrel, its cry having sug- gested the popular name. The little animal is common in all the Northern States. Chickasaw Plum {Prumis chicasa). — The bush bearing this plum abounds in the neighbourhood of Red River, Arkansas, a favorite hunting-ground of the Chickasaw Indians — hence its name. The fruit itself is large, pleasant to the taste, and of a color varying from a palish pink to dark crimson. tk n Chewing Gum. — Sec Gvyi. Chewink {Pipilo erythrophthalmus). — The ground robin or towhe-bunting described by P. H. Gosse as a prettily marked bird, black above, with white bands on the wings ; the sides are chestnut red, and the under parts white. Its note is supposed to resemble the word " towhee," but its name chewink is also supposed to be derived from thispeculiarity. On Long Island it is called the towhee goldfinch, and in Louisiana the grasset from its plump appearance. Chicha. — A fermented concoction, of which the ingredients are maize, pine-apple, banana, and other fruits. It is sweet to the taste, and is a favorite drink of West Indian negroes. Chickadcc (Pariis atricapilhis). — The blackcap tit. Like many another Chick-Berry. — See Checker-berry. Chicken-Fixings. — Formerly a hash, stew, or fricassee of chicken, but the term is now applied to any fare out of the common, and also to show of any kind. Compare with COMMON DOINGS. An extraordinary sight were the countless waiters, held up to the car-windows at Gor- donsville by turbaned negro-women, filled with coffee-cups, eggs, and the inevitable CHICKEN-FIXINGS, wliich it was henceforth our fate to meet at every railroad depot, till we reached New Orleans.— .4 Trih to the South. These preachers dress like big bugs, and go ridin' about on hundred-dollar horses, a- spungin' poor priest-ridden folks, and a-eaten c HicKEN - FixENs SO powerful fast that chickens has got scarce in these diggins.— Carlton's New Purchase, vol. ii., p. 140. Chicken-Grape (Vitis riparia). — Otherwise called the Bermuda VINE, RIVERGRAPE and frost GRAPE. Chicken grape is its Southern name. Chicken-Gumbo 137 CJiina Wedding It bears no fruit, but. is much esteemed for its sweet scented blossoms. Chicken-gumbo. — A kind of chicken soup, in which the gum no or gombo (q.v.) enters as a component part. Wc .... fi'lt stagtji-rcd rather at a menu at the Wiiulaor Hotel, including such hitherto inihcard of luxuries as chickkn- «i;miio, sheep's-head (a tisli), string beans, and mush; gazed in terror at the pretty jewelled lingers and white teeth opposite making short work of a very buttery corn-cob. — J'hillips-WoUeY's Troltings of a Tcndi-rfoot, PS- Chickwit. — The blue-fish of Con- necticut (q.v.). Chigoe (Ptilex penetrans). — A small flea th,U burrows under the toe- nails, where it forms an egg-bag almost the size of a small pea. This has to be extracted with a needle, for if neglected painful sores are engenaered. It is found in the West Indies and along the Mexican coast. The name chigoe has many variants — jigger, nigua, ciiego, CHIGO, CHIGRE, TUNGUA, PIQUE. The seed-tick of Kentucky is sup- posed by some to be the same in- sect, but this is doubtful, as it does not cause the same torment by the growth of the eggs under the skin. Gosse states of the seed-tick that they are so numerous and per- petually present in the South as to be dignified by a changing nomen- clature according to age ; " the first season they are called seed-ticks, the next year they become yearling- ticks, and the third, old-ticks." Only in the tropics, however, can the full inconvenience of these pests be experienced. Child. — This child, j.e., one's self; a mock modest fa^on de parler. This child has felt like going West for many a month, being half froze for bufifalo meat and niountain diOm'^.—Ruxton't Far Wnt. Chili, Chilli. — The American red pepper. In the plural it refers to the pods or fruit of the capsicum. In parts of the country, formerly under Spanish rule, it is known as the Chili Colorado. Chills and feveh. — Fever and ague. Chimisal. — A local name in Cali- fornia, Texas, and Mexico, for the grease-wood. From the Spanish, in which chami::a signifies a kind of wild reed or cane. Bret Harte describes a man, in an inundation, rowing on the vast expanse of water and saying: "With my hands dipped listlessly over the thwarts I detected the tops of chimisal, which showed the tide to have somewhat fallen." — Luck of Roaring Camp, p. 229. Chin (Cant). — A child. To chin. — To talk or act impudently or with brazen effrontery. Also CHIN MUSIC. In English slang we get chin wag. Whereupon a young sprig .... began tosass [sauce] the conductor with his chin- music— .Urt^'ft Twain's Gilded Age And at last, when I stood before the Re- publican office and looked up at its tall imsympathetic front, it seemed hardly me that could have chinned its towers ten minutes before, and was now so shrunk up and pitiful.— .UrtJ'ft Twain's Screamers. Chinatown. — The Chinese quarter of San Francisco; the term is now applied to such localities all over the Union. China Wedding. — The twentieth anni- versary of a wedding is so called. — See Wedding anniversaries. 18 W *• II \fV ; 'ii M Chincapin 138 Chinook The occasion was tlio twentieth anniver- sary, or china WKDOiNr, of Mr. and Mrs. Pope,— i7. Louis Globe Democrat, March 30, 1888. Chincapin, Chinquapin. — A Pow- hattan Indian name for the Custanca pumila. De Vere quotes a story told of Nlr. Jefferson by his detractors, tliat in liis desire to import valuable tri( s and plants into his native State, he ordered from abroad, aiiiont» other shrnbs, a number of dwarf chestnuts, quoted as Vtntancn piimila in botanical calalofiues. They came, they grew, and turned out to be the cniNgLAi'iN of Virginia, a native tree, than which few are more common in the South. Chincc. — A marble. Chinche or Chinch-Buo. — A name applied not only to the common domestic nuisance {Ciiiiex Icctularius) 1)iit also to an insect, equally offen- sive, which creates great havoc among grain crops. The name it- self is of Spanish derivation. An Arkansas paper details, among other inducements to emij^rants to settle in that State, that :— The grasshopper is unknown; likewise the cniNcii-uuG. From pests that devour our crops, from the cold that destroys in winter and the heat that kills in summer, we are e\em-pt.— Little Kocl; Democriit, 1B08. Chinese. — The Chine.se must go. — An expression which has iecently acquired new significance in that the prejudice against the Chinese has come to a head, and has re- sulted in the passing of a law to prevent further immigration into the States on the part of Celestials. Chinese Sugar Cane. — The Sorg- hum. Chink, Chince, Chinse, to.— To fill up the long narrow openings or interstices between the roughly hewn timber of log cabins. The material used for this purpose is chiefly mud or clay formed into a kind of plaster or cement. Daub- ing sometimes follows the last- named operation, consisting in making a smooth surface over the whole by means of the same material ; the complete process is what is known in the North of England as filling and daubing. Chinkers (Cant), are tinited by called chinkers. is obvious. —When handcuffs a chain they are The derivation Chinook or C!!inook Jargon. — A trade language of Oregon and the North-west coast— a kind of con- ventional language like the Lingua Franca of the Mediterranean, and the Pidgin English of the East. An exhaustive report concerning this Ehilological phenomenon was issued y the United States Exploring Expedition during the years 1838- 42. A well-known philologist. Dr. Horatio Hale, accompani'd the survey, and the following par- ticulars are obtained from that source, vol, iii., p. 635, which indeed is authoritative and com- plete. The circumstances to which Chinook owes its origin are probably as follows : — When tha British and American trading ships first ap- peared on the coast, about 17G0, they found there many tribes speaking distinct languages. Had it chanced that any one of these had been of easy acquisition, and very generally diffused, it would no doubt have been adopted as the medium of communication between the whites and the natives. Un- fortunately all were alike harsh in pronunciation, complex in structure, and spoken over a very limited space. The foreigners, therefore, took no pains to become acquainted with any of them. But the exi- gencies of trade, the headquarters Chinook ISO Chinook of which were at Nootka, neces- sarily involved some dlTlect words becoming known to the traders ; and, vice versd, some English words being adopted by the Indians. These, with signs, sufhccd for the time. Trade soon extend- d to the Columbia river, and the traders attempted to hold communication v.ith the Chinocks by means of the Nootka words. The former, quick to catch sounds, soon acquired these words, and in 1804 the Jarf^on was in pretty general use m the region specified. The next development occurred when the whites established themselves in Oregon and the store of words was found quite inadequate for the more general and constant intercourse. An enlargement of the language took place by incor- porating from the native Tshinuk or Chinook such words as were requisite, the chief additions being the numerals, the pronouns, and about twenty adverbs and prepo- sitions. The Jargon, or trade language, then began to assume a regular shape, and as time went on received additions from several other sources. Chief among these were the Canadian voyageurs, or free traders of French stock. These people, more than any others, lived on terms of the closest familiarity with the Indians, and, in conse- quence, they have left a permanent mark on the slender stock of Jargon words. What f'rammarians call onomatopoeia, or the formation of words in imitation of sounds, is also responsible for a few additions to this strange speech, as e.g., liplip is intended to express the sound of boiling water, and means to boil ; tiktik is for a watch ; iiiintion stands for heart and is sup- posed to represent its beating and so on. In the phonology of the language one point is peculiarly interesting as illustrating the usual result of the fusion of two or more languages — as the Jargon was spoken by Indians, English and French, we fmd no sound not easy and common to all. The grammati- cal rules are simple, and of inflec- tions there are none, but on the other hand compounds are freciuent, as for example: ship-man, a sailor; stifi- stone, petrified wood, and so on. A full vocabulary, entitled A Dic- tionary 0/ the Chinook J argon, wasTpuh- lishcd by George Gibbs, in 1863, on behalf of the Smithsonian Insti- tution. He estimated the total num- ber of words at that time at about 500, of which about 160 are French and English, eighteen of unknown derivation, and all the others be- longing to the Chinook and kindred dialects. These elements have been slightly modified in the Jargon : the Indian gutturals are softened or dropped, and the / and r of the English and French, unpronounce- able to the Indians, are modified into p and I. Grammatical forms are reduced to their simplest ex- pression, and variations in mood and tense are only conveyed by adverbs or by the context. Chief Joseph understood a little English and O'Hara a little chinook. Chinook is the name given to a species of Volapuk that all Indian tribes in the North-west under- stand. The Chinook language is composed of 158 (sic) words, and by using it the Hudson Bay Company could converse with any Indian tribe from Lake Superior to the Pacific coast.— il/;ssoi(>'t Republican, April 8, 1888. Chinook wind. — The Chinook wind is so called by the Indians of the Columbia River, because it comes to them from the direction of the country of the Chinooks. An interesting bit of tradition and information concerning this wind has been supplied in a report of Governor Temple, of Washinglon Territory, to the Secretary of the Interior. [In this report it is described as] A balmy wind, coming from the Kuro Siwo, or great i = !• Chip In 140 Chirk Japanese current, of the Pacific Ocean. In the summer it is a cool wind, and tempers the heat; in the winter it is warm and moist, and is sometimes slightly odoriferous. Snow and ice disappear before it with rapidity, and it seems to blow for long distances between walls of colder air without parting with its heat. Sometimes it constitutes an upper current, in which case the remarkable spec- tacle is witnessed of snow melting from the mountain tops while thi thermometers in the valleys register below the freezing point. At other times it is a surface current, and fol- lows the valleys and gorges as a flood might follow them. It seems to bear healing upon its wings, like Sandalphon, the angel of prayer, and it is not difficult to conceive why the Indians have personified it in order to fix upon it their devotions. This wind sometimes penetrates as far as the upper stretches of the Missouri, and even tempers the air on the plains of Dakota beyond the Rocky Mountains. Wherever it goes the chains of winter are unloosed and the ice- bound rivers are set free. The Chinook is the natural enemy of the odious east wind, and while, ordinarily, it yields its influence as gently as the zephyrs that waft the thistle downs in autumn, still there are times when the two winds engage in giant conflicts and fight for supremacy, now in the upper, then in the lower strata, on the mountains and in the valleys, alternately driving each other back and forth. But the combat is never long, and the victorj; is always with the Chinook. The inhabitants east of the Cas- cade mountains, when winter has seized them and the east wind dashes snow in their faces, pray for the Chinook to come. Such is the Chinook wind, called by the natives the blessed wind of the far North- west.— i?tr/>0)/ of Governor Temple. Since writing the last notes from the Yellowstone National Park the weather here has been unusually warm and pleasant, with occasional light snowfalls, but not enough to add to the depth. The frequent Chinooks have settled the snow faster than it fell, clearing all the streams of ice and uncover- ing a great amount of country where the snow was thin. — Correspondent of Forest ami Stream, March 15, i5S8, Chip In, To. — To contribute money or kind ; to join in an undertaking. He was always for peace, and ho would have peace— he could not stand d-sturbances. Pard, he was a great loss to this town. It would please the boys if you could chip in something like that, and do him jusiice. — Mark Twain's The Innocents at Home, p. 22. A man who won't chip in to charity is always an object of suspicion,— . I ;«rnt; with you. As soon as yoii see me enjoying myself you have some CHOKE or another for me to do.' — Jiosinii Courier, 1888. Hence also to chore, and, in Connecticut, to chore about, i.e., to do chores or small odd jobs. He needed somebody to do chorks at his house ; the wood had to be sawed, the cow had to be milked, the horse must be fed, and the garden attended to. — Century Magazine, 188;. Chore-boy. — An errand or page boy. CHOUSE, To. — To cheat ; to defraud. Similar in origin to such words as burke, boycot, and bogus. In 1607, a notorious swindle was per- petrated in London on some Turkish and Persian merchants by achiiwus or official attached to the Turkish Embassy, sent to announce the advancement of Sultan Solyman to the throne. So gigantic was the fraud, and so notorious did it become, that to chiaous or chausc or chouse became synonymous with chicanery and swindling practices. It is now classed as slang in Eng- land, but for a long period was much used by standard English writers. In America, however, the word is still looked upon as orthodox, and is applied to all kinds of frau- dulent dealing and deceit. Also CHOWZLE. 'I wudden give it to no lieycr, Jim. The lieyers'll c iiowlf. ye. Ve'd better go down ter the headquarters, an' see ef yer can't got 'em ter conipermise it. — Scribner's Magazine, 1888. CHOWoen. — A popular dish composed of fresh fish boiled with biscuits, pork, and onions. Sometimes wine IS added. Chowder is probably a Canadian corruption of Chauditre. The man took the woman into Hadfield Crowther's saloon near by, ordered a chow- DKK for her and left \vii-.— Galveston i\eu'S, 1888. Chowder excursion. — No pic- nic by the sea would be complete without this almost national dish, indeed it has given a distinctive name to some of these jaunts, in that a chotudcr forms the piece de resistance. On such occasions it is cooked gypsy-fashion on the spot, with the usual fun and frolic generally accompanying such im- provised culinary arrangements. It is difficult to say upon what principle of analogy chowder-heap is used as synonymous with a fool, dunce, or numskull ; in Anglo- Chinese slang, however, choivdar stands for a fool, and chowder-head may be derived therefrom, and not have anj' connection with the tooth- some dish of a similar name. The showman .... grabbed the or- chestra [a single performer] and shook him up, and says, 'That lets you out, you ciiowijKR-HEAnKD old clam.' — Mark Ticain's Launch of tlie Steamer Capital. Christian Scientists — A new sect, whose distinctive doctrine is that disease is all a matter of imagina- tion. " You think you are not ill, and you get well," or in other words they claim to "heal by faith." Christian Science [as expounded by one of tlicir leaders] is a metaphysical method of healing all diseases, both mental and physi- cal, without the use of drugs, electricity, baths, braces, belts, or any other material means. It is not spiritualism, mind-cure, clairvoy- ance, manipulation, massage, or any form of animal magnetism. The healing power is God, as understood and demonstrated by Christ and the Apostles. It is not neces- sary that the sick understand its divine principle in order to be healed, though all should seek to know more of this divine power when they feel its beneficial effects. The spiritual understanding of God being lost for centuries, healing by the God-power, was also lost until at this age ; it is again discovered and explained on a scientific basis. Chromo-Civilization. — An invention of the late J. R. Dennett, which, says the Nation, "confessedly -•i . ■■J I 1 I ^'1 1 I 1 "• ,1 ■ 1 1 i i 1 1 K 9 1 ; 1 1 1 1 ! I'lllll I III I'll': • 11 Chub 144 Chunk supplies a gap in our terms of precision." Chromo-civilization is a term applied to the aggregate of what is false or pinchbeck in "latter-day" society — to the gilt and tinsel, the surface polish, which, in many respects, charac- terizes the civilization of the last decades of the nineteenth century. It is notorious that in America chromo-lithographic prints are sent out in shoals, all displaying a remarkable want of taste as regards subject, drawing, and coloring alike — a sorry would-be substitute for the genuine article. Chub. — (i) A local name (Texas) for the TAUTAUG, or BLACKFisH {q.v). (2) In Connecticut a squash (q.v.). Chub-sucker [Catostomus storey). — Otherwise the horned SUCKER. An ungainly sea-lish. Chuck. — Refreshments. Thieves' argot. i wisli i was nere you so i could send you CHUCK on holidays; it would spoil this weather from here, but i will send you a box next thanksgiving any way. — Mark 'I'lvain's Life on the Mississippi, p. 463. Chuck-a-Luck. — A gambling game played in the West with dice. Chuck! Chuck! — A call used in the summoning of pigs to the feeding trough. It is curious that though evidently a corruption of the " sug ! sug ! " used in Norfolk for a similar fmrpose, this expression differs rom the ordinary cry, and yet is identical with the call employed in gathering poultry. — Sec Calls for DOMESTIC ANIMALS. Chuck Full. — Full to repletion ; a colloquial variant of chock-full. Chucklehead. — An idiot ; .1 block- head. Well, now, his case is curious! There wasn't a human being in this town but knew that the boy was a perfect CHUCKLiiHEAU; perfect dummy ; just a stupid ass, as you may say. liverybody knew it, and every- bocly said it. — Marii Tivain's Life on the Mississippi, p. 473. Chuck-Will's-Widow. poor-will. See Whip- Chunk. — A short thick piece or por- tion. This word, provincial in England, is thoroughly colloquial throughout the States. The New York World once made itself (February 14th, 1888) responsible for "a cliunli of geographical knowledge"; in Western Clearings a "large chunk of sadness" falls upon a woman, and in another quarter, "a clitink of sentiment " is spoken of as "pitchforked into the midst of a play." To CHUNK. — " I'll chunk him," i.e., throw some missile, gene- rally a handy short piece of wood, stone, or clod of earth. Chunky. — A derivative of chunk, which is probably genuinely American ; the equivalent of " stumpy," and meaning short and thick. Said to have been used first by Doctor Kane, the Arctic explorer. Chunked. — South Western. Said of a person possessed of per- tinaceous effrontery. Chunk- head (Trigonocephalus contortrix). — The red snake or copper-head. Chunk-yard, chunkee-yard. — Both Bartlett and De Vere quot- ing Bartrams's Travels in Florida, define these as names given by white traders to oblong four-square yards adjoining the high mounds and rotundas common in the State of Florida, and supposed to have been built by the Seminole Indians. In the centre stands a mysterious obelisk, and at each of the more remote corners a post or strong stake, to which their captives were bound previous to being tortured and burnt. In another place Bart- Church 145 Chute Icoiitorti'ix). — loPPER-HRAD. ram states that the pyramidal hills or artificial mounds, and highways or avenues, leading from them to artificial ponds or lakes, vast tet- ragon terraces, chunk -yards, and obelisks or pillars of wood, are the only monuments of labor, ingenuity, and magnificence that he had seen, worthy of notice. Dupratz, in his History of Louisiana, has established t!.e fact that chunkee was the name of an Indian game, a diversion practised by warriors two at a time. It was played with a pole about eight feet long, resembling a Roman /; and the game consisted in rolling a ilat, round stone, about three inches in diameter, and one inch thick, and throwing the pole in such a manner that when the stone rested the pole should be at or near it. Both the antagonists threw their poles at the same time, and he whose pole was the nearest counted one, and had the right of rolling the stone. Kerchunk ! — An ex- clamation carrying with it no especial meaning, but supposed to represent the sound of a falling heavy body ; varied also by CACHUNK {q.v.). I looked up, and there I saw a young cata- mount, scianibliii!^ up the little, old oak ; he stretched himself out on the branch and looked down upon me so kind of impudent, I thought I'd take a crack at him ; I raised my rifle and down he came, kerchunk I right on the edge of the precipice. — W. S. Mayo's Kaloolah, p. 27. Church. — The little church AROUND THE CORNER. — An ex- pression taken from the popular song bearing the same title, and used in speaking of places of wor- ship, which, though not "fashion- able," are centres of really genuine spiritual activity. Church excursion. — As implied by the term, an excursion or- ganized in connection with a church. The Rev. Dr. Talmage recently got off the the largest church kxcursion to Europe ever undertaken. Over 200 members of his congregation were included in this monster picnic, as the pastor styled it. The idea of this excursion originated with Mr. Talmage, and he has overseen per- sonally all its details, involving an amount of thought and work of which none but the practically initiated can form even an idea. — New York Mirciiry, July 21, 1888. -Church-maul. — A New Eng- land vulgarism, equivalent to our own slang phrase ' ' calling over the coals," when the jurisdiction is one of an ecclesiastical character. Chutc. — (i) An inclined shaft or plane through or down which timber and general merchandize are conveyed to a lower level. On the rocky Pacific coast there is not a spot for miles and miles where it seems possible to build a wharf or to load freight and passengers. The hardy coasters over- come the forbidding breakers, hcwever, by bridging them with chutes, which are engineering and architectural triumphs. There is little choice of location as far as sheltered nooks are concerned, for there are none, but a spot is selected where deep water is nearest the shore. Occasionally a rocky mound affords help and a foundation for a tower of scantling. The chute, a massive structure of timber, supported by wire cables on the suspension-bridge plan, runs from the edge of the bluff down to the tower on the little islet in one dizzy span, often over 300 feet long. From the top of the tower run more cables that suspend the continuation of tin; chute out over com- paratively smooth water. Venturesome skippers run their schooners in under these chutes, and firmly moored to buoys, the craft receives and discharges cargo with as nuich facility as would be experienced alongside the finest dock in the world. The cargo, mainly lumber, is rolled into the CHUTE at the top, and down the polished surf.ice of the face of the chute it slides with railroad rapidity until near the end, where a sort of floodgate arrangement checks the momentum just sufficient to land it on the deck. At Point Arena there is a chute with 490 feet of slide, and light planks are landed on a vessel in thirteen seconds, heavj' pieces, like scantling, occupy- ing less time in proportion to their weight. The word is French, and means literally "a shoot." CJiiites of 19 , I t I i ; I Chute various kinds and construction are known all over the Union. The corpse of a Cliinaman, sewed up in a canvas sack, was one consignment while our party was studying the operations of the CHiiTE, and the proprietor charged the estate of tlie deceased i dol., something in excess of the regular rate, because, as he said, the corpse was liable to muss up the CHUTE. The friends of the departed kicked, but the edict of no dollar, no slide, brought them to time, and the coin was paid. — San Francisco Weekly Examiner, March 22, 1888. (2) A hasty confused migra- tion, applied to men and animals in a body. Obviously borrowed from the primary meaning of the French chute, English "shoot"; just as one of the stations on the London Chatham and Dover Railway has been nicknamed "The shoot," on account of the steep, narrow ap- proaches and the large number of passengers using the station in question. (3) Along the Missis- sippi and in Louisiana a narrow side channel, the river in low-lying parts of the country oftentimes dividing into numerous forks, which unite their waters again lower down the course. In this sense it is often used by Mark Twain, and in the Gilded Age, he speaks of a steamboat approaching "a solid wall of tall trees as if she meant to break through it, but all of a sudden a little crack would open, just enough 'o admit her, and away she would go, ploughing through the chuic with just barely room enough between the island on one side and the mainland on the other." (4) A rapid; or cascade. Down these rapids tim- ber and small vessels are floated. The river men are exceedingly deft in the management of their craft when "shooting the rapids," as it is called, the slight element of danger lendinp an exhilarating spice of excitement. Hence to TAKE A SHOOT, Signifying ardent 146 Cinch pursuit of any object ; earnest study ; or thorough enthusiasm in the performance of any action. CiDEB. — All talk and no cider. — Purposeless loquacity ; or, to use an English synonym, " Much cry and little wool," the idea conveyed being the insigniiicance of results compared with the means adopted to obtain them. Literally, much ado about nothing. According to De Vere this phrase origi- nated at a party in Bucks 'lunty, Pennsyl- vania, which had assembled 10 drink a barrel of superior cider; but politics being intro- duced, speeches were made, and discussion ensued, till some malcontents withdrew on the plea that it was a trap into which they had been lured, politics and not pleasure being the purpose of the meeting, or, as they called it, all talk and no cider. This slang phrase is still largely used, particularly in political circles. It's an expensive kind of honor that, bein' Governor . . . Great cry and little wool; all talk and no cider.— S«;« Slick's Clockmaker. Wliat we want is more cider and less TALK. — Aricmus Ward, His Book. Cider-brandy. — This is iden- tical with APPLE-BRANDV {q.V.) Cider-oil. — A concentrated de- coction of cider and honey. Another name for it is cider-royal, under which name it seems first to have been known. CiENAGA. — A marsh. Of Spanish origin and current in New Mexico and Texas. When of small dimensions a marsh is called a cieneguita. CiMLiN cymbling. — A variety of squash. A name peculiar to the Middle and Southern States. Cinch. — Used by plainsmen both as a noun and verb. In saddling his "m Cincinnati Oysters 147 Circle this phrase origi- ; bounty, Pennsyl- !J 10 drink a barrel )litics being intro- de, and discnssion tents withdrew on ip into which they and not pleasure neeting, or, as they JO CIDER. )f honor that, bein' cry and little wool ; DER.— S«/;i Slick's re CIDER and less is Book. smen both as [n saddling his horse with the huge Mexican saddle it has to be cinched. To cinch a horse is by no means the same as girthing him. The two ends of the tough cordage which constitute the cinch terminate in long narrow strips of leather called LATiGos {q.v.) — thongs — which con- nect the cinches with the saddle, and are run through an iron ring and then tied by a series of compli- cated turns and knots known only to the craft. From the Spanish cincha, a belt or girdle ; cinchar, to girdle. To be cinched is also a Californian localism signifying to come out on the wrong side in mining speculations. To cinch also means idiomatically to have or get a grip on ; to corner ; to put the screw on. Black and Blue .hinks the Dwyers have a ciNcii on both the great events. — Daily Inter- Ocean, Feb. 2, 1888. The bettor, of whom the pool-room book- maker stands in dread, however, is the race- horse owner, who has a cinch bottled up for a particular race, and drops into the room an hour or two before the races begin. — New York WoM, July 22, iBf'S. Cincinnati Oysicrs. — Pigs' trotters. A curious interchange of lames seems, not infrequently, to occur between fish, flesh, and fowl. In Cincinnati oysters we have flesh presented in the guise of fish ; and the reverse is the case when the sturgeon is spoken of as Albany BEEF (q.v.). Amongst other ex- amples may be quoted Marble- head turkey, for a codfish. Nor, may it be remarked, is the practice confined to America. In English slang, a Billingsgate pheasant is a fresh herring ; whilst a Yarmouth bloater is sometimes called a two- eyed stei*k ; indeed many examples might be given of this strange per- version of terms. Cipher, To. — To ponder; to think out; the transition from the pri- mary meaning to calculate, to the idiomatic usage is obviously an easy one. I had not seen anything yi:t [at a spirit- rapping siancc'] that I could by any possi- bility CIPHER out,— .1/ (!/■/; Twain's Anions; the Spirits. Cipher Dispatches. — After the closely contested Presidential campaign of 1876, the Neiv Yoik Tribnr.c secured a number of telegraphic dispatches in cipher, which emanated from the Democratic hc.'lquarters in New York. The key was most ingeniously disco\'ered, and the dispatcnes translated and published, implicating the senders in corrupt dealings of the most flagrant nature in connection with the bribery of State - returning boards whose decisions affected the vote for president. Circle. — A spiritualist's term for a gathering of people a.^sembled for the purpose of holding communi- cation with spirits. Among the more elementary phenomena are table tipping and rapping, and as for convenience sake, a round table was, in the early days of the move- ment, frequently used, those pre- sent naturally sat round it in a circle. Later on, the term circle was enlarged in meaning to include all meetings at which spirit com- munion was practised. Circle HIDING. — A cowboy's term. At ROUND-UPS (q.v.), or when cattle are on the march, the pkins are scoured for stray beasts, sometimes for fifteen or twenty miles back. This is effectually done l)y circle riding. Thr; herdsmen scatter in different directions, returning on lines that tend to the common centre like, says Roosevelt " as if the lines of a fan weie curved." Two or three of the band take shorter and larger circles than the rest ; each man engaged in the ill I'll r i !] ill ■■ 1 , \ ! i ; r 1 ii . __ . 4 1 ■ ' 1 1 Circulate X48 City circle riding driving in any strays he may have come across. Circulate. To. — To move, or cause to move about ; to travel. A vulgarism which probably arose from want of knowledge as to the correct use of the word. To circulate specie is good English, but for a man to circu- late instead of to move amongst his fellows is, to say the least, question- able ; at any rate it is illiterate. CmcuMSTANCt. — Not a circum- stance. — Not to be compared with ; a trifle ; of no account — un- favorable comparison. Another very similar phrase is to wh i p [some- thing] INTO A CIRCUMSTANCE, which, being interpreted, means that the thing whipped is thrown into the shade ; or compares unfavorably with the object of comparison. Thus a newspaper correspondent writes, that the streets of George- town, Demerara, " are broad, smooth, and well laid out. George- town could give points to New York in its roads and whip it into A CIRCUMSTANCE." I took a broadlioin to Noo Orlecns, and when I was paid off on the levee, I was the worst lost man you ever did see. In the middle of the thickest woods in the world wasn't a circumstance to it. Such crowds and crowds of people — why ihay warn't more'n one man in four understood a word I said.— ^. //. Beadle's Wcsiirn WiUls, p. 28. Our system would ha' caird us thru in any Bible ccut'ry. 'l'"ore this oiiscripterl plan come up o' bocks by double entry ; We go the patriarkle here out o' all sight an' hcarin', For Jacob warn't a suckemstance to Jefl' at linancierin' ; He nevcr'd thought of borryin' from Esau like all iiattr An' then cornfiscatiu' all debts to sech a small pertatcr. ^iiglow Papers. Cisco, Ciscovet (Saliito amethystus). — The popular name of this fish is derived from the Indian siskiwit. Some authorities class it with the herring, but Lanman in his Summer in the Wilderness takes a contrary view, and pronounces it a trout. Like the herring it is very prolific, rarely exceeds the weight of 12 lbs., and, when salted, is considered delicate eating. It abounds in Lake Ontario, where it is largely fished and pickled. Citified. — A New England expres- sion for pertaining to city life. CiTizENizE, To. — To invest with the privileges and responsibilities of a citizen. This, though given by "Webster, is not common. Citron. — A species of candied fruit made from the melon. The re- semblance between this and the genuine article is very close. CiTRON-MELON. — This is the dis- tinctive popular name of the variety of melon used in the manufacture of the crystallized fruit above- mentioned. City. — Even in England considerable difference of opinion exists as to what constitutes a city. Ecclesias- tical usage, which agrees mainly with the commonly accepted dic- tum, at least from the time of Henry VIII., decrees that a city becomes such when a Bishop's see is attached to it. This, however, is not the legal view, for Manchester was denied the right to the rank when its claims were based on this ground alone, and a Royal Procla- mation was necessary to invest it with the dignity and privileges of a city. Be this as it may, a much lower standard of rank seems to hold good in America. Just as village schools have been sup- planted by ACADEMIES, SO the term city has been grandiloquently ap- City 149 City idian siskiwit. iss it with the ; in his Simmer kes a contrary es it a trout, s very prolific, eight ot 12 lbs., is considered t abounds in e it is largely ngland expres- o city life. nvest with the msibilities of a ugh given by imon. f candied fruit elon. The re- i this and the very close. rhis is the dis- neofthe variety le manufacture fruit above- id considerable |n exists as to \ity. Ecclesias- agrees mainly accepted dic- the time of ;es that a city a Bishop's see his, however, |for Manchester t to the rank based on this Royal Procla- |ry to invest it privileges of a may, a much ■ank seems to ica. Just as '6 been sup- s, so the term liloquently ap- plied in many parts of the Union to the smallest collection of rude cabins, tents, and shanties, which in England would hardly be digni- fied with the name of hamlet. Webster defines a city as a town or collective body of inhabitants, incorporated and governed by a mayor and alderman, and the smallest are theoretically assumed to contain upwards of 10,000 inhabitants. This, however, is by no means the case, and many so- called cities contain less than a twentieth part of that number. The settlers and miners in the Western States are no doubt the greatest sinners in this respect, as all their mining camps are called cities: but New England is far from being free from such an abuse of terms. City college (Cant). — In New York this is the grandiose name by which the Tombs are known. City of brick. — The town of Pullman, in Illinois. Yesterday morning a party of guests left in Mr. Depew's private car, and were run as a special to Pullman, where a couple of hours were to be devoted 10 an inspection of the various features of the city of buick. City of Brotherly Love.— Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. This nickname is clearly derived from the literal meaning of the two Greek roots from which its name of Philadelphia is formed, i.e., PIiilos, love, and ^rf^;//;o5, a brother. Philadelphia is, however, quite as often called the Quaker City, and this cognomen is due to associa- tion with its founder, William Penn, a Quaker, and the settlement there of large numbers of that persuasion. City of Churches. — Brooklyn has long been dis- tinguished by this title ; though in the first instance a mere suburb of New York, from which it is sepa- rated by the East River, Brooklyn has so enormously increased in size and importance, that it now possesses upwards of half-a-million of inhabitants. As may be in- ferred, its title City of Churches has been bestowed upon it in consequence of the number and beauty of its ecclesiastical edifices, City of Colleges. — Toronto in Canada. City of the Gol- den Gate. — San Francisco ; also very commonly known as Frisco, Golden City, and City of the Hundred Hills. City of Magnificent Distances. — Wash- ington ; also known as the Federal City {(l-v). Washington is the seat of Government, and conse- quently possesses many public buildings. These being built on carefully selected sites, and being isolated one from another, have given rise to its especial appella- tion. City of the Mountain AND THE Rapids. — Montreal. City of Notions. — Boston, Massachusetts. A somewhat sar- castic nickname, the allusion being partly to the thousand and one articles of utility, forming one of its staples of trade, and partly to the assumption of intellectual superiority, which rightly or wrongly is placed to its credit. Perhaps no city in the Union has a greater variety of nicknames. Amongst others are the Classic City ; Tri-Mountain City ; and Hub of the Universe i^q.v). CityofWitche.s. — Salem, so called from episodes in connection with the belief in witchcraft, which are matters of history. City of Soles. — Lyrn. City of Spindles. — Lowell, Massachusetts. One of the largest centres of cotton manufacture in the States. City of Elms.— Newhaven ; also called Elm City, from the trees of that name which beautify its public places. City of Rocks. — Nashville, in Tennessee. 7^^^ l! i ii;ffi Civil Service Reform 150 Claim This city is built on a considerable elevation, and derives its title from the character of its foundations ; it may literally be said to be built upon a Straits rock.- -Cr OF THE Michigan. a narrow ; g Lake lair. The Detroit, This city is situate" neck of land, c. Erie with Lake L popular name is a somewhat rough translation of Detroit, a name which it received from its original French founders. O'Rourke was seized with a strong Jcsiie to try his fortune in tlie City of the Straits and accordingly badeliis wife an affectionate adieu, and left for Detroit. — St. Louis Globe Democrat, March 30, 1888. City of Baked Beans. — A humorous sobriquet for Boston. Civil Service Reform, — The correc- tion of abuses in the public service, or more specifically, the adoption of a system which shall not permit the removal of good and faithful officers for partisan reasons, and which shall prevent appointment to office as a reward for partisan services. Clabbek. — Thick milk. Pennsylvania and South. Ordinarily called BONNY-CLABBER. This term is a survival of old English usage. As the stranger looked straight at old Pete, and as the latter had a wart about as big as a thimble on his chin, the remark savored of personality. However, old Pete did not resent it. He was as quiet as a bowl of CLABBER.— Twrts Siftiugs, June 23, 1888. Claim. — Primarily a piece of un- settled and unappropriated land marked out by a settler for his ov^t. use, and generally with the expecta- tion that when the Government, as the custodian of all national pro- perty, so requires, some sort of payment shall be made and a legal title established. Hence a piece of land allotted to one, and colloqui- ally a dwelling or resting place. ' You arc certain you know where Jack Maync lives? ' the girl asked presently. ' You bet your life— I moan certain I do. Know his CLAIM like a book.'— iVtw York Mercury, 1888. 'She filled a seat,' I have said. 'Well, she did'nt exactly fill it, but she spread htr skirts over it — staked oik iikr claim, so to speak — and there is not a man in St. Louis gifted with common senss and an ordinary knowledge of woman's nature who would have had the courage to ask her to push over and share that seat with him.'— 67. Louis Globe Democrat, April 29, 1888. Claim-jumper. — In the early days of a new country, little regularity of procedure is, of course, possible in land tenure ; but, nowadays the squatter or settler has to go through a regular routine when " locating his claim." Miners also lay out their claims, and, as the search for the precious metals is carried out in regions where few of the restraints of civilization are possible, this has given rise to claim-jumping. A claim- jumper is one who lays violent hands upon another man's claim, in plain English robs him of it, ousting him by sheer brute force. This practice has, of course, compelled many a man to fight for dear life and home. If strong enough to withstand the rough brutality of the claim- iumper and defend his rights successfully he is said to hold DOWN HIS cr.AiM. Hcuce a secondary meaning of the phrase where the squatter takes, say, a dozen homesteads with their accompanying pre-emptions on speculation, expecting to get some- thing for his " rights," fulfilling as few as may be of the government requirements. Here he simply holds down Iiis clai.iis till a purchaser can be found. ' I caine to tell you to git,' Hunker as he baited before Si, said Sam Clam 151 Clankcn 'But I own this claim,' protrstcd Si. ' I st.iUed it out fust, and I'm a-goiu' to liold it down, you liycar nic: I ' HiMikur laURlied rouKlily, and turned to liis associates. 'Say, boys,' lie cried, ' lie says he liaint a-goin' to git, and wants to know (;{ I iiear liiin. Haw, haw, liaw I ' and the clai.m-iumi'i:r lau^shed as tliou^h he enjoyed it hugely.— '/"/ic Clitic, K\m\ 14, 1888, There is one woman in tliis county. White Oaks, New Mexico, who has taken, I think, a dozen ranciies. At one time she heard that a man was about to move on to a claim on which he had discovered a spring, but upon which he had made no improvements. She started for the place early in the morning, and arrived there a few hours in advance of him, and he found her with her dogs, children, and other goods and chattels, in possession. She pointed a shot gtm at his head and invited him to leave, which, it is needless to say, he did. — PortUvui Tniiisciipt, March 7, 1888. To CLAIM. — In the sense of to assert or profess. This is not found in the dictionaries, but it was so used long ago. It is, however, as Hkely to be an Anglicism as an Americanism. Clam. — A popular name for a bivalve shell-fish, largely found in American waters. Clams are of several varieties, and are of great im- portance as an article of food, by reason of their abundance. They are also sometimes specified as HARD-CLAMS (Venus mcycenana) and SOFT-CLAMS {Mya annaria). Clamish. — Happy, contented. — See Happy as a clam. Hen- clam is the New England name for the Mactr^i gigantea. Old clam. — A term of abuse and reproach, equivalent to chowder-iiead (q.v). In this connection it may be compared with the English saying " as stupid as an oyster." No meddling old clam of a justice dropped in to make trouble, and so the model boy George got thrashed, and Jim was glad of it, because, you know, Jim \ moral boys. — Mark Tu'ain's Screamers. As HAPPY AS A CLAM AT HIGH of widely extended usage, but it is difficult to say on what grounds the simile is based, except it be that these molluscs are, when covered by the tide, more in t'.'oir element than at low water. Anyhow the figure of speech is universally adopted as representative of con- tentment and happiness. " Are you happy ? " says Howell, in A Modem Instance. "Perfect clam," replies the person addressed. Shut vouR CLAM-SHELL is a simile more readily understood. Clam-shell here is equivalent to the mouth, the sense being, hold your tongue ; keep your counsel. The phrase is a common vulgarism in New Eng- land. You don't feel much like speakin' When, ef you let your clam-shells gape, a quart of tar will leak in. — fii'i'/oit' Papers, ii., 19. Clam-shell padlock. — A name given to the fastenings used to secure the bags employed in conveying the United States mails. Clam-bake . — A picnic at which the main di.sh is one of clams baked in the primitive Indian fashion. The bivalves are placed in a cavity in the ground, which is lined with hot stones, the whole being then covered with sea-v.-eed. The result is one of the most popular dishes in the American cuisine. ' Is that the \vay people talk in New York? ' 'Why, yes; it's the common language of the City Hall and the Mayor's oihce. All our judges talk that way when they go on a CLAM-nAiCE or a William O'Brien chowder excursion.'— yVtw York Hcrnlit, March 25, 1888. Clam-bait. — As the name WATER. — A New England proverb implies, a bait formed of the flesh of the clam. Clam - banks. — Beds or banks where clams abound. Clankers (Cant). — Silver vessels, pitchers, and the like. Ill ;it,' said Sam T ■ i i' 'if it Clapboard 15a Clay-Eater Clapboard. — A thin, narrow board with bevelled edges, used in the construction of frame - houses. These boards are from three to four feet long, and are so laid upon the roof or sides that they overlap one another. Considerable difference of opinion exists as to the deriva- tion of the term. Bartlett derives it from "clove-board," or board made by cleaving ; but Klwyn inclines to the opinion that the term may be originally derived from the thin, smooth boards called a clapboard, on which, in the North of England, a kind of bread is clapped, which, hence, is known as clapbread, or clapcake, and which, Kennett says, is so called from clapping or beating the oatmeal dough till it is very thin. Hence TO CLAPBOARD. — To covcr with clapboayds. These huts were not made of logs, b\tt cheaply constructed, and clapboardeu with &\a.h&,— Kimball's Was he Siiccess/iil ? Clape. — {Picus amatits). — A bird of the woodpecker tribe, with bright golden wings. Like most American birds, this one possesses many an alias, but it is universally known by its popular name of clape which is said to have been introduced by English colonists. Other names are yellow-hammer, flicker, HIGH-HOLE, YUCKER, WAKE-UP, pigeon-woodpecker, and in Louis- iana, PiyUE BOIS jaune. Clapmatch. — (i) See Clockmutch. (2) A kind of sealskin. Clapper-Creamers. — Milk jugs fur- nished with swinging covers to ex- clude flies, Classic City. — Boston, Mass. — See also Athens of America. Clatterwhackinq. — A factitious com- pound of to " clatter," and to " whack," the former of which, under ordinary circumstances, means just as much as its more grandiose compound. Clattv. — Dishevelled ; untidy. A similar meaning attaches to the word in Lowland Scotch. Claw-hammer. — American for the coat worn in "evening dress." A few variants are given in the fol- lowing quotation: — A few days a^o an anxious and troubled seeker after truth inquired if a swallow-tail coat should be worn at an informal recep- tion. To this the editor [of a New York paper] vouchsafed a curt affirmative and then proceeded to flay alive the audacious trutlisccker. 'Don't,' he thunders, 'call a dress coat a swallow-tail, or a ci.aw-ham- MKR, or a spade coat, but f,'ive it its proper name. It is too dignified an article of clothing to be spoken of flippantly.' This withering rebuke should stand as a warning to all those persons who fail to appreciate the dignity of the steel-pen coat. — Nexu York Stin, September 29, 1888. Claybank (Texas). — Claybaiik color is a yellowish dun. From the color of a bank of clay. The bare-foot Zeke waded through the stream, which was knee-deep, and set him- self to beguile Britton's clav-uank horse into standing still and forfeiting his liberty. —Scribno's Magazine, i838. Clay- Eater. — The curious custom of earth eating appears to have found followers in some of the Soutliern States. A sample of this strange food, ai found in Java, proved on analysis to be very rich in iron, combined with a small quantity of potassa and soda, it being also soft and smooth to the touch. We saw a little darkey yesterday, in front of our office, deliberately take a handful of fresh mud from the street and eat it with as much gusto as though it were candy. He came originally from the clav-eating and turpentine district of South Carolina, and I i 1 if Clean ctilious com- er," and to ;r of which, ircumstances, 1 as its more 153 Clever untidy, aches to tch. A the lean ;for the ig dress." A ;n in the fol- ds and troubled if a swallow-tail iuforiual reccp- of a New York affirmative and re the audacious luinders, 'call a or a CI.AW-HAM- cive it its proper ;1 an article oi lippantly.' This iiid as a warning lil to appreciate pen coat. — New 88. hxyhaitk color From the led throufih the p, and set hini- :i,AV-UANK horse ting his liberty. lus custom of |to have found the Southern this strange Iva, proved on rich in iron, [11 quantity of leing also soft ich. |stcrday, in front ika a handful of kd eat it with as [ere candy. He .AY-EATING and Carolina, and said, ' Yes, ' .)ss ; this is just as Rood as de CLAY we u r KAT In old Carolina.' Fort Siiiilh beatb ilie world in natural resources, and can even furnish food to those who like it, from the very nmd in her streets.— /•'ori S»ii//i Tnbiiiic, Feb. i«SS. CLEAN. — To CLKAN UP A HERD IS, in cowboy parlance, to separate from a mixed lot of cattle all the animals under his own care. This work requires skill, judgment, and practice, as well as considerable eNperience in reading nuANiis (q.v.). —Sec Round up. Clean-Cut.— Sharp; crisp; to the point. The sermons of an Ameri- can divine have been spoken of as rare specimens of clear, clean-cut gospel preaching of a refreshing, self-applying character. — Sec also Clear-cut. Clean Thing, THt. — To do the clean thing is to do the thing that is morally right — a simile borrowed from that mca'^ng of "clean" which denotes purity and freedom from moral guilt. It would have been the ci.kan timng to say at once that no debate would be al- lowed, instead of professiut; a readiness to go into debate, and then to refuse discussion. —Wmhiniiton I'atiiut, 1888. Clean Ticket. — See Ticket. Clear Cut. — Real ; sterling ; honest. Compare with clean-cut. Clear Grit.— (i) The right thing ; honest courage ; that about which no question can be raised. I used 10 think champagne no better nor me.in cider .... but if you get the cucAR-r.KiT there is no mistaking it.— Sn;;i Slick s Clockmaker, (2) In Canadian political slang a clear-grit is a Liberal. CLEAniNQ. — A tract of land cleared of wood for cultivation. Clear Out, To. — To make an exit ; to get aw.ay. Clear out ! i.e., Be off! is an exclamation perhaps more forcible than polite. Whether deri\t;d from backwoods phrase- ology or from the Custom-house, the phrase is now a common collo- quialism wherever ICnglish is spoken. Clear Swing. — To cet a clear SWING is to get ample scope, or a good opportunity. Clearwced {Pilea pumiUi). — A species of nettle, so-called from its semi- transparent stems. Clergywoman. — A woman who, as the ancient phrase has it, adminis- ters "ghostly consolation "—a product of latter-day civilization, St. Paul notwithstanding. Clerk, To (pronounced as spelt, never "dark" as in England).— To act as clerU. The St. Louis Globe Democrat of January 21, 1888, spoke of one who clerked in a store. Western in origin, but, owing to rapid means of inter- communication, it has like most "Americanisms" become collo- quial throughout the States. Old Lady (to saleswoman) — 'Von don't seem to possess the patience of Job, young woman 1 ' Saleswoman—' No, ma'am ; but Job never ci.KKKKu in a dry goods store.'— 2"/if Epoch, 18^8. Clever. — A word which has dis- tinctive and differing meanings on either side of the Atlantic. So much is this the case, that on occasion it is necessary to indicate in what sense, English or American, the word is used. Even in Eng- 20 hi I |, ii ' 1 1'' i ■? i> 1 1 1 1 'I'' > 'llliili Clevia 154 Clomh land, the word has run through a whole gamut of significations, the senses ranging, from dexterous and skilful, through just, fit, proper, and commodious, down to well-shaped and handsome. In America, " smart " is more generally used in these senses, and clcrer is reserved to indicate good nature, honesty, or amiability of disposition. A clever man is a well-disposed man, whose disposition is kind, and who on that very account, save the the mark, is generally a fool. Also ci.Kvr.KNicss in a similar sense. New England. Cmcvkrt.v. — Kight ; well ; f.,T., " long life and as much happiness as you can cleverly digest." Clevis or Clew (French ckf, clavcttc). — An iron, licnt to the form of an ox-bow, with the two ends perfora- ted to receive a pin, used on the end of a cart-neap, to hold the chain of the forward horse or oxen ; or, a draft iron on a plough. — Webster. Climate. — Finest climate in thk WORLD. — A Californian expression in reference to the climate of that State which, from its frequency, is now hardly above the level of a catch phrase. Notwithsf^nr' ig this circumstance in no wa_, de- tracts from the salubrious character of the climate in question. Climb-down, to. — A perversion of words to signify downward motion ; to descend; comedo vn. Commo'.iy colloquial. C'.iNG, Clingstone. — A popular name in Virginia for those varieties of jieach in which the pulp of the fruit clings or adheres to the stones. Those of which the reverse can be said are called KKi:ii-sT0NEs. Clingjohn. — A rye cake lightly baked. Clinker-built. — A corruption • of "clincher-built." Also used idio- matic.'dly to convey the idea of absolute certainty ; thorough. Thus, Judge Halliburton spc:iks of an old dinkir-huilt villain ; and, comparing French and American girls, asks whether the former can show such lips and cheeks and complexions, or such clinker-built (well-formed) models. Clip. — A h'ow delivered with the fist or open j.dm. It is perhaps hardly necessary to point out that this is still provincial in some parts of England, as, for example, to clip (i.e., to box) the ear. Sometimes clop. Clipper-Built Ship. — A term for a ship expressly built for speed, from to clip, i.e., to fly — cutting the air or waves. Though American in origin the term has ceased to be exclusive. Clockmutch. — Literally a night-cap, from the Dutch clapmuts. A form of head-dress which, though still worn in Holland, is as rarely seen, in America, even in the most remote parts of the Dutch settlement, as is the old, curtained, coal-scuttle bonnet in England. This cap has been made familiar to English eyes through painters of the old Dutch School. Clomb. — The preterite of climb. Now obsolete in England. The old past participle, clomben, is also still heard in New England. The Savii ..r bowed bonenth his cross, Cl.oMn up tin: drcity liill. While from the aconizin^' wreatli Kan many a cr'iison rill. — The Ainvricait, iS.'^K. ,'i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i' ■ 1 1 . 1 1 ■ mb rye cake lightly A corruption ' of Also used idio- mvey the idea of y ; thorough. Thus, on spc:i1<««. Close iiickding. — A ulains- nian's term for the dillicult art of keeping cattle together in a close body. — By a novel transference of meaning, a sheriff will talk of close hcyditif; several prisoners in his charge. Clothier. — A designation of the man who manufactures cloth as well as he wlio sells and converts it into garments. Cloud. — A large woollen or silk scarf- like wrap for the head. As well known in England as in the States. Cloudburst. — The climax of a storm. The insi^'nificancc of man and liis acliifjveinunts in tliu world's pro^'ross arc forcibly iniprcssod upon the mind whilo in contemplation of these unrivalled fieaks of nature. While in the valley flhe Yoseniitej a tlnniderstoiin and clouuih.kst occurred Ks if especially arranged to ii;'press one .vitli the magnificence of natu.-o.— '77if A nurican Natvalist, To CLOUD UP. — To become 155 Coast overcast ; the sky 's clouded up when it has become overcast. Not common and probably an individualism. Club-Tail. — The shad — a Carolinan cognomen derived from the swollen aspect wh'ch the tail of this fish presents at cc: air. portions of the year, when fattened up. Clutter. — To make a bustle ; to be busy with. This word is still provincial in many parts of Eng- land. 'Can you make room for a stunhnntcr ? I-dcy Ann surveyed the professor, who smiled at the s( rutiny, and then said, ' There's plenty of room; but if this (gentle- man be hunting minerals, there'll be a nice pair to ci.uTTKU ur.'— (/Jas/u;/) Sliiiiiy Oak, May, i883. CoACHEE. — The driver coach ; a coachman. French. of a stage- From the CoACHWHip. — The name given in Vir- ginia to a snake. Coal. — Sec COAL. Hard coal and Soft ■Coal ba ro n s . — A nglice coal merchants. — Sec Baron. ThetoAi, HARONS who imagined that the strike would be settled so e.isily are mis- taken.— y.foj/o;( Daily Globe, 18B8. Coast. —To coast is to slide down a frozen or snow-covered hill on a sled. Proctor describes this as a method of breaking limbs very popular in America. The word is thought to be a corruption of the French cote. The fact of the term being mainly confined to New England and New York is urged in support of its Canadian-French origin. As Rev. Charles R. Tenney, I.awyt r O. A. Marden, and a few other friends were coAsriN(i down Walnut Street last evening, in trying to avoid a collision with a passing team, the sled was overturned, and Lawyer Marden had one shoulder dislocated besides being otherwise severely bruised. — Uuitoii Daily Globe, i3«8. On the coast. — Near at hand ; hard by. Said by De Vere to be peculiar to Nantucket fisher- men, who have a way of using the words on the coast, even when on shore, in the often very ludicrous meaning of " near at hand," and a 'M > it H < I I ; ;:'i fill f 1 Coat 156 Cock of the Plains gallant lover will assure his lady love that if she will only fix the day, " he'll be sure to be ou the coast with the parson." Coat. — Southern for petticoat. Ob- viously a contraction, a similar abridgment being provincially col- loquial in some parts of England ; in other localities in the Mother Country ladies, when speaking of their coats, refer to an outer jacket or wrap. Cob. — The stalk of maize or Indian corn. Before the kernels are stripped from the cob it is often called an EAR. In some localities the cob is ground and mixed with other food for cattle. These stalks are also manufactured into pipes, much esteemed by smokers for their lightness, durability, and sweet- ness. We . . . K'ized in Uiror at ihc pretty jewelled fingers and white teeth opposite making short work of a very buttery corn- cob. — Chicago Times, 1888. Cobbler. — Cobbkys are of two kinds, (i) A drink concocted of wine, sugar, lemon, and pounded ice, and imbibed leisurely through straws or slender glass tubes. Cobblers of all kinds, especially those yclept sherry -co/;W(rs, have of course long been known in Eng- land, but the method of drinking them is decidedly American. — See Drinks. 'Liouor up, gentlemen.' We bowed. ' Let me introduce you to some of the most highly esteemed of our citizens.' We bowed again. ' Now then, mister,' turning to the man at the bar, ' lirinks round, and cobblers at that.'— W()/('S oil the Noith-westerii States, Blackwood, September, 1855. (2) A kind of open fruit pie. The fruit is stewed or baked in a dish, lined on the bottom and sides with a rather thick layer of dough. A Western dish. CocASH {Ei'igcrbii canadcnsc) . — Also called SQUAW-wEED. A plant used by the Indians for medicinal pur- poses to Senecis aureus. These names are also given CocHRANiTEs. — A rather notorious sect, who for some time scandal- ized the communities of the New England States by their public exhibitions. Claiming to have arrived at that state of perfection and purity usually only associated with seraphs and archangels, they proceeded to put their faith into practice before a sceptical gener- ation, by appearing in the tra- ditional garb of our first parents. The authorities finally stepped in on behalf of public order and decency, and put a stop to their proceedings. Cockloft (Cadet). — The name by which the upper story in the West Point Barracks is known among the cadets. Cock of the Plains {Tetras {centro- cercus) urophasiaiius). — Dodge, in his Plaiiir^ of the Great West (p. 224), says — This noble bird lias been doubly unfortu- nate in its name. Audubon, in giving it the above name, intended doubtless, to signify his appreciation of the size and beauty of the bird. It was, however, a most unfortu- nate selection of title in that it did not catch the popular taste (which no sportsman can wonder at). Had he called it the Gi -B. — In New York a heavy \.jt ' . ;,:r goes by this name. Committee of One. — An investi- CATI.NG COMMITTEE OF ONE, i.e., a holding the reins of office by oneself, brooking no interference. Poliro Commissioner Suboft was very, very obliging in some respects. To use an American expression he was an investi- gating coMMiTTF.F, oi' oNK, that had to be cnntimially lubricated. He had, however, one other weakness. He was very much given to paying his addresses to the fair sex, but lie was not pretty to look at. — E.xchange. Common. — As often as common, i.e., as often as usual ; " as well as common," i.e., as well as usual. CoMMON-DOiNGS. — Plain everyday fare ; the kind of food ordinarily served. Anything out of the com- mon, specially prepared dainties for a festive or other gala occasion are, on the other hand, spoken of as CHICKEN FIXINGS ((/r.). Covi- mon-doings originated in the West, being at flrrt restricted in its mean- ing, but the term now includes any ordinary transaction in contrast with those that are very large or peculiarly profitable, being ap- plied to men, actions, and things in general of an inferior kind. " What shall wc do ? " says a poor frontiersman's wife, when she hears of a Federal oflicer who is to take up his quarters at her cabin for a day ; " I can't give him common- doings. And thar Jim's gone away and I can't send him over to Billy's wife, or I might get up some chicken-fixings lor him." I guess I'll order supper. What shall it be? Corn-bread and common doins, or wheat-bread and chicken fixins? — St was very animated. I'our years later, by connnon consent, the same contest was renewed as before, but not so informally ; for a rej^ular caiiins of the Republican- Democratic congressmen met in Philadel- phia and nominated Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Hurr for first and secniiil place. If the I'edeial p.irty held any full caucus that year, it left no reconl of it ; but by coimnon consent John Adams and Cliai h;s C. Pinck- ney were accepted as the candidates. Not till 1S44 was there so hot and personal a con- test as in lijoo. In 1804 the tendency was all one way; the election on the i).irt of the Federalists was a mere form, and Jefferson was iriuinphantly re-elected. In 1808 the cani-us was regularly established by both parties, and in 1H12 it was worked for all It w.is worth (juite as skilfully as any coNViNTioN e\er was. Not only did the com;ression.il caucus of earh party make a rcRular nomination, but the Legislature oi New Yoi k repeated or conin uied the nonii- liation of Do Witt Clinton; yet Madiion was re-elected. For sixteen years this pecu- liar practice of nominating by couKri ssional caucus continued, but in Monroe's second administration the old Federalparty espired. Then the Republican party split into factions — on men rather more than on principles. The congressional caucus was regularly called in 1H24, but only CO members were present out of 2ifi ; iliey nominated Wil- liam H. Crawford, one of the first to be spoken of as a Democratic candidate; but three other candidates, Henry Clay, General Jackson, and John Ouincy Adams, wtro soon in the lielci by calls from their friends, resolutions of minor caucuses, and nomina- tions by State Legislatures. The result of this singular contest, the election of Adams by the House of Representatives, ended King Caucus for ever; it was by common consent recognized that a better method must be adopted. .Vt the next meet- ing of the Tennessee Legislature, Jackson was renominated by that body;_ the Democrats everywhere accepted it without protest, and in 1828 he received 178 electoral votes to 8.1 for Adams. John C. Calhoun, as candidate for vice-pusident, brought all the Crawford strength 10 the support of (ho ticket, aided not a little by Martin Van Ilnren and Churchill C. Cambreling, of New York, who made a long southern tour for that purpose. For the next sixteen years, no matter who were candidates, Jackson and Clay were the real leaders of their respective parties, and the convention system was soon established much as we find it now. The first regularlv called national political CON \fcNTio.N was that of the Anti- Masonic party at Fhiladclphia in i8jo: ihuiu they adopted a platfonn, but convenea Conversationalist 167 Cook-Housc again in Baltimore, September 26, 1P31, and nominated William \virt for president, and Amos Kllinaker, of Pennsylvania, for vice-president. The striking fact about all tlu; early coNVKNTioNs was that they were held so long before the election. The first Whig or National Republican convkntion nut at Baltimore Dec. 12, iSjii, and nomi- nated Henry Clay and John Sergeant. The Democrats met in the same city in May, 183a, and confirmed the nomination of Jackson, aheady made by State Legislatures, naming Van liuren for vice-president. Their next (oNVESTioN was as early as May, 1835, and nominated Van Buren and Richard M.John- son. Oddly enough the Whigs did not hold a national convkntion for that campaign, but accepted the action of their Pennsylvania state CONVKNTION, which nominated Gen. W. H. Harrison and Francis Granger. There- after the party convkntions met regularly. On the 13th of November, 1839, the first Abolition convention met at Warsaw, N.V., and nominated James G. Birney and Tran- cis J. Leinoyne. In 1844, August 30, tliey convened again, calling themselves the Liberty party, at Buffalo, N.V., and nomi- nated James G. Birney and Thomas Morris. In 1848 they fused with the Barnburners of New York, and at Utica, on the 22nd of June, nominated Martin Van Buren and Henry Dodge, of Wisconsin. The latter declined ; and they put Charles Francis Adams in his place. In 1852, calling themselves the I'ree Soil Democracy, they convened August 11 and nominated John P. Hale, of New Hampshire, and George W. Julian, of Indiana. It is a curious fact in political evolution that the latter is now a Demo- crat and an official of New Mexico by anpointment of President Cleveland. The old party conventions need not bo detailed ; but in 1856 a new one came into the field, absorbing the Abolitionists and nearly all the old Whigs in the north. Tl'is was the Republican r)arty, which held its first convention at Pittsburg, February 22, 1856. It was informal, called by the clKiir- men of state committees in nine States, and only provided a plan for the regular conven- tion which met at Philadelphia in June, 1856. I'or that and the following eight years every convention was memorable; but their history is too recent to need repetition her". The one Republican convention, hov\ever, which stands out in history be- yond all others, was that of May, iB'o, at Chicago, which nominated Abraham Lincoln. Not one element of dramatic interest was lacking; almost every man was there whom the next few years were to make eminent in statesmanship, Conversationalist. — One who con- verses. Colloquial on both sides of the water, but as yet shut out from the dictionaries. Conviction. — Struck under convic- tion. — To be "convinced of sin." This and many similar phrases are the outcome of the plain and simple phraseology which at first, in America, characterized all re- ligious life. Goodies. — The name of a political party which originated, in 1814, in the State of New York. A full account will be found in Ham- mond's I'olitical History of Netv Yoik. CooKEY, CooKERv. — A Small cake; popularly esteemed a tit-bit. Like the English pancake on Shrove Tuesday, and the hot cross bun on Good Friday, cookies form, among old fashioned folk, a special dainty at Christmastide, and on New Year's Day ; in the latter case they are called New Year's cookies. The custom of preparing these cakes was so much part and parcel of the national life that people swore by c^.,/iies, and for the matter of that, still do so ; for Bret Harte makes one of his reckless Cali- fornia characters say : " Don't know whar he is ! He lost every hoof and hide, I'll bet a cookeyl" — Luck of Rotifiiifj Camp, p. 227. Probably a Dutch survival from kockyi'. New York and New Eng- land States. A book has just been published to instruct reporters in the use ol proper phrases. We bet a cooKEV no reporter will ever read it. It's an insult to the profession to intimate that a reporter doesn't already know everything under the sun.~Df/;oi/ Free Press, Marcli 30, 1 888. Cook- House. — Anout-door kitchen, or on board ship, the cook's galley. In the West Indies and Southern States where houses are built Cooler i68 Coot without fire-places, the cooking arrangements are generally rele- gated to a small detached buildin,f Cooler. — A prison ; c"-, 'the judge gave me five months in the cooler ! " CooLEv or COULEE.— A gully or rocky valley. A term introduced by French settlers. Every ravine short of an inhabitable valley is called a cooUy. — Sec Coulee. CooLiNG-BOAno. — A ghastly name given in I'ennsylv.inia and Mary- land to the slab upon which a dead body is laid out. CooLwom (Tiarella cordi/olia) . — A well- known herb, celebrated for its diuretic and tonic qualities. It forms one of the far-famed Shaker remedies. somewhat oblique and sidelong manner, and is up to all sorts of shifts in self-defence. Hence, also, the ludrcious corruption of siiE-cooNERv, for chicanery, not uncommon in the South, and e.\pressive of a kind of mild and feminine whiggery. A r,f)Ni: Coon represents a man in a serious or hopeless difliculty. This Westfun phrase is, of course, drawn from the idea of a coon which has been treed. Coon's age. — A long period, as, "he's been gone away this coon's aiw." 'J'he origin and application of the simile is by no means self-evident. To go the WHOLE coon. — Equivalent to the ICnglish slang phrase, "to go the whole hog." CooNER. — Southern for " canoe." CooNERY. — Sec Coon. Coon. — (i) A curtailment of raccoon {Procyon lotor) ; oneof the Opossum tribe. The name is thought to be of Indian origin (Algonquin, ai'oui^hcun, the scratcher), though some trace it to the French niton. The contraction coon dates from about 1840 when this animal was used by a political party as a kind of badge. Hence (2) Coons as a nickname for the Whigs, who, during Henry Clay's time, had thus appropriated the emblem. In the campaigns of that day raccoons were painted on banners, and live specimens were frequently borne in processions. The Whig policy was denounced as coonekv, which, said a writer in the Boston Post, " must fall with all its corruptions and abominations, never more to rise. ' The epithet was thought by opponents to vbe all the more forcible, no doubt, because so suggestive of the known character of the animal, which moves in a CooNTiE. (Cooniic adka or Coontie cliiittti).—\ prepai.ition of arrow- root (Zamia in'enyifolia). Florida. The mode of manufacture em- ployed by the Indians is similar to that observed in the case of CASSAVA (q.v). Coop. — To coop voters is to col- lect them as it were in a coop or cage, so as to bo sure of their services on election day. Liquor dealers are the usual "coopers" for obviou.T reasons. COOT. — A small water-fowl. The American variety differs consider- ably from its European namesake. Poor coot.— A weak-minded, stupid per.son ; a simpleton. In this connection " as stupid as a coot," is provincially proverbial in England. Ho was debarred thn rude l.rraldry of a ni<'!f ]\IisLOuri. Cord. — (i) A measure of wood for domestic purposes, as "a cord of wood." Wood thus sold is called CORD WOOD. (z) In the West ■ a large quantity " and not merely a cord. The enlargement of the term is probably due to the plentiful supply once so common in those regions. Woodcraft is the art of sellinu an c-.- urbanile lialf a cortl of chestnut for a corit of hickory, when he is new to the rural districts.-^y'Kf/;, August, 1888. CoRDELLE. — A Western name of I'rench origin for a tow-line. Also TO CORDELLE ; to propcl by meant, of a tow-line. Corduroy Road. — A rough kind of road consisting of logs laid side by side ; usually found in swamps antl low-lying marshy ground. I had to cross bayous an' criks (wal, it did beat all natur'), Upon a kin' o' cordekov, fust log, then alligator ; Luck'ly, the critters warn't sharpsot ; I guess 'twuz over-ruled They'd done their morning's marketin' and gut their hunger cooled. —Uii;lou> Papers. The reader will not fail to note the subtle ait which brings out and intensifies the writer's repetition of thi' word "diddle" — a word as stirring as a ride over a cordu- roy RO\D.— Mark TtL:ain's Screamers. To CORDUROY. — To construct roads of the above mentioned description. Corn. — Maize ; Indian corn. Ameri- cans never employ this word corn 22 Corn 170 Corn I in the sense in which it is used in lingland. English com stuffs are, in America, called grain. It is curious to note that, though it sometimes includes other varieties, the word corn is primarily and principally applied, in the idiom of any given country, to the staple cereal, as for example, wheat in England, rye in CJermany, oats in Sweden, and MAizK(ji.r.) in America. C0KN-HAI.LS. — .\ sweetmeat made of pop-cokn (?.?'.), and molasses, \ery similar to Juiglish hard bake and almond rock. (.^ORN-UASKF.T. — A large basket for carrying maize. — • — Cokn-iii.aue. — Theleaf of the maize plant. In some parts of the country the leaves are dried and stacked for use as lodder. Cokn-bread. — Maize meal bread which is unfermented with yeast. Cokn-brooms. — Brooms made of the tops and dried seed stalk.s of the maize plant. Corn and cob milk. A mill for grinding together the kernel and spike of Indian co.-n. Corn-cob. — Sec Cob. Corn-cob shell. — A weapon of offence which came into vogue during the Civil War. These shells were made by taking the pith out of the cob of a full ear of corn and re- placing it with powder. A short fuse was inserted and the hole plugged. It will be seen at a glance that this was a weapon of offence not to be despised. It exploded with a report equal to that of a musket, and the grains flew in all directions with stinging force. Soon after that disgrace a party of the boys prepared a lot of Rronades — corn- con SHK.i.i.s they called them — and deter- mined to storm head quarters. — A iiicncnn Paper, 1888. Corn-cob ni'r.— .\ pipe manu- factured from the maize cob — SWOPt, light, and durable, and a favorite with smokers. Laxar rctin ned to tiic house, knocked the ashes out of his pipe and refilled it. Then will) some difficulty he succeeded in taking alive coal from the ashes: holding it in the leathery palm of his shaking left hand, he gilt it deposited at last on the cokn-coii uowi, OF HIS VIVE.— Sciibnci'i Magii^iiu; 1887. Corn-crib. — A structure in which the dried ears of maize are stored. It is built so that the air can circulate round and through it, being raised from the ground, and having open sides of lattice work. CoKN-cuTTER. — A machine similar to .1 chaff-cutter, and used for chopping up stalks of maize. CoRN-noDGER. — A hard-baked cake made from Indian corn, so named from a tendency to burst when subjected to heat, very similar to POP-CORN (q.v.). He opened a pouch which he wore on his side, and took from thence one or two roRN-ixmcKKS and half a boiUul rabbit, which his wife had put up for hunting provisions. — Mrs. .Slou'c's hrcd, vol. ii., p. i;n. Corn-fed. — A woman is popu- larly said to be corn-fed when stout and plump — an allusion to the nourishing qualities of this kind of food. -Corn-field school. — The old-time school-house of the South, in which the education re- ceived was of a very primitive type, and very different from the public school system now prevailing throughout the Union. Thusaself- made man will boast of his old corn- field school ira.\n\ng. Flint-corn. — One of the many varieties of maize which, says Beverley, in his History of Virginia, looks smooth and as full as the early ripe corn ; the other has a larger grain and looks shrivelled, with a dent on the back of the grain, as if it had never come to perfection ; this they call she-corn. This is esteemed by the planters as the best for increase. Corn-fodder. — Maize sown broadcast and left to take care of Corn 171 Corn itself. Used as fodder for cattle, both in the dried and undried state. CoRN-KKiTTKR. — A dish Com- posed of batter and grated green maize. Qjkn-iilsk, or corn- chuck or coRN-siiiXK The outer leaves surrounding the ear of maize. Corn-iicsking or corn- sHtCKiNG. — Sfc Husking bke. Corn-house. — Set' Corn-cris. No OIK; would stispuct that n wi'll-tiiiibtrwl toRN-HOLSK had bcfii ihi! cause of iiiiicli liti«atioii, and even now looked, when ynu roiiie to know its siorv, as if it stood on its long, straight leg'*, Ifkc an un>;ainly top- heavy beast, alicHiiy to stalk away when his position became too dangerous. — iiiibncr's Mai^iiiinc, 188;. Corn-juice. for whiskey. —A Western term Don't iini to dress — of all the orts with which the aiith is strewed The most concarned useless thing is what they call a dood, An' don't be for ever loafing whar the corn JUICE flows. —Detroit Free Press, May, 1888. Corn-meal. — Maize meal. Corn-mill. — A mill for grinding Indian corn ; compare with corn AND COB MILL. CORN-OYSTER. — similar to corn-fritter ; the taste of this dish is supposed to be like that of the oyster Corn-pone. — A tin-baked maize-meal bread, enriched with milk and eggs. Pop-corn. — A very popular (dainty, for the manufacture of which a special, small, dark variety of maize is used. The grains are placed on a heated shovel or held in a wire-gauze over a brisk fire, till they pop open, swelling to great size, and in the act of bursting, expose the snowy white inside, thus presenting a pleasing appearance in harmony with their attractive odor. Popcorn is eaten with salt or sugar. Corn POPPER. — A sie\e-like utensil for making pop-corn (qv.). Corn KiGHXs. — Tlie title uiiJtr which land was acquired in the early days of settlement. He who planted an acre of corn acquired a title to 100 acres of land. Corn-stalk. — The stalk of the maize plant. • Corn stalk kiddle. — A toy made by loosening the external iibre of a corn stalk and placing a fiddle bridge under each extremity. This is capable of producing a few dull sounds by each vibration. Ole Nasliville di'y "s.tv i-i a very nice town, Uar dc nigtjers pick de cotton till tie sun goes down ; Dey dance all night to de ole banjo, VVid a CORN-STALK UDDi.t; and a shoe- string bow. —Negro MelottUs. Corn trash. — See Corn husk. Corn t.vssels. — The graceful feathery Hower of the maize plant, the ornamental eftect of which, in conjunction with the long leafy blades, has supplied the basis for what has been called the American style of architecture. I heard the bob-white whistle in the dewy breath of morn, The bloom was on the alder and the TAssKL on the corn. I stood with beating heart beside tliu babbling Mac-o-chee, To see my love come down the glen to keep her tryst with nie. —Texas Si/tings, 1888. Numerous as are the special terms to which this valuable plant has given rise, the slang phrases also derived from it are hardly fewer in number ; one very curious is • To acknowledge the corn. — To confess to a mistake ; or, in other words, to " own to the soft impeachment." It also implies an acknowledgment of having been outwitted. Several versions are given as to the origin of the phrase, of which two will suffice. The first, as related by the Pittsburg Com- mercial Advertiser, is as follows: — Some years ago, a raw cu-itomer from ihu upper cottutry detcimined 10 try his Corn 172 Comer ■ ' fortuiu! at New Orkans. Accoidiiigly he provided himself with two flat-boats — one laden with corn and the otlier with po- tatoes — and down the river he went. Tiie night after his arrival he went up town to a ganibling-liouse. Of course he com- menced betting, and his luck proving un- fortunate, he lost. When his money was gone he bet his truck; and the cokn and potatoes followed the money. At last, wh(!n completely cleaned out, he returnecl to hi.s boats at the wharf; when the evi- dences of a new misfortune presented thcni- sclves. Through some accident or other, the flat-boat containing the corn was sunk, and a total loss. Consoling himself as well as he could, he went to sleep, dreaming of gamblers, potatoes, and CORN. It was scarcely sunrise, however, when he was disturbed by the child of chance, who had arrived to take possession of the two boats as his winnings. Slowly awakening from his sleep, our liero, rubbing his eyes and looking the man in the face, replied : ' Stranger, I ACKNOWLKUOE THE CORN — take 'em; but the potatoes you can't have, by thunder I ' The other \ersion, as given by De Vere, is that the Hon. Andrew Stewart claims to have caused its first appearance in this wise : — In x8a8, he was in Congress discussing the principle of Protection, and said in the course of his remarks, that Ohio, Indian.!, and Kentucky sent their hay-stacks, corn- fields, and fodder to New York and Philadel- phia for sale. The Hon. Charles A. WicklifJ'e, Kentucky, jumped up and said, 'Why, that is absurd ; Mr. Speaker, I call the gentle- n\an to order. He is stating an absurdity. We never send haystacks or cornfields to New York or Philadelphia.' ' Well,' said I, ' what do you send ? ' ' Why horses, mules, cattle, hogs.' ' WaW, what makes your liorses, mules, cattle, hogs ? You feed a hundred dollars' worth of hay to a horse, you just animate and get upon the top of your haystack, and ride off to market. How is it with your cattle. You make one of them carry fifty dollars' worth of hay and grass to the Eastern market ; how nmcli CORN does it take at thirty-three cents per bushel to fatten it ? ' ' Why, thirty bushels.' 'Then you put that thirty bushels of corn into the shape of a hog, and make it walk oft to the Eastern market.' Mr. Wickliffe jumped up i:iid said: ' Mr. Speaker, I ACKNOWLEDGE THE CORN.' Just as he passed in front ot me I caught his eye, and he stopped the whole procession and said, 'God bless my soul, isn't that Dan Linahan ? ' I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CORN, and llC called nil! up to him and shook liands.— Missouri Republican, January 23, iSisli. All for corn. — A synonym for sincerity ; honesty ; and good intention ; "he took it all for corn," i.e., equivalent to "he took it all for gospel." CoRN-CRACRER.— A sobriquct for a Kentuckian. Also the name In North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and other Southern States for a poor white. Corn-cracker SiATii, Ken- tucky ; another name is the Bkar State, an epithet which is also applied to Arkansas. Cornel-Tree (Cornus florida). — The common dog-wood. A useful timber tree, which, in the early spring, flowers profusely, its snow- white blossom being replaced in the autumn with brilliant scarlet berries. This is not to be con- founded with the POISON sumac {Rhus venenata), which also is popularly designated dog-wood. Corner. — A commercial phrase now pretty generally used by all English- speaking people. J^roperly " to have a corner," is to purchase a larger quantity of stock or other commodities than is really on the market ; colloquially, it appears to be used in the sense of having the command of, or taking first place in, as for instance, when the Daily Inter-Ocean (March 13, 1888), speaking of Mr. Donnelly the Shakspeare-Bacon controversialist, says that : — In appearance, he is a trifle odd, He doesn't use hair restorative to any noticeable extent. Homeliness of feature he has a CORNER on, and he has ceased growing at five feet two inches. Men in the sugar trade were excited yesterday over a report that the members of the Sugar Trust had decided to ship large cjuantitiesofthe best refined sugar to London, in order to keep lip the prices of the refined article in this country by relieving the market here of any surplus, and creating a Corner-Trees 173 Cotton \aily |88), J the llist, He table as a h a' iicd Irs of large nlon, neil llie Inga shurtaKC, or what would practically be a coRNbK in sugar.— JNVw York WorU, Feb. 14, 1888. To CORNER. — To operate as described above. Cornicr-lot. -Most building plots, especially of late years, are laid out in squares ; the covncr-lots are naturally much sought after. Corner-Trecs. — Trees which mark the boundary lines of homesteads, claims, etc. In the early days it w as frequently the practice to mark off tracks of land by blazing certain trees at the corners, such landmarks being termed cuyner-trccs or corners. Also WITNESS TREES (qV.). Corn-Snake (Culuber gutlaliis). — A snake which frequents the corn- fields of the South. Corp. of ' -A Pennsylvanian corruption corpse." CoRPORosiTv. — The human body. A I'ennsylvanian idiom. His coKi'ORosiTY touclus tilt' k'ouikI with his hands in a vain attempt to reach it. — J, C. Siul's Charcoal Sketches. Corral. — Literally a circular en- closure into which horses and cattle are driven for safety or other purposes. On the plains /() corral means the difficult art of keeping cattle in a compact body, for the purpose of fending and feeding them ; and from this primitive usage its multitudinous senses are derived. I'rom the Spanish corro a circle. Collo- quially extended in meaning in many ways, with its corresponding verb to corral, it part, 'argely of the nature of slang ; ii.as a society belle at a ball, when asked to dance, will reply that she has been corralled by soand-so for the dance in ; between banks sbaded by cotton-woods.— Ci//<"0' .VdA'H- zine, 1887. To UAVK THE cotton-wood ON ONli.- over. -To have an advantage Sboo! Say, yon jess kerp nuiet 'bout twenty ininits ! I'll go home an' bounce de new wife an' take de old one back, an' make all up wid lier ! I jess reckoned she was blowin around, an' yere she's had de (:oTTOswooi> ON ME all dc time! Shoo I Gin me twenty minits an' look out fur splinters '.—Vitroit Free J'nss, Nov. 3, 1888. -Cotton rock. — A variety of lime-stone, so-called probably be- cause its light gray or buff color, when first bared to the light, some- what resembles fresh gathered cotton-wool ; it is a Magnesian lime- stone, abounding in Missouri, and is valuable as a building material, because of its softness when first quarried. Cotton-seed oil. — The oil of the cotton-seed, a pro- duct mainly used for adulteration purposes. A la-ge proportion of the so-called olive oil is said to be nothing more than cotton-iccd oil. The industry is a large one. The committee arranged to invtt.tit'.uc ih(! coiTtJN-sKKi) on, trust this morninc, and at tlif hour for bftjinninx the piocced- iiiKs ^ome of the members of that trust were in attendance.— -AVw York Eveiiiun I'list, l-'eb. 24. 188H. Cougar (Fflis ioncoloi). -This animal is the same as the catamount (q.v.) and panther. Also called [says Dod«el the Mb.\it.\N t.ION,CAI-IKOI(SIAN LION and MOLNTAIN LKlN. He is an habitual rjrf>/i I'ost, I.S88. couNciLMANic. — Pertaining to the afinirs of a council. There is less inienst taken in the coi-njii.- MANlc eloelions, perhaps, than has been known for some yisiis past. — I'liilaililj^ltui I'niS, January 29, iHbb. Count, To. — A verb synonymous with " to guess," " to reckon," " to cal- culate." The idea conveyed is that of expectation with power to perform. CouNTERBRANo. — A Verb and noun used by cattle men. The couittcr- hrand is a duplicate mark placed upon cattle when sold ; this des- troys the force of the original mark. The operation is called coiiiiterbnvtdiiig. — See Brand. Countrv-Jakc 8.— Country - folk ; equivalent to the English " country - joskins " or " country -bumpkins. ' Country- Merchant-Trick. — A varia- tion of the confidence game. When the police learned that he had at- tempted to raise fifty dols. on a check at Shapleigh's, the conclusion was reached that he was working the old-time countrv-mer- CHANT-TRICK, but whether he succeeded in getting any of the checks cashed is not yet known. — .Missouri Republican, February 24, !S88. County House. — The poor-house; the union. An exceedingly singular character has just died in the Hillsdale county housk. For many years fair Aunt Abbie Munson, a spinster, has tramped over the county, having no debiiite habitation and unwilling to conform to the restriction of relatives and refusing all proflertd assistance from the authuiitics. At the age of eighty, she was forced to go to the cointv holse. — I'hita- ticlphia J'ress, January 29, i8b8, Coup. — Giving hie coup. — This, says Dodge in his I'laiiis of the Gteiil West: Is a very curious and unexplained custom niiiong the Northern plains tribi s. How it originated is not known, but the term indi- cates that it was, at least, iinmed by the old Fniich trappers, predecessors ol the Mud- son Hav Comp.iii). When a loc has been struck tlown in a hght, the scalp belongs to him who shall first strike the body with knife or tomahawk. This is the coue. If in a i)ii7iV or running light a warrior kills an enemy, he, in order to secure his proper recognition and r(vvard, must rush at once on the prostr^iA>a Cousin 176 Cow Representatives and a Senate. CouRT-nousF.. — A curious usaj,'e prevails in Virginia, and partially m South Carolina and Maryland, of designating the county-town as the Court-house of the county in question; as, for example, it the practice prevailed in luiglaml, Guildford, the county town of Surrey, would be called Surrey Court-house," and not G Iforcl. This custom applies mainly to official documents; thus, Fairfax Court-house (I'rovidence) and Cul- Yie\)er Court-house became famous in the late Civil War, while the real names of the towns are utterly unknown to history. Court ok ASSISTANTS. — A court formerly in existence in New England, where a magistrate or an assistant presided. These courts were subsequently merged in the County Court. Cousin Sal.— Sf^ Auntie extension. COVE. — A term taken from sea phraseology to indicate narrow strips of pasture land, running into forest. Also, in the Catskill Mountains, a narrow passage or pass. CovcRCLip.— A New York name for the sole. An equally curious appellation for this fish is calico. Covered into the Treasury. — A cant official phrase, expressive of the transfer of an unexpected balance of an appropriation back into the Treasury, and the final balancing and cancelling of the account. The phrase was originally " cover- ing [the item in a balance-sheet] by a transfer of the amount into the Treasury." The words " by a transfer of the amount" were gradually eliminated, leaving the phrase as it stands — a puzzle to many. When introduced, " to cover in " was seized upon and used in many parallel ways — very few, however, being aware of the real meaning of the phrase. COVERLID. — A bed covering; a counterpane. From the French couvrclit. Cow. — As a prefix this enters largely into peculiarly American terms. CowHKRRY [Viburnum lentago). — A small insipid cranberry called CERisKs by the French-Canadians. Cow-uiRO or cowPEN-iuRD or co\v-iu,ACKBiRU. — A species of hob- OLiNK. So called from its habit of searching for food among the droppings of cattle. Cowboy. — Now applied exclusively to Western herdsmen, but originally to the Tory partisans of West- chester County, New York, during the Revolution ; and in 1861 to semi-secessionists in New England. In the latter sense cowboyism was used as indicative of the spirit and practices of these partizans whose treatment of opponents was bar- barous and rufiianly. It is prob- able the term was perpetuated as a name for cattle-herders in Texas and the far West because descriptive of their real or alleged rough man- ners and customs ; the fraternity more generally term themselves COW-PUNCHERS (q.V.). When the branding season comes and we are fussing, We are fussing. And the tows are taking fences on the run, On the run. And when Circle Bar [a particular brand] as usual is a-cussing, Is p ussing. Then the cowboys' lot is not a happy one, Happy one. Notwithstanding his bad reputa- tion, the cowboy as he is, to judge from the descriptions of friends, is a not altogether unworthy member 111 ! Cow 177 Cow of society ; and, to tell the truth, the popular estimate much maligns a body of men who, save under exceptional circumstances, are quiet, self-reliant, frank, and hos- pitable. The many suffer for the sins of omission and commission of the few. Rough, they undoubt- edly are ; but, for this, their occupation is mainly responsible ; which, though healthy, is varied by a good deal of hardship and anxiety. The following ex- tracts from an article, written by W. Lynn Wilson in one of the American papers, presents a bird's- eye \iew of a cowboy's life : — Our lancli, wliicli is considered one of the linost in Ndrtlurii Wyoming, is situated on the south IbrU of I'owdc r River, wliirh runs throu>;li it in a windiiiK course. The house, stables, iind otlier outbuildiiij^s are situ.ited in a valley, iiielosed on one side by n hiuh ridtie covered with small pines, and on tile other sides by gently rising hills. Tlic house IB built oflons,the interstices bein« filled in with plaster. The roof is made of boards covered over with tar paper, over wliieh is laid a hiyer of earth eif;lil inches thick, and, altliouf^h there have been a great many heavy storms lately, it has not leakew- i.iCK, we shall then ponder the n^^t ',', deliberation.— A'cii' York Tribune, i8»8. ■Cow -PARSNIP (Heraci latanum). — One of the far -far, and popular Shaker remedies, w. . carminative and diuretic properties. Cow-pease. — A bean which abounds in a wild state in Texas, forming food for man and beast. — — Cow-poNY. — A mustang before it is broken in. Cow-puncher. — A herdsman or cowboy {q.v.). k bright silk hauderchief knotted about his neck and with the light buckskin gloves on his hands there was no mistaking his occupation, he was a cowboy or in Western parlance a cow-puncher.— Df^coiY Frjc Press, July 21, i888. -Cow TOWN. — In the West the local centres of the stock-raising industry are so called. Theodore Roosevelt, in Ranch Life in the Far West, says, "a true cow town is worth seeing, such a one as Miles City, for instance, especially at the time of the annual meeting of the great Montana Stock-raiser's Asso- ciation. Then the whole place is full to overflowing, the importance of the meeting and the fun of the attendant frolics, especially the horse-races, drawing from th-^; sur- rounding ranch country many hundreds of men of every degree, from the rich stock-owner, worth his millions, to the ordinary cowboy who works for forty dollars a month. It would be impossible to imagine a more typically American absemblage, for although there are alw lys a certain number of foreigners, usually English, Irish, or German, yet they have become completely Americanized ; and on the whole it would be difficult to gather a finer body of men, in spite of their numerous shortcomings. Cow-wHip. — The cow-whip is a very long lash with a very short stock, and is used only in driving the herd, which is often called the cows. — See Round-up. Coyote (Cants latrans). — See Cayote. Crab-Grass {Digitaria). — A grass which flourishes in the South, sometimes much to the detriment of the growing crops. It, however, forms, when dry, an excellent fodder. Crab-Lantern. — Why a small pasty or turnover should, in the South, be called a crab-lantern does not appear upon the surface, and depo- nent, knowing nothing, says so. Crab-Schooner. — A boat of schooner build. There seems some doubt as to whether crab should not be rendered " grab " ; in any case the term is not common. Bartlett quotes it in connection with an extract from the Neiv York Tribune in which, during the war, the "Reliance," a vessel belonging to the Potomac Flotilla was reported Crack 179 Cradle lent )asty uth, not epo- )oner ^oiibt U be the Irtlett Ih an ihune the ig to lorted as having captured a crab's schooner named the " Monitor." Crack, To. — To utter worthless paper money ; to forge bank-notes, cheques, etc. Possibly an idio- matic extension of the slang phrase to crach, i.e., " to force," and " cracksman," a burglar. Cracker. — (i) Crackers in America are what in England usually receive the name of biscuits, although in the Northern counties the American usage in part pre- vails. When biscuits are spoken of, hot rolls are meant. I_ gave the latter (a professional tiaiiii)) a piece of tobacco and some crackers and some cheese, and he soon went away. — New York Sun, 188S. (2) In the same way that, in firework displays, the squib of English pyrotechnists is replaced by a cracker made of a kind of fulminating powder, so jeux iV esprit, or lampoons, instead of being spoken of as squibs, are called crackers. (3) In Carolina and Georgia, a poor white ; and, in other localities, generally a vagabond or tramp. Black Joe's bear was not really savage, nor was he exactly tame either — sorter betwixt and between, as a cracker once expressed it. — Denver Republican, April, 1888. Cracker State. — Georgia. This, one of the most thriving States of the Union, and be- yond comparison the most enter- prising and energetic Southern State, little deserves the name of Cracker State, by which it is occasionally designated, from the crackers, the lowest and most ignorant of its citizens before the abolition of slavery. Some have thought the nickname arose from the peculiar dialect of these people, which is almost incomprehensible to report or describe. Cracker- boy. — A boyattcadanton machines called crackers, use I for pulverizing anthracite coal. Cracklings. — (i) Also known as GOODY TREAD ) this is a favoritc dish with negroes in the Southern States. It consists of crackling, i.e., the rind of roasted pork, mixed with corn-bread. (2) Pork fat roasted or baked until quite crisp. This, in New England, is known as PORK SCRAPS. (3) The cinders of a wood fire. Southern. Crackloo. — A taproom game. A crack in the floor is selected, and the game consists in pitching coins so that, after touching the ceiling, they shall descend on or near the line selected. Crack On, To. — A verb synonymous with energetic performance ; promptness ; persistence. " To crack on all hands," i.e., to employ all one's resources. Cradle. — A cradle-shaped machluc, which is also known as a rocker, used in mining for washing out gold dust. To CRADLE. — To per- form the operation of washing out gold dust. Cradle scythe. — An agiicultural instrument which takes its place as the forerunner of the modern reaping-machine. By its aid the work of reaping is largely expedited. Little used now except on small properties. To CRADLE. — To cut grain as afore- said. Cradle of liberty. — Faneuil Hall, in Boston, Mass., one of the show places of that city, on account of its having been the scene of meetings, the purpose of which was to rouse the American people to throw ofl the English yoke. ii': ■11 1 Cramp Bark 180 Cra::y Cramp Bark (Vibiiynum of'ulii^). — The tree cranberry of the North. The fruit is very acid, and is mainly used in medicine. Cranberry-tree. — See Cramp bark. Crank. — Various meanings arc associated with this word ; but generally it is used to signify an unsteady, capricious, eccentric, or crotchetty individual. Latterly, however, its meaning has been enlarged so as to include one who manifests a deep enthusiasm in any subject or thing ; like many other expressions which have hit the popu- lar taste it is worked to death. A writer in the Florida Times Union speaking of the new forcing system in the public schools remarks : I know perfectly well that I shall probably be called an old fogy, if not a crank, for persuming to think that anything in the past can be better than in the present. While in speaking of base-ball the Neiv York Tribune thinks a good deal of ridicule, mostly good-natured, is showered upon the base-ball crank, as everybody persists in calling the man or woman who manifests any deep interest in the great American game, or who per- sists in interlarding all his converse with the peculiar phraseology of the sport. The Daily Inter-Ocean (February 2, 1888), was clearly right in dubbing a man "as evi- dently a crank [who] said that 4,000 dollars was due him by the Govern- ment [that] the president had retained for his own use, and [that] he intended going to the White House with a big bull-dog and demanding of the president that he settle up accounts." Craps. — A game of chance played with dice, and a great favorite with negroes, who carry their supersti- tions into this as into other matters of their everyday life. A parly of colored deck liands were pla^^- ing CRAi's. One of the party had a bat'i liver, and he laid it on the deck floor every time he picked up the ivories to throw. A;i a result, he won all the money his com- panions had. — 5/. Louis Globe Democrat, l88S. -Crap-house. — A negro gam- bling den, where the game of craps is played. When arrested ho was in the negro CRAPHOUSK kept by Alex. Wells in the alley between Sixth and Seventh and Poplar and Spruce Streets.— .Uissoio't Republican, Feb., 1S88. Crawfish. — A turncoat; a backer- out. Hence to crawfish, equivalent to what is known in English politics as " ratting." Crawfishy.— An adjective used in a similar sense. After a hard session we landed at 8.30 p.m., when I offered to bet Cartmell the drinks that I was dead. He was afraid to bet and CRAWFISHED out of the issuc by clainiini,' that he didn't drink. — San Francisco Weekly Exuiniiur, March 22, ibi88, Mrs. Breezy, of Chicago (to dauf;hter) — It has occurred to me of late, dear, that George is not quite so attentive and devoted to you as he was when you hrst became engaged. Mis? Breezy (nervously)— Oh, mamma, you don't think he intends to crawfish, do yout— The Epoch, 1888. The simile is suggestively drawn from the mode of locomotion peculiar to the shell-fish. To craivfish is as general as "to rat"; it originated in the West. Crawl Through, To. — To crawl THROUGH A KNOT HOLE. — To CSCape from a difficult position by " ways that are dark and tricks that are vain." Crazy. — Synonymous with " mad," and never used as in England ; simply to mean shaky. It must be Crazy Bone i8i Crease xt": |ad," ind; tt be noticed, however, that even in the Old Country, of late years, crazy is more often than not used with the more serious meaning. Crazy Bone. — The "funny bone" of English children. Cream-City.— Milwaukee; from the color of its bricks. Creamery. — In the same way that Yankee grand! loqu ce writes up a village as a city, or a school as an academy, so the old-fashioned dairies have been replaced by ci'caiiieries. Madam might have another idea on the subject if slie but knew tliat most of tlicse fiowciy-named ckkamkku'H liad an existcnte only in dark and dingy cellcis down town. — Nczj York HcraUi, July 29, 1S88. Despite the oleo-niargaiine law the produc- tion of choice gilt-edged butter is far below the demand, as a larger proportion of inferior butter finds its way to market. The CRKAMKKiiis Send butter of the most uni- form quality to market, but that from private dairies differs greatly. — Missoiiyi Ref'iiblican, February 24, 1B88. Cream Soda. — A favorite drink of American women. It is composed of ice cream mi.xed with soda water. Crease, To (Transitive verb). — To temporarily stun ahorse or steer by a blow or shot in the neck in order to catch him. This practice, which is sufHcient for the purpose in view, is said not to hurt the animal much. — Sec Mustang. In the early days of the cattle business in Texas, from 1857 to i8fio, the ranges were ovcnun by bands of wild horses. As a ndo they were a rough ill-shaped sot of beasts, and almost untamable, so that few attempts were ever made to catch them, it being con- sidcrfd best to shoot them on sifjht and tluis get rid of a disturbing itiflnence u\ oin' horse herds. Sometimes, however, a roally fine animal would be seen, and the ranchmen would try hard to secure it. But tlie or- dinary mode of capture, lassoing, could seldom be used against wild horses, as these beasts were very shy, and even a poor horse, carrying no weight, could outstrip a very tine animal with a man on his back. In this extremity the Texans used to re- sort to a means of capturing the horses, which is, I believe, exclusively American. It was discovered, I do not know how, that a blow upon a particular sinew in a horse's neck, located just above where the spine joins the skidl, would paralyze the animal temporarily without doing it any permanent injury. In those days the Texans were nearly without exception fine shots, and at short range could send a rifle ball with phenomenal accuracy. The horses could not be approached except on foot, and it was impossible to catch them on horseback. But, not to be overcome by any such difficul- ties, tne cowboys discovered a way to capture them. Taking his rifle a hunter would crawl through the thick chaparral until within fifty or sixty yards. Then, taking careful aim, he would send a bullet through the top of the neck so as to strike the sinew. When this was propt rly done the horse would fall as if struck by lightning and remain in- sensible for ten or fifteen minutes, recovering completely in an hour or two, with no worse injury than a slight wound in the back of the neck that soon healed. Of course many bullets went astray and hundreds of horses were killed, but a good shot would secure about one horse in three that he attempted to cRKASK.as this mode of capture was called. The large calibre rifles com- inonly in use were not adapted to this pecu- liar mode of hunting, as if they touched the sinew they were sure to break it, and the wounds the 44 or 52 calibre balls inflicted were too severe. The weapon universally employed in creasing mustangs was the old Hawkms rifle, which carried a bullet not much larger than a pea, had a set trigger, and required but a small charge of powder. These weapons were wonderfully accurate up to 100 yards, but inflicted a trifling wound, and the bullet was likely to take a course through soft flesh around any hard object, instead of tearing through it, as a larger ball propelled by a heavier charge of powder would do. Hundreds of mustangs used to be c re ased every year, and this practice was kept up until the herds had entirely disappeared. — J. T. Hill in St. Louis I'osi Dispatch. They approached within about two hundred yards of a dozen buffaloes, and all hands stopped, with the exception of Vic, who crawled on hands and knees within one hundred yards, and, selecting a fine fat cow, took careful aim and accom- plished what was intende— A cantankerous, cross-grained, and perverse person. So as I aint a crooked-stick, just like, like old— (I swow, I don't know as I know his name) — I'll go back to my plow. — Biglow Papers. Crooked Whiskey. — Illicitly distilled whiskey upon which no e.xcise has been paid. The United States Marshall, ho was looking for crooked whiskey, was on his way to ai.-est the whole bilin' of [them] for treasonable proceedings. — Petroleum, V. Nasby. Crook - Neck. — A New England SQUASH. CROP. — A noun and verb. In the bucolic dialect of the plains an ear mark, or to make a mark by cutting the ear. — See Br.\nd. Cropper. — A farmer on commission, the consideration being paid either in money or kind, oftenest the latter, and calculated by the proprietor on the basis of the crop produced. Croppie. — A local name for a spe- cies of green \,ius found in Lake Minnetonka, near which are the Minnehaha, or Laughing Water- falls, immortalized by Longfellow. Cropping. — In England the nearest approach to the Western and Southern meaning ol this word is "to sow " ; or " plant " land ; in the localities named, however, it is used to signify giving special attention to one kind of crop. Cross. — To shake the cross. — Thieves' argot. To quit stealing. The day my time was up, you told me if i would siiAKK THE CROSS aud livc on tbe square for three months, it would be the best job i ever done in my life. — Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi, p. 459. Cross- buttocksed. — Pugi- listic slang. Defeated in an en- counter. John L. Sullivan's defeat was galling enough to our national pride, but we of St. Louis have a deeper humiliation to bear in the inglorious discomfiture of Baptist Ray by Methodist Ditzicr. The ring was formed at Kennett, in this State, and it was a fight to a finish. They say Ditzier cuoss- buttocksed Ray (whatever that may mean) on the third round, and was declared the winner. The Christian Advocate says the result was a great victory for the Gospel. It was a scrapping match between Eolus and Neptune, or between Methodist wind and Baptist water, and cross-duttocksino, we suppose, meant turning the old Baptist tub bottom upwards. — Western Wntchmaii, April 8, 1888. Cross-fox {Viilpes fiilvus). — A breed of fox between the silver- gray and reddish-brown varieties, usually with a black cross marked upon the back. The skins, which are exceedingly rare, command a high price. Ckosh-timher. — The name of two remarkable tracts, about twenty miles wide and several hundred miles long, which extend in a southern direction between Red Ri\er and Crctchical i8i Crowd lus pr- ble Ide Irn Ind Trinity River, and are covered with lofty trees in such sinf,'ularly regular Unes and cross lines, that they suggest irresistibly the idea of having been planted at some remote time by the hand of man. TiMHER (q.v.) is a Western phrase for forest. The wood of the cross- timhcrs is mainly rosT-OAK and i!LACK-jACK, and the whole tract of country covered by it is passable for wagons. Cross-vines. — A trailing plant, the stem of which, when stripped of its bark, divides, as if split cross-wise into quarters. Crotchical. — A New Englandism equivalent to whimsical ; having peculiar fancies ; crotchety. Crow. — To eat boiled crow. — A newspaper editor who is obliged by his "party" or other outside influences, to advocate "prin- ciples" different from those which he supported a short time before is said to " eat boiled crow." Originally the phrase was simply to eat crow, and the following account is that currently accepted as to its derivation. During the unpleasantness between the States and England there were located on the opposite sides of the Niagara river a British and an American fort, and during an armistice the soldiers of both garrisons were accustomed to go hunting. Among ihe American troops was one long, lank, stutter- ing specimen of the genus Yankee, who would persist, in spite of orders tc the con- trary, in going across the river on his hunting expeditions. One day when on the Canada side he had had poor luck and got nothing, but resolved not to go back entirely empty handed. While passing through the grounds of an English gentleman, he spied a crow, and, blazing away, brought it down. The Englishman had witnessed the shot and resolved to punish the ofifender for poaching on his private grounds. As the Yankee was loading his gun he approached, and, com- plimenting him on his good shot, asked to look at his gun. The unsuspecting Yankee handed it to him, and the Briton, bringing the gun to bis shoulder and cover- ing tne Yankee abused him for trespassing on his grounds, and ordered him, on pain of death, t ) take a bite out of the ckow. The soUlii'r begged and pleaded, but to no avail. The Englishman had the drop on him, so he finally bit a piece from the breast of the CKOW. The Englishman, after warning him to keep off his premisLS in tlu' f\iture, handed him back his gun and bade him clear out. No sooner was his rifle r(jtnrned than hi; covered the Briton and orderc-d him to finish the CKOW. Then it was tlie ICnglishman's turn t(j beg off, but the Yankee -vas firm, and the En^-jlishninn, with many a wry face, did suc- reed in downing several bites of the unsavory bird. His wounded honor being appeased, the Yankee betook hims(^lf back to the fort. The Englishman the next day went to the American commander and told his version of the affair, and demanded that the culprit be punished. From the description given the American officer knew that the offender must have been the stuttering soldier, and ordered him to be brought before them. When he came in the captain asked him if he had ever seen the gentleman before. The Yankee shifted uneasily from one foot to the other, and, after several attempts, finally answered that he had. ' When and under what circumstances ? ' asked the officer. ' I d-dined with lii:n y-y-yesterday, captin,' stuttered the soldier. The story goes that his wit saved the soldier from punishment.— ^//ii«/(i Constitution, i8S8. Crowd. — I don't belong to that CROWD, i.e., I don't belong to that set. Colloquially crou'd is used in America to denote a company or even a single person; e.g., "he's a had crowd generally." Originating in the South and West, its use has spread all over the Union, and is now frequently heard in England. Also TO CROWD, to squeeze in ; to push ; or even simply to pass in without abnormal exertion. The New York Mercury of July 21, 1888, gives rather an amusing instance of the peculiar use of this word. If seems that a colored Baptist congre- gation in Minnesota was out on the border of a conveniently located lake, attending the immersion of young converts gathered in at a recent revival. Among the candi- dates for the rite was a strapping great mulatto woman, whose ample proportions were enhanced by a bustle, itself of no mean dimen- iiii:; I ill :;,J 24 Crower 1 86 Cully sions. When she went into the water the minister found the bustle a stumbHng block to his holy work. It acted as a buoy for the candi- date, floating her up when the minister attempted to put her under the water. After he had e.xperimented two or three times with the candidate, each time be- ing defeated in his purpose by the bustle, one of the dusky brethren on the shore yelled out: " Croicd dat ar bustle under the water, parson ; crowd it under. It's de wickedest thing you've got to deal with." Phillips has, it is said, been in the habit of getting very heavy with liquor and then CROWDING into his wife's room at unreason- able hours of the ni|.;ht. — Missoiiii Republican, February 24, i8S». Crower. — A prudish euphemism for "cock." This is not the only instance in which certain sections of Americans fall from the frying- pan of squeamishness into the iire of indelicate suggestiveness. Cruel. — Very, exceedingly. An old friend with a new face, and not an Americanism save by survival. It was used by Pepys in his Diary — "«-;/('/ angry," " cruel ma.d." It is to be feared that these intensi- tives are again creeping into favor in England. Cruise. — To go on a cruise. — To go on an expedition, whether im- portant or otherwise, even to taking a walk down the next street. A New Englandioui, and obviously derived from sea-faring life. Cruller. — A twisted cake made of flour and sugar and fried in lard. From the Dutch kruller, a curler ; the term has, in New York, been handed down as cruller. Farther South, in Maryland, cruller, dox'gh- NUT and FOSSNOCK are synonyms. Crummy. — American slang for comely ; pretty ; a plump, full- figured girl is, in England, also described as crummy. Crush Hat. — Whereas in England the collapsible opera hats are only so called, in America any soft head- gear receives this name. Cry, To. — To be cried in church is a New Englandism which corres- ponds to the publication of banns, or the English provincial "ask- ings" or " callings." Now almost obsolete, but formerly quite offi- cial, since the laws of Connecticut provided that persons " shall be cried three times in church before they can be married." Cucumber-Tree (Magnolia acuminula). — So called from the resemblance of its fruit in its early stages to small cucumbers. The likeness does not continue, the fruit turning to a bright red. Cuddy. — See Burro. Cud- 1. — A species of everlasting plai- [Gnaphalium), CuFFY or cuFFEY. — A gcneric name for a negro; akin to " Sambo," " Quashie," etc. Thought to be a corruption of the English slang "cove." Cully. — A companion. In Old English slang " cull " had the same signification — a man or woman ; a partner. What's yer Mercury, i883. hurry, cully ?—.Vfi«' York :l ' Cunner 187 Ctiss CuNNCR. — A univalve found in New England waters. Genus Patella, Cunning. — A feminine Americanism, used when speaking of anything that is interesting or pretty. One's hand may have cunning, but a cunning foot would, in some cases, awaken stirring memories. Ameri- can ladie^., however, would simply mean that the pedal extremity was small, shapely, pretty, or taking. Mr. R. A. I'roctor amusingly comments upon this word, that, on hearing in America that twins had been born to him in England, a lady "comforted him" by saying that twins are always so cunning. As a child, she had been called cunning in the popular American use of the word when applied to children; that is to say, piquaiitly interestiiiKi and this character- istic of quaint piquancy of appearance she retained, now that she was a young woman of eighteen.— Coi^/O' Magazine, i8«8. CUNNUCK. — See Canack. Curious. — Particularly fine ; excel- lent ; nice. Only an Americanism by survival, a fact which both Bartlett and Proctor omit. It was once in very frequent use by old English writers. Curled Maple.— A species of maple, the wood of which is peculiarly adapted for cabinet work. CuRLEvcuEs. — See Carlicues. Curtisans (Cant).— Broken down lawyers; the shysters (q.v.) of the Tombs. CuRTiTUDE. — " Skirts of convenient curtitude," i.e., shortness, from " curt," short. A vulgarism. Cuspidor. — A spittoon. Spanish cscupidoy. From the Cuss. Cussed. Cussedness. — Author- ities differ as to whether cuss is derived from a mis-pronunciation of " curse," or whether it is an abbreviation of "customer." At any rate it is used in both ways, the latter primarily involving the idea of meanness and worthlessness. It is, however, by no means con- fined to a shade or t-vo of meaning. Mischievousness seems implied in the following : — A more mischievous boy never came under my observation. Pure cusskdness was spread out all over him. I was a bad boy myself; my son was worse than I was ; but that boy of his beat all creation. I'm a dea- con, and never believed in total depravity, but I believe in it now. Ho nia?t hiive been beyond redemption before he was born. — Detroit Free Press, August, 1886. In Hay's Song of the Prairie Bell it conveys the idea of resolution and courage. Through the hot, black breath of the burnin' boat Jim Bludsoe's voici> was heard. And they all had trust in his cussedness, And knowed he would keep his word. — Colonel John Hay. It is to be noted that the Coventry Plays employ cursydnesse in the sense of sheer wickedness and malignity. Cuss-words. — Oaths. A story is told of a lady who, too squeamish to give utter- ance to her thoughts, compounded with her conscience by keeping what she called a cuss-book. Whenever anything particularly exas- perating occurs she seizes her ci;ss-book, sits down and scribbles all the darns and other imprecations she can remember, to the extent of several pages. After that she feels better. — Chicago Daily Inter-Occan, 1888. We had a call the other day from Major George Devine, a late arrival from the East who is here to look after his mining interests. The Major had on the first real biled shirt we have seen in six months. His boots were also blacked. He sat for two hours and never asked us for a chew of tobacco, a drink of whiskey, or a free puff. He didn't have a gun strapped to his back, and he didn't use vva^-\\ov.v>^.— Detroit Free Press, Sep. 15, ibb8. II Custard Apple i88 Cut Cuss HIS (your, etc.) picture ! — A Western oath. ' Would you have tlie Icist mile of an idt'a, boys,' said Hoss, ' that this creature of a faction wants to have every man's rifle stamped with the State arms, and tlien made pay a license to the State before lie can t;ct a bonus for wolf scalps ? I want to know what in yearth this Mississippi country's comin' to when such fellars finds favor with the people — what do you think of him, boys ? ' ' Whv, cuss HIS I'lcTUREl' was the pcneral response from the bar hunters. — Slick's Americans at Home, p. 18. Custard Apple {Antiona sqvamosa). — A West Indian fruit ; alsoca)'- Ithe SWEET-SOP and sugak apple. CusTODizE, To. — A new form. A thief is custoilizcd when captured by the poHce authorities. Custom-made Clothing. — Clothing made to measure. Mr. Bond abominated custom-made CLOTiiiNa, and hence, although his suits wore good enough in material, they fitted him as leaves ht a cabbage. He put com- fort before style, and independence before tailors' plates. In fact, Mr. Bond was a trifle eccentric without being in the least outre. — Chicago Inter-Ocean, 1888. Cut. — To cut enters into many com- binations, in some of which froHc- someness runs down the gamut from simple mirth to thorough- going rowdyism. " To cut capers " ; " to cut shines " ; "to cut didoes" ; and other similarly characteristic phrases, each and all convey the idea of boisterous fun with or with- out wine and women. In to cut DIRT {see dirt) we get a slight variation, but it still enshrines the same idea of energy, which, how- ever, is not misapplied to such an extreme degree. Another shade of meaning is e.xpressed in to CUT A swathe (see swathe), to CUT A splurge (see splurge), both being used to indicate swagger- ing pomposity in gait or dress, while to CUT one's stick (q.v.) has been very materially en- larged in the scope of its meaning. Cut, a reduction, e.g., a cut in freight rates for grain. The Burlington and Quinr.y Road has made a five cent cut to Dcs Moines and other equally distant Iowa points on first- class freights, and a corresponding reduc- tion on second and third-class. — New York Evening Post, Feb. 24, i888. Or, as when speaking of the com- petition in providing popular enter- tainment, the iJoi/ow/ytt/mj/ says : — Three hours of solid fun that anybody can understand, together with thirty or forty songs and a play, are very rarely offered in this city for twenty-five cents, and it cer- tainly seems to me to usher in an era of prosperity and good feeling among the plain people who en)oy a spectacular, musical, and dramatic season at cut rates. To CUT OUT. — A Western plainsman's term for separating a particular animal from the rest of the herd. When looking through the herd, it is necessary to move slowly ; and when any animal is found it is taken to the outskirts at a walk, so as not to alarm the others. Once at the outside, however, the cowboy has to ride like lightning ; for as soon as the beast he is after finds itself separated from its companions it endeavors to break back among them, and a young, range-raised steer or heifer runs like a deer. In cutting out a cow and a calf two men have to work together. As the animals of a brand are cut OUT they are received and held apart by some rider detailed for the purpose, who is said to be holding the cut. — Century Magazine, i888. To CUT ROUND. — To make a display. To cut under. — To undersell in price. To cut up. — To rudely break in upon con- versation ; to act in a boisterous manner. To be cut up about anything in the sense of being put to mental pain or anguish is well known as an English collo- quialism. Cut it fat!— Over- done flattery is called "Cutting it } t Hi Cute 189 Cypress fat."'- -CuT OFF. — A new chan- nel formed by swift-flowing rivers, especially in the case of the Mis- sissippi. Cut-throat games. — Games of chance which readily lend themselves to dishonest play, the distinctive name arising from the frequency with which fatal (}uarrels result amongst the wild and lawless characters who largely participate in them. Promontory [once a tent-town on the Union and Central Hacitic Railway] was for tiiat season the transfer point between tlic Union and Central Pacific; and was composed about equally of hotels, saloons, and «;'">- blin>» tents, with a few stores and shops. There flourished every form of cut-throat gambling known — threc-canl niontc, ten-die, the strap Kanie, chuckaluck, and the patent lock ^ame. Occasionally legitimate gambling- like faro or keno was established, but ciT- THKOAT GAMKS were therule,— J. ll.litadU'i Wcitern Wilds, p. 104. -Jumping the cut. — So to ma- nipulate cards when cutting that the result is to give the one cutting an unfair advantage — in short, jumping the cut is to cheat at cards. If he lets the light of day strike his opera- tions he is no more a first rate crook than a card sharper, who is detected, can really be called a good hand at jlmi'Ing the cut. — Orasege Jow'al, April i6, iBB;. Cut grass (Lcersia oiyzoidcs). — A name given in tribute to the sharp edges of the leaves of this plant. Cute. — An abbreviated form of "acute"; sharp; keen. This is a much debated word. Though pro- vincial in England, it has attained a special prominence by reason of its application in describing the typical Yankee. Hawthorne's par- ticularly 'cute Yankee child, who left his home and native parish at the age o." fifteen months, because he was gi\en to understand that his parents intended to call him Caleb ! will readily occur to mind in this connection. Ain't it cute to see a Yankee T.ikc sech everlastin' pains, All to get the Devil's thankee Hclpin' on 'cm weld their chains? —liiglov) I'apen. There is little doubt that the more frequent use of cute in England is mainly attributable to this associa- tion and not to an extension of native [jrovincial usage. The word is argcly colloquial in the States. Cute is also employed with the same meaning as cunning, in the sense of pleasing, (juaintly pretty, or amusingly odd. So also cuTENEss ; keenness. Cutter. — A sleigh, very lightly built, and drawn by one horse. CuTTOEs. — A corruptio 1 of couteaux — knives. A word which still sur- vives in the New England States for a large knife. CvMBLiN. — A variety of squash. Cypress (Taxodium disticha). — A tree found in the Southern States which, however, is quite distinct from the European variety. It is described by C. H. Gosse as a tree of noble stature, being occasionally seen 120 feet in height. It is very valuable for the durability of its timber, and hence is much in request for building. Its root generally swells in a great cone or beehive-shaped protuberance, several yards in cir- cumference, from the summit of which the tree springs. Cypress BRAKE, or SWAMP. — Low - lying swampy ground in which fallen cypresses abound. Before him, as he turned away from the water, a small gray railway platform and frame station house, drowsing on long legs in the mud and water, were still veiled in the translucent shade of the deep cypress SWAMP whose long moss drapings almost overhung theiu on the side next the brighte.i- ing dawn.— CniiKO' Magazine, ib8.'<. « I ADBiNccD. — This, with other expressions very similar in type, belongs to a class of half-veiled blas- phemies very com- mon throughout the Union, being used by those who, fearful of committing an open profanity, sugar-coat their oaths and thus think to cheat the devil. Some one has said that such slang terms are but a " whip- Eing the devil round the stump," y persons who desire to enjoy the sweets of wickedness and yet to escape the penalty. The prefix "dad" is probably a variation of "dod" (Query a corruption of "God"), both of which with "dog" enter into combination with "blamed," "fetched," "gasted," "goned," "rot," etc., as e.g., dad- blamed, DODGASTED, DOGGONED, (q.V.). ' Why, Mars Tom, I doan want no rats. Dey's de dad-blamedest creturs to "sturb a body, en rustle roun' over 'iin, en bite his feet, when he's trvin' to sleep, I ever see. No, sah.'— r/i< Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, p. SQi- -Dadfetch, dadfetched. — An oath akin to dadbinged (iu.u'u sail.— y7i« Atiuruiiii, July lU, ibKtj. Daisy. — When a man or thing is called a daisy, the meaning is that he or it is first-rate of the kind. Thus, a dog, drunkard, or divine may each be called a daisy if only they come up to the required stan- dard of excellence. Also equiva- lent to DANUY. When fistic exhibitions have these char- acteristics they arc hiKtilv manly and intensely intcristinR. While John L. is unmiestionably the peerless, lack Deinpsey is beyond compare a pugilistic daisy, — Denver Republican, 1888. Our patent spring bed has been remodelled. The one for two in a bed is so arranged that the part the wife lies on can be set by the husband unknown to the former, and it springs her out of bed and stands her up on the floor at any hour for which it is set. It then rcimains turned up on one edge so she can't get back again, at least on her side of the bed, and she won't come back on his side, for she's too allhred mad to come near him. So the result is that she iscoinpelled todress and go downstairs to see to breakfast, and the old man will get a rest. Oh, it'saDAisYl —Hyde Park Journal, Mass., 1888. DAMAGE. — What's the damage? — What is there to pay ? Quite as common now in England as in the States. Also what's THE SWINDLE? Damaged. — A man when in- toxicated may well be said to be damaged. A simile of little wit but much point. DAM NASTY Oath. — An irreverent cor- ruption of amnesty oath (q.v.), or IRONCLAD OATH, as it was otherwise called, exacted from Southerners after the Civil War. Damson Plum. — / ^o called the star- apple (q.v.). \.«jst Indian. Dantc House. — A dancing saloon. T) e "public buildings" of Western to ns consist mainly of dance houses, drinking saloons, anf* "to banks, Dandy with their inseparable adjuncts of gun shops and a shooting gallery, dander. — to get one's dander up; to get one's dander rai:?ed. — To work oneself into a passion ; to get angry. Possibly an English provincialism. It may be re- marked in thin connection that Brewer in Phrase and Fable quotes dander as a corruption of " damned anger," the "damned" being em- ployed as an oath. He further remarks that Halliwell gives, in his Archaic Dictionary, both dander (anger) and dandy (distracted) the former common to several English counties, and the latter peculiar to Somersetshire. VVut'll make ye act like freemen ? Wut'll GIT YOUR DANDKR RIZ ? —J. Russell Lowell's liiglow Papers. He was as spunky as thunder, and when a Quaker gkts his dai'dek vv, it's like a North-wester, — Major Jack Downing's Letters, p. 75. Dandified. — Dandyish; fuppish. Dandy. — Something out of the com- mon ; first-class. Dr. H. Conner has invested in a fine piece of horseflesh. The animal was purchased in Oshkosh, and has a record of I'iy. It is said to be a T)\ho\.— Superior Inter-Ocean, 1833. A shoeblack suggested to me that my boots were badly in need of a shine. In fact he hinted that the condition of my footgear was in a state of dimness and dinginess unbefitting a gentleman of my standing, so I bade him go to work and shine 'em up. As I placed my boot on the box, I noticed the end was inlaid with coppers, and I picked it up to examine it. ' My box ain't no good mister, but I know a feller over dere dat's got de dandy one. Ii s got a whole lot of five dollar gold pieces in it,' said the arab. I bribed him to guide me to the haunt of de feller what's got de dandy. — St. Louis Globe Democrat, January 21, 1888. ' I'm a terror from Philadelphia and I can lick any man in the world. I'm a dandy from away back; the further back they come the dandier they are, and I come from the furthtt,t back,' spoke a rough- IF I r Dandy Trap 192 Dark and Bloody Ground looking specimen of humanity as he threw ofl his coat and vest and danced a can-can on Exchange Place in Jersey City last niglit, — Missouri Republican, February 2, 1888. Officer Finley, who had wielded the club, stepped modestly forward and was iust about to inform tlie specimen that he had (lone the -vork, when he was caught under the chin with a handy from the specimen's left that staggered him. — Missouri Republican, February 2, 1888. Daly, rushing in, again sent in two swingers on Jimmy's neck, and stepping back he made a right-hand swing, which landed on the latter's lower ribs and caused Jimmy to remark that it was a dandy. If that was a dandy, what followed must have been more than that. — Boston Daily Globe, 1888. Dandy Trap. — A loose stone, which tilts when trodden on, and, in wet weather, throws up the mud under it, to the great detriment of the clothes of the victim. DANGEROUS. — Used colloquially in the States to signify being in danger, a meaning which is also given by Forby in his Vocabulary of East Aiiglia. Dangle Berry. — A speci'=isof theblue whortleberry. — See Bilberry. Dangnation ! — A comforting exclama- tion for those whose consciences will not allow them to say " damnation ! " Dangnation .'is often contracted to dang it ! Dakota lady (impatiently) — 'Aren't yon nearly ready for church, my dear ? the bell is tolling.' Dakota husband — ' Dang it all, I c^.n't find my plug of tobaccer 1 ' — Scenes in Dakota, 1888. Danites. — A band of Mormon assas- sins whose work consisted in "removing" those who had made themselves obnoxious to the Mor- mon leaders. The " Saints" deny the existence of these men, but there seems little doubt of the truth of the serious allegations laid to their charge. Dans y. — A Pennsylvanian Dutch term used in describing those whose faculties are failing them thi-ough old age. Similar in meaning and application to the English "dotty." Dardanelles of the Orinoco. — The tract of country which commands the Orinoco on either side, in the same way that the Dardanelles of Europe command the approaches to Constantinople. The river Orinoco is bounded on one side by the island of Trinidad, and the claim recently made by the British Government to the country lying eastward, if established, would, it is averred, give England absolute possession of the Dardanelles of the Orinoco, recognized for a century as the key to South America. Dark and Bloody Ground. — The State of Kentucky which, more than once in its history, has been the scene of frightful carnage and unhappy memories. Its sobriquet is said to be a literal translation of its Indian name, bestowed by the aborigines, in consequence of a death struggle which once took place within its confines, between rival tribes of Indians. The cop- nomen has been still further perpetuated through its having been the battle ground, in early colony days, of the long and relentless struggle between the red and white races. The McCoy and Hatfield feud shows that Kentucky will not willingly surrender its designation of the dark and bloody GROUND.— 67, Louis Daily Globe Democrat, 1888. In the area thus described is included part of the Upper Ohio. Senator West in a speech upon the compulsory education of Indian children, thus delivered himself concerning this historically blood stained region : — # Darkle 193 Deacon I am a Western man ; I conic from a Stati; wliich was called thn uakk and uloodv GROUND on account of the terrible wars between the red and the white races, and my forefathers were engaged in them, and I lost relatives in them. I was raised with the prejudices of the men that fought against these Indians ; but with advancing years, I trust with more charity and more enlarge- ment of observation anl<'toii was com- pleted Tlinisil.iy by llic |)nri'lias(: of ^(>,(x>o acres of I'loriila tiiiibei land by ,111 Apjilelon syndicate. Tiie consid( r.ition was 80,000 dollars cash. — liruiiurd (Miit.) Tribune, ititiS. Dearborn. — A Mr. Dearborn was the inventor of a light four -wheeled carriage which received his name. At last the stage was ready — a thie<"-Reated DKAKUOKN witli ouc wliitc and one brown horse.~Li/>/>i»tt)»'s Uiinaziiie, Death. — See Dead. Death Horses. — The death watch. Decapitate, To. — Used in political circles. An odice-holder is said to be decapitated when his term of office has come to an end. Official positions depend for their tenure on the result of Presidential elec- tions, which take place every four years. Decedent. — ICquivalcnt in speaking of persons to " the deceased." Deck. — A pack (of cards). An old linglish survival. Shakspeare uses it and Hoyle has it in his book of games. Rarely if ever heard in England, but general in the States. In twenty deck poker, deck does not literally mean a pack as it is played with twenty cards. A preacher in Fleming comity, Ky., i)or- rowitd a suit of clotlu^s to wear while baiilizing a convert. Honiewheic in die suit there was a i)i;cK of cards which llin owner of tin; cIoIIk.s forgot to take out, and while the parson and his conv(-i t were in the water tlie cards began to float around them, to the great aina/.eiiKjiit of the spectators.— iVoz-ris/owt Herald, ibbH. Declension. — An archaic form; a refii.sal. He asked me to drive with hii . to-day, but I was forced to send him a uhclknsion. — Southern Literary Meiscnt;er. Declination. — A refusal. I have no doubt that lilaiiie's decm- NATioN is entir( ly sincere. — New York IVorlil, Feb. 14, i8sa Decoration Day. — A public holiday, set apart for the decoyttion of the graves of those who fell in the Civil War; very similar to thcjouydes tiiorts of the French. Also called memorial DAY. It occurs generally towards the end of May, and is observed by North and South alike. We i)KCK their graves alike to-day With blossoms fntsh and fair. And on the grassy mounds of clay W(! lay the flow'rs with care. —T. N. Mitchell's We l)icl< Their Graves A like To-day, 'Deed. — Indeed. A negro corruption. To DEED. — To convey by deed. Deer-Meat 197 Demnition Mrs. lIolil);uit!li, of Aspcii, Col., is laUini; steps lo scciiK! possession of einiitccii ;ici(;s of l;iiiKi;i)i';i) the properly hy her iiiothei- ili-law, a I'leiir.li ladv, who then held a title to it. Mrs. IIoliliaiii;fi w.is hurri in I'laiiee, and her first hiishaiul was a eoinit. i'/u/rt- dilphia Kvi'iiiiit; IJiilliiin, I-'cbniary 2j, lasb. Deer-Meat. — Venison. A curious simplicity, quiteout of all compari- son witli the usual American love of big names, seems to characterize the terms for flesh fooil ; thus we get iji;ak-mi:at, dar-mcat, uuffalo- MEAT, SHKKI'-MICAT, etC. Dehorning.— The practice of (/tVionj/w^ cattle is rapiiUy increasing, not only in the VVest, but in some parts of the MicUllc and Eastern States. The chief objection urged against (hiiui'iiuifj; has been the cruelty of tlie operation ; a lesser one is that it detracts from the appearance of the animal. The second objection remains, luit the great majority of those who have practised Uclioniing contend that it is no more painftil, if as painful, as other operations generally practised. However this may be, it is fairly safe to conclude that (IcIioyniHg, carefully performed, is not a dangerous operation. The arguinents advanced in favor of ilcli(ii'Jiinf^;irc ; First, the prevention of terrible accidents in handling vicious cattle, especially bulls ; second, that the i)r;iroKNi;n cattle can be turned loose in sheds and stalls without fear of their injuring each other, even if they are more or less crowded. The preferred age at which to i)i:iiokn is in the second year of the animal's life, and spring is the season favored. The operation, it is averred, is more successftil in moderate weather than in either extremes of heat or cold. I'reparalory to the operation, the animal's head is made fast ; then the horn^ are sawn ofl with a suitable saw close to the hair, wliere a soft place occurs in the horns. S. W. II., McLeansboro, III.— Dr iioknino is performed when the c.ilf is youn^, and tli(! tips of hoi ii.; Miov.ihle. 'I'liey are simply < lit out with a sharp Unili;. — Anstjcr tu Corns- poiiiltiit lis Missuiiri Uepublican, February 15, IBBS. Dehort, To. — To exhort ; to beg ; to entreat. Judge Sewall in his diary (Ap. I. 171S) (h'liorhd Sam Hirst to eschew idle tricks. Now obsolete. Delta. — A piece of land at Cambridge in the shape of a A belonging to Harvard, and used for recreation purposes. Demi-Meamelouc. — A grade of color (like mulatto which is the first remo\e), in a person witli negro blood in his or her veins. 'J'heso distinctions are drawn very line. Dcmi-mcamclouc is a French term. See Mulatto. Demnition. — This, written plainly, is " damnation." Some people think it "looks" nicer. Dhmnition liow-wows. — A superlative species of the " dogs" which spell " ruin." " Going to the demnition bow-joows." There arc some men who, if they don't make twice as inueh as lliey expert to inaUe, will cry hard times, and say that n<'neral business is noin^ to the i)i;MNirioN iiow- W(jws, but tlit'se men would say the same tliiiit; in any event.— A^fw York Heraht, March 25, l8b8. — — Demnition HOT. — Exceedingly warm ; a heat which is supposed If be akin to that of "the place where they don't rake out tlie lircs nights." It was a stiiady, wiudiiiK cliiuh, ane again, when i tliought of what you once said about a fellow's calling on the Lord when he was in hard luck, and i thouf^ht i would try it once anyhow.— .U«r/i Twain's Life on the Missis- sippi, p. 4G0. Dipper. — (i) A ladle -like utensil. (2) The constellation of Ursa major. In both these senses dipper is a true Americanism. (3) See under dip. DiPSY. — A smker used in sea fishing. A Penns/lvanian localism. A cor- ruption of " deep sea." DiHT. — In employing dirt to signify earth, rag for linen, and rocks for stcmes, American usage varies very considerably from that of Englancl. An unfloort'd cabin is spoken of as having a dirt floor ; while dirt, or LAND - HUNGER, merely signifies that which is popularly regarded as an unfailing antidote to radical idea:;. The dirt-cart is the dust- cart of London and other English cities, while an unmetalled road is designated a dirt-road. The gar- dener fills his flower-pots with dirt, and in the West the word means that which is dug, whether earth, clay, gravel, or other substances ; thus miners talk of rich dirt, poor dirt, top dirt, pay dirt, m Discard 203 District lis li- the last named being simply earth that it pays him to work. The imiiulashun carrirj ilie sile off my farm cIimi down to the rocks. Tlicr wasn't 'millDiKi left on 120 aci(js to put in your eye. — American Humorist, September 15, 1888. Oh I fire away ye villains, and earn King George's shillin's, But ye'U waste a ton of powder afore a rebel falls; You may bang the dirt and welcome, they're as safe as Dan'l Malcolm, Ten foot beneath the gravestone that you've splintered with your balls I —Grandmother's Story of Bunkcr-llill Uattk, Hence on top of dirt in the idiomalic sense of " this side the grave " ; below dirt being the last resting place of all that is mortal in man. It's no use argufyin' the matter,— I'm the ugliest man now on top of dirt. Thar's nary niither like me. — Widow Dagly's Husband. To CUT DIRT. — A slang phrase which, in the sense of running away in haste, is evidently an out- come of the Yankee penchant for fast driving, where the dirt or earth flies in all directions under the action of the horse's feet. Now, I say, old hoss, if you don't hurry up and CUT dirt like streak-lightnin', this child goes arter you, and you look out for a windin' sheet, you hear? — Border Adven- tures, p. 231. To EAT DIRT is «' eat humble pie " - to retract, or -the Yankee equivalent of " to eat one's words." DISCARD (in Poker). — To take from your hand the number of cards you intend to draw, and place them on the table, near the next dealer, face upwards. — The American Hoyle. Disciples of Christ. — This denomi- nation, though known by a variety of names, such as Baptists, Re- formed Baptists, Reformers, or Campbellites, have themselves chosen the name of Disciples of Christ. The originator of the sect was a Mr. Thomas Campbell. A full account of the doctrines of this body will be found in FuUerton's faiihs of the World. DisFELLowsHip, To. — To dct ar from the rights of fellowship or com- munion. Colloquial on both sides of the Atlantic in religious circles, but of American origin. Disgruntled. — Disconcerted ; to have a spoke put in one's wheel ; to be disappointed. The rhiludelphia Press of January 29, 1888, in its " Old World " news, speaks of Bismarck as being disgruntled at his reverse in the Reichstag. So also in a contrary sense, undis- GRUNTLED. DisREMEMQEH, To. — To fail to remem- ber. An obsolete English vulgarism which is largely colloquial in the States, especially in the South and West. ' Mistoo Claude, I see a gen'lemandis day noon what I ain't see' befo' since 'bout six year' an' mo'. I DisREMEMuiiR his name, but ' ' Tarbox ? ' asked Claude with sudden interest.— G. W. Cable's An Large. DisRESPECTABLE. — For "disreput- able." Despite its seeming ortho- doxy, an entirely spurious word. Nellie Thieriiuf asks to bo divorced from Henry Thierauf. She alleges he associated with lewd and disresi'ectable characters of both sexes. — Republican St. Louis, February 14, 1888. Distressed. — A term of commisera- tion ; wretched; miserable. "Look at that distressed woman," /.?., "poor thing," or if a man "poor devil." District, To. — (Pronounced decs- trick). To apportion a state into Ditch 204 Dixie electoral districts or counties. In connection with this, see To gf.rry- MANnuR. District courts. — Courts for the administration of the Civil Law ; also for Admiralty cases. One judf,'e presides over each Court. District school and DISTRICT school-master. — The school and master, under the America.! free public school system. Ditch. — To die in the last ditch. — This saying, which was much used by Confederates during the Civil War, is attributed to William, Prince of Orange. DiTE. — I don't care a dite, i.c, " not at all," or " not a little bit." A New England survival ; from "doit." Dittany (Cunila ma^hna). — A plant, the leaves of which are used for herb tea. A curious popular fancy is that its leaves always point to other plants of dittany near it. Ditty Bag. — A sailor's "housewife" is so called. Dive. — A brothel. A plot to entrap young women for the DIVES of Northern Wisconsin has been discovered at Eau Claire, Wis. Arrests are expected. — Troy Daily Times, February 7, Worse than that even, and the man who robbed her of her money and cast her out to live a life of shame, was her husband's best friend. Even fallen women, when the rose is gone from their cheeks, are pushed aside, and from a Kildcd house to the lowest dive is the last and quickest step of all. — St. I.otiis Globe Democrat, February 27, i8b8. Divide. — A water sh-d ; that portion of a ridge whict» separates one ravine from another, and acts as a watershed, sending the waters from the slopes in different directions. Dodge says that all land which is not level is divide, though this term is specially and technically applied to the .summit or junction of the slopes arising from two contiguous ravines. Level land is either mesa (^.z'.) or bottom (sfc Bottom lands). 'J he term mesa is applied to a level upland; bottom, to the level land bordering a stream and enclosed between the sides of the ravine. The lineor ridge separating the watersof two streams not uniting with each other is called a principal divide. This is an undoubted Americanism, and one of genuine Western birth. We began the long winding ascent of the canyon toward the divide. As day broke we journeyed down into the valley of tho Lake, and, feeling secure, li.Tlted to cook breakfast, for we were tired and sleepy and hungry. Three hours later the rest of tho population hied over the divide in a long procession. — Maik Twain's Koti^hini; It. The backbone of the divide separates Spring Garden from the well-known Owl creek and its tributaries, from which thou- sands of dollars were taken in the early days of mining.— /^/rtCf*- Herald, 1888. D I V o R T. — A watershed . An indi- vidualism of Dr. Antisell's of the Pacific Railroad Survey, who used it as specially implying elevation as the cause of separation, which divide (q.v.), he maintained, did not. Dixie. — Dixie's land. Dixianic. —I WISH I WAS IN Dixie. — The last named phrase is the refrain of many a song in which the popular fallacy, that Dixie relates to Southern institutions is per- petuated. The upsetting of old idols IS always an ungracious task, but the real truth (as given in Putnam's Record of the Rebellion, i. 113), is that Dixie is an indigenous Northern negro refrain common upwards of eighty years ago. It was one of the every-day allusions of boys in New York at that time, when Dixie's Lund was .1 Dixie ao5 Doctor associated with Manhattan Island. Only recently has it been errone- ously supposed to refer to the South, from its connection with pathetic negro alle^;i'ry. Its deriva- tion was us follows : — When slavery cxintcd in New York, one nixiK owiifd ,1 larne irnct of land on Manliattan Island, and a lar^o number of slaves. The increase of (he slavis and the increase of the abolition sentinicnt, caused an cinit;raticin of the slaves to more thorough and secnre slave sections, and the net,'rous who were thus sent off (many beiin; bom there), naturally looked hack to their old houses, where they had lived in clover, with feelings of regret, as they could not imagine any place like dixik's. Hence it became synonymous with an ideal locality condiining case, comfort, and material happiness of > very description. In those days negro singing and negro minstrcNy were in their infancy, and any subject that could bo wrought into a balla!eHius borealis). — The New England name for the Esquimaux curlew. Dog. — With many variations "dog" enters largely into the colloquial language of the American people. (i) An iron instrument used by burglars. 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. — American Humorist, March 31, 1888. (2) Dogs for andirons is still current in New England. Lowell in a note says that in Walter de Bibles- worth, chiens is glossed in the margin by andirons. To dog, meaning to follow clossly, and derived from the custom once pre- valent in England of tracking fugi- tives by means of bloodhounds, is of course good old English, as also are a few other phrases in which the word appears. While, how- ever, to dog in England is now only used in its metaphorical sense, it was, until the abolition of slavery, employed in America as literally meaning to hunt with dogs. Dog 207 Dog I'LL BE DOGGED IF, etc. — This may be derived either from the practice of hunting down men with dogs, thus affording a simile expressive of determination ; or it may be a corruption of a form of oath in which the name of God is simply transposed. Hence also DOGGAUNED Ot DOGGONED, which, in the South, is undoubt- edly used as a substitute for strong language of a blasphemous character. But when that choir got up to sing, I couldn't catch a word; They sung the most doggondest thing A body ever heard I —Will Carleton's Farm Ballads. -In Texas and the West gene- rally the expression is dog my cats ! A mere expletive, supposed to give force to a statement. Why, DOG MY cats! there must have been a house-full o' niggers in there every night for four weeks to have done all that work. Sister Phelps. Look at that shirt — every last inch of it rivcred over with secret African writ'n done with blood! — I'he Ad- ventures 0/ Huckleberry Finn, A DOGGONED FIXEMENT is another Texan phrpse applied to anything that is praiseworthy or acceptab'e. To go the whole DOG — a West Indian variant of "to go the whole hog." Dog- fish. — The mud fish of Western waters ; also called the lake law- yer. A voracious and ferocious- looking fish. Doggery. — A grog shop, generally of a very low kind. Originally confined to the West and South, out now prevalent throughout the Union. There was a crowd from the floating popu- lation of the river, and loose-footed, boggery- haunting, dissipated reneg.ides of the towns and villages all around. (Autobiography, p. 376.) Dog-power. — Used in the same manner as horse-power, steam-power; i.e., " force " exerted or produced by aogs. A relic of the old Dutch times, dogs being then used, as even now in the Low Countries, as beasts of burden. Dog's age. — To be gone a dog's age is to be gone a long time. D og soldier s. — Dodge, in Plains of the Great West, p. 266 (speaking of the Indian tribal government), says, "Whatever the power or influence of chief and council, there is another power to which both have to yield on all matters on which it assumes the right of deciding. The first two may be said to represent the brains of the tribe or band ; the latter represents its stomach. As brains are only occasionally called into requisition, while the demands of the stomach are incessant, the tribe is habitually under the con- trol c'this "third estate." This power is composed of all the hun- ters of the tribe, who form a sort of guild, from the decisions of which, in its own peculiar province, there is no appeal. Among the Cheyennes these men are called dog soldiers. The younger and more active chiefs are always en- rolled among these dog soldiers, but do not necessarily command. The soldiers themselves command by viva vore determination on general matters, the details being left to the most renowned and sagacious hunters selected by them. Among these dog soldiers are many boys who have not yet passed the initiatory ordeal cxS warriors. In short, this guild comprises the whole working force of the band. It is the power which protects and supplies the women and children. Dog towns or dog villages. — The commv..!. ties formed by the little marmot {Cynomus ludoviciunus), miscalled the prairie-dog, prob- ably on account of its crisp, short, warning bark. Their dwell- ings, which are burrows throwa I Doings 208 Dollar up like little conical huts, are sometimes congregated in im- mense numbers, and seen, says C. A. Murray, in his Prairie Rose, in the dim light of a misty morning air, the little conical huts and grotesque dark figures by their side, look from a distance not unlike a village crowded with people sitting idle at their doors. DoGwoon. — The popular name given to the cornel-tree (Cornits florida) (q.v.) and to the poison SUMAC (i?/na. Hock, KochcUc, Peach, Slierry, Sau- tcrne. Cocktails, viz. — Brandy, Cham- pagne, Gin, Japanese, Jersey, Soda, Whiskey; Deadl)cat, Deacon, 1-xchange, Kgg Flip, Egg Nog, I'^gg Sour, Floater, Fiscal Agent, Fusil Oil, Gin Straight, Gin I'ix.Gin Punch, Gin Sling, Gin Sour, Gin Smash, Gin Flip, Gin Kooster-Tail. Jllki's, vi/. — Arrack, Brandy, Capped, Claret, Ivmcy, Ciin, Mixed, Peach, Pine Apple, Mint, Racehorse, Strawberry, Whiskey. I o u — Jcwctt's Fancy, Knickerbocker, Lemonade, Mead, Moral Suasion, Ne Plus Ultra, Orgeat Lemonade, Pine Top, Porteree, Phlegm Cutter, Port-Wine Sangaree, Port-Wine Negus, Polk and Dallas, Pousse Cafe. Punches, viz. ; — Arrack, Gin, Claret, Brandy, Epicure's, Iced, Milk, Pig and Whistle, Poor Man's, Roman, Rum, Soda, Spiced, Sherry, Sauterne, Vanilla, Seventh Regiment, St. Charles, Whiskey, Ropce, Santa Cruz Sour, Sargent, Sherry and Egg, Sherry and Bitters, Shandy Gaff; Shauibro, Silver Top, Sling Flip, Snap Neck, Snifter, Smasher, Split Ticket, Stone Wall, Stagger Juice, Switchel Flip, Tangle Leg, Tip and Ty, Tippee na Pecco, Todciy, Tog, Tom and Jerry, Turpentine Whiskey, Vox Populi, Veto, Virginia Fancy, Whiskey Flip, Whiskey Toddy, Whiskey Julep, Whiskey Fix, Whiskey Punch, Whiskey Smash, Whiskey Skin, Whiskey Sour, Whiskey Straight, Eye-opener, Appetizer, Digester, Big Reposer, Refresher, Stin\ulant, Ante- Lunch, Settler, A la Smythe, Cobbler, Social Drink, Invigorator, Solid Straight, Chit Chat, Fancy Smile, Entire Act, Sparkler, Rouser, Night Cap. DRIVE. — (l) A ROUND-UP {q.v). (2) In Maine and Canada a collection of logs brought together near a stream ready for floating. Driver. — (i) A driver is the foreman of a gang of laborers on a plantation. On some estates the title of fore- man is coming into use, the negroes objecting to the old word. (2) A lumberman's term for one who directs the passage of logs to navigable waters. This process is called DRIVING the river. Driveway. — (i) A road set apart for wheeled traffic as distinguished from the side walk or footpath. These vaults .... [in the cemetery at New Orleans] are architecturally graceful and shapely ; they face the walks and drivh- WAVS of the cemetery ; and when one moves through the midst of a thousand or so of them, and sees their white roofs and gables stretching into the distance on every hand, the phrase city of the dead has, all at once, a meaning to him. — Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi, p. 384. (2) A covered approach to churches, public buildings, and mansions. The outside appearance of the house, with arched entrances and privkwavs, turned gables and antique battlements, presented a graceful and striking appearance. — I'hila- delphia Press, 1S88. Driving the nail. — A favor- ite amusement amongst cowboys and plainsmen, and one which serves, not only as an opportunity for showing skill with the rifle, but also as an excuse for betting. A stout nail is driven into a post, about half-way up to the head ; the riflemen then stand at a great distance, and fire at the nail, the object being to hit the nail so truly on the head with the ball as to drive it home. At another time, it is threading the needle ; an auger- hole is pierced through the centre of an upright board, just large enough to allow the ball to pass, and the best marksman is he who drives his ball through without enlarging the orifice! Driving PARK. — A race-course. One would think Americans are not in the habit of calling spades spades, so frequently do half-and-half phrases of this kind occur. Bartlett calls it a euphemism, he most likely meant an absurdity. III!! ' Drover 216 Drunk Droger or drochcr. — From the Dutch draagcr. Tha English form is drugger. It is a vessel, with or without sails, of the barge type. Drop. To gkt the drop on. — Generally speaking, to be in a fiosition wherein one holds the ife of another in hand ; literally to take one at a disad\antage before he can use his own weapon. Like most phrases of the kind, the idiom is being softened and other- wise modified, and is often used for " to get an advantage over." Josi'ph rccoRiiiznl the picluro I drew, and swore lie would shoot nie on sij^lit, altliouKh lip to that timo we had been the liest of friends. I also kept my revolver handy and did not propose that he should OET the DHCP ON ine. W'licn he founil that I was prepared for him, he did not try to shoot mo. — Tioy Daily Times, I'cbru.Tiy 8, 1SS8. It has been currently char;,'cd that DugRan has killed a number of men durini; liis twenty years' residence in Colorado, but this is not t'uc, at least so far as his residence in Leadville is concerned, the only person who lost his life at his hands being a man who followed him up with a pistol in iSSi, and who, it is said, actually had the Duoi' ON Duggan, but the latter was too quick a shot.— Dcnvcy Republican, April 9, i«88. At any rate, we will not let Arctnrns gkt the DKof ON the reading public. — Texas Si/tings, August, 1888. Drop game. — A variation of the confidence trick, which is worked as follows : — The thief having chosen his victim, walks before him, and when sure that his action will be noticed, pretends to pick up a pocket-book containing a roll of notes. This opens up the line of communication, and the object of the thief is then, under some pretence or other, to induce the greenhorn to part with ready money in exchange for the notes, which of course are spurious. The trick is varied with rings and other supposed valuables. Drop LETTERS. — Letters addressed to residents of the town in which they are posted. The practice of renting boxes at the post-offices, laiK'jly prevails in the States, and drop letters have simply to be placed in the box of the person for whom they are intended, without necessarily passing through the mails at all. A St. Louis exchange wants drop i,et- TKi!S reduced to i cent. People up this way would prefer to pay 2 cents and have their letters dropped at their destination on time. Tlie department is short of help and funds now.— Cliicaf^o Daily Inter-Octcvi, iHS^. Drudge. — Raw whiskey. The term originated in the New England States. Drug Store. — A chemist's shop is, in America, always called a drug store. Drummer. — A commercial traveller. The old-time pedlars and Cheap Jacks were in the habit of an- nouncing their arrival in the town by the beating of drums, hence the term. So drumming, the solici- tations of orders by commercial travellers. Friend — ' Don't you have a great many DRUMMERS coniiug in and boring you with their samples and their talk ? ' Merchant — 'A good many drummers come in here, but they don't bore me.' ' Don't they ask you to look at their samples ? ' 'No' ' Don't they ask you to give them orders ? ' ' No, they go right out without saying a word.' ' How do you manage to get rid of them f ' ' It's the simplest thing in the world. I put a plug hat and an open gripsack on the counter every morning. When a drummer sees these signs of another drummer being on the premises, he goes off. Every ten minutes in the day a drummer comes to the door, looks at the gripsack, and goes away, and 1 am loft in peace.'— IV.vas Si/lings, 1888. Drunk. — A spree ; a debauch. His foot swelled up pretty big, and so did his leg; but by-and-by the drunk begun to Dry 217 Dug-Out come, and so I judged he was all right ; but I'd diuthiT l)i'eii bit witli a snalic than pap's whiskuy.— yVif AilviiilKrcs of Huckleberry Finn, p. 83. A policeman must be careful in dealing with loose women, and instantly iliscern the diflerenco bctwe( n a nobk' lord on a frolic, a medical sindent in his cnps, and a butcher on a imvttK.—Ciininndti Kr.quirer, 1S8H, DRY. — (i) A town is saiti to go dry when, on the question of local option, it declares for the shutting up of bars and drinking saloons. Compare with wet. (2) Thirsty. So used in Middleton's plays, and also in Skelton, and in the World (1754)- Lenawee County votes on local option to-niorrow, and will probably give a dky majority of from 1,500 to 2,000.— C/iifrtg'o Herald, iStiiJ. If a county (for instance Wayne) has voted on local option and has gone dry, can the city authorities grant a license to operate a saloon inside of^ the city limits? [No.] — Answer to Correspondent in Detroit Evening Journal, February 20, 18S8. Dry creek. — A coulee {q.v). Dry up ! — (i) Hush I Be quiet ! ' It's all d d nonsense. We might work hern a week and not hit it.' ' But I told you to bring the tools and you wouldn't,' protested another. 'Oh, DRV ui>,' put in a third voice. — Kexu York Sun, 1888. Also (2) To become cheerful. DUBCRSOMC. — Doubtful ; vacillating ; applied to uncertainty of mind. He was a dubersome man, who always meant well, but always hesitated between two opinions.— A/ rs. //. D. Stowe. DuoE. — If not American by origin it is certainly so by usage. Probably derived from the Lowland Scotch ' ' duds," i.e. , clothes, the dude being a very convenient tailor's block. As illustrating its possible origin from "dud" or "duds," see the following extract : Think of her? I think she is dressed like a lU'i); can't say how she would look in the costume of the present century. — J'ldmiin'x Mat^aune, February, iS;o. The DUDK and his club cane having passed into retirement, theiVcif Ve; A .Sum has begun tovvaronthe policeman who chews a tooth- pick. The en iosities and the liberties of the age are be ing curtailed in Gotham. — Daily Inter-Uee.m, February 3, 1888. DUDS. — Clothes. This Scotticism for old clothes is largely used in the vernacular of the Union for wear- ing apparel of any kind, and, indeed, for all movable property. The three [railway] Commissioners, in whose appointment you had no choice, de- cide that you must get out, leave your house, bundle out your duds, and be off. — New York Tribune, January 23, 1871. -Hence dud-chest, a box in which clothes are kept. Dug-out. — (i) A cabin made by dig- ging into a hill or other elevated ground. The front is faced with logs, and the flue is run out at one of the sides. The hunter is the arch-type of freedoin. His well-being rests in bo man's hands save his own. He chops down and hews out the logs for his hut, or perhaps makes merely a rude DUG-OUT in tlie side oi a hill, with a skin roof, or skin flaps for the door. — Century Magazine, October, 1888. (2) A canoe hewn out of a log. — See Canoe. The sun was just rising, as a man stepped from his slender dug-out and drew half its length out upon the oozy bank of a pretty bayou.— Cc/i^KO' Magazine, 1887. The DUG-OUT hadn't leaped more'n six lengths from the bank, afore — zip— chug — ke-soHse I went ; the eend lifted agin a saw- yer, and emptied me into the element I — The Americans at Home,\o\. i. 28 Duk o' Darby 218 Dusky Groi'se DUK o- DARBY.— The BOBOLINK (q.v). Dull Music. — Anything tedious is said to be dull music. Dully. — Stupidly. An uncouth and needless form. Dumd-Betty. — A washing machine. Dumb Chill or aqer (qv.). — A form of intermittent fever. DuMFouNDERco. — The English form is dumbfounded. The Yankees prefer the Scotch dumfoundcird. DuMMCRHEAD. — A blocldicad ; from the German dinnmkopf. Common in Pennsylvania, and other local- ities where the German element prevails. In curing, the fish are first salted, and then laid in piles in a dark room, covered with salt hay or other similar substances. After two or three months the pUcs are opened and the fish examined, after which they are piled up once rnore in a compact mass, and left to ripen for another two or three montlis. In July or August they are ready for use, and command a high price, being far superior to ordinary cod- fish. J. G. Whittier describes an old puritan's outfit thus ; They had loaded his shallop with nuNFiSH and ball, . , , . With stoics for his larder and steel for his wall. The process is called dun- ning. Dungaree. — In New York and Con- necticut waters a vessel used for the transportation of dung, whence its name. i lie' III Dump, To. — To cast or shoot down in a heap ; a good old English word, which can only be reckoned an Americanism from its much more frequent use by Americans than by English people. Hardly a paper can be taken up, in which the word does not occur over and over again. inow the usual custom was to dump I devil like liiin into a shallow hole, then inform his friends what had ecome of him. — Mark Twain's Screamers. So also IN THE DUMPS Or DUMPY. Dump cakt. — A vehicle which tilts from the front. Dumping GROUND. — Land upon which rubbish may be shot. Dumpage. — The fee paid for shooting rubbish upon vacant spaces. DuNFiSH. — A superior kind of dried cod-fish, so called from its colour. DuNKY. — Excessively thick ; badly- proportioned ; and clumsily - shaped. DUNNow'z I Know. — Duiinow'z (do not know as) / knoti' says J. R. Lowell, "is the nearest your true Yankee ever comes to acknowledg- ing ignorance." Durham Boat. — A flat-bottomed boat formerly in use; it was propelled by punting. DuRN, Durned. — Relief words. You know that clay-bed over back of the East Lot? I'll bet I could make as good- looUin' a burst as any o' these, — an' nx bbe a BUKN ii^htbeltet.—rortlaiull'rauscrift, 1&88. Dusky Grouse. — This bird has a variety of names, being called in different parts of the ccuntry the Dust 219 Dutch IILLK GROUSi;, the ULACK GllOUSli, and tha mountain grousu. He is found almost everywhere in the mountainous regions of the great West, between an altitude of about fi.ooo feet and the snow line. Though a fine large bird, second only to the sage g kg use, and most delicious as food, he affords less sport to tho hunter than any othi:r of the grouse family. In his habits he diucrs entirely from other grouse. He is solitary, never being found in packs after the brood has been weaned by the mother bird. He frequents jungles and pine or quaking-asp thickets; will not lie to the dog, nor fly from the hunter. He is usually found on the ground, but when disturbed takes refuge on a branch of the nearest tree and will bit still, though the hunter approach within a few feet. He gives no opportunity for wing-shoot- ing, for if driven from his perch, he seeks another a few feet off, or darts off among the thick branches of the pine in a rapid and tor- tuous flight, sufliciont to baffle the quickest aim. — Dodge's Plains of the Great West, p. 227. Dust. — To get up and dust. — To move about quickly ; also to casti- gate. Texas. The following nianiafje licenses were granted yesterday, but do not inclnde the names of three more young, quite young couples, who were refused a license by Ke- corder Hobbs, Two boys who applied for licenses with young girls were not backward in giving their ages as ig and tS, respectively. In fact, they became angry when told they could not marry their sweethearts. Recorder Hobbs said yesterday that he was getting tired of these young people bothering him — puppy love couples, he calls thein — and threatens to take the next pair home to their parents and see the dust fly. — Missouri Re- publican, March 27, 1888. Dutch. — A German. corruption of Deutsch, Throughout the Uf'on the Dutchman is thus confounded with the German. There is, how- ever, e.\cu ic for theconfusion. Arch- bishop Trench tells us that, " Till late in the seventeenth century, Dutch niermt (in England) gener- ally (ierman, and a Dutchtnan .'' nntivc of Germany, while what wo now term a Dutchman would have been named a Hollander." Ouaint old Fuller said accordingly, " At the same time began the Teutonic order, consisting only of Dutch- men, well descended." (The Holy War, II. yC. 16.) It can, moreover, be pleaded in excuse that the German immigrants themselves but too readily acquiesced in the designation, and adopted it them- selves. Thus, f.,!,'., the first English almanac ever printed in the German form was published by John Gruber, a native of Stras- burg, under the title of " Dutch - English Almanac." Dutch curse. — The field daisy, but why called a curse is hardly conceivable — surely not be- cause, as Bartlett says, of its annoyance to farmers. That BEAT.S the Duron is an exclama- tion still common in all parts of the Union to indicate surprise. It has been traced back for more than a century, and is either a reference to the sturdy hardihood displayed by people of that nationality, at a time when their naval superiority had not altogether disappeared ; or its derivation must be looked for in the English slang usage in which the word Dutch is synonymous with ludicrous sounds, undesirable relations, and false valor. (Double Dutch, Dutch concert, Dutch consolation, Dutch courage, Dutch feast, Dutch uncle). In the latter case that beats the Dutch may mean, by a species of transition very ccmmon with colloquialisms of the kind, a mode of bestowing praise on objects not Dutch 220 Dutiable altogether unwoi-thy ; thus Dutch courage — false courage ; ergo, that beats the Dutch signifies that the matter under discussion is, to say the least, genuine of its kind; or, assuming the reference to be sar- castic, t} ♦ even the mockery of Dutch \\..^ar is surpassed. The whole subject is, however, con- fessedly obscure. Dutiable. — Liable to duty ; a term, which, in the United States, never represents the tax levied o)'' real estate or farmers' stock. The word, which came into use with the first tariff, has proved eminently useful, and is universally adopted. The following arliclus shall be dutiable hereafter at the fixed rates.— .1 tf of Congress, i8(J5. ll AGLE. — A gold coin, worth ten dollars {£i. IS. 8d). It takes its name from its device of an eagle, which is also the national emblem. Other gold coins are double, half, and quarter eaglci. Ear. — To GET UP or go off on one's EAR. — To bestir oneself; to rouse oneself to a great effort. They called me bully boy, altho' I've seen nigh three-score years, And said that I was lightning when I got UP ON MY EA«. — Ga'vcston News. Ear-bob. — An ear-drop ; one of the marks in branding cattle. — See Brand. Ear-mark. — In localities where the grazing grounds are largely held in common, it is necessary, for purposes of identifi- cation, that cattle and stock gene- rally should be marked, as evidence of proprietorship. Amongst such brands, the eav-mavh takes its place. On the monster cattle ranges of the West, however, the animals are usually branded on the hip, shoulder, and side, or any one of them. In some States, branding is compulsory. — See Brand. Earth Almond [Cyperus esculenius). — A reed-like plant which, indigenous to Spain, was introduced by the Department of Agriculture into the South where it has been grown for many years. Also called CHUFA. Earth-nut {Ayachnis hypogaea). — This is the pea-nut of tiiC South, the negro name in Florida being fin- der, while in Virginia and North Carolina it is known as the GOOBER. It is called the earth-nut because of its peculiar habit of ripening its pods by burying them underground after flowering. East.— One of the chief divisions into which, colloquially, the Union is divided. Roughly speaking, this partition follows the points of the compass— the North, South, East, and West, and since the pur- chase of New Me.xico, and the incorporation of Texas, etc., the South-west. This classification is, of course, a rough-and-ready one, and a more complete division, based on distinctions of position and resources will be found under POLITICAL DIVISIONS (q.V.). Eust, signifying the New England States as the centre of intelligence and learning, will be found dealt with in ABOUT EAST and down east (q.V.). EASTERN States.— The New England States. These are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachu- setts, Rhode Island, and Connecti- cut. Broadly speaking they are the manufacturing centres of the Union, commerce holding the second place, while agriculture comes last. They form part of the original thirteen States. Eat, To. — To provide with food ; to provision. Used in this sense, to III M I i- li \ 1. I' !'> I'll f i Ebenezer 222 E'enamost iiiiif' I I ■'■■ I' 1 illi' il : mf is an old friend with a new face indeed. It is a Western barbarism, "to sleep" being used in much the same way; e.g., a steamer is alleged to be able to cut 400 passengers and sleep about half that number. This certainly is pretty good going for verbal gymnastics. Hoosier — ' Squire, what pay do you give ? ' Contractor — ' Ten bits a day.' Hoosier — ' VVliy, Squire, I was told you'd give us two dollars a-day and eat us.' — Pick- ings jrom the Ficayiiitc, p. 47. Proctor remarks that some- times a host u. eat his guests in another sense. He once, when staying at an hotel, found a finely- colored motto rather unfortunately spelt ; it ran, " Watch and Prey." Its owner, he says, carried out the idea. Ebenezer. — To raise one's Ebe- nezer. — To put oneself en evidence — in Biblical parlance, to set one's light on the top of a hill, and not hide it under a bushel. To raise one's Ebenezer is of Puritan origin. Ebony. — An ebony is a negro in ccn- mon parlance. Eccentric. — Probably only an indi- vidualism. This word, says De Vere (as this deponent knows nothing thereof, he says as much concerning the expression), has, in Western parlance, obtained a curious meaning, which threatens to spread in spite of its absurdity. " I want my land down to the eccentric," said an illiterate man in Illinois, objecting to the reserva- tion of mining rights under his purchase. Eddocs {Arim escitlentum). — A tuber which enters largely into the food supply of the West Indies. Also called cocos. Edibles.— S^£ Bibibles. Editorial. — If ever this word was a genuine Americanism, it has long since passed into the common speech of the old country. The same remark applies to — Educational and Education, both of which are classed as Americanisms by Bartlett and De Vere. Eel Grass {Zostera marina). — A grass which is not a grass but a sea-weed, and which is said to derive its name from its inhabitants ! Se.v-wrack is another name for it. Eel-Skin . — A device which the author of the National Anthem must have had in view when he wrote the couplet associating " tricks " with "pohtics":— Confound their politics, Frustrate their knavish tricks. Of all the dark and devious ways of the ballot this was (for the practice is hardly possible now) perhaps the darkest and most "vain." An eel-skin was a thin slip of gummed paper, on one side of which was printed a candidate's name, and employed to falsify the ballot, being secretly used to ob- literate the name of an opponent. Bartlett cites New Englanders and New Yorkers as the chief sinners at this merry little game ; possibly he knew. Eel-Spear. — The lish fishermen. eel-shear of Eng- E'ENAMosT. — A New England dia- lecticism for "almost." The dandy run, and the gals snickered out, and the fellers hawliawed till thuy was E'li.NAMosr dead, to sue him niarvell down the road.— //i7/'s Yankee Stories. 11 Egg 223 Electoral Commission Egg, To. — (i) A playful method of signifying disapprobation ; to pelt with eggs. The man, a black abolitionist of the deep- est dye, was KGGED out of towD last niyht, and will find it saftr, we venture to say, not to show himself again. — Kansas Paper, i860, (2) Sec Peculiarities of PRONUNCIATION. Egg-Nog. — Eggs, cre.im, and brandy mixed together. — Sec Drinks. This is the first time in my life that I ever heard of people warinin' themselves up with hens' eggs and spirits, except when mixed up into EGG-NOG.— C't»<»0' Masa-.iin; 18S8, Egypt. — A sobriquet given to Southern Illinois. The origin of the nickname is appropriately somewhat obscure. The inhabi- tants themselves derive it from the fertility of the land in which they live, whilst enemies rather unkindly aver that the allusion is to the crass ignorance and mental dark- ness there prevalent. Criticizing these theories, Proctor remarks he should imagine that anyone who had seen the region around Cairo in the good old times (remember that Cairo was the Eden of "Martin Chuzzlewit ") would need no explanation. Prob- ably Cairo was so called because the region around Cairo in Egypt, after an inundation of the ISile, looked about c . forbidding as the region around Cairo in Illinois looked all the time. The lumber we get from Illinois is roin the central portion of the State, along the Indianapolis and St. Louis Kailroad. The northern part of the State is prairie, dark in soil and low, until one reaches tlie extreme northern limit, where hills and pine begin to appear. The southern part of the State, Ecpularly known as Egypt, is full of sand ills and jack oak, neither being very profit- able to anybody. — St. Louis Globe Democrat, January 20, ib88. Eighteen - Carat Desperado. — A ruffian of the deepest dye. Eldent Hand or Ace (In Poker). — The player immediately at the left of the dealer. — The Avuvicun Hoylc. Elect, To. — The Yankee not only elects his officers of State, but also any given course which seems right and proper for him to pursue. For example, given a choice between two roads a person may elect to take either. This use of the word is gradually creeping into English literature. Electoral Commission. — In order to decide between disputed election returns sent from Florida, Louisi- ana, Oregon and South Carolina during the Presidential campaign of 1876, a special tribunal was created by Congress, January 29, 1S77, under the above title. As appointed by Congress, it consisted of four Justices of the Supreme Court (two Republicans and two Democrats), five Senators (three Republicans and two Democrats), and five Representatives (two Republicans and three Democrats). The four Justices were directed to select a fifth, whose district was specified, though he was not named. The Hon. David Davis, of Illinois, would, in the natural order, have been chosen, and upon his vote in the Commission, the Democrats confidently counted. Just as the Commission was organized how- ever, January 25th, 1S77, Judge Davis was elected to the United States Senate, and thereby dis- qualified from serving on the Commis-sion. The eligible Justices were all Republicans, and the Hon. Joseph P. Bradley was chosen. Upon him, therefore, fell the weighty responsibility of the Ijl Electors 224 Empire City casting-vote, on matters which the national Congress had confessed itself unable to decide, and which threatened to precipitate a civil war. It is impracticable here to give a detailed account of what followed. A good summary will be found in Lalor's Cydopudia of Political Science, and the proceed- ings are published in full in the Congressional Record, part iv., vol. v., 1877. In brief, the Com- mission decided that it could not go behind the Governor's certifi- cate in the cases submitied. This rule of procedure was so worded, however, that a majority (Re- publican) of the Commissioners held that in the case of Oregon, where the Governor had certified incorrectly, it (the Commission) was competent to correct the certificate in accordance with the laws of the States. This ruling gave Mr. Hayes, the Republican candidate for the Presidency, a majority of one vote in the Electoral College {see Elf:ctors), he receiving 185, while Mr. Tilden, the Democratic candidate, received 184 votes. Electors. — The President is not chosen by a direct vote of the people. The voters of each State choose as many electors as the State has representatives in both Houses of Congress. These meet and vote for President and Vice- President, under certain constitu- tional restrictions. Collectively, these electors are known as " the Electoral College," though this term is not recognized as an offi- cial designation in the Constitution, and was not used, even informally, until about 1821. Many of the clearest-headed statesmen now living believe that a direct vote would more fairly represent the popular will. Elegant. — This adjective is much alidcted by Americans in describ- ing what, in England, would be characterised as "substantial" or of first-rate quality. Everything is elegant from a mountain down to one's stockings. Elephant. — To she the elephant. — To see the world ; to gain know- ledge by experience. The cost is oftentimes understood to be more than the thing is worth. The ex- pres-;ion conveying the idea of just a dash of " wild oats " and the " prodigal son." StranRe, isn't it, that so many countrymen wliocoiutlo New York TO SKE THE elephant will (JO ai;d tiKlit tlie tiger.— A'tw York Com- mcrcial .Ulvciiiscr, It was in a Hanover Street dispensary, wlierc the tillers of the soil love to congre- gate, when they are down to Hosting, in- spectins!; the Athenian white Ei.ErHANT. — Jiosion (Hlobc, March 4, i£S8., Elevator. — A lift, either for passen- gers or goods. Lifts are much more largely used in America than in England. A characteristic ex- ample of this divergence of speech, as well as of the rage for every- thing English, which is just now a craze in the States, is given in the following from the Chicago Tribune : — " ' Beg pardon, mum, but you dropped your veil in the — the lift,' said the bell-boy to the departing guest, narrowly watching the effect of his words. 'James,' said the pleased New York lady to her hus- band, ' give the boy two shillings. He takes us for English people.' " Elm City. — Newhaven, Connecticut. A sobriquet derived, as is obvious, from the magnificent trees of the same name which adorn it. Empire City, Empire State. — The city and state of New York; so called by reason of their position "11 lllilll Empt 225 Emanguined Undergarntent on the sea-board, their wealth, and population. New York City, to- gether with Brooklyn and Jersey City, which, though separated from it by East River and the Hudson, are really suburbs of it (just as, in popular parlance, Westminster is now liicluded in London), is the first city in the Union, possessing an admirable harbor, and a unique water way by the Hudson to the Lake system. The motto " Excelsior " upon its coat of arms, has also supplied another nickname in Excelsior State. The term Empire State of ' ,: South lias been applied to Gecr^ a. Empt. — .i. -vord, says Bartlett, coined by old ladies of New England for empty, as " go and empt out the water." It is an ungracious thing to deprive ladies, especially " old " ones, of the fruit of their mental labors, but there is hardly a house in some quarters of England where this old provincialism is not still current. Emptyings. — Pronounced and written in New England emptins. Yeast ; the lees of beer, cider, etc. A betch o' bread that hain't riz once ain't goin' to rise agin. An' it's jest money throwed away to put the EMi'TiNS in : But thet's wut folks wun't never larn ; they dnnno how to go, Artcr you want their room, no more'n a bullet-headed beau. —Biglow Papers. END. — To BE AT A LOOSE END. — To have nothing to do ; to loaf about. Jem Phillips is at what he calls a loose END, and from his appearance one would imagine that his want of occupation is not troubling him very much. — American Humorist, September 15, 1888. Endways. — For endwise. He stole as many apples as he wanted, and came down all right; and he was all ready for the dog too, and knocked him ENDWAYS with a rock when he came to tear him. — Mark Twain's Screamers. Engineer. — An engine-driver. if I was an engineer, I'd clap on steam, — I -^ fire up, I tell you ; you wouldn't get me to Siop the engine, no way you could fix it. — Pickings from the Picayune. I suppose I might have jumped, boys. In hope to save sinew and bone. And left those women and children To take their ride alone ; But I thought of a day of reckoning, And whenever old John's done here The Lord won't say to him, then, You wei.t back as an engineer. — Denver Republican, March i, 1888. As a verb it is often used instead of to plan, or to work out. Scott, with a good deal of shrewdness, ENGINEERED the fight against Gorman, and when St. Louis was selected as the conven- tion city, all the influences in the committee in favor of tariff reform united with Scott to set the convention at an early date. — Missouri Republican, Feb. 24, 1888. Suddenly a notion entered into her head. Adela was only eighteen, it is true, and the general was forty-two, as she had heard him say. But he hadn't a wrinkle and looked some years younger. He was a most excel- lent man, even-tempered, and exceedingly rich. Why couldn't she engineer a match between these two ? — New York Mercury, July 21, 1888. ENGLISH MENT. cized. -Something Angli- The torrent that rushes through Maniton iust under Pike's Peak (Colorado), was called by him (the French explorer, St. Vrain) poetically enough la Fontaine qui bouille. The hard-headed Anglo-Saxons, reckoning this altogether too poetical abridged it to fountain, by which enghshment it is com- monly known.— Scribner's Magazine, Oct. 1887. Ensanguined Undergarment. — A variant of the bloody shirt (q.v.). The moment any honorable Senator on the Republican side, or any editor of any Northern paper, or any organ of the grand army talked about the Union armies, the grandeur of the achievements, the obliga- tions of the nation, they were taunted with waving the ensanguined undergarment — 29 aasH Ensilage 226 Eternal rakins up the ashes of sectional strife, ap- pealiiif; to partisan hatred and malice. — at. Louis Daily Globe Democrat, March 7, 1888. Ensilage, To. — With the introduc- tion of silos and ensilage, the verb to ensilage, signifying the act of preparing the silos naturally takes its place. Ensmall, To. — To condense. A facti- tious word modelled on "enlarge." Be snre you have nolliing to say [in writing for tlie press], and then sit down and say it. Don't bother about ideas; or about sense, if you liavon't any. Make up for the absence of botli by prandilo(iucut words, and many of them, especially if you are writing for sp.ice. Enlarge upon your topic — it sliows fertility; to knsmali. upon it indicates paucity.— F. IF. Staiitfa- in The Elcch, July 20, iS83. Enthuse, To. — Filling or being filled with enthusiasm. Kilrain came here to startle tlie people, but tiny f.iilcd to liNTHusE. Sully came liere and captured the people by storm In no instance has he ;,'one to any town without receiving a hearty welcome from the local sporting fraternity. — C/u'iY7L'o Intcr-Oaan, 1888. En WEAVE, To. — To intertwine or inter- mi.x by weaving ; another form for innrave. E Pluribus Unum. — The origin of this motto is .'^hrouded in some degree of mystery. Virgil uses e pluyibus iinus, and also Horace, rfc phiribus una, but the generally received view is that it was tnken from the Genlhinan's Magazine, that periodical having used it for more than one hundred years. It is claimed that its adoption on United States coins was suggested by Mr. W. Barton, of Philadelphia, in 1782. On the New York " doub- loon," and one of the New York coppers of 1787, and one of the Washington cents of 1791, the legend occurs as vniim e pluribus; while on the " Immunis Columbia" of 1787, the New Jersey cent of 1786, and the Kentucky cent of 1791, it is e pluribus unum. It appeared for the first time on the national coinage in 1796. Erupt, To, — From "eruption." Anew and utterly violent form. This person had, at the peak and tip of a gigantic volcano of infuriated scolding against everything whatever, euupted in a final blaze of fury. — Putnam's Magazine. EscnoD. — .\ fisherman's term applied to any kind of small fish fit for boiling. Sometimes shortened into " scrod," and then applied to a small broiled cod. ESQUIPOMGOLE. — S(Y KiNNIKINNICK. Essence-Peddler. — The skunk. A peihUcv, which everyone fights shy This nickname is said to have of. been introduced Lowell. by J. Russell EsTUFA. — A stove. Of Spanish origin, and part of the common speech of the Rocky Mountain States in which the Spanish ele- ment prevails. Eternal. — An intensitive of the same type as almighty, cruel, awful, etc. {q.v.), thus a week is spoken of as an eternal time. Eternal CAMPING GROUND. — A simile for a future state of existence borrowed from the phraseology of backwoods- men. Uncle Larry enjoyed his jolly life so well that he wanted to keep on enjoying it. About June I he went into the Adirondacks with a party of congenial spirits. Unmindful of his seventy years he undertook to tramp like A youth of twenty. It was toomuch for him ; he was found by a companion lying in the wood. After that he failed rapidlv, and they say tliat he will soor go to the eternal :!!'! Euchre 227 Everlasting^ ill cAMriNo GROUND to joiii thu manv jolly campers who have gone before. — The Ex- aminer (N .Y .), August, iSSS. Euchre.— Like many other card games or chess, eu.hrc has lent its phraseology to everyday speech. Euchred in the terminology of the game means to lose two points ; hence to euchre in the sense of to defeat ; to foil ; to overcome. The game itself is one which, though less difficult than whist, permits of much skilful play. The Co'itroUer could scarcely believe his souses, but the fact finally dawned iipoii him that he had hcoii kuchkkd by Hall, who had succeeded in setting control of the balance of the last 10,000 dollars appropria- tion despite the Controller's objection to having it transferred to this year's account. — San Francisco Weekly Examiner, March 22, 1888. Evacuation Day. — The end of a mad king's folly — November 25, 1783, being the day when the British troops evacuated the city of New York. Once kept as a public holiday. EvENER. — The swing splinter-bar of a carriage. Evening — In the South and West, evening commences at noon, there being no afternoon as that term is understood in England. At sun- set night commences. Everglades. — In the Southern States this term is applied to swampy grass-land. These, in Florida, are generally found near the coast and lie just above the sea level. Everlasting. — One of those strangely perverted words which go to make up the American comic Bible- dictionary. Taken in conjunction with "eternal," "almighty," and the innumerable combinations in which the n ' of the "Divine," " damnation, " hell-fire," and similar expressions are cvcylastir(;!v worked up into the half-veiled blasphemies so painfully prevalent throughout the Union, and more especially in the New England communities of Puritan descent, it would appear that the Pilgrim Fathers secured ample freedom for their descendants to "whip the devil round the stump." These e.\pletives are, in effect, the protest, grotesque and vulgar it may be, of the average human intellect in America, against the hard and fast theology of the men who, though standing out as giants amongst their fellows in the fight against tyranny, bigotry and wrong, yet too soon forgot to accord the same liberty of conscience to others which they claimed for themselves. In a theological sense they were far too ready to condemn those who ven- tured to question the all-round perfection and finality of the new standard which they set up. All honor to the men who, with the Divine breath of freedom on their lips, laid the foundations of a mighty Republic which, despite its acknowledged shortcomings, may even yet restore to thehumanmind, in days to come, some of the peace and contentment of the far-famed fabulous golden age of the past. Truly may it be said of them that they, in many respects, builded wiser than they knew. Yet, from the narrowness and bigotry of their character, a rocoil was natural, and soon the gibes of the profane derived fresh significance from the exotic vocabulary of New England theology. The transition was rapid indeed, when helped out by the terse and vigorous vernacular of the Western pioneer and plains- man. F'ond of high-souuding words, bold in metaphor, and with a country spread out before him, ] • ;■; Everything, etc. 228 Exercised the natural features of which are stupendous in their magnitude — mountains whose snow-capped peaks reach up to heaven, and where — .... riie rivers that flow Run thousands of miles, spreading out as they go, Prairies like seas where the billows have rolled. As broad as the kingdoms and empires of old. And the lakes are like oceans, in storm or in rest — it is little wonder that the language of the latter should reflect, in a measure, the influence born of new surroundings, and modify the speech of early youth. The admixture is, to say the least, always curious and sometimes grotesque, if not profane. Said Maj. Downing, in May Day, "New York is an rirr- lasiing great concern." And if anything goes wrong it goes to " almighty," or "(;ufr/as/w^ smash," and so on ad infinitum. An EVERLASTING good shot. Jo BrowH, one of the Georgia senators, used to be the best shot with a squirrel rifle in the South. His father would give him twelve bullets and tell him to bring in twelve squirrels. 'And mind ye,' the old man would add, 'let the holes be through their 'tarnal heads.' ' Why,' said the peddler to ihe Widow Bedott, who had selected an article for her wedding dress, 'a body 'd think 'twas some eveklastin' old maid, instead of a hand- some young widder that had chosen such a distressed thing for a weddin' dress.' — Widow Bedott Papers, p. 113. Everything IS Lovely, and the Goose Hangs High! — A slang phrase, equivalent to what 'Arry would call " ter rights"; all is going swimmingly ; all is serene. Every Which Way. — Everyway; in all directions. A common col- loquialism. He put on the pack saddle (a thing like a saw-buck), piled the property on it, and then wound a rope all over and about it and under it, evkuv which way, taking a hitch in it every now and then. — Mark Ti Koiighiiig It. I warn s Evidence, To. — To bear witness; to give evidence. A verb formed from evidence in the sense of testimony. Flandroe said ; 'I hadn' 'a' thought ye'd'a EVIDENCED agiii 1116 tliat-a-wa;..' The man winced, and answered in a low voice, without looking up: ' I didii' want fur ter do ye no harm, Jim ; but the comp'ny summonsed me, an' I was 'bleest fur ter come.' — Scribner's Magasiue, 1887. Excellency. — Thistitleis, in America, given, by courtesy, to Governors of States, and to representatives at foreign Courts. Excelsior State. — The State of New York, from the motto Excelsior upon its armorial bearings. ExcuRSH, Exci;ht, To. — To visit ; to go upon an excursion. Forms for which, Brother Jonathan! we do not thank thee. Executive City. — Washington; from its being the official capital of the Union, and the seat of Govern- ment. Exercised, To be. — To be perturbed in mind. A novel usage which, however, is not altogether un- known in England. Chicago shippers are considerably exeh- CISED o\ er a new deal. The Iowa roads, with the exception of the Burlington, exact 20 cents a hundred on grain from the Mis- souri river to Chicago. The Eastern lines insist upon 27J cents, Chicago to the sea- board, but these same roads have agreed upon a through rate on grain billed from the Missouri river to the seaboard of 36* cents, the Western lines accepting as their pro- portion lOJ cents, and the Eastern lines 20 cents, a total cut of iij cents.— JJ/issoH«' Republiian, February 24, ii;88. illiil{||l!i Exercises 229 Express lie CO ExERcists. — The proceedings at a public meeting ; no doubt from the vigor displayed these are in many cases exercises indeed. A few minutes later General Draper opened the exkkcisks. He said: Fellow Citizens, — This is the lirst time in my life that I have had the honor, etc., etc. Expect, To. — Equivalent to "to "guess"; "to reckon"; " to cal' late," etc. — See Calculate. Experience. — In a religious sense, what one has passed through in "getting religion." The visits of American revivalists to this country have made the term quite familiar to English ears. To EXPERIENCE Or GET RELIGION is tO become converted. ' Do you mean (o insinu.ite that ye've met with a change? 'said the Widow liedott to Jim Clarke, the peddler. ' I think I may confidently say I hev,' said Jim. ' How long since ? ' ' Wall, about a year and a half. I ex- perienced RELIGION over in Varmont, at a protracted meetin'. I tell ye, widow, them special efforts is great things ; ever since I've come out, I've felt like another critter.' — Widow Betlott Papers, p. 108. Expose. — A corruption of "exposure," which has become colloquial. The EXPOSE of the Coal Hill convict camp horror, with its attendant letters of criticism, have caused a great commotion from one end of Arkansas to the other, — ^t. Louis Globe Democrat, March 30, iliS3. Exposition. — An exhibition; to put on exposition, to exhibit ; Ameri- cans here follow the French usage. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson, who were m.irried at the EXi'osiTioN building last year, have a ten-pound kid, William Palmer Nelson, which they propose to put on exposition this year. What's the matter with making him general manager when the present incunibent tjuits, as it is expected he will do after thi§ year's show. — St. Paul and Minneapolis Pioneer Press, July 22, iBbS. Express. — An institution similar to the English Parcel Delivery Com- panies, only much more expeditious. The word express is never used in any other connection. The busi- ness has attained such enormous dimensions that the great Express companies have special cars running on all the great lines of railway. These are called Express car SOT Express waggons ; the Express office is where tue business is trans- acted and Express-men are the employes. Detroit detectives made a thorough search of O'Kourke's room yesterday morning, and found a lot of massive silver-plate which he had stored there. Later a lot of express receipts, showing that he had shipped large quantities of goods stolen from the firm to his wife and mother-in-law. — St, Louis Globe Democrat, March 30, i8bf. An American paper recently gave the following account of the rise and progress of the system : — William F. Harnden was the first express- man, and he began his business in 1837 — just fifty years ago. before the time of H.irnden, goods were always sent by freight. The transmission of valuable parcels — bank notes, gold and silver, etc. — in that way, was not to be thought of, and people who could not afford the time or the money to carry such precious things themselves used to depend upon the courtesy of some friend or chance acquaintance who was going that way. In those days, of course, there was far less of that sort of business required than now, but it had become a serious matter by 1837 to the business men of New York and Boston. At that time, lames W. Hale kept the Tontine coffee house at the corner of Pearl and Wall streets, in New York. Connected with the coffee house was a news room — an institution long since rendered super- flous by the daily press — where New York merchants daily congregated and a famous stopping place for travellers to Boston and other New England points. Harnden's health had somewhat failed him, and he went to Hale for advice as to his future occupation. Hale told his applicant that every day some one dropped in at the news room anxiously inquiring for a traveller to Boston or Providence by whom a parcel could be sent. Harnden finally decided to make the venture, and, provided with a carpet bag, set out on his first trip. By Kale's advice, the uovel enterprise was II! li Express 230 Eyes Skinned m ■I 1 ■ if"" III liiii called the kxi'ress, a new name at that time, and oiiu which would ^ivo the idea of speed and iideiily. Orders tor tlie k.m'uk.ss Were taken on a slate liiim» up in the news room and trips were at first made but three timesaweeU. IJut it was some time before the venture proved a sncces.;. It seems stranije now to think that busim.ss men of that time could not easily be made to under- stand that such a service as Harnden's should be paid for, but they had been accus- tomed for so long to the free carriage of their parcels by their friends and others that Harnuen received small support at first, and, when eight weeks had rolled by, had sunk all his ready money. Some friendj, who dimly saw the future of the enterprise, befriended him, however, procuring for him free passage on an opposition boat. This reduced his expenses; he continued, and soon began to make a little money. Then he hired an assistant, made six trips a week instead of thrtie, and one night was overjoyed to find tluu his receipts for the day were 20 dols. When the Cunard line of steamers was established Mr. Harnden undertook the deli very of valuable parcels sent from America to Europe, and was soon on a sound finan- cial basis. His friends advised him to go West with his k.xi-ress, but he believed the western country was then too sparsely settled to support an express. Periiaps he was right. At about this time he became im- bued with the idea of controlling the immi- gration of the United States, and in 1841 the English and Continental express was estab- lished, with offices in London, Liverpool, and Paris. Ships were chartered, and a small fleet of boats on the Erie canal to carry the inunigrants westward was pressed into service, and in three years Harnden controlled a very large proportion of the immigration to America. But it did not pay, and in 1845 Harnden died of consumption, a poor man. Closely following Harnden came Alvin Adams, whose name will be perpetu- ated as long as there are express companies, and Henry Wells. Wells saw money in the West, and the firm of Livingston, Wells & Co., was formed to prosecute the business in the new field. At that time the United States postal rates were high— twenty-five cents being charged for the carriage of a letter from Buffalo to New York. Wells demonstrated that letters could be carried between these points for six cents each at a profit, and opposition to the United States' mail was at once set up. This was against the law of the land, of course, and Livingston, Wells & Co.'s mes- sengers, mounted on fleet horses, were often hotly pursued by Government riders ; were frequently arrested, only to be bailed out at once by sympatlietic friends, and were rarely punished. At last the postal rates were put down, and Livingston, Wells 8i Co. retired from the business of letter carry- ing, having lost money, but gained a reputa- tion which insured them complete suecess afterwards in the legitimate express busi- ness. They were the forerunners of the American express company. Tlie Central Overland California and Pike's IVak express (the celebrated Pony exppess) was pro- jected in 18-9. "Ovrrhuid to California in thirteen days" was its proiiiise, and the enterprise was watched with the keenest in- terest. Us messengers rode flcet-endunng ponies, and there were frequent relay sta- tions, where fresh messengers on Iresh horses were always in waiting to take the package on without the delay of a second. The dan- gers of this service were so great, that 1,200 dols. a month in gold was the salary paid messengers. Many men and horses were killed and many more were wounded by hostile Indians. The rate was five dollars a cpuirter ounce, which was little enough, for the concern lost money. The route was from St. Joseph, Mo., to San Francisco, and messengers were sent out from either side once a week. The St. Juscph Gazdte was the first paper to send a copy of its publica- tion across the plains along with the first messenger who started out April 3, i8f;o. In 1862 a telegraph line was built across the plains, and the Pony express died a loser of 200,000 dols. The Overland Mail Coin- pany came in 1858, carrying monthly mails from St. Joseph to the Pacific, and at last the Pacific railroad. To EXPRESS.— To send by special messenger or conveyance. Whether this is derived from the expedition which characterizes the express service of America, or from the express trains of England, is uncertain. Extra (American cadet). — An extra is a punishment imposed on Satur- day and Sunday, when general leave is granted to all except those who are thus doomed to do extra sentinel duty. Eye-Opener. — Something which arouses one's surprise ; a startler. It is also the name of a morning pick-me-up, which, imbibed often enough, would certainly prove a misnomer. Eyes Skinned. — To keep one's eyes SKINNED.— Part of the vigorous liin Eyes Skinned 231 Eyes Shinned Western speech ; to be on the alert ; to have one's wits about one. Thus the paternal advice is : — My son, afore you leave yer home, I want ter say ter you, That's lots of pitfalls in the world ter let young roosters through ; So keep a padlock on yer mouth and skin YKR WKATHEK KYK, But never advertise yerself as being mons- trous fly. The huntsman, trapper, and pioneer had to depend largely for the success of their oper.ations and for their very saft;ty upon keen- ness of sight and untiring watchful- ness, especially where the often almost imperceptible Indian sign (q.v.) had to be looked for. The phrase is sometimes varied, " Keep your eyes peeled." The expression is generally colloquial. Kkei' your eyes skinned and you. rifles clean, and the luiuit yer git item that I'm back, set off for tlie cross roads, etc. — iVftc/ York Spirit of the Times. I don't know notliin' about takin' keer of stock in New York, but it's a mighty risky business out hero. Have to kekp your eye skinned, or some darned rascal will get away with all you've got. — Texas Si/tings, August iH, 1888. Aimrican love making and courting is a curious thing to the Corean legation. The minister cannot unj;ht han• down the bayou until we have killed half a dozen or more, and the next day we hunt them np, snip ofl' the skins, cut out the jaw bones and sometimes a part of the tail, which is as Rood eating as pork. After beini; buried a week or so the teeth drop out of tlie jaws, and are ready for market. — The Rambler {Chicago), iSaS. Fireman. — A railways. stoker on American Firewater. — The name by which Indians know whiskey, brandy, and other spirits. Fireworks. — Matches. New Eng- land. Rarely heard nowadays, and probably at no time anything more than a perversion of language. Fire Zouaves. — The New York iire- men, at the time of the Ci^il War, formed themselves into companies cf zouaves, hence the distinctive title as applied to them. Firstly. — Hasty. The transition from the legitimate meaning of the word to this colloquial usage is pasv and apparent. ' r took down the gun and peppered Bill Bibbs. Then one of his brothers peppered my son Enos, and s ) we've been pepperin' ever since.' ' And all about an old mule 1 ' ' Well, mewls was skace then, and it was the principle o ;the thing, ye see. Mebbe we've been too firstly (hasty), but the Bibbs hain't never cum to talk it over.' — Detroit Free Press, September 29, 18S8. First-rate and a Half. — An intensi- fied form of first-rate, and an un- doubted Americanism. Both Bart- lett and De Vere, however, quote first-chop (Anglo-Chinese jargon) first-class and first-rate as Ameri- canisms. They might as well have included all idiomatic English. There is no doubt that the sig- nification of these expressions, as now used colloquially, has been considerably enlarged ; usage, how- ever, has confirmed such extension of meaning, and at no time could they have been rightly included in a dictionary of Americanisms, even in the widest acceptation of the term. A variant foryiysZ-ra/^ is first- swathe, of Western origin. Fish. — To make fish. — To prepare fish for market. A New England expression. Fish Crow. — (Corvttsossi/ragus). — The name of this bird is self-explana- tory. A denizen of the Southern States, and confined to the mari- time districts. The FISH-CROWS alight on large mud flats, bordering the salt-water marshes, for the purpose of catching the small crabs called fiddlers.— /Ik J»io;i, Ornith, Diog., vol. ii., p. 2G9. Fisherman - Farmer. — A Massachu- setts term for one who combines farming with fishing at different periods of the year. Fish-Flake. — A kind of faggot-hurdle used for drying fish. New Eng- land. Fishing Frog. — The American Angler ; one of the spurious devil- fish (q.v.). Fish-Skin. — Used in New England, says J. R. Russell, in his Glossary to the Biglow Papers, to clarify coffee. The effect on the coffee is the same as that produced by isinglass. But the practice is by no means confined to New Eng- land. In country districts in England, dried fish -skin, newly broken egg-shells, etc., are still used for this purpose. Fish Story. — A marvellous narration ; the equivalent of what in English 31 m M if 11 11 1 p i mm Fiste newspaper slang would be called a "big gooseberry" or a "sea- serpent yarn." Narratives con- taining the wonderful exploits and characteristics of animals, etc., were at one time so frequently met with in American literature, that they became synonymous with an incredible relation. Fashion changed from time to time as regards the creature thus dealt with — at one time it was sn.\ke STORIES (q.v.), at another mule STORIES, and so on — but one and all are of the same type. Fisli stoi'i.rs are to be met with as early as 1767. 242 Fix Fiste. - FiCE. A small dog or cur. — See FisTicATE. To. — To quarrel; to meddle ; to fight. Compare with "fisticuff." Fisticate was at one time the subject of considerable discussion. Fits. — "The man ran after the thievish Indian, and the corporal cried out to him to give him fits if he caught him," i.e., "to make it hot or uncomfortable. If it should be desired to produce a state of discomfort more akin to hell than purgatory, the phrase would run to give him particular fits. Another variant is to give one Jesse or particular Jesse. Five Cornered Stump. — To talk ROUND A FIVE CORNERED STUMP is a simile for loquacious talk, more or less of an exaggerated character. " To talk the liind leg off a cow" is a somewhat similar expression. Chief Sargent, of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, was interviewed by a reporter for the Inter-Occan last night. Mr Sargent can talk around a five cornered STUMP when he wishes, and considerable winnowing was necessary to separate tho grains of wheat from Mr. Sargent's chaff,— Daily Inler-Ocam, March 8, i8b8. Five Pointers. — The name given at one time to a band of New York rowdies. Five-Shooter. — A 'five-barrelled re- volver. A Western term ; the plainsman, quick and unerring in aim, scorns in naming his weapon to admit the remotest possibility of any shot failing to take deadly effect. Five barrels — five corpses. So also six-shooter. Fix. — The hardest worked word in the "American language," and which, De Vere says, may be safely called the American word of words, since there is probably no action whatever, performed by mind or body, which is not repre- sented at some time or other by this catholic word. It has well been called the strongest evidence of that national indolence which avoids the trouble of careful thought at all hazards, and of that restless hurry which ever makes the word welcome that comes up first and saves time. Whatever is to be made, whatever needs repair, whatever requires arrangement — all is fixed except the exact meaning of this verb universal. The farmer fixes his gates, the mechanic his work- bench, the seamstress her sewing- machine, the fine lady her hair, and the schoolboy his books. The minister has to fix his sermon in time, the doctor to fix his medicines, and the lawyer to fix his brief. At public meetings it is fixed who are to be the candidates for office ; rules are fixed to govern an institution, and when the arrangements are made the people contentedly say, " Now Fix 243 Fix /er lires ;ept erb his nng- hair, 3oks. his I fix pT to (tings the Kvhen the I Now everything is fixed nicely." This use of the word is thought l^y Proctor to have arisen from some confusion between ' ' iingency ' ' and " fixation " — as if the word had the meaning of the Latin fingo, fiiigere, instead of that only of the Latin figo, figerc. At least there is no use of the word fix in America which would not fairly represent the meaning of one or other of the two verbs fingo and figo. I do hope you'll like everythine; it's the first time we ever took boarders, but we try to i-ix thinf,s.nice.— 6'cn6Hc»-'s Magazine, 1888. Men who are ready for any emergency are fixed. My Rrandfather knew him well, and he says Franklin was always fixed — aKs-ays toddy.—Mark Twain's Screamers. Those who, according to English slang have been " squared," are similarly designated. His friends on the grand jury, of whom he had several, acted precisely as fixkd jurors had been known to act. They bull- dozed witnesses and insulted thcni. They allowed themselves to become heated, ex- cited and partisan, and labored to introduce everything save the truth.— Srt» Francisco Neic's Letter. Very much akin is the fixing of "primaries" in political contests; while in commercial circles, to fix a thing for the market comes perilously near fiagrant and dis- honest dealing. A representative of the New York Herald, speaking of oleo-margarine, which by courtesy alone can be called butter, thus describes some of the tricks of the trade, or, as it is termed, fixing the tubs. On coming into the middle- man's possession — All the marks on the tubs are carefully scraped off and the butter weighed. Say the first tub weighs sixty-five pounds net— that is, with due allowance made for the weight of the tub, etc. The top is then knocked off and the butter tried to see what sort of a brand it will stand. Then as nutc:h salt or brine as the tub will possibly hold is patkfd on top of the butti r. This is the first sti^p. A new top is then naih d on, this cover, by the way, having been soaked, and being thrrrfore much heavier than the first one, and the tub is now ready for marking or branding. By such means are profits in- creased ; though, to do Brother Jonathan justice, it must be re- marked that human nature ishuman nature all the world over. Pass- ing from these general significations, we gety?^ particularised in the slang phrase, anyhow you can fix it, or conversely, nohow you can FIX IT, the precise meaning of which is obvious in the following example : A man may be the straight thing, that is, right up and down like a cow's tail ; but hang me if he can do the clean thing. Anyhow vou CAN FIX IT.— S. Slick's Human Nature, p. 5i. To BE IN A FIX is to be in a difficulty ; to be non-plussed. This is slang in England, but probably derived from the universally col- loquial American usage. In FIXINGS is seen another variation, the word itself being usually pro- nounced /a-/;; '5. These range from the equipment of a body of soldiers or a railroad, down to the most ordinary etceteras which garnish or accompany dressed food, as in CHICKEN FIXIN'S (q.V.). To FIX one's FLINT is a phraso taken from backwoods' life, and is equivalent to the EngHsh slang " to dish" or " to do for " ; while to fix out is, when used of the person, to adorn ; or a table is fixed out when arranged for a meal. The thing itself when so displayed is a fix out, the ex- pression being varied both sub- stantively and verbally by fix up. A fixed fact is a certainty, or, as it is sometimes put, a bottom FACT. From all this, and but a tithe of the multifarious usages has been instanced, it will be 1 I it Fizzle 244 Flashy seen that the weakness of Americans for this word is not easily gauged. Its universality is only ecjualled by its antiquity, for, as J. K. Lowull points out, as early as 1675, the Commissioners of the United Colonics ordered " .'icir arms well _^^(;^ and fit for s*- -° " Fizzle. — A failure. m afraid my reception will bu a fiz::lc " — hence TO FIZZLE OUT, to provc a failure. Both these expressions have long been in use in England, but are used colloquially in America far more frequently than here. Way down in Iloosic valley Minds pul forth their shoots. And many weary hours were passed In grubbinf! lingual roots. There I FIZZLED and tliere I flunked, So mournful all the day ; Till the welcome pony came at last, And bore my toil away. (Carmiiia, Collegensia, Songs 0/ Williams.) Flag, To. — To signal tiains by means of flags. The trains were to be flagged from the tank instead of the bridge, and at night the white light, indicating All right! was left permanently at the post, seventy rods from the nearest watchman 1 — New York Evening Post, i«88. Flake. — A frame for drying. — See Fish flake. The word is a survival of English provincial usage. Flambustious. — Showy; gaudy; or applied to enjoyment, good ; as " we will have a flambustious time." If, as is asserted, this word is derived from " flam," a lie or cheat, a certain transition of meaning has occurred. Flamdoodle. — Nonsense ; vain-boast- ing. Probably only a variation of FLAP-DOODLE {q.V.). And that's the way we took that job out of the hands of a regular-built divine, and planted Uncic Gunrgo in ship-shupj and jiroper manner. We wasn't goin' to havo any liighf.ilutin' klamdoodlb business over him. He wouldn't have laid c^uiet in his grave. — A'lW York Sun, iBSS. Flank. — To flank the whole BOTTLE. — A slang expression signi- fying superlative cunning and brilliant success. This term is borrowed from the phraseology of military strategy, in which /oy/i/"/i has a comparatively honorable meaning; that is to say, if matters pertaining to legalized murder can in any wise be so described. "Like master, like man," however, and the term has descended much lower in the scale of soldier morality, ultimately coming, gener- ally, to signify cunning ; dis- honesty ; and avoidance of duty by trick or other mean artifice. Flap-Doodle. — " To talk flap-doodle " is to talk boastingly ; to utter non- sense. Varied by flam-doodle. Possibly rich men will turn from sharp dealing, from debauchery, from rLAi'-DOODLE fashion to a coimnon-sense recognition of a situation, which shows clearly that wealth is no longer what it used to be — autocratic, absolute, the ruler of all else. — Daily Inter- Ocean, March 2, i883. Flap-Jack. — A griddle - cooked pan- cake, sometimes called slap-jack. The word is old English. Reaching the camp, Bill instructs Hole-in- hcr-Stocking in the mystic art of making gin-slings and oatmeal flap-jacks, in which, contrary to all precedent, Bill takes the cake, and Holc-in-her-Stocking doesn't get any.— Texas Si/tings, July 7, iSciS. Flash Dispensary. - house is so called. A boarding Flashy. — In Virginia, used of any- thing that is unproductive, acid or sour. Thus, crab-apples, sloes, etc., would be called flashy. ll^ Flat 245 Flat Side of Earth •alth ile-iil- vhich, I caku, any.— rding any- acid sloes, Flat. — (i) Low alluvial land ; a river shoal equivalent to bottom land. (2) A hat worn by women similar to the large leghorn, broad- brimmed and low crowned. (3) Short for flat-isoat (i/.v). (4) A dismissal at the hands of a lover ; a jilting, from which usage is derived To flat. — To jilt or to reject a lover. This is a Western colloquialism. To fkel flat. — To be low-spirited, dejected. To flat out. — This also is a Western phrase, which, used both as a noun and a verb, first saw tlie light in politics ; now, however, it is generally colloquial. Flat- broke. — Equivalent to dead-broke ; that is, utterly ruined. Flat. — Used adjectively, thiscarries with it the idea of thoroughness, e.g., ajhtt lie, and approaches very closely to the meaning of the word as expressed in ajlat contradiction. The statement that any person has lost money in the leading properties is a Jliit lie. The mines have sold repeatedly up to high figures; if they have declined a reaction has invariably taken place. — San Francisco A'cu's Letter, February 4, 1SB8. Compare this last with flat-footed. signification Flat-boat. — A rude kind of river craft, now largely superseded on the Mississippi by steam, but once the principal means of travel and transport for produce on the Great Western rivers. These craft, a slight improvement on the more primitive raft, were ark-like in shape, being slightly roofed in for protection against the weather. Their length varied from 50 to 100 feet, with a width of 15 feet or more. Strongly built of massive logs, they were used for carrying immense quantities of produce and live-sl to market, the boat itself being broken up, and the logs of which it was composed sold on arrival at its destination. This house is now owned and lived in by Mrs. M.irtin Count lly. The Slicrid.ms lived tin re but a short time and wi nt by 1 lat- iioAT — the usual iii« thod of ii.ivlI in tl'.e West in those early days — to Ohio, and Wi.ru not heard of again imiil the inf.int had grown to manhooil and heroine one of tho most celebr.ited hcrot s of tlu; ilay. — I'ittsburg Times, February 25th, iHb8. Flat-boats still linger on some of the remote water-ways of the West, where they still retain the name, Kentucky -FLAT.s, uroad hokns and ARKS. To flat - uoat. — This word is derived from the craft of the same name, as also is FLAT-iiOATMAN, amongst the most notable of whom was once numbered Abraham Lincoln, who was actually nicknamed the flat- boatman after he became president. Flat-footed. — A synonym for honesty ; earnestness ; and resolu- tion. A man who is thorough, whose heart and soul are devoted to the interests of his party, is said to be flat-footed; and, politically, no higher praise can be bestowed upon a man. From politics the phrase has become colloquial, and in Harper's Magazine, a brawny, stalwart son of Vulcan, described as a man of strong will and a zealous disciple of Tom Paine, is said to have had a " bold flat-footed way of saying things," which con- siderably impressed his neighbors. The term is Western in origin, and the simile, of course, is that of a man standing firmly, with back to wall, resolved to accomplish his purpose, and, if driven to extremity, to lay down his life in the attempt. Compare with the French plat- picd, a mean, contemptible fellow. Flat Side of Earth. — This side the grave. — Compare with top of dirt. The district schoolmaster hain't got a friend on the flat side of earth. The boys snowball him during recess ; the girls put hot water in his hair-dye ; and the school- ! i i i ! Flat Top 246 I . ' \l:U':i}l mm h||.:ill!|l tm il I ! m a coiiiMiittic make him work for half the money a bar-l 'rulir Ktls, aiul board him arimiul tho neighborhood, wluire tliey nive liim rye coltee, sweetiiK li with mol.isses, to drink, and codfish balls tiiree times a day for victuals.— 70S/1 JJilling's Works, p. 325. Flat Top (Vcynonia novcbovoconis). — The Northern name for the iron- wesd of Kentucky. Flax Round, To. — In New England this signifies energetic movement ; to beat. Flea- Banc (Erigeron canadensc). — This is not the English plant of the same name, but is a medicinal herb, largely used in the well-known Shaker preparations, as an astrin- gent and diuretic. Flea Bitten. — A Texas term to des- cribe ♦he color of a horse or other animal dotted with minute specks of black and white, like pepper and salt. A spirited flea-bitten gray mare fell to my lot when the straws were drawn, and Kelly and the doctor patronized the wagon. — 6(1/1 Francisco Weekly Examiner, March 22, 1888. Fleshy. — This word, which had fallen into disuse in the Mother Country, has been retained in America. It is now making its way into popular English speech again, though still regarded as" vulgar" by "society." In the sense of "stout" it was used by Benjonson. Flicker (Picus amahis). — The golden- winged woodpecker, or yellow-ham- mer. By the early settlers this bird was called the clape, while in Western New York it is known as the HIGH-HOLE. Further South, in Louisiana, it is called pique bois JAUNE. Flip Flies. — I'vk no flif.s on me, or TIIEKE ain't no FLIES ON HIM, are slang phrases which, like most expressions of the kind, convey an insinuated rather than a direct meaning. Jlicrc ain't no flics on him, signifies that he is a man of quick parts ; one not quiet long enough for moss to grow on his heels ; one who is wide awake, and knows a thing without its being kicked into him by a mule. Adam and Lbc was turned outen dar pro- perty on account ob dar sinfulness ob eaten oh de forbidden fruit, so we am tole in holy writ, but hit's dc 'pinyon ob yer belubbed pasture, who riads de papers and ain't got NO Fr,ii;s ON HIM, dat dey would hab been turned out, anyhow. Jay Goul', or som' udder inernopolis, would hab come arotin' and claimed de L'roun' some time ; and dey would hab got nit, too, — Texas Si/tings, August, 1888. Persons who are capable of descending to New York and Boston English are fully jus- tilied in saying that there are no ixiKs on St. Louis or the St. Louis delegation either. —Missouri Republican, February 24, 1888. Sometimes the expression is more vulgarly put as "no fleas." Flint-Corn. — A variety of maize. Flint In. To. — To perform or act with energy, and without standing on ceremony. Applied to all kinds of actions, even to eating. Also merely employed as a variant of TO CHIP IN {q.v). Flip. — A beverage of brandy, beer and sugar, made hot and foaming by means of a red-hot poKcr. De Vere somewhat mixes cause and effect, however, when he says that it was considered as productive of sore ankles and shins, so that old gentlemen in knee-breeches and long stockings would frequently wear handkerchiefs tied around their legs. — From the Swedish MP- !!^lili Flip 247 13 act ling nds dso of peer ling De land Ithat e of old land Intly lund Idish FLIP, To. — To put or place down, rrobably a corruption of "flop," to fall suddenly. I strppcil into Bl.ink's jtist now for a little pnrchasL', and yon know what a stniniing littli! cicjatmc tlicn: is in one of the dc nait- incnts. No? Well, slu;'s tlicie, anyiiow, and a half-dollar was coming to nic in chant^i!. Maybe yon think sho fliim-kd it carcU'ssly on to the counter ? Notmuchl She held it ont to me in one of her little white hands. — Ihtroit Fni- I'nss, May 5, i8««. Flip-Flopussed. — riaycd out ; in a state of collapse. A variation of the American usage of " to llum- mox" and "to flop." Said to be common in Arkansas. FLiTTtB. — A corruption of ♦' fritter." Floater. — A local political term in Texas for a candidate representing several constituencies. Floating Batteries. — A slang term sarcastically applied to the bread rations served out to Confederate soldiers during the Rebellion. Flock. — To fire into the wrong FLOCK. — To make a mistake ; to blunder. A variant is to bark up THE WRONG TREE. I3oth terms are of pioneer origin. Floor. — To have or hold the FLOOR. — A Congress phrase equi- valent to the English Parlia- mentary expression "to be in possession of the House." A common though vulgar mode of expression, is, " Now dry up, for I've the Jlooy," i.e., " Cease talking, for I am going to do so." After a half honr's recess Mr. Glover took the FLOOR. He s.iid he hadn't intended to say anything, but certain assertions of the contestant's counsel called for a personal reply.— S^.LoMis Globe Democrat, MATch 11, J8!i8. Flume Floor-Walker.— A shop-walker. A tall old lady dressed in black, with n business-like air an.inV 1.0 I.I 11.25 IA4 128 |J0 ■^" lit 2.2 L£ Hi 2.0 ^ lllllii^ 0% 7] /: y /^ 9^ r ^^ \ ^ <^ < C^ Gar 260 Gazon ['■if qar. — See Alligator gar. Garden. — This is another instance in which English and American usage varies. In England the term is applied to any place set apart for the cultivation of plants, fruits, flowers, and vegetables ; but, in America, by garden, a market-garden only would be understood ; while the flower or kitchen-gardens attached to English houses are called " yards," a word which, in England, is usu- ally applied to a paved enclosed space. Garden City. — Chicago in Illinois, and Savannah in Georgia. Both claim the sobriquet on account of their numerous gardens and trees. Savannah is, however, also called the Forest City. — See Names. Garden of THE West. — Kansas. Garden OF THE World. — The region of the Mississippi. — See Names. Garden spot. — The extreme ferti- lity and agricultural wealth of a district in Kentucky and Tennessee, have led to the bestowal of this sobriquet. — See Names. Gar- den State. — Kansas. Also called Squatter State (q.v.). The former epithet comes from its fertile soil, and well cultivated lands. Garden truck. — Market-garden produce. — See Truck. qarmenture. — A generic name for dress. Gash Ding. — Half-veiled American Billingsgate ; a conscience-tickling oath. Farmer's wife (limping into the house) — • That brindle cow kicked me, John, an' I'm afraid my leg is broken.' Farmer — ' Gash- ding that critter 1 Is the milk spilled?' Texas Si/tings, June 30, 1888. High up in the open fire-place were two dozen hard- wood rods, that severally sup- ported about a dozen gasperaux, or ale- wives, that were undergoiiig the process of smoking. — Sam Slick's Wise Saws, p. 128. Gat, Gate. — A gap ; narrow passage ; or strait. An old Dutch term which has survived in Barne-^iJ^ and Hellegat or Hell-gate, the latter a narrow passage at the entrance of New York Harbour, which was recently removed by dynamite. Gate City. — Keokuk, in Iowa, from its being the point at which the Mississippi becomes navigable. ■Gator. — A negro corruption of alli- gator. Fewpeoplepass the alligator pond without stopping, and the boys, when opportunity presents, take special delight in punching the 'gators with sticks or pieces of boards in order to see them dodge around from one place to another.— F/orirfa Times Union, February 8, 1888. Gaum, To. — To smear. Still provin- cial in England, and colloquial in the States, this word may be re- garded as a survival of Elizabethan English. Qaunted or ga'nted. — Thin. It may be worth noticing that "puny" always means sickly ; " peart," lively, or well. 'Iz ter dat,' sa-d Uncle Nate, judicially, ' I ain't no jedge. Looks right puny an ga'nted, but I lay it git over dat at we uns'. I wislit ye well, sab 1 '—Scribner's Magazine, 1888. Gawnicus. — A dolt; in all likelihood a fictitious enlargement of " gawk." Gasperau. — One of the many names for the ALE WIFE (q.v.). Gazon. — The carpet grass of dry uplands. Gear -Up 361 German GtAR-Up, To. — A Fernsylvanian term for "to harness." Wright gives "gears" as horse-trappings. Gee. — To gee with. — To agree with ; to get on with ; the phrase has been adopted from, "gee wo!" (Italian ^/o — get on), addressed to a horse. Mr. Conreid is better known as a German manager than as a star, though he became the latter before he was the former. As a manager, liowever, he brought Ludwig Bariiay to tliis country and started him out on an American starring season. But he and Mr. Barnay did not gee. — Missouri Republican, April 8, 1I388. Geewhilikens ! — An exclamation of surprise equivalent to, and used in the same manner as Whew ! Great CaBsar! and other objurgations. Western ; also jeewhilikens. Anxious Traveller — ' What time is the West bound express due ? ' Agent — ' At two o'clock.' Anxious Traveller — ' It is on time ? ' Agent — ' No ; three hours late.' Anxious Traveller—' GeewhilikensI Three hours 1 What time will she come in, now ? •—Detroit Free Press, 1888. howling hurricane version of language or point. An idiotic per- without pith Gelt. — Money. German geld. A corruption of the Gentile. — Amongst Mormons, a contemptuous epithet for all per- sons outside the Mormon Church, regardless of " color, or previous condition of servitude." Gentle, To. — To ease ; soften ; or soothe. A survival of Elizabethan English. Young, in his " Night Thoughts," has the line, " To gentle life's descent." Also applied to the taming of horses by kind treat- ment. Gentle Kansas Zephyr. — This is in- deed a wolf in a sheep's skin, the gentle geyphr being no less than a GENTLEMAN. — In England, gentleman has a distinctive if restricted mean- ing, which is entirely controverted by popular usage in America. Sir Charles Lyell relates that on ask- ing the landlord of the inn at Corning, a man very attentive to his guests, to find the coachman who had driven him, mine host immedi- ately called out in the bar-room "where is the gentleman that brought this man here?" As a matter of fact the difference as regards the use of both gentleman and "lady" in America is most marked ; so much so is this the case that to apply them in general society to a white man or woman would be looked upon very much in the light of an insult, as they are usually monopolized by colored "ladies" and "gentlemen." A respectable uncolored (I use the word in the American sense) per- son is invariably spoken of as a white man. However, this abuse of language is slightly modified as far as the word lady {q.v.) is con- cerned ; but, generally speaking. Proctor is right in stating that whenever anyone says ' ' let me introduce this man to you," the chances are of introduction to a good fellow ; but when addressed by the ominous words, " Here is a gentleman I should like to introduce to you," one may conclude that the acquaintance of a person en- gaged in some form of swindling is to be made. Gentleman TURKEY. — A turkey cock — a mock- modest and absurd circumlocution. German.— A ball; a dance. Formerly german, was applied solely to a cotillion. The flower geumaji given last Friday bveuiiig by Mr. and Mrs. Louis Hite to Miss ; '..'fi' Gerrymander 262 Get Around Mari.i Hopkins of St. Louis was the most elctj.int OKKMAN ever Kivcn in this city. The favors wuru all flowers. AftiT each figure the lady would be presented with a bunch of rare flowors. — Louisville Cornier- Journal, Feb. 16, ib88. The Misses Cottraux gave a remarkably handsome and delightful gf.rman of thirty couples on Thursday cveninR. The house was tastefully decorated wiili palnis and rare ftlantsand flowers. The favors were exceed- nuly novel and pretty.— I'l'mrs Democrat, Feb. 5, i88». QcHRVMANDCR.To. — A spccies of poli- tical " cooking of accounts " ; so to divide and redistribute electoral districts, tl-.at, though in a state, as a whole, a party may have a majority oi votes, representation in the Legislature, nevertheless, goes to its opponents. A curious example of this occurred at the last General lilection in England upon the question of Home Rule for Ireland. As a matter of fact, the number of individual votes cast in favor of this measure exceeded that of the Dissentient Party; but in spite of this fact, representation went to the latter, the Liberal votes being so massed together in some localities, that they were in large part wasted. The origin of the term penymandering is traced back to the year 181 1, when a certain Mr. Ellridge Gerry was Governor of the State of Massa- chusetts. This official so divided the electoral districts as to ensure a majority of his own party, not- withstanding that the State voted two-thirds against them. Two of these counties, Essex and Wor- cester, divided without any appa- rent regard to convenience or pro- priety, and in spite rT protest and argument, presente'j on the map a most absurd outli-e. The story goes that Russtll, an; editor of the Boston Sentinel, .^ paper which had strenuously opposed the scheme, marked the result in colors on a map, and placed it on the wall of the editorial sanctum. One day, Gilbert Stuart, the eminent painter, looked at the map, and said that the towns which Russell had thus dis- tinguished resembled some mon- strous animal. He took a pencil, and with a few touches, added what might represent a head, wings, clav/s, and tail. "There," said Stuart, "that will do for a salamander." Russell, who was busy with his pen, looked up at the hideous figure, and exclaimed, "Salamander! Call it Gcnyviandcr ! " The word was im- mediately adopted in the political vocabulary as a term of reproach to the Democratic Legislature. The liostim Herald takes occasion, apropos of the protest made by the Democrats of Iowa against the election of James F. vvilson to the Senate, to remark that the politicians of the West have a way in nearly all the States of ^rrrymaitdering in the arrangement of the legisKitive districts.— JVcu/ York Press, February a, 1888. OCT. — In stable slang, get is equivalent to offspring ; a foal. The Horseman, of this week, contains the winnings of the get of Glengarry. Glen- farry is a brown horse, foaled in 1866, by hormanby, dam Carbine.— S/. Louis Globe Democrat, February 27, 1888. Getaway. — Thieves' patter for a loco- motive or train. Both are doubtless most convenient at times as a means of flight ; hence, one may suppose, the derivation of the term. Also called GOAWAY. OCT AROUND. To.— To overcome; e.g., to get around an opponent, is to score an advantage over him, etc. Alderman Prefontainc explained that he had given his consent to the closing of Dis- son-street at the meeting of the Road Com- mittee, because he thought the proprietors were willing. Now that he knew they were opposed to It, he would have to withdraw his consent. He did not agree with Alderman Laurent that it was altogether impossible. He thought some means could be devised of GETTING AROUND the difficulty.— Afo»tr;a/ Herald, Feb. ai, 1888. i Get Back At 263 Ghoidcst Get Back At, To. — To satirize; to call to account. Figaro had much the same idea in his mind when he said, " Now step I forth to whip hypocrisy." Sam Jones has been coming down rough shod on Kansas City femininity for wearing bustles and bunions. As the open letter writers in tlie newspapers are getting BACK AT Sam for his fondness for tobacco. it is surmised that English grammar will be the chief sufferer in the controversy.— Chicago Inti-r-Occan, 1888. Get Religion, Tc — To experience a change of heart and life for the better. Proctor, in defining this phrase, though severe on its mis- use, strikes a true key note when he says that there is all the differ- ence in the world between a man getting religion and religion getting a man. Now, brethren and sisters, I'm going to give my experience, — to tell how I got re- ligion.— Western Pulpit. GetThere.To. — To attain one's object; to be successful. The catch-phrase, "begets there just the same," has been and is still very popular. Ben De Lemos is a shrewd politician of the Hebrew persuasion, and always goes to national Republican conventions as a patron saint to the colored delegates and a wet nurse to the deliberative body. Although not a delegate, he got there all the same. He bought off one delegate whose alternate he was, and rumor says paid yet another to stay at home.— iVt'w York Herald, July 29, iBiiS. Americans commonly have a mistaken idea as to English business methods. The typical American, slrrt, enternrizing, full of snap and go, is apt to try all things by his own standard ; and that test leads him to con- sider the average Englishman slow, unpro- gressive, and slupgish. The diflcrence, how- ever, is one ofmethods and not of results. The Englishman aims at the same point that the American docs, and, to use a slang expres- sion, he gets thkue jysT the same— in- deed, he gets there in better form. — The Haberdasher, 1888. Get there. — The quality of attaining one's object. The Boston Herald once related a story showing how much of what it called "the much esteemed get there quality there is in the genuine Englishman," whose methods are sometimes crude, but who " sticks to it and gets there." A gentleman, whose name now stands at the head of the largest wire manufacturing estab- lishment in the world, — it was a very modest concern then, — came to England and bought some steel rods to be shipped to America and drawn into wire. A workman saw them, and made up his mind that wherever they were going there was work for him. He asked no ques- tions, but made up his mind to follow the rods. He saw them loaded on freight cars in Birming- ham, made friends with the train hands, and accompanied them to Liverpool. He saw them unloaded at the dock there and kept his eyes on them. He saw them put aboard ship, and took passage for America in that vessel. He saw them landed in Boston, and again kept his eye on them until they were again put on freight cars. Again he followed them till they reached their destina- tion, presented himself to those who received them, told his story, got a job, and kept it until he died, leaving sons behind him who are employed in the same establish- ment. He knew enough to follow the rods and ask no questions, and he got there. G'HALs. — The counterpart of b'hoys (qv.). A female rough, and when bad, very bad. Ghoulest. — A factitious superlative of " ghoulish." 'Whoop up the romping spooks out east of Harstow,' said John Car.si n, .an Atlantic and Pacific railroad man, to a reporter re- cently. 'I saw you had something in the Examitter so\cra.\ weeks ago about the mirage on the Mojave desert and tlie myriads of Gibe 264 Ginger ^' eonle that were seen in boats about there. •Veil, they're thickening up. In winter time, you know, they always get thicker. For eight inontlis now I have been running the hundred-mile division out east of Barstow. The spooks'used to loom up about every other clay. Now we see them nearly all the time. They're the ghoulest lot of things, too, I ever did see. They appear in all sorts of shapes.— rroj' Daily Times, Feb. 4, 1888. 01 BE, To. — A thing gibes well when pleasing and acceptable; or when It goes well with what it is com- {)ared. This sense is thus abso- utely antagonistic to the ordinary acceptation of the word. Gibraltar of America. — Quebec on the St. Lawrence, from its strongly fortified position and situation on a rock. Gig (Cant). — A door is so named ; the lock is called a gigger ; and the turnkey, a gigger dudber. GiGG (Cant). — The nose. GiGGiT, To. — To catch fish in a gig, i.e., a light boat ; a New England corruption. Idiomatically, to move about with briskness ; from " gig," a lively, playful person. Gilded Rooster. — The gilded rooster on the top of the STEEPLE is a person or thing of im- portance ; or tip-top. Compare with BIG BUG, big dog OF THE TANYARD, etc. We admit that as a metropolis Chicago is the GILDED ROOSTER ON TOP OF THE STEEPLE, but even gilded roosters have no right to the whole corn bin.— New York Herald, 1888. GiLEAD Fir. — The balsam fir {q.v.). QiLLv (Cant). — An idiot; a soft pate. GiLLY FLOWER. — In New England a variety of apple. Gilt (Cant). — A crowbar; possibly on the principle that such gentry make these instruments a means to an end, that end being what is also known to them as gilt. Gilt- DUBBER. — A thief who prowls about hotels for the purpose of robbery. GiLvoRE (Cant). — Plenty ; obviously a corruption of " galore." Gimbal-Jawed or Qimber-Jawed. — A person the joints of whose jaws are loose, causing them to move with more freedom than is cus- tomary, is said to be gimhal-jawed. Gimbals are a combination of rings for suspending anything freely, as the compass, etc. Idio- matically, to talk with loquacity ; or, in slang parlance, "nineteen to the dozen." GiMPY. — As used colloquially for sprightly or active, this word, which is provincial in England, and occurs as "gimp" in Burns, may be classed among Ameri- canisms. Gin and Tidy. — Persons when decked out in "best bib and tucker" are occasionally, on the other side of the Atlantic, said to be gin and tidy. Query. Is this merely a punning reference to " neat spirit " ? Ginger. — Backbone; or staying- power. Transatlantic usage, in respect to this word, is probably only a variation of English slang. The first symptom you will observe in yourself [when sea-sick] is a desire to suspend all animated conversation, and to listen to an inward voice informing you that your attention is specially called to the fact that the vessel is Leginningto be lopsided in her movements. Simultaneously with this you will remark that your spinal column is requiring a hinge, and that considerable GINGER is departing from your resolution m Gin Mill 265 Give Away In to bear up and enjoy yourself.— r/i« WorUl, May ij, 1883. OiN Mill. — A clrinkinR saloon. Eng- lish rendezvous of this kind are called " palaces." Gin mill orijji- nated in lioston some forty or fifty years ago. Gin .si.inoer. — A tippler whose favorite beverage is gin. QiN>8iNo. — See Sang. aip (Cant). — If translated into the jargon of the criminal classes the old proverb would run "set a pip to catch agip." A variation of the Cantab "gyp," an undergraduate's servant ; the derivation of the word in the latter case being from yii\p a vulture, an allusion to the general rapacity and dis- lionesty of this class of men. OiRD. — To TAKE A GIRD, to makc an effort ; to take a shot. One girds oneself to special endeavor, and hence this factitious use of the word. I'd just like to take onr gird at Globe City, and if I couldn't fetch settlers, I'd cry co-peevi (pcccavi). Will you let me try it? —J'litnain's Siiigaziite. Girdle, To. — To cut a strip of bark ofT a tree round its whole circum- ference, the result of which is decay and death. A common method in newly-settled countries of clearing forest lantl. Also called BELTING (see TO BELT). In all our woods (Ohio) there is not a tree so hard to kill as the prickly horso chestnut. The deepest oiRr/i-iSG does not deaden it. — After dinner speerh by Dr. Daniel Drake, a celebrated botaiiit of the Ohio Valley. A GIRDLING is a place where trees have been so dealt with. G18M. — A synonym for energy, spirit. Probably from the Dutch gccst. OiT ! You QiT !— An exclam.itory in- junction at once l.iconic, insinua- tingly forcible, and full of meaning ; equivalent to " there's the door, and your name is Walker " ; an injunc- tion to depart in peace while there is yet time ; your room is more desirable than your company. With a great effort the sick man raised himself on one elbow. Git! he gasped hoarsely; oit while ye kin I small-pox. Then he fell back exhausted. Small-pox I Hop Sing Rave a great gasp, dropped the basm of broth, and almost tumbled Iroui the wiigon,— 'yi.ricanism. The American people, by virtue of their restless, untirinj; activity, and the ftcility with which they adapt themselves to new surroundings and conditions, are said to be a go-ahead nation — a typa of bold and fearless pro'.;ress. In the great Republic of the West, says one writer, one breathes a go-ahead atmosphere, which "tastes good in the nostrils." Mr. Proctor has drawn a most inten^sting compari- son between the Mother Country and her children of the Far West and the still farther South, which I cannot refrain, with all due ac- knowledgments from quoting en- tire: — " It is perhaps characteristic of the three great divisions of English-speaking races that our favorite expression in the Old Country is " all right," while the favorite American expression is "go-ahead," and in Australasia men say " no fear." This triple set of sayings is l>etter than the French aspiration (rather more than satished now perhaps) for la gloire, or the general submission of Continental natiors to military discipline. We English-speaking races find fault with each other, for- getting our kinship ; we laud this, that, and the other distinction, often mere tinselling, of other races ; but where now, or in the past of the world, has any race regarded col- lectively, made a deeper mark in the history of the world ? What other race, or set of races, has ever so definitely acted on the triple principle, or has so thorough- ly justified it.— See that all is right, then go-ahead and fear not. De- spite the savagery shown too often Go 268 Go .f-) i 1 ■ J II by British buncombe, by American spread-eagleism, and by Australian assertion of " Australia for the Australians," the English-speaking races have always shown (on the whole) the sense of duty expressed in our British "all right," the aspiration for progress expressed in the American go-ahead, and the confident but unboasting courage expressed by the Austral- asian " no fear." There are several offshoots of go-ahead, e.g., GO-AIIEADATIVE and GO-AHEADA- TivENEss and go- aheadifying. Go-ahead bids fair, in consequence of this enlarged usage, to become international in character ; for it is related that a Parisian candidate for the National Assembly, once addressed the electors in the following terms, Citoyens, je suis le Reprcsentant du go-ahead. To go back on ONE. — To turn tail; to abandon one's cause ; to disappoint expectation ; also equivalent to give AWAY in the sense of exposure. I don't want no better friend than Buck Fanshaw Take him all round, pard, there never was a buUier man in the mines. . . . . No maneverknow'd Buck TO GO DACK ON a friend.— iVarft Twain's Roughing It, p. 333- This phrase is of Western origin. To GO BETTER (in PokcrJ. — "When any player makes a bet, it is the privilege of the next player to the left to raise him ; that is, after making good the amount already bet by his adversary, to make a still higher bet. In such a case it is usual to say, " I see you and go (so much) better," naming the extra sum bet. ' I goes you five dollars, this time,' says Jim, posting at the same time the tin. ' I sees dat, and I goes you ten better,' said Bill ; ' you ain't a-goin' to bluff dis child, nohow you can fix it.' ' I sees you again,' said Jim, ' and goes you forty BETTER ; dis Orleans nigger won't stay stumped, dat I tells you, sartiu,' — Neiv York Spirit 0/ the Times, Hence idiomatically to do better than, or to excel others. Thus the Overland Monthly speaks of a lady in California who, threatened by her husband, furious at having been betrayed by her, and aiming a rifle at her head, suddenly pre- sented two small revolvers and cried out, " I can play a hand at that game, and go one better." To GO BY. — This sometimes puzzles strangers, for, if an Englishman were asked logo by and partake of hospitality, he would certainly be unable to reconcile the seeming contradiction. To go by in the South really means to stop ; to call at. Its origin, as explained by Pickering, is very simple. In old times, when one was riding a great distance through the country, where there were few roads, and the houses often two or three miles distant therefrom, a planter would naturally ask friends to go by [way of] his house and dine or lodge with him. To GO for. — To tackle ; to start doing anything. The phrase "he went for so and so" is a very frequently heard collo- quialism, as also is to make for with the same signification. He weren't no saint — but at jedgment I'd run my chance with Jim, 'Longside of some pious gentleman That wouldn't shook hands with him. He'd seen his duty, a dead-sure thing — And WENT FOR it thar and then ; And Christ ain't a going to be too hard On a man that died for men. —Colonel John Hay, in Jim Bludsoe of the Prairie Belle. Shades of meaning are frequent and varied ; thus, it is said in connection with the theological character of the early literature of America that the men of the " May- flower" were religious men, and those who joined them in the early settlement were men like-minded with themselves. To use this Ame- rican term they " went for" truth, Go 269 Go and left beauiy to follow as she could. In yet another sense to /?o for is akin to personal castigation. Costermongers are supposed to go for their mothers'-in-law ; i.e., stamp on, and otherwise ill-use them. This (the meaning not the practice) is of Southern origin. To go for also means " to be in favor of," a variant being to go IN FOR. Going. — " The going is bad," i.e., the travelling. Going in. (In Poker.) — Making good the ante of the age and the straddles (if any) for the privi- lege of drawing cards and playing for the pool. To go it alone. — In euchre where a player elects to play independent of^his partner. Scores are thereby doubled, whether successful or the reverse. Idio- matically the phrase to go it alone is used of any undertaking in which a man engages without outside assistance. To go it bald- headed. — See Baldheaded. To GO IT blind. — To run all risks ; to engage in an under- taking without forethought — an expression derived from poker. — See Blind. To go it strong. — A phrase applied to vigorous action, energetic advocacy, free living, indeed anything accentuated in character. Mark Twain's Hea- then Chinee, who, with his packs of cards, aces, and bowers, was thought to be "coming it strong," will at once occur to mind. To GO one's death. — Equivalent to "to lay one's life." To go one's pile. — To expend one's for- tune to the last penny ; and idio- matically to throw one's heart and soul into an undertaking. This expression is an allusion to the "pile" [of money] obtained in mining or trade, which, in many cases when made was, especially during the gold fever, dissipated in riotous living. It was frequently "lightly come; lightly go." — See Pile. Go off. — The com- mencement ; beginning. He is a sailor by trade, and we now have liiin out in the country learning the differ- ence between a coyote and a Hubbard squash. He may make a few blunders on the GO-OFK, as he sticks to it thit potatoes ousht to grow on trees, and that wheat Rrows wronR end to, but he is a hummer, and will Ret there by and by. Remember, this de- partment does not increase the subscription firicc at all. We are simnly trying to pub- ish a paper worth 100 dollars per year for a dollars. Detroit Free /'nss, Oct. 13, 1888. To GO THROUGH. — A phrase which, when applied to a man, seems to be equivalent to "turning him inside out," either by robbing him of all he possesses, holding him up to ridicule, or otherwise making it generally unpleasant for him. He was garrotted, and the two robbers WENT THROUGH him before the police could reach the spot.— Baltimore Sun, 188S. It was a grand sight to see Farnsworth go throuf^h him ; he did not leave him a single leg to stand Vipon.— Baltimore Sun, 1888. To GO under. — To die ; the visible disposal of the body fur- nishing a simile for the process of death. Compare with the German untergehen, to perish. ' It's his darter's claim, boys 1 ' Then like an inspiration their leader said : ' Men, let's make it so.' And, standing with hats ofl, they one and all solemnly vowed to see that the mine should be worked solely for the benefit of the girl whether Jim lived or had gonk under.— Dai/y Inter- Ocean, March, 1888. Also to fail in business ; to sink in the Maelstrom of financial diffi- culty. To GO UP. — Like to go under ; this is a simile for death, and is based very much on the same lines. When the victim of lynch law is enquired after, the questioner will simply be told that he has "i'-oHfi «/,"/.(;. (hanged. Go to grass I Be off ! Go West, voung man ! — At first meaning ex- actly what it says, the expression ill ■ lEUL i hi I'lll liiii Goad 270 Golly at length became a mere catch- phnse, and was ufcI in sea-'on and out of season. The West naturally ofTers far more opportunUies for advancement in life than the more thirkly populated Kastern States. Go West, young man ! at last became synonymous with " quit ! " It was a favorite Greely. Go-Down. — Of squatter origin. A go-tloiim isacuttin;? in the hiily bank of a stream for enabling animals to crois it or to get to the water. QoLRAM. — By gold.\m ! — A Yankee form of swearing, as also are expression 0^ Horace qoldarned and gouoastcd. 'WiW, are yon hurt ? ' ' Yes, by (jiiin ; I've broke my goldarnbd neck.' — American Iliimonst, if>S8. Finally Deacon Sp.ildins broke out with; 'That (ioi.nASTED St. Louis inu(;\vunip has made suckers of us a^ain with his cracks about coming into the IcaRiie. I move we A(.l')omn.— Cincinnati Enquirer, i8b8. Golden Cinctc. — Knights of the GOLDKN ciKCLE. — yVn Organization formed among corPEUHEADS (qv.) at the North during the Civil War, to aid in the rescue of Confederate prisoners held by the United States. Also one of the alleged names of the ku - klux- KLAN. Goad (Cant). — A peter funk (qv.). Goat. — The prong horn ante- lope {q.v.) is so-called by the fur traders. Goatee.— A tuft of hair worn on the chin, similar to a goats'-bcard, — hence its name, — the rest of the chin being clean shaved. A fashion o^ wearing the beard, once very common, but now rarely seen. April 19. — This morning struck into the region of full goatkes — sometimes accom- Fanicd by a mustache, but only occasionally, t was ofld to come upon tliis thick crop of an obsolete and uncomely fashion ; it was like running suddenly across a forgotten ac- quaintance whom you had supposed dead for a generation.— Afarft Twain s Life on the Mississippi, p. 213. Goater. — A thief's term for dress. Golden City. — San Francisco, other- wise 'Frisco. Gold having been found in California in large quan- tities, the sobriquet is not, as sometimes is the case, altogether inappropriate. GoBSTicKs (Cant). — Under this curi- ous name silver forks and spoons are known. "Gob" in English slang signifies the mouth. A very similar derivative is gobstfings for a bridle. Go-Cart. — A hand-cart. Godfathers (Cant). — A flash name for "gentlemen of the jury," be- cause in giving thefr verdict they name the degree of crime, first, second, third, etc., wiih which the accused is charged. — See Murder IN FIRST degree. Golden Eye (Bucephala amcricana). — A wild grey duck, which is more popularly known as the whistler or whistle-wing. GoLDE^ State. — California, from the large quantities of precious metal which have been found within its borders. GoLDURN It ! — A euphemistic oath. Collation. — See Golly. Golly. — By golly ! — A common colloquial negroism, being a sub- Gomho 271 Goods JE.K ;tal its ion Sub- stitute for an oath. Of these half- veiled blasphemies there seems to be no end ; indeed, the penal laws of the Turitjins, which made swearing an offence against the State, certainly caused men success- fully to exercise considerable in- genuity in order to evade them ; and tne seed-time of repression only resulted in a bountiful har- vest of bastard profanity. — See Dadbinged. Collation. — A word which, derived from golly, literally runs riot in its exuberant verbosity — "By f;olhttion\" "O gollationl" "gollation large," *' gol- Icition mean," etc., etc., etc. GoMBO or Gumbo {Hibiscus csculcntus). — The pod of this plant, which, in the Nortn, is called okra, is, in the South, called gombo. These pods also form one of the chief ingre- dients for a soup of the same name. Gone Beaver, Gone coon, Gone Gander, Gone Goose, Goner, and GoNEV. — AH variants for what, in England, would be called " a gone case," — a man or event past hoping for. Before I could even get under cover the old mother bear cliarged right by me with open mouth, fairly taking my breath and strength all away at my narrow escape. Fortunately she did not see me, or else I would have been a cotiER.— Cincinnati Enquirer, 1688. I will make that goney a caution to sin- ners I know. He has fired into the wrong flock this time. I'll teach him not to do it again. — Sam Slick's Human Nature, p. 107, Goobers (Arachnis hypogaa). — Other- wise pea nuts or earth nuts, the trade in which is considerable. An amusing story is told of a witness who was being examined in an im- portant case, and whose testimony was conclusive. So the lawyer for the other side undertook to make him an object for ridicule. " You are a business man, I believe?" " Yes, sir." " What is your busi- ness ? " "I deal in pea nuts." The lawyer smiled knowingly at the jury. " A pea nut vendor, eh ! How many pints did you sell hist month ? " "I hardly know. A million, perhaps." "What?" "I hai ? about half a million bushels a yt. I am a wholesale dealer." The lawyer sit down. He had forgotten that the pea nut crop is the source of riches to many Southern farmeis, and that the annual trade in the humble i^oober foots up 10,000,000 dols. ! Goo- ber GRABBER. — A G orgian is thus known in the Southern States. The name comes from the goober or peanut, which is very common in the State of Georgia. Good. — To feel good, i.e., jolly, pleasant, etc., is a distinctively American manner of speech, which at times is apt to sound rather odd to English ears. Mr. Proctor relates how a proposition was once invit- ingly made to a friend of his, which, to say the least, involved no virtuous self-abnegation, and he was urged to accept it by the plea that " it would make him feel good." ' I think the beer has something to do with making men generous.' 'Will you explain how?' 'The saloons arc goin^ Saturday afternoon, and the men feel pretty good before they come abroad. Tliey don't be- grudge a little money to the baud then.' — Texas Si/tings, September 15, 1888. Goods. — (i) This term is applied to liquid merchandize in just the same way that English people apply it in the case of " dry goods." Strange to rel.ito, s.iloon supplies are get- tin;j short, and if the embargo continues, plaui whiskey and other wet GOons will advance in price. — Daily Inter-Ocean, March 14, 1&88. ( 2 ) Among the molly maguires (q.v.), the signs and pass-words constituted the goods Good-Wooled 272 Gospel-Sharb li t flii of the society. The same usage applies in the case of other secret organizations. Without this action it would he impossible for the division to secure the goods for the current quarter ; and Mike eloquently urged that it was always desirable to keep the body in fair standing with the State and National officials. — Pinkerton's Molly Maguires and Detectives. GooD-WooLED (Cant). — A man whose courage can be depended upon never to fail him is said to be good- woolcd; from which it would appear that light-fingered gentry can ap- preciate a good simile. Goody Bread. — Bread in which pieces of roast rind of pork have been baked. A negro delicacy. GooK. — (Cant). — A low class prosti- tute. Goose. — To BE sound on the goo.se was, during the exciting times im- mediately prior to the Civil War a synonym for soundness on tht pro-slavery qi 'istion. It is now used politically of a man who is staunch upon party questions, what- ever these at the moment may be ; to be orthodox in oue's political creed. Northern religion works wal North, but its ez suft ez spruce, compar'd to our'n for keep- in' SOUND, sez she, upon the goose.— ii'S"- low Papers, II. One of the boys, I reckon ? All right ON THE GOOSE, eh? No highfaluten airs here, you know.— Gladstone, Englishman in Kansas, p. 43. Everything is lovely and the goose hangs high. — See Everything, etc. Gooseberry. — (Cant). — A woman. GoosiNG-sLUM, a brothel. GoosEBERRV-LAYS, Stealing clothes that have been hung out to dry. Goose Fish. — See Devil fish. G O. P. — Grand Old Party; a sobri- quet of the Republicans. Applied contemptuously by the Democrats, and as a tribute of praise by its own members. The expression is very similar to G. O. M. in England for Mr. Gladstone ; indeed it is almost certain that G. 0. P. was suggested by the latter. Where was the Republican Party born? There are persons in Kane County, Illinois, who claim that the Party was born there in 1854, and some Bloomington people assert that their citj; was the birth-place of the G.O.P. This important question ought to be settled before all the people who assisted at the accouchement have passed away. — Chic- ago Times, 1888. Gopher. — Seemingly a generic name for any animal of mining or bur- rowing habits. Besides those men- tioned in the following quotation, the term is applied in the Middle States to a species of mole, and in the South to a land turtle. Wherever sand streams are covered with grass, the surface is undermined by a beauti- ful little animal called the gopher (on the high plains a small striped squirrel ; on the Southern plains, a pouched rat). This animal feeds on the roots of the grass, on seeds, etc., which he stores in cavities, dugout of the soft sand. His labors not only render travel more difficult, but exceedingly dan- ferous, especially to a rapidly-moving horse, t is this animal that gives the danger to buffalo-hunting. — Richard Irvine Dodge's Plains of the Great West. GOREE (Cant.)— Gold dust. Gosh. — See Begosh. GosHDANG. — By goshdang ! — A form of oath. Gospel-Sharp. — A Western term for a clergyman, 'I've got it now, so's you can savvy,* he said. 'What we want is a gospel-sharp. See?' II liliii Gossamer 273 Grain ' A what ? ' ' Gospel-sharp— parson.' ' Oh I Why did you not say so before ? I am a clergyman— a parson.'— Mark Twain's The Innocents at Home, p, ig. Gossamer. — In the Eastern States a waterproof cloak. In the West the same article of attire is called a RAIN CLOAK. Got 'Em Bad. — An emphatic superla- tive. When anything is being thoroughly done, if a politician is very earnest and enthusiastic in the advocacy of his views, or if a sick person is very ill, the saying goes that " he's got 'em bad." Gotham. — New York, the inhabitants of that city being nicknamed got- HAMiTES. First used of New York by Washington Irving. The story of the wise men of Gotham is well- known, and the application of the term to the American metropolis was in sarcastic allusion to self- assumed superiority. Gotten. — This old form of the past participle of the verb "to get" is colloquial everywhere, more so than the modern " got." She has now gotten past the use of her crib, and the wicker-work basket cradle. — Denver Republican, April 15, 1S88. Last night detectives arrested Martha Bonman,wno at once acknowledged her guilt. The girl said she had gotten into the pantry by means of a duplicate key. — Diiily Inter- Ocean, Feb, 4, iSaa. The decorations and illuminations were GOTTEN up by Mr. J. H. Dressing, plumber, of 212, Chestnut-street, and were of an un- usually attractive character. — AVw York Weeldy. GOVERNOR'S Stiff (Cant). — A pardon. Grab Game. — Used colloquially for any form of stealing ; and, there- fore, as much English as Ameri- can. What, however, is specili- cally known as the grab game is "played" somewhat as follows, though, of course, local circum- stances are the cause of variation. Sharpers who practice this mode of swindling, start by betting amongst themselves (anything is good enough for the purpose) ; induce bystanders to join in, whereupon the stakes are de- posited. One of the confederates then purposely causes a dispute, upon which another of the gang grabs the stakes, and decamps with them. Grade, To. — (i) On Western ranches, to grade, in connection with cattle, is to improve them by mixing the breeds (2) To grade is also colloquially common in America in the sense in which in England it is only used technically by sur- veyors, i.e., to change the level of a road. Graft, To. — (i) To repair boots by soleing and heeling. (2) (Cant). To work, but the work in this case is stealing, i.e., picking pockets. Grafting is also used in the sense of helping another to steal. Graham Bread. — Whole meal bread. So named from Dr. Silvester Graham, who introduced it. Grain. — (i) In the sense of a little, this word is curiously misapplied to distance ; and where English people would say " move a little," Americans frequently ask one " tj move a grain." (2) What we call corn is, in the States, universally termed grain, i.e., wheat, rye, oats, barley, etc. By corn is always understood Indian CORN or MAIZE. ! I I >■ I 35 !l!'!' Ill y ■;li' 11; I I'' rni: Jll Grama 274 Gr asset Grama, or Gramma Grass {CJiondro- siiim). — A Spanish name for a fine grass which, in Texas, grows to the height of two, and under very good conditions, of three feet. Dodge considers that the buffai-o GRASS {qv.) of the high plains, and gramma grass, though entirely different in growth and appearance, are really identical. This he discovered accidently. At Fort Dodge he had a small piece of ground covered with sods of hVF- FALO GRASS taken from the high prairie. It was watered daily, and otherwise well cared for. To his great astonishment it appeared to change its whole nature, grew tall and rank, and in due time developed the seed heads of the true gramma grass. The huffalo grass is un- inviting to the eye, being so very short that an inexperienced man in search of pasture for animals, would pass it without consider- ation. It makes up in thickness what it lacks in length, and horses and cattle not only eat it greedily, but fill themselves much quicker than would seem possible. The Arkansas Valley at Fort Lyon, is covered with tall, fine - looking grass, which the large herds of domestic cattle will scarcely touch, preferring to go eight or ten miles away from the river, to feed upon the BUFFALO grass of the high plain. Another curious fact in this conntction is, that the cattle under such circumstances return to the river for water only on alternate days. Qrandacious : Granoiferous. — Ab- surd factitious superlatives of " grand." Grandmother. — To shoot one's GRANDMOTHER is a New Englander's way of saying that he has dis- covered a " mare's nest." It is, therefore, synonymous with the equally vulgar English expression, " go teach your grannie how to suck eggs." Man, as an animal that must shoot something, to judge from the simile, is in a high state of development across the Atlantic. Grangers.— "The Patrons of Hus- bandry." A secret society, nomi- nally non-political, but really taking a hand in politics when occasion offers to favor agricultural in- terests. It is numerically strong, and extends throughout the United States. Granite State. — The State of New Hampshire. From the same cause which might lead an English- man to apply the same title to Aberdeenshire, i.e., from the im- mense quantities of granite found there. ORAPE-viNE. — See Blue grass. Grapi^-vine telegraph. — During the Civil War exciting news of battles not fought and victories not won were said to be received by grape-vine telegraph. Grass. — To hunt grass, to decamp. Equivalent also colloquially to the English football slang " to hunt leather." You're most too many for me, you know. When you get in with youi lift I hunt GRASS every time. — Mark Twain's The In- nocents at Home, p. 21. Grass Cattle. — A plainsman's term for cattle fed on grass. In England we also speak of "grass lamb." grasset.— 5rf Chewink. m Gravel 873 Great Plenty Gravel, To. — A Western equivalent of "to go apainst the grain"; "to be unwilling"; Shakspeare uses it in the sense of a quandary in " As you like it." By long li.ibit, pilots caine to put all their wishes in tliu form of coiiiiiiaiuis. It GKAVEi.s iiic, to this clay, to put my will in the weak shape of a rctiucst, instead of launching it in the crisp language of an order. — Mark Twain's Mississilypi I'ilot. Graven Image. — Hunc.ry as a GRAVEN iMAGK is a Ncw England metaphor, the meani, ^ of which is obvious, but not so its derivation. Gravestone. — Cold as tiii; north SIDK of a JkNOOARY GRAVESTONE liv .STARLIGHT. — A New England simile, signifying extremity. be called a gray slick. the Maine coast. Peculiar to Greased train. Lightning. — An express Greasers. — The lower cla^s of Mexicans are .so called by Western men from their greasy appearance. The term originated during the Mexican War. To avenge the niurJcr of one of their numlicr, the cowboys gathered from the country round about, and fairly stormed the ciKi:.\si;ii — that is, Mi'xican — village where the nuirder had bi;en coniuiitted, killing four of the inhabitants. — Century Magazine, October, i8«8. grease-Wood. — See Chlmisal. i \ Graveyard Issues. — A bold and grue- some metaphor to describe what can only be carried by extreme measures, and to obtain which one would have to fight to the death. Sherman .... is not up to the demands of the period. His canip.iign would be one of GRAVKYARi) issuKS. The War, the bouth and tissue ballots arc dead,— A'lW York World, February 14, 1888. Gray. — He wore the gray, i.e., served in the Confederate armies during the Civil War. Gray was the color of the uniform. One of our most popular preachers tells a rich one of some of the boys who wouic the GUAY. — Missouri Republican, March 3, 1888. A man who is at the head of one of the big houses on Wabash Avenue, and who used TO WKAR Tiiic GUAY wlicn tlicrc was thunder in Shenandoah valley, told me this story yesterday, etc., eic— Chicago Mail, 1883. Grayslick. — A state of the sea when it has assumed a glassy appear- ance. The " doldrums " would thus Great. — An adjective more frequently wrested from its orthodox meaning in America than in England. As regards its signification, circnm- slances alter cases, or rather applications. Thus a great field is not necessarily one of large extent, but simply one in which the land is of good quality ; a great cow, one of good breed and points. A glimmer- ing of this misapplication of the word is seen in the phrase, equally common on both sides the Atlantic, " he is great on so-and-so," e.g., on books ; i.e., he can be considered an authority. The usage is a survival of Elizabethan English, and in II. Kings iv. 8, we read that Eli.sha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman. Greatle. — A "great while," of which it is evidently a corruption. Great Plenty. sion for abundance, "lots." —A pleonastic expres- enough ; sufficiency ; The En^^lish boys' Great Scott ! 276 Green Mountain City GREAT Scott! — A common exclama- tion of surprise. Drown — ' Hello, Siiiiili! Ihard about Jones' wife calching liiiii kissing aiiothtr woman in a dark alley?' bniilh — 'Gkeat Scott I Vou don't say so. What did she do ? ' brown — ' Sued liiui for alley-iuoucy.' — Ne-ij York Mercury, ib8». Great Spirit. — The Indian name for God. GREAT West. — The Western States of America, from their enormous extent. The term is well applied. Greed (Cant). — A flash phrase for money. Greenback. — The term was at first applied to the issues of United States notes, which bore on the reverse side a device printed in green ink to prevent counterfeiting by photography. The Gkeenback Labor Parjy is one which ad- vocates a currency based in general terms upon the National Credit and authority without the security of a specie reserve. Greenbac1-.s are now issued of the value of one dol,, two dols., five dols., ten dols., twenty dols. , one hundred dols. , and higher amounts. Previous to 1878 greenbacks for smaller amounts down to ten cents were current. Greenbackers were those who, previous to the resumption of specie payment for the smaller amount just named, opposed the change. Green-Goods. — Counterfeit green- backs, and those who utter spurious money of this kind, are called GREEN-GooDSMEN. The ways and methods of conducting their ne- farious business resemble those adopted by such craftsmen else- where. DriscoU was hung, but the green-goods- man escaped, for the only proof against him was that he sold a (I'Mntity of paper cut in tlie shape of bills aiid done up in packages of that size. True, he got four hundred dols. for what was only worth three cents a pound, but any man had a right to set his own i)rice on his goods.— rro>' Daily Times, February 3, 1888. If recent re\elatIons are to be credited a regular trade in grecn- goods is carried on. Circulars are issued, quotations given, and packages of counterfeit bills sent through the post. Sometimes, how- ever, the green-goods are not even genuine of tlieir kind. Only recent- ly a greenhorn wishing to make haste to be rich, and not over particular as to the means of acquiring his wealth, travelled three hundred miles to Troy, to buy four thousand dols. worth of green-goods, for which he only paid four hundred dols. Of course, the green-goods should have been counterfeit money, but unfortu- nately they only proved to be pack- ages of paper cut into the shape of bank notes. And so the verdant would-be millionaire found himself the victim of the old fraud, which has been exposed year after year. Generally the loss is, for very shame's sake, kept secret, and thus swindlers of this type make money rapidly. Green Goods Grocer. — Anglicc, a greengrocer. Get a good melon, and if you can't tell for yourself Isy that intuition which is the best guide in such matters, then trust to your GREEN GOODS grocer's judgment. — Boston Transcript, 1888. Green Mountain City. — Montpelier, the capital of Vermont, taking its title from the popular name of that State, the Green Moun- tain State — French Vert Mont. Green River 877 Grocery Green River. — To send a man up Gt'ccn Kivcr is, in the exprossive parlance of the South-west, to kill him. The phrase had its origin in a once famous factory on Gvccn River, where a superior kind of large knife was made, very popu- lar among hunters and trappers. On the blade the words " Gwc« Rivcy Works " were engraved, and hence mountaineers, using the knife to despatch an adversary, literally sent his blood up Green River. Green Sauce. — Vegetables. This form is found in Gay ton, Beaumont and Fletcher, and elsewhere. Gridiron. — A nickname for the "Stars and Stripes," the United States' flag ; the British sailor's slang term for the same is gridiron and DOUGHBOYS. Griffe, also Griffin, is among the descendants of the French settlers in Louisiana applied to mulattoes, more especially to women. The term seems pretty generally given to anything that is half-alid-half. The fabulous griffm is represented as half eagle and half lion ; and a cadet, half Indian and half Eng- lish, is so called. " Grifiins " in England is applied to the residue of a contract feast taken away by the contractor, half the buyer's and half the seller's. Grig, To. — To vex; to irritate. To grig means to nip or pinch in provincial English. Grip or Gripsack. — A handbag or satchel. He packed his grip and joyfully set out One day, to buy some green goods in the city; He's back again two hundred dollars out, And no one has for him a spark of pity. — Boiton Courier. (Cant.) — " The leather was a grip," i.e., the pocket -book was easy to get or steal. When i saw the leather was a grip . . . i kept close to her, and when she got out of the cars, at a way place, I said, ' Mam, have you lost anything ? ' and she tumbled her leatlier was oft'.— Mark I'wain's Life on the Mississippi, p. 459. Gripe-Fist (Cant.) — A miser or broker ; evidently a corruption of GRIP-FIST, i.e., a hand that squeezes over-much. Grist. — A large number or quantity. Thus, a lecture-hall would, it filled to its utmost capacity, be said to contain a whole grist of people. GRIT. — Because this word is used in exactly the same manner in America as in England, Bartlett gives it as an Americanism. In his knowledge of English usage, he is throughout excessively weak. GRIZZLY. — Short for grizzly-heair. Gtizzly meat = bear's flesh. Groanehs (Cant). — Those in the thieving fraternity who carry out their depredations against society at funerals and other church gatherings. Grim (Cant). — A grim enough name, indeed, for a skeleton. Death itself being known under the name of Old Grim. A corpse is, in a simi- larly graphic fashion, described as a STIFF. Grocery. — Though sometimes ap- plied to a grocery store, the term is too often, in the South-west especially, only another name for a drinking saloon, and " groceries" then take the form of ardent spirits. Groggery 278 Ground Ghoggery. — Literally, a place where grog is sold. A low drinking saloon ; also corrupted into dog- gery. Ghogham (Cant). — A horse. The derivation of this term is lost in mystery, unless it be from "groggy" as applied to horses that are over- worked and unsteady. Even here, however, it is difificult to under- stand why thieves should have applied the term to all horses, though it is quite po.ssible, by a process of inversion, that the man and not the horse is the groggy one, and that the twisted vision con- sequent on imbibing too much liquor causes him to see all horses unsteady in their gait, he, of course, good soul, being the only one able to "walk the chalk." This, how- ever, is admittedly a trifle far- fetched. Gropcr (i) {Scrranus erythi'ogaster). — A fish covered with olive colored irregular spots, and with gills and gullet of bright red ; found in the waters of Florida. (2) (Cant). A blind man ; a term the meaning of which is obvious. Ground. — In Virginia always used instead of "land," e.g., tobacco grounds, etc. To run into the GROUND, i.e., to overdo a thing ; to go to e.xcess. From running a fox or other game to earth. To wipe UP THE GROUND WITH ONE is a ruffian's way of saying he will knock a person down. The Scroggin boy was as tough as a dog- wood knot; he was a fighter from way back ; ho would give th:it frail-looking city boy, that dudish grandson of mine, a terrific trouncing. He'd wipe up the groi'nd WITH him; he'd walk all over him. — Ditioit Free Press, August, 1888. -Ground bridge. — When logs of a ford, the improved crossing so obtained is called a ,s;ro!ntd-brid::e. This is often done in the South. Ground cherkv. — Otherwise the WINTER cherry (qv.). It grows wild, but the fruit is edible. Ground hog {Arctomys vwnax). — Folk-lore in the States centres round the ground hog, the Southern name for the wooichuck of the North. Looked uion with sus- picion by farmers, un account of its destructiveness to grass and growing crops, this little marmot- like animal, like others of its species, lies hidden in its burrow dormant during the winter. Tra- dition has it that on February and of each year (Candlemas Day), the ground hog comes from its subterranean abode for a breath of fresh air, and if, while upon his stroll, he sees his shadow, he immediately returns to his nest, not to appear again for six weeks, the supposition being that cold weather may be expected. If he does not see his shadow, he is supposed to remain out for the entire season, the theory being that there will be no more cold weather until the next winter shall have set in. The negroes of the South are keen hunters of the poor creature, who, in winter, a mere ball of fur, during the summer grows into a perfect ball of fat, and is considered a great luxury at the "quarters." The latter part of woodchuck, i.e., "chuck," is used as hog is in ground hog, for pigs are almost universally summoned to the feed- ing-trough by the word ' ' chuck ! chuck!" repeated several limes, evidently the descendant of the Old English " sug ! sug ! " which Grose says is a word used in Norfolk to " call pigs to eat their wash," Ground nut. — See Earth nut and Pea nut. It is also called the ground pea. Ground plum are laid in the water at the bottom (Astragalus caryocarpus). — So called M mi ? 1 Grouty 279 Guess ■ ur, ito a :red ers." mck, is most feed- luck ! >mes, Old rrose Ik to and the LUM ;alled from its plum-shaped pod. Ground sluicing. — The process, amongst miners, of washing down the sides of banks by means of water. A substitute for shovel. ing. Ground souirrel (S/(t;/jo- philus iridcccmlincatus). — A name erroneously given to the striped prairie squirrel, which is also known as the gopher. The f^round squirrel is really the chipmunk (qv.). Ground sweat (Cant). — A grave. Grouty. — A grouty woman is, in the Northern States, a cross, ill- natured one. Grubby also Grubley and Grumpy. — Massachusetts names for the toad FISH {q.v.). Grunter. — (i) (q.v). (2) constable. The BANDED DRUM (Cant). — A country G. T. T. — Gone to Texas. Moon- shining gentry in the States used to leave on the doors of their aban- doned dwellings the legend G.T.T., as a cold consolation for inquiring creditors. GuAVA. — A West Indian fruit, much esteemed for dessert and preserving purposes. Guava jelly is well known in England as a West Indian preserve. Gubernatorial. — Relating to Govern- ment, e.g., the Gubernatorial man- sion, i.e., Government House — an uncouth, outlandish, and pedantic piece of word-making. Used also in the States for pertaining to the powers of the "Governor of a State." Governmental, an adjec- tive employed in England in a similar sense, is never used in America. I was not equal to the requirements of a GuuKKNATOKiAL Campaign in the State of New York, and so I sent in my withdrawal from the candidacy. — Mark Tu/uin'i Screamers. Guess. — This word has been, per- haps, more than any other, the subject of animated discussion. English purists have unceasingly twitted Americans upon its use, who have retaliated by endeavour- ing to show its orthodoxy. In this they have without doubt succeeded ; for, in point of fact, guess has been used in England in every sense in which it is used in America, where, however, special applications have lived on while they liave died out in the Mother Country ; only on this ground, therefore, can it be counted an Americanism. Shak- speare, Milton, Seiden, and Locke all use it. I'erhaps the only difl'erence between the English and the American use of the word is, that the former denotes a fiir, candid A^««i, while the Yankee who guesses is apt to be quite sure of what he professes to doubt. As he only "calculates" when he has already solved his problem, so he also guesses when he has made sure of his fact. " I guess I do," is with him an expression of confident certainty. He is, however, quite as prone to go to the other extreme, and to use the word without any other meaning than mere "think- ing," as when he says: " I guess he is well,, or, "I guess I won't go to-day." ' What is vour age ? ' asked Colonel James (that dreadlui question to a lady). ' I GUKSS I am about forty.' ' You (iUKSs ? Don't you know?' ' Well, forty next " — iVt'ii; York ' iext June.' jrk herald, March 27th, 1888. She walked into the dry goods store With st.itely step and proud, She turn'd the frills and laces o'er, And pushed aside the crowd. She asked to see some rich brocade, Mohairs and grenadines, Guif 280 Gum 1 :± 'ilii! She looked at silk of every shade— And thou at velveteens. Slic sampled jackets blue and red, She tried on nine or ten, And then she toss'd h( r liead, and said She GUEss'n she'd call atjain. — Texas Si/tings, June 23rd, 1888. Guff.— Nonsense; balderdash. "Don't tell me such gujf." Guinea Corn (IIolcus sorghum). — The millet of the Egyptians. Guinea Grass (Panicmn maximum). — A West Indian grass, largely used for fcdder, and only of late years introduced into the States. Guinea Keet. — The guinea-fowl. Also keet; so called from its peculiar cry. Guinea Negro. — A full-blooded negro. 'Tain't quite hcndy to pass ofif one o' your six-foot GUINEAS, An' git your halves an' quancrs back in gals and pickaninnies. —Diglou) Papers, II. Gulch. — A ravine. This Old English word is one which, having once fallen into disuse, has again made its way into favor. Gulch min- ing, mining in gulches. The method adopted is akin to that of placer MINING (q.V.). Gulf City. — Ne\/ Orleans. Gulf States. — The States bordering on the Guir of Mexico. These are Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Gully, To. — From "gully," a hollow channel. To gully, to wear a hollow channel in the earth. Gully Plum. — A Barbadian name for the fruit of the Spondia lutea. Gum. — (i) A name given to various trees throughout the Union. The BLACK-GL'M of the North and sour- ou.M of the South, both belong to the Nyassa species. The sweet- gum is Liquidiimhjy styracijlua. The last-named is a favorite resort of the racoon, and has furnished many figures of speech. (2) India- rubber ; guvis being india-rubber shoes or goloshes. Every one has heard the story, told with many variations, and which, if not true, ought to be, of the clergyman who, having just arrived and taken possession of a little country parish, had been invited to take charge of the funeral of a prominent resident. As he knew nothing about the career and accomplisli- ments of the deceased, he was to be assisted by a fp.rmer of the neighborhood who was some- thing of an exhortcr. The rela- tives expected that the services would not begin until Mr. J., the farmer exhortcr, had arrived. He was long in coming for some rea- son, and the clergyman began to grow weary. He called one of the family, and a.skcd him if he knew where Mr. J. was. " He's come now," said this person. " Where is he ? " asked the clergyman. " P' nstairs," came the response, " Wi^ ig his^«;Hs on the door-mat." The thought of the reverend agri- culturist " wiping him gums on the door-mat " filled the young clergy- man first with horror, and then with almost uncontrollable amuse- ment. It did not occur to him at first that gums in that part of the country meant india-rubber over- shoes. This confusion of language has also led to gum trees being called rubber trees. (3) A bee-hive ; also called bee-gum. — See Bee-gums. Gum-game. — "You can't come the gum-game over me," a trick or dodge. The simile is drawn from the preference shown by opossums Gumbo French 281 Gtintcr and racoons for gum trees as places of refufje when hotly pursued. Up therein his lc;ify retreat, the animal is well hid from dog and hunter alike, and frequently defies all their efforts. This is what the Western man calls " coming the f;nni-,i;iiiiie," and he applies the phrase with great shrewdness and force to any case in daily life in which he thinks he sees a desire to over-reach him by conceal- ment. You can't conic tliat gum-oame ovnr me any more [says a Kansas man to a sijiiattcr, wliose f.irm lie wislicd to pmcli.isp, win n llio latter cl.iims to h.ive some (iititioiis titlcl, I've been to the land-office, and know all about the place. — Kansas City A dvertiscr. The word is not unknown to the Eastern States, for J. 11. Lowell uses it in the same sense: "You can't gum me, I tell ye now, and so you needn't try." — lii:;loii' Papers, I. GUMHO. — 5Vf GOMHO. GUM- LOG. — A log of a gum-tree. — GuMMo LiMBiiR {Duisea guiumi/cni). — A large Florida gum-tree. Sucking gum or cm;wiNG gum. — A preparation of the sweet gum, used for chewing purposes. This practice is one of the most marked idiosyncracies of the great Ameri- can people. Gumbo FntNCH, or Creole French. — A dialect or patois, consisting in the main of strangely disguised and disfigured French words, with an admixture of English and a few genuine African tenns. A stanza of a popular coonjai (conge) or minuet, well known to Louisiana planters, runs as follows : — Mo deja roule tout la cote, Pancor (pas encore) ouar (voir) pareil belle Layoto, Mo roule tout la cote. _ Mo roule tout la colonie, Mo painor ouar grifforme 1^, Qua mo gout comnie la belle Layotte. GUMMCR. — To GUM 13 tO pUHCh OUt tlie teeth of a saw, the machine used beinr called agummer. GuMMEY (Cant). — A flash term for medicine. GuMMv ! — A New England exclama- tion of surprise. Gumptious. — A derivative from "gumption," on the same model as bumptious. A gumptious fellow i.s one who has understanding and discernment. Gun. — In the West a revolver is generally called a gun, To go GUNNING is to go out shooting. This form of gunning for "shooting" occurs in Drayton. The Supreme Court lias decided that there is no close season for editors. Persons who wish TO GO GUNNiNr, for journalists at any time of the year have only to induce their game to make some uncomplimentary re- iiiarks about them in print, and in etfoct a license to shoot is issued. — San Francisco Nnns Letter, 1888. To GUN A STOCK, is, in Wall- street phrase, to use every art to produce a "break," when it is known that a certain house is heavily supplied, and would be un- able to resist an attack. To GUN (Cant). — To watch; to look for. Gunned, examined. GuN-sHOP. — A gun-smith's shop. Gunboats. — A term used, during the Civil War, for the heavy, clumsy footgear served out to the men. GuNTER, According To. — A variant of the English "According to Cocker." Both Gunter and Cocker were distinguished mathematicians ; the former, however, being a Puritan, has naturally taken the lead in 36 Gurry 282 Guy the United States in preference to the latter. In Canada, also, the phrase, according to Guntcr, holds its own almost exclusively. The expression, which was HnRlish before it became naturalized in America, signifies carefully and ccrrectly done. Gurry. — A fisherman's term for the slime and blood resulting from handling and curing iish. Gush. — A large quantity ; abundance ; (■St a gush of cattle, fruit, e Gutter (Cant), — A highly descrip- tive term for porter. In English slang, " gutter - lane " is the throat. Guttersnipes — A recent Wall Street name for "outside brokers." Guts. — Not fit to carry guts TO A DEAR. — An opprobrious epithet implying unequalled worth- lessness. GUV (Cant).— A dark lantern. ■^■Al ;?i>afe; i^^';- m ii.iiiMii' A BiTA N. — A small landed proprietor. The term is French, but is little heard nowadays either in Louisiana or Canada. Hacianda. — A Spanish name for a large plantation upon which the owner resides. This word, with rancho (shortened into ranch), has become thoroughly acclimatized in the States, especially on the Pacific slope. Hack. — Cabs are invariably called hacks. This term is, of course, only a survival of Old English usage. Hackamorc. — A plaited bridl,^ in use on the plains, made of horse-hair, and used for breaking-in purposes. Hackamore is held to be derived from the Spanish yaj«/»;a, a halter. Hackbcrrv {Celtis occidcntalis). — A small but useful tree, another popular name for which is the SUGAR-BURRY. Its fruit is edible, and its dried wood is very desir- able as fuel. Hackee. — The lively little Chipmiink (qv.) is thus named in some of the Eastern States. Hackmatack (Larix amcricana). — The American larch or tamarack. The popular name is that by which the Indians knew this very useful tree. Its wood is hard, strong, and durable, and it is largely found throughout Brilish America and the North Eastern States. Hail. — To raise hail. — To cause a disturbance ; to kick up a row. A similar expression is TO raise gain; the latter, however, indicating more heat and passion than the former. Buckskin Joe says he was largely instru- mental in getting some five thousand settlers into Grccr county, and lie is deterniined that they shall have a clear deed to one hundred and sixty acres of land when tho question is settled, or he will raise hail. — Portland Transcript, March 7, 1888. Hair. — A suit of hair, equivalent to what in England would be called a head of hair. A Southern phrase. To raise or lift the hair is, when translated from the rude ver- nacular of trappers and frontiers- men, the process of scalping. The North American Indians, of all savage races, alone appear to have practised this form of violation of the bodies of dead foes ; with them, however, the possession of human hair is regarded as a kind of charm, and it is called good or big medi- cine from the supposed lucky q'lalities inherent to it. Idiomati- cally, to raise an opponent's hair is to defeat him. A hair of black b'ar. — A spice of the devil. A hunter's expression. Hair-pin. — That's the kind of hair- pin I AM ! — An inane exclamation, I Half-a-Hog 284 Hamfatter used in season and out of season a short timcago. Fortunately, catch- f)hraHe.'i of the gutter are never ong - lived, and speedily givo way to others, which, if equally meaningless, at all events give variety. That's the kind of huir-pin I am originated in New York. _ The license procured, the youiiR prosprc- tiv(! bridiniooin, with a nlovviiiK fac(\ tiiniud around, folded Ins sweetheart in his arms, an probably derived from the " Hold up your hands" of Western bri- gands, who became known as HOLD-UPS, the transition to the Hole in the Wall 30X Home verb to hold up to signify violent robbery being easy enough. W. R. Shotwell, formerly well known in Ouray, and a member of the lodge here, was mortally shot by hold-ups, Tuesday night. The following dispatch to Kev. O. E. Osten- soo, secretary of 1. 0.0. F., of Ouray, explains itself: — ' El Paso, Tex., February 14, 18S8. — Bro. VV. R. Shotwell was mortally wounded by robbers to-nieht. Can you give us any of his relatives' address. He is in the hands of I.O.O.F. Wire me if any information. — Z. F. Terrell, N.G.'— T/ii; Solid Muldoon {Oiimy), Colorado. It then dawned upon the passengers that the train had been held up. One of the two men who had boarded the baggage-car appeared on the tender of the engine when three miles out of Stein's Puss.— Missouri Kepublican, February 24, 1888. Martin Murphy was held to the Criminal Court, by Justice C. J. White, yesterday morning for robbeiy. Murphy held up Frank Jones, on the corner of Harrison and Des- plaines streets, two weeks ago, and got his watch. — Daily Inter-Ocean, March 23, 1888. HoLt IN THE Wall. — A resort in Washington of bibulously inclined M.C.'s (Members of Congress). At one time it became necessary to prohibit "guzzling " at the Capitol, and the hole in the wall near by furnished thirsty souls with a convenient trysting place. Later, however, the favorite appellation was THE HOLE IN THE SKY. KoLiBUT. — The Halibut. American usage is more v-orrect than the English, the real name being Holy But.—Reier to Phillips' Woyld of Words. HoLLoo, To. — A perverted significa- tion attaches to this verb in Western districts, where it is employed as the equivalent of to abandon ; to leave ; to quit. For example, a man hollers on vice, when he aban- dons its practice. The term has been traced to the prize-ring, where a fallen adversary crying out, by so doing yields or gives up the fight. HoLP, HoLPED, HoLPi.i. — The last- named is the old participle of "help." This, however, is less frequently heard than the other archaic forms. Amongst Southern negroes the corruption holped, itself the preterite of the mongrel " holp," is frequent. Home. — (i) In the West Indies, British America, and indeed all English-speaking Colonies, home is used familiarly in referring to the Mother Country. When Colonists speak of going home, they invariably mean taking a trip to England. This of course does not apply so much to the people of the United States, save in those cases where the change of residence from one country to another has been com- parati ely recent. The expression is a very old one, and probably dates back to the earliest days of English colonization. (2) In such expressions as "at home," the preposition is often omitted, and one would say in asking after friends, " How's all home." A similar curiosity is the way "to " is used for "at ;" e.g., " How's all to home." Slocomb recalled now, that when she said she lived 10 hum there was really a very pleasant sparkle in her eye. — Scribner's Magazine, 1887. I know wy sentinuls air sot ; you ain't agoin' to eat us ; Caleb hain't no monopoly to court the seenoreetas ; My folks TO HUM air full ez good ez hisn be, by golly I —Diglow Papers. Conversely the proposition is often inserted where no necessity exists for its preset c". A very good example of this occurs in Irwin Russell's inimitable poem, Christ- mas Night in the Quarters, a medley which laughed its way across the continent. Homestead Law 302 Hommock i Git yo' pardiiers, fust kwattillion ! Stomp yo' feet, an' raise 'em high; Tune is : ' Oh, dat water-million I ' Gvvine to git to home bime-by. S'lute yo' pardners ! scrape perlitely — Don t be bunipin' 'gin de res'; Balance all ! now, step out rightly ; Alius dunce yo' lebbel bes'. HOMESTEAD LAW. — The Homestcad Act of 1862 was, perhaps, the most beneficial and far-reaching in its •wisdom ever passed by Congress. By it every citizen, native or natu- ralized, is able to acquire a home farm of 160 acres, the sole condition being five years' residence upon the property, subject, of course, to something being done in the way of improvement, i.e., culti- vation. The most important pro- vision of this Act, however, is the absolute exemption of the home- stead from forced sale for debt save the purchase-money. As the latter merely consists of certain moderate registration and other fees, the ex- emption is practically absolute ; and after five years' residence the General Land Office in Washington will grant a title. Experience has shown that in the majority of cases — always, of course, ruling out of court speculative holders — so rapid is the advance in value of land, when once settled on, that from forty to fifty per cent, of those who enter under the provisions of the Homestead Law, expecting to receive a gratuitous deed, prefer to pay for the land, rather than wait the five years necessary for the consummation of their titles. By this measure, and more particularly its exemption clause, the people of the United States have recognised, and, as far as possible given effect to, what have been called the three fundamental rights of every man, woman, and child born into this world, viz. : good food, good cloth- ing, good homes. To their honor be it said, the American people have for ever put behind their backs the possible recurrence, in the New World, of the evils of landlordism as exemplified in the Old. The prin- ciple of the Homestead Law is that the family being the unit of society, the basis of civilization and the foundation of the Republic, it becomes necessary as a matter of policy, and for the good order of society, as well as a matter of public economy, to save as far as possible the homes of the people from be- coming broken up and destroyed, either by debt or by taxation. It is further held that the obligation resulting from the contract of mar- riage, wherein the man agrees to support his wife and his children, and to furnish to them a shelter, is not only prior in point of time to the debts of creditors, but it is an obligation more sacred than any other which a man can assume ; and, therefore, the law, as well as the courts who administer it, should always maintain the priority and the superior equity and sacredness of the contract of marriage over and above all other contracts which may be entered into. The limit of exemption varies in different States. By the laws of Illinois a homestead is exempted from forced sale for debt to the value of 1,000 dols., while in Wisconsin, by the consti- tution and laws of that State, the homestead is exempted to the value of 5,000 dols. In connection with this subject, see Pre-emption. HOMINY. — A staple preparation of Indian corn, the grains of which are coarsely ground and boiled, though sometimes they are cooked whole. Hominy seems to be of Indian derivation from ahuminea, Hommock. — In the everlades or fresh water swamps of Florida, hommock is the name given to small eleva- llil III Hondoii 303 Hoople \>n of vhich toiled, looked je of l7iea. fresh \mmoch 1 eleva- tions or islands. This word must not be confounded with hammock HoNDou. — The slip-knot of a lariat. This is probably from the Spanish Jionda, the eye of a needle. Honest Injun! — An exclamation of address, employed very much as "old man" is familiarly used in England when the person addressed is by no means of mature age. Though the reference to Indian honesty was at first a sarcastic allusion to the red man's thievish propensities, now, when used as a form of address, nothing deroga- tory is implied. Honey. — A good fellow; one who commands admiration and respect. (Cant). A generic name for money. ' It's a great day for Dave,' said one en- thusiastic Democrat, ' and I've got money that no one can name the man that will beat him in the race for the governorship. He has driven a long spike in his political oppo- nent's coffin, whoever he may be. Dave is a HONEY.' — Missouri Republican, February 24, x883. To HONEY.— To cajole with soft words or promises. Notice ! Persons indebted to the Tusca- loosa bookstore are respectfully solicited to pay their last year's account forthwith. It is of no use to honey; payments must be made at least once a year, or I shall run down at the heels. I have not spare change enough to buy myself a shirt or a pair of breeches. My wife is now actually engaged in turning an old pair wrongside-out, and trying to make a new shirt out of two old ones. Come, come, pay up, my friends! keep peace in the family, and enable me to wear my breeches right-side-out.— rxscrt/oosa News, 1888. To HONEY-FUGGLE Or HONEY- FOGLE. — To swindle ; to cheat ; or to humbug. Just as the hilarity was at its best, an admirer of Judge Noonan, also somewhat under the domination of the rosy, caught sight of that eminent jurist, and coming to him wreathed himself lovingly about his honor. Noonan's companion objected to this public HONEY-FUGLING by knocking the demonstrative stranger down. — Missouri Republican, January 26, i8S3. -Honey locust (Glcditschia tria- canthus). — The thorny locust of the West and South, the latter name being given on account of its numerous and large thorns. Honeysuckle. — This plant (the Azalea viscosa) is far removed from kinship with the English honeysuckle. Honorable. — This title in America is given to Members of Congress, and American representatives at foreign courts, and a few other Government officials. HOODLUM. — A young rough. The term originated in San Francisco, but is now general throughout the Union. They were met by three young hoodlums, who jostled against the young lady, and made the most disgusting remarks concern- ing her. — Missouri Republican, April i, 18S8. John Mulroy was arrested yesterday on a warrant charging him with assault to kill his father, Patrick Mulroy. The boy is a hood- lum, who had often threatened that he would kill his father should that parent ever attempt to punish him. — St. Louis Globe Democrat, February 15, 1888. Hence also hoodlumism. An exhibition of hoodlumism of the most aggravated type was given last evening on car No. 61 ot the Market Street line. — St, Louis Globe Democrat, April 2, ibS8. HooDY-DooDY (Cant). — A short stumpy person. Hook Jack, To. — A New England boy's term for playing truant. Hoople. — A hoop as used by children. This name is of Dutch descent, and is still used in New York. 1 Hoosier 304 Hoosier Hoosier, Hoosier State. — A hoosier is a native of the State of Indiana. The origin of this, as of many nick- names, is lost in mystery. One account is that the citizens of this State are proverbially inquisitive, and gruff in speech, and that their nickname was bestowed on them because they never could pass a house without pulling the latch- string, and crying out, "Who's here ? " This fanciful derivation, however, may probably be dis- missed with scant consideration, although Kentuckians insist that it is a true one. Another account is that given by a correspondent of the Providence Journal ; he says : — " Throughout all the Western settlements were men who rejoiced in their physical strength, and on numerous occasions, at log-rollings and house-raisings, demonstrated this to their entire satisfaction. They were styled by their fellow- citizens hushers, from their primary capacity to still their opponents. It was a common term for a bully throughout the West. The boat- men of Indiana were formerly as rude and as primitive a set as could well belong to a civilized country, and they were often in the habit of displaying their pugilistic accomplishments upon the levee at New Orleans. Upon a certain occasion there, one of these rustic professors of the ' noble art ' very adroitly and successfully practised the ' fancy ' upon several individuals at one time. Not being a native of the Western world, in the exuberance of his exultation he sprang up, exclaiming, in foreign accent, ' I'm a hoosier, I'm a hoosier.' Some of the New Orleans papers reported the case, and afterwards transferred the corruption of the epithet ' husher ' (hoosier) to all the boatmen from Indiana, and from thence to all citizens." This explanation, it is possible, may be regarded as hardly more satisfactory. When, however, we come to deal with the hoosier's manner of speech we pitch upon less debatable ground. J. H. Beadle, in his Western Wilds, furnishes data in respect to what he calls the hoosier language, which he says he spoke in his childhood, and of which no grammar has ever been published. Before it becomes extinct, therefore, it may be as well to fix a few of its idioms. It abounds in negatives held to strengthen the sentence. " Don't know nothing" is common. " See here," says a native, looking for work, to the farmer, "You don't know o' nobody what don't want to hire nobody to do nothin' around here don't you." But it is in the verb to do that the hoosier tongue is most effective. Here is the ordi- nal;' conjugation. Present tense: regular as in English. Imperfect : I, you, he done it ; we, you, they uns done it. Perfect: I, you, he gone done it ; we, you, they uns gone done it. Pluperfect: I, you, he, etc., bin gone done it, etc. First future : I, you, he, etc., gwins to do it. Second future : I gwine to gone done it, etc. Plural : We, you, they uns gwine to gone done it, etc. Philologically this langu- age is the result of a union between the rude translations of " Pennsyl- vania Dutch," the negroisms of Kentucky and Virginia, and certain phrases native to the Ohio valley. Hoosier cake. — A coarse kind of gingerbread, so called, say the Kentuckians (between whom and Hoosicrs a friendly rivalry has always existed), because the inhabi- tants of Indiana — the Hoosier State — are very partial to it. Therefore, say they, if you want to catch a Hoosier give the biped hoosier-cake. HoosiERDOM. — The State of Indiana. Hooter 30s Horse HOOTER. — V. hen a thing is "not worth a hooter, " the meaning is that it is of no account ; not worth an iota. Hooter is probably a corrup- tion of "iota." Ho PINE. — A name given to malt- liquor, which, for all practical pur- poses, is genuine beer, but which is so called to evade the provisions of the Prohibition Act. Iowa is one of the so-called Prohibition States, a fact which will explain the following quotation : — We don't get beer, precisely, but they sell a diink out there called hopine, which ex- perts can't tell from beer, but the sale of which is not a violation of the liquor law, so the jury of which I was foreman de- cided one day last month, so you needn't waste any sympathy on us Iowa teetotalers. —Texas Si/tings, 1888. Hopkins. — Don't hurry, Hopkins! — Used ironically in the West in speaking to persons who are very slow in their work, or tardy in meeting an obligation. It is said to have originated from the case of one Hopkins, who, having given one of his creditors a promissory note in regular form, added to it this ex- traordinary memorandum : — It is expressly agreed, that the said Hopkins is not to be hurried in paying the above note. Hopper. — (1) A railway coach of par- ticular shape. (2) A contracted form of "grasshopper." Hopping John. — A South Carolinan dish of bacon and peas stewed with red pepper. Hopping-Mad. — Very angry. Hop Tree (Ptelia trifoliata). — A name given in the Eastern States to a shrub, the seed clusters of which are used as a bitter. Hork, To (Cant). — ToHsten; to hear. Evidently a corruption of "to hearken." Horn. — A measure for spirits, as "a horn of whiskey," i.e., a "dram" or " nip." I don't know whether Mark took a drop or not ; but they generally keep a barrel of old rye in the lumber shanties, and my opinion is that he was invited to take a hokn.- Ilammond's Wild Nonliem Scenes, p. 198. Horn bug. — The stag beetle. In a horn. — A slang phrase equivalent to the English "over the left shoulder"; both are sotte voce saving clauses to false asser- tions. Plain folk call such mis- statements by a severe name — lies. The little end of the HORN. — The mountain bringing forth a mouse is the prototype of those who come out at the little end of the horn; who make much ado about nothing, and whose vast endeavors end in failure. The allusion is to the "Horn of Plenty," one end of which tapers to a point. Horned grebe. — A species of dipper. Horned Pout. — The catfish (q.v.). Horned Sucker {Catostomtis storer). — A fish which is also called the CHUB SUCKER. HoRNESs (Cant). — A watchman. Hornswoggle. — A Western creation, signifying nonsense, foolery, or chaffing deception. Variants are skulduggery and shenanigan. HORSE. — That, of all the dumb crea- tion, the horse is par excellence the friend of man, no one recognizes more fully than the Western back- woodsman. Some of the boldest 39 111 ^ ■--■-■'■"'» ■1 i- liii il;lil.: : Horse 306 Horse of his metaphors, and the most touching tributes of praise, are drawn from this source. These expressions, originating for the most part in frontier life, have quickly spread throughout the Union, and become part and parcel of the every-day speech of all classes, more especially as there exists, among Americans as a people, a passionate love of horses. A near and dear friend, an old companion, or men and women, whose traits of character command respect and homage, are familiarly horses. It is related that a distin- guished Kentuckian on one occa- sion, when carried away by enthu- siasm at Miss Kemble's acting, started abruptly to his feet, and with tremendous energy roared out, " By heaven she's a horse." Far from this being considered a rude thing to say of a lady, it is the highest compliment that can be paid her ; inasmuch as, a fine horse being one of the grandest and most beautiful objects on earth, so, in comparison, more genuine praise or a higher appreciation of personal qualities cannot be expressed. Amongst the ruder sort, the phrase affectionately becomes old ;ioss, and a man is apt to speak of him- self as THIS HORSE. Here, boys, drink. Liquors, captain, for the crowd. Step up this way, old hoss, and [iqnoT.— Gladstone's Englishman in Kansas, P-43. Thar was old Sam Owins,— him as got rubbed out by the Spaniards at Sacramento or Chihuahua, this hoss doesn't know which, but he went under any how. — Rn.v- ion's Life in the Far West. In the same connection of meta- phor we get HORSE-SENSE, and he who possesses it is regarded by his fellows as sound in judgment and practical in method. He wasn't loony on a bargain, sir, no in- deed; and he had plenty of hard horse- sense, and took good care of his property. — Putnam's Magazine. Combined with this love of horses is another prominent quality of the American. He regards driving a single horse as poor fun indeed ; on the contrary, he likes to drive a whole team. Hence anything strikingly small or mean he chaiacterizes as one horse, and so dubs anything and anybody from a church to a bank, and from a governor to a bailiff, of which or of whom he has but a poor opinion. Thus we get one-horse towns, one- horse lawyers, and one-horse oaths — the "euphemistic" blasphemies, which do duty for really genuine and honest outbursts. Ah, it was a great Joss — it was a powerful loss to tliis poor little one-horse town. — Mark Ti^'ain's Screamers. Horse is also current in the Old English sense of a plank support or trestle. A long table was now spread, eked out by boards laid upon carpenter's horses, and this was covered by a variety of table cloths, all shining clean, however, and carefully disposed. — A. Quilting, 1873. Horse and horse, a variant of "neck and neck," i.e., even. Horse-barn.— A stable. — Horse- boat. — A kind of ferry-boat some- times met with in Western waters, the propelling power of which is a horse ; sometimes also called a horse-ferry. Horse-cars. — Tram-cars. Horse-foot (Li- mulus polyphemns). — The king crab of England; the popular name is derived from its supposed re- semblance to a horse-shoe. This crustacean is very plentiful in American waters. Hold your horses ? is a slang phrase signifying willingness to undertake a task or commission for another. Horse- mackerel. — This is the popular name in Massachusetts for the blue-fish {q.v.). Horse -mil- liner. — A saddler and harness maker. This odd name can, in Horse-Cappers 307 How aters, ich is lied a RS.-;- crab name d re- This ul in YOUR lifying ask or lORSE- opular Bor the -MIL- larness an, in reality, claim ancient usage, dating back as far as the sixteenth century. Sir W. Scott also, in his Hca^t of Mid- lothian (ch. xii.), makes Bartoline Saddletree say : " Whereas, in my wretched occupation of a saddler, horse-millinev and harness maker." HoRSE-MiNT {Monayda punc- tata). — This is given by Webster as a large species of mint found from New York southward. Horse- nettle [Solamim carolinense). — A poisonous weed with orange-yel- low berries. Horse-railroad, a tramway. Horse-shoe. — See HoRSE-FOOT, for which this is but another name. Horse-Cappers. — Horse swindlers, whose trick is generally to dispose of a worthless animal at a price far above its value. HosTiLEs. — A Western term for enemies. Hot (Cant). — When a thief gets) too well known in any locality, he says it is getting hot for him. An English equivalent is " high- rented." Hot-Slaw. — Minced cabbage, pickled in vinegar and made hot. — See KOOL-SLAA. Hounds. — (i) In the old slavery days, men who hunted for and caught runaway negroes. (2) A gang of San Franciscan ruffians. Also called REGULATORS. Hourly. — An old obsolete Boston term for an omnibus — probably from the vehicles making a journey at intervals of an hour. House. — In the place, house compounded with other words than sense of a store is more frequently in England. Thus a larder becomes a meat-house, a laundry a wash-house, and a dairy a milk-house, etc. House-car. — A closed car; a box-car {q.v.). To house-keep. — To keep house, a form of comparatively recent introduction. Housen STUFF, i.e., household furniture. The House. — A shortened form for The House of Repre- sentatives, just as "The House" in England always means the House of Commons. House- HOLDRY. — Household employment. A new form. Housen. — An old form for the plural of "house." This is still heard in some parts, notably the Southern States. House to let. — A slang expression for a widow's weeds. House RAISING. — A BEE {q.v.), OX gather- ing of people in a thinly settled Eart, to enable new comers to uild a house. These working parties, when the task was finished, usually wound up with feasting and merrymaking. Drunkenness has greatly decreased in this country during the last fifty years. Any of my hearers who are as old as I, will remem- ber that time when almost everyone drank, from Maine to Louisiana. Church members, deacons, and even preachers drank ; that no business or social gathering took place at which the bottle was not passed round. That HOUSE-RAISINGS, log-rollings;, and corn- huskings usually ended in drunken frolics, and militia musters were nearly always finished in the same way. — Missouri Republican, March 8, 1888. House of Representatives. — Generally shortened to the house. — See under House. HOVE. — The old preterite of "to heave." Like most of these old forms, it is mainly heard in New England and the South. How? — A New Englander's equiva- lent for What ? and used very much as a Frenchman would employ Hub 308 Hum Mm comment ? when asking for a repeti- tion of what he has failed to under- stand, or it may be of what he wishes to hear once more before he gives an answer. How COME? — A negroism for "How did it occur?" "How came that about?" How IS that for HIGH? — See High How you TALK. — A New England exclama- tion which may mean surprise, approbation, or, indeed, any emo- tion whatsoever. How are you, Johnnie ? — A familiar mode of address, first used by soldiers during the Civil War. Hub. — A heap on a road, or a projection on a mountain. In this sense hub is specially American. The Hub or the Hub of the Universe is the grandiloquent title given by Oliver Wendall Holmes to the City of Boston. — See also Classic City. Bostonians are called Hubbites. The Boston Girl is the subject of yet another special feature of The Sunday Globe to-morrow. The typical girl of the Hub has been much written about in the novels of the period, and without doubt she is worth all the attention bestowed upon )x&r.—Boiton Daily Globe, ib88. Hubbub (Cant). — A pain in the stomach. Huckleberry. — A kind of blackberry. Formerly the popular name for this fruit was whortleberry. To BE A huckleberry ABOVE ONE'S PERSIMMON is a quaint Southern phrase, meaning that something apparently simple and easy, is far above the ability of the person making the attempt. Hue. — " Hue him," i.e., lash him I A thief's term. HuEY. — In American pugilistic slang Htiey represents the National Police Gazette published in New York. Hug, To (Cant). — To choke. Hug- ging THE hooker, i.e., choking the thief. HUGQCR-MUGQER, TO. up ; to smother. -(i) To hush Come, Mr. Cleveland, order your Secre- tary of State to make public that British extradition treaty wliich he and the Senate have so carefully hugger-muggered for more than eighteen months. If it is all right, publicity can do no harm. If it is wrong, publicity is necessary. Publicity is Demo- cratic. Secrecy about the people's business is aristocratic. This is a Democratic ad- ministration. Give the people a sight of the British treaty.— JVcw York Herald, Ind., 1888. (2) To take secret counsels ; to act clandestinely ; secretly. HuggcY-muggey was used by Shak- speare in this sense. Hulled Corn. — Indian corn, which is husked by being scalded. It then enters into the composition of many palatable dishes. HuLY. — A New England term for a noise or uproar. Hum. — To make things hum is to be expert in one's affairs; "to look alive." The metaphor is from the bee, that insect being regarded as the emblem of untiring activity and restless industry. Young Mr. Hearst studied at Harvard and is gifted with a great deal of ability. He is tall, fair and well formed, and exceedingly gentle and modest in his manners. Ever since he has taken the newspaper reins in San Francisco he has made things hum. — — San Francisco Weekly Examiner, February 23, 1888. In another sense to hum AROUND is to "call over the coals"; "to bring to account." Hummer. — A lively, industrious worker; one who does not let the grass grow under his feet. Other slang equivalents are rustler; LALA ; ONE who HAS NO FLIES ON 5 '< in Human 309 Hurra's Nest HUM ir the strious let the Other sTLER ; llES ON HIM. (See Flies.) In thieves' par- lance a hummer is a big lie. Human. — A human for a human being, and its plural humans are forms over which many battles philolo- gical have been waged. Though colloquial in America they have not made much headway in Eng- land, and, it is to be hoped, never will. It must be remarked, how- ever, that Chapman and other writers of his period (xvi and xvii centuries) use them. A familiar figure is gone from the streets of Glenwood Springs. The figure walked on four legs and didn't talk politics. He was only a dog, but he knew more than some men and was much more useful to society than many HVMAns.—Di:nver Republican, 1888. HUM Bird or Hummer. — Popular names of the humming bird, chiefly the Trochilus colubris. Hum Box. — This term, which in England has for a very long time stood for a pulpit amongst thieves and their associates, is, in America, applied by the same class of people to an auctioneer's desk. Humility. — The marbled godwit — a frequenter of the fens and river banks of New England. Hummock. — See Hommock. Humphrey (Cant). — A coat with false pockets; the better to facilitate thieving operations. Hump Oneself, To. — To bestir one- self ; to be expeditious. It was curious to see the stenographer be- gin to HUMP himself as the flood of Senator Jones' wild, untrammelled oratory came thicker and faster, and tumbled over itself until the writer's body was out of his chair. At last Senator Jones closed his verbal gat- ling-gun practice with a last word, like a last bullet, and two seconds later the shorthand man sank back in his chair exhausted but triumpliant. He had got there. It will take something worse even than Jones, if that is possible, to beat a Congressional steno- grapher. — Detroit Free J'ress, May, 1888. Society is humting itself in anticipation of Lent. It is to be sincerely hoped it will not be laid out by the effort.— Omrt/ia Journal, 1888. Hump yourself is a frequently heard injunction to "be sharp!" "look alive!" In England, "got the hump " bears an entirely differ- ent meaning. Hung Beef. — Dried beef; so named from its being cured by hanging. Also called chip beef. Hunk. — To be hunk, i.e., all safe. From the Dutch honk, a home, a place. Hunkers or old hun- kers. — Also derived from the Dutch honk. A local political term, originating in New York in 1844, to designate the Conservative Democrats as opposed to the YOUNG democracy Or BARN BUR- NERS (q.v.). The Hunkers them- selves clung to the homestead or old principles, but unkind critics insisted that it rather meant a clinging to a large hunk of the spoils of office. — Hence hunkerism. HUNKEY, HUNKIDORI. Both thCSC strange words stand in " The Great American Language" for " super- latively good." ' I am truly glad to hear from my young friend. I suppose Robert has entirely re- gained his health ? ' ' Robert is all iiunky, but he had a mighty close call the week before last.' — Texas Si/tings, October 20, 1888. Hunting Shirt. — A deerskin, blouse- like garment, in use amongst trappers and frontiersmen. It is very durable, and is sometimes very ornamental. HURRA'S Nest.— A state of confusion. Hurrygraph 310 Hustle m HURRYORAPH. A letter. From ' grapho, I write. hastily written to hurry," and HuRRYMENT. — A Southem phrase for hurry or confusion. HusBANDHooD. — The state of being a husband. Compare with wifehood. Hush (Cant). — A murder. Husking Bee, or Husking. — Farmers in New England, when the harvest had been gathered, were in the habit of inviting neighbors and friends to help in husking the corn. The work was quickly executed by the many willing hands, and was followed by merry-making, dancing, etc. I have seen enough boldness used by a parcel of girls at one huskin' or apple-cut, to supply four presidential elections. — Betsy bobbd, p. 290. To this 'ere time, to put it nice, There was nothin' wuth declarin', 'Cept I'd kissed her onct or twice, At a huskin' or a parin'. —Century Magazine, 1888. In the South and West the same process is called " shucking." Huss-bran. — An Indiana name for a COB. Hustle, To. — Used actively and pas- sively. To be active in movement, quick in speech, and generally alive at all points. A Snapping Shoals (Ga.) colored preacher, is reported to have once said from the pulpit : " I was once young ; I is now old. I hab neber seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging ob bread. But," he said, laying the book down, and raising his specs, "I've seen them hustle like the debble for meat." As illus- trating the meaning of hustle, the following graphic picture of the " Hustling Shopper" may, perhaps, be quoted : — Tramp, tramp, tramp ! With the morning clocks at ten, She skimmed the street, with foot- steps fleet, And hustled the timid men ; Tramp, tramp, tramp ! She entered the dry-goods' store. And with echoing tread the dance she led All over the crowded floor. She charged the throng where the bargains were. And everybody made way for her ; Wherever she saw a painted sign She made for that spot a prompt bee line ; Whatever was old, or whatever was new. She had it down, and she looked it through ; Whatever it was that caught her eye. She'd stop and price, and pretend to buy. But 'twas either too bad, too com- mon, or good. So she did, and she wouldn't, and didn't, and would, And round the counters and up the stairs, In attic and basement and every- wheres ; The salesm(;n fainted, and cash boys dropped. But still she shopped, and shopped, and shopped, And round, and round, anr". round, and round, Like a winding toy, with a key that's wound. She'd weave and wriggle, and twist about, One way in and the other way out. Till men grew giddy to see her go, And by-and-bye, when the sun was low. Hustle 3" Hyst i Homeward she dragged her weary way, And had sent home the spoils of the day — A spool of silk and a hank of thread — Eight hours — ten cents — and a dame half dead. From the verb is derived the noun HUSTLER, an active busy individual ; one who, in American slang, "has no flies on him." Among the innumerable synonyms may be mentioned, " rustler," or, to make it clearer, a " lala," still further interpreted, a "daisy," or to use other language, a "hummer," or "just about as smart as they make 'em." HvpANTOL. — The complaint of the mahide imaginaire. HvptR, To. — To bustle. Hvpo. — A contraction of hypochron- driac ; and hence Hvpoey, suffering from melancholy. In England, the equivalent is hypped. Hyst. — A severely rapid fall. Said to come from "hoist," in which case an inversion of meaning has taken place, and the elevation is "downwards." and the very- cash )pped, ound, that's d twist ;r way ee her lUnwas w CE. — A Bir, THING ON ICF..— This frequently heard catch-phrase is synonymous with magnitude of size combined, in cases where human voli- tion forms a factor, coolness of action. It in writing with calm is generally curtailed and speaking to b.t.i. (q-v.). ICE-BoAT. — Ice-boating is an exhila- rating winter pastime, which, of necessity, can only he enjoyed by those who live in Northern regions, and upon stretches of water such as are furnished by the St. Law- rence and other large rivers. The ICE-BOAT is a kind of yacht on skates. In construction it is a mere skeleton, weigh- ing pounds where an ordinary ynclit would weigh tons. The main timbers in an ice- boat are arranged in the form of the letter T, the perpendicular line of the letter rcpre- ng the centre timber, which runs from oot of the mast to the stern of the boat. J horizontal line of the letter may stand or the runner plank, on each end of which is a large skate, called a runner. At the junction of the centre timber and the runner plank is the mast bench, which acts as a socket for the mast. From the aftermost end of the centre timber side-rails run dia- gonally to points about half-way between the masts and the ends of the runner plank. One or two braces cross the centre timber from one side-rail to the other. Mortised into the forward end of the centre timber is the heel of the bowsprit. The outlines of the boat when completed are diamond shaped. The correct proportions of a typical ICE-BOAT are as follows :— Centre timber, 26 feet 9 inches ; length over all, including bowsprit, 50 feet 10 inches ; runner planks, 19 feet 3 1-2 inches ; sail area, 538 1-2 square feet; cost, slightly less than jfioo. Ice sail- ing has been known in Europe for several centuries, but on the inland lakes and streams of the Northern United States and Canada, Maine, Vermoiil, New York, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois, the pastime has become so popular, and has attained such dimensions, as to substantiate its claim to rank as a dis- tinctively American sport. On the Hudson the spe(! and /m//>', but for the one we prefer stupidly, and the other (though this may have come from eliding the y before (m) is giving way to full. The un- educated, whose utterance is slower, still make adverbs when they will by adding like to all manner of adjectives. — Biglow Papers, iMMENSc. — A thing is immense when very good, which can hardly be said of the form of speech itself. A vulgar perversion of language, which has gained some acceptance in England also. The afterpiece is said to be immense, and is called ' Scenes in Africa, or She-who- Must-be-Disobeyed,' and never fails to send all home in a good humor. — Florida Times Union, February 8, 1888. Import-Taker (Cant).— A gambler's and black-leg's money lender. A Shylock of Shylocks. In this term cant almost touches the classical ; at any rate it seems odd for men of this class to know anything about tax-paying. IMPUDENT (Cant). — With some show of grace the professional appro- priator of other people's property admits it to be an impudent thing to cut off the tails of a man's coat in order to possess himself of their contents ; at least this is a thief's translation of the word. In. — For all there's in it. — To the utmost capacity of a person or thing. Usually the watch passes 0? without inci- dent, but on rare occasions the cattle become restless and prone to stampede. Anything may then start them— the plunge of a horse, 40 Inca 314 Indian the sudden approach of a coyote, or the arrival of some outside steers or cows that have smelt them and come up. Every animal in the herd will be on its feet in an insti nt, as if by an electric shock, and off with a ru^h, horns and tail up. Then, no matter how rough the ground, nor how pitchy black the night, th -cowboys must ride for all there IS IN T t, and spare neither their own nor their J.^/rses' necks,— Roosevelt's Ranch Life in the Far West. iNCA. — The chief ruler of Peru prior to the Spanish conquest. INCREASED. — Explained by quotation. ' He'un had no call (business) to be jined ! ' sobbed Deb. ' Pore chile ! ' sighed the mother. ' Deb's INCREASED (vcry smart) fur her aige, stran- ger. She's lookin' higher'n most gals fur a h disband. She dean' keer two twmkles fur nobody 'round yere.' — Detroit Free Press, September 15, 1888. Independence Day. — "The glorious 4th of July," as Americans are fond of calling it. On this date (1776) Congress declared the Ameri- can colonies independent of king- craft, and laid the foundations of what in the future (if it is not exactly now) may prove the true form of human Government. Indian. — A brief account of the in- fluence of the aborigines on the language will be found in the " His- torical and Critical Introduction." Indian bed. — See Clam-bake. Indian bread. — Bread com- posed of Indian corn and rye meal. Also known as Boston bread. Indian corn. — Maize ; a cereal with a large ear. The first colonist 30 named it because culti- vated by the aborigines. Indian CURRANT [Symphoricarpus vulgaris). — A native of Missouri, and also called thecoRALBERRY. Indian- dab. — A Pennsylvanian batter- cake. Indian fig. — By this is generally understood the prickly pear, although the name is also given to the barberry fig, and tc a large cactus {Cereus gigantcus), the fruit of which in taste is not unhke the fig. Indian file. — Cautious and wary in warfare and when in chase of game, tiie Indian in the first case effectually pre- vents any estimate being formed of the number comprising his band by creeping along in single file, thus leaving behind only a single trail. So characteristic is this of the aborigines that the practice has come to be known as Indian file. Indian forts. — In- closures, found in large numbers in New York and Pennsylvania, and less frequently in New England, Canada, and "Virginia, occupying high bluff points or headlands, scarped on two or more sides and naturally easy of defence. When found on lower ground, they are generally raised on some dry knoll or little hill in the midst of a swamp, or where a bend in the river lends security to the position, but they stand invariably near an unfailing supply of water. The embankments are seldom over four feet high, pierced by one or more gateways, and surrounded by a ditch of some depth. It has been questioned, however, wl. ether these fortifications belong to tne present race of Indians. Indian gift. — The cupidity and want of generosity of the white man when dealing with savage races have, in the case of the Indian, given rise to this term to express a gift, a return for which is expected. The so-called presents made to red-skins have involved a return, in some cases, a hundredfold in value. Indian gifts and Indian givers have hence passed into the proverbial sayings of the American people. Indian hemp. — This is quoted by Bartlett and De Vere as a medicinal plant, the botanical name of which is Indian 315 Irdian The ver four r more by a las been ler these present GIFT.— nerosity dealing in the rise to gift, a (cpectea. made to return, dfold in Indian sed into of the IAN HEMP. •tlett and al plant, \A/hich is Apocyimm . annabinum. Indian- ladder. — In the South a tree, the branches of which are trimmed to a few inches of the main stem, which thus form projecting sub- stitutes for the rungs of a ladder. Indian-liquor. — Colloquially, whiskey of the vilest description. The spirit supplied to Indians by traders and Government agents was, and is, invariably adulterated to the last degree, not alone with water, but with red-pepper, tobacco, and other noxious condiments. [A correspondent of the National Intelligencer, once stated that] A barrel of the pure Cincinnati, even after it has run the gauntlet of railroad and lake travel, is a sufficient basis upon which to manu- facture one hundred barrels of good Indian liqugk ! He says a small bucketful of the Cincinnati article is poured into a wash-tub almost full of rain water ; a large quantity of dog-leg tobacco and red-pepper is thrown into the tub; a bitter species of root, common in the land of tlie Dakota, is then cut up and added; burnt sugar or some article is used to restore somethmg like the original color of whiskey. The compound has to be kept on hand a few days before it is fit for use. It is then administered to the aborigines ad libitum. Indian meal. — Ground maize. Indian millet {Oryzopsis cuspi- data). — This is a perennial bunch- grass (^.u.), growing from one to two feet high, or higher in moist situi- tions. It is found through the Rocky Mountain region, where it thrives on soil too sandy for other valuable grasses. It is one of the most prominent of the native grasses in the arid parts of the country, but no efforts of importance have yet been made for its culti- vation. The seeds are abun- dant, and as they do not readily shell out when ripe, they can be easily gathered. 1 n d i a n mounds. — These are mainly the burial-places of the red man, but in some parts the name is given to any unusual contour of rising ground. Indian orchards. — Plantations of wild trees are erroneously so named in New York and Massachusetts, the popular idea being that such spaces were originally planted by Indians. Indian peach. — A wild peach. Indian physic [Gillcnia trifoliata), otherwise called Bowman's root (q.v). Indian pipe {Monotropu unijlora). — A wax-like plant, the head of which bends over before maturity. Indian pudding. — This is made of maize-meal and molasses. Indian rkservation. — Gradually the aboriginal races of America have, by the advance of the white man's civilization, been pushed farther and farther afield. This in reality has been the main cause of the many Indian wars with which the United States Government have had to deal from time to time. To obviate the conflict of races as far as possible, Congress set apart certain tracts of country throughout the Union for the special benefit and use of red men, and these are called Indian Reservations. With the extinction of the buffalo, however, the Indian's chief means of subsistence has disappeared, and to prevent absolute starvation, the Govern- ment have been compelled in many cases to issue rations of food and other supplies. In consequence, there is now some talk of abolish- ing the Reservations, opening them up to white enterprize, and, in return, planting such of the aborigines as still survive, and are capable, on small homesteads, starting them in a manner warran- ted by circumstances. Even a protective measure of this kind, however, will, it is feared by those who know, only prove a stop-gap on the road to an extinction which is inevitable. Indian rice (Zizania aqtiatica). — The " folks avoines " of the early settlers, but which derives its popular name from the fact of certain Indian ■ \ 1 i 1 ii. M Indorscr 316 Innocent ft tribes depending upon it as part of their food supply. Indian sign. — Tracks or traces of the passage of red men ; a trail. Indian sum- mer. — The St. Martin's Summer of Europe, and, like it, a short spell of fine weather which usually sets in at the end of autumn. Indian tradition says that this brief inter- val is a special gift of the Great Spirit. With regard to the specific origin of its popular name among the early settlers, Kercheval, in his History of the Valley of Virginia, re- lates that it sometimes happened that n^'ter the apparent onset of wintei , ihe weather became warm ; the ' ' smoky time ' ' commenced , and lasted for a considerable number of days. This was the Indian sum- mer, because it afforded the Indians — who, during the severe winter, never made any incursions into the settlements — another opportunity of visiting them with their destruc- tive warfare. The melting of the snow saddened every countenance, and the genial warmth of the sun chilled every heart with horror. The apprehension of another visit from the Indians, and of being driven back to the detested fort, were painful in the h ^hest degree. Indian tobacco (J^obelia inflata) . — A plant, the leaves of which were sometimes used by the aborigines as a substitute for tobacco. In- dian TURNIP {Arum triphyllum). — A poisonous, acrid root. Also called WAKE-ROBIN in New England, and jACK-iN-THE-PULPiT in Rhode Island. The name is also applied to the Psoralea esculenta, known popularly as pomme-blanche and POMME DE PRAIRIE, a root which, in the West, serves as food for the Sioux Indians. Indian weed. — Tobacco. Indorscr (Cant). — A quasi-legal flash term for one who flogs another on the back ; this is endorsing with a vengeance ! INFAIR or INFARE. — A wcddiug festival. I N Fo R M ATO R Y . — Thi s unorthodox form for giving information or informing is frequently heard. INGLER (Cant). — A horse cheat or swindler. In Interest. — For " interested in" is a vulgarism of the most unpardon- able type, because without object, necessity, or brevity. Some Western freight rates are still high enough to allow them to be still further re- duced, and the several roads in interest are making the most of this. — Daily Inter- Ocean, February 14th, 1888. INJUNCT, To. — To command; from " injunction." This is one of a numerous class of new forms, which, however much may be justly said against them, both as regards formation and purity, are largely in colloquial use, and to all appearance are the outcome of a tendency to brevity in speech. inkle! — A thief's term for "let him know" ; "warn him ! " Ink-slinger. — A professional writer for the press ; generally applied contemptuously to raw hands. Inlaid (Cant). — A man is said to be inlaid when he has been able to save and invest his ill-gotten gains. Innocent (Cant). — An innocent is either a corpse or an idiot. A dead body is also called a stiff (qv.). Innocents. — Convicted criminals. The suggested deriva- tion of this term is, that convicts. il i :? Ins 317 Inwardness h a .ding form rming ;at or rt" IS a )ardon- object, rther re- INTEREST aily Inter- i: from ne of a V forms, may be both as urity, are and to all ome of a eech. "let him lal writer ly applied lands. I said to be 2X1 able to kten gains. lirtNOfent is idiot. A led a STIFF -Convicted Ited deriva- at convicts, while guiltless, according to their own account, of wrong doing in the past, are certainly innocent of power to commit fresh crimes whilst in durance vile. Ins. — The ins are persons in office; those hoping to get in are the outs. Civil service reform received no aid from any public man to amount to anything until the advent of Mr. Cleveland. But it is the civil service that turns out all the ins and puts in the outs.— Boston Daily Globe, 1888. Inside. — When used for "reliable," as, e.g., inside facts, the usage is particularly American. Inside, in this connection, is a variant of BOTTOM (q.v.). A secret service officer, who has just ar- rived from Washington on important busi- ness, claims to have inside information as to the facts in the case. — Daily Inter-Ocean, February 20, 1888. Inside of. — A common collo- quialism for "within"; "in less time than." I now believe that he is the murderer. He is very desperate, and inside of thirty days shot at four men. — Missouri Republican, February 22, i888. Inside track. — "To be on the inside track" of a scheme or undertaking is to be on the safe side ; to be in a position to derive advantage therefrom. Insider (Cant). — One who knows. INSUHRECT, To.- To risB in insurrec- tion ; to revolt. — See To injunct. Interior. — It is the custom to speak of the region of the Mississippi Valley as the interior. Interment. — American for funeral or burying, both of them much too simple words for everyday use. In like manner, a coffin is always a "casket." Even the slang phrase. "That's not my funeral," under- goes transformation in this respect. We are sorry to learn that some of the newsdealers did not order enough copies to meet the increased demand. But that is, after all, rather their interment than OURS. The entire edition of the Christmas Puck was sold out within three days, and we can supply no more copies. — Puck, 1887. Intervale. — An old New England form for alluvial land on the margin of a river. — See Bottom. Both intervale and meadow, which are common enough in New England, pass out of use altogether in the West except in books and news- papers. Intimate (Cant). — A shirt. INTO. — With the exception of; short of — a qualifying contraction used in Connecticut of number or quan- tity. Thus, a given distance may be referred to as six miles into a quarter ; or one might be wiUing to give a dollar into ten cents for a particular article. A publisher's paper dealer also assures the pub- lic that his stock has only rags into it. IN-TY. — An obsolete corruption (of the French entier), meaning cer- tainly ; indeed. Professor Allen, in Slave Songs of the United States, reports the use of enty .^ in the Sea Islands, used like our " Is that so"? in reply to a statement that surprises one. The same author suggests a Huguenot origin for some other negro corruptions, but does not propose entier for this. Inwardness. — The true inwardness of a thing is its true purpose ; the real object aimed at ; its exact drift. This is one of the canting fashionable phrases of the day. Irish American 318 7s That So The conunittce has nothing to occupy its time during the legislative adjournment, and could have very profitably employed this week in getting at the true inwardness of the executive mansion business. Does it need shoring up as well as the assembly ceiling? An inquiring public thinks so. — Troy Daily Times, Feb. 20, i888. irish'amcrican. — The Irish American Party in the United States is a very powerful one, in some parts dominating the elections. The term is given to naturalized citizens originally from Ireland, or to a man born in the Union of Irish parents. Irish Potato (Solanum tuberosum). — The popular name serves to dis- tinguish the ordinary potato — the tuber which is alone known in England — from the sweet potato of the tropics, the Convolvulus batatas. Iron City. — Pittsburg, from its nu- merous iron works. |ron-claooath.—S^« Amnesty OATH. Ironed (Cant).— Handcuffed. Iron Weed (Vernonianoveboracensis). — The Western name for the flat- top of the North-eastern States. A tall weed. Irrigate, To. — To take a drink; a flash phrase, the equivalent of which is, in English slang, " to liquor up." Irrupt, to. — To put in an appear- ance ; to come from. A new form of the same stamp as injunct, ExcuRT, etc. — See Excursh. Mr. PuHzer irrupted from the West, found the New York World sedate and scholarly, and having perhaps a ten or twelve thousand circulation. To-day the World prints ever so many hundreds of thousands, and has the revenue of a kingdom. The man who has achieved this miracle, in a field to which he was a stranger, is not yet forty. — SanFraitcisco Weekly Examiner, ibSS. Island. — A grove or cluster of trees surrounded by prairie on every side. In Illinois, the Prairie State, the early settlers were careful to plant themselves not far from woods. As a consequence many of the towns and villages in that State contain open spaces amply shaded by noble old forest trees, survivors of the grove that once formed the island, near which the rude cabins of the old pioneers were built. The village had been planted in what is called an island. ... As it stands to-day, the pretty town is arranged about a large Eublic square, neatly fenced, and with long itching rails on all four sides of it.— C««/«o' Magazine, 1887. The same remarks apply to most towns and villages situated on what was once prairie land. It is not necessary that prairies should be entirely destitute of trees ; for there are tim- ber prairies, where trees grow in mottes or groves, sometimes termed islands, from their resemblance to wooded islands in the sea.— Mayne Reid's The Boy Hunters, Issuance. — The act of publication, sending out, or delivering. The President shall be authorized and directed to make proclamation directing that such products of the foreign state, as he may deem proper, shall be excluded from impor- tation to the United States ; this proclama- tion to take effect sixty days after its ISSUANCE,— S<. Louis Daily Globe Democrat, March 30, i888. ISSUES. — To POOL one's issues. — To come to an understanding for mutual advantage. Is That 80 ? — This expression, the use of which almost borders on slang, serves the true-born Ameri- can as a pendant to whatever observations may be addressed to him. It is both affirmative and Uf 'i in Item 319 Ivy Bush negative, according to the tone of the speaker's voice ; in the former case it takes the place of ' ' indeed ! ' ' or " really ! " in the latter, it does duty for "not really!" "surely not 1 " Item. — Intelligence ; news. The term is singularly employed, as, " I gotitem of," etc., i.e., "I got intimation of." Giving items. — Among gam- blers, confederates give items or hints by looking at the players' hands, and signalling their alue. A complete code of secret igns is employed for the purpose. To itemize. — Tc make a list of ; to prepare ; to co'lect ; to write an account of a transaction. The prisoner's clothes were all pockets. Every time OflScer Barry put his hand into these pockets he drew forth a handful of jewellery. After Meyer h ad been thoroughly searched, the articles were itemized.— Missouri Republican, February 22, i888. Itemizer. — One who makes an abstract ; a precis writer. Ivonv Nut {Phytelephas macrocarpa). — The Corosso nut of commerce. From the ripe fruit exudes a fluid largely used in the manufacture of vegetable ivory — hence its name. Ivy. — A name erroneously given in the South to the laurel. American ivy. — The Virginian creeper ; this is equally a mis- nomer. Ivy Bush (Cant). — A hairy-faced man, one with thick hair, long and bushy beard and moustache. } i lES.— Is for the brs on ^meri- itever Ised to [re and ^^i^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^sp^ AB, To. — To Strike; stab ; or thrust ; to handle roughly. A Western term, which, popularized by pugilists, has now passed into familiar usage. I tried hard to jab her in the eye, but you might as well try to poke a fencing-master in the eye with a stick as a bear, even if it only has one paw at liberty. — American Humorist, May 19, i8a8. Ellen Terrj; doesn't take good care of her hair. She twists it into a rough-and-tumble knot, and when it don't twist easily she's as like to JAB at it with her scissors and shorten it herself as trust it to anybody who knows how. — Denver Republican, May 6, 1888. JACAL. — A rough hut built of stakes driven into the ground, and made weather-tight by the chinks being filled in with clay. Jacal (pro- nounced hah-cal) is from the Mexi- can xacalli, a straw hat. These dwellings are common in Texas and States cnce Mexican, The supposition is that the man was mur- dered while asleep in one of the neighbour- ing JACALS and his body carried out to where it was found. — St. Louis Globe Democrat, March 30, 1888. JACK. — An abbreviated form of jack- ass RABBIT (qV.). To JACK. — Amongst ranchmen, to brand an unmarked yearling or maverick. — See BRAND and maverick. Made his jack. — A term borrowed from poker, and used collo- quially as an affirmation of success; of having carried one's point. Jack (Cant). — A low mean fellow, and Jack dandy. ■ — An impertinent one, who be- sides is short in stature, while Jack gagger is a man whose wife or companion supports him by prostitution. Jack in the PULPIT (Arisama triphyllum). — The Indian turnip. In Connecticut it is called the one-berry. New England house-wives regard this root as medicinally valuable, when boiled in milk, in the case of coughs. Jack-leg. — This term is equivalent to black-leg ; thus, a jack-leg, a lawyer, whose record would not be regarded in a desir- able light. It seems that the State Bar Association is disposed to draw the line between attorneys and jack-leg lawyers, and be- tween justices and jackasses of the peace. These lines should be very closely drawn. — Florida Times l/«io«.— February 11, 1888. Jack oak {Qiienus nigra), other- wise the black-jack, the barren oak of botanists. The Southern part of Illinois, popularly known as Egypt, is full of sand-hills and JACK OAK, neither being very profitable to anybody. — St. Louis Globe Democrat, junnary 20, 1888. Jack-of-legs. — A tall man. Jack pots. — A Western modi- fication, introduced in the game of poker, admitting of very high play. — See jack pots in The Ameri- can Hoyle. In all my (. perience on the sea I never saw such a big game as that was. It proved too heavy for the mate, who soon drew out Jackass Rabbit 321 J'^/r lopularly liiUs and ttable to f January l\ man. modi- le game L Ameri- ta 1 never It proved drew out and left the two captains to play against each other. Tliey played tremendous jack-pots, and I wondered where in the world all the money came from. — St. Louis Globe Demo- crat, l-ebruary 27,1888. Jack rabbit. — See Jackass RABBIT. Jack run. — A licence. Jack stones. — The old Eng- lish game of dibbs. Jack Wright. — A fat man. Jackass Rabbit (Lepuscallotis). — Why this animal is called a rabbit is open to conjecture, as it has both the appearance and habits of the English hare, its ears being long and its legs long and slender. Its range is from Kansas to the Pacific, it being known also as the Texas hare and the mule rabbit. Mark Twain, who claims to speak from knowledge of the animal, says it is well named, and as Americans somehow manage to get a good deal of fun out of the little " beastie," the famous humorist's description of it may not be out of place, especially as the facts are there, though the lights and shades may be a little heightened or subdued. [He says] The jackass rabbit is just like any other rabbit, except that he is from one- third to twice as large, has longer legs in proportion to his size, and has the most preposterous ears that ever were mounted on any creature but a jackass. When he ... . starts for home, he now and then makes a marvellous spring with his long legs, high over the stunted sage-brush, and scores a leap that would make a horse envious. . . , One must shoot at this creature once, if he wishes to see him throw his heart into his heels, and do the best he knows how. He straightens himself out like a yard-stick every spring he makes, and scatters miles behind him with an easy indifference that is enchanting. Jacket. — " He proceeded home by a jacket way," is a peculiar usage and essentially American, the meaning being that the road is round-about. It is difficult to imagine what con- nection ther'' is in this case between the word :>■ the idea conveyed by it, except n be that a jacket sur- rounds or goes about the body, the transition being then little more than a hop, step, and a jump. To JACKET. — In Government offices, to jacket a document is, after scheduling, to enclose it with other papers referring to the same subject. When it reached the Postmaster General's Office it was referred by the Third Assistant Postmaster General to the Finance Division. Anotlier record was made in the book of the office of letters received and jacketed.— The American, May iGth, 1888. Jackson Crackers. — A South- western term for firework crackers. JACOBITE. — A shirt collar. JADE (Cant). — In the patter of the criminal classes, a long term of imprisonment. In England a " stretch" does duty for the same idea. Jag. — In New England a parcel ; bundle ; or load. An old English provincialism which has held its ground colloquially across the Atlantic. Cleveland was forced up 7J cents by the persistent bidding of one oroKer buying on a heavy order. He occasionally caught a JAG of 2,000 or 3,000 shares, but kept on bidding as if Cleveland were the only thing dear to him on earth. The action of the directors in deciding to continue work also had a stimulating effect. — Missouri Republi- can, 1888. Jag is also a slang term for an umbrella, possibly from that article being so constantly carried. He came in very late (after an unsuccessful effort to unlock tne front door with his um- brella) through an unfastened coal hole in the sidewalk. Coming to himself toward daylight, he found himself— spring overcoat, silk hat, JAG and all— stretched out in the bath i\\\>.— Albany Journal, 1888. 41 Jail 322 Jargon Jail, To. — To put in prison. A new form, bad from every point of view, but coined no doubt for brevity's sake, though the gain on "toimpri"on" is hardly worth consideration. Maryland has jailed a r,even-wlfe man. He says any man who would live a bachelor life is an lAiol.— Detroit Free Press, August, 188S. J AIL-DELIVERY. — When prisoners are rescued from con- finement the jail is said to have been delivered — hence, jail-dclivcry. In thinly-settled regions the arm of the law is neither long nor strong enough to prevent jail-breaking. News has just been received by the authorities in Nueva Laredo, Mexico, that a JAIL-DELIVERY occurred at the town of Hi- dalgo.— S^ Louis Globe Democrat, March 30, i88». JAM (Cant).— A gold ring. Also jem. Jammed (Cant). — (i) One who meets with a violent death either by accident, murder, or hanging, is said to he jammed. The expression certainly lacks nothing in coarseness or brutality. (2) Potatoes, fruit, and such-like are jammed when mashed. Jam UP. — The pink of perfection; be- yond comparison. Equivalents in English slang are "t^lap up" and "bang up." Jamaica Pepper {Eugenia pimenta). — Allspice (q.v). Jamboree. — A noisy frolic ; a merry- making bordering upon a disturb- ance of the peace. Us folks in the country sees Lots o' fun — take spellin'-school ; Er ole hoe-down jamborees. — Scribner's Magazine, 1888. Jamestown Weed. — Also apple of PERU {q.v.), and beari g other popular names, that of Jamestown (pronounced Jimson) weed being traceable to the fact that it was first noticed in Jamestown, in Virginia. Jams. — A contraction of jim-jams {q.v.) ; deHrium tremens. ' Well, now, lookit here,' said Patsey, as he pushed up toward the trembling man and took his hand with a professional air, 'my fader's de best doctor ii? '^-oston, an' has lots of dese cases. He keeps de medicine to stave off de jams already mixed. It fetches de snakes or de rats every time.' ' Dat's so, Patsey; I've seen many a bloke saved by dat stuff,' put in yxmmy.— Boston Daily Globe, March, 4, 1888. J AN Az ARIES (Cant).— This title of a celebrated Turkish militia corps, is, in the lingo of American thieves, applied to a gang of pickpockets. In the sense of thieves being soldiers who war against society, the term is not altogether inapplic- able. JANUSMUG (Cant). — An intermediary between the thief and the receiver ; like the two-faced mythical deity " Janus," the Janusmug turns first to the one side, and then to the other. Japanned (Cant). — In the patter of his class, a thief is said to be japanned, when a prison chaplain re- ports him as converted, aphrasefull of subtle cynicism. Compare with "whitewashed." In English Uni- versity slang, "to japan" is to ordain, the allusion in this case being to the black garb usually worn by the clergy. jAQuiMA. — The head-stall of a halter. From the Spanish, and pronounced hak-ke-ma. The jaquima is used in Texas and CaHfornia for breaking in wild horses. Also hackamore (qv.). JARGON. — A trade language in use on the North-west coast and in Ore- gon. Also called chinook {q.v.). Jarhnan 323 Jerks ing irst lia. AMS , ashe n and r, 'my as lots ine to fetches a bloke -Bosion e of a corps, Lhieves, jockets. i being society, .nappUc- rmediary receiver ; cal deity ms first to [the other. patter of aid to be tiaplain re- phrase fuU ' ipare with igUsh Uni- .n- is to this case ^rb usually J of a halter. Ipronounced \a is used m \ox breaking I HACKAMORE Le in use on rind in Ore- loOK («.V.)- JARKMAN. — A begging letter writer, whose accomplishments in this respect are varied by the produc- tion of false characters for servants, and other documents of a kindred nature. This is a case, like many others, in which old English cant terms have, across the Atlantic, been invested with a new meaning. Formerly ajay/unan was equivalent to an " Abram-man," i.e., a licensed beggar. " Jark " means a seal, and in Oxford slang a " safe-con- duct pass" ; in the former sense it is retained in the patter of modern American thieves, a synonym being jasker. jasker. — See Jarkman. Jay. — A New York synonym for the genus dude or masher ; also ham- fatter. Jay is obviously allusive to the plumage of the biped. For fully a half dozen years my occupation required me to pass through Fourteenth- street twice a day between Broadway and the third avenue L station. Never during that period, nor since, liave I been annoyed in the slightest way by any of the so-called JAYS.— New York Herald, September, 1888. Jayhawkers. — During the trouble- some times of the free soil agita- tion, itself an avaiit coureur of the still more deadly strife which was looming in the future, the Jay- hawkers, taking advantage thereof, waged war against both parties alike. They were little else than lawless bands of murderous ma- rauders. Their name is identified with Kansas, that State having been the scene of the thickest of the strife. {See Bleeding Kansas.) Two derivations are given for Jay- hawker ; one, that it is a corruption of Gay Yorker, which is rather un- likely ; the other, that it came from Australia by way of California, and was a coinage of the convicts of the Southern Continent. Swinney has had a most eventful career of crime, as he has from boyhood been identi- fiud continuously with some kind of lawless- ness, Wlicn only a youth he was connected with what is known as the jayiiawker war that raged on the borders of Kansas about tweiity-tive years since. From that time to the present he has been associated with the bandits and outlaws. — St. Louis Globe Democrat, January 20, 1888. Jeff. — To gamble with quads, these being used like dice. A printer's term of uncertain derivation. No, he is possessed of the spirit of Job, and will JEFF with quads for hours, if the editor does not happen to awaken from the profound editorial on which he is engaged with a view of saving the niiion.— Mark Twain. Jeff Davis Boxes. — Also called musi- cal BOXES, both being facetious names given by the Confederates to creaking, ill-built army-wagons. JEFFY. — A slang term amongst thieves for lightning. It is probable that " in a jiffy," i.e., in a moment, may have originated in this connection, or vice versd. Jerked. — This term applied to meat refers to that which has been cut in thin strips and dried over a fire or in the sun. "Whether der" ;d from the English " to jerk, or from charqiii a native word is an open question. The hobbled horses were turned loose for the night, and a fire was made, around which the men stretched themselves, munching some jerked beef and some cold tortillas.— r/ie A merican Cultivator, 1888. Jerks and Jerky Exercise. — Con- vulsive paroxysms, into which per- sons and sometimes whole meetings are thrown at seasons of so-called religious revival. Regarded with suspicious incredulity by the curiously sceptical, or as " the working of the Holy Spirit " by the religious enthusiast, the true expla- nation of these phenomena must in Jerky 324 Jigamaree ill ; 1 all probability be sought in the direction of unconscious mesmeric volition. — See on this subject Gregory's /I «/«ia/ Magnetism. This phenomenon has been noticeably apparent in America at many mon- ster gatherings of religionists, a fact partly explainable no doubt by the more nervous temperament of the people. Jerky. — A roughly made vehicle ; as its name implies, a " bone-shaker." The appearance of the two skiffs on wheels, loaded with provisions and camp equipage, with the company following, some on foot and some in a jerky, was by no means heroic. Nevertheless, the people of the town, accus- tomed to seeing all sorts of queer outfits, witnessed our departure without any voci- ferous demonstrations of hilarity. — Century Magazine, 1887. Jersev Lightning. — A fruit brandy, otherwise known as apple john in New England, and apple brandy (q.v.) in Virginia. Dr. Hawley says that Perpente was over- come by the use of too much chloral and JERSEY LIGHTNING, and, between them and the exposure he underwent lying out all night, he was so much prostrated that he became paralysed. —New York Herald, July 29, 1888. JERSEY Tea (Ceanothus americana). — A herbal decoction, known, as im- plied by the name, in New Jersey. Jerusalem ! — An exclamation of sur- prise current in New England, whence have come many of the perversions of language which now do swearing duty in the Union. JESSANY (Cant). — A well-dressed man. Jesse, Jessie. — To give one jesse. — To administer a physical or moral castigation. The intensified forms —particular Jessie, or d parti- cular ;V55«— are also American. 'As I don't know this fellar, and never seed him afore in my life, it's the best proof that he ain't Judge Eddards [the speaker, a rival candidate for office, was pretending not to know him]; so you'll oblige me by taking him off the ground, and keeping from disturbing the meeting.' Expostulation was useless ; without any ceremony he was carried into the hotel boiling with indignation. There, however, he had to stay, at a convenient distance, to hear that Allen was giving him PARTICULAR JESSE. — Sam Slick's Americans at Home, p. 19. It appears certain that this phrase is a remnant of the days when the language of falconry was as familiar among the youths as that of horse racing now is. The jess was a thong by which the bird was attached to the wrist, and when it retrieved badly it appears to have been the custom to punish it by the application of the thong. It is not unlikely that this convenient bit of leather may also have been used from time to time in arguments with boys.— Journal of Ameri- can Folk Lore, 1888. Jewhillikens! — An exclamation in the West which does fatigue du*v in the literal sense of the word ; a kind of safety-valve expression. Jib. — Let's up jib. — A signal of departure ; or more familiarly, to cease talking. A phrase derived from the hoisting of the jib sail of a vessel when about to make a start. Jibe, To. — To agree with; to har- monise ; to go well with. Don't you notice that sometimes last night the piece you happened to be playing was a little rough on the proprietors, so to speak — didn't seem to jibe with the general gait of the picture that was passing at the time, as it vfete.—Mark TwaiiCs Screamers, Jig.— (i) In New England this is the name of a kind of spoon-bait. (2) (Cant). A trick, possibly a contraction of JIGAMAREE, which has the same meaning primarily. Colloquially the word is applied to any triviality , or piece of nonsense. -•►.»- Jks^y 3*5 Joe eed the ival )t to him bing \css ; into here, uient 1 HIM ritans e is a ape of uths as i was a I to the ippears imsh it t is not leather ! to time j Amen- ition m ;ue du*y word; a sion. tignal of iarly, to derived jih sail make a to har- es last nigM lying was a ) to speak— reneral gait at the time, men. this is the i-bait.- possibly a the same polloquially ly triviality JiQQCR. — (i) A local name in New England for a small fishing-vessel, which is also applied to the sail with which it is rigged, and the fisher- man who mans it. The owner of the iicger said that his name was Catlin, ana that he lived in St. Louis seveial years, worliing at his trade of a machinist. He was bound for Jupiter Inlet.— 57. Louis Globe Democrat, March lo, ib88. A small boat with a jigger sail put into the river on Monday. — Ibid. Herman Zenk was reported to have a large sum of money hidden in tht iiouse. Zenk was a queer jigger, and caught lots of hsh,— Ibid, (2) A corrupted form of chigoe (q.v.). To JIGGER. — To move uneasily ; to fidget ; so used in the South-west. After an incredible amount of pulling and 11GGERING about, they [cows] are gotten into the tesim.— Overland Monthly, 1888, Here to jigger is obviously an amplified form of "to jig," to dance in a lively manner. JiGGUNG-BOARD. — A spring-board, such as is used for diving and athletics; jiggling from "jig" in the sense of quick motion. JifiLETS. — His jiglets !— A derisively contemptuous form of address. Ain't his jiglets pretty near ready to see de rat, Jimmy ?—£os^o» Globe, March 4, 1888. Jig-Water. — Bad whiskey. A middle-aged countryman had just tot- tered away from the counter, over which fusil oil (jig-water) is dispensed.— £osto« Globe, March 4, 1888. Jilt (Cant). — A woman accomplice of a thief who entices the victim and occupies his attention whilst he is being robbed. In English slang a, jilt is a crowbar. JiMBERjAw. — A protruding lower jaw. JiM-DANov.— Superfine; flashy. George C. Ball came upon the floor yester- day arrayed in a jim-dandv suit of clothes, silk hat, English walking-stick, and button- hole bouquet. This was too much for the crowd, and George was hustled about until he had to retire to save his nice things.— Daily Inter-Ocean, Feb. 14, 1888. Jim-jams. — Delirium tremens. This term, said to have originated in Kentucky, is now common every- where. Burbridge came to the city on Saturday, and began to drink very excessively. He was a witness in a case in the Mayor's Court yesterday morning, but he was too drunk to testify, and was locked up for contempt. He had the jim-jams yesterday evening, and last night he raved like a madman.— 5^ Louis Globe Democrat, Feb. 16, 1888. Also applied idiomatically to dis- torted views of men and things. We are glad lo see Harper's Weekly suffering the jim-iams of distortion on the envenomed pencil of in extraordinary artist. Such art has never 1 .fore been exhibited in this country. The inmiense artist draws, we should think, with his thumb. — The Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, July 22, 1888. JiMPSON or JiMSON Weed. — The popular pronunciation of James- town WEF.D (q.v.). JiNGLE-BRAiNs . — A wlld, harum- scarum kind of fellow. JOBBER-NMT (Cant), fellow. -A tall ungainly Job's Dock (Cant). — A hospital. Here again Bill Sykes shows his appre- ciation of dry humor. The juxta- position of the prophet of patience with the bete noir of the criminal is very curious. Jock, To (Cant). — To enjoy oneself. JOE or JOSEPH. — Not FOR Joseph ! — An exclamation of dissent ; equi- Joe-Pye Weed 326 Josey valent to "not if I know myself." Both phrases are American, not for Joe having made its appearance since the \Var ; the other is much older and may be traced to Chicago. JOE-Pvc Weed [Eupatorium piirpurcum). — Joe I'ye was an Indian who used this herb largely in treating cases of typhus fever. Maine. Jog. — A contracted form of " joggle," a piece of projecting stone intro- duced into a joint. In the States, jog is used to signify any deviation from a straight lineor even surface. John Davis, otherwise the ready joiin. — A sample of the thousand-and- one nicknames for money. ' Ef a gentleman says: Come hyar. you black scamp, en' black mer boots, en' do hit quick, too, I know's , to build, the syrup being granulated or built up into sugar in this kettle. From the battery the thick sugary mass goes to wooden tanks to cool. Much of the molasses is here drained off. The rest drifts from the hogsheads placed above troughs after the sugar is packed. — Century Magazine, 1887. Keystone State. — Pennsylvania — a tribute to its importance, its wealth, and its industries. The sobriquet dates back to the time of the Revo- lution, and was suggested by the position of the name, when, with those of the other States, they were arranged according to geographi- cal order. It was then found that it occupied the centre or keystone position. Kibbling. — Small fish, used for bait. Newfoundland. Kick, To. — (i) To jilt or discard a lover. A Southern elegancy ! In the North, to give the mitten h at all events a more graceful synonym. (2) To object to, to find fault with. Colloquial every- where, and employed in numerous combinations. As Canada is already kicking at the new fishery treaty, it is probably safe to assume that Secretary Bayard in this matter has acquitted himself rather creditably.— C/i!cago Herald, 1888. The colored man is not a producer, but a laborer, and the tariff is of no good to him. But that is not what he kicks about. He feels that if he leaves the party with which he has always been identified, the Democrats may give him better treatment.— New York Herald, July 29, 1888. Kicker. — One who revolts against party discipline — kicks over the traces, as it were. llili*MIU*«lim,'U.!W' 'f.,^', t in con- had tho vu'n't so I AUuiry dent, and Weekly, lose forte A. hybrid ' throws " isengersin 3m. (2) ihead.- afternoon ible is dis- tie meaning literal, it block to pe ' the quaint ?land to tea- 's sit in each of room. lisinclined to If, for he IS Lowell, who . its omission -"where the sit at table." ided raw hide i for catching and horses. '^reata. ^Jo ; out or tether fust you know, copse '{ore you Biglov) Papers- he evening, 3"^' that wild l^orscs that Wild nu =- is made us Wt^^P -.ARIATED OUT. Frequently used idiomatically ; thus, land lariattedout is that bought from the Government, but not yet occupied. LARiQO. — A ring forming part of the huge Mexican saddle of the South- west. Through it are passed the latigos or thongs which connect the cinches with the saddle. URRtv (Cant).— Cunning. This is probably a corruption of "leary." LAS80. — A long rope with a running noose, made either of plaited raw- hide, twisted horsehair, or other equally suitable substance. On the Western p'ains the lasso forms the chief means by which horses, mulei, and cattle are caught, and plainsmen exhibit considerable skill in the art of using it. From the Spanish lazo, a noose. Hence TO LASSO. — See Lariat. The earliest suggestion of rope-malting is to be found pictured in some of the tombs ot the ancient Egyptians. It was flax, and not hemp, that these people used for making twines and the smaller ropes or cordage, by twisting the fibres continuously together. For what we know as rope, they used the fibres ofthe date-tree, whicn are applied even at the present day to the same put pose. They also took narrow strings of leather, produced in an elongated form by the circular cut and twined or twisted these into ropes, In like manner, the hunters on the Pampas plains and in Mexico thus make the lasso with which they so adroitly catch wild horses and other animals.— Troj' Daily Times, Feb. 4, 1S88. latc UNPLEASANTNES8.~Aeuphemism for the late Civil War. It is reported that he was a Colonel in Jeff Davis' recruits, and is suspected of being the same redoubtable Colonel Liddell who figured prominently in the Louisiana Tigers, a corps of Confederate sharp- shooters during the late unpleasantness. —Daily Inter-Ocean, March 7, ibb8. Lathy,— Thin; slim; lath-like. Latitat (Cant), attorney. ■A lawyer; an Latter Day Saints. — The Mormons. A self-applied appellation ; saints in name, but far from saints in practice. Laurclistic. — Worthy of being crowned with laurel. Lave ! — A corruption of the French leve (imperative), /.f.. Get up! A morning summons amongst plainsmen. In the early morning a camp will be aroused by cries of lave I lave ! and, in a twinkling, all will be bustle and preparation for a start. How I hated the slow, steady lave ! lave ! of our old trapper, when his moccasined foot touched my side, and I had to rouse myself for s.notner day's tramp through the endless wilderness \— Scenes in the Far IVest, Law, To. — To go to law ; a Western colloquialism. Law -day, the day on which, in thinly-populated districts, an itinerant magistrate administers the law. Stabbing THE LAW. — A slang phrase mean- ing to rail against any duly author- ised authority, or the " powers that be." The Anarchists of Chicago arc once more at large. The i8th inst. was the anniver- sary of the Paris Commune, and the rag-tag of socialism, anarchism, and conmumism turned out in large numbers with red flags, and marched to a chosen spot to hear their favorite orators. These speakers were as violent as ever, and gave no evidence of having relinquished their favorite plan of STABBING THE LAV/,— Nevada City Journal, February, 1888. Laws! laws-a-Me! Law-Sakes! Law Sakes Alive! law Suds! — All corruptions of " For the Lord's sake," or "The Lord save us." In England the equivalent phrase is " Lawk's a mercy," i.e., " The Lord have mercy," Lawyer 34a Leather Lawyer. — (i) {Ilimautnpus nifjyicolus). — A small bird which bears other popular names — tilt and long shanks. It is said that the people of New Jersey have facetiously called it the lawyer, " on account of its long bill." (2) In Canada a fish) of the genus Lola is also so- called. (3) In the States no dis- tinction is made, as in England, between a solicitor and a barrister ; all legal advisers are lawyers. LAV. — To LAY ON THICK, to flatter. This usage has extended to and become colloquial in England. To LAY ONE OUT. — To get the better of one ; to secure an advantage ; to defeat — a simile derived from the " laying out " of a corpse. How tlioy came to bn liis antngoriiHts is ncitliiir here nor tlioiu for the; i)r<;s(Mit pur- pose, but tbey had slaked a ^ood deal on LAYING HIM OUT, .lud Were moving heaven and eurtli, as the phrase goes, to accomplish their purpose. Lay out. — A party ; company ; an OUTFIT (q.v.). Several persons in our lav out in New Mexico swapped good American horses for muslangs, for some little boot of onions or sech like truck, and made about as good bargains as Moses Primrose, when he exchanged a horse for a lot of old green spectacles.— Ovf>7«m'. Laze, To. — This, in the sen?? r' o act lazily, to idle about, is n com- mon ; indeed, it is doubtful wtiether it is more than an individualism. Leader. — The length of fine hair or gut connecting a fishing line with the hook. Another name for it is a SNELL. Leaf (Cant). — Autumn. In this, as in many cant terms, there seems to exisc a certain kind of pe''verted correspondence. League or the Rose. — The League 0/ the Rose, which is yet in its infancy, is a national society, modelled aft ^r the I'rimro.se League of Lngland, and was started at Ottawa, Canada, last summer. Its object is " to maintain religion, liberty, and the British Lmpire," so the prospectus says. It includes men and women of every class in its ranks. Leap the Book (Cant). — A bogus marriage. Leather (Cant), — A pocket book — TO I'ui.L OFF LKATHKR is, there- fore, to . •ial pocket-books or purses. When we got to Chicago on the cars from there to hen;, i i'iii.i.kd om' an old woman's lc;atlicr: i lia my mind to be; a squari; b'oke. —Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi, P 45a- Lkatheriieads. — The nick- name given of old to policemen or watchmci:. Here the old police ori.KATriHRiiKADS fried to restrain them, but in vain. Hostilities t0(jk pl.ice, several of the police were killed and several mortally wounded. — New York Mercury, July 21, 1888. Garsight, who had keen ears and eyes, was to keep watch for the terrible Li:ATHliKHEAi>s or watchmen. — Ibid. -To GO TO LF.ATiiKR. — A ranch- man's term used when, in riding a plunging horse, a mnn grasps the saddle to avoid being thrown. Up rises the broncho's back into an arch ; his head, the ears laid straight back, goes down between his fore feet, and, squealing savagely, he makes a succession of rapid, still-h'gged, jarring bounds After a few jumps, however, tlu; average man grasps nold of the horn of the saddle — th<; d<;light- ful onlookers meanwhile earnestly advising him not to go to lkathkr— and is contented to get th'ough tlie affair in any shape, pro- viiled he can escape without being thrown oft.— Ranch Life in the Far Wat. LtFT BOWER.-Sf^ BOWHR. f-n^fcr Stirrup ^sS?\^^T'^n Js prol)ahlv notc^^v- ^'fi'^'^eyos from the n ot of ;r ''""" ^'^'■■^^J lish word , 1{;1""'°^'^" 1-"^- «r Mexican - n i ,'' '" •" ''^^ ''^^''^"'''^ Mexic^an °^.ddl .^a.t '^^ '-^e SP'-mish tomMK i''"""^. ^'''""^ '''« '-^^r.ed^^,t4S'--. ^^w rc,.uIa';Tn«'the-^;!; t'^"'."'-^: the I" America, en .cts J nt P??? ^^^^'•inng the device of n , ''n'' ' ^o^"^;^i3*--s^ht letters is used ^""'"'^ ^" ^ed 7!^ a'^c^r^t'lledfr ''?''-"-' ci,air •■^Q Drama.— A ballet TJ, . Leg Strctcher.—To xa.,„ •STRKTCHFK is fn fol ^P ^ LEG f'annot. issvnSn, "'°':^ ^^ten '■"K to he ■^"?"^'?°"^w'th walk- back a Jn 5?.,!^"'^!"""' ^^' '-ind excusfof"-..,^,?„";r^'^'V^'<'-nisthe s;n-s li'-;^^^o? a glass. ■■ ''■' '^" '^^cuse for woreofAScarrS"ri?-'-J Lowe savs A,,, • ,J- ^'^"•'^^ell ^'-^ck to ?n«la^d the'e ''"n «'^^" jective /.«,./i orml'*^ ^"^'-■"«nt ad- -ah]in«joL^ah^4^odnSter"' the I'resflf^nf'^ "-"'iracterize t« endanger the S „^° /^'^ "«t coiiiitr es hv ,.„ I- ' the two •'^en.si.ivene.i^toldH^'."-'^*'"""^' '° ^^ntish cruicLsm. aj'u ;ion .''^^l r S;"f J".--^' The observedduringLent "'"^^'''"S '"^-^n\%T,T;;tZ'^.h^« enter. -.,0 i^i:t down— thr. /''■■'" ""^•"^' •'i"f' A however is in, i„r. , '^ 'diom ' '^ '"Je/jnitely extendi SovcrciL'iiq nf"iL,.'"^"y t-'vident (lint ,|,_ w.'lks of pr.vai,. /if i,''"''''-T!""-J to the i 1^ Let 344 Levee abnegation anri Iminility. If the royal pari'nts wish to si^o lh(;ir offsprings i.kt DOWN KAsy from tlicir liigh t-stati,', tli<:y will adopt this course. Kii:l over they iiiust, ami a grailiial (areell wouM he iikk :li better than a sudden capsize. Now lliat thi: peoiiU; are assmning tlie rights and privile)'<;s of sovereignty, we trust that they will have some consKleration for princes in distress. — AVtf YorkSuiulny Despatch. Let hf.r rip is varied by LKT IIHR WICNT, whlch liartlctt erroneously tliiuks " had its origin in steam-boatinf,'." In reality this most vulgar of vulgarisms doubt- less originated in the expression of a tender desire for tlie repose of some departed loved one. Jt has most pr(;ljaljly been adopted from a monumental inscription frequently to be found in Jiiiglish and Continental cemeteries by some one not an active member of the "Academy of inscriptions." It should be written K.I. I'. (Rcqui- meat in /jfc — May he rest in peace). Its present signification has, of course, undergone that curious transition of meaning so often found in slang. The idea it nov/ conveys is one of intensity of action or of extreme emphasis of language, borrowed, no doulH, in part from the quasi-orthodox signification of to rip. We just set there, and wat' bed hitn iisissippi are leveed for hundreds of miles. We HO ashore at HrHair, a plantation colc- br.ilid for its ciKtliil and sy .tcmaiii; fiild wor':. 'I'Ik! pi. inter is wailiii); upon tlio i.i'.VKB for his Kuebis. — Hcnbner's Mtii^azitie, 1BH7. A (4ron|) of slf;ain boats lie with llieir noseri at,'ainst tli« hanlt. Tli'",(; an; the KUKai-Jjoat';, and this p.ii ticnkir porlion of thi; city's protecting; imihankiiicm ib called the sugar luvrk.— J but. Level. — To no onp.'s lkvel hf.st, i.e., to perform to the full e.xtent of one's aljilily. Li:vi:r, iii:aoi:ij is applied to men with well-jjalanced minds— practit.al, shrewd, and pos- sessin>{ common sense. To do TuiNos ON A iiKr)AO i.icvKi, implies stability and fixedness; thus, a liroaU level price is the fixed price —one t!i:it v.ili neither be raised nor lowered. Tiie common tjri^in of all these plirases is to be found in milling pliraseology. "Now, pardner, I feel that I can't drift no further on this level, and I guess I've got to go down lower." Levy. — A local name in some States for a Spanish silver coin of the value of twelve and a half cents — a contraction of "elevenpence." Both term and coin are now obsolete in America. According to H(jtt' Inter Ocean, March 14, isas. To HANDLE THE LINES. — An equivalent of to handle the ribbons or ruins. Fight it out on this LINE, is a phrase which, originating with General Grant during the Civil War, became proverbial. -Line riding.- A plainsman's term for patrolling. In the winter the tract of country on which cattle are stationed is apportioned into lines or beats, to watch which men are set apart and made responsible. In riding over the beat eacli man drives any cattle that have come near it back into the Bad Lands, and if he sees by the hoof- marks that a few have strayed out over the line very recently, lie will follow and fetcli them home. They must be shoved well back into the Bad Lands before a great storm strikes them ; for if they once begin to drift in masses before an icy gale it is impossible for a small number of men to hold them, and the only thing is to let them go, ^.nd then to organize an expedition to follow them as soon as possible. Line riding is very cold work, and dangerous too, when the men have to be out in a Dlinding snowstorm, or in a savage blizzard that takes the spirit in the thermometer far down below zero. In the worst storms it is impossible for any man to be oM.— Ranch Life m the Far West. LiNGuisTER (pronounced linkinstey). — A talkative busybody. This New England phrase is doubtless derived from sailor usage ; amongst this class a liuguister is an interpreter. LiNTER. — A Massachusetts term for a cattle feeding-trough. Liquor, To, or To Liquor Up. — To partake of drink. Although un- doubtedly coming within the cate- g.iry of Americanisms by reason of more extended usage, this phrase was yet well known to the English people two hundred years ago. .«t'}> List 348 Lobby List, To, Listing. — Terms used in cotton cultivation, and signifying to make ready plots of land. Lister.— One who schedules or makes out lists Not common, Bartlett affirming that he had heard it nowhere but in Connec- ticut. Little. — As a sobriquet littk has been applied to m.any famous Americans ; also to one State at least in the Union. Among those specially so known may be mentioned Little giant. — A nickname for Stephen A. Douglas, who was small of stature, but of great intellect. When he was nomina- ted for the Presidency in 1859, campaign clubs, calling them- selves " Little Giants," were or- ganized and uniformed after the manner of the wiDh awakes (q.v.). Little Mac. — The army nick- name of General George B. McClelland. It became conspicu- ous, politically, when he wiis the Democratic candidate for the Presi- dency in 1864. Little Van. — Martin Van IBuren, eighth Presi- dent of the United States. Little Rhody. — Rhode Island, from its diminutive size as com- pared with other States in the Union, it being the smallest. Its acreage is only 1,306 square miles, whilst Texas contains 274,356 square miles, and is larger than Sweden and Norway together. Live. — Quick, active. — An all-round commendatory adjective. Thus a live business man is one whose qualities in that respect are of the keenest description. — See Beat. Live oak {Quercus virens). — The evergreen oak. Live Out, To. — In New England this is applied to those in service, and who reside with tj-cir employers. Liver. — To curl one's liver — To experience intensity of feeling, enjoyable or otherwise. I think that much the most enjoyable of all races is a steamboat race ; but, next to that, I prefer the gay and joyous mule-rush. Two red-hot steamboats raging along, iicck-and- neck, straining every nerve — that is to say, e.ery rivet in the boilers — quaking and shaking and groaning from stem to stern, spouting white steam from the pipes, pouring black smoke from the chimneys, raining down sparks, parting the river into long breaks of hissing foam — this is sport that MAKics A body's viiUY LIVER CURL with en- joyment. A horse-race is pretty tame and colorless in comparison. — Mark Tuain's Life on the Mississippi, pp. 414-415. Llano. — A Spanish-Mexican term for a plain or prairie, and still current in the South-western States. Loan, To. — Loan, says R. G. White, is a noun and not a verb ; it is the thing lent ; but it may sound larger to some people to say they have loaned a thousand dollars when they mean that they have lent that amount. Lowell, always anxious to defend the " American Language," points out that it was used long ago in Albion's "England." Never- theless, it must still continue to be classed as an Americanism if wide, exclusive, and almost universal usage can make it so. 'That five dollar I loaned you some time ago, Fledgely,' observed Robinson, 'sets a good example to Christians.' 'Er-yes,' re- plied Fledgely, with an embarrassed laugh. ' How — how's that ? ' 'It keeps lent so well.' —Neiii York Sun, 1888. In order to facilitate a more careful study of the spectra of the brighest stars Mrs. Draper has loaned to the Observatory the II inch photographic telescope employed by her husband. — Nation, April 7, 1887, LOBBY, Lobbyist. — Lobbyists are per- sons who frequent the approaches to legislative halls, and seek to in- fluence legislation by lobbying, which may mean argument or absolute bribery. The lobby is also called the "Third Ho'j^e." Loblolly Bay 349 Loco-Foco -To ling. ) that, Two k-and- LO say, g and stern, jouring raining to long ort that nth en- ime and erm for current , White, it is the nd larger yey have irhen they lent that inxious to anguage," used long ^.•' Never- nue to be m if wid®' universal u some time ison, ' sets a Er-yes, re- rassed laugh; lent so well. liore carefwl :st stars Mrs. iervatory the employed by ts are per- approaches seek to in- ')mI,i888. IS L_ Maine Int of its ex- ior which 45 V] V) *w^ > ^;. y /^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 125 |5o ■^" Hi u US Hf b£ III 2.0 1.8 U III 1.6 ^^^ <^' ^ i° €P. 9 1 'l A- AM. — A familiar New England corruption of " Madam," and which, follo'ving the pronunciation pecu- liar to that part of the Union, commonly appears both in speaking and writing as Mann. It is (i) A contraction for madam (qv.), and (2) An alternative for "mother." In some parts of the country it was once customary to speak of one's parents as " Sir" and Mann. Marm school. — Formerly, what in England and also in Connecticut, was known as a "dame school." Since, however, women have very properly, in the public school system of America, assumed so large a share of the duties connected with the education of the young, the title of Marm School has been perpetuated in cases where the idea of inefficiency, usually connected in popular opinion with dame schools, no longer applies. The colloquial designation of the teachers is school-marm. Mab (Cant). — A harlot. Machine. — (i) A fire-engine. InNew York and other large centres this term is especially affected by the b'hovs (q.v.), who make themselves conspicuous at fires, and who, like their English congeners, revel in the excitement caused thereby. (2) A synonym for any undertaking or enterprize ; thus a man fretting at interference will ask whether he or the person meddling is running this or that machine. In this con- nection Mr. Lincoln's reply to a busybody, who offered a liberal amount of advice and admonition about his administration, willoccur to mind. " Now look here ! If I have to run this machine, I shall run it my own way, and be accountable to God, my conscience, and the people, but not to you ! " (3) A railway official's term for a locomotive. A machine poli- tician is one who yields implicit obedience to the lead of his party. In this sense the phrase has been generally colloquial for upwards of half a century, but a special signi- ficance attached to it in connection with the Republican party when owningallegiance to Mr. Conkling, a leader who chafed under any indication of independent voting. Mackinaw Blanket. — See Blanket. Madam. — (i) — In many parts of the Union, especially in Boston and the South, a mother-in-law is desig- nated as "Madam so-and-so" to distinguish her from a daugliter- in-Iaw of the same surname. The latter then takes the title of " Mrs." Thus, in the case of two Mrs. Jones, instead of speaking of them as Mrs. Jones, and Mrs. Jones, senior, or even old Mrs. Jones, the latter is called Madam Jones, and the former Mrs. Jones. (2) Among negroes a if Mi 1 Mad Dog 355 Maine Law of the and the dcsig- -so" to augliter- |ie. The title of of two peaking es, and ven old called ner Mrs. groes a common name, in slavery days, for a master's wife ; the term is still in use, though slightly changed in meaning since the abolition of slavery. (3) In parts of the New England States Madam is used instead of "mother," in which case the term is very respectful. Mao Dog (Scuti'Ihiria hitevijhra). — This weed was once thought to be a specific cure for hydrophobia. It is also known as skullcap, from the shape of its liowers. Madstone. — A round stone of dark color, to which is attached a superstition that, if applied to the part bitten, it is a specific cure for hydrophobia. This belief obtains mainly in the South. Dr. Walker, who is the owner of two mad- stones, is now at Walker. He says that one was taken from the stomach of an elk, and the other from a white deer.— Nevada Prcii, iS38. A genuine case of hydrophobia lias de- veloped in the village of Mastersville, a few miles south of this city. On February 9 a dog of Dr. McAuley; bit Mr. Martin Robinson, his nephew, and Miss McAuley;, his daughter. A MAOSTONK, which was kept in the vicinity, and which !iad a legendary indorsement, was applied, and adhered so well that no fear of any subsequent result was held. — St. Louis Daily Globe Democrat, March 30, 1888. Magg (Cant). — This term, which in England is now applied to a halfpenny (formerly megs were guineas^ is in the States the name of a half-cent. Maguey [Agave americana). — A species of aloe, and otherwise calleci cen- tury PLANT. These abound in the South-western States, and, accord- ing to species, furnish sisal, hemp, bagging, and in one or two cases an intoxicating drink called pulque iq.V.) Mahala. — A term in use in California for an Indian S(|uaw, and thought to be a corruption of the Spanish »/HiV)(pronounced mu-her) , a woman. Mahogany (Swietoiia mahogani). — The mahogany of commerce ; no further reference is requisite here. To MAMOGANizE. — To paint wood in imitation of mahogany. Ma HON I ST. — In 1878, a General Mahone of West Virginia, once an officer in the service of the Con- federate States, seceded from the ranks of the Bourbon democrats. His followers were thereupon called Mahonists. Maidenland. — When the dower of a wife takes the form of land, the right to which reverts to her family at death, it receives the name of maidenland. A Virginian usage. Mail, To. — As a noun, mail is applied to postal matter generally, and is now quite common in Eng- land. Where, however, in Eng- land we post letters, it is common in America to speak of mailing them. Hence variants like mail- able, MAIL-RIDER (post-boy), and MAIL-STAGE. The MAIL-CAR On American railways is equivalent to the English Post Office travelling van. Mail comes here from all foreign countries and Europe also. It is distributed at once, and one is permitted to mail a letter at any time, day or night. In tall buildings now there is an arranfjement by which one may shoot his letters into a runway or tlunie, and they will be carried into a United States MAIL box on the ground &00T.— American Humorist, Aug. zi, 1888. Maine Law. — An enactment, passed about the year 1844 '° *he State of Maine, which provided that no one, save an officially licensed agent, should engage in the sale of Maiz 356 Man 13 intoxicating liquors. This was per- haps thu first attempt made in America in the direction of regu- lating the drink traffic. Hence Mai.ne lawite. — An advocate of the principle of the Maine law. Maize. — The original name for Indian corn, which, like wheat in Ei.gland, is a staple of American agricul- ture. This product, however, is more generally known as corn {qv). Maize is of Carib origin, having come down from mahiz or mahis, through the Spanish and the French mais. Make. — We make 'em ourselves. — A street catch-phrase, which quickly spread throughout the Union, and was quickly supplanted in public favor by other slang expressions. We malic 'em ourselves implies readi- ness to follow another's lead ; or capacity to perform what others have done. Making Good (in Poker). — Depositing in the pool an amount equal to any bet previously made. This is done previous to raising or calling a player, and is sometimes called seeing a bet. — The American Hoyle. Ma LA HACK. — To cut up hastily or awkwardly. This is an English provincialism, which, however, is colloquial in America. Mamma or Mammee Apple [Mammca americana). — A well-known West Indian fruit. Mammee sapota (Lucuma mammosa). — See Sapote. Mammoxed. — A doubtful word, cur- rent in the South and West. It seems to bear a meaning of serious Eersonal injury, and may, perhaps, e compared with " flummuxed " in the sense of great mental per- turbation. Mammy. — An affectionate name given by children to negro nurses, and old servants.. In the extreme South it is pronounced as if written matimer. In Old English usage the word was synonymous with grandmother, and the same signi- cation also attaches to the gipsy wami. Man. — This word naturally enters into combination with many slang and other phrases. Man-eater. — The man-eater of Pennsylvania and the Eastern States is nothing more formidable than the so-called salamander, or as they are popu- larly called in other localities water-dogs, spring-keepers, water- puppies, and ground-puppies. Man of the earth (Convolvulus panduratus). — This is also known as the Mechoacan and wild potato- vine. The root of this plant, which grows in sandy places, is used medicinally. Man-fashion. — A long established Americanism sig- nifying after the manner of men. Another man [or good man] gone wrong. — This street catch- phrase has had as wide a vogue in England as in America ; indeed, slang nowadays is thoroughly cos- mopolitan, and once started, gene- rally makes a tour of the globe. At first another good man gone wrong was applied to cases where disgrace of any kind had fallen upon an indl- dividual; latterly, however, nomore serious meaning is imputed than that of following a given lead. Going out to meet a man, is a New York phrase for "taking a drink." It arose in connection with the excuse given on leaving a place of entertainment during an entr'acte for the purpose of refreshment. The man at the other end of the AVENUE. — This phrase originated with Thaddeus Stevens, and had reference to President Johnson. Another famous political expression ii Manada 357 Maple was The man on horseback — of Caleb Gushing. M A N A D A. ■ -This term, which, in CaHfornia is specially applied to breeding mares, is elsewhere more generally used of a herd of cattle or drove of horses. It comes from the Spanish. M ANANosAY, — The Indian name of the SOFT CLAM {qv). Manatee. — The sea-cow or lamantin. MANDcncR (Cant) .- beggar. A cadger ; a Mango. — A musk-melon, stuffed with various condiments and then pickled. Mango humming biro (Trochittis coluhris), also called the HUM-BIRD or HUMMER {q.V.). Mangostcen. — A variety of the Kast Indian mango, which flourishes in the West Indies. Manifest Destiny. — Like "the right divine of kings to govern wrong," the manifest destiny of a nation is too often a mere cloak for violence and oppression ; or, as J. R. Lowell puts it, "a national recklessness as to right or wrong." The phrase manifest destiny, as specially applied to American politics, originated with Mr. Webster, who asserted that God intended America should be a Republic. Manioc. — The plant from TAPIOCA (q.V.) is derived. which Manitou. — An Algonkin word signi- fying spirit. It is applied by Indian tribes to spirits of^ all kinds, whether of the woods, of the wind, or any natural object, and these may be either good or bad. Manners. — To make one s manners. — Children were formerly said to make their manners when bowing or curtseving to visitors or elders. This mode of speech is in reality a very old English usage. The motto of Winchester school, " man- ners makyth man," is of somewhat similar import, manners in both cases being synonymous with cour- tesy and good breeding. Mansard Roof. — A roof with a double set of rafters, the upper sloping at a greater angle than the under. From the French architect, Mansard. I've worked up a business here that would satisfy any man, don't care who lie is. Five years a^o lodged in an attic; live in a swell house now, with a mansaku kook, and all the modern inconveniences. — Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain, One also hears the phrase " to put a mansard roof on him," or " to put a mansard over his eyes." Mantle-Place. — A Southern corrup- tion for " mantelpiece " or mantel- board. You h.ive a very singular ornament for your MANTEL-i'LACK. — W, G. Himms' The Lust Wager. Man-Trap (Cant). — A widow. Maple. — A variety of tree which, though not peculiar to the Ameri- can continent, is yet a distinct feature of it. Among the more prominent of the species may be mentioned the sugar-maple. Maple-honev. — A product of the sugar-maple tree, being the molasses-like residuum of the sap after boiling. This is also called maple - molasses. Maple- sugar. — A sugar obtained from the sugar-maple tree. Maple- syrup. — The same as maple- honey. Marabou 358 Marsh Hen Marabou. — A negro cross between a mulatto and a grille, i.e., in the Eroportion of five-eights black lood and three-eights white. Ex- perts profess to be able to distin- guish the various grades of color resulting from the admixture of the two races. — See Mulatto, Marble, or Marvel, To. — A Penn- sylvanian term, signifying to de- part, or move away with alacrity — the result of persuasive argument, moral or physical. Marblc«Head Turkey. — A Massachu- setts term for a cod-fish. Also called CAPE-COD turkey. There are many instances of fish being spoken of as meat, e.g., the stur- geon is known in America as ALUANY BEEF ; while in En^iland herrings are nicknamed "digby chicks" when dried, or "Billings- gate pheasants " when fresh ; and a Yarmouth bloater rejoices in the euphonious name of " two-eyed steak." Many other examples will occur to mind as colloquial on both sides of the Atlantic. Mark (Cant). — To hit one in the vtayk is to deliver a blow in the pit of the stomach. Market Truck, also Garden Truck. — Vegetables grown for market.— Sf^ Truck. Marm. — See Ma'am. the Southern States, and is very similar to what is known in Eng- land as camping out. This sen^e is obviously an indirect derivative of the verb "to maroon." Marriage Intention. — A brtrothal. It is customary in America to pub- licly announce betrothals as well as births, deaths, and marriages. Marriagk Intkntions. Daniel G. Duneliy, 22, Honora V. Twoiiity, 20; Jiiiiies Plielan, 37, Hannah F. Landers, 34 ; VValter H. Osborne, 26, Mary A. Kelley, 2ft ; Daniel Coleman, 30, Catherine M. Thomas, 30; Thomas Dee, 25, Mary Doyle, 23; John C.McDougall,3C, Annie McDonald, 3i.— Boston Daily Globe, ibbS. Marriage License. — Marriage being a civil contract in America, details of all licenses issued are periodi- cally advertised in the daily papers. Marriage Licenses. The following is the list of marriagk LICENSES issued up to two p.m. to-day, with the name, residence (when outside the city), and age of the licensees: — 124,19s— Harry L. Wells, Hortense Dalton 22 — 20 124,199— John A. Peterson, Frida Oliv 23-28 124,200 — Wilheltu Tuck, Johanna Behrens 22—18 etc., etc., etc. —Chicago Mail, 1888. Marriage licenses, however, are not required in Arizona, Dakota, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, Utah and Wis- consin. Maroon. — It is extremely doubtful whether this term for a runaway negro can be classed as an Americanism. This remark also applies to marooner. To go MAROONING, howevcr, re.,picnicing for several days at a stretch, genuinely finds a place in these pages. Marooning is peculiar to Married. — To be married. — Said of two men when handcuffed to- gether. Marsh Hen {Ralltts crepitans and vir- ginianiis). — This popular name is borne both by the Virginia-rail and also by the Clapper-rail. A variant is Mun hen. Marvel 359 Mason and Dixon'' s Line 23— 2a lirens 22-18 1888. are Dakota, New York, Wis- and vir- latne is inia-rail rail. A Marvel, To. — To move away expedi- tiously. — See To marble. Maryland End. — A curious name given to the hock end of a ham, the thick part being called the ViRoiNiA END. These colloquialisms are current in both the States con- ccrned, and are thought by some to allude to a supposed rough resemblance between the contour line of these States and a ham ; ordinary people, however, will scarcely be able thus to impose upon their imagination. Mary Walkers. — Trousers ; derived from Dr. Mary Walker adopting as part of her dress a modified form of this article of male attire. Mash, To. — English slang is indebted to America (California to be e.xact) for mash, masher, and other variants. It is difTicult to say whether the word, or the idea en- shrined in it, is the more contemp- tible and odious. Primarily, to mash might have been translated to ogle in a mistaken belief that one's charms are irresistible; or "to be spoons on" where the object of such attention is an unwilling victim. Since, however, the word has be- come so generally colloquial, its meaning has been considerably softened, and now signifies merely to make oneself agreeable. Masher. — This word, like mash, has hetn purified in meaning, since its advent on this side of the water ; but even now little enough can be said in its favor. A masher may be either a noxious animal of the genus Catulus who rudely ogles women on public thoroughfares ; or he may be a comparatively harmless, if vacuous biped in trousers. The last named variety wears a collar and eyeglass, and his mission in life is — well, prob- ably not even he himself could name it. The masher or dude (a later name) is the successor of the fops, swells, beaux, bloods, and bucks of former times. Mash TEA. — A herbal decoction of the North-west, very similar to Labra- dor tea [qv.]. Mash trap. — As the name indicates, a trap that kills by crushing the victim entangled in it. Mason and dixon's Line. — The boundary line between Pennsyl- vania on the south and the ad- joining states of Maryland and West Virginia. This boundary, which follows the 40th parallel of N. latitude, was surveyed in 1763-6 by two Englishmen of the names of Mason and Dixon, in order to settle a dispute between the states in question. Mason and Dixon's Line was origin- ally marked by mile-stones ; on the Pennsylvania side these land marks were inscribed with the armorial bearings of Penn, and on the other with those of Lord Balti- more. The phrase, however, de- rives its chief importance from the lact, that for a long period it was looked upon as representing roughly the dividing line between the Free and Slave States. Even as far back as 1820, when Congress was the scene of fierce debate as to the exclusion of slavery from Missouri, the expression was popu- larized through its frequent use by John Randolph, and during the recent rebellion it again figured in newspapers and dispatches. " Hang your clothes to dry on Mason and Dixon's Line," was one of the numerous sayings current in the early days of the anti-slavery agitation. Living in the Middle States, I have had Decision to obstTvc how vigorously a man on cither side of Mason and Dixon's line llli Masoucss 360 Matter i' Hi- i resents being mistaken for a man living on the other sicle.— ,-lmi'MCrt)i Hiimoriil, iBSS. MA80NE8S.— Androgynous masonry, finding little acceptancein England, has met with scarcely more favor in America. There are, however, a number of spurious degrees to which women have been admitted, and to describe these the word tnasoitess has been invented. Mass*.— A negro term for master, and a common mode of address to white men on all occasions. Mass MtETiNQ.— This term, for a large meeting of citizens for any purpose whatsoever, was first used in the electoral contest of 1840 — the HARD CIDER CAMPAIGN as It was called, when General Harrison and Mr. Tyler were candidates for the Presidency. Mass Meeting has now passed into general use not only in England and America, but also in France and Germany. Match, To. — To light a fire, candle, etc., by the application of a match. "Match that fire," i.e., light it. Materialize, to, Materialization. — (i) To become visible ; an ap- pearance. Among spiritualists, the act by which a spirit is supposed to make itself visible to mortal sight, is called materialization. Littla is known concerning the modus operandi: all that is certain is, that under certain conditions " forms " independent of any person visibly present are evolved, sometimes in full view, through the instrumen- tality of certain individuals called psychics. Authorities in p.sychical research admit that the terms to materialize and materialization are unsatisfactory and misleading, and for the latter, pending further know- ledge, "form manifestation" has been suggested. (2) So wonder- ful were the records of phenomena of the kind just mentioned, that a sceptical, unbelieving generation, jumped to a conclusion that the whole thing was fraudulent. The " wise and learned," as usual, pitted their want of knowledge of a mys- terious and abstruse subject against the matter-of-fact statements of hundreds of witnesses who, in many cases, had made the question a scien- tific life-study. Thus ridiculed, to materialize became associated in the public mind with putting in an appearance of any kind, and a person failing to keep an appoint- ment, or so on, would be said not to have materialized. Materialize is perhaps the most popularly collo- quial of recent Americanisms — an indirect tribute, may-be, to the extent to which the teachings of spiritualism have unconsciously permeated the popular mind. The following extracts will illustrate the various shades of meaning which attach to the popular use of the word. The branch line to connect Pensacola with the main stoni of the BirininKhani and Navy Cove Railway at, or near. Mobile, is rapidiv MATERiALizi.NG. — The I'ensttcola Commercial, lSS8. One day last week I spent three-quarters of an hour on an East River pier waitiiif^ for an excursion boat to matekialize.— Tt.vrtS Si/tings, Si'eptember 8, 1888. An invitation to President Cleveland was sent to Fire Island this afternoon, ard the ladies were in a flutter of excitement, but up to a late hour he had not matekiai.ized. The f)robability is that Mr. Cleveland has not^ot lis dress suit on board the yacht, and would not like to wear his hshiug clothes on this occasion.— A' tiv' York Hcralit, }u\y 29, 188S. But Barbara was averse to building any castles in the air which she had small chance of being able to materialize. — Century Magazine, 1888. Matter. — And that's what's the MATTER WITH HANNAH. — A slang catch phrase, generally tailed on to a statement or remark without the w > 1 \tn llMii Maul 36t Mean slightest scn",e of conRruity. It means nothinf,' in particular ; and as much may be said of it here. Maul, To. — Bartlett gives this as, to prepare ; to make ; current in the Southern States. If this he so it is probably derived from the maul, a woodcutter's tool or mallet for preparing wood. Maul ano u'luiGES. — These tools of the woodman are used in popular speech very much as their equi- valent " bag and baggage " is employed in lingland. He went across lots, maul and wkdges, nnd we nevtr seen nor heain of liim icwcQ.— Western Scenes. Mauld (Cant). — A man is said to be viiiiild when very drunk ; probably in more senses than one. Maumer. — Sec Mammy. Mauvaises Tehres. — The name given by the early French settlers to the BAD LANDS ((/.f). Maverick. — Unbranded cattle are called mavericks. The derivation of the term is given under Brand (q.v.). Mawks (Cant). — A slatternly woman. Max, To. — Max is an abbreviation of " maximum " ; hence at the TJnited States Military Academy at West Point, to viax signifies to do well. Maybe is invariably used for " per- haps." May Bird. — One of the numerous names for the BOBOLINK (q.v.). May Blob. — In New England the cow- slip is so called. May Pop. — A Southern name for the passion flower. Mazzard (Cant).— The face. M. c. — An abbreviation for Member of Congress. Mc Flimsy. — Miss Flora Mc Flimsy, OF Madison Square. — A facetious nickname given to the reigning American belle. It was taken from a very popular poem entitled " Nothing to Wear." Madison Square is in the fashionable quarter of New York. Miss Flora Mc Flimsv, of Madison Square, must have hadahard time Rcttini? aloni; in swell society with so few clothes, but tliey say she always manat^ed to keep well supplied with Dr. Bull's Cough Syrup. — Troy Daily Times, February 20, 1B88. Meadow. — A distinction is made between the coarse grass of swampy lands and the finer sorts which grow elsewhere. The former is called meadow-hay, whilst the latter is distinguished as English- hay. Meadow bird. — The BOBOLINK (q.v.). Mean. — (i) This is often used as the singular of "means" — "the mean by which he undertook to circum- vent the enemy was unique of its kind." (2) As an adjective mean iscommonly used where an English- man would employ " poor" with the meaning of little value, or worthless. There can be no greater provocation than is given by a mka.n horse or a refractory steer. — Century Magazine, October, 18S8. Hence mean crowd. — An opprobrious t "^ for people of whom not ii .. is thought, whether morally or physically. The expression is sometimes varied by Low MOB or low crowd ; and it is applied to a single individual 46 F Measure 362 Medicine as well as to patherings of people. Mean knough to steal acorns from a blind hog. — a Yankee's idea of consummate meanness. Like most phrases of the kind, the flavor is roujjh and racy. Mean whites or poor WHITES or white trash. — Under the slavery regime of the Southern States, these were contemptuous terms applied by the negroes to the indigent white population of the South, i.e., those who lacked alike landed property and slaves to work for them, who eschewed labor of all kinds, were intemperate and improvident, and are to-day more or less a stumbling block in the arduous task of Reconstruc- tion, or the building up again of the body politic, under the changed conditions brought about by the collapse of the Southern or pro- slavery cause. A similar state of affairs exists to a certain extent in the West Indies, and, indeed, in any tropical climate where the environment of life precludes manual labor for those of European descent. Whites have no locus standi side by side with other races, unless possessed of property or mental aptitude, which is often synonymous with wealth, because by it wealth is secured. MEASURt. — To TAKE ONE'S MEASURE. — To reckon one up ; to form an estimate of one's character, ability, or the length of one's purse, i.e., one's social position. A variant is To SIZE ONE UP. MEAT (pronounced male). — A general term for animal food of all kinds. For instance, BA»VMEAT,orGRizzLv- MEAT as it is more often called, BUFFALO-MEAT, DEiiK-MEAT, aud BEEF-MEAT, are frequently heard ; while even sheep-meat for mutton is not uncommon. Meat-bis- ;i cuiTS. — These, as the name implies, are compounds of animal food (generally beef) and flour baked in the form of a biscuit. Meat- chamber. — A refrigerating room on board ocean-going steamers, used to convey carcases from port to port. To chew one's own MEAT, i.e., to do a thing oneself. To hunt for MEAT. — A hun- ter's phrase, used when he sets forth to replenish his larder. To MAKE MEAT, is the term by which the frontiersman denotes the process of drying thin slices of animal flesh for future use. Meat in the pot. — A Texan term for a revolver. The phrase is not altogether inappropriate, because on the plains of the Great Lone Star State, a man's rifle or revolver is often the only mt-ans by which he can provide and literally put meat in the pot. Texas, perhaps, more than any other State in the Union, stands pre-eminent and unique in the pro- duction of slang terms. These are often startling enough in originality and sententiousness ; nor is the moral ingenuity revealed by the vernacular less striking, as, e.g., in such phrases as "revolvers make all men equal," and " if a man can't curse his friends whom can he curse ? " M EC ATE. — Mexican for a rope, made either of hair or the fibre of the agave or maguey. M ECHO AC AN. — The wild potato vine (q.v.). Mechoacan is the Indian name for this plant. M E D I CI N E. — Good medicine ; bad medicine. — The word medicine is of universal application among the Indians. Everything supposed lucky, or healthful, or indicative in any way of the presence or mpUes, il food laUed in -Meat- g room earners, om port p'S OWN oneself. _A hun- . he sets rder. • term by denotes tiin slices ture use. -A. Texan he phrase )propriaie, s of the I, a man's n the only in provide in the pot. than any ion, stands ; in the pro- These are n originality nor is the led by the ', as, f.g..in jlvers make a man can't om can he rope, made fibre of the i/ILD POTATO is the Indian iDlCINE; BAD medicine is of among the Hg supposed J or indicative presence or Medium 363 .Ut'>«. Check pleasure of the good God, is "good medicine." Everything the reverse is "bad medicine." Some special virtue or value seems to bo attached to hair-covered skin. The Indian has no hair on his face or person, and con- seiiuently scalps only the heads of other Indians. The full-bearded white man oilers peculiar attractions to the scalper. Every portion of skin to which hair is attachecf, even to the small bit under the arms, is scalped off. I once saw in an Indian camp a scalp consisting of almost the entire skin of the head, face, breast, and belly to the crutch, in one piece. It liad been carefully cured, and peculiar value was set upon it as BIG MEDICINE.— i>0(/i'«'s f/rti/is 0/ /«« Gnat West, p. 399. Medium. — A person who, by organi- zation, is capable of acting as an inter lediary or connecting link between the spiritual forces of nature and the world of matter. This word, like much of the terminology of spiritualism, is confessedly obscure, and borders upon jargon. A much better term is " psychic." Medlar (Cant). — One whose personal aroma suggests the reflection that cleanliness comes neither before nor after Godliness. Meeching or MiCHiNQ. — This word, obsolete in England, still survives in New York and New England for skulking or mean, in which sense it was used by Shakspeare, " To meech " was employed by Beau- mont and Fletcher in the sense of to pilfer ; and also to lay in wait for ; to lurk. But I ain't of the meechin' kind, that sets and thinks for weeks, The bottoms out o' th' Universe, 'cos their own gillpot leaks. —J. R. Lowell. Meet. — To meet up with. — A Georgian synonym for to overtake. To MEET WITH A CHANGE. — To be struck under conviction. —See Conviction. Mcetinq. Meetinq-House. — An as- sembly, and also the building in which it meets for divine worship. The Puritans, who largely impressed the stamp of their influence on matters connected with religion in America, held that a church was a body of Christians, and not a build- ing — hence they refused the name of church to the latter, calling it instead a meeting-house. Wut's the use o' MEr.TiN'-Koin' Every Sabbath, wet or dry, Ef it's right to go amovvin' Feller-men like oats an rye ? —liiglotv Papers. The young people were all gibberin' and talkin' and laughin', as if they nad been to a corn-shuckin' inore'n to a meetin'-house, — Major Jones. In the Old Colony {q.v.), meeting house is frequently contracted into meetin'-us. Meetin' seed. — Carraway seed; that condiment being used as a supposed specific against drowsiness cluring church service — a startling comment upon both minister and congregation. Melon Fruit {Carica papaya). — The papaw ; a West Indian fruit which is also called the tree melon. Melt. To (Cant). — To spend money — an axiom literatim et verbatim. Mem. Check or Memorandum Check. — When a draft bears upon its face either of these terms it is under- stood that it shall not be presented for payment before the date marked upon it, although the courts of the United States have decided that the holders of these documents are legally entitled to negotiate such a draft for immediate payment. In England the equivalent is a " post- dated cheque," the operation being called " dating forward." HI Memorial Day 364 Mexican Mysteries Memorial DAY. DAY. — 5cc Decoration Menhaden {Alosa menhaden). — The BONY FISH (qv). This iish has many other aliases. Men or the Blue and the Gray. — The soldiers of the Federal and Con- federate armies respectively. — Sec BLUli llELLIES. If ch.signinp; Dpniocr.-idc politicians had kept tlifir hands off, and let tlie mkn ok the ULUK and TilK GKAV si.'ttlo things, tiiere wonUl not be to-day one-lialf the bad blood tliat exists.— C/iif(i^'0 Inter-Uceaii, i«B8. Merchandise, To. — To engage in trade ; to transact business. It matters little whether the trade is carried on in a Broadway store, or whether the goods for sale are contained in a pedlar's pack ; both the storekeeper and the pedlar devote themselves to merchandising. MERCHANT. — Any trader from a whole- sale dealer to a petty shopkeeper or hawker. Everyone who engages in trade in America is a merchant. Merkin (Cant). — Thist'^rm, which in English cant possesses an extremely esoteric meaning, is in America applied to hair-dye. There is, however, a slight connection be- tween the two usages, which the curious will, no doubt, discover for themselves. Merry Cain. — To raise merry cain. — A sarcastic variant of to raise CAIN {see Cain) ; to anger ; to enrage. But in our spirit of imitation do we not go too far when we talk of uniforming the shop girls in tlie big dry goods store ? The suggestion of such an innovation has raised MERRY CAIN in the bosoms of the indignant saleswomen of Macy's, Stern's, Altmaii's, and other large bazaars of this c\iy.— Long Branch News, April 7, 1888. ME8A.— A tab'e-land. Spanish in descent, and in use in the Mexican- Spanish States. The diminutive is MESILLA. Mesquit or MosKEET {AlgaroHa p,Um- dn!osa).—\ tree of the locust family which abounds in the South and South-west, ''he pods are much liked by c; : and horses ; and Indians use tne beans as an article of food. MEsyuiT grass (Stipa sy,j/(,)._A nutritious grass found on the Western plains. Also called LEWIS grass. Mask(ht is the Indian word for grass. Other varieties are barbeu mesquit and HOG WALLOW MESQUIT. MESSAGE. — An official communication from the President to Congress ; equivalent to the Queen's Speech of English politics. MESTEE, Metis or Metif.— The pro- geny of quadroon and white parents, the proportion being one- eighth black.— S« Mulatto. Metate (from Mexican metal). — A hollow oblong stone, used for grinding purposes. Metheglin.— Aspiritous beverage. The friends of the new-married couple did nothing for a whole month but siuoke and drink metheglin during the bender they called the honeymoon.— S(i>n Slick's Human Nature, p, 276. Methy (Lota maculosa) — .The burbot. This fish is called la roche by the Canadians. Metis. — See Mulatto. Mexican Mysteries (Masonic). — The Mexicans (Aztecs) had religious orders and secret ceremonies like other nations. Dedicating them- Micky 365 Mileaf^c inish in Mexican- minutive ohia f^lixn- ist family ,outh and ire much rses ; and an article ASS (StipA s found on Iso called Ut is the 5. Other ;sQUiT and imunication Congress ; jn's Speech —The pto- and white being one- LATTO. metal). — ^ used for I beverage. |i iKil couple dUl )ut smoke and bender they 'Slick'i Human |.The burbot. jocHE by the Isonic). — The kad religious temonies like (eating them- selves to the worship of some special deity, such as yuetzalcoatl (tlie Mexican Saviour), they secluded themselves in monasteries, and practised secret rites. This order was called Tlamacazcajotl, and the members Tlamacaz(jue. Another order was called Telpochtliztli, or " the youths," being composed of youths dedicated to Tezcatlipoca. There was an order for men over sixty taking vows of chastity, de- voted to the Goddess Centcotl. They were men of extreme learn- ing, and anything uttered by them was deemed oracular. The number was limited, and they passed their time making historical paintings for the instruciion of the people. The North American Indianshad similar societies. Among the Algonkins there were three degrees : — i . Wau- beno ; 2. Meda; and 3. Jossakeed. Humboldt speaks of the Order of the Botuto, or Holy Trumpet, among the Orinoco Indians. The Collahuayas, of Peru, also practised secret ceremonies. Micky. — One of the innumerable sobriquets current in the States for a rowdy ; a rough. Here once, when the mkks pot to throw- ing stones through the Methudiu's Snnchiy School windows, Uiick Fanshaw, all of his own notion, shut up his saloon and took a couple of six-shooters, and niountid nuard over the Sunday School. — Mark Tiaiin's The Iniiocatts at Home, p. 22. Middle STATts. — New York, New iersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, laryland, and Columbia District. Middling Interest. — The middle classes in the social scale of society. Middlings. — A technical term m the pork-packing trade for that portion of the animal between the hams and shoulders. Midget. — The sand-fly is so-called in Canada and the North-west. Mid-Western States,— W. Virginia, Kentucky, 'iVniiessee, Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas. Mileage. — A Government allowance to Members of Congress and others. Wliilc! in Congre:.s members re- ceive, besides their regular salary, inilaigc, a somewhat extravagant compensation for their travelling expenses from home toWastiington and back again. Constructive MiLiiAGK is paid when the members are only supposed to have gone home, and to have returned to the seat of Government without having actually been absent. This is the cnse, for instance, when one Con- gress, as it is called, expires on the 3rd of March, and the next Congress begins its session on the ^ih of that month ; all the members who hold over, i.e., are re-elected for a new Congress, are paid their full mileage as if they had gone to their home and then returned to Washington. The matter is trifling as far as the majority is concerned, but in the cases of members from distant States, as from the Pacific coast or New Mexico, the sum assumes gigantic proportions. One member, who only sat four days in Congress, was once allowed 14,000 dollars back pay on this account. Many honorable men have refused to take advantage of the allowance, regarding it as an imposition upon the public. Mileage tickets. — Among the many needful reforms in railway traffic, introduced by Americans, perhaps the most con- spicuous is that which provides for payment according to the distance travelled. These tickets can be bought to cover as much as 2,000 miles at a time, the companies giving facilities for transfer from Military Lauds 366 Millerism one line of railway to another. If, from any cause, the holder of such a ticket finds himself nnable to avail himself to the full extent of his purchase, he is at liberty to dispose of the unused portion, or the com- panies will refund a proportional amount of the sum paid. For example, if a 2,000 mile ticket has been purchased, and less than 1,000 miles have been used, it is custom- ary to charge three cents per mile for the portion used, and to refund the difference between the amount so charged, and the original price of the ticket to the original pur- chaser ; or the unused portion may be applied, mile for mile, in part pay- ment of a new mileage ticket. When 1,000 miles and upwards have been used, the charge is at the rate of 2j cents per mile. It may also be remembered that ordinary return tickets are available till used.another concession which marks a difference between the American and English usage. These privileges have given rise to anew " industry "in ticket- scalping, a suggestive name for speculation in unused railway tickets. M I LL. — An American coin.which, how- ever, has no real existence, of the value of one thousandth-part of a dollar. To mill. — A weaver's term. When cloth cockles it is said to mill. Mill privilege. — Webster defines this as a waterfall sufficient, when a dam is raised, to furnish power to work a mill. Miller. — A large white moth infest- ing tobacco plantations. It is ex- ceedingly prolific, and sometimes deposits as many as a hundred eggs in a single night. So destructive is the tobacco worm, as the pro- geny of this insect is called, that planters frequently offer a reward of five cents for every milUi cap- tured ; and on bright moonlight nights, when they are most nume- rous, the young dar' ' move stealthily about the *" is on i still hunt for scalps. Miller Boy of the Slashe A nick- name of Henry Clay, • ., in his yorih, tended a mill ii, a region known as " the Slashes," near his birth-place. Military Lands. — Government lands set apart for use as rewards to soldiers or other military servants. Milk Ranch. — A dairy farm. Loose- ness of speech, and, perhaps, an idea that milk ranch sounds better than the proper term, is responsi- ble for this perversion of the original word. Even a two-acre lot has been called a ranch {q.v.). Milk Sickness. — A disease peculiar to the saline districts of the West, and thought to arise from the detri- mental effects of the soil and water of these regions. It attacks both men and cattle, is spasmodic in action, and rapidly fatal in result. Millerism. — Dr.' William Miller, or, familiarly, Father Miller, the founder of this sect, was the American counterpart of Dr. Gum- ming in England. At one time the doings of the Millerites excited a good deal of public attention. Their chief tenet was a belief in the physical second advent of Jesus Christ. This, Miller predicted would take place on the 23rd of October, 1844, whereupon numbers of his followers settled their earthly accounts, bade fare- well to their friends, assumed their white ascension-robes, and pre- pared for the sounding of the last trumpet. The highways and bye- ways were thronged with anxious ' rowds of men and women, while Milling 367 Miscegenation the trees in the orchards and the roofs of houses were filled with the more impatient Mikleritf.s, who thus hoped to be nearer to their new home in heaven. 'Do you rnmeniber old Jabe Groen's wife tip to WignU'town ? ' said the widow Bedott. ' She was always carried away with every new thing. Two or three years ago, when MiLLEKisM was niakin' such a noiso, she was clear killed up with it. Again, she was wide awake against Sabbath-breakin' — then 'twas moral reSoim,'— Widow bedott Papers, p. 123. Milling. — A ranch term explained by quotation. The cattle may begin to run, and then get MILLING — that is, all crowd together into a mass like a ball, wherein they move round and round, trying to keep their heads to- wards the centre, and refusing to leave it. — Ruoscviit's Ranch Life in the Far West. Million or milyun. — Corruptions for " melon," very common in the South, where almost every black has his water-melon patch. Yu mer talk 'bout yo' spar-rib, an' yo' back- bone an' yo' ham, An' yo' coon, an' yo' 'possum, an' yo' fattes' yaller yam. But do ve'y bes' an' sweetes' meat wa'tev' cross yo' mouf. Am de w.\t'milyun, growin' en de patch down Souf. O, de wat'milyun time I O, de wat'milyun fine! Nuffin run tcr sweetness lak' de wat'milyun vine. —Detroit Free Press, Aug. 1S88. MiLLisH. — A Southern corruption of " militia." Minister. — A species of cat-fish, from its dark and sombre colour. — See Cat. Mink or Minx (Putorius vison). — A kind of water weasel, the fur of which is much esteemed. Mint Drops or Benton's Mint Drops. —Gold coins. A Missouri Con- gressman named Benton, one of the foremost advocates of a gold currency, chanced on one occasion to let fall the expression mint drops, which at once became popular, and for many years gold coins were thus nicknamed. Mint Julep. — A concoction of brandy, sugar, and pounded ice, flavored with mint. 'M^l Mint Stick. — A meat. peppermint sweet- MiscEGENATioN. — This barbarous word was introduced in the South shortly after the Civil War to signify the mingling of the black and white races, and there were not wanting those who advocated the expediency of furthering such admixture by every means, lawful and unlawful. It was thought that the negro in America would be absorbed by the white race, and history was cited as furnishing precedents for such a result. This expectation has been altogether falsified ; for, not only has miscegenation steadily decreased since the war, but the color line is more sharply drawn in society, church, and politics, between the black and his lighter-color-ract brother, or miscegene, than it is between black and white. Indeed, this has gone so far, that it is the deepest disgrace of the race, and marks a jealousy that keeps them divided, and therefore resists their advancement. The only absorbing that these facts prove is, that the darker miscegenes will be reab- sorbed into the dark race, while the lighter will fadeaway into dark whites, or be lost altogether. Hence, based upon the same idea, such derivatives as miscegene and MISCEGENATIOSIST. •«iiw ■BaBsma Misery 368 Misunderstanding I Jill Misery. — A favorite negro synonym for pain. If a black feels at all qualmish, he e.xpresses himself as possessed of a miicvy in the head, chest, foot, etc. MisH Topper (Cant). — A coat or petticoat. Mish, in English cant, stands for sliirt or chemise, and is a corrupted form of the French chemise, Italian camicia. MisREcoLLECT. To. — To forgct. A factitious word of common use, as also are its equivalents Mis-RimnM- BER and DIS-RHMEMBER. MlSDEMEMBER, TO.- MIS-RliCOLLLCT. -See the foregoing. MisREPRESENTATivE. — A representa- tive who fails to be the mouth-piece of the views of his constituents. Missing. — Among the missing. — Absent ; (and sometimes) killed. A quaint perversion of language chiracterizes a variant of this phrase — to iiini up missing. ' I tell you what, Jake, if this roo<; on I'll be AMONd Tiir; Mis.siNG bcfoie SI! icovvn ; it ain't huiiiaii nature to stand bein fired at by thf;n> varniin, and not to have a 1 rack at them uuoturn.' — Aciois the Great Di crt, 1809. Antonio was not only la.^ / but he was vicious, jealous, and in some of his mad moments he had often tlireai ;iied to kill Marie. Finally Marie turnfi rp missing, and she was no lons^er seen about the cabin of the half-breed, — Missouri Republican, February 24, iS8ti. Mission School. — A ragged school. MissioNARViNG. — Performing missionary work. To Mission- ate. — To act as a missionary. Miss Lick. — A Western backwoods' term for a false blow of the axe ; a stroke wide of the mark. Missouri Compromise. — Long before the slavery question came to a head in the Civil War, it had been a bone of contention among the component States of the Union. What is popularly known as the Missouri Compromise was a sort of anti- climax in the agitation. At the time when Missouri was seeking admission to the Union, two great sections were struggling — one to promote, the other to hinder, the extension of slavery. The pro- slavery party was the stronger in Missouri ; and, as a compromise between the conflicting pr.rties, an Act of Congress was passed ad- mitting Missouri into the Union as a slave-holding State, but which laid down the principle in pro- spective, that slavery should be prohibited in any State thenceforth to be admitted lying north of lat. 36" 30' the northern boundary of IMissouri. Misstep. — A false step. In the crush last night at tin Everest- Hubbard wedding. Miss Sarah Bartrani, of HIack Kock, made a misstei- in alighting from her carriage, but was saved from a fall. — Boston Doily Globe, February 2, 18S8. Mistake. — And no mistake ! — A common colloquialism to express certainty. At one time it rounded off almost every phrase, but its place was soon taken by sure ! and a still later catch-word is why certainly ! Mistress. — In the South this mode of address is rarely shortened into Mrs. In mistress the old English usage is followed. Misunderstanding. — A LITTLE Mis- understanhing about a mule. — A brutally facetious explanation in the West of the sudden disappear- ance of a citizen from his dail if I' I" "1. Mitten 369 Moccason sfore head bone jnent at is ssouri anti- Lt the ;ekitig great ine to 2r, the 3 pro- iger in )romise Lies, an cd ad- nion as t which in pro- ouUl be nceforth h of lat. ndary of Everest- ;:irtiam, of 11 aliRliunS Ifrom a tall. i8ii8. ^ke!— A express rounded but its |,URE ! and is WHY jthis mode lened into Id English rTLE MIS- I MULE.— A- Ination in fdisappear- his dail walks and haunts. The writer of an article entitled "The Great American Language," in the Cornhill Magazine, remarks that a misun- derstanding about a viule often leads tc a little difference of opin- ion with six-shooters, which results at last in a coroner's inquest, with the modest verdict, " Died from the effects of having called Washing- ton Wesley Smithers a liar." Mitten. — To give or get the MITTEN. — A euphemism very com- monly colloquial throughout the English-speaking portion of North America, to signify that a proposal by marriage is rejected, or that the attentions of an admirer are dis- tasteful. The phrase should be to give the mittens, as both it and the custom are of French origin, it hav- ing been usual to present mitaines to an unsuccessful lover, instead of the hand to which he aspired. Once, when I was young as you, and not so smart perhaps, For me she mittened a lawyer, and several other chaps; Anil all of them was flustered, and fairly taken down. And I for a time was counted the luckiest man in town.— Ii';7/ Caileton's Farm Ballads. ' May I see you safe home ? ' he asked, as he had often asked her before, but never before with trepidation. ' No,' said Rachel with an evident effort, and without looking at Tom's face. Such an answer is techni- cally known as the sack and the mitten, though it would take a more inventive anti- quary than I to tell how it got these epithets. But It was one of tlie points on wliich the rural etiquette of that day was rigorous and inflexible, that such a refusal closed the con- versation and annihilated the beau without allowing him to demand any explanations or to make any further advances at the time. — Century Magazine, 1SS7. Also shortened into TO mitten. Mixed Ticket. — See Ticket. MizzY. — A Louisianian negro expres- sion for the stomach-ache. MoABiTEs (Cant). — A term given to police constables. MoBEE or MoBBv. — A dHnk similar to punch. Southern. MoBOCRACv. — The mob; equivalent to what in England is called " the great unwashed." Hence mobo- CRAT, similar' used. After skimming hastily over the Irish news and some telegraphic intelligence, he came to an article headed, the mobocrats of Pennsylvania. This he read carefully aloud to the old man. It was a scathing blow at the Mollie Maguires, giving them deserved condemnation.— PixAfrioM's Mollie Magttirei and Detectives, MoBTowN. — The city of Baltimore, This place has always been, and still is, notorious for the gangs of roughs and rowdies which infest its streets. Baltimore used to be called mob-town ; but they are a heap better now, and are more orderly than some of their neighbors, — Crakttt's Tour. Moccason or Mocassin. — An Indian shoe, made of soft leather without a stiff sole. They are usually more or less ornamented, and are very comfortable wearing in win- ter, giving the feet more freedom than ordinary foot gear ; besides which frost-bites are less frequent amongst those who wear them. This kind of covering for the feet has, in consequence, been widely adapted by Western hunters and woodsmen. Moccasoned. — A Carolinian term for intoxicated. A variant of "to be bitten by the snake." — {Sec Mocasson snake which follow.s). Mocasson fish. — In Maryland, the name given to a species of sun-iish. Moc- casson snake {Toxicophis piscivorus). — A brown coloured poisonous snake, the skin of which is marked with black bars. 47 V<1 Mocker Nut 370 Monkey MocKCR NUT {jfuglans tomentosa). — The white heart hickory. Mocking Bird (Mimus polyglottus). — A native bird deriving its popular name from the inimitable mimic qualities with which it is endowed. Combined with its own notes of considerable sweetness, it is able to imitate any sound it may hear. In some parts the butter-bird or NINE-KILLER is coufounded with the true vwckiiig bird. Mock Orange. — In England the syringa is so called, but in the States by mock orange is understood the Pruniis caroUiiiana, a small ever- green which bears a resemblance to the cherry-laurel of Europe. Molasses. — What in England is called treacle or golden syrup ; terms which are probably utterly strange to most Americans. Mo- lasses, as is well known, is a product of the sugar-cane. In the West the word is used in the plural ; e.g., those molasses. MoLLus. — The name of an association who held commissions during the war, called the Military Order of the Loyal Legion. Moiltts, as will be seen, is a word composed of the initial letters of the words forming the name of the order, with the addition of U.S., i.e.. United States. The order itself is an hereditary institution. MoLLv Cotton Tail. — A rabbit. MoLLVGASHER. — A Madagascar negro. Mollygasher is obviously a corrup- tion of "Malagasy." Molly Maguires. — A secret society which, for a long period, prior to 1877, terrorized the coal regions of Pennsylvania. These men exercised well nigh unlimited power, ruling the districts involved with a rod of iron. Even the political senti- ments of the commonwealth were in part moulded by them, and they controlled, in a measure, the finances of the State, and for many years spilt human lalood without s'int, converting the richest section of one of the most wealthy and refined of all the sisterhood of States into a very Golgotha. The Pinkerton Agency of Chicago was ultimately set upon their trail, with the result that in June, 1877, the ringleaders were executed. Since that time little or nothing has been heard of the order. Its name of Mollie Maguires arose from the circumstance that in the accom- plishment of their designs they dressed as women. MoMicKs. — In Pennsylvania, a bad carver. "To mommick," i.e., to cut or handle anything awkwardly, is provincial in various parts of England ; and, in all probability, momicks is derived therefrom. Monitor. — This name, as applied to war vessels with a revolving turret, is unquestionably of American origin, as was also the first vessel of the type. Monkey, To. — ^To play tricks, from the tricky antics of the animal in question. If one may judge from the many variants of similar deri- vation, our American cousins may, without offence, be said to look with some degree of favor on the Darwinian theory concerning the descent of man. For example, MONKEYING AROUND, MONKEY-BUSI- NESS, and MONKEY - SHINES. • MoNKEV-spooN. — This is an old Americanism, which, from an old paper quoted by De Vere, appears Monk Fish 371 Moon jrcised ruling a rod 1 senti- h were nd they re, the jr many without t section ,thy and hood of la. The cago was =ir trail, ine, 1877, executed, r nothing rder. Its irose from he accom- igns they lia, a awkwardly, ,s parts of jrobabilityi efrom. applied to ving turret, American first vessel Lricks, from e animal in judge from ;imilar deri- ;ousins may, lid to look [avor on the pcerning the [or example, VoNKEY-BUSl- [sHINES. . is an Ola from an old 'ere, appears to be the name of a spoon, bearing the figure of an apa or monkey carved in solid silver on the ex- tremity of the handle, and given at the funerals of great people in the State of New York to the pall- bearers. At the death of Pnilip Livingston in February, 1719, we are told " a pipe of wine was spiced for the occasion, and to each of the eight bearers, with a pair of gloves, a mourning ring, scarf, and handkerchief, and a monkey-spoon was given." With this it is interesting to compare the old custom of presenting apostle spoons at christenings, and the modern practice of presenting ordinary gold or silver spoons, etc., on like occasions. This wasn't the only lesson I ever had that taught me to be wary about monkeying with cubs. Even after it was thought the mother had been killed our camp was thrown into a fine commotion one night over a woolly little cuss about three months old. — A inerican Humorist, May ig, 1888. Around these poles has been deposited inunense piles of ice, for the double pur- pose of preventing the continual friction caused by the rapidly revolving sphere, and also of preventing inquisitive visitors from MONKEYING with the machinery, and either pinching their meddlesome fingers, or whittling chunks from the poles for aonveu'iTs.— Texas Si/tings, June 30, 1888. Monk Fish. — See Devil-fish. MoNONGAHEUA. — A geucric name for American whiskey, just as Usque- baugh and Inishowen are given to Scotch and Irish brands respec- tively. Monongahela is a river in Pennsylvania. Monte. — A Spanish-Mexican card game of pure chance, comparing favorably in that respect with poker. Monumental Cheek. — Brazen effron- tery. A simile invented to indicate impudent boldness of an irrepres- sibly pertinacious character. Monumental City. —Baltimore, in the State of Maryland. This city, one of the oldest in the Union, was long distinguished for its superior monumental trophies ; hence its sobriquet. Moon (Cant), biscuit. -A large round sea- Tlie afternoon of the third day I spent my last ten cents for two moons and cheese. — Mark Twain's Li/eon the Mississippi, p. 460. MooN-BLiND. — An alleged malady, in which a man sleeping exposed to the full rays of the moon is so affected as to be unable to see at night. Many stories are current in the tropics as to the injurious effects of sleeping in the light of the moon. A newcomer is always cautioned against doing so, the warning sometimes taking a rather ludicrous form. I once heard a new arrival in British Guiana, who had to travel at night up the DemeraiU river, at a time when the moon was full and very brilliant, cautioned that if, during sleep, the moonbeams fell on one side of his face, his mouth would be so drawn to that side that the only means of restoring it to its normal state would be to turn over and let the moon- beams draw it back again I Though somewhat of a traveller's story, it is evident that a general im- pression prevails as to the inju- rious effects of sleeping in the light of the moon, which in the tropics shines with a brilliancy rarely known in northern latitudes. There is said to be [a] plains malady, which, however, I cannot vouch for. It is called MOON-BLIND. The idea is that the full rays of the moon afifect the eyes of a man sleeping exposed to them, so that he cannot see at night.— Richard Irvine Dodge's Plaiiu of the Great West. .>U Moon 37a Morey Letter ^:i The dark moon. — The period between the last phase of the "old" and the first of the " new " moon. A similar collociuialism is current in some parts of England. MooNDowN. — The time of set- ting of the moon — a word formed in the same way as sundown, itself an Americanism, both terms being invented as antitheses to sunrise and moonrise. Mooneye {Hyo- don teygisus). — A iish of the herring kind, being called in some parts the lake and river herring. — Moon- glade. — A track of moonlight. This Americanism, to which even the most rigid purist could hardly take exception, originated in New England, and was at first poetically used to describe the silvery line of light cast by the moon's rays on water. It has since been extended in usage to the same phenomenon on land. Moonrise. — The time of rising of the moon. By the time it was night I was pretty hun- gry. So when it was good and dark, I slid out from sliore about moonrise, and paddled over to the Illinois bank — about a quarter of a mile.— /I dvcntiins 0/ Huckleberry Finn. -Moonshiners. — Distillers of illicit whiskey. The term is probably Irish or Scotch in origin. In some districts the United States revenue officers have considerable trouble with moonshiners, especially in the mountainous regions. This is a small place ot perhaps three or four hundred inhabitants, and was made a city as a matter of self-protection. Only a short time ago, the moonshiners and moun- taineers, of the MOONSHINER clique, were akin to what is said of the cow-boys. Hogs and cattle run wild, while settlers who had taken great pride and pleasure in the thrift of their gardens and orchards almost ran wild too, when thej; beheld the devastation of a night ; so they incorporated a city, with all the proper officials, a lock-up, stock laws, eic— Portland Transcript, i838. MooN-SHOWER. — A fall of rain while the moon continues to shine. A similar phenomenon is often observable during sunshine. Moose {Alee ameiicanus). — A large deer, found in northern forests, cKpecially those of Canada and New England. It attains a great size, some carcases having been found to weigh upwards of twelve hundred pounds. They have been hunted so hard for their skins and for food, that yearly they are be- coming scarcer. Moose bird (Giiiiulns eanadensis). — The Canada jay ; also called the whiskey-jack. A native of Maine. Moose- FLY. — A venomous fly of a rusty brown color. Moose-\vood(D/»'- ca palustris). — A favorite shrub upon which the moose-deer feeds ; also called leather-wood from its tough, leathern bark. Moose- yard. — The moose-deer congregate in families of from fifteen to twenty members, and the encampment thus formed is called a moose-yard. Mop-BoARD. — A New England term for the skirting-board used in house interiors. MoREv Letter. — During the candida- ture of Garfield for the Presidency in i88o, a letter, purporting to have been written by Mr. Garfield to Mr. H. Morey, Employer's Union, Linn., Mass. (subsequently proved to be a forgery), was pub- lished by the New York morning papers. In it Garfield sided with capital rather than with labor. It turned out to be nothing more than an electioneering dodge, the object of which was, if possible, to jeopar- dize Garfield's chances of election. Needless to say no such person as H. S. Morey was ever dis- covered. Forged letters and such like tricks unfortunately appear to form part of the stock-in- trade of electoral campaigns in America, for at the very moment of writing this, what is known as the Sackville imbroglio has arisen out of very similar tactics. Morgan 373 Mormon large rests, and f^reat bef,n Avelve ; been ns and re be- BIRO >nada Y-JACK. VIoosE- a rusty ov{Dir- xb upon Is ; also om its -MoosE- ngregate twenty impment jse-yard. md term 1 in house , Candida- residency orting to . Garfield mployer's .scquently was pub- morning jided with labor. It more than the object to jeopar- i{ election. ;h person ever dis- ^ and such [ly appear ' stock -ill - fpaigns in [moment oi )wn as the arisen out MoRQAN. — That's a good enough MuKGAN. — A phrase once much used in political contests, signifying a bare-faced imposture. It arose in this wise: — In 1826 American masons were accused of having murdered a man named Morgan, a renegade mason, in consequence of liis having revealed the secrets of the order. Popular feeling ran high, and a violent anti-masonry crusade resulted. So much was this the case that national politics were considerably influenced there- by. Mr. Thurlow Weed, one of the chief figures of the episode, gives in his autobiography (vol. i., p. 319) what is probably the only authentic version of the origin of the famous saying. Mr. Weed says: — "The election of 1827 elicited an accusation against me, which assumed proportions not dreamed of by those with whom it originated. . . . Ebenezer Griffin, Esq , one of the council of the 'kidnappers,' who was going to Batavia to conduct the examina- tion, observed laughingly to me, ' After we have proven that the body found at Oak orchard is that of Timothy Monroe, what will you do for a Morgan ? ' I replied in the same spirit, ' That is a good enough Morgan for us until you bring back the one you carried off.' " On the following day the Rochester Daily Advertiser gave what became the popular version of the story, namely, that Mr. Weed had declared that, whatever might be proven, the body " was a good enough Morgan until after the election." Morgan Horse. — One Justin Morgan of Randolph, Vermont, a famous breeder of horses, gave his name to a " strain " still of great renown in sporting circles. Presently a couple of colts, six weeks old, werc.brougUt out for our inspection by one of the stable boys, 'Those are mokgan COLTS,' said lliL' c!ir>;yiiian. 'Why,' I ex- ci-iiiiu'd in siiipiiso and ovirjoycd at hiidiiij; a iiiaii of tin: cloth vho .scciiiiid to know soi'Hjthinj; about lior,scs, 'do you know a MOKiiAN < oi.T when you scu it?' 'Cor- tainlv,' said tlu; clergyman promptly. 'Well,' continuiHl Hit k, 'it was the first time I had ever met with a niinistir who knew a mokgan hoksk or any otliur at si^ht, and we have bcun fast friends ever since. ' Why, sir,' added Heck, in a burst of enthusiasm and admiration for his friend's knowledfie of horse flesh ; ' that man could have a call to any church in Kentucky.'— Detroit Free Press, October 13, 1888. Mormon: Mormondom: Mormonism: MoRMONiTES. — All these are terms connected with one of the most remarkable politico-religious sys- tems which has appeared in modern times. The Mormon people term themselves Latter-day Saints, and derive the word Mormon from the name of the pretended author of the " Book of Mormon " from the Gaelic and Egyptian languages, alleging it to be compounded of vior, great ; and vion, good, or great good. A correspondent of Notes and Queries, however (January, 1858), affirms that, in poetical justice, they owe it to an imposi- tion practised some two hundred years ago. A very clever Frnnch writer, the Abb6 de la Mothe de Vayer, engaged, in 1650, in a spirited controversy with a famous scholar and wit, M. de Montnior. In a series of brilliant but whimsical attacks the Abbe f)lays countless variations on the name of lis adversary, and repeatedly pretends to derive Montmor from Mormon, which he declares to be the Greek word nofinaw, a scarecrow! Nor does the curious coinci- dence stop here ; for the fictitious Mormon of 1643 — a book pretending to have been written by M. de Montmor, but in reality a scurrilous parody — argued in favor of polygamy! Hence argues the well-known Thomas Boys (the correspondent in ques- tion), this early French work most probably furnished the author of the new book of Mormon, whoever he may have been, with the leading idea and many prominent features. Their most characteristic tenet in the eyes of Gentiles (as they call I i M Oi m mim m Mosey Mother of Presidents outsiders) is doubtless that of polygamy, concerning which the Government of the Union has enacted drastic laws with a view to stamping it out. The moral condition engendered by such teaching has become a veritable plague spot in the life of the nation. — For complete history and account of the sect, see Fullerton's Faiths of the World. Mosey, To. — To depart suddenly and involuntarily; to sneak away. This, with some degree of plausibility, is supposed to be a corruption of the Spanish vamose (q.v.), an elision of the first syllable having occurred and the final vowel being sounded. To mosey is also often used in the primary simple sense of to go, and to mosey along with any one is also employed idiomati- cally in the sense of to agree with. But the bullets and their own fighting began to tell pretty soon, even on grizzlies. First one rolled over and stretched out, then another sat down on his haunches and dropped his head and finally sprawled out, a third i^jskyed off some distance to sit down and lick his wounds. — Daily InUr- Occan, February 6, i8b8. Well, well, well, I hain't got time to be palavering along here — got to nail on the lid and MosEy along with him ; and if you'll just give me a lift we'll skeet him into the hearse and meander along. — Mark Twain's Screamers, Mosey Sugar. — In Pennsylvania a sweetmeat much liked by children. MosHAY. — A Florida term for a keeper of bloodhounds. Mosquito {Culex mosquito). — A well- known insect pest with an insatiable appetite for blood. Mosquito BAR or .MOSQUITO NET. — As the latter name infers, a net, placed round a bed, etc., to protect a sleeper from the attacks of mosquitoes. Without some such guard, life in Southern latitudes, at times, would be un- bearable. Mosquito hawk. — The dragon-fly is so called in Louisiana. Moss (Cant) — A generic name for money. This may either be a play upon the proverb, " A rolling stone gathers no moss," or a con- traction of " mopuse.s," an English cant equivalent for the commodity in question. MossBACKS. — A local term in Ohio for a section of the Democratic party. MossBUNKER (Alosu meiihadeii). — A herring-like fish, also known as the BONY-FISH [q.v.). MOSSYBANK,- I3UNKER. -(i) A variation of moss- -(2) This name, at the time of the Civil War, was given to men, who, to avoid conscription, fled to the woods and swamps. The connection between the hid- ing places thus chosen and mossy banks is obvious. Mot or Motte. — A Texan term for a clump of trees on a prairie. These oases are also called islands. Moth. — See Butterfly. Moth MILLER. — The domestic pest and the only variety of Lepidoptera called a moth in the United States, night flying kinds being erroneously Called butterflies. — See Bug. Mother of Presidents. — The State of Pennsylvania. This officer was visited by a cousin of his. a young gentleman of good presence ana manners, who was not only a graduate of an institution of learning in the Mother of Presidents, but had received his diploma as an M.D. from a medical college in Mother of States 375 Mr. Speaker :m for a These )S. le State Philadelphia.— Wic/irtrrf Irvine Dodge's Plains of the Great West. Mother of States. — Virginia. A more frequent term is the Old Dominion. Nought. — This old preterite of "may," now obsolete in England, has been retained in the South ; and, indeed, is very common in all parts of the Union. Until of late years its use was mainly confined to negroi;s and people in the interior of the New England States ; latterly, however, a spirit of change appears to have revived the popularity of this form. In North Carolina "perhaps" is almost invariably rendered " it mought be." You know ole Tom Grayson, his father's brother, scein' 's Tom wuz named for him, an' wuz promisin' like, an' had the gift of the gab, he thought's how Tom mought make 'n all-fired smart lawyer ur doctor, ur the \iV.e.--Centtiry Magazine, 18S7. Mrs. Johnsing.— ' For the Lor', Henry Clay, Jr., wat's de mattah ? ' Henry Clay, Jr. [a young negro as black as ever was built]. — ' I doan been scared haf to def." 'Mought ha' knowed dat, chile; you's white as a sheet.'— r^-frts Si/lings, 18S8. Mought is sometimes corrupted into MOWT. 'Hoi' on! Hoi' on!" interrupted the old Settler, who could stand it no longer. ' That beefin' bee mowt ha' happened an' it mowtn't ha', for all I know, but wuther it did or wuther it didn't haint got nulhin' to do with w'at I'm a gittiu' at, b'gosh 1 ' — Chicago Herald, 1888. Mound. — A barrow or tumulus. Supposed to have been used mainly for sepulchral purposes by the early inhabitants of the country. Mound builders. — The name given to the race who built the mounds found in large numbers in the valleys of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, Mexico, Yucutan, etc. These people were evidently well acquainted with some of the minor arts of civilization. Mound City. — St. Louis; the sobriquet is in allusion to the numerous mounds found in its vicinity. Mourner. — See Anxious bench. Mouse, To. — Aimless or fruitless motion or action is here implied ; a variation of to mosey (q.v.). The poor blunderer mouses among the sublime creations of the Old Masters, trying to acquire the elegant proficiency in art- knowledge wliich he has a groping sort of comprehension is a proper thmg for the travelled man to be able to display. — Mark Tuain's Screamers. Moving Day. — The First of May. — A visitor on May-day to New York and other large centres might well imagine that some monster pil- grimage was on foot, so general is the custom among all but the wealthier classes of changing their habitation, as a matter of course, at that period of the year. This tendency has been satirized unmercifully from the time of Washington Irving downwards. The memorable emigration [of the people of Communipaw to New Amsterdam] took place on the 1st of May, and was long cited in tradition as the grand moving. The anni- versary of it was piously observed among their sons, by turning their houses topsy- turvy, and carrying all their furniture into the streets, etc. And this is the real origin of the universal agitation and moving by which this most restless of cities is literally turned out-of-doors on every May-day. — Knickerbocker, New York. MOW, To (Cant).— To kiss. Mowt. — A corruption ot MOUGHT (q.v.). MOYA MENSiNGS. — A band of Phila- delphia rowdies. At another time they were called shifflers. Mr. Speaker. — In the parliamentary language of Te.xas, a revolver — a Much 376 Mugwump 'H i ,i^km I 1 speaker, against there is usually Meat in the pot. whose rulings no appeal. — See Much. — This word, in New England, is synonymous with good qualities, moral or physical, and is applied either to men or things ; e.f;., " not much of a mule " is an animal whose good points are of a negative cha- racter ; while " very much of a book," " woman," or " idea " con- veys a high meed of praise in every case. Muckrakes. — A slang political epi- thet for those who seek the "small change" of office— place-mongers, as they are otherwise called. Mud Cat. — A species of cat-fish abounding in the waters of the Mississippi Kiver. They attain an enormous size, and specimens have been caught weighing upward"? of fifty-four pounds. They are ,ry coarse eating, and have a muddy flavor. Mud-cat State. — Mississippi, its inhabitants being sometimes humorously designated MUD-CATS. Mud-dabbler. — A small freshwater iish. Mud- devil. — A species of salamander is so called in the West ; it possesses many other aliases. Mud-fish (Melanum pygmoea). — A mud-bur- rowing fish of small size, found on the Atlantic coast. Mud- iiead. — A native of the State of Tennessee. Mud-hen (i) [Ral- lus crepitans). — The Virginian rail, which is also called marsh-hen. (2) In BUCKET-SHOP [q V .) phrase- ology, a woman who dabbles in stock gambling. Mud-hook. — An anchor. Mud-lumps. — The mud-banks which form at the mouth Oi' the Mississippi are thus desig- nated. Mud-poke (Grus cinerea). — A crane has received this name from its habit of resting on the mud at the sides of streams whilst engaged in catching fish. Mud- pout. — A species of cat (q.v.) Mud-scoop. — A water-dredging machine. M u d - s i l L. — The lower classes of society. This phrase was derived from the name given to the railway-sleepers which form the foundation upon which the rails are laid, the idea being that labor ' the mud sill of society. This , ;ithet was also applied contemptuously to South- erners by Northerners at the period of the Civil War. Mud- sill CLUBS. — In 1858 associations of miners and working-men in Cali- fornia received this name. Mud- turtle [Stcrnothueyus odorata). — Other names for this reptile, wnich is common throughout the States, are marsh-tortoise and mud- terrapin. MuGv/uMP. — A Republican who claims a right at times to vote indepen- dently of his party. Mr. Charles F. Norton, the author of Political Americans, defines a mugwump as " one who sets himself up as better than his fellows; a Pharisee," the political bias of which is clear. Mr. Norton gives the following interesting account of the origin, probable derivation, and application of the term. On the nomination of the Hon. Janes G. Blaine for the f residency (June 6th, i'j84), a strong opposition developed among disaffec- ted Republicans, calling themselves Inde- pendents. The movement originated at a meeting in Boston (June 7th), and was prompt- ly taken up in New York and elsewhere. The supporters of the regular nomination affected to believe that these Independents set them- selves up as the superiors of their former associates. They were called Dudes, Pharisees and hypocrites, and on June 15th, 1884, The New York Sun called them mug- wumps. The word was forthwith adopted by the public as curiously appropriate, though for a time it.; meaning was problematical. It appeared that the term had been in use col- loquially in some parts of New England, Midada 377 Mule n the whilst ■MuD- '■\-~' edging _ The This m the ilecpers [\ upon he idea isill of as also » South- e period OD-SILL tions of in Cali- — MUD- oratii). — le, wnich le States, id MUD- rho claims 1 indepen- i- Charles Political 'U'ump as as better isee," the IS clear, following he origin, pplication ^ ... Janes G. 6th, i'.84). a jng disaffcc- elves Inde- ;inate(l at a wasproinpt- ;where. The itiou affected Its set them- their former led Uudes, ,n June 15th, thinn Muo- rith adopted riate, though lematical. It n in use col- !W England, 1 notably on the \fassachusctts const. Tlienco it liad horn carrii'«tt////'/iV(i//o«, iliiision, and silence! The incident is reported to have taken place in Philadelphia, and it is sometimes given as addition, division, and siLENCi: ! meaning very much the same thing. MuMMACHOo (F«H(fH/«5).— A local term in Long Island for the barred KiLLY. Mummachog is the Indian name for the fish in question. MUMMICK, to.— S« MUMICKS. " Now you've viummichcd that pie pretty well " — an old saying. MuNo. — From Old English "toming" (the modern form is mingle) ; vutng signifies confused ; contradictory ; false; or even fictitious. The word is mostly associated with news ; as "vtiing" news, i.e., intelligence of an unreliable and contradictory character. Munroe Doctrine. — Briefly, this may be described as a theory that the American continent is no longer open to any attempt on the part of European powers farther to extend their jurisdiction, whether by colonization or political inter- ference. Also, on the same prin- ciple, the United States decline to meddle with the political affairs of the Eastern Hemisphere. This doctrine, as the name implies, was originated by Mr. Mi-.nroe, the fifth President of the Republic of the West, who, in 1820, was elected without opposition for a second term of office. In 1823 a discussion arose between the United States Government and thoseofRussiaand Great Britain inregardto theproper limits of the North-western terri- Mnnroe Doctrine 379 Miish 5 proper of a RING all pl''iy r mutual ipiication, incident 1 place in ometimes ,ION, AND much the local term 3 BARRF-D he Indian tion. Ks. "Now pie pretty ,"tommg igle); muiig itradictory ; , The word vith ntws ; [intelligence ntradictory tory. In view of possible develop- ments which, in the eyes of Ameri- cans, have since fully justified the action of their Chief Magistrate, Mr. Munroe, at the instance of John Quincy Adams, th real author of the principle, asserted as an axiom in which the rights and interests of the United States were involved, that the American continents, by the free and independent condi- tion wliich they had assumed and maintained, were henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European power. The line of argument stated that the proprietary rights of Spain had passed over to the South American States and Me.xico, and that since Great Britain and the United States claimed to extend their jurisdiction to the Pacific, and thus over the whole of the North-western territories, it hence resulted that both the Northern and Southern Continents of America hid passed under the civil dominion of the several States, among which they were parcelled, and were thus open to Europeans and each other only on the footing of so many independent sovereignties, claiming and asserting a jurisdiction which shielded the whole continent from encroachments under the old and long-recognized rights of discovery and settlement. Subsequently, by a second message, Mr. Munroe declared, acting in concert with Great Britain, that the United States would consider any attempt on the part of European Powers to extend their system to any portion of the Western Hemisphere as dangerous to the public peace and safety. The successful effort in late years to relieve Mexico from a foreign ruler and French armies was a practical illustration of the Munroe doctrine, and on the same grounds considerable excitement prevailed in the States as to the action Great Britain would take in the dispute, still unsettled, between British Guiana and Venezuela con- cerning the frontier line of those two countries. The same principle was involved, though, of course, quite distinct from American politics, in the request recently made by the Government of Vic- toria to the Home OUice for such action as would prevent a foreign power (Germany) establishing itself at the very doors of the future Republic ot the Southern Seas. Murder in the First Degree, Second Decree, Etc. — A distinction is made in American law between degrees of crime, both in offences against the person and against property. The jury in the case of Antonio D'Andrea, on triiil for mukdkr in tii?; first dkgrek, for having advised Cliiara Cignarale to kill her husband, retired at 3.30 p.m., and re- turned at 4.30 witli a verdict of not guilty, Tlie Cignar.ile woman is under sentence of death for the crime. D'Andrea was her alleged paramour, and it is cliarced that he agreed to marry her if she would shoot her husband. — Daily Iiiter-Oceaii, Feb. 2, ib88. District Attorney Hamilton said he under- stood that the defendant wished to witti- draw his plea of not guilty of murder in THE FIRST DEGREE, and to enter the plea of guilty of MURDER IN THE SECOND DEGREE. — Charlestown Neti's ami CoumT, Jan. 30, 1888. To BURGLARY IN THE THIRD DEGREE, John B. Michael pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to Danneinora for two years. Hosea W. Knowlton, for assault in the FIRST DEGREE, OH his father, William Knowl- ton, pleaded guilty, and he was sent to Dan- nemora for two years.— Troy Daily Times, Jan. 31, 1888. Murphies. — A Ntw York term for a gang of rowdies, mainly composed o' Irishmen — hence the distinc- ti 'ely national patronym. Mush. — A kind of ha? adding or porridge (being ofte.. so called), made of Indian meal boiled in Music 380 Muslin water. It is eaten either with milk or treacle. A mush of CONCESSION. — A woman is said to be a mush of concessioti when yield- ing and clinging in nature. Music. — Fun ; frolic ; amusement. Oliver Wendell Holmes uses the phrase, " I can't say it's musical," meaning amusing. This rendering is most frequently heard in New England, but is by no means con- fined to that part of the country. My lawful sakes! What be they coin' to do about it ? inquired Lyddy Bangs, flusiiing with excitement. Thct be too musical. — Scribner's Magazine, 1887. (Cant). — The verdict of a jury when they find Not Guilty — music, indeed, no doubt. Musical BOX. — A Confederate's term, half- jocose, Jrtlf-satirical, for a creak- ing army-waggon in use during the Civil War. Also called Jeff Davis' box. To FACE THE MUSIC. — To show one's hand ; to meet an emergency ; or, " to come up to the scratch." This phrase is sometimes erroneously quoted as English slang, but there can be little ques- tion as to its American origin, although considerable doubt exists as to its true derivation. J. Feni- more Cooper thought it derived from the stage, and used by actors in the green-room, when they are nervously preparing to go on the boards and liter; y face the music. Another explanation traces it back to militia musters, where every man is expected to appear fully equipped and armed, when in rank and file, facing the music. I am sure Fred cart explain everything satisfactorily. As soon as I see him I will to with him to the Chief of Police and have im make a statement. I hope he hasn't read the newspaper stories about him, for it might scare him, and he'd very foolishly skip out. That would be the worst thing he could do. He must face the music, — Daily Inter-Ocean, Feb. 20, 1888. MusiciANER. — A New England colloquialism, which is, or was provincial in Norfolk for musician. muskeet, mu8keto g r a s s .— sf« Mesquit. Muskeg. — An Indian name for a bog. The whole MUSKEG, when a train is pass- ing, shows a series of short waves five to six inches deep.— S^ I'atd and Minneapolis Pioneer I'ress, July 22, iSb8, MUSKELUNGE Or MUSKALOUNGE {EsOX estor). — An Indian name for a large pike, found in all Northern lakes and rivers. At times it attains a weight of upwards of eighty pounds. Musk Melon. — See Cantaloupe. MUSK Ox. — An animal found in the Northern latitudes of the American continent. It receives its name from the peculiar odour emitted by it at times. Musk Rat {Fiber zibethicus) . — This animal, which is elsewhere known as the musqwash (its Indian name), is in form and habits something like the beaver. It is only in sum- mer that the animal is distinguished by a particular odour. Muslin. — In some States inuslin is synonymous with longcloth or CALICO (q.v.) shirting. This di- vergence of usage, in different parts of the Union, leads at times to some curiously amusing mistakes. De Vere quotes the following: — "A gentleman in Philadelphia ordered muslin shirts in Boston, and al- though reminded of the unsuitable- ness of that material for the climate in which he lived, insisted upon his order, as he had always worn muslin, meaning cotton - shirting, i* Musquash 381 My Unconverted Friend igland r was .sician. 5. -See for a ^ is pass- es five to inncapolis GE {Esox )r a large jrn lakes attains a f eighty ,OUPE. nd in the ; American its name emitted by „s)._-This lere known lian name), .omething nly in sum- istinguished in: es tniisUn is gcloth or This di- fferent parts imes to some stakes. De lowing .—"A phia ordered ton, and al- le unsuitabie- jr the climate nsisted upon always worn ton - shirting. When his shirts arrived, they were made of Swiss mull ! The term muslin is, at the North, only used for thin, clear fabrics." Musquash. — See Musk rat. Mus- quash ROOT {Cicuta maculata). — A deadly poisonous plant growing in swamps. Muss. — This word is colloquial and is used with many shades of mean- ing, the central idea being that of confusion and disorder. Amongst ether significations, it bears that of noisy squabbling. In all proba- bility it is a mere corruption of "mess." To muss, or mux. — To disarrange ; cast into disorder ; crumple. There is also the adjec- tive MUSSY with a similar meaning and an identical form, i.e., iiiussy, from the Dutch morsig, is used for dirty ; smeary ; smudgy. Your reporter visited the rooms and saw them as they were found. The bed was neatly made by a woman's hand, not a spread wrinkled, not a towel mussed, nut a drop of water in .vash-bowl or bucket in the bedrooom where they were supposed to have .slept and to have vacated so early Tuesday morning. — American Paper, loSa. Country Groom (to waiter) — ' Raw oysters for two, mister.' Waiter—' Yes, sir— have 'em in the shell ? Groom (to bride) — 'That suit you, lovey ? ' Bride (dubiously) — 'Why — er — yes, John, if you think you kin open 'em 'thout niakin' a MUSS.' — Texas Si//;«g^s, August 18, 1888. Neither of us got two winks of sleep during the night on the car, and Mr. Bowser narrowly escaped coming into deadly con- flict with conductor and porter. We reached Chicago in a mussed up condition. — Detroit F'n Press, 1888. MusTAFiN*. — A person in whom the proportion of black blood is one- si.xteenth. — See Mulatto. Mustang. — A horse of Spanish and Indian breed. Large herds of these wild horses roam the Western prairies, especially those of South- western Texas. — See Bron'CHo and Cayuse. When young and un- trained plainsmen call them cow- PONIES. In this event, writes he, do not select a MUSTANG .... unless you want to be initiated into the mysteries of bucking. The MUSTANG is the only animal in the wurld that can buck, and it ought to be a source of thanksgiving that such is the case. The buck consists of the musta."' Inter-Ocean, March 2, iBbS. NEWSPAPER Sense. — The marvellous development of the modern news- paper calls for the display of qualities in a journalist, altogether unique of their kind and little dreamt of in the past. To be suc- cessful he must be able, industrious, earnest, and independent, interested in everything that concerns the welfare of the journal he repre- sents, have a keen scent for news, a large cipacity for analysis, cap- able of appreciating fine distinctions bet^veen things that differ, and power to remember names and faces. Add to all this a keen in- terest in persons, geniality of man- ner, and hosts of acquaintances and friends — all these combined go far to make a successful journalist, and their aggregate is what is intended by newspaper sense. N. G. — A slang abbreviation for "no go," i.e., of no avail ; to no purpose. Hill claims he has the thing down dead to rights, and that he will make the farmers sweat who have been asserting that his claim was n. G.—Ciucinuati Weekly Gazette, February 22, 1888. Nib (Cant).— The mouth. NiBBLER (Ctenolabrus cceruleus). — This fish is also known as blue perch, BURGALL, CONNOR, etc. Its Sobri- quet of the nibbler is obviously derived from its tricky habits, from a fisherman's point of view. Nick, — Acent piece. Thesecoinsare made of nickel, and the term has naturally been abbrevi.ited to meet the inexorable demand for brevity in terms of popular use, and also to distinguish it from nickel [q.v.). Nickel. — A five cent piece. This must not be confounded with the foregoing, a coin of the value of one cent. Both, however, are made of the same metal. Gentleman (to tramp) — Why do you ask for only a penny, my man? Most of you peop'.d want nickki,s and dimes? Tramp — Yes, sir, but I'm a new hand at the business, an' I want to begin right; make it a dime, though, if you like. — Montreal Herald, February 21, 1888. Nickel bank. — A gambler's term. Nickels or five cent pieces form the unit of operations. Piorson is a new light in the green-cloth world, havin' risen like a meteor in three years. He was a waiter in a Leadville res- taurant up to 18H5, when ho started a nickel HANK of his own, and won both fame and fortune as a gambler. — New York World, May, 1888, NicKEY. — A variation of " Old Nick " — the devil. Nicknames and Pseudonyms. — The following are the most notable nicknames, pseudonyms, and sobri- quets of politicians, literary men, and others. A Ladv— Miss Susan Fenimore Cooper. At-TKR Ego — Robt. E. Strahorn. Amy LoTHRoi'— ,\nna B. Warner. An American Lady — Henry Wood. Artemus Ward— Chas. F. Browne. A Southerner — Sey- mour R. Duke. Barnwell — Robt. Barn- well Roosevelt. Bret Harte — Francis Bret Harte. Bull of the Woods — Sum- ner, one of the best known characters of the Union. Captain Chatters — Uukeof Char- tres. Captain Perry — Count of Paris. Carl Benson — Mr. Charles Astor Bristed, Chas. Summeriueld — Theodore Foster. Chris. Crowkield— Mrs. H Beccher Stowe. Christian Rkid — Miss Fanny Fischer. CuACKEi;s — Early. Dick Tinto — Mr. Frank B. Goodrich. DitDRicH Knickerbocker — Washington Irving. Edmund Kirke— Jas. M "(■n*!*'' mmmmm if Nicknames 39° Nigger Roberts Gilmore. Fanny Fern — Mrs. Jas. Paiton. Fanny Foukesteh — Mrs. A<)oni- rain Judsun {lUe Emily Chudbuck, i«i7- 1N54). FiGiiTi.Nc, Joii — Hooker. Frank FoKKESTKK — Ilciiry William Ilcibirt. Friar Antonio Auai'IOA— SVashinntoii Ir- ving. Gaii, Hamilton — Mary Abigail Dodge, of Hamilton, Mass. Grace Grekn- wooD — Mrs. Sarah Jane Lippincott {nie Clarke). Hans Urkitmann— Clias. G. Le- laiid. Harry of thk \Vi:st— Henry Cl.iy. HiDERNicus — De Witt Clinton. Hosea BiGLow — J.-is. Kusscll Lowell. Ianthe — Mrs. Embury. Ike Marvel — Mr. Donald G. Mitchell. Iken.i-.us— Rev. S. I. Prime. Jeii — Stuart. Jeemes Pipes ok Pii>evili,e — St( phen C. Massett. Jonathan OLPsrvi.E — Washington Irvin;;. Josh Uillinos — A. W. Shaw. Junior Dow— Eldridf»e G. Paige. Katb Putnam- Miss Kate Putnam Osgood. K. N. Pei'fer (pronounced Cayenne pepper) — Mr. James M. Morris. Little ^iAC — General McClellan. Little Phil — Sheri- dan. Madame C de la U. — Madame F. E. Calderon de la Uarca. MadTom — Gen. Sher- man. Major Jack Downing— Seba Smith. Marion Harland— Mrs. Virginia Terhune. Mai;k Twain — Mr. Samuel Clemens. Mas. Bob — General Lee. Max Adeler — Chas. Hebcr Clark. Miller iiov of the Slashes — Henry Clay. M. Quad — C. H. Lewis. Mrs. Partington — Mr. B. P. Shillaber. Ned Buntline— Mr. E. Z. C. Judson. Newsman Danbuuy— J. M. Bailey. Old Abe or Abe — President Lincoln. Old Bullion— Col. Thos. H. Benton of Mis- souri. See Bullion State. Old Bur- chell — Elihu Burritt. Old Dad— General Price. Old Driver — The Devil. Old Hutch — Hutchinson of Chicago. By work ing a wheat deal he made 2,000,000 dols. Old Joe — Johnston. Old Kough-and- Ready — Major-General Zachary Taylor. Old Scratch— The Devil. Old Sflit- foot — The Devil. Old Whitey — The name of Gen. Taylor's horse during the war with Mexico. Old Zach — Major-General Zachary Taylor. Oliver Optic— Mr. W. T. Adams. Orpheus C. Kerr (pronounced Office Seeker)- Mr. R. H. Newalls. Patched Breeches- William L. Marcy of New York. Pathfinder— Gen. John C. Fremont. Penholder— Edwd. Eggleston. Petroleum V. Nasby — D. R. Locke. Porte Crayon— D. H. Strother. Peter Parley — Mr. Samuel G. Goodrich (1793- 1860). Q. K. Philander Doesticks — Mortimer Thompson. Sam Slick— Hon. T. C. Halliburton. Seven-Mule Barnum — Mr. Barnuin of Connecticut. Sparrowgrass — Mr. F. S. Cozzens. Stonewall — Gen. Jack- son. Talvj — Mrs. (Theresa/IlbertineLouisa Don jfacob) Robinson. The Beehunter — Col. J. B. Thorpe. The Flatboatman — President Lincoln. The Learned Black- smith — Elihu Burritt. The Rail-splitter —President Lincoln. The Ranger— Capt. Flack. The War-Hoksk — Longsireet. Timothy Titcombe— Dr. J. G. Holland. U. DoNouGH OuTls (pronounceil You don' know who 'tis) — Mr. Rii hard Grant White. Uncle Remus— Joe Chandler Harris. Walter Clerk Barrett— J. A. Scoville. Wm. Penn — Jeremi.ih Everts. YouNO Napoleon — General McClellan. OF CITIES. — See ■ Nicknames Nicknames city et passim OK citizens of states. — See Names. Nicknames of states. — Passim . NiCOTIANA. A district. tobacco - produciug Nicotian Leaf. — Tobacco. Nifty is an adjective synonymous with excellence of style and ap- pearance ; up to the mark. _ Obs'quies isgood. Yes, that's it ; that's our little game. We arc going to get the thing up regardless you know. He was always nifty himself, and so you bet his funeral ain't going to be no slouch — solid silver door-plate on his coffin, six plumes on the hearse, and a nigger on the box in a biled shirt and a plug hat — How's that for high ? — Mark Twain's The Innocents at Home, p. 20. Nigger. — By far the most popular appellation for a negro. Nigger babies. — An ironically facetious name given by General Hardee, of the Confederate Army, to the huge projectiles hurled into Charleston during its siege by General Gil- more. For those who read be- tween the lines there will be found a wealth of suggestion in the curious application of this term to monster cannon balls; and not less wanting in sarcastic allusion was the SWAMP angel, as was called the gun from which these things were driven. Nigger head. — (i) A tuft of grass or sedge appearing above the waters of a swamp. From a fancied resemblance to a negro's woolly head. (2) A contemptuous term applied to those Northerners who were inclined to violent measures in dealing with Nigirey 391 Nipper i\nd. .Ion' \iito. irris. viUe. 3UNQ See \MKS — See ATES. iucing lymous ind ap- tliat'sour e thing "P ays f I'i'^X leral am t door-plate arse, ana a and apHiS ,(, Tivain s the slavery question. Nigger- head STONE. — A stone abounding in the neighborhood of Baltimore and much used for metalling roads. Like a m'gf^ey's head, it is hard, report avowing that the stone is soonest broken ; it is also a moot point as to which is heaviest ; and to do the black man justice, he would probably not care to give the stone a single point as regards color. NiGGEKisM. — A word, habit, custom, etc., peculiar to negroes. Nigger luck. — To use another slang expression which best interprets the meaning "awfully good luck." The allu- sion is doubtless to the happy-go- lucky manner in which the negro takes life ; generally speaking, if good fortune comes to him, it is without the slightest effort on his part Sam K. inker, the notorious gambler and claim-juniper, heard the rumor with avari- cious ears. ' I am cussed,' he howled to a crowd of his own stripe, ' if any darned rebil can have stich NKiGER LUCK and enjoy it while I live. You can hot I'll soon settle that.' ' The syndicate's expert comes up from Denver to-morrow, Sam,' said one of his friends. — The Critic, April 14, 18S8. Nigger night. — A New Eng- land term applied by young white people to Saturday night courting. To nigger-out land. — To exhaust land by improvident work- ing ; to take everything out of it that can be got, and to return nothing in the shape of manure or other fertilising agents. This method was often disastrously pur- sued in the South, and negroes being t.he labor employed, the term is probably as much an allu- sion to this practice as from its being a marked characteristic of purely negro tillage. Nigger WORSHIPPER. — An opprobrious term applied to the anti-slavery party. Niggerv. — Like a nigger; pertaining to a nigger or negro. NiQHT. — See After-night. NiGHT-Kcv. — This is the American equivalent for a latch-key. ' I am siltinR up,' she explained, ' bocauso tl'.ero are still four or five of my younn men out, and as I do not t;ive nioiit-keys to any- one but the doctor, I have to sit up or ask some of my liar; ^irls to do so. It is dreary waiting souietimes, but on the wlioli.' they are coMsi;s- . to decic\c b\ '■. the names 01 es a statement Les of each Ot I in a large ice of " in- Instead of living in such and such a street, or being in it, in the sense of passing through it, an American would speak of living on or being on the thoroughfare in question. The murder was done at about seven o'clock, ON the street, not more than twenty feet from the store of Henry Williamson. — riiikerton's Mollie Maguires. Similarly Brother Jonathan comes to Europe on a steamer instead of "in" it, and travels on the cars instead of in the train. He also writes on the newspapers and one divine actually prayed to " Our Father which art on Heaven," etc. To BE ON A THING. — Here on is used in the sense of "about." Sometimes also to be ready for a fight or brawl. ' Pard, he was on it 1 He was on it bigger than an Injun t ' 'On it I On what?' 'On the shoot. On the shoulder. On the fij;ht, you understand.' — Mark Twain's The Innocents at Home, ON EEND. When a person is on eend, he is filled with anger and astonishment ; probably a corrup- tion of the old saying " to have," or "to make one's hair stand on end." On hand. — This phrase applied to objects is of course commonly colloquial in England ; but, in America, the expression is extended to persons in a very strange fashion. A broker from Wall-street was on hand, and tried to pray, but he broke down half- way in the Lord's Prayer, and there seemed to be no one able to assist him. — New York Express, On herd. Off herd. — Cow- boys' terms for being on or off duty. The various reliefs during the day and night speak of being on herd and off herd, very much as if they were performing military duty. On the coast. — See Coast. On time. — A train arrives on time when punctual. ' Can >;ou tell me if the 7.30 express from the city is on timk ? ' he asked of a uniform official. ' Five minutes late, sir,' was the prompt answer. — The A mericnn, August 29, liiSS. As he passed, he called out : For God's sake, boys ! thar's a-gwine ter bo a collision three mile south ef thirtecn's ON TniE.—Scribiii-r's Magazine, 1887. To BE ON TO ONE is to be equal to dealing with a person so that he may gain no unfair advantage ; to be able to give blow for blow; to return "tit for tat." Where a man is a wife poisoner it is not right to have him married to an innocent woman who docs not suspect any harni. He ought to have for his wife a woman who is ON TO HIM, and who can meet his poison advances with a kerosene bath. It would be interesting to watch such a couple. If he came around her with taffy or gum drops and sweet words, she would know in a minute they were loaded, and she would say, ' No, darling I do not care for candy. Eat them yourself.'— AVw York Mercury, July 21, 1888. -On end. — Or more commonly , On YESTERDAY. — A turgesccnt form, but one which in spite of its absolute illiteracy is frequently met with. For example, " I spoke concerning the measure on yester- day," "I travelled to hum on yesterday," etc. ONCET.— At oncet. — See Onst. One Berhy. — A Connecticut term for the Indian turnip, which is also known in popular parlance as "Jack-in-the-Pulpit."— Sfs Jack. One-eyed Scribe. — A Texan term for a revolver. Its argument is always persuasive, and sometimes unan- swerable. — See Meat in the pot. One-goat. — A variant of one-horse (q.v.) as applied adjectively. In one-goat, however, a spice of sug- 51 One-Horse 402 Opening gestive meaning is apparent quite absent from ONE- HORSE. Compare with meaning of "goatish." Of course, Morocco is a small place. VVe could live very comfortably if it were wiped ofl' the map of the world. But while we have 60,000,000 of people, and arc amply able to care for ourselves, it seems a shame to let a petty ONE-GOAT power kingdom insult our citizens. If we had a good navy, ready at our call, and should anchor a few big ships off Tangier, the measure, we think, would iiave a beneficial result. — Boston Weekly Globe, March 28, i888. On t- Horse. — A one-horse affair of any kind, whether it be a town, man, church, or entertainment, is strikingly mean or insignificant in character. The phrase is a true Americanism. — See Horse. Phelps was one of these little one-horse plantations, and they all look alike. A rail fence round a two-acre yard ; a stile made out of logs sawed off and up-ended, in steps, like barrels of a different length, to climb over the fence with, and for the women to stand on when they are going to jump on to a horse ; some sickly grass patches in the big vard, but mostly it was bare and smooth, like an old hat with the nap rubbed off ; big double log-house for the white folks — hewed logs, wi'h the chinks stopped up with mud or mortal , ,md these mud stripes been white- washed some time or another; round-log kitchen, with a big, broad, open but roofed passage joining it to the house ; log smoke- house back of the kitchen; three little log nigger-cabins in a row t'other side the smoke- house; one little hut all by itself away down against the back fence, and some outbuild- ings down a piece the other side ; ash-hop- per and big kettle to bile soap in by the little nut ; bench by the kitchen door, with bucket of water and a gourd ; hound asleep there in the sun ; more hounds asleep round about ; about three shade-trees away off in a corner ; some currant bushes and gooseberry bushes in one place by the fence ; outside of the fence a garden and a water-melon patch ; then the cotton-fields begins; and after the fields the woods. — The Adventures of Huckle- berry Finn, p. 328. The Dell was a measly-looking little one- HORSE country paper, patent insides and dead ads. outside. The village was so small that it was impossible to scare up a column of local news a week. The editor spaced out by writing imaginary sketches of town and county happenings, and the news eventually reached hi?, little place from the outside world that he was a genius. — Bur' lington Free Press, January 27, i8S3, ONEHy.—See Ornery. ONE WHILE. — A long-time. Onhitch, To. — A New Englander's synonym for drawing the trigger of a gun ; to fire. So he oNHiTCHED — Jerusalem ! the middle of ne::t year Was right next door compared to where he kicked the crittur to. —J, R. Lowell's liiglow Papers. Compare dispanir. with the Spanish On -Plush. — A Southern corruption of " nonplus." Onst. — At onst. — At once ; immedi- ately. J. Russell Lowell thinks it is not a corruption, but an erratic and obsolete superlative "at onst." TwYST for "twice" is formed on the same model. Onst is some- times spelt onct or oncet, and both forms are commonly colloquial throughout the Union. Onto. — A form which, obsolete in England, is still retained in the States. It bears the same relation to on as " into " does to " in." oodles. — A Tennessee expression, signifying abundance. Opah {Lampris guttatiis). — A Southern name for the king-fish, or what is known in New Jersey as the HAKE. Opening. — Explained by quotation. — See Oak-openings. The trees, with very few exceptions, were what is called the burr-oak, a small variety of a very extensive genus ; and the spaces be- tween them, always irregular and often of il! t!i: ■pp^ BOi Operate 403 Orthography ^Buy- ander's e middle where Ue Spanish orniption .. immedi- ■\\ thinks It t an erratic 3 "at onst. " formed on St is some- et, and both colloquial obsolete in ,ined in the tame relation "in." pression, ex .\ Southern jersey as tne Iby quotation. nd tl^e spaces ^^ ►ular and oucn siiiRular beauty, have obtained the name of oi'Etii!>os.— Cooper's The Oak Opcniiigi. Operate, To. — To manage; to work; to carry out ; to finesse, etc. , etc. A verb of all work. A broker operates his stocks and shares, a lawyer his clients' interests, and for other examples, see quotations. For years young men have been riding about on bicycles, never dreaming that tlio little vehicle illustrates a principle which might be opekatki) on a very much larger scale. The speed at which a bicycle can be driven by nmscle is twenty-four miles an hour. It occurred some fifteen years ago to Mr. 15. Moody Boynton, that if the piinciple could be applied to the railroad system, far greater speed and safety could be attained, — Savannah Morning News, 1888. Mark Simonton, the well-known pool- seller, was indicted yesterday in Covington. Mr. Simonton has his head-quarters in that city. Yesterday the Grand Jury arose, and among the many indictments found, was one against him. He is charged with nuisance, consisting in operating a pool-room on Second-street, in Covington. At the room, it is claimed, idle and evil-disposed persons congregate to watch the result of the races. — Cincinnati Enquirer, 1888. Opinuated. — Conceited, or opinion- ated. Sometimes, among negroes especially, it is synonymous with obstinate and tricky, e.g., "an opinuated mule." Opossum. — See 'Possum. Ohate.To. — To make a speech. Com- pare with DONATE, LOCATE, and similar forms. Ordinary.— In Connecticut a synonym for plainness and homeliness of feature ; in the West its contracted form or'nery, is frequently used to describe anything mean and insig- nificant. Original HAro (in poker). — The first five cards dealt to any player.— TAe AmcyicanHoyle. Oriole. — See Baltimore oriole. Orleans. — A telegraphic form for New Orleans. OR'NERY. — A corruption of " ordi- nary," to the primary meaning of which is added a spice of contempt for the man or object so described. It was pretty or'nery preaching— all about brotherly love and suchlike tiresomeness; but everybody said it w.is a good sermon, and they all talked it over going home, and had such a powerful lot to sav about faith, and good works, and free grace, and prefore- ordestination, and I don't know what all, that it did seem to me to be one of the roughest Sundays I hail run across yet. — The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, p. 1C7. ' Hain't I got religun ? ' demanded Joe. ' Has a b'ar got wings? ' answered one of the women. ' The Lord wouldn't hev ye. Joe, an' you know it. You's too onerv all through. You's too lazy to hold to religun if you got it,'— North-w^stent Chronicle, 1888. Orthography. — It is not alone in idiom and pronunciation that the English of the New differs from that ot the Old World. In orthography there are important variations, a few only of which, as types of their class, it is possible to give within the limited compass of this work. In words like "traveller" a single I is substi- tuted for the double consonant, thus traveler; words ending in tre as "theatre" change the ter- mination into ier; the syllable our in such words as "favour" elides the u and the word appears as favor, a change which is now not uncommon in England. This de- flection is even extended to words like mould, now written mold, while plumb appears as plum. These are examples only of modifications of orthography a full list of which will be found in Webster's Unabridged. The tendency seems to be to cast out all superfluous consonants and vowels, and to adopt as far as possible, without m Ortolan 404 Out violent change, a phonetic ortho- grapical basis. Ortolan. — The bobolink (q.v.). This is a very different bird to the European variety. Osage Orange. — Otherwise the bois d'arc or BODOK (qv.). The colonel had bou!;ht a home oa the edge of the town, with soino ten acres of beautiful ground surrounding. A high OSAGE-ORANGE hedge shut it in, and forest trees, chiefly maples and elms, gave to the lawn and house abundant sha.dti.—Ccntuiy Magazine, 1888. Ostler (Cant). — Ahorse thief. Oswego Tea (Monarda didyma). — A Shaker preparation. Ottomised (Cant). — Dissected. In EngHsh slang " ottomy," a skele- ton, is derived through a mispro- nunciation of anatomy. Ouch ! — A Southern exclamation of pain. It appears to be a survival, for it is quoted in ancient glos- saries. OuGHTNEss. — From ought, to be ne- cessary ; to be obliged ; a creation of the Rev. Joseph Cook, who defines the office of conscience to be " the determination of rightness and otightness in human affairs." Out. — (i) In Connecticut a curious usage of out is colloquial. The wind is out, i.e., comes from the outward — the sea. (2) Out is sometimes used substantively, to signify a member of the political party not in power whether local or national. These are collectively called the outs, the opposite side being the ins [q.v.). Thus if the Republicans have a majority in the Government they represent the ins. in which case the Democrats would be the outs. (3) (Cant). — A discarded mistress. Out is occa- sionally used to signify out of humor or temper. To out. — Southern for "to put out," e.g., out the fire ! Outcry. — Until recently this old Saxon synonym for "public auction" was current in some of the remoter districts. Outer. — A negro corruption for "out of." Outfit. — A compre- hensive term variously applied. An expedition of any sort, large or small, is au outfit ; so, also, a hanging or a lumbering party, etc. Likewise a person in a buggy ; or one pushing a wheelbarrow ; and the term is indifferently ap- plied to a party as a whole, or to Its means of travel, its subsistence, etc. There is also the verb to OUTFIT, i.e., to fit out for any pur- pose whatsoever. " We outfitted at St. Paul." When Mac and I looked carelessly into that long hole after the smoke had cleared away you could have knocked either of us over with a feather. The fortune we had longed for lay at our feet. The last blast had disclosed one of the finest bodies of ore we had ever seen. We made no outcry, and the miners paying no attention to the hole, we covered it up and went back to camp. That night we let three of the most reckless devils in the outfit into the secret, and the next morning I started for San Francisco. No man was to leave that camp until I returned. — St. Louis Globe Democrat, February 16, 1888. I returned to Las Vegas with a freighter, whose OUTFIT consisted of six horses and two wagons, one of the latter being a trail vehicle. — Missouri Republican, April i, 1888. A young lady who holds a responsible posi- tion in the Detroit post-office wore a dress one summer which was the admiration of all her friends. It was suitable for a company OUTFIT, and the material cost just sixty-five cents.— Gorfey's Lady's Book, Philadelphia, 1888. If low in purse [the miner] , traverses the mountains on foot ; but if able to own an animal, he has a broncho (native or Califor- nian) pony, mule, or jack, on which he carries his OUTFIT, consisting of grub, pan, spade, blanket, and revolver.— .l/cC/H^t's The Rodiy Mountains, p. 319. Oven 403 Over ore we and the hole, we That e'ss devils the next CO. No _ turned, ruary 16, fre-ghtcr, Drses and ne a trail -1,1888. sible posi- e a dress ition of all company sixty-five ladelphia, n-erses the own an )r Califor- he carries m, spade, he Rochy To get competent t;uidcs is the chief dilli- culty. The; men wlio can or will take an ot.TUT ihroiinh a mountainous country, where they have never been before, are few and far between. — Scribncr'i Magazine, 1887. What do you suppose I saw ? A cani}' of four red-skins not over 200 feet away I They had come into the cove throii^jh a ravine at the upper end, probably arriving the evening before, and weri; now just awakenin.i» from thi.'ir night's sleep. They were out for a hunt as their outfit showed, and as soon as they began to move about they must discover the tracks of the nmle and suspect my presence.— iUo6i7« Register, 1888. Worcester also gives outfit as an allowance to a public minister of the United States, on going to a foreign country, which can- not exceed a year's salary. Out of fix. — Disarranged; in a state of disorder ; the reverse of being " fi,\ed." — See P'lx. Out of whack. — In Virginia machinery is said to be out of whack when out of repair. To out- yuASH. — A superlative form of to quash in the sense of to upset. Those were quashing times, and they were the ouTQUAsniNGKST set of fellows ever known. In one court, forthcoming bonds to the amount of some hundred thousand dol- lars were quashed, because the execution was written State of Mississippi, instead of The State of Mississippi — the constitution requiring the style of process to be. The State of Mississippi — an outquashing pro- cess, which vindicated the constitution at the expense of foreign creditors.— F/i(s/t Times of Alabama. Outside. — A vulfjarism for beside or except ; its most frequent and worst form is when applied to persons, f.;§'., " Outside of the trades- men there was no one at the meet- ing." To GET OUTSIDE A THING is to understand it, or to use an expression very common in the West Indies, to get to the wind- ward of it ; to have the whip hand over it. Out West, i.e., simply West. Oven (Cant).— A large mouth. Over.— Overdit. — A cattle mark. — Sec Brand. Overcut white OAK. — See BuRR-OAK. OVER- HACK. — A ranchman's mark for cattle. — See Brand. Overhalf- CROSs. — One of the many marks used in branding cattle. — See Brand. Overly. — Very. Gene- rally used negatively as not overly presentable. He is awful conceited, and not overly polite. — Lippiiicott's Magazine. Overseer. — A manager's deputy on a sugar plantation. The estates [of the planters! were managed byovKKSEEKS, who directed the agricultural operations and managed the slaves through colored deputies called drivers. — South Carolina SocictyAtlantic Monthly, 1877, p. 671. Overslaugh. — This, says De Vere, is from the Dutch term ovei'shian, to skip, to pretermit, which still survives in a few local names, where sand-bars suddenly interrupt the free navigation of rivers, as in the overslaugh in the Hudson below Albany, the dread of all skippers. The same verb, it is well known, has given the familiar term overslaughing, for the act of rewarding an outsider at the expense of the person entitled to the preferment by seniority in office. OvER-SLO"E. — A techni- cal brand for cattle used on the ranches of the West. — See Brand. To OVERTURE. — To proposc. A subject is overtured in the Presby- terian Church when presented to the ruling body for consideration. Owl-Car. — A tram-car plying late into the night. Oyster-Fish {Batrachus tau). — A New Jersey name for the toad -fish. In New England it is called the GRUBBLY. This fish is not pleasing to look upon. Oyster SHUCKER. In the South an oyster-opener. Shuck {q.v.) is a synonym of shell. AA3. — This old Dutch term for Master is still rctainetl in some parts of the State of New York. Hence paas bloom- AciiicKS, Easter flow- ers, by which the common yellow daffodil {Narcissus pseudo-narcissus) is generally under- stood. — See Blummie. I'aas EGGS. — Easter eggs. Pacific States. — California, Nevada, and Oregon. Pack, To. — In transporting merchan- dize and stores overland, the goods are, for convenience, nindo up into bundles or packs, and hence is derived the ve-b to pack, i.e., to convey ; or to carry, e.g., will you pack this letter for me ? Paddle. — A paddle- (or orM shaped rod used at one time i negroes. The blade ment, which wa holes bored '" r ADDLE. — To I the aforesaid PADDLE one's rely upon personal advancement ; to be hing stru- had -To jr beat .- .rument.— OWN with -To CANOE. — To effort for self-reliant. Like TO BAIL one's own boat, this phrase is of Western origin, and is derived from the extensive use of water communication. The French have a very similar saying : in il conduit bicn sa barque, and the expression has been familiarized in England by a song entitled "Paddle your own canoe." Paint. — A spotted horse or other animal is, in the South or South- west, thus designated. To paint THE town KED. — Sec ToWN. Painted Box. — A cofTia. We give such creatures timely and duo notice to liave a i'aintf.d uox prej)ared, if tlicy ever intend to apply such insultiiin epithets to us, for if they do they will Ro up the spout, as surely as there is virtue in powder. — I'oint Pleasant Register, Va. Painter. — The corrupted but popular name of the panther or puma. — See Cougar. Pair-Off, To. — This expression to signify an agreement on the part of two members of differing parties in a legislative or other body, to absent themselves from voting, the one thus neutralizing the other, is generally understood to have originated in America. Pairiiif,' off was first practised there in 1839, and though in the beginning looked upon with disfavor, is now regarded as a thoroughly legitimate arrange- ment ; indeed the practice has been adopted by all legislative bodies throughout the civilized world. Palace Car. — A railway carriage fitted up in luxurious style. — See Car. Steamers, too, in the Yankee's efforts to " whip creation »wismii:>iMW ii Pale Faces 407 Panel-Crib ['addle otlier South 3 I'AINT , ami due t'liared, 11 insuUint? i virtue 111 Va. it popular .una. — Sec ession to le part of g parties body, to voting, the other, to have 3 in 1839. ing looked Bv regarded e arrange- ctice has legislative ; civilized carriage I style.— Sc« , in the [ip creation all round," when of a superior class, are termed palace stkamkks, and prominent citizens occupy TAi-ATiAi. residences. KeferriuK to this American love of big names, De Verc remarks, it is to be hoped that the introduction of Stoc/i I'alace Cars on some of tlie Nor- thern roads will .'.peedily lead to the adoption of mure appropriate names, for surely all the sensible and most praiseworthy improve- ments in cattle-trains would not justify the name of palaces for their stalls ! Palc Faces. — It is more than doubt- ful whether this term for white men ever originated, as it is alleged, with the aborigines ; and it is far more likely to have been a simply natural outcome of poetic license. It is, however, very commonly colloquial. Palm, To. — To smear; blot; or smudge with the hands. A New England idiom. Pronounced /««;«. Palmateer. — Frequently written and pronounced parmatuer {q.v). Palm Cabbage. — Otherwise cabbage- tree or cabbage-palm. — Sec Cabbage. The young shoots are used as a vegetable. Palmetto {Chavtarops palmetto). — A miniature palm -like tree. The large fau-shaped leaves are exten- sively employed for thatching pur- poses. Palmetto hats are also manufactured from its fibrous fronds. Palmetto City. — Augusta, the capital of South Carolina. The armorial bearings of this State consist of a. palmetto, that useful and valuable tree being very abundant within its borders. The State itself is hence called the Palmetto State. Palmilla {Cliloiogalum pomeridiannm). — The soap plant or amole of California and Ne.v Mexico. — See Amole. Pandowdy. — Also known in New Juighmd as apple slump. — See uitilcy Apple. Panel-Crib, Pan EL-DEN, Panel- House. — A brothel, the interior arrange- ments of which are specially fitted up to facilitate robbery. Thamodus operandi, though varied sometimes in detail, is generally as follows. A woman of the town having picked up a stranger, and induced him to accompany her home, takes him to one of ihtsc panel-houses, known also as BADGER-CRIUS, SItAKK-DOWNS, and TOUCH-CRIBS. The room to which he is conducted has several means of ingress, one or more being secret. False door frames, movable panels, and even the backs of what appear to be ordinary wardrobes against a wall — all swinging noiselessly on well-oiled hinges, and apparently well secured by lock and bolt — are some of tl'.e methods of securing secret admission. While the woman is engaged with her victim — having first, quite unusually, made sure that the lights are not too high — an accomplice, generally a man who lives upon her earnings, enters the room, rifles the victim's pockets, and then retires. The next move is to cause the man to leave in haste, so, coming to the genuine door of the apart- ment, the accomplice knocks, de- mands admission, using such language au to lead the woman's companion to suppose that her husband is outside. Naturally alarmed, and with visions of out- raged conjugality, and perhaps, as he thinks, public exposure before his eyes, he hastily dresses and Panhandle 408 Papabotte leaves by another door, thinking himself fortunate to have escaped the clutches of the angry pseudo- husband. Too late he discovers that the whole thing is a "plant," and that he has beer duped. The prostitutes who a^ as decoys generally aim at in- veigling passing strangers, so as to redUv.e to a minimum the chances, few enough in any case, of prosecution. Panel thief. — A thief who commits his depre- dations in the manner described. Panhandle. — The Panhandle is a fanciful name for the most north- erly portion of the state of West Virginia. It is a long, narrow, wedge-shaped projection between the Ohio river and the western boundary of Pennsylvania, Texas, and Nevada. — Texas and Nevada also have panhandles. The Panhandle of Texas offers desirable homes to a million of people, at a nominal price, on terms which place them within the reach of the poorest, and that the surplus population of the country may be absorbed in happy, hospitable, and prosperous com- mttnities without breaking the plighted faith of the nation, which should be held er|ually sacred with prince and savage. — Missouri Republican, February 24, 1888, Pan Mill. — A miner's apparatus used in separating gold from the alloy of earth, with which it is found mingled. A San Francisco lady and gentleman were walking by the campoodie, on their way to inspect the California i'an mill. After they had passed about a rod beyond the dusky old nuiser, he suddenly recalled himself, and vociferated a hearty, rousing, Good morning, vasidam'.— Daily lntcr-0:enn, March 8, i888. -Hence to pan out, in the idiomatic sense of to turn out, from the process of panning in mining operations to ascertain the out-turn of gold or other mining products. They got to blows, but things didn't pan OUT as I thought they would. That Scroggin boy crawled nome the worst whipped boy you ever saw, His nose w.rs split like a peach, his left eve was in mourning, there was a lump on his forehead as large as a goose egg, and his off-leg limped painfully after its maXe.— Rocky Mountain News, 1888. The sober business men of the town refused to believe that a i)enniless young man, with nothing to back him but a dream, had secured almost unlimited credit and a rich heiress in the bargain. ' Dreams don't pan out that way,' said one of them, and this was the general opinion. — Providence (R.I.) Journal, 1888. PAN Pie. — Apple slump. — See under APPLE. Pansciology. — From pan, all, scio, I know, and logos, discourse. A new but regular formation to describe a pretentious smattering of uni- versal knowledge. Dr. Jean Roemer's work on the origins of the English people and language (D. Apple- ton & Co.) will be found valuable by all students of language. It is a scholarly book, tracing the growth of modern English under the Koman, Saxon, Danish and French influences. Naturally, it is most largely devoted to Anglo-Saxon, and no one inter- ested in English literature who follows the author can fail to admire the painstaking care with which he walks along the lines of broad ideas. Much of what has been published on this subject in America is the result of rANScioLOGY, but people who hate smatterers, will experience nothing but pleasure in Dr. Roemer's acquaintance.— Missouri Republican, March 2, 18S8. Pantaloonery. — A prices current term for fabrics of which pants or trousers are made. The English term is " trouserings." Pants, Panties. — Trousers; the Americans never speak of this article of attire but as pants or panties. The term is an abbrevia- tion of " pantaloons." Papabotte. — A delicious specimen, from the epicure's point of view, of the plover family. It visits the Western prairies in large numbers, mm Papaw 409 Parlor n't PAN croggin )cd boy t like a g, there ■ge as a jainfuUy tis, 1888. le town is young a dream, lit and a ,ms don't hem, and ee under ill, scio, 1 3. A new , describe r of uni- e origins of e (D. Apple- lable by all lolarly book, nglish under land French nost largely 10 one inter- 3 follows the painstakmg ne the lines at has been nericais tlie ,ple who hate nothing but nuaintance.— 18S8. es current ch pants or he English asers ; the kak of this as pants or in abbrevia- It speciitien, of view, of [t visits the fge numbers, semi-annually ; early in the spring and late in the summer. In the latter season, it is so fat that it flies heavily, and if "killed dead," to use a sportsman's phrase, when more then ten feet from the ground, it often bursts by concussion with the earth. Papaw {Asimina triloba). — This is no relation of the genuine papaw of the tropics, but the same name has been applied to it on account of a fancied resemblance, in the taste of its fruit, to the Simon pure. It is largely used by the Indians as food ; and its young branches being supple and tough, they are occa- sionally employed as a substitute for the willow. Paper City. — Literally "a city on paper " — only this and nothing more, as Poe's Raven would have said. Speculation in land has, at times, run to such lengths in the United States, that unprincipled adventurers have been known to issue plans of a thriving city in some little known locality, and to induce greenhorn emigrants to repair thither, only to find that sometimes not even a log shanty was erected on a spot which, on paper, had been represented with houses, banks, manufactories, and other resources of civilization. In other cases lots {q.v.) have been marked out and sold which, to the vendors' dis' 1st and chagrin, have been found to be situated in the Pacific, some hundreds of yards from the shoxQ.—See Lot. Paper Garments. — A recent inven- tion. The idea contains the germ of untold possibilities ! When black underclothes were introduced I was ready for almost any othr r innovation, I knew not what and could not conjecture what it would be. It has come, and with it, to my mind, an awful danger. Paper gar- MEiNTS for ladies is the very latest. A friend has just received an outfit — for his wife showed them to me. They are built of the same paper apparently of which the Chinese nap- kins are made. Their peculiarity is the same, too; the more they are wrinkled and crushed the softer they become ; the more they are used the more pliable are they. Only one danger that I can see lurks in them, but that is a terrific danger. Suppose all the button-holes moisten at the same moment, what is to spare the nakedness of the charming wearer ? —New York Mercury, July 21, 1888. Pappoose. — The derivation of this word has much exercised the minds of philologists. Its suggested origin in an Indian dialect was manifestly fanciful ; now, however, it is a pretty generally received opinion, that pappoose is an imperfect at- tempt at the pronunciation of the English word "babies," somewhat in the same way that the word Yankee (q.v.) is the outcome of a similar attempt to pronounce the word "English." Pappoose ROOT (Cauloplyllum thalictroides) . — A variety, otherwise called blue COHOSH. — See Cohosh. Parbuckle. — An arrangement of ropes for hoisting purposes. Whether this is a genuine Ameri- canism is somewhat doubtful. Pard. — Universally colloquial for " partner," of which it is a corrup- tion. Paris of America. — Cincinnati. This city is also called Queen City and PoRKOPOLis, the latter because of its being a large centre of the pork-packing industry. Parish. — In certain parts, notably in Louisiana, parish is synonymous with county. Parlor. — The drawing-room of Eng- lish houses, until lately, was called d^ parlor. Latterly, however, a wave 52 "immmi Parmatecy 410 Passageway f! of Anglo-mania has popularized the Old English usage. Parmateer or Palmateer. — A politi- cal Americanism now almost, if not altogether obsolete. Derived from the French/a)7f»',to speak, through " Parliament." It was once used in Rhode Island as an equivalent of " to electioneer." Paroled, To Be. — To be released or remanded on bail. The American form is obviously an extension of the military term or usage of a prisoner being liberated on his giving his parole d'honneuY. The technical charge against Fox is that of aiding and abetting prize fighting, and making liis office the rendezvous for men bent on violating the law. Fox asked for an adjournment of the examination until Tues- day next, which was granted. The defen- dant was PAuoi.Kn on liis own recognisance. —Troy Daily Times, February 7, iab8. Brodie asserted that he could bring a witness to prove that he had agreed to pay eight dols. per month each for the support of his children, and he was paroled until August a.— New York Herald, July 29, 18S8. Parquet. — Few would recognize in this term an American equivalent for the " pit " of English playhouses. The usage is distinctly American, and this particular application of the term, which literally means "an inlaid floor," was introduced, it is said, on the opening of the New York Academy of Music. Particularists. — An offshoot of the Whig party, which came into pro- minence shortly after the Revolu- tion. Known subsequently as Anti-Federals, their distinctive PLATFORM {q.v.) was the advocacy of states' rights (qv), as op- posed to the strong Government Whigs of that period, who, on the other hand, favored the doctrine of the supremacy of Federal in- terests. Particular Jesse. — See Jesse. PARTRIDGE BERRY (MitclteUa rcpeiis and Gaultheria procumbens). — This popular name is given to both species, and though the scarlet berries of each are alike in appear- ance, the resemblance ends there, for while the former is tasteless, the berry of the latter is highly flavored, and pleasant to the palate. Also called checkerberry, chick- berry and twinberry. 'AsiGRAPHY. — A universal language of telegraphic signs. We must also look after pasigraphy. The telegraph operators who send messages be- tween countries speaking different languages are agreeing on signs, each to stand for all words of the same sense in all the languages with which they have to do, just as Arabic figures do over so large a part of the world, and a kind of universal language for the tele- graph will soon grow up, to the astonishment of the world. — A'ew York Times, i888. Pass (in poker). — "I pass," is a term used in draw poker, to signify that a player throws up his hand, and retires from the game. — The American Ho\'',. To pass a divi- dend. — In mercantile circles to vote against the declaration of a dividend. Passage, — This word, in the sense of "enactment," is of American origin. It can, however, no longer be re- garded as outside the standard of the dictionaries, having long since taken its place in spite of long and sustained opposition. To .speak of the passage of a measure through Parliament, etc., is commonly and respectably colloquial among all English-speaking people. Passageway. — An aisle or gangway. We are very clearly of the opinion that there is but one room that can be used by this m Mi m^S Passenger 411 Pawnhost repens __ This to both scarlet appear- s there, asteless, s highly le palate. V, CHICK- language [APHY. The essages be- lt lantiiiases ;tand for all le languages u as Arabic ,f the world, 5 for the tele- istonishment 1888. lass," is a to signify his hand, ;ame.— T/ie ASS A DIVI- circles to ration of a jthe sense of frican origin. Vnger be re- [standard of r long since 'of long and To speak sure through imonly and among all )le. ■ gangway. he opinion that Ibeusedbytlus house, and that is the senate chamber, A diagram of that room has been made ; the settees can still be retained upon the side of that chamber, and ample room can be had upon the floor for all the seats of this house, with a PASSAGEWAY through the centre, one upon each side, and a respectable lobby in the rear, and in addition to that, we have the galleries, where people who are interested in this session can meet with us. — Troy Daily Times, February 7, 1888, Passenger. — To wake uptiie wrong PAssiiXGER. — To be " mistaken in one's man"; to commit an error of judgment in regard to the character, action, or motive of persons. The allusion is obviously to a very well-known incident of transcontinental travel. Passion ESS. — Mrs. Ella Wheeler Wilcox has been called the Boston fassioness, on account of the tender strain of human sympathy running through most of her poetical pro- ductions. Pasters. — See both Eel-skin and Scratching. Patent Outsides. — Known techni- cally among English newspaper men as " white sheets," patent out- sides may be described to the uninitiated as partly printed news- papers, supplied wholesale by firms who make a speciality of their production. The blank side or space is subsequently filled with local matter. The system is a Loon to many small papers, as.it con- siderably reduces the cost of pro- duction. On the other hand, country editors, who use pate?tt outsides, run a certain risk as to a strict consistency existing between the "patent" and " local " columns of their journals. Patent- Right. — This form is used instead of " letters patent," as in England. Pat Hand (in poker). — An original hand not likely to be improved by drawing, such as full, straight, flush, or pairs. — The American Hoyle. Patrolman. — A police constable. Edward Nolan, forn\erly a ball tosser known as the Only Nolan, but at present a PATROLMAN in Patcrson, N.J., was accosted early yesterday morning by a well-dressed man, who asked him to arrest a woman who was walking along the opposite side of the street.— A'cw York Herald, July 29, 1888. Patroom. — An old Dutch title for a member ofa land syndicate. Patroons obtained grants of land on con- dition of planting colonies. Patroonship. — The office of a patroon. PauhageN: powhagen. — The menha- den or BONY FISH (q.v.). Paunch, To. — To shoot a refractory steer through the paunch, pro- ducing a temporary quietude. A plainsman's term. Paw. — A corruption of "pa" for father. Another familiar equivalent is POP or PAP. This year the Cripps were bent on a lark, and may be they might get religion. And so one morning paw hitched the steers to the old canvas-covered wagon, etc.,etc.— C/i(Cfli'0 Inier-Oceaii, 1888, To PAW. — To finger; to handle. " To /atii the ivories," i.e., to play the piano. Paw-paw. — A political free lance — a term current in Missouri. {See Bu.sii- WHACKER undey Bush.) The paw- paw is a wild fruit, popularly supposed to form the means of subsistence of the individuals in question, Pawnhost.— A negro term for the LEVERwoRscHT, or liver-sausagc of the Pennsylvania Dutch, Pay-Dirt 412 Peart ! I m Pay-dirt. — A miner's term, signifying earth which it pays to work. — See Dirt. There was no elegance about Dead Sioux, for it was a new mining town nestling in Dead Sioux canyon. Yet money, or its equi- valent, ore, was plentiful in Dead Sioux, for almost every prospector in the canyon was striking it ricli. Pay-dirt had been found about a month before, and miners, gamblers, claim-jumpers, and sharks were crossing the mountain trail into Dead Sioux canyon in frightful numbers.— T/ie Critic, April 14, 188S. Variants are pay-rock, paying- rock, and PAY-STREAK. He disclosed the fact that he was penniless and must have money, no matter at what cost or by what means. He decided to make one last blast for paving rock. — Detroit Free Press, August, 1888. P. D. Q. — A contracted and half- veiled oath — pretty d— d quick. Very common. Sunday evening James Smith, a cowboy from Mason Valley, arrived in town on the hurricane deck of a sad-eyed mule, and was amusing a crowd on C street by causing the animal to perform numerous tricks. Chief of Police Henderson appeared on the scene and ordered Smith to move on with his mule, and be p. d. q. about it, too, or he would arrest both him and the animal, — Virginia City Chronicle, May, 1888. Peac, Peagc, or peak. — A variety of Indian shell specie. — See also CoHOG, Seawan, and Wampum. Peace. — Let us have peace. — A famous saying of General Grant in allusion to the protracted warfaii between the Northern and Southern States. Peacemaker. — A Texas term for a re- volver ; a sarcastic commentary on the proverb that "Short reckonings make long friends." — See Meat in THE pot. Peach, to, — To inform against ; to betray. Slang in England, but colloquial in America. Peach Butter. — Stewed peaches. Compare with apple butter. Peach leather. — Peaches treated in the same way as apples are in the production of apple leather (q.v.). Pea Coal.- sifting. -Small coal produced by Pealer. — An energetic, go-ahead individual. Among innumerable variants may be mentioned hum- mer, rouser, rustler {q.v.). Pea-Nut {Arachnis hypogaa). — Pea-nut is one of the Southern names for what, in other parts of the Union, is known as the ground- nut and earth-nut, the latter from its habit of growth : while among the negroes it is called piNDER, and in Texas and Louisiana, goober and goober-pea. Pea- nut POLITICS. — A peculiar habit of the pea-nut (see foregoing) is that of burying its pods under- ground after flowering, a process by which the nuts are ripened. The term pea-nut politics, therefore, is a popular allusion to describe underhand and secret tactics. Governor Hill to-day said what he thought of Quarantine Commissioner T. C. Piatt's letter, offering to resign his post, if the Governor would consent not to play pea- nut POLITICS, and would appoint Colonel Fred Grant in his stead.— New York Mail and Express, May 27, 1887. PEARL Tapioca.— A substitute for the tapioca of commerce. A product of the potato. Peart, Peert, Piert. — This Old English corruption of "pert" has well-nigh died out in all but the most remote parts of the Mother Country, but it is still commonly colloquial throughout the Union. It is usually synonymous with brisk ; lively ; quick ; but is occasionally lamm Pea-Time 413 Pelican State ced by 0-aliead merable id HUM- —Pea-nut I names 3 of the GROUND- le latter h; while is called :^ouisiana, . Pea- liar habit egoing) is ds under- 1 a process e ripened, therefore, describe ctics. he thought C. Platts post, if the to play PEA- ,oint Colonel u, York M«» ute for the A product This Old "pert" bas all but the the Mother 1 commonly he Union. It [with brisk ; occasionally used in the modified sense of healthy. ' You don't tell me that you had melons weighing 800 pounds ? ' ' Oh ! those were the little one's. The big ones cum nigher a ton. I hadn't no scairs, but all my neighbors are mighty pkart on guessing.' — A mcrican Hunionst,Si:\n. 15, 18S8. ' Miss Bella done learn how to talk,' said Sarah, in tlie kitchen cabinet, 'and she look as rosy and I'kart ! lier heart ain't broke ! ' 'Broke wid what?' asked Aunt Hagar. ' I ahvayth telled you that no young mitli of mine wath given to hurt herthelf grieving after a no-account feller like that down yon- der in Richmond.' — The Hidden Path. Pea-Tim E. — The last of pea-time or PEA-PICKING. — A familiar phr-.--.? drawn from the decline in fruit/a:- ness, which characterizes the later crops of this staple of food. Meta- Ehorically, when a man is said to e in the last of pea-time, it is meant that he is in the decline of years, or that his opportunities of usefulness to himself, or his fellows, are pass- ing away, or that he is " hard-up." When dead, or when chances are gone beyond recall, "pea-time is over." She looks like the lastof fea picking, j'.?., sickly, faded; passee. But thet's what folks wun't never lam ; they dunno how to go, Arter you want their room, now more'n a bullet headed beau ; There's oiler's chaps a-hangin' roun' that can't see pea-time's past ; Mis'ble as roosters in a rain, heads down an' tails half mast. — Biglow Papers. Pecan -Nut {Cayya olivj;formis). — A variety of hickory, the fruit of which is the most esteemed of the nut-kind of America. Peccary. — The native American hog. Its chief peculiarity is the secretion of a noisome liquid, which, when enraged, it expels. Peckerwood. — The woodpecker. A meaningless Western transposition, probably only born of a love of singularity. Peculiar Institution. — Political slang, the full phrase be'ng "the peculiar domestic institiitto. of the South." It is believed to have been first used in The South Carolina Gazette, which advertised that all strangers from the North should be kept under surveillance because of " the dangers which at present threaten the /i^k/w*- domestic institu- tions c>f the South " {circa 1852). The phr,'. \ is found in The New York Tribune of October 19, 1854, and soon became part of the current speech of the time. 1 doubt if any man, who never lived in a slave state before the war, can fully realize all that was meant by the abolition of slavery in the United States. It was called the PECULIAR INSTITUTION. It Was UOt Only peculiar, but imique. Human slavery has always existed somewhere, in some shape, but never elsewhere under the same condi- tions that were impressed upon it by our civilization. We wonder now that it should have existed at all, or even though inherited, should have endured so long among a people, professedly Christian, and boasting free institutions. — Missouri Republican, April 8, l8«8. Peculiar kink was the somewhat more facetious term subsequently applied by sarcastic Northerners. Peculiarities of Pronunciation. — See Pronunciation. Peeled. — To keep one's eyes peeled. — To keep a sharp look out ; to be careful. A variation of " to keepone'seyes skinned." — See Eyes skinned. Pegged Out. — Ruined or used up. Said of both men and things. Pelican State. — The State of Louisiana. The pelican, a bird common within its limits, appears on the armorial bearings of this Peltry 414 Pen State, which is also called Creole State (q.v.). the Peltry. — A skin or hide. Sometimes shortened into pelt. Most of the tiapppis are Anipricans, but then; arc some Freiicliincn and lialf-brerds aiiiong tlicm. . . . All of them depend upon their rifles only for food and self-defence, and make their liviiif; by trapping, pkltkiks being very valuable, and yet not bulky. Tliey are f^ood game shots, especially the pure Americans. — Century Magazine, Oct., 1888. It was against such wilj; foes, not one of whom had the least mercy in his heart for a white man, that the hunter and trajjper of years ago had to pit his craft and judgment. Scores of them yielded up their scalps in the struggle, but others beat the red man at his own game. It wasn't so much for the value of the I'ELTS which the hunter would acquire, but there were men who loved the feeling of danger and tiie wild, free life. Tiie best of the trappers liardly came out even at the end, but, miless rubbed out or laid up, they never changed tlie avocation for one less dangerous. — Forest ami Stream, 18S8. Pembina. — A French-Canadian term for the Vibunium edule, thought by some to be a variety of the CRANBERRY-TREE Or CRAMP BARK {q.v). with the hair outside, into which melted fat is poured till it is quite full. Then, the whole being pressed down, the top of the bag is closely sewed up, and thus the valuable provender can be easily carried and long preserved. Fifty pounds of meat and forty pounds of fat make a bag of pemmican, and will last a careful traveller several months. In this state it may be eaten raw, but the voyageurs gene- rally mi.x it with a little flour and water, and then boil it, in which form it is known throughout the North-western territory under the elegant name of robbiboe. Travel- lers have always found pemmican good and wholesome food, though it would perhaps be more palatable without its unprepossessing appear- ance and a goodly number of buffalo hairs, which are apt to be mi.\ed up with it through the carelessness Df the hunters. The pemmican of Arctic explorers and hunters in other continents is made of any meat that is available, after the same pattern, and often, for good reasons, without the admixture of fat. •ii j : Ji Pemmican. — A well-known and im- portant article of food, the pre- paration of which has been thus described. Next to succotash, the most important aiticle of food with the Indian was probably pemmican, which has remained the main reliance of all explorers, hunters, and voyagers. The name consists of the two Kenisteno words pemis, which means fat, and cgan, the general substantive inflection, so that the whole simply signifies . "fat-substance." It consists mainly of buffalo meat — though other meat is sometimes used in the same manner— dried in flakes and then pounded between two stones. The powder is next put into bags made of the hide of the slain animal, Pen. — (i) A journalistic abbreviation of penitentiary. In the circuit court this afternoon F. A. Bennett pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary and grand larceny, and was sen- tenced to five years in the penitentiary. Some ten days ago he was caught in the act of robbing his emjiloyer's store. Three years ago he burglarized a saloon here, but liis friends compromised the matter, and kept him from going to the vv.ti.— Missouri Republican, February 11, 1888. (2) In Jamaica a cattle or stud-farm. In Kentucky similar estates are called cattle-ranges. — See Cattle. Pen-name. — A pseudonym; a literal translation of the more familiar French term 7iom dc plume. The Russian who writes over the pen- name of 'Stepniak' has in band a work on i !i Pennsylvania Dutch 415 Pennyroyal hich luite jssed osely aable irried Dunds Df fat d will everal lay be 1 gene- ur and which )Ut the der the Travel- mmican though lalatable f appear- )f buffalo )e mixed elessness mican of inters ia le of any after the for good dmixture jreviation Irnoon V- A. 1 charge ot lid was scn- fclTKNTlARV. Iht in the act lore Three Ion here, but Imattcr, ana cattle or iy similar Le-ranges. [-NAME.— A. Itranslation Tench term ^er the pe»- id a work on tlie Russian Peasantry, which will deal in five sections with 'The A(^rarian Question,' 'The Moujiks,' 'Paternal Government,' 'Hard Times,' and ' Religion.' — Grt/i'ts'«/s/ii/5fKs). — Other- wise Called the PEWIT or pr.WEE. It has no relation to the lapwing, its European namesake. The PHCEBE-BiRD, with its cheery pee-weo, is already heard in Uie rural districts. In folklore the arrival of this early bird of passage is an oiaen that hard frosts are over, and that the farmer may proceed with confidence to his planting. Now it is known that the', sail north on a March breeze, endure ice-m.iking weather, and have no morr relation to farming than a pewter half do'uar has to trade. As ncst-buildcrs they exhibit taste in variation of the style of their nests and the furnishing materials. The fibre of bark answers for some of thcni to line their nests with, others use moss, hair or wool, and one is recorded to have built a nest entirely of corn silk. These birds have greatly improved their nests within the memory of man, which suggests that they are guided by reason instead of the stupid instinct which is so often attributed to them, —Normch iCo>i«.) liulUtin, ibBb. PH\ct.—See FiCE. PicACHo. — A peak or summit of a mountain standing out so distinctly as to form a landmark. The term is an augmentative of the Spanish ficn, a peak. PiCANiNNV or Pickaninny. — Primarily a negro baby, but usage varies according to locality. Frequ^iitly used, in the North and throuf,hout the West Indies, of any young child, it is, in the South., applied to colored children alone ; a fact which speaks volumes as to the difference of opinion concerning the negro race, which e\ists in the localities named. Ficaninny is also familiarly employed i'.i speaking of one's self, as " this //aj«/;;«^," i.e., " this child." I've just come from Virginny, Dat good ole Southern land; I'm a simple picaninnv. Although a contraband. —Negro Ballad. • Hallo,' says he, ' here's the devil to pay, and no pitch hot. Are you goin' to kill that boy ? Here's a pretty hurra's nest ; let me sec one of you dare to lay hands on this picKANiNNV.'— iViHt SUck's Hiivian Nature, Picayune. — Thenameinthe Southern States for the Spanish half-real. The term, which is of Carib origin, having come down through the French pecune, is now used of any- thing small or mean, probably from the comparatively insignificant value of the coin in question. Nearly all the newspapers and magazines are advertising for writers, reporters, and contributors. The Daily Moonlu-um offers 25 dots, per cohnnn for matter from any of its former w riters. The latter, however, are not likely to leave their present paying em- ployments for any such picavine offers,— The Epoch, i888. m Wl Pick 419 Pike to them. lit of a istinctly he term Spanish ^imarily ;e varies requratly TOUf,llOUt y younR apiiHed to ; a fact as to the oncerning ists in the nny is also ,peaking of linny," i(-< nny, land ; gro Bcilliii- devil to pay, in' to kill th"t nost; let me ,;uuls on this \iman Nature, ,16 Southern |h half-real, parib origin, [hrough the Ised of any- obably from [nsigaificaat jstijn. Lnd magazines Jrcportcrs, and looiihaim oncis Icr from any ot |r, however, are fcnt payinR em- Iyvne oners.— Small articles arc sold in the New Orli'.THS market by the picaylne or dime's v.orth. If you ask for a pound of tips, you will not bu uiidci stood ; but for a 88. To PICK ON.— To disturb ; to nag. Joseph White, of New Jersey, sU . for five (lays and nights, and then jawed his wife for waking him up. He said she was always picking om liim when she saw him taking comfort.— Dc/roiY Free Press, October a;, ibSS. Pick-me-up. — A restorative usually of a spirituous kind. In- dulged in too frequently they be- come " knock - me - downs." Pick up. — This applied to meals, e.g., a pick-up dinner, is used to describe repasts of an olla podrida description. To pick up a room is a New England phrase for putting it in order. Pickerel Weed [Pontideria cordata). — A common wayside and ditch plant in the New England States. Pie.— Americans follow the Old Eng- lish usage and employ pie where we should now say "tart." In England it is game or meat pic, and apple or fruit tart ; in the States pie is used in every instance. Pie- plant. — This curious name is given to rhubarb. Piece, To. — A curious Pennsylvanian term, used of eating between meals. PiEHT.— 5t'^ Peart. Pig. — To r.KT the wrong pig by the tail. — This is the Yankee equiva- lent of " to get the wrong sow by the ear." Variants are " to wake up the wrong passenger," and " to Dark up the wrong tree." Pig-fish. — This is the nanu> of a fish which, from its resemblance to a bird, has been called the .sea-robin, while its grunting noise when caught is the source of its porcine appellation. It also goes by the name of flying-fish from its peculiar mode of motion. Pig nut {Cayyu glabra or porciita). — A small bitter hickory-nut is so called. Pig- plum, otherwise hog-plum (17.?'.). Pig-weed. — A weed so-called from its habitat being near pig- styes. Less than a pig's whistle. — A strange metaphor for a very short time. — Pig-wick. — A species of duck found in Maryland. Pig-voke. — In sea-slang a quadrant. Pigeon • Berry. — A New England name for the partridge - berry {q.v.). Pigeon Woodpecker. — The clape {q.v.). Pike. — A Californian name for a poor white from the Southern States. The true pike, in the California sense of the word, is the wandering, gipsy-like, southern poor white. This person often lives with his family in a wagon ; he rarely follows any steady industry ; he is frequently a squ.-itter on other people s lands ; ' he owns a rifle, a lot of children and dogs, a wife, and, if he can read, a law-book,' said a law- yer, describing this character to me ; he moves from place to place, as the humor Pilch 420 Pimple !!■ seizes him, and is Kciu.'raliy an injury to liis iieinlibors. He will not work rc>;tilarl>; ; but he lias a threat tenacity of life, and is always ready fir a lavv-snit. . . . Wliiii it was jiroposed to build a s( hool-housu in a village where there was none the fiKi-.s ob- jectikk is the China- man's enemy. He doeu little work himself, and naturally hates the patient industry of the Chinese. Of course, if you ask him, he tells you that he is ruined by Chinese cheap labor.' — Nordhojj's California, p. 137. To PIKE (Cant). — To play cau- tiously and for small amounts, never advancing the value of the stake. In Old English cant, to run away, and it being the better part of valor and caution among thieves to decamp, the secondary modern meaning is probably, by a process of inversion, thus derived. Those who gamble in this fashion are called PIKERS. PiucH, To (Cant). — To steal; rob; or filch — generally small and uncon- sidered trifles, such as pocket-hand- kerchiefs. Thought to be a cor- ruption of "filch," a confusion having arisen as to the pronuncia- tion of "p " and "f." Pile. — A gambler's term for a good round sum, the meaning of which has been enlarged to signify a fortune. This is an old friend with new surroundings, Dr. Franklin, in Poor Richard's Almanack, having advised — " Rash mortals, ere you take a wife. Contrive your pile to last for life." Hence, to make one's pile, is to avnass a fortune ; and to go one's PILE, to spend the same. To PUT ALL THE PILE ON, is Said of anything very much fancied. He heard several old miners, who had for many years been living a rough frontier life, discussing what they would do when they bad MADE THi::iK FILES, Etid could returii with riches to the States.— //o/tZ (jaztttc. In that neighborhood resides a family named St. John, the father ;i retired real estate m.m, who has by lucky sperul.ilion MADi; MIS iMi.K and held it. The mother is a woman who prides herself on birth, and is connected in that way with all the first families of the city.— A'lu; York Mercury, July 21, tbSJ, PiLQARLic (Cant). — One's self. Thus a thief will inform a pal that pilgarlic was engaged in any given undertaking, the speaker meaning that he himself was the operator. Pilgrim. — (i) A new arrival; a green- horn. About equivalent to a ten- der FOOT {qv). I'iLGRIMS. — A cattle breeder's term for cattle on the march. The extraordinary severity of the weather proved too nnich for the cattle. This was especially the case with those herds con- sisting of I'li.GRiMS, as they are called— that is, of animals driven upon to the range from the South, and therefore in poor condition. —Ranch Life in the Far West, Pill (Cant). — (i) A bore or conceited coxcomb. (2) A bullet, e.g., BLUE-PILL iq.v). PiLL-UOTTLE (Cant). — A fire-arm, but more par- ticularly applied to a revolver — a dispenser of physic, warranted easy in action and sure in effect. Pill-box is a Texan variant, with which may also be compared Meat-in-the-pot. Pillow-Bier or Pillow-Sham. — A pillow case. Pillow shams are going out of fashion ; but other shams still hold their own,— Abilene (Kansas) Gazette, rSW. Pimping. — Small ; pretty ; mean. An English provincialism which still survives in the rural districts of New England. Pimple (Cant). — The head. A very old cant term. 19 Pimplo 421 Pine Gaxette, n. family tired ri-'.il )ncnUition lolliur is a ;li, and 13 llui lirst Mercury, f. Thus pal tbat my given meaning iperator. ; a green- to a TEN- for cattle [ tlie weather e. Tliis was o herds coii- e called-that lie range from )or condition. or conceited [bullet, eg; 'ILL-UOTTLE more par- revolver — a irranted easy .. effect.;- — xan variant, Ije compared U.SHAM — A out of fashion ; their own.— y ; mean. An n which still il districts ol lead. A very Pimplo. — A Barbadian term for the TKiCKLY I'icAR. Piiiiplo is a Cor- ruption of "nin-piilow," an alter- native name for the same fruit. Pin, to (Cant).— To arrest. In Eng- lish .slang to pin means to drink, which in the lonj,' run is only a means by which a man is arrested in his career. Pin-Basket (Cant). — A baby; gene- rally speaking, the term has reference to the youngest child in a family. Pinch.— In a pinch, i.e., in a " tight place"; hard-up. Ths term is of Western origin, as also is on a PINCH— in an emergency. Pinch- bug. — An insect pest, also called PETZ KEFFER in Pennsylvania. To PINCH (Cant).— To " ring the changes," i.e., on pretence of changing coins of a high denomina- tion ; to substitute bad money for good. PiNCHER. — A term of political origin and usage, and applied to a legis- lative measure calculated to secure a pecuniary reward to those who are interested in its defeat. PiNDERs. — A Florida negro term for PEA-NUTS.— 5ee Goobers. PiNDLiNG. — Unthrifty. PiNi.. -A West Indian contraction for PINE-APPLE — now generally adopted in England. Pine BARRENS. — In the South poor tracts of land covered with pine trees of a wretchedly stunted growth.— Sf(; Barrens. Ahhough the largest portion of the country is covered wiih pine darkens, and much of it extremely poor, yet there is also much upland, interval, and hamntock laud, of the most excellent quality Tho borc'-rs of tlie watircoinsc, an well PS i\w haiii..iO(l