1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar TongueGrose, Francis
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1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue
Grose, Francis
English language -- Slang -- Dictionaries
NEW COLLEGE STUDENTS. Golden scholars, silver bachelors,
and leaden masters.
NEW DROP. The scaffold used at Newgate for hanging
of criminals; which dropping down, leaves them
suspended. By this improvement, the use of that vulgar
vehicle, a cart, is entirely left off.
NEW LIGHT. One of the new light; a methodist.
NEWGATE BIRD. A thief or sharper, frequently caged in
Newgate.
NEWGATE SOLICITOR. A petty fogging and roguish attorney,
who attends the gaols to assist villains in evading
justice.
NEWMAN'S LIFT. The gallows.
NEWMAN'S TEA GARDENS. Newgate.
NEWMAN'S HOTEL. Newgate.
To NICK. To win at dice, to hit the mark just in the nick
of time, or at the critical moment.
NICK. Old nick; the Devil.
NICKNAME. A name given in ridicule or contempt: from
the French nom de niqne. Niqne is a movement of the head
to mark a contempt for any person or thing.
NICK NINNY. A simpleton.
NICKIN, NIKEY or NIZEY. A soft simple fellow; also a
diminutive of Isaac.
NICKNACKS. Toys, baubles, or curiosities.
NlCKNACKATORY. A toyshop.
NICKUMPOOP, or NINCUMPOOP. A foolish fellow; also
one who never saw his wife's ****.
NIFFYNAFFY FELLOW. A trifler.
NIG. The clippings of money. Nigging; clipping. Nigler,
a clipper. Cant.
NIGGLING. Cutting awkwardly, trifling; also accompanying
with a woman.
NIGHT MAGISTRATE. A constable.
NIGHTINGALE. A soldier who, as the term is, sings out
at the halberts. It is a point of honour in some
regiments, among the grenadiers, never to cry out,
become nightingales, whilst under the discipline of the
cat of nine tails; to avoid which, they chew a bullet.
NIGHTMAN. One whose business it is to empty necessary
houses in London, which is always done in the night; the
operation is called a wedding. See WEDDING.
NIGMENOG. A very silly fellow.
TO NIM. To steal or pilfer: from the German nemen, to
take. Nim a togeman; steal a cloak.
NIMGIMMER. A physician or surgeon, particularly those
who cure the venereal disease.
NINE LIVES. Cats are said to have nine lives, and women
ten cats lives.
NINNY, or NINNYHAMMER. A simpleton.
NIP. A cheat. Bung nipper; a cutpurse.
NIP CHEESE. A nick name for the purser of a ship: from
those gentlemen being supposed sometimes to nip, or
diminish, the allowance of the seamen, in that and every
other article. It is also applied to stingy persons in
general.
NIPPERKIN. A small measure.
NIPPS. The sheers used in clipping money.
NIT SQUEEGER, i.e. SQUEEZER. A hair-dresser.
NIX. Nothing.
NO CATCHY NO HAVY. If I am not caught, I cannot be hurt.
Negro saying.
NOB. A king. A man of rank.
NOB. The head.
NOBTHATCHER. A peruke-maker.
NOCK. The breech; from NOCK, a notch.
NOCKY BOY. A dull simple fellow.
NOD. He is gone to the land of nod; he is asleep.
NODDLE. The head.
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