HALBERT. A weapon carried by a serjeant of foot. To get a halbert; to be appointed a serjeant. To be brought to the halberts; to be flogged a la militaire: soldiers of the infantry, when flogged, being commonly tied to three halberts, set up in a triangle, with a fourth fastened across them. He carries the halbert in his face; a saying of one promoted from a serjeant to a commission officer. HALF A HOG. Sixpence. HALF SEAS OVER. Almost drunk. HAMLET. A high constable. Cant. HAMS, or HAMCASES Breeches. HAND. A sailor. We lost a hand; we lost a sailor. Bear a hand; make haste. Hand to fist; opposite: the same as tete-a-tete, or cheek by joul. HAND AND POCKET SHOP. An eating house, where ready money is paid for what is called for. HAND BASKET PORTION. A woman whose husband receives frequent presents from her father, or family, is said to have a hand-basket portion. HANDLE. To know how to handle one's fists; to be skilful in the art of boxing. The cove flashes a rare handle to his physog; the fellow has a large nose. HANDSOME. He is a handsome-bodied man in the face; a jeering commendation of an ugly fellow. Handsome is that handsome does: a proverb frequently cited by ugly women. HANDSOME REWARD. This, in advertisements, means a horse-whipping. To HANG AN ARSE. To hang back, to hesitate. HANG GALLOWS LOOK. A thievish, or villainous appearance. HANG IN CHAINS. A vile, desperate fellow. Persons guilty of murder, or other atrocious crimes, are frequently, after execution, hanged on a gibbet, to which they are fastened by iron bandages; the gibbet is commonly placed on or near the place where the crime was committed. HANG IT UP. Score it up: speaking of a reckoning. HANG OUT. The traps scavey where we hang out; the officers know where we live. HANGER ON. A dependant. HANGMAN'S WAGES. Thirteen pence halfpenny; which, according to the vulgar tradition, was thus allotted: one shilling for the executioner, and three halfpence for the rope,--N. B. This refers to former times; the hangmen of the present day having, like other artificers, raised their prices. The true state of this matter is, that a Scottish mark was the fee allowed for an execution, and the value of that piece was settled by a proclamation of James I. at thirteen pence halfpenny. HANK. He has a hank on him; i.e. an ascendancy over him, or a hold upon him. A Smithfield hank; an ox, rendered furious by overdriving and barbarous treatment. See BULL HANK. HANKER. To hanker after any thing; to have a longing after or for it. HANS IN KELDER. Jack in the cellar, i.e. the child in the womb: a health frequently drank to breeding women or their husbands. HARD. Stale beer, nearly sour, is said to be hard. Hard also means severe: as, hard fate, a hard master. HARD AT HIS A-SE. Close after him. HARE. He has swallowed a hare; he is drunk; more probably a HAIR, which requires washing down,