Slang and its analogues past and present, volume 3 [of 7] : $b A dictionary, historical and comparative, of the heterodox speech of all classes of society for more than three hundred years. With synonyms in English, French, German, Italian, etc.Henley, William Ernest
History
Slang and its analogues past and present, volume 3 [of 7] : $b A dictionary, historical and comparative, of the heterodox speech of all classes of society for more than three hundred years. With synonyms in English, French, German, Italian, etc.
Henley, William Ernest
English language -- Slang -- Dictionaries; Slang -- Dictionaries
To cut one’s own grass. verb. phr. (thieves’).—To earn one’s own
living.
1877. Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. iii., p. 242. ‘Cut her own
grass! Good gracious! what is that!’ I asked. ‘Why, purvide her own
chump—earn her own living,’ the old man replied.
To be sent to grass. verb. phr. (University).—To be rusticated; to
receive a travelling scholarship (q.v.).
1794. Gent. Mag., p. 1085. And was very near rustication [at
Cambridge] merely for kicking up a row after a beakering party.
‘Soho, Jack!’ briskly rejoined another, ‘almost presented with a
travelling fellowship? very nigh being sent to grass, hey?’
Go to grass! phr. (common).—Be off! You be hanged! Go to hell!
1848. Durivage, Stray Subjects, p. 95. A gentleman who was swimming
about, upon being refused, declared that he might go to grass with
his old canoe, for he didn’t think it would be much of a shower,
anyhow.
1865. Bacon, Handbook of America, p. 363. Go to grass! be off! get
out!
To let the grass grow under one’s feet, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To
proceed or work leisurely. Fr., limer.
To take Nebuchadnezzar out to grass, subs. phr. (venery).—To take a
man. [Nebuchadnezzar = penis.] For synonyms, see Greens.
Grass-comber, subs. (nautical).—A countryman shipped as a sailor.
1886. W. Besant, World Went Very Well Then, ch. xxix. Formerly,
Jack would have replied to this sally that, d’ye see, Luke was a
grass comber and a land swab, but that for himself, there was no
tea aboard ship, and a glass of punch or a bowl of flip was worth
all the tea ever brought from China.
Grasser, subs. (sporting).—A fall.
Grasshopper, subs. (common).—1. A waiter at a tea-garden.
2. (rhyming).—A policeman, or copper (q.v.).
3. (thieves’).—A thief. See Gunner.
1893. Pall Mall Gaz., 2 Jan., p. 4., c. 3. Quite a ‘school’ of
youthful grasshoppers are in possession of one corner of the ice,
but on the Westminster side of the park ’pon bridge there is a good
sprinkling of old hands.
Grassing, subs. (printers’).—Casual work away from the office. See
Smouting.
Grassville, subs. (old).—The country; cf., Daisyville.
Grass-widow, subs. (old).—1. An unmarried mother; a deserted mistress.
See Barrack-hack and Tart.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Widow’s weeds, a grass-widow,
one that pretends to have been married, but never was, yet has
children.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Widow’s weeds; a grass-widow; a
discarded mistress.
2. (colloquial).—A married woman temporarily separated from her
husband.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account