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
1851–61. H. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, vol. I., p. 83. A
Haggler being, as I before explained, the middle-man.
Hail. To raise hail (or Ned, or Cain, or Hell), verb. phr.
(American).—To make a disturbance; to kick up a row.
1888. Portland Transcript, 7 Mar. He is determined that they shall
have a clear deed to one hundred and sixty acres of land when the
question is settled, or he will raise hail.
To be hail fellow well met, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To be on very easy
terms: also at hail-fellow.
1574–1656. Hall’s Satires, III., i., p. 40. Now man, that erst
haile-fellow was with beast, Woxe on to weene himselfe a god at
least.
1665. Homer à la Mode. The cookes too, having done, were set At
table hay fellow well met. [Quoted by Nares].
1667–1745. Swift, My Lady’s Lamentation. Hail fellow, well met, all
dirty and wet; Find out, if you can, who’s master, who’s man.
1886. R. L. Stevenson, Kidnapped, p. 108. And at first he sings
small, and is hail-fellow-well-met with Sheamus—that’s James of the
Glens, my chieftain’s agent.
To be hailed for the last time, verb. phr. (nautical).—To die. For
synonyms, see Aloft.
1891. W. C. Russell, Ocean Tragedy, p. 322. He’s been hailed for
the last time.
Hair, subs. (venery).—1. The female pubes. Whence (2) generic for the
sex: e.g., after hair = in quest of a woman; plenty of hair = lots of
girls; hair to sell = a woman with a price; hair-monger = a wencher;
bit of hair = the sexual favour. For synonyms, see Fleece.
To go against the Hair, verb. phr. (old colloquial).—To go against the
grain, or contrary to nature. [From the texture of furs.]
1589. Nashe, Martin’s Months Minde (Grosart), i., 188. For hee euer
went against the haire.
1596. Shakspeare, Merry Wives, ii., 3. If you should fight, you go
against the hair of your professions.
1661. Middleton, Mayor of Queenborough, C. P. xi., 122. Books in
women’s hands are as much against the hair, methinks, as to see men
wear stomachers, Or night-railes.
Both of a Hair, adv. phr. (colloquial).—Very much alike. Also, two of a
trade, and two in a tale.
Not worth a Hair, adv. phr. (colloquial).—Utterly worthless. Cf., Cent,
Rap, Dump, etc.
To a Hair, adv. phr.—(colloquial).—Exactly; to a nicety. Cf., To fit to
a Hair = to fit perfectly.
1697. Vanbrugh, Æsop, i, 1. Here was a young gentlewoman but just
now pencilled me out to a hair.
1738. Swift, Polite Conversation. Miss. Well I love a Lyar with all
my Heart; and you fit me to a hair.
1891. W. C. Russell, Ocean Tragedy, p. 30. The fellow fits my
temper to a hair.
To split Hairs, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To cavil about trifles; to
quibble; to be over-nice in argument.
1693. Congreve, Old Bachelor, ii., 2. Now, I must speak; it will
split a hair by the Lord Harry.
Suit of Hair, subs. phr. (American).—A head of hair (q.v.).
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