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
1877. Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. v., p. 323.——There’s some
hanky panky business going on among the men of No. 2 prison; the
Catholic side is ringing changes and it is done in this shop.
Hanky-panky-bloke, subs. phr. (theatrical).—A conjuror; a pile of mags
(q.v.).
Hanky-Spanky, adj. (common).—Dashing; nobby (q.v.). Specifically of
well-cut clothes.
Hannah. That’s the man as married Hannah, phr. (streets’).—‘That’s the
thing’: used of a thing well begun and well ended; or as an expressive
of certainty. Varied sometimes by that’s what’s the matter with Hannah.
Hans Carvel’s Ring, subs. phr. (venery).—The female pudendum. For
synonyms, see Monosyllable. [From Poggio (tit. Annulus); Cent Nouvelles
Nouvelles (xi.); Ariosto (Sat. v.); the Nouvelle of Malespini (89,
ii.); Rabelais (Pantagruel, iii., 28); and Matthew Prior.]
Hansel (or Handsel), subs. (common).—The first money taken in the
morning; lucky money. Hence, earnest money; first-fruits, &c.
Hansel-Monday = the first Monday in the new year, when presents were
received by children and servants. [A. S., handselen = to deliver into
the hand.]
1587. Greene, Menaphon (Arber), p. 71. He should like inough haue
had first handsell of our new Shepheards sheepehooke.
1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, ii. Bring him a sixpenny bottle of
ale: They say a fool’s handsel is lucky.
1679. Holland, Ammianus Marcellinus. With which wofull tidings
being sore astonied, as if it were the first hansell and beginning
of evils comming toward him.
1787. Grose, Prov. Glossary, etc. (1811), p. 121. It is a common
practice among the lower class of hucksters, pedlars, or dealers in
fruit or fish, on receiving the price of the first goods sold that
day, which they call hansel, to spit on the money, as they term it,
for good luck.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, ch. iii. There was a whin bonnie lasses
there, forbye mysel’, and deil ane to gie them hansels. Ibid., ch.
xxxii. Grizzy has naething frae me, by twa pair o’ new shoon ilka
year, and maybe a bit compliment at Hansel Monanday.
1821. Scott, Kenilworth, ch. xix. ‘How wears the Hollands you won
of me?’ ‘Why, well, as you may see, Master Goldthred,’ answered
Mike; ‘I will bestow a pot on thee for the handsel.’
Verb (common).—1. To give handsel to; also (2), to use for the first
time.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, in Wks., v., 249. And gather about him
as flocking to hansell him and strike him good luck.
1605. Chapman, etc., Eastward Hoe, ii. My lady ... is so ravished
with desire to hansell her new coach.
1639–61. Rump Songs, i. [1662], 137. Belike he meant to Hansell his
New Satten.
1663. Pepys, Diary, 12 Apr. Coming home to-night, a drunken boy was
carrying by our constable to our new pair of stocks to handsel
them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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