Hard-bargain (or Case), subs. (common).—1. A lazy fellow; a bad-egg (q.v.); a skulker. One of the Queen’s Hard-bargains = a bad soldier. 1848. Ruxton, Life in the Far West, p. 71. La Bonté had lost all traces of civilised humanity, and might justly claim to be considered as hard a case as any of the mountaineers then present. 1888. Lynch, Mountain Mystery, ch. xliii. A fellow who comes and goes between here and Rockville, generally considered a hard case, and believed to be more outlaw than miner. 2. (trade).—A defaulting debtor. 3. (nautical).—A brutal mate or officer. Also hard-horse. Hard-bit (or Bit of Hard), subs. (venery).—1. The penis in erection; whence (2), for women, the act of connection. Hard-bitten, adj. (colloquial).—Resolute; game (q.v.); desperate. 1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, liii. My sooth, they’ll be hard-bitten terriers will worrie Dandie. Hard-cheese, subs. (Royal Military Academy).—Hard lines; bad luck; specifically at billiards. Hard-cole. See Hard and Cole. Hard-doings, subs. (American).—1. Rough fare; and (2) hard work. 1848. Ruxton, Life in the Far West, p. 37. Hard doins when it comes to that. Hard-drinking, subs. (old: now recognized).—Drinking to excess. 1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Hard-drinking, excessive Soking, or toping aboundance. Hard-head, subs. (American).—A man of good parts, physical, intellectual, or moral. 1824. R. B. Peake, Americans Abroad, i., 1. Dou. None of your flouting, by jumping jigs, I won’t stand it—we Americans have got hard heads—we warn’t brought up in the woods to be scart at by an owl—you can’t scare me so. 1848. Durivage, Stray Subjects, p. 110. Most of the passengers had disappeared for the night, and only a knot of hard-heads were left upon deck. Hard-hit. To be hard hit, verb. phr. (colloquial).—1. To have experienced a heavy loss; as over a race, at cards, etc. 2. (colloquial).—To be deeply in love; completely gone on (q.v.). 1888. J. McCarthy and Mrs. Campbell-Praed, Ladies’ Gallery, ch. xxv. The wound was keen, I had been hit hard. 1891. M. E. Braddon, Gerard, p. 312. You’ve been hard hit. Hard-lines, subs. (colloquial).—Hardship; difficulty; an unfortunate result or occurrence. [Formerly line = lot: Cf., Bible and Prayer book version of Psalm xvi., 5, 6.] 1855. Notes and Queries, 1 S. xii., p. 287. Hard Lines. Whence is this expression, so common, particularly among seafaring men, derived? 1881. W. Black, Beautiful Wretch, ch. xxiii. I think it’s deuced hard lines to lock up a fellow for merely humbugging an old parson up in Kentish Town. 1888. Sporting Life, 15 Dec. For the Kempton folks it was rather hard lines. 1888. J. McCarthy and Mrs. Campbell-Praed, Ladies’ Gallery, ch. xxvi. It’s awful hard lines, Lady Star Strange, that I am only thought good enough for you Londoners in the dead season.