To bilk. To cheat. Let us bilk
the rattling cove; let us
cheat the hackney coachman of his fare.
Cant. Bilking a
coachman, a box-keeper, and a poor whore,
were formerly,
among men of the town, thought gallant
actions.
Bill of sale. A widow’s weeds. See house to let.
Billingsgate language. Foul language,
or abuse. Billingsgate is
the market where the fishwomen assemble
to
purchase fish; and where, in their dealings
and disputes,
they are somewhat apt to leave decency
and good manners
a little on the left hand.
Bing. To go. Cant. Bing avast;
get you gone. Binged
avast in a darkmans; stole away in the
night. Bing we to
Rumeville: shall we go to London?
Bingo. Brandy or other spirituous liquor. Cant.
Bingo boy. A dram drinker. Cant.
Bingo mort. A female dram drinker. Cant.
Binnacle word. A fine or affected word,
which sailors
jeeringly offer to chalk up on the binnacle.
Bird and baby. The sign of the eagle and child.
Bird-witted. Inconsiderate, thoughtless,
easily imposed
on.
Birds of A feather. Rogues of the same gang.
Birth-day suit. He was in his
birth-day suit, that is,
stark naked.
Bishop. A mixture of wine and water, into
which is put a
roasted orange. Also one of the largest
of Mrs. Philips’s
purses, used to contain the others.
BISHOPED, or to bishop. A term used
among horse-dealers, for
burning the mark into a horse’s
tooth, after he has
lost it by age; by bishoping, a horse
is made to appear
younger than he is. It is a common
saying of milk that is
burnt too, that the bishop has set his
foot in it. Formerly,
when a bishop passed through a village,
all the inhabitants
ran out of their houses to solicit his
blessing, even leaving
their milk, &c. on the fire, to take its
chance: which, went
burnt to, was said to be bishoped.
To bishop the balls, a term used among printers,
to water
them.
Bit. Money. He grappled the cull’s
bit; he seized the
man’s money. A bit is also
the smallest coin in Jamaica,
equal to about sixpence sterling.
Bitch. A she dog, or doggess; the most offensive
appellation
that can be given to an English woman,
even more
provoking than that of whore, as may he
gathered from the
regular Billinsgate or St. Giles’s
answer—“I may be a
whore, but can’t be a bitch.”
To bitch. To yield, or give up an attempt
through fear.
To stand bitch; to make tea, or do the
honours of the tea-
table, performing a female part:
bitch there standing for
woman, species for genius.