1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue eBook

Francis Grose
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 343 pages of information about 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue eBook

Francis Grose
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 343 pages of information about 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.

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.

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1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.