negroe's heads
Brown leaves delivered to the ships in ordinary.
English · UK & Ireland 442
All languages English Tiếng Việt
Where will you be? Anywhere UK & IrelandUnited StatesOnline slangBusiness jargon
Expressions you’ll hear in Britain and Ireland — distinctly British usage first, then widespread staples.
nescio
He sports a Nescio; he pretends not to understand any thing. After the senate house examination for degrees, the students proceed to the schools, to be questioned by the proctor. According to custom immemorial the answers MUST be Nescio. The following is a translated specimen:
net gen
Ten shillings, or half a sovereign.
net nevis gen
Seventeen shillings.
net roaf gen
Fourteen shillings. It will be seen by the foregoing that the reckoning is more by tens than by "teens." This is, however, matter of choice, and any one wishing to be considered accomplished in this description of slang, must do as he thinks best—must lead and not be led.
nettled
Teized, provoked, out of temper. He or she has pissed on a nettle; said of one who is peevish or out of temper.
nevis stretch
Seven years’ penal servitude.
new college students
Golden scholars, silver bachelors, and leaden masters.
new dictionary
Of the Terms, Ancient and Modern, of the Canting Crew in its several tribes of Gypsies, Beggars, Thieves, Cheats, &c., with an addition of some Proverbs, Phrases, Figurative Speeches, &c., by B. E., GENT., 12mo. N. D. [1710.]
new drop
The scaffold used at Newgate for hanging of criminals; which dropping down, leaves them suspended. By this improvement, the use of that vulgar vehicle, a cart, is entirely left off.
new light
One of the new light; a methodist.
newgate bird
A thief or sharper, frequently caged in Newgate.
newgate fringe
Or FRILL, the collar of beard worn under the chin; so called from its occupying the position of the rope when Jack Ketch operates. Another name for it is a TYBURN COLLAR.
newgate solicitor
A petty fogging and roguish attorney, who attends the gaols to assist villains in evading justice.
newmarket
In tossing, when the game is "two out of three," that is, when he who gains the first two tosses wins. When the first toss is decisive, the game is termed "sudden death."
nib-cove
A gentleman. NIBSOMEST CRIBS, best or gentlemen’s houses.—Beggar’s Cant.
nibble
To take, or steal. NIBBLER, a petty thief.
nibs
Self. His NIBS, means any one who may be referred to. As, "I told his NIBS," or "stag his NIBS." "Your NIBS," yourself.
nick
Old nick; the Devil.
nick
Or OLD NICK, the devil.—Scandinavian, KNICKAR, one of the names of Odin, as the destroying or evil principle.
nick-nack
A trifle.—Originally Cant.
nicknacks
Toys, baubles, or curiosities.
nickname
A name given in ridicule or contempt: from the French nom de niqne. Niqne is a movement of the head to mark a contempt for any person or thing.
nig
The clippings of money. Nigging; clipping. Nigler, a clipper. Cant.
niggling
Cutting awkwardly, trifling; also accompanying with a woman.
niggling
Trifling, or idling; taking short steps in walking.—North.
night-hunter
A poacher.—North. Also a London prostitute. Sometimes in the latter capacity varied to night-hawk.
nightcap
A glass of "warm with" taken the last thing at night.
nightingale
A soldier who, as the term is, sings out at the halberts. It is a point of honour in some regiments, among the grenadiers, never to cry out, become nightingales, whilst under the discipline of the cat of nine tails; to avoid which, they chew a bullet.
nightman
One whose business it is to empty necessary houses in London, which is always done in the night; the operation is called a wedding. See WEDDING.
nigmenog
A very silly fellow.
nil
Half; half profits, &c.
nilly-willy
I.e., NILL YE, WILL YE, whether you will or no; a familiar version of the Latin, NOLENS VOLENS. Generally written now, WILLY-NILLY.
nimgimmer
A physician or surgeon, particularly those who cure the venereal disease.
nimming
Stealing. Old English, NIM, to take. Motherwell, the Scotch poet, thought the old word NIM (to snatch or pick up) was derived from nam, nam, the tiny words or cries of an infant, when eating anything which pleases its little palate. A negro proverb has the word:—
nincompoop
A fool, a hen-pecked husband, a "Jerry Sneak."—Corruption of non compos mentis.
nine corns
A pipeful of tobacco.
nine lives
Cats are said to have nine lives, and women ten cats lives.
nine shillings
Cool audacity; most probably derived from the French, NONCHALANCE.
ninepence
"nice as NINEPENCE," all right, right to a nicety. A correspondent says:—"This most undoubtedly should be NINE-PINS. For at the game of that name, in fairness to both parties, the nine pins must always be set up with great accuracy. There is no nicety in NINEPENCE!" Evidently this correspondent does not know how nice it is to have ninepence, after being without money. At all events the phrase is "nice as NINEPENCE."
nines
"dressed up to the NINES," in a showy or recherché manner. Up to the NINES, up to the dodges and "wrinkles" of life.
ning-nang
Horse-coupers’ term for a worthless thoroughbred.
ninnyhammer
A foolish, ignorant person. Generally shortened to NINNY. NINNY is also short for nincompoop.
nip
A cheat. Bung nipper; a cutpurse.
nip
To steal, to take up quickly. See NAP and NIB.
nip cheese
A nick name for the purser of a ship: from those gentlemen being supposed sometimes to nip, or diminish, the allowance of the seamen, in that and every other article. It is also applied to stingy persons in general.
nipcheese
A purser.—Old Sea Slang.
nipper
A sharp lad. Originally a superior grade among cut-purses.
nipps
The sheers used in clipping money.
nix
Nothing. German, NICHTS. See MUNGARLY.
nix my dolly
Once a very popular slang song, beginning—
nix!
The signal word of schoolboys and workpeople to each other that the master, or other person in authority, is approaching.
niz-priz
A writ of nisi-prius.—Legal.
nizzie
A fool, a coxcomb.—Old Cant, vide Triumph of Wit.
no catchy no havy
If I am not caught, I cannot be hurt. Negro saying.
no flies
An emphatic addition made to an assertion for the purpose of giving it weight. It really means "no error" or "no mistake." Both of them popular; as, "A jolly fine girl, and NO FLIES!"
no odds
No matter, of no consequence.—Latimer’s Sermon before Edward VI.
no-fly
Artful, designing. Term much used among printers, who shorten it to "N.F."
nob
A king. A man of rank.
nob
The head.—Pugilistic; "bob a NOB," a shilling a head. Ancient Cant, NEB. NOB is an early English word, and is used in the romance of Kynge Alinaunder (thirteenth century) for a head; originally, no doubt, the same as knob.