nobba
Nine. Italian, NOVE; Spanish, NOVA,—the b and v being interchangeable, as in sabe and savvey. Slang introduced by the "organ-grinders" from Italy.
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.
nobba saltee
Ninepence. Lingua Franca, NOVE SOLDI.
nobbing
Collecting money; "what NOBBINGS?" i.e., how much have you got or collected from the crowd? This term is much used by "buskers."
nobbing cheat
The gallows.—Old Cant.
nobble
To cheat, to overreach; to discover. In the racing world, to "NOBBLE" a horse, is to "get at," and lame or poison him.
nobbler
A blow on the NOB, a finishing stroke; "that’s a NOBBLER for him," i.e., a settler.—Pugilistic.
nobby
Or NOBBISH, fine or showy; NOBBILY, showily. See SNOB for derivation.
nock
The breech; from NOCK, a notch.
nocky boy
A dull simple fellow.
nod
He is gone to the land of nod; he is asleep.
noddy
A simpleton or fool. Also a kind of low cart, with a seat before it for the driver, used in and about Dublin, in the manner of a hackney coach: the fare is just half that of a coach, for the same distance; so that for sixpence one may have a set down, as it is called, of a mile and half, and frequently a tumble down into the bargain: it is called a noddy from the nutation of its head. Knave noddy; the old-fashioned name for the knave of trumps.
noisy dog racket
Stealing brass knockers from doors.
nokes
A ninny, or fool. John-a-Nokes and Tom-a-Stiles; two honest peaceable gentlemen, repeatedly set together by the ears by lawyers of different denominations: two fictitious names formerly used in law proceedings, but now very seldom, having for several years past been supplanted by two other honest peaceable gentlemen, namely, John Doe and Richard Roe.
noli-me-tangere
The Scotch fiddle, or other contagious disease.
noll
Old Noll; Oliver Cromwell.
non-com
A non-commissioned officer in the army.
non-con
A nonconformist, presbyterian, or any other dissenter.
none-such
One that is unequalled: frequently applied ironically.
nonsense
Melting butter in a wig.
nooning
An interval for rest and refreshment, taken at midday by travellers in hot countries.
nope
A blow: as, I took him a nope on the costard.
norfolk dumpling
A nick name, or term of jocular reproach to a Norfolk man; dumplings being a favourite food in that county.
norfolk-howards
Bugs; a person named Ephraim Bug some few years back advertised, that for the future he would call himself by the more aristocratic appellation of NORFOLK HOWARD.
north
Cunning. The inhabitants of Yorkshire and the Northern counties are supposed, like the canny Scots, to get the better of other people in dealing; hence the phrase, "He’s too far NORTH for me," i.e., too cunning for me to deal with.
north allertons
Spurs; that place, like Rippon, being famous for making them.
north country compliment
To give or offer anything that is not wanted by either giver or receiver is to pass a NORTH COUNTRY COMPLIMENT.
northumberland
Lord Northumberland's arms; a black eye: so called in the last century.
norway neckcloth
The pillory, usually made of Norway fir.
norwicher
More than one’s share; said of a person who leaves less than half the contents of a tankard for his companion. In what way the term originated, or why Norwich was selected before any other city is not known. Most likely from the slanders which the inhabitants of one town are always inventing about their neighbours.
nose
As plain as the nose on your face; evidently to be seen. He is led by the nose; he is governed. To follow one's nose; to go strait forward. To put one's nose out of joint; to rival one in the favour of any person. To make a bridge of any one's nose; to pass by him in drinking. To nose a stink; to smell it. He cut off his nose to be revenged of his face; said of one who, to be revenged on his neighbour, has materially injured himself.
nose
A thief who turns informer; a paid spy; generally called a policeman’s NOSE; "on the NOSE," on the look-out.
nose and chin
A winn,—ancient cant for a penny.
nose bag
A bag fastened to the horse's head, in which the soldiers of the cavalry put the oats given to their horses: whence the saying, I see the hose bag in his face; i.e. he has been a private man, or rode private.
nose in the manger
TO PUT ONE’S, to sit down to eat. To "put on the nose-bag" is to eat hurriedly, or to eat while continuing at work.
nose out of joint
to feel offended or upset, usually because someone is getting attention
nose ’em
Or FOGUS, tobacco. NOSE ’EM is but a contraction of the rhyming slang, which see.
nose-bag
A visitor at a watering-place, or house of refreshment, who carries his own victuals. Term applied by waiters.
nose-ender
A straight blow delivered full on the nasal promontory.
noser
A hard blow, leading to a bloody or contused nose.—Pugilistic.
nostrum
A medicine prepared by particular persons only, a quack medicine.
notch
The private parts of a woman.
note
He changed his note; he told another sort of a story.
notes and queries
The invaluable Index to this most useful periodical may be consulted with advantage by the seeker after etymologies of Slang and Cant words.
notional
Imaginative, full of ideas. Used in America to express a wife’s imaginations with regard to her husband’s doings.
nouse
Comprehension, perception.—Old, apparently from the Greek, νοῦς. Gaelic and Irish, NOS, knowledge, perception.
nowhere
Horses not placed in a race—that are neither first, second, nor third—are said to be NOWHERE, especially when this lack of position happens to favourites.
nozzle
The nose of a man or woman.
nub
The neck; also coition.
nubbing
Hanging. Nubbing cheat: the gallows. Nubbing cove; the hangman. Nubbing ken; the sessions house.
nug
An endearing word: as, My dear nug; my dear love.
nugging dress
An out-of-the-way old-fashioned dress, or rather a loose kind of dress, denoting a courtesan.
number of his mess
When a man dies in the army or navy, he is said to "lose the NUMBER OF HIS MESS."
numbers
To consult the book of numbers: a term used in the House of Commons, when, instead of answering or confuting a pressing argument, the minister calls for a division, i.e. puts the matter to the vote.
numms
A sham collar, to be worn over a dirty shirt.
nurse
A curious term applied to competition in omnibuses. Two omnibuses are placed on the road to NURSE, or take care of, each opposition "bus," one before, the other behind. Of course the central or NURSED bus has very little chance, unless it happens to be a favourite with the public. Recent legislation and tramways have done much to do away with NURSING. NURSE also means to cheat or swindle; trustees are sometimes said to NURSE property, i.e., gradually eat it up themselves.
nut
The head, in pugilistic slang. Used as an exclamation at a fight, it means to strike on the head. In tossing it is a direction to hide the head; to be "off one’s NUT," to be crazed or idiotic.
nut-cut
Roguish, mischievous. A good-natured term of reproach.—Anglo-Indian.
nutcrackers
The pillory: as, The cull peeped through the nutcrackers.
nuts
It was nuts for them; i.e. it was very agreeable to them.
nuts
To be NUTS on anything or person is to be pleased with or fond of it or him; a self-satisfied man is said to be NUTS on himself. NUTTED, taken in by a man who professed to be NUTS on you.