Queen Bess
The queen of clubs.
English · UK & Ireland 98
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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.
quack
An ungraduated ignorant pretender to skill in physic, a vender of nostrums.
quack-salver
A mountebank: a seller of salves.
quag
Abbreviation of quagmire; marshy moorish around.
quail-pipe
A woman's tongue; also a device to take birds of that name by imitating their call. Quail pipe boots; boots resembling a quail pipe, from the number of plaits; they were much worn in the reign of Charles II.
quaker
A lump of excrement.
quakers
A religious sect so called from their agitations in preaching.
quality
Gentry, the upper classes.
quandary
To be in a quandary: to be puzzled. Also one so over-gorged, as to be doubtful which he should do first, sh--e or spew. Some derive the term quandary from the French phrase qu'en dirai je? what shall I say of it? others from an Italian word signifying a conjuror's circle.
quandary
Described in the dictionaries as a "low word," may fittingly be given here. It illustrates, like "hocus-pocus," and other compound colloquialisms, the singular origin of slang expressions. QUANDARY, a dilemma, a doubt, a difficulty, is from the French, QU’EN DIRAI-JE?—Skinner.
quarrel-picker
A glazier: from the small squares in casements, called CARREUX, vulgarly quarrels.
quartered
Divided into four parts; to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, is the sentence on traitors and rebels. Persons receiving part of the salary of an office from the holder of it, by virtue of an agreement with the donor, are said to be quartered on him. Soldiers billetted on a publican are likewise said to be quartered on him.
quartereen
A farthing.—Gibraltar term. Italian, QUATTRINO.
quean
A slut, or worthless woman, a strumpet.
quean
A strumpet. In Scotland, a lower-class woman. Saxon, CWEAN, a barren old cow.
queen dick
To the tune of the life and death of Queen Dick. That happened in the reign of Queen Dick; i.e., never.
queen street
A mart governed by his wife, is said to live in Queen street, or at the sign of the Queen's Head.
queen’s tobacco-pipe
The kiln in which all contraband tobacco seized by the Custom-house officers is burned.
queer
An old cant word, once in continual use as a prefix, signifying base, roguish, or worthless,—the opposite of RUM, which signified good and genuine. QUEER, in all probability, is immediately derived from the cant language.
queer as dick's hatband
Out of order, without knowing one's disease.
queer bail
Insolvent sharpers, who make a profession of bailing persons arrested: they are generally styled Jew bail, from that branch of business being chiefly carried on by the sons of Judah. The lowest sort of these, who borrow or hire clothes to appear in, are called Mounters, from their mounting particular dresses suitable to the occasion. CANT.
queer birds
Rogues relieved from prison, and returned to their old trade.
queer bitch
An odd, out-of-the-way fellow.
queer bluffer
The master of a public-house the resort of rogues and sharpers, a cut-throat inn or alehouse keeper.
queer checkers
Among strolling players, door-keepers who defraud the company, by falsely checking the number of people in the house.
queer cole fencer
A putter off, or utterer, of bad money.
queer cole maker
A maker of bad money.
queer cuffen
A justice of the peace, or magistrate,—a very ancient term, mentioned in the earliest slang dictionary. In this sense, as well as in that of the verb just given, the term is evidently derived from quæro, to inquire, to question. Quiz and quis? have also an undoubted connexion.
queer cuffin
A justice of the peace; also a churl.
queer degen
An ordinary sword, brass or iron hilted.
queer kicks
A bad pair of breeches.
queer mort
A diseased strumpet. CANT.
queer nab
A felt hat, or other bad hat.
queer plungers
Cheats who throw themselves into the water, in order that they may be taken up by their accomplices, who carry them to one of the houses appointed by the Humane Society for the recovery of drowned persons, where they are rewarded by the society with a guinea each; and the supposed drowned persons, pretending he was driven to that extremity by great necessity, also frequently sent away with a contribution in his pocket.
queer prancer
A bad, worn-out, foundered horse; also a cowardly or faint-hearted horse-stealer.
queer rooster
An informer that pretends to be sleeping, and thereby overhears the conversation of thieves in night cellars.
Queer Street
In a difficult or precarious financial situation
queer-street
"in QUEER STREET," in difficulty or in want.
querier
A chimney-sweep who calls from house to house soliciting employment,—formerly termed KNULLER, which see.
qui-hi
An English resident at Calcutta.—Anglo-Indian.
qui-tam
A solicitor. He who, i.e., "he who, as much for himself as for the King," seeks a conviction, the penalty for which goes half to the informer and half to the Crown. The term would, therefore, with greater propriety, be applied to a spy than to a solicitor.
quick and nimble
More like a bear than a squirrel. Jeeringly said to any one moving sluggishly on a business or errand that requires dispatch.
quick sticks
In a hurry, rapidly; "to cut QUICK STICKS," to start off hurriedly, or without more ado. See CUT ONE’S STICK.
quid
The quantity of tobacco put into the mouth at one time. To quid tobacco; to chew tobacco. Quid est hoc? hoc est quid; a guinea. Half a quid; half a guinea. The swell tipped me fifty quid for the prad; the gentleman gave fifty pounds for the horse.
quid
Or THICK UN, a sovereign; "half a QUID," half a sovereign; QUIDS, money generally; "QUID for a QUOD," one good turn for another. The word is used by old French writers:—
quid-nunc
An inquisitive person, always seeking for news. The words translated simply signify, "What now?"
quidnunc
A politician: from a character of that name in the farce of the Upholsterer.
quids
Cash, money. Can you tip me any quids? can you lend me some money?
quiet
"on the QUIET," clandestinely, so as to avoid observation, "under the rose."
quiffing
Rogering. See TO ROGER.
quill driver
A clerk, scribe, or hackney writer.
quill-driver
A scrivener, a clerk,—satirical phrase similar to "steel bar driver," a tailor.
quiller
A parasite, a person who sucks neatly through a quill. See SUCK UP.
quim
The private parts of a woman: perhaps from the Spanish quemar, to burn. (CAMBRIDGE) A piece's furbelow.
quinsey
Choked by a hempen quinsey; hanged.
quipps
Girds, taunts, jests.
quirks and quillets
Tricks and devices. Quirks in law; subtle distinctions and evasions.
quisby
Bankrupt, poverty-stricken. Amplification of QUEER.
quisi
Roguish, low, obscene.—Anglo-Chinese.
quitam
A quitam horse; one that will both carry and draw. LAW WIT.