sleeping partner
A partner in a trade, or shop, who lends his name and money, for which he receives a share of the profit, without doing any part of the business.
English · UK & Ireland 2057
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.
sleepless-hats
Those of a napless character, better known as WIDE-AWAKES.
sleepy
Much worn: the cloth of your coat must be extremely sleepy, for it has not had a nap this long time.
sleeveless errand
A task or mission that is futile or pointless
slender
A simple country gentleman.—Shakspeare.
slewed
Drunk, or intoxicated.—Sea term. When a vessel changes the tack, she, as it were, staggers, the sails flap, she gradually heels over, and the wind catching the waiting canvas, she glides off at another angle. The course pursued by an intoxicated, or SLEWED, man, is supposed to be analogous to that of the ship.
slice
To take a slice; to intrigue, particularly with a married woman, because a slice off a cut loaf is not missed.
slick
An Americanism, very prevalent in England since the publication of Judge Haliburton’s facetious stories, which means rapidly, effectually, utterly.
sling
A drink peculiar to Americans, generally composed of gin, soda-water, ice, and slices of lemon. At some houses in London GIN-SLINGS may be obtained.
sling one's hook
to leave quickly or go away
slip
"to give the SLIP," to run away, or elude pursuit. Shakspeare has, "You gave me the counterfeit," in Romeo and Juliet. Giving the SLIP, however, is a sea phrase, and refers to fastening an anchor and chain cable to a floating buoy, or water-cask, until a time arrives when it is convenient to return and take them on board. In fastening the cable, the home end is SLIPPED through the hawse-pipe. Weighing anchor is a noisy task, so that giving the SLIP infers leaving quietly.
slippery chap
One on whom there can be no dependance, a shuffling fellow.
slipping
A trick of card-sharpers, in the performance of which, by dexterous manipulation, they place the cut card on the top, instead of at the bottom of the pack. It is the faire sauter la coupe of the French. In pugilistic parlance, "to SLIP a man," is to "duck and get away" with great dexterity.
slips
The sides of the gallery in a theatre are generally so called.
slipslopping
Misnaming and misapplying any hard word; from the character of Mrs. Slipslop, in Fielding's Joseph Andrews.
slipslops
Tea, water-gruel, or any innocent beverage taken medicinally.
slog
To beat or baste, to fight. German, SCHLACHTEN; or perhaps from some connexion with the Gaelic SLOGAN. The pretended Greek derivation from σλογω is humbug, there being no such word in the language.
slogdollager
An Americanism, meaning the same as our STOCKDOLLAGER, which see.
sloggers
I.e., SLOW-GOERS, the second division of race-boats at Cambridge. At Oxford they are called TORPIDS.—University. A hard hitter at cricket is termed a SLOGGER; so is a pugilist.
slop
Tea. How the blowens lush the slop. How the wenches drink tea!
slop
A policeman. At first back slang, but now modified for general use.
slop seller
A dealer in those articles, who keeps a slop shop.
slope
To decamp, to run, or rather slip away. Some persons think it came originally from LOPE, to make off; and that the s probably became affixed as a portion of the preceding word, as in the case of "Let’s lope," let us run. It is purely an Americanism, and is possibly but an emendation of our own word elope. Lope, leap, and elope are kindred.
slops
Wearing apparel and bedding used by seamen.
slops
Any weak, wet, and warm mixture. Hard drinkers regard all effeminate beverages as SLOPS.
slopshop
A tailor’s shop where inferior work is done, and where cheap goods are sold.
slouch
A stooping gait, a negligent slovenly fellow. To slouch; to hang down one's head. A slouched hat: a hat whose brims are let down.
slour
To lock, or fasten.—Prison Cant.
sloured
Buttoned up; SLOURED HOXTER, an inside pocket buttoned up.
slowcoach
A lumbering, dull person; one slow of comprehension.
slowed
To be locked up (in prison).
slubber de gullion
A dirty nasty fellow.
slubberdegullion
A paltry, dirty, sorry wretch.
slug
A piece of lead of any shape, to be fired from a blunderbuss. To fire a slug; to drink a dram.
slug-a-bed
A drone, one that cannot rise in the morning.
sluice your gob
Take a hearty drink.
sluicery
A gin-shop or public-house.
slum
A chest, or package. See SLOPS.
slum the gorger
To cheat on the sly, to be an eye-servant. SLUM in this sense is old cant.
slumgullion
Any cheap, nasty, washy beverage. An Americanism best known in the Pacific States.
slur
To slur, is a method of cheating at dice: also to cast a reflection on any one's character, to scandalize.
slush
Greasy dish-water, or the skimmings of a pot where fat meat has been boiled.
slush
The grease obtained from boiling the salt pork eaten by seamen, and generally the cook’s perquisite.
slush bucket
A foul feeder, one that eats much greasy food.
sly boots
A cunning fellow, under the mask of simplicity.
smack smooth
Even, level with the surface, quickly.
smacksmooth
Level with the surface, every thing cut away.
small clothes
Breeches: a gird at the affected delicacy of the present age; a suit being called coat, waistcoat, and articles, or small clothes.
small hours
The early hours after midnight.
small potatoes
Something or someone unimportant or insignificant
small-beer
"he doesn’t think SMALL-BEER of himself," i.e., he has a great opinion of his own importance. SMALL COALS is also used in the same sense.
smalls
A University term for the first general examination of the student. It is used at Cambridge, but properly belongs to Oxford. The Cambridge term is "little go."
smart
Spruce, fine: as smart as a carrot new scraped.
smart money
Money allowed to soldiers or sailors for the loss of a limb, or other hurt received in the service.
smash
Leg of mutton and smash: a leg of mutton and mashed turnips. SEA TERM.
smash
To become bankrupt, or worthless; "to go all to SMASH," to break, "go to the dogs," or fall in pieces.
smash-man-geordie
A pitman’s oath.—Durham and Northumberland. See GEORDIE.
smasher
A person who lives by passing base coin. The cove was fined in the steel for smashing; the fellow was ordered to be imprisoned in the house of correction for uttering base coin.
smasher
One who passes bad coin, or forged notes.
smashfeeder
A Britannia-metal spoon,—the best imitation shillings are made from this metal.