unbleached American
A black American.
English · UK & Ireland 160
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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.
under a cloud
Under suspicion.
u.p
United Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
ugly
Wicked, malicious, resentful.—American.
ullages
The wine of all sorts left in the bottoms of glasses at a public dinner. This is emptied into a measure, and drunk behind the screen or in any convenient place by the waiters, which accounts for their stony glare and fishy appearance late in the evening. Maybe from Lat. ULLUS, any.
uncle
Mine uncle's; a necessary house. He is gone to visit his uncle; saying of one who leaves his wife soon after marriage. It likewise means a pawnbroker's: goods pawned are frequently said to be at mine uncle's, or laid up in lavender.
uncle
The pawnbroker. See MY UNCLE.
understandings
The feet or boots. Men who wear exceptionally large or thick boots, are said to possess good UNDERSTANDINGS.
understrapper
An inferior in any office, or department.
understudy
To STUDY a part for the stage, not with the view of playing it at once, but so as to be ready in the event of anything happening to its present representative. Some actors of position, who suffer from delicate health, or mental weakness, have always other and inferior, but more robust, artists UNDERSTUDYING their parts.
unfortunate
A modern euphuism for a prostitute, derived from Thomas Hood’s beautiful poem of The Bridge of Sighs:—
unfortunate gentlemen
The horse guards, who thus named themselves in Germany, where a general officer seeing them very awkward in bundling up their forage, asked what the devil they were; to which some of them answered, unfortunate gentlemen.
unfortunate women
Prostitutes: so termed by the virtuous and compassionate of their own sex.
ungrateful man
A parson, who at least once a week abuses his best benefactor, i.e. the devil.
unicorn
A coach drawn by three horses.
unicorn
A style of driving with two wheelers abreast and one leader—termed in the United States a "spike team." "Tandem" is one wheeler and one leader. "Random," three horses in line. "Manchester" means three horses abreast. See HARUM-SCARUM.
unlicked
Ill-trained, uncouth, rude, and rough; an "UNLICKED cub" is a loutish youth who has never been taught manners; from the tradition that a bear’s cub, when brought into the world, has no shape or symmetry until its dam licks it into form with her tongue. Possibly said of a boy who has been petted, i.e., who has been insufficiently thrashed or licked. Case of spared rod and spoilt child.
unlicked cub
A rude uncouth young fellow.
unparliamentary
Or UNSCRIPTURAL, language, words unfit for use in ordinary conversation.
unrigged
Undressed, or stripped. Unrig the drab; strip the wench.
untruss
To untruss a point; to let down one's breeches in order to ease one's self. Breeches were formerly tied with points, which till lately were distributed to the boys every Whit Monday by the churchwardens of most of the parishes in London, under the denomination of tags: these tags were worsteds of different colours twisted up to a size somewhat thicker than packthread, and tagged at both ends with tin. Laces were at the same given to the girls.
untwisted
Undone, ruined, done up.
unutterables
Or UNWHISPERABLES, trousers. See INEXPRESSIBLES.
up
"to be UP to a thing or two," to be knowing, or understanding; "to put a man UP to a move," to teach him a trick; "it’s all UP with him," i.e., it is all over with him; when pronounced U.P., naming the two letters separately, means settled, or done UP. "UP a tree," see TREE.
up to their gossip
To be a match for one who attempts to cheat or deceive; to be on a footing, or in the secret. I'll be up with him; I will repay him in kind.
uphills
False dice that run high.
upper benjamin
Or BENJY, a great coat; originally "Joseph," but, because of the preponderance of tailors named BENJAMIN, altered in deference to them.
upper storey
The head or brain, especially in relation to thinking or mental activity
upping block
[Called in some counties a leaping stock, in others a jossing block.] Steps for mounting a horse. He sits like a toad on a jossing block; said of one who sits ungracefully on horseback.
uppish
Testy, apt to take offence.
upright
Go upright; a word used by shoemakers, taylors and their servants, when any money is given to make them drink, and signifies, Bring it all out in liquor, though the donor intended less, and expects change, or some of his money, to be returned. Three-penny upright. See THREEPENNY UPRIGHT,
upstarts
Persons lately raised to honours and riches from mean stations.
urchin
A child, a little fellow; also a hedgehog.
urinal of the planets
Ireland: so called from the frequent rains in that island.
used up
Killed: a military saying, originating from a message sent by the late General Guise, on the expedition at Carthagena, where he desired the commander in chief to order him some more grenadiers, for those he had were all used up.
used up
Broken-hearted, bankrupt, fatigued, vanquished.
under one's thumb
Under one's control.
under the microscope
Under critical examination.
under the rose
In confidence.
under the weather
Slightly ill or not feeling well.
university of life
Daily life experiences.
up a gum tree
Into a predicament.
up the ante
Raise the stakes.
up with the lark
Up very early in the morning.
ugly American
An American who behaves rudely or disrespectfully abroad
ugly customer
An unpleasant or difficult person to deal with
ugly duckling
Someone who is initially unwanted but later becomes valued
ugly is as ugly does
A person's character is reflected in their actions
under a spell
Completely fascinated or charmed by something
under control
Managed or regulated successfully
under erasure
Present but crossed out, indicating rejection or cancellation
under glass
protected or preserved
under lock and key
Kept safe and secure
under no circumstances
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
under one roof
Living together in the same house
under one's hat
Keeping something secret or hidden
under one's own steam
Using one's own efforts or resources
under one's very eyes
Happening right in front of someone
under one's wing
To protect or guide someone
under sail
moving or operating using the power of the wind in sails