three-penny upright
A retailer of love, who, for the sum mentioned, dispenses her favours standing against a wall.
English · UK & Ireland 17968
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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.
three-quarters of a peck
The neck,—in writing, among experts, expressed by the simple "3/4," as it is pronounced.
throttle
The throat, or gullet.
through
Finished. In America, where this word is most used in the sense now given, a guest who has had enough will, when asked to take more, say, "I’m THROUGH," which is certainly preferable to the other Americanism, "crammed."
thrums
Threepence. Also, in Coventry, remnants and waste pieces of silk.
thrups
Threepence. See the preceding, which is more general.
thud
The dull, dead sound made by the fall of a heavy body, or the striking of a bullet against any soft, fleshy substance.
thumb
By rule of thumb: to do any thing by dint of practice. To kiss one's thumb instead of the book; a vulgar expedient to avoid perjury in taking a false oath.
thummikins
An instrument formerly used in Scotland, like a vice, to pinch the thumbs of persons accused of different crimes, in order to extort confession.
thump
A blow. This is better than a thump on the back with a stone; said on giving any one a drink of good liquor on a cold morning. Thatch, thistle, thunder, and thump; words to the Irish, like the Shibboleth of the Hebrews.
thumper
A magnificently constructed lie, a lie about which there is no stint of imaginative power.
thumping
Great! a thumping boy.
thumping
Large, fine, or strong.
thunderbomb
An imaginary ship of vast size. See MERRY DUN OF DOVER.
thunderer
The Times newspaper, sometimes termed "the THUNDERER of Printing House Square," from the locality where it is printed.
thwack
A great blow with a stick across the shoulders.
tib of the buttery
A goose. CANT. Saint Tibb's evening; the evening of the last day, or day of judgment: he will pay you on St. Tibb's eve. IRISH.
tibbing out
Going out of bounds.—Charterhouse.
tibby
The head. Street slang, with no known etymology. To drop on one’s TIBBY is to frighten or startle any one, to take one unawares.
tick
To run o'tick; take up goods upon trust, to run in debt. Tick; a watch. SEE SESSIONS PAPERS.
tick
Credit, trust. Johnson says it is a corruption of "ticket,"—tradesmen’s bills being formerly written on tickets or cards. On TICK, therefore, is equivalent to on TICKET, or on trust. In use in 1668, and before, as follows:—
ticker
A watch. Formerly cant, now street slang.
ticket
"that’s the TICKET," i.e., that’s what is wanted, or what is best. Probable corruption of "that’s etiquette," or, perhaps, from TICKET, a bill or invoice. This phrase is sometimes extended into "that’s the TICKET for soup," in allusion to the card given to beggars for immediate relief at soup kitchens. See TICK.
tickle
To puzzle; "a reg’lar TICKLER" is a poser.
tickle pitckeb
A thirsty fellow, a sot.
tickle tail
A rod, or schoolmaster. A man's penis.
tiddlywink
Slim, puny; sometimes TILLYWINK.
tidy
Tolerably, or pretty well; "How did you get on to-day?"—"Oh, TIDY."—Saxon.
tie
A dead heat. A game of any kind, in which the possibility exists, is said to end in a tie, if the markings are level on each side at the finish. In racing parlance, all level finishes are called dead-heats.
tied up
Given over, finished; also married, in allusion to the hymeneal knot, unless a jocose allusion be intended to the "halter" (altar). See BUCKLED, term in use among costermongers and street folk generally.
tiff
A pet, a fit of ill humour.
tiffin
A breakfast, déjeûner à la fourchette.—Anglo-Indian Slang.
tiffing
Eating or drinking out of meal time, disputing or falling out; also lying with a wench, A tiff of punch, a small bowl of punch.
tiffy
Easily offended, apt to be annoyed.
tiger
A parasite; also a term for a ferocious woman; a boy employed to wait on gentlemen—one who waits on ladies is a page.
tight
Close, stingy; hard up, short of cash; TIGHT, spruce, strong, active; "a TIGHT lad," a smart, active young fellow; TIGHT, drunk, or nearly so, generally the result of "going on the loose;" "TIGHT-laced," puritanical, over-precise. Money is said to be TIGHT when the public, from want of confidence in the aspect of affairs, are not inclined to speculate.
tightener
A dinner, or hearty meal. See SPITALFIELDS’ BREAKFAST.
tike-
Or BUFFER-LURKING, dog-stealing.
tilbuky
Sixpence; so called from its formerly being the fare for Crossing over from Gravesend to Tilbury Fort.
tile
A hat, a covering for the head.
tilt
To tilt; to fight with a sword. To run full tilt against one; allusion to the ancient tilling with the lance.
tim whisky
A light one--horse chaise without a head.
timber toe
A man with a wooden leg.
timber-toes
A wooden-legged man. Also at the East-end one who wears clogs, i.e., wooden soled boots.
time
Cabman’s slang for money. If they wish to express 9s. 9d. they say that "it is a quarter to ten;" if 3s. 6d., half-past three; if 11s. 9d. a quarter to twelve. Cab-drivers can hardly have originated a system which has been in existence as long as the adage, "Time is money." They have, however, the full use of the arrangement, which is perhaps the simplest on record.
time o’ day
A dodge, the latest aspect of affairs; "that’s your TIME O’ DAY," i.e., that’s well done; to put a person up to the TIME O’ DAY, or let him know "what’s o’clock," is to instruct him in the knowledge needful for him.
tin
Money,—generally applied to silver.
tin-pot
"he plays a TIN-POT game," i.e., a low, mean, or shabby game. In the Contes d’Eutrapel, a French officer at the siege of Chatillon is ridiculously spoken of as Captain TIN-POT—Capitaine du Pot d’Etain. TIN-POT, as generally used, means worthless. As applied to billiards and kindred games, it means pretentious and inferior play.
tinge
The per-centage allowed by drapers and clothiers to their assistants upon the sale of old-fashioned articles. See SPIFFS.
tinkler
A bell. "Jerk the TINKLER," ring the bell. Refined or affected slangists sometimes say, "Agitate the communicator," which, though it represents "ring the bell," should more properly mean "pull the cord."
tip
Advice or information respecting anything, but mostly used in reference to horse-racing, so that the person TIPPED may know how to bet to the best advantage. The "straight TIP" is the TIP which comes direct from the owner or trainer of a horse. Of late years a "straight TIP" means a direct hint on any subject.
tip-top
The best: perhaps from fruit, that growing at the top of the tree being generally the best, as partaking most of the sun. A tip-top workman; the best, or most excellent Workman.
tip-top
First-rate, of the best kind.
tip-topper
A "swell," or dressy man, a "Gorger."
tipper
A kind of ale brewed at Brighton. Mrs. Gamp preferred the "Brighton TIPPER."
tipperary fortune
Two town lands, stream's town, and ballinocack; said of Irish women without fortune.
tipplers
Sots who are continually sipping.
tipster
A "turf" agent who collects early and generally special information of the condition and racing capabilities of horses in the training districts, and posts the same to his subscribers to guide their betting.
tiring
Dressing: perhaps abbreviation of ATTIRING. Tiring women, or tire women: women that used to cut ladies hair, and dress them.
tit
A horse; a pretty little tit; a smart little girl. a *** or tid bit; a delicate morsel. Tommy tit; a smart lively little fellow.
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