unparliamentary
Or UNSCRIPTURAL, language, words unfit for use in ordinary conversation.
English · UK & Ireland 17968
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Expressions you’ll hear in Britain and Ireland — distinctly British usage first, then widespread staples.
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.
vacabondes
The Fraternatye of, as well as of ruflyng Vacabones, as of beggerly, of Women as of Men, of Gyrles as of Boyes, with their proper Names and Qualities, with a Description of the Crafty Company of Cousoners and Shifters, also the XXV. Orders of Knaves; otherwyse called a Quartern of Knaves, confirmed by Cocke Lorell, 8vo. Imprinted at London by John Awdeley, dwellyng in little Britayne strete, without Aldersgate. 1575.
vagaries
Frolics, wild rambles.
vakeel
A barrister.—Anglo-Indian.
valentine
The first woman seen by a man, or man seen by a woman, on St. Valentine's day, the 14th of February, when it is said every bird chuses his mate for the ensuing year.
vamos
VAMOUS, or VAMOOSH, to go, or be off. Spanish, VAMOS, "Let us go!" Probably NAMUS, or NAMOUS, the costermonger’s word, was from this.
vamp
To spout, to leave in pawn. Also to cobble, as, "a VAMPED play," and "a VAMPED accompaniment," both terms reflecting discredit on the work, but not necessarily upon the musician.
vamps
Old, or refooted stockings. From VAMP, to piece.
van
Madam Van; see MADAM.
van-neck
Miss or Mrs. Van-Neck; a woman with large breasts; a bushel bubby.
vardo
To look; "VARDO the carsey," look at the house. VARDO formerly was old cant for a waggon. This is by low Cockneys generally pronounced VARDY.
vardy
To give one's vardy; i.e. verdict or opinion.
vardy
Verdict, vulgarly used as opinion, thus, "My VARDY on the matter is the same as yourn."
varlets
Now rogues and rascals, formerly yeoman's servants.
varment
(Whip and Cambridge.) Natty, dashing. He is quite varment, he is quite the go. He sports a varment hat, coat, &c.; he is dressed like a gentleman Jehu.
varmint
"You young VARMINT, you!" you bad, or naughty boy. Corruption of VERMIN.
varnisher
An utterer of false sovereigns. Generally "snide-pitcher."
vaulting school
A brothel.
vaux’s
(Count de, a swindler and pickpocket) Life, written by himself, 2 vols., 12mo, to which is added a Canting Dictionary. 1819.
velvet
To tip the velvet; to put one's tongue into a woman's mouth. To be upon velvet; to have the best of a bet or match. To the little gentleman in velvet, i. e. the mole that threw up the hill that caused Crop (King William's horse) to stumble; a toast frequently drank by the tories and catholics in Ireland.
velvet
The tongue; especially the tongue of a magsman. Also, men who have succeeded in their speculations, especially on the turf, are said to stand on VELVET.
veneer
The artificiality of society, conventionality. Dickens expressed his dislike for certain forms of VENEER repeatedly, and especially by means of his Veneerings in Our Mutual Friend.
venus's curse
The venereal disease.
vessels of paper
Half a quarter of a sheet.
vet
Colloquial term for VETERINARIAN.
vic
The Victoria Theatre, London. Also the street abbreviation of the Christian name of her Majesty the Queen.
vice admiral of the narrow seas
A drunken man that pisses under the table into his companions' shoes.
village
Or THE VILLAGE, i.e., London. Birmingham is called "the hardware VILLAGE." Also a Cambridge term for a disreputable suburb of that town, viz., Barnwell, generally styled "the VILLAGE."
ville
Or VILE, a town or village—pronounced PHIAL, or VIAL.—French.
vincent's law
The art of cheating at cards, composed of the following associates: bankers, those who play booty; the gripe, he that betteth; and the person cheated, who is styled the vincent; the gains acquired, termage.
vinegar
A name given to the person who with a whip in his hand, and a hat held before his eye, keeps the ring clear, at boxing-matches and cudgel-playing; also, in cant terms, a cloak.
vinnied
Mildewed, or sour.—Devonshire.
vixen
A termagant; also a she fox, who, when she has cubs, is remarkably fierce.
voker
To talk; "can you VOKER Romany?" can you speak the canting language?—Latin, VOCARE; Spanish, VOCEAR.
vowel
"To VOWEL a debt" is to acknowledge with an I O U.
vulpecide
One who shoots or traps foxes, or destroys them in any way other than that of hunting. A foxhunter regards a VULPECIDE as rather worse than an ordinary murderer.
w. p
Or WARMING-PAN. A clergyman who holds a living pro tempore, under a bond of resignation, is styled a W. P., or WARMING-PAN rector, because he keeps the place warm for his successor. WARMING-PAN was a term first popularly applied to a substitute in the reign of James II.
wabble
Or WOBBLE, to move from side to side, to roll about. Johnson terms it "a low, barbarous word."
wabler
Footwabler; a contemptuous term for a foot soldier, frequently used by those of the cavalry.
wag
An arch-frolicsome fellow.
waggish
Arch, gamesome, frolicsome.
waits
Musicians of the lower order, who in most towns play under the windows of the chief inhabitants at midnight, a short time before Christmas, for which they collect a christmas-box from house to house. They are said to derive their name of waits from being always in waiting to celebrate weddings and other joyous events happening within their district.
wake
A country feast, commonly on the anniversary of the tutelar saint of the village, that is, the saint to whom the parish church is dedicated.
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