essex stile
A ditch.
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.
everlasting shoes
The feet. The barefooted children about the Seven Dials, and other low quarters of London, are said to wear EVERLASTING SHOES and stockings. Another expression in connexion with this want is, "the shoes and stockings their mothers gave them."
everlasting staircase
A never-ending or constantly repetitive task
eves dropper
One that lurks about to rob hen-roosts; also a listener at doors and windows, to hear private conversation.
evif-gen
A crown, or five shillings.
evil
A halter. Cant, Also a wife.
evlenet sith-noms
Twelve months. Generally known as a "stretch."
ewe
A white ewe; a beautiful woman. An old ewe, drest lamb fashion; an old woman, drest like a young girl.
exasperate
To over-aspirate the letter H, or to aspirate it whenever it commences a word, as is commonly done by under-educated people who wish to show off their breeding. EXASPERATION does not refer to an omission of the aspirate.
exes
Expenses. "Just enough to clear our exes."
exis-evif-gen
Six times five shillings, i.e., 30s. All moneys may be reckoned in this manner, either with YANNEPS or GENS. It is, however, rarely or never done.
exis-evif-yanneps
Elevenpence,—literally, "sixpence and fivepence = elevenpence." This mode of reckoning, distinct from the preceding, is only made by special arrangement amongst slangites, who wish to confound their intimates.
expended
Killed: alluding to the gunner's accounts, wherein the articles consumed are charged under the title of expended. Sea phrase.
extensive
Frequently applied in a slang sense to a person’s appearance or talk; "rather EXTENSIVE that!" intimating that the person alluded to is showing off, or "cutting it fat."
extracted
Placed on the list of "ELEGANT EXTRACTS."—Camb. Univ.
eye
It's all my eye and Betty Martin. It's all nonsense, all mere stuff.
eye teeth
Supposed evidences of sharpness. A man is said to have, or have not, cut his EYE TEETH, according to possession or want of shrewdness.
eye water
Gin. Term principally used by printers.
eye-sore
A disagreeable object. It will be an eye-sore as long as she lives, said by a limn whose wife was cut for a fistula in ano.
f sharps
Fleas. Compare B FLATS.
face
Credit at a public-house, impudence, confidence, brass; thus a BRAZEN-FACE. "To run one’s FACE," is to obtain credit in a bounceable manner. "He’s got some FACE," i.e., he has got lots of impudence.
face entry
The entrée to a theatre. From the FACE being known, as distinguished from free-list entry.
face-making
Begetting children. To face it out; to persist in a falsity. No face but his own: a saying of one who has no money in his pocket or no court cards in his hand.
facer
A bumper, a glass filled so full as to leave no room for the lip. Also a violent blow on the face.
facer
A blow on the face. In Ireland, a dram.
fad
A hobby, a favourite pursuit.
fadge
It won't fadge; it won't do. A farthing.
fadge
To suit or fit; "it wont FADGE," it will not do. Used by Shakspeare, but now heard only in the streets.
fadger
A glazier’s frame. Otherwise called a "frail," perhaps in reference to the fragile nature of its contents.
fag
A schoolboy who performs a servant’s offices to a superior schoolmate. From FAG, to become weary or tired out. Low German, FAKK, wearied.
fagger
A little boy put in at a window to rob the house.
faggot
A man hired at a muster to appear as a soldier. To faggot in the canting sense, means to bind: an allusion to the faggots made up by the woodmen, which are all bound. Faggot the culls; bind the men.
faggot
A bundle of bits of the "stickings" (hence probably its name) sold for food to the London poor. It is sometimes called a duck. In appearance it resembles a Scotch "haggis," without, however, being nearly so good as that fragrant article. Probably the FAG-END of a thing, the inferior or remaining part, the refuse.
faggot briefs
Bundles of worthless papers tied up with red tape, carried by unemployed barristers in the back rows of the courts to simulate briefs.
fair
A set of subterraneous rooms in the Fleet Prison.
faithful
One of the faithful; a taylor who gives long credit. His faith has made him unwhole; i.e. trusting too much, broke him.
fake
In the sporting world, means to hocus or poison. Fake is also a mixture supposed to be used for purposes of "making safe."
fakement
A counterfeit signature. A forgery. Tell the macers to mind their fakements; desire the swindlers to be careful not to forge another person's signature.
fakement
A false begging petition, any act of robbery, swindling, or deception. FAKEMENT is a word of most general application among the lower classes. Any things strange, and most things not strange, are called FAKEMENTS, particularly if there is anything peculiar or artistic in their production.
fakement charley
The owner’s private mark. FAKER, is one who makes or FAKES anything. To "fake a cly," is to pick a pocket.
fal-lals
Trumpery ornaments, gewgaws. Forby suggests as a derivation the Latin PHALERÆ, horse trappings.
fallalls
Ornaments, chiefly women's, such as ribands, necklaces, &c.
fam lay
Going into a goldsmith's shop, under pretence of buying a wedding ring, and palming one or two, by daubing the hand with some viscous matter.
fambles
Or FAMMS, the hands.—Ancient Cant. German, FANGEN.
family man
A thief or receiver of stolen goods.
family men
Or PEOPLE, thieves, or burglars.
family of love
Lewd women; also, a religious sect.
fan
A waistcoat.—Houndsditch term.
fancy
The favourite sports, pets, or pastime of a person, the ton of low life. Pugilists are sometimes termed the FANCY. Shakspeare uses the word in the sense of a favourite or pet; and the paramour of a prostitute is still called her FANCY MAN.
fancy bloak
A fancy or sporting man.
fanning
A beating. FANNING is also stealing; CROSS-FANNING is stealing with the arms crossed so as to distract attention, as in stealing breast-pins, &c.
fanqui
A European, literally foreign devil.—Anglo-Chinese.
fantail
A dustman’s or coalheaver’s hat. So called from the shape.
farm
To contract, after the manner of those who engage to feed and lodge children belonging to the parish, at so much a head; a fruitful cause of starvation and misery. See Oliver Twist. The baby farmings, unconnected with the parishes in which they occurred, which ultimately resulted in the trial and execution of Margaret Waters, on the 11th October, 1870, have caused the word FARM as applied to any dealings with children, parish or private, to be one of obloquy and reproach.
farmer
In Suffolk this term is applied to the eldest son of the occupier of the farm. In London it is used derisively of a countryman, and denotes a farm-labourer or clodpole. Both senses are different from the proper meaning.
fart
He has let a brewer's fart, grains and all; said of one who has bewrayed his breeches.
fart catcher
A valet or footman from his walking behind his master or mistress.
fartleberries
Excrement hanging about the anus.
fast
Embarrassed, wanting money, tied up. Sometimes synonymous with "hard up."—Yorkshire.
fast and loose
Behaving recklessly or irresponsibly
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