hunting
Drawing in unwary persons to play or game. CANT.
English · UK & Ireland 17968
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Expressions you’ll hear in Britain and Ireland — distinctly British usage first, then widespread staples.
hunting the squirrel
An amusement practised by postboys and stage-coachmen, which consists in following a one-horse chaise, and driving it before them, passing close to it, so as to brush the wheel, and by other means terrifying any woman or person that may be in it. A man whose turn comes for him to drink, before he has emptied his former glass, is said to be hunted.
huntsup
The reveillier of huntsmen, sounded on the French horn, or other instrument.
hurdy gurdy
A kind of fiddle, originally made perhaps out of a gourd. See HUMSTRUM.
hurdy-gurdy
A droning musical instrument shaped like a large fiddle, and turned by a crank, used by Savoyards and other itinerant foreign musicians in England, now nearly superseded by the hand-organ. From the peculiar noise made by the instrument, which in Italy is called "viola."
hurkaru
A messenger.—Anglo-Indian.
hurly burly
A rout, riot, bustle or confusion.
hush
Hush the cull; murder the fellow.
hush money
Money given to hush up or conceal a robbery, theft, or any other offence, or to take off the evidence from appearing against a criminal.
hush-money
A sum given to quash a prosecution or stay evidence. Money given to any one for the purpose of quieting him.
hush-shop
Or CRIB, a shop where beer and spirits are sold "on the quiet"—no licence being paid.
huskylour
A guinea, or job. Cant.
hussy
An abbreviation of housewife, but now always used as a term of reproach; as, How now, hussy? or She is a light hussy.
huxter
Money. Term much in use among costermongers and low sharpers. Probably from OXTER or HOXTER.
huzza
Said to have been originally the cry of the huzzars or Hungarian light horse; but now the national shout of the English, both civil and military, in the sea phrase termed a cheer; to give three cheers being to huzza thrice.
hy-yaw!
An interjectional exclamation of astonishment.—Anglo-Chinese.
hyp
The hypochondriac: low spirits. He is hypped; he has got the blue devils, &c.
hyps
Or HYPO, the blue devils. From HYPOCHONDRIASIS.—Swift.
idea pot
The knowledge box, the head. See KNOWLEDGE BOX.
ikey
A Jew "fence." Corruption of Isaac, a common Hebrew name.
imperence
Servant-girl currency for impudence or impertinence. "Now, then, Mr. IMPERENCE, leave off now, do," seems, however, to have faded away with Greenwich, Bartlemy, and kindred fairs.
impost takers
Usurers who attend the gaming-tables, and lend money at great premiums.
improve the occasion
Take advantage of a situation to achieve something
impudent stealing
Cutting out the backs of coaches, and robbing the seats.
impure
A modern term for a lady of easy virtue.
in
"to be IN with a person," to be even with, or up to him; also, to be on intimate terms, or in partnership, with him.
in for it
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
in for patter
Waiting for trial, referring to the speeches of counsel, the statements of witnesses, the summing up of the judge, &c.,—the fuss of which the prisoner sets down as "all so much PATTER."
in twig
Handsome; stilish. The cove is togged in twig; the fellow is dressed in the fashion.
india wipe
A silk handkerchief.
indies
Black Indies; Newcastle.
indorser
A sodomite. To indorse with a cudgel; to drub or beat a man over the back with a stick, to lay CANE upon Abel.
inexpressibles
UNUTTERABLES, UNMENTIONABLES, UNWHISPERABLES, or SIT UPONS, trousers, the nether garments. All affected terms, having their origin in a most unpleasant squeamishness.
infantry
Nursery term for children; LIGHT INFANTRY, fleas.
inkle weavers
Supposed to be a very brotherly set of people; 'as great as two inkle weavers' being a proverbial saying.
inlaid
Well inlaid; in easy circumstances, rich or well to pass.
innings
Earnings, good fortune; "he’s had a long INNINGS," i.e., a good run of luck, with plenty of cash flowing in. From the distinction between INNINGS and outings at cricket and kindred games.
innocents
One of the innocents; a weak or simple person, man or woman.
inside and outside
The inside of a **** and the outside of a gaol.
interesting
"to be in an INTERESTING situation," applied to females when enceinte.
into
"hold my hat, Jim, I’ll be INTO him," i.e., I will fight him. In this sense equivalent to pitch INTO, or slip INTO.
invite
An invitation—a corruption used by stuck-up people of mushroom origin. Often used, also, by people who know better, from their desire for slang of any kind.
ipsal dixal
Cockney corruption of ipse dixit—said of one’s simple uncorroborated assertion.
irish american
An Irishman who has been for some time resident in the States; sometimes a man born in America of Irish parents. The Irish American body is a power in the United States, and is the fount-spring as well as the maintaining power of all Fenianism.
irish apricots
Potatoes. It is a common joke against the Irish vessels, to say they are loaded with fruit and timber, that is, potatoes and broomsticks.
irish assurance
A bold forward behaviour: as being dipt in the river Styx was formerly supposed to render persons invulnerable, so it is said that a dipping in the river Shannon totally annihilates bashfulness; whence arises the saying of an impudent Irishman, that he has been dipt in the Shannon.
irish beauty
A woman with two black eyes.
irish legs
Thick legs, jocularly styled the Irish arms. It is said of the Irish women, that they have a dispensation from the pope to wear the thick end of their legs downwards.
irish theatre
The temporary prison, guard-room, or lock-up in a barracks. The fond fancy of the soldier supplies it with other figurative appellations, as "the mill," "the jigger," "the house that Jack built." In Edinburgh Castle it is termed "the dryroom."
irish toyles
Thieves who carry about pins, laces, and other pedlars wares, and under the pretence of offering their goods to sale, rob houses, or pilfer any thing they can lay hold of.
iron
Money in general. To polish the king's iron with one's eyebrows; to look out of grated or prison windows, or, as the Irishman expresses them, the iron glass windows. Iron doublet; a prison. See STONE DOUBLET.
ironmonger's shop
To keep an ironmonger's shop by the side of a common, where the sheriff sets one up; to be hanged in chains. Iron-bound; laced. An iron-bound hat; a silver-laced hat.
irons in the fire
Having multiple projects or tasks underway at the same time
isabeller
(vulgar pronunciation of ISABELLA), an umbrella.
island
He drank out of the bottle till he saw the island; the island is the rising bottom of a wine bottle, which appears like an island in the centre, before the bottle is quite empty.
ivories
Teeth. How the swell flashed his ivories; how the gentleman shewed his teeth.
ivories
Teeth; "a box of IVORIES," a set of teeth, the mouth; "wash your IVORIES," i.e., "drink." The word is also used to denote dice.
ivy bush
Like an owl in an ivy bush; a simile for a meagre or weasel-faced man, with a large wig, or very bushy hair.
i’m afloat
A boat. This is also used for coat. See ante.
jabber
To talk thick and fast, as great praters usually do, to chatter like a magpye; also to speak a foreign language. He jabbered to me in his damned outlandish parlez vous, but I could not understand him; he chattered to me in French, or some other foreign language, but I could not understand him.
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