apple-pie order
In exact or very nice order.
English · UK & Ireland 17968
All languages English Tiếng Việt
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.
apple-pye bed
A bed made apple-pye fashion, like what is called a turnover apple-pye, where the sheets are so doubled as to prevent any one from getting at his length between them: a common trick played by frolicsome country lasses on their sweethearts, male relations, or visitors.
appro
Contraction of approbation, a word much in use among jewellers. Most of the extensive show of chains, watches, and trinkets in a shop window is obtained "ON APPRO," i.e., "on sale or return."
april fool
Any one imposed on, or sent on a bootless errand, on the first of April; which day it is the custom among the lower people, children, and servants, by dropping empty papers carefully doubled up, sending persons on absurd messages, and such like contrivances, to impose on every one they can, and then to salute them with the title of April Fool. This is also practised in Scotland under the title of Hunting the Gowke.
apron string hold
An estate held by a man during his wife's life.
aqua pumpaginis
Pump water.
arch duke
A comical or eccentric fellow.
arch rogue, dimber damber upright man
The chief of a gang of thieves or gypsies.
area sneak
A thief who commits depredations upon kitchens and cellars.
argol-bargol
To bandy words.—Scotch.
ark
A boat or wherry. Let us take an ark and winns, let us take a sculler. CANT.
ark ruffians
Rogues who, in conjunction with watermen, robbed, and sometimes murdered, on the water, by picking a quarrel with the passengers in a boat, boarding it, plundering, stripping, and throwing them overboard, &c. A species of badger. CANT.
armour
In his armour, pot valiant: to fight in armour; to make use of Mrs. Philips's ware. See C--D--M.
arrah now
An unmeaning expletive, frequently used by the vulgar Irish.
arse
To hang an arse; to hang back, to be afraid to advance. He would lend his a-e and sh-te through his ribs; a saying of any one who lends his money inconsiderately. He would lose his a-e if it was loose; said of a careless person. A-e about; turn round.
arsy yarsey
To fall arsy varsey, i.e. head over heels.
article
A wench. A prime article. A handsome girl. She's a prime article (WHIP SLANG), she's a devilish good piece, a hell of a GOER.
article
Derisive term for a weak or insignificant specimen of humanity.
articles
Breeches; coat, waistcoat, and articles.
as fat as a hen in the forehead
A saying of a meagre person.
ash’s
(John, LL.D.) New and Complete Dictionary of the English Language, 2 vols. 8vo. 1775.
atomy
A diminutive or deformed person. From ANATOMY, or ATOM.
attack
To carve, or commence operations; "ATTACK that beef, and oblige!"
attic
The head; "queer in the ATTIC," intoxicated or weak-minded. Sometimes ATTIC is varied by "upper story."
attic salt
Wit or sarcasm, especially in writing
auctioneer
To "tip him the AUCTIONEER," is to knock a man down. Tom Sayers’s right hand was known to pugilistic fame as the AUCTIONEER.
audit ale
Extra strong ale supposed to be drunk when the accounts are audited.—Camb. Univ.
auld-reekie
An affectionate term for the old town of Edinburgh. Derived from its dingy appearance.
aunt
Mine aunt; a bawd or procuress: a title of eminence for the senior dells, who serve for instructresses, midwives, &c. for the dells. CANT. See DELLS.
autem cacklers, autem prickears
Dissenters of every denomination. CANT.
autem cackletub
A conventicle or meeting-house for dissenters. CANT.
autem divers
Pickpockets who practice in churches; also churchwardens and overseers of the poor. CANT.
autem goglers
Pretended French prophets. CANT.
autem mort
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
autem quaver tub
A Quakers' meeting-house. CANT.
avast
A sailor’s phrase for stop, shut up, go away,—apparently connected with the old Cant, BYNGE A WASTE; or from the Italian, BASTA, hold! enough.
avoir du pois lay
Stealing brass weights off the counters of shops. CANT.
awake
Acquainted with, knowing the business. Stow the books, the culls are awake; hide the cards, the fellows know what we intended to do.
awake
Or FLY, knowing, thoroughly understanding. "I’m awake," i.e., I know all. The phrase WIDE-AWAKE carries a similar meaning in ordinary conversation, but has a more general reference.
awful
A senseless expletive, used to intensify a description of anything good or bad; "what an AWFUL fine woman!" "awfully jolly," "awfully sorry," &c. The phrase is not confined to any section of society.
ax
To ask. Sometimes pronounced arks.
b flats
Bugs.—Compare F SHARPS.
b. k. s
Military officers in mufti, when out on a spree, and not wishing their profession to be known, speak of their barracks as the B. K. S.
b.n.c
For Brasenose, initials of Brazen Nose College. In spite of the nose over the gate the probability is the real name was Brasinium. It is still famous for its beer.—University.
babble
Confused, unintelligible talk, such as was used at the building the tower of Babel.
babes
The lowest order of KNOCK-OUTS (which see), who are prevailed upon not to give opposing biddings at auctions, in consideration of their receiving a small sum (from one shilling to half-a-crown), and a certain quantity of beer. They can, however, even after this agreement, be secured on the other side for a little longer price. There is no honour among thieves—at all events not among auction thieves—nowadays.
babes in the wood
Criminals in the stocks, or pillory.
bacchus and venus
Or, A Select Collection of near Two Hundred of the most Witty and Diverting Songs and Catches in Love and Gallantry, with Songs in the Canting Dialect, with a DICTIONARY explaining all Burlesque and Canting Terms, 12mo. 1738.
back
To support by means of money, on the turf or otherwise.—See LAY.
back biter
One who slanders another behind his back, i.e. in his absence. His bosom friends are become his back biters, said of a lousy man.
back jump
A back window.—Prison term.
back slang it
To go out the back way. Equivalent to "Sling your hook out of the back-door," i.e., get away quickly.
back up
His back is up, i.e. he is offended or angry; an expression or idea taken from a cat; that animal, when angry, always raising its back. An allusion also sometimes used to jeer a crooked man; as, So, Sir, I see somebody has offended you, for your back is up.
back-end
That portion of the year which commences with October. This phrase is peculiar to the turf, and has its origin in the fact that October was actually, and is now nearly, the finishing portion of the racing season. Towards BACK-END the punters and "little men" generally begin to look forward with anxiety to their winter prospects, and "going for the gloves" is not only a frequent phrase, but a frequently recurring practice.
back-hander
A blow on the face with the back of the hand, a back-handed tip. Also a drink out of turn, as when a greedy person delays the decanter to get a second glass. Anything done slyly or secretly is said to be done in a back-handed manner.
backed
Dead. He wishes to have the senior, or old square-toes, backed; he longs to have his father on six men's shoulders; that is, carrying to the grave.
backer
One who places his money on a particular man or animal; a supporter of one side in a contest. The great body of betting men is divided into BOOKMAKERS and BACKERS.
backslums
The byeways and disreputable portions of a town.
bacon
He has saved his bacon; he has escaped. He has a good voice to beg bacon; a saying in ridicule of a bad voice.
bacon
The body, "to save one’s BACON," to escape.