north country compliment
To give or offer anything that is not wanted by either giver or receiver is to pass a NORTH COUNTRY COMPLIMENT.
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Expressions you’ll hear in Britain and Ireland — distinctly British usage first, then widespread staples.
northumberland
Lord Northumberland's arms; a black eye: so called in the last century.
norway neckcloth
The pillory, usually made of Norway fir.
norwicher
More than one’s share; said of a person who leaves less than half the contents of a tankard for his companion. In what way the term originated, or why Norwich was selected before any other city is not known. Most likely from the slanders which the inhabitants of one town are always inventing about their neighbours.
nose
As plain as the nose on your face; evidently to be seen. He is led by the nose; he is governed. To follow one's nose; to go strait forward. To put one's nose out of joint; to rival one in the favour of any person. To make a bridge of any one's nose; to pass by him in drinking. To nose a stink; to smell it. He cut off his nose to be revenged of his face; said of one who, to be revenged on his neighbour, has materially injured himself.
nose
A thief who turns informer; a paid spy; generally called a policeman’s NOSE; "on the NOSE," on the look-out.
nose and chin
A winn,—ancient cant for a penny.
nose bag
A bag fastened to the horse's head, in which the soldiers of the cavalry put the oats given to their horses: whence the saying, I see the hose bag in his face; i.e. he has been a private man, or rode private.
nose in the manger
TO PUT ONE’S, to sit down to eat. To "put on the nose-bag" is to eat hurriedly, or to eat while continuing at work.
nose out of joint
to feel offended or upset, usually because someone is getting attention
nose ’em
Or FOGUS, tobacco. NOSE ’EM is but a contraction of the rhyming slang, which see.
nose-bag
A visitor at a watering-place, or house of refreshment, who carries his own victuals. Term applied by waiters.
nose-ender
A straight blow delivered full on the nasal promontory.
noser
A hard blow, leading to a bloody or contused nose.—Pugilistic.
nostrum
A medicine prepared by particular persons only, a quack medicine.
notch
The private parts of a woman.
note
He changed his note; he told another sort of a story.
notes and queries
The invaluable Index to this most useful periodical may be consulted with advantage by the seeker after etymologies of Slang and Cant words.
notional
Imaginative, full of ideas. Used in America to express a wife’s imaginations with regard to her husband’s doings.
nouse
Comprehension, perception.—Old, apparently from the Greek, νοῦς. Gaelic and Irish, NOS, knowledge, perception.
nowhere
Horses not placed in a race—that are neither first, second, nor third—are said to be NOWHERE, especially when this lack of position happens to favourites.
nozzle
The nose of a man or woman.
nub
The neck; also coition.
nubbing
Hanging. Nubbing cheat: the gallows. Nubbing cove; the hangman. Nubbing ken; the sessions house.
nug
An endearing word: as, My dear nug; my dear love.
nugging dress
An out-of-the-way old-fashioned dress, or rather a loose kind of dress, denoting a courtesan.
number of his mess
When a man dies in the army or navy, he is said to "lose the NUMBER OF HIS MESS."
numbers
To consult the book of numbers: a term used in the House of Commons, when, instead of answering or confuting a pressing argument, the minister calls for a division, i.e. puts the matter to the vote.
numms
A sham collar, to be worn over a dirty shirt.
nurse
A curious term applied to competition in omnibuses. Two omnibuses are placed on the road to NURSE, or take care of, each opposition "bus," one before, the other behind. Of course the central or NURSED bus has very little chance, unless it happens to be a favourite with the public. Recent legislation and tramways have done much to do away with NURSING. NURSE also means to cheat or swindle; trustees are sometimes said to NURSE property, i.e., gradually eat it up themselves.
nut
The head, in pugilistic slang. Used as an exclamation at a fight, it means to strike on the head. In tossing it is a direction to hide the head; to be "off one’s NUT," to be crazed or idiotic.
nut-cut
Roguish, mischievous. A good-natured term of reproach.—Anglo-Indian.
nutcrackers
The pillory: as, The cull peeped through the nutcrackers.
nuts
It was nuts for them; i.e. it was very agreeable to them.
nuts
To be NUTS on anything or person is to be pleased with or fond of it or him; a self-satisfied man is said to be NUTS on himself. NUTTED, taken in by a man who professed to be NUTS on you.
nux
The "plant," or object in view. "Stoll up to the NUX?" "Do you fully comprehend what is wanted?"—North Country Cant.
nyp shop
The Peacock in Gray's Inn Lane, where Burton ale is sold in nyps.
o be joyful
I'll make you sing O be joyful on the other side of your mouth; a threat, implying the party threatened will be made to cry. To sing O be easy; to appear contented when one has cause to complain, and dare not.
o. k
A matter to be O. K. (OLL KORRECT, i.e., all correct), must be on the "square," and perfectly in order. This is an Americanism, and is derived from the initials O. K., said to have been marked on a document by an official to signify that all was right and proper.
o. p
Publishers’ reply to an inquiry for a book or paper that is OUT OF PRINT.
oaf
A lumbering, awkward fellow.
oak
A rich maa, a man of good substance and credit. To sport oak; to shut the outward door of a student's room at college. An oaken towel; an oaken cudgel. To rub a man down with an oaken towel; to beat him.
oak
The outer door of college rooms; to "sport one’s OAK," to be "not at home" to visitors. See SPORT.—University.
oar
To put in one's oar; to intermeddle, or give an opinion unasked: as, To be sure, you must put in your oar!
oar
"to put in an OAR," to interfere.
oat
An atom. Probable corruption of iota, or perhaps from the small size of an oat. "I never got an OAT of it," I never received the smallest portion.
oaths
The favourite oaths of the thieves of the present day are, "God strike me blind!" "I wish my bloody eyes may drop out if it is not true!" "So help me God!" "Bloody end to me!"
oats
He has sowed his wild oats; he is staid, or sober, having left off his wild tricks.
obliquitous
Oblivious of distinction between right and wrong.—American.
obstropolous
Cockney corruption of obstreperous.
obstropulous
Vulgar misnomer of OBSTREPEROUS: as, I was going my rounds, and found this here gemman very obstropulous, whereof I comprehended him as an auspicious parson.
occabot
Tobacco; "tib fo OCCABOT," bit of tobacco.
occupy
To occupy a woman; to have carnal knowledge of her.
ochre
Money, generally applied to gold, for a very obvious reason.
od rot it
(Colman’s Broad Grins), DRAT IT, OD’S BLOOD, and all other exclamations commencing with OD, are nothing but softened or suppressed oaths. OD is a corruption of GOD, and DRAT of ROT.
odd man
A man who trains in company with a boat’s crew, so that in the event of any one falling ill the seat will be fairly occupied.
odd man out
A street or public-house game at tossing. The number of players is three or more. Each tosses up a coin, and if two come down head, and one comes tail, or vice versâ, the ODD MAN loses or wins, as may have been agreed upon. Frequently used to victimize a "flat." If all be alike, then the toss goes for nothing, and the coppers are again "skied." It is easy for two men to arrange matters beforehand at this game, and so swindle a third.
odd-come-shortlys
I'll do it one of these odd-come-shortly's; I will do it some time or another.
oddfellows
A convivial society; the introduction to the most noble grand, arrayed in royal robes, is well worth seeing at the price of becoming a member.
odds
A phrase equivalent to "consequence;" "what’s the ODDS?" i.e., what is the expected result? "It’s no ODDS," i.e., of no consequence. ODDS, in sporting phraseology, refers to the proportions or differences of a bet. One bookmaker will lay ODDS of "six to one" against such a horse winning; whilst another, more speculative, or in the receipt of a first-rate "tip" (information about the horse in question) will lay "eight," or even "ten to one."
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