big shop
a large retail store
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Where will you be? Anywhere UK & IrelandUnited StatesOnline slangBusiness jargon
big shot
An important or influential person
big sleep
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
big spender
Someone who spends money freely and generously
Big Stoush
Probably from English stashie an uproar.
big talk
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
big tamale
An important or influential person
big tent
A broad and inclusive group or organization
big wheel
An important or influential person
big-bird
TO GET THE, i.e., to be hissed, as actors occasionally are by the "gods." BIG-BIRD is simply a metaphor for goose.—Theat. Slang.
big-wig
A person in authority or office. Exchangeable with "GREAT GUN."
bigger and better
Improved or more impressive in size or quality
bigger fish to fry
More important things to attend to
bih
A bitch.
bilbo
A sword; abbrev. of "BILBAO blade." Spanish swords were anciently very celebrated, especially those of Toledo, Bilbao, &c.
bilboa
A sword. Bilboa in Spain was once famous for well-tempered blades: these are quoted by Falstaff, where he describes the manner in which he lay in the buck-basket. Bilboes, the stock; prison. Cant.
bilk
A cheat, or a swindler. Formerly in general use, now confined to the streets, where it is common, and mostly used in reference to prostitutes. Gothic, BILAICAN.
bill at sight
To pay a bill at sight; to be ready at all times for the venereal act.
Bill of Attainder
A legislative Act, introduced and passed exactly like any other Bill, declaring a person or pers9ns attainted. It was originally used only against offenders who fled from justice, but was soon perverted to the destruction of political opponents, etc. The last Bill of Attainder m England was that passed in 1697 for the attainting and execution of Sir John Fenwick for participation in the Assassination plot.
bill of exchange
An order transferring a named sum of money at a given date from the debtor ("drawee") to the creditor ("drawer"). The drawee having signed the bill becomes the "acceptor," and the document is then negotiable in commercial circles just as is money itself.
bill of fare
A list of the dishes provided, or which may be ordered, at a restaurant, etc.; a menu.
bill of goods
a set of ideas or products being sold or promoted
bill of health
A document, duly signed by the proper authorities, to certify that when the ship set sail no infectious disorder existed in
bill of lading
A document signed by the master of a ship in acknowledgment of goods laden m his vessel. In this document he binds himself to deliver the articles in good condition to the persons named in the bill, certain exceptions being duly provided for. These bills are generally in triplicate — one for the sender, one for the receiver, and one for the master of the vessel.
Bill of Pains and Penalties
A legislative Act imposing punishment (less than capital) upon a person charged with treason or other high crimes. It is like a Bill of Attainder (q. v.), differing from it in that the punishment is never capital and the children are not affected.
bill of quantities
An abstract of the prob- able cost of a building, etc.
Bill of Rights
The declaration delivered to the Prince of Orange (William III) on his election to the British throne, and accepted by him, confirming the rights and privileges of the people. (Feb. 13th, 1689.
bill of sale
A widow's weeds. See HOUSE TO LET.
bill of sale
When a person borrows money and delivers goods as security, he gives the lender a " bill of sale," that is, permission to sell the goods if the money is not returned on a stated day.
billingsgate
(when applied to speech), foul and coarse language. Many years since people used to visit Thames Street to hear the Billingsgate fishwomen abuse each other. The anecdote of Dr. Johnson and the Billingsgate virago is well known.
billingsgate language
Foul language, or abuse. Billingsgate is the market where the fishwomen assemble to purchase fish; and where, in their dealings and disputes, they are somewhat apt to leave decency and good manners a little on the left hand.
billingsgate pheasant
A red herring; a bloater. Billy, A policeman's staff, which is a little bill or billet.
Bills of Mortality
In 1592, wben a great pestilence broke out, the Company of Parish Clerks, representing 109 parishes in and around London, began to publish weekly returns of all deaths occurring; these later included births or baptisms, but continued to be known as "bills of mortality." The term is now used for those abstracts from parish registers which show the births, deaths, and baptisms of the district.
bills receivable
Promissory notes, bills of exchange, or other acceptances^held by a person to whom the money stated is payable.
billy
A silk pocket-handkerchief.—Scotch.—See WIPE.
Billy Barlow
A street droll, a merry- andrew; so called from a half-idiot of the name,, who fancied himself some great person- age. He was well known in the East of Lon- don in the early half of last century, and died in Whitechapel workhouse. Some of his sayings were really witty, and some of his attitudes really droll.
billy boy
A bluff-bowed, North Country coasting vessel of river-barge build.
billy goat
A male goat. From this came the term once common for a tufted beard — a "billy" — or goatee.
billy-barlow
A street clown; sometimes termed a JIM CROW, or SALTIMBANCO,—so called from the hero of a slang song. Billy was a real person, semi-idiotic, and though in dirt and rags, fancied himself a swell of the first water. Occasionally he came out with real witticisms. He was a well-known street character about the East-end of London, and died in Whitechapel Workhouse.
billy-cock
A soft felt hat of the Jim Crow or "wide-awake" description.
Billycock Hat
A round, low- crowned, soft felt hat with a wide brim. One account says that the name is the same as "bully-cocked," that is, cocked in the manner of a bully, or swell, a term which was applied to a hat in the description of an Oxford dandy in Amherst's Terra Films (1721). Another account says that it was first used by Billy Coke (Mr.
bim
A woman.
Binary Arithmetic
Arithmetic in which the base of the notation is 2 instead of 10, a method suggested for certain uses by
Binary Theory
A theory which supposes that all acids are a compound of hydrogen with a simple or compound radicle, and all salts are similar compounds in which a metal takes the place of hydrogen.
binch
A bitch.
bine
A cigarette.
Bine Peter
A flag with a blue ground and white square in the centre, hoisted as a signal that the ship is about to sail. It takes its name from a "repeater", a naval flag hoisted to indicate that a signal has not been read and should be repeated, this flag having been used with that meaning originally.
Bine Ribbon
The blue ribbon is the Garter, the badge of the highest and most coveted Order of Knighthood in the gift of the British Crown; hence the term is used to denote the highest honour attainable in any profession, walk of life, etc. The blue ribbon of the Church is the Archbishopric of Canterbury, that in law is the office of Lord Chancellor. See CORDON BLEU.
bing
To go. Cant. Bing avast; get you gone. Binged avast in a darkmans; stole away in the night. Bing we to Rumeville: shall we go to London?
binge and purge
To alternately overindulge and then rid oneself of excess
bingo
Brandy or other spirituous liquor. Cant.
bingo boy
A dram drinker. Cant.
bingo mort
A female dram drinker. Cant.
bingoed
Drunk.
bingy
A term largely used in the butter trade to denote bad, ropy butter; nearly equivalent to VINNIED.
binnacle word
A fine or affected word, which sailors jeeringly offer to chalk up on the binnacle.
binned
Drunk.
bins
Binoculars.
bio queen
a person who is exceptionally skilled at a biological or medical field
bipnnet lairds
Local magnates or petty squires of Scotland, who wore the braid bonnet, like the common people.
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