Nature is beyond all teaching. (Strauss, 1994 p. 764)
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
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nature of the beast
A fundamental aspect of something's character
nature's scythe
The penis.
nature, time, and patience are three great physicians
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed. (Francis Bacon)
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
naughty or nice
Well-behaved or misbehaved, especially in relation to Santa Claus
navigator scot
Baked potatoes all hot.
navigators
Taturs,—vulgar pronunciation of potatoes.
navvy
An excavator employed in making railways, canals, &c. Originally slang, but now a recognised term. Short for navigator, a term humorously applied to excavators when their chief work was that of cutting and banking canals, making dykes to rivers, &c.
navy office
The Fleet prison. Commander of the Fleet; the warden of the Fleet prison.
nawks
breasts
nay word
A bye-word, proverb.
nazakene foretop
The foretop of a wig made in imitation of Christ's head of hair, as represented by the painters and sculptors.
NaZionism
Zionazism.
nazy
Drunken. Nazy cove or mort; a drunken rogue or harlot. Nazy nabs; drunken coxcombs.
Neap Tide
The tide between spring tides which attains the least height at or near the first and last quarters of the moon. The high water rises little more than half as high above the mean level as it does at spring tide, and the low water sinks about half as little below it.
near and dear
Closely loved or cherished
near and far
Everywhere or from all directions
near post
Close to the goal in soccer
Near Side and Off Side
Left side and right side. "Near wheel" means that to the driver's left hand; and "near horse" (in a pair) means that to the left hand of the driver. In a four-in- hand the two horses on the left side of the coachman are the near wheeler and the near leader. Those on the right-hand side are "off" horses. This, which seems an anomaly, arose when the driver walked beside his team.
neardy
A person in authority over another; master, parent, or foreman.—North.
nearest and dearest
Closest friends and family members
nearly man
Someone who often comes close to achieving success but fails
neat
Unmixed with water. "Two half goes of gin, one NEAT, the other cold," meaning one as drawn, the other diluted with cold water. The Americans use the word "straight" instead of NEAT: "I’ll take mine straight."
neat and tidy
Well-organized and clean
neat as a bandbox
Neat as clothes folded and put by in a bandbox.
neat as a button
Very neat.
necessary evil
Something unpleasant but required to achieve a goal
necessity hath no law
Feigned necessities, imagin- ary necessities, are the greatest cozenage men can put upon the Providence of God, and make pretences to break known rules by.
Necessity is mother of invention. (Roger Ascham)
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
necessity is the mother of invention
Need or difficulty drives people to create new solutions.
neck
To swallow. Neck-oil, drink of any kind.
neck and crop
Entirely, completely; "he chuck’d him NECK AND CROP out of window."
neck and crop
Entirely. The crop is the gorge of a bird; a variant of the phrase, is, neck and heels ', as I bundled him out neck and heels. There was a punishment formerly in vogue which consisted m bringing the chin and knees of the culprit forcibly together, and then thrusting him into a cage.
neck and neck
Very near in merit; very close competitors. A phrase used in horse races, when two or more horses run each other yery closely.
neck beef
A synonym for coarseness. "As coarse as neck ends of beef."
neck of the woods
a nearby area or region
neck or nothing
Desperate. Originally a steeplechase phrase.
neck or nothing
Desperate. A racing phrase; to win by a neck or to be nowhere — i.e. not counted at all because unworthy of notice.
neck stamper
The boy who collects the pots belonging to an alehouse, sent out with beer to private houses.
neck verse
Formerly the persons claiming the benefit of clergy were obliged to read a verse in a Latin manuscript psalter: this saving them from the gallows, was termed their neck verse: it was the first verse of the fiftyfirst psalm, Miserere mei,&c.
necker's knob
a navigational landmark
neckinger
A cravat. See MUCKENGER.
necktie party
a hanging, especially a lynching
ned
A guinea. HALF-NED, half-a-guinea.
neddy
A horse, especially a racehorse.
neddy
A considerable quantity, as "a NEDDY of fruit," "a NEDDY of fish," &c.—Irish slang.
need one's eyes checked
to be considered foolish or mistaken
needful
Money, cash; the "one thing NEEDFUL" for the accomplishment of most pet designs.
needle
To annoy. To "cop the NEEDLE" is to become vexed or annoyed.
needle drop
a sudden, significant, and exciting event
needle in a haystack
Something very hard to find
needle mover
Someone or something that has a significant impact
needless to say
Obviously or as one would expect
needs must when the devil drives
Necessity can force one to do something unpleasant or undesirable
neezy
Nigga.
negative Nancy
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
negligee
A woman's undressed gown, Vulgarly termed a neggledigee.
negroe
A black-a-moor: figuratively used for a slave. I'll be no man's negro; I will be no man's slave.
negroe's heads
Brown leaves delivered to the ships in ordinary.