damper
A luncheon, or snap before dinner: so called from its damping, or allaying, the appetite; eating and drinking, being, as the proverb wisely observes, apt to take away the appetite.
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damper
A shop till; to DRAW A DAMPER, i.e., rob a till. A till is more modernly called a "lob," and stealing from tills is known as "lob-sneaking."
dance attendance
To attend someone closely, often in a flattering or obsequious manner
Dance of Death
An allegorical representa- tion of Death leading all sorts and conditions of men in a dance to the grave, originating in Germany in the 14th century as a kind of morality play, quickly becoming popular m France and England, and surviving later principally by means of pictorial art. There is a series of woodcuts, said to be by Hans Holbein (1538), representing Death dancing after all sorts of persons, beginning with Adam and Eve.
dance of the seven veils
A deliberately misleading or distracting presentation
dance on nothing
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
dance on someone's grave
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
dance with the devil
To cooperate or interact with someone or something dangerous
dandelion and burdock
a type of traditional British soft drink
dander
Passion or temper; "to get one’s DANDER up," to rouse his passion.—Old, but now much used in America.
dando
A great eater, who cheats at hotels, eating shops, oyster-cellars, &c., from a person of that name who lived many years ago, and who was an enormous oyster-eater. According to the stories related of him, Dando would visit an oyster-room, devour an almost fabulous quantity of bivalves, with porter and bread and butter to match, and then calmly state that he had no money.
dandy
That's the dandy; i.e. the ton, the clever thing; an expression of similar import to "That's the barber." See BARBER.
dandy
A small glass of whisky.—Irish. "Dimidium cyathi vero apud Metropolitanos Hibernicos dicitur DANDY."—Father Tom and the Pope, in Blackwood’s Magazine for May 1838.
dandy grey russet
A dirty brown. His coat's dandy grey russet, the colour of the Devil's nutting bag.
dandy prat
An insignificant or trifling fellow.
dandypratt
A funny little fellow, a mannikin; originally a half-farthing of the time of Henry VII.
dangler
One who follows women in general, without any particular attachment
danglies
testicles
daniel come to judgement
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Daniel Dancer
His sister lived with him, and was a similar character, but died before him, and he left his wealth to the widow of Sir Henry Tempest, who nursed him in his last illness.
danish astronomer
He lost his nose in a duel, so adopted a golden one, .which he attached to his face by a cement which he carried about with him.
dankie
Thanks.
danna
Human ordure; DANNA DRAG, a nightman’s or dustman’s cart; hence DUNNA-KEN, which see.
dapper fellow
A smart, well-made, little man.
darbies
handcuffs
darbies
Handcuffs.—Old Cant.—See JOHNNY DARBIES. Sir Walter Scott mentions these, in the sense of fetters, in his Peveril of the Peak—
darble
The devil. French, DIABLE.
Darby and Joan
The type of loving, old- fashioned, virtuous couples. The names belong to a ballad written by Henry Woodfall, and the characters are said to be John Darby, of Bartholomew Close, who died 1730, and his wife, "As chaste as a picture cut in alabaster. You might sooner move a Scythian rock than shoot fire into her bosom." Woodfall served his apprenticeship to John Darby; but another account localizes the couple in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
dark
"keep it DARK," i.e., secret. A DARK horse is, in racing phraseology, a horse of whom nothing positive is known, but who is generally supposed to have claims to the consideration of all interested, whether bookmakers or backers.
dark and bloody ground
Kentucky. So called by the Indians because of the fierce wars waged in the forests, and later so known by the whites for the same reason in their struggle against the red man.
dark cloud
A problem or worry that spoils an otherwise pleasant situation
dark cully
A married man that keeps a mistress, whom he visits only at night, for fear of discovery.
dark horse
A surprise winner or competitor
darkee
A dark lanthorn used by housebreakers. Stow the darkee, and bolt, the cove of the crib is fly; hide the dark lanthorn, and run away, the master of the house knows that we are here.
darken a church door
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
darken someone's door
to visit someone's home, often uninvited or unwelcome
darkman's budge
One that slides into a house in the dark of the evening, and hides himself, in order to let some of the gang in at night to rob it.
darky
Twilight; also a negro. DARKMANS, the night.
Darky Cuntinent
Africa.
darlo
Darlington
darn
Vulgar corruption of DAMN.—American.
darn tootin'
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
dart
A straight-armed blow in boxing.
dart about
To move quickly and nervously in different directions
Darwinian Theory
Charles Darwin (1809-82) published in 1859 Origin of Species, to prove that the numerous species now existing on the earth sprang originally from one or at most a few primal forms; and that the present diversity is due to special development and natural selection. In recent times the Darwinian theory has undergone very con- siderable modification but it is still the basis of scientific research. See EVOLUTION.
dash
A tavern drawer. To cut a dash: to make a figure.
dash
To jot down suddenly. "Things I have DASHED off at a moment’s notice."
dash my buttons
Here, "buttons" means- lot or destiny, and "dash" is a euphemistic form of a stronger word.
dash off
Create or write something quickly
dash someone's hopes
To disappoint or destroy someone's plans or expectations
date with destiny
An inevitable or predetermined event or encounter
daub
In low language, an artist. Also a badly painted picture.
daughter of Eve
A woman, especially one who is perceived as cunning or deceitful
David and Goliath
A situation where a smaller opponent faces a much larger or more powerful one
David and Jonathan
A type of inseparable friends. Similar examples of friendship were Pylades and Orestes (#.v.); Damon and Pythias G?.v.);etc.
david jones
The devil, the spirit of the sea: called Necken in the north countries, such as Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.
david’s sow
"as drunk as DAVID’S sow," i.e., beastly drunk. See origin of the phrase in Grose’s Dictionary.
Davis Cup
A silver trophy for an inter- national Lawn Tennis team championship, presented by the American politician, Dwight
davy
I'll take my davy of it; vulgar abbreviation of affidavit.
davy
"on my DAVY," on my affidavit, of which it is a vulgar corruption. Latterly DAVY has become synonymous in street language with the name of the Deity; "so help me DAVY," generally rendered, "swelp my DAVY." Slang version of the conclusion of the oath usually exacted of witnesses.
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