bolt upright
As erect, or straight up, as an arrow set on its end.
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bolt upright
Straight as an arrow. Wmsinge she was, as is a jolly colt, Long as a mast, and upright as a bolt.
bolted arrow
A blunt arrow for shooting young rooks with a cross-bow; called "bolting rooks." A gun would not do, and an arrow would mangle the little things too much.
bolus
A nick name for an apothecary.
bolus
An apothecary. Origin evident.
bomb out
to fail completely or utterly
Bombay Duck
A fish, the bummalo, which, is dried and eaten with curries.
bombay ducks
In the East India Company’s army the Bombay regiments were so designated. The name is now given to a dried fish (bummelow), much eaten by natives and Europeans in Western India.—Anglo-Indian.
bon ton
Good manners or manners accredited by good society.
bon vivant
A free liver; one who indulges in the "good things of the table." Bon viveur means much the same, but is rather stronger, suggesting one who makes a pursuit of other pleasures besides those of the table.
bone
To steal or appropriate what does not belong to you. BONED, seized, apprehended.—Old.
bone dry
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
bone hard
extremely difficult or challenging
bone in her teeth
A ship sailing very fast
bone in the throat
A persistent annoyance or problem
bone of contention
A subject or issue that causes disagreement or dispute
bone to pick
A dispute or issue to discuss or argue about
bone-grubber
A person who hunts dust-holes, gutters, and all likely spots for refuse bones, which he sells at the rag-shops, or to the bone-grinders. The term was also applied to a resurrectionist. Cobbett was therefore called "a BONE GRUBBER," because he brought the remains of Tom Paine from America.
boned
Beset with unfortunate circumstances that seem difficult or impossible to overcome; in imminent danger.
boned
Seized, apprehended, taken up by a constable. CANT.
bones
To rattle the BONES, to play at dice: also called St. Hugh’s BONES.
bonesetter
A hard-trotting horse.
boniface
Landlord of a tavern or inn.
bonnet
Or BONNETER, a gambling cheat. Sometimes called a "bearer-up." The BONNET plays as though he were a member of the general public, and by his good luck, or by the force of his example, induces others to venture their stakes. Bonneting is often done in much better society than that to be found in the ordinary gaming rooms. A man who persuades another to buy an article on which he receives commission or per-centage is said to BONNET or bear-up for the seller.
Bonnet Rouge
The red cap of Liberty worn by the leaders of the French revolution. It is the emblem of Red Republicanism.
Bonnie and Clyde
Notorious romanticized outlaws
Bonnie Dundee
John Graham, of Claver- house, Viscount Dundee.
Bono Johnny
John Bull is so called in the East Indies.
booby hutch
A one-horse chaise, noddy, buggy, or leathern bottle.
booby prize
a humorous or mocking prize for the loser
booby trap
A trap set to discomfit an unsuspecting victim. — e.g. among children, placing a book on top of a door to fall on whoever opens the door; in war, attaching an explosive charge to the door so that whoever opens it will be killed.
booby-trap
A favourite amusement of boys at school. It consists in placing a pitcher of water on the top of a door set ajar for the purpose; the person whom they wish to drench is then made to pass through the door, and receives the pitcher and its contents on his unlucky head. Books are sometimes used.
booch
Cocaine.
boodleize
To bribe.
boogie on down
to dance, especially in a lively or energetic manner
book burning
Intentional destruction of books, often to suppress ideas
book dumping
Selling books to a retailer at a low price, often to get rid of excess inventory.
book in
to schedule or reserve something
book-keeper
One who never returns borrowed books. Out of one's books; out of one's fevor. Out of his books; out of debt.
booked
Caught, fixed, disposed of.—Term in Book-keeping.
booking office
In coaching days, when accommodation in the stage coaches was very limited, the traveller had to enter his name in a book kept in the office of the coaching inn, and wait his turn for a place in the coach. For the first few years after the introduction of railways all tickets were written out and entered up in their books by the clerks in the booking offices.
bookmaker’s pocket
A breast-pocket made inside the waistcoat, for notes of large amount.
books
Cards to play with. To plant the books; to place the cards in the pack in an unfair manner.
books
A pack of cards. Term used by professional card-players.—See DEVIL’S BOOKS.
Books must follow sciences, and not sciences books. (Francis Bacon)
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
Books think for me. (Charles Lamb)
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
boom
"to top one’s BOOM off," to be off or start in a certain direction.—Sea.
boom and zoom
A tactic where a fighter jet gains speed at high altitude and dives to attack
boom or bust
Succeeding greatly or failing completely
boom-passenger
A sailor’s slang term for a convict on board ship. Derived from the circumstance that prisoners on board convict ships were chained to, or were made to crawl along or stand on the booms for exercise or punishment.
boon and bane
Something that is both beneficial and harmful
Boon Companion
A convivial or congenial companion. A ban vivant is one fond of good living. "Who leads a good life is sure to live well." (Fr. bon, good.
boon-companion
A comrade in a drinking bout. BOON evidently corruption of BON.
booner
A person who takes particular pride in their car and enjoys showing it off.
boonies
Boondocks.
boost
To steal.
boot
Besides, Pope assures us, that "VICE TO BE HATED NEEDS BUT
boot and saddle
The order to cavalry for mounting. It is a corruption of the Fr. boute selley put on the saddle, and has nothing to do with boots.
boot camp
a rigorous training program
boot catcher
The servant at an inn whose business it is to clean the boots of the guest.
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