noggin
The head.
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noice
Nice.
noisy dog racket
Stealing brass knockers from doors.
nokes
A ninny, or fool. John-a-Nokes and Tom-a-Stiles; two honest peaceable gentlemen, repeatedly set together by the ears by lawyers of different denominations: two fictitious names formerly used in law proceedings, but now very seldom, having for several years past been supplanted by two other honest peaceable gentlemen, namely, John Doe and Richard Roe.
noli-me-tangere
The Scotch fiddle, or other contagious disease.
noll
Old Noll; Oliver Cromwell.
nom de plume
English-French for "pen name," or pseudonym, the name assumed by a writer, cartoonist, etc., who does not choose to give his own to the public; as Currer Bell (Charlotte Bronte), Fiona McLeod (William Sharp), Henry Seton Merriman (Hugh Stowell Scott), etc. Occasionally, as in the case of Voltaire (Francois Marie Arouet) and De Stendhal (Mane Henri Beyle), the assumed name quite replaces the true name.
non est
A contraction of Lat. non est inventus (not to be found). They are the words which the sheriff writes on a writ when the defendant is not to be found in his bailiwick.
non-com
A non-commissioned officer in the army.
non-con
A nonconformist, presbyterian, or any other dissenter.
non-denial denial
A statement that avoids confirming or denying something
none but the brave deserve the fair
Only courageous people deserve love or reward.
none of someone's business
Not someone's concern or responsibility
none of your cheek
None of your in- solence. We say a man is very cheeky, meaning that he is saucy and presumptuous.
none other than
no less a person than
none the wiser
not knowing any more than before
none-such
One that is unequalled: frequently applied ironically.
nong
An idiot.
nonsense
Melting butter in a wig.
noods
Noodles.
nook and cranny
Every part.
nook or cranny
every possible place
noonie
The vulva.
nooning
An interval for rest and refreshment, taken at midday by travellers in hot countries.
nope
A blow: as, I took him a nope on the costard.
Norbertme Order
An order of Augustinians founded by St. Norbert in 1120 in the diocese of Laon, France. A spot was pointed out to him in a vision, and he termed the spot Pre Montre or Pratum Monstraturn (the meadow pointed out). The order possessed thirty-five monasteries in England — where they were known as the White Canons of the rule of St. Augustine — at the time of the Dissolution.
norfolk dumpling
A nick name, or term of jocular reproach to a Norfolk man; dumplings being a favourite food in that county.
Norfolk Howard
A bedbug.
Norfolk Island
A South Pacific island belong- ing to Australia. It was discovered by Captain Cook in 1774 and was for many years a penal settlement for the most desperate convicts who had to be segregated from the other penal transportees in Australia. In 1856 Norfolk Island was colonized by the people from Pitcairn Island who were descended from the mutineers of the Bounty (#.v.).
norfolk-howards
Bugs; a person named Ephraim Bug some few years back advertised, that for the future he would call himself by the more aristocratic appellation of NORFOLK HOWARD.
Norman Conquest
It embraced a large part of the Midlands, stretching from the Humber to the Thames, and westward to the Welsh Marches.
Norman French
The Old French dialect spoken in Normandy at the time of the conquest of England and spoken by the dominant class in the latter country for some two centuries after the conquest.
normandy by single combat
John de Courcy, conqueror of Ulster and founder of the Kingsale family, was the English champion, and no sooner appeared than the French champion put spurs to his horse and fled.
Norrisian Professor
A Professor of Divinity in Cambridge University. This professorship was founded in 1760 by John Norris (1734-77), of Whitton, Norfolk. The four divinity professors are Lady Margaret's, the Regius, the Norrisian, and the Hulsean.
north
Cunning. The inhabitants of Yorkshire and the Northern counties are supposed, like the canny Scots, to get the better of other people in dealing; hence the phrase, "He’s too far NORTH for me," i.e., too cunning for me to deal with.
North African campaigns
Afterwards served in N.W. Europe. Its divisional sign was a red desert rat on a black ground. The 4th Arm- oured Brigade, also of long standing in the desert, used a black rat on a white ground. The name was given contemptuously by Mussolini but adopted with pride and pleasure.
north allertons
Spurs; that place, like Rippon, being famous for making them.
north and south
A fixed-order word pair (irreversible binomial); full definition pending editorial review.
north country compliment
To give or offer anything that is not wanted by either giver or receiver is to pass a NORTH COUNTRY COMPLIMENT.
north forty
a remote or hard-to-reach area
north of
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
North of England
They were responsible for two risings, in 1715 and 1745, ^the latter marking the virtual end of Jacobitism as a political force. The last male descendant of James II, Henry Cardinal of York, died in 1807; a certain number of sentimental ad- herents to the lost cause are still to be found here and there.
North Pole
For two or three centuries men tried to reach the North Pole, and many were the speculations as to what would be found when they got there. It was not until April 6th, 3909, that the American sailor and explorer Robert Edwin Peary (1856-1920) reached the Pole, by that time known to be the central point of the shallow Arctic basin wherein lies the Arctic Ocean, of which the surface near the Pole is floating and moving ice.
north to south
from the northern part to the southern part of a region
North-west Passage
The name given to an assumed passage to China and the Orient round the north of the American continent. Attempts to find it were made in the 16th and 17th century by such sailors as the Cabots, Frobisher, Gilbert, Davis, Hudson and Baffin. In the 19th century the quest was followed by Ross, Parry, and Sir John Franklin who lost his life and the lives of his crew in the attempt.
Northern Europe
Runes were employed for purposes of secrecy or for divination; and the word is also applied to ancient lore or poetry expressed in runes. Rune is related to A.S. ran, secret.
northern mythology
Egil was a great archer, and in the Saga of Thidnk there is a tale told of him the exact counterpart of the famous story about William Tell and the apple. See TELL.
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 about
To search or investigate in a casual or curious way
nose and chin
A winn,—ancient cant for a penny.
nose around
To search or investigate curiously
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 beer
Cocaine.
nose candy
Cocaine.
nose count
a headcount or attendance count
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.