road to Damascus
A moment of sudden conversion or change in belief
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Roan Barbary
The favourite horse of Richard II. When Bolingbroke rode on Roan Barbary That horse that thou so often hast bestrid.
roar back
to return or respond strongly
roar on
to continue or increase in loudness or intensity
roaratorios and uproars
Oratorios and operas.
roarer
A broken-winded horse.
roarer
A broken-winded horse; or, in the more polite speech of the stable, "a high blower." ROARING, as applied to horses, is often termed "talking" by turf-men. It is often said delicately by sporting writers, when speaking of a broken-winded racehorse, that "he makes a noise."
roaring boy
A noisy, riotous fellow.
roaring boys
The riotous blades of Ben Jonson's time, whose delight it was to annoy quiet folk. At one time their pranks in London were carried to an alarming extent.
Roaring Meg
Formerly any large gun that made a great noise when let off was so called, as Mons Meg herself and a cannon given by the Fishmongers of London, and used m 1689. Burton says: "Music is a roaring Meg against melancholy.
roaring trade
A very successful business.—Shopkeepers’ Slang.
roast
To expose a person to a running fire of jokes for the amusement and with the assistance of a whole company. A performance not indulged in by gentlemen. QUIZZING is done by a single person only.
roast and boiled
A nick name for the Life Guards, who are mostly substantial house-keepers; and eat daily of roast and boiled.
rob
To burgle.
rob Peter to pay Paul
To take money from one source to pay another debt
Rob Roy
A nickname given to Robert M'Gregor (1671-1734), a noted Scot- tish outlaw and freebooter, on account of his red hair.
Rob Roy MacGregor
See ROB ROY. Macheath, Captain (mak hethO- A highway- man, hero of The Beggar's Opera by John. Gay (1685-1732), which was produced as a satire on and protest against the fashionable Italian opera, based on classical subjects. It took London by storm when produced in 1727.
rob the cradle
to marry or date someone much younger
robber baron
A wealthy and powerful person who uses unethical methods to gain wealth
Robert Rogers
Their first appearance was on the Dieppe raid in 1942 on which a small party went as armed observers.
Robert Spencer
The tale is that one day Llewelyn returned from hunting, when his favourite hound, covered with gore, ran to meet him. The chieftain ran to see if anything had happened to his infant son, found the cradle overturned, and all around was sprinkled with blood. Thinking the hound had eaten the child, he stabbed it to the heart.
robert's men
The third old rank of the canting crew, mighty thieves, like Robin Hood.
Robin and Makyne
An ancient Scottish pas- toral. Robin is a shepherd for whom Makyne sighs. She goes to him and tells her love, but Robin turns a deaf ear, and the damsel goes home to weep. After a time the tables are turned, and Robin goes to Makyne to plead for her heart and hand; but the damsel replies — The man that will not when he may Sail have nocht when he wald.
Robin Goodfelljiro
A "drudging fiend," and merry domestic fairy, famous for mischievous
Robin Hood
This traditionary outlaw and hero of English ballads is mentioned by the Scottish historian Fordun, who died about 1386, and also by Langland in the Vision of Piers Plowman, Bk. v, 402 (?.v.), but which of these is the earlier is uncertain.
Robin Redbreast
The tradition is that when our Lord was on His way to Calvary, a robin picked a thorn out of His crown, and the blood which issued from the wound falling on the bird dyed its breast with red.
Robin Redbreasts
Bow Street runners were so called from their red waistcoats. A round robin. See ROUND.
Robinson Crusoe
Defoe's novel (1719) is founded on the adventures of Alexander Sel- kirk (1676-1723), a buccaneer who, at his own request, was marooned, in 1704, on the un- inhabited island of Juan Fernandez, off the coast of Chile. He remained there for over four years, being finally rescued by Captain Woodes Rogers in 1709.
Rochelle Salt
A tartrate of sodium or potas- sium, so called because it was discovered by an apothecary of Rochelle, named Seignette, in 1672. In France it is called sel de Seignette or sel des tombeaux.
rochester portion
Two torn smocks, and what nature gave.
rock and roll
a genre of energetic music
Rock Bay
The day after Twelfth-day, when, the Christmas holidays being over, women re- turned to their distaff, an old name for which was rock; the day is also called "St. Distaff's Day/' Cp. PLOUGH MONDAY.
rock bottom
the lowest or most desperate point in a situation
Rock English
The mixed patois of Spanish and English spoken by natives at Gibraltar —
rock hound
A person who collects rocks and minerals
Rock Lizards
Similarly, Malta or Mediter- ranean fever, which is common at Gibraltar, is also called Rock fever.
Rock of Ages cleft for me
It is said that this well-known hymn was written by Augustus Montague Toplady (1740-78) while seated by a great cleft rock near Cheddar, Somerset, Another story, which may belong to the realm of fable, has it that the first verse was written on the ten of diamonds in the interval between two rubbers of whist at Bath. Hence a Toplady ring is a ring set with ten stones in the form of the pips on a ten of diamonds.
rock on
to continue doing something with enthusiasm and energy
rock out with one's cock out
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
rock-a-low
An overcoat. Corruption of the French, ROQUELAURE.
rocked
He was rocked in a stone kitchen; a saying meant to convey the idea that the person spoken of is a fool, his brains having been disordered by the jumbling of his cradle.
rocked
"he’s only HALF-ROCKED," i.e., half-witted. See HALF-ROCKED.
rocket science
Something that is very difficult or requires expert knowledge
rocket scientist
an extremely intelligent person
rocket surgery
a task that is very difficult or complex
rocking horse shit
something that is extremely rare or nonexistent
Rocking Stones
See LOGAN STONES. Rockefeller Foundation (rok' e fel' er). This was established by John D. Rockefeller (1839- 1937) in order "to promote the welfare of mankind throughout the world.*' From it grants have been made to educational and other societies, including the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and London. The capital is over £32,000,000. The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research was founded in New York City in 1901. John D.
rocking-horse shit
something that does not exist
rocks
Money.
rocks and shoals
Dangerous or treacherous obstacles
Rocky Mountain Kool-Aid
Coors beer.
rod
To penetrate sexually.
rod for one's back
To create a problem for oneself in the future
rod in pickle
a person in a difficult or precarious situation
Rodgers and Hammerstein
American songwriting team
Rodgers and Hart
American songwriting team
rof-efil
For life—sentence of punishment.
roger
A portmanteau; also a man's yard. Cant.
roger that
Message received and understood
rogue and villain
A shillin,—common pronunciation of shilling.
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