shakes
A bad bargain is said to be "no great SHAKES;" "pretty fair SHAKES" is anything good or favourable.—Byron. In America, a fair SHAKE is a fair trade or a good bargain.
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shakespeare says
It was an hereditary cog- nizance of the House of York, and had been borne by them ever since the title was first created. It was adopted by the Jacobites as an emblem of the Pretender, because his ad- herents were obliged to abet him sub rosa (in secret). Cecily Nevill, wife of Richard, Duke of York, and mother of Edward IV and Richard III, was known as The White Rose of Raby.
Shakespeare's As You Like It
The original actor of the part was Tarlton.
Shakespeare's Richard III
It is not to be found there, but is in Act iv, Sc. lii, of Colley Gibber's The Tragical History of Richard III, altered from Shakespeare (1700).
Shakespeare-Bacon Theory
The lack of culture and education ascribed to William Shakespeare started theories of some other authorship of his works so far back as 1769, and for many years desultory attempts were made to father his plays on contemporary poets and dramatists.
shakester
Or SHICKSTER, a female. Amongst costermongers this term is invariably applied to ladies, or the wives of tradesmen, and females generally, of the classes immediately above them. Amongst Jews the word signifies a woman of shady antecedents. Supposed to be derived from the Hebrew, SHIKTZA. It is generally pronounced "shickser."
shaking hands
A relic of the ancient custom of adversaries, in treating of a truce, taking hold of the weapon-hand to ensure against treachery.
shaky
Said of a person of questionable health, integrity, or solvency; at the Universities, of one not likely to pass his examination.
shaler
A girl. Corrupt form of Gaelic, CAILLE, a young woman.
shalley-gonahey
A smock-frock.—Cornish.
shallow
A WHIP hat, so called from the want of depth in the crown. LILLY SHALLOW, a WHITE Whip hat.
shallow
The peculiar barrow used by costermongers.
shallow-cove
A begging rascal, who goes about the country half naked, with the most limited amount of rags upon his person, wearing neither shoes, stockings, nor hat.
shallow-mot
A ragged woman,—the frequent companion of the SHALLOW-COVE.
shallows
"to go on the SHALLOWS," to go half naked.
sham
A cheat, or trick. To cut a sham; to cheat or deceive. Shams; false sleeves to put on over a dirty shirt, or false sleeves with ruffles to put over a plain one. To sham Abram; to counterfeit sickness.
sham
Contraction of champagne. In general use among the lower class of sporting men. Sometimes extended to SHAMMY.
sham Abraham
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Shame take him that shame thinketh. (Strauss, 1994 p. 806)
One who feels shame or guilt should be the one to feel ashamed.
shammy
Champagne.
shampoo
Champagne.
Shan Van Voght
This excellent song (com- posed 1798) has been called the Irish Marseil- laise.
shandrydan
An old-fashioned or rickety conveyance of the "shay" order.
shandy-gaff
Ale and gingerbeer. Origin unknown, but use very common.
Shanks 's Mare
To ride Shanks 's mare is to go on foot, the shanks being the legs. A similar phrase is "Going by the marrow-bone stage" or "by Walker's bus.
shanks naggy
To ride shanks naggy: to travel on foot. SCOTCH.
shanks' mare
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
shanks' nag
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
shanks' pony
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
shanks's mare
One's legs or shanks. Money will make the mare to go.
shanks’s mare
"to ride SHANK’S MARE," to go on foot.
shannon
A river in Ireland: persons dipped in that river are perfectly and for ever cured of bashfulness.
shant
A pot or quart; "SHANT of bivvy," a quart of beer.
shanty
A rude, temporary habitation. The word is principally employed to designate the huts inhabited by navigators, when constructing large lines of railway far distant from towns. It is derived from the French CHANTIER, used by the Canadians for a log hut, and has travelled from thence, by way of the United States, to England.
shape for
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
shape up
improve or behave properly
shape up or ship out
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
shapes
To shew one's shapes; to be stript, or made peel, at the whipping-post.
shapes
"to cut up" or "show SHAPES," to exhibit pranks, or flightiness.
share and share alike
To share something equally among people
shark
A sharper: perhaps from his preying upon any one he can lay hold of. Also a custom-house officer, or tide-waiter. Sharks; the first order of pickpockets. BOW-STREET TERM, A.D. 1785.
shark
A sharper, a swindler. Bow Street term in 1785, now in most dictionaries.—Friesic and Danish, SCHURK. See LAND-SHARK.
shark bait
Someone or something vulnerable to exploitation
sharp
Subtle, acute, quick-witted; also a sharper or cheat, in opposition to a flat, dupe, or gull. Sharp's the word and quick's the motion with him; said of any one very attentive to his own interest, and apt to take all advantages. Sharp set; hungry.
sharp
Or SHARPER, a cunning cheat, a rogue,—the opposite of FLAT.
sharp cookie
A clever and resourceful person
sharp elbows
Aggressive or ruthless in competition or business
sharp practice
Underhand or dishonourable dealing; low-down trickery intended to advantage oneself.
sharp tongue
A sharp tongue refers to a person's ability to speak in a witty or sarcastic manner
sharper
A cheat, one that lives by his wits. Sharpers tools; a fool and false dice.
sharp’s-alley blood-worms
Beef sausages and black puddings. Sharp’s Alley was, until City improvements caused it to be destroyed, a noted slaughtering-place near Smithfield.
shatter the ice
to break the tension or awkwardness in a social situation
shave
A false alarm, a hoax, a sell. This term was much in vogue in the Crimea during the Russian campaign,—that is, though much used by the military before then, the term did not, until that period, become known to the general public.
shave down
reduce something, especially a price or amount
shaver
A cunning shaver; a subtle fellow, one who trims close, an acute cheat. A young shaver; a boy. SEA TERM.
shaver
A sharp fellow; there are young and old SHAVERS.—Sea.
shaving
A stabbing.
shavings
The clippings of money.
she house
A house where the wife rules, or, as the term is, wears the breeches.
She Is on her high ropes
In a distant and haughty temper; "high and mighty." The allu- sion is to a rope-dancer, who looks down on the spectators.
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