suspence
One in a deadly suspence; a man just turned off at the gallows.
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suspend one's disbelief
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
suspended congress
a pause or temporary cessation of parliamentary proceedings
suspicion
A scarcely perceptible flavour; as, "There was just a SUSPICION of oil in the mixture." French, SOUPÇON.
Suspicions amongst thoughts are like bats amongst birds, they ever fly by twilight. (Francis Bacon)
Suspicious thoughts are most active in times of uncertainty
Susquehannah River
The scheme came to nothing owing chiefly to the absence of funds.
Sussex Drive
The official residence of the Canadian Prime Minister
sutrer
A camp publican: also one that pilfers gloves, tobacco boxes, and such small moveables.
swabbers
The ace of hearts, knave of clubs, ace and duce of trumps, at whist: also the lubberly seamen, put to swab, and clean the ship.
swaddler
A Wesleyan Methodist; a name originally given to members of that body by the Irish mob; said to have originated with an ignorant Romanist, to whom the words of the English Bible were a novelty, and who, hearing one of John Wesley’s preachers mention the swaddling clothes of the Holy Infant, in a sermon on Christmas-day at Dublin, shouted out in derision, "A SWADDLER! a SWADDLER!" as if the whole story were the preacher’s invention.—Southey’s Life of Wesley, vol. ii. p. 109.
swaddlers
The tenth order of the canting tribe, who not only rob, but beat, and often murder passenges. CANT. Swaddlers is also the Irish name for methodist.
swaddling clothes
Clothing wrapped tightly around a newborn baby
swaddy
Or COOLIE, a soldier. The former was originally applied to a discharged soldier, and perhaps came from SHODDY, which is made from soldiers’ and policemen’s worn-out coats. The term was one of opprobrium, and was probably the result of a long peace, for it became obsolete as soon as the Crimean War commenced.
swag
A shop. Any quantity of goods. As, plant the swag; conceal the goods. Rum swag; a shop full of rich goods. CANT.
swag
A lot or plenty of anything, a portion or division of property. In Australia the term is used for the luggage carried by diggers. Scotch, SWEG, or SWACK; German, SWEIG, a flock. Old cant for a shop.
swag-shop
A warehouse where "Brummagem" and general wares, fancy trinkets, plated goods, &c., are sold. Jews are the general proprietors; and the goods are very low-priced, trashy, and showy. SWAG-SHOPS were formerly plunder depôts.—Old Cant.
swagger
To bully, brag, or boast, also to strut.
swagsman
One who carries the booty after a burglary.
swallow a bitter pill
Accept something unpleasant or difficult
swallow one's pride
To accept humiliation or defeat and apologize or show respect
swallow the dictionary
To have a remarkably extensive vocabulary
swallow the leek
to accept a challenge or punishment willingly
swallow whole
Believe something completely without questioning
swamp angel
A mosquito.
swan song
A final performance or act before retirement or death
swan song
The song fabled to be sung by swans at the point of death (see above}; hence, the last work of a poet, composer, etc.
swank
To boast or "gas" unduly.
swankey
Cheap or small beer. Any weak fermented beverage.
swankpot
A show-off.
swannery
He keeps a swannery; i.e. all his geese are swans.
swap
To exchange. Grose says it is Irish cant, but the term is now included in most dictionaries as an allowed vulgarism.
swap horses in midstream
change plans or leaders during a difficult situation
swarry
A boiled leg of mutton and trimmings. Sam Weller’s adventure with the Bath footmen originated the term. See TRIMMINGS.
swatchel-cove
The master of a Punch-and-Judy exhibition who "fakes the slum," and does the necessary squeak for the amusement of the bystanders. See SCHWASSLE BOX. The orthography of many of these colloquial expressions differs. It was thought best to give the various renderings as collected.
swayze
gone; dead
swear by
to strongly believe in something's effectiveness or quality
swear off
to promise never to do something again
sweat
To extract money from a person, to "bleed." Also, to squander riches.—Bulwer.
sweat bricks
to be extremely anxious or nervous
sweat equity
Value added to something by one's own work or effort
sweat of one's brow
Earned through hard work and effort
sweater
Common term for a "cutting" or "grinding" employer,—one who SWEATS his workpeople. A cheap tailor, who pays starvation wages.
sweating
A mode of diminishing the gold coin, practiced chiefly by the Jews, who corrode it with aqua regia. Sweating was also a diversion practised by the bloods of the last century, who styled themselves Mohocks: these gentlemen lay in wait to surprise some person late in the night, when surrounding him, they with their swords pricked him in the posteriors, which obliged him to be constantly turning round; this they continued till they thought him sufficiently sweated.
sweating sickness
A form of malaria epidemic, which appeared in England about a century and a half after the Black Death (1485). It broke out amongst the soldiers of Rich- mond's army as a violent inflammatory fever, without boils or ulcers, after the battle of Bosworth, and lasted five weeks. Between 1485 and 1529 there were five outbreaks, the first four being confined to England and France, the fifth spreading over Germany, Turkey, and Austria.
swede
The head.
sweep
A contemptuous term for a low or shabby man.
sweep aside
To dismiss or ignore something as unimportant
sweep away
completely remove or destroy something
sweep out
remove or get rid of something unwanted
sweep someone off their feet
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
sweep something under the rug
To hide or ignore a problem
sweep the board
Win everything or almost everything in a competition
sweep the deck
To clear or remove everything from a surface
sweet
Easy to be imposed on, or taken in; also expert, dexterous clever. Sweet's your hand; said of one dexterous at stealing.
sweet
Loving or fond; "how SWEET he was upon the moll," i.e., what marked attention he paid the girl.
sweet and sour
Having both pleasant and unpleasant aspects
sweet dreams
Wishing someone pleasant dreams
sweet FA
Nothing.
sweet fuck all
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
sweet heart
A term applicable to either the masculine or feminine gender, signifying a girl's lover, or a man's mistress: derived from a sweet cake in the shape of a heart.
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