speech
Preserved but no longer current.
A tip or wrinkle on any subject. On the turf a man will wait before investing on a horse until he "gets the SPEECH," as to whether it is going to try, or whether it has a good chance. To "give the SPEECH," is to communicate any special information of a private nature.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “speech” mean?
A tip or wrinkle on any subject. On the turf a man will wait before investing on a horse until he "gets the SPEECH," as to whether it is going to try, or whether it has a good chance. To "give the SPEECH," is to communicate any special information of a private nature.
Is “speech” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.