look for a dog to kick
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Animals · Muông thú 372
Buffaloes, cats, fish, and the creatures carrying our metaphors.
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looking as if one could not help it
Looking like a simpleton, or as if one could not say boh! to a goose.
louse house
The round house, cage, or any other place
lowing rig
Stealing oxen or cows.
meat stick
The penis.
monkey around
to fool around or waste time
my lord
A nickname given to a hunchback.
nature of the beast
A fundamental aspect of something's character
newgate bird
A thief or sharper, frequently caged in Newgate.
nine lives
Cats are said to have nine lives, and women ten cats lives.
of course my horse
Traditional English proverbial phrase; full definition pending editorial review.
old dog
A knowing blade, an experienced person. Butler uses the phrase, Hudibras, part ii. canto iii. 208, where it was said of Sidrophel, "And was OLD DOG at physiology." An Irish proverb says, "OLD DOG for hard road," meaning that it requires an experienced person to execute a difficult undertaking.
old horse
salt junk
one man and his dog
A very small number of people
park a tiger
To vomit.
pedlar's french
The cant language. Pedlar's pony; a walking-stick.
piece of meat
The penis.
piece of pork
The penis.
pimp steak
A hot dog.
pissed as a parrot
Very drunk.
pup and ringer
I.e., the "Dog and Bell," the sign of a flash public-house.
put on the dog
To pretend to be wealthier or more important than one actually is
rain dogs and cats
raining very heavily
rare animal
an unusual or exceptional person
riff raff
Low vulgar persons, mob, tag-rag and bob-tail.
rum bleating cheat
A fat wether sheep. CANT.
rum bugher
A valuable dog. CANT.
rum drawers
Silk, or other fine stockings. CANT.
sad dog
A wicked debauched fellow; one of the ancient family of the sad dogs. Swift translates it into Latin by the words TRISTIS CANIS.
sad dog
A merry fellow, a joker, a "gay" or "fast" man.
saint luke's bird
An ox; that Evangelist being always represented with an ox.
salesman's dog
A barker. Vide BARKER.
salt junk
Navy salt beef. See OLD HORSE.
sanguinary james
A raw sheep’s-head. See BLOODY JEMMY.
say the word
give a signal to start something
set on
To attack.
seven-sided animal
A one-eyed man or woman, each having a right side and a left side, a fore side and a back side, an outside, an inside, and a blind side.
sheep's head
Like a sheep's head, all jaw; saying of a talkative man or woman.
shoot the cat
To vomit.
sick as a cat
Very ill.
sick as a dog
Very ill.
So pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag. And smile, smile, smile. (George Asaf)
Hide your worries and stay cheerful
some people
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Suspicions amongst thoughts are like bats amongst birds, they ever fly by twilight. (Francis Bacon)
Suspicious thoughts are most active in times of uncertainty
tail wagging the dog
A smaller part controlling the whole
thin as a barber's cat
Very thin.
timid as a mouse
Very timid.
timid as a rabbit
Very timid.
to bug
A cant word among journeymen hatters, signifying the exchanging some of the dearest materials of which a hat is made for others of less value. Hats are composed of the furs and wool of divers animals among which is a small portion of beavers' fur. Bugging, is stealing the beaver, and substituting in lieu thereof an equal weight of some cheaper ingredient.--Bailiffs who take money to postpone or refrain the serving of a writ, are said to bug the writ.
to crow
To brag, boast, or triumph. To crow over any one; to keep him in subjection: an image drawn from a cock, who crows over a vanquished enemy. To pluck a crow; to reprove any one for a fault committed, to settle a dispute. To strut like a crow in a gutter; to walk proudly, or with an air of consequence.
to dawb
To bribe. The cull was scragged because he could not dawb; the rogue was hanged because he could not bribe. All bedawbed with lace; all over lace.
to fib
To beat. Fib the cove's quarron in the rumpad for the lour in his bung; beat the fellow in the highway for the money in his purse. CANT.--A fib is also a tiny lie.
to hue
To lash. The cove was hued in the naskin; the rogue was soundly lashed in bridewell. CANT.
to roger
To bull, or lie with a woman; from the name of Roger being frequently given to a bull.
to sing
To call out; the coves sing out beef; they call out stop thief.
to speak with
To rob. I spoke with the cull on the cherry-coloured prancer; I robbed the man on the black horse. CANT.
to twig
To observe. Twig the cull, he is peery; observe the fellow, he is watching us. Also to disengage, snap asunder, or break off. To twig the darbies; to knock off the irons.
to whiddle
To tell or discover. He whiddles; he peaches. He whiddles the whole scrap; he discovers all he knows. The cull whiddled because they would not tip him a snack: the fellow peached because they would not give him a share, They whiddle beef, and we must brush; they cry out thieves, and we must make off. Cant.
to win
To steal. The cull has won a couple of rum glimsticks; the fellow has stolen a pair of fine candlesticks.
tom thumb
A dwarf, a little hop-o'my-thumb.