LANGUAGE 



Afoot or on horseback. When a man does not 

 know whether he is the one or the other, he is 

 all broken up (uncertain of his movements). 



Against the grain. Contrary, in opposition to 

 one's wishes. 



Ahead. To no ahead is colloquial for do it. 



All-fired. A mild form of adjuration, probably 

 a Puritan modification of hell-fired. 



All hollow. To beat one all hollow is to knock 

 him out entirely. 



All-possessed. Affected by evil spirits and 

 carrying on accordingly. 



Swearing like all-pofSfsaed. 



All the go, or all the rage. Successful. 



All there, or Up to the mark. Means first class. 



All to smash. Ruined, gone beyond redemp- 

 tion. 



A II wool and a yard wide. First class, genuine. 



Almighty dollar. Represents the way in which 

 money rules. 



Among the missing. Dead, absent. 



Ante. In the game of poker the player next 

 to the dealer deposits a "chip" of an agreed 

 value in the pool before the cards are dealt. 

 This is his ante, and the other players must 

 "ante-up" (pay up), if they conclude to play: 

 hence, You must ante-up, means that you 

 must pay up. 



Anxious seat. In the speech of the conventicle, 

 a seat occupied by those who are "under con- 

 vie- 1 ion," but have not yet "found peace." 



A pp!> - / < ' . M cans hi good order. 



Arab. Street Arabs are the gutter-snipes, boot- 

 blacks, newsboys, and gamins generally. 



Astern of the lighter. Means behind time. 



Aunty. A common term for an old negress. 



Axe to grind. Said of one having purposes 

 of his own to serve. 



Axle-grease. Money; especially that used for 

 purposes of bribery. 



Baby act, to plead the. To beg off on the 

 ground of youth or inexperience. 



Bach or batch. Young men living alone and 

 doini; their own work are said to batch it. 



Back. To get one's back up, to become angry 

 and ready to fight. 



Backbone. Grit, sand, courage, moral stamina. 



Back-down and back out. Mean to surrender. 



Backer. One who backs a horse to win. 



Backing water. Means indecision. 



Back seat. Making a man take a back seat is 

 setting him back, or giving him an inferior po- 



full:. An impertinent 

 Bacon. "To save OIK'S bacon " 

 from a difficulty. 



Bad. To go to the bad is to be ruined. 



egg. Aras< vd. 

 />'/./ form, A In-each f L!"<"1 ta-te <>r <:,>,>, | 



Bad man. A bully, a thief 

 Bad pill. A person of unenviable reputation. 

 <ige-8ma*her. A railn.M.l |..rier or ex- 

 pressman who takes a reckless delight in damag- 



;nks. 



Bagged. Capture.!, arrested. 

 Bamboozlr. T> delude or cheat. 



with a loud ti" 

 Bang-up. First rate. 



/> the wrong tree. \ \<..\-\ is said to do 



this when his suspicions point in the wrong 

 direction. 



Beanpole. A very tall, thin man. 



Bear. A Stock Exchange speculator who sells 

 stock short, which he does not possess and who 

 i speculates for a decline. 



Bearing the market. Trying to depress prices 

 by selling large blocks of stock, gold, grain, or 

 other objects of speculation; or by disseminat- 

 ing reports. 



Beat. The ground supposed to be passed over 

 by a policeman on duty. 



Beat out. Tired, fagged out. 



Beats the Dutch. .Something extraordinary. 

 "That beats the Dutch and the Dutch beats the 

 devil " is the superlative. 



Bed-rock. He has reached bed-rock; i. e., is 

 at the bottom of the matter. 



Bee. A craze. Politicians occasionally get a 

 presidential bee in their bonnet. Also an assem- 

 bly for work ; as, a quilting-bee, etc. 



Benedict. A married man. From " Benedict " 

 the husband of Beatrice in "Much Ado about 

 Nothing." 



Between hay and grass. Taken from farm lan- 

 guage ; a season at which there is nothing doing 

 and nothing coming in. 



Biddy. AJI Irish woman. 



Big. To talk big is to boast. To look big is to 

 assume an air of importance. 



Big bug, or big gun. One who is, or fancies him- 

 self to be, an important person. 



Biggest toad in the puddle. A consequential per- 

 son in a small town or in a small affair. 



Big head, or swelled head. Said of one who has 

 a great opinion of himself. 



Bird of freedom. The American eagle. 



Birthday suit. No clothes at all. 



Blab. To talk freely, to tell. 



Black-eye, to give you a. To inflict harm or 

 damage to any scheme. 



Hlnclitfntird. A disreputable fellow. 



Blatherskite. A wild and foolish talker and 

 boaster. 



Blaze. To mark trees with cute by an ax for 

 the purpose of finding one's way. 



Bleach. A family washing huni; out to dry. 



Blind. A pretence or make lx>lie\ . 



Bfttld-dnmfc. When a man cannot "see a hole 

 in a ladder." 



ml. A storm of wind and snow common 

 on southern pm i 



Block. A city square. 



Blow. To brag or boast. 



lilnwhnrd. A boaster. 



lilow in. To s|HMid one's money. 



Blow out. A fea-t 



Blow //>. To -c<>ld. 



lilucrblood. An aristocrat. 



Blue-devil*. Delirium tremeiui. 



Blue Grots Country. Kentucky 



S got the. Desjx.ndent. mi-crablc. 



HluiJ. An exruae or a brag. 



Bogus. Imitation, fraudulent. Saul to be 

 lie name ..I an Italian -windier named 

 MB, who pretended to be a prin. 



led a great many in the Tnited States 



many JWI IfO. 



Bohemian. \ artist, or actor 



who ignores conventionalities. 



