210 



illK STANDARD DICTIONARY OF FACTS 



Boiled shirt, more often "biK-d." A white 

 linen shirt. 



Bolt. To run away. Also to swallow without 

 ing. 



Bonanza. Originally a very rich mine or de- 

 posit of precious metal. Now applied to any 

 f\trvmely \\rll -paying business. 



Bones. Made no bom- oi it: did it without 

 difficulty. 



Boodle. Money obtained as a bribe, or in re- 

 turn for crooked or corruut work. 



Book, to make a. To bet against all horses 

 in a race. 



Book. To mark out for; as, He is booked for 

 the trip. 



Boom. A rush of lw>in<-- . lu-al c-fate agents 

 boom their property by advert 



Boom era i v put forth for political 



purposes, the untruth of which being exposed 

 reacts against its disseminators. 



Boost. A push from behind. 



BOM. An employer. The chief of a political 

 p.:;- \ Tammany boss. 



Bottom dollar. The last of one's money. 



liottam fact. An undoubted fact. 



Bounce. To get the grand bounce is to be 

 thmwn out of work. 

 icelets. Handcuffs. 



Brace up. Pull yourself together ; get to busi- 



Brakes. Put on the brakes, means to go slow. 



Brash. Fresh, impertinent. 



Breaking the ice Making a beginning. 



Breeches, to wear the. Said of a woman who 

 usurps the control of her husband's affairs. 



Brown. Done up brown, deceived or taken in. 



Bubble. Automobubble or automobile. 



Bud. A young lady in her first season. 



Buffer. An old man; a good-humored term. 



Bull. \ s*ock exchange speculator who "goes 

 "ii -t.x-ks. trusting to a rising market. 



Bulldoze. To overawe, to terrify. 



Hnnco. A swindle generally effected by induc- 

 ing a greenhorn to play cards. 



Iinr>/ln<i the hatchet. Ending a feud or diffi- 

 culty. The aborigines were said to dig up the 

 war hatchet when going on the war path, and to 

 bury it with ceremonies when peace was attained. 



Bus. Omnibus. 



loacker. During the Civil War were a sort 

 of irregular cavalry in the South. 



H>ittcr-nuts. From their home-spun clothing. 

 A term applied during the Civil War to Southern 

 country people. 



Button-holding. Engaging a man in conversa- 

 tion when he would rather be about his own busi- 

 nem 



/f.v hook or by crook. By fair means or foul. 



By the skin of his teeth. A narrow escape. 



Caboodle. The whole lot. 



Cackle. To talk. 



Cage. A prison. 



Cahoots. In company with, or associated to- 

 gether ; Brown and Elwood were in cahoots 

 to rob the bank. 



Cain. To raise Cain, is to create trouble. 



Call. Occasion; He had no call to say that. 



Call. An invitation to a clergyman to accept 

 a pulpit. 



Call. On the Stock Exchange, a time-bargain 



It was applied to Northern 

 th to obtain office. 



or speculative contract which entitles the holder 

 to call tor certain stock at a certain price. 



Canoe. To paddle one's own, is to go it alone ; 

 to make one's way in the world without assist- 

 ance. 



Cantankerous. Bad-tempered, litigious. 



Canuck. A Canadian. 



Cap. To outdo. That caps the climax. 



Cap. To set her cap. She set her cap to catch 

 him. 



Cape Cod turkey. Salt pork. 



Carpet. On the ; is there anything on the car- 

 pet for to-night [anything doing]? 



Carpet-bagger. A term that came into use just 

 after the Civil War. 

 men who went into the Sout 

 Their sole property was the carpet bag or valise 

 which they carried with them. 



Carrying water on both shoulders. Playing a 

 double part; agreeing ostensibly with both 

 parties interested. 



Carry me out. Is but an interjection of sur- 

 prise. 



Carry-on. To act up. 



Cart-wheel. An American silver dollar. 



Case. He's a case; i. e., a curious fellow. 



Cash up. To pay up. 



Castles in Spain. Air castles, or day dreams. 



Catch a weasel asleep. A difficult thing to do, 

 because requiring acuteness. 



Catch on. To understand the situation. 



Caterwaul. To sing loudly and out of tune, as 

 the cats do at night. 



Catgut scraper. A fiddler. 



Cats and dogs. Descriptive of a rain storm. 



Catspaw. One who is made use of. 



Caught on the fly. To sieze one's opportunity. 



Caution. It's a caution how fast she works; 

 i. e., extraordinary. 



Cave in. One who caves in, gives up. 



Cavort. Prancing in a playful and purposeless 

 fashion. 



Chaff. To joke or quiz. 



Cheek. Impudence. 



Cheek by jowl. Side by side. 



Chestnut. An old story. 



Chic. The correct thing. 



Chicken-hearted. Cowardly, frightened. 



Chip in. To contribute to a game or collection. 



Chip of the old block. A child resembling a 

 parent. 



Chipper. Lively. 



Chock-full. Full to the throat. Chock a block 

 is used in the same sense. 



Cinch. To have a cinch means to be sure of 

 getting what you are after. 



Claim jumping. Is to take violent possession 

 of another's mining claim. 



Clam. Happy as a ; the superlative of happy. 



Clean out. Is to ruin. He cleaned him out of 

 his money. 



Clip. A blow or stroke with the hand. Hit 

 him a clip. 



Coals. To haul one over the coals. To scold 

 hard. 



Cock and butt story. A long doubtful story. 



Cock of the walk. The master spirit. 



Cocksure. Certain. 



Codfish aristocracy. The aristocracy of riches 

 and not of brains. 



