NINCOMPOOP, a fool, a hen-pecked husband, a "Jerry Sneak."-Corruption of non compos mentis.

NINE CORNS, a pipeful of tobacco.

NINES, "dressed up to the NINES," in a showy or recherché manner. NINEPENCE, "right as NINEPENCE," all right, right to a nicety. A correspondent says :-" This most undoubtedly should be NINE-PINS. For at the game of that name, in fairness to both parties, the nine pins must always be set up, with great accuracy, in this form There is no nicety in NINEPENCE!"

NINE SHILLINGS, cool audacity; most probably derived from the French

NONCHALANCE.

NING-NANG, horse-coupers' term for a worthless thorough-bred.
NINNYHAMMER, a foolish ignorant person.-Yorkshire.
NIPPER, a small boy. Old Cant for a boy, cut-purse.

NIX, nothing; NIX my doll," synonymous with NIX. German, NICHTS, nothing. See MUNGARLY.

NIX the signal word of school-boys to each other that the master, or other person in authority, is approaching.

"NIX MY DOLLY," once a very popular Slang song, beginning

"In the box of a stone jug I was born,

Of a hempen widow and a kid forlorn;
And my noble father, as I have heard say,
Was a famous merchant of capers gay;
NIX MY DOLLY, pals, fake away!'

NIZ-PRIZ, a writ of nisi-prius.-Legal.

NIZZIE, a fool, a coxcomb.—Old Cant, vide Triumph of Wit.

NOAH'S ARK, a long closely-buttoned overcoat, recently in fashion. So named by Punch from the similarity which it exhibits to the figure of Noah and his sons in children's toy arks.

NEB.

NOB, the head-Pugilistic; "BOB A NOB," a shilling a head. Ancient Cant, NOB is an early English word, and is used in the romance of Kynge Alisaunder (thirteenth century) for a head; originally, no doubt, the same as knob.

NOB, a person of high position, a "swell,” a nobleman,—of which word it may be an abbreviation.-See SNOB.

NOB, the knave of trumps, when turned up at the game of cribbage. NOBBA, nine. Italian, NOVE; Spanish, NOVA,—the b and v being interchangeable, as Sebastopol and Sevastopol. Slang introduced by the "organ-grinders" from Italy.

NOBBA SALTEE, ninepence. Lingua Franca, NOVE SOLDI.

NOBBING, collecting money; "what NOBBINGS?" i.e., how much have you got or collected from the crowd?

NOBBLE, to cheat, to overreach; to discover.

NOBBLER, a blow on the NOB, a finishing stroke; "that's a NOBBLER for him," i.e., a settler.-Pugilistic.

NIP, to steal, take up quickly.-See NAP and NIB.

NOBBLER, a confederate of thimble-rigs, who plays earnestly as if a stranger to the " RIG," and thus draws unsuspecting persons into a game. In NORTH OF ENGLAND, a low, cunning lawyer.

NOBBY, or NOBBISH, fine or showy; NOBBILY, showily.-See SNOB for derivation.

NOLI-ME-TANGERE, the Scotch fiddle, or other contagious disease.
NOMMUS, be off.-See NAMUS. Probably Back Slang.

NON-COM, a non-commissioned officer in the army.

NO ODDS, no matter, of no consequence.-Latimer's Sermon before Edward VI.

NORFOLK-HOWARDS, bugs; a person named Bug having lately adopted the more aristocratic appellation of NORFOLK HOWARD.

NORTH, cunning. The inhabitants of Yorkshire and the northern counties are supposed, like the canny Scots, to get the better of other people in dealing; hence the phrase "he's too far NORTH for me," i.e., too cunning for me to deal with.

NORWICHER, more than one's share; said of a person who leaves less than half the contents of a tankard for his companion. In what way the term originated, or why Norwich was selected before any other city, I have not been able to discover.

NOSE, "to pay through the NOSE," to pay an extravagant price.

NOSE-BAG, a visitor at a watering-place, or house of refreshment, who carries his own victuals.-Term applied by waiters.

"NOSE OUT OF JOINT, TO PUT ONE's"; to supplant, supersede, or mortify a person by excelling him.

NOSE EM, or FOGUS, tobacco.

NOSER, a bloody or contused nose.—Pugilistic.

NOT MEANT, said of a horse the owner of which, for interested reasons, does not intend that it shall win the race.

NOUSE, comprehension, perception.-Old, apparently from the Greek, voûs. Gaelic and Irish, Nos; knowledge, perception.

NO WHERE, the horses not placed in a race, that are neither first, second, nor third, are said to be NOWHERE.

NUB, a husband.

NUDDIKIN, the head.

"NUMBER OF HIS MESS," when a man dies in the army or navy, he is said to "lose the NUMBER OF HIS MESS."

FOR CANT NUMERALS, SEE UNDER SALTEE.

NURSE, a curious term lately applied to competition in omnibuses. Two omnibuses are placed on the road to NURSE, or oppose, each opposition "buss," one before, the other behind. Of course the central or

NOSE, a thief who turns informer, or Queen's evidence; a spy or watch; on the NOSE," on the look-out.

NURSED buss has very little chance, unless it happens to be a favourite with the public. NURSE, to cheat, or swindle; trustees are said to NURSE property, i.e., gradually eat it up themselves.

NUT, the head, in Pugilistic Slang. Used as an exclamation at a fight, it means strike him on the head. In tossing it is a direction to hide the head; to be "off one's NUT," to be in liquor, or ALL MOPS AND BROOMS."

NUTS, to be NUTS upon anything or person is to be pleased with or fond of it; a self-satisfied man is said to be NUTS upon himself. NUTTED, taken in by a man who professed to be NUTS upon you. NUT-CUT, roguish, mischievous.

-Anglo-Indian.

A good-natured term of reproach.

O'CLOCK, or A'CLOCK, "like ONE O'CLOCK," a favourite comparison with the lower orders, implying briskness; "to know what O'CLOCK it is," to be wide-awake, sharp, and experienced. ODDS, a phrase used equivalent to " consequence;" ""what's the ODDS," i.e., what is the expected result? "It's no ODDS," i.e., of no consequence. ODDS, in sporting phraseology, refers to the proportions or differences of a bet. Thus, a "6 bookmaker" will lay "six to one against such a horse getting "a place," whilst another "turfite," more speculative, or in the receipt of a first-rate "tip," (information about the horse in question,) will lay "eight," or even 66 ten to one." This latter would be termed the " LONG ODDS." ODD MAN, a street or public-house game at tossing. The number of players is three. Each tosses up a coin, and if two come down head, and one tail, or vice versa, the last is ODD MAN, and loses or wins, as may have been agreed upon. Frequently used to victimise a "flat." If all three be alike, then the toss goes for nothing, and the coppers are again "skied."

Nux, the "plant," or object in view; "stoll up to the NUX?" Do you fully comprehend what is wanted ?-North Country Cant.

"OD DRAT IT," OD RABBIT, (Colman's Broad Grins,) OD'S BLOOD, and all other exclamations commencing with OD, are nothing but softened or suppressed oaths. OD is a corruption of GOD, and DRAT of ROT-— -Shakspeare.

"OFF AND ON," vacillating; an OFF AND ON kind of a chap," one who is always undecided.

"OFF AT THE HEAD," crazy.-Oxfordshire.

"OFF ONE'S FEED," real or pretended want of appetite.-Originally Stable Slang.

OFFISH, distant, not familiar.

OFFICE, "to give the OFFICE," to give a hint dishonestly to a confederate, thereby enabling him to win a game or bet, the profits being shared. OGLE, to look, or reconnoitre.

OGLES, eyes.-Old Cant. French, ŒIL.

"OIL OF PALMS," or PALM OIL, money.

OINTMENT, medical student Slang for butter.

0. K., a matter to be o. K., (OLL korrect, i.e., all correct,) must be on the square," and all things done in order.

OLDBUCK, an antiquary, from Scott's amusing novel. 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." The Irish proverb says, DOG for hard road," meaning that it requires an experienced person to execute a difficult undertaking.

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OLD

OLD GENTLEMAN, the d-l. Also, a card almost imperceptibly longer than the rest of the pack, used by sharpers for the purpose of cheating. OLD GOOSEBERRY (see GOOSEBERRY), OLD HARRY (query, Old Hairey ?), OLD SCRATCH, all synonymes for the devil.

OLD GOWN, smuggled tea.

OLD HORSE, salt junk, or beef.—Sea.

OLD MAN, in American merchant ships signifies the master. The phrase is becoming common in English ships.

OLD SALT, a thorough sailor.

OLD TOM, gin; sometimes termed CAT'S WATER.

OLIVER, the moon;

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'OLIVER don't widdle," i.e., the moon does not shine.

Nearly obsolete.-Bulwer's Paul Clifford.

OLLAPOD, a country apothecary.

OMEE, a master or landlord; "the OMEE of the cassey's a nark on the pitch," the master of the house will not let us perform. Italian, UOMO, 'UOMO DELLA CASA," the master of the house. Latin, HOMO. -Lingua Franca.

a man;

ON, "to be ON," in public-house or vulgar parlance, is synonymous with getting tight," or tipsy; "it's Saint Monday with him, I see he's ON again," i.e., drunk as usual, or ON the road to it. "I'm ON" also ex

presses a person's acceptance of an offered bet. TO GET ON a horse or a man is to make bets on him. "TRY IT ON," a defiant challenge to a person to dare to attempt anything.

"ON THE LOOSE," obtaining a living by prostitution, in reality on the streets. The term is applied to females only, excepting in the case of SPREES, when men carousing are sometimes said to be ON THE LOOSE. "Christmas Day is a very specific sort of festival. The man who does not spend it at home, or at the house of his nearest of kin, is in a very poor plight. He can hardly go ON THE LOOSE if he would: he seems to have no choice between innocent pleasure and the misery of hopeless solitude."Morning Star, 29th March 1864.

"ON THE NOSE," on the watch or look-out.-See NOSE.

"ON THE TILES," out all night "on the spree," or carousing,-in allusion to the London cats on their amatory excursions.

"ONE IN TEN," a parson. In allusion to the tithing system.

ONE-ER, that which stands for ONE, a blow that requires no more. In Dickens's amusing work, the "Marchioness" tells Dick Swiveller that "her missus is a ONE-ER at cards."

ONION, a watch-seal.

"OPEN THE BALL," to lead off a race.-Sporting.

"Romeo OPENED THE BALL by getting away in advance, Thomastown lying second, followed by Medora, Arbury," &c.-Times, Nov. 20, 1862.

ORACLE, "to work the ORACLE," to plan, manœuvre, to succeed by a wily stratagem.

O'TRIGGER, an Irish duellist, from a character in the Rivals.

OTTER, eightpence.—Italian, OTTO, eight.—Lingua Franca.

OTTOMY, a thin man, a skeleton, a dwarf. Vulgar pronunciation of 'Anatomy." Shakspeare has 'ATOMY.

OUT, a dram glass. A habitué of a gin-shop, desirous of treating a brace of friends, calls for a quartern of gin and three OUTS, by which he means three glasses which will exactly contain the quartern. OUT, in round games, where several play, and there can be but one loser, the winners in succession STAND OUT, while the others PLAY OFF.

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"OUT AND OUT," prime, excellent, of the first quality. OUT-ANDOUTER, one who is of an OUT-AND-OUT description," UP to anything. An ancient MS. has this couplet, which shews the antiquity of the phrase

"The Kyng was good alle aboute,

And she was wycked OUTE AND OUTE."

OUTCRY, an auction.—Anglo-Indian.

"OUT OF COLLAR," out of place,-in allusion to servants. When in place, the term is COLLARED UP.-Theatrical and general.

"ON THE FLY," getting one's living by thieving or other illegitimate means; the phrase is applied to men the same as ON THE LOOSE is to women. "ON THE SHELF," to be transported. With old maids it has another and very different meaning.