Cutter, a ruffian, a cut-purse. Of Robin Hood it was said—

"So being outlaw'd (as 'tis told),

He with a crew went forth

Of lusty CUTTERS, bold and strong,
And robbed in the north."

CUTTER, a swashbuckler-balaffreux taillebras, fendeur de naseaux.—
Cotgrave.

"He's out of cash, and thou know'st by CUTTER'S LAW,
We are bound to relieve one another.

"

Match at Midn., O. Pl., vii. 553.

This ancient cant word now survives in the phrase, "to swear like a
CUTTER."

Cutting-shop, a place where cheap rough goods are sold.
Cutty-pipe, a short clay pipe. Scotch, CUTTY, short.
Cutty-sark, a short chemise.-Scotch.

called by Burns.

A scantily-draped lady is so

"Weel done, CUTTY-SARK!'

And in an instant all was dark.'

Most probably derived from the

Dab, or DABSTER, an expert person.

Latin adeptus.

Dab, street term for small flat fish of any kind. - Old.

Dacha-saltee, tenpence. Probably from the Lingua Franca.

Modern

Greek, déκa; Italian, DIECI SOLDI, tenpence; Gipsy, DIK, ten. So also
DACHA-ONE (oney), i.e., dieci uno, elevenpence.-See SALTEE.

Daddle, the hand

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; 'tip us your DADDLE," i.e., shake hands.

Daddy, a stage manager.—Theatrical. Also the person who gives away the bride at a wedding.

Daddy; at mock raffles, lotteries, &c., the DADDY is an accomplice, most commonly the getter-up of the swindle, and in all cases the person that has been previously selected to win the prize.

Daddy, the old man in charge-generally an aged pauper-at casual wards. Most people will remember "kind old DADDY."

Daffy, gin. A term with monthly nurses, who are always extolling the virtues of Daffy's Elixir, and who occasionally comfort themselves with a stronger medicine under Daffy's name. Of late years the term has been altered to "soothing syrup.'

Dags, feat or performance; "I'll do your DAGS," i.e., I will do something that you cannot do. Corruption of DARINGS.

Dairies, a woman's breasts, which are also called CHArlies.

Daisy-cutter, a horse that trots or gallops without lifting its feet much from the ground.

Daisy-kicker, the name ostlers at large inns used to give each other, now nearly obsolete. DAISY-KICKER, or GROGHAM, was likewise the cant term for a horse. The DAISY-KICKERS were sad rogues in the old posting days; frequently the landlords rented the stables to them, as the only plan to make them return a profit.

Damage, in the sense of recompense; "what's the DAMAGE?" i.e., what is to pay? or actually, what is the DAMAGE to my pocket? Damper, a shop till; to DRAW A DAMPER, i.e., rob a till. A till is more modernly called a "lob," and stealing from tills is known as 'lob-sneaking."

Dancer, or dancing-master, a thief who prowls about the roofs of houses, and effects an entrance by attic windows, &c.

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garreter.'

Dance upon nothing, to be hanged.

Called also a

Dander, passion or temper; "to get one's DANDER up," to rouse his passion.-Old, but now much used in America.

Dando, a great eater, who cheats at hotels, eating shops, oyster-cellars, &c., from a person of that name who lived many years ago, and who was an enormous oyster-eater. According to the stories related of him, Dando would visit an oyster-room, devour an almost fabulous quantity of bivalves, with porter and bread and butter to match, and then calmly state that he had no money. Dandy, a fop, or fashionable nondescript. This word, in the sense of a fop, is of modern origin. Egan says it was first used in 1820, and Bee in 1816. Johnson does not mention it, although it is to be found in all late dictionaries. DANDIES wore stays, studied a feminine style, and tried to undo their manhood by all manner of affectations which were not actually immoral. Lord Petersham headed them. At the present day dandies of this stamp have almost entirely disappeared, but the new school of muscular Christians is not altogether faultless. The feminine of DANDY was DANDIZETTE, but the term only lived for a short season.

Dandy, a small glass of whisky.-Irish.

"Dimidium cyathi vero apud Metropolitanos Hibernicos dicitur DANDY."-Father Tom and the Pope, in Blackwood's Magazine for May 1838.

Dandy, a boatman.-Anglo-Indian.

Dandypratt, a funny little fellow, a mannikin; originally a half-farthing of the time of Henry VII.

Danna, human ordure; DANNA DRAG, a nightman's or dustman's cart; hence DUNNA-KEN, which see.

Darbies, handcuffs.-Old Cant. See JOHNNY DARBIES. Sir Walter Scott mentions these, in the sense of fetters, in his Peveril of the Peak"Hark ye! Jem Clink will fetch you the DARBIES.' 'Derby!' interrupted Julian 'has the Earl or Countess

Had Sir Walter known of any connexion between them and this family he would undoubtedly have mentioned it. The mistake of Julian is corrected in the next paragraph. It is said that handcuffs were, when used to keep two prisoners together, called DARBIES and JOANS-a term which would soon be shortened as a natural consequence.

Darble, the devil. French, DIABLE.

Dark, "keep it DARK," i.c., secret. A DARK horse is, in racing phraseology,

a horse of whom nothing positive is known, but who is generally

supposed to have claims to the consideration of all interested, whether bookmakers or backers.

Darky, twilight; also a negro. DARKMANS, the night.

Darn, vulgar corruption of DAMN.-American.

Dash, to jot down suddenly. "Things I have DASHED off at a moment's

notice.'

Dash, fire, vigour, manliness.

be full of DASH.

Literary and artistic work is often said to

Dash, an ejaculation, as "DASH my wig !" "DASH my buttons !" A relic of the attempts made, when cursing was fashionable, to be in the mode without using "bad words."

Dashing, showy, fast.

Daub, in low language, an artist. Also a badly painted picture.

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David's sow, as drunk as DAVID'S sow," i.e., beastly drunk. See origin of the phrase in Grose's Dictionary.

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Davy, "on my DAVY," on my affidavit, of which it is a vulgar corruption, Latterly DAVY has become synonymous in street language with the name of the Deity; so help me DAVY," generally rendered, "swelp my DAVY." Slang version of the conclusion of the oath usually exacted of witnesses.

Davy's locker, or DAVY JONES'S LOCKER, the sea, the common receptacle for all things thrown overboard ;—a nautical phrase for death, is "gone to DAVY JONES'S LOCKER," which there means the other world.

-See DUFFY.

Dawdle, to loiter, or fritter away time.

Dawk, the post.-Anglo-Indian.

Daylights, eyes; "to darken his DAYLIGHTS," to give a person black eyes. Also the spaces left in glasses between the liquor and the brim, -not allowed when bumpers are drunk. The toast-master in such cases cries" no DAYLIGHTS or heeltaps!"

Daze, to confound or bewilder; an ancient form of dazzle used by Spenser,
Drayton, &c. This is more obsolete English than slang, though its
use nowadays might fairly bring it within the latter category.
Dead-against, decidedly opposed to.

Dead-alive, stupid, dull.

Dead-amiss, said of a horse that from illness is utterly unable to run for a prize.

Dead-beat, utterly exhausted, utterly "done up."

Dead-heat, when two horses run home so exactly equal that the judge cannot place one before the other; consequently, a DEAD-HEAT is a heat which counts for nothing, so far as the even runners are concerned, as it has to be run over again. When a race between dead-heaters has been unusually severe, or when the stake is sufficiently good to bear division, it is usual to let one of the animals walk over the course so as to make a deciding heat, and to divide the money. In such case all bets are divided. Sometimes, however, when no arrangement

can be made, an owner will withdraw his horse, in which case the animal that walks over wins the whole of the stake, and his backers the whole of their money. Where the course is short and the money of small amount, the DEAD-HEAT is run off, the second essay being called the decider, though on certain occasions even the decider has resulted in a DEAD-HEAT.-See NECK AND NECK.

Dead-horse, "to draw the DEAD-HORSE;" DEAD-HORSE workworking for wages already paid; also any thankless or unassisted service. Dead-letter, an action of no value or weight; an article, owing to some mistake in its production, rendered utterly valueless,-often applied to any instrument in writing, which by some apparently trivial omission, becomes useless. At the general and large district postoffices, there is a department for letters which have been erroneously addressed, or for which, from many and various causes, there are no receivers. These are called DEAD-LETTERS, and the office in connexion with them is known as the DEAD-LETTER office.

Dead-lock, a permanent standstill, an inextricable entanglement. Dead-lurk, entering a dwelling-house during divine service. Dead-man, a baker. Properly speaking, it is an extra loaf smuggled into the basket by the man who carries it out, to the loss of the master. Sometimes the DEAD-MAN is charged to a customer, though never delivered. Among London thieves and low people generally a dead'un" is a half-quartern loaf.

Dead-men, the term for wine bottles after they are emptied of their contents.-Old.-See MARINES.

Dead-men's shoes, property which cannot be claimed until after decease of present holder. "To wait for a pair of DEAD-MEN'S SHOES," is considered a wearisome affair. It is used by Fletcher :"And 'tis a general shrift, that most men use, But yet 'tis tedious waiting DEAD MEN'S SHOES."

Fletcher's Poems, p. 256.

Dead-set, a pointed and persistent attack on a person.

Dead'un, a horse which will not run or will not try in a race, and against which money may be betted with safety.-See SAFE UN.

Deaner, a shilling. From DENier.

Death, "to dress to DEATH," i.e., to the very extreme of fashion, perhaps so as to be killing.

Death-hunter, a running patterer, who vends last dying speeches and confessions. More modernly the term is supposed to mean an undertaker, or any one engaged in or concerned with burials.

Deck, a pack of cards. Used by Shakspeare, 3 K. Hen. VI., v. I. Probably because of DECKING or arranging the table for a game at cards. General in the United States.

Dee, a pocket-book; term used by tramps.-Gipsy. DEE (properly D), a detective policeman. "The DEES are about, so look out."

Delicate, a false subscription-book carried by a LURKER.

Demirep (or DEMIRIP), a courtezan. Contraction of DEMI-REPUTATION, which is, in turn, a contraction for demi-monde reputation. Derby-dog, a masterless animal, who is sure to appear as soon as the Epsom course is cleared for the great race of the season. No year passes without a dog running between the two dense lines of spectators and searching in vain for an outlet, and he is almost as eagerly looked for as are the "preliminary canters." It is said that when no DERBY-DOG appears on the course between Tattenham Corner and the judge's box, just before the start, a dead-heat will take place between all the placed horses.

Derrick, an apparatus for raising sunken ships, &c. The term is curiously derived from a hangman of that name frequently mentioned in Old Plays, as in the Bellman of London, 1616.

"He rides circuit with the devil, and DERRICK must be his host, and Tyborne the inn at which he will light."

The term is now almost general for all cranes used in loading ships, or doing similar work of a heavy nature.

Despatchers, false dice with two sets of numbers, and, of course, no low pips. So called because they bring the matter to a speedy issue. Great skill in palming is necessary for their successful use.

Deuce, the devil.-Old. Stated by Junius and others to be from DEUS or ZEUS.

Deuce, twopence; DEUCE at cards or dice, one with two pips or spots. Devil, among barristers, to get up the facts of a case for a leader; to arrange everything in the most comprehensive form, so that the Q. C. or Serjeant can absorb the question without much trouble. DEVILLING is juniors' work, but much depends on it, and on the ability with which it is done.

Devil, a printer's youngest apprentice, an errand-boy in a printingoffice.

Devil dodger, a clergyman; also a person who goes sometimes to church and sometimes to meeting.

Devil-may-care, reckless, rash.

Devil's bed-posts, the four of clubs. Otherwise Old Gentleman's

BED-POSTS.

Devil's books, a pack of playing-cards; a phrase of Presbyterian origin. See FOUR KINGS.

Devil's delight, a noise or row of any description.

thus:-"They kicked up the DEVIL'S DELIGHT."

Devil's dung, the fetid drug assafoetida.

Generally used

Devil's dust, a term used in the manufacturing districts of Yorkshire to denote shreds of old cloth torn up to re-manufacture; also called SHODDY. Mr. Ferrand, in his speech in the House, March 4, 1842, produced a piece of cloth made chiefly from DEVIL'S DUST, and tore it into shreds to prove its worthlessness.-See Hansard's Parliamentary Debates, third series, vol. lxi. p. 140.