was written for display at Court on Twelfth Night, 1623; "a fine LACED MUTTON or two," are the words applied to wantons. Shakspeare has the term. In that class of English society which does not lay any claim to refinement, a fond lover is often spoken of as being "fond of his MUTTON," which, by the way, in this place does not mean the woman so much as something else.

Mutton chops, a sheep's-head. A man who has dined off sheep's-head dignifies his meal by calling it MUTTON CHOPS (chaps).

Mutton-fist, an uncomplimentary title for any one having a large and muscular, bony, or coarse hand.

Mutton-walk, the saloon at Drury Lane Theatre. A vulgar appellation applied to this place early in the last century, still in use in the neighbourhood of Covent Garden, which was formerly the great resort for the gay and giddy of both sexes.

Muzzle, the mouth.

Muzzle, to fight or thrash; to throttle or garrotte.
Muzzler, a blow in the mouth; a dram of spirits.

Muzzy, intoxicated.

My aunt, AUNT JONES, or MRS. JONES, the closet of decency, or house of office.

My lord, a nickname given to a hunchback.

My tulip, a term of endearment used by the lower orders to persons and animals; "" Kim up, MY TULIP,' as the coster said to his donkey when thrashing him with an ash stick."

My uncle, the pawnbroker,-generally used when any person questions the whereabouts of a domestic article. "Oh! only at MY UNCLE'S" is the reply. 'Up the spout" has the same meaning. It is worthy of remark that the French call this useful relative "ma tante," my

aunt.

Nab, to catch, to seize; "NAB the rust," to take offence.-Ancient, fourteenth century. See NAP.

Nab the rust, to take offence.

Nabob, an Eastern prince, a retired Indian official,-hence a slang term for a capitalist. From Nawaub.

Nabs, self; my NABS, myself; his NABS, himself. North Country Cant. Nag, to persistently talk in a scolding manner, after the manner of Mrs. Caudle. NAGGING is supposed to be persistent, persevering, passionless scolding.

Nail, to steal, or capture; "paid on the NAIL," ie., paid ready money; NAILED, taken up, or caught,-probably in allusion to the practice of NAILING bad money to the counter. We say, "as dead as a door-NAIL;" most possibly because of "apt alliteration." Shakspear ehas the expression in Henry IV

Falstaff What! is the old king dead?
Pistol. As NAIL in door."

Dickens, in that marvellous little book, A Christmas Carol, says :

"Old Marley was as dead as a DOOR-NAIL.

"Mind! I don't mean to say that I know of my own knowledge what there is particularly dead about a DOOR-NAIL. I might have been inclined myself to regard a COFFIN-NAIL as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the country's done for. You will, therefore, permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a DOOR-NAIL."

Nail in one's coffin, a dram, "a drop o' summat' short," a jocular, but disrespectful phrase, used by the lower orders to each other at the moment of lifting a glass of spirits to their lips. "Well, good luck! here's another NAIL IN MY COFFIN." This is probably in ridicule of teetotal or temperance preachers, and the arguments adduced by them. Another phrase with old topers is “shedding a tear,” also “wiping an eye." Namby-pamby, particular, over-nice, effeminate. This was possibly of Pope's invention, and first applied by him to the affected short-lined verses addressed by Ambrose Phillips to Lord Carteret's infant children. See Johnson's Life of Pope.

Nammus, or NAMOUS, to be off, to get away; "let's NAMMUS, somebody's coming." See VAMOS. 19

Nanny-shop, a disreputable house.

Nantee, not any, or "I have none." NANTEE also means "shut up!' or "leave off!" Italian, NIENTE, nothing. See DINARLY.-Lingua Franca.

Nantee palaver, no conversation, i.e., hold your tongue. Very often in this sense also shortened to NANTEE only. Originally Lingua Franca, but now general.

Nap, or NAB, to take, steal, or receive; "you'll NAP it," i.e., you will catch a beating.-North; also Old Cant.

Nap, to break, or rap with a hammer. See KNAP.-North. Nap, or NAPPER, a hat. From "nab," a hat, cap, or head.-Old Cant. Nap nix, a person who works at his trade, and occasionally goes on the stage to act minor parts without receiving any pay. The derivation is obvious. See NAP and NIX, i.e., NICHTS.

Nap one's bib, to cry, shed tears, or carry one's point.

Nap the regulars, to divide the booty.

Nap the teaze, to be privately whipped in prison.

Nark, a person in the pay of the police; a common informer; one who gets his living by laying traps for publicans, &c. Sometimes called a

nose.

Nark, to watch, or look after; "NARK the titter," watch the girl.

Narp, a shirt.-Scotch.

Narrow, mean, sordid.-Scotch. In common slang, dull of comprehension, as distinguished from wide awake.

Nasty, ill-tempered, cross-grained.

ill-humoured.

"He was very NASTY," i.e., he was

235

Nation, or TARNATION, very, or exceedingly. Corruption of damna

tion.

Natty, pretty, neat, tidy.-Old.

Natural, an idiot, a simpleton. Sometimes HALF-NATURAL.
Navvy, an excavator employed in making railways, canals, &c.

Origi

nally slang, but now a recognised term. Short for navigator, a term humorously applied to excavators when their chief work was that of cutting and banking canals, making dykes to rivers, &c.

N. C., "enough said," being the initials of NUF CED. A certain theatrical manager spells, it is said, in this style.

Near, mean and stingy.

Neardy, a person in authority over another; master, parent, or foreman. -North.

Neat, unmixed with water. "Two half goes of gin, one NEAT, the other cold," meaning one as drawn, the other diluted with cold water. The Americans use the word "straight" instead of NEAT: "I'll take mine straight."

Neck, to swallow. Neck-oil, drink of any kind.

Neck and crop, entirely, completely; "he chuck'd him NECK AND CROP out of window."

Neck and neck. Horses run NECK AND NECK in a race when they are so perfectly equal that one cannot be said to be before the other. Neck or nothing, desperate. Originally a steeplechase phrase. Neck beef,a synonym for coarseness. "As coarse as neck ends of beef." Neckinger, a cravat. See MUCKENGER.

Ned, a guinea. HALF-NED, half-a-guinea.

Neddy, a considerable quantity, as "a NEDDY of fruit," "a NEDDY of fish," &c.-Irish slang.

Neddy, a donkey. On Sunday, when a costermonger, if at all well to do, takes his family out for an airing in his "shallow," the donkey is called "Eddard."

Neddy, a life preserver. Possibly contraction of Kennedy, the name of the first man, it is said in St. Giles's, who had his head broken by a poker.

Ned Stokes, the four of spades.-North Hants. See Gentleman's Magazine for 1791, p. 141.

Needful, money, cash; the "one thing NEEDFUL" for the accomplishment of most pet designs.

Needle, to annoy. To "cop the NEEDLE" is to become vexed or annoyed. Needy mizzler, a shabby person; a tramp who runs away without paying for his lodging.

Never trust me, an ordinary phrase with low Londoners, and common in Shakspeare's time, vide Twelfth Night. It is generally used instead of an oath, calling vengeance on the asseverator, if such-and-such does not come to pass.

Newgate fringe, or FRILL, the collar of beard worn under the chin; so called from its occupying the position of the rope when Jack Ketch operates. Another name for it is a TYBURN COLLAR.

Newgate Knocker, the term given to the lock of hair which costermongers and thieves usually twist back towards the ear. The shape is supposed to resemble the knocker on the prisoners' door at Newgate -a resemblance that carries a rather unpleasant suggestion to the wearer. Sometimes termed a COBBLER'S KNOT, or COW-LICK. Newmarket, in tossing, when the game is "two out of three," that is, when he who gains the first two tosses wins. When the first toss is decisive, the game is termed "sudden death." Nibble, to take, or steal.

Nib-cove, a gentleman.
-Beggar's Cant.

Nib-like, gentlemanly.

NIBBLER, a petty thief.

NIBSOMEST CRIBS, best or gentlemen's houses.

"Your NIBS," yourself."

As,

Nibs, self. His NIBS, means any one who may be referred to. "I told his NIBS," or "stag his NIBS.' Nick, or OLD NICK, the devil.—Scandinavian, KNICKAR, one of the names of Odin, as the destroying or evil principle.

Nick, to hit the mark; "he's NICKED it," i.e., won his point. Also to steal. To be "out on the NICK," is to be out thieving. described as being "on the pinch."

Nick-nack, a trifle.—Originally Cant.

Sometimes

Niggling, trifling, or idling; taking short steps in walking.-North. Nightcap, a glass of "warm with" taken the last thing at night. Night-hunter, a poacher.-North. Also a London prostitute. Sometimes in the latter capacity varied to night-hawk.

Nil, half; half profits, &c.

Nilly-willy, i.e., NILL YE, WILL YE, whether you will or no; a familiar version of the Latin, NOLENS VOLENS. Generally written now, WILLY

NILLY.

Nimming, stealing. Old English, NIM, to take. Motherwell, the Scotch poet, thought the old word NIM (to snatch or pick up) was derived from nam, nam, the tiny words or cries of an infant, when eating anything which pleases its little palate. A negro proverb has the word:

"Buckra man NAM crab,
Cram NAM buckra man.'

Or, in the buckra man's language

"

"White man eat [or steal] the crab,,,

And then crab eat the white man.'

Shakspeare evidently had the word NIM in his head when he portrayed
Nym.

Nincompoop, a fool, a hen-pecked husband, a "Jerry Sneak."-Cor. ruption of non compos mentis.

Nine corns, a pipeful of tobacco. Ninepence, "nice 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. There is no nicety in NINEPENCE!" Evidently this correspondent does not know how nice it is to have ninepence, after being without money. At all events the phrase is "nice as NINEPENCE."

Nines, "dressed up to the NINES," in a showy or recherché manner. Up to the NINES, up to the dodges and "wrinkles" of life.

Nine shillings, cool audacity; most probably derived from the French,

NONCHALANCE.

Ning-nang, horse-coupers' term for a worthless thoroughbred.

Ninny hammer, a foolish, ignorant person. Generally shortened to NINNY. NINNY is also short for nincompoop.

Nip, to steal, to take up quickly. See NAP and NIB.

Nipcheese, a purser.-Old Sea Slang.

Nipper, a sharp lad. Originally a superior grade among cut-purses.

Nix, nothing. German, NICHTS. See MUNGARLY.

Nix! the signal word of schoolboys and workpeople to each other that the master, or other person in authority, is approaching.

Nix my dollyonce a very popular slang song, beginning—

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

Of a hempen widow all forlorn;

And my old dad, as I've heard say,

Was a famous merchant in capers gay;
NIX MY DOLLY, pals, fake away!"

"Capers" of course here refers to the mode of the old gentleman's decease.

Niz-priz, a writ of nisi-prius.—Legal.

Nizzie, a fool, a coxcomb.-Old Cant, vide Triumph of Wit.

Nob, the head.-Pugilistic; "bob a NOB," a shilling a head. Ancient Cant, NEB. NOB is an early English word, and is used in the romance of Kynge Alinaunder (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, or of NOBILIS. See SNOB.

Nob. When the knave of trumps is held at the game of cribbage, the holder counts one for his NOB."

66

Nobba, nine. Italian, NOVE; Spanish, NOVA,-the b and being interchangeable, as in sabe and savvey. Slang introduced by the " organgrinders" from Italy.

Nobba saltee, ninepence. Lingua Franca, NOVE SOLDI.

Nobbing cheat, the gallows.-Old Cant.

Nobbing, collecting money; "what NOBBINGS ?" .e., how much have