Rabbit, when a person gets the worst of a bargain, he is said "to have bought the RABBIT. From an old story about a man selling a cat to a foreigner for a rabbit. Racket, a dodge, manoeuvre, exhibition; a disturbance. Rackety, wild or noisy. Racks, the bones of a dead horse. Term used by horse-slaughterers. Raclan, a married woman. English tramps. Originally Gipsy, but now a term with Rafe, or RALPH, a pawnbroker's duplicate.-Norwich. Raff, a dirty, dissipated fellow; RAFFISH, looking like a RAFF. Rag, to divide or share; "let's RAG IT," or "go RAGS," ie., share it equally between us.-Norwich. Rag, a bank-note. Rag and Famish, the Army and Navy Club. From Ensign RAG and Captain FAMISH, imaginary characters, out of whom Leech some years back obtained much amusement. Rag-shop, a bank. Rag-splawger, a rich man. Ragamuffin, an ill-clad vagabond, a tatterdemalion. Rain napper, an umbrella. Raise the wind, to obtain credit, or money,-generally by pawning or selling property, but not unusually by borrowing. varied to WHISTLE UP THE BREEZE. Sometimes Raker, TO GO A, is, in racing parlance, to put more money than usual on a certain horse. "Going a RAKER" often leads to "coming a cropper. Ramp, to hustle, to rob with violence, to levy blackmail in a ferocious manner; to extort by means of threats. RAMPING is generally done in gangs. Rampage, TO BE ON THE, on the drink, on the loose. Dickens, in Great Expectations, refers to Mrs. Jo as being on the RAMPAGE when she is worse tempered than usual. Ramper, a ruffian of the most brutal description, who infests racecourses and similar places on welching expeditions during summer, and finds pleasure and profit in garrotte robberies during winter. Ramshackle, queer, rickety, knocked about, as standing corn is after a high wind. Corrupted from RAM-SHATTER, or possibly from RANSACK. Rancho, originally a Spanish-American word, signifying a huntinglodge, or cattle-station, in a wood or desert far from the haunts of men. A hunting or fishing station in the Highlands or elsewhere. In Washington, with their accustomed ingenuity in corrupting words and meanings, the Americans use the appellation for a place of evil report. The word is generally pronounced RANCH now. Randals-man. See BILLY. Randan, a boat impelled by three rowers, the midship man sculling, and the bowman and strokesman rowing with oars. Random, three horses driven in line. See TANDEM, SUDDEN DEATH, HARUM-SCARUM. Randy, rampant, violent, warm.-North. RANDY-BEGGAR, a gipsy tinker. Rank, to cheat. Modification of RAMP. Ranker, a commissioned officer in the army who has risen from the ranks. Usually employed in a disparaging sense. Purely military. Also, among street folk, a corruption of RANK DUffer. 66 Ran-tan, on the RAN-TAN," drunk. Rantipoll, a noisy rude girl, a madcap. Rap, a halfpenny; frequently used generically for money, thus :—“I haven't a RAP," i.e., I have no money whatever; "I don't care a RAP," &c. Originally a species of counterfeit coin used for small change in Ireland, against the use of which a proclamation was issued, 5th May, 1737. Small copper or base metal coins are still called RAPPEN in the Swiss cantons. Irish robbers were formerly termed RAPPAREES. Rap, to utter rapidly and vehemently; "he RAPPED out a volley of oaths." Rapping, enormous; 'a RAPPING big lie." Rapscallion, a low tattered wretch-not worth a RAP. Rat, a sneak, an informer, a turn-coat, one who changes his party for interest. The late Sir Robert Peel was called the RAT, or the TAMWORTH RATCATCHER, for altering his views on the Roman Catholic question. From RATS deserting vessels about to sink. The term is often used amongst printers to denote one who works under price. Old cant for a clergyman. Rat, TO SMELL A, to suspect something, to guess that there is something amiss. Rather! a ridiculous street exclamation synonymous with yes; "Do you like fried chickens?" "RATHER!" "Are you going out of town?" "RATHER!" Very often pronounced RAYTHER!" Rattening, the punishment inflicted on non-unionists by Sheffield grinders, through the instrumentality of "Mary Ann." See Parlia mentary Inquiry Report on the subject. Rattlecap, an unsteady, volatile person. Generally applied to girls. Rattler, a cab, coach, or cart.-Old Cant. 66 Rattletrap, the mouth. Anything shaky and mean, but pretentious and vulgar, is said to belong to the RATTLETRAP order of things. Rattling, jolly, pleasant, well-appointed. "A RATTLING good spread" means an excellent repast, while a true friend is said to be a RATTLING good fellow." Raw, a tender point, or foible; "to touch a man upon the RAW," is to irritate one by alluding to, or joking him on, anything on which he is peculiarly susceptible or "thin-skinned." Originally stable slang. "Liver and bacon, kidneys, ten pounds one! He thinks me RAW. I think I'm rather DONE." Phantom Barber. Raw, uninitiated; a novice.-Old. Frequently JOHNNY RAW. Reach me downs, or HAND ME DOWNS, clothes bought at secondhand shops. From "REACH ME DOWN that, and let's see if it fits." In Houndsditch and other celebrated old clothes' marts, the goods are kept hanging on pegs so as to be well within view of intending buyers. Reader, a pocket-book; "Touch him for his READER," i.c., rob him of his pocket-book. Ready, or READY GILT (maybe GELT), money. Used by Arbuthnot— "Lord Strut was not very flush in READY. Ready-reckoners, the Highland regiments of the British army. Real jam, a sporting phrase, meaning anything exceptionally good. It is said to be REAL JAM for those who back a horse at a long price, when the animal wins, or comes to a short figure. Recent incision, the busy thoroughfare on the Surrey side of the Thames, known to sober people as the New Cut. Even this latter name has now been changed-if indeed the place ever was so called properly. Although to the general public the street which runs from opposite Rowland Hill's Chapel to Westminster Bridge Road is known as the New Cut, its name to the Board of Works is Lower Marsh. Redge, gold. Red herring, a soldier. The terms are exchangeable, the fish being often called a "soldier." Red lane, the throat. Red liner, an officer of the Mendicity Society. Red rag, the tongue. Red un, a gold watch. Redtape, official routine. A term which was much in vogue during the Crimean campaign, so famous for War Office blunderings. Regulars, a thief's fair share of plunder. Reliever, a coat worn in turn by any party of poor devils whose wardrobes are in pawn. Relieving officer, a significant term for a father.-University. Renage, to revoke, a word used in Ireland at the game of five-card. Rench, vulgar pronunciation of RINSE. "(W)RENCH your mouth out," said a fashionable dentist one day. Re-raw, "on the RE-RAW," tipsy or drunk. Resurrection pie, once a school but now a common phrase, used in reference to a pie supposed to be made of the scraps and leavings that have appeared before. Ret, an abbreviation of the word REITERATION, used to denote the forme which, in a printing-office, backs or perfects paper already printed on one side. Rhino, ready money.-Old. "Some as I know, Have parted with their ready RINO." The Seaman's Adieu, Old Ballad, 1670. Rhinocoral, rich, wealthy, abounding in RHINO. At first sound it would seem as though it meant a man abounding in rhinoceroses. Rib, a wife. Derivation, of course, Biblical. Ribbon, gin, or other spirits. Modification of white satin. "To handle the RIBBONS," to drive. Ribbons, the reins. Ribroast, to beat till the ribs are sore.-Old; but still in use : "And he departs, not meanly boasting Of his magnificent RIBROASTING."-Hudibras. Rich, spicy; also used in the sense of "too much of a good thing;" "a RICH idea," one too absurd or unreasonable to be adopted. Richard, a dictionary. See DICK. Ride, 29 to be in an to RIDE the high horse," or "RIDE roughshod over one," to be overbearing or oppressive; "to RIDE the black donkey, ill humour. Rider, in a University examination, a problem or question appended to another, as directly arising from or dependent on it ;--beginning to be generally used for any corollary or position which naturally arises from any previous statement or evidence. Rider, a supplementary clause in a document. Rig, or trick, "spree," or performance; "run a RIG," to play a trick.See JOHN GILPIN. "RIG the market," in reality to play tricks with it, -a mercantile slang phrase often used in the newspapers. Rigged, "well RIGGED," well dressed.-Old Slang, in use in 1736. See Bailey's Dictionary.-Sea. Rigging, a process well known in connexion with sales by auction, by which articles are secured at prices considerably below their real value. See KNOCK-OUTS. TO RIG the market is to do similar business on a larger scale for the purpose of affecting the supplies, and thereby increasing the profits on an original purchase of the goods thus made scarce. Right as ninepence, or NICE AS NINEPENCE (possible corruption of NINE-PINS), quite right, exactly right, comfortable. See NINEPENCE. Right you are, a phrase implying entire acquiescence in what has been said or done. The expression is singularly frequent and general amongst the lower and middle classes of the metropolis. Rights, "to have one TO RIGHTS," to be even with him, to serve him out properly. "TO RIGHTS" is also an ejaculation signifying satisfaction of the highest order. Rigmarole, a prolix story. Rile, to offend, to render very cross, irritated, or vexed. Properly, to render liquor turbid. Ring, to change; "RINGING castors," changing hats; "to RING the changes," in low life means to change bad money for good ; in respect. able society the phrase is sometimes employed to denote that the aggressor has been paid back in his own coin, as in practical joking, when the laugh is turned against the jester. The expression origi nally came from the belfry. Ring, a generic term given to horse-racing and pugilism,—the latter was sometimes termed the PRIZE-RING. From the rings used for betting and fighting in, respectively. Ring, formerly "to go through the RING," to take advantage of the Insolvency Act, or be "whitewashed." Now obsolete. Ring, the open space in front of a racecourse stand, which is used for betting purposes. Betting men are nowadays known as members of the ring, especially if they are in the habit of attending race-meetings. RING, in America, is a combination of speculators whose object is to force the market for their own especial benefit without any regard to order or decency. We have similar arrangements here, but hitherto no one word has fairly described them. Ringdropping, is a pursuit to which London "magsmen" and "streetmuggers" are prone. A ring or other spurious article is supposed to be found just in front of a "soft-looking party," and he or she is tempted to buy it at less than half its supposed value. Rip, a rake, "an old RIP," an old libertine, or a debauchee. Corruption of REPROBATE. Rip, to go at a rare pace. This is an American term, and often means to "Let her RIP, I'm insured." burst up. Ripper, a first-rate man or article.-Provincial. Ripping, excellent, very good. Equivalent to "stunning." Rise, "to take a RISE out of a person." A metaphor from fly-fishing, the silly fish RISING to be caught by an artificial fly; to mortify, outwit, or cheat him, by superior cunning. "There is only one thing, unfortunately, of which Oxford men are economical, and that is, their University experience. They not only think it fair that Freshmen should go through their ordeal unaided, but many have a sweet satisfaction in their distresses, and even busy themselves in obtaining elevations, or, as it is vulgarly termed, in getting RISES Out of them.""—Hints to Freshmen, Oxford, 1843. Rise, or raise, a Barney, to collect a mob; term used by patterers and "schwassle-box" (Punch and Judy) men. Roarer, a broken-winded horse; or, in the more polite speech of the stable, "a high blower." ROARING, as applied to horses, is often termed "talking" by turf-men. It is often said delicately by sputing writers, when speaking of a broken-winded racehorse, that he makes a noise." Roaring trado, a very successful business.—Shopkeepers' Slang. Roast, toexpose a person to a running fire of jokes for the amusement and wol the assistance of à whole company. A performance not indud in by gentlemen. QUIZZING is done by a single person only. Rebin redbreast, the ancient Bow Street runner. So called from the domed his waistcoat. |