quite the thing, or that is not quite the thing;-affected rendering of "that is not the CHEESE," which see.

Stingo, strong liquor.-Yorkshire.

Stink, a disagreeable exposure. "To stir up a STINK" is to make a disclosure which is generally unpleasant in its effect.

Stinkomalee, a name given to the then New London University by Theodore Hook. Probably because some cow-houses and dunghills stood on the original site. Some question about Trincomalee was agitated at the same time. It is still applied by the students of the old Universities, who regard it with disfavour from its admitting all denominations.

Stipe, a stipendiary magistrate.-Provincial.

Stir, a prison, a lock-up; "in STIR," in gaol. Anglo-Saxon, STYR, cor. rection, punishment.

Stir-up Sunday, the Sunday next before Advent, the collect for that day commencing with the words, "Stir up." Schoolboys, growing excited at the prospect of the vacation, irreverently commemorate it by stirring up-pushing and poking each other. "Crib-crust Monday" and "tug-button Tuesday" are distinguished by similar tricks; while on "pay-off Wednesday" they retaliate small grudges in a playful facetious way. Forby says good housewives in Norfolk consider themselves reminded by the name to mix the ingredients for their Christmas mince-pies.

Stock. "To STOCK cards" is to arrange cards in a certain manner for cheating purposes.

Stock, "to take STOCK of one," to scrutinize narrowly one whom you have reason to suspect, or one with whom you are likely to have business transactions; taken from the tradesmen's term for the annual examination and valuation of their stock of goods.

Stockdollager, a heavy blow, a "finisher." Italian, STOCCADO, a fencing term. Also (in a general sense), a disastrous event.-Americanism.

Stodge, to surfeit, gorge, or clog with food. STODGE is in some places bread and milk.

Stoll, to understand.-North Country Cant.

Stomach, to bear with, to be partial to. Mostly used in a negative character,-as, "I can't STOMACH that."

Stone-jug, a prison.

"In a box of the stone-jug I was born."

Stook, a pocket-handkerchief. A STOOK-HAULER, or "buzzer," is a thief who takes pocket-handkerchiefs.

Story, a falsehood,-the soft synonym for a lie, allowed in family circles and boarding-schools. A Puritanism that came into fashion with the tirade against romances, all novels and stories being considered as dangerous and false.

Y

Stot, a young bullock. In Northumberland the term STOT means to rebound.

Stotor, a heavy blow, a settler.-Old Cant.

Stow, to leave off, or have done; "STow it, the gorger's leary." Leave off, the person is looking. See STASH, with which it is synonymous.— Ancient Cant.

Stow, to put away, to hide. A hungry man is said to STOW his food rapidly. He is also said to hide it.

Stow faking! leave off there, be quiet! FAKING means anything that may be going on.

Straight, an American phrase peculiar to dram-drinkers; similar to our word NEAT, which see.

Strap, a barber. From Roderick Random.

Straw. Married ladies are said to be "in the STRAW" at their accouchements. The phrase is a coarse metaphor, and has reference to farmyard animals in a similar condition. It may have originally been suggested to the inquiring mind by the Nativity.

66

Strawing, "selling" straws in the streets (generally for a penny), and giving" the purchaser a paper (indecent or political) or a gold (!) ring, neither of which, the patterer states, he is allowed by Act of Parliament to sell.

Streak, to decamp, run away.-Saxon. In America the phrase is "to make STREAKS," or "make TRACKS.'

Streaky, irritated, ill-tempered. Said of a short-tempered man who has his good and bad times in STREAK.

Street-pitchers, negro minstrels, ballad-singers, long-song men, men "working a board" on which have been painted various exciting scenes in some terrible drama, the details of which the STREET PITCHER is bawling out, and selling in a little book or broadsheet (price one penny); or any persons who make a stand-i.e., a pitch-in the streets, and sell articles or contribute entertainments for a living. Stretch, a walk.-University.

Stretch, abbreviation of "STRETCH one's neck," to hang, to be executed as a malefactor. As, "The night before Larry was STRETCHED." Stretch, twelve months,-generally used to intimate the time any one has been sentenced by the judge or magistrate. One STRETCH is twelve months' imprisonment, two STRETCH is two years, three STRETCH is three years, and so on.

Stretcher, a falsehood; one that requires a STRETCH of imagination or comprehension.

Stretcher, a contrivance with handles, used by the police to carry off persons who are violent or drunk.

Stretcher-fencer, one who sells braces.

Stretching match, an execution. Often called a "hanging match." Strike a jigger, to pick a lock, or break open a door.

Strike me lucky! an expression used by the lower orders when

making a bargain, derived from the old custom of striking hands together, leaving in that of the seller a LUCK PENNY as an earnest that the bargain is concluded. In Ireland, at cattle markets, &c., a penny, or other small coin, is always given by the buyer to the seller to ratify the bargain.-Hudibras. Anciently this was called a "God's penny.' "With that he cast him a God's penny."-Heir of Linne.

The origin of the phrase being lost sight of, like that of many others, it is often used as a modification of "Strike me blind!" and is now and again corrupted into "Strike me silly!" A foolish variation of this is "Strike me up a gum-tree !"

Strills, cheating lies.-North Country Cant.

String, to hoax, to “get in a line.”

Stroke, the captain of a crew, the man who sets the pace, and is generally the leading spirit in the boat. The coxswain usually looks after University men when they are in training, so that they may not fall into excesses, the STROKE having quite enough to do to attend to his own training. Of late years University crews have placed themselves under the guidance and tuition of " coaches," generally ex-University men of great ability and experience.

Strommel, straw.-Ancient Cant. Halliwell says that in Norfolk

STRUMMEL is a name for hair.

Strong, "to come it STRONG." See COME.

Stuck, moneyless. See STICK.

Stuck-up, purse-proud-a form of snobbishness very common in those who have risen in the world, especially among those who have risen rather suddenly. Albert Smith wrote some amusing papers on the Natural History of STUCK-UP People.

Stuff, money.

Stuff, to make false but plausible statements, to praise ironically, to make game of a person,—literally, to STUFF or cram him with gammon or falsehood.

Stump, to go on foot.

Stump, to go about speechmaking on politics or other subjects. Origi nally an Americanism applied to the lowest class of candidates for legislatorial honours, probably because they stood on a STUMP to address their audiences. Maybe, also, because their utterances were short and pithy. This latter reason would, however, hardly apply to our representatives of the STUMP class, "the Leaguers," who are, as a rule, as long-winded as they are illogical.

Stump up, to give one's share, to pay the reckoning, to bring forth the money reluctantly.

Stumped, bowled out, done for, bankrupt, poverty-stricken. From the cricketing term,

Stumps, legs, or feet.

Stumpy, money.

Stun, to astonish.

Stunner, a first-rate person or article.

Stunners, feelings of great astonishment; "it put the STUNNERS on me," i.e., it confounded me.

Stunning, first-rate, very good, really, astonishing. Costermongers call anything extra good, STUNNING. Sometimes amplified to STUNNING JOE BANKS! when the expression is supposed to be in its most intense form. Joe Banks was a noted character in the last generation. He was the proprietor of a public-house in Dyott Street, Seven Dials, and afterwards, on the demolition of the Rookery, of another in Cranbourn Alley. His houses became well-known from their being the resort of the worst characters, while at the same time the strictest decorum was always maintained in them. Joe Banks also acquired a remarkable notoriety by acting as a medium betwixt thieves and their victims. Upon the proper payment to Joe, a watch or a snuff-box would at any time be restored to its lawful owner-"no questions in any case being asked." The most daring depredators in London placed the fullest confidence in Joe, and it is believed (although the Biographie Universelle is quiet upon this point) that he never, in any instance, "sold" them. He was of the middle height, stout, and strongly made, and was always noted for a showy pin and a remarkably STUNNING neck-tie. It was this peculiarity in the costume of Mr. Banks, coupled with those true and tried qualities as a friend for which he was famous, that led his customers to proclaim him as STUNNING JOE BANKS! The Marquis of Douro, Colonel Chatterley, and men of their stamp, were accustomed to resort to a private-room at his house, when too late (or too early) to gain admittance to the clubs or more aristocratic establishments.

Sub, a subaltern officer in the army.

Sub, all.-Anglo-Indian.

Sub, to draw money in advance; a term in use among workmen generally, and those with casual employment in particular. Most likely from subsidize.

Sublime rascal, a lawyer.

Suck, a parasite, a flatterer of the "nobs."-University.
Suck, to pump, or draw information from a person.

Suck-casa, a public-house.-Lingua Franca.

Suck the mop, to be the victim of an omnibus nursing exploit. When an omnibus is being nursed, the driver of the hindmost vehicle keeps so close to his opponent that the horses get their heads almost into the doorway. The nursed omnibus is then said to SUCK THE MOP. Nursing is, thanks to tramways and the Metropolis Streets Act, almost a thing of the past. At the East-end, however, it still goes merrily on. Suck the monkey, to rob a cask of liquor by inserting a straw through a gimlet-hole, and sucking a portion of the contents. Originally, as Captain Marryatt states, to SUCK THE MONKEY, was to suck rum from cocoa-nuts, which spirit had been inserted in place of the milk, for the private use of the sailors. See TAP THE ADMIRAL.

Suck up, graces.

"to SUCK UP to a person," to insinuate oneself into his good

Sudden death. In tossing, to be decided by the first call is to " GO SUDDEN DEATH," as distinguished from the longer forms of "best two out of three," and "first three." At the Universities a crumpet, or Sally Lunn, is so called.

Sufferer, a tailor; the loser at any game.

Sugar, money.

Suicide, four horses driven in a line. See HARUM-SCARUM.
Sulky, a one-horse chaise, having only room for one person.

adays only in trotting matches.

Sumsy, an action of assumpsit.—Legal Slang.

Used now

Sun in the eyes, too much drink. A person who is tipsy is said to have the SUN IN HIS EYES. He is also said to have been "standing too long in the SUN.'

Supe, or super, abbreviation of SUPERNUMERARY.-Theatrical.
Super, a watch; SUPER-SCREWING, stealing watches.

Surat, an adulterated article of inferior quality. This word affords a remarkable instance of the manner in which slang phrases are coined. In the report of an action for libel in the Times, some few years back, it was stated "that, since the American civil war, it has been not unusual for manufacturers to mix American cotton with surat, and, the latter being an inferior article, the people in Lancashire have begun to apply the term SURAT to any article of inferior or adulterated quality. The plaintiffs were brewers, and the action was brought to recover special damages resulting from the publication of an advertisement in these words: All in want of beerhouses must beware of Beaumont and White, the SURAT brewers.'

Surf, an actor who frequently pursues another calling.-Theatrical. SURF, or SERF, is also a term much in use among the lower orders to denote a crawling or sycophantic wretch.

Suspicion, a scarcely perceptible flavour; as, "There was just a sus-
PICION of oil in the mixture."
French, SOUPÇON.

Swab, an epaulet.—Sea.
Swack-up, a falsehood.

Swaddler, a Wesleyan Methodist; a name originally given to members of that body by the Irish mob; said to have originated with an ignorant Romanist, to whom the words of the English Bible were a novelty, and who, hearing one of John Wesley's preachers mention the swaddling clothes of the Holy Infant, in a sermon on Christmas-day at Dublin, shouted out in derision, "A SWADDLER ! a SWADDLER !" as if the whole story were the preacher's invention.-Southey's Life of Wesley, vol. ii. p. 109. See introductory article.

Swaddler, see SOUPER.

Swaddy, or COOLIE, a soldier. The former was originally applied to a discharged soldier, and perhaps came from SHODDY, which is made