Page:Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant (1889) by Barrere & Leland.djvu/128

 affectionately to any middle-aged woman. "The title Bibi is in Persian the same as among us señora or doña."—Texeira: Relation de Hormuz, A.D. 1611.

Beef (Australian convicts' slang), "stop thief!" introduced by the convicts transported thither. A feature of thieves' cant, and indeed of slang generally, is its fondness for punning and rhyming, e.g., "cobbler," applied to the last sheep that is shorn, "slang-whang," and "Bolt-in-turns." Thief was canted into beef because they rhymed.

(English thieves' slang), to beef it, or to give hot beef, is to give chase, pursue, raise a halloo and cry.

(Nautical), a figurative term for strength—"more beef!" more men on; (common), "beef up!" or "put your beef to it!" An ejaculation meant as a request to use one's strength, to use one's muscles to good account. (Popular), the penis; to be dressed like "Christmas beef," to be in one's best clothes.

Beef - headed (popular), stupid, dull as an ox. Beef-willed is a provincialism with a like signication. "Beef-witted," that is, dull, thick-headed; "having no more wit than an ox" is a term used by Shakspeare.

Beef it, to (provincialism). To beef it is to indulge in a meal of butchers' meat; it only occurs amongst the lower and poorer classes.

Beefment (thieves), on the beefment, on the look-out.

Beef stick (army), the bone of the meat in the day's rations. A soldier is allowed, at home, three-quarters of a pound of meat, including bone, and when the day's mess dinner is cut up, little but the stick remains for those last served.

Beef straight (American). When a man has nothing but beef for a meal, and must eat it without bread, vegetables, &c., it is beef straight. The same term is applied to any other kind of food per se.

Beef to the heels, like a Mullingar heifer. Mr. H. J. Byron says: "The expression beef to the