Page:Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant (1889) by Barrere & Leland.djvu/240

 who excites the risible faculties so strongly that the auditors laugh until they burst their buttons.

Buttoner (card-sharpers), a confederate who entices "pigeons" into playing.

Button on (printers), see and  An expression frequently used by printers, equivalent to "making buttons," "fit of the blues," or "down in the dumps."

Button pound (provincial), money, literally money that can be pocketed.

Buttons (common), a page.

Button up, to (Stock Exchange, American). When in a falling market a broker has made an unprofitable purchase, and keeps the matter secret, he is said to button up.

Butty (Cheap Jacks), a partner. (Provincial), a companion or partner in a piece of contract work.

(Army), comrade, chum. (Popular), a policeman's assistant.

Buy a prop (Stock Exchange), a recommendation signifying that the market is flat and there is nobody to support it.

Buy his time, to (American). Before the war slaves often bought themselves free by instalments, paying down so much money at a stated time. When, for instance, a slave had thus paid half the money, half of his time would be his own. It happened thus that a man of colour who was half redeemed fell into a flood and narrowly escaped drowning. On being asked what his thoughts were on finding himself so near death, he replied that he couldn't help thinking what a fool a man was to risk money "in such unsarten property as niggers." Many negroes also hired their own time, paying so much per day or week for it, trusting to earn more.

Buz or buzz, to (common), to share equally what remains in a bottle, or to pour out the last drops from a decanter.

(American, according to Bartlett, but quite as much English), to pick pockets while engaging a victim in conversation, or while a confederate does so, i.e., while "buzzing" to him.