Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 1.pdf/184

 Beggars, subs. (cards').—The small cards from the deuce to the ten are so called.

Beggar's Bolts.—See Beggar's bullets.

Beggar's Bullets or Bolts (old).—Stones.

1584. Hudson, Judith, in Sylvester's Du Bartas (1608), 698. A pack of country clowns that them to battail bownes, with begger's bolts and levers. [m.]

1785. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. 'The beggar's bullets began to fly'; i.e., they began to throw stones.

Beggar's Bush. To go home by beggar's bush, phr. (old).—To go to ruin; otherwise explained as follows.

1686. Twelve Ingenious Characters. He throws away his wealth as heartily as young heirs, or old philosophers, and is so eager of a goal, or a mumper's wallet, that he will not wait fortune's leisure to undo him, but rides post to beggar's bush, and then takes more pains to spend money than day-labourers to get it. [n.]

1868. Brewer, Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, p. 78. Beggar's Bush. To go by beggar's bush (or) go home by beggar's bush, i.e., to go to ruin. Beggar's bush is the name of a tree which once stood on the left hand of the London road from Huntingdon to Caxton, so called because it was a noted rendezvous for beggars. These punning phrases and proverbs are very common.

Russell Hill, near Croydon, where the Warehousemen's and Clerks' Schools are, is locally known as Beggar's Bush.

Beggar's Plush, subs. (old)?—Corduroy.—See quotation.

1688. London Gazette, No. 2379, page 4. A person in a dark grey Cloth Coat Breeches of Beggar's Plush. [m.]

Beggar's Velvet, Subs. (common).—Downy particles which accumulate under furniture from the negligence of housemaids. Otherwise called sluts'-wool (q.v.).

Beggar the Thing! intj. (common).—Equivalent to 'confound' or 'hang the thing'—used to give additional emphasis to a word or action.

Begin Upon [a Person], verb (common).—To attack; to assault.

Begosh! B'gosh! intj. (American).—An expletive, probably of negro origin; a half veiled oath; a corruption of 'By God!'—See Oaths.

1888. The Epoch, May 5. Art dealer (descanting on the virtues of the picture). 'You will observe, sir, that the drawing is free, that—' Agriculturist. 'Well, if the drawin's free an' you don't tax me too much for the frame b'gosh I'll take it.'

Behind, subs. (common).—1. The posterior; the rump.

c. 1830. George IV., in Saturday Review (1862), 8 Feb. Go and do my bidding—tell him he lies, and kick his behind in my name. [m.]

2. (Eton and Winchester Colleges.)—A back at football. At Eton called short behind and long behind, usually abbreviated to 'short' and 'long.' At Winchester, second behind and last behind. These answer to the half-back and back of Association football. At Winchester, in the Fifteens, there is also a third behind.

Behind One's Side, adv. phr. (Winchester College).—Said of a man when nearer the opponent's goal than the player of