Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 1.pdf/216

 1857. Mrs. Gaskell, Life of C. Bronté, ch. iv. The milk, too, was often bingy, to use a country expression for a kind of taint that is far worse than sourness, and suggests the idea that it is caused by want of cleanliness about the milk pans, rather than by the heat of the weather.

1860. Mrs. Gaskell, Sylvia's Lovers, ch. xv. I've heerd my aunt say as she found out as summat was wrong wi' Nancy as soon as the milk turned bingy, for there ne'er had been such a clean lass about her milk-cans afore that.

Binnacle Word, subs. (old nautical).—A fine or affected word, which sailors jeeringly offer to chalk up upon the binnacle.—Grose.

Birch-Broom, subs. (rhyming slang).—A room.

Like a birch-broom in a fit, phr. (common].—Said of a rough, towzly head.

1876. Hindley, Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack, p. 90. I should like to know what looks worse than to see a young man or woman with their hair in an uproar, like a birch-broom in a fit, and some of you chaps down there look as if you hadn't had your hair combed since last reaping time, when you did it with a field-rake, which is very harrowing to one's feelings.

Birchin Lane.—-To send one to Birchin Lane, phr. (old).—To castigate; to flog. A punning allusion to birch, a rod. Cf., Strap oil, etc.

Bird, subs. (theatrical).—Mr. H. J. Byron says that when a piece is hissed the actors say 'The bird's there!';—the bird alluded to being the goose notorious for its hissing capacities.—See however, Big bird and Goose.

Verb (old).—To thieve; to steal; to look for plunder. So used by Ben Jonson.

Bird-Cage, subs. (common).—1. A bustle, an article of feminine attire, used for extending the skirts of the dress. So called because at one time constructed of such a size and in such a manner as to be not altogether unlike an elongated bird-cage.

1860 circa. Broadside Ballad, 'The Agricultural Irish Girl,' verse 3. She has no great education, for She's not much past her letters; But for acting like a lady, I Would like to see her betters: She does not read Ouida's works, Nor Bow Bells' fashions pages; And she does not wear those things behind, The ladies call bird-cages.

Among English Synonyms may be mentioned canary cage; backstaircase; false hereafter; bishop.

French Synonyms. Un volapuk; un strapontin; un lieutenant (a pun on tenant lieu de ce qui manque); un nuage (parcequ'il cache la lune; lune = the posteriors).

2. (common.)—A four-wheeled cab. For synonyms, see Growler.

3. (racing.)—The paddock at the Newmarket race-course where saddling takes place. It adjoins the grand stand.

1884. St. James's Gazette, May 1, p. 1. All the favourites were brought into the bird-cage. [M.]

Birdlime, subs. (rhyming slang).— Time.

2. (old.)—A thief. From the glutinous substance of the same name spread upon twigs for the purpose of catching birds and holding them fast.

1705. Vanbrugh, Confederacy, V., 2. That birdlime there stole it.