Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 1.pdf/301

 To pick a bone or bones with one, phr. (colloquial).—To have an unpleasant matter to settle with one; also, a difficulty to solve; 'a nut to crack.'

1565. Colfhill, Answ. Treat. Cron. (1846), 277. A bone for you to pick on. [m.]

1783. Ainsworth, Lat. Dict. (Morell), 1, s.v. Pick, To give one a bone to pick, scrupulum alicui injicere.

1850-68. H. Rogers, Ess., II., ii. (1874), 103. Many a bone in these lectures which a keen metaphysician would be disposed to pick with the author.

Bonesetter, subs. (old).—A hard riding horse; a ricketty conveyance; properly one whose occupation is to set broken and dislocated bones. The sarcastic, punning reference is of course to the dire effects which naturally follow the use of an animal of such a description. The odd way in which slang is often derived, strikes one at times as very curious. Not only are words frequently coined which resemble genuine words, such as 'solemncholy' for 'melancholy,' and 'it don't much magnify' for 'it don't much signify,' but the meaning of such factitious words is, in many cases, either subtly reversed or endowed with an extremely cynical tinge of humour and sarcasm. The present instance is a case in point. A more modern term is boneshaker (q.v.), which is less subtle in its meaning, bonesetter being certainly far more brutally cynical in its suggestiveness. See second quotation for some curious synonyms formerly in use.

1785. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Bone Setter, a hard trotting horse.

1821. W. T. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, Act i., Sc. 7. Jerry. I long to be there,—let's hasten to dress at once. Log. Aye; call a rattler. Jerry. A rattler! I'm at fault again. Log. A rattler is a rumbler, otherwise a jarvy! better known perhaps by the name of a hack; handy enough in a wet day, or a hurry. Jerry. A hack! If it's the thing we rattled over the stones in to-day, It might more properly be called a bone-setter. Tom. Or bone-breaker.—But if you dislike going in a hack, we'll get you a mab. Jerry. A mab! I'm at fault again—never shall get properly broken in. Tom. A mab is a jingling jarvy!—a cabriolet, Jerry.—But we must mind our flash doesn't peep out at Almack's. 'Tis classic ground there.

Bone-Shake, verb (popular).—To ride a bone-shaker (q.v), i.e., a heavy bicycle of a very old type.

1889. Answers, Feb. 23, p. 195, col. 1. Among those who learnt to boneshake was Charles Dickens, who, had he lived, would have been a devoted cyclist.

Bone-Shaker, subs. (old). — 1. A hard trotting horse.—See Bonesetter.

2. (popular.)—An old type of bicycle in use prior to the introduction of india-rubber tires and other manifold improvements. The first bicycle propelled by cranks and pedals was ridden in Paris in 1864. It created enormous excitement. On being introduced into England people went bicycle mad, and the number of persons who suffered in consequence of riding the old bone-shakers was considerable. Among those who learnt to 'bone-shake' was Charles Dickens, who, had he lived, would have been a devoted cyclist, for he regarded the sport as a grand one, and prophesied a big future for it. In 1868 Mr. Charles Spencer rode to Brighton on a boneshaker in 14 hours from London. The papers were full