Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 1.pdf/351

 it being a tussle as to which can hold out the longest, man or broncho. The calling is a dangerous one, and a first-class broncho-buster can always command high wages and constant employment on large ranches.

Bronze John, subs. (American).—Texas name for yellow fever; Englishmen commonly call it yellow Jack (q.v.)

Broom, subs. (old).—1. See quot.

1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, ch. xxviii. 'The people got rusty about it, and would not deal, and they had bought so many brooms that' Ibid, ch. xxxiii. (II., p. 96). What are you wanting here? Ye'll be come wi' a broom in your pocket frae Ellengowan? Got so many warrants out.

2. (harlotry.)—The female pudenda. The male penis is the broomstick. For synonyms, see Monosyllable.

Verb (old).—To run away. For synonyms, see Amputate.

1821. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, p 6. Tom. That will do—now then Dicky, mizzle!—be scarce!—broom! Prime. Wouldn't intrude a moment, gentlemen, good morning—order my carriage.

Broomstick, subs, (athletic).—A sort of rough cricket bat, very narrow in the blade and all of one piece of wood.

To JUMP THE BROOMSTICK—HOP THE BROOM—JUMP THE besom, phr. (common).—To live as man and wife without the legal tie. The allusion is to a quasi marriage ceremony performed by both parties jumping over a broomstick.

1811. Poole, Hamlet Travestied, ii., 3. Jump o'er a broomstick, but don't make a farce on The marriage ceremonies of the parson.

1851. Mayhew, London Labour and London Poor I., p. 336. The old woman (who kept the ken), when any female, old or young, who had no tin, came into the kitchen, made up a match for her with some men. Fellows half-drunk had the old women. There was always a broomstick wedding. Without that ceremony a couple weren't looked on as man and wife.

1860. Dickens, Great Expectations, ch. xlviii., p. 227. 'They both led tramping lives, and this woman in Gerrard St. here, had been married very young, over the broomstick (as we say), to a tramping man, and was a perfect fury in point of jealousy.'

c. 18(79). Broadside Ballad, 'David Dove that fell in love.' By L. M. Thornton. The girl that I had hoped to hear Pronounce my happy doom, sir, Had bolted with a carpenter, In fact hopped o'er the broom, sir.

Broomsticks, subs. (old).—Worthless bail. For synonyms, see Straw bail and Cf., Bail.

1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dictionary. Queer bail are persons of no repute, hired to bail a prisoner in any bailable case. These men are to be had in London for a trifling sum, and are called BROOMSTICKS.

Brosier or Brozier, subs. (Eton College).—A boy when he had spent all his pocket-money. [Brozier is a Cheshire term for a bankrupt.] A French term for a bankrupt is un déculotté, i.e., one unbreeched; also un bauce or bausse fondu.

Broziered, ppl. adj.—Cleaned out; done up; ruined; bankrupt.

1796. Merton, Way to get Married (in Inchbald's 'British Theatre,' vol. XXVI). [The term is so used here].

Brozier-my-dame, verbal phr. (Eton College).—Eating one out of house and home. At Eton, when a dame (q.v.) keeps an unusually bad table, the boys agree together on a day to eat,