Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 1.pdf/89

 Nothing like a crowd for regular sprees. Ain't it fine to do a rush, and squeeze? Twig the women fainting! oh, it's proper! Bonnet buffers when the blooming copper Can't get near yer nohow. Then the fogs! Rare old time for regular jolly dogs. If a chap's a genuine 'ot member. He can keep the game up in November!

Dun December! Dismal, dingy, dirty. Still short commons—makes a chap feel shirty. Snip rampageous, drops a regular summons. Fan gets married; ah! them gurls is rum 'uns! After all the coin I squandered on 'er! Want it now. A 'eap too bad, 'pon honour. Snow! ah, that's yer sort though, and no error. Treat to twig the women scud in terror. Hot 'un in the eye for that old feller; Cold 'un down 'is neck, burst his umbreller. Ha! ha! then Christmas,—'ave a jolly feast! The Boss will drop a tip,—'ope so, at least. If I don't land some tin, my look-out's queer. Well, let's drink, boys—'Better luck next year!'

Arse, subs. (low).—The posterior; the breech; the fundament. Once in polite use, but now considered very vulgar. As Grose in his Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue [1785] prints the word thus, 'a—e,' it is evident that it had then fallen into disfavour. Murray traces the word back to about a.d. 1000. [A.S., ears, œurs; Icelandic and Swedish, ars; Danish, arts, and German, arsch].

1000 (circa). Ælfric. Glossary in Wright, 44·2 [Nates, ears-lye]. [m.]

1480. Caxton. Chronicles of England, ccxxvi., 233. They lete hange fox tailles .., to hele and hyde her arses.

1663. Butler. Hudibras I., iii., 964. Then mounted both upon their Horses. But with their Faces to the arses. [m.]

1704. Swift. Battle of the Books (1711), 235. Do you think I have nothing else to do but to mend and repair after your arse [i.e., behind you, in your rear].

Heavy-arse, a hulking, lazy fellow; a sluggard.

1530. Palsgrave, 436, 2. What up, heavy-arse, cannest thou nat aryse? [m.]

To hang the arse, to hang or hold back; to be afraid to advance.

1633. Massinger. Guardian. V., v. Nay, no hanging an arse. [m.]

Arse-upwards in good luck.

1600 (circa). Timon I., 5 (1842), 20. This man this daye rose with his arse upwards: To daye a fidler, and at night a noble.

Also such forms as arse-board, the tail board of a cart—this is still dialectical; arse-gut, the rectum; arse-long; arse-push, a heavy backward fall; arse-ropes, the intestines.

Arse-Cooler, subs. (low).—A bustle or dress-improver. [From arse, see preceding + cooler; in reference to the manner in which this article of feminine attire extends the dress, and prevents it clinging to the part of the body referred to.]

For synonyms, see Bird-cage.

Ars-Musica, subs. (low).—The podex when used as a noisy vent.—A play upon words.

Arst (vulgarism).—A mispronunciation of 'asked.'

Arsy-Varsy or Arsy-Versy, adv, and adj. (low).—Topsy-turvy; topside t'other way; heels over head; or 'the cart before the horse.' [From arse + Latin versus 'to turn,' following model onamatopoetic[** ono~] compounds like 'hirdie-girdie,' 'higgledy-piggledy,' etc.] Once in polite use, but now confined to the low and vulgar.