Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 2.pdf/288

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Spanish Synonyms.—El mundo (also = the world); el geme (a woman's face. Properly, the space between the extended ends of thumb, and forefinger).

1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.

1889. Bird o' Freedom, 7 Aug., p. 3. An absinthe tumbler which caught him a nasty crack across the dial finally convinced him that discretion was the better part of valour.

1890. Polytechnic Magazine; 21 March. 'Boxing Brutalities.' Now if there is a rule that no competitor may strike another with a force greater than a fixed number of pounds, it will be easy to disqualify a man whose opponent's dial shows a greater amount of punishment.

Dials, subs. (prison).—Convicts and thieves hailing from Seven Dials.

Diamond-Cracking, subs. (Australian thieves').—1. Stonebreaking.

1885. Australian Printers Keep-*sake. He caught a month, and had to white it out at diamond-cracking in Castieu's Hotel [Melbourne Gaol].

2. (English miners').—Working in a coal mine. Cf., Black Diamonds.

Dibble, subs. (common).—The penis. For synonyms, see Creamstick.

Dibs or Dibbs, subs. (common).—Generic for money. [Said to be a corruption of diobs, i.e., diobolus, a classic coin = 2-1/2d. Another derivation is from the huckle-*bones of sheep, popularly dibbs, used for gambling; Scots 'chuckies.'] For synonyms, see Actual and Gilt. To brush with the dibs = to abscond with the cash; TO TIP OVER THE DIBS = to pay down or 'shell out'; To flash the dibs = to show money, etc.

1837. Barham, I. L. (Dead Drummer). One of their drummers, and one Sergeant Matcham, Had brush'd with the dibs, and they never could catch 'em.

1842. Comic Almanack, p. 313. Governor,—Science can't be purchased without dibbs. When we want subjects we must shell out.

1862. Penny Newspaper. The other informed him that if he did not tip over the dibs he would blow his brains out.

1880. Punch's Almanack, p. 7. Time to think about my outing. No dibs yet, though, so it's no use shouting.

1887. W. E. Henley, Villon's Straight Tip. The merry little dibbs you'll bag.

Dice. To box the Dice, verb. phr. (legal).—To carry a point by tricking or swindling.

Dick, subs. (common).—1. A dictionary; a Richard (q.v.); also, by implication, fine language or long words.—See Swallow the Dick.

1860. Haliburton ('Sam. Slick'), The Season Ticket, No. xii. Ah, now you are talking 'Dic.,' exclaimed Peabody, and I can't follow you. When I talk You use the vulgar tongue, retorted the Senator.

2. (coachman's).—A riding whip.

3. (military).—The penis. For synonyms, see Creamstick.

4. (common).—An affidavit.

1861. Dutton Cook, Paul Foster's Daughter, ch. xxvi. No. I'd take my dying dick he hasn't got a writ in his pocket, or he couldn't move along so easy as that.

5. (American).—An Irish Catholic—See Crawthumper.

Verb (thieves').—To look; to PIPE (q.v.); e.g., the bulky's dicking = the policeman is watching you. [From the gypsy dikk.] Fr., gaffer. For synonyms, see Pipe.