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Dilly-dally, verb (colloquial).—To loiter; hesitate; trifle. [A duplication of dally.]

1740. Richardson, Pamela, i., 275. What you do, sir, do; don't stand dilly-dallying.

1750. Fielding, Tom Jones, bk. XVIII., ch. xii. But if I had suffered her to stand shill I shall I, dilly dally, you might not have had that honour yet awhile.

1869. W. S. Gilbert, The Bohemian Girl. When at a pinch you should never DILLY-DALLY.

Dimber, adj. (old).—Pretty, neat, lively. Variants are scrumptious; natty. Fr., batif (thieves'); fignole (thieves'); girofle (thieves').

1671. R. Head, English Rogue, pt. I., ch. v., p. 48 (1874), s.v.

1706. E. Coles, Eng. Dict., s.v.

Dimber Cove = a sprightly man, a gentleman: Dimber Mort = a pretty girl. Fr., une largue girofle. Cf., Dimber-damber.

1837. Disraeli, Venetia, book I., ch. xiv. 'Tis a dimber cove, whispered one of the younger men to a companion: Ibid, Tip me the clank like a dimber mort.

Dimber-damber, subs. (old).—A captain of thieves or vagrants. [From dimber (q.v.), skilful, etc., + damber (q.v.), a chief or head man.]

1671. R. Head, English Rogue, pt. 1, ch. v., p. 48 (1874).

1724. E. Coles, Eng. Dict.

1749. Life of Bampfylde-Moore Carew,'Oath of the Canting Crew.' No dimber damber, angler, dancer, prig of cackler, prig of prancer.

1834. H. Ainsworth, Rookwood, bk. III., ch. v. No; no refusal, exclaimed a chorus of voices. Dick Turpin must be one of us. He shall be our dimber DAMBER.

Dimmock, subs. (common).—Money. For synonyms, see Actual and Gilt.

1834. H. Ainsworth, Rookwood, bk. IV., ch. i. 'I have pocketed the DIMMOCK (here 'tis,' continued he, parenthetically slapping his pockets).

Dinahs, subs. (Stock-Exchange).—Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Ordinary Stock.

Dinarly or Dinali, subs. (theatrical).—Money. For synonyms, see Actual and Gilt. Nantee or Nanti Dinarly = no money. Sp., dinero; Lingua Franca, niente dinaro = not a penny.

1851-61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. III., p. 149. 'I have got no money' is, 'My nabs has nanti dinali' [among strolling actors].

1870. South London Press, 8 Oct., Advt. So don't forget when you've the tin To here spend your 'Dinarley.'

DINE-OUT, verb. phr. (common).—To go dinnerless, to dine with Duke Humphrey (q.v.). Variants: TO TAKE A SPITALFIELDS' BREAKFAST (q.v.), or AN IRISHMAN'S dinner (q.v.), also to go OUT AND COUNT THE RAILINGS (q.v.). Fr., Se coucher bredouille = to go to bed supperless; aller voir défiler les dragons = to go and watch the dragoons march past; diner en ville = to dine in town, i.e., to munch a roll in the street or to eat nothing; lire le journal.

1888. All the Year Round, 9 June. p. 542. To 'dine with Duke Humphrey, or, as it is now sometimes more shortly phrased, to 'dine out,' in both cases meaning not to dine at all

Dine with Duke Humphrey, verb. phr. (old).—To go dinnerless; to dine out (q.v.).—[Origin uncertain; supposed, however, to refer to Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, the youngest son of Henry the Fourth, who, though really buried at St. Alban's, was reputed to have a monument in