Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 2.pdf/344

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(thieves' = boat hook); un oncle (thieves' = uncle); un boye (thieves': also an executioner at Cayenne or New Caledonia); le Duc de Guiche (thieves': from guichettier = jailer); un artoupan (thieves'); un barbeaudier (thieves'); le Comte de Castue (thieves': Castue = prison); un chat (thieves' = a cat); le Comte de Canton (thieves': Canton = prison or 'stir'); le Comte de la Caruche (thieves').

Spanish Synonyms.—Banastero (= basket-maker); banquero (= banker).

1839. Harrison Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard [1889], 30. Quoth a dubsman, who gazed on the shattered wall, 'You have carved your epitaph, Claude du Val, With your chisel so fine, tra la!'

Dub up, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To hand over; pay; fork out. [Cf., provincial dubs = money.] Fr., foncer; abouler. Formerly, to lock up or secure; to button one's pocket.

1840. Comic Almanack, p. 237. Come, dub up! roars a third: and I don't mind telling you, in confidence, that I was so frightened that I took out the sovereign and gave it.

Ducats, subs. (theatrical).—1. Money. [Probably from Shylock and The Merchant of Venice.] For synonyms, see Actual and Gilt.

1853. Wh. Melville, Digby Grand, ch. vi. The Jews have always appeared to me a calumniated race. From spendthrift King John downwards, the Christian has ever pocketed the ducats, and abused the donor.

2. (thieves').—Specifically a railway ticket; also pawnbroker's duplicate; raffle-card, or brief (q.v.). Also ducket.

1879. J.W. Horsley, in Macm. Mag., xl., 501. So I took a ducat (ticket) for Sutton in Surrey.

Duce, subs. (old).—Twopence. [From the Latin.]

1812. Vaux, Flash Dict., s.v.

1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, ii., 6. If any body offers you less nor a mag, or a duce, vy, you may say with the poet, Who vou'd his farthings bear? ven he himself might his quivetus make vith a bare bodkin.

Duck, subs. (common).—1. Scraps of meat; otherwise block-ornaments, stickings, faggots, manablins, or chuck (q.v.).

2. (Winchester College).—The face. To make a duck = to make a grimace. For synonyms, see Dial.

3. (common).—A 'draw' or decoy. [An abbreviation of decoy-duck.]

4. (colloquial).—A term of endearment; also used in admiration; e.g., a duck of a bonnet. Also ducky: duck of diamonds being a superlative. For synonyms, see My tulip.

1837. Comic Almanack, p. 78. You won't grudge your poor rib a few ribbons, will you, Duck?

1841. Leman Rede, Sixteen String Jack, i., 2. Nel. Oh, isn't he a duck of a fellow? Bob. He's the very flower of the flock.

1846. Punch, vol. XI., p. 164. Though somewhat out at elbows, he's what the ladies call a 'duck.'

5. (cheap jacks').—A metal-cased watch; i.e., old watch movements in German silver cases.

1876. C. Hindley, Life and Advent. of Cheap Jack, p. 38. What appeared to the roughs a fine old English and valuable watch, but what in reality was an almost worthless duck.

TO make a duck, or duck's egg, verb. phr. (cricketers').—To make no score; Cf., To