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 1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Hams. Pants.

2. (American).—A loafer (q.v.). Also Ham-fatter. [The American Slang Dict. says 'A tenth-rate actor or variety performer.]

1888. Missouri Republican, 27 Mar. Connelly is a good fighter, but will allow the veriest ham to whip him, if there is any money to be made by it.

1888. New York Herald, 20 July. The more prosperous professional brother of the hamfatter.

No ham and all hominy, phr. (American).—Of indifferent quality; 'no great shakes'; 'all work and no play'; 'much cry and little wool.'

Hamlet, subs. (old and American). See quots.

1690. B. E., Cant. Crew, s.v. Hamlet a High Constable.

1725. New Cant. Dict. s.v. Hamlet, a High-Constable.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Hamlet, a high constable (cant).

1791. Bampfylde-Moore Carew. Hamlet, a high-constable.

1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Hamlet. A captain of police.

Ham-match, subs. (common).—A stand-up luncheon.

1890. Daily Telegraph, 4 Feb. At one o'clock they relieve their exhausted frames by taking perpendicular refreshment—vulgarly termed a ham match—at some City luncheon bar.

Hammer, subs. (pugilistic).—1. A hard-hitter: especially with the right hand, like the illustrious Hammer Lane. Also Hammerer and Hammer-man.

1819. Moore, Tom Crib, p. 33. A letter written on the occasion by Henry Harmer, the hammerer.

1823. Bee, Dict. of the Turf, 93. When a man hits very hard, chiefly with a favorite hand, his blows are said to fall like those of a sledge-hammer. Such boxers are hammering fighters, that do not defend their own vitals, cannot make sure of a blow, and are termed hammerers and hammermen.

2. (common).—An unblushing lie. For synonyms, see Whopper.

Verb (pugilistic).—1. To beat; to punish (q.v.).

1887. T. E. Brown, The Doctor, p. 159. And bedad I did, and before herself too, And hammered him well.

1891. Gunter, Miss Nobody, ch. ii. 'Hammer him? What with?—a club?' 'No, with my fists.'

2. (American)—To bate; to drive down (prices, etc.).

1865. Harper's Magazine, p. 619. The chronic bears were amusing themselves by hammering, i.e., pressing down the price of Hudsons.

3. (Stock Exchange).—To declare one a defaulter.

1885. Fortnightly Review, xxxviii., p. 578. A 'defaulter' has been declared or hammered, as it is technically termed.

1888. Echo, 28 Dec. If any unfortunate member be hammered to-day or to-morrow it will in all probability be a bear.

1890. Daily Telegraph, 1 Nov. This being the third day after the general settlement, a defaulter who had been unable to provide cash was hammered, and private arrangements are reported in other quarters without resort to this extreme measure.

1891. Pall Mall Gazette, 25 July, p. 1, c. 3. But what is an 'outside broker?' some (possibly lady) reader may ask. Well, he may be, and often is, a regular, who has been hammered for failing to meet his 'differences.'

1891. Tit Bits, 15 Aug. I need not go into the circumstances which led to my being expelled from that honourable body, or hammered as it is familiarly called, owing to the taps with a hammer which the head porter gives before he officially proclaims the name of a defaulter.