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 Hear. To hear a bird sing (old).—To receive private communication; in modern parlance, a little bird told me so.

1598. Shakspeare, 2 Henry IV., v., 5. I will lay odds, that ere this year expire, We bear our civil swords and native fire As far as France. I hear a bird so sing.

Hearing, subs. (common).—A scolding; a lecture. For synonyms, see Wigging.

Hearing-cheats, subs. (old cant).—The ears.

1567. Harman, Caveat, s.v.

1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Hearing Cheats, Ears.

1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

English Synonyms.—Drums; flappers; leathers; lugs (Scots'); taps; wattles.

French Synonyms.—Les plats à barbe (popular = large ears); les oches or loches (thieves'); les isgourdes (popular); des feuilles de chou (popular = cabbage leaves); des écoutes or éscoutes (popular = hearing cheats); des cliquettes (popular).

German Synonyms.—Horcher (= the listener); Linzer, Loser, (Viennese: also Losling, Leusling, Leisling, or Lauschling): Osen.

Heart. Next the heart, adv. phr. (old).—Fasting.

1592. Nashe, Pierce Penilesse [Grosart], ii., 37. You may command his hart out of his belly, to make you a rasher on the coales, if you will next your heart.

1633. Rowley, Match at Midnight, i Made drunk next her heart.

[Other colloquial usages are at heart = in reality, truly, at bottom; for one's heart = for one's life; in one's heart of hearts = in the inmost recesses of oneself; to break the heart of = (a) to cause great grief, or to kill by grief, and (b) to bring nearly to completion; to find in one's heart = to be willing; to get or learn by heart = to commit to memory; to have at heart = to feel strongly about; to have in the heart = to design or to intend; to lay or take to heart = to be concerned or anxious about; to set the heart at rest = to tranquilize; to set the heart on = to be desirous of, to be fond of; to take heart of grace = to pluck up courage.]

Heart-and-dart, subs. (rhyming). a fart (q.v.).

Heartbreaker, subs. (old).—A pendant curl; a love-lock (q.v.). Fr., un crêvecœur.

1663. Butler, Hudibras, Pt. 1., c. 1. Like Samson's heartbreakers, it grew In time to make a nation rue.

1694. Ladies' Dict. A crevecœur, by some called heartbreaker, is the curled lock at the nape of the neck, and generally there are two of them.

1816. Johnson, Eng. Dict. s.v. A cant name for a woman's curls, supposed to break the hearts of all her lovers.

Heartburn, subs. (streets).—A bad cigar. For synonyms, see Weed.

Heartsease, subs. (old).—1. See quot.

1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Heartsease. A twenty-shilling piece.

1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

2. (old).—Gin. For synonyms, see White Satin.

1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Hearts-ease. An ordinary sort of strong water.

1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Hearty, subs. and adj. (common).—Drink; drunk. For synonyms, see Drinks and Screwed.