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 1887. Francis, Saddle & Mocassin. He at last brought the whole tautological string down kerflop, full and fairly, upon the devoted crown of his auditor.

1888. Fostorio Democrat, 8 March. The fence broke down, and kerchunk! I went right through the ice all over.

1888. Century Mag. [quoted in Americanisms]. Kerthump! head over heels.

Kerry-security, subs. (old).—See quot.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Kerry-security, bond, pledge, oath, and keep the money.

Ketch, subs. (old).—A hangman; Jack Ketch (q.v.).

Verb. (American thieves').—To hang.

1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Ketch, I'll ketch you; I'll hang you.

Kettle, subs. (thieves').—1. A watch: red-kettle = gold watch.

2. (nautical).—An iron-built vessel; an ironclad.

3. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms see Monosyllable.

1719. Durfey, Pills to Purge etc., iii. 221. The tinker too with Mettle, Said he would mend her Kettle, And stop up every Leak. Ibid. iv. 62. He never clencheth home a Nail, But his Trull holds up the Kettle.

Pot calling the kettle black, phr. (common).—On 'all fours'; 'Six of one and half a dozen of the other.'

1890. Tit Bits, 30 Aug. p. 332, col. 1. It was almost a case of the pot calling the kettle black, certainly; but the rebuke lost none of its point, nevertheless.

A pretty (or fine) kettle (or kiddle = basket) of fish, subs. phr. (common).—A mess or confusion of any kind; a muddle.

1750. Fielding, Tom Jones, vi. x. 'There is a fine kettle of fish made o't up at our house!' What can be the matter, Mr. Western?' said Allworthy.

1811. Lex. Bal., s.v. Kettle-of-fish. When a person has perplexed his affairs in general, or any particular business, he is said to have made a fine kettle of fish of it.

1835. C. Selby, Catching an Heiress, ii. La, miss, you must be joking; you can't be what you ayn't, you'd be sure to be found out, and then there'd be a pretty kettle of fish.

1849. Dickens, David Copperfield, xix. I intend, Trotwood, to get that done immediately and then—there'll be a pretty kettle of fish!

1864. Tangled Talk, p. 337. It is an easy thing to make a kettle of fish of one's whole existence.

Kettledrum, subs. (old).—1. In plural = a woman's breasts. Also Cupid's kettledrum.

1785. Grose, Vulgar Tongue, s.v.

2. (common).—An afternoon tea-party.

1867. Latham, Dict., s.v. Kettle-*drum. Either recent or revived, this word is about two years old.

1869. Mrs. H. Wood, Roland Yorke, ch. xiii. Mrs. Bede Greatorex had cards out for that afternoon, bidding the great world to a kettle-drum; and she was calculating what quantities of ices and strawberries to order in.

1878. Hatton, Cruel London, 1. iii. Men are as frivolous and as full of gossip and scandal as the tabbies at a West End kettle-drum.

1888. Detroit Free Press, 8 Dec. 'Won't it be rather hard at first to give up all the pink suppers and kettledrums and afternoon what-do-you-call-'ems?' with a suspicion of a grin on his face.

1890. Daily Telegraph, 28 Jan. The ladies' kettledrum is not to be shut against male sympathisers, and gentlemen duly provided with tickets are to be suffered to join in the festivities.

Kew, subs. (back slang).—A week.