Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 4.pdf/101

 Key, subs. (venery).—1. The penis: i.e. The key that lets a man in and the maid out. For synonyms see Creamstick and Prick.

1772. G. A. Stevens, Songs Comic & Satyrical [1788]. Here's the lock of all locks and unlocking the same That lock has the casket of Cupid within it, So here's to the key, lads,—the critical minute.

2. (common).—A translation; a crib (q.v.).

To have the key of the street, verb. phr. (common).—To be locked out of doors; to have no home.

1836. Dickens, Pickwick, xlvii. 'There,' said Lowten, 'it's too late now. You can't get in to-night, you've got the key of the street, my friend.' 'Never mind me,' replied Job. 'I can sleep anywhere.'

1843. W. T. Moncrieff, The Scamps of London, i. 1. Char. Left your lodgings—and why, sir? Bob. Why?—why because the chimney smoked, my adorable; and then the paper of my rooms wasn't fashionable enough—(aside)—and the land-*lady gave me the key of the street.

1888. Daily Telegraph, 28 Dec. Society would, perhaps, be startled and saddened to know how numerous those were upon the great holiday who had the key of the street for home, and a crust of bread by way of Christmas banquet.

Keyhole, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum. See Key. For synonyms see Monosyllable.

To be all keyhole (or key-*holed), verb. phr. (common).—To be drunk. For synonyms see Drinks and Screwed.

Keyhole-whistler, subs. (tramps').—A night's lodger in a barn or outhouse; a skipperbird (q.v.).

1851-61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. etc. i. 339. Keyhole whistlers, the skipper-*birds are sometimes called, but they're regular travellers.

Keystone of Love, subs. phr. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms see Monosyllable.

Keystone State, subs. phr. (American).—Pennsylvania. [When the names of the original Thirteen States were arranged archwise in their natural geographical order, Pennsylvania occupied the central position].

Kibosh, subs. (common).—1. Nonsense; anything worthless. Also Kiboshery.

1885. Punch, Jan. 3, p. 4. Still I wish you a 'Appy New Year, if you care for the kibosh, old chappie.

2. (East End).—Snot (q.v.).

3. (common).—Style; fashion; form; 'the thing': e.g., that's the proper Kibosh.

Verb, (common).—To spoil; to flummox (q.v.), to queer (q.v.); to bewilder or knock out of time.

1892. Milliken, 'Arry Ballads, p. 5. They kiboshed the power of the quid. Ibid. p. 50. A dig in the ribs and a 'owl, Seemed to kibosh the Frenchmen completely.

To put the kibosh on, verb. phr. (common).—1. To stop; to silence. (2) To wheedle or talk over. (3) To run down.

1836. Dickens, Sketches by Boz, p. 40. 'What do you mean by hussies?' interrupts a champion of the other party ('Hooroar,' ejaculates a pot-boy in parenthesis, 'put the kye-bosh on her, Mary!')

1856 Punch, vol. 31. p. 139. I ope the Assistans of your powrful Penn to put the cibosh upon the Siety for the Perwention of wot they calls crulety to Hanimals.

Kibsy. See Kypsy.

Kick, subs. (old).—1. The fashion.