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 1884. Daily Telegraph, 8 August, p. 3, col. 2. That depended on what a man's talents were, and how he purposed employing them. 'Employing them for kidment, of course,' returned the elderly mumper. 'That's what talents is give a man for, hain't it?'

2. (thieves').—See quot.

1857. Snowden, Mag. Assistant, 3rd ed., p. 445. A pocket handkerchief pinned to the pocket for a trap—kidment.

Adj. (American thieves').—Comical.—Matsell (1859).

Kidnap, verb. (old: now recognised).—To steal children. [Skeat: compounded of kid, (a child in thieves' slang) nap, more commonly nab, to steal]. See kidnapper.

Kidnapper, subs. (old: now recognised).—A child-stealer. See quots. Cf. Sheep-napper.

1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Kidnapper, one that Decoys or Spirits (as it is commonly called) Children away and Sells them for the Plantations.

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

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Kidnapper, originally one who stole, or decoyed children, or apprentices from their parents or masters, to send them to the colonies. Called also spiriting, but now used for all recruiting crimps, for the king's troops, or those of the East India company, and agents for indenting servants for the plantations.

1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, xxxiv. The devil can scarce save Dirk Hatteraick from being hanged for a murderer and kidnapper, if the younker of Ellangowan should settle in this country.

Kidney, subs. (colloquial).—Kind; disposition; fashion: as, 'Two of a kidney' = two of a mind; 'of a strange kidney' = of an odd humour; 'of a different kidney' = of different habit or turn. Fr. le bouchon.

1596. Shakspeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, iii. 5. Think of that, a man of my kidney.

1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Kidney, of that Kidney, of such a stamp.

1710. Tatler, No. 230. Other of that kidney are very uppish, and alert upon't.

1719. Durfey, Pills etc., ii. 332. Accosting one of his own crew, Whom he of the right kidney knew.

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

1742. Fielding, Joseph Andrews, ii. viii. I am heartily glad to meet with a man of your kidney.

1755. Johnson, Dicty, s.v. Kidney. Sort; kind; in ludicrous language.

1763. Terræ Filius [Nares]. Attempt to put their hair out of kidney.

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

1830. W. T. Moncrieff, Van Dieman's Land, i. 2. I must curry favour with them, as we're going to be of a kidney.

1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, 'Witches Frolic.' As men of his kidney are wont to snore.

1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.

1871. Disraeli, Lothair, i. 741. Men of their own kidney.

1888. Runciman, The Chequers, 223. At times, like Robert Burns, George Morland, and men of that kidney, he would give way to a passionate burst of repentance.

1889. Globe, 23 July, p. 6, col. 1. Lord Justice Lopes showed himself a paragon of patience, but it is sincerely to be hoped that there will be no more suitors in person of this kidney.

1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger's Sweetheart, 153. I fancy the second King of Israel must have been of the same kidney, if that account is quite accurate about his merry-making on one occasion.

1894. K. Grahame, Pagan Papers, p. 129. These great Beasts [hornets] were of a different kidney.

2. (old).—A waiter; a grass-*hopper (q.v.).

1710. Tatler, No. 268. It is our custom, upon the first coming of the news, to order a youth, who officiates as the kidney of the coffee-house, to get into the pulpit and read every paper with a loud and distinct voice.