Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 4.pdf/217

 Little Fighting Fours, subs. phr. (military).—The Forty-fourth Foot. [From the prowess of its men, who are of small stature].

Little-finger. To cock one's little finger, verb. phr. (common).—To drink much and often. For synonyms see Drinks and Screwed.

Little-go, subs. (University).—The public examination which students at the English Universities have to pass in the second year of residence: also called the 'previous examination' (as preceding the final one for a degree), and, at Oxford, smalls (q. v.).

1841. Thackeray, King of Brentford's Testament, 86, 7. At college, though not fast, Yet his little-go and great-go He creditably pass'd.

1849. Thackeray, Pendennis, iii. A tutor, don't you see old boy? He's coaching me, and some other men, for the little-go.

Little-go-vale, subs. (old).—Orderly step to the first examination.—Grose (1823).

Little-quid, subs. (Scots').—The devil. For synonyms see Skipper.

Little-joker, subs. (sharpers').—The pea under the thimble in the thimble-rigging game. See also Joker, sense 3.

Little Man, subs. (Eton College).—See quot.

c.1880. Sketchy Memoirs of Eton, p. 16. He called the footman (or little man ) and bade him reach down the obnoxious placard.

Little man in the boat. See Boat.

Little-side, subs. (Rugby).—A term applied to all games, organised between houses only.

Little-sister, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms see Monosyllable. Ger. Schwesterlein.

Little-snakesman, subs. (thieves').—A young thief passed into a house through a window so that he may open the door to the gang.

1781. G. Parker, View of Society, 11. 82, s.v.

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

Little spot. See Spot.

Little William, subs. phr. (American).—A bill.

Live, adj. (American).—Energetic; active; intelligent.

1892. Pall Mall Gaz., 1 Nov., p. 6, col. 1. At a private muster the other night they came up in good force, decided to organize the party by wards, to maintain a live association, and to find the money to keep it going.

To live under the cat's-paw. See Cat's-paw.

To live to the door, verb. phr. (common).—To live up to one's means.

Live-eels, subs. (rhyming).—The fields.

1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Live eels. Bell has gone to live eels, to 'read' and write with Joe.

Live-horse, subs. (workmen's).—Work done over and above that included in the week's bill: cf. Dead-horse.