Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 4.pdf/7

 Vol. IV.

A Dictionary of Slang and its Analogues

Ice. A big thing on Ice, subs. phr. (American).—A profitable venture; a good thing; also B.T.I.

1890. Gunter, Miss Nobody, xx. In the hall, prominently posted up by a wag, under new memberships, is a notice: For Election. Gussie de P. Van Beekman, vice Baron Bassington, of Harrowby Castle, England. On ice.

Icken, adj. (American thieves').—Oak. Icken-Baum = Oak-tree. [From the German].—Matsell (1859).

Ictus, subs, (legal).—A lawyer. For synonyms see Green-bag [A corruption oi juris consultas].

Idea-Pot (or -Box), subs. (old).—The head. For synonyms see Crumpet.—Grose (1785); Matsell (1859).

Identical, subs, (colloquial).—Generally the identical = the self-same; the person, point, argument, or action in question.

1664. Butler, Hudibras, pt. ii, c. i, I. 149. The beard's th' identique beard you knew.

1891. N. Gould, Double Event, p. 283. 'I'm the identical' said Jack.

I Desire, subs. phr. (rhyming).—A fire.

Ignoramus, subs, (old: now literary).—A stupid and unlettered person, male or female: first applied to ignorant lawyers. [From Latin = we ignore (it), the endorsement by which a grand jury threw out a bill].

1569. Erasmus, Praise of Folly. Tr. [Reeves & Turner] p. 64. The lawyer who is so silly as to be ignoramus to a proverb.

1621. Burton, Anat. Mel. Pt. 2. Sec. 2, Mem. 4, Vol. i, p. 425 (1827). Let them go as they are in the catalogue Of ignoramus.

1670. Shadwell, Sullen Lovers, iv, p. 58. The greatest Owl Rascal, Oaf, ignoramus.

1690. B.E. Dict. Cant. Crew. s.v. b. 1733. R. North, Examen, I, ii. 82. If he had declared otherwise he would have been an ignoramus.

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

1811. Lex. Bal. s.v.