Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 5.pdf/35

 Nevele, adj. (back-slang).—Eleven. Thus, nevele gen, eleven shillings; nevele yanneps, elevenpence.

Never. Never- (or -nare) -a-face-but-his-own, phr. (old).—See quot.

c.1696, B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Nare-a-face-but-his-own, Not a Penny in his Pocket.

Never-fear, subs. phr. (rhyming).—Beer: see Drinks and Swipes.

Never-never country, subs. phr. (Australian).—The confines of civilization: specifically (in Queensland) the occupied pastoral land furthest from the more settled districts.

1890. Nisbet Bail up! An Australian hot wind in the great Never-never land.

1895. Pall Mall Gaz., 15 Aug. 3, 1. 'Yarns' about traces of the party have often been told by bushmen from the Never-never country, but nothing has ever been recovered from the wide waste-*lands of the interior to back up the romantic stories.

2. (Australian).—The future life; heaven.

1888. Boldrewood, Robbery Under Arms, 2. I want to die and go with him to the Never-never country parson tells us about up there!

Never-out (The), subs. (venery).—The female pudendum: see Monosyllable.

Never-too-late-to-mend-shop, subs. phr. (tailors').—A repairing tailor's.

Never-wag Man-of-war, subs. phr. (old).—The Fleet Prison: see Cage.

1821. Egan, Life in London, ii., viii. Bob Logic will be happy to see them in Freshwater Bay, on board the Never-wag man-of-war, on the homeward-bound station.

Never-waser, subs. (circus). = See quot.

1891. Sportsman, 1 April. He is one of the 'has beens' or else one of the never wasers as Dan Rice, the circus man, always called ambitious counterfeits.

Nevis, adj. (back-slang).—Seven. Thus, nevis-gen = seven shillings; nevis-stretch = seven year's hard; nevis-yanneps = sevenpence.

New. To new collar and cuff verb. phr. (clerical).—To furbish up an old sermon.

New-Billingsgate, subs. phr. (Stock Exchange).—See Gorgonzola Hall.

1887. Atkin, House Scraps. Gorgonzola Hall got changed into New Billingsgate.

New-bug, subs. phr. (Marlborough School).—A new boy.

Newcastle. To carry (or send) coals to Newcastle, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To undertake a work of supererogation; see Owl. [Newcastle is a large coal centre].

1662. Arsy Versy, x. Stanza [Rump songs (1874), ii., 48]. So that their fewel upon him to spend, What was it but coals to Newcastle to send.

1670. Ray, Proverbs [Bohn],154, s.v.

1813. Byron, Occasional Verses [Henley, Works, 1. 434]. When coals to Newcastle are carried, and owls sent to Athens as wonders.

New-Chum, subs. (Australian).—A new arrival: cf. Currency, Sterling and Lime-Juice.

1887. All the Year Round, 30 July, 66. The new chum generally betrays his character by the newer cut of his clothes, the shape and brilliance of his hat and by the topics of his conversation.

1889. Star, 2 Jan. We quickly rolled up our blankets into swags, somewhat 'tokening' of the new chum, and started on the road to Castlemaine.