Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 5.pdf/91

 *had each on hand a new steamer that was to beat the record, at that time held by the Arizona. He was commissioned by Mr. Gordon Bennett to write an article on the subject, and, as an old 'coursing' correspondent, was called upon to name the winner. He interviewed men best qualified to give an opinion, amongst others Mr. G. L. Watson, who plumped for the Fairfield boat as 'likely to prove the Greyhound of the Atlantic.' The Alaska, therefore, was named the 'Greyhound of the Atlantic' before she was launched.

1891. Daily Chronicle, 24 Mar. Another is an unarmoured cruiser, a 'commerce destroyer,' to make a minimum of 21 knots an hour, and capable of catching any of the great ocean greyhounds.

Ochive, subs. (Old Cant).—A knife. [From the gypsy o chif = the knife]. Also oschive.—Lex. Bal. (1811); Matsell (1859).

Ochre, subs. (thieves').—Money: specifically gold. [From the colour]. See Actual and Gilt.

1854. Dickens, Hard Times, i. vi. If you want to cheek us, pay your ochre at the doors, and take it out.

1880. Punch's Almanack, 12. Lor', if I'd the ochre, make no doubt I could cut no end of big-pots out. Call me a cad: When money's in the game, Cad and swell are pooty much the same.

1890. Punch, 22 Feb. If I was flush of the ochre, I tell yer I'd make the thing hum.

O'clock. To know what's o'clock, verb. phr. (popular).—To be alert; to be put up to the time of day. See Know.

1835. Dickens, Sketches by Boz. Our governor's wide awake, he is. I'll never say nothin' agin him, nor no man; but he knows what's o'clock, he does, uncommon.

1849. Thackeray, Pendennis, x. I'm not clever, p'raps: but I am rather downy; and partial friends say I know what's o'clock tolerably well.

1888. Boldrewood, Robbery Under Arms, xxvii. As for old Mullockson, he used to take a drive to Sawpit Gully, or Ten-Mile, as soon as ever he saw what o'clock it was—and glad to clear out, too.

Like one o'clock, phr. (common).—Quickly; readily; in 'a jiffy' (q.v.). See Like.

1851-61. Mayhew, London Lab., &c. i. 29. He trotted on like one o'clock.

1852. Dickens, Bleak House, xx. He has seen him through the shop-door, sitting in the back premises, sleeping like one o'clock.

1876. Braddon, Dead Men's Shoes, xx. I declare this den of yours swarms with reptiles. I saw a toad under the bench yesterday. Toads are valuable animals, answers Jane. They eat the snails like one o'clock.

O Criminy. See Crimes.

October, subs. (old).—1. See quot. Specifically ale or cider brewed in October.

1869. Sporting Life, 1 Oct. October is a synonym for the best ale.

2. (pugilists').—Blood.

1853. Bradley ('Cuthbert Bede'), Verdant Green. While to another he would mention as an interesting item of news, Now we'll tap your best October.

Odd, adj. and adv. (once literary: now colloquial).—Strange; peculiar; difficult.

1602. Shakspeare, Troilus and Cressida, iv. 5. You're an odd man.

1711-2. Addison, Spectator. Mr. Locke's Essay would be a very odd book for a man to make himself master of.

Odd-come-shortly, subs. phr. (old).—Some day. Also odd-come-short, which likewise = odds and ends or fragments.