Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 7.pdf/273

 Valley-tan, subs.phr. (American). A special manufacture of whiskey sold in Utah.

Vamose (Vamos or Vampoose), verb (American).—To go, decamp, clear out (q.v.): also (Western) to vamose the ranch. [Spanish.]

1840. Southern Sketches, 141. The Camanches came within a league of us, but vamosed the ranch when they learned that the rangers were here.

1844. Selby, London by Night, ii. 1. vamoose—scarper—fly!

1848. Amer. Jour. Commerce, June. Yankee Sullivan's house, corner of Frankfort and Chatham Streets, is in a dangerous condition Its occupants received some very ominous premonitions of a downfall, and forthwith vamosed with their baggage.

1848. New York Mirror, May. I couldn't stand more than this stanza, and I accordingly vamosed.

1857. Kingsley, Two Years Ago, i. Has he vampoosed with the contents of a till?

c. 1861. Parody on Leigh Hunt's "Abou Ben Adhem" The devil wrote, and vamosed. The next night He came again,—this time a little tight.

1876. Woolson, Jupiter Lights, xxxi. He was sincerely sorry that Hollis had vamosed in that way.

1878. Scribner's Mag., Nov. 82. My precious partners had vamosed the ranch.

1880. Scribner's Mag., Aug., 610. I finished the sign and then vamoosed.

Vamp, subs. (thieves').—1. A robbery. Hence in for a vamp = quodded (q.v.) for prigging (g.v.); vamper (q.v.) = a thief.

2. (common).—In pl. = refooted stockings (B. E.): see Vamper.

Verb. (American colloquial).—1. To improvise a musical accompaniment: the key and time being known, a passable accompaniment is playable at sight by a system which, in America, is 'taught in eight lessons for $10.' Also as subs., and vamper.

1851-61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab., iii. 201. As soon as I could get in to vamp the tunes on the banjo a little.

1888. Pall Mall Gaz., 31 Jan. [Advt.]. How to vamp to songs, chords, etc.

2. (common).—To pawn, spout (q.v.) (B. E. and Grose).

Vamper, subs. (veterinary).—1. A swindling horse-dealer; a faker (q.v.) of unsound horses: also see Vamp, subs. and verb.

1876. Greenwood, Undercur. London Life. It is beyond dispute that in the hands of the experienced horse-vamper the most wretched used-up screw in existence may, for a brief hour or so, be made to exhibit an amount of fire and spirit that if persisted in for a longer period would inevitably shake its ramshackle carcass all to pieces.

2. (old).—In pl. = stockings (B. E).

Vampire, subs. (Punch and Judy).—1. The ghost: see Swatchel.

2. (American).—A black-mailer: Fr. chanteur.

Vampo, subs. (theatrical).—The clown: see Swatchel.

Vandemonianism, subs. (obsolete Australian).—Rowdyism: i.e. pertaining to Van Diemen's Land, the old name of Tasmania when a convict settlement, with a glance at 'demon.' Also Vandemonian, adj.

1852. Mundy, Our Antipodes (1855), 533. The Van Diemonians, as they unpleasingly call themselves, or permit themselves to be called, are justly proud of their horse-flesh.