Part 8 (2/2)

BRAY. A vicar of Bray; one who frequently changes his principles, always siding with the strongest party: an allusion to a vicar of Bray, in Berks.h.i.+re, commemorated in a well-known ballad for the pliability of his conscience.

BRAZEN-FACED. Bold-faced, shameless, impudent.

BREAD AND b.u.t.tER FAs.h.i.+ON. One slice upon the other. John and his maid were caught lying bread and b.u.t.ter fas.h.i.+on.--To quarrel with one's bread and b.u.t.ter; to act contrary to one's interest. To know on which side one's bread is b.u.t.tered; to know one's interest, or what is best for one. It is no bread and b.u.t.ter of mine; I have no business with it; or rather, I won't intermeddle, because I shall get nothing by it.

BREAK-TEETH WORDS. Hard words, difficult to p.r.o.nounce.

BREAKING s.h.i.+NS. Borrowing money; perhaps from the figurative operation being, like the real one, extremely disagreeable to the patient.

BREAD. Employment. Out of bread; out of employment.

In bad bread; in a disagreeable sc.r.a.pe, or situation.

BREAD BASKET. The stomach; a term used by boxers.

I took him a punch in his bread basket; i.e. I gave him a blow in the stomach.

BREAST FLEET. He or she belongs to the breast fleet; i.e. is a Roman catholic; an appellation derived from their custom of beating their b.r.e.a.s.t.s in the confession of their sins.

BREECHED. Money in the pocket: the swell is well breeched, let's draw him; the gentleman has plenty of money in his pocket, let us rob him.

BREECHES. To wear the breeches; a woman who governs her husband is said to wear the breeches.

BREECHES BIBLE. An edition of the Bible printed in 1598, wherein it is said that Adam and Eve sewed figleaves together, and made themselves breeches.

BREEZE. To raise a breeze; to kick up a dust or breed a disturbance.

BRIDGE. To make a bridge of any one's nose; to push the bottle past him, so as to deprive him of his turn of filling his gla.s.s; to pa.s.s one over. Also to play booty, or purposely to avoid winning.

BRIM. (Abbreviation of Brimstone.) An abandoned woman; perhaps originally only a pa.s.sionate or irascible woman, compared to brimstone for its inflammability.

BRISKET BEATER. A Roman catholic. SEE BREAST FLEET, and CRAW THUMPER.

BRISTOL MILK. A Spanish wine called sherry, much drunk at that place, particularly in the morning.

BRISTOL MAN. The son of an Irish thief and a Welch wh.o.r.e.

BRITISH CHAMPAIGNE. Porter.

BROGANIER. One who has a strong Irish p.r.o.nunciation or accent.

BROGUE. A particular kind of shoe without a heel, worn in Ireland, and figuratively used to signify the Irish accent.

BROTHER OF THE BLADE. A soldier BUSKIN. A player.

BUNG. A brewer QUILL. An author.

STRING. A fiddler.

WHIP. A coachman.

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