Part 25 (2/2)

DRURY LANE AGUE. The venereal disorder.

DRURY LANE VESTAL. A woman of the town, or prost.i.tute; Drury-lane and its environs were formerly the residence of many of those ladies.

DRY BOB. A smart repartee: also copulation without emission; in law Latin, siccus robertulus.

DRY BOOTS. A sly humorous fellow.

DUB. A picklock, or master-key. CANT.

DUB LAY. Robbing houses by picking the locks.

DUB THE JIGGER. Open the door. CANT.

DUB O' TH' HICK. A lick on the head.

DUBBER. A picker of locks. CANT.

DUCE. Two-pence.

DUCK. A lame duck; an Exchange-alley phrase for a stock-jobber, who either cannot or will not pay his losses, or, differences, in which case he is said to WADDLE OUT OF THE ALLEY, as he cannot appear there again till his debts are settled and paid; should he attempt it, he would be hustled out by the fraternity.

DUCKS AND DRAKES. To make ducks and drakes: a school-boy's amus.e.m.e.nt, practised with pieces of tile, oyster-sh.e.l.ls, or flattish stones, which being skimmed along the surface of a pond, or still river, rebound many times. To make ducks and drakes of one's money; to throw it idly away.

DUCK F-CK-R. The man who has the care of the poultry on board a s.h.i.+p of war.

DUCK LEGS. Short legs.

DUDDERS, or WHISPERING DUDDERS. Cheats who travel the country, pretending to sell smuggled goods: they accost their intended dupes in a whisper. The goods they have for sale are old shop-keepers, or damaged; purchased by them of large manufactories. See DUFFER.

DUDDERING RAKE. A thundering rake, a buck of the first head, one extremely lewd.

DUDGEON. Anger.

DUDS. Clothes.

DUFFERS. Cheats who ply in different parts of the town, particularly about Water-lane, opposite St. Clement's church, in the Strand, and pretend to deal in smuggled goods, stopping all country people, or such as they think they can impose on; which they frequently do, by selling them Spital-fields goods at double their current price.

DUGS. A woman's b.r.e.a.s.t.s,

DUKE, or RUM DUKE. A queer unaccountable fellow.

DUKE OF LIMBS. A tall, awkward, ill-made fellow.

DUKE HUMPHREY. To dine with Duke Humphrey; to fast. In old St. Paul's church was an aisle called Duke Humphrey's walk (from a tomb vulgarly called his, but in reality belonging to John of Gaunt), and persons who walked there, while others were at dinner, were said to dine with Duke Humphrey.

DULL SWIFT. A stupid, sluggish fellow, one long going on an errand.

DUMB ARM. A lame arm.

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