Part 37 (2/2)

HEELS. To he laid by the heels; to be confined, or put in prison. Out at heels; worn, or diminished: his estate or affairs are out at heels. To turn up his heels; to turn up the knave of trumps at the game of all-fours.

HEEL TAP. A peg in the heel of a shoe, taken out when it is finished. A person leaving any liquor in his gla.s.s, is frequently called upon by the toast-master to take off his heel-tap.

h.e.l.l. A taylor's repository for his stolen goods, called cabbage: see CABBAGE. Little h.e.l.l; a small dark covered pa.s.sage, leading from London-wall to Bell-alley.

h.e.l.l-BORN BABE. A lewd graceless youth, one naturally of a wicked disposition.

h.e.l.l CAT. A termagant, a vixen, a furious scolding woman.

See TERMAGANT and VIXEN.

h.e.l.l HOUND. A wicked abandoned fellow.

h.e.l.l FIRE d.i.c.k. The Cambridge driver of the Telegraph.

The favorite companion of the University fas.h.i.+onables, and the only tutor to whose precepts they attend.

HELTER SKELTER. To run helter skelter, hand over head, in defiance of order.

HEMP. Young hemp; an appellation for a graceless boy.

HEMPEN FEVER. A man who was hanged is said to have died of a hempen fever; and, in Dorsets.h.i.+re, to have been stabbed with a Bridport dagger; Bridport being a place famous for manufacturing hemp into cords.

HEMPEN WIDOW. One whose husband was hanged.

HEN-HEARTED. Cowardly.

HEN HOUSE. A house where the woman rules; called also a SHE HOUSE, and HEN FRIGATE: the latter a sea phrase, originally applied to a s.h.i.+p, the captain of which had his wife on board, supposed to command him.

HENPECKED. A husband governed by his wife, is said to be henpecked.

HEN. A woman. A c.o.c.k and hen club; a club composed of men and women.

HERE AND THEREIAN. One who has no settled place of residence.

HERRING. The devil a barrel the better herring; all equally bad.

HERRING GUTTED. Thin, as a shotten hering.

HERRING POND. The sea. To cross the herring pond at the king's expence; to be transported.

HERTFORDs.h.i.+RE KINDNESS. Drinking twice to the same person.

HICK. A country hick; an ignorant clown. CANT.

HICKENBOTHOM. Mr. Hickenbothom; a ludicrous name for an unknown person, similar to that of Mr. Thingambob.

Hickenbothom, i.e. a corruption of the German word ickenbaum, i.e. oak tree.

HICKEY. Tipsey; quasi, hickupping.

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