Part 77 (1/2)

SUNDAY MAN. One who goes abroad on that day only, for fear of arrests.

SUNNY BANK. A good fire in winter.

SUNs.h.i.+NE. Prosperity.

SUPERNACOLUM. Good liquor, of which there is not even a drop left sufficient to wet one's nail.

SUPOUCH. A landlady of an inn, or hostess.

SURVEYOR OF THE HIGHWAYS. One reeling drunk.

SURVEYOR OF THE PAVEMENT. One standing in the pillory.

SUS PER COLL. Hanged: persons who have been hanged are thus entered into the jailor's books.

SUSPENCE. One in a deadly suspence; a man just turned off at the gallows.

SUTRER. A camp publican: also one that pilfers gloves, tobacco boxes, and such small moveables.

SWABBERS. The ace of hearts, knave of clubs, ace and duce of trumps, at whist: also the lubberly seamen, put to swab, and clean the s.h.i.+p.

SWAD, or SWADKIN. A soldier. CANT.

To SWADDLE. To beat with a stick.

SWADDLERS. The tenth order of the canting tribe, who not only rob, but beat, and often murder pa.s.senges. CANT.

Swaddlers is also the Irish name for methodist.

SWAG. A shop. Any quant.i.ty of goods. As, plant the swag; conceal the goods. Rum swag; a shop full of rich goods.

CANT.

SWAGGER. To bully, brag, or boast, also to strut.

SWANNERY. He keeps a swannery; i.e. all his geese are swans.

SWEATING. A mode of diminis.h.i.+ng the gold coin, practiced chiefly by the Jews, who corrode it with aqua regia. Sweating was also a diversion practised by the bloods of the last century, who styled themselves Mohocks: these gentlemen lay in wait to surprise some person late in the night, when surrouding him, they with their swords p.r.i.c.ked him in the posteriors, which obliged him to be constantly turning round; this they continued till they thought him sufficiently sweated.

SWEET. Easy to be imposed on, or taken in; also expert, dexterous clever. Sweet's your hand; said of one dexterous at stealing.

SWEET HEART. A term applicable to either the masculine or feminine gender, signifying a girl's lover, or a man's mistress: derived from a sweet cake in the shape of a heart.

SWEETNESS. Guinea droppers, cheats, sharpers. To sweeten to decoy, or draw in. To be sweet upon; to coax, wheedle, court, or allure. He seemed sweet upon that wench; he seemed to court that girl.

SWELL. A gentleman. A well-dressed map. The flashman bounced the swell of all his blunt; the girl's bully frightened the gentleman out of all his money.

SWELLED HEAD. A disorder to which horses are extremely liable, particularly those of the subalterns of the army.

This disorder is generally occasioned by remaining too long in one livery-stable or inn, and often arises to that height that it prevents their coming out at the stable door.

The most certain cure is the unguentum aureum--not applied to the horse, but to the palm of the master of the inn or stable. N. B. Neither this disorder, nor its remedy, is mentioned by either Bracken, Bartlet, or any of the modern writers on farriery.