"Beef, beef!" to a thief. Says Paddy to Duggin, "Some body has stolen my shanavest, and by the Powers you have got it on; there's a hint for you."

Hobbady-hoy 'twixt a man and a boy,' said of a youth -15 to 20. See Hop, &c.

Hobby-horse-a man's fancy for certain pursuits, is called his hobby-horse. Dressing and dancing are queer hobbyhorses, both abasing the mind. See Dandy.

Hob-nob-Hobber-nob. Two persons pledging each other in a glass, nob to nob, are said to be hob-nobbing. Hob or ob, observe my nob, that is obvious.

"With a hob-nob, and a merry go-round,
We'll pull in ere reason fail;

For the stoutest man in the kingdom found,
Must knock under to humming ale.

Hobson's choice-that or nothing. He is reported to have been a most abrupt shopkeeper.

Hocus, or hocus-pocus-conjuration or witchcraft, in common acceptation; but practised (adversely) upon those who undergo great exertions for large stakes, as horse-jockies, boxers, &c. A deleterious drug mixed with wine, &c. which enfeebles the person acted upon. Horses, too, are hocussed, at times: Dawson was hanged for hocussing Sailor, because it died.

Hog-a shilling. Half-a-hog-sixpence.

Hogo-a stink; from haut-gout, French, corrupted by the Cockneys; a stinking fog is fogo. Holla-balloo-continuous noise, of tongues. • Cease your holla-balloo,' said by a mother to her children. "A pretty holla-baloo in Type-court:" a falling out of the Irish and the farriers there. Derived from 'Halloo' or 'Hail-o' and 'bala' ignorant lingo, or corrupted language. Quere, All-o, bawl-o.' Hollow-fowls, served up at table, whether ducks, geese, partridges, &c. are described as 'plenty of the hollow.' Holt-a species of covert for otters, composed of osiers, reeds, or bulrushes, in clumps-thus Somervile:

Home at playing the nine chalks, he who has got 7 or 8 of them is said to be at home, when the adverse party is far behind; whose score is then termed 'the comb,'

F

ge

which it much resembles. In like manner, cribbageplayers are said to play the next deal at home,' when they may reasonably reckon upon winning-though nothing of the kind can be safely reckoned upon as certain. 'Gone home' is said of any one sent to a debtor's prison, but nerally of him who's speculations may have long tended that way-some of which kind are never happy or easy when from home. I am going home;' said by some such swindler when about to take the benefit of the insolvent debtor's act, under circumstances of a dark-coloured nature. Home is home be it never so homely' is a good phrase, used by persons after a fatiguing march, or who may have been entertained by the stiff affected grandeur of pompous friends. 'Gone home,' dead. Homme comme-il-faut-a man as he ought to be: he must have 32 teeth, thick curly hair, and calves 6 inches diameter each; around both ancles placed across should measure the same. In easy circumstances, of the bon-ton. Honey-fall-a piece of good fortune, quite unexpecteda present, a legacy, a sinecure.

6

Honour-'tis no where to be found, pure: those who have it most upon the tongue possessing least at heart; fervent and ready protestations are small security. Puppies, dandies declare 'pon honour' to ws, and on other trifling occasions-how base! With Patlanders, I give you my honour,' is a pawn that is seldom redeemed. The saying, There is honour among thieves, but none among gamblers,' is very well antithetically spoken, but not true in fact: none are more disjointed than are those gangs, inter se, and upon this chord should our police regulations

ever thrum.

'Hood-two faces under a'; to act two ways at once, acting fairly to opposite parties: an election squib has it thus: May the man be d-d and never grow fat, Who carries two faces under one hat.

Hook and snivvy-practised by soldiers in quarters, when they obtain grub for nix, by connivance with the slavey, or her mistress-or, indeed, the pot-boys, and other waiters. A man who orders in a steak or joint for one, and makes it serve for two, is at hook and snivvy. So, two travellers in Essex, dining off a goose, one of them forked the carcase into the apron of a beggaress who plied at the window with her brats: We have finished the goose, waiter,

and you must charge it,' said one; 'Very well,' replied Thomas, but I am sorry you should eat the bones, for there is a buttock of beef coming in.'

Hookey, Hookey Walker-and with a hook,' usually accompanied by a significant upliftment of the hand and crooking of the fore-finger, implying that what is said is a lie, or is to be taken contrary-wise. One tells a long-yarnstory that asks for the disbelief of his auditory; whereupon another cries out Hookey Walker!' having previously shewn the sign above described, or another more elaborate still, which may be looked upon as a counter-sign, viz. spread the fingers of both hands wide open, apply one thumb to the tip of the nose, and the other to the point of the little finger of the first hand-this signifies a clincher. History: John Walker was an out-door clerk at Longman, Clementi, and Co.'s in Cheapside, where a great number of persons were employed, and old Jack,' who had a crooked or hook nose, occupied also the post of spy upon their aberrations (which were manifold). Of course, it was for the interests of the surveillants, to throw discredit upon all Jack's reports to the nobs of the firm, and numbers could attest that those reports were fabrications, however true; Jack was constantly out-voted, his evidence overlaid, and of course disbelieved, when his occupation ceased, but not so the fame of 'Hookey Walker.'

Hoot-Balloot-or Balloo. Irish for decrying an action, as 'murder (in Irish;') the hoot may be made terrific, according to the energy and lungs of the hooter. He inflates his lungs to the utmost, then presses out the wind with all his might, as if he would rend the epiglottis: the teeth being nearly closed, the wind rattles all round the cavity of the mouth ere it escapes. He that has not heard the Irish hoot, has a pleasure to come: the hods-man who has not acquired the hoot in perfection, may be safely set down as a fellow of unfinished education. Balloot-to bawl-out, is nearly the same thing commixed with words, laments, or execrations-an Irish wedding, a funeral, and the production of a new paddy, is accompanied by the Balloot. See Holla-Balloo.

Hop-merchant-a dancing-master. See Capers. Hop-a contra-dance of ordinary persons and promiscuous company is a hop,' and 'a penny-hop' from the price formerly paid for admission. Hop and Hey,' the 'hop

and-a-hey' manner most thorough-breds of the Cockneys walk, as if hung upon wires; it lasts some of them to the second grand climacteric, unless they hop into their graves 'ere then, upon which occasions the relatives hop after them to the cemetery, and hop into their fortunes. By corruption the last cited phrase is become Hobbadyhoy' -an evident abasement.

Horney-a nose; one that resounds in expectoration. Horse's night-cap-a halter, in which many die, as many more will, unless they alter their conduct.

Hoorah-an exclamation or shout of many, and used in warfare, as in popular expressions of approbation. See Whirr. Hotel-ironically used of a mean lodging-house, and extended to prisons-with the keepers' names prefixed. Hots-provincial for coverings to cocks' heels. Hounds there are several breeds for various pursuits-as the grey-hound, or long-dog, for coursing; stag-hounds, tall, strong, and quick of scent, ravenous of the blood of their victim; fox-hounds, faster of foot, many-coloured, shorter of body and limb, they are less tractable than the last, requiring strict discipline; and if they once chop a hare, or stray lawlessly, may ever after be doubted. Talbot was the old name of the stag-hound; he should be 20 inches high at least, be liver-colour and white (as snow;) much of the former about the head, across the back or ribs, a sheet of white-nose fine and ductile. Crossed by the mastiff and mountain shepherd dog, deepflewed, comes out the blood-hound, colour fallow; once lain on the trail of man, he is ever after a dangerous customer to meet with by that kind of man-as poachers, ragamuffins, blacks, &c. Harriers are small hounds, standing sixteen or eighteen inches high, with fine nose, and hunting low; the hare is their only chase. House--The house,' The-par excellence, the House of Commons-or H. C.; the other house,' is so termed for shortness, 'the lords'-house' being understood. players, those diverting vagabonds, think of nothing less than parliament when the house' is mentioned: with them it means Covent-garden or Drury-lane, or indeed any other theatre. A full-house,' and half-a-house,' indícate the state of the receipts or number of the audience.

The

Hum- —a whispered lie, and he is a humbug who has recourse to the meanness; he wishes to be a bug-a-boo, or most exalted fool. A knowing sort of humbug is Humgump. tious. See Gumption. Humble-cum-dumble-jokers use this phrase; when they should say 'your obedient humble servant,' they adopt 'your humble-cum-dumble;' such men wind up a palavering letter with- I'm sir, yr. hum. ser.'-which may be true enough: they are too proud to use plainly a commonplace civil expression. One would expect better manners from people of learning; but neither Minerva, or her guests, can prevent the insolence of others' familiarities: Madam, says Phoebus, I'm your humble

And most obedient cum dumble;

By Vulcan's horns I vow and swear,

I little thought to find you here.

Hum-box-a pulpit. Hums; the congregation departing. Humbug to hum,' to whisper, and 'bug-a-boo' abbreviated,

a precious humbug.' E. g. Safety coaches were found to be a humbug when they upset; a great humbug' is the fo-reign loan trade in the city: and a state humbug' is the sinking-fund. Humbug-he who holds a long and senseless harangue is a humbug; or he who in public company has something of imaginary importance to communicate, in vociferated whispers, is humbugging his neighbour. A jack in office is a humbug, and so is doctor Eady when he is chalking the walls of the metropolis, as well as when he is not. A sleep or awake, Huntingdon was a serious humbug.

Humbugging- Who is to stand humbugging here all day?" That ordinary persons should humbug the public ought to surprise no one; but when greater minds and abler pens than ordinary-[teachers] stoop to the meanness, what heart-alive does not lament it, even to the core? In his number of Aug. 31, 1822, the editor of the Literary Gazette humbugged his readers with the falsehood that he was about to start off on a shooting excursion, and would not publish during the month of September; but, whatever truth might be in the first intimation, [we believe none} none attended the latter. He had long before talked of having in his office, a ton or more of rejected manuscripts -poetry; whereas his office is but a little box, without a stair, on the spot where Walter Stapyldon lost his life,