V. AGARIES, frolicks, wild rambles. VA VAIN GLORIOUS, or OSTENTATIOUS MAN, one who boasts without reason, or, as the canters say, pisses more than he drinks. VALENTINE, the first woman seen by a man, or man seen by a woman on St. Valentine's day, the 14th of February, when, it is said, every bird chuses his mate for the ensuing year. VAMP, to pawn any thing; I'll vamp it, and tip you the cole, I'll pawn it, and give you the money; also to refit, new dress, or rub up old hats, shoes, or other wearing apparel, likewise to put new feet to old boots. VAMPERS, stockings. VAN, madam van. See madam. VARLETS, now rogues and rascals, formerly yeoman's servants. VAULTING SCHOOL, a bawdy house, also an academy where vaulting and other manly exercises are taught. VELVET, to tip the velvet, to put one's tongue into a woman's mouth; to be upon velvet, to have the best of a bet or match. VICAR OF BRAY. See bray. VICTUALLING OFFICE, the stomach. VINCENT'S LAW, the art of cheating at cards, composed of the following associates, bankers, those who play booty, the gripe, he that betteth, and the person cheated, who is stiled the vincent; the gains acquired termage. VINEGAR, a name given to the person, who with a whip in his hand, and a hat held before his eyes, keeps the ring clear at boxing matches and cudgel playings, also in cant terms, a cloak. UNRIG'D, undressed, or stripped; unrig the dab, strip the wench. UNTWISTED, undone, ruined, done up. UNWASHED BAWDRY, rank bawdry. UNCLE, mine uncle's, a necessary house; he is gone to visit his uncle, saying of one who leaves his wife soon after marriage; it likewise means a pawnbroker's, goods pawned are frequently said to be at mine uncle's, or laid up in lavender. UNDERSTRAPPER, an inferior in any office, or department. UNFORTUNATE GENTLEMEN, the horse guards, who thus named themselves in Germany, where a general officer seeing them very aukward in bundling up their forage, asked what the devil they were, to which some of them answered, unfortunate gentlemen. UNGRATEFUL MAN, a parson, who at least once a week abuses his best benefactor, i. e. the devil. UNGUENTUM AUREUM, a bribe. UNICORN, a coach drawn by three horses. UNLICKED CUB, a rude uncouth young fellow. UP TO THEIR GOSSIP, to be a match for one who attempts to cheat, or deceive, to be on a footing, or in the secret. UPHILLS, false dice that run high. UPPISH, testy, apt to take offence. UPRIGHT MEN, an upright man signifies the chief, or principal of a crew; the vilest stoutest rogue in the pack is generally chosen to this post, and has the sole right to the first night's lodging with the dells, who afterwards are used in common among the whole fraternity. He carries a short truncheon in his hand, which he calls his filchman, and has a larger share than ordinary in whatsoever is gotten, in the society. He often travels in company with thirty or forty, males and females, abram-men, and others, over whom he presides arbitrarily, sometimes the women and children who are unable to travel or fatigued, are by turns carried in panniers by an ass or two, or by some poor jades procured for that purpose. Go upright, a word used by shoemakers, taylors, and their servants, when any money is given to make them drink, and signifies, bring it all out in liquor, though the donor, intended less, and expects change, or some of his money to be returned. UPSTARTS, persons lately raised to honor and riches from mean stations. URCHIN, a child, a little fellow, also a hedge hog. URINAL OF THE PLANETS, Ireland, so called from the frequent rains in that island. USED UP, killed; a military saying, originating from a message sent by the late General Guise, on the expedition at Carthagena, where he desired the commander in chief, to order him some more grenadiers, for those he had were all used up. W. WABLER, foot wabler, a contemptuous term for a foot soldier, frequently used by those of the cavalry. WADDLE, to go like a duck; to waddle out of Change Alley as a lame duck, a term for one who has not been able to pay his gaming debts, called his differences, on the stock exchange, and therefore absents himself from it. WAG, waggish, arch, gamesome, frolicksome. WAGTAIL, a lewd woman. WAKE, a country feast, commonly on the anniversary of the tutelar saint of the village, that is, the saint to whom the parish church is dedicated; also a custom of watching the dead, called late wake, in use both in Ireland and Wales, where the corpse being deposited under a table, with a plate of salt on its breast, the table is covered with liquor of all sorts, and the guests, particularly the younger part of them, amuse themselves with all sorts of pastimes and recreations, the consequence is generally more than replacing the departed friend. WALLOWISH, a maukish ill taste. WALKING CORNET, an ensign of foot. WALL, to walk, or crawl up the wall, to be scored up at a public house; wall eyed, a wall eye is an eye with little or no sight, all white like a plaistered wall. WAP, to copulate; if she won't wap for a winne, let her trine for a make, if she won't lie with a man for a penny, let her hang for halfpenny; mort warp a-pace, a woman of experience, or expert at the sport. WAPPER EYED, sore eyed. WARM, rich, in good circumstances. WARMINGPAN, a large old fashioned watch; a Scotch warmingpan, a female bedfellow. WARREN, one that is security for goods taken up on credit by extravagant young gentlemen; cunny warren, a girl's boarding-school; also a bawdy house. WASH, paint for the face, or cosmetic water; hogwash, thick and bad beer. WASPISH, peevish, spiteful. WASTE, house of waste, a tavern or alehouse where idle people waste both their time and money. WATERY HEADED, apt to shed tears. WATERPAD, one that robs ships in the river of Thames. WEDDING, emptying a necessary house in and about London. WEEPING CROSS, to come home by Weeping Cross, to repent. WEEZLE FACED, thin meagre faced; weezle gutted, thin bodied. A weezle is a thin long slender animal with a sharp face. WELCH FIDDLE, the itch. See Scotch fiddle. WELCH RABBIT, bread and cheese toasted. See rabbit. A Welch rare bit, the Welch are said to be so remarkably fond of cheese, that in cases of difficulty their midwives apply a piece of toasted cheese to the janua vitæ, to attract and entice the young Taffy, who on smelling it makes most vigorous efforts to come forth. WESTMINSTER WEDDING, a match between a whore and a rogue. WET QUAKER, one of that sect who loves his bottle. WHACK, a share of a booty obtained by fraud; a paddy whack, a stout brawny Irishman. WHAPPER, a large man or woman. WHEADLE, a sharper; to cut a wheedle, to decoy, by fawn ing or insinuation (cant). WHEELBAND IN THE NICK, regular drinking over the left thumb. WHELP, an impudent whelp, a sawcy boy. WHET, a morning's draught, commonly white wine, supposed to whet or sharpen the appetite. WHETSTONE'S PARK, a lane between Holborn and Lincoln's-inn, formerly famed for being the resort of women of the town. WHIFFLES, a relaxation of the scrotum. WHIFFLERS, ancient name for fifers; also persons at the universities who examine candidates for degrees; a whiffling cur, a small yelping cur. WHIDS, words (cant) WHIDDLE, to tell or discover (cant). He whiddles, he peaches; he whiddles the whole scrap, he discovers all he knows; the cull whiddled because they would not tip him a snack, the fellow peached because they would not give him a share; they whiddle beef, and we must brush, they cry out thieves, and we must make off. WHIDDLER, an informer, or one that betrays the secrets of the gang. WHIGLAND, Scotland. WHIN YARD, a sword. WHIMPER, or WHINDLE, a low cry. TO WHIP THE COCK, a piece of sport practised at wakes, |