1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue Part 71

SKULKER. A soldier who by feigned sickness, or other pretences, evades his duty; a sailor who keeps below in time of danger; in the civil line, one who keeps out of the way, when any work is to be done. To skulk; to hide one's self, to avoid labour or duty.

SKY BLUE. Gin.

SKY FARMERS. Cheats who pretend they were farmers in the isle of Sky, or some other remote place, and were ruined by a flood, hurricane, or some such public calamity: or else called sky farmers from their farms being IN NUBIBUS, 'in the clouds.'

SKY PARLOUR. The garret, or upper story.

SLABBERING BIB. A parson or lawyer's band.

SLAG. A slack-mettled fellow, one not ready to resent an affront.

SLAM. A trick; also a game at whist lost without scoring one. To slam to a door; to shut it with violence.

SLAMKIN. A female sloven, one whose clothes seem hung on with a pitch-fork, a careless trapes.

SLANG. A fetter. Double slanged; double ironed. Now double slanged into the cells for a crop he is knocked down; he is double ironed in the condemned cells, and ordered to be hanged.

SLANG. Cant language.

SLAP-BANG SHOP. A petty cook's shop, where there is no credit given, but what is had must be paid DOWN WITH THE READY SLAP-BANG, i.e. immediately. This is a common appellation for a night cellar frequented by thieves, and sometimes for a stage coach or caravan.

SLAPDASH. Immediately, instantly, suddenly.

SLASHER. A bullying, riotous fellow. IRISH.

SLAT. Half a crown. CANT.

SLATE. A sheet. CANT.

SLATER'S PAN. The gaol at Kingston in Jamaica: Slater is the deputy Provost-marshal.

SLATTERN. A woman s.l.u.ttishly negligent in her dress.

SLEEPING PARTNER. A partner in a trade, or shop, who lends his name and money, for which he receives a share of the profit, without doing any part of the business.

SLEEPY. Much worn: the cloth of your coat must be extremely sleepy, for it has not had a nap this long time.

SLEEVELESS ERRAND. A fool's errand, in search of what it is impossible to find.

SLICE. To take a slice; to intrigue, particularly with a married woman, because a slice off a cut loaf is not missed.

SLIPGIBBET. See SCAPEGALLOWS.

SLIPPERY CHAP. One on whom there can be no dependance, a shuffling fellow.

SLIPSLOPS. Tea, water-gruel, or any innocent beverage taken medicinally.

SLIPSLOPPING. Misnaming and misapplying any hard word; from the character of Mrs. Slipslop, in Fielding's Joseph Andrews.

SLOP. Tea. How the blowens lush the slop. How the wenches drink tea!

SLOPS. Wearing apparel and bedding used by seamen.

SLOP SELLER. A dealer in those articles, who keeps a slop shop.

SLOUCH. A stooping gait, a negligent slovenly fellow.

To slouch; to hang down one's head. A slouched hat: a hat whose brims are let down.

SLUBBER DE GULLION. A dirty nasty fellow.

SLUG. A piece of lead of any shape, to be fired from a blunderbuss. To fire a slug; to drink a dram.

SLUG-A-BED. A drone, one that cannot rise in the morning.

SLUICE YOUR GOB. Take a hearty drink.

SLUR. To slur, is a method of cheating at dice: also to cast a reflection on any one's character, to scandalize.

SLUSH. Greasy dish-water, or the skimmings of a pot where fat meat has been boiled.

SLUSH BUCKET. A foul feeder, one that eats much greasy food.

SLY BOOTS. A cunning fellow, under the mask of simplicity.

SMABBLED, or SNABBLED. Killed in battle.

TO SMACK. To kiss. I had a smack at her muns: I kissed her mouth. To smack calves skin; to kiss the book, i.e.

to take an oath. The queer cuffin bid me smack calves skin, but I only bussed my thumb; the justice bid me kiss the book, but I only kissed my thumb.

SMACKSMOOTH. Level with the surface, every thing cut away.

SMACKING COVE. A coachman.

SMALL CLOTHES. Breeches: a gird at the affected delicacy of the present age; a suit being called coat, waistcoat, and articles, or small clothes.

SMART. Spruce, fine: as smart as a carrot new sc.r.a.ped.

SMART MONEY. Money allowed to soldiers or sailors for the loss of a limb, or other hurt received in the service.

SMASHER. A person who lives by pa.s.sing base coin. The cove was fined in the steel for smas.h.i.+ng; the fellow was ordered to be imprisoned in the house of correction for uttering base coin.

SMASH. Leg of mutton and smash: a leg of mutton and mashed turnips. SEA TERM.

TO SMASH. To break; also to kick down stairs. CANT.

To smash. To pa.s.s counterfeit money.

SMEAR. A plasterer.