Karibat, food, literally rice and curry; the staple dish of both natives and Europeans in India.—Anglo-Indian.
Keel-hauling, a good thrashing or mauling, rough treatment,—from the old nautical custom of punishing offenders by throwing them overboard with a rope attached, and hauling them up from under the ship’s keel. See full description of this barbarous practice in Marryat’s Snarleyyow.
Keep a pig, an Oxford University phrase, which means to have a lodger. A man whose rooms contain two bedchambers has sometimes, when his college is full, to allow the use of one of them to a Freshman, who is called under these circumstances a PIG. The original occupier is then said to KEEP A PIG.
Keep it up, to prolong a debauch, or the occasion of a rejoicing,—a metaphor drawn from the game of shuttlecock. People suffering from the effects of drink are said to have been KEEPING IT UP.—Grose.
Kelter, coin, money. Probably from GELT.
Ken, a house.—Ancient cant. KHAN, Gipsy and Oriental.
⁂ All slang and cant words which end in KEN, such as SPIELKEN, SPINIKEN, or BOOZINGKEN, refer to houses, and are mainly of Gipsy origin.
Kennedy, a poker; to “give Kennedy” is to strike or kill with a poker. A St. Giles’s term, so given from a man of that name being killed by a poker.
Kent rag, or CLOUT, a cotton handkerchief.
Kervorten, a Cockneyism for QUARTERN or quarter-pint measure. “Kervorten and three houts,” a quartern of liquor and glasses, each holding a third of the quantity.
Ketch, or Jack Ketch, the popular name for a public hangman; derived from a person of that name who officiated in the reign of Charles II.—See Macaulay’s History of England.
Kettle of fish, a mess or muddle of any kind. As, “Here’s a pretty KETTLE OF FISH!”
Key of the street, an imaginary instrument said to be possessed by any one locked out of doors.
Kibosh, nonsense, stuff, humbug; “it’s all KIBOSH,” i.e., palaver or nonsense; to “put on the KIBOSH,” to run down, slander, degrade, &c. To put the KIBOSH on anything is, latterly, to put an effectual end or stop to it.
Kick, a moment; “I’ll be there in a KICK,” i.e., in a moment.
Kick, a pocket; Gaelic, CUACH, a bowl, a nest; Scotch, QUAIGH.
Kick, a sixpence; “two and a KICK,” two shillings and sixpence.
Kick the bucket, to die.—Norfolk. According to Forby, a metaphor taken from the descent of a well or mine, which is of course absurd. The Rev. E. S. Taylor supplies the following note from his MS. additions to the work of the East-Anglian lexicographer:—
“The allusion is to the way in which a slaughtered pig is hung up—viz., by passing the ends of a bent piece of wood behind the tendons of the hind legs, and so suspending it to a hook in a beam above. This piece of wood is locally termed a BUCKET, and so by a coarse metaphor the phrase came to signify to die.”
Another correspondent says the real signification of this phrase is to commit suicide by hanging, from a method planned and carried out by an ostler at an inn on the Great North Road. Standing on a bucket, he tied himself up to a beam in the stable; he then KICKED THE BUCKET away from under his feet, and in a few seconds was dead. The natives of the West Indies have converted the expression into “kickeraboo.”
Kick over the traces, to be over-extravagant. Any one who has come to grief by fast living is said to have KICKED OVER THE TRACES.
Kick up, a noise or disturbance.
Kick up, “to KICK UP a row,” to create a tumult.
Kickeraboo, dead. A West Indian negro’s phrase. See KICK THE BUCKET, of which phrase it is a corruption.
Kickseys, or KICKSIES, trousers.
Kickshaws, trifles; made, or French dishes—not English or substantial. Anything of a fancy description now. Corruption of the French QUELQUES CHOSES.
Kicksy, troublesome, disagreeable. German, KECK, bold.
Kid, an infant, or child. From the German kind; or possibly from the name for the young of a goat. Also, a shallow dish in which sailors receive their portions of food.
Kid, to joke, to quiz, to hoax anybody. “No KID, now?” is a question often asked by a man who thinks he is being hoaxed.
Kidden, or KIDKEN, a low lodging-house for boys.
Kiddier, a pork-butcher.
Kiddily, fashionably or showily; “KIDDILY togg’d,” showily dressed.
Kiddleywink, a small shop where are retailed the commodities of a village store. Originally KIDDLE-A-WINK, from the offer made, with a wink, to give you something out of the kettle or kiddle. In the west country an alehouse. Also, a woman of unsteady habits.
Kiddy, a man, or boy. Formerly a low thief.
Kiddyish, frolicsome, jovial.
Randall’s Diary, 1820.
Kidnapper, originally one who stole children. Now applied without reference to the age or sex of those stolen. From “kid,” a child, and “nab” (corrupted to “nap”), to steal, or seize.
Kidney, “of that KIDNEY,” of such a stamp; “strange KIDNEY,” odd humour; “two of a KIDNEY,” two persons of a sort, or as like as two peas, i.e., resembling each other like two kidneys in a bunch.—Old. “Attempt to put their hair out of KIDNEY.”—Terræ Filius, 1763.
Kid-on, to entice or incite a person to the perpetration of an act.
Kidsman, one who trains boys to thieve and pick pockets successfully.
Kilkenny cat, a popular simile for a voracious or desperate animal or person, from the story of the two cats in that county, who are said to have fought and bitten each other until a small portion of the tail of one of them alone remained.
Killing, bewitching, fascinating. The term is akin to the phrase “dressing to death.”
Kilt, an Irishism for badly beaten, but by no means equivalent with killed.
Kimbo, or A-KIMBO, holding the arms in a bent position from the body, and resting the hands upon the hips, in a bullying attitude. Said to be from A SCHIMBO, bandy-legged, crooked, Italian; but more probably from KIMBAW, the old cant for beating or bullying. See Grose. Celtic, CAM, crooked.
Kimmer, a gossip, an acquaintance, same as CUMMER.—Scotch.
“What’s a’ the steer, KIMMER?”
Kinchin, a child.—Old Cant. From the German diminutive, KINDCHEN, a baby.
Kinchin cove, a man who robs children; a little man.—Ancient Cant.
Kincob, uniform, fine clothes, richly embroidered dresses. Really, cloth of gold or silver.—Anglo-Indian.
Kingsman, a handkerchief with yellow patterns upon a green ground, the favourite coloured neckerchief of the costermongers. The women sometimes wear KINGSMAN kerchiefs thrown over their shoulders. A coster will often imagine his caste, or position, is at stake, if his KINGSMAN is not of the most approved pattern. When he fights, his KINGSMAN is tied around his waist as a belt. This partiality for a peculiar-coloured neckcloth is part of the fondness for gaudy colours which at all times and in all countries has been shown by the uncultivated. A strange similarity of taste for certain colours exists amongst the Hindoos, Gipsies, and London lower classes. Red and yellow (or orange) are the great favourites, and in these hues the Hindoo selects his turban and his robe; the gipsy his breeches, and his wife her shawl or gown; and the costermonger, his plush waistcoat and favourite KINGSMAN. Among either class, when a fight takes place, the greatest regard is paid to the favourite coloured article of dress. The Hindoo lays aside his turban, the gipsy folds up his fancy breeches or coat, whilst the pugilistic costermonger of Covent Garden or Billingsgate removes his favourite neckerchief to a part of his body, by the rules of the “ring,” comparatively out of danger.
King’s pictures (now, of course, QUEEN’S PICTURES), money.
Kisky, drunk, fuddled.
Kiss-curl, a small curl twisted on the temple. See BOWCATCHER.
Kisser, the mouth.—Pugilistic term.
Kissing-crust, the soft crust which marks where one loaf has been broken from another.
Kiss-me-quick, the name given to the very small bonnets which have of late years become fashionable.
Kit, a person’s baggage. Also, a collection of anything, “the whole KIT of ’em,” the entire lot. Anglo-Saxon, KYTH.—North.
Kite,—see FLY THE KITE.
Kitmegur, an under-butler, a footman.—Anglo-Indian.
Kitna, how much?—Anglo-Indian.
Knacker, an old horse; a horse-slaughterer. Originally Gloucestershire, but now general.
Knap, i.q., NAP, to break.—Old English, but nearly obsolete. See Ps. xlvi. 9 (Prayer-book version), “He breaketh the bow, and KNAPPETH the spear in sunder;” probably sibilated into “snap.”
Knap, to receive, to take. Generally applied to the receipt of punishments; “oh, my! wont he just KNAP it when he gets home!”
Knap, to steal.—Prison Cant.
Knapping-jigger, a turnpike gate; “to dub at the KNAPPING-JIGGER,” to pay money at the turnpike.
Knark, a hard-hearted or savage person. The word is now usually spelt NARK, and is applied to the lowest class of informers.
Knife, “to KNIFE a person,” to stab; an un-English custom, but a very common expression.
Knife-board, the seat running along the roof of an omnibus.
The City clerks all tongue-protruded lay.”
Knife it, “cut it,” cease, stop, don’t proceed.
Knight, a common and ironical prefix to a man’s calling—thus, “KNIGHT of the whip,” a coachman; “KNIGHT of the thimble,” a tailor.
Knobstick, a non-society workman. One who takes work under price.
Knock about the bub, to hand or pass about the drink. Bub is a very old cant term for drink.
Knock-down, or KNOCK-ME-DOWN, strong ale.
Knocked-up, tired, jaded, used up, done for. In the United States, amongst females, the phrase is equivalent to being enceinte, so that Englishmen often unconsciously commit themselves when amongst our Yankee cousins.
Knock-’em-downs, the game of skittles.
Knocker, “up to the KNOCKER,” means finely or showily dressed, in the height of fashion; proficient, equal to the task.
Knocker-face, an ugly face, i.e., like an old-fashioned door-knocker.
Knock-in, the game of loo.
Knocking-in, coming into college after time. A habit of KNOCKING-IN late generally leads to some unpleasantness.—Oxford University.
Knocking-out. All visitors, on leaving a college after time, have to state in whose rooms they have been, that his gate-bill may be scored up for them. When a rackety party takes place, the visitors, or “out college men,” are generally supplied with a list of the names of the quietest men in college, so that the whereabouts of the party may not be betrayed.—Oxford University.
Knock-it-down, to show, in the “free and easy” style, approval of a song or toast, by hammering with pot or glass on the table.
Knock off, to give over, or abandon. A saying used by workmen in reference to dinner or other meal times, for upwards of two centuries.
Knock out, in racing parlance, to drive out of the quotations; as a KNOCKED-OUT favourite. Also to make bankrupt; as a KNOCKED-OUT backer or bookmaker. When a man cannot meet his engagements on the turf, he is said to be KNOCKED OUT.
Knock-outs, or KNOCK-INS, disreputable persons who visit auction rooms and unite to purchase the articles at their own prices. One of their number is instructed to buy for the rest, and after a few small bids as blinds to the auctioneer and bystanders, the lot is knocked down to the KNOCK-OUT bidders, at a nominal price—the competition to result from an auction being thus frustrated and set aside. At the conclusion of the sale the goods are paid for, and carried to a neighbouring public-house, where they are re-sold or KNOCKED-OUT among the confederates, and the difference between the first purchase and the second—or tap-room KNOCK-OUT—is divided amongst the gang. As generally happens with ill-gotten gains, the money soon finds its way to the landlord’s pocket, and the KNOCK-OUT is rewarded with a red nose and a bloated face. Cunning tradesmen join the KNOCK-OUTS when an opportunity for money-making presents itself. The lowest description of KNOCK-OUTS, fellows with more tongue than capital, are termed BABES. Within the past few years a few respectable auctioneers, assisted much by one or two just and admirable magisterial decisions, have succeeded in considerably limiting the efforts of the KNOCK-OUT fraternity.
Knock-under, to submit.
Knowing, sharp, shrewd, artful; “a KNOWING codger,” or “a KNOWING blade,” one who can take you in, or cheat you, in any transaction you may have with him. It implies also deep cunning and foresight, and generally signifies dishonesty.
Know, in this sense, enters into several slang phrases. “I KNOW something,” expresses that I am not to be taken in by any shallow device. “He KNOWS a thing or two,” i.e., he is a cunning fellow.
Knowledge-box, the head.—Pugilistic.
Knuckle, to fight with fists, to pommel.
Knuckle-duster, a large, heavy, or over-gaudy ring; a ring which attracts attention from its size.
Knuckle-duster, an iron or brass instrument which covers the knuckles so as to protect them from injury when striking a blow, adding force to it at the same time. Sometimes a KNUCKLE-DUSTER has knobs or points projecting, so as to mutilate and disfigure the person struck. This brutal invention is American, but has been made familiar here.
Knuckle to, or KNUCKLE UNDER, to yield or submit.
Knuller, old term for a chimney-sweep, who solicited jobs by ringing a bell. From the Saxon, CNYLLAN, to knell, or sound a bell. See QUERIER.
Kootee, a house.—Anglo-Indian.
Kotoo, to bow down before, to cringe, to flatter. From a Chinese ceremony.
Kubber, news.—Anglo-Indian.
Kudos, praise; KUDIZED, praised. Greek, κύδος.—University.
Kye, eighteenpence.
Kypsey, a basket. A term generally used by gipsies.