Shelf, “on the SHELF,” not yet disposed of; young ladies are said to be so situated when they cannot meet with husbands. “On the SHELF” also means pawned, or laid by in trust.

Shell out, to pay or count out money. Also a game played on a billiard table, a variation of pool.

Shepherd, to look after carefully, to place under police surveillance.

Shice, nothing; “to do anything for SHICE,” to get no payment. The term was first used by the Jews in the last century. Grose gives the phrase CHICE-AM-A-TRICE, which has a synonymous meaning. Spanish, CHICO, little; Anglo-Saxon, CHICHE, niggardly; or perhaps connected with the German, SCHEISSEN.

Shicer, a mean man, a humbug, a “duffer,”—a worthless person, one who will not work. This is the worst term one Jew can use to another. At the diggings it means a hole which yields nothing.

Shickery, shabby, bad. From SHAKY, SHAKERY.

Shickster, a lady. See SHAKESTER.

Shickster-crabs, ladies’ shoes.—Tramps’ term.

Shigs, money, silver.—East London.

Shikaree, a hunter, a sportsman.—Anglo-Indian. An English sportsman who has seen many ups and downs in jungles of the East styles himself “an OLD SHIKAREE.”—Anglo-Indian. Also spelt SHEKARRY.

Shilly-shally, to trifle or fritter away time; to be irresolute. Corruption of “Shall I, shall I?”

Shin, an Americanism for walking. “I’m tired of SHINNING around.”

Shindy, a row, or noise. A SHINDY generally means a regular mêlée.

Shine, a row, or disturbance.

Shine, “to take the SHINE out of a person,” to surpass or excel him.

Shiners, sovereigns, or money.

Shiney rag, “to win the SHINEY RAG,” to be ruined,—said in gambling, when any one continues betting after “luck has set in against him.”

Shin-plaster, a bank-note. Originally an Americanism.

Shins. “To break one’s SHINS,” figurative expression meaning to borrow money.

Ship-shape, proper, in good order; sometimes the phrase is varied to “SHIP-SHAPE and Bristol fashion.”—Sea. The latter portion of the expression went out with Bristol’s fame as a seaport.

Shirty, ill-tempered, or cross. When one person makes another in an ill-humour he is said to have “got his SHIRT out.”

Shivering Jemmy, the name given by street-folk to any cadger who exposes himself, half naked, on a cold day, to obtain alms. The “game” is unpleasant, but was, before exposure of a different kind spoilt it, exceedingly lucrative.

Shockhead, a head of long, unkempt, and rough hair.

Shoddy, old cloth worked up into new; made from soldiers’ and policemen’s coats. The old cloth is pulled to pieces, the yarn unravelled and carded over again. This produces shoddy, which is very short in the fibre, and from it are produced, on again twisting and weaving, cloth fabrics used for ladies’ mantles, &c. Also, a term of derision applied to workmen in woollen factories.—Yorkshire.

Shoddy, the plutocracy created out of bogus contracts during the civil war in the United States. The SHODDYITES enriched themselves at the expense of their country in the most shameless manner, having most likely studied under those contractors who should have supplied our soldiers with necessaries during the Crimean War.

Shoe, to free or initiate a person,—a practice common in most trades to a new-comer. The SHOEING consists in paying for beer, or other liquor, which is drunk by the older hands. The cans emptied, and the bill paid, the stranger is considered properly SHOD. Shoeing is a variation of “paying one’s footing.”

Shoe leather! a thief’s warning cry when he hears footsteps. This exclamation is used in the spirit which animated the friend who, when he suspected treachery towards Bruce at King Edward’s court, in 1306, sent him a purse and a pair of spurs, as a sign that he should use them in making his escape.

Shoes, “to die in one’s SHOES,” to be hanged. In the old hanging days a highwayman would often kick off his shoes when the rope was round his neck, so as—oh, vain and impotent attempt!—to defeat the prophecy that had foreshadowed his present position.

Shoful, a Hansom cab. This favourite carriage was the invention of a Mr. Hansom, afterwards connected with the Builder newspaper. It has been asserted that the term SHOFUL was derived from “shovel,” the earliest slang term applied to Hansoms by other cab-drivers, who conceived their shape to be after the fashion of a scoop or shovel. A logical friend of the present Editor’s argues thus:—Shoful, full of show, ergo, beautiful—handsome—Hansom. This is clever, but it certainly never entered into the heads of those who gave the name of SHOFUL to the Hansom cabs.

Shoful, bad or counterfeit money. Perhaps, as some think, from the Danish, SKUFFE, to shove, to deceive, cheat; Saxon, SCUFAN,—whence the English, SHOVE. The term, however, is possibly one of the many street words from the Hebrew (through the low Jews); SHEPHEL, in that language, signifying a low or debased estate. Chaldee, SHAPHAL.—See Psalm cxxxvi. 23, “in our low estate.” A correspondent suggests a very probable derivation, from the German, SCHOFEL, trash, rubbish,—the German adjective, SCHOFELIG, being the nearest possible translation of our shabby. Shoful means anything mock, as SHOFUL jewellery. A SHOFUL is also a humbug, an impostor.

Shoful-pitcher, a passer of bad money. Shoful-pitching, passing bad money. “Snide-pitcher” and “Snide-pitching” are terms exchangeable with the preceding.

Shoful pullet, a “gay” or unsteady woman, especially a young woman.

Sholl, to bonnet one, or crush a person’s hat over his eyes.—North.

Shool, to saunter idly, to become a vagabond, to beg rather than work.—Smollett’s Roderick Random, vol. i., p. 262.

Shool, Jews’ term for their synagogue.

Shoot the cat, to vomit. From a story of a man being sick in the back yard, and suffocating a cat and all her kittens.

Shoot the moon, to remove furniture from a house in the night without paying the landlord.

Shop. In racing slang, to secure first, second, or third position in a race, is to get a SHOP. This is also known as a place, and as a situation. See PLACE.

Shop, a house. “How are they all at your SHOP?” is a common question among small tradesmen.

Shop, to discharge a shopman. In military slang, to SHOP an officer is to put him under arrest in the guard-room. In pugilistic slang, to punish a man severely is “to knock him all over the SHOP,” i.e., the ring, the place in which the work is done.

Shop-bouncer, or SHOP-LIFTER, a person generally respectably attired, who, while being served with a small article at a shop, steals one of more value. Shakspeare has the word LIFTER, a thief.

Shop-walker, a person employed to walk up and down a shop, to hand seats to customers, and see that they are properly served. Contracted also to WALKER.

Shopping, purchasing at shops. Termed by Todd a slang word, but used by Cowper and Byron.

Shoppy, to be full of nothing but one’s own calling or profession; “to talk SHOP,” to converse of nothing but professional subjects.

Short, when spirit is drunk without any admixture of water, it is said to be taken “SHORT;” “summat SHORT,” a dram. A similar phrase is used at the counters of banks; upon presenting a cheque, the clerk asks, “How will you take it?” i.e., in gold, or notes. If in notes, long or short? Should it be desired to receive it in notes for the largest possible amount, the answer is, SHORT. A conductor of an omnibus, or any other servant, is said to be SHORT when he does not give all the money he receives to his master.

Short, hard-up; a polite term for impecuniosity used in clubs and among military men.

Short commons, short allowance of food. See COMMONS.

Shorter, one who makes a dishonest profit by reducing the coin of the realm by clipping and filing. From a crown-piece a SHORTER could gain 5d. Another way was by chemical means: a guinea laid in aquafortis would, in twelve hours, precipitate 9d.-worth of sediment; in twenty-four, 1s. 6d.-worth.—Rommany Rye.

Shot, from the modern sense of the word to SHOOT,—a guess, a random conjecture; “to make a bad SHOT,” to expose one’s ignorance by making a wrong guess, or random answer, without knowing whether it is right or wrong.

Shot, “I wish I may be SHOT, if,” &c., a common form of mild swearing.

Shot, a term used among horse chaunters. To SHOT a horse, is to give him a lot of small shot, which will for a short time effectually “open his pipes,” and make him appear sound in wind.

Shot in the locker, money in pocket, resource of any kind in store.—Navy.

Shoulder, when a servant embezzles his master’s money, he is said to SHOULDER his employer.

Shout, to pay for drink round. “It’s my SHOUT,” says he who pays. Possibly because the payer originally SHOUTED to the bar-keeper of an hotel to score the drink to him.—Australian, but now general.

Shove-halfpenny, a gambling pot-house pastime, played on a table. A very old game, originally called push-penny.

Shove in the mouth, a glass of spirits, which is taken off quickly and at once.

Shovel, a term applied by the vulgar crowd to the inelegant twisted hats worn by the dignitaries of the Church. Dean Alford says, “I once heard a venerable dignitary pointed out by a railway porter as “an old party in a SHOVEL.”—Queen’s English.

Shrimp, a diminutive person.—Chaucer.

Shtumer, a horse against which money may be laid without risk. See SAFE UN.

Shunt, to avoid, to turn aside from. From the railway term.

Shut of, or SHOT OF, i.e., rid of. A very common expression amongst the London lower orders. One costermonger will say to another:—“Well, Ike, did yer get SHUT O’ them there gawfs [apples]?” i.e., did you sell them all?

Shut up! be quiet, don’t make a noise; to stop short, to cease in a summary manner, to silence effectually. The following is from a literary paper:—“Only the other day we heard of a preacher who, speaking of the scene with the doctors in the Temple, remarked that the Divine disputant completely SHUT THEM UP!” Shut up, utterly exhausted, done for.

Shy, a throw. See the following:—

Shy, to fling; COCK-SHY, a game at fairs, consisting of throwing short sticks at trinkets or cocoanuts set upon other sticks,—both name and practice derived from the old game of throwing or SHYING at live cocks. This game is best known to the London public as “three shies a penny.”

Shy. “To fight SHY of a person,” to avoid his society either from dislike, fear, or other reason. Shy has also the sense of flighty, unsteady, untrustworthy.

Shy, to stop suddenly, or turn off, as a horse does when frightened.

Shyster, a duffer, a vagabond. Variation of “shicer.”

Sices, or SIZES, a throw of sixes at dice.

Sick as a horse, a popular simile,—curious, because a horse never vomits.

Sickener, a dose too much of anything. Too much of even a good thing will make a man sick.

Side, an affirmative expression in the cant language of the northern towns. “Do you stoll the gammy?” (Do you understand cant?) “Side, cove” (yes, mate).

Side-boards, or STICK-UPS, shirt collars. Name applied some years ago, before the present style of collars came into fashion.

Sift, to embezzle small coins, those which might pass through a sieve—as threepennies and fourpennies—and which are, therefore, not likely to be missed.

Silly season, the period when nobody is supposed to be in London, when there are no parliamentary debates to publish, and when editors are at their wits’-ends to fill their papers with readable matter. All kinds of crazes on political and social subjects are then ventilated, gigantic gooseberries, monstrous births, and strange showers then become plentiful, columns are devoted to matters which would not at any other time receive consideration, and, so far as the newspapers are concerned, silliness is at a premium.

Silver beggar, or LURKER, a vagabond who travels through the country with “briefs” containing false statements of losses by fire, shipwrecks, accidents, &c. Forged documents are exhibited with signatures of magistrates and clergymen. Accompanying these are sham subscription books. The former, in beggar parlance, is termed “a sham,” whilst the latter is denominated “a delicate.”

Sim, one of a Methodistical turn in religion; a Low Churchman; originally a follower of the late Rev. Charles Simeon.—Cambridge.

Simon, a sixpenny-piece.

Simon, or SIMPLE SIMON, a credulous, gullible person. A character in a song, but now common.

Simon Pure, “the real Simon Pure,” the genuine article. Those who have witnessed Mr. Charles Mathews’s performance in Mrs. Centlivre’s admirable comedy of A Bold Stroke for a Wife, and the laughable coolness with which he, the false Simon Pure, assuming the Quaker dress and character of the real one, elbows that worthy out of his expected entertainment, will at once perceive the origin of this phrase.—See act v. scene i.

Simpkin, or SIMKIN, champagne.—Anglo-Indian. Derived from the manner in which native servants pronounce champagne.

Simpson, water used in the dilution of milk. Term in use among cow-keepers. From this the parish pump has been called Mrs. Simpson.

Sing out, to call aloud.—Sea.

Sing small, to lessen one’s boasting, and turn arrogance into humility.

Sing-song, a harmonic meeting at a pot-house, a free-and-easy.

Sinkers, bad money,—affording a man but little assistance in “keeping afloat.”

Sinks, a throw of fives at dice. French, CINQ.

Si quis, a candidate for “orders.” From the notification commencing SI QUIS—if any one.

Sir Harry, a close stool.

Sir Reverence, a corruption of the old phrase, SAVE YOUR REVERENCE, a sort of apology for alluding to anything likely to shock one’s sense of decency. Latin, SALVÂ REVERENTIÂ. See Shakspeare’s Romeo and Juliet, act i. scene iv. From this it came to mean the thing itself—human ordure generally, but sometimes other indecencies.

Siserara, a hard blow.—Suffolk. Many derive this term from the story of Sisera in the Old Testament, but it is probably a corruption of CERTIORARI, a Chancery writ reciting a complaint of hard usage.

Sit under, a term employed in Dissenters’ meeting-houses, to denote attendance on the ministry of any particular preacher.

Sit upon, to overcome or rebuke, to express contempt for a man in a marked manner. Also, to chaff or “roast” a man consumedly.

Sit-upons, trousers. See INEXPRESSIBLES.

Sivvy, “’pon my SIVVY,” i.e., upon my soul or honour. Corruption of “asseveration,” like DAVY, which is an abridgment of “affidavit.”

Sixes and sevens, articles in confusion are said to be all SIXES AND SEVENS. The Deity is mentioned in the Towneley Mysteries as He that “set all on seven,” i.e., set or appointed everything in seven days. A similar phrase at this early date implied confusion and disorder, and from these, Halliwell thinks, has been derived the phrase “to be at SIXES AND SEVENS.” A Scotch correspondent, however, states that the phrase probably came from the workshop, and that amongst needle-makers, when the points and eyes are “heads and tails” (“heeds and thraws”), or in confusion, they are said to be SIXES AND SEVENS, because those numbers are the sizes most generally used, and in the course of manufacture have frequently to be distinguished.

Sixty, “to go along like SIXTY,” i.e., at a good rate, briskly.

Sixty-per-cent, a bill-discounter. From the rate of interest generally charged. If bill-discounters profess to do the business for less, they generally make up the level sixty by extras.

Six-water grog, a sea-term for the weakest grog possible—six portions of water to one of rum—hardly enough spirit to “swear by.”

Size, to order extras over and above the usual commons at the dinner in college halls. Soup, pastry, &c., are SIZINGS, and are paid for at a certain specified rate per SIZE, or portion, to the college cook. Peculiar to Cambridge. Minsheu says, “SIZE, a farthing which schollers in Cambridge have at the buttery, noted with the letter s.”

Sizers, or SIZARS, certain poor scholars at Cambridge, annually elected, who got their dinners (including “sizings”) from what was left at the upper, or Fellows’ table, free, or nearly so. They paid rent of rooms, and some other fees, on a lower scale than the “Pensioners” or ordinary students, and were equal with the “battlers” and “servitors” at Oxford.

Sizings. See SIZE.

Skedaddle, to go off in a hurry. The American war introduced this new and amusing word. A Northerner who retreated “retired upon his supports,” but a Southerner was said to SKEDADDLE. The Times remarked on the word, and Lord Hill wrote to prove that it was excellent Scotch. The Americans only misapply the word, which means, in Dumfries, “to spill”—milkmaids, for example, saying, “You are SKEDADDLING all that milk.” The Yankees therefore adopted the term, and altered the application.

Skid, a sovereign. Fashionable slang. Occasionally SKIV.

Skid, or SKIDPAN, an instrument for locking the wheel of a coach when going down hill. It is often said that a talkative person might put the SKID on, with advantage to his listeners, if not to himself.

Skied, or SKYED, thrown upwards, as “coppers” in tossing.

Skied. Artists say that a picture is SKIED when it is hung on the upper line at the Exhibition of the Royal Academy. See FLOORED.

Skilligolee, prison gruel. Also sailors’ soup of many ingredients. The term is occasionally used in London workhouses.

Skilly, abbreviation of SKILLIGOLEE.

Skimmery, St. Mary Hall, Oxford.—University.

Skin, a purse. This term is mostly in use among thieves.

Skin, to abate, or lower the value of anything; “thin-SKINNED,” sensitive, touchy, liable to be “raw” on certain subjects.

Skin-the-lamb, a game at cards, a very expressive corruption of the term “lansquenet,” also a racing term. When a non-favourite wins a race, bookmakers are said to SKIN THE LAMB, under the supposition that they win all their bets, no person having backed the winner. This has been corrupted into SKINNER.

Skinflint, an old and popular simile for a “close-fisted,” stingy person. Sternberg, in his Northamptonshire Glossary, says the Eastern languages have the same expression. Abdul-Malek, one of the Ommeyade Khaliphs, noted for his extreme avarice, was surnamed Raschal-Hegiarah, literally, “the SKINNER of a FLINT.”

Skinner, a term among bookmakers. “May we have a SKINNER,” i.e., may we SKIN THE LAMB, which see.

Skipper, the master of a vessel. Germ., SCHIFFER, from SCHIFF, a ship; sometimes used as synonymous with “governor.”

Skipper, a barn.—Ancient Cant. From the Welsh, YSGUBOR, pronounced SCYBOR, or SCIBOR, the proper word in that language for a barn.

Skipper-birds, or KEYHOLE-WHISTLERS, persons who sleep in barns or outhouses from necessity or in preference to sleeping in lodging-houses.

Skipper-it, to sleep in the open air, or in a rough way.

Skit, a joke, a squib. Term generally used in reference to any pungent or pointed political allusion.

Skittles, a game similar to that of Ten Pins, which, when interdicted by the Government, was altered to Nine Pins, or SKITTLES. The pins are set up in an alley, and thrown (not bowled) at with a round piece of hard wood, shaped like a small flat cheese. The costers used to consider themselves the best players in London, but they have been frequently undeceived. Skittles has within the past few years received an awful blow—quite a floorer—from “the powers that be.”

Skow-banker, a fellow who loiters about the premises of any one willing to support him, and who objects to the necessity of working for his living; a rogue, a rascal. Common in Melbourne, Australia.

Skrouge, to push or squeeze.—North.

Skull-thatcher, a straw-bonnet-maker,—sometimes called “a bonnet-BUILDER.”

Skunk, a mean or paltry fellow, one whose name stinks.

Sky, a disagreeable person, an enemy.—Westminster School. The word derived its origin from a corruption of the last syllable of the word “VOLSCI:” Westminster boys being of course understood to be the Romans.

Sky, to toss up towards the SKY. Term used in tossing with halfpence; “It’s all right, Jim SKIED the browns,” i.e., threw them up, a proof that there could have been no collusion or cheating.

Sky-lark. See under LARK.

Sky-parlour, the garret.

Sky-scraper, a tall man; “Are you cold up there, old SKY-SCRAPER?” Properly a sea-term. The light sails, which some adventurous skippers set above the royals in calm latitudes, are termed SKY-SCRAPERS and MOON-RAKERS.

Sky-wannocking, unsteady frolicking.—Norfolk.

Slab, thick, as gruel, porridge, &c.

Slack, “to hold on the SLACK,” to skulk; a slack rope not requiring to be held.—Sea.

Slam, a term at the game of whist. When two partners gain the whole thirteen tricks, they win a SLAM, which is considered equal to a rubber.

Slam, to talk fluently. “He’s the bloke to SLAM.” From a term in use among birdsingers at the East-end, by which they denote a certain style of note in chaffinches.

Slammock, a slattern or awkward person.—West, and Norfolk.

Slang, a travelling show.

Slang, to cheat, to abuse in foul language.

Slang, counterfeit or short weights and measures. A SLANG quart is a pint and a half. Slang measures are lent out at 2d. per day to street salesmen. The term is used principally by costermongers.

Slang, a watch-chain. Super and SLANG, a watch and chain.

Slang, “out on the SLANG,” i.e., to travel with a hawker’s licence.

Slang-whanger, a long-winded speaker.—Parliamentary.

Slangy, flashy, vulgar; loud in dress, manner, and conversation.

Slantingdicular, oblique, awry,—as opposed to PERPENDICULAR. Originally an Americanism, now a part of the vocabulary of London “high life below stairs.”

Slap, paint for the face, rouge.

Slap, exactly, precisely; “SLAP in the wind’s eye,” i.e., exactly to windward.

Slap-bang, suddenly, violently. From the strike of a ball being felt before the report reaches the ear,—the SLAP first, the BANG afterwards.

Slap-bang-shops, originally low eating-houses where the ready-money was paid down with a SLAP-BANG.—Grose. A SLAP-BANG-SHOP is now a very pretentious eating-house.

Slap-dash, immediately, or quickly; at a great rate.

Slap-up, first-rate, excellent, very good.

Slasher, a powerful roysterer, a game and clever pugilist.

Slashers, the Twenty-eighth Regiment of Foot in the British army.

Slate, “he has a SLATE loose,” i.e., he is slightly crazy.

Slate, to pelt with abuse, to beat, to “lick;” or, in the language of the reviewers, to “cut up.” Also, among bettors, to lay heavily against a particular man or animal in a race.

Slate, to knock the hat over one’s eyes, to bonnet.—North.

Slavey, a maid-servant.

Slawmineyeux, a Dutchman. Probably a corruption of the Dutch, ja, mynheer; or German, ja, mein Herr.—Sea.

Sleepless-hats, those of a napless character, better known as WIDE-AWAKES.

Slender, a simple country gentleman.—Shakspeare.

Slewed, drunk, or intoxicated.—Sea term. When a vessel changes the tack, she, as it were, staggers, the sails flap, she gradually heels over, and the wind catching the waiting canvas, she glides off at another angle. The course pursued by an intoxicated, or SLEWED, man, is supposed to be analogous to that of the ship.

Slick, an Americanism, very prevalent in England since the publication of Judge Haliburton’s facetious stories, which means rapidly, effectually, utterly.

Slick, smooth, unctuous; abbreviation of sleek.

Sling, a drink peculiar to Americans, generally composed of gin, soda-water, ice, and slices of lemon. At some houses in London GIN-SLINGS may be obtained.

Sling, to pass from one person to another. To blow the nose with the naked fingers.

Sling your hook, a polite invitation to move-on. “Sling your Daniel” has the same meaning. The pronouns may be altered to suit the context.

Slip, “to give the SLIP,” to run away, or elude pursuit. Shakspeare has, “You gave me the counterfeit,” in Romeo and Juliet. Giving the SLIP, however, is a sea phrase, and refers to fastening an anchor and chain cable to a floating buoy, or water-cask, until a time arrives when it is convenient to return and take them on board. In fastening the cable, the home end is SLIPPED through the hawse-pipe. Weighing anchor is a noisy task, so that giving the SLIP infers leaving quietly.

Slip, or let SLIP; “to SLIP into a man,” to give him a sound beating, “to let SLIP at a cove,” to rush violently upon him, and assault with vigour.

Slipping, a trick of card-sharpers, in the performance of which, by dexterous manipulation, they place the cut card on the top, instead of at the bottom of the pack. It is the faire sauter la coupe of the French. In pugilistic parlance, “to SLIP a man,” is to “duck and get away” with great dexterity.

Slips, the sides of the gallery in a theatre are generally so called.

Slog, to beat or baste, to fight. German, SCHLACHTEN; or perhaps from some connexion with the Gaelic SLOGAN. The pretended Greek derivation from σλογω is humbug, there being no such word in the language.

Slogdollager, an Americanism, meaning the same as our STOCKDOLLAGER, which see.

Sloggers, i.e., SLOW-GOERS, the second division of race-boats at Cambridge. At Oxford they are called TORPIDS.—University. A hard hitter at cricket is termed a SLOGGER; so is a pugilist.

Slogging, a good beating.

Slop, a policeman. At first back slang, but now modified for general use.

Slop, cheap, or ready-made, as applied to clothing, is generally supposed to be a modern appropriation; but it was used in this sense in 1691, by Maydman, in his Naval Speculations; and by Chaucer two centuries before that. Slops properly signify sailors’ working clothes, which are of a very cheap and inexpensive character.