Yack, a watch; to “church a YACK,” to take it out of its case to avoid detection, otherwise to “christen a YACK.”
Yaffle, to eat.—Old English.
Yahoo, a person of coarse or degraded habits. Derived from the use of the word by Swift.
Yam, to eat. This word is used by the lowest class all over the world; by the Wapping sailor, West Indian negro, or Chinese coolie. When the fort, called the Dutch Folly, near Canton, was in course of erection by the Hollanders, under the pretence of being intended for an hospital, the Chinese observed a box containing muskets among the alleged hospital stores. “Hy-aw!” exclaimed John Chinaman, “How can sick man YAM gun?” The Dutch were surprised and massacred the same night.
Yappy, soft, foolish; mostly applied to an over-generous person, from the fact that it originally meant one who paid for everything. Yap is back slang for pay, and often when a man is asked to pay more than he considers correct, he says, “Do you think I’m YAPPY?” do you think I’m paying mad? Thus slang begets slang.
Yard of clay, a long, old-fashioned tobacco pipe; also called a churchwarden.
Yarmouth capon, a bloater, or red herring.
Yarmouth mittens, bruised hands.—Sea.
Yarn, a long story, or tale; “a tough YARN,” a tale hard to be believed; “spin a YARN,” to tell a tale.—Sea.
Yay-nay, “a poor YAY-NAY” fellow, one who has no conversational power, and can only answer YEA or NAY to a question.
Yellow-belly, a native of the fens of Lincolnshire, or the Isle of Ely—in allusion to the frogs and yellow-bellied eels caught there.
Yellow-boy, a sovereign, or any gold coin.
Yellow-gloak, a jealous man.
Yellow-Jack, the yellow fever prevalent in the West Indies.
Yellow-man, a yellow silk handkerchief.
Yellows, a term of reproach applied to Bluecoat and other charity school boys.
Yid, or YIT, a Jew. Yidden, the Jewish people. The Jews use these terms very frequently.
Yokel, a countryman. Probably from yoke, representative of his occupation. Some fancy, however, that the word was originally YOWKEL, in imitation of the broad tones of country labourers.
Yokuff, a chest, or large box.
Yorkshire, “to Yorkshire,” or “come Yorkshire over any person,” to cheat or cozen him. The proverbial over-reaching of the rustics of this county has given rise to the phrase, which is sometimes pronounced Yorshar. To put Yorshar to a man, is to trick or deceive him. This latter is from a work in the Lancashire dialect, 1757.
Yorkshire compliment, a gift of something useless to the giver. Sometimes called a North-country compliment.
Yorkshire estates; “I will do it when I come into my Yorkshire estates,”—meaning if I ever have the money or the means.
Yorkshire reckoning, a reckoning in which every one pays his own share.
Younker, in street language, a lad or a boy. Term in general use amongst costermongers, cabmen, and old-fashioned people. Barnefield’s Affectionate Shepherd, 1594, has the phrase, “a seemelie YOUNKER.” Danish and Friesic, JONKER. In the navy, a naval cadet is usually termed a YOUNKER.
Your nibs, yourself. See NIBS.
Yoxter, a convict returned from transportation before his time.