DAMPER. A luncheon, or snap before dinner: so called from its damping, or allaying, the appet.i.te; eating and drinking, being, as the proverb wisely observes, apt to take away the appet.i.te.

DANCE UPON NOTHING. To be hanged.

DANCERS. Stairs.

DANDY. That's the dandy; i.e. the ton, the clever thing; an expression of similar import to "That's the barber."

See BARBER.

DANDY GREY RUSSET. A dirty brown. His coat's dandy grey russet, the colour of the Devil's nutting bag.

DANDY PRAT. An insignificant or trifling fellow.

To DANGLE. To follow a woman without asking the question.

Also, to be hanged: I shall see you dangle in the sheriff's picture frame; I shall see you hanging on the gallows.

DANGLER. One who follows women in general, without any particular attachment

DAPPER FELLOW. A smart, well-made, little man.

DARBIES. Fetters. CANT.

DARBY. Ready money. CANT.

DARK CULLY. A married man that keeps a mistress, whom he visits only at night, for fear of discovery.

DARKEE. A dark lanthorn used by housebreakers. Stow the darkee, and bolt, the cove of the crib is fly; hide the dark lanthorn, and run away, the master of the house knows that we are here.

DARKMANS. The night. CANT.

DARKMAN'S BUDGE. One that slides into a house in the dark of the evening, and hides himself, in order to let some of the gang in at night to rob it.

DART. A straight-armed blow in boxing.

DASH. A tavern drawer. To cut a dash: to make a figure.

DAVID JONES. The devil, the spirit of the sea: called Necken in the north countries, such as Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.

DAVID JONES'S LOCKER. The sea.

DAVID'S SOW. As drunk as David's sow; a common saying, which took its rise from the following circ.u.mstance: One David Lloyd, a Welchman, who kept an alehouse at Hereford, had a living sow with six legs, which was greatly resorted to by the curious; he had also a wife much addicted to drunkenness, for which he used sometimes to give her due correction. One day David's wife having taken a cup too much, and being fearful of the consequences, turned out the sow, and lay down to sleep herself sober in the stye. A company coming in to see the sow, David ushered them into the stye, exclaiming, there is a sow for you! did any of you ever see such another? all the while supposing the sow had really been there; to which some of the company, seeing the state the woman was in, replied, it was the drunkenest sow they had ever beheld; whence the woman was ever after called David's sow.

DAVY. I'll take my davy of it; vulgar abbreviation of affidavit.

TO DAWB. To bribe. The cull was scragged because he could not dawb; the rogue was hanged because he could not bribe. All bedawbed with lace; all over lace.

DAY LIGHTS. Eyes. To darken his day lights, or sow up his sees; to close up a man's eyes in boxing.

DEAD CARGO. A term used by thieves, when they are disappointed in the value of their booty.

DEAD HORSE. To work for the dead horse; to work for wages already paid.

DEAD-LOUSE. Vulgar p.r.o.nunciation of the Dedalus ship of war.

DEAD MEN. A cant word among journeymen bakers, for loaves falsely charged to their masters' customers; also empty bottles.

DEADLY NEVERGREEN, that bears fruit all the year round.

The gallows, or three-legged mare. See THREE-LEGGED MARE.

DEAR JOYS. Irishmen: from their frequently making use of that expression.

DEATH HUNTER. An undertaker, one who furnishes the necessary articles for funerals. See CARRION HUNTER.

DEATH'S HEAD UPON A MOP-STICK. A poor miserable, emaciated fellow; one quite an otomy. See OTOMY.--He looked as pleasant as the pains of death.

DEEP-ONE. A thorough-paced rogue, a sly designing fellow: in opposition to a shallow or foolish one.

DEFT FELLOW. A neat little man.

DEGEN, or DAGEN. A sword. Nim the degen; steal the sword. Dagen is Dutch for a sword. CANT.

DELLS. Young buxom wenches, ripe and p.r.o.ne to venery, but who have not lost their virginity, which the UPRIGHT MAN claims by virtue of his prerogative; after which they become free for any of the fraternity. Also a common strumpet. CANT.

DEMURE. As demure as an old wh.o.r.e at a christening.

DEMY-REP. An abbreviation of demy-reputation; a woman of doubtful character.

DERBY. To come down with the derbies; to pay the money.

DERRICK. The name of the finisher of the law, or hangman about the year 1608.--'For he rides his circuit with the Devil, and Derrick must be his host, and Tiburne the inne at which he will lighte.' Vide Bellman of London, in art. PRIGGIN LAW.--'At the gallows, where I leave them, as to the haven at which they must all cast anchor, if Derrick's cables do but hold.' Ibid.

DEVIL. A printer's errand-boy. Also a small thread in the king's ropes and cables, whereby they may be distinguished from all others. The Devil himself; a small streak of blue thread in the king's sails. The Devil may dance in his pocket; i.e. he has no money: the cross on our ancient coins being jocularly supposed to prevent him from visiting that place, for fear, as it is said, of breaking his shins against it. To hold a candle to the Devil; to be civil to any one out of fear: in allusion to the story of the old woman, who set a wax taper before the image of St. Michael, and another before the Devil, whom that saint is commonly represented as trampling under his feet: being reproved for paying such honour to Satan, she answered, as it was uncertain which place she should go to, heaven or h.e.l.l, she chose to secure a friend in both places. That will be when the Devil is blind, and he has not got sore eyes yet; said of any thing unlikely to happen.

It rains whilst the sun shines, the Devil is beating his wife with a shoulder of mutton: this phenomenon is also said to denote that cuckolds are going to heaven; on being informed of this, a loving wife cried out with great vehemence, 'Run, husband, run!'

The Devil was sick, the Devil a monk would be; The Devil was well, the Devil a monk was he.

a proverb signifying that we are apt to forget promises made in time of distress. To pull the Devil by the tail, to be reduced to one's shifts. The Devil go with you and sixpence, and then you will have both money and company.

DEVIL. The gizzard of a turkey or fowl, scored, peppered, salted and broiled: it derives its appellation from being hot in the mouth.

DEVIL'S BOOKS. Cards.

DEVIL CATCHER, or DEVIL DRIVER. A parson. See SNUB DEVIL.

DEVIL'S DAUGHTER. It is said of one who has a termagant for his wife, that he has married the Devil's daughter, and lives with the old folks.

DEVIL'S DAUGHTER'S PORTION:

Deal, Dover, and Harwich, The Devil gave with his daughter in marriage; And, by a codicil to his will, He added Helvoet and the Brill;