TERRA FIRMA. An estate in land.

TESTER. A sixpence: from TESTON, a coin with a head on it.

TETBURY PORTION. A **** and a clap.

THAMES. He will not find out a way to set the Thames on fire; he will not make any wonderful discoveries, he is no conjuror.

THATCH-GALLOWS. A rogue, or man of bad character.

THICK. Intimate. They are as thick as two inkle-weavers.

THIEF. You are a thief and a murderer, you have killed a baboon and stole his face; vulgar abuse.

THIEF IN A CANDLE. Part of the wick or snuff, which falling on the tallow, burns and melts it, and causing it to gutter, thus steals it away.

THIEF TAKERS. Fellows who a.s.sociate with all kinds of villains, in order to betray them, when they have committed any of those crimes which ent.i.tle the persons taking them to a handsome reward, called blood money. It is the business of these thief takers to furnish subjects for a handsome execution, at the end of every sessions.

THIMBLE. A watch. The swell flashes a rum thimble; the gentleman sports a fine watch.

THINGSTABLE. Mr. Thingstable; Mr. Constable: a ludicrous affectation of delicacy in avoiding the p.r.o.nunciation of the first syllable in the t.i.tle of that officer, which in sound has some similarity to an indecent monosyllable.

THINGUMBOB. Mr. Thingumbob; a vulgar address or nomination to any person whose name is unknown, the same as Mr. What-d'ye-cal'em. Thingumbobs; t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es.

THIRDING. A custom practised at the universities, where two thirds of the original price is allowed by the upholsterers to the students for household goods returned to them within the year.

THIRTEENER. A shilling in Ireland, which there pa.s.ses for thirteen pence.

Th.o.m.oND. Like Lord Th.o.m.ond's c.o.c.ks, all on one side.

Lord Th.o.m.ond's c.o.c.k-feeder, an Irishman, being entrusted with some c.o.c.ks which were matched for a considerable sum, the night before the battle shut them all together in one room, concluding that as they were all on the same side, they would not disagree: the consequence was, they were most of them either killed or lamed before the morning.

THOMAS. Man Thomas; a man's p.e.n.i.s.

THORNS. To be or sit upon thorns; to be uneasy, impatient, anxious for an event.

THORNBACK. An old maid.

THOROUGH CHURCHMAN. A person who goes in at one door of a church, and out at the other, without stopping.

THOROUGH-GOOD-NATURED WENCH. One who being asked to sit down, will lie down.

THOROUGH GO NIMBLE. A looseness, a violent purging.

THOROUGH COUGH. Coughing and breaking wind backwards at the same time.

THOROUGH St.i.tCH. To go thorough st.i.tch; to stick at nothing; over shoes, over boots.

THOUGHT. What did thought do? lay'in bed and beshat himself, and thought he was up; reproof to any one who excuses himself for any breach of positive orders, by pleading that he thought to the contrary.

THREE TO ONE. He is playing three to one, though sure to lose; said of one engaged in the amorous congress.

THREE-PENNY UPRIGHT. A retailer of love, who, for the sum mentioned, dispenses her favours standing against a wall.

THREE-LEGGED MARE, or STOOL. The gallows, formerly consisting of three posts, over which were laid three transverse beams. This clumsy machine has lately given place to an elegant contrivance, called the NEW DROP, by which the use of that vulgar vehicle a cart, or mechanical instrument a ladder, is also avoided; the patients being left suspended by the dropping down of that part of the floor on which they stand. This invention was first made use of for a peer. See DROP.

THREE THREADS. Half common ale, mixed with stale and double beer.

THREPS. Threepence.

TO THROTTLE. To strangle.

THROTTLE. The throat, or gullet.

TO THRUM. To play on any instrument sttfnged with wire.

A thrummer of wire; a player on the spinet, harpsichord, of guitar.

THRUMS. Threepence.

THUMB. By rule of thumb: to do any thing by dint of practice. To kiss one's thumb instead of the book; a vulgar expedient to avoid perjury in taking a false oath.

THUMMIKINS. An instrument formerly used in Scotland, like a vice, to pinch the thumbs of persons accused of different crimes, in order to extort confession.

THUMP. A blow. This is better than a thump on the back with a stone; said on giving any one a drink of good liquor on a cold morning. Thatch, thistle, thunder, and thump; words to the Irish, like the Shibboleth of the Hebrews.

THUMPING. Great! a thumping boy.

THWACK. A great blow with a stick across the shoulders.

TIB. A young la.s.s

TIBBY. A cat.

TIB OF THE b.u.t.tERY. A goose. CANT. Saint Tibb's evening; the evening of the last day, or day of judgment: he will pay you on St. Tibb's eve. IRISH.

TICK. To run o'tick; take up goods upon trust, to run in debt. Tick; a watch. SEE SESSIONS PAPERS.

TICKLE TEXT. A parson.

TICKLE PITCKEB. A thirsty fellow, a sot.

TICKLE TAIL. A rod, or schoolmaster. A man's p.e.n.i.s.

TICKRUM. A licence.

TIDY. Neat.

TIFFING. Eating or drinking out of meal time, disputing or falling out; also lying with a wench, A tiff of punch, a small bowl of punch.

TILBUKY. Sixpence; so called from its formerly being the fare for Crossing over from Gravesend to Tilbury Fort.