1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue eBook

Francis Grose
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 343 pages of information about 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue eBook

Francis Grose
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 343 pages of information about 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.

To ribroast. To beat:  I’ll ribroast him to his heart’s
  content.

Rich face, or nose.  A red pimpled, face.

RICHAUD Snary.  A dictionary.  A country lad, having
  been reproved for calling persons by their christian names,
  being sent by his master to borrow a dictionary, thought
  to shew his breeding by asking for a Richard Snary.

Rider.  A person who receives part of the salary of a place
  or appointment from the ostensible occupier, by virtue
  of an agreement with the donor, or great man appointing. 
  The rider is said to be quartered upon the possessor, who
  often has one or more persons thus riding behind him.  See
  quartered.

Ridge.  A guinea.  Ridge cully; a goldsmith.  Cant.

Riding st. George.  The woman uppermost in the amorous
  congress, that is, the dragon upon St. George.  This
  is said to be the way to get a bishop.

Riding skimmington.  A ludicrous cavalcade, in ridicule
  of a man beaten by his wife.  It consists of a man riding
  behind a woman, with his face to the horse’s tail, holding
  a distaff in his hand, at which he seems to work, the woman
  all the while beating him with a ladle; a smock displayed
  on a staff is carried before them as an emblematical standard,
  denoting female superiority:  they are accompanied
  by what is called the rough music, that is, frying-pans, bulls
  horns, marrow-bones and cleavers, &c.  A procession of
  this kind is admirably described by Butler in his Hudibras. 
  He rode private, i.e. was a private trooper.

Riff raff.  Low vulgar persons, mob, tag-rag and bob-tail.

Rig.  Fun, game, diversion, or trick.  To run one’s rig
  upon any particular person; to make him a butt. l am
  up to your rig; I am a match for your tricks.

Rigging.  Clothing.  I’ll unrig the bloss; I’ll strip the
  wench.  Rum Rigging; fine clothes.  The cull has rum
  rigging, let’s ding him and mill him, and pike; the
  fellow has good clothes, let’s knock him down, rob him,
  and scour off, i.e. run away.

Right.  All right!  A favourite expression among thieves,
  to signify that all is as they wish, or proper for their
  purpose.  All right, hand down the jemmy; every thing is
  in proper order, give me the crow.

Rigmarole.  Roundabout, nonsensical.  He told a long
  rigmarole story.

Ring.  Money procured by begging:  beggars so called it
  from its ringing when thrown to them.  Also a circle formed
  for boxers, wrestlers, and cudgel-players, by a man
  styled Vinegar; who, with his hat before his eyes, goes
  round the circle, striking at random with his whip to
  prevent the populace from crowding in.

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1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.