Wednesday, 22 July 2015

From the 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue - E

EARTH BATH. A Grave.
EIGHT EYES. I will knock out two of your eight eyes; a common Billingsgate threat from one fish nymph to another: every woman, according to the naturalists of that society, having eight eyes; viz. two seeing eyes, two bub-eyes, a bell-eye, two pope's eyes, and a ***-eye. He has fallen down and trod upon his eye; said of one who has a black eye.
ELBOW SHAKER. A gamester, one who rattles Saint Hugh's bones, i.e. the dice.
EMPEROR. Drunk as an emperor, i.e. ten times as drunk as a lord.
ENGLISH BURGUNDY. Porter.
ENSIGN BEARER. A drunken man, who looks red in the face, or hoists his colours in his drink.
ESSEX LION. A calf; Essex being famous for calves, and chiefly supplying the London markets.
ESSEX STILE. A ditch; a great part of Essex is low marshy ground, in which there are more ditches than Stiles.
ETERNITY BOX. A coffin.
EVE'S CUSTOM-HOUSE, where Adam made his first entry. The monosyllable.
EVIL. A halter. Also a wife. 

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