Ignoramus, subs. (old: now literary).—A stupid and unlettered person,
male or female: first applied to ignorant lawyers. [From Latin = we
ignore (it), the endorsement by which a grand jury threw out a bill].
1569. Erasmus, Praise of Folly. Tr. [Reeves & Turner] p. 64. The
lawyer who is so silly ... as to be ignoramus to a proverb.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel. Pt. 2. Sec. 2, Mem. 4, Vol. i, p. 425
(1827). Let them go as they are in the catalogue of ignoramus.
1670. Shadwell, Sullen Lovers, iv, p. 58. The greatest Owl....
Rascal, Oaf, ignoramus.
1690. B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew. s.v.
b. 1733. R. North, Examen, I, ii. 82. If he had declared otherwise
he would have been an ignoramus.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1811. Lex. Bal. s.v.
1883. Braddon, Golden Calf, II, ch. iv, p. 140. Brian is a
tremendous botanist, and Mr. Jardine is not an ignoramus in that
line.
Ignoramus-Jury, subs. phr. (old).—A Grand Jury.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew. s.v. Ignoramus.... also, We are
Ignorant, written by the Grand Jury on Bills, when the Evidence is
not Home, and the Party (thereupon) Discharged.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
Ikey, subs. (thieves’).—A Jew: specifically a Jew fence (q.v.). [A
corruption of Isaac]. For synonyms see Yid. Also Ikey Mo.
Adj. (common).—Smart; fly (q.v.); knowing (q.v.).
1870. Leybourne, Song. My name it is ikey Bill, A Whitechapel Covey
am I.
1892. Chevalier, ‘The Little Nipper’. But artful little ikey little
ways, As makes the people sit up where we stays.
Ile. See Oil.
Ill, adv. (American).—Vicious; unpleasant; ill-tempered. Cf. Religious.
Also ill for = having a vicious propensity for anything (Jamieson).
Cf., ‘Neither is it ill air only that makes an ill seat, but ill ways,
ill markets, and ill neighbours’ (Bacon).
1887. Trans. Am. Philol. Ass., xvii. 39. I heard a man in the Smoky
Mountains say, ‘Some rattlesnakes are iller’n others;’ and another
that ‘black rattlesnakes are the illest’.
1887. Scribner’s Mag. In course the baby mus’ come in the thick er
it! An’t make me mad, seein’ him so ill with her.
To do ill to, verb. phr. (Scots’ colloquial).—To have sexual commerce
with: generally in negative, and of women alone.
Illegitimate, subs. (old).—1. A counterfeit sovereign: young
illegitimate = a half sovereign.—Bee (1823).