1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
The murder (slaughter, or massacre) of the Innocents, subs. phr.
(parliamentary). The abandonment, towards the end of a session, of
measures whether introduced by the Government or by private members,
when they would have no chance of passing.
1859. Times, 20 July, p. 7, col. 3. The Leader of the House would
have to go through that doleful operation called the massacre of
the innocents, devoting to extinction a number of useful measures
which there was not time to pass.
1860. Punch, xxxviii. 255. I brooded o’er my discontent, saying—The
Notice-paper thins: Now that with early June begins the massacre of
innocents.
1870. London Figaro, 6 August. So vigorously has the slaughter of
the innocents been proceeding that the Appropriation Bill was read
a first time in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
1871. Times, ‘Leader’ 9 May. The massacre of the innocents has
begun.
1872. Saturday Review, 20th July. When the proposals of a member
will stand the test of being expressed in a Bill, they are often of
great value, and have an effect on legislation, and on the conduct
of the Government, although they are massacred with hundreds of
other innocents at the end of the Session.
1879. Graphic, 9th July, p. 50. Formerly ... the massacre of the
innocents was chiefly confined to measures which owed their
existence rather to individual and sectional enthusiasm than to the
deliberate wishes of the nation.
Innominables, subs. (obsolete).—Breeches; trousers; inexpressibles. For
synonyms see Bags and Kicks.
1834. Southey, The Doctor, p. 688. The lower part of his dress
represented innominables and hose in one.
Inside, subs. (common).—A passenger riding inside a vehicle. See
outside.
1816. Scott, Old Mortality, ii. A wheel carriage bearing eight
insides and six outsides.
d. 1820. G. Canning, Loves of the Triangles, i. 178. So down thy
hill, romantic Ashbourn, glides The Derby dilly, carrying six
insides.
1889. Daily Telegraph, 5 Jan. The insides were terrified.
Adj. and adv. (colloquial).—Trustworthy; pertinent; in touch with;
bottom (q.v.). To know the inside of everything = to be well informed.
1888. Daily Inter-Ocean. A secret service officer, who has just
arrived from Washington on important business, claims to have
inside information as to the facts in the case.
1889. Pall Mall Gazette, 12 Nov., p. 6, col. 2. He saw everything
and missed not the smallest incident or accident. The latter were
few enough, but such as they were he was, so to speak, inside of
them without a falter.
Inside of, subs. and adv. (colloquial).—Within the limit; in less time
than.
1888. Missouri Republican, 22 Feb. He is very desperate, and inside
of thirty days shot at four men.
1887. Hartford Courant, 13 Jan. Both animals had been killed inside
of five minutes.
1888. Rolf Boldrewood, Robbery Under Arms, chap. xi. He knocked the
seven senses out of him inside of three rounds.
1890. W. C. Russell, Ocean Tragedy, 74. Tain’t to be done in the
inside of a month.
To do an inside worry, verb. phr. (venery).—To copulate. For synonyms
see Greens and Ride.
To take the inside out of (a glass, a book &c.), verb. phr.
(colloquial).—To empty; to gut (q.v.).
1843. W. T. Moncrieff, The Scamps of London, iii. 1. Haven’t you
taken the inside out of that quart of gatter yet?
To be on (or to have) the inside track, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To be
on the safe side; to be at a point of vantage; or (of a subject) to
understand thoroughly.
Inside and Outside! phr. (old).—A toast: ‘the inside of a cunt and the
outside of a gaol’.—Grose (1823).
Insider, subs. (American thieves’).—1. One in the know (q.v.).
2. (general).—One who has some special advantage, as in a business
enterprise.
Inside-Lining, subs. (common).—Food: specifically in quot. See lining.
For synonyms see Grub.
1851–61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. & Lond. Poor, i. 20. He was ‘going
to get an inside-lining’ (dinner).
Inside-Squatter, subs. (Australian). A settler within the bounds of
civilization: see Outside-Squatter.
Inspector of Pavements, subs. phr. (old).—1. A man in the pillory.
1821. Egan, Life in London, ii. 97. Having once been made inspector
of the pavement, or in other words ‘kidnapped on the stoop.’
2. (common).—A man out of work. Also inspector of public buildings. Fr.
Inspecteur de monuments publiques.
Inspire, verb. (journalistic).—To impart a tone, possibly official, to
the subject matter of a newspaper or magazine article.
1884. Daily Telegraph, 11 Sept. A paragraph obviously inspired
appears in a local journal this evening.
1889. Daily Telegraph, 14 Feb. All the inspired papers keep laying
stress upon this fact, which is significant.
Inspired, adj. (common).—1. Drunk. For synonyms see Drinks and Screwed.