Jawbone, subs. (American).—Credit; day (q.v.). To call one’s jawbone =
to live on credit, or run one’s face (q.v.).
English synonyms. To run one’s face; to get a light; to give (or
strike) on the mace; to mace it; to get on sock (or, on the nod), to go
tick.
French synonyms. Avoir l’arche; avoir l’ardoise (= to chalk it up); le
crôme or croume (tramps’); grésillonner (= to ask credit); avoir l’œil
(general); la symbole.
1862. Times, 21 Oct. (San Francisco correspondent). Individuals,
who, in digger’s parlance, live on jawbone.
Jawbreaker (or Jawtwister) subs. (common).—1. A hard or many-syllabled
word. Jawbreaking = difficult.
1839. Lever, Harry Lorrequer, xx. I’d rather hear the Cruiskeen
Lawn ... as my old friend ... could sing [it] than a score of your
high Dutch jawbreakers.
1851–61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab., i. 27. ‘I can’t tumble to that
barrikin’, said a young fellow; ‘it’s a jawbreaker.’
1872. Chambers’ Miscellany, No. 152, p. 2. The most jawbreaking
poly-syllables were cleared in a flying gallop.
1883. Illustrated London News, 8 Dec., p. 551, col. i. Such tedious
talk, such sledge-hammer humour, and jaw-cracking jokes.