1857. Snowden, Mag. Assistant, 3rd ed., p. 445. A pocket
handkerchief pinned to the pocket for a trap—kidment.
Adj. (American thieves’).—Comical.—Matsell (1859).
Kidnap, verb. (old: now recognised).—To steal children. [Skeat:
compounded of kid, (a child in thieves’ slang) nap, more commonly nab,
to steal]. See kidnapper.
Kidnapper, subs. (old: now recognised).—A child-stealer. See quots. Cf.
Sheep-napper.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Kidnapper, one that Decoys or
Spirits (as it is commonly called) Children away and Sells them for
the Plantations.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Kidnapper, originally one who
stole, or decoyed children, or apprentices from their parents or
masters, to send them to the colonies. Called also spiriting, but
now used for all recruiting crimps, for the king’s troops, or those
of the East India company, and agents for indenting servants for
the plantations.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, xxxiv. The devil can scarce save Dirk
Hatteraick from being hanged for a murderer and kidnapper, if the
younker of Ellangowan should settle in this country.
Kidney, subs. (colloquial).—Kind; disposition; fashion: as, ‘Two of a
kidney’ = two of a mind; ‘of a strange kidney’ = of an odd humour; ‘of
a different kidney’ = of different habit or turn. Fr. le bouchon.
1596. Shakspeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, iii. 5. Think of that, a
man of my kidney.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Kidney, of that Kidney, of such
a stamp.
1710. Tatler, No. 230. Other of that kidney are very uppish, and
alert upon’t.
1719. Durfey, Pills etc., ii. 332. Accosting one of his own crew,
Whom he of the right kidney knew.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1742. Fielding, Joseph Andrews, ii. viii. I am heartily glad to
meet with a man of your kidney.
1755. Johnson, Dicty, s.v. Kidney. Sort; kind; in ludicrous
language.
1763. Terræ Filius [Nares]. Attempt to put their hair out of
kidney.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1830. W. T. Moncrieff, Van Dieman’s Land, i. 2. I must curry favour
with them, as we’re going to be of a kidney.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, ‘Witches Frolic.’ As men of his
kidney are wont to snore.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
1871. Disraeli, Lothair, i. 741. Men of their own kidney.
1888. Runciman, The Chequers, 223. At times, like Robert Burns,
George Morland, and men of that kidney, he would give way to a
passionate burst of repentance.
1889. Globe, 23 July, p. 6, col. 1. Lord Justice Lopes showed
himself a paragon of patience, but it is sincerely to be hoped that
there will be no more suitors in person of this kidney.
1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger’s Sweetheart, 153. I fancy the second
King of Israel must have been of the same kidney, if that account
is quite accurate about his merry-making on one occasion.
1894. K. Grahame, Pagan Papers, p. 129. These great Beasts
[hornets] ... were of a different kidney.