Knock-out, subs. (common).—1. A man frequenting auction rooms and
joining with others to buy at a nominal price. One of the gang is told
off to buy for the rest, and after a few small bids as blinds, the lot
is knocked down to the knock-out bidders, so that competition is made
impossible. At the end of the sale the goods are taken to a near hand
public-house, where they are re-sold or knocked-out among the
confederates, the difference between the first purchase and the
second—or tap-room knock-out—being divided. The lowest sort of
knock-outs, with more tongue than capital, are called babes. Hence (2)
an auction at which knocking-out is practised. Also verbally, as an
adj., and in combination.
1823. Bee, Dict. of the Turf, s.v. Knock out, an illegal auction.
1856. C. Reade, Never Too Late, xlii. This was a knock-out
transaction; twelve buyers had agreed not to bid against one
another in the auction room, a conspiracy illegal but customary.
1872. Athenæum, 4 May. Book knock-out ... buying a rare Shakspeare
for £20, and afterwards selling it at a knock-out for £525.
1876. Hindley, Adventures of a Cheap Jack. The concern would either
remain for a time in shares, or would be knocked out at once, that
is, resold by auction among themselves, and the profit divided.
1883. A. Lang, A Bookman’s Purgatory, in Longman’s Mag., September,
p. 522. The auctioneer put up lot after lot, and Blinton plainly
saw that the whole affair was a knock-out. His most treasured
spoils were parted with at the price of waste paper.
1891. Pall Mall Gaz., 29 Nov., p. 4, c. 3. He condemned the market
‘rings,’ and maintained that by the process of knocking out the
price of food was kept up.
2. in pl. (gaming).—Dice: when in the box = babes in the wood or rogues
in the stocks. See Fulhams.
3. (common).—A man or woman: used either in eulogy or in outraged
propriety: also a warm member (q.v.); one who does outrageous things.
4. (pugilistic).—1. A hit out of the guard on the point of the chin,
which puts the recipient to sleep, and so ends the fight. Hence, 2
(common), a champion of any sort and in any walk of life. Knocker-out =
a pugilist who is an adept at putting to sleep (q.v.).
1891. Sporting Life, 25 Mar. The Barrier man was nearly helpless,
and Choynski tried frantically to pull himself together for one
good knock-out.
1892. Chevalier, Idler, June, p. 549. Oh! ’e’s a little champion,
Do me proud, well ’e’s a knock out.
1894. Illustrated Bits, 7 April, 4, 2. They all called her Miss
Tricky, except some of the lads who preferred to describe her with
fervour as ‘A fair knock-out.’
1894. Arthur Morrison, Tales of Mean Streets, 134. It was a hard
fight and both the lads were swinging the right again and again for
a knock-out.
1895. E. B. Osborn, in New Review, April, 450. The hit out of the
guard to the point of the chin, which is the prettiest application
of the theory of the lever—is equally dangerous when it comes from
a gloved hand. Accordingly, modern boxers (so-called) will give up
everything for an opportunity of striking this particular blow; and
a contest with or without the gloves degenerates into a struggle of
waving hands and woven paces for the one position in which ’tis
possible to deliver it with a fair chance of knocking-out.
Knocksoftly, subs. (old).—A fool; a soft (q.v.).
1864. Derby Day, p. 69. ‘I say,’ cried Mr. Dobson. ‘What’s the row
now? Ain’t you going to let us in?’ ‘What! to be larruped? Not if I
know it. You must think me a jolly knock-softly.’
Knot, subs. (old: now recognised).—A crew, gang, or fraternity.
1597. Shakspeare, Rich. III, iii. 3. A knot you are of damned
blood-suckers.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Verb. (old).—To copulate. For synonyms see Greens and Ride.
1602. Shakspeare, Othello, iv. 2. Keep it as a cistern for foul
toads To knot and gender in.
To knot it, verb. phr. (common).—To abscond. For synonyms see
Absquatulate.
To tie with St. Mary’s knot, verb. phr. (common).—To hamstring.
To tie a knot with the tongue that cannot be untied with the teeth,
verb. phr. (colloquial).—To get married.
Know, verb. (conventional).—To copulate: applied to women. Also to know
carnally and to have carnal knowledge. For synonyms see Greens and
Ride.
To know, one’s way about, round, a thing or two, a trick worth two, the
ropes, the time of day, what’s o’clock, what’s what, one’s book, life,
how many blue beans make five, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To be
well-informed, experienced, wide-awake; to be equal to any emergency;
fly (q.v.).
1534. N. Udall, Roister Doister, i. 2, p. 17 (Arber). Have ye spied
out that? Ah sir, mary nowe I see you know what is what.
1598. Shakspeare, 1 Henry IV, ii. 1. Soft, I pray thee: I know a
trick worth two of that.
1609. Jonson, Silent Woman, v. Daw. O, it pleases him to say so,
sir; but Sir Amorous knows what’s what as well.
1679. W. Wycherley, Love in a Wood, Act iii. Sc. i. But you,
gossip, know what’s what.
1711. Spectator, No. 132. This sly saint, who, I will warrant,
understands what is what as well as you or I, widow, shall give the
bride as father.
1773. Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer, v. ‘Come, boy, I’m an old
fellow, and know what’s what as well as you that are younger.’
1792. Holcroft, Road to Ruin. You know a thing or two, Mr. Selby.
1825. Scott, St. Ronan’s Well. I am a raw Scotchman, Captain
Jekyll, it is true, but yet I know a thing or two.
1834. Ainsworth, Rookwood. A man of discernment who knew a thing or
two.
1836. Dickens, Pickwick, p. 364 (ed. 1857). ‘Never mind, Sir,’ said
Mr. Weller with dignity, ‘I know wot’s o’clock.’
1841. Lever, Charles O’Malley. I thought I knew a thing or two when
I landed in Portugal; but, Lord love you, I was a babe ... compared
to the Portuguese.
1849. Lytton, Caxtons, p. iv. iii. ‘I am no genius, but I am a
practical man. I know what’s what.’
1849–50. Thackeray, Pendennis, ch. x. I know what’s o’clock
tolerably well.
1854. Whyte-Melville, General Bounce. The old Norman bon-vivant
evidently knew a thing or two.
1867. All the Year Round, 13 July, p. 56. The tramp who knows his
way about knows what to do.
1887. Baumann, Londinismen, Slang u. Cant, pref., vi. So from
hartful young dodgers, From vaxy old codgers, From the blowens we
got Soon to know vot is vot.
1888. Rolf Boldrewood, Robbery Under Arms, xxiv. We knew a trick
worth two of that. Ibid. xliv. He knew the ropes.
1889. Pall Mall Gazette, 9 Nov., p. 7, col. 2. Tell him frankly
that you are a new reader, and would be glad of his assistance
until you know the ropes, as the sailors say.
1891. Newman, Scamping Tricks, 120. Now it is only fair to say the
assistant knew his book, and was up to snuff.
1892. Pall Mall Gaz., 12 Oct., p. 5, col. 2. Mr. Asquith knows, if
I may use the phrase, the time of day.
1892. Milliken, ’Arry Ballads, 13. He did know a thing or two.
Ibid. 36. Knows her way about well, I can tell yer. Ibid. 44.
Alfongs knows the ropes.
Not to know B from a battledore. See B.
In the know, adv. phr. (common).—Having special and intimate knowledge;
in the swim; on the ground floor (q.v.).
1883. Referee, 29 April, p. 3, col. 2. As they are being shown
about, and as everybody immediately interested knows all about
them, perhaps Refereaders would like to be in the know likewise.
1884. Cornhill Mag., June, p. 617. The half-dozen young Arabs who
are in the know as to these eating-houses, and have marked them for
their own.
1888. Sportsman, 28 Nov. That greatly desired summit of every
embryo racing man’s aspirations ... being in the know.
1889. Sporting Times, 3 Aug., p. 1, col. 2. There is somebody I wot
of who is fairly in the know.
1889. Star, 9 Sept., p. 4, col. 3. If he were in the know he would
be more correct in his facts.
1892. Pall Mall Gaz., 31 Oct., 3, 1. Racing on the Flat. By one in
the know [Title].
1892. Leisure Hour, Jan., p. 192. It is evident to the reader who
is in the know that the miserable author will have to go round by
Cape Horn to get from Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs.
1894. Illustrated Bits, 7 Ap., p. 4, col. 2. Harry Summers, whose
father did the commissions for the stable, and whose main ambition
was to be in the know, so that he might back winners.
1894. George Moore, Esther Waters, xxx. ‘If one was really in the
know, then I don’t say nothing about it; but who of us is ever
really in the know?’
All one knows, phr. (common).—The utmost.
1888. Rolf Boldrewood, Robbery Under Arms, xxiii. A good many men
tried all they knew to be prepared and have a show for it.
I want to know, phr. (American colloquial).—‘Is it possible?’ ‘You
surprise me.’
Knowing, adj. (common).—1. Artful; fly (q.v.).
1712. Spectator, No. 314. If this gentleman be really no more than
eighteen, I must do him the justice to say he is the most knowing
infant I have yet met with.
1752. Fielding, Amelia, Bk. x. v. ‘We have so much the advantage,
that if the knowing ones were here, they would lay odds of our
side.’
1819–24. Byron, Don Juan.... ‘Who, on a spree with black-eyed Sal,
his blowen, So swell, so prime, so nutty, and so knowing?’
1821. Haggart, Life, p. 11. Our first business of the day, was ...
not very unusual among knowing ones.
1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, p. 6. Flash, my young friend, or
slang, as others call it, is a species of cant in which the knowing
ones conceal their roguery from the flats.
1830. Sir E. B. Lytton, Paul Clifford, p. 29 (ed. 1854). ‘Paul, my
ben cull,’ said he with a knowing wink.
1834. H. Ainsworth, Rookwood, bk. iii. v. Until at last there was
none so knowing.
1835. Selby, Catching an Heiress, sc. 1. Ho, ho! he’s a knowing
one.
1841. Punch, i. 29, 2. Why is a cunning man like a man in
debt?—Because he’s a knowing one (an owing one).
1843. Dickens, Christmas Carol in Prose. To edge his way along the
crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its
distance, was what the knowing ones call ‘nuts’ to Scrooge.
1845. The late fight between the Premier (Peel) and young Ben
(D’Israeli), v. 9, p. 163. The knowing ones suspect that if he
comes up to the scratch again—which is doubtful—he will come off
second best.
1856. Whyte-Melville, Kate Coventry, xviii. There was a slight
bustle among the knowing ones.
1863. Reade, Hard Cash, i. 214. He had a very pleasant way of
conveying appreciation of an officer’s zeal, by a knowing nod with
a kindly smile on the heels of it.
1863. Frazer’s Mag., Dec. ‘The English Spy’. Much which is unfair
in ordinary life is very clever and knowing on the race-course.
1883. Broadside Ballad, ‘Happy Thoughts,’ st. 4. My Uncle Dowle has
lots of money; He’s a very knowing looking blade.