Knuckle-bone. Down on the knuckle-bone, phr. (thieves’).—Hard-up;
stoney (q.v.).
1883. Daily Telegraph, 4 August, p. 2, col. 1. I once had the
honour of being present at a ‘select harmonic’ held in the shady
neighbourhood of Fox-court, in Grays Inn-lane, which, according to
the card pertaining thereto, was for the benefit of someone who was
down on the knuckle bone in consequence of having been put away
since the previous October (it was then the month of March), and
only just now released.
Knuckled, adj. (tailors’).—Handsome.
Knuckledabs (or knuckle-confounders), subs. (old).—Handcuffs.—Grose
(1785). For synonyms see Darbies.
Knuckle-duster, subs. (common).—A knuckle-guard of iron or brass which,
in striking, protects the hand from injury and adds force to a blow.
1858. Times, 15 Feb. Knuckle-duster ... a formidable American
instrument, made of brass, which slips easily on to the four
fingers of the hand, and having a projecting surface, across the
knuckles, is calculated, in a pugilistic encounter to inflict
serious injury on the person against whom it is directed.
1861. Sala, Twice round the Clock, Noon Par. 12. A bunch of
skeleton keys, a knuckle-duster, and a piece of wax candle, all
articles sufficiently indicative of the housebreaker’s
stock-in-trade.
1866. Era, 18 June. Without a moment’s hesitation—except to load a
six-barrelled revolver with ball cartridge and to arm himself with
a pair of Yankee knuckle-dusters—the intrepid African opened the
door of the den.
1872. Standard, ‘Middlesex Sessions Report’. In another box he
found a life-preserver, the end of it being loaded with lead,
knuckle-dusters, and other things of the same description.
1877. E. L. Linton, World Well Lost, xii. A kind of panic went
through the place, and the demand for revolvers and knuckledusters,
iron shutters and bells ... surprised the tradesmen.
1883. Daily News, 20 March, p. 6, col. 3. He struck at him in the
face with a knuckle-dusters he had in his hand.
1887. Daily Chronicle, 8 Dec. Hayzeman stepped from the other side
of the road, and struck prosecutor on the nose, the blow, as
believed, being given with a knuckle-duster.
1888. J. Runciman, The Chequers, 84. We were a jovial company: four
of us were wondering how they could rob the fifth, and that fifth
resolved, quite early in this seance, to use his knuckle-duster
promptly, and to prevent either of the male warblers from getting
behind him, at any risk.
1890. Standard, 30 July, p. 3, col. 6. The Prisoner made no reply,
but struck him with a knuckle-duster, which he took out of his
pocket.