1852. Bristed, Upper Ten Thousand, 67. Handing the lines to
Ashburner, as he stopped his team.
On the line, subs. phr. (common).—Hung on the line at the Royal
Academy.
1865. Fortnightly Review, ii. p. 28. Every picture should be hung
at that height which in the Royal Academy Exhibition is known as
the line.
Verb. (venery).—1. Properly, to impregnate a bitch; hence, to copulate.
For synonyms see Greens and Ride.
1601. P. Holland, Plinie, viii. ch. xi. The Indians take great
pleasure to have their salt bitches lined with tigres.
1725. N. Bailey, Erasmus, ii. 160. He would with the utmost
diligence look for a dog that was on all accounts of a good breed,
to line her, that he might not have a litter of mongrels.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
2. (colloquial).—To fill: as to line one’s stomach = to eat; to line
one’s pockets = to take money.
1837. Dickens, Oliver Twist, 43. ‘A couple of pocket-books,’
replied that young gentleman. ‘Lined?’ enquired the Jew.
A line of the old author, subs. phr. (old).—A dram of brandy. For
synonyms see Go.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
To get into (or on) a line, verb. phr. (old).—See quot. Cf. String and
Gammon.
1819. De Vaux, Memoirs, s.v. Line. To get a person in a line, or in
a string, is to engage them in a conversation, while your
confederate is robbing their person or premises; to banter or jest
with a man by amusing him with false assurances or professions, is
also termed stringing him, or getting him in tow; to keep any body
in suspense on any subject without coming to a decision, is called
keeping him in tow, in a string, or in a tow-line. To cut the line,
or the string, is to put an end to the suspense in which you have
kept any one, by telling him the plain truth, coming to a final
decision, &c. A person, who has been telling another a long story,
until he is tired, or conceives his auditor has been all the while
secretly laughing at him, will say at last, I’ve just dropped down,
you’ve had me in a fine string, I think it’s time to cut it. On the
other hand, the auditor, having the same opinion on his part, would
say, Come, I believe you want to string me all night, I wish you’d
cut it; meaning, conclude the story at once.
To line one’s jacket. See Jacket.
The devil’s regiment of the line, subs. phr. (common).—Felons;
convicts; the police-van corps.
Line-age, subs. (journalistic).—Payment by line.
Linen. The linen, subs. phr. (common).—The stage curtain: the rag
(q.v.).
To wrap up in clean linen, verb. phr. (old).—To deliver sordid or
smutty (q.v.) matter in decent language.—Ray (1767).
To cool in one’s linen, verb. phr. (old).—To die.
d. 1796. Burns, Poems. ‘O Merry Hae I Been.’ Blessed be the hour
she cooled in her linens.
Linen-arbor, subs. (American cadets’).—A dormitory.
Linen-armourer, subs. (common).—A tailor. For synonyms see Snip.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Linen-draper, subs. (rhyming).—Paper.
Linenopolis, subs. (common).—Belfast: cf. Cottonopolis.
1886. The State, 20 May, p. 210. There is no town of any dimensions
in all Ireland more charmingly situated than Linenopolis.
Liner, subs. (journalistic).—1. A casual reporter, paid by lineage
(q.v.). Short for penny-a-liner.
1861. Dutton Cook, Paul Foster’s Daughter, xix. Because now and
then a liner is found in the gutter, it doesn’t do to cry shame on
every man that wields a pen.
1864. J. H. Burton, Scot Abroad, .... The most fashionable
penny-a-liner of the Morning Post.