1883. Grenville-Murray, People I Have Met, 123. He was not
handicapped by a title, so that the beautiful ethics of hereditary
legislation had no claim on his attention.
Handie-Dandie, subs. phr. (old).—Copulation.
1490–1554. David Lyndsay, Kitty’s Confessioun [Laing], i., 136. Ane
plack I will gar Sandie, Gie the agane with Handie-Dandie.
Handle, subs. (common).—1. The nose. For synonyms, see Conk.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum. The cove flashes a rare handle to his
physog; the fellow has a large nose.
1887. Modern Society, 27 Aug., 864. A restless, intriguing, and
busy old lady, with an immense handle to her face.
2. (colloquial).—A title. Fr., une queue, as Monsieur Sans-queue = Mr.
Nobody.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, xxiii. She ... entertained us with
stories of colonial governors and their ladies, mentioning no
persons but those who had handles to their names, as the phrase is.
1857. Ducange Anglicus, Vulg. Tongue. Handle, n. Title. Oh, you
want a handle to your name.
1871. London Figaro, 17 June, ‘The plaint of a poor Parson.’
Neither he nor his clerical neighbours—unless they belong to county
families, or have handles to their names—have ever been invited by
the Dean to partake of the hospitalities of the Deanery.
1886. J. S. Winter, Army Society, ch. ii. That’s the worst of
having a handle to one’s name.
1891. Licensed Vict. Gaz., 16 Jan. Here’s the Honourable Tom Jones,
and Lord Smith, and Viscount Brown—that’s them, with the handles
knocked off their names.
1892. Henley and Stevenson, Deacon Brodie, i., 2. He was aye
ettling after a bit handle to his name.