Has-been, subs. (colloquial Scots’).—Anything antiquated; specifically
in commendation: as ‘the good old has-beens’; cf., never was.
1891. Sportsman, 1 Apr. Big Joe M’Auliffe proved conclusively that
he is one of the has beens or else one of the never wasers, as Dan
Rice, the circus man, always called ambitious counterfeits.
Hash, subs. (colloquial).—1. A mess; specifically in the phrase ‘to
make a hash of.’ For synonyms, see Sixes and Sevens.
1747. Walpole, Lett. to Mann, 23 Feb. (1833) Vol. II., p. 274.
About as like it, as my Lady Pomfret’s hash of plural persons and
singular verbs or infinitive moods was to Italian.
1836. Michael Scott, Cruise of the Midge, p. 115 [Ry. ed.]. Listado
never could compass Spanish, because, as he said, he had previously
learnt French, and thus spoke a hash of both.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends. ‘M. of Venice.’ Don’t suppose my
affairs are at all in a hash, But the fact is, at present I’m quite
out of cash.
1843. Punch’s Almanack, July (q.v.).
1845. Punch’s Guide to Servants, ‘The Cook,’ Vol. IX., p. 45. He
who gives a receipt for making a stew, may himself make a sad hash
of it.
1886. R. L. Stevenson, Kidnapped, p. 97. Ye’ve made a sore hash of
my brig.
1889. Sporting Life, 30 Jan. Successfully negotiated the tricky
entrance to the stable-yard of the hotel, at which job I have been
in a mortal funk many a time with poor old Jim beside me, for fear
of making a hash of it.
1890. Grant Allen, Tents of Shem, ch. xvi. She made a hash of the
proper names, to be sure.