Help, subs. (colloquial: once literary).—A hired assistant. Lady-help =
a woman acting as a companion, and undertaking the lighter domestic
duties with or without wages.
1824. Peake, Americans Abroad, i., 1. Have you seen my help—my
nigger.
1839. De Quincey, Murder as one of the Fine Arts, ii. For domestic
helps are pretty generally in a state of transition.
1848. Burton, Waggeries, p. 77. A bevy of ready helps rushed upon
him and tore him from the seat of honour.
1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, ch. vi. ‘Well, you’ve had a
pretty good day of it,’ said Tom, who had been hugely amused; ‘but
I should feel nervous about the help, if I were you.’
So help (or s’elp or s’welp) me God (Bob, never, or say-so, etc.), phr.
(common).—An emphatic asseveration.
1888. J. Runciman, The Chequers, p. 86. I’ll pay it back, s’elp me
Gord.
1892. A. Chevalier, ‘Mrs. ’Enery ’Awkins.’ Selp me Bob I’m crazy,
Liza, you’re a daisy.
1892. Milliken, ’Arry Ballads, p. 62. ’Selp me never, old pal, it’s
a scorcher.
1893. Emerson, Signor Lippo, ch. xiv. Well, so help my blessed
tater, if this isn’t our old Jose turned up again.
Helpa, subs. (back).—An apple.
Helpless, adj. (colloquial).—Drunk. For synonyms, see Drinks and
Screwed.
Hemispheres, subs. (venery).—The paps. For synonyms, see Dairy.
Hemp (or Hemp-seed, Stretch-Hemp, Hemp-string, or Hempy), subs.
(old).—1. A rogue; a candidate fit for the gallows. Frequently used
jocularly. A crack-halter (q.v.). Fr., une graine de bagne.
1532. Sir T. More, Wks. [1557], folio 715. [He] feareth [not] to
mocke the Sacrament, the blessed body of God, and ful like a
stretch hempe, call it but cake, bred, or starch.
1566. Gascoigne, Supposes, iv., 3. If I come near you, hempstring,
I will teach you to sing sol fa.
1598. Shakspeare, 2 Henry IV., ii., 1. Do, do, thou rogue, thou
hemp-seed.
1606. Chapman, Mons. D’Olive, Act v., p. 135. (Plays, 1874). Van. A
perfect young hempstring. Va. Peace, least he overhear you.
1659. Lady Alimony, iv., 6. (Dodsley, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875,
xiv., p. 350). Now, you hempstrings, had you no other time to nim
us but when we were upon our visits?
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Hemp, young-hemp, An appellation
for a graceless boy.
1817. Scott, Rob Roy, ch. xxxiv. She’s under lawful authority now;
and full time, for she was a daft hempie.
1839. Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard, [Ed. 1840], p. 139. ‘We’ll see
that, young hempseed,’ replied Sharples.