1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, i. All sorts of high jinks go on
on the grass plot.
1872. Daily Telegraph, 13 Sept. ‘Filey the Retired.’ Frisky Filey
cannot assuredly be called. There are no high jinks on her jetty;
and, besides, she hasn’t got a jetty, only a ‘Brigg.’
1890. Pall Mall Gaz., 24 July, 4, 2. Yesterday and to-day there
have been high jinks in Petworth Park, rich and poor for miles
round being invited, and right royally feasted on the coming of age
of Lord and Lady Leconfield’s eldest son.
1891. Licensed Vict. Gaz., 3 Apr. While Bank Holiday was being
celebrated with such éclat at Kempton, they were carrying on high
jinks over hurdles and fences at Manchester.
1892. Sala’s Journal, 2 July, p. 223. High jinks with the telephone
have been the order of the day at Warwick Castle; taps and wires
have been turned on and off, and floods of melody of various kinds
have delighted listening ears.
1893. National Observer, 25 Feb., ix., 357. Time was when there
were high jinks in that vast quadrangle.
To be at his high jinks, phr. (common).—To be stilted and arrogant in
manner; to ride the high horse (q.v.). Fr., faire sa merde or sa poire.
High-kicker, subs. (colloquial).—Specifically, a dancer whose
speciality is the high kick or the porte d’armes; whence, by metaphor,
any desperate spreester (q.v.), male or female.
High-kilted, adj. (Scots’).—Obscene or thereabouts; full flavoured
(q.v.).
Highland-bail, subs. (Scots’).—The right of the strongest; force
majeure.
1816. Scott, Antiquary, ch. xxix. The mute eloquence of the miller
and smith, which was vested in their clenched fists, was prepared
to give Highland bail for their arbiter.
High-lawyer, subs. (old).—A highwayman. For synonyms, see Road Agent.
1592. John Day, Blind Beggar, p. 21 (Ed. Bullen). He wo’d be your
prigger, your prancer, your high-lawyer.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 50 (H. Club’s Rept., 1874). He
first gaue termes to robbers by the high-way, that such as robbe on
horse-backe were called high lawyers, and those who robbed on
foote, he called Padders.
High-liver, subs. (old).—A garretteer; a thief housed in an attic.
Hence, High-living = lodging in a garret.—Lex. Bal.
High-men, subs. (old).—Dice loaded to show high numbers. Also,
High-runners. See Fulhams and Low-men.
1594. Nashe, Unf. Traveller in Wks. [Grosart], v., 27. The dice of
late are growen as melancholy as a dog, high men and low men both
prosper alike.
1596. Shakspeare, Merry Wives, i., 3. Let vultures gripe thy guts!
for gourd and fullam holds, And high and low beguiles the rich and
poor.
1598. Florio, A Worlde of Wordes. Pise, false dice, high men or low
men.
1605. London Prodigal, i., 1. I bequeath two bale of false dice,
videlicet, high men and low men, fullams, stop-catertraies, and
other bones of function.
1615. Harington, Epigrams, i., 79. Your high And low men are but
trifles.
1657–1733. John Dennis, Letters, ii., 407. Shadwell is of opinion,
that your bully, with his box and his false dice, is an honester
fellow than the rhetorical author, who makes use of his tropes and
figures, which are his high and his low runners, to cheat us at
once of our money and of our intellectuals.
1822. Scott, Fort. of Nigel, ch. xxiii. Men talk of high and low
dice.
High-nosed, adj. phr. (colloquial).—Very proud in look and in fact;
supercilious in bearing and speech; superior (q.v.).
High- [or gay-] old (time, game, liar, etc.), adj. phr. (common).—A
general intensitive: e.g., high old time = a very merry time indeed;
high old liar = a liar of might; high old drunk = an uncommon booze
(q.v.).
1883. Referee, 11 Mar., p. 3, c. 2. All the children who have been
engaged in the Drury Lane pantomime took tea on the stage, and had
a high old time (while it lasted).
1888. J. McCarthy and Mrs. Campbell-Praed, Ladies’ Gallery, ch.
xxxv. I went down to Melbourne, intending to have a high old time.
1891. Murray’s Mag., Aug., p. 202. There will be a Want of
Confidence Motion, and a high old debate.
1891. J. Newman, Scamping Tricks, p. 7. You are a big fraud and a
high old liar.
1892. Milliken, ’Arry Ballads, p. 35. We’d the highest old game.
1892. F. Anstey, Voces Populi, ‘The Riding Class,’ p. 108. We’ve
bin having a gay old time in ’ere.
High-pad (or Toby, or High-toby-splice), subs. (old).—1. The highway.
Also, high-splice toby. For synonyms, see Drum.
1567. Harman, Caveat, p, 86. Roge, Nowe bynge we a waste to the
hygh pad, the ruffmanes is by.
c. 1819. Slang Song (quoted in notes to Don Juan, x., 19). On the
high-toby-splice flash the muzzle In spite of each gallows old
scout.
1836. H. M. Milner, Turpin’s Ride to York, i., sc. 2. Come, lads a
stirrup-cup at parting, and then hurrah for the game of high-toby.
1876. Hindley, Adventures of a Cheap Jack, p. 4. Halting for a few
hours at mid-day during the heat in the high spice-toby, as we used
to call the main road.
2. (old).—A highwayman. Also, high-tobyman (or -gloak). For synonyms,
see Road Agent.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. High Pad, a Highwayman, Highway
Robber well Mounted and Armed.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1823. Bee, Dict. Turf, s.v. High toby-gloak, a highway robber well
mounted.
1834. Ainsworth, Rookwood, bk. IV., ch i. Tom King, a noted
high-toby gloak of his time.
1857. Punch, 31 Jan. (from slang song). That long over Newgit their
Worships may rule, As the High-toby, mob, crack, and screeve model
school.