? Old Song, ‘Life’s a Chase.’ And e’en the death-hunter, in coffins
who deals Is at last hunted into a coffin.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Death or Glory Boys.—See Bingham’s dandies.
Debblish, subs. (South African).—A penny. For synonyms, see Winn.
Decapitate.—See Cut off one’s head.
Decent, Decently, Decentish, adj. and adv. (colloquial).—Moderate;
tolerable; passably; fairly good.
Decoy-bird or Duck, subs. (colloquial).—One employed to decoy persons
into a snare; a buttoner or bug-hunter (q.v.). Fr., un allumeur, un
chatouilleur, or un arrangeur.
Decus, subs. (old).—A crown piece. [From the Latin, the motto decus et
tutamen on the rims of these coins.] For synonyms, see Caroon.
1688. T. Shadwell, Squire of Alsatia, ed. 1720, 2, vol. IV., p. 48.
Madam Hackum, to testify my gratitude, I make bold to equip you
with some Meggs, Decus’s, and Georges.
1822. Scott, Fort. of Nigel, ch. xxiii. ‘You see,’ he said,
pointing to the casket, ‘that noble Master Grahame, whom you call
Green, has got the decuses and the smelts.’
Dee, subs. (vagrants’).—1. A pocket-book or reader. For synonyms, see
Leather.
2. (common).—A detective; also ’tec, (q.v.). Cf., Deeker, and for
synonyms, see Nark.
1886. Graphic, 30 Jan., p. 130, col. 1. A detective is known as a
dee and a teck; the former is principally used by tramps and
gipsies, and is properly D, the initial letter of the word.