Diddle-Cove, subs. (American).—A landlord. Cf., Diddler.
1859. Matsell, Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.
Diddler, subs. (common).—A cheat; a dodger. [From diddle (q.v.) + er.]
For synonyms, see Rook.—See Jeremy Diddler (Kenny’s Raising the Wind).
Also a chronic borrower. Diddling = cheating; also borrowing.
Diddly-pout, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms, see
Monosyllable.
Didoes, subs. (American).—Pranks; tricks; fantastic proceedings.—See
Cut Didoes, and Cut Capers.
1835. Haliburton, Clockmaker, 1 S., ch. xvii. I met a man this
mornin’ ... frum Halifax, a real conceited lookin’ critter as you
e’enamost ever seed, all shines and didoes.
1851. New York Tribune, 10 April, Had the Free States been manly
enough, true enough, to enact the Wilmot Proviso as to all present
or future territories of the Union, we should have had just the
same didoes cut up by the chivalry that we have witnessed, and with
no more damage to the Union.
Die or Dee, subs. (American thieves’).—A pocket-book. Matsell’s
Vocabulum [1859]. For synonyms, see Leather.
Die-by-the-Hedge, subs. phr. (provincial).—The flesh of animals
deceased by accident or of disease; by implication, inferior meat.
Die-Hards, subs. (military).—The Fifty-Seventh Foot. [From the rallying
call at Albuera (1811) its Colonel (Inglis) calling to the men, ‘Die
hard, my men, die hard,’ when it had thirty bullets through the King’s
Colour, and only had one officer out of twenty-four, and one hundred
and sixty-eight men out of five hundred and eighty-four, when left
standing.]
Die in One’s Boots or Shoes, verb. phr. (old).—1. To be hanged. For
synonyms, see Ladder.
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais.
1837. R. H. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends. ‘The Execution’ (ed. 1862),
p. 196. And there is McFuze And Lieutenant Tregooze, And there is
Sir Carnaby Jenks of the Blues All come to see a man die in his
shoes.
1888. Denver Republican, 9 April. When in liquor he was quarrelsome
and the prediction was commonly made that he would die with his
boots on.
2. (American).—To ‘die standing’: at work, ‘in harness,’ in full
possession of one’s faculties.
1887. Scribner’s Magazine. These stiff prairie plants never
wilt—they die in their boots.
1888. Cincinnatti Enquirer, Title: died with his boots on. The
killing of the notorious Desperado Leo Renfro.
Die with One’s Ears Stuffed with Cotton.—See Cotton.
Dig, subs. (colloquial).—1. A blow, thrust, punch, or poke; in pugilism
= a ‘straight left-hander’ delivered under the guard on the ‘mark.’
1819. Moore, Tom Crib’s Memorial, p. 51. While ribbers rung from
each resounding frame, and divers digs, and many a ponderous pelt.
1876. C. W. Wall, trans. Molière, vol. i., p. 80. The digs in the
ribs I gave you with such hearty good will.
English Synonyms.—Auctioneer; biff; bang; buck-horse; buster;
chatterer; chin-chopper; chopper; clip; click; clinker; clout; cock;
cork; comber; cuff; cant; corker; dab; downer; douser; ding; domino;
floorer; ferricadouzer; fibbing; facer; flush-hit; finisher; gooser;
hot ’un; jaw-breaker; lick; mendoza; muzzler; noser; nobbler;
nose-ender; nope; oner; punch; stock-dollager; stotor; spank; topper;
twister; whack; wipe.
French Synonyms.—Un coup d’encensoir (popular: a tap on the nose; ‘one
on the smeller’); un coup de tampon (pop.: tampon = buffer); un coup de
Garibaldi (thieves’: a butt in the stomach); un moule de gant (popular:
‘a mould for a glove’); une mornifle (colloquial: ‘a wipe in the jaw’);
une mandole (popular); une gnole (popular: from torgnole); un coup de
gilquin (popular); un cataplasme de Venise (popular); un gnon
(popular); une dariole (pop.: also, a cream-cake); une beugne
(popular); une dandine (popular: ‘a twister’); une baffre (popular);
des castagnettes (military: punches); une châtaigne (popular); une
couleur (popular); une bouffe (popular: bouffée = gust or blast); un
cabochon (popular); un estaffion (popular); une estaphe (popular); une
accolade; une balle de coton (thieves’).—See also Tan, verb.
German Synonym. Azkes malaikes (Viennese thieves’: = a blow with the
fist on the throat. The derivation may be: azke from Heb. osak, to
quarrel + malaikes from Heb. melocho, work).
Spanish Synonyms.—Duros (whip-strokes; also = harsh, merciless);
tapaboca (a ‘corker’: also any action or observation which cuts one
short); pasagonzalo (a quick hit); capon (generally colloquial);
chamorrada (a butt with the head); mojada (a stab); zumbido or zumbo
(literally, a humming or buzzing); tantarantin (a thwack; also = beat
of a drum); tarja (also = a target).
Italian Synonym. Ramenghi d’alta foia (blows with a stick).
2. (American).—A diligent student. [By implication from the verb
(q.v.); also study; e.g., To have a dig at Cæsar or Livy.
Verb (American)—To work hard; especially to study.
1876. Miss Alcott, Little Wives, ch. ix. He ... turned studious,
and gave out that he was going to dig, intending to graduate in a
blaze of glory.
Dig a day under the skin, verb. phr. (common).—To make a shave serve
for two days.
To dig up the hatchet.—See Bury.
Digester.—See Patent Digester.
Digged.—See Jigged.
Diggers, subs. (common).—1. Spurs; ‘persuaders.’
1789. Geo. Parker, Life’s Painter, p. 173, s.v.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.