To do a nob, verb. phr. (circus and showmen’s).—To make a collection.
To do a pitch.—See Pitch.
To do a rush.—See Rush.
To do a Snatch.—See Snatch.
To do a star pitch, verb. phr. (theatrical).—To sleep in the open air.
Fr., loger à la belle étoile. For synonyms, see Hedge Square.
To do a brown.—See under Brown; also Bamboozle. Also to do brown and to
do it up brown.
To do for, verb. phr. (common).—1. To ruin. Also, to kill, in which
sense, cf., quots., 1650 and 1877. For synonyms, see Dead broke and
Cook one’s Goose respectively.
1650. Howell, Familiar Letters. The Emperor, who, rather than becom
captif to the base Tartar, burnt his castle, and did away himself,
his thirty wives, and children.
1752. Fielding, Amelia, bk. vi., ch. iv. He said something, too,
about my master ... he said he would do for him, I am sure he said
that; and other wicked, bad words, too, if I could but think of
them.
1811. Jane Austen, Sense and S., ch. xli. He has done for himself
completely! shut himself out for ever from all decent society!
1877. Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. iii., p. 233. He called out,
He’s done for me; he’s done for me; send at once for Doctor Howell.