Dry-hash, subs. (Australian).—A miser; or bad egg; also, by
implication, a loafer.
1887. All the Year Round, 30 July, p. 66. In Australian parlance
... a dry hash, or a stringy bark, that is, a ne’er-do-weel.
Dry-land! intj. (rhyming).—‘You understand!’
Dryland Sailor.—See Turnpike Sailor.
Dry-lodging, subs. (common).—Accommodation without board.
Dry-nurse, subs. (old).—A guardian; a bear-leader, or tutor; a junior
who instructs an ignorant chief in his duties.
1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fayre, I. Quar. Well, this dry nurse, I
say still, is a delicate man.
c. 1640. [Shirley], Captain Underwit, in Bullen’s Old Plays, ii.
322. Tho. But, sir, you must have a dry nurse, as many Captaines
have. Let me see: I can hire you an old limping decayed sergeant at
Brainford that taught the boyes.
1747. Walpole, Lett. to Mann, 10 May (1833), vol. II., p. 292. This
curious Minister ... used to ... walk in the Park with their
daughters, and once went dry nurse to Holland with them.
1852. F. E. Smedley, Lewis Arundel, ch. xxv. Oh, some poor devil
old Grant has picked up cheap as dry-nurse to his pet idiot ...
half valet, half tutor.
1868. Brewer, Phrase and Fable, s.v. When a superior officer does
not know his duty, and is instructed in it by an inferior officer,
he is said to be dry-nursed. The inferior nurses the superior as a
dry nurse rears an infant.
Dry-room, subs. (thieves’).—A prison. For synonyms, see Cage.
Dry-shave, subs. (common).—Rubbing the chin with the fingers; also used
as a verb. The action implies a certain effrontery.
Dry-up, subs. (theatrical).—A failure or Columbus (q.v.); contrast with
draw, sense 2.
Verb (colloquial).—To cease talking; to abandon a purpose or position;
to stop work. As an interjection = Hold your jaw!
1865. The Index, 2 Feb. With which modest contribution we dry up
with reference to the subject.
1872. Daily Telegraph, 4 July. An audience which should cause
defeated Boston to hang her diminished head, dry up, and feel
small.
1876. C. Hindley, Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack, p. 69. I
must dry up for the fellow’s bested me.
1884. Cornhill Mag., June, p. 617. Dry up! is the slangy and
impatient exclamation with which he cuts short the occasional
attempts of his mother to lecture him.
1887. O. W. Holmes, Our Hundred Days, p. 131. There were frequent
... interruptions, something like these: ‘That will do, sir!’ or,
‘You had better stop, sir!’... With us it would have been dry up!
or Hold on!
1888. R. Haggard, Mr. Meeson’s Will [in Illus. Lond. News, Summer
No. p. 3, col. 1]. He ... suddenly dried up as he noticed the
ominous expression on the great man’s brow.
Dry-walking, subs. (military).—A hard-up soldier’s outing.
D. T’s., subs. phr. (common).—Delirium tremens. For synonyms, see
Jim-jams. Also The D. T. = Daily Telegraph.
1864. Soiled Dove, p. 266. I wish to God I could get d. t., and
then I should go mad and cut my throat, or pitch myself out of the
window.
1868. Public Opinion, 1 Aug. Frightful diseases, one of the
commonest of which is jocularly spoken of by tipplers as d. t.
1880. G. R. Sims, Ballads of Babylon (Beauty and Beast).—And had
sold her child to a titled churl, Who had just got round from a bad
d.t.
1883. Globe, 7 July, p. 1, col. 5. One of the daily papers, which
boasts the largest circulation in the world, is familiar to all as
the d.t.
1887. Jas. Payn, Glow-worm Tales, vol. i., p. 209. As certain as
d.t. is the end of drinking.
Dub, subs. (old).—1. A key; specifically a master key. [From dup or
dub, to open; to do up; see verb, sense 1.] For synonyms, see
Locksmith’s daughter.
1789. Geo. Parker, Life’s Painter, p. 153. A bunch of young dubs by
her side, which are a bunch of small keys.
1821. D. Haggart, Life, Glossary, p. 171. Dub, a key.
1839. Harrison Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard [1889], p. 39. That’s the
kinchin as was to try the dub for us, ain’t it? muttered Smith.
Verb (old).—To open, ‘Dub your mummer’ = Open your mouth. Cf., Dubber;
‘Dub the jigger’ = open the door.—See quot., 1848. Also by confusion,
to shut or fasten.
1567. Harman, Caveat [E.E.T. Soc., 1869], p. 85. Dup the gygger,
and maund that is bene shyp.
1596. Shakspeare, Hamlet, Act iv. Sc. 5. Then up he rose and donned
his clothes, and dupped the chamber door.
1848. Duncombe, Sinks of London Laid Open, p. 106. Dub the jigger,
fasten the door.
Dub at a Knapping Jigger, subs. phr. (old).—A turnpike keeper.
1812. Vaux, Flash Dict., s.v.
Dubber, subs. (old).—1. The mouth or tongue; mum your dubber = hold
your tongue. (Cf., dub your mummer, under dub).
1789. Geo. Parker, Life’s Painter, p. 150. Dubber mum’d. To keep
your mouth shut, or be obliged to hold your tongue.