3. (thieves’).—Any transaction in the shape of a burglary; e.g., ‘I was
Jemminy to their duke’ = ‘I was privy to the robbery.’
Duke Humphrey. To dine with Duke Humphrey.—See Dine.
Duke of Limbs, subs. phr. (common).—An awkward, uncouth man;
specifically one with ungainly limbs. [Grose, 1785.]
Duke of York, verb. phr. (rhyming slang).—To walk; also, to talk.
Dukes, subs. (common).—The hands. For synonyms, see Bunch of fives and
Daddle.
1879. J. W. Horsley, in Macm. Mag., xl., 501. So I said I would not
go at all if he put his dukes (hands) on me.
1888. Lic. Vict. Gazette, 27 Jan., p. 55, 3. The men ... put up
their dukes to fight for supremacy.
To grease the dukes, verb. phr. (common).—To bribe; also to pay.
1883. J. W. Horsley, Jottings from Jail. I went to him and asked
him if he was not going to grease my duke.
To put up the dukes, verb. phr. (common).—To put up one’s hands for
combat.
1885. Home Tidings, p. 369. ‘Boxing Club Report.’ The two
contestants put up their dukes, and soon warmed up to their work.
Dukey.—See Dookie and Gaff.
Dulcamara, subs. (colloquial).—A quack-doctor. [From the name of a
character in Donizetti’s l’Elixir d’Amour (1845).]
Dull in the Eye, adv. phr. (common).—Intoxicated. For synonyms, see
Drinks and Screwed.
Dull-swift, subs. (old).—A sluggish messenger.
Dumb-fogged, ppl. adj. (common).—Confused.
Dumb-foozled, ppl. adj. (common).—Confounded; puzzled.
1883. Hawley Smart, At Fault, I., x., 240. Considering you built
the theatre, it struck me you weren’t very good at finding your way
about, you seemed regularly dumbfoozled.
Dumbfound, Dumfound, verb (Also Dumbfounding, subs., Dumbfounded or
Dumfoundered [Scots], adj. [Old Slang, now colloquial]).—To perplex; to
confound.
1690. Dryden, Prologue to Prophetess. Then think on that bare bench
my servant sat. I see him ogle still, and hear him chat. Selling
facetious bargains, and propounding That witty recreation called
dumbfounding.
1703. Ward, London Spy, pt. xvi., p. 379. This unexpected retort of
the parsons, quite dumb-founded the Quaker.
1706. R. Estcourt, Fair Example, Act. III., Sc. i., p. 30. And if I
can but dumb-found my husband with a dream, I shall be able to make
my word good.
1714. Spectator, No. 616. They grew a little mutinous for more
liquor. They had like to have dumfounded the justice; but his clerk
came in to his assistance.
1766. Mortimer, Falstaff’s Wedding, I., ii. They let fly their
jests so thick at me, and peppered me so plaguily with small wit,
that I was dumfounded.
1855. A. Trollope, The Warden, ch. xi. At any other time how
exquisitely valuable would have been that touch! but now he was
distraught, dumb-founded, and unmanned.
1861. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, ch. v. He utterly dumfoundered
Charley, by asking abruptly ‘How’s Jim?’
1880. G. R. Sims, Three Brass Balls, Pledge xx. White as a ghost,
dumbfoundered, and trembling, Dan attempted to explain that he was
innocent.
1882. Democracy, ch. vii. She lost her command of thought, and sat
dumbfounded.
1883. W. E. Norris, Thirlby Hall, ch. ix. I was too dumbfoundered
to speak.
Dumb-glutton, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms, see
Monosyllable.
Dumb-squint, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms, see
Monosyllable.
Dummacker, subs. (old).—A knowing person. For synonyms, see Downy Cove.
Dummerer.—See Dommerar.
Dummock, subs. (common).—The posteriors. For synonyms, see Monocular
Eye-glass.
Dummy, subs. (colloquial).—A deaf mute; also an idiot; sometimes a
Duffer, sense 2.
c. 1884. G. R. Sims, Dagonet Ballads (Mott Jarvis). And she left us
like open-mouthed dummies a-waggin’ our heads at the moon.
2. (colloquial).—Generic for sham substitutes for real objects: e.g.,
empty bottles and drawers in an apothecary’s shop; wooden half-tubs of
butter, bladders of lard, hams, cheeses, and so forth; Dummies in
libraries generally take the form of works not likely to tempt the
general reader. Hence, by implication, anything sham.
1846. Punch, vol. XI., p. 185. A Dummy list of Causes has long
since been preferred, to enable Thompson to ascertain whether ‘we
are retained on the other side’ when a brief is brought on behalf
of either party.
1856. H. Mayhew, Gt. World of London, p. 112. The doorway is set
round with sprucely-dressed ‘dummies’ of young gentlemen that have
their gloved fingers spread out like bunches of radishes.
1869. Mrs. H. Wood, Roland Yorke, ch. ix. The large imposing stock
turned out to be three parts dummies.
1871. Daily News. ‘Leader,’ 28 April. The Bill is not yet in the
hands of members or public, the document placed on the table of the
Lords being what is, in parliamentary slang, called a ‘dummy.’