BOB, a shilling. Formerly BOBSTICK, which may have been the original.
BOB, “s’help my BOB,” a street oath, equivalent to “so help me God.”
Other words are used in street language for a similarly evasive
purpose, _i.e._, CAT, GREENS, TATUR, &c., all equally profane and
disgusting.
BOBBISH, very well, clever, spruce; “how are you doing?” “oh! pretty
BOBBISH.”—_Old._
BOBBY, a policeman. Both BOBBY and PEELER were nicknames given to the
new police, in allusion to the christian and surnames of the late _Sir
Robert Peel_, who was the prime mover in effecting their introduction
and improvement. The term BOBBY is, however, older than the _Saturday
Reviewer_, in his childish and petulant remarks, imagines. The official
square-keeper, who is always armed with a cane to drive away idle
and disorderly urchins, has, time out of mind, been called by the
said urchins, BOBBY _the Beadle_. BOBBY is also, I may remark, an
old English word for striking or hitting, a quality not unknown to
policemen.—_See Halliwell’s Dictionary._