PLUNDER, a common word in the horse trade to express profit. Also an
_American_ term for baggage, luggage.
PLUM, £100,000, usually applied to the dowry of a rich heiress, or a
legacy.
PLUMMY, round, sleek, jolly, or fat; excellent, very good, first rate.
PLUMPER, a single vote at an election, not a “split ticket.”
PODGY, drunk; dumpy, short and fat.
POGRAM, a dissenter, a fanatic, formalist, or humbug.
POKE, “come, none of your POKING fun at me,” _i.e._, you must not laugh
at me.
POKE, a bag, or sack; “to buy a pig in a POKE,” to purchase anything
without seeing it.—_Saxon._
POKER, “by the holy POKER and the tumbling Tom!” an Irish oath.
POKERS, the Cambridge slang term for the Esquire Bedels, who carry the
silver maces (also called POKERS) before the Vice-Chancellor.
POKY, confined or cramped; “that corner is POKY and narrow.”—_Times_
article, 21st July, 1859.
POLE-AXE, vulgar corruption of policeman.
POLICEMAN, a fly.
POLISH OFF, to finish off anything quickly—a dinner for instance; also
to finish off an adversary.—_Pugilistic._
POLL, or POLLING, one thief robbing another of part of their
booty.—_Hall’s Union_, 1548.
POLL, the “ordinary degree” candidates for the B.A. Examination, who
do not aspire to the “Honours” list. From the _Greek_, ὁι πόλλοι,
“the many.” Some years ago, at Cambridge, Mr. Hopkins being the most
celebrated “honour coach,” or private tutor for the wranglers, and Mr.
Potts the principal “crammer” of the non-honour men, the latter was
facetiously termed the “POLLY HOPKINS” by the undergraduates.
POLL, a prostitute; POLLED UP, living with a woman without being
married to her.
POLONY, a _Bologna_ sausage.
POONA, a sovereign.—Corruption of _pound_; or from the _Lingua Franca_?