RIPPING, excellent, very good.
RISE, “to take a RISE out of a person,” to mortify, outwit, or cheat
him, by superior cunning.
RISE (or RAISE) A BARNEY, to collect a mob.
ROARER, a broken-winded horse.
ROARING TRADE, a very successful business.
ROAST, to expose a person to a running fire of jokes at his expense
from a whole company, in his presence. QUIZZING is done by a single
person only.
ROCK A LOW, an overcoat. Corruption of the _French_ ROQUELAURE.
ROCKED, “he’s only HALF-ROCKED,” _i.e._, half witted.
ROLL OF SNOW, a piece of Irish linen.
ROMANY, a Gipsey, or the Gipsey language; the speech of the Roma or
Zincali.—_Spanish Gipsey._
ROOK, a clergyman, not only from his black attire, but also, perhaps,
from the old nursery favourite, the _History of Cock Robin_.
“I, says the ROOK,
With my little book,
I’ll be the parson.”