Below the Belt, adv. phr. (popular).—To strike a man below the belt is
to hit him unfairly, a term derived from the pugilistic arena. Hence,
underhand dealing, and the taking of mean advantage generally. It is
akin with ‘To stab a man in the back.’
Belswagger, subs. (old).—1. A lewd man; a whoremaster; a pimp. [Thought
to be a contracted form of belly + swagger, i.e., a man given up to
bodily pleasure. Ash has both forms.]
1775. Ash, Dictionary. Belswagger, a whoremaster.
2. A bully; a hectoring fellow. This is the older, but least important
usage.
1592. Greene, Defence of Coney-Catching. ... the belswaggers of the
country.
1785. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Bellswagger, a noisy,
bullying fellow.
Beltinker, subs. and verb (common).—A beating; a drubbing. To thrash;
to beat soundly.—For synonyms, see Tan.
Bemused, ppl. adj. (common).—Fuddled; as in the stupid stage of
drunkenness. [From be + muse + ed, originally to be sunk in reverie, or
contemplation.] The expression as generally used now is bemused with
beer. This phrase, originally used by Pope, was given a new impetus by
G. A. Sala (in Gaslight and Daylight). In America, especially, it
caught the popular fancy and ran a brief but riotous course throughout
the Union to signify one who addicted himself to ‘soaking’ with beer.
The transatlantic usage naturally reacted upon the Mother Country, and
from being occasionally employed it became much more popular, and was
heard on all sides—a striking instance of ‘fashion in words.’
1735. Pope, Prol. Sat., 15. A parson much be-mus’d in beer.
1854. Whyte Melville, General Bounce, ch. viii. A fat little man,
primed with port, but who, when not thus bemused, is an influential
member of his committee.
1883. R. L. Stevenson, The Treasure of Franchard, ch. iv., in
Longman’s Mag., April, p. 694. So while the Doctor made himself
drunk with words, the adopted stable-boy bemused himself with
silence.
For synonyms generally, see Screwed.
Ben, subs. (theatrical).—1. A benefit; a performance of which the
receipts, after paying expenses, are devoted to one person’s special
use or benefit.
1872. Miss Braddon, Dead Sea Fruit, I., 190. ‘I have played clown
for my ben,’ murmured the great Dr. Mortemas.
1880. G. R. Sims, Ballads of Babylon (Forgotten). You saw me as
Hamlet, Charley, the night that I had my ben.