1843. Life in the West. He is no longer a benedic, but a quiet
married man.
1856. C. Bronté, Professor, ch. xxiv. ‘Are you married, Mr.
Hunsden?’ asked Frances, suddenly.
‘No. I should have thought you might have guessed I was a benedick
by my look.’
Bene Feakers, subs. (cant).—Counterfeiters of bills.—Grose.
Bene Feakers of Gybes, subs. phr. (cant).—Counterfeiters of
passes.—Grose.
Bene or Bien Mort, subs. (old cant).—A fine woman; a pretty girl; a
hostess. [From bene, old cant for ‘good,’ + mort, a canting term for a
woman.]
1567. Harman, Caveat, p. 85 (ed. 1869). A bene mort hereby at the
sign of the prauncer. [i.e., The Horse.]
1671. Richard Head, The English Rogue.
Bing out, bien morts, and ture and ture,
Bing out, bien morts, and toure;
For all your duds are bing’d awast,
The bien cove hath the loure.
i.e.,
Go forth, brave girls: look out, look out,
Look out, I say, good maids,
For all your clothes are stole, I doubt,
And shar’d among the blades.
1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, ch. xvii. ‘Tour out,’ said the one
ruffian to the other; ‘tour the bien mort twiring at the gentry
cove.’
1823. Scott, Peveril of the Peak, ch. xxxvi. Why the bien morts
will think you a chimney-sweeper on May-day.
1881. New York Slang Dictionary. [See first stanza of canting song
on page 80 ante.]
Beneship.—See Benship.
1567. Harman, Caveat (1869), p. 86. The vpright man canteth to the
Roge. Man! ‘That is beneshyp to our watche.’ [That is very good for
vs.]
Beneshiply, adv. (old cant).—Worshipfully.—Grose.
Ben-Flake, subs. (thieves’).—A steak.
Bengal Tigers, subs. (military).—The Seventeenth Foot; so nicknamed
from its badge of a royal tiger granted for services in India from
1804–1823. Also called ‘The Lily-Whites’ from its facings.
1874. Chambers’ Journal, p. 801. The 17th ... the Bengal Tigers,
from their badge—a tiger.
Bengi, subs. (military).—An onion.
Bengy.—See Benjy.
Benish, adj. (old cant.)—Foolish.—See Ben, sense 2.
Benjamin, subs. (Winchester College).—1. A small ruler.
2. (thieves’.)—A coat. It is said to have been derived from a
well-known London advertising tailor of the same name. Formerly this
garment was called a Joseph, but for synonyms, see Capella. An upper
Benjamin = a great coat.
1815. T. Peacock, Nightmare Abbey, p. 159. His heart is seen to
beat through his upper Benjamin. [M.]
1836. M. Scott, Tom Cringle’s Log, ch. ii. Benjamins, and
great-coats, and cloaks of all sorts and sizes.
1851. G. Borrow, Lavengro, ch. lix., p. 181 (1888). The coachman
... with narrow-rimmed hat and fashionable Benjamin.
1865. Pall Mall Gazette, 7 March, p. 3, col. 2. [Quoting East-end
slang.]
Ben Joltram, subs. (provincial).—Brown bread and skimmed milk; a
Norfolk term for a ploughboy’s breakfast.—Hotten.
Benjy, subs. (nautical).—1. A low crowned straw hat having a very broad
brim.
1883. W. Clark Russell, Sailors’ Language, p. 14. Benjie, the name
of a straw hat worn by sailors.