To hang up a bill, phr. (American political).—Explained by quotation.
1887. Cornhill Magazine, June, p. 628. To hang up a bill is to pass
it through one or more of its stages, and then to lay it aside and
defer its further consideration for a more or less indefinite
period.
To rush a bill, phr. (American political).—To expedite the passing of a
bill through the Senate and Congress. Cf., Rush.
1887. Cornhill Magazine, June, p. 628. To rush a bill is an
expression well known in the American Senate, and occasionally also
used here.
Long or short bill, subs. phr. (thieves’).—A long or short term of
imprisonment.
To pay a bill at sight, phr. (old).—Said of a man or woman who is
always ready for sexual commerce.
Billbrighter, subs. (Winchester College).—A small fagot used for
lighting coal fires in Kitchen. So called from a servant, Bill Bright,
who was living in 1830.
1870. Mansfield, School-Life at Winchester College, p. 89. The
Kitchen is a spacious apartment with a vaulted roof, occupying the
entire height of the building on the west side of the quadrangle,
and at least half its length; here we might see a few Fags
endeavouring to coax Jem Sims, John Coward, or Mother Mariner (the
cooks), for an extra supply of mashed potatoes, till Kitchen is
cleared by the exasperated Manciple, who has just detected a
delinquent in the act of secreting under his gown an armful of the
small faggots used for lighting the Kitchen fires (called Bill
Brighters), an opportunity for purloining which was never allowed
to slip by a Junior of a properly regulated mind.
Billed Up, ppl. adj. (military).—In the Guards’ regiments to be billed
up signifies to be confined to barracks.
Billet, subs. (popular).—A situation; a ‘berth.’ [From billet, an
official military order requiring food and shelter to be provided for
the soldier bearing it.]
To get a billet, phr. (thieves’)—When in prison to obtain promotion to
duties which carry with them certain privileges.
Billiard Block, subs. (society).—An epithet applied to one who puts up
with disagreeables for the sake of pecuniary or other advantages; also,
occasionally, to one who acts as ‘jackal’ for another and to tame cats
(q.v.).
1831. Mrs. Gore, Mothers and Daughters, p. 75. The Duke of L. was
fortunate in somewhat more than the usual apportionments of
souffre-douleurs, doubles, billiard-blocks, living hunters, younger
brothers, to talk to the young lady nieces, etc.
Billiard-Slum, subs. (Australian thieves’).—False pretences.
To give on the billiard-slum.—See Mace.
Billingsgate, subs. (popular).—Foul, coarse language; scurrilous
vituperation. From the evil reputation which the market of the same
name has enjoyed for centuries. In the seventeenth century references
to the violent and abusive speech of those frequenting the place were
very numerous. In French an analogous reference is made to the Place
Maubert, long noted for its noisy market.
1677. Wycherley, Plain Dealer, Act iii. Quaint. ... Whose
reputation, though never so clear and evident in the eye of the
world, yet with sharp invectives—Wid. Alias, Billingsgate. Quaint.
With poignant and sour invectives, I say, I will deface.
1711. Defoe, The Review, vol. VII., preface. As long as faction
feeds the flame, we shall never want Billingsgate to revile one
another with.
1712. Spectator, No. 451. Our satire is nothing but ribaldry, and
Billingsgate.
1852. Thackeray, Esmond, ch. ix. If she had come with bowl and
dagger, would have been routed off the ground by the enemy with a
volley of Billingsgate, which the fair person always kept by her.
1876. Hindley, Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack. Messrs. Cannon
and Co. defied the surgeon or anybody else to say the fish was bad,
and kept jabbering away both at the same time and in elegant
Billingsgate, until the constable returned; but he came without the
doctor, who had gone to attend an urgent case out of the town, and
the people at his house could not say when he would return.
To Billingsgate or talk Billingsgate.—To scold; to talk coarsely, or
violently; to ‘slang.’
1678. A. Littleton, Lat. Dict. To Billingsgate it. Arripere
maledictum ex trivio.
So also, You’re no better than a Billingsgate fish-fag, i.e., rude and
ill-mannered; Billingsgatry, scurrilous language.
Billingsgate Pheasant, subs. (common).—A red herring or bloater. This
is also called a two-eyed steak, but for synonyms, see Atlantic-ranger.
Bill of Sale, subs. (old).—Widow’s weeds. Such are also said to have
apartments or a house to let (q.v.).
Billy, subs. (thieves’).—1. A pocket or neck-handkerchief, chiefly of
silk. The various ‘fancies’ have been thus described:—Belcher, darkish
blue ground, large round white spots, with a spot in the centre of
darker blue than the ground. This was adopted by Jem Belcher, the
pugilist, as his ‘colours,’ and soon became popular amongst ‘the
fancy.’ Bird’s-eye wipe, a handkerchief of any colour, containing white
spots. The blue bird’s-eye is similar to the Belcher except in the
centre. Sometimes a bird’s-eye wipe has a white ground and blue spots.
Blood-red fancy, red. Blue Billy, blue ground, generally with white
figures. Cream fancy, any pattern on a white ground. King’s man, yellow
pattern on a green ground. Randal’s man, green, with white spots; named
after the favourite colours of Jack Randal, pugilist. Water’s man, sky
coloured. Yellow fancy, yellow with white spots. Yellow man, all
yellow. For synonyms generally, see Wipe.
1857. Snowden, Mag. Assistant, 3 ed., p. 444. A silk handkerchief.
A billy.