4. (Winchester College.)—The sapling with which a fagot is bound
together.
Verb.—1. A term among horse dealers, for burning marks into a horse’s
teeth, after he has lost them by age; or, by other deceptive arts to
give a good appearance to a bad horse. By bishopping, a horse is made
to appear younger than he is. The expression is derived from the name
of a person who initiated the practice, and has no connection with ‘to
bishop,’ a provincialism for ‘to burn.’ For synonyms, see Fig.
1727. R. Bradley, Family Dict., vol. I., s.v. ‘Horse.’ This way of
making a horse look young, is by Horse Coursers called Bishoping.
1884. Ill. Lon. News, 23 August, 171, col. 2. To bishop ... a term
... signifying the use of deceptive arts to make an old horse
appear like a young one.
In French the process is called masquer en alezan; also maquiller un
gayet.
2. To murder by drowning. The term, now obsolete, is like burke and
boycott from the name of an individual. A man named Bishop drowned a
boy in Bethnal Green, in 1831, to sell the body for dissecting
purposes.
1837. Barham, I. L. (Account of a New Play). I burked the papa, now
I’ll bishop the son. [d.]
1864. Athenæum, p. 559, col. 1. We have ‘to burke,’ and ‘to
bishop.’ [M.]
Bismarquer, verb (familiar).—To cheat; to play foul at cards or
billiards. A word formed from the name of Prince Bismarck, the German
Chancellor, whose policy in 1865–6 roused the indignation of a large
section of European thought.
Bit, Bite, Byte, subs. (old).—1. An old cant term for money. For
synonyms, see Actual.
1532. Use of Dice Play (Percy Soc.). Now waxen is he so proud of
his gain, because he hath gotten a new chain, fyer new apparel, and
some store of byte.
1592. Defence of Conny-Catching, in Greene’s wks. XI., 44. So some
that would not stoope a farthing at cardes, would venter all the
byte in their boung at dice.
1607. Dekker, Jests to make you Merie, in wks. (Grosart) II., 328.
If they follow you in the street, and once know where the bung and
the bit is, as much as to say your purse and the money.
1608. Dekker, Belman of London, in wks. (Grosart) III., 122. To
learne before he play what store of Bit he hath in his Bay, that
is, what money he hath in his pursse.
1789. Geo. Parker, Life’s Painter, p. 149. Snack the bit. To share
the money.
1834. H. Ainsworth, Rookwood, bk. III., ch. v. He is caught—he must
‘stand and deliver’; then out with the dummy [pocket book], and off
with the bit.
2. (colloquial)—The name given to coins varying in value according to
locality—usually, however, to the silver piece of the lowest
denomination. Fourpenny pieces are still called bits in English slang,
but are more popularly known as Joeys (q.v., for synonyms); and in
Demerara the term is in general use for the same coin; in America a 12½
cent piece is called a bit, and a defaced 20 cent piece is termed a
long bit. A bit is the smallest coin in Jamaica, equal to 6d.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5 ed.). Bit (s.) ... In the West
Indies, it is the least piece of silver coin, which goes current at
7 pence half-penny.
1875. Scribner’s Magazine, July, p. 277. For a young city, San
Francisco is very much wedded to petty traditions. It clings to the
bit with a deathlike tenacity; clings to it against all reason and
against its own interests. The bit is a mythical quantity. It is
neither twelve and a half cents, nor half of twenty-five; it is
neither fifteen cents nor ten cents. If you buy a bit’s worth, and
throw down twenty-five cents, you get ten cents back; if you offer
the same ten cents in lieu of a bit, you are looked upon as a mild
sort of a swindler. And yet, the bit is the standard of minimum
monetary value.
Bitch, subs. (low).—1. An opprobrious term for a woman, generally
containing an implication of lewdness and ‘fastness.’ Not now in
literary use, though formerly so. [From its primary sense of a female
dog.] It is the most offensive apellation that can be given to an
English woman, even more provoking than that of whore.
1400. Chester Pl. (1843), 181. Whom calleste thou queine skabde
biche? [M.]
1575. J. Still, Gammer Gurton, II., ii. Come out, thou hungry needy
bitch. [M.]
1712. Arbuthnot, John Bull (1755), 9. An extravagant bitch of a
wife.
1750. Fielding, Tom Jones, bk. XVII., ch. iii. There was my lady
cousin Bellaston, and my lady Betty, and my lady Catharine, and my
lady I don’t know who; damn me if ever you catch me among such a
kennel of hoop-petticoated bitches.
1833. Marryat, P. Simple (1834), 446. You are a ... son of a bitch.
2. (old.)—Applied, opprobriously, as in sense 1, to a man. It has long
since passed out of decent usage.
c. 1500. E. E. Misc. (1855), 54. He is a schrewed byche, In fayth,
I trow, he be a wyche.
1675. Hobbes, Odyssey, xviii., 310. Ulysses looking sourly
answered, You bitch. [M.]
1750. Fielding, Tom Jones, bk. XVII., iii. It is an old
acquaintance of above twenty years standing. I can tell you
landlord is a vast comical bitch, you will like un hugely.
Verb (low).—1. To go whoring; molrowing; to frequent the company of
prostitutes.