the earlier and more legitimate meaning to support, maintain, or strengthen. Possibly in the sense of to wager or support by betting, back can hardly nowadays be classed as slang; there seems too, to be long and constant usage to support its claim as a regular dictionary word.
(Uppingham School).—At football, to be ready for a chance.
To put or set up one's back, phr. (familiar).—To rouse oneself to antipathy; to get angry; to resist. The figure presented is that of a cat, which, when irritated, arches or sets up its back. Also used negatively as an exhortation to keep one's temper. Don't get your back up! For synonymous phrases, see Hold your hair on!
1726. Vanbrugh and Cibber, Provoked Husband, V., iii., 112. O Lud! how her back will be up then when she meets me.
1771. Smollett, Humphry Clinker, ch. 66. My uncle's back was up in a moment; and he desired him to explain his pretensions.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, ch. xvi. 'I know she is flighty, and that; and Brian's back is up a little. But he ain't a bad fellow; and I wish I could see you and his wife better friends.'
1883. Greenwood, Grandmother Cooper, in Odd People in Odd Places, p 2. 'You don't know what you're sayin'; therefore you don't mean no harm. If so be you think what you just now said, keep it to yourself, don't say it to me. It sets my back up, and when my back's set up I'm sometimes orkard.'
To ride on one's back, phr. (old).—To deceive successfully.
Back and Belly, phr. (vulgar).—1.
Back and before; all over.
2. To keep one back and belly, phr. (old).—To feed and clothe. Cf., Belly-timber and Back-timber.
Back-Breaker, subs. (common).—One
who sets, or that which is,
an example of more than ordinary
human powers of endurance;
e.g., in pedestrianism or racing
a man or horse whose pace is
considerably over the average.
In sporting phraseology he or
it is called a scorcher (q.v.)
and the pace of such is also
eloquently called 'killing.'
Back-breaking is therefore
synonymous with excessive
exertion or effort of all kinds.
Back-Cap. To give a back-cap,
phr. (American).—To expose;
to reveal what one knows of
another, in a detrimental sense.
1883. Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi, p. 462. [A pretended converted thief is made to say]:—i told him all about my being in prison and about you, and how i had almost done giving up looking for work and how the Lord got me the job when i asked him . . . . . . and then i felt better than ever i had done in my life, for i had given Mr. Brown a fair start with me and now i didn't fear no one giving me a back-cap and running me off the job.
Back-Cheat, subs. (old cant).—A
cloak. Also called a wrap-rascal
(q.v.).
Back-Door. A gentleman of
the back-door, subs. phr. (common).—A
sodomist; formerly
a backgammon player. The
vice itself is called back-door
work. For synonyms, see
Usher.
Backdoor-Trot, subs. (provincial).—Diarrhœa.
The allusion is
obvious. A more common term
is jerry-go-nimble (q.v.).
