1708. Motteux, Rabelais' Pantagr., Prognost. v. Bonarobaes. Barber's-chairs, hedge whores.
Barber's-Clerk, subs. (common).—A
term of reproach generally
applied by mechanics and
artisans to overdressed and
vaunting clerks and shopmen.
In a secondary sense it is used
of anyone over-particular in his
personal appearance. The
phrases 'oh, he's just come
from the barber's,' and one of
Truefitt's young men' are common
enough.
1835. Dickens, Sketches by Boz, p. 155. 'Tailor!' screamed a third. 'Barber's-clerk!' shouted a fourth. 'Throw him o-ver!' roared a fifth, [d.]
Barber's Music, subs. (old).—Harsh
and roughly discordant
music. Barber's shops were
formerly places of great resort,
and the old plays are full of
references to the means by
which customers, while waiting
their turn, wiled away the
time. Amongst other things it
was usual to provide a cittern,
a musical instrument similar to
a guitar, upon which any who
chose could try their skill.
Many of the old proverbs refer
to this circumstance. Ben Jonson
in The Silent Woman [iii.,
5] makes Morose say of his wife
whom his barber had recommended,
'I have married his
cittern that is common to all
men'; and Matheo, in The
Honest Whore, speaks of a barber's
citterne for every serving
man to play upon. Therefore,
it is little wonder that barber's
music should be synonymous
with discord.
1660. Pepys, June 5. My lord called for the lieutenant's cittern, and with two candlesticks with money in them for symbols (cymbals) we made barber's music.
Barefooted on the Top of Ones
Head, phr. (American).—Bald-headed.
The application of the
simile is obvious.
Bargain. Selling a bargain,
phr. (old).—A species of low
wit, much in vogue about the
latter end of the reign of Queen
Anne, but which is of much
more ancient usage. It is
frequently alluded to by Swift,
who remarks that 'the maids of
honor often amused themselves
with it.' If so, it seems incredible;
and one would say so much
the worse for the 'maids of
honor.' It is thus described:
A person would come into a
room full of company, apparently
in a fright, crying out,
'It is white, and follows me!'
On any of the company asking
what? the bargain was sold by
the first speaker naming a certain
portion of the body. In
another, and happily more decent
form, this somewhat senseless
'sell' still has a vogue. This
slang expression and practice
was apparently well known to
Shakspeare, who makes Costard
use it in Love's Labour Lost
[Act iii., Sc. 1], 'The boy hath
sold him a bargain.'
Barge, subs. (printers').—1. A
'case' in which there is an undue
proportion of some letters,
and a corresponding shortness
of those which are most valuable.
2. The term is also applied among printers to a card or small box on or in which 'spaces' are put while correcting formes away from 'case.'
