Belongings, subs. (colloquial).—1. Qualities; endowments; faculties.
2. Relations; one's kindred.
3. One's effects; or possessions. In sense 1 belongings has long been an accepted word; senses 2 and 3 are given by Annandale as 'colloquial and vulgar.'
1852. Dickens, Bleak House. I have been trouble enough to my belongings in my day.
1866. Saturday Review, 24 Feb., p. 244, col. 2. The rich uncle whose mission is to bring prosperity to his belongings. [m.]
4. (American.)—Used by the prudishly inclined for trousers.—See Bags.
Below the Belt, adv. phr. (popular).—To
strike a man below
the belt is to hit him unfairly,
a term derived from the pugilistic
arena. Hence, underhand
dealing, and the taking of mean
advantage generally. It is akin
with 'To stab a man in the
back.'
Belswagger, subs. (old).—1. A
lewd man; a whoremaster; a
pimp. [Thought to be a
contracted form of belly +
swagger, i.e., a man given up
to bodily pleasure. Ash has
both forms.]
1775. Ash, Dictionary. Belswagger, a whoremaster.
2. A bully; a hectoring fellow. This is the older, but least important usage.
1592. Greene, Defence of Coney-Catching. . . . the belswaggers of the country.
1785. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Bellswagger, a noisy, bullying fellow.
Beltinker, subs. and verb (common).—A
beating; a drubbing.
To thrash; to beat soundly.—For
synonyms, see Tan.
Bemused, ppl. adj. (common).—Fuddled;
as in the stupid stage
of drunkenness. [From be +
muse + ed, originally to be sunk
in reverie, or contemplation.]
The expression as generally
used now is bemused with
beer. This phrase, originally
used by Pope, was given a new
impetus by G. A. Sala (in Gaslight
and Daylight). In America,
especially, it caught the popular
fancy and ran a brief but riotous
course throughout the Union to
signify one who addicted himself
to 'soaking' with beer. The
transatlantic usage naturally reacted
upon the Mother Country,
and from being occasionally employed
it became much more
popular, and was heard on all
sides—a striking instance of
'fashion in words.'
1735. Pope, Prol. Sat., 15. A parson much be-mus'd in beer.
1854. Whyte Melville, General Bounce, ch. viii. A fat little man, primed with port, but who, when not thus bemused, is an influential member of his committee.
1883. R. L. Stevenson, The Treasure of Franchard, ch. iv., in Longman's Mag., April, p. 694. So while the Doctor made himself drunk with words, the adopted stable-boy bemused himself with silence.
For synonyms generally, see Screwed.
Ben, subs. (theatrical).—1. A
benefit; a performance of which
the receipts, after paying expenses,
are devoted to one
person's special use or benefit.
1872. Miss Braddon, Dead Sea Fruit, I., 190. 'I have played clown
