been tempted by the festivities of the day to go on a regular bender, and had to pay the penalty for their New Year's frolic by appearing this morning in the police-court.'
1888. Detroit Free Press, 4 Aug. He was a character noted for going on frequent benders until he came very near having the jimjams and then sobering up.
6. (American.)—A euphemism employed by the squeamishly inclined for the leg. A similar piece of prudishness is displayed in an analogous use of 'limb.' With a notorious mock-modesty American women decline to call a leg a leg; they call it a limb instead. This tendency is the more remarkable when the great freedom extended to American girls and women is borne in mind; unless, indeed, it arises from guilty knowledge. White, who, perhaps, was rather given to excessive incisiveness of speech, remarked that perhaps such persons think that it is indelicate for women to have legs, and that therefore they are concealed by garments, and should be concealed in speech. Professor Geikie, during one of his Canadian tours, also found out that both sexes had limbs of some sort; the difficulty was to discover whether they were used to stand on or to hold by. Sensible people everywhere, however, have little part in such prudery.
1849. Longfellow, Kavanagh. Young ladies are not allowed to cross their benders in school.
7. (schoolboys'.)—The bow-shaped segment of a paper kite.
1873. Dr. Blackley, Hay Fever, p. 145. The first kite was six feet in length by three feet in width, and was made of the usual form, namely, with a central shaft or 'standard,' and a semi-circular top or bender.
Over the bender, phr. (common).—A variant of 'over the left shoulder'; the connection between bender, a slang term for the arm, and the shoulder is sufficiently apparent. There are many analogous expressions, which see under Over the left.
Intj.—An exclamation of incredulity; also used as a kind of saving clause to a promise which the speaker does not intend to carry into effect. Probably an abbreviated form of over the bender.
Bendigo, subs. (common).—A
rough fur cap named after a
notorious pugilist.
Bend Over, intj. (Winchester College).—A
direction to put oneself
into position to receive a
'spanking.' This is done by
bending over so that the tips
of the fingers extend towards the
toes, thus presenting a surface as
tight as a drum on the part to
be castigated.
Bene, Ben, adj. (old cant).—Good.
This belongs to the most ancient
English cant, and is probably
a corruption from the Latin.
Benar and benat appear to
have been used as comparatives
of bene.—(See quots.)
1567. Harman, Caveat (1869), p, 86. What, stowe your bene, cofe, and sut benat whydds, and byng we to rome vyle to nyp a bong. [i.e. What, hold your peace good fellow and speak better words, and let us go to London to cut, or steal a purse.]
1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 37 (H. Club's Repr., 1874). Ben, good.
1611. Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker, The Roaring Girl or Moll Cut Purse. A gage of ben Rom-bouse, In a bousing ken of Rom-vile
