1887. Cornhill Magazine, June, p. 628. To rush a bill is an expression well known in the American Senate, and occasionally also used here.
Long or short bill, subs. phr. (thieves').—A long or short term of imprisonment.
TO PAY A BILL AT SIGHT, phr. (old).—Said of a man or woman who is always ready for sexual commerce.
Billbrighter, subs. (Winchester College).—A small fagot used for lighting coal fires in Kitchen. So called from a servant, Bill Bright, who was living in 1830.
1870. Mansfield, School-Life at Winchester College, p. 89. The Kitchen is a spacious apartment with a vaulted roof, occupying the entire height of the building on the west side of the quadrangle, and at least half its length; here we might see a few Fags endeavouring to coax Jem Sims, John Coward, or Mother Mariner (the cooks), for an extra supply of mashed potatoes, till Kitchen is cleared by the exasperated Manciple, who has just detected a delinquent in the act of secreting under his gown an armful of the small faggots used for lighting the Kitchen fires (called Bill Brighters), an opportunity for purloining which was never allowed to slip by a Junior of a properly regulated mind.
Billed Up, ppl. adj. (military).—In the Guards' regiments to be billed up signifies to be confined to barracks.
Billet, subs. (popular).—A situation; a 'berth.' [From billet, an official military order requiring food and shelter to be provided for the soldier bearing it.]
To get a billet, phr. (thieves')—When in prison to obtain promotion to duties which carry with them certain privileges.
Billiard Block, subs. (society).—An epithet applied to one who puts up with disagreeables for the sake of pecuniary or other advantages; also, occasionally, to one who acts as 'jackal' for another and to tame cats (q.v.).
1831. Mrs. Gore, Mothers and Daughters, p. 75. The Duke of L. was fortunate in somewhat more than the usual apportionments of souffre-douleurs, doubles, billiard-blocks, living hunters, younger brothers, to talk to the young lady nieces, etc.
Billiard-Slum, subs. (Australian thieves').—False pretences.
To GIVE ON THE BILLIARD-SLUM.—See Mace.
Billingsgate, subs. (popular).—Foul, coarse language; scurrilous vituperation. From the evil reputation which the market of the same name has enjoyed for centuries. In the seventeenth century references to the violent and abusive speech of those frequenting the place were very numerous. In French an analogous reference is made to the Place Maubert, long noted for its noisy market.
1677. Wycherley, Plain Dealer, Act iii. Quaint. . . . Whose reputation, though never so clear and evident in the eye of the world, yet with sharp invectives—Wid. Alias, Billingsgate. Quaint. With poignant and sour invectives, I say, I will deface.
1711. Defoe, The Review, vol. VII., preface. As long as faction feeds the flame, we shall never want Billingsgate to revile one another with.
1712. Spectator, No. 451. Our satire is nothing but ribaldry, and Billings gate.
1852. Thackeray, Esmond, ch. ix. If she had come with bowl and dagger, would have been routed off the ground by the enemy with a volley of Billingsgate, which the fair person always kept by her.
