1876. Hindley, Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack. Messrs. Cannon and Co. defied the surgeon or anybody else to say the fish was bad, and kept jabbering away both at the same time and in elegant Billingsgate, until the constable returned; but he came without the doctor, who had gone to attend an urgent case out of the town, and the people at his house could not say when he would return.
To Billingsgate or talk Billingsgate.—To scold; to talk coarsely, or violently; to 'slang.'
1678. A. Littleton, Lat. Dict. To Billingsgate it. Arripere maledictum ex trivio.
So also, You're no better than a Billingsgate fish-*fag, i.e., rude and ill-mannered; Billingsgatry, scurrilous language.
Billingsgate Pheasant, subs.
(common).—A red herring or
bloater. This is also called a
two-eyed steak, but for synonyms,
see Atlantic-ranger.
Bill of Sale, subs. (old).—Widow's
weeds. Such are also said to
have apartments or a house
to let (q.v.).
Billy, subs. (thieves').—1. A pocket
or neck-handkerchief, chiefly of
silk. The various 'fancies' have
been thus described:—Belcher,
darkish blue ground,
large round white spots, with a
spot in the centre of darker
blue than the ground. This
was adopted by Jem Belcher,
the pugilist, as his 'colours,'
and soon became popular
amongst 'the fancy.' Bird's-eye
wipe, a handkerchief of any
colour, containing white spots.
The blue bird's-eye is similar
to the Belcher except in the
centre. Sometimes a bird's-eye
wipe has a white ground
and blue spots. Blood-red
fancy, red. Blue Billy, blue
ground, generally with white
figures. Cream fancy, any
pattern on a white ground.
King's man, yellow pattern on
a green ground. Randal's
man, green, with white spots;
named after the favourite
colours of Jack Randal, pugilist.
Water's man, sky coloured.
Yellow fancy, yellow with
white spots. Yellow man,
all yellow. For synonyms
generally, see Wipe.
1857. Snowden, Mag. Assistant, 3 ed., p. 444. A silk handkerchief. A billy.
2. (thieves'.)—Stolen metal.—See Billy-hunting.
3. (American thieves'.)—A weapon used by desperadoes, and also by the police when apprehending violence or dangerous resistance on the part of the former when pursued. The construction of a billy varies, but usually it is composed of a piece of untanned cowhide, as hard as horn itself, some six inches in length, twisted or braided into a sort of handle, and covered from end to end with woollen cloth. One extremity is loaded with three quarters of a pound of lead; to the other is firmly attached a loop, large enough to admit a man's hand, formed of strong linen cord, and intended to allow the billy to hang loose from the wrist, and at the same time prevent it being lost or wrenched from the grasp of its owner. At close quarters, it proves a very savage and formidable arm of defence, resembling, but being much more dangerous than
