the late Lord Portsmouth's hobby to attend all the black jobs he could hear of.' [From black, in reference to the sombre trappings of funerals + job].—See Black work.
1866. Yates, Land at Last, I., p. 101. What, a funeral mute?' 'Yes, Sir, black-job business,' etc.
Black Joke, subs. (old).—The
female pudenda.—See Monosyllable
for synonyms. Said
to have been the burden of an
obscene song, circa 1811.
Blackleg, subs. (common).—1.
A turf swindler; a rook; a
welsher; also one who cheats
at cards or billiards. Origin
unknown; although many
speculations have been hazarded,
none are satisfactory.—See Leg.
1771. B. Parsons, Newmarket, II., 163. The frequenters of the Turf, and numberless words of theirs are exotics everywhere else; then how should we have been told of blacklegs, and of town-tops . . . taken in . . . beat hollow, etc. [m.]
1774. Colman, Man of Business, I., in wks. (1777) II., 133. Countesses and semptresses, lords, aldermen, blacklegs, and Oxonians.
1812. Coombe, Dr. Syntax, Picturesque, ch. x. The crowd with their commission pleas'd, Rudely the trembling black-leg seiz'd, Who, to their justice forc'd to yield, Soon ran off dripping from the field.
1830. S. Warren, Diary of a Late Physician, ch. xv. . Mr. T is pursuing quite disgraceful courses all night and day, squandering away his money among sharpers and blacklegs.'
2. A workman who, when his fellows are on strike, is willing to go on working. An opprobrious term. Cf., Black-*nob and Scab.
1865. Pall Mall Gazette, 29 Oct., p. 7. If the timber merchants persist in putting on blacklegs, a serious disturbance will ensue. [m.]
3. Also by another transference of meaning applied to any one failing, or refusing to join his fellows in combination for a given purpose.
1889. Pall Mall Gazette, Nov. 21, p. 5, col. 1. It was stated at the meeting that the master bakers were much behind the journeymen in the matter of organisation, and the difficulty of maintaining the price against unscrupulous bakers at 'a living figure' was emphasized. The question of the preparation of a list of master baker 'blacklegs' was also touched upon. These men are selling bread at 4-1/2d. the quartern, and at even a lower rate.
Verb (tailors').—Amongst the fraternity of 'snips,' to blackleg is used as synonymous with 'to boycott'—i.e., to make things so uncomfortable for a man that he is compelled to leave his work or the town.
To blackleg it, phr. (trades').—Amongst trades' union men to return to work before the causes of a strike have been removed, or settled to the satisfaction of the leaders.
1888. Baltimore Herald, May 6. Early this morning the mountain paths leading to the William Pen colliery were lined with men, dinner in hand, determined to go to work. Some were non-union miners, while the remainder were Knights of Labor who had determined to blackleg it, regardless of the jeers and threats of their companions.
Black-Leggism, Black-Leggery,
subs. (common).—Cheating;
swindling; the arts and practices
of a blackleg (q.v.—sense 1).
1832. Maginn, in Blackwood's Mag., XXXII., 427. From following any profession save the Army, the Navy, Black-*apronry and Black-leggery. [m.]
Black-Man or Black Gentleman,
subs. (old).—The devil. For
synonyms, see Skipper.
1606. Dekker, in Newes from Hell, in wks. (Grosart) II., 113. [Old Nick called the Black Gentleman.]
