1816. Scott, Old Mortality, ch. viii. 'I ne'er gat ony gude by his doctrine, as ye ca't, but a sour fit o' the batts wi' sitting amang the wet moss-hays for four hours at a yoking.
Botanical Excursion, subs. (old).—A
thief's circumlocution
for transportation-the allusion
being to Botany Bay (q.v.).
Botany Bay, subs. (University).—1.
At Oxford, Worcester College
is so designated on account
of its remote situation as regards
the bulk of the collegiate
buildings. It will be seen that
a similar reason has caused a
certain portion of Trinity College,
Dublin, to receive an
identical nickname. The general
idea underlying the term is
obviously that to get to the
places in question one has
figuratively to go almost as far
as if transported to the real
Botany Bay, formerly a convict
settlement in New South
Wales.
1841. Lever, Charles O'Malley, ch. xx., note. Botany Bay was the slang name given by college men to a new square rather remotely situated from the remainder of the college [i.e., Trinity, Dublin].
1853. Rev. E. Bradley ('Cuthbert Bede'), Adventures of Verdant Green, I., p. 63. A name given to W. College, from its being the most distant college.
2. (thieves' and prison.)—Penal servitude. Formerly convicts [1787-1867] were transported to Botany Bay, a convict settlement at the Antipodes. Hence to go to Botany Bay was in popular use for a long term of imprisonment.
Botany-Bay Fever, subs. (old).—Transportation;
penal servitude.
Convicts condemned to transportation
were said to have
died of, or to have Botany-Bay
fever. Cf., Hempen fever
for hanging.
Botch, subs. (old).—A tailor. [An
abbreviated form of 'botcher,'
which has been used for a very
long period in all the following
senses—a cobbler, tailor who
does repairs, jobber, and an unskilful
workman.] Also called
a Snip, which see for synonyms.
Bottle. To turn out no bottle,
phr. (sporting).—Not to turnout
well; to fail.
Bottle-Ache, subs. (common).—Drunkenness;
also applied to
an attack of delirium tremens.
[From bottle, in allusion to
drink causing indisposition, +
ache, a pain or sickness.] There
are many curious terms for this
effect of intemperance, such as
Jim-jams, barrel-fever, quart-*mania;
but for full list of synonyms,
see Gallon distemper.
Bottle-Arsed, adj. phr. (printers').—Type
thicker at one end than
the other—a result of wear and
tear.
Bottle-holder, subs. (common).—A
second at a prize-fight,
hence—
2. One who gives moral support; a backer; an adviser. In the Times of 1851, Lord Palmerston was reported to consider himself the bottle-holder of oppressed states: and in Punch of the same year, a cartoon appeared representing that statesman as the 'judicious bottle-holder.'
1753. Smollett, Ct. Fathom (l.). An old bruiser makes a good bottle-holder.
