of water. [From bottom, the lowest surface or part of anything, the foundation, the basis. See peculiar American usage in 1883 quot.] Also used as a verb.
1854. Sir Theo. Martin, Bon Gaultier Ballads. Bottomed well with brandy.
1857. A. Trollope, Three Clerks, ch. xxxi. Gin and water was the ordinary tipple in the front parlour; and any one of its denizens inclined to cut a dash above his neighbours, generally did so with a bottom of brandy.
1883. Daily Telegraph, 2 July, p. 5, col. 3. Soda and dark bottom is mentioned in a list of American drinks in this article.
To knock the bottom out of one, phr. (American).—To overcome; to defeat, etc.
1888. Cleveland Leader. The declination of Mr. Blaine, has knocked the bottom out of Mugwumpery.
Bottom Dollar, subs. phr. (American).—The
last dollar. The
phrase 'to bet one's bottom
dollar' is frequently heard.
Bottom Facts, subs. phr. (American).—The
exact truth about
any matter. To 'get to the
bottom facts' concerning a
subject, is to arrive at an unquestionable
conclusion concerning
it; or, as is said in
England, to get to the root of
the question.
1877. S. L. Clemens ('Mark Twain'), Life on the Mississippi, p. 393. You take a family able to emba'm, and you've got a soft thing. You can mention sixteen different ways to do it—though there aint only one or two ways when you come down to the bottom facts of it—and they'll take the highest priced way every time. It's human nature—human nature in grief.
The phrase is also varied by bottom rock.
1888. Omaha World. Bottom Rock. Conductor (on California train some years hence)—'All out for Pitholeville.' Real Estate Agent (entering car)—Orange groves and apple orchards, two for a penny.'
Bottomless Pit, subs, (old slang).—A
coarse and vulgar name for
the female pudenda. For synonyms,
see Monosyllable.
Botty, subs. (popular).—An infant's
posteriors; the French say tu tu.
Adj. (popular).—Conceited; swaggering. To look botty is in French, faire sa merde; faire son matador.
Bough, subs. (old).—The gallows.
Tree (q.v.) is used in a similar
sense.
1590. Swinburn, Testaments, 53. Or in Kent in Gauelkind . . . for there it is said, the father to the boughe, and the son to the ploughe. [m.]
1596. Spenser, State Irel., wks. (1862), p. 553, col. 2. Some . . . have beene for their goods sake caught up, and carryed straight to the bough.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., III., iv., 77. If she doom thee to the bough.
Boughs. Up in the boughs, phr.
(old).—In a passion. Quoted
by Grose.
Bounce, subs. (common).—Brag;
swagger; boastful falsehood and
exaggeration.
1714. Steele, Lover (1723), 93. This is supposed to be only a bounce.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5 ed.). Bounce (s.) . . . also the huff, brag, or swaggering of a bully or great pretender.
1765. Goldsmith, Haunch of Venison, l. 14. But hold—let me pause—don't I hear you pronounce this tale of the bacon a damnable bounce?
1856. Whyte Melville, Kate Coventry, ch. i. Only tell a man you think him good-looking, and he falls in
