before them. When he came in the captain asked him if he had ever seen the gentleman before. The Yankee shifted uneasily from one foot to the other, and, after several attempts, finally answered that he had. 'When and under what circumstances?' asked the officer. 'I d-dined with him y-y-yesterday, captin,' stuttered the soldier. The story goes that his wit saved the soldier from punishment.
Broke. Dead broke (q.v.)—Stone broke (q.v.), adj. (common).—Ruined; decayed; hard up—said of health or pecuniary circumstances. The French slang has n'avoir pas un radis, literally 'not to have a radish'; but for all synonyms, see Dead-*broke.
1887. G. R. Sims, How the Poor Live, p. 16. 'How do you do when you're stone broke?' I ask him. 'Well, sir, sometimes I comes across a gentleman as gives me a bob and starts me again.'
1889. Pall Mall Gaz., Aug. 14. I see that Sullivan made 21,000 dols. out of his fight, but as he was 'dead broke' before the battle, there won't be much of it left. Nevertheless, Sullivan has received hundreds of begging letters from folks who want him to pay off mortgages on their homes or buy them houses and lots and things of that sort.
Broken Feather in One's Wing, subs. phr. (popular).—A blot on one's character.
1880. Mrs. Oliphant, Phœbe, jun., ii., 6. If an angel were to walk about, Mrs. Sam Hurst would never rest till she had found out where he came from. And perhaps whether he had a broken feather in his wing.
Broken-Kneed, ppl. adj. (common).—Said of a girl or woman who has been seduced. Cf., Ankle and Broken legged; for synonyms, see Dock and Leg. In French theatrical slang, avoir mal aux genoux.
Broken Legged, ppl. adj. (common).—Seduced.—See Dock and Leg for synonyms.
Brolly, subs. (general).—An umbrella. Term first used at Winchester, being subsequently adopted at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
1885. Punch, June 6, p. 273. Pair o' pattens and brolly are more in your line.
Broncho, adj. (American).—Unruly; wild; savage. The epithet is derived from broncho, the name of the native horse of California, a somewhat tricky and uncertain quadruped. The term is familiarly applied to horses that buck and show other signs of vice. The Spanish signification of the word is rough and crabbed little beast, and in truth he deserves this name.
1888. Francis, Saddle and Mocassin. Oh! I don't know. He'd been singing the music to 'em' (imitating them). Sam's too broncho.
Broncho-Buster, subs. (American).—A breaker-in of bronchos; also called a flash-rider. [From broncho (q.v.) + bust, in its slang sense of annihilate, or overcome, + er.] These men make a profession of their business and perform really marvellous feats, riding with ease the most vicious and unbroken beasts that no ordinary rider would dare tackle. A favourite feat is to sit out the antics of a bucking-horse with silver half-dollars under each knee or in the stirrups under each foot. Their method of breaking-in may be described as the exercise of main force,
