1854. M. Holmes, Tempest and Sun, 203. 'If I'd known all you city buggers was comin', I'd a kivered my bar feet.' [m.]
Buggery, adj. (low).—An indefinite
expression signifying disgust;
or disapprobation. Of
the same type as bloody,
blamed, blasted, etc. (q.v.),
but conveying a somewhat
intenser meaning.
1851. Mayhew, London Labour and London Poor, I., p. 23. A buggery fool, why don't he let people go to hell their own way? Ibid, p. 180. Here mother, give us one of your buggery trotters.
Buggy, subs. (old).—A leather
bottle.
Bugher.—See Buffer.
Bug-Hunter, subs. (thieves').—A
thief who plunders drunken
men. The same as bugger,
sense 1.
French Synonyms. Un poivrier (popular and thieves'); un allumeur (this term is also applied to an auction room 'button' or confederate, and to a card-*sharper's decoy); faire un louave, or faire les gavés (to go bug-hunting. Louave and gavé = drunkard, the latter from gaver, to glut).
1856. H. Mayhew, Gt. World of London, p. 46. Those who hocus or plunder persons by stupefying; as 'drummers,' who drug liquor, and 'bug-hunters,' who plunder drunken men.
2. subs. (old).—An upholsterer.—Lexicon Balatronicum.
Bug-Juice, subs. (common).—1.
Ginger ale.
2. (American.)—The Schlechter whiskey of the Pennsylvania Dutch—a very inferior spirit. Also called bug-poison. These terms are now applied to bad whiskey of all kinds. For synonyms, see Drinks.
1888. Texas Siftings, 7 July. It is a singular fact, that nearly every character introduced by Charles Dickens into his numerous novels, was addicted to drinking . . . each and every individual took his bug-poison with surprising regularity and eminent satisfaction.
Bugle It, verb (American cadets').—To
abstain from going into
class until the last moment—i.e.,
until the bugle sounds.
Bug Walk, subs. (common).—A
bed. [Derivation obvious.]
English Synonyms. Bedfordshire; Sheet Alley; Blanket Fair; Land of Nod; doss; rip; Cloth Market.
French Synonyms. Un portfeuille (familiar: properly 'a portfolio'); la boîte à puces (popular: this almost exactly corresponds to the English 'bug walk,' the French phrase signifying 'the flea box'); le pucier (popular: from puce = flea); le tremblant (popular); le plumard (popular); le fournil (popular and thieves'); la halle aux draps (popular: literally, Sheet Market or Fair. Cf., English 'Blanket Fair'); le pagne; le panier aux ordures.
Build, subs. and verb (popular).—Properly
'to build is to construct,'
says Murray, 'for a
dwelling and by extension of
meaning . . . to construct by
fitting together of separate
parts; chiefly with reference to
structures of considerable size
. . . (not, e.g., a watch or a piano).'
Difficult as it may be at times
to draw a dividing line between
a literary, or even a colloquial
usage and a slang signification,
