By Hooky, intj. phr. (popular).—A mild form of swearing.—See Oaths.
1882. Jas. Payn, For Cash Only, ch. xxii. 'Pay me what you owe me,' says I, 'or, by hooky, I'll tell your father.'
Byng, Bing, verb (old).—To go. Bynge-awaste, to go away.
1567. Harman, Caveat, or Warening for Commen Cursetors, p. 86. Man. What, stowe your bene, cofe, and cut benat whydds, and byng we to rome vyle, to nyp a bong; so shall we haue lowre for the bousing ken and when we byng back to the deuseauyel, we wyll fylche some duddes of the Ruffemans, or myll the ken for a lagge of dudes. [i.e.] What, holde your peace, good fellowe, and speake better wordes, and go we to London, to cut a purse; then shall we haue money for the ale house, and when wee come backe agayne into the country, we wyll steale some lynnen clothes of one hedges, or robbe some house for a bucke of clothes.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 37 (H. Club's Repr., 1874). Bing a wast, get you hence.
1785. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Binged avast in a dark-*mans, stole away in the night. Bing we to Rumeville, shall we go to London?
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, ch. xxviii. 'Bing out and tour [go out and watch] ye auld devil, and see that no-*body has scented.'
1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, ch. xvii. 'I smell a spy,' replied the other, looking at Nigel. . . . 'Bing avast, bing avast!' replied his companion.
By-Scape, subs. (old).—A bastard.
Cf., By-blow.
1646. Earl Monm., Biondi's List., VI., ix., 197. For his being God-son to her Brother, and . . . for that (being very fair) she thought him a by-scape of his. [m.]
By-Slip, subs. (old).—A bastard.
See By-blow.
1692. Hacket, Life of Williams, ii., 37. As Pope Paul the Third carried himself to his ungracious by-slips (an Incubus could not have begot worse), who made no further inquisition after their horrid facts but to say, They learnt it not of him.
Byte.—See Bit.
By the Ever-Living Jumping
Moses! intj. phr.—An effective
ejaculation and moral waste-pipe
for interior passion or
wrath is seen in the exclamation,
by the ever-living jumping
Moses!—a harmless phrase,
that for its length expends a
considerable quantity of fiery
anger.—Hotten.
By the Living Jingo! or By Jingo!—See
Jingo.
By the Wind, phr. (nautical).—Hard
up; in difficulties. [In
reference to the wind being
formerly the most important
element of success in a sailor's
calling.]
End of Vol. I.
