eighteenth as Holloway's pills in the latter part of the nineteenth century. This necklace was of beads artificially prepared, small, like barleycorns, and cost five shillings. For foreign synonyms, see Horse's nightcap.
Anoint, verb. (familiar).--To beat
soundly; to thrash; humorously
derived from the proper
meaning of the word, 'to smear'
or 'rub over with oil or other
unctuous substances.' In the
North of England the saying is
somewhat more analogous--'to
anoint with the sap of a
hazel rod.'
1175. Rom. of Partenay (Skeat), 5653.
Then thay put hym hout, the kyng away fly, Which so well was anoynted indede, That no slene ne pane had he hole of brede.
1703. Fuller's Trip to Bridewell, quoted in Ashton's The Fleet, p. 211. The whipper began to noint me with his instrument, that had, I believe, about a dozen strings notted at the end.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Random, ch. v. 'I'll bring him to the gangway, and anoint him with a cat-and-nine-tails.'
1824. W. Irving, Tales of a Trav., II., 287. Seize a trusty staff and anoint the back of the aggressor.
There seems to be some connection, too, between this sense of to anoint, and the depraved use of anointed (q.v.) to signify great rascality. Cf., Strap oil.
Anoint or Grease the Palm, verb.
phr. (common).--To bribe. The
Scotch say 'to creesh the luif.'
The expression is very old.
1584. Knox, Hist, of Reformation, works [1846] I., 102. Yea, the handis of our Lordis so liberallie were anoynted.
See Grease the palm.
Anointed, ppl. adj. (old).--1. Used
in a depraved sense to signify
eminence in rascality. The
most probable derivation appears
to be that suggested
by Prof. Skeat [N. and Q.,
3 S., ix., 422]. In a French
MS., Romance of Melusine, is
an account of a man who had
received a thorough and severe
beating, which is thus referred
to:--Qui anoit este si bien oignt.
The English version [Early
English Text Society] translates
this, 'which so well was
anoynted indeed.' From this
it is clear that to anoint a
man was to give him a sound
drubbing, and that the word
was so used in the fifteenth
century. Thus, an anointed
rogue means either one who
has been well thrashed or who
has deserved to be. Cf., To
anoint.
1769. Robertson, Hist, of Reign of Charles V. Many assumed the clerical character for no other reason than that it might screen them from the punishment which their actions deserved. The German nobles complained loudly that their anointed malefactors, as they called them, seldom suffered capitally even for the most enormous crimes.
1825. Scott, St. Ronan's Well, ch. xxxvii. 'But, not being Lord Etherington, and an anointed scoundrel into the bargain, I will content myself with cudgelling him to death.'
2. Knowing; ripe for mischief.--Duncombe.
Anonyma, subs. (popular).--A lady
of the demi-monde; generally,
though not invariably, applied
to one of the better class.
Women of this status were also
called by the Times pretty
horsebreakers, a notorious
anonyma (circa 1868) having
been a good horsewoman.
Another and earlier name
