1841. Albert Smith (in Punch). 'The Physiology of the London Medical Student.' Half-and-half . . . is . . . ale and porter, the proportion of the porter increasing in an inverse ratio to the respectability of the public house you get it from.
1854. Martin and Aytoun, Bon Gaultier Ballads. 'My Wife's Cousin.' Half-and-half goes down before him, Gurgling from the pewter-pot; And he moves a counter motion For a glass of something hot.
1872. Fun, July. 'The Right Tap.' If the lever, meaning a plumper, were labelled 'stout,' and those recording a split vote half and half, the illusion would be complete.
Adj. (common).—Half-drunk; half-on (q.v.). For synonyms, see Drinks and Screwed.
1848. Duncombe, Sinks of London. Half and half, half seas over, tipsy.
Half-and-half-coves (or men, boys, etc.), subs. (old).—Cheap or linsey-woolsey dandies; half-bucks (q.v.) and half-tigers (q.v.).
1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, i., 7. Jerry. The half-and-half coves are somewhat different from the swaddies, and gay tyke boys, at the dog pit—Eh, Tom?
Half-an-eye. To see with half
an eye, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To
discern readily; to be quick
at conclusions.
Half-baked (or Soft-baked), adj.
(common).—Halfwitted; cracked;
soft (q.v.); doughy (q.v.); also
half-rocked (q.v.). For synonyms,
see Apartments and
Tile Loose. Fr., n'avoir pas
la tête bien cuite.
1825. Scott, St. Ronan's Well, ii., 221. He must scheme forsooth, this half-baked Scotch cake! He must hold off and on, and be cautious, and wait the result, and try conclusions with me, this lump of natural dough!
1857. C. Kingsley, Two Years Ago, ch. iv. 'A sort of half-baked body,' said Kate.
1886. W. Besant, Children of Gibeon, Bk. II., ch. xiv. A daughter of seventeen not quite right in her head—half-baked, to use the popular and feeling expression.
1890. Answers, Xmas No., p. 19, c. 3. 'You needn't be so crusty,' said Todkins to his better half. 'Better be a little crusty than not half-baked,' was the reply of his amiable spouse.
1892. Pall Mall Gaz., 1 Nov., p. 2, c. 3. Mr. Vane Tempest as serenest of half-baked cynics, and Mr. H. Vincent as most credulous of bibulous optimists.
Half-breed, subs. (American political).—A
nick-name applied to
certain New York Republicans,
who wavered in their allegiance
during an election to the Senate
in 1881.—Norton.
Half-cocked, adv. (common).—Half-drunk.
For synonyms, see
Drinks and Screwed.
1887. H. Smart, Saddle and Sabre, ch. xvii. 'Black Bill,' as he was called by his brother jockeys, was very often half-cocked when he got up to ride. . . . The man could ride as well half-drunk as sober.
To go off at half-cock (or half-cocked), verb. phr. 1. (sporting).—To fail through hasty and ill considered endeavours; and 2. (venery) = to ejaculate before completing erection.
1848. Lowell, Biglow Papers [Wk. 1891], p. 231. Now don't go off half-cock: folks never gains By usin' pepper-sarse instid o' brains.
Half-cracked, adv. (common).—Lacking
in intelligence. See
Apartments and Tile Loose.
1887. W. P. Frith, Autobiog., i., 129. Who was what is vulgarly called Half-cracked.
Half-crown Word, subs. phr. (common).—1. A difficult or uncommon vocable; a jaw-breaker (q.v.) or crack-jaw. Also (tailors') = a sleeveboard (q.v.),
