Hard-on, adj. phr. (venery).—Prick-proud. For synonyms, see Horn.
Hard-pan, subs. phr. (American).—The
lowest point; bed-rock
(q.v.).
1882. Besant, All Sorts and Conditions of Men, ch. xxi. And as for business, it's got down to the hard pan, and dollars are skurce.
1861. Holmes, Elsie Venner, ch. viii. Mr. Silas Peckham had gone a little deeper than he meant, and came upon the hard-pan, as the well-diggers call it, of the Colonel's character, before he thought of it.
1888. Missouri Republican, 2 Mar. Prices were at hard-pan.
To get down to hard-pan, verb. phr. (American).—1. To buckle to; to get to business.
Hard-puncher, subs. (common).—The
fur cap of the London rough;
formerly worn by men in training;
a modification of the Scotch cap
with a peak. [From the nickname
of a noted pugilist.]
Hard-pushed, adv. (colloquial).—In
difficulties; hard-up (q.v.).
a. 1871. Perils of Pearl Street, p. 123. As I said, at the end of six months we began to be hard-pushed. Our credit, however, was still fair.
Hard Put To, adj. phr. (colloquial).—In
a difficulty, monetary
or other; e.g., He'd be hard
put to it to find a sovereign (or
a word, or an excuse) = It would
take him all his time, etc.
Hard-row. See Row.
Hard-run, adj. (colloquial).—In
want of money; hard-up (q.v.)
Hard-shell, subs. (American).—A
member of an extreme section
of Baptists holding very strict
and rigid views. [The soft-shells
are of more liberal mind.]
Also Hards and Softs.
1848. Jones, Sketches of Travel, p. 30. The old hard-shell laid about him like eath.
1888. Baltimore Sun. Mr. E., a regular member of the hard-shell Baptist Church.
1893. Stevenson, Island Night's Entertainments, p. 35. He's a hard-shell Baptist is Papa.
2. (political American).—A division of the Democratic Party in 1846-48, when the Hunkers (q.v.) received the name of Hards, and their opponents, the Barn-burners (q.v.) that of Softs.
1847. Robb, Squatter Life, p. 91. Hards, softs, whigs and Tylerites were represented.
Adj. (American).—Extremely orthodox; unyielding; hide-*bound.
Hard-stuff, subs. (American).—1.
Money.
2. (Australian).—Intoxicating liquors; see Hard (adj. sense 2). For synonyms see Drinks.
Hard-tack, subs. (nautical).—1.
Ship's biscuits; specifically, ordinary
sea-fare as distingushed from
food ashore, or Soft-Tommy
(q.v.).
1841. Lever, Charles O'Malley, ch. lxxxviii. No more hard-tack, thought I, no salt butter, but a genuine land breakfast.
1889. Lippincott, Oct., p. 476. They have feasted on salt horse and hard-tack many a day; but they know a good thing when they find it.
2 (common).—Coarse or insufficient fare.
