c. 1750. Dialogue in the Devonshire Dialect (Palmer, 1839) s.v. One that is perpetually hawking and spitting; also foul-mouthed.
Hawker, subs. (old: now recognized).—A
pedlar.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Hawkers. Retail News-Sellers.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Hawkers, licensed itinerant retailers of different commodities, called also pedlars; likewise the sellers of newspapers.
Hawking, verb. subs. (old: now
recognised).—Peddling; offering
small wares for sale from door to
door. Also see quot. 1690.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Hawking, going about Town and Country with Scotch-Cloth, etc., or News-Papers: also Spitting difficultly.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
Hawk-eye State, subs. phr.
(American).—Iowa. [After the
famous Indian chief.]
Hawse. To fall athwart one's
hawse, verb. phr. (nautical).—To
obstruct; to fall out with; to
counter and check.
Hawse-holes. To come (or
creep) in through the hawse-holes,
verb. phr. (nautical).—To
enter the service at the lowest
grade; to rise from the forecastle.
1830. Marryat, King's Own, ch. viii. His kind and considerate captain was aware that a lad who creeps in at the hawse-holes, i.e., is promoted from before the mast, was not likely to be favourably received in the midshipmen's mess.
1889. Chambers' Journal, 3 Aug., 495. A sailor who rose from the ranks was formerly said to have crept through the hawse-holes.
Hay. To make hay, verb. phr.
(University).—To throw into confusion;
to turn topsy-turvy; to
knock to pieces in argument or
single combat. Also, to kick up
a row.
1861. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, ch. vii. The fellows were mad with fighting too. I wish they hadn't come here and made hay afterwards.
To dance the hay, verb. phr. (old).—See quot.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. To Dance the Hay. To make Hay while the Sun Shines, or make good use of one's Time.
Hay-bag, subs. (thieves').—A
woman. [I.e., something to lie
upon.] For synonyms, see Petticoat.
Fr., une paillaisse.
1851-61. H. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, Vol. I., p. 231, q.v.
Hay-band, subs. (common).—A
common cigar. For synonyms,
see Weed.
1864. Glasgow Herald, 9 Nov., q.v.
Haymarket-hector, subs. (Old).—A prostitute's bully. See Hector.
c. 1675. Marvell, Cutting of Sir John Coventry's Nose, vi. O ye Haymarket Hectors!
Haymarket-ware, subs. (common).—A
common prostitute.
For synonyms, see Barrack-hack
and Tart.
Hay-pitcher (or Hay-seed), subs. (American).—A countryman. Cf., Gape-seed).
1851. Herman Melville, Moby Dick, p. 36 (ed. 1892). Ah! poor hayseed.
1888. New York World. 'I wouldn't hev come into his shop if I had known it,' protested the imitation hay-pitcher.
