Hereford, adj. (American cowboy). White. [Herefords are white-faced.]
Herefordshire-weed, subs.
(old).—An oak.
Her Majesty's Carriage, subs.
phr. (common).—A prison van;
the Queen's 'bus. See Black
Maria. Fr., l'omnibus à pègres.
Her Majesty's Tobacco Pipe,
subs. (common).—The furnace
where the forfeited tobacco from
the Customs House is burnt.
[Now a thing of the past: the
tobacco being distributed to workhouses,
etc.]
1871. Echo, 27 Jan. All that was not sold will be burnt, according to custom, in her majesty's tobacco pipe. We cannot think such waste justifiable.
Hermit (or Baldheaded Hermit),
subs. (venery).—The penis. For
synonyms, see Creamstick and
Prick.
Herod. To out-herod Herod,
verb. phr. (colloquial).—To out-*do;
specifically (theatrical) to
excel in rant.
1596. Shakspeare, Hamlet, iii., 2. Oh, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious, perriwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings . . . it out-herods Herod.
Herring. Neither fish, flesh,
fowl, nor good red herring,
phr. (old).—Neither one thing nor
the other.
1682. Dryden, Duke of Guise, Epil. (6th line from end). Neuters in their middleway of fleering, Are neither fish, nor flesh, nor good red herring.
To throw a sprat to catch a herring (or whale), verb. phr. (old).—To forego an advantage in the hope of greater profit.
1826. Buckstone, Luke the Labourer, i., 2. I give dat like throwing away a sprat to catch a herring, though I hope on this occasion to catch a bigger fish.
1890. Grant Allen, Tents of Shem, ch. xix. He's casting a sprat to catch a whale.
Dead as a herring (or shotten herring), adv. phr. (old).—Quite dead. [Herrings die sooner on leaving the water than most fish.] See Dead.
1596. Shakspeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, ii., 3. By gar de herring is no dead as I vill kill him.
1785. Burns, Death and Dr. Hornbook. I'll nail the self-conceited sot As dead's a herrin'.
1790. Rhodes, Bombastes Furioso, Sc. 4. Ay, dead as herrings—herrings that are red.
Like herrings in a barrel, adv. phr. (common).—Very crowded.
1891. N. Gould, Double Event, p. 117. People jammed inside like herrings in a barrel.
The devil a barrel the better herring, phr. (old).—All bad alike—Lex. Bal. In modern American, all alike; indistinguishable. Cf., Sardine.
Herring-gutted, adj. (old).—Lanky;
thin.—Grose.
Herring-pond, subs. (common).—The
sea; specifically, the North
Atlantic Ocean. See Briny and
Puddle. To be sent across
the herring-pond = to be transported.
1722. England's Path to Wealth. 'Tis odds but a finer country, cheaper and better food and raiment, wholesomer air, easier rents and taxes, will tempt many of your countrymen to cross the herring-pond.
1729. Gay, Polly, i., 1. Bless us all! how little are our customs known on this side the herring pond!
