1819. Moore, Tom Crib, p. 15. Rather sprightly—the Bear in high-gig.
High-go, subs. (common).—A
drinking bout; a frolic.
High-heeled Shoes. To have
high-heeled shoes on, verb.
phr. (American).—To set up as a
person of consequence; to do the
grand (q.v.).
High Horse. To be (or get) on
(or ride) the high horse, verb.
phr. (colloquial).—To give oneself
airs; to stand on one's dignity;
to take offence. [Fr. monter sur
ses grands chevaux. The simile
is common to most languages.]
1716. Addison, Freeholder, 5 Mar. He told me, he did not know what travelling was good for, but to teach a man to ride the great horse, to jabber French, and to talk against passive obedience.
1836. Marryat, Midshipman Easy, ch. xii. He was determined to ride the high horse—and that there should be no Equality Jack in future.
1842. Comic Almanack, p. 327. Yet Dublin deems the foul extortion fair, And swears that, as he's ridden the high horse, So long and well, she now will make him mayor.
1864. Times, 5 July. Mr. Gladstone in the Dano-German Debate. The right hon. gentleman then got on what I may call his high horse, and he would not give us the slightest opinion upon any matter of substantive policy, because that, he said, would be accepting office upon conditions.
1868. Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone, 2nd Period, 3rd Narr., ch. ii. Miss Rachael has her faults—'I've never denied it,' he began. 'And riding the high horse now and then is one of them.'
High-jinks, subs. (old).—1. An
old game variously played. [Most
frequently dice were thrown by
the company, and those upon
whom the lot fell were obliged to
assume and maintain for a time a
certain fictitious character, or to
repeat a certain number of fescennine
verses in a particular order.
If they departed from the characters
assigned . . . they incurred
forfeits, which were compounded
for by swallowing an additional
bumper.—Guy Mannering, 1836.
Note to ch. xxxii.]
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Highjinks, a Play at Dice who Drinks.
1780. Ramsay, Maggy Johnston, i., 25. The queff or cup is filled to the brim, then one of the company takes a pair of dice, and after crying Hy-jinks, he throws them out; the number he casts out points out the person that must drink; he who threw beginning at himself number one, and so round till the number of the person agree with that of the dice (which may fall upon himself if the number be within twelve); then he sets the dice to him, or bids him take them; he on whom they fall is obliged to drink, or pay a small forfeiture in money, then throws, and so on. But if he forgets to cry 'Hy-jinks' he pays a forfeiture into the bank. Now, he on whom it falls to drink (if there be anything in the bank worth drawing) gets it all if he drinks; then with a great deal of caution he empties his cup, sweeps up the money, and orders the cup to be filled again, and then throws; for if he errs in the articles he loses the privilege of drawing the money. The articles are—(1) Drink, (2) Draw, (3) Fill, (4) Cry 'Hy-jinks,' (5) Count just, (6) Chuse your doublet, man—viz., when two equal numbers of the dice is thrown, the person whom you chuse must pay a double of the common forfeiture, and so must you when the dice is in his hand (sic).
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, ch. xxxvi. The frolicsome company had begun to practise the ancient and now forgotten pastime of high jinks.
1861. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, lv. He had made an engagement to drive Lord Saltire, the next morning, up to Wargrave in a pony-chaise, to look at Barrymore House, and the place where the theatre stood, and where the game of high jinks had been played so bravely fifty years before.
2. See quot., and cf. sense 1.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue. A gambler at dice, who, having a strong head, drinks to intoxicate his adversary, or pigeon. Under this head are also classed
