those fellows who keep little goes, take in insurances; also, attendants at the races, and at the E O tables; chaps always on the look out to rob unwary countrymen at cards, etc.
3. (common).—A frolic; a row. [From sense 1.]
1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, i. All sorts of high jinks go on on the grass plot.
1872. Daily Telegraph, 13 Sept. 'Filey the Retired.' Frisky Filey cannot assuredly be called. There are no high jinks on her jetty; and, besides, she hasn't got a jetty, only a 'Brigg.'
1890. Pall Mall Gaz., 24 July, 4, 2. Yesterday and to-day there have been high jinks in Petworth Park, rich and poor for miles round being invited, and right royally feasted on the coming of age of Lord and Lady Leconfield's eldest son.
1891. Licensed Vict. Gaz., 3 Apr. While Bank Holiday was being celebrated with such éclat at Kempton, they were carrying on high jinks over hurdles and fences at Manchester.
1892. Sala's Journal, 2 July, p. 223. High jinks with the telephone have been the order of the day at Warwick Castle; taps and wires have been turned on and off, and floods of melody of various kinds have delighted listening ears.
1893. National Observer, 25 Feb., ix., 357. Time was when there were high jinks in that vast quadrangle.
TO BE AT HIS HIGH JINKS, phr. (common).—To be stilted and arrogant in manner; to ride the high horse (q.v.). Fr., faire sa merde or sa poire.
HIGH-KICKER, subs, (colloquial).—Specifically, a dancer whose speciality is the high kick or the porte d'armes; whence, by metaphor, any desperate spreester (q.v.), male or female.
High-kilted, adj. (Scots').—Obscene or thereabouts; full FLAVOURED (q.v.).
Highland-bail, subs. (Scots').—The right of the strongest; force majeure.
1816. Scott, Antiquary, ch. xxix. The mute eloquence of the miller and smith, which was vested in their clenched fists, was prepared to give Highland bail for their arbiter.
High-lawyer, subs. (old).—A highwayman. For synonyms, see Road Agent.
1592. John Day, Blind Beggar, p. 21 (Ed. Bullen). He wo'd be your prigger, your prancer, your high-lawyer.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 50 (H. Club's Rept., 1874). He first gaue termes to robbers by the high-way, that such as robbe on horse-backe were called high lawyers, and those who robbed on foote, he called Padders.
High-liver, subs. (old).—A garretteer; a thief housed in an attic. Hence, High-living = lodging in a garret.—Lex. Bal.
High-men, subs. (old).—Dice loaded to show high numbers. Also, High-runners. See Fulhams and Low-men.
1594. Nashe, Unf. Traveller in Wks. [Grosart], v., 27. The dice of late are growen as melancholy as a dog, high men and low men both prosper alike.
1596. Shakspeare, Merry Wives, i., 3. Let vultures gripe thy guts! for gourd and fullam holds, And high and low beguiles the rich and poor.
1598. Florio, A Worlde of Wordes. Pise, false dice, high men or low men.
1605. London Prodigal, i., 1. I bequeath two bale of false dice, videlicet, high men and low men, fullams, stop-catertraies, and other bones of function.
1615. Harington, Epigrams, i., 79. Your high And low men are but trifles.
1657-1733. John Dennis, Letters, ii., 407. Shadwell is of opinion, that your bully, with his box and his false dice, is an honester fellow than the rhetorical author, who makes use of his tropes and figures, which are his high and his low runners, to cheat us at once of our money and of our intellectuals.
