1698. Farquhar, Love and a Bottle, iv., 3. Thou'rt horn-mad. Prithee, leave impertinence.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, ch. xxvi. Ye might as well expect brandy from beanstalks, or milk from a crag of blue whunstane. The man is mad, horn-mad, to boot.
1825. Harriette Wilson, Memoirs, ii. 228. The little he did say was chiefly on the subject of cuckolds and cuckolding. His lordship was horn-mad.
2. (venery).—Sexually excited; lecherous; musty (q.v.). Also, Horny.
Hornswoggle, subs. (American).—Nonsense;
humbug (q.v.). For
synonyms, see Gammon.
Verb (American).—To humbug; to delude; to seduce.—Slang, Jargon, and Cant. Cf., In a horn.
Horn-thumb, subs. (old).—A
pickpocket. [From the practice
of wearing a sheath of horn to
protect the thumb in cutting out.]
See Thieves.
1569. Preston, Cambises (Dodsley, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1874, iv., 235). But cousin, because to that office ye are not like come, Frequent your exercises, a horne on your thumbe, A quick eye, a sharp knife.
1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, ii. I mean a child of the horn-thumb, a babe of booty, boy, a cut-purse.
1614. Greene, Looking-Glass [Dyce], p. 138. I cut this from a new-married wife by means of a horn-thumb and a knife.—Six shillings, four pence.
Horrors, subs. (common).—The
first stage of delirium tremens.
For synonyms, see Gallon-distemper.
Also low spirits, or
THE BLUES (q.v.).
1848. Ruxton, Life in the Far West, p. 50. Paying the penalty in a fit of HORRORS.
1857. Philadelphia Evening Bulletin (quoted by Bartlett). This poison (fusil oil) which acts with terrible results on the nerves; seeming like a diabolical inspiration, stirring up mania, convulsions, and the horrors in an incredibly short space of time.
1864. Dickens, Our Mutual Friend, bk. iv., ch. viii. What are popularly called 'the trembles' being in full force upon him that evening, and likewise what are popularly called the HORRORS, he had a very bad time of it; which was not made better by his being so remorseful as frequently to moan 'Sixty threepennorths.'
1864. F. W. Robinson, Mr. Stewart's Intentions, ch. i. 'Well, sermons always gave me the horrors, and engendered a hate of the sermonizer.
1883. Stevenson, Treasure Island ch. iii., p. 20 (1886). If I don't have a drain o' rum, Jim, I'll have the horrors.
1889. C. Haddon Chambers, In Australian Wilds. He's sober now, you see; but he managed to get blind drunk before eleven o'clock this morning, and last week he narrowly escaped an attack of THE HORRORS.
1892. Henley and Stevenson, Three Rags, 'Admiral Guinea,' iv., 3. It's the horrors come alive.
2. (common).—Sausages. See Chamber of Horrors and Dog's-paste.
3. (thieves').—Handcuffs. For synonyms, see Darbies.
Horse, subs. (common).—1. A
five-pound note. See Finnup.
2. (thieves').—Horsemonger Lane Gaol. Also the Old Horse. Now obsolete.
1851-61. H. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, 1, p. 457. The only thing that frightens me when I'm in prison is sleeping in a cell by myself—you do in the Old Horse and the Steel.
3. (American).—A man: generally in affection. Also Old Hoss, or Hoss-fly.
1838. Haliburton ('Sam Slick'), The Clockmaker, 3 S., ch. xviii. He is all sorts of a hoss, and the best live one that ever cut dirt this side of the big pond, or t'other side either.
