1891. W.C. Russell, Ocean Tragedy, p. 137. The winds even north of the rains and horse-latitudes were in a sense to be reckoned on.
Horse-laugh, subs. (colloquial).—A
loud, noisy laugh; a guffaw.
1738. Pope, Ep. to Satires, i., 38. A horselaugh, if you please, at honesty.
Horse-leech, subs. (colloquial).—1.
An extortioner; a miser.
2. (venery).—Anything insatiable. Also a whore.
1597. Hall, Satires, iv., 5. An HORSE-LEECH, barren wench, or gaping grave.
1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, ii., 1. You are one of those horse-leeches that gave out I was dead in Turnbull Street.
3. (old).—A horse-doctor; also a quack.
1594. Nashe, Terrors of the Night (Grosart, iii., 250). Whereas his horse-leech . . . will give a man twenty guineas in one.
1597. Hall, Satires, ii., 4, No horse-leech but will look for larger fee.
Horse-marines, subs. (common).—A
mythical corps, very commonly
cited in jokes and quizzies
on the innocent. [The Jollies
(q.v.) or Royal Marines, being
ignorant of seamanship, have
always been the butt of blue-jackets.]
Tell that to the
MARINES (or HORSE-MARINES)
THE SAILORS WON'T BELIEVE IT =
a rejoinder to an attempt at imposition
or credulity. Often
amplified with when they're
riding at anchor. See also
Bingham's Dandies.
1825. Scott, St. Ronan's Well, ch. xxi. 'Come, none of your quizzing, my old buck,' said Sir Bingo—'what the devil has a ship to do with horse's furniture?—Do you think we belong to the horse-marines?'
c. 1870. Broadside Ballad, 'Captain Jinks.' I'm Captain Jinks of the Horse-Marines.
1886. Stephens and Yardley, Little Jack Sheppard, p. 3. They may tell that yarn to the horse marines, For we bean't such fools as we looks.
1886. Tinsley's Mag., Apr., 321. Owing to a singular deviation from the ordinary functions of cavalry, the 17th Lancers were once christened the horse marines.
1892. Wops the Waif [Horner's Penny Stories], ch. i., p. 1. Oh, nothink, eh! You'd better tell that to the hoss marines; I've lived a sight too long in Shoreditch to take that in.
Horse-milliner, subs. (common).—1.
A dandy trooper.
1778. Chatterton, Ballads of Charity, ii., 113. The trammels of his palfrey pleased his sight, For the horse-milliner his head with roses dight.
1813. Scott, Bridal of Triermain, ii., 3. One comes in foreign trashery Of tinkling chain and spur, A walking haberdashery Of feathers, lace and fur; In Rowley's antiquated phrase, Horse-milliner of modern days.
2. (old).—A saddler and harness-maker.
1818. Scott, Heart of Midlothian, xi. In my wretched occupation of a saddler, horse-milliner, and harness maker, we are out unconscionable sums just for barkened hides and leather.
Horse nails, subs. (common).—1.
Money. For synonyms, see
Actual and Gilt.
TO FEED ON HORSE-NAILS, verb. phr. (cribbage).—So to play as not so much to advance your own score as to keep down your opponent's.
TO KNOCK INTO HORSE-NAILS, verb. phr. (common).—To knock to pieces; to be absolutely victorious.
