Old Lag. See Lag.
Old Line State, subs. phr. (American).—Maryland. [From the old line regiments contributed to the Continental army in the War of the Revolution],
Old Man, subs. phr. (venery).—1. The penis: see Creamstick and Prick.
2. (Australian).—A full-grown male kangaroo.
18[?]. Bush Wanderings of a Naturalist . . . Some of the old men reach to an immense size, and I have often killed them over 2 cwts.
1873. J. B. Stephens, Mis. Poems [1880] 'Brisbane Reverie.' Where the Kangaroo gave hops, the old man fleetest of the fleet.
1897. Pall Mall, 23 Sep., 9, 2. Almost the first kangaroo put up was an old man, and the pack bustled him through a patch of heavy timber, into a bog and out of it again.
3. (common).—A familiar mode of address. See old, adj., sense 4.
4. (common).—A master; a GOVERNOR (q.v.); a boss (q.v.).
1899. Gunter, Florida Ench. 9. 'One would think you like to frighten people.' 'So I does,' grins the youth solemnly, 'when the old man's out.'
5. (common).—A husband: cf. OLD WOMAN. Fr. le géniteur.
1856. Whyte Melville, Kate Coventry, xvi. Aunt Deborah only stipulating that there should be no male addition to the party, except Mr. Lumley himself, or, as the lady of the house termed him, her old man.
1883. Stevenson, The Silverado Squatters, 98. When her old man wrote home for her from America.
6. (American).—The captain of a merchantman.
1823. Fenimore Cooper, Pilot, vi. We must get them both off . . . before the old man takes it into his head to leave the coast.
1847. Howitt, Journal, 187. To begin with the captain. He was a first-rate old man as far as good treatment and good living went.
1850. Seaworthy, Nag's Head, viii. 66. Land O! Where away? shouted the OLD MAN.
1883. W. Clark Russell, Sailor's Language, preface, xi. But the lack of variety is no obstruction to the sailor's poetical inspiration when he wants the old man to know his private opinions without expressing them to his face, and so the same chantey, as the windlass or halliard chorus is called, furnishes the music to as many various indignant remonstrances as Jack can find injuries to sing about.
7. (common).—The ridge between two sleepers in a feather bed.
8. (nurses').—A blanket used to wrap a young child in.
9. (common).—A father.
Old man's milk, subs. phr. (common). —Whiskey: see Drinks. In Scotland a mixture of cream, eggs, sugar and whiskey.
18[?]. Saxon and Gael, ii. 78, 79. Flora made me a bowl of ould man's milk, but nothing would bring me round.
Old Mr. Gory, subs.phr. (old).—'Apiece of gold.'—B.E. (r.1696); Grose (1785).
Old Mr. Grim, subs. phr. (old). —Death: see Old Florer(q.v.). —Grose (1785); Lex Bal. (1811).
Old Nick, subs. phr. (common).— The devil: see Skipper. Also nickie and nickie-ben.—B. E. (c. 1696); Grose (1785).
1662. Rump Songs, ii. 43. In this prodigal trick They have outdone Old Nick For what he did give he did show.
1678. Butler, Hudibras, III. i. 1313. Nick Machiavel had no such trick, Though he gave's name to our Old Nick.
1706. Ward, Hudibras Redivivus, I. v. 14. In painful fury roaring out, I wish your patterns at Old Nick.
