Verb. (common).—1. To sit up at night; and 2 (obsolete) to carry on a contraband night-trade; to smuggle. Cf. Owler.
To catch the owl, verb. phr. (old).—See quot.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Owl, to catch the owl, a trick practised on ignorant country boobies, who are decoyed into a barn under pretence of catching an owl, where after divers preliminaries, the joke ends in their having a pail of water poured upon their heads.
To take the owl, verb. phr. (old).—To get angry.
To live too near a wood to be frightened by an owl, verb. phr. (old).—Not easy to alarm.
1708-10. Swift, Polite Conversations, 1. What, do you think I was born in a wood, to be afraid of an owl?
To bring (or send) owls to athens, verb. phr. (common).—To undertake a work of supererogation; To take coals to Newcastle (q.v.). [Gr. Noctuas Athénas: owls abounded in Athens].
Drunk as a biled owl, phr. (American).—Very drunk: see Drinks and Screwed.
Like an owl in an ivy-bush, phr. (old).—See quot. 1823.
1708-10. Swift, Polite Conversations, ons, 1. Lord Sparkish. How did the Fool look? Col . . . Egad, he look'd for all the world like an Owl in an Ivy Bush.
1767. Ray, Proverbs [Bohn], 57, s.v.
1823. Grose, Vulg. Tongue [Egan], s.v. He looks like an owl in an ivy bush; frequently said of a person with a large frizzled wig, or a woman whose hair is dressed a-la-blouze.
Owl-car (or train), subs. phr.
(American).—A late tram-car, or
train.
1882. McCabe, New York, 100. The Third avenue line runs its trains all night . . . These are the owl-trains, and carry home the late workers in the great newspaper offices, belated travelers, and the 'b'hoys' who have been making a night of it.
Owler, subs. (old).—See quot. [At
one time it was illegal to carry
wool or sheep out of the country:
owling was repealed by 3 Geo.
IV. c. 107].
c.1696. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Owlers, those who privately in the Night carry Wool to the Sea-Coasts, near Rumney-Marsh in Kent, and some Creeks in Sussex, etc and Ship it off for France against Law.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Owl-light, subs. phr. (old).—Dusk.
Hence, to walk by
owl-light = to skulk from arrest.
Fr. Entre chien et loup.
1610. Letter [quoted by Nares]. Ned Wimarke appears not in Paul's, but ever since before Christmas hath taken a toy to keep in, saving that now and then he steals out by owl-light to the Star and to the Windmill.
1625. Massinger, Parliament of Love, ii. 1. To have it order'd, All women that have stumbled in the dark, Or given, by owl-light, favours, should complain, Is most intolerable.
1675. Cotton, Scoffer Scofft [Works (1725) 207]. A great-design. He has, that won't endure the Sun, But is by owl-light to be done.
1767 Ray, Proverbs [Bohn], 57, s.v.
Own. On one's own, phr. (common).—On
one's own account.
1897. Daily Mail, 25 Sep., 2, 6. I came to Europe on my own, and I only got about £400 from Mr. Hoffmeyer.
To OWN UP, verb, (colloquial).—To confess; to 'make a clean breast.'
1880. A. Trollope, The Duke's Children, xxxv. The fact is if you own up in a genial sort of way the House will forgive anything.
