Paralytic-fit (or -stroke), subs. phr. (tailors').—A badly fitting garment—that 'fits where it touches.'
Param, subs. (Old Cant).—Milk:
also Yarum.—Harman (1573).
Parcel, subs. (racing).—The
day's winnings; a pocket-book.
1898. Pink 'Un and Pelican, 227. Here it was that Exile No. 1 made the painful discovery that he'd lost his parcel. His pocket-book and all it contained had vanished.
1901. Sporting Times, 6 Ap., 1, 3. No less than four winners did the wily one back. "My word!" he cried, "I shall have a pretty little parcel in my kick."
Parcel-bawd, subs. phr. (old).—One
whose employment was
partly that of bawd. [Parcel =
part: as 'parcel-gilt' = partly gilt.]
1603. Shakspeare, Meas. for Meas., i. 2. A tapster, sir! parcel-bawd; one that serves a bad woman.
Pard, subs. (chiefly American).—A.
partner; a chum (q.v.).
1872. Clemens, Roughing It, ii. He was the bulliest man in the mountains, pard.
1882. McCabe, New York, xxiii. 398. Let's have a shake-down for me and my pard, for the night.
1889. Mod. Society, 19 Oct., 1296. We got such a strain, me and my pard, starting the car, that we ought to have been entitled to a lay-off for a week.
Parenthesis, subs. (printers').—In
pl. = a pair of bandy legs.
Wooden parenthesis, subs. phr. (old).—A pillory.—Grose (1785).
Iron parenthesis, subs. phr. (old).—A prison: see Cage and Stir.—Grose (1785).
To have one's nose (or bowsprit) in parenthesis, verb. phr. (old).—To have it pulled.—Grose (1785). Also see quot.
1823. Bee, Dict. Turf, s.v. Parenthesis (a)—it is this thing, itself (); and when a man's nose, or any prominent part of him, may get irrevocably between the thing—he is in a bad way: some few novices have died of it.
Parings, subs. (Old Cant).—Clippings
of money.—B. E.
(c.1696).
Parish. His stockings belong
to two parishes, phr. (old).—Odd;
mis-paired.—Grose (1785).
Parish-bull (-prig, or -stallion),
subs. phr. (thieves').—1. A parson:
see Devil-dodger.—Grose
(1785). Also (2) see Mutton-monger.
Parish-lantern, subs. phr. (old).—The
moon; Oliver (q.v.);
noom (q.v.). Fr. synonyms are
la cafarde (= the tell-tale); la
cymbale; la luisante (or luisarde);
la grosse lentille; la moucharde;
la pâlote; and le pair.
1847. Halliwell, Arch. Words, s.v.
1887. J. Ashton, Eighteenth Cent. Waifs, 235 note. The link-boy's natural hatred of the parish lantern which would deprive him of his livelihood.
Parish-soldier, subs. phr. (old).—See
quot. and Mudcrusher.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Parish soldier. A jeering name for a militia-man: from substitutes being frequently hired by the Parish.
Park, subs. (common).—1. A prison:
see Cage and Stir. Also
as in quot. 1823.
1823. Bee, Dict. Turf, s.v. Park. . . . The park is also the rules or privileged circuit round the king's bench or fleet. 'The park is well stocked,' when many prisoners have obtained the rules.
1847. Halliwell, Arch. Words, s.v.
2. (common).—A back yard; a strip of town-garden.
