Parker, verb. (tramps').—See quot.
1893. Emerson, Signor Lippo, xiv. Have you parkered to the omer for your letties? Ibid. I get no regular parkering-ninty. Ibid. xx. She had to parker letty every darkie, and parker for someone to look arter me.
Parkey (or Parky), adj. and adv.
(tramps').—Cold; uncomfortable:
as when sleeping in the open.
1808. Pink 'Un and Pelican, 273. 'Morning, William; cold s'morning?' remarked the victualler patronisingly. 'It is a bit parky,' assented William.
Park-railings (or -palings), subs.
phr. (common).—1. The teeth:
see Grinders.—Grose (1785).
2. (common).—The neck of mutton.
Parleyvoo, sub. (school).—The
conventional school study and
use of the French language:
hence, as verb = to speak
French; to talk gibberish.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, 'Bagman's Dog.' Grimacing and what sailors call parleyvooing.
1843. Macaulay, St. Dennis and St. George. He kept six French masters to teach him parleyvoo.
d.1891. Lowell, Oracle of the Gold-*fishes. No words to spell, no sums to do, No Nepos and no parlyvoo.
Parliamentary-press, subs. phr.
(tailors').—See quot.
1889. Slang, Jargon, and Cant. s.v. Parliamentary press . . . an old custom of claiming any iron, which happens to be in use, for the purpose of opening the collar seam.
Parlour (or Front Parlour,
subs. phr. (venery).—The female
pudendum: see Monosyllable.
1823. Bee, Dict. Turf, s.v. Parlour—may be a room as well as some other thing. Mrs. Fubb's front parlour is no part of any building . . . she who is said to let out her parlour and lie backward, cannot be supposed to repose with her face downwards.
Out of the parlor into THE kitchen, phr. (old).—From better to worse; 'out of God's blessing into the warm sun.'
1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Da baiante a ferrante . . . out of the parlor into the kitchen.
Parlour full of razors, subs. phr. (American).—Claret with seltzer or lemonade: see Drinks.
Parlour-jumping, subs. phr.
(thieves').—Robbing rooms: specifically
by window-entry: see
Jump.
1879. Autobiography of a Thief [Macmillan's Mag. xl. 500.] I palled in with some older hands at the game, who used to take me parlour-jumping.
Parnel. See Panel.
Parnee (or Paunee), subs. (theatrical).—Rain.
Dowry of parney = plenty
of rain. Pawnee-game
= water-drinking. [Hindoo
pani = water: cf. Brandy-pawnee;
Gipsy pane.]
1851. Mayhew, London Lab., iii. 149. Parni is rain [among strolling actors].
1893. Emerson, Signor Lippo, xiv. Arter a bit the old man gets him a berth . . . So he sticks to the pawnee game . . . long enough to learn the graft.
Parrot (or Parroteer), subs.
(colloquial).—A talkative person,
esp. one given to mechanical repetition.
Whence, as verb = to
chatter; to repeat mechanically.
Also Parrotry = servile imitation;
Parrot-lawyer = a solicitor
obsequious to a client's Yea
and Nay.
1612. Chapman, Widow's Tears, v. 5. If you parrot to me long—go to.
16[?] T. Adams, Works, I. 16. They have their bandogs, corrupt solicitors, parrot lawyers that are their properties and mere trunks.
