1895. Iota, Comedy in Spasms, I. He had dropped into the nursery shortly after luncheon, and . . . stumbled on an ecstatic party, nearly naked.
Party-roll, subs. phr. (Winchester
College).—A list of boys going
home together: see Peal.
Pass, verb. (colloquial).—To fail
to understand; to have no concern
in: e.g., I pass = I don't
know what you are driving at.
[From euchre.]
To pass (or hand) in one's chips (or checks), verb. phr. (American).—To die: see Aloft. [From adjusting one's accounts at poker.]
1872. Clemens, Roughing It, 332. One of the boys has passed in his checks, and we want to give him a good send-off.
1892. Nisbet, Bushranger's Sweet-hearty 310. Money-lending Mortimer . . . passed in his checks quite unexpectedly, without leaving a will.
TO Pass the Time of Day, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To salute.
1851-6. Mayhew, Lond. Lab., II. 489. The police . . . are very friendly. They'll pass the time of day with me.
1900. Sims, London's Heart. 4. I thought it was only right to pass the time o' day to an old pal.
To pass the compliment, verb. phr. (common).—To offer (or give) a douceur; to tip.
Passage-at-arms, subs. phr. (colloquial).—A
squabble; a row.
Passenger, subs. (rowing).—An
oar who, from incompetence or
accident, is unable to do his share
of the work.
To wake up the wrong passenger, verb. phr. (American).—To 'mistake one's man'; to commit an error of judgment in regard to character, action, or motive. [From transcontinental travel.]
1855. Haliburton, Human Nature, 289. 'Poor, ignorant wretch!' 'Massa,' replied the negro, 'you have waked up de wrong passenger dis time. I isn't poor. I ab plenty to eat and plenty to drink.'
1871. Ev. Post (Chicago), 21 Ap. He had clearly found out that in making the attack he had waked up the wrong passenger.
Passions. See Pocket.
Passy, adj. (Christ's Hospital).—Severe:
of a master. [That is
'passionate'—Blanch.] Now
obsolete; the modern equivalent
is vish (q.v.)
1844. Remin. Ch. H. [The Blue, Aug. 1874]. Punishment depended less on correctness than on temper. Anxiously the question was asked, 'Is he passy this morning?' and of a new master our first queries were of his manners and temper [abridged].
Past. Past complaining, phr.
(old).—See quot.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue. The man is past complaining, saying of a person murdered for resisting the robbers.
To be past dying of a first child, verb. phr. (old).—To have had a bastard. Ray (1767).
[Colloquialisms are: Past believing = incredible; past praying for = hopeless; past-master (or -mistress) = an adept; past whooping = undeniable, beyond question; past-price = invaluable. See also Mark of Mouth.]
1602. Davies, Mirum in Modum [Grosart, Works, i. 6]. The Soule is such a precious thing As costs the price of past-price deerest bloud.
