1888. Sims, Plank Bed Ballad [Referee, 12 Feb.]. I guyed, but the reeler he gave me hot beef.
Reel-pot, sub. phr. (old).—A
drunkard: see Lushington.
Reeling = drunk: see Screwed.
Reformado, subs. (old).—A disbanded
soldier: a degraded
officer. [In Sp. = an officer deprived
of his command but retaining
rank and pay: Fr. reformé.]
As adj. = degraded.
1598. Jonson, Ev. Man in his Humour, iii. 2. Into the likeness of one of these reformados had he moulded himself.
1663. Cowley, Cutter of Coleman St. A troop of reformado officers; most of them had been under my command before.
1664. Butler, Hudibras, 11. ii. 115. I grant you are a reformado saint.
Reener, subs. (tramps').—A coin:
as in quot.
1893. Emerson, Signor Lippo, xx. By all that kind of cant she done a very good thing, and she had to, for the old man never give her a reener.
Reesbin, subs. (tinkers').—A
prison; a stir: see Cage.
Reflector, subs. (gaming).—A
prepared card: the pattern on the
back is so grouped as to signalise
its face value.
Refresher, subs. (legal).—1. A
daily fee given to a barrister after
the retainer: spec. when a case is
adjourned.
1616. Court and Times James I. [Oliphant, New Eng., ii. 71. A man is refreshed with money; a well-known legal phrase now].
1841. Punch, i. 33, 2, 'A barrister's card.' Mr. Briefless, feeling the injustice done to the public by the system of refreshers, will take out his refreshers in brandy, rum, gin, ale, or porter.
d. 1859. De Quincey, Sketches, 1. 72. Every fortnight or so I took care that he should receive a refresher.
1886. Times, 30 Mar. Fees had been paid and extra refreshers in order to swell the bill of costs.
1887. Fortnightly Rev., N. S. xl. 28. He might have attained to the dignity of the Bench, after feathering his nest comfortably with retainers and refreshers.
1901. Evening Standard, 16 Feb., 1, 1. The late Sir Charles Russell was familiar with fees of 1000 guineas a brief and refreshers of 100 guineas a day.
2. (common).—A drink; a go (q.v.).
1872. Globe, 12 Mar. That species of refresher which in some parts of our country is known as a 'morning' is also a German institution.
1889. Ally Sloper, 3 Aug., 242, 1. As a rule barristers don't object to refreshers.
Regardless. See Get-up.
Regular, subs. (thieves').—In pl.
= shares of a booty: see Nab.—Grose,
Vaux, and Bee.
English synonyms.—To come, or stand in; to go rags; to whack, to go whacks, or to whack up; to go snacks.
1828. Bee, Picture of London, 15. He who obtained what he now calls the swagg, paying to his new pal an undefined share, which the thieves persist in calling their regulars, though nothing can be more uncertain than such divisions.
1838. Reynolds, Pickwick Abroad, 223. I never was a nose for the regulars came Whenever a pannie was done.
d. 1857. Moncrieff, Scamps of London, i. 2. What do you mean by regulars?
1871. Morning Advertiser, 11 May. He knew who had committed the robbery, and as they had not paid him £20 as his regulars he should round on them.
1891. Carew, Auto. of Gipsy, 414. He 'cused me o' playin' Ananias and Sapphira—pinchin' the regulars as we call it. Ibid., 418. 1 touched two-thirds and Nat and Alf napped their regulars.
