5. (common).—Money earned.
c. 1860. Music-hall Song, 'The G. P. O.' He often thought of marriage, though his screw was low.
1872. Figaro, 18 May. The amateur element . . . takes paltry salaries (often none), and keeps down the screw of the actor.
1879. Justin M'Carthy, Donna Quixote, xvii. They get a good screw at the music-halls, I'm told.
1886. D. Telegraph, 25 Sep. £150 per annum is considered quite a good screw for a senior hand.
1886-96. Marshall, 'Pomes,' 45. When he paid him his screw.
1892. Ally Sloper, 27 Feb., 71, 3. He had now the neat salary of £450 a year, and had come to the conclusion that a person with a screw like that might safely commit matrimony.
6. (old).—A turnkey (Grose): Fr. raf and griffleur. As verb. = to imprison: also to put under the screw; screwing = a term of imprisonment.
1821. Egan, Life in London, I. ii. Washing the ivory with a prime screw under the spikes in St. George's Fields. Ibid., II. vii. The officer, for his own safety, was compelled to put him under the screw. Ibid. (1st ed.), 219. If ever I am screwed up within these walls.
1869. Temple Bar, xxvi. 72. He was a fool to let the screw see he had the snout.
1872. D. Telegraph, 4 July. The letter was produced. . . . It was to the effect that the woman was to try her best with the screws, and that there were plenty of "quids" to get her out of prison by next Monday.
1877. Five Years' Penal Servitude, ii. The slang name for all the officials is screws.
1889. Answers, 9 Mar., 233, 3. Great excitement was caused . . . by an attempt made by a prisoner on the life of a warder. The Screw was examining the man, who was working as a tailor, &c.
1890. Sportsman, 6 Dec. He was next trained to run at Haydock in September, and got a good screwing for an unfurnished puppy sixteen months old.
7. (old).—A skeleton-key: as verb. = to burgle: spec. by means of false keys; the screw (or screw-game) = burglary; screwsman = a burglar (Vaux). Also 'to stand on the screw' = (Grose) 'the door is not bolted merely locked.'
1852. Judson, Myst. of New York, II. ii. I sent on to have the screws fitted, and somethin's leaked out, for they've put a glim inside.
1857. Snowden, Mag. Assistant (3rd Ed.), 445. Housebreaking implements—Screws.
1868. Temple Bar, xxv. 543. From that I got to be a screwsman, and a cracksman.
1879. Horsley [Macm. Mag., xl. 503]. I had the James and screws on me. . . . We went and screwed into his place, and got thirty-two quid. Ibid., 505. I asked a screwsman if he would lend me some screws.
1888. Cassell's Sat. Jl., 22 Dec., 305. The screw fits the same as if it had been made for the back door.
1888. Sims, Plank Bed Ballad, 5. With screws and a james I was collared.
8. (old).—A prostitute: see Tart. Whence, as verb. = to copulate: see Ride (Grose).
9. (common).—A dram; a pick-me-up.
1877. Five Years' Penal Servitude, iii. It seems he was in the habit of taking every morning a screw in the shape of a little dose of bitters to correct the effects of the last evening's festivities.
10. (old).—A stomach ache (Halliwell).
A screw loose, verb. phr. (old).—Something wrong (Grose: 'a complete flash phrase').
1821. Egan, Life in London, I. vii. The token was sufficiently impressive to remind him that if the loose screw was not attended to the hinges would be ultimately out of repair.
