Settle, verb. (common).—1. To knock down; To do for (q.v.).—Grose. To settle one's hash (see Hash). Hence settler = (1) a knock-down blow; and (2) a finishing stroke.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, 15. He tipp'd him a settler.
1827. The Fancy, 'King Tims the First.' That thrust you gave me, Tims, has proved a nettler. Your stab turns out, what I have been, a settler!
1836. Scott, Cruise of the Midge, 102. Like a cannon-shot right against me, giving me such a settler.
1845. Buckstone, Green Bushes, ii. 2. Whoever that lady aimed at, she has certainly brought down. . . . She settled the settler, and no mistake.
1857. Holmes, Autocrat of the Breakfast Table, vi. That slight tension about the nostrils which the consciousness of carrying a settler in the form of a fact or a revolver gives the individual thus armed.
c.1866. Music Hall Song, 'What a fool.' My darling wife and Ma-in-law Have nearly settled me.
1877. Five Years' Penal Servitude, iii. "'E see the engine a coming, . . . and chucked hisself bang in front of it, and it soon settled 'im."
1888. Sportsman, 22 Dec. A mistake at the last hurdles proved a complete settler, and he succumbed by six lengths.
2. (thieves').—To give (or get) penal servitude for life.
Settlement-in-tail, subs. phr.
(venery).—An act of generation:
see Greens and Ride.
Settler, subs. (common).—1. A
parting drink: see Screwed.
2. See Settle, 1.
Set-to, subs. phr. (pugilists').—1.
A bout at fisticuffs, with, or without,
the gloves. Whence (2) =
determined opposition (Grose).
Also as verb.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, 'Account of the Grand Set-to between Long, Sandy and Georgy the Porpus' [Title].
1825. Scott, St. Ronan's Well, xxx. The alacrity of gentlemen of the Fancy hastening to a set-to.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Leg., 1. 317. As prime a set-to And regular turn-up as ever you knew.
1859. Whitty, Political Portraits, 217. The bludgeon blows of the old Parliamentary set-tos ended in hand-shaking.
1864. London Society, Dec. I generally warms up in the set-to with Judy, and by the time the ghost business comes on, I'm all of a glow.
1879. Payn, High Spirits (Finding His Level). He had had it laid down with turf instead of a carpet, for the greater convenience of his set-tos.
1889. Modern Society, 19 Oct., 1294, 1. They settled the affair with a good set-to with raw potatoes.
1892. National Observer, 27 Feb., 378. Give me a snug little set-to down in Whitechapel.
Set-up, subs., (colloquial).—1.
Port; bearing; carriage.
1890. T. C. Crawford, Eng. Life, 147. [English soldiers] have a set-up not to be found in any of the soldiers of the Continental armies.
2. (American).—A treat (q.v.) to set-up = to 'stand sam': cf. set-down.
1887. T. Stevens, Around World on a Bicycle . . . They threaten to make him set 'em up every time he tumbles in hereafter.
Adv. (American).—Conceited.
Seven. To be more than seven,
phr. (common). Wide-awake.
Also, more than twelve.
c.1876. Music Hall Song, 'You're more than seven' [Title].
1892. Nisbet, Bushranger's Sweetheart, 195. Yes, I really do think that the naughty boy is more than seven.
1898. Gissing, Town Traveller, viii. 'We all know that Mr. Gammon's more than seven.'
