Sevendible, adj. adv. (Irish).—'A very curious word, used only in the North of Ireland, to denote something particularly severe, strong, or sound. It is, no doubt, derived from sevendouble—that is, sevenfold—and is applied to linen cloth, a heavy beating, a harsh reprimand, &c.' (Hotten).
Seven-pennorth (or Seven-pence),
subs. phr. (old).—See
quot.
1821. Egan, Life in London, 11. iii. 'My lord, if I am to stand sevenpence [7 yrs transportation], my lord, I hope you'll take it into your consideration.'
Seven-sided animal (or seven-sided
SON OF A BITCH), phr.
(old).—'A one-eyed person: as
as he has a right side and a left
side, a front side and a back side,
an inside and an outside, and a
blind side' (Grose).
Seven-year, subs. phr. (old).—A
long time: proverbial.
15[?]. Four Elements [Halliwell]. That is the best daunce without a pype that I saw this seven yere.
1579. Mariage of Witt and Wisdome. Thay ware not so hack this seven YEERE.
1600. Shakspeare, Much Ado, iii. 3. He has been a vile thief this seven year.
Severely, adv. (colloquial).—A
generic intensive: e.g., 'to be
left severely alone' = to be
altogether neglected.
1854. Whyte Melville, General Bounce, xii. That officer has dined severely, as he calls it, and is slightly inebriated.
Sew. To sew up one's stocking,
verb. phr. (C. Reade).—To
silence; to confute.
1859. Reade, Love Me Little, xxvi. Eh! Miss Lucy, . . . but ye've got a tongue in your head. Ye've sewed up my stocking.
Sewed up, adj. phr. (common).—1.
Pregnant; knocKed-up (q.v.).
To sew up = to get with child.
2. (pugilists').—Severely punished: spec. with bloated eyes.
3. (common).—Exhausted; drunk; sick.
1829. Buckstone, Billy Taylor. Kitty. (Aside, and taking out a vial.) This liquid, sent me by Monsieur Chabert, The fire-king, will sew him UP.
1836. Dickens, Pickwick, lv. "Busy!" replied Pell; "I'm completely sewn up, as my friend the late Lord Chancellor many a time used to say to me."
1841. Punch, 1., 278. We had a great night in London before I started only I got rascally screwed, not exactly sewed up, you know, but hit under the wing so that I could not very well fly.
1847. Robb, Squatter Life, 33. A most excellent first number—just the thing—sew the lower town up.
1850. Smedley, Frank Fairlegh, xiv. "She's in first-rate training, 'pon my word: I thought she'd have sewn me UP at one time—the pace was terrific."
1860. Haliburton, The Season-Ticket, No. x. "Are you sure you wasn't drunk, uncle?" said I. "Quite certain," he said; "I might have been overtaken . . . but I am sure I wasn't sewed up."
1884. C. Russell, Jack's Courtship, xiii. If Alphonso carried his daughter away from England, I should be sewed up, as Jack says, for want of funds to stick to his skirts.
1902. Headon HiLL, Caged, xxii. She's about sewn-up . . . tired herself out at the game.
4. (nautical).—Grounded: also Sued up.
Sewer, subs. (London).—The
Metropolitan and Metropolitan
District Railways.
2. (Stock Exchange).—In pl. = The East London Railway shares.
