Shenanigan, subs. (American).—Bounce; chaff; nonsense; trickery (Bartlett, 1877.)
1893. Milliken, 'Arry Ballads, 80. Never mind their shenanigan.
1901. Walker, In the Blood, 332. We're mates all round, an' no more shenannikin.
1902. A. Pratt, Great Push Exper., 77. A real gentleman and no shenanigan.
1902. R. Barr, The Victor, 81. If I were to pay them they might think there was some shenanigan about it.
She-napper, subs. phr. (Old Cant).—'A
Woman Thief-catcher; also
a Cock (he) or Hen (she) Bawd,
a Procuress and Debaucher of
young Virgins; a Maiden-head-jobber'
(B. E. and Grose.)
She-oak, subs. (Australian and New
Zealand).—Colonial brewed ale.
Shepherd, verb. (colloquial).—To
guard; to keep under surveillance;
to chaperon: as a ticket-of-leave
man (see Nark, subs. and
verb.); an unmarried woman, or
(mining) as in quot. 1863. Also
(football) to head off whilst one's
side is running or kicking. At
Harrow, shepherd, subs. =
every sixth boy in the cricket-bill
who answers for the five below
him being present.
1863. Once a Week, viii. 507. Having sunk their holes, each about a foot, and placed in them a pick or shovel as a sign of ownership, they devoted themselves to the laborious occupation of shepherding, which consists in sitting by a huge fire with a pipe in your mouth, telling or listening to interminable yarns, . . . grumbling at your present and regretting your past luck, diversified by occasionally lounging up to the sinking party for the purpose of examining the 'tack' thrown up, and criticising the progress made.
1886. Percy Clarke, New Chum, 71. The speculators who sat dangling their legs in their infant pits, shepherding their claims, awaiting with anxiety . . . the run of the vein.
Sherbetty, adv. (common).—Drunk:
see Screwed.
1890. Lic. Vict. Gaz., 8 Feb. By the time one got to bed Tom was a bit sherbetty.
Sheriff. The chief officer of justice
within a county is naturally
found in combination: thus
sheriff's picture frame =
the hangman's noose: see nubbing-cheat;
sheriff's-journeyman
= a hangman; sheriff's
ball = an execution: whence to
dance at the sheriff's ball
and loll out one's tongue
at the company = to hang;
sheriff's bracelets = hand-*cuffs;
sheriff's hotel = a
prison (Grose).
1824. Egan, Boxiana, iii. 622. All in the sheriff's picture frame the call Exalted high, Dick parted with his flame, And all his comrades swore that he dy'd game.
Sherry (or Shirry), verb. (old).—To
run away: also to shirry
off (Grose): see Absquatulate.
Sherry-fug, verb. (University).—To
tipple sherry.
Sherry-moor, subs. phr. (provincial).—A
fright [Halliwell:
From the battle of Sheriffe-muir
when 'all was blood, uproar, and
confusion'].
Shet. See Shut.
Shevvle, subs. (obsolete).—See
quot.
1864. D. News, 2 Dec. This is a term recently introduced as a genteel designation for cats' meat, and evidently derived from cheval, French for horse, as mutton from mouton, &c.
Shicer (or Shice), subs. (thieves').—1.
Any worthless person or thing:
generic for contempt. Also (2)
