Solution of Continuity, subs. phr. (venery).—The female pudendum: see Monosyllable (Urquhart).
Some, subs. and adv. (American).—Somewhat;
a certain amount;
a great deal: cf. few and see
Pumpkin.
1598. Shakspeare, 2 Hen. IV., v. 5. Bate me some, and I will pay you some.
1847. Ruxton, Far West, 54. When a boy, our trapper was 'some' . . . with the rifle, and always had a hankering for the West.
1849. New York Tribune, 15 May. Admitted by the oldest inhabitant to be 'some' in the way of cold winters.
1856. Knickerbocker Mag., Mar. He was some on horses . . . immense at ten-pins.
1896. Lillard, Poker Stories, 178. I used to play cards some before I was married.
Something. See Damp and
Short.
Somewheres, adv. (vulgar).—Somewhere;
about: e.g., 'Somewheres
along of fifty quid.'
Son. In combination, thus—Son
of Apollo = a scholar (B. E.);
son of a bitch (sow, whore,
&c.) = a term of violent abuse;
son of a bachelor = a bastard;
son of a gun (or sea-cook) =
(1) a soldier's bastard, and (2) a
term of contempt (see quot. 1867);
son of Mars = a soldier (B. E.);
son of Mercury = a wit (B. E.);
son of parchment = a lawyer
(B. E.); son of prattlement
= an advocate (Grose); son
of wax = a cobbler; every
mother's son = everybody; a
favourite son (see quot. 1888);
son of Venus = a wencher.
c. 1330. Auchinleck MS. [Horstmann, Altenglische Legenden, 253]. [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 18. There is the new phrase mani a moder child; whence comes every mother's son.]
1592. Shakspeare, Mid. Night's Dream, i. 2, 80. That would hang us, every mother's son.
1611. Chapman, May Day, ii. 2. The son of a sow-gelder that came to town . . . in a tattered russet coat . . . must needs rise a gentleman.
d. 1704. Brown, Works, I. 121. Get thee gone from my Door, Like a Son of a Whore. Ibid., III. 41. Certain sons of parchment called Sollicitors and Barristers.
1705. Vanbrugh, Confederacy, iii. 2. Here's a son of a w.
1748. Smollett, Random, iii. Lookee, you lubberly son of a w—-e, if you can athwart me. . .; I'll be foul of your quarter, d—n me. Ibid., xxvii. Lazy lubberly sons of bitches . . . good for nothing on board but to eat the King's provision, and encourage idleness in the skulkers.
1772. Bridges, Burlesque Homer, 'Publisher to the Reader.' They called one another rogue, rascal, and son of a bitch very cordially.
1850. Lytton, Paul Clifford, x., 'Fighting Attie's Song.' Pass the bingo—of a gun, You musky, dusky, husky son.
1833. Marryat, Peter Simple (1834), 446. You are the son of a bitch. Ibid., xii. Take that—and that—and that . . . you damn'd hay-making son of a sea-*cook.
1835. Dana, Two Years Before Mast, xiv. He was not the man to call a sailor a son of a bh, and knock him down with a handspike.
1837. Barham, Ingolds. Leg. A stupid, old snuff-coloured son of a gun.
1867. Ad. Smyth, Sailors' Word Book, s.v. Son of a Gun. An epithet conveying contempt in a slight degree, and originally applied to boys born afloat, when women were permitted to accompany their husbands to sea; one admiral declared he literally was thus cradled, under the breast of a gun-carriage.
1888. Bryce, American Commonwealth, II. 153. A favourite son is a politician respected or admired in his own State, but little regarded beyond it.
