Starcher, subs. (common).—A stiff white tie.
Starchy, adj. (common).—Drunk:
see Screwed. Also see
Starched.
Stare, verb. (Old Cant).—To
swagger; to bully (Halliwell:
'a cant term').
Stare-cat, subs. phr. (women's).—A
meddlesome or inquisitive
neighbour.
Starf. Starf take you, intj,
(provincial).—An imprecation;
'the devil take you' (Halliwell).
Star-gazer, subs. phr. (common).—1.
A hedge whore: see Tart
(Grose); and (2) a penis in
erection. To go stargazing on
one's back = to copulate: see
Ride.
c. 1704. Ward, Works, 'T[om] B[rown]'s Last Letter.' If . . . the Label of Mortality . . . begins to turn Star-gazer, venture half a crown.
3. (old).—'A horse holding its head well up while trotting' (Grose).
4. (nautical).—An imaginary sail, a skyscraper (q.v.).
5. (old).—An astrologer: also an astronomer: in contempt or jest. Also STAR-CLERK, STAR-CONNER, STAR-DIVINE, STAR-SHOOTER, and STAR-MONGER. Hence star-craft = astrology.
c. 1572. Gascoigne [Chalmers, Eng. Poets], 'The Fruites of Warre,' 15. If Mars mooue warre, as starconners can tel.
1583. Bible, Isaiah xlvii. 13. Let now the astrologers, the starregasers, and prognosticatours stand vp.
1599. Jonson, Every Man Out of Humour, iii. 2. Tut, these starmonger knaves, who would trust them.
1621. Sylvester, Du Bartas, iii. i. 494. If, at the least, star-clarks be credit worth. Ibid., iv. i. 134. So many stars, whose greatnes doth exceed So many times (if star-diuines say troth) The greatnes of the earth and ocean both.
1708. Swift, Elegy on Partridge A cobler, star-monger and quack. Ibid. The cobling and star-gazing part.
1742-4. North, Life of Lord Guildford, ii. 253. His lordship received him with much familiarity, and encouraged him to come and see him often . . . The star-gazer was not wanting to himself in that.
18[?]. Tennyson, Lover's Tale, i. Under the selfsame aspect of the stars (O falsehood of all star-craft) we were born.
Staring quarter, subs. phr.
(Grose).—'An ox cheek.'
Stark-naked, subs. phr. (common).—Neat
(q.v.) gin (Grose):
orig. Strip-me-naked (Randall,
Diary, 1820): also as adj.
= unadulterated.
1830. Lytton, Paul Clifford. His "bingo" was unexceptionable; and as for his stark-naked, it was voted the most brilliant thing in nature.
Starling, subs. (old colloquial).—1.
See quots.
11[?]. Robert of Gloucester, 563. The King of is tresorie eche yer him sende A certein sume of sterlings, to is liue's ende.
1383. Chaucer, Cant. Tales, 12,841. Min holy pardon may you all warice, So that ye offre nobles or starlinges, Or elles silver broches, spones, ringes.
1657. Howell, Londonopolis, 25. The lesser payments were in starlings, which was the only coin then current, and stamp'd, which were pence so call'd: the probablest Reason that is given, why it was starling money, was, because in the ring or border of the peny, there was a starre stamped.
2. (police).—A marked or 'starred' man.
See Brother Starling.
Star of the Line (The), subs.
phr. (military).—The 2nd Batt.
Worcestershire Regiment, late
The 36th Foot.
