Verb. 1. See subs. 2.
2. (gaming).—To win heavily.
1887. Sporting Times; 12 March, 2, x. We play nap, and rook George Fredericks all the way.
Rookery, subs. (old).—See Rook, 1.
2. (colloquial).—A scolding-match.
Rooky (or Rookey), subs. (military).—A
recruit: see Snooker,
and ROOK, subs. 1.
1893. Kipling, Many Inventions, "His Private Honour." "'Tis a hundred and thirty-seven rookies to the bad, son." . . . You can't ride, you can't walk, you can't shoot,—you,—you awful rookies.
Room. To leave the room,
verb. phr. (conventional school).—To
go to the W.C.
Verb. (colloquial).—To inhabit. Hence roomer = a lodger: spec. one occupying a single apartment.
1864. Daily Telegraph, 26 July. It's risky, I know, but I'll try him. I never did room with a Rooshian before, and I'd like to know them stript.
1869. Stowe, Oldtown, 418. I am . . . living at the minister's! and then I room with Esther.
18[?] The Standard (Century). The mother . . . occupies herself more with the needs of the roomers, or tenants, and makes more money.
See Apartments.
Roombelow. See Rumbelow.
Roorback, subs. (American).—1.
A journalistic, or printed lie.
1876. Providence Journal, 9 May. Another infamous Democratic roorback!
1876. New York Tribune, 14 Ap. The manufacture of roorbacks against Mr. Blaine, though active, is not very successful in producing a merchantable article.
Roosher, subs. (thieves').—A constable:
see Nark.
Roost, subs. (colloquial).—1. Bed:
also roosting-place: also as
verb. = (1) to sleep, and (2) to
lodge.
1749. Smollett, Gil Blas [Routledge], 29. I . . . slunk to my roosting-place where I fell asleep like a man.
1821. Egan, Life in London, 11. ii. Mammy Brimstone . . . has also "toddled" in to have a "flash of lightning" before she goes to roost.
1843. Moncrieff, Scamps of London, i. 2. You can go to roost whenever you like.
1847. Lytton, Lucretia, 11. vii. And always give a look into my room every night before you go to roost.
1857. O. W. Holmes, Autocrat, vi. The world has a million roosts for a man, but only one nest.
1899. Whiteing, John St., ix. You must do like them, roost in the open air.
Verb. (colloquial).—1. See subs.
2. (military).—To imprison.
3. (common).—To cheat: TO ROOST OVER ONE = to get a RISE (q.v.).
Rooster, subs. (American).—A
euphemism for 'cock'—(a word
impossible on the lips of any
delicate American female)—the
male of the barndoor hen.
1838. Neal, Charcoal Sketches [Bartlett]. As if the flourish of a quill were the crowing of a rooster.
1855. Irving, Woolfert's Roost, 17. The Skinners and Cowboys of the Revolution, when they wrung the neck of a rooster, did not trouble . . . whether they crowed for Congress or King George.
1870. Judd, Margaret, 11. 1. A huge turkey gobbling in the road, a rooster crowing on the fence.
1870. White, Words and Their Uses [Walsh]. All birds are roosters . . . hens . . . as well as the cocks. What . . . delicacy then . . . in calling the cock a rooster.
