Roper (Mrs.), subs. (naval).—See quot. To marry Mrs. Roper = to list in the Marines.
1868. Brewer, Phrase and Fable, s.v. "Mistress Roper." The Marines, or any one of them: so called by the regular sailors, because they handle the ropes like girls, not being used to them.
Ropper, subs. (tramps').—A scarf;
a comforter. [? 'Wrapper.']
1873. Greenwood, In Strange Company. A great deal of the lower part of the face hidden in the thick folds of a ropper.
Roram (or ? Roland), subs. (old).—The
sun: cf. Oliver = moon.—Tufts.
Roritorious, adj. and adv. (old).—Uproarious:
cf. 'rory-tory'
(Devon) = showy, dashing.
1821. Egan, Real Life, 1. 619. The Randallites were roritorious and flushed with good fortune.
Rorty (or Raughty), adj. (costers').—Of
the very best. Hence
rorty-toff = an out-and-out
swell; rorty-dasher = a fine
fellow; to do the rorty = to
have a good time.
c. 1864. Vance, Chickaleary Cove, 1. I have a rorty gal. Ibid., 2. The vestat with the bins so rorty.
1887. Henley, Culture in Slums, 'Rondeau,' 3. For in such rorty wise doth Love express His blooming views.
1893. Milliken, 'Arry Ballads, 31. We'd a rare rorty time of it. Ibid., 69. A doin' the rorty.
1899. Whiteing, John St., 49. She is Boadicea . . . no 'British warrior queen' of nursery recitation, but a right-down raughty gal leading her alley to battle against the Roman 'slops.'
Rory-O'-More, subs. phr. (rhyming).—(1)
The floor; (2) a whore;
and (3) a door. Also Rory.
1892. Marshall, Rhyme of the Rusher [Sporting Times, 29 Oct.]. I fired him out out of the Rory quick.
Rorys (The), subs. (military).—The
Princess Louise's (Argyll and
Sutherland Highlanders).
Rosary, subs. (old).—A base coin
(temp. Ed. I.), resembling the
current silver penny. [It bore
(verso) a rose or rosette.]
Rose, subs. (showmen's).—1. A
bitch.
2. (Stock Exchange).—In pl. = Buenos Ayres and Rosario Railway Ordinary Stock.
3. (venery).—The female pudendum: see Monosyllable; and (4) a maidenhead. To pluck a rose = (1) to take a maidenhead, and (2) a woman's euphemism for micturition or defecation in the open air: cf. to pick a daisy (Grose, Halliwell).
1730. Swift, Pan. on Dean [Chalmers, Eng. Poets, xi. 489]. The bashful maid, to hide our blush . . . unobserved she boldly goes . . . to pluck a rose.
Under the rose, phr. (colloquial).—Secretly; in confidence (Dyche, Grose).
1546. Dymocke, Letter to Vaughan [Walsh]. And the sayde questyon were asked with lysence, and that yt should remayn under the rosse, that is to say, to remain under the bourde and ne more to be rehersyd.
1616-25. Court and Times James I. [Oliphant, New Eng., ii. 71. As to the prepositions we see under the rose].
1625. Jonson, Staple of News, ii. You are my lord, The rest are cogging Jacks, Under the rose.
1632. Chapman, Ball, ii. 2. Under the rose the lords do call me cousin.
c. 1707. Old Song, 'Praise of the Dairy Maid' [Durfey, Pills, &c. (1707). i. 12. Such bliss ne'er oppose If e'er you'll be happyI speak under the rose].
1753. Adventurer, No. 98. Under the rose, I am a cursed favourite amongst them.
