Round O, subs. phr. (old).—A thumping lie: see Whopper.
1605. London Prodigal, iii. 2. Howsoever the Devonshire man is, my master's mind is bloody, that's a round O [aside], and, therefore, Sir, entreaty is but vain.
Round Robin, subs. phr. (old).—1.
See quots.
1563. Fox, Acts and Monuments; 523. [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 550. Scurrilous Protestants used to call the Host round Robin; we apply the phrase to petitions.]
d. 1569. Coverdale, Works, i. 426. Certain fond talkers . . . invent and apply to this most holy sacrament names of despite and reproach, as to call it Jack-in-the-Box and Round-robin.
1661. Heylin, Reformation, i. 99. Reproached it [the Sacrament] by the odius names of Jack-in-a-box, Round Robin, Sacrament of the Halter . . .
2. (old).—A religious (= political) brawler.
1692. Hacket, Life of Williams, ii. 177. These Wat Tylers and Round Robins being driven . . . out of Whitehall.
3. (colloquial).—See quots. (Grose).
1626. Court and Times Chas. I., i. 187. [Oliphant, New Eng., ii. 75. We find the first instance of a Round Robin in 1626; sailors write their names and marks in a good round circular form so that none might appear for a ringleader.]
1660. Rump Songs, i. 66. The Round-robin by a like fate, Is Victor in the Tubb.
1755. World, 146. A round robin . . . of above a thousand of the most respectable names.
1776. Forbes [Boswell, Johnson (Hill), III. 83]. A Round Robin, as the sailors call it . . . so as not to let it be known who puts his name first or last to the paper.
1838. Lytton, Alice, iv. iii. The whole country shall sign a round robin to tell him it's a shame.
1886. D. Telegraph, 24 Feb. The members of the Royal Commission sent to Sir George Grey a sort of round-robin.
4 and 5. (thieves').—See quot. and Roundabout.
1889. Clarkson and Richardson, Police, 341. Go in for a round robin, or good heavy swindle.
Round-shaving, subs. phr. (colloquial).—A
reprimand.
Round-the-houses, subs. phr.
(rhyming).—Trousers: cf.
rounds.
1892. Marshall, The Rusher [Sporting Times, 29 Oct.], My round-the-houses I tried to dry, By the Anna Maria's heat.
1898. Pink 'Un and Pelican, 153. Mr. Commissioner Kerr . . . once informed a snip who was after a chap for the price of a couple o' pair o' light round-my-houses . . . that there was no such thing as taking credit.
Ronny, subs. (old).—A potato; a
murphy (q.v.).
1821. Haggart, Life, 90. A field where some coves were rousting ronnies.
Rouse, subs. (old).—(1) A large
glass full of liquor; a big bumper;
(2) a carouse.
1596. Shakspeare, Hamlet, i. 4. The king doth wake to-night, and take his rouse.
1609. Jonson, Silent Woman, iii. 2. We will have a rouse in each of them.
1609. Dekker, Guls Hornbook [Nares]. Tell me, thou soveraigne skinker, how to take the German's upsy-*freeze, the Danish Rouza, the Surtyer's stoop of Rhenish.
1618. Drayton, Verses in Chapman's Hesiod. To fetch deep rouses from Jove's plenteous cup.
1618. Fletcher, Loyal Subject, iv. 5. Take the rouse freely, sir, 'Twill warm your blood, and make you fit for jollity. Ibid. (1624), Wife for a Month, ii. 6. We'll have a rouse before we go to bed, friends.
c. 1620. Healey, Disc. of New World, 84. Gone is my flesh, yet thirst lies in the bone, Give me one rouse, my friend, and get thee gone.
