Royal, subs. (dockers').—See quot.
1883. Sims, How the Poor Live, 96. Regular men, called royals, are pretty sure to be taken on, their names being on the ganger's list and called out by him as a matter of course. Ibid., 98. It is when the royals are exhausted that the real excitement begins.
Royal-goats, subs. phr. (military).—The
Royal Welsh Fusiliers
(formerly the Twenty-third Foot.)
Also "Nanny-goats." [A goat is
kept as a regimental pet.]
Royal-image, subs. phr. (old).—In
pl. = money: see Rhino.
1749. Smollett, Gil Blas [Routledge], 287. Poor Gil Blas was left behind, without a royal image in his pocket.
Royal Poverty, subs. phr. (old).—Gin:
see White Satin.—Bailey
(1728).
Royal-scamp, subs. phr. (old).—A
GENTLEMAN OF THE ROAD (q.v.)
as distinguished from a foot-pad
(Grose).
Royster. See Roister.
Rozin. See Rosin.
Rozzer, subs. (thieves').—A policeman:
see Beak.
18[?] Globe [S. J. & C.]. The prisoner, seeing a detective watching him, called out to a companion, "There s a rosser!" The term is, as the magistrate opined, a new one.
1893. Emerson, Signor Lippo, xviii. If the rozzers was to see him in bona clobber they'd take him for a gun. Ibid., xx. So I took on knocker up, but when I began the rozzers was down on me.
1898. Pink 'Un and Pelican, 237. What does she do? Lor' doomy! she acksherly sticks 'er 'ead out o' winder an' calls up a rozzer!
1901. Sporting Times, 6 Ap., i. 4. From calmness I don't mean to lapse, I scorn you counterjumping chaps, Or you're some rozzer's nark, perhaps.
R's. See Three R's (The).
Rub, subs. (colloquial).—1. An
obstacle; a disputable point; a
difficulty: also (Old Cant) = a
hard shift (B. E., Grose).
Hence, as verb. = to hinder, to
obstruct. Also rubber.
1590. Nashe, Pasquil's Apologie [Works, i. 214]. Some small rubs, as I heare, haue been cast in my way to hinder my comming forth, but they shall not profit.
1599. Shakspeare, Henry V., ii. 2. We doubt not now But every rub is smoothed on our way. Ibid. (1602-3), Hamlet, iii. 1. To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub. Ibid. (1605), Lear, ii. 2. 'Tis the duke's pleasure, Whose disposition, all the world well knows, Will not be rubb'd nor stopped.
1606. Day, Ile of Guts, ii. 4. The duke is comming to bowles, and I would not for halfe mine office you shuld be a rub in the way of his patience.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, 243. Perceiuing that their power and authoritie would be a perillous rub in his way.
1684. Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress, 11. We have met with some notable rubs already, and what are yet to come we knew not.
1724. Harper in Harlequin Sheppard. He broke thro' all rubbs in the whitt.
1762. Goldsmith, Life of Nash [Works, 552 (Globe)]. But he experienced such rubs as these, and a thousand other mortifications, every day.
1840. Dickens, Old Curiosity Shop, vii. 'Look at the worst side of the question then,' said Trent. . . . 'Suppose he lives.' 'To be sure,' said Dick, 'There's the rub.'
1880. Trollope, Duke's Children, lxxi. He who lives on comfortable terms with the partner of his troubles can afford to acknowledge the ordinary rubs of life.
2. (military).—A loan: as of a newspaper.
Verb. (venery).—1. To masturbate; TO FRIG (q.v.): also TO RUB UP (or OFF); also subs. = an act of masturbation. Hence rubber-UP = a masturbator;
