Rubbish, subs. (old).—Money: generic: see Rhino.
1821. Egan, Real Life, I. 142. She shall stump up the rubbish before I leave her.
Rubicon, subs. (gaming).—Used
as in quot.
1896. Farjeon, Betray. John Fordham, iii. 288. "Rubicon'd agin!" cried Maxwell with a oath, dashin' 'is fist on the table. Ibid., 292. Eight fifty. Double the stake if you like. Thirteen 'underd. Another Rubicon. . . . Luck wos agin me last night; looks as if it wos turning.
Rubigo, subs. (old Scots').—The
penis: see Prick.
c. 1584. R. Sempill, Leg. of the Bischop, &c. His rubigo began to ryiss.
Rubric. In (or out of) the
rubric, phr. (old).—In (or out
of) holy orders.
1699. Farquhar, Constant Couple, i. 1. Who would have thought to find thee out of the rubric so long? I thought thy hypocrisy had been wedded to a pulpit cushion long ago.
Rub-rub, phr. (old).—'Us'd on
Greens when the Bowl Flees too
fast, to have it forbear, if Words
wou'd do it.'—B. E. (c. 1696).
Ruby, subs. (colloquial).—1. Blood;
claret (q.v.). Hence ruby-face
= 'a very red face' (B. E.,
Grose); whence (2) ruby = a
grog-blossom (q.v.).
c. 16[?]. Rox. Ballads [Brit. Mus., C 20, f. 7, 214], 'The Little Barly-Corne,' II. It will inrich the palest face, and with Rubies it adorne.
1839. Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard, II. v. Jolly nose, the bright rubies that garnish thy tip.
1860. Chambers' Journal, xiii. 348. The fluid of which Harvey demonstrated the circulation in the human body, he speaks of as 'claret,' or 'carmine,' or ruby.
1886-9. Marshall ['Pomes,' 49], Honest Bill. You'd be sure to nark the ruby round his gilt.
1888. Sporting Life, 11 Dec. Saunders stopped a flush right-hander with his organ of smell, the ruby duly making its appearance.
Ruck, subs. (colloquial).—1. The
mob (B. E., c. 1696); whence (2)
= rubbish. Hence to come in
with the ruck (or to ruck
in) = to come in unnoticed, or
(racing) unplaced.
1846. Punch, xi. 15. Who floored Sir Robin?. . . Who headed the ruck? "I," said Lord George so able, Racy speech and mind stable, "And I headed the ruck."
1857. Holmes, Autocrat of the Breakfast Table, iv. First turn in the race. . . . Several shew in advance of the ruck.
1864. Derby Day, 18. It will be unpleasant for me if Ascapart is in the ruck.
1874. Collins, Frances, xxiii. I don't care for Americans myself, men or women . . . the ruck want educating.
1879. Scrib. Mag., viii. 159. He's stuck up and citified, and wears gloves . . . and all that sort of ruck [Century].
1893. Milliken, 'Arry Ballads, 75. A Missus with money, and rucks in along o' the rest.
d. 1893. Baker, Heart of Africa, 112. I soon found myself in the ruck of men, horses, and drawn swords.
Verb, (common).—1. To inform; to split (q.v.); (2) = to turn rusty (q.v.); and (3) to drag or crease.
1884. D. News, 20 Sept., 2, 2. I told the prisoner that I was not going to ruck on an old pal.
1889. Answers, 13 Ap., 313. To such of their own fraternity who ruck or "blab" upon them, they most certainly entertain feelings of the deepest hatred.
1893. Milliken, 'Arry Ballads, 71. Mine rucked when I turned up in trousers in checks.
1894. Egerton, Keynotes, 177. They [trousers] ruck up at the knees.
