1888. Harp. Mag., lxxviii. 561. A man must dismiss all thoughts of . . . common-sense when it comes to masquerade dresses, and just sail in and make an unmitigated fool of himself.
1891. M. Advertiser, 30 Mar. John Harvey called William Tillman a liar 150 times,. . . and offered to lick him 104 times. At the 104th William . . . thrashed John. The verdict of the jury was that William ought to have sailed in an hour and a half earlier.
Sailor's-blessing, subs. phr.
(nautical).—A curse.
Sailor's-pleasure, subs. phr.
(nautical).—'Yarning, smoking,
dancing, growling, &c.' (Clark
Russell).
Sailor's-waiter, subs. phr. (nautical).—See
quot.
1835. Dana, Two Years, &c., iii. The second mate . . . is neither officer nor man. . . . The crew call him the sailor's-waiter, as he has to furnish them with spun yarn, marline, and all other stuffs that they need in their work. . . .
Saint, subs. (old).—'A piece of
spoiled timber in a coachmaker's
shop, like a saint, devoted to the
flames' (Grose).
Phrases and Derivatives.—St. Anthony's pigs (see quot. 1662); St. Geoffrey's day = never (Grose): see Queen Dick; St. Giles's breed = 'Fat, ragged, and saucy' (Grose); St. Giles's Greek = Cant, slang (q.v.), peddler's French (Grose); St. Lawrence's tears (see quot. 1874); St. Lubbock's day = a bank-holiday; St. Luke's bird = an ox (Grose); St. Marget's ale = water: see Adam's Ale; St. Martin's evil = drunkenness; St. Martin's ring = a copper-gilt ring; St. Martin's lace = imitation gold lace, stage tinsel: see quot. 1607 (Dekker); St. Monday = 'a holiday taken on Monday to recover from the effects of the Sunday's rest' (Grose): whence Mondayish = lazy: see Cobbler's Sunday and Shoemaker's holiday; St. Nicholas (see Nicholas); St. Patrick (or St. Patrick's well) = the best whiskey; St. John to borrow (see Borrow); to dine with St. Anthony (cf. Duke Humphrey); riding St. George = 'the woman upper-*most in the amorous congress, that is the dragon on St. George' (Grose): whence St. George a-horse-back = the act of kind (see quot. 1617); the 'spital stands too nigh St. Thomas a' Waterings = 'Widows who shed most tears are sometimes guilty of such indiscretions as render them proper subjects for the public hospitals' (Hazlitt); saint of the saucepan = an expert cook.
1600. Munday and Drayton, Oldcastle, iv. 4. If ye burn, by this flesh I'll make you drink their ashes in Saint Marget's ale.
. . . . Pluine Percivall [Brand, Pop. Antiq., II. 27, note]. I doubt whether all be gold that glistereth, sith saint Martin's rings be but copper within, though they be gilt without.
1607. Puritan, i. 1. Here's a puling . . . my mother weeps for all the women that ever buried husbands. . . . Alas! a small matter lucks a handkerchief! and sometimes the 'pital stands too nigh Saint Thomas a' Waterings.
1607. Dekker, Westward Ho, ii. 1. You must to the Pawn to buy lawn; to Saint Martin's for lace.
c. 1617. Fletcher, Mad Lover, i. 1. How our Saint Georges will bestride the Dragons, The red and ramping dragons.
1632. Massinger, Fatal Dowry, iii. 1. Charal. You did not see him on my couch within, Like George a-horseback, on her, nor a-bed?
