Twittoc, adj. (Old Cant).—Two (Grose).
Two, adj. (old colloquial).—Doubly:
e.g. two fools = twice
foolish; two knaves = doubly
knavish.
1571. Edwards, Damon and Pithias [Dodsley, Old Plays (Reed), i. 176]. A varlet died in graine. You lose money by him, if you sell him for one knave, For he serves for twaine.
[1595. Shakspeare, Two Gentlemen, iii. 1. I am but a fool, look you; and yet I have the wit to think my master is a kind of knave; but that's all one, if he be but one knave.]
c. 1625. Fletcher, Elder Brother, ii. 1. I grieve to find You are a fool, and an old fool, and that's two.
d. 1631. Donne, Works (Bell), ii. 16. I am two fools, I know, For loving, and for saying so In whining poetry.
Two thieves beating a rogue, subs. phr. (old).—A man's arms when beating his sides for warmth; beating the Booby (q.v.), cuffing Jones (q.v.) (Grose).
See Bow.
Two-backed Beast, subs. phr.
(venery).—Two persons piled in
the act: see Beast.
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, i. iii. These two did often do the two-backed beast together . . . in so far that at last she became great with child.
Twoer, subs. (common).—1. A
florin; (2) a hansom cab.
Two-eyed Steak, subs. phr.
(common).—A bloater: see
Glasgow Magistrate.
Twofer, subs. (common).—A
wanton, a harlot: see Tart.
Two Fives (The), subs. phr. (military).—The
second battalion
Border Regiment, formerly the
55th Foot.
Two-foot Rule, subs. phr.
(rhyming).—A fool: see Buffle.
Two Fours (The), subs. phr. (military).—The
first battalion Essex
Regiment, late the 44th Foot.
Two-handed, adj. phr. (old).—1.
Great: spec. of a strapping
fellow or wench (Grose). Also
(2) expert with the 'dukes' (boxing).
Two-handed Game, subs. phr.
(common).—A matter in which
the chances of success are equal
or nearly so: e.g. 'I'll dust your
jacket for you,' 'Well, that's a
two-handed game.'
Two-handed Put, subs. phr.
(venery).—The act of kind: see
Greens and Ride (Grose).
Two-legged Cat (Fox, etc.),
subs. phr. (common).—A thief:
usually as a retort to 'The cat
had it,'—'A two-legged cat,
then.'
1551. Still, Gammer Gurton's Needle, v. 2. Thy neighbour's hens thou takest, and plays the two-legged fox.
Two-legged Tree, subs. phr.
(common).—The gallows: see
Nubbing-cheat.
Two-legged Tympany, subs. phr.
(old).—A baby; spec. a bastard.
[Tympany = dropsy (q.v.).]
Hence to have a two-legged
tympany = to be got with child
(Ray).
Two-nick, subs. (printers').—A
girl baby: cf. one-nick.
