1788. Knox, Winter Evenings, 59. A pedant, a mere plodder, a petty tyrant, a GERUND-GRINDER.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas [Routledge], 168. The verb-grinder engendered in his noddle a most ingenious device, by which to keep this troublesome young lordling in awe, without trenching on his foolish father's instructions.
1825-7. Hone, Ev. Day Book, II. 33. Gerund-grinding and parsing are usually prepared for at the last moment.
Verdant, adj. (colloquial).—Simple,
inexperienced, 'easily
TAKEN IN' (q.v.), GREEN (q.v.).
Whence verdancy = rawness,
inexperience.
1853. Bradley, Adv. of Verdant Green [Title].
1878. Scribner's Mag., Oct., 790. Forget his verdancy and grotesque appearance.
Verge, subs. (thieves').—A gold
watch.
VeRITES (Charterhouse).—A boarding-house.
[A corruption of
Oliverites, after Dr. Oliver
Walford, 1838-55.]
VERT, subs. (colloquial).—A per-VERT
or con-VERT: spec. one
leaving the Church of England
for the Roman Communion, or
vice versa. Also as verb.
1864. Exper. of a Vert [Union Rev., May]. Old friends call me a pervert, new acquaintance a convert, the other day I was addressed as a vert.
1888. Echo, 17 Mar. As a man he is welcome to vert and re-VERT as often as he pleases.
Vertical-caregrinder, subs.
phr. (prison).—The tread-mill,
HORIZONTAL-STAIRCASE (q.v.),
WHEEL OF LIFE (q.v.).
Vessel, subs. (Winchester College).—The
half-quarter of a sheet of
foolscap. [Voc. East Anglia:
vessel was used for theme-papers
formerly at Bury School.]
The weaker vessel, subs.
phr. (colloquial).—A woman:
see I Peter iii. 7.
1600. Shakspeare, As You Like It, ii. 4. I must comfort the weaker vessel, as doublet and hose ought to show itself courageous to petticoat.
Vest. Pull down your vest,
verb. phr. (American).—A street
catch-phrase of no special meaning.
1875-6. Richmond, Burton's Events [Bartlett]. But the latest flash saying with which we are blest Is to tell a man quietly, 'Pull down your vest.'
To lose one's vest, verb. phr. (common).—To get angry, lose one's temper: cf. 'Keep YOUR HAIR ON!'
Vesta, subs. (Stock Exchange).—In
pl. = Railway Investment
Company Deferred Stock.
Vet, subs. (colloquial).—1. A
veterinary surgeon. Also 2.
(American) = a veteran (q.v.).
1888. Field, 4 Feb. Show his horse's feet to a vet, and ask his opinion.
1890. Atlantic, lxvi. 114. Great pains are taken with the shoeing, which is under the direct charge of the accomplished vet employed by that department.
Veteran, subs. (American).—A
soldier listing for a second term
of service: also vet. Whence
VETERAN (or VETERANIZE),
verb = to re-enlist.
Vex, adv. (Christ's Hospital).—So
much the worse for: e.g. 'Vex
for you': cf. Chaff.
Vic, intj. (Felsted School).—1. A warning of a master's approach; Cave! Hence to keep vic = to be on the look-out.
2. (London).—The Victoria Theatre.
