Yes, but what horrible boots! whoever could have had the atwocity to fwame such beetle-crushers.—Rhoda Broughton: Red as a Rose is She.
The expression was first used in Punch, in one of Leech's caricatures. A man with "extrémités canailles," as the French have it, is said to be blessed with "beetle-crushers and mutton fists." (Army), an infantry soldier is derisively termed beetle-crusher by the cavalry, varied sometimes to "mud-crusher," a near equivalent of the French "pousse-caillou."
Who wouldn't be a millionaire,
A-rolling in his riches?
Though dolor-ous the load they bear—
Who wouldn't be a millionaire?
I own the rich man's shoes to wear
My beetle-crusher itches!
Who wouldn't be a millionaire,
A-rolling in his riches?
Before - tim (pidgin), formerly, once, previously, ere now, of old.
Old How-qua, he one piecee velly largey Hong machin (merchant), sartin before-tim you plenty healee (have heard of) allo-same How-qua.—How-qua and the Pearls.
Beggarbolts (nautical), a term formerly applied to any missiles thrown from a galley-slaves' boat at an attacking force.
Beggars' velvet (common), particles of down shaken from a bed, and left to accumulate under furniture by the negligence of housemaids. A more befitting term is "sluts'-wool," as reflecting on the lazy habits of the maid.
Begum, a rich widow.
Beilby's ball (old), an old Bailey executioner. "You will dance at Beilby's ball, where the sheriff pays for the music," from the name of the executioner in the time of Jonathan Wild.
Be in it, to (common), like the American phrase "to be on it." But the English expression seems to denote being in trouble, "I'm always in it."
And I was in it, fairly in it!
I fell in the box of eggs and there I quickly stuck.
I was in it, fairly in it!
I was in it, for it's just my luck.
Bejant, new student at Aberdeen University. A corruption of the French béjaune (bee jaune), unsophisticated young man, compared to an unfledged blackbird. The term is applied to the first or lowest class, the second being the "semi-bejants," the third the "tertians," and the fourth the "magistrands."
Belay (nautical), stop. "Belay that yarn," cease talking, we have had enough of it.
Belch (old), beer.
Belcher (roughs), a blue bird's-eye handkerchief.
Belial (Oxford), Balliol College.
