Heading
Daisyville, subs. (thieves').—The country. Also deuseaville.
English Synonym. Monkery.
French Synonyms. La camplouse; la cambrouse; le pasclin or pasquelin.
Italian Synonyms. Longa (literally = an expanse); polverosa (literally = dusty); graziosa (literally = graceful).
1622. Head and Kirkman, 'Canting Song.' This Doxie Dell can cut bien whids, And drill well for a win; And prig and cloy so benshiply, All the deusea-vile within.
Dakma, verb (thieves').—To silence.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue's Lexicon, s.v.
1881. New York Slang Dict. I had to dakma the bloke to cly the swag.
Dam. Not to care or be worth
a dam, phr. (common).—To care
or be worth nothing. [The dam
or dawm is an Indian coin worth
barely the fortieth part of a rupee.]
Cf., Care and Fig.
Damage, subs. (colloquial).—The
cost of anything; the sum total
in the sense of recompense.
'What's the damage?' 'what's
to pay?' also What's the swindle?
(q.v.). [An allusion to
damages at law.]
b. 1788, d. 1824. Byron [quoted in Annandale]. Many thanks, but I must pay the damage and will thank you to tell me the amount of the engraving.
1852. H. B. Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin, ch. xiv. Well, now, my good fellow, what's the damage, as they say in Kentucky; in short, what's to be paid out for this business.
1871. De Vere, Americanisms, p. 576. When he wishes to know what he has to pay, he asks, What's the damage? or not so charitably, What's the swindle?
Damaged, ppl. adj. (common).—Drunk;
screwed (q.v. for synonyms).—See
Drinks.
Damber, subs. (old).—A man,
cove, or cull belonging to the
fraternity of vagabonds. For
synonyms, see Cove.
Damme, Dammy or Dammy-Boy,
subs. (old).—A sixteenth and
seventeenth century roysterer;
a blustering fellow. [So called
from the excess to which swearing
was carried by the rakes of
the day.]
1654. Witts, Recreations. To valiant dammee. Dam-me, thy brain is valiant, 'tis confest; Thou more, that with it every day dar'st jest Thy self into fresh braules; but call'd upon, With swearing dam-me, answer'st every one. Keep thy self there, and think thy valour right, He that dares damne himself, dares more than fight.
1687. Cleveland, Works. Depriver of those solid joys, Which sack creates; author of noise Among the roaring punks and dammy-boys.
Dam Nasty Oath, subs. phr.
(American).—A corruption of
amnesty oath. [Southerners,
at the close of the Civil War,
were required, as an outward sign
of submission to the Union, to
subscribe to certain conditions,
upon which a free pardon was
granted. The terms were deemed
unpalatable—hence dam nasty
oath.]
Damned-Soul, subs. (old).—A
Customs House clearing clerk.
[Because to avoid perjury he
was alleged to have taken a
general oath never to swear
truly in making 'declarations.']
[Lexicon Balatronicum, 1811. ]
Damp (Generally, something
damp), subs. phr. (common).—*
