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Dilly-dally, verb (colloquial).—To loiter; hesitate; trifle. [A duplication of dally.]
1740. Richardson, Pamela, i., 275. What you do, sir, do; don't stand dilly-dallying.
1750. Fielding, Tom Jones, bk. XVIII., ch. xii. But if I had suffered her to stand shill I shall I, dilly dally, you might not have had that honour yet awhile.
1869. W. S. Gilbert, The Bohemian Girl. When at a pinch you should never DILLY-DALLY.
Dimber, adj. (old).—Pretty, neat,
lively. Variants are scrumptious;
natty. Fr., batif (thieves'); fignole
(thieves'); girofle (thieves').
1671. R. Head, English Rogue, pt. I., ch. v., p. 48 (1874), s.v.
1706. E. Coles, Eng. Dict., s.v.
Dimber Cove = a sprightly man, a gentleman: Dimber Mort = a pretty girl. Fr., une largue girofle. Cf., Dimber-damber.
1837. Disraeli, Venetia, book I., ch. xiv. 'Tis a dimber cove, whispered one of the younger men to a companion: Ibid, Tip me the clank like a dimber mort.
Dimber-damber, subs. (old).—A
captain of thieves or vagrants.
[From dimber (q.v.), skilful,
etc., + damber (q.v.), a chief
or head man.]
1671. R. Head, English Rogue, pt. 1, ch. v., p. 48 (1874).
1724. E. Coles, Eng. Dict.
1749. Life of Bampfylde-Moore Carew,'Oath of the Canting Crew.'. . . No dimber damber, angler, dancer, prig of cackler, prig of prancer.
1834. H. Ainsworth, Rookwood, bk. III., ch. v. No; no refusal, exclaimed a chorus of voices. Dick Turpin must be one of us. He shall be our dimber DAMBER.
Dimmock, subs. (common).—Money.
For synonyms, see Actual and
Gilt.
1834. H. Ainsworth, Rookwood, bk. IV., ch. i. 'I have . . . pocketed the DIMMOCK (here 'tis,' continued he, parenthetically slapping his pockets).
Dinahs, subs. (Stock-Exchange).—Edinburgh
and Glasgow Railway
Ordinary Stock.
Dinarly or Dinali, subs. (theatrical).—Money.
For synonyms, see
Actual and Gilt. Nantee
or Nanti Dinarly = no money.
Sp., dinero; Lingua Franca,
niente dinaro = not a penny.
1851-61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. III., p. 149. 'I have got no money' is, 'My nabs has nanti dinali' [among strolling actors].
1870. South London Press, 8 Oct., Advt. So don't forget when you've the tin To here spend your 'Dinarley.'
DINE-OUT, verb. phr. (common).—To
go dinnerless, to dine with
Duke Humphrey (q.v.). Variants:
TO TAKE A SPITALFIELDS'
BREAKFAST (q.v.), or AN IRISHMAN'S
dinner (q.v.), also to go
OUT AND COUNT THE RAILINGS
(q.v.). Fr., Se coucher bredouille
= to go to bed supperless; aller
voir défiler les dragons = to go and
watch the dragoons march past;
diner en ville = to dine in town,
i.e., to munch a roll in the
street or to eat nothing; lire le
journal.
1888. All the Year Round, 9 June. p. 542. To 'dine with Duke Humphrey, or, as it is now sometimes more shortly phrased, to 'dine out,' in both cases meaning not to dine at all
Dine with Duke Humphrey, verb.
phr. (old).—To go dinnerless; to
dine out (q.v.).—[Origin uncertain;
supposed, however, to
refer to Humphrey, Duke of
Gloucester, the youngest son of
Henry the Fourth, who, though
really buried at St. Alban's, was
reputed to have a monument in
