Heading
Domino-Box, subs. (old).—The mouth. For synonyms, see Potato-trap.
1812. Vaux, Flash Dictionary, s.v.
Dominoes, subs. (popular).—1.
The teeth. For synonyms, see
Grinders.
1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, ii., 6. Mr. J. Sluice your dominos—vill you? Green. Vot! I never plays at dominos—It's too wulgar. Mr. J. Vy, then vash your ivories? Green. I've got no hiveries to vash. Mr. J. Drink, vill you? don't you understand Hinglish?
1856. H. Mayhew, Gt. World of London, p. 6, note. Fanciful metaphors contribute largely to the formation of slang. It is upon this principle that the mouth has come to be styled the 'tater-trap'; the teeth, dominoes.
1864. E. D. Forgues, in Revue des deux Mondes, 15 Sept., p. 470. Le mot 'dents' est remplacé par celui de dominos aussi bien sur les bordes de la Tamise que sur ceux de la Seine.
2. (colloquial).—The keys of a piano.
To sluice one's dominoes, verb. phr. (common).—To drink.—See quot., 1823 ante.
Domino-thumper, subs. (common).—A
pianist.
Dommerar, Dommerer, or Dummerer,
subs. (old).—A beggar
feigning to be deaf and dumb;
also, a madman.
1567. Harman, Caveat, p. 57. These Dommerars are leud and most subtyll people: the moste part of these are Walch men, and wyll neuer speake, vnlesse they haue extreame punishment, but wyll gape, and with a maruelous force wyll hold downe their toungs doubled, groning for your charyty, and holding vp their handes full pitiously, so that with their deepe dissimulation they get very much.
1621. Burton, Anat. of Mel., I., II., IV., vi., 233 (1836). It compels some miserable wretches to counterfeit several diseases, to dismember, make themselves blind, lame, to have a more plausible cause to beg . . . we have dummerers, Abraham men, etc.
1671. R. Head. English Rogue, pt. I., ch. v. (Repr. 1874), p. 49. Dommerar, a Madman.
1706. E. Coles, Eng. Dict. Dommeror, a Madman.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum. Dommerer, a fellow that pretends to be deaf and dumb.
Don, subs. (colloquial).—An adept;
a swell; also a man that 'puts
on side.' At the Universities a
fellow or officer of a college;
whence the vulgar usage. [From
Latin, dominus, a lord, through
the Spanish title.]
1665. Dryden, Indian Emperor, Epilogue, 21. For the great dons of wit—Phœbus gives them full privilege alone, To damn all others, and cry up their own.
1698-1700. Ward, London Spy, pt. xiii., p. 299. Like the Great Old Dons of the Law, when they dance the Measures in an Inns-of-Court Hall upon the first day of Christmas.
1730. Jas. Miller, Humours of ford, Act I., p. 7 (2 ed.) The old dons . . . will come cringing, cap in hand, to offer to show the ladies the curiosities of the college.
1826. Reynolds ('Peter Corcoran') Song on the Fancy. Dull innocence! Twaddle on, Thy weary worshipper—and fain Would give thee up, to be a don, And beat the watch in Drury Lane.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, ch. xi. Does not go much into society, except . . . once or twice to the houses of great country dons who dwell near him in the country.
c. 1880. Broadside Ballad, sung by Jenny Hill. Arry, 'Arry, There you are now, 'Arry, I say, 'Arry, by Jove, you are a Don.'
Adj. (common).—Clever, expert; first rate. [From the subs. sense.]
