Heading
Dona, Donna, Donny, or Doner, subs. (vulgar).—A woman. [From the Italian.] For synonyms, see Petticoat.
1875. Athenæum, 24 April, p. 545, col. 2. A circus man almost always speaks of a circus woman, not as a woman, but a dona.
Donaker, subs. (old).—A cattle-lifter.
1669. Nicker Nicked, in Harl. Misc. (ed. Park), ii., 108.
Done! intj. (common).—An interjection
of acceptance or agreement.
1602. Dekker, Honest Whore, in wks. (1873), ii., 17. Cast. . . . I'le wage a hundred duckats upon the head on't, that it moves him, frets him, and galles him. Pio. Done, 'tis a lay, joyne gols [hands] on't.
1761. Colman, Jealous Wife, IV., in wks. (1777), i., 106. Why, it's a match, miss! it's done and done on both sides.
1762. Goldsmith, Life of Nash, in wks., p. 546 (Globe). Why, if you think me a dab I will get this strange gentleman, or this, pointing to the flat. Done! cries the sailor, but you shall not tell him.
1840. Thackeray, Paris Sketch-book, p. 196. 'I will bet thee thy water for a year that none of the three will pray for thee.' 'Done!' said Rollo. 'Done! said the daemon.'
Ppl. adj. (common).—Exhausted; ruined; cheated; convicted.
[See Do in most of its senses.]
Done-over, adj. (common).—1.
Intoxicated. For synonyms, see
Screwed.
2. (venery). Possessed in kind; said only of women.
Donkey, subs. (printers').—1. A
compositor; pressmen are in
turn called pigs (q.v.).
English Synonyms.—Ass; moke; galley-slave.
French Synonyms.—Un mulet (printers'); un compositeur mie de pain (an unskilled or clumsy workman; mie de pain also = a louse); un marron (a compositor working on his own account with another printer's plant); un homme de lettres (= a man of letters); un singe (= a monkey); un amphibie (a compositor who is donkey and pig [q.v.] together).
1857. In Notes and Queries, 2 S., iv., 192. Compositors are jocosely called mokes or donkeys.
2. (nautical).—A sailor's chest.
3. (colloquial).—A blockhead. For synonyms, see Cabbage-head and Buffle.
A penny, twopence or threepence more and up goes the donkey, phr. (common).—An exclamation of derision. [Street acrobats': the custom was to finish off the pitch by balancing a donkey at the top of a ladder on receipt of 'tuppence more'; which sum, however often subscribed, was always re-demanded, so that the donkey never 'went up' at all.]
1841. Punch, vol. I., p. 41, col. 2. Mr. Joseph Muggins begs to inform his old crony, Punch, that the report of Sir John Pullon, 'as to the possibility of elevating an ass to the head of the poll by bribery and corruption' is perfectly correct, provided there is no abatement in the price. Let him canvass again, and Mr. J. M. pledges himself, whatever his weight, if he will only stand one penny more, up goes the donkey!
1850. F. E. Smedley, Frank Fairleigh, ch. xv. He . . . has left the key in the lock; so I shall take the liberty of exploring a little; I've a strong though undeveloped taste for architectural antiquities. Twopence more, and up goes the donkey! Come along! So saying, he flung open the door.
