Heading
Who stole the donkey? phr. (common).—A street cry once in vogue on the appearance of a man in a white hat. With a similar expression 'Who stole the leg of mutton'? applied to the police, it had its rise in a case of larceny. J. H. Dixon, writing to Hotten, Nov. 6th, 1864, remembered both. The first occurred at Hatton Garden Police Court, where a man, wearing a white hat, was charged with stealing a costermonger's donkey.
1889. Sporting Times, 3 Aug., p. 3, col. 5. Who stole the donkey? The man with the white hat! This was a very popular street colloquy some years ago.
To ride the donkey, verb. phr. (common).—To cheat with weights and measures. Also donkey-riding = cheating as aforesaid. Cf., Ambush.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue's Lexicon. Donkey-Riding. Cheating in weight or measure; mis-*counting.
To talk the hind leg off a donkey.—See Talk.
Donkey-Drops, subs. phr. (cricket).—See
quot.
1890. The Hon. and Rev. E. Lyttelton, Cricket, p. 69. Slow round-hand bowling, such as is seldom seen in good matches, but is effective against boys, and is known by the contumelious designation of donkey-drops.
Donkey's-ears, subs. (old).—An
old-fashioned shirt-collar with
long points.
Donna.—See Dona.
Donnish, adj. Donnism, Donnishness,
subs. (University).—Arrogant;
arrogance. [From Don
(q.v.).]
1823. Hints for Oxford, p. 66. The Bachelors, we imagine, are the most pleasant set of beings in Oxford. . . . They have luckily not been so long emancipated as to have become stiff, and donnish, and disagreeable.
c. 1830. Ballad, quoted in N. and Q., 2nd S., xii., 154. Our Yankee, who'd commenced the fight and rather to be donnish meant, Sam squabbled felt (as well he might) with genu-ine astonishment.
1853. Thackeray, in Scribner's Mag., Oct., 1887, p. 415. At Boston is very good literate company indeed; it is like Edinburgh for that,—a vast amount of toryism and donnishness everywhere.
1888. Mrs. Ward, Robt. Elsmere, vol. I., bk. I., ch. ii., p. 48. He was a curious man, a refined-looking, melancholy creature, with a face that reminded you of Wordsworth, and cold donnish ways, except to his children and the poor.
Donny.—See Dona.
Donovans, subs. (old).—Potatoes. Cf., Murphy. [Donovan, like Murphy, is a common Irish patronym.]
Don's Week, subs. phr. (tailors').—The
week before a general holiday.
Don't get your Back up.—See
Back, and Hold your Hair
on.
Don't-name-'ems, subs. phr. (common).—Trousers.
For synonyms,
see Kicksies.
Don't you wish you may get it,
phr. (street).—A retort forcible.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends (ed. 1862), p. 179. A thousand marks, continued the confessor. . . . Sir Guy shrank from the monk's gaze; he turned to the window, and muttered to himself something that sounded like, 'don't you wish you may get it?'
1841. Punch, vol. I., p. 22, col. 2. Who would own her heart thine, Though a monarch beset it, And love on unchanged, don't you wish you may get it?'
