Heading
Doras, subs. (Stock Exchange).—South-Eastern Railway Deferred Ordinary Stock, sometimes applied to the 'A' Stock.
Dorbie, subs. (Scots Masonic).—An
initiate.
The Dorbies' knock, subs. phr.—A peculiar rap given by masons as a signal amongst themselves. It may be represented by the time of the following notes:
Dorcas, subs. (colloquial),—A
sempstress; especially one employing
herself for charitable purposes.
Dorse.—See Doss.
Dose, subs. (thieves').—1. A sentence
of imprisonment; specifically
three months' hard labour.
English Synonyms.—Spell, time, drag, three moon, length, stretch, seven-pennorth, sixer, twelver, lagging.
French Synonym.—Une marque.
1877. Five Years Penal Servitude, ch. iii., p. 22. 'What's yer dose?' looking on to my badge; 'five, oh, you can do that little lot on yer 'ed easy.'
2. (thieves').—A burglary.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue's Lexicon, s.v.
3. (pugilistic).—A beating.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib's Memorial to Congress, p. 17. Sandy tipp'd him a dose of that kind, that, when taken, It isn't the stuff, but the patient that's shaken.
4. (colloquial).—As much liquor as one can hold.
To have a dose of the balmy, verbal phr. (common).—To 'do a sleep.'—See Balmy and Doss.
To take a grown man's dose, verb. phr. (common).—To take a very large quantity of liquor.
Doss or Dorse, subs. (vagrants').—A
bed, or lodging; also a sleep,
or lib (q.v.). [Origin uncertain.]
For synonyms, see Kip and
Balmy.
1789. Geo. Parker, Life's Painter, p. 165. Dorsed. The place where a person sleeps, or a bed. 'I dorsed there last darkey.'
1858. Mayhew, Paved with Gold, p. 118. Into this branch curtained retreat, the lads crept on all fours, one after another, to enjoy their doss, as, in their slang, they called sleep.
1883. Daily News, 3 April, p. 3, col. 5. He replied that he had only come there to have a doss (sleep).
1889. Pall Mall Gazette, 9 Sep., p. 3, col. 2. If you want a doss, a doss is provided. A wooden framework, about as wide as the widest part of a coffin, and a wooden pillow and a blanket of leather.
Verb (vagrants')—To sleep. For synonyms, see Balmy and infra. Also Dorse.
English Synonyms.—To go to the arms of Murphy (q.v.); to have forty winks; to go to Bedfordshire; to take a little (or do a dose) of the balmy; to chuck (or do) a doss; to snooze; to go to by-by; to read the paper; to shut one's eyes to think; to retire to the land of Nod.
French Synonyms.—Battre la couverte (military); se foutre un coup de traversin (= to have a
