Heading
Popularised as a sobriquet by Colman's Daniel Dowlas in The Heir at Law.—See Dickey Diaper, and cf., Dripping = cook; Grindo = miller; Gallipot = chemist; Lint-scraper = surgeon, (q.v.).
Dowling, subs. (public school).—See
quot.
1871. Newspaper Report, 18 Feb., of of a charge of assault against the head boy of Shrewsbury School. Mr. Chandler addressed the Bench for the defence. He said the game of dowling was practised at Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Westminster and other large schools, etc.
1877. Everyday Life in our Public Schools. There are four or five compulsory games a week (football) known as dowlings [Greek: dou=los].
Down, subs. (thieves').—1. Suspicion;
alarm; a diversion. There
is no down = All is quiet, it is
safe to go on.
1821. D. Haggart, Life, Glossary, p. 171. Down, alarm; rose the down, gave the alarm.
2. (American).—Small beer. Up = bottled ale.
Adv. (colloquial).—1. Dispirited; hard-up; in disgrace. Found in various combinations: e.g., down in the mouth, or dumps = dejected; down on one's luck = reduced in circumstances; down at heel = shabby; down on one's back-seam = out of luck; down to bed-rock (American) = penniless, etc., etc.
1608-11. Bishop Hall, Epistles, i., 6. The Roman orator was down in the mouth; finding himself thus cheated by the money-changer.
1693. Congreve, Old Batchelor, Act iv., Sc. 9. Sir J. Witt. Now am I slap-dash down in the mouth, and have not one word to say!
1751. Smollett, Peregrine Pickle, ch. xlix. He . . . told the physician that he was like the root of the tongue, as being cursedly down in the mouth.
1836. C. Dickens, Pickwick Papers, p. 6, (ed. 1857). I see—never ruined—accidents will happen—best regulated families—never say die—down upon your luck—pull him up.
1840. Comic Almanack, p. 208. Let's not be down upon our luck Nor out of heart at our condition.
1846. Thackeray, Vanity Fair, vol. II., ch. xxix. They say, that when Mrs. Crawley was particularly down on her luck, she gave concerts and lessons in music here and there.
1851. H. Mayhew, Lon. Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. I., p. 58. If the hucksters know that the person calling the raffle is down, and that it is necessity that has made him call it, they will not allow the property put up to be thrown for.
1861. Marian Evans (G. Eliot), Silas Marner, ch. viii. Well, here's my turning, said Bryce, not surprised to perceive that Godfrey was rather down; so I'll bid you good-day.
1864. Edmund Yates, Broken to Harness, ch. x. What won't do? asked Prescott, with flaming face, Why, this Kate Mellon business, Jim. It's on hot and strong, I know. You've been down in the mouth all the time she was away.
1880. A. Trollope, The Duke's Children, ch. xlvii. I'm sorry you're so down in the mouth. Why don't you try again?
1880. Jas. Greenwood, Veteran of Vauxhall in 'Odd People in Odd Places,' p. 40. Then I got down at heel, as the saying is; and when a man is reduced to one bare suit of black, and that one so shaky with long wear that it wants as tender handling as an invalid, he hasn't got much of a chance to get on well as a waiter.
2. (old).—Acquainted with; 'fly' (q.v.); up to (q.v.). Also in combination: down to, down on, and down as a hammer.
1610. Jonson, Alchemist, IV., iv. Thou art so down upon the least disaster! How would'st thou ha' done, if I had not help't thee out?
1825. The English Spy, vi., p. 162. Dick's a trump, and no telegraph—up to every frisk, and down to every move of the domini, thoroughbred and no want of courage.
