Heading
Downy Bit, subs. phr. (venery).—A half-fledged girl.
Downy Cove, (or Bird, or in pl.,
The Downies), subs. phr. (common).—A
clever rogue.
English Synonyms.—Mizzler; leary bloke or cove; sly dog; old dog; nipper; file; Greek; one that knows what's o'clock; one who knows the ropes, or his way about; don; dodger; dab; doll's-eye-weaver; dam-*macker; shaver; dagen; chickaleary-cove; ikey bloke; artful member; one that is up to the time of day; fly cove; one that's in the know; one that has his eye-teeth skinned, or that has cut his wisdoms.
French Synonyms.—Un gaspard (popular); un fouinard (pop.: fouiner = to slink off); un ficellier (popular); être d'affût (thieves') = to be on the track or scent); un arcasien (thieves': from arcane = a secret); un pante désargoté (thieves': one 'fly to the time of day'); un mariolle (thieves' = English file [q.v.]); un lapin (popular); un écopeur (pop.: a safe hand); un emberlificoteur (O.F., popular).
German Synonyms. Barje or Borje (from the Hebrew birjah: also = a fop); Bochur, Bacher, or Bocher (from Hebrew bochur: also an official who understands thieves' lingo); Chochom, Chochem, or Chochemer (more frequently spelled with 'k': from Hebrew chochom); Lowon (also = silver, shining).
Spanish Synonyms.—Candonguero (applied to one who is mischievous as well as cunning); zarapeto; zorrastron; perro viejo; estuche (also = a pair of scissors); guitarron (also = a large guitar); perillan; pua (also = a sharp point: es buena pua = he is a keen blade); carlancon; es un buen sastre (= he is a sly dog or cunning blade. Sastre = tailor); soga; alpargatilla; sobon or sobonazo (also = a lazy fellow).
Portuguese Synonym.—Tinente.
1821. Egan, Tom and Jerry (ed. 1890), p. 95. Mr. Mace had long been christened by the downies, the 'dashing covey.'
1841. Leman Rede, Sixteen-String Jack, ii., 4. Tom Bullock, the downiest cove, the leary one that never goes to sleep.
1877. Greenwood, Dick Temple, Downy-looking Cove, the fair 'un; a mug like that ought to be worth a fortune to him.
Downy Flea-pasture, subs. phr.
(common).—A bed. For synonyms,
see Bug Walk and Kip.
Dowry, subs. (common).—A lot; a
great deal; dowry of parny =
lot of rain or water.
Dowse or Douse, verb (old).—1.
A verb of action.—See quots.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulgar Tongue. Dowse your dog vane = take the cockade out of your hat. Dowse the glim = put out the candle. Dowse on the chops = a blow in the face.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering. Dowse the glim!
1860. Punch, vol. XXXVIII., p. 252. 'The Death and Burial of poor little Bill.' And who'll put on mourning 'Not we,' said the House 'The Reform flag we'll douse, But we won't put on mourning.'
1863. C. Reade, Hard Cash, I., 212. At nine p.m., all the lights were ordered out. Mrs. Beresford had brought a novel on board and refused to comply;. . . The master-at-arms, finding he had no chance in argument, doused the glim—pitiable resource of a weak disputant—then basely fled the rhetorical consequences.
