Heading
Earl of Mar's Grey Breeks, subs. phr. (military).—The Twenty-First Foot. [In allusion to the colour of the men's breeches and to the original title of the regiment, The Earl of Mar's Fuzileers.] Obsolete.
Early. To get up early, verb.
phr. (common).—To be astute;
ready; wide-awake. Cf., 'It's
the early bird that catches the
worm.'
1738. Swift, Polite Convers., Dial. 3. They must rise early that would cheat her of her money.
c. 1869. Vance, Broadside Ballad. For to get me on the hop, or on my 'tibby' drop, You must wake up very early in the morning.
1880. A. Trollope, The Duke's Children, ch. xlvi. It was said of him that . . . if you wished to take him in you must get up early.
Early-riser, subs. (common).—An
aperient. Cf., Custom-house
officer and Two gunners
and a driver.
Early-worm, subs. (common).—A
man who searches the streets at
daybreak for cigar stumps.
Earth-bath, subs. (old).—A grave.
To take an earth-bath =
to be buried; cf., ground
sweat.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue's Lexicon, s.v.
Earthquake. Bottled earthquake,
subs. phr. (American).—Intoxicating
drinks.
Earth-stoppers, subs. (old).—Horse's feet.
1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, i., 6. There's action for you—there's one to tip 'em the go-bye at a mill,—there's earth-stoppers—quiet to drive, quiet in harness, trots fifteen miles in less than an hour.
Earthy, adj. (colloquial).—Gross; common; devoid of 'soul.'
Ear-wig, subs. (old).—A private prompter or flatterer; also (thieves') a clergyman. [From the popular delusion that the earwig lodges itself in the ear with a view to working its way into the brain when it causes death.]
1639. Beaumont and Fletcher, Bloody Brother. Dram. Personæ, Latorch Rollo's Earwig.
1789. Geo. Parker, Life's Painter p. 77. And the court, mercy on us! there are no words equal to the just painting of its ear-wigs, its sycophants, pensioners, placemen, scouters, masters of the ceremonies, etc.
1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, A pack of mouthers, and flatterers, and ear-wigs.
Verb (common).—To prompt; to influence by covert statements; to whisper insinuations.
1842. Marryat, Percival Keene, xiii. And by way of a hint, make him your friend if you can, for he earwigs the captain in fine style.
1879. Jas. Payn, High Spirits (Confiscated Weeds). He is a sound divine and politician, but a little apt to be led away by specious arguments on the subject of education; and Carker was in the habit . . . of earwigging him.
Ease, verb (common).—1. To rob; Fr., soulager. Cf., Annex and Convey. To ease a bloke = to rob a man.
1630. Jonson, New Inn, I. Ease his pockets of a superfluous watch.
1817. Scott, Rob Roy, ch. viii. 'The law's hard—very severe—hanged poor Jack Winterfield at York, despite family connexions and great interest, all for
