1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1812. Johnson, Eng. Dict., s.v. Hen-hearted . . . a low word.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, ch. xxviii. Are you turned hen-hearted, Jack?
Hen-house, subs. (old).—See quot.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Hen-house, a house where the woman rules, called also a she-house.
Hen of the game. See Game.
Hen-party (Convention- or
Tea-), subs. (common).—An
assemblage of women for political
or social purposes. Cf., Bull
or Stag-party. Also, Bitch-,
Tabby-, and Cat-party.
Hen-pecked, adj. (old: now
recognised).—Petticoat government;
ruled by a woman.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Henpeckt Friggat, whose Commander and Officers are absolutely sway'd by their Wives. Ibid. Henpeckt Husband, whose Wife wears the Breeches.
1695. Congreve, Love for Love, iv., 13. I believe he that marries you will go to sea in a hen-pecked frigate.
1712. Arbuthnot, History of John Bull, Pt. I., ch. v. He had a termagant wife, and, as the neighbours said, was playing henpecked!
1712. Spectator, No. 479. Socrates, who is by all accounts the undoubted head of the sect of the hen-pecked.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th Ed.). Hen-pecked, a man that is over-awed by his wife, and dares do nothing disagreeable to her inclinations.
1771. Smollett, Humphry Clinker, l. 27. I shall never presume to despise or censure any poor man for suffering himself to be henpecked, conscious how I myself am obliged to truckle to a domestic demon.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1837. Dickens, Oliver Twist, ch. xxxvii. He had fallen from all the height and pomp of beadleship, to the lowest depth of the most snubbed hen-peckery.
1857. A. Trollope, Barchester Towers, ch. iii. But Mrs. Proudie is not satisfied with such home dominion, and stretches her power over all his movements, and will not even abstain from things spiritual. In fact, the bishop is hen-pecked.
Hen's-arsehole.—See Mouth.
Hen-snatcher, subs. (American).—A
chicken thief.
1888. Bulletin, 24 Nov. All the dead-beats and suspected hen-snatchers plead when before the Bench that they were only 'mouching round,' etc.
Hens'-rights, subs. (American).—Women's
rights.
Hen-toed, adj. phr. (common).—To
turn the toes in walking like a
fowl.
Here. Here's to you (at you,
unto you, now, or luck), phr.
(common).—An invitation to
drink; here's a health to you.
For synonyms, see Drinks.
1651. Cartwright, Royal Slave. Here's to thee, Leocrates.
1717. Ned Ward, Wks. ii., 71. Then we were fain To use Hertfordshire kindness, here's to you again.
1853. Diogenes ii., 46. Each a pot in his hand. . . . Observed in a style of remarkable ease, 'Old Buck here's luck,' And then at the pewter proceeded to suck.
Here's luck, phr. (tailors').—I don't believe you.
I am not here, phr. (tailors').—'I don't feel inclined to work'; 'I wish to be left alone.'
Here's to it, phr. (common).—An obscene toast. See It, sense 2.
Here-and-Thereian, subs. phr.
(old).—A rolling stone; a person
with no permanent address. Lex.
Bal., 1811.
