1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Kinchin-morts, the Twenty-seventh and last Order of the Canting Crew, being girls of a year or two old whom the Morts (their Mothers) carry at their Backs in Slates (Sheets) and if they have no children of their own they borrow or Steal them from others.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s. v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Kinchin. Kinchin morts in slates, beggars children carried at their mothers backs in sheets.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, xxviii. The times are sair altered since I was a kinchin mort.
Kinder, adv. (American colloquial).
As it were. Also Kinder sorter.
1848. Durivage, Stray Subjects, 80. 'You're short, kinder?' 'Wal; you 'll find me long enough prehaps.'
1848. Burton, Waggeries etc., p. 18. I'm not goin' to say that I didn't feel kinder skeered.
Kind-Heart, subs. (old).—A tooth-drawer:
in jest. [Halliwell: From
an itinerant dentist so-named, or
nick-named, in the time of Elizabeth].
1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fayre, Induction. For kind-heart the tooth-drawer . . . a fine oily pig-woman.
1632. Rowley, New Wonder, iii. 1. Mistake me not kindheart; he calls you tooth-drawer.
Kindness, subs. (common).—The
sexual favour; benevolence
(q.v.). Fr. des bontés.
c.1728. Ramsay, Address of Thanks, in Wks. (at sup.), ii. 345. The fair one frighted for her fame Shall for her kindness bear nae blame, Nor with kirk censure grapple.
King Cotton, subs. phr. (American).—Cotton,
the staple of the Southern
States of America, and the
chief manufacture in England.
Cotton-lord = a man enriched
by cotton.
Kingdom Come, subs. phr. (common).—The
next life: to go to
Kingdom Come = to die. Fr. la
paradouze or part-à-douze (a play
on paradis); la parabole. It. soprano
higher; Sp. claro
light.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1794. Wolcot [P. Pindar], Br. Peter to Br. Tom, in Wks., i. p. 422. Did gentlemen of fortune die, And leave the church a good round sum; Lo! in the twinkling of an eye, The Parson frank'd their souls to kingdom-come.
1836. Marryat, Midshipman Easy, xxxi. 'They will not have much mercy from the waves,' replied Gascoigne; 'they will all be in kingdom come to-morrow morning, if the breeze comes more on land.'
1863. Mr. Norton, Lost and Saved, p. 334. Treherne loq. 'Well, my child, I don't mean a great dangerous storm that's to wreck the yacht and send us all to kikgdom come—but a nasty tossing sea, bad for women you know; men don't mind it.'
King John's Man, subs. phr. (old).—See
quots.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. He is one of King John's men, eight score to the hundred, a saying of a little undersized man.
1867. Smyth, Sailors' Word Book, s.v. King John's Men, the Adullamites of the navy.
King's (or Queen's) Bad Bargain,
subs. phr. (old).—A malingering
soldier; a deserter.—Grose
(1785).
King's-bencher, subs. (nautical).—The
busiest of the galley orators;
a galley-skulker.—Smyth.
King's Books, subs. phr. (old).—A
pack of cards; the history (or
books) of the Four Kings;
devil's books (q.v.).
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, i. 22. After supper were brought in the books of the four Kings.
