1889. Bird O' Freedom, 7 Aug.s p. 1. If you say of a man he is immense, you pay him a compliment.
1891. Tales from Town Topics, 'Mimi & Bébé', p. 65. The love of twins is phenomenal. It is immense, pure, and heavenly.
Immensikoff, subs. (common).—A
fur-lined overcoat. [From the
burden of a song, 'The Shoreditch
Toff', sung (c. 1868) by the
late Arthur Lloyd, who described
himself as Immensikoff, and wore
an upper garment heavily trimmed
with fur].
1889. Pall Mall Gazette, 25 Sept., p. 6., col. 1. Heavy swells clad in Immensikoffs, which is the slang term, I believe, for those very fine and large fur robes affected by men about town.
Immortals, subs. (military).—The
Seventy-Sixth Foot. [Most of its
men were wounded, but escaped
being killed, in India in 1806].
Also The Pigs and The Old
Seven and Sixpennies.
Imp, subs. (colloquial).—A mischievous
brat; a small or minor devil:
originally, a child. [Trench: there
are epitaphs extant commencing
'Here lies that noble imp; and
Lord Cromwell writing to Henry
VIII speaks of 'that noble imp,
your son'].
1771. Beattie, Minstrel, 1. Nor cared to mingle in the clamorous fray Of squabbling imps.
2. (legal).—A man who gets up cases for a devil (q.v.).
Impale, verb. (venery).—To possess
a woman: specifically to effect
intromission. For synonyms see
Greens and Ride.
Imperance, subs. (vulgar).—Impertinence;
impudence; cheek (q.v.).
Also, inferentially, an impudent
person; e.g., 'What's your imperence
about'?
1766. Colman, Cland. Marriage, v. in Works, (1777) i. 274. I wonder at your impurence, Mr. Brush, to use me in this manner.
1821. Egan, Life in London, ii. 2. She is blowing up the fellow for his imperance.
1836. Dickens, Pickwick, ch. xiv. 'Don't go away, Mary,' said the black-eyed man. 'Let me alone, imperence,' said the young lady.
Imperial, subs. (colloquial).—A tuft
of hair worn on the lower lip.
[From being introduced by the
Emperor Napoleon III]. See Goatee.
1892. Tit Bits, 19 Mar., p. 421, col. 2. An imperial, or carefully cultivated small tuft tapered down to a point from the lower lip to the chin.
Implement, subs. (old).—See quot.
1690. B.E. Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v., Implement, a Tool, a Property or Fool easily engag'd in any (tho' difficult or Dangerous) Enterprise.
Importance, subs. (common).—A
wife; a comfortable importance
(q.v.).
1647-80. Rochester, Works (1718), ii. 29. Importance, thinks too, tho' she'd been no sinner To wash away some dregs he had spewed in her.
Impost-Taker, subs. (old).—A
gambler's and black-leg's money-*lender;
a sixty-per-cent (q.v.).
1690. B.E. Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Improvement, subs. (American).—That
part of a sermon which enforces
and applies to every-day
life the doctrine previously set
forth; the application.
