H
Habberdasher of Nouns and Pronouns, School-master or Usher.
Hab-nab, at Aventure, Unsight, Unseen, Hit or Miss.
Hack, the Place where the Hawk’s meat is laid.
Hack and Hue, to Cut in Pieces.
Hacks or Hackneys, hirelings. Hackney-whores, Common Prostitutes. Hackney-Horses, to be let to any Body. Hackney-Scriblers, Poor Hirelings, Mercenary Writers.
Hackum, a Fighting Fellow, see Captain Hackum.
Haddums, The Spark has been at Haddums, He is Clapt, or Poxt.
Hag, an old Witch.
Hagged, Lean Witched, Half-Starved.
Hagboat, a huge Vessel for Bulk and Length, Built chiefly to fetch great Masts, &.
Hagbut, a Hand-gun Three quarters of a Yard long.
Haggle, to run from Shop to Shop, to stand hard to save a Penny. A Hagler, one that Buys of the Country-Folks and Sells in the Market, and goes from Door to Door.
Halfbord, c. Six Pence.
Half a Hog, c. Six Pence.
Half Seas over, almost Drunk.
Hamlet, c. a High Constable.
Hamper’d, caught in a Nooze, entangled, or embarassed in an intricate Affair.
Handy, Dextrous.
Handy Blows, Fisty-cuffs.
Handycrafts, the Manual Arts or Mechanic Trades. A great Twohanded Sword, a swinging broad Sword. A great Twohanded Fellow, a huge swinging Fellow. Such a thing fell into his Hand, of one that improve another’s Notion, Speech, or Invention. He will make a Hand of it, he will make a Penny of it, or make it turn to Account. They are Hand and Glove, of Friends or Camerades that are Inseparable, and almost to the same purpose. Clove and Orange. Change Hands, and change Luck, or to Play your Cards in another Hand. The same Hand and Fair Play, when they Play on without changing Hands. Many Hands make light Work. You stand with your Hands in your Pockets, to an Idle Fellow that finds nothing to do.
Hank, He has a Hank upon him, or the Ascendant over him.
Hanker after, to Long or wish much for.
Hanktelo, a silly Fellow, a meer Cods-head.
Hans-en kelder, Jack in the Box, the Child in the Womb, or a Health to it.
Hard Drink, that is very Stale, or begining so Sower. Hard-drinking, excessive Soking, or toping aboundance. Hard Bargain, a severe one. Hard-favor’d, Ugly, Homely. Hard Frost, a Keen or Sharp one. Hard Case, a severe or deep Misfortune, or ill Treatment. Hard Master or Dealer, a very near one or close.
Hare, the second Year. A great Hare, the third Year, Leveret the first Year. To hold with the Hare and run with the Hound, or to keep fair with both Parties at once. Hare-lipp’d, Notcht or turn’d up in the middle. Hare-sleep, with Eies a’most open. Hared, Hurried. Hare Seateth or Formeth, the proper term for the Place where she Setts or Lies. A Hare Beateth or Tappeth, makes a noise at Rutting time. He has swallow’d a Hare, he is very Drunk.
Harking, Whispering on one side to borrow Money.
Harman, c. a Constable.
Harmans, c. the Stocks.
Harman-beck, c. a Beadle.
Harp-upon, a business to insist on it.
Harridan, c. one that is half Whore, half Bawd.
Hart, the Sixth Year, A Stag, the fifth Year. A Staggard, the fourth. A Brock, the third. A Knobber, the second. Hind Calf, or Calf, the First.
Hart Harboureth, Lodgeth.
Hart Royal, having been Hunted by a King or Queen. Unharbour the Hart, Dislodge him. A Hart Belleth, maketh a Noise at Rutting time. A Hart goeth to Rut, the Term for Copulation.
Hartfordshire-kindness, Drinking to the same Man again.
Hartbold or prety Hearty, of good Courage, or pert Spirit.
Hasty, very Hot on a sudden. The most Haste the worst speed, or Haste makes Waste, of him that loses a Business by hurrying of it. You are none of the Hastings, of him that loses an Opportunity or a Business for want of Dispatch.
Hatchet-fac’d, Hard-favor’d, Homely. Under the Hatches, in Trouble, or Prison.
Haut-bois, Oaks, Beaches, Ashes, Poplars, &c. Also well known and pleasant Martial Music.
Havock, Waste, Spoil. They made sad Havock, they Destroy’d all before ’em.
Hawk, c. a Sharper.
Hawkers, Retail News-Sellers.
Hawking, going about Town and Country with Scotch-Cloth, &c. or News-Papers; also Spitting difficultly.
Hay, a separate Enclosure of Wood Land, within a Forrest or Park, Fenced with a Rail or Hedge, or both. To Dance the Hay. To make Hay while the Sun Shines, or make good use of one’s Time.
Hazy Weather, when it is Thick, Misty, Foggy.
Hazle-geld, to Beat any one with a Hazle-Stick or Plant.
Heady, strong Liquors that immediately fly up into the Noddle, and so quickly make Drunk.
Headstrong, Stubborn, Ungovernable. A Scald Head is soon Broke.
Head Bully of the Pass or Passage Bank, c. the Top Tilter of that Gang, throughout the whole Army, who Demands and receives Contribution from all the Pass Banks in the Camp.
Hearing Cheats, c. Ears.
Hearts-ease, c. a Twenty shilling piece; also an ordinary sort of Strong Water; and an Herb called by some the Trinity, by others, Three Faces in a Hood, Live in Idleness, Call me to you, or Pansies, an excellent Antivenerean &c.
Heathen Philosopher, a sorry poor tatter’d Fellow, whose Breech may be seen through his Pocket-holes.
Heave, c. to Rob.
Heave a Bough, c. to Rob a House.
Heaver, c. a Breast.
Heavy, is either gross in Quantity or slow in Motion, because ordinarily the one is not without the other, and therefore we say, heavy Bodies move slowly. A heavy Fellow, a dull Blockish Slug.
Hector, a Vaporing Swaggering Coward.
Hedge, to secure a desperate Bet, Wager or Debt. By Hedge or by Style, by Hook or by Crook.
Hedge-bird, a Scoundrel or sorry Fellow.
Hedge-creeper, c. a Robber of Hedges.
Hedge-grapes, very Crabbed, wholly unfit to make Wine.
Hedge-priest, a sorry Hackney, Underling, Illiterate, Vagabond, see Patrico.
Hedge-Tavern, or Ale house, a Jilting, Sharping Tavern, or Blind Ale house. It hangs in the Hedge, of a Law-suit or any thing else Depending, Undetermined. As common as the Hedge, or High-way, said of a Prostitute or Strumpet.
Hell, the Place where the Taylers lay up their Cabbage, or Remnants, which are sometimes very Large.
Hell-born-babe, a Lewd, Graceless, Notorious Youth.
Hell-cat, a very Lewd Rakehelly Fellow.
Hell-driver, a Coach-man.
Hell-hound, a Profligate, Lewd Fellow.
Helter-skelter, Pell-mell.
Hempen-widdow, one whose Husband was Hang’d.
Hem, to call after one with an inarticulate Noise.
Hemuse, see Roe.
Hen-hearted, Cowardly, Fearful.
Hen-peckt Friggat, whose Commander and Officers are absolutely sway’d by their Wives.
Henpeckt Husband, whose Wife wears the Breeches.
Herd of Dear or Hares, a Company.
Hick, c. any Person of whom any Prey can be made, or Booty taken from; also a silly Country Fellow.
Hide-bound-horse, whose Skin sticks very close, and tite like a Pudding Bag, usually when very Fat.
Hide-bound-muse, Stiff, hard of Delivery, Sir J. Suckling call’d Ben. Johnson’s so.
Higglede-piggledy, all together, as Hoggs and Piggs lie Nose in Arse.
High Flyers, Impudent, Forward, Loose, Light Women; also bold Adventurers.
High shoon, or Clouted-shoon, a Country Clown.
High Pad, c. a Highway Robber well Mounted and Armed.
Highjinks, a Play at Dice who Drinks.
Hightetity, a Ramp or Rude Girl.
High Tide, c. when the Pocket is full of Money.
Hind, the Plough-boy or Ploughman’s Servant at Plough and Cart.
Hinde, the third Year; Hearse or Brockets Sister, the second Year; Calf the first Year.
Hip, upon the Hip, at an Advantage in Wrestling or Business.
Hissing, the Note of the Snake and the Goose, the Quenching of Metals in the Forge; also upon any dislike at the Play-house, and sometimes tho’ seldom in the Courts of Judicature, upon any foul Proceedings. The like is done also in other larger Assemblies.
Hob, a plain Country Fellow; or Clown, also the Back of a Chimney.
Hobinal, the same.
Hobbist, a Disciple, and fond Admirer of Thomas Hobbs, the fam’d Philosopher of Malmsbury. Sir Posthumus Hobby, one that Draws on his Breeches with a Shoeing-horn; also a Fellow that is Nice and Whimsical in the set of his Cloaths.
Hob-nail, a Horse Shoe-nail; also a High-shoon or Country Clown.
Hobsons-choice, that or None.
Hocus-pocus, a Juggler that shews Tricks by Slight of Hand.
Hodge, a. Country Clown, also Roger.
Hodmenduds, Snails in their Shells.
Hodge podge, see Hotch-potch.
Hog, c. a Shilling; also see Wild Boar. You Darkman Budge, will you Fence your Hog at the next Boozing-ken c. do ye hear you House Creeper, will you Spend your Shilling at the next Ale-house. A meer Hog or Hoggish Fellow, a greedy, covetous, morose Churl. A Hog-grubber, a close-fisted, narrow-soul’d sneaking Fellow. He has brought his Hoggs to a fair Market, or he has Spun a fair Thread. Great Cry and little Wooll, as the Man said, when he Shear’d his Hoggs, Labour in Vain which the Latines express by Goats-wooll, as the English by the shearing of Hoggs. Hogg steer, see Wild Boar.
Hogen-mogen, a Dutch Man; also High and Mighty, the Sovereign States of Holland.
Hogo, for Haut Goust, a strong Scent; also a high Taste or Relish in Sauce.
Hold his Nose to the Grind-stone, to Keep him Under or Tie him Neck and Heels in a Bargain.
Hollow hearted, False, Base, Perfidious, Treacherous.
Holyday-bowler, a very bad Bowler, Holyday Cloths, the Best. Blind Men’s Holyday, when it is Night.
Hop-merchant, a Dancing-master. To Hop, denotes the Progressive Motion of Reptiles on the Ground, whence Grashopper, and Answers to the Fluttring or low Flight of Insects in the Air; or Else the Transits or Leaps of a Bird from one Perch to another in a Cage, or the Skips of a Squirrel from Tree to Tree and Bough to Bough in the Wood.
Homine, Indian Corn. To beat Homine, to pound that in a Mortar.
Honey-moon, the first Month of Marriage.
Hood, the ancient Cover for Men’s Heads, (before the Age of Bonnets and Hatts) being of Cloath Button’d under the Chin, not unlike a Monk’s Cowl. Two Faces under one Hood, a Double Dealer.
Hood wink’d, Blindfolded or Bluffed.
Hoof it, or Beat it on the Hoof, to walk on Foot.
Hookt, over-reached, Snapt, Trickt. Off the Hooks, in an ill Mood, or out of Humor, By Hook or by Crook, by Fair Means or Foul.
Hookers, c. the third Rank of Canters; also Sharpers.
Hopper-arst, when the Breech sticks out.
Horn-mad, stark staring Mad because Cuckolded.
Horse-play, any rude Boisterous sort of Sport. You must not look a Given Horse in the Mouth, or what is freer than Gift? One Man may better Steal a Horse than another look on. The Master’s Eye makes the Horse Fat. An ill Horse that can’t carry his own Provender. Set the Saddle on the Right Horse, lay the Blame where the Fault is. The Cart before the Horse. A short Horse is soon Curried, a little Business is soon Dispatched. The Gray Mare is the better Horse, said of one, whose Wife wears the Breeches. Fallen away from a Horse-load to a Cart-load, spoken Ironically of one considerably improved in Flesh on a sudden.
Host, an Inn-keeper or Victualler; also an Army. Hostess, a Land-lady. To reckon without your Host: Or count your Chickens before they are Hatcht.
Hot, exceeding Passionate. Hot Work, much Mischief done, or a great Slaughter.
Hot-cockles, a Play among Children. It revives the Cockles of my Heart, said, of agreeable News, or a Cup of Comfort, Wine or Cordial Water.
Hot Pot, Ale and Brandy boyled together.
Hot Spur, a fiery furious passionate Fellow; also early or forward Peas.
Hotch potch, an Oglio or Medly of several Meats in one Dish.
House of Call, the usual lodging Place of Journey-men Tailers.
House Tailers, Upholsterers.
How, to a Deer.
Howleth, the Noise a Wolf maketh at Rutting time.
Hubbub, a Noise in the Streets made by the Rabble.
Huckster, a sharp Fellow. Hucksters, the Retailers of the Market, who Sell in the Market at second Hand. In Huckster’s Hands, at a desperate Pass, or Condition, or in a fair way to be Lost.
Hue, c. to Lash; also the Complexion or Colour. Hued, c. Lasht or Flogg’d. The Cove was Hued in the Naskin, c. the Rogue was severe-Lasht in Bridewell. Hue and Cry, the Country rais’d after a Thief.
Huff, a Bullying Fellow. Captain Huff, any noted Bully, or Huffing Blade. To Huff and Ding, to Bounce and Swagger.
Hugger-mugger, Closely or by Stealth, Under board: To Eat so, that is, to Eat by one’s self.
Hulver-head, a silly foolish Fellow.
Hum-cap, old, mellow and very strong Beer.
Hum and haw, to Hesitate in Speech; also to delay, or difficultly to be brought to Consent.
Hummer, a loud Lie, a Rapper.
Hum, or Humming Liquor, Double Ale, Stout, Pharoah.
Hummums, a Bagnio.
Humorist, a Whimsical Fantastical Fellow.
Hump-backt, Crook-backt. Hump-shoulder’d, or Crook-shoulder’d.
Humptey-dumptey, Ale boild with Brandy.
Hunch, to justle, or thrust.
Hunks, a covetous Creature, a miserable Wretch.
Hunting, c. decoying, or drawing others into Play.
Hunteth for his Kind, see Otter.
Hurly-burly, Rout, Riot, Bustle, Confusion.
Hurrican, a violent Storm or Tempest; also a disorder or confusion in Business.
Hurridun, see Harridan.
Hush, very still, quiet. All was Hush, a great or profound Silence. Husht up, concealed, or clapt up without Noise.
Husky-lour, c. a Guinea, or Job.
Hussy, an abbreviation of Housewife, and sometimes a Term of Reproch, as, how now Hussy, or she is a Light Hussy, or Housewife.
Hut, from; a Term much us’d by Carters, &c. Also, a little House or slight Abode for Soldiers, Peasants, &c.
Huzza, Originally the Cry of the Huzzars, or Hungarian Horsemen; but now the Shouts and Acclamations, of any Soldiers, or of the Mob.