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Eager, warm, or earnest in Debate; also sharp Liquors, as hard Beer, Wine turned soure, &c. Hence the Compounds, Vinegar, Alegar.
Eagle, c. the winning Gamester.
Earnest, c. Part or Share. Tip me my earnest, c. give me my Snack or Dividend.
Easy, facil, supple, pliable, managable. He is an easy fellow, very silly or soft, an easy mort, c. a forward or coming wench.
Ebb-water, c. when there’s but little Money in the Pocket.
Edge-tools, as Scythes, Swords, and such as are set or ground, as Razors. Knives, Scissors, Sheers, &c. to distinguish them from flat Tools and Tongs, &c. ’tis ill jesting with Edged tools or trusting unexpert Men with dangerous things. Fall back fall edge or come what will.
Effort, an Endeavour or Proffer, a Weak Effort, an Offer in vain.
Egge one on, to prick him on, to provoke or stir him up. He’ll be glad to take Eggs for his money, or to compound the matter with Loss. You come in with your five Eggs a penny, and four of ’em addle, of a Pragmatical Prater, or Busi-body, that wasts many Words to little purpose. To leave a Nest-egg, to have alwaies a Reserve to come again. As sure as Eggs be Eggs. When nothing is so sure. As full of Roguery as an Egg is full, of Meat.
Elbow-grease, a derisory Term for Sweat. It will cost nothing but a little Elbow-grease; in a jeer to one that is lazy, and thinks much of his Labour. Who is at your Elbow? a Caution to a Lyer. He lives by shaking of the Elbow; a Gamester.
Elonge, to stretch forward the right Arm and Leg, and to keep a close Left-foot.
Elevated, pufft up; also raised to Honour, Dignity, &c. Above the common Elevation, above the common Level.
Eminence, a Rising opposed to a flat Ground, rais’d to an Eminence of pitch of greatness; to make a figure, or be a Man of mark in the World, i. e. to be conspicuous, as a City set on a Hill cannot be hid. His Eminence, the Title given to a Cardinal.
Empty-fellow, Silly.
Empty-skull’d, Foolish.
Empty-talk, silly, idle vain Discourse, more Noise then Sense.
Ends, Aim, Design, Drift, and variously used in composition as, Candle-ends, Ends of gold and silver, Shreds of either. Cable-ends, finger-ends for extremity or utmost part of either. ’Tis good to make both Ends meet, or to cut your Coat according to your Cloth. Every thing has an End, and a Pudding has two.
English-cane, an oaken Plant.
English Manufacture, Ale, Beer, or Syder.
Ensnaring Questions, Interrogatories laid to trap and catch one.
Entries, where the Deer have lately passed the thickets.
Epicurean, one that indulges himself, nice of Palate, very curious and a critick in eating.
Equip, c. to furnish one.
Equipt, c. rich; also having new Clothes. Well equipt, c. plump in the Pocket, or very full of Money; also very well drest. The Cull equipt me with a brace of Meggs, c. the Gentleman furnish’d me with a couple of Guineas.
Eriffs, Canary-birds two years old.
Evasion, a Shift, sly or indirect Answer.
Eves-drop, to be an
Eves-dropper, one that skulks, lurks at or lies under his Neighbor’s Window or Door.
Ewe or the White Ewe, c. a Top-woman among the Canting Crew, very Beautiful.
Execution-day, Washing-day; also that on which the Malefactors Die.
Exigence, a special or extraordinary occasion, a pinch.
Expedient, a ready shift or trick to deliver one from any difficulty, or danger near at hand.
Ey, of Pheasants, the whole Brood of young ones.
Eye-sore, an Annoyance, whatever is grievous or offensive, an unwelcome dish or guest. All that you get you may put in your Eye and see ne’er the worse, a pleasant Periphrasis or Round of Words, for getting nothing at all. ’Tis good to have an Eye to the main Chance, or look to your Hits. What the Eye ne’er sees the Heart ne’er rues: Or out of Sight, out of Mind.