U.
Umbrella.—Otherwise mush, spread, summer cabbage, water-plant, gingham, &c. The first person who used an umbrella in the streets of London was Jonas Hanway, founder of the Magdalene Hospital, who died 1786.
Uncle.—The pawnbroker. See My Uncle.
Under a Cloud.—In debt and difficulties. Not able to show out, or come to the front in daylight.
Undergoing a Three Months’ Preparation.—The modern “New way to pay old debts,” or taking the Benefit of the Act! Sometimes resorted to by an honest man overwhelmed by the harpies of the law, but more generally in use among swindlers, scamps, blacklegs, rogues, and vagabonds of every description.
Under the Rose.—Sub rosa.—Secretly, confidentially. Amongst the ancients the rose was an emblem of silence.
Under the Screw.—In prison.
Uneasiness.—Trouble. To have the uneasiness, to be vexed, restless. A copy of uneasiness, a copy of a writ.
Up.—Knowledge. To be up, to understand. Up to trap, aware of things.
Uphills.—False dice that run high.
Upper Benjamin.—A great coat.
Upper Crust.—The lions or crack men of the day.
Upper Story, or Garret.—Figuratively used to signify the head.
Upper Ten Thousand.—The aristocracy.
Uppish.—Testy, apt to take offence, proud, arrogant.
Upstarts.—Persons lately raised to honours and riches, from mean stations.
Used Up.—Killed; a military saying, originating from a message sent by the late General Guise, on the expedition at Carthagena, where he desired the Commander-in-chief to order him some more grenadiers, for those he had were all used up!
V
Vale, Samuel.—Low comedian, died March 24, 1848, aged 51.
Various Classes of Society.—“‘Now my dear Coz,’ said Tom, ‘as we shall soon have to intermix with the ‘various classes of society;’ and although it is not absolutely necessary that you should be able to dispute the accuracy of a Greek quotation with a Porson—contend with a Mozart upon the fundamental principles of harmony—enter into a dissertation on the properties of light and shade with a Reynolds—quote precedents with a Speaker of the House of Commons—argue law with an Eldon—display a knowledge of tactics with a Wellington—write poetry with a Byron—relate history with a Gibbon—contest grammatical points with a Horne Tooke—wit and eloquence with a Canning—support the Old English Character with a Wyndham—dance with an Oscar Byrne—fence with an O’Shaunessy—set-to with a Belcher—sing with Braham—contest the law of nations with a Liverpool—erudition with a Johnson—philosophy with a Paley—the wealth of nations with a Smith—astronomy with an Herschel—physiognomy with a Lavater—equity with a Romilly—and so on to the end of the Chapter of Talents in the Metropolis;—although it is not necessary, I again repeat, my dear Coz, that you should be able to rival all the traits of excellences possessed by the above characters, yet it is essentially requisite that you should have some knowledge of their respective qualities, and be sensibly alive to their immediate value, and the impression they have made on the minds of mankind.’ ‘Hold, hold!’ said Jerry, smiling, and making a low bow at the same time; ‘there is one person among these distinguished men that you have forgot to mention—who shall dispute taste with Corinthian Tom?’ The latter hero gave rather a graceful nod in return for this unexpected compliment, which, it would seem, augured to Tom a kind of budding of the lively genius of his cousin’s mind.”
Vauxhall Gardens—were sold by auction, 9th September, 1841, for £20,000. The last performance took place 25th July, 1859. The ground has been since sold for building purposes.—In allusion to the thinness and artist-like manner in which the ham was brought to table. Logic offered to bet Jerry “that it was not cut with a knife, but shaved off with a plane: and, if necessary, from its transparent quality, conceived it might answer the purpose of a sky-light!” Vauxhall Slices! or Ham Shavings! are terms well understood to this day.
A Vauxhall supper usually consisted of:—
Lilliput chickens boil’d,
Bucellas warm from Vauxhall ice;
And hams that flit in airy slice,
And salads scarcely soil’d.—London Mag., Sept., 1824.
Velvet.—The tongue. “To be upon velvet,” have the best of a bet or match.
Venus.—Love; the Goddess of Love; courtship. My Venus turns out a whelp, i.e., my swans are changed to geese; my cake is dough. In dice the best cast—three sixes—was called “Venus,” and the worst—three aces—was called “Canis.” My win-all turns out to be a lose-all!
View-Holloa of a fox is “Tally-ho!” or, as Jemmy Green would have it, “Tally-man!” of a hare, “Gone away!” but the “Who-hoop” signifies the death of each.
Viper and File.—The biter bit.—Æsop says a viper found a file, and tried to bite it, under the supposition that it was good food; but the file said that its province was to bite others, and not to be bitten.
Vowel.—“To vowel a debt.” Where the acknowledgment of the debt is expressed by the vowels I.O.U.
Let old I.O.U.’s be forgot,
And never brought to mind,
Let Writs and Judgments be forgot
And the Bills that I have signed