Sportsman's slang; a new dictionary of terms used in the affairs of the turf, the ring, the chase and the cock-pit, with those of bon-ton and the varieties of life / interspersed with anecdotes and whimsies, with tart quotations and rum-ones, with examples, proofs and monitory precepts, useful and proper for novices, flats and yokels, by Jon Bee [pseud].

  • Badcock, John, active 1816-1830
Date:
1825
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sportsman's slang; a new dictionary of terms used in the affairs of the turf, the ring, the chase and the cock-pit, with those of bon-ton and the varieties of life / interspersed with anecdotes and whimsies, with tart quotations and rum-ones, with examples, proofs and monitory precepts, useful and proper for novices, flats and yokels, by Jon Bee [pseud]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    shortly became sire-navies. One landholder was called Simon Wolfsface, several Hog, many Bull, numbers Hare, and multitudes Cocks ; whence proceeded (respectively) Hogsflesh and Hogard, Buller and Bulteel, Hartop and Harman, Cockshut and Hitchcock. Mr. White designated a pale face, whilst a dark muzzle had Mr. Black ; Grey alluded to the hair, and Long, Short, Broad, to the stature or built, our Edward I. being king Longshanks. Song-smith—one who hammers out a chaunt occasionally; as Tom Durfey did, so did squire Fitzgerald, and so will the Bullers and Stebbings, and the Fogo tribes of this day— who are, after all, mere £ gatherers of scrap-iron,’ or mud- larks prepense. Dibdin the younger called himself c a song-smith but he was a poet too, and, it should seem, modest likewise. Steevin—money, coined ; and of silver is understood. Stop a blow, (ring)—to prevent its alighting on the part intended, by means of the guard, or position of defence, i. e. the fore-arm or elbow. But this was effected differ- ently by the several schools : the Broughtonian caught the coming blow on the perpendicular arm, which enabled them to make a quick return, cutting downwards. Mendoza’s consisted in throwing up the arm from the elbow, catch- ing the adversary at the wrist or higher, which disabled the muscle, and spoiled that arm awhile,—when he chopped. The Bristolian tactique is to hit past the intended blow’, lengthwise, inside the arm (if possible), when the arm must be thrown away, and the man stopping be well in ; but he gets himself to off-fighting again, if desirable, by hitting the ribs with the other hand—this springs him back, though he has the option of in-fighting, if, instead thereof, he lets fly at the neck, throat, and upper works. Harmer’s guard (a square one) for the head, or rather his eyes, would inevitably cost him a broken arm [when fight- ing] were he a shorter man. The sloping guard, against an antagonist’s main arm, who ruffians in, is a good one and effectual, as exemplified in the celebrated battle of Neat and Hickman. We said, “If Neat can be induced to fight upon the retreating system, knocking away at the nob of his antagonist, as he comes on, with an almost straight left-handed guard, while hitting away with the right—he may pocket the brads, and realise the odds that are now so freely laid upon the invincible gas-man.” Vide \^Old] Fancy, for Nov. 4, 1821.