Do. World English Historical Dictionary

Do. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Bibliographic Record Farmer’s Slang & Its Analogues. 1890–1909, rev. 2022. Do subs. (colloquial).—1.  A fraud.

1   1812.  J. H. VAUX, Memoirs, s.v.

2   1835.  DICKENS, Sketches by Boz, p. 17. I thought it was a DO, to get me out of the house.

3   1837.  R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends (The Lord of Thoulouse), (ed. 1862), p. 418.                I should like to see you         Try to sauter le coup With this chap at short whist or unlimited loo, By the Pope you’d soon find it a regular ‘DO.’

4   1846.  Punch, vol. XI., p. 114.        What is the meaning of the rise?   I’m sure I cannot tell—can you? Yes, Fame with hundred tongues replies,   ‘’Tis in one word A DO! A DO!’

5   2.  (colloquial).—One’s duty; a success; performance of what one has to do; once literary.

6   1663–78.  BUTLER, Hudibras. II., iii., 951.        No sooner does he peep into The world, but he has done his DO.

7   1851.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, vol. I., p. 162. Well, I heard how a man … was making a fortune at the hot-eel and pea-soup line…. So I thought I’d have a touch at the same thing. But you see I never could rise money enough to make a DO of it.

8   Verb (colloquial).—1.  To cheat. For synonyms, see GAMMON.

9   1789.  G. PARKER, Life’s Painter, p. 142. Who are continually looking out for flats, in order to DO them upon the broads, that is, cards.

10   1803.  KENNEY, Raising the Wind, I., i. I wasn’t born two hundred miles north of Lunnun, to be DONE by Mr. Diddler, I know.—

11   1831.  B. DISRAELI, The Young Duke, bk. iv., ch. vi., p. 220 (ed. 1866). There was the juvenile Lord Dice, who boasted of having DONE his brothers out of their miserable £5,000.

12   1835.  DICKENS, Sketches by Boz, p. 265. I should have a much better opinion of an individual if he’d say at once, in an honourable and gentlemanly manner, as he’d DONE everybody he possibly could.

13   1843.  The Comic Almanack, p. 373. England expects every man to do his duty, a strong recommendation to every man ‘to DO’ the authorities who collect the duty at the Custom-house.

14   1871.  Public Opinion, 4 Feb. Do you suppose that you can do the landlord in the ‘Lady of Lyons?’ asked a theatrical manager of a seedy actor in quest of an engagement. If I can’t DO him, was the reply, he will be the first landlord I ever had anything to do with that wasn’t DONE by me.

15   1889.  Answers, 9 Feb. The regular hotel thieves are constantly inventing new dodges to DO us.

16   2.  (pugilistic).—To ‘punish.’

17   3.  (common).—To visit a place; e.g., ‘to DO Italy,’ ‘to DO the Row,’ ‘to DO the High’ (at Oxford), etc. Early quots. are given; latterly the phrase is common enough. The Fr., faire is used in the same sense; faire ses Acacias, i.e., to walk or drive in the Allée des Acacias.

18   1857.  G. A. LAWRENCE, Guy Livingstone, ch. xxxii. We DID Venice very severely, with the exception of Forrester, who … declined seeing anything more than what he could view from his gondola.

19   1858.  C. W. SHIRLEY BROOKS, The Gordian Knot, p. 53. You have been in Egypt? asked Margaret, with much interest. I DID Egypt, as they say, about two years back, [said Philip].

20   4.  (colloquial).—To perform; to ‘come’; e.g., TO DO THE POLITE = to be polite; TO DO A BOOK = to write one; TO DO THE HEAVY, THE GRAND, or THE GENTEEL = to put on airs.

21   1767.  COLMAN, The English Merchant, I., in wks. (1777), ii., 17. I compose pamphlets on all subjects, compile magazines, and DO newspapers.

22   1835.  DICKENS, Sketches by Boz, p. 224. He used to talk politics to papas, flatter the vanity of mammas, DO the amiable to their daughters. Ibid. (1836), Pickwick Papers, ch. xv., p. 125. There was the young lady who DID the poetry in the Eatanswill Gazette, in the garb of a sultana.

23   1855.  THACKERAY, The Newcomes, ch. xxiv. A great number of the descriptions in Cook’s Voyages, for instance, were notoriously invented by Dr. Hawkesworth, who DID the book.

24   1856.  WHYTE-MELVILLE, Kate Coventry, ch. iii. A vision of John DOING the polite, and laughing as he ceremoniously introduced Captain Lovell and Miss Coventry.

25   1864.  Glasgow Citizen, 29 Nov. Is not the exhilarating short-length of being known beyond our own Queen Street that it is not registered here? And we miss the rag trade whose worthy members DO the above-named goes.

26   1880.  MILLIKEN, Punch’s Almanack.        Nobby button ’oler very well, When one wants to DO the ’eavy swell.

27   5.  (counterfeiters’).—To utter base coin or QUEER (q.v.).

28   DO AS I DO, phr. (common).—An invitation to drink.—See DRINKS.

29   TO DO A BEER, or A BITTER, or A DRINK, or A DROP, verb. phr. (common).—To take a drink.

30   1853.  REV. E. BRADLEY (‘Cuthbert Bede’), The Adventures of Mr. Verdant Green, an Oxford Freshman, ch. x. TO ‘DO BITTERS,’ as Mr. Bouncer phrased the act of drinking bitter beer.

31   1880.  MILLIKEN, Punch’s Almanack.        Got the doldrums dreadful, that is clear. Two d. left—must go and DO A BEER.

32   TO DO A BILK.—See BILK.

33   TO DO A BILL, verb. phr. (commercial).—To utter an acceptance or bill of exchange. Cf., TO FLY PAPER or KITES.

34   1837.  R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends (The Merchant of Venice) [ed. 1862], p. 257.        Now, then, old Sinner, let’s hear what you’ll say As to ‘DOING’ A BILL at three months from to-day?

35   1849.  THACKERAY, Pendennis, ch. lxii. Sir Francis Clavering … had managed to sign his respectable name to a piece of stamped paper, which … Mr. MOSS ABRAMS had carried off, promising to have the BILL DONE by a party with whose intimacy Mr. Abrams was favoured.

36   TO DO A BISHOP, verb. phr. (military).—To parade at short notice.

37   TO DO A BIT, verb. phr. (common).—To eat something. Cf., TO DO A BEER. Also (venery), to have a woman.

38   TO DO A BUNK or SHIFT, verb. phr. (vulgar).—To ease nature.—See BURY A QUAKER and MRS. JONES. Also (colloquial), to go away.

39   TO DO A CRIB, verb. phr. (thieves’).—To break into a house, to burgle. Fr., maquiller une cambriole. For synonyms, see CRACK A CRIB.

40   TO DO A GUY, verb. phr. (thieves’).—1.  To run away; to make an escape. [From DO, verb of action + GUY, an escape.] For synonyms, see AMPUTATE and SKEDADDLE.

41   1889.  Answers, 6 April, p. 297. They all dispersed at once—to put it in their own language, they DID A GUY.

42   2.  (workmen’s).—To absent oneself when supposed to be at work.

43   TO DO A NOB, verb. phr. (circus and showmen’s).—To make a collection.

44   TO DO A PITCH.—See PITCH.

45   TO DO A RUSH.—See RUSH.

46   TO DO A SNATCH.—See SNATCH.

47   TO DO A STAR PITCH, verb. phr. (theatrical).—To sleep in the open air. Fr., loger à la belle étoile. For synonyms, see HEDGE SQUARE.

48   TO DO A BROWN.—See under BROWN; also BAMBOOZLE. Also TO DO BROWN and TO DO IT UP BROWN.

49   TO DO FOR, verb. phr. (common).—1.  To ruin. Also, to kill, in which sense, cf., quots., 1650 and 1877. For synonyms, see DEAD BROKE and COOK ONE’S GOOSE, respectively.

50   1650.  HOWELL, Familiar Letters. The Emperor, who, rather than become captive to the base Tartar burnt his castle, and DID make AWAY himself, his thirty wives and children.

51   1752.  FIELDING, Amelia, bk. vi., ch. iv. He said something, too, about my master … he said he would DO FOR him, I am sure he said that; and other wicked, bad words, too, if I could but think of them.

52   1811.  AUSTEN, Sense and Sensibility, ch. xli. He has DONE FOR himself completely! shut himself out for ever from all decent society!

53   1877.  W. H. THOMSON, Five Years’ Penal Servitude, iii. 233. He called out, ‘He’s DONE FOR me; he’s DONE FOR me; send at once for Doctor Howell.’

54   2.  (common).—To attend on (as landladies’ on lodgers).

55   3.  (thieves’).—To convict; to sentence. DONE FOR = convicted.

56   TO DO A GRIND, A MOUNT, A TREAD, etc., verb. phr. (venery).—To copulate.

57   TO DO or PLAY GOOSEBERRY.—See GOOSEBERRY.

58   TO DO GOSPEL, verb. phr. (common).—To go to church.

59   TO DO THE HANDSOME or THE HANDSOME THING, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To behave extremely well to one.

60   TO DO IT AWAY, verb. phr. (thieves’).—To dispose of stolen goods. Also TO DO THE SWAG (q.v.); TO FENCE (q.v.).

61   TO DO IT ON THE B. H., verb. phr. (common).—To perform with ease. [B = bloody; H = head].

62   1877.  W. H. THOMSON, Five Years’ Penal Servitude, iii. 221. ‘What’s yer dose?’ Looking on to my badge, ‘Five, oh, you can do that little lot on yer ’ED EASY.’

63   TO DO IT UP, verb. phr. (old).—To accomplish an object in view; to obtain one’s quest. TO DO IT UP IN GOOD TWIG = to live an easy life by one’s wits.

64   TO DO ONE PROUD, phr. (colloquial).—To flatter: e.g., ‘Will you drink?’ ‘You DO ME PROUD.’

65   1836.  W. G. CLARK, The Ollapodiana Papers. To this damsel I addressed myself, and solicited her hand in the dance. She assented; and with my brain recline with fancies of wine and women, I really thought, for the moment, that ‘she DID ME PROUD.’

66   1887.  SIDNEY LUSKA, Land of Love, in ‘Lippincott’s Magazine,’ p. 241. Ah? So? The frank confession DOES YOU PROUD.

67   TO DO OUT, verb. phr. (American thieves’).—To plead guilty and exonerate an accomplice.

68   TO DO OVER, verb. phr. (common).—1.  To knock down; to persuade; to cheat; to ruin.

69   1789.  G. PARKER, Life’s Painter, p. 50. Who could, at any time, DO him OVER, as they phrased it, for half-a-crown or half-a-guinea.

70   1836.  DICKENS, Pickwick Papers, p. 326 (ed. 1857). Well, said Sam, he’s in a horrid state o’ love; reg’larly comfoozled, and DONE OVER with it.

71   2.  (thieves’).—To search a victim’s pockets without his knowing it. Cf., RUN THE RULE OVER.

72   3.  (venery).—To seduce; also to copulate. For synonyms, see DOCK and RIDE, respectively.

73   TO DO POLLY, verb. phr. (American prison).—To pick oakum in gaol.

74   1859.  G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.

75   TO DO ONE’S BUSINESS, verb. phr. (common).—To kill. For synonyms, see COOK ONE’S GOOSE. Cf., BUSINESS. Also (vulgar), to evacuate; and (venery), to serve a woman.

76   1750.  FIELDING, Tom Jones, bk. VIII., ch. x. He concluded he had pretty well DONE THEIR BUSINESS, for both of them, as they ran off, cried out with bitter oaths, that they were dead men.

77   1849.  THACKERAY, Pendennis, ch. xii. Then he took down his venerable and murderous duelling-pistols, with flint locks, that had DONE THE BUSINESS of many a pretty fellow in Dublin.

78   1856.  C. READE, It Is Never Too Late to Mend, ch. xvi. She was stronger than he was for a moment or two, and that moment would have DONE HIS BUSINESS. She meant killing.

79   TO DO THE DOWNY, verb. phr. (common).—To lie in bed. DOWNY FLEA PASTURE = a bed. Cf., BALMY.

80   1841.  LEMAN REDE, Sixteen-String Jack, Act i., Sc. vi. Jer. The family’s GONE TO DOWNY NAP this half-hour. Why don’t the captain give the signal.

81   1853.  REV. E. BRADLEY (‘Cuthbert Bede’), The Adventures of Mr. Verdant Green, an Oxford Freshman, pt. ii., p. 59. This ’ll never do, you know, Gig-lamps! Cutting chapel TO DO THE DOWNY!

82   TO DO THE SWAG, verb. phr. (thieves’).—To sell stolen property, Fr., laver la camelote or les fourgueroles. Cf., TO DO CLOBBER.

83   TO DO THE TRICK, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To accomplish one’s object; specifically (venery), to do the ‘act of kind’ effectually, and (for woman), to get rid of one’s maidenhead.

84   1864.  Derby Day, p. 38. If the little ’un don’t DO THE TRICK me an’ him’ll fall out.

85   1870–2.  Gallery of Comicalities.        Star of the stable! Ostler Dick,   Still in your calling wide awake; I warrant you can DO THE TRICK—   A cunning cove, and no mistake.

86   18[?].  W. C. RUSSELL, Representative Actors, p. 476. Edmund Kean then whispered in his son’s ear ‘Charlie, we are DOING THE TRICK.’

87   TO DO TIME, verb. phr. (thieves’).—To serve a term of imprisonment.

88   1871.  Times, Dec. Both … fled to New York to save DOING TIME on the treadmill.

89   1884.  Cornhill Magazine, June, p. 614. He has repeatedly DONE TIME for drunks and disorderlies, and for assaults upon the police.

90   1888.  Referee, 15 April, 3, 1. The robbers-in-chief, who had DONE TIME before, were sentenced to five years’ penal servitude.

91   TO DO TO DEATH, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To repeat ad nauseam.

92   TO DO TO TIE TO, verb. phr. (American).—To be fit to associate with; to be trustworthy.

93   TO DO UP, verb. phr. (common).—To use up; finish; or quiet. DONE UP = tired out; ruined; ‘sold up.’ For synonyms, see FLOORED.

94   1594.  NASHE, The Unfortunate Traveller, in wks. v., 170. I was cleane spent and DONE, there was no hope of me.

95   1667.  DRYDEN, Annus Mirabilis, st. 70.        Not so the Holland fleet, who, tir’d and DONE,   Stretch’d on their decks like weary oxen lie.

96   1815.  SCOTT, Guy Mannering, ch. xxxiv. ‘How did he get back from India?’ ‘Why, how should I know? The house there was DONE UP, and that gave us a shake at Middleburgh.’

97   1831.  B. DISRAELI, The Young Duke, bk. iv., ch. xii., p. 245 (ed. 1866). ‘The Universe’ and ‘The New World’ announced that the young duke was ‘DONE UP.’

98   1851–61.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, vol. iii., p. 264. A man’s DONE UP at fifty, and seldom lives long after, if he has to keep on at coal-portering.

99   1870.  L. OLIPHANT, Piccadilly, pt. iii., p. 130. I am awfully DONE, said Spiffy. I never went to bed at all last night.

100   [For the rest, DO, like CHUCK and COP, is a verb-of-all-work, and is used in every possible and impossible connection. Thus, TO DO REASON and TO DO RIGHT = to honour a toast; TO DO A BIT OF STIFF = to draw a bill; TO DO A CHUCK = to eject, or to go away; TO DO A RUB-UP = to masturbate; TO DO A SIP (back slang) = to make water; TO DO A CAT = to vomit; TO DO A HALL or A THEATRE = to visit a music hall or a playhouse; TO DO A FLUFF (theatrical) = to forget one’s part; TO DO A PITCH (showmen’s or street artists’) = to go through a performance; TO DO A MOUCH or A MIKE = to go on the prowl; TO DO A GROUSE = to go questing for women; TO DO A DOSS = to go to sleep; TO DO A CADGE = to go begging; TO DO A TUMBLE or A SPREAD = to lie down to a man; TO DO A PERPENDICULAR or KNEE-TREMBLER = to copulate standing; TO DO A SCRAP = to engage in combat; TO DO A RURAL = to ‘rear’ by the wayside; TO DO A DIVE IN THE DARK = to copulate; etc.

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