Is benar than a Caster, Peck, pennam, lay Or popler.
i.e.,
A quart pot of good wine In a drinking house of London Is better than a cloak, meat, bread, butter milk (?) or porridge.
1714. Memoirs of John Hall (4 ed.), p. 11, list of cant words in. Bien, good.
1858. A. Mayhew, Paved with Gold, bk. III., ch. iii., p. 265. 'I've brought a couple of bene coves, with lots of the Queen's pictures in their sacks' [pockets].
Subs, (old cant).—'Stowe your bene,' i.e., 'hold your tongue.' See quotation above from Harman's Caveat.
Bene-Bouze.—See Benbouse.
Bene-Cove.—See Ben-cull.
Bene Darkmans! intj. (old cant).—Good
night! French thieves
say sorgabon, an inversion of
bonne sorgue.
Benedick, subs. (familiar).—1. A
sportive name for a newly-married
man; especially one
who has long been a bachelor.
Apparently, however, there is
some confusion in the usage
(see sense 2). The name
was derived from Shakspeare's
character in Much Ado About
Nothing.
1599. Shakspeare, Much Ado About Nothing, v., 4, 100. Don Pedro. How dost thou, benedick, the married man?
1805. Rev. J. Marriott, in C. K. Sharpe's Correspondence (1888), I., 239. From what I have seen of his lordship, both as a bachelor and as a benedick.
2. A bachelor. Cf., foregoing.
1843. Life in the West. He is no longer a benedic, but a quiet married man.
1856. C. Bronté, Professor, ch. xxiv. 'Are you married, Mr. Hunsden?' asked Frances, suddenly.
'No. I should have thought you might have guessed I was a benedick by my look.'
Bene Feakers, subs. (cant).—Counterfeiters
of bills.—Grose.
Bene Feakers of Gybes, subs.
phr. (cant).—Counterfeiters of
passes.—Grose.
Bene or Bien Mort, subs. (old
cant).—A fine woman; a pretty
girl; a hostess. [From bene,
old cant for 'good,' + mort, a
canting term for a woman.]
1567. Harman, Caveat, p. 85 (ed. 1869). A bene mort hereby at the sign of the prauncer. {i.e., The Horse.]
1671. Richard Head, The English Rogue. Bing out, bien morts, and ture and ture, Bing out, bien morts, and toure; For all your duds are bing'd awast, The bien cove hath the loure.
i.e., Go forth, brave girls: look out, look out, Look out, I say, good maids, For all your clothes are stole, I doubt, And shar'd among the blades.
1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, ch. xvii. 'Tour out,' said the one ruffian to the other; 'tour the bien mort twiring at the gentry cove.'
1823. Scott, Peveril of the Peak, ch.xxxvi. Why the bien morts will think you a chimney-sweeper on May-day.
1881. New York Slang Dictionary. [See first stanza of canting song on page 80 ante.]
Beneship.—See Benship.
1567. Harman, Caveat (1869), p. 86. The vpright man canteth to the Roge. Man! 'That is beneshyp to our watche.' [That is very good for vs.]
Beneshiply, adv. (old cant).—Worshipfully.—Grose.
