1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
2. (old).—See quot. 1690.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Humptey Dumptey, Ale boild with Brandy.
1698. M. Sorbière's Journey to London in the Year 1698, p 135, quoted in Notes and Queries, 6 S., xii., 167. He answer'd me that he had a thousand such sort of liquors, as Humtie Dumtie, Three Threads. . . .
1786. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1837. Disraeli, Venetia, i., 14. As for the beverage they drank humpty-dumpty, which is ale boiled with brandy.
Adj. and adv. (colloquial).—Short and thick; all of a heap; all together.
Hum-strum, subs. (old).—See
quot.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Humstrum, a musical instrument made of a mopstick, a bladder, and some pack-thread, thence also called bladder and string, and hurdy gurdy; it is played on like a violin, which is sometimes ludicrously called a humstrum; sometimes instead of a bladder, a tin canister is used.
Hunch, verb. (old: now colloquial).—To
jostle; to shove; to squeeze.
For synonyms, see Ramp.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Hunch, to justle, or thrust.
1712. Arbuthnot, Hist. of John Bull, Pt. III., App., ch. iii. Then Jack's friends began to hunch and push one another.
1738. Swift, Polite Convers., Dial. 1. I was hunched up in a hackney-coach with three country acquaintance.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1847. Porter, Quarter Race, etc., p. 163. I hadn't fairly got to sleep before the old 'oman hunched me.
Hung. See Well-hung.
To be hung up, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To come to a standstill; to be in a fix.
1891. Fun, 10 June, p. 237. 'Ah! by Bendigo, I forgot! Grimmy's hung up! 'What, Grimmy? Never!'
Hungarian, subs. (Old Cant).—1.
A hungry man; a rare pecker
(q.v.).
1608. Dodsley, Merry Devil of Edmonton [Old Plays, v. 267]. Away, I have knights and colonels at my house, and must tend the Hungarians.
1632. Lupton, London ['Harl. Misc.'], ix., 314. The middle aile [of St. Paul's] is much frequented at noon with a company of hungarians, not walking so much for recreation as need.
2. (Old Cant).—A freebooter.
1608. Merry Devil of Edmonton [Dodsley, Old Plays, v. 285]. Come, ye Hungarian pilchers, we are once more come under the zona torrida of the forest.
1893. National Observer, 'Spoliation,' ix., 357. But, after all, it is only another note in the gamut of spoliation, whereof Mr. Gladstone's hungarians (a good old word that!) would have the mastery.
Hunk. To be (or get) hunk or
all hunk, verb. phr. (American).—1.
To hit a mark; to achieve
an object; to be safe. Also (2)
to scheme. [From Dutch honk =
goal or home.]
1847. Darley, Drama in Pokerville, p. 50. I'll allow you're just hunk this time.
1893. Detroit Free Press, June 23, 'He Threatens to go back,' p. 3. I propose to have some of it, or I'll get hunk.
Hunker (or Old Hunker), subs.
(American).—In New York (1844)
a Conservative Democrat, as
opposed to the Young Democracy
or Barn-Burners (q.v.). Hence,
an anti-progressive in politics.
Hunks, subs. (old).—A miser; a
mean, sordid fellow; a curmudgeon.
For synonyms, see Snide.
