1890. Answers, 8 Feb., 172, 2. Livingstone noticed that among the young bloods and sable patricians of Loanda a sort of Roman Fall seems to be practised, which consists of hobbling along as though encumbered by a load of ornaments.
Romany (ROMMANY or ROM), subs.
(common).—1. A gypsy; and (2)
the language spoken by gypsies.
Whence to patter Romany =
'to talk the gypsy flash' (Grose);
Romany rye = a gentleman who
talks and associates with gypsies
(Grose; Vaux). [A few
Romany words have passed into
English, but the only European
tongues on which the Gipsy has
had much influence are those
of the Peninsula. In Spanish
and Portuguese almost all the
slang is Gipsy and almost all
the Gipsy is slang. Our chief
authorities, apart from personal
knowledge, are J. Fitzmaurice
Kelly, Esq., James Platt, Jr.,
Esq., and El Gitano by Francisco
Sales Mayo (Madrid, 1870)].
1749. Goadby, Moore-Carew, 'Oath of Cant. Crew.' No dummerar, or ROMANY.
1834. Ainsworth, Rookwood (1864), 175. I'm dumb founded if he can't patter Romany as vel as the best on us!
1851. Borrow, Lavengro, xvii. 'We were talking of languages, Jasper . . . Yours must be a rum one?' Tis called Rommany.' . . . 'And you are what is called a Gypsy King?' 'Ay, ay; a Rommany kral.' Ibid. Rum and dree, Rum and dry, Rally round the Romany Rye.
1871. Meredith, Harry Richmond, xlv. I recognized a strange tongue in the cry, but too late that it was Romany to answer it.
1883. G.R. Sims, THE ROMANY RYE [Title].
1893. Emerson, Signor Lippo, xx. My old man was a Romany . . . but he was an awful boozer.
See Rum.
Rombelow. See Rumbelow.
ROMBOYLE (or ROMBOYLES), verb.
(Old Cant).—To make hue and
cry: to whiddle beef (q.v.).
Fr. battre morasse (B.E., Grose).
Whence romboyl'd = wanted
(q.v.).
Rome. See Rum, passim.
Romer (or Romekin), subs. (Old
Cant).—A drinking glass (or can).—B.E.
(c. 1696).
Rome-ville, subs. phr. (Old Cant).—London.
[See Rum].
Romford. See Rumford.
Romp, subs. (old: now recognised).—A
boisterous girl; a tomboy:
see Ramp and quot. 1698 (B.E.,
Grose). Also as verb. = (1) to
LARK (q.v.); to play the RIG
(q.v.); to wanton; and (2) TO
romp in = to win easily (racing).
1647. Fletcher, Mad Lover, i. 1. How our St. Georges will bestride the dragons, The red and ramping dragons.
1698. Collier, Eng. Stage [Oliphant, New Eng., ii. 128. The a changes to o, for the noun romp is formed from the verb ramp].
1711. Steele, Spectator, 187. The air she gave herself was that of a romping girl. Ibid., Tatler, No. 15. My cousin Betty, the greatest romp in nature.
1730. Thomson, Autumn, 528. ROMP-loving miss Is haul'd about, in gallantry robust.
1761. Churchill, Rosciad. First, giggling, plotting chamber-maids arrive, Hoydens and romps, led on by Gen'ral Clive.
1882. "Thormanby," Famous Racing Men, 16. The north-country horse . . . could not touch Eclipse, who simply romped in, the easiest of winners.
1891. Sporting Life, 20 Mar. I recall his recent half-mile at Oxford, when he romped home in the easiest possible manner.
1894. Moore, Esther Waters, xxx. Favourites romping in one after the other.
