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Eight Eyes (Grose 1811 Dictionary)

Eight Eyes

I will knock out two of your eight eyes; a common Billingsgate threat from one fish nymph to another: every woman, according to the naturalists of that society, having eight eyes; viz. two seeing eyes, two bub-eyes, a bell-eye, two pope’s eyes, and a ***-eye. He has fallen down and trod upon his eye; said of one who has a black eye.

Definition taken from The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, originally by Francis Grose.

To Edge * Elbow Grease

Nearby

Nathan Bailey's 1736 Dictionary of canting and thieving slang

John S. Farmer's collection of canting songs and slang rhymes

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About

Francis Grose was independently wealthy, having inherited money from his father, a jeweller. Finding himself overspending, he published a number of books; his Provincial Glossary seems to have been the starting-point for the Vulgar Tongue reproduced here.

Earnest
Earth Bath
Easy
Easy Virtue
Eat
To Edge
Eight Eyes
Elbow Grease
Elbow Room
Elbow Shaker
Ellenborough Lodge
Elf
Emperor
English Burgundy
Ensign Bearer
Equipt
Essex Lion