Bean

or bien, subs. (old).—1.  A sovereign, 20s.: formerly a guinea: in America five-dollar gold pieces: see HALF BEAN and HADDOCK OF BEANS: in old French cant, biens—money or property: see RHINO.

  1811.  GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. BEAN. A guinea. HALF BEAN; half a guinea.

  1834.  W. H. AINSWORTH, Rookwood, III. ix. Zoroaster took long odds that the match was off; offering a BEAN to half a QUID.

  1885.  CHRISTIE MURRAY, Rainbow Gold, bk. V., vi. ‘Here’s some of the BEANS,’ he continued figuratively, as he drew five sovereigns from the same pocket.

  2.  (Newcastle-on-Tyne).—Small coal.

  3.  (old).—A small standard of value: cf. MAP, STRAW, DAM, etc. Hence NOT TO CARE (or BE WORTH A BEAN = to hold in little esteem, think lightly of, be of little value: the allusion is to the small worth, or value of a bean, or ‘the black of a bean’ (= something very minute).

  1297.  Robert of Gloucester’s Chronicle; 1377, LANGLAND, PIERS PLOWMAN; 1413, LYDGATE; 1548, HALL; 1656, HOBBES.

  PHRASES:—FULL OF BEANS, = (1) in good form (or condition), full of health, spirits, or capacity as a horse after a good feed of beans; and (2), sexually excited, WARM (q.v.), HOT (q.v.): also BLAZY (q.v.) THE BLACK OF A BEAN = something very minute. TO GIVE BEANS = to chastise, to give a good drubbing. LIKE BEANS = in good form (style, time, etc.), with force: a general expression of approval and praise: cf. LIKE BLAZES (BRICKS, or ONE O’CLOCK). BEANY = in good humour—a metaphor drawn from the stable. TO KNOW BEANS = to be well-informed, sharp and shrewd, within the charmed circle of the ‘cultured elect,’ fully equipped in the upper storey. TO KNOW HOW MANY BLUE BEANS MAKE FIVE WHITE ONES—this is generally put in the form of a question, the answer to which is ‘Five, if peeled,’ and those who fail to get tripped by the catch are said ‘to know how many,’ etc.; in other words to be cute, knowing, wide awake. TO DRAW A BEAN = to get elected: an allusion to the former use of beans in ballotting. TO HAVE THE BEAN = to be first and foremost; in reference to the custom of appointing, as king of the company on Twelfth Night, the man in whose portion of the cake the bean was found (1556). Also proverbial, ‘Hunger maketh hard BEANS sweet’ (1652); ‘Always the bigger eateth the BEANE’ (1652); ‘It is not for idleness that men saw BEANS in the wind (i.e., labour in vain) (1624); ‘like a BEAN in a monk’s hood (COTGRAVE); ‘Every BEAN hath its black (1568). THREE BLUE BEANS IN A BLUE BLADDER = noisy talk, clap-trap, froth (1600).

  c. 1559.  The Mariage of Witt and Wisdome, 45.

  1600.  DEKKER, Old Fortunatus, iii., 128. F. Hark, does’t rattle? S. Yes, like THREE BUIR BEANS IN A BLUE BLADDER, rattle, bladder, rattle.

  1651.  CARTWRIGHT, The Ordinary.

  d. 1663.  BRAMHALL, Works, ii., 91. Neither will this uncharitable censure, if it were true, advantage his cause THE BLACK OF A BEAN.

  1717.  PRIOR, Alma, i., V., 25.

  1830.  GALT, Lawrie Todd (1849), II. i. 42. Few men … who better knew HOW MANY BLUE BEANS IT TAKES TO MAKE FIVE.

  1886.  Zoological Comparisons, in Broadside Ballad.

  1888.  Chicago Herald. One has to KNOW BEANS to be successful in the latest Washington novelty for entertainment at luncheons.

  1888.  Portland Transcript, 7 March. The pudding was pronounced a success by each member of the assembled family, including a dainty Boston girl who, of course, KNOWS BEANS.

  1889.  Daily News, 4 Nov., 6, 5. The dunce of the school knows that if you take 80 from one side and add it on to the other, the difference is not 80, but 160. It is as simple as HOW MANY BLUE BEANS MAKE FIVE.

  1889.  The Sporting Times, 29 June. The game began. ‘Ich dien,’ shouted Jack, as FULL OF BEANS as the Prince of Wales’ plume.

  1900.  KIPLING, Stalky & Co., 53, ‘Wonder what King will get.’ ‘BEANS,’ said the Emperor. Number Five generally pays in full.