subs. (common).—1. Applied to anything unpleasant; or displeasing; e.g., ‘It’s a perfect BEAST of a day’ = ‘it’s an unpleasant day’: see BEASTLY.
1603. SHAKESPEARE, Measure for Measure, iii. 1. 137. Oh you BEAST … oh dishonest wretch.
1772. NICHOLLS, [GRAY, Correspondence (1843), 170]. This moment only that I have received nine letters … from that cursed BEAST.
1841. S. WARREN, Ten Thousand a-year, I., v. Mr. Sharpey … is coming down from dinner, directly, the BEAST!
1875. BROUGHTON, Nancy, ii. 12. ‘You BEAST!’ cried I … turning sharply round.
1901. Troddles, 90. Had a BEAST of a night altogether.
2. (American cadet).—A new cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
3. (Cambridge University).—One who has left school and come up to Cambridge for study, before entering the University: ‘because he is neither man nor boy’ (GROSE).
1602. SHAKESPEARE, Othello, i. 1. I am one, Sir, that comes to tell you, your daughter and the Moor are now making the BEAST WITH THE TWO BACKS.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. BEAST WITH TWO BACKS, a man and woman in the act of copulation.
