subs. (common).A dance. [Generally informal, as a CINDERELLA (q.v.).] Also, as in quot. 1579, the motions of dancing. For synonyms, see SKIP.
1579. GOSSON, The Schoole of Abuse, p. 33 (ARBERS ed.). He gaue Dauncers great stipends for selling their HOPPS.
1811. AUSTEN, Sense and Sensibility, ch. ix. At a little HOP at the park, he danced from eight oclock till four.
1823. BADCOCK (Jon Bee), Dictionary of the Turf, etc., s.v. HOPa contra-dance of ordinary persons and promiscuous company is a HOP and a penny-HOP from the price formerly paid for admission.
1830. BULWER-LYTTON, Paul Clifford, iv. He gave them from time to time a very agreeable HOP.
1847. THACKERAY, Mrs. Perkinss Ball (Mr. Larkins). To describe this gentlemans infatuation for dancing, let me say, in a word, that he will even frequent boarding-house HOPS, rather than not go.
1848. RUXTON, Life in the Far West, p. 189. The temple was generally cleared for a HOP two or three times during the week.
1850. F. E. SMEDLEY, Frank Fairlegh, p. 121. Youll be at old Colemans HOP to-night, I suppose; so bye! bye! for the present.
1852. BRISTED, The Upper Ten Thousand, p. 129. Two undress-ballsHOPS they were called.
1882. Daily Telegraph, 13 Nov., p. 5, c. 3. At all seasons there is an immense amount of dancing; and at Washington there are continual hotel HOPS in the winter.
1887. W. S. GILBERT, Patience, ii.
Who thinks suburban HOPS | |
More fun than Monday Pops. |
1889. Lippincotts Magazine, Oct., p. 447. Hang me if she isnt always on the plair, or at a HOP, with one of those twin kids!
1892. KIPLING, Barrack-Room Ballads, Gentlemen-Rankers. To dance with blowzy housemaids at the regimental HOPS.
HOP-AND-GO-KICK, subs. phr. (tailors).A lameter; a HOP-AND-GO-ONE. Cf., DOT-AND-CARRY-ONE.
TO HOP THE WAG, verb. phr. (common).To play truant, or CHARLEY-WAG (q.v.).
185161. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, iii., 207. They often persuaded me TO HOP THE WAG, that is play truant from school.
TO HOP (or JUMP) OVER THE BROOM (or BROOMSTICK), verb. phr. (colloquial).To live as husband and wife; to LIVE (or GO) TALLY (q.v.).
1811. POOLE, Hamlet Travestie, ii., 3.
JUMP OER A BROOMSTICK, but dont make a farce on | |
The marriage ceremonies of the parson. |
186181. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, i., 136. There was always a BROOMSTICK wedding. Without that ceremony a couple werent looked on as man and wife.
1860. DICKENS, Great Expectations, xlviii., 227. This woman in Gerrard Street, here, had been married very young, OVER THE BROOMSTICK (as we say), to a tramping man.
c. 18[79]. Broadside Ballad, David Dove that Fell in Love. By L. M. THORNTON.
The girl that I had hoped to hear | |
Pronounce my happy doom, sir, | |
Had bolted with a carpenter, | |
In fact HOPPED OER THE BROOM, sir. |
TO HOP THE TWIG, verb. phr. (common).1. To leave; to run away; TO SKEDADDLE (q.v.). For synonyms, see AMPUTATE.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
1789. G. PARKER, Lifes Painter, p. 143. HOP THE TWIG means to depart suddenly.
1830. P. EGAN, Finish to Life in London, p. 217. I have lost my ticker; and all my toggery has been boned, I am nearly as naked as when I was bornand the causethe lady birdhas HOPPED THE TWIG.
1884. Daily News, 31 Oct., p. 3, c. 1. They knocked the Liberals down as fast as they could until they got too numerous and strong, and then we HOPPED THE TWIG.
1888. All the Year Round, 9 June, 543. TO HOP THE TWIG and the like, are more flippant than humorous.
2. (common).To die; to kick the BUCKET (q.v.); to PEG OUT (q.v.). Also TO HOP OFF.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS. To be content; to cock up ones toes; to croak; to cut (or let go) the painter; to cut ones stick; to give in; to give up; to go to Davy Jones locker; to go off the hooks; to go under; to go up; to kick the bucket; kickeraboo (West Indian); to lay down ones knife and fork; to lose the member of ones mess; to mizzle; to pass in ones checks; to peg out; to put on a wooden surtout; to be put to bed with a shovel; to slip ones cable; to stick ones spoon in the wall; to snuff it; to take an earth bath; to take a ground sweat.
FRENCH SYNONYMS.Passer larme à gauche (pop.: = to ground arms); casser sa pipe (= to break ones pipe); dévisser or décoller son billard (= to break ones cue); graisser set bottes (= to grease ones boots); avaler sa langue (= to swallow ones tongue); avaler sa gaffe (= to lower ones boat-hook); avaler sa cuiller or sa fourchette (= to swallow ones spoon or ones fork); avaler ses baguettes (military: = to swallow ones drumsticks); navoir plus mal aux dents (= to get rid of the toothache: mal de dents, also = love); poser sa chique (pop.: = to put down ones quid); claquer (familiar: = to croak); saluer le public (theat.: = to go before the curtain); recevoir son décompte (military: = to get ones quietus; décompte = also [military] a mortal wound); cracher son embouchure (= to spit ones mouthpiece); déteindre (pop.: = to wash off ones colour); donner son dernier bon à tirer (familiar: in American = to pass in ones checks; properly = to send ones last proof to press); lâcher la perche (pop.: = to hop the twig); éteindre son gaz (pop.: = to turn off ones gas. Cf., to snuff it); épointer son foret (pop.: = to blunt ones drill, as in boring); être exproprié (pop.: = to be dispossessed); exproprier (= to take possession of a debtors land); péter son lof (sailors); fumer ses terres; fermer son parapluie (pop.: = to close ones umbrella); perdre son bâton (pop.: = to lose ones walking stick); descendre la garde (pop.: = to come off guard); défiler la parade (military: = to face about); tortiller, or tourner de lœil (pop.); perdre le goût du pain (pop.: = to lose ones appetite); lâcher la rampe (theat.: = to chuck the footlights); faire ses petits paquets (pop.: = to pack up ones traps); casser son crachoir (pop.: = to break ones spittoon); remercier son boulanger (thieves: = to thank the baker; boulanger = the Devil); canner; dévider à lestorgue (thieves); baiser or épouser la Camarde or camarder (pop: = to hug, or go to church with, Mother Bones [Camarde = Death]); fuir (thieves: = to flee or escape); casser son câble (pop.: = to slip ones cable); casser son fouet (pop.: = to break ones whip); faire sa crêvaison (pop.: crêver = to burst up); déralinguer (sailors: = to loose from the bolt-rope); virer de bord (sailors: = to tack about); déchirer son faux-col (pop.: = to break ones collar); dégeler (= to thaw); couper sa mèche (coachmans: = to cut off ones lash); piquer sa plaqu (sailors); mettre la table pour les asticots (pop.: = to lay the cloth for the worms); aller manger les pissenlits par la racine (pop.: = to go grubbing off dandelion roots); laisser fuir son tonneau (familiar); calancher (vagrants); laisser ses bottes quelque part (familiar: = to leave ones boots about); déchirer son habit (pop.: = to tear ones coat); déchirer son tablier (pop.: = to tear ones apron); souffler sa veilleuse (pop.: = to blow out ones candle: cf., to snuff it); pousser le boum du cygne (pop.); avoir son coke (familiar: = to get ones cargo); rendre sa secousse (pop.); rendre sa bûche (tailors); rendre sa canne au ministre (military: = to resign ones commission); rendre sa clef (gipsy: = to give in ones key); rendre son livret (pop.: = to pass in ones checks); passer au dixième régiment (military); sennuyer (pop.: = to be at deaths door); chasser les mouches (pop.: to go fly-catching); ingurgiter son bilan (popular); resserrer son linge (pop.); faire sa malle (pop.: = to pack ones trunk); avaler le goujon (pop.); shabiller de sapin (pop.: = to put on a wooden surtout); avoir son compte (pop.); battre de lœil (thieves); sévanouir (pop.: to mizzle); machaber (pop.: machabre = the Dance of Death); glisser (pop.); sen aller dans le pays des marmottes (pop.: marmotte = puppet); déménager (pop.: = to move house).
GERMAN SYNONYMS.Krachen gehen; niftern; pegern or peigern; schochern or verschochern (= to get black); verschwarzen.
ITALIAN SYNONYMS.Sbasire (= to faint); sbasire su le funi (= to faint on the rope).
SPANISH SYNONYMS.Hacer bodoques (= to take an earth bath); liarlas (= also to run away); obispar; corvado (= bent, curved); cierto (= certain).
1839. C. DANCE, Alive and Merry, i., 1. Day. Whist, darling! couldnt you wait a bit till shes HOPPED OFF, and then you and I could marry, and be ladies and gentlemen.
1841. Punch, I., 2, 2. Clare pines in secretHOPS THE TWIG and goes to glory in white muslin.
1842. Punch, vol. II, p. 10. c. 2.
Yet henceforthdash my wig! | |
Ill live with thee, with thee Ill HOP THE TWIG. |
1863. Fun, vol. IV., p. 188. The night when Cromwell died a storm tore up many of the trees [of St. Jamess Park]though what connexion there may be between the destruction of their branches and the HOPPING THE TWIG of the Protector, we leave to our philosophical readers to decide.
1870. Chambers Miscellany, No. 87, p. 26. That her disease was mortal, was past a doubt, and a month or two more or less could make no difference, provided she HOPPED OFF before the year was expired.
ON THE HOP, adv. phr. (common).1. Unawares; at the nick of time; in flagrante delicto. Also ON THE H. O. P.
1868. Broadside Ballad, The Chickaleary Cove.
For to get me ON THE HOP, or on my tibby drop, | |
You must wake up very early in the morning. |
1870. London Figaro, 26 Aug. If to catch any of the more ordinary folk ON THE HOP is to secure a laugh, what must it be to catch the Tycoon on thetop?
1892. T. A. GUTHRIE (F. Anstey), Mr. Punchs Model Music-Hall Songs & Dramas, 32.
I never saw a smarter hand at serving in a shop, | |
For every likely customer she caught UPON THE OP. |
2. (common).On the go; in motion; unresting.
1892. MILLIKEN, Arry Ballads, p. 22. A deal ON THE OP.
3. (colloquial).See HIP.