subs. (common).—1. The teeth. For synonyms, see GRINDERS.
1782. HANNAH COWLEY, A Bold Stroke for a Husband, ii. 2 Gas. What, Don Sancho, who, with two-thirds of a century in his face, affects … to make you believe that the two rows of IVORY he carries in his head grew there.
1811. GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. IVORIES. How the swell flashed his IVORIES; how the gentleman shewed his teeth.
1818–24. P. EGAN, Boxiana, iii. 253. So severe a blow on his mouth as to dislodge some of his IVORY.
1819. T. MOORE, Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress, 22. The Adonis would ne’er flash his IVORY again.
1849. THACKERAY, Pendennis, lxvii. Chatter your old IVORIES at me, do you, you grinning old baboon.
1868. Orchestra, 20 Oct. Mr. Buckstone might let us off with what Bell’s Life would designate a rattling on the IVORIES.
1882. Punch, lxxxii., 185, 2. I never heard of him sluicing his IVORIES with what you call S. & B.
1889. Notes and Queries, 7, S. vii. 13 April, p. 292. I sometimes think that the attrition in which we so joyously indulge when we ‘sharpen’ our IVORIES may be easily overdone.
2. (gaming).—Dice: also (cards’) checks and counters.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS, (for both genuine and false pieces). Bones; cogs; fulhams; devil’s teeth; devil’s bones; gourds; rattlers; tats; high men; low men; uphills.
FRENCH SYNONYMS. Les mathurins (thieves’); les maturbes (thieves’).
SPANISH SYNONYM. Hormiga.
1830. BULWER-LYTTON, Paul Clifford, 23, (ed. 1854). Suppose we adjourn to Fish Lane, and Rattle the IVORIES. What say you, Mr. Lobkins?
1864. G. A. SALA, Quite Alone, vii. Yes, I will promise you I will keep my head cool, and won’t touch IVORY to-night.
3. (billiards’).—The balls.
1888. Sporting Life, 28 Nov. On new premises … where erstwhile the click of IVORIES was heard.
TO FLASH THE IVORIES, verb. phr. (common).—1. To show the teeth.—GROSE (1785).
2. (medical).—To be dissected or ‘anatomised’ after execution, the skeleton being taken to the College of Surgeons; hence, to be hanged.
1830. BULWER-LYTTON, Paul Clifford, ii. ‘I want to make him an honour to his country and an ixciption to my family!’ ‘Who all FLASHED THEIR IVORIES at Surgeon’s Hall!’ added the metaphorical Dummie.
TO SLUICE (WASH or RINCE) ONE’S IVORIES, verb. phr. (common).—To drink.
1821. W. T. MONCRIEFF, Tom and Jerry, ii. 6. Mr. J. Sluice your dominos vill you? Green. Vot! I never plays at dominos—it’s too wulgar. Mr. J. Vy then, vash your IVORIES? Green. I’ve got no HIVERIES to vash. Mr. J. Drink vill you? dont you understand Hinglish?
