verb. (racing).—To set part of one bet against another; TO HEDGE (q.v.). [Two persons back different horses agreeing, if either wins, to give the other, say £5, who thus SAVES a ‘fiver.’ Also, as in pool, to SAVE the stakes. Likewise to keep a certain horse on one side, not betting against it, SAVING it as a clear winner for oneself. Hence SAVER = a bet so made.
1869. W. BRADWOOD, The O. V. H., xx. Most who received the news at least SAVED themselves upon the outsider.
1891. N. GOULD, The Double Event, 301. The fact of the matter was, Kingdon had determined to make a £10,000 book for Mohican, or, in other words, to SAVE that horse to run for him. Ibid., 123. I’ve put a SAVER on Caloola.
HANG SAVING, phr. (old colloquial).—‘Blow the expense.’
1708–10. SWIFT, Polite Conversation, ii. Lord Smart. Come, HANG SAVING: bring us a Halfporth of Cheeze.
See BACON.
