subs. phr. (common).—A gold coin: spec. a sovereign, 20s.: formerly a guinea: Fr. jaunet: see RHINO (B. E. and GROSE). Also YELLOW-HAMMER (tailors’), YELLOW-MOULD, and YELLOW-STUFF (generic); YELLOW-FEVER = gold fever: cf. SCARLET-FEVER.
1633. SHIRLEY, The Bird in a Cage, ii. 1. Is that he that has gold enough? would I had some of his YELLOW-HAMMERS.
1661. MIDDLETON, The Mayor of Quinborough, ii. Simon the Tanner. Now, by this light, a nest of YELLOW-HAMMERS.… I’ll undertake, sir, you shall have all the skins in our parish at this price.
1663. DRYDEN, The Wild Gallant, i. How now, YELLOW BOYS, by this good light! Sirrah, Varlet, how came I by this Gold? Ha!
1706. WARD, The Wooden World Dissected, 24. No Liquor could overcome him, the last Remedy then was, to bring out some YELLOW BOYS.
1713. ARBUTHNOT, The History of John Bull, i. vi. John did not starve his cause; there wanted not YELLOW-BOYS to fee counsel.
1751. SMOLLETT, Peregrine Pickle, viii. I wish both their necks were broke, though the two cost me forty good YELLOW BOYS.
1830. BULWER-LYTTON, Paul Clifford, xvi.
| Fighting Attie, my hero, I saw you to-day | |
| A purse full of YELLOW-BOYS seize. |
1840. DICKENS, The Old Curiosity Shop, xlii. ‘The delight of picking up the money—the bright, shining YELLOW-BOYS—and sweeping ’em into one’s pocket!’
1861. T. M’COMBIE, Australian Sketches, 47. Evident symptoms of the return of the ‘YELLOW’ FEVER, and a journey to the new gold-fields seemed to be the only cure.
1884. S. L. CLEMENS (‘Mark Twain’), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, xxv. When they found the bag they spilt it out on the floor, and it was a lovely sight, all them YALLER-BOYS.
2. (American).—A mulatto, or dark quadroon: also YELLOW GIRL.
