DUB, to pay or give; “DUB UP,” pay up.
DUBBER, the mouth; “mum your DUBBER,” hold your tongue.
DUBLIN PACKET, to turn a corner; to “take the DUBLIN PACKET,” viz., run round the corner.
DUBS, a bunch of keys.—Nearly obsolete.
DUBSMAN, or SCREW, a turnkey.
DUCKS AND DRAKES, “to make DUCKS AND DRAKES of one’s money,” to throw it away childishly,—derived from children “shying” flat stones on the surface of a pool, which they call DUCKS AND DRAKES, according to the number of skips they make.
DUDDERS, or DUDSMEN, persons who formerly travelled the country as pedlars, selling gown-pieces, silk waistcoats, &c., to countrymen. In selling a waistcoat-piece for thirty shillings or two pounds, which cost them perhaps five shillings, they would show great fear of the revenue officer, and beg of the purchasing clodhopper to kneel down in a puddle of water, crook his arm, and swear that it might never become straight if he told an exciseman, or even his own wife. The term and practice are nearly obsolete. In Liverpool, however, and at the east end of London, men dressed up as sailors, with pretended silk handkerchiefs and cigars “only just smuggled from the Indies,” are still to be plentifully found.
DUDDS, clothes, or personal property. Gaelic, DUD; Ancient cant; also Dutch.
DUFF, pudding; vulgar pronunciation of DOUGH.—Sea.
DUFFER, a hawker of “Brummagem” or sham jewellery; a sham of any kind; a fool, or worthless person. DUFFER was formerly synonymous with DUDDER, and was a general term given to pedlars. It is mentioned in the Frauds of London (1760), as a word in frequent use in the last century to express cheats of all kinds. From the German, DURFEN, to want?