Roper, Mistress, “to marry Mrs. Roper” is to enlist in the Royal Marines.
Ropes, the ways of London lower life. “To know the ROPES,” is to be conversant with the minutiæ of metropolitan dodges, as regards both the streets and the sporting world.
Roping, the act of pulling or restraining a horse, by its rider, to prevent its winning a race—a trick not unfrequently practised on the turf. Also when a pedestrian or other athlete loses where he should have won, according to his backer’s calculations, he is accused of ROPING.
Rose, “under the rose” (frequently used in its Latin form, sub rosâ), i.e., under the obligation of silence and secrecy, of which the rose was anciently an emblem, perhaps, as Sir Thomas Browne remarks, from the closeness with which its petals are enfolded in the bud. The Rose of Venus was given, says the classic legend, to Harpocrates, the God of Silence, by Cupid, as a bribe to keep silent about the goddess’s amours. It was commonly sculptured on the ceilings of banqueting rooms, as a sign that what was said in free conversation there was not afterwards to be divulged; and about 1526 was placed over the Roman confessionals as an emblem of secrecy. The White Rose was also an emblem of the Pretender, whose health, as king, his secret adherents used to drink “under the ROSE.”
Rosin, beer or other drink given to musicians at a dancing party.
Rosin-the-bow, a fiddler. From a famous old song of that name.
Rot, nonsense, anything bad, disagreeable, or useless.
Rot-gut, bad, small beer. See [BUMCLINK]. In America, cheap whisky.
Rough, bad; “ROUGH fish,” bad or stinking fish.—Billingsgate.
Rough-it, to put up with chance entertainment, to take pot-luck and what accommodation “turns up,” without sighing for better.