Shyster, a duffer, a vagabond. Variation of “shicer.”
Sices, or SIZES, a throw of sixes at dice.
Sick as a horse, a popular simile,—curious, because a horse never vomits.
Sickener, a dose too much of anything. Too much of even a good thing will make a man sick.
Side, an affirmative expression in the cant language of the northern towns. “Do you stoll the gammy?” (Do you understand cant?) “Side, cove” (yes, mate).
Side-boards, or STICK-UPS, shirt collars. Name applied some years ago, before the present style of collars came into fashion.
Sift, to embezzle small coins, those which might pass through a sieve—as threepennies and fourpennies—and which are, therefore, not likely to be missed.
Sight, “to take a SIGHT at a person,” a vulgar action employed by boys and others to denote incredulity, or contempt for authority, by placing the thumb against the nose and extending the fingers, which are agitated in token of derision.
“The sacristan he says no word that indicates a doubt,
But he puts his finger to his nose, and spreads his fingers out.”
Silly season, the period when nobody is supposed to be in London, when there are no parliamentary debates to publish, and when editors are at their wits’-ends to fill their papers with readable matter. All kinds of crazes on political and social subjects are then ventilated, gigantic gooseberries, monstrous births, and strange showers then become plentiful, columns are devoted to matters which would not at any other time receive consideration, and, so far as the newspapers are concerned, silliness is at a premium.