1891. Gunter, Miss Nobody, p. 101. If you’ll take the chances of keeping your hair.
To comb one’s Hair, verb. phr. (common).—To castigate; to monkey (q.v.). See Comb one’s Hair, ante.
To hold (or keep) one’s Hair (or Wool) on, verb. phr. (common).—To keep one’s temper; to avoid excitement; to take easily. Also to keep one’s shirt on, or to pull down one’s jacket (or vest). Fr., être calme et inodore.
1885. Bret Harte, A Ship of ’49, ch. vi. ‘But what the devil——’ interrupted the young man impetuously. ‘Keep yer hair on!’ remonstrated the old man with dark intelligence.
1892. Milliken, ’Arry Ballads, p. 78. Do keep your ’air on, dear pal.
1892. Cassell’s Sat. Jour., 5 Oct., p. 45, c. 1. ‘Who make devil’s row like that all night?’ he asked. ‘Keep your hair on, Moses Trinko,’ replied the reception officer, cheerily.
A Hair of the Black Bear (or B’ar), subs. phr. (American).—A spice of the devil.
1848. Ruxton, Life in the Far West, p. 6. Thar was old grit in him, too, and a hair of the black b’ar at that.
To get one’s Hair Cut, verb. phr. (venery).—To visit a woman; to see a sick friend (q.v.). For synonyms, see Greens and Ride.
1892. Anstey, Model Music Hall, 154. Tommy. What, Uncle, going? The W. U. (with assumed jauntiness). Just to get my hair cut.