1870. London Figaro, 19 Oct. ‘Within an inch.’ Tom—that’s my son—has worked with me in the mine ever since he was quite a little chap; and a harum-scarum young dog he was, when a boy.
2. (sporting).—Four horses driven in a line; suicide (q.v.).
Has-been, subs. (colloquial Scots’).—Anything antiquated; specifically in commendation: as ‘the good old has-beens’; cf., never was.
1891. Sportsman, 1 Apr. Big Joe M’Auliffe proved conclusively that he is one of the has beens or else one of the never wasers, as Dan Rice, the circus man, always called ambitious counterfeits. [[276]]
Hash, subs. (colloquial).—1. A mess; specifically in the phrase ‘to make a hash of.’ For synonyms, see Sixes and Sevens.
1747. Walpole, Lett. to Mann, 23 Feb. (1833) Vol. II., p. 274. About as like it, as my Lady Pomfret’s hash of plural persons and singular verbs or infinitive moods was to Italian.
1836. Michael Scott, Cruise of the Midge, p. 115 [Ry. ed.]. Listado never could compass Spanish, because, as he said, he had previously learnt French, and thus spoke a hash of both.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends. ‘M. of Venice.’ Don’t suppose my affairs are at all in a hash, But the fact is, at present I’m quite out of cash.
1843. Punch’s Almanack, July (q.v.).
1845. Punch’s Guide to Servants, ‘The Cook,’ Vol. IX., p. 45. He who gives a receipt for making a stew, may himself make a sad hash of it.