Slang and its analogues past and present, volume 3 (of 7)

by John Stephen Farmer; William Ernest Henley

Hog-grubber, subs. (old).—A miser; a niggard; a mean cuss (q.v.).

1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. A hog-grubber, … a narrow-soul’d sneaking Fellow.

1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Hog Grubber, a mean stingy fellow.

Hogmagundy (or Houghmagandie), subs. (Scots).—Copulation. For synonyms, see Greens and Ride.

1786. Burns, The Holy Fair [last stanza]. There’s some are fou o’ love divine, There’s some are fou o’ brandy; An’ mony jobs that day begin, May end in hougmagandie Some ither day.

Hogmenay, subs. (old Scots’).—1. New Year’s Eve, which is a national festival. [The origin has been the subject of much discussion.]

1776. Brand, Popular Antiquities, p. 102. Sirs, do you what Hagmane signifies? It is the devil be in the house.

1793. The Bee, 10 July, p. 17. The night preceding that festival Hoggmonay.

1879. James Napier, Folk Lore, p. 154. After the Reformation, the Scotch transferred Hagmanay [from Xmas Eve] to the last day of December, as a preparation day for the New Year.