2. (common).—A cheap ice-cream sold in the streets.
Holborn Hill. To ride backwards up Holborn Hill, verb. phr. (old colloquial).—To go to the gallows. [The way was thence to Tyburn, criminals riding backwards.—Grose.]
1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, ii., 1. Urs. Up the heavy hill—Knock. Of Holbourn, Ursula, mean’st thou so? for what, for what, pretty Urse? Urs. For cutting halfpenny purses, or stealing little penny dogs out o’ the Fair.
1659. Harry White’s Humour (Nares). Item, he loves to ride when he is weary, yet at certaine times he holds it ominous to ride up Holborne.
1695. Congreve, Love for Love, ii., 7. Sirrah, you’ll be hanged; I shall live to see you go up Holborn hill. [[331]]
Hold, verb. (old).—1. To bet; to wager. See Do you hold?
1534. Udall, Roister Doister, i., 2 (Dodsley, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, iii., 7). I hold a groat ye will drink anon of this gear.
1551. W. Still, Gammer Gurton’s Needle, iii., 3 (Dodsley, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, iii., 216, and passim). I hold thee a groat I shall patch thy coat.
1697. Vanbrugh, Provoked Wife, ii., 1. I’ll hold you a guinea you don’t make her tell it you.
1719. Durfey, Pills, etc., ii., 54. I’ll hold ye five Guineas to four.