Too drunk to see a hole in a ladder, phr. (common).—Excessively intoxicated. For synonyms, see Drinks and Screwed.
Hole-and-corner, adj. (colloquial).—Secret; underhand; out of the way: e.g., hole-and-corner work = shady business. Also (venery) = copulation. [Cf., Hole, subs. sense 1.]
Holer (also Holemonger), subs. (colloquial).—A whoremaster (cf., Hole, subs., sense 1). Also (old), a harlot; a light woman (cf., Hole, verb.). Hence, Holing = whoring.
Holiday, adj. (old).—Unskilled; indifferent; careless.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Holiday, a holiday bowler, a bad bowler.
Blind Man’s Holiday. See ante.
To have a holiday at Peckham, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To go dinnerless. All holiday at Peckham = no work and nothing to eat. [A play upon words.] See Peckish.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum. All holiday at Peckham … a saying signifying that it is all over with the business or person spoken of or alluded to. [[334]]
1848. Forster, Oliver Goldsmith, bk. I., ch. vi., p. 55 (5th Ed.). ‘Oh, that is all a holiday at Peckham,’ said an old friend very innocently one day.
To take a holiday, verb. phr. (common).—To be dismissed; to get the bag (q.v.) or sack (q.v.)