1858. Washington Evening Star, 26 Aug. I have mentioned before the innumerable comforts—in a horn—of the old White Sulphur Springs.
To wind (or blow) the horn, verb. phr. (old).—To break wind; to fart (q.v.). [[355]]
1620. Percy, Folio, MSS., ‘Fryar and Boye.’ Her tayle shall wind the horne.
To cure the horn, verb. phr. (venery).—To copulate. See Horn, subs., sense 3. For synonyms, see Greens and Ride.
To have the horn, verb. phr. (venery). See Horn, subs., sense 3.
To come out of the little end of the horn, verb. phr. (common).—To get the worst of a bargain; to be reduced in circumstances. Also, to make much ado about nothing. Said generally of vast endeavour ending in failure. [Through some unexpected Squeeze (q.v.)].
1605. Jonson, Chapman, and Marston, Eastward Hoe, i., 1. I had the horne of suretiship ever before my eyes. You all know the devise of the horne, where the young fellow slippes in at the butte-end, and comes squesd out at the buckall.
1624. Fletcher, Wife for a Month, iii., 3. Thou wilt look to-morrow else Worse than the prodigal fool the ballad speaks of, That was squeezed through a horn.
1847. Porter, Big Ben, etc., p. 37. How did you make it? You didn’t come out at the little end of the horn, did you?
1847. Porter, Quarter Race, etc., p. 24. You never saw such a run of luck; everywhere I touched was pizen, and I came out of the leetle end of the horn.