TO VOWEL. A gamester who does not immediately pay
his losings, is said to vowel the winner, by repeating the
vowels I. O. U. or perhaps from giving his note for the
money according to the Irish form, where the acknowledgment
of the debt is expressed by the letters I. O. U. which,
the sum and name of the debtor being added, is deemed a
sufficient security among gentlemen.
UNCLE. Mine uncle's; a necessary house. He is gone to
visit his uncle; saying of one who leaves his wife soon after
marriage. It likewise means a pawnbroker's: goods pawned
are frequently said to be at mine uncle's, or laid up in
lavender.
UNDERSTRAPPER. An inferior in any office, or department.
UNDER DUBBER. A turnkey.
UNFORTUNATE GENTLEMEN. The horse guards, who thus
named themselves in Germany, where a general officer
seeing them very awkward in bundling up their forage,
asked what the devil they were; to which some of them
answered, unfortunate gentlemen.
UNFORTUNATE WOMEN. Prostitutes: so termed by the
virtuous and compassionate of their own sex.
UNGRATEFUL MAN. A parson, who at least once a week
abuses his best benefactor, i.e. the devil.
UNGUENTUM AUREUM. A bribe.
UNICORN. A coach drawn by three horses.
UNLICKED CUB. A rude uncouth young fellow.
UNRIGGED. Undressed, or stripped. Unrig the drab; strip
the wench.
UNTRUSS. To untruss a point; to let down one's breeches
in order to ease one's self. Breeches were formerly tied
with points, which till lately were distributed to the boys
every Whit Monday by the churchwardens of most of the
parishes in London, under the denomination of tags: these
tags were worsteds of different colours twisted up to a size
somewhat thicker than packthread, and tagged at both
ends with tin.
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