steamboats and other vessels often run aground, is, I believe, the only locality to which this term is now applied among us.

TO OVERSLAUGH. (Dutch, overslaan.) To skip over, pass over, omit. A word used by New York politicians, to signify that the direct line of elevation in office is not observed, and especially when an "outsider" is appointed over the heads of those already in office.

Mr. Polk intended making Gen. Butler commander-in-chief, and to drop Gen. Scott. But it was found that public opinion would not be reconciled to overslaughing Taylor, and he [Gen. Taylor] was nominated. -Washington Correspondent, N. Y. Com. Adv., Oct. 21, 1846.

The attempt to overslaugh officers entitled to rank in the highest grade in the service, is about to be repeated in a somewhat different way in a lower grade, and we desire to call attention to the facts.-N. Y. Courier and Enq., Oct. 1848.

If the conspiracy of the Calhounites with a few doughfaces of the North to overslaugh him [Benton] succeeds, it will render him the stronger in Missouri, and make his reëlection to the Senate more certain.-N. Y. Tribune, Dec. 20, 1849.

TO OVERRUN. To run over.

Economy, Rupp's community near Beaver, was lately overrun by a delighted traveller, etc.-N. Y. Tribune, June 16, 1849.

TO OVERTURE. To propose. A word in common use in the Presbyterian church, in speaking of laying a subject before an ecclesiastical body for its consideration.

OVER THE LEFT. An expression used to give to the words it accompanies a meaning directly opposite to that which they would otherwise have. Common in England.

At a county court held in Hartford, Sept. 4th, 1705,

Whereas James Steel did commence an action against Bevel Waters (both of Hartford), in this court, upon hearing and tryall whereoff the court gave judgment against the said Waters (as in justice they think they ought), upon the declaring the said judgment the said Waters did review to the court in March next, that being granted and entered, the said Waters, as he departed from the table, said, God bless you over the left shoulder."

The court ordered a record thereof to be made forthwith.

A true copie Test

66

CALEB STANLEY, Clerk. At the next court Waters was tried for contempt, for saying the words recited, "so cursing the court;" and on verdict, fined £5. He asked a review at the court following, which was granted; and, pending trial, the court asked counsel of the Rev. Messrs. Woodbridge and Buckingham, the ministers of the Hartford churches, as to the common acceptation' of the offensive phrase. Their reply constitutes a part of the record, and is as follows:

We are of opinion that these words, said on the other side to be spoken by Bevel Waters, include [1] prophaneness, by using the name of God, that is holy, with such ill words whereto it was joyned; [2] that they carry great contempt in them, arising to the degree of an imprecation or a curse, the words of a curse being the most contemptible that can ordinarily be used.

March 7th, 1705-6.

T. WOODBRIdge,

T. BUCKINGHAM.

The former judgment was affirmed on review. This, it is believed, is the earliest instance of the use of this phrase to be met with, at least in this country.

OWDACIOUS, for audacious. Southern and Western.

He had a daughter Molly, that was the most enticin', heart-distressin' creature that ever made a feller get owdacious. — Robb, Squatter Life.

Why, Major, you would n't take such a likely gall as that to New York? The abolitionists would have her out of your hands quicker than you could say Jack Robinson. I was never so oudaciously put out with the abominable abolitionists before. It was enough to make a man what was n't principled agin swearin' cuss like a trooper. Major Jones's Travels.

OYSTER-PLANT. Salsify; a plant of the genus tragopogon, so called from its resemblance in taste, when cooked, to the oyster. It is also called the Vegetable Oyster.

OYSTER-SHUCKER. An oyster-opener. Southern.

OYSTER-FISH. See Toad-Fish.

P.

PAAS. Pron. paws with s hard. (Dutch, Paasch.) This Dutch name is commonly applied to the festival of Easter, in the State of New York.

PAAS BLOOMACHEE, i. e. Easter flower. (Narcissus pseudo-narcissus.) Not the Pasque Flower of botanists, but the common Yellow Daffodil. PAAS EGGS. Hard-boiled eggs cracked together by New York boys at the Easter season. They are often dyed of various colors in boiling. То Раск. To transport in packs or packages; and hence, simply to carry. "Are you going to pack that rock all the way home?" said to a person who had secured a bit of stone containing a fine fossil. Western.

We reached Bull Creek about two o'clock, and there gave the mules some rest. Just before reaching it, Joe killed an antelope, of which we had seen several. We packed the hams and shoulders to camp.-T. A. Culbertson, in Fifth Smithson. Report, p. 91.

PADDLE. A Wooden instrument with which negroes are punished, shaped like the paddle of a canoe, with holes bored through the blade. See Cobb.

TO PADDLE ONE'S OWN CANOE. A figurative Western phrase, meaning to make one's own way in life, to be the architect of one's own fortunes.

PAINT. In some of the Southern States, a horse or other animal which is spotted is called a paint.

PAINTER, a corruption of panther. The popular name of the cougar or panther. See Puma.

"You don't know the way," said Obed; "snakes 'll bite ye; there's painters in the woods, and wild-cats and owls." - Margaret, p. 27.

PAIR OF STAIRS. An expression often used for a flight of stairs.

PALE-FACES. A term applied, or said to be applied, by the American Indians to the whites.

"Yes," muttered the Indian, "the pale faces are prattling women! They have two words for each thing, while a red-skin will make the sound of his voice speak for him."-Cooper, Last of the Mohegans.

The brave Tecumseh's words are good:
"One league for terror, strife, and blood,

Must all our far-spread tribes unite;

Then shall the pale-face sink to night."- Colton, Tecumseh, xviii. PALMATEER. See Parmateer.

PALM-CABBAGE. The young terminal bud or sprouting leaf of the Areca oleracea and of some other palms, used as a culinary vegetable when sufficiently tender.

PALMETTO. (Chamerops palmetto.) A perennial plant strongly marking climate. It commences in the same regions with Long Moss, that is to say, about 33°. It throws up from a large root, so tough as to be cut with difficulty by an axe, and hard to be eradicated from the soil, large, fan-shaped palms, of the most striking and vivid verdure, and ribbed with wonderful exactness. It is used by the savages and the poorer creoles as thatch for their cabins; and from the tender shoots of the season, properly prepared, a very useful kind of summer hats, called palmetto hats, is manufactured.- Flint, Geogr. of Miss. Valley.

PALMETTO CAPITAL. The city of Augusta, the capital of South Carolina, so called from the arms of the State, which contain a palmetto.

In the delightful temperature of to-day, with the rich foliage of the trees in green luxuriance, and the perfumes of a thousand beds of flowers burdening the air, the Palmetto capital is exceedingly pleasant. —Letter from Charleston, N. Y. Tribune.

PALMETTO STATE. The State of South Carolina.

PANEL-HOUSE, or PANEL-DEN. A house of prostitution and theft combined.

PANEL-THIEF. A thief who, while the victim is engaged with a girl of the town, enters the room by a secret opening, and abstracts his money, watch, etc.

PANDOWDY. Food made of bread and apples baked together. — Worcester. New England. Halliwell gives Pandoulde as the Somerset name for a custard. See Slump.

PANTALOONERY. The particular description of fabrics from which pantaloons are made. A word used by the merchant tailors in their advertisements.

PANTS. Pantaloons. A word borrowed from the language of tailors' bills.

The things named pants in certain documents,
A word not made for gentlemen, but gents.

Holmes' Poems, p. 217.

PAPPOOSE. (Abenaki Ind.) Among the native Indians of New England, a babe or young child.-Roger Williams. It is applied by the whites to Indian infants in general.

Where the Indian squaw hung her young pappoos upon the bough, and left it to squall at the hush-a-by of the blast, the Anglo-Saxon mother now rocks the cradle of her delicate babe. -Dow's Sermons.

PAPPOOSE-ROOT. (Caulophyllum thalictroides.) A plant called also

Blue Cohosh.

PARISH. In Louisiana a parish is what, in other States, is called a county. TO PARMATEER, or PALMATEER. To electioneer; evidently a corruption of parliamenteer, to electioneer for a seat in parliament. This term is very common in the State of Rhode Island, beyond which I think it does not extend.

Our people talk a great deal about emancipation; but they know it's all bunkum, and it serves to palmateer on, and makes a pretty catchword. Sam Slick, Human Nature, 175.

PARTLY. Mr. Pickering notices the use of this word in the sense of nearly, almost, in some towns of the Middle States. Ex. "His house is

partly opposite to mine," i. e. nearly opposite. "It is partly all gone," i. e. nearly all gone.

PARTRIDGE. In the South and West, the quail is so called.

PARTRIDGE-BERRY.

A name applied both to Gaultheria procumbens, or Creeping Wintergreen, and to Mitchella repens. The scarlet fruit of both is similar in appearance, highly flavored in the former, but tasteless in the latter.

PASSAGE. Enactment; the act of carrying through all the regular forms necessary to give validity; as the passage of a law, or of a bill into a law, by a legislative body.-Webster. Mr. Pickering says this word "is criticized by the English reviewers as an American innovation." It is not in the English dictionaries in this sense.

His agency in procuring the passage of the stamp act was more than suspected.Hosack.

PASSION-FLOWER. (Passiflora.) A genus of tendril-bearing vines, most of whose species are South American. The early missionaries fancied that they found in these flowers emblems of the implements of Christ's passion the fringe representing the crown of thorns; the large anthers fixed by their middle, hammers; and the five styles, the nails. We have two wild species, lutea and incarnata, common in the South and West.— Gray.

:

PATENTABLE. That may be patented; for which a patent can be taken

out.

PATENT RIGHT. A patent. In the United States an inventor takes out a "patent right;" in England, "letters patent."

PATENT AGENT. One who procures patents for inventors.

PATENT SAFE GAME or OPERATION. A system of trickery practised in our large cities on verdant gentlemen from the country. Three confidants generally play the game; but two can do it. When they see a person called by them a "Sucker," who appears to be a fit subject to play upon, they learn his name and something about him, such as the place where he came from, etc. One of them, who is called the "Roper," goes up to him, names him familiarly, and shakes him by the hand. This at first rather astonishes the stranger; but the Roper looks so innocent, and is so obliging and kind that he soon disarms his suspicion and gains his confidence. He then invites him to go and see the wonderful places about the city, and walks about until he arrives at a proper place, where Mr. Roper, by looking down on the ground, discovers, accidentally of course, a little