this life, and asks no favors of anybody “on the other side of Jordan,” but his God! His friends, if he have any left behind, can be of no service to him; his enemies, he is proud to know, "can't reach him!"

PROX, or PROXY. The use of these words is confined to the States of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Prox, in Rhode Island, means the ticket or list of candidates at elections presented to the people for their votes. By a law of the colony of Providence Plantations, passed in the year 1647, the General Assembly was appointed to be holden annually, "if wind and weather hinder not, at which the general officers of the colony were to be chosen." This clause made it convenient for many to remain at home, particularly as they had the right to send their votes for the officers by some other persons; hence the origin of these terms prox and proxy votes, as applied to the present mode of voting for State officers in Rhode Island. — Staples's Annals of Providence, p. 64.

Mr. Pickering observes that this word is also used in Connecticut, as equivalent to election, or election-day. He quotes the following instances from a Connecticut newspaper:

Republicans of Connecticut; previous to every proxies you have been assaulted on every side.

On the approaching proxies we ask you to attend universally.

Dr. Webster, with whom New England, or rather Connecticut, seems to have been a synonyme for "all creation," says, the word means, "in popular use, an election or day of voting for officers of government." When the qualification of a freeman, as formerly, was low, the proxies or voters never exceeded 1,300; at present the qualification is better, and the proxies are only - Douglass' Summary, 1755, Vol. II. p. 89.

888.

PRY. A large lever employed to raise or move heavy substances. Used also in some parts of England. - Worcester.

TO PRY. To move or raise by means of a large lever.— Worcester.

PUBLISHMENT. A publishing of the banns of marriage, which is required by law in New England. "Mr. Doe and Miss Roe's publishment took place to-day."

Any persons desiring to be joined in marriage, shall have such their intentions published or posted up by the clerk of each town; and a certificate of such shall be produced as aforesaid previous to their marriage. —

publishment

Statutes of Massachusetts, 1786.

PUCCOON. An Indian name for various plants affording coloring matter. 1. The Sanguinaria canadensis, or Blood root. The juice was much used by the Indians as a dye or stain, as on the old basket ware now no longer to be seen.

They have the puccoon, with which the Indians used to paint themselves red; and

the shumach and sassafras, which make a deep yellow. - Beverly's Virginia, Book III.

2. Yellow puccoon. Hydrastis canadensis, or Yellow root.

PUCKER. A fright; a state of perplexity or trouble; agitation. Provincial in England.

It was natural enough that the Squire's wife should be in a pucker to see the Ladies' Book [which contained an article ridiculing her]. - Widow Bedott Papers, p. 326.

PUEBLO. (Span.) A village of the semi-civilized Catholic Indians of New Mexico.

The villages of the christianized Indians in New Mexico were called pueblos, in opposition to the wild roving tribes that refused such favors. Wislizenus, New Mexico.

PUEBLO INDIAN. A Catholic Indian villager of New Mexico.

The most interesting class of the inhabitants of New Mexico are those known as the Pueblo Indians. They are the descendants of the ancient rulers of the country, and are so called because they dwell in villages and subsist by agriculture, instead of living in lodges and depending upon the chase, as the wild Indians of the mountains and plains. — Davis, El Gringo, p. 114.

PUKE.

1. A mean, contemptible fellow.

2. A nickname for a native of Missouri.

PULL-DOO. A small black duck found in the bays and inlets of the Gulf of Mexico. They seldom fly, but rely upon swimming and diving to evade pursuit. The word is probably a corruption of poule d'eau, i. e. water-hen..

PULL DICK, PULL DEVIL. An expression used in low language synonymous with "neck and neck,” denoting an equal contest in a race, etc. TO PULL FOOT. To walk fast; to run.

I look'd up; it was another shower, by Gosh. I pulls foot for dear life. Sam Slick in England, ch. 2.

I thought I'd run round two or three streets. So I pulled foot, and hunted and sweat till I got so tired I could'nt but just stand. - Maj. Downing's May-day in New York.

TO PULL IT.

To run.

And how a man one dismal night

Shot her with silver bullet,

And then she flew straight out of sight

As fast as she could pull it.

T. G. Fessenden, Yankee Doodle.

TO PULL UP, among travellers, means to stop. Alluding to the act of pulling the reins of a horse in order to stop him.

TO PULL UP STAKES. To pack up one's furniture or baggage, preparatory to a removal; to remove. The allusion is to pulling up the stakes of a

tent.

If this stranger is to receive countenance, then I'll pull up stakes and depart from Tinnecum for ever. - Knickerbocker Magazine.

TO PULL WOOL OVER THE EYES.

The Tariff project for reducing the revenue is a humbug wool over the eyes of innocent people.-N. Y. Herald.

-a trick for pulling

That 'ere stranger's only playin' possum, but he can't pull the wool over this child's eyes; he 's got 'em both skinned. - A Stray Yankee in Texas. PUMA. (Felis concolor.) An animal known also under the names of Cougar, Panther, and American Lion, the largest of the cat kind found in America. Flint describes it, under the name panther, as of the size of the largest dogs, of a dark grayish color, marked with black spots. It is in shape much like the domestic cat, with short legs, large paws, and long talons. It conceals itself among the branches of the trees, and thence darts upon its prey.

PUMPKIN-SEED. A variety of the Perca Americana, common in freshwater ponds and lakes. They are so called from their form. In the river St. Lawrence I have seen them from six to eight inches in length. In some places they are called Sun-fish.

PUNCHEONS. A term which, in Georgia, means split logs, with their faces a little smoothed with an axe or hatchet. These, being laid upon sleepers, make a puncheon floor.

The Squire's dwelling consisted of but one room.

The house was constructed

of logs, and the floor was of puncheons. — Georgia Scenes, p. 12.

Bill knew him; and if the old serpent himself had popped up his head through the puncheons and claimed him for his brand, he could n't have been more scared.— N. Y. Spirit of the Times.

PUNG. A rude sort of sleigh, or oblong box made of boards and placed on runners, used for drawing loads on snow by horses. Worcester. Also called a Jumper, which see.

These were sledges or pungs, coarsely framed of split saplings, and surmounted with a large crockery-crate. — Margaret, p. 174.

PUNK. 1. Rotten wood; touchwood; spunk. A word in common use in
New England, as well as in the other Northern States and Canada.
Ash defines it "a kind of fungus, often used for tinder.” — Pickering.
2. A punch or blow with the fist. New York.

TO PUNK. To push or strike with the fist; to punch. New York.

PUNT. In Maryland and Virginia, a small boat made of the body of a large tree. In England, a punt is a flat-bottomed boat.

PUPELO. A name for cider-brandy, formerly manufactured in New England to a great extent.

"Han't they got any of the religion at your house?" "No, marm, they drink pupelo and rum.”—Margaret, p. 52.

PUT. To stay put is to keep still, remain in order. A vulgar expression. The levees and wharves of the First Municipality won't "stay put." Last evening that part of the levee opposite Custom-House street, which had caved in and was since filled, sunk suddenly ten feet. N. O. Picayune.

TO PUT. To start; go; decamp; be off. "I see I'm not wanted here; so I'll put."

B― found himself by mistake in the ladies' saloon; a fact he was politely informed of by one of the occupants, who said, "Guess you put for the wrong pew, mister."-Notes on Canada, etc., Blackwood's Mag.

TO PUT OFF. To start, set out. Originally a nautical term.

It is an astonishing fact that over fifteen thousand persons have deserted their homes in California, and put off by every means of conveyance for Fraser's river.Nat. Intelligencer, July 22, 1858.

TO PUT OUT. To set out; to be off. A Western expression. To put is used in the same sense.

As my wife's father had considerable land on Blue Fox river, and as we wanted a little more elbow-room, I says one day to Nancy, "Nancy," says I, "Idad, 'spose we put out and live there." - Carlton, The New Purchase, Vol. I. p. 172. Well, I put out for the Planter's as fast as I could, where you know I found you at last. Maj. Jones's Courtship, p. 63.

There was goin' to be a raisin' or log-rollin' a good piece off, and the old man reckoned he'd better put out in the evening and stay at some of the neighbor's houses and be allowed to take an early start in mornin.'-N. Y. Spirit of the Times.

La Bonté picked up three mules for a mere song, and the next day put out for the Platte. Rurton, Life in the Far West, p. 66.

"The more you give the slaves," said Jekyl, “the more dissatisfied they grow, till finally they put for the free States."

"Very well," said Clayton; "if that's to be the result, they may put as soon as they can get ready."— Mrs. Stowe, Dred, Vol. I. p. 195.

TO PUT THE LICKS IN. To exert oneself.

You had better put the licks in and make haste, or there will be more fiddling and dancing and serving the devil this morning. — Sam Slick, Human Nature, p. 164. TO PUT IT IN STRONG. To express oneself strongly or emphatically.

The missionaries in the South are pretty careful; they put it in strong in the catechism about the rights of the master. - Mrs. Stowe, Dred, Vol. I. p. 193. TO PUT THROUGH. To carry through, effect, accomplish, a piece of busi

ness. A term much used in speaking of legislative business; thus, to carry a bill or resolution is "to put it through."

PUTS. When a speculator thinks that stocks are going down, and wishes to make a small operation without incurring much risk, he gives a small sum for the privilege of delivering a small amount of stock at a certain price. For instance, if the cash price of Erie was fifty-seven per cent., a speculator would give, say fifty dollars, to "put" or deliver one hundred shares at fifty-six and a half per cent. say next week, ten days, or any short time. He can only lose his fifty dollars, if the market should go up; but if it goes down to fifty-six, he gets his money back, and all below that is so much profit. Operations of this kind are carried on principally among the curb-stone brokers, men who have strong speculative propensities and very little capital. Hunt's Merchants' Magazine, Vol. XXXVII.

PUTTO. (Fr. poteau, a post.) A stake firmly set in the ground, to which wild cattle and horses are secured. A term in general use in the grazing region of the South-west.

PUTTY-ROOT. (Aplectrum hymenale).

(Aplectrum hymenale). Also called "Adam and Eve," from the bulb of the preceding year being always connected with the

new one.

TO PUZZLE A PHILADELPHIA LAWYER is considered a very difficult undertaking, the Philadelphia gentlemen of the profession being regarded as remarkably keen-witted.

Had General Taylor not confessed himself a whig, it would have puzzled a Philadelphia lawyer to have detected it. — Southern Patriot.

Q.

TO QUACKLE. To interrupt in breathing; to almost choke; to suffocate. Provincial in England, and colloquial in America. — Worcester.

QUADROON, or QUATERON. The offspring of a mulatto woman by a white

man.

QUAHAUG. In New England, the popular name of a species of clams having a round and very hard shell. See Pooquaw.

The laws of Rhode Island provide, that any person who shall take any quahaugs or clams from certain beds in Providence river between May and September, shall forfeit twenty dollars for each offence.

QUAKER CITY. The city of Philadelphia; so called from its founders having been Friends or Quakers.