Chapter II: Front Matter (2)

=Blood=—the finest wool is that of full-blooded merino sheep; the terms ½-b., ⅜-b., ¼-b., etc., refer to that standard and are coarser in a descending scale. See Wool.

=Bloody shirt=—fortunately not a washable article, but a term of reproach reminiscent of Civil War amenities.

=Bloom=—the lustrous effect given to broadcloth, alpaca and other fabrics by pressing.

=Bloomers=—Zouave trousers appropriated by women during the late bicycle craze.

=Blouse=—(1) a short, loose shirt or frock, usually of linen or cotton, with or without belt; (2) a loose jacket or body coat, of military wear; (3) the characteristic garment of Chinamen—need a description?

=Blouse collar=—same as Prussian c.

=Blow of cotton=—a Southern phrase, employed when the pods of the cotton plant burst; from the old English “blowth”, a blossoming.

=Blucher=—a peculiar style or pattern used in cutting the upper of a laced shoe—having tops lapping together at the throat and not joined together as in plain lace shoes.

=Blue=—the color supposed to exercise a gracious influence over the budding destinies of, and to be especially becoming and appropriate to, boy babies as, conversely, pink is for girls.

=Blue=—see Wool.

=Blue book=—broadly, a directory of les noveaux riches.

=Blue dress coat=—(=navy=) for chief petty officers, except bandmasters, a 4-button double-breasted sack coat of dark blue cloth with 3 outside pockets (2 lower, 1 breast) with flaps, the coat worn buttoned; for officers’ stewards and officers’ cooks, the same except with black buttons instead of gilt.

=Blue jackets=—navy seamen as distinguisht from the marines.

=Blue pencil=—supposed to be specially efficacious in marking down prices for a “sale”.

=Blue undress coat=—(=navy=) for chief petty officers except bandmasters, same as blue dress c., but of flannel or serge.

=Blue working dress=—(=navy=) see Working d.

=Bluestocking=—not an article of attire, but a Bostonprig.

=Bluff edge=—in tailoring a variety of plain e. (qv) not made by hand, but by first sewing the edges of garment together wrong side out, then turning and pressing flat without other finish; a cheap substitute for felled or prickt edges (qv).

=Bluff try-on=—not a real one, just a bluff. See Dummy t. (Tailoring term.)

=Blunderbuss=—a short fire arm with a large bore and a wide mouth.

=Blunts=—see Needle.

=Boarded calf=—see below.

=Boarding=—a term used in the leather trade, denoting a process of making leather supple and raising the grain after shaving, dyeing, etc., by doubling it with the flesh side in and working the folds back and forth by a graining board.

=Boarding officer’s uniform=—see Custom officer’s u.

=Boardwalk=—the ocean promenade at Atlantic City, where, in season, and on Easter Sunday particularly, those who have them proceed to strut up and down showing off their new clothes.

=Boat cloak=—a cape or mantle for use of (naval) officers in a (small) boat.

=Boater=—British for the stiff, straight-brimmed straw hat known here as “yacht” shape. See Straw hat.

=Boatswain’s uniform=—(=navy=) see Special full dress, Full dress, Dress, Undress, Service dress; (=revenue cutter service=) Full dress, Service dress. See also variations.

=Bob=—see Bob-wig and Wig.

=Bobbin=—a slender spool or reel used in the shuttle of a loom, conveying the weft or filling.

=Bob-jerom=—a bob wig.

=Bobtailed=—short tailed—give it any application you fancy.

=Bob-wig=—a small or medium size w. of the time of George II; specifically, minor b.-w. and major b.-w., the latter with several rows of curls.

=Bodkin=—a needle-like instrument for piercing holes in cloth, or for drawing tape thru hems, etc.

=Body-coat=—a dress c.; an under-c.; a close-fitting c.; a livery c.

=Body-cover=—cant for coat.

=Bogus=—counterfeit or of inferior quality, as manipulated cloth.

=Boil out=—trade term indicating the quality of a piece of goods, as “this will boil out”, meaning if woolen, the goods will in the boiling potash test resolve into nothing without trace of cotton or similar non-boilable adulterant. See Boiling-o. test.

=Boiled off=—commercial term for Shantung silk, to distinguish from silk “in the gum”.

=Boiled shirt=—inelegant for a white shirt with stiff linen bosom.

=Boiling-out test=—a means employed to determin the quality of suspected woolen or silk fabrics, a piece of the goods being boiled in a solution of potash, in which the wool or silk is consumed, but any cotton therein remains. See also Acid t. and Cotton cheat.

=Bolt=—a rolled or folded quantity of goods, of various yardage, according to the fabric or material. Cloth usually runs 40 to 60 yards to the b.

=Bombast=—cotton or other material of soft, loose texture, employed for padding garments; wadding.

=Bombazine=—a light, plain woven fabric of silk warp and worsted weft, used for mourning.

=Bonbon=—general trade term for fine lisle and balbriggan underwear and hosiery manufactured by C. & G. Bonbon et Cie, Troyes, France; also C. Bonbon et Cie, Paris.

=Bone=—journeyman tailors’ term for a peculiar hard feeling noticeable in the handling of certain kinds of cloths, as heavy overcoatings and experienct especially in working the needle thru; as, “it has a bone in it”.

=Bonnet=—a Scotch cap.

=Book muslin=—a thin, glazed, starch-filled cotton fabric, often mechanically crinkled, used for cheap cap linings, etc.

=Boon=—the woody core of flax.

=Boot=—a leather or other foot covering differing from a shoe (qv) in that it reaches usually to the knee or above. In England the word boot is synonymous with our word shoe.

=Boot=—a leather or rubber-cloth flap fastened to the front or dashboard of a carriage or coach and drawn up over the lap of the rider as a protection against rain, etc.

=Bootblack=—an irreverent urchin who “shines” the fronts of your shoes, but forgets the heels.

=Boot-hook=—an implement to pull boots on with.

=Boot-hose=—spatterdashes; stirrup h.

=Boot-jack=—a wooden or metal contrivance for engaging the heel of a boot while the wearer drags himself out therefrom.

=Boot-last=—same as b.-tree.

=Boot-lick=—a flunkey; a hanger-on; one who cringes and flatters to obtain favors.

=Boot powder=—powdered soapstone to make tight boots go on easier.

=Boot slippers=—light, soft leather feet for wear inside of rubber boots.

=Boot-straps=—the loops sewed in the back part of boots for the purpose of pulling them on.

=Boot stud=—a small, steel roset having prominent sharp points at right angles to the back; used by golf players and others for surety of footing; 8 to 12 are required for a pair of boots, affixt by screws or cleats.

=Boot-tree=—a stretcher for shaping boots when not in use.

=Bootee=—an infant’s knit woolen foot covering.

=Bootmaker=—Briticism for what we call shoemaker.

=Boots=—a servant, usually a boy or young man, at an inn, hotel, club, etc., who blacks boots and performs other small services for guests.

=Bosom=—the front or display part of a shirt, specifically known according to style, shape, etc., as dress b., puff b., shield b., plaited b., etc.

=Botany=—trade diminutiv for the line of cloths made by the Botany mills, Passaic, N. J. A peculiarity of these goods is that they closely approximate fine imported goods, being woven by German workmen (mostly) on imported German looms.

=Botch work=—bungled.

=Bottle coat=—a proprietary term for a certain style of form fitting overcoat. (1907.)

=Bottle nest=—a leather case with 3 or 4 bottles snugly fitted; for the spiritual refreshment of travelers.

=Bottom=—trousers seat.

=Bottom facing=—in tailoring the strip of goods turned up within or sewed on along the inside of a garment, as of a vest or coat.

=Boucle=—an irregular curly-faced fabric, the effect being produced by the use of a two-ply yarn in which one thread is wound around the other and drawn to make curls or loops at uneven distances; properly a rough, lobby, sort of “worsted cheviot”, tho frequently made with a jersey or stockinet body.

=Boughten=—past participle of “to buy”, in which the archaic termination is still preserved; like gotten, putten, etc., serving to distinguish shop-bought goods from home manufactures.

=Bound-edge=—in tailoring, covered or bound with braid; for this purpose edges of the garment itself are often left raw. See Flat b., Half-and-half-b., Narrow b.

=Bounder=—English slang for one who dresses in bad taste, or whose manners, etc., are offensiv; a “cheap dude”.

=Bouquet hole=—the buttonhole in a coat lapel.

=Bourre=—a sort of silk shoddy.

=Bourette=—a woolen cloth with lumps or knobs at intervals over its surface, an effect produced by manipulation of warp and weft yarns before weaving.

=Bournous=—a long woolen cloak with hood, worn by men in the Orient.

=Boutonniere=—a little bunch of flowers; the principal excuse for the lapel buttonhole.

=Bow=—that part of a pair of spectacles clasping the temple or engaging behind the ear.

=Bow tie=—a t. tied in a bowknot.

=Bowback=—rather humped.

=Bowie knife=—a long, formidable weapon, sometimes over a foot in length and two inches broad, worn by hunters and desperadoes in the wilder and more unsettled parts of the Union. One kind is facetiously called Arkansas toothpick. The term “bowie” was derived from a notorious character, Colonel Jim Bowie.

=Bowk=—a step in the process of cotton bleaching, being boiling in weak lye.

=Bowlegged=—parenthetical.

=Bowler=—the common English name for the derby hat, from the name of the hatter who invented it. See also Billycock.

=Box calf=—a trademark or fancy name for boarded c. (qv).

=Box cloth=—a superior quality of thick, heavy beaver c. of close, hard texture, fulled and milled until practically waterproof; similar to pilot c. and in appearance midway between melton and beaver, and not unlike kersey; also called livery c.

=Box coat=—(1) a short, loose fitting top c.; (2) a coachman’s driving c., with or without cape.

=Box collar=—a high-banded Prussian or military (coat) c.

=Box fly=—see Blind f.

=Box-plait=—a plait flattened with the stitching midway underneath so that there is a leaf or fold on each side of the stitching. Compare One-way p.

=Box toe=—having a stiff piece of sole leather inserted under the upper leather around the toe of a shoe to make it stand up as a solid protection for the human toes.

=Box waterproof=—a coachman’s mackintosh.

=Boxing glove=—a padded leather mitten that can hurt.

=Boxy=—loose fitting.

=Boy=—the kid who is supposed to be everywhere and everything, and generally is, except when wanted.

=Brab=—the sheaf of the young leaves of the Palmyra palm, from which “sennit” for hats is made.

=Braces=—English for suspenders; American for suspender-harness for correcting stoop-shoulders and other light deformities.

=Bradford system=—weaving term for worsted yarns spun by a method carrying that name, (see textil encyclopedia) producing a harder yarn than by the French system (qv) of spinning on mules.

=Bradford yarns=—see above. See also English y.

=Braid=—a narrow textil band or tape formed by plaiting together or crossing diagonally and lengthwise several threads of silk, cotton, mohair or other material, in a manner to achieve a certain width, style, pattern or effect, known in trade as silk b., mohair b., hercules b., soutache b., flat b., half-and-half b., etc. Used for binding coat edges, etc., and decorativly, as in uniforms.

=Braid combing=—wool classification term. See Wool.

=Braided edges=—see Bound e., Braiding, etc.

=Braided seam=—a s. covered with braid laid on and stitched.

=Braiding=—the process of forming tape or cord like fabrics in which threads held longitudinally, are woven diagonally in and out of each other.

=Braiding=—the act or operation of binding or decorating a garment with braid.

=Brakeman’s uniform=—varies with different roads; usually a sack suit of blue cloth, the coat being most frequently double-breasted with brass buttons; blue cloth cap.

=Brandenburgs=—long, narrow, ornamental buttons of silk or wool on a wooden mold, used chiefly for military overcoats; also known as olives.

=Brass=—impudent assurance.

=Brass buttons=—slang for over-gaudy uniforms, livery, etc.

=Brass knuckles=—see Knucks.

=Brassard=—(=army, navy, etc.=) (1) a band of white cloth usually about 4 in. wide, fastened around the upper part of the right sleeve, a red Geneva cross, 3 in. in hight and width, having arms 1 in. wide, stitched or painted upon it; (2) a similar band of black cloth or crepe worn for mourning.

=Brave=—a swaggering fellow; a rowdyish gallant; a roystering fop.

=Bravery=—elegance of attire; finery.

=Brazilian linen=—a fiber obtained from a common South American weed, possessing strength, fineness, flexibility and adaptability for bleaching, dyeing, etc., expected soon to be a popular substitute for flax in nearly all its uses.

=Breach=—see Wool.

=Break=—see Collar b.

=Break=—trade term for tender wool that breaks when stretched—a defectiv condition caused by exposure, insufficient feeding, etc.

=Breakfast jacket=—(1) a house coat; (2) a butler’s morning coat.

=Breaking test=—in general, linen fabrics are more difficult to break than those of cotton. The broken edge of linen shows threads that are long and irregular, the projecting fibers being parallel and lustrous. The broken edge of cotton cloth exhibits twisted threads, the fibers being uniform in length and dull in appearance. Practise further enables the operator to distinguish linen from cotton by the sound when the fabric is torn, linen emitting a shrill, and cotton a dull, sound. Furthermore, when a group of threads is quickly broken, the cotton threads twist around each other, while the linen threads hang straight.

=Breast=—the front of the chest.

=Breast cord=—(=army=) a decorativ loop of cord and tassels of mohair, of the color of the corps, department or arm of service, worn on the front of the dress coat of enlisted men, from left shoulder to below right arm; a variety of aigulet (qv).

=Breast of heel=—(shoemaking) the back of the heel.

=Breast pocket=—any p. inserted in or placed on the breast of a coat or vest, whether outside or inside, tho the latter are generally so specified.

=Breast protector=—a sort of inflated canvas-and-leather shield worn by baseball and cricket players, fencers, etc.

=Breech=—see Wool.

=Breech cloth=—better than nothing.

=Breech clout=—same.

=Breeches=—a shaped leg-covering reaching to the knee, closing snugly at that point with several buttons. Compare Knickerbockers. See also Riding b.

=Breeches hooks=—used in 18th century to suspend the tight, fashionable breeches of the times from the ceiling, the wearer mounting upon the steps and letting himself down in the garments.

=Breeches tree=—a wooden form for keeping coachmen’s breeches in shape while not in use.

=Breeks=—Scotch for breeches.

=Bretelles=—French for suspenders or braces.

=Bricklayer’s glove=—a sort of leather mitten to which separable heavy leather tips are attacht by means of metal clips, the wrist having a resilient metal clamp. More loosely, any heavy working glove.

=Bridgewater=—a variety of broadcloth once manufactured at Bridgewater, England.

=Brigadier=—see Wig.

=Brigadier general’s uniform=—(=army=) see Full dress, Dress u., White u., Service u.; (=marine corps=) Special full dress, Full dress, Mess dress, Undress, Field dress. Also see variants.

=Bright=—tailor’s argot for any bright technical idea or suggestion.

=Brilliant=—jeweler’s term for a diamond of the finest cutting and quality; general slang for all diamonds and sparkling gems.

=Brilliant cutting=—the most common style of diamond cutting, consisting of two pyramids joined at their bases, the upper one or crown being truncated to form the table, the lower or pavilion ending in a point called the collet. Compare Twentieth century c.

=Brilliant lisle=—highly calendered. See Lisle.

=Brilliantine=—a light, thin, plain woven and very lustrous fabric, similar to alpaca. See Mohair.

=Brim=—the piazza part of a hat.

=Briolette=—a diamond, generally pear or drop shaped, cut with angular or long facets.

=Britch=—same as breach—a wool classification term. See Wool.

=British=—trade term for unbleacht cotton hose.

=Broad bound=—same as flat b. Compare Narrow b. and Half-and-half b.

=Broad goods=—cloth wider than 29 in.

=Broad silks=—trade term for woven silk fabrics for dress and lining purposes.

=Broadcloth=—for men’s wear, a high grade woolen cloth woven of the finest of felting wool, usually first dyed in the raw; the woven fabric is fulled to a considerable degree and slightly napt and sheared, then steamed, calendered and prest to add luster, the better grades being made with a twilled back. Broadcloth for women’s wear is a lighter fabric and not so costly. Name originally used in contradistinction to Narrow cloth.

=Broadfalls=—trade name for front fall trousers in which the front flap or fall extends from side to side or nearly to the pockets. See Fall bearer. Compare Narrow f.

=Broadtail=—apologetic term for the fur of the unborn lamb of the black Persian sheep of Russia; distinguisht from Persian lamb (qv) by the degree of mottling or moire effect of the rich black surface; also called baby lamb.

=Brocade=—a rich fabric of silk, cotton or wool (or combinations thereof, sometimes intermixt with tinsel) having a pattern in slight relief, produced by raising the threads of the warp or of the weft in the loom; the patterns are mostly floral.

=Broche=—a term signifying stitcht or embroidered, applied to fabrics worn with a raised design; having such appearance; a sort of brocade.

=Brodekin=—a buskin or high boot (obsolete).

=Brogan=—a coarse, heavy shoe fastened by side flaps buckled or laced over a short tongue or instep-piece; forerunner of the modern Blucher shoe (qv).

=Brogue=—(1) a rude shoe of untanned hide, (originally with the hair outside) tied with thongs, worn formerly in Ireland and the Scotch highlands. See Brogan. (2) Among seamen, coarse sandals made of green hide.

=Brogues=—trousers (obsolete).

=Broken twill=—one of the technical names for herringbone weave.

=Brooch=—an ornamental article of jewelry fastened by means of a hinged pin; a shawl-clasp.

=Broom brush=—upper class tradesmen’s term for whisk broom.

=Brotus=—the heaping up of a measure; what is thrown in to make sure of good weight. Used in Charleston, South Carolina, and exactly equivalent to the Gumbo-French word lagniappe of New Orleans.

=Brown=—unbleacht.

=Brown=—see Wool.

=Brown holland=—plain, wide linen cloth, but slightly thickened; used for dusters, summer clothing, etc.

=Brown muslin=—just as it leaves the looms; not bleacht; usually woven coarser than that intended to be bleacht.

=Brownies=—diminutiv apron overalls for little tads of 3 years up.

=Brummagem=—sham jewelry as originally made in Burmingham, Eng. See Attleborough.

=Brunswick=—union or part wool cassimere.

=Brush length=—trade term for narrow width haircloth.

=Brushing=—a polishing or finishing process in shoemaking, rapidly revolving brushes made of bristles or soft pieces of cloth being used to polish and brush up the shoe as a final finishing operation.

=Brushing machine=—(1) an apparatus for laying the nap on cloths, hats, etc.; (2) an apparatus for dusting hats, shoes, etc.

=Bryks=—breeches (obsolete).

=Buck=—a dandy.

=Buckeen=—Irish dude.

=Bucket tops=—top boots. See French falls.

=Buckle=—a fastening device, in clothing used specially for tightening the waist of trousers, waistcoats, etc.

=Buckler=—cant term for collar.

=Bucko=—a dandy; corruption of “buck”.

=Buckram=—a coarse, heavy, plain-woven linen or cotton material sized with glue, used for stiffening, as in coat fronts.

=Buckskin=—a sort of doeskin or kersey, but stouter and with bolder, clearer twill, chiefly used for riding breeches, livery wear, etc.

=Buckskin=—(1) soft sheepskin; (2 pl) breeches or trousers made of b.

=Buckskin=—proprietary name for an improved sort of gum tissue for hems, seams, etc.

=Bucktails=—a name given to the 13th Pennsylvania Reserves (also known as 1st Pennsylvania Rifles and Kane Rifles, from one of the commanders) famous thruout the Civil War for their rare fighting qualities and from the habit of the men of wearing a bucktail in their hats, which a Grand Army post of the survivors perpetuates.

=Buff clothes=—none at all.

=Buff coat=—a jerkin or doublet of leather (?) worn by certain colonial troopers of 17th century.

=Buffalo=—see B. robe.

=Buffalo cloth=—a shaggy fabric woven in imitation of b. fur.

=Buffalo horn=—trade term for buttons made of horn, bone, etc., in contradistinction to imitations thereof, distinguished by greater clearness and irregular markings of color.

=Buffalo robe=—a rug or covering made of the hide with the hair on. More commonly called “buffalo”.

=Bugazeen=—an old term for calico.

=Bugs of Egypt=—a style of waistcoat buttons popular in the early part of the last century; probably in imitation of scarabeii.

=Bull muck=—in yarn spinning an expression meaning careless, slovenly making of unclean, tangled and otherwise imperfect “tops”. (British.)

=Bulldog golf cap=—a large g. c., setting well back on the head, with a visor dependent almost vertically.

=Bulldog toe=—a very heavy broad toe; a shoe style that was very popular some years ago and still obtains.

=Bullet-proof cloth=—a fabric (recently invented by a German priest) of mysterious composition, quite thick and heavy, having the property of stopping shot and bullets fired at it; various other similar fabrics have since been invented.

=Bull’s-wool-and-oakum=—salesmen’s slang term for very coarse clothing fabrics of inferior quality.

=Bullion=—a slender barrel-shaped ornament of gold or silver wire or thread in coils, groupt to form tassels, as for chapeaux, etc.

=Bullion fringe=—an ornamental fringe of heavy twisted cords covered with gold or silver threads, used for uniforms, regalia, etc.

=Bumbershoot=—vulgar for umbrella.

=Bumpers=—metal corners used on trunks; sole leather corners on hand luggage.

=Bumpkin=—an awkward, provincial dude.

=Bunching=—Briticism expressing a uniformity of appearance permitting two or more pieces of the same fabric to be sold as same shade or effect. Handspun and hand woven homespuns, for instance, cannot be buncht because of unevenness, but by the use of mill-spun yarn b. becomes possible.

=Bung=—cant term for a purse or pocket.

=Bunion=—in shoemaking, a specially comfortable shape of shoe, usually quite plain without tips, for tender feet with enlarged joints, etc.

=Bunk=—a sleeping berth.

=Bunting=—a light-weight, plain woven woolen fabric of loose construction; used for flags, and in a limited manner in men’s wear.

=Burberry cheviot=—a variety of wool c., twill woven in fancy patterns, used as a suiting.

=Burberry cloth=—a medium to light-weight waterproof fabric, of mercerized cotton warp and weft, with a fine round cord like repps, employed for automobile garments, raincoats, etc. A lighter weight fabric of the same class is known as Roseberry c.

=Bureau trunk=—a t. opening on a diagonal line, setting flat against the wall, and composed of tray-compartments in tiers, suggesting a bureau when opened.

=Burgonette=—an iron helmet or cap with neckpieces worn by French pikemen of 16th century.

=Burlaps=—a sort of gunny sacking.

=Burning test=—burnt ends of linen threads after the flame is extinguisht appear smooth and compact, while the fibers of cotton threads treated in the same way are spread out more or less in brush form. Wool and silk exhibit charred knobs.

=Burnishing=—a finishing or polishing operation for completing the heels, bottoms and edges of a shoe.

=Burnt cork=—used by minstrels to blacken the skin.

=Burring=—in wool-cleansing the mechanical process of removing burs and other foreign substances from the fleece before the initial spinning process. Compare Carbonizing.

=Busby=—a tall fur cap, with or without a plume, and with a bag hanging from the top over the right side, worn by British hussars, artillerymen and engineers.

=Bushel=—to alter, repair or remedy the fit of a garment.

=Bushel=—a tailor’s thimble.

=Bushelman=—a tailor or workman who does alteration or repair work.

=Business coat=—usually meaning a sack c.

=Business cutaway=—see Morning frock c.; English walking coat.

=Buskin=—a sort of knee length boot with leather sole and cloth leg; worn 17th and 18th centuries.

=Bust=—properly, a glorious feminin physical development, but also used in a limited way as expressiv of a man’s chest.

=Buster Brown=—almost as distressing as Little Lord Fauntleroyism.

=Butcher’s coat=—a long frock worn by butchers and drivers of meat wagons; usually of stout gingham, duck, etc.

=Butcher’s linen=—a stout, coarse, white l. used for backing shirt bosoms, etc.

=Butler’s livery=—(morning) Tuxedo or breakfast jacket, low-cut waistcoat and trousers, white shirt, black tie, black shoes; (evening) dress coat, low-cut waistcoat, trousers, white shirt and white tie, black shoes. A fancy waistcoat is permissible with evening suit in clubs and hotels.

=Butt rest=—a leather thingummy strapped across the body by lazy and weak salmon and tarpon fishers.

=Butteker=—cant term for shop.

=Butterfly=—a shaped tie for wear with folded collars.

=Butternut=—the coarse brown homespun cloths and jeans woven prior to and during the Civil War, colored brown with a dye from the butternut tree.

=Button=—a device for fastening or ornamenting articles of apparel, usually round, and designated in the trade according to composition, shape, style, purpose, etc., as silk braid b., mohair b., lasting b., cloth b., hard rim b., ivory b., rubber b., composition b., bone b., pearl b., horn b., gilt b., etc.; flat b., cup b., ¼ round b., ½ round b., shank b., 2 hole b., 4 hole b., uniform b., pants b., vest b., coat b., overcoat b., etc.; all of which see.

=Button board=—a heavy brown paper or pulp b., used in filling the shells of covered buttons.

=Button flaps=—trade term for buttoned f. over hip pockets in trousers.

=Button fly=—tailoring term meaning a placket which conceals the buttons of the opposit side or part of the garment.

=Button machine=—a machine for making cloth covered buttons, operated by hand power.

=Button mold=—a wooden shape to be covered with braid, cloth, etc.; also often of metal.

=Button stand=—an allowance or addition to the right forepart of a coat or vest for the sewing on of buttons, usually 1½ inches on single-breasted coats and ¾ of an inch on vests.

=Button-stay=—a strip of linen canvas interplaced between cloth and lining for the purpose of giving strength for button stress.

=Button strap=—a strip of thin leather or cloth stitcht to the inside of shoe tops thru which, for greater strength, the buttons are sewed or attacht by patent fasteners.

=Button thru=—said when a coat or other garment or part thereof is made without a fly and with buttonholes cut thru from face to back, the buttons, of course, showing—a labored explanation, but plain?

=Buttonhole=—(1) a workt aperture to receive a button and fasten a garment; (2) a fingering place for politicians and borrowers.

=Buttonhole chisel=—a straight, thin steel tool with a wood handle, used for punching buttonholes thru many thicknesses of material.

=Buttonhole cutter=—a device like a pair of pliers with a cutting blade for uniformly cutting buttonholes.

=Buttonhole making=—the cut edges of the b. are first roughly overcast by plain or loopt stitch, fastening in place at the same time a cord or thread all around the cut opening, which is then finisht by close, even loopt stitches. On cotton and linen goods the cording is omitted. Of handmade buttonholes in tailoring there are several varieties, chief of which are the flat or satin stitcht b. and the gimp or coarse b.

=Buttonhole stitch=—a regular close loopt s. used in garment making. See B. making.

=Buttonhole twist=—a loose 8 strand, 3 cord silk thread that in working tightens up, making a firm, solid, durable buttonhole. See also Machine t. and Sewing silk.

=Buttonhook=—a metal device for buttoning shoes without injury to fingernails and temper.

=Buttons=—(1) a page’s coat single-breasted, short, close fitting, with standing collar, closing with 19 buttons, whence name; (2) the lad himself.

=Butts=—cleaned and prepared hides, ready for tanning.

=Buyer=—the head of a department in a large store who, of course, never knows as much as his clerks.

=Buzz-saw test=—name given to a demonstration of the comparativ composition of various makes of shoes, including their own, by the Regal Shoe Co., in which, usually in a show window, numbers of shoes were sawed thru on a circular saw and the edges exposed and otherwise explained to the spectators. The demonstration is understood to be protected under trade mark laws.

=Byron collar=—name given to a lay-down shirt c., the fronts of which are not creased, but broadly and softly rolled; much affected by artists and the Bohemian gentry.

=Byron roll=—see above.

=By the candle=—in old England a mode of auction by which people were allowed to bid during the burning of an inch of candle, the goods being knockt down after the light had gone out to the highest bidder.