Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a doctor, a surgeon; also attrib.

1836–7		Dickens Pickwick Papers (1999) 391: What! don’t you know what a Sawbones is, Sir? [...] I thought evrey body know’d as a Sawbones was a Surgeon.
1845		‘ Week in Oxford’ in Bell’s Life in Sydney 8 Nov. 4/2: We sent across for young T—, the ‘sawbones,’ and talked of the events of the day over a bowl of punch.
1849		Thackeray Pendennis I 170: She has taken on with another chap – another sawbones.
1851		‘Pertaters and Ternups’ in Burke Polly Peablossom’s Wedding 89: A wag of a young doctor [...] a bran new, bright, and polished journeyman sawbones.
1861		Thackeray Lovel the Widower 153: He seems a low, vulgar blackguard, that Sawbones.
1870		The Tailors’ Strike in Darkey Drama 5 33: Dar’s de brads, sawbones!
1881		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 22 Oct. 3/2: The ‘stiff’ was brought to [...] the private office of a practical ‘sawbones’.
1883		Bristol Magpie 1 Feb. 12/2: Can’t say I’m in love with the sort of thing adopted by a certain ‘sawbones’.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 28 Feb. 6/4: So the two sawbones, Hinchcliff and Boyd, were called in. ‘Jimmy’ said ’twas water, ‘Teddy’ a tumour.
1890		‘’Arry on Equality’ in Punch 22 Feb. 85/1: Hinfluenza be blowed! [...] The Sawbones have give it that name, I’m aware, but of course that’s their fun.
1894		Truth (Sydney) Oct. 1/1: Doctors are the last men to bring in a verdict of guilty against a brother ‘Sawbones’.
1897		A.H. Lewis Wolfville 207: Sech parties as that sawbones Peets.
1903		A.H. Lewis Boss 205: There was a saw-bones here [...] pawin’ me over for a life-insurance game.
1905		Sun. Times (Perth) 1 Jan. 1/1: The infuriated flossie is now receiving the attentions of a solemn sawbones.
1910		Bulletin (Sydney) 20 Oct. 36/2: The Sawbones brotherhood may differ as to whether the curse is contagious or not.
1918		‘Sapper’ Human Touch 16: ‘You unholy old sawbones,’ he answered genially.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 403: Where the Henry Nevil’s sawbones and ole clo?
1927		Nichols & Tully Twenty Below Act I: Doctor Percival Whittaker – a precious bag of sawbones.
1939		P. Cheyney Don’t Get Me Wrong (1956) 83: The local sawbones is workin’ on me with a stomach pump.
1949		G. McMillan Old Breed 213: Chesty [...] allowed the sawbones to cut out the shrapnel.
1955		D. Niland Shiralee 205: Listen, sawbones, you’re licked before you even start.
1960		F. Keinzly Tangahano 175: Screamed about the doctor every time he tried. But hell, the sawbones didn’t say to lay off for ever.
1971		T. Thackrey Thief 274: The head sawbones there – a nice enough guy.
1983		C. Heath A-Team 2 (1984) 118: Ain’t no lady sawbones gonna work on me.
1997		E. Little Another Day in Paradise 12: So you’re a sawbones, huh?
2005		J. Stahl I, Fatty 110: Finally we tracked down a sawbones.
2012		(con. 1943) G.S. Manson Coorparoo Blues [ebook] ‘I’m half-dead and you’re the sawbones’.

(orig. US black) a cello.

1939		P.E. Miller Down Beat’s Yearbk of Swing n.p.: sawbox: a cello.
1942		Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Sl.
2000		(con. 1940s–60s) Décharné Straight from the Fridge Dad 160: Sawbox A cello.

a street seller of cutlery, razors and knives.

1859, 1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 35: Hand-saw or Chive Fencer, one who sells knives in the streets .

(US black) one’s wife.

1944

‘Jiver’s Bible’ in D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive.