Login

Green’s Dictionary of Slang

receiver general n.

[pun; i.e. she ‘receives’ such lovers as pay their money; he ‘receives’ punches]

1. a prostitute.

1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

2. (prizefighting) a contestant who is badly beaten up.

1819		P. Egan Key to the Picture of the Fancy going to a Fight 26: He turns all his opponents into Receivers General.
1825		Pierce Egan’s Life in London 7 Aug. 221/1: Savage is known to be a game man, extremely active his legs, and a very troublesome customer ; but on this occasion he proved himself a Receiver-general.
1895		Mirror of Life 16 Feb. 11/1: But with Greenfield [...] he never had a chance, and for the four rounds the battle lasted he came up to be receiver-general .
1922		Joyce Ulysses [ebook] The welterweight sergeantmajor had tapped some lively claret in the previous mixup during which Keogh had been receivergeneral of rights and lefts,.