foreman of the jury, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

foreman of the jury n.

[a specific ‘tavern term’ drawn from the anonymous The English Liberal Science, or a new-found Art and Order of Drinking (1650)]

one who takes over the conversation.

1650		Eighth Liberal Science n.p.: He that ingrosseth all the talk to himself, is call’d Foreman of the Jury.
1674		Head Canting Academy (2nd edn) n.p.: Q. Who is Foreman of a Jury? A. He that ingrosseth all the talk to himself.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Foreman of the Jury he that engrosses all the Talk to himself.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.