subs. (colloquial).—Kind; disposition; fashion: as, ‘Two of a KIDNEY’ = two of a mind; ‘of a strange KIDNEY’ = of an odd humour; ‘of a different KIDNEY’ = of different habit or turn. Fr. le bouchon.
1596. SHAKESPEARE, Merry Wives of Windsor, iii. 5. Think of that, a man of my KIDNEY.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. KIDNEY, of that KIDNEY, of such a stamp.
1710. Tatler, No. 230. Other of that KIDNEY are very uppish, and alert upon’t.
1719. D’URFEY, Wit and Mirth; or Pills to Purge Melancholy, ii. 332.
| Accosting one of his own crew, | |
| Whom he of the right KIDNEY knew. |
1725. A New Canting Dictionary, s.v.
1742. FIELDING, Joseph Andrews, II. viii. I am heartily glad to meet with a man of your KIDNEY.
1755. JOHNSON, A Dictionary of the English Language, s.v. KIDNEY. Sort; kind; in ludicrous language.
1763. COLMAN, Terræ-Filius, 5 July, No. i. Attempt to put their Hair out of KIDNEY.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
1830. W. T. MONCRIEFF, Van Dieman’s Land, i. 2. I must curry favour with them, as we’re going to be of a KIDNEY.
1837. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends, ‘The Witches’ Frolic.’ As men of his KIDNEY are wont to snore.
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.
1871. DISRAELI, Lothair, i. 741. Men of their own KIDNEY.
1888. J. RUNCIMAN, The Chequers, 223. At times, like Robert Burns, George Morland, and men of that KIDNEY, he would give way to a passionate burst of repentance.
1889. Globe, 23 July, p. 6, col. 1. Lord Justice Lopes showed himself a paragon of patience, but it is sincerely to be hoped that there will be no more suitors in person of this KIDNEY.
1892. HUME NISBET, The Bushranger’s Sweetheart, 153. I fancy the second King of Israel must have been of the same KIDNEY, if that account is quite accurate about his merry-making on one occasion.
1894. K. GRAHAME, Pagan Papers, p. 129. These great Beasts [hornets] … were of a different KIDNEY.
2. (old).—A waiter; a GRASSHOPPER (q.v.).
1710. Tatler, No. 268. It is our custom, upon the first coming of the news, to order a youth, who officiates as the KIDNEY of the coffee-house, to get into the pulpit and read every paper with a loud and distinct voice.
(stock exchange).—A fractional part of a shilling. [A corruption of Cadney, the name of the first dealer known to deal under 1/32.]
