subs. (old cant).—A watch: see TICKER.

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  1708–10.  SWIFT, Polite Conversation, 1. Pray, my lord, what’s o’clock by your ORACLE?

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  2.  (venery).—The female pudendum: see MONOSYLLABLE.

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  TO WORK THE ORACLE, verb. phr. (common).—To plan; to succeed by stratagem: specifically to raise money.

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  1863.  All the Year Round, 10 Oct., 168. He has a double, who … WORKED THE ORACLE for him.

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  1888.  BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, xii. They fetched a rattling price through Starlight’s WORKING THE ORACLE with those swells.

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  1891.  J. NEWMAN, Scamping Tricks, 116. Well, what with, so they told me, big local loan-mongers to WORK THE ORACLE and swim with them.

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  TO WORK THE DUMB (DOUBLE, or HAIRY) ORACLE, verb. phr. (venery).—To copulate: see GREENS and RIDE.

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