rock

Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.

1) A piece of money. A slang term peculiar to the South.


Spare my feelings, Squire, and don't ask me to tell any more. Here I am in town without a rock in my pocket, without a skirt to my coat, or crown to my hat.--Pickings from the New Orleans Picayune.

2) A stone. In the Southern and Western States, stones of any size are absurdly called rocks.

Brother S---- came home in a mighty bad way, with a cold and cough; so I put a hot rock to his feet and gave him a bowl of catmint tea, which put him in a mighty fine sweat, &c.--Georgia Scenes, p. 193.

Mr. M---- was almost dead with the consumption, and had to carry rocks in his pocket to keep the wind from blowin' him away.--Maj. Jones's Travels.

TO ROCK

3) To throw stones at; to stone. This supremely ridiculous expression is derived from the preceding.

They commenced rocking the Clay Club House in June, on more occasions than one, and on one occasion, threw a rock in at the window, hitting Mr. Clem on the shoulder; and afterwards, on the Whigs leaving the Club House, the heads of Messrs. Clem and Brown were badly cut with rocks! A few nights before the recent election, Mr. Brown was struck with a rock, as the Whig procession was returning from the west end of town, the rock coming either from Chester's tavern, or the Office of the Sentinel.--Jonesborough, Tennessee, Whig.

Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.

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