orbicular shape, they have been called Negro Heads . 2. strong black plug tobacco: He thrust a prodigious quid of negro head tobacco into his left cheek. 3. india-rubber of an inferior qual- ity: The proportions of “fine” and “negrohead ” rubbers depend on the appliances and care of the collectors. 4. a projecting stump of dead coral: Reefs are broken into blocks, the large mushroom-shaped fragments are thrown up onto the beaches, where they form “negro-heads .” nigger head —1. a tangled mass of the roots and decayed re- mains of plants projecting from a swamp: We plunged into a mire of muddy water and “nigger-heads .” 2. any of various spherical cacti of the genera Ferocactus and Echinocactus: The kind commonly called the nigger head is round, of the size of a cabbage, and covered with large, crooked, catlike thorns. 3. = negro head 2: He had accepted as much strong “niggerhead ” as would have stocked a tobacconist’s shop. 4. = negro head 4: A crowd of “nigger heads ,” black points of coral rock, peep up in places. 5. (U.S. hist., derog.) an advocate of political rights for Black people: They were Democrats, and retorted upon violent Union men by calling them Niggerheads . 6. a yellow flower with a dark center (Rudbeckia hirta): A number of composites with yellow rays and dark centers are commonly known as niggerheads , though the more polite term is black- eyed Susan. neither fish nor fowl • neither man nor mouse neither fish nor fowl—(also: neither fish nor flesh) neither one thing nor the other (said of smth. difficult to identify): He’s neither fish nor fowl right now … he is not a child, yet he is not a teenager. Cf.: make fish of one and fowl of the other— treat people, organizations, etc. differently: Why make fish of one and fowl of the other ? They were both McKayes now, in the sight of the law, and … they were full brothers! neither man nor mouse —nobody; not a single creature: Does he expect to become a god in maintaining a principle that nei - ther man nor mouse in all God’s creation opposes? Note: Neither expression correlates in meaning with the phrase neither sugar nor salt—used by smb. not worried by wet weather or as a reproof to a person reluctant to go out into rain: I told her again to go on home, as it was raining. She said she was neither sugar nor salt . never ever • never-never, the never ever—(emphatic) absolutely never: Keep background noise to a minimum when speaking on the telephone—and never, ever let your children answer your business line! never-never, the—1. (UK coll.) the hire-purchase system: Some people bought on the never-never with no idea as to how they would meet their repayments should things turn sour. 2. (Never-Never, the) in Australia, the unpopulated northern part of Queensland; the desert country of the inte- rior: His intention was to enjoy this trip … not to “do a perish” in the Never-Never . never fear • no fear never fear —(coll.) there is no cause to worry: Dear child, the solution will come to you, never fear . no fear —(exclam.) not a chance; certainly not: I invite him to dinner! And in his own hotel! No fear ! never mind • never you mind never mind —it does not matter; don’t be troubled about it: “We’ve missed the train!” “Never mind , there’ll be another in ten minutes.” never you mind—it is not your business and you are not going to be told: Never you mind what your father and I were talking about. Never-Never Land, the • never-never world, the Never-Never Land, the—1. in Australia, the unpopulated northern part of Queensland; the desert country of the inte- rior: The European emigrant’s view of the “Never-Never Land ” was very different from that of the locals. 2. an imag- inary, illusory, or Utopian place: It was no longer the real India they wanted to escape to; it was the Never-Never Land of the East. never-never world, the— = Never-Never Land, the 2: Of course in the never, never world of escapist movies everything always turned out right by the end of the final reel. new boy • old boy new boy—1. a schoolboy during his first term at a school: Roach was a new boy … Thursgood’s was his second prep school. 2. a person who is new to a position of employment: When a new boy showed up, I was the one to show him around. Cf.: new kid on the block—a person who has recently joined a company, organisation, etc, and does not know how things work yet: Please pardon me for being ignorant here with the discussion, I am a new kid on the block . old boy—1. (coll.) an old man: You could scare the old boy and he’ll spill his tea. He spills things all the time. 2. is used to informally address a close acquaintance: I said, “Hooray, old boy !” and slapped him on the back. 3. a former pupil of a particular school or college: Brothers In Action is a group of old boys committed to making a difference in the college community. Cf.: old boys club—said of the clannish loyalty of people who intimately know each other: Appointees are often part of the “old boys club ” or old friends from college days that can be “trusted.” 4. (Old Boy, euph.) the devil: Those who wish to avoid uttering the plain straight name “devil” often call him the “Old Boy .” New England • New England of the West, the New England—a part of the United States comprising six north-eastern States (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,. Mas- sachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut): The ships which were bound for New England were crowded. New England of the West, the—(U.S.) a nickname of the State of Minnesota: Because of the large number of New England emigrants, Minnesota was sometimes referred to as the “New England of the West .” new man • old-timer new man —1. a person who is new to a position of employ- ment: As important a decision as this ought to be postponed until there is a new man in the White House. 2. a man whose character has noticeably changed: He is a new man now that he is retired, but gets a bit annoying being around the house the whole time. 3. smb. who begins to feel much better phys- ically or mentally: His brother, who had had a bypass earlier, described feeling like a new man after the surgery. 4. (UK) a man who believes in complete equality of the sexes and shares domestic work equally: Chris does at least half of the cooking and the housework. He’s very much a New Man . old-timer—1. smb. who has been involved in an activity for a long time: Hensle, to date the only Alpaca breeder here, started in 1991, which makes her very nearly an old-timer in the Alpaca business. 2. a person whose experience goes back to old times: Perhaps you’ll be able to locate an old-timer who will remember the 70s, 80s and what might have happened along the way. See also: not born yesterday / yesterday’s man. New World, the • new world New World, the—North and South America: The bird which we call turkey was one of our best acclimatizations after the discovery of the New World . new world—new setting of existence with its customs, tra- ditions, etc.: She left her rich, safe, home and came to a new world in the city. neither fish nor fowl – 240 –