Broshering

[Michael Quinion]

Doug Wilson wrote:

> This seems to be the same as "brosier" (noun and verb) = "bankrupt",
> shown in EDD and in Farmer & Henley, also mentioned here and there in
> N&Q back in the day.

Thank you. That must be it. N&Q in 1850 mentions the phrase "brosiering my
dame" as Eton College slang (a dame being a matron who kept a boarding-
house for boys at the school).

--
Michael Quinion
Editor, World Wide Words
Web: http://www.worldwidewords.org

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