right bowern.
/ˈrʌɪt ˌbaʊə/, U.S. /ˈraɪt ˌbaʊ(ə)r/ Chiefly U.S.
1. colloquial. A close friend, a partner, an accomplice. Now rare and chiefly historical. Cf. left bower n. 1.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [noun] > friend > close or intimate friend
belamy?c1225
friarc1290
specialc1300
necessaryc1384
familiar?c1400
great frienda1425
gossea1549
particular1577
shopfellow?1577
cockmate1578
privado1584
bosom friend1590
better half1596
ingle1602
inward1607
bully boy1609
bosom-piecea1625
hail-fellow1650
bosom-bird1655
intimate1660
crony1665
intimado1682
chum1684
friend of one's bosom1712
right bower1829
inquaintancea1834
cad1836
chummy1849
bond-friend1860
raggie1901
bosom1913
aceboy1951
boon coon1951
mellow1967
squeeze1980
acegirl2009
society > society and the community > social relations > association, fellowship, or companionship > a companion or associate > [noun] > accomplice
complice1475
fedariea1616
complier1619
correspondent1639
right bower1829
cohort1952
1829 Scioto (Ohio) Gaz. 11 Nov. His character..cannot be impeached, by either Amos Holton or his right and left bower.
1847 R. Anderson Let. 3 May in Artillery Officer in Mexican War (1911) 155 I omitted mentioning that my right bower, Derr, had been unwell; he is now nearly well and will, I hope, continue so.
1863 in Ann. Army of Cumberland 501 Smith..said he would..furnish him with a letter of introduction to his ‘right bower’ in Nashville. The right bower proved to be Dr. Hudson.
1902 W. N. Harben Abner Daniel 75 A feller that used to be my right bower in my still business left me when I swore off.
1917 J. E. Brady Case of Mary Sherman ix. 95 With all his gruffness, he liked his Irish-American right bower.
1929 D. Hammett Red Harvest xix. 189 But he did go along, and he was dropped and left in front of the bank because he was your right bower.
1964 S. L. A. Marshall World War I. 45 Joffre's right bower was..General Belin.
1988 E. D. Ives George Magoon ii. iv. 96 The death of his grandfather must have made him often his grandmother's right bower when he was only eight or ten.
2. Euchre. The jack of trumps, the highest-ranking (or second highest-ranking) card in euchre.In some versions of the game the Joker (known as the best bower) is the highest-ranking card. Cf. also left bower n. 2.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > card game > euchre > [noun] > specific cards
left bower1839
right bower1839
best bower1852
bower1858
society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > card game > card or cards > [noun] > picture-card > jack > in specific games
pur1592
Tom1647
maker1753
his heels1754
bragger1807
nob1821
right bower1839
1839 Spirit of Times 24 Aug. 294/2 The right and left bower in the game of Euchre.
1843 J. S. Robb Streaks Squatter Life 129 The stranger..dealt and turned up the right bower—his anatagonist passed, and the stranger raising the bower, bid him play.
1872 B. Harte Truthful James 135 Till at last he put down a right bower, Which the same Nye had dealt unto me.
1890 K. Chopin At Fault ii. xiii. 184 How could such a one by any possibility be supposed to observe the disgusting action of Mrs. Van Wycke in throwing off on her partner's trump and swooping down on the last trick with her right bower?
1946 A. H. Morehead & G. Mott-Smith Penguin Hoyle 29 The second-highest is the jack of the trump suit, called the right bower.
1991 D. Parlett Hist. Card Games xv. 190 Modern Euchre is characterized by the fact that its top cards are (1) the Joker, or Best Bower, (2) the trump Jack, or Right Bower.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1829