Receiving the King's Shilling

Verb: Present Continuous

Gay Slang

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries the Naval forces of England suffered from a lack of sailors. Consequently men were press-ganged into service. They were given drinks until drunk by recruiters, and when drunk the King's Shilling would be placed in their pocket whenceforth they would be cudgelled and taken semi-conscious aboard the ship. In the morning they were convinced that they had accepted the King's Shilling in good faith and had therefore been unarguably and indefinitely conscripted.

In gay terms: getting drunk and turning gay

"He woke up, after receiving the King's Shilling (he didn't know how), with a tremendous hangover. His partner DID know how.