Easy.  A  word  in  common  use  among  merchants  and  bankers.  "  Our
bank  is  easy"  meaning  that  its  loans  are  not  extended,  or  that  money  is
plentiful.  "  The  money  market  is  easy  ;  "  or  "  money  is  easy"  i.  e.  loans
of  money  may  easily  be  procured.
East.  About  east  is  about  right,  in  a  proper  manner.  A  common  slang
expression  in  New  Englaud.
I  went  into  the  dining-room  and  sot  down  afore  a  plate  that  had  my  name  writ  on
a  card  onto  it ;  and  I  did  walk  into  the  beef  and  'taters  and  things  about  east.  —  H.
Bigelow's  Letters  in  Family  Comp.
To  Eat,  v.  a.     To  supply  with  food.     A  Western  use  of  the  word.
Hoosier.  —  Squire,  what  pay  do  you  give "?
Contractor.  —  Ten  bits  a  day.
Hoosier.  —  Why,  Squire,  I  was  told  you  'd  give  us  two  dollars  a  day  and  eat
us. — Pickings  from  the  Picayune,  p.  47.
Educational.  Pertaining  to  education  ;  derived  from  education ;  as,  edu-
cational habits.  —  Webster.  The  authority  cited  by  Webster  for  the  use
of  this  word  is  "  Smith,"  —  a  rather  indefinite  one.  Mr.  Pickering  says
the  word  was  new  to  him  until  he  saw  it  in  the  following  extract :

It  is  believed  that  there  is  not  an  individual  of  the  college  who  would,  if  ques-
tioned, complain  that  he  has,  in  any  instance,  felt  himself  pressed  with  opinions
which  interfered  with  his  educational  creed. — Dr.  Grant' s  Report  to  the  Trustees  of
New  Jersey  College,  1815.
136  EEL  — EMP

Eel-grass.  (^Zostera  marina.)  A  plant,  thrown  ashore  in  large  quantities
by  the  sea.     It  is  also  called  Sea-wrack.
Eel-spear.  A  sort  of  trident  for  catching  eels.  Called,  in  England,  an
Eel-shear.
