Naut. and dial. Also 8–9 lobscourse, 9 lobskous, -scouce, lap’s course. [Of obscure origin: cf. LOBLOLLY. (SCOUSE is now used in the same sense.)] A sailor’s dish consisting of meat stewed with vegetables and ship’s biscuit, or the like.
1706. [E. Ward], Wooden World Dissected (1708), 83. He has sent the Fellow … to the Devil, that first invented Lobscouse.
1751. Smollett, Per. Pic. (1779), I. ix. 76. A mess of that savoury composition known by the name of lob’s course.
1823. J. F. Cooper, Pioneers, v. (1869), 22/1. He acquired the art of making lobskous.
1835. Marryat, Jac. Faithf., xi. Prepares to revel upon Lobscouse.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Lap’s Course, one of the oldest and most savoury of the regular forecastle dishes.
1894. F. F. Moore, Journalist’s Note Bk., 146. Something like a glorified Irish stew, or perhaps what yachtsmen call ‘lobscouce.’
Hence Lobscouser, a sailor, tar.
1888. Clark Russell, Marooned (1890), 18. Plain ginger-haired British lobscousers.
