verb. (Winchester College).—To rest; to sit (or lie) at ease. Hence BAKER = (1) a cushion; and (2) anything to sit (or kneel) upon, as a blotting-book, etc. [BAKERS were of two kinds; that used in ‘College’ was large, oblong and green: whilst the ‘Commoners’ BAKER was thin, narrow, much smaller, and red.] Whence BAKER-LAYER (obs.) = a Junior who carried a Præfect’s green BAKER in and out of Hall at meal-times. Also BAKESTER (obs.) = a sluggard; BAKING-LEAVE (obs.) = (1) permission TO BAKE (spec. on a kind of sofa) in a study in ‘Commoners’ or in a SCOB-PLACE (q.v.) in College, and (2) leave to sit in another’s TOYS (q.v.); BAKING-PLACE = any place in which TO BAKE, or in connection with which BAKING LEAVE was given. [North. dial.: beek (or beak) = to expose oneself to the genial warmth of sun, fire, etc., to bask. JAMIESON: beik, beke, beek—to bask].

1

  c. 1230.  Wohunge [Cott. Hom., 269]. Al þat þinende þik ne walde ham þunche bote a softe BEKINDE bað.

2

  1375.  BARBOUR, The Bruce, xix. 552. Ane ynglish man, that lay BEKAND Hym by a fyre.

3

  c. 1400.  Le Bone Florence of Rome, 99.

                    A gode fyre …
To BEYKE hys boones by.

4

  c. 1400.  Ywaine and Gawin, 145. 9.

        That Knyght es nothing to set by
That … ligges BEKEAND in his bed.

5

  1553.  J. BRENDE, trans. Quintus Curtius, ii. Diogenes … was BEAKING of himselfe in the Sun.

6

  c. 1568.  Wife Auchtermuchty [LAING, Early Popular Poetry of Scotland, ii. 52], 12.

        And saw the wyf baith dry and clene,
And sittand at ane fyre, BEIK AND bawld.

7

  1577.  KENDALL [WRENCH]. At home we take our ease AND BEAKE ourselves in rest.

8

  1648.  E. SYMMONS, A Vindication of King Charles [WRENCH]. BEAKING himself in the midst of his luxuries.

9

  1652.  R. BROME, The Queenes Exchange, ii. 2.

                Our Masters grudge to give us wood
Enough to make a BEAKING Bonefire.

10

  1730.  RAMSAY, The Gentle Shepherd, ii., 2 [Works, II. 74]. She and her cat sit BEEKING in her yard.

11

  PHRASES.  TO BAKE ONE’S BREAD = to PUNISH (q.v.), to DO FOR (q.v.); ‘As they brew, so let them BAKE’ (prov. saying) = ‘Let them go on as they have begun’; ‘I must go and BAKE some bread’ (a jocular excuse for departure).

12

  c. 1380.  Sir Ferumbras, 577. For euere MY BRED HAD BE BAKE; myn lyf dawes had be tynt.

13

  1599.  HENRY PORTER, The Two Angry Women of Abingdon (1841), 82. Euen AS THEY BREW, SO LET THEM BAKE.

14

  1675.  COTTON, Burlesque upon Burlesque: or, The Scoffer Scofft, 150.

        I should do very imprudently …
Either to meddle or to make:
But AS THEY BREW, SO LET ’UM BAKE.

15