or banyan-day, subs. phr. (old nautical).—One day (originally two, but see quot. 1748) in the week on which, in the Royal Navy, meat was withheld from the crews; hence, a bad day, a disagreeable day. [GROSE and O.E.D.: in reference to the Banian’s abstinence from flesh.]
1690. OVINGTON [YULES, Anglo-Indian Glossary]. Of kitcheney (butter, rice, and dai) the European sailors feed in these parts, and are forced at such times to a Pagan abstinence from flesh, which creates in them an utter detestation to those BANIAN-DAYS as they call them.
1706. WARD, The Wooden World Dissected, 42. He getting more by one BANNIAN-DAY than many others.
1748. SMOLLETT, Roderick Random, xx. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays the ship’s company had no allowance of meat,… these meagre days were called BANYAN-DAYS.
1820. LAMB, The Essays of Elia, ‘Christ’s Hospital Five and Thirty Years Ago.’ We had three BANYAN to four meat DAYS in the week.
1855. THACKERAY, The Newcomes, lxiii. Knowing the excellence of the Colonel’s claret and the splendour of his hospitality, he would prefer a cocoa-nut day at the Colonel’s to a BANYAN-DAY anywhere else.
1876. C. HINDLEY, ed. The Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack, 292. [From Strolling Players’ bill.] Mr. Wooldridge, with all due respects to his brother Tars, hopes … they may never have short allowance—BAN YAN DAYS; or a southerly wind in the Bread Basket.
1885. Household Words, 25 July, 260. There were often six upon four aboard ship, and two BANYAN DAYS in a week, which being translated is, the rations of four men were served out amongst six, in addition to which, on two days in the week no rations were served out at all.
