subs. (old).—Ironically applied to the Commonwealth coinage: suggested by the arrangement of two shields on the reverse of the coin.

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  TO WEAR THE BREECHES, verb. phr. (common).—To rule; to usurp a husband’s prerogative; to be ‘master’: cf. ‘The grey mare is the better horse.’ [An allusion to BREECHES as the symbol of authority, i.e., of manhood; the expression is found in French as early as 1450.] Dutch ‘De vrouw draagd’er de broek’; German, ‘Sie hat die Hosen.’

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  1450.  Les Quinze Joyes du Mariage: La Dixiesme Joye. Edition Elzévirienne, Paris (1853), 113. Et sachez qu’il est avenu à aucuns que l’en leur faisoit boire de mauvès brouez affin de porter les braies ou pour autres choses pires.

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  14[?].  Songs and Carols … of the Fifteenth Century, Percy Society Publication, XXIII., 64.

        Nova, nova, sawe you ever such,
The moste mayster of the hows WERYTH NO BRYCH.

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  c. 1520.  The Booke of Mayd Emlyn [HAZLITT, Remains of the Early Popular Poetry of England, IV. 88].

        All women be suche,
Thoughe the man BERE THE BRECHE.

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  1557.  TUSSER, Five Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandrie, lxvii. 18, 156 (E.D.S.).

        Least some should talke, as in the speech,
The good wiues husband WEARES NO BREECH.

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  1591.  NASHE, A Wonderfull Strange and Miraculous Astrologicall Prognostication [Grosart (1883–4), ii. 158]. Diuerse great stormes are this yere to be feared, especially in houses where the wiues WEARE THE BREECHES.

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  1663.  KILLIGREW, The Parson’s Wedding, ii., 3 [DODSLEY, Old Plays (1780) xi., 413]. Anything that may get rule; I love to WEAR THE BREECHES.

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  1724.  SWIFT, Miscellanies, Poems, in Wks. (1824) xiv., 199.

        Those men, who WORE THE BREECHES least,
Call’d him a cuckold, fool, and beast.

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  1820.  COMBE, Dr. Syntax, Consolation, v.

                To say, when she doth WEAR THE BREECHES;
And the poor fool dare not resist    The terrors of her threat’ning fist.

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  1821.  W. T. MONCRIEFF, Tom and Jerry, ii., 4. Mrs. T. No, no—no mischief—harkye, you did me a service just now in the street. Tom. I know I did, down by the pump. Mrs. T. Well, now, i’ll do you one—my husband is asleep: I have the keys; and I WEAR THE BREECHES.

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  TO WRONG ONE’S BREECHES, verb. phr. (common).—TO SHIT (q.v.) to be taken SHORT (q.v.):

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  c. 1650.  BRATHWAITE, Barnaby’s Journal (1723), 59.

        And like two mishapen wretches,
Made me, ay me, WRONG MY BREECHES.

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