subs. (common).—1. A man; a boy; a young fellow: a diminutive of KID (q.v.). Also KIDLET = a boy or girl.
1860. Funny Fellow, 7 May, p. 1. Hollo, my KIDDY, stir your stumps,… Make haste, young chip, my boots to shine.
1888. BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, xx. Heard all kinds of rough talk ever since they were little KIDDIES.
2. (thieves’).—A flash thief: ROLLING KIDDY = a dandy thief. See KID, senses 2 and 4.
1780. R. TOMLINSON, A Slang Pastoral, st. i. My time, O ye KIDDIES, was happily spent. Idem. x. What KIDDY’S so rum as to get himself scragg’d?
1782. G. PARKER, Humorous Sketches, p. 34. No more like a KIDDY, he’ll roll the flash song.
1828. BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Living Picture of London, 255. Jockies, owners, and wagering KIDDIES.
1830. S. WARREN, Diary of a Late Physician, xi. ‘Come, my KIDDY—caged at last, eh?… Here’s your passport,’ said one of the officers, pointing to the warrant.
1840. BULWER-LYTTON, Paul Clifford, iii. He merely observed, by way of compliment, that Mr. Augustus and his companion seemed to be ROLLING KIDDIES. A little displeased with this metaphorical remark—for it may be observed that ROLLING KIDDY is, among the learned in such lore, the customary expression for ‘a smart thief.’
3. (common).—A dandy.
1823. BYRON, Don Juan, xi. 17.
| Poor Tom was once a KIDDY upon town, | |
| A thorough varmint and a real swell. |
1823. BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Dictionary of the Turf, etc., s.v. KID, KIDDY, and KIDLING. … hat on one side, short collar upon high, coat cut away … Belcher fogle … and chitterling shirt … these compounded compose the KIDDY.
1832. Brummelliana, p. 180. Let the garçon who is about to set up as KIDDY on his own account take the advice of one who was no mean KIDDY in his day.
4. (venery).—A prostitute’s bully; a PONCE (q.v.).
5. (old).—A stage-coach driver.
1836. DICKENS, Sketches by Boz, 153. It was his ambition to do something in the celebrated KIDDY or stage-coach way.
1821. W. T. MONCRIEFF, Tom and Jerry, p. 5. I’ll tell you; before we start on our sprees and rambles, I’ll send for that KIDDY artist, Dicky Primefit, the dandy habit-maker, of Regent Street.
1848. Punch, x. 19. ‘A Trew and ryghte Edyfyinge Balladde.’
| A youthe there was of changefulle lotte, | |
| Now bryghte, now seedie broune; | |
| Hee called hymselfe ‘a KIDDIE swelle,’ | |
| And lived upon ye toune. |
1878. CHARLES HINDLEY, The Life and Times of James Catnach, ‘The Song of The Young Prig.’ So KIDDY is my famble.
