subs. phr. (old).—A woman; especially a wanton: cf. MUTTON. For synonyms, see BARRACK-HACK and TART.
1578. WHETSTONE, Promos and Cassandra, 6, pl. i. p. 14. And I smealt he loved LASE MUTTON well.
1595. SHAKESPEARE, Two Gentlemen of Verona, i. 1. Ay, sir: I, a lost mutton, gave your letter to her, a LAC’D MUTTON; and she, a LAC’D MUTTON, gave me, a lost mutton, nothing for my labour.
1596. NASHE, Have with You to Saffron-Walden [GROSART (1885), iii. 61]. He that wold not stick so to extoll stale rotten LAC’D MUTTON, will … sucke figges out of an asses fundament.
1599. BRETON, Wil of Wit [GROSART (1879), ii. c. 62/1. 18]. If your stomache stande to flesh, eate of a little warme MUTTON, but take heede it be not LACED.
1602. MIDDLETON, Blurt, Master-Constable, sign. B. Laz. Pilcher, Cupid hath got me a stomacke, and I long for LAC’D MUTTON. Pil. Plaine mutton without a lace would serve.
1602. DEKKER, The Honest Whore [DODSLEY, Old Plays, iii. 466].
| The sturdy beggar, and the lazy lown, | |
| Gets here hard hands, or LAC’D correction. |
1624. JONSON, Masque of Neptune’s Triumph [CUNNINGHAM, iii.].
| Cook. O whom for mutton, or kid? | |
| Child. A fine LAC’D MUTTON | |
| Or two; and either has her frisking husband. |
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v.
1725. A New Canting Dictionary, s.v.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
1811. GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. LACED MUTTON. A prostitute.
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v. LACED MUTTON. A common woman.
