subs. (old).—1. See quot. 1696: cf. LORD.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew. A very crooked, deformed, and ill-shapen Woman.
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.
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.
3. (common).—A quart or pint pitcher wrong side uppermost.
4. (nautical).—The keeper of the gunner’s small stores: LADY’S HOLE = the place where such stores are kept.
5. (American).—A woman of any station; usually in combination, as FORE-LADY, SALES-LADY, COOK-LADY.
1888. Philadelphia Times. (Scene up stairs.) Servant—Missus! missus! the BEGGAR LADY is down stairs, and I hare the ash gintleman knockin’ at the gate.
6. In pl. (gaming).—Cards. For synonyms, see DEVILS’ BOOKS.
1890. Standard, 15 March, p. 3, col. 5. At Stepney Fairman entered the compartment, and stated he had been to Croydon races, and had been playing with the LADIES (cards), and offered to show them how it was done.
7. (American).—A sweetheart.
OLD LADY, subs. phr. (common).—The female pudendum. For synonyms, see MONOSYLLABLE.
PERFECT LADY, subs. phr. (common).—A harlot. For synonyms, see BARRACK-HACK and TART.
LADY OF THE LAKE, subs. phr. (old).—A kept mistress.
c. 1660. DAVENANT, The Siege, v. Thou LADY O’TH’ LAKE: a pox a whispering!
1678. BUTLER, Hudibras, III. i. 864.
| All women would be of one piece … | |
| But for the diff’rence marriage makes | |
| ’Twixt wives and LADIES OF THE LAKES. |
LADY OF EASY VIRTUE, subs. phr. (common).—A harlot; a WOMAN OF ACCOMMODATING MORALS or OF MORE COMPLAISANCE THAN VIRTUE. For synonyms, see BARRACK-HACK and TART.—GROSE (1785); Lexicon Balatronicum (1811).
1890. Standard, 21 March, p. 3, col. 7. Some LADY OF EASY VIRTUE, about whom they knew nothing, lived in another flat, and some one proved that she was an immoral woman.
