TO LAY (or PUT) IN LAVENDER, verb. phr. (common).—1. To lay up or put aside carefully; as linen among lavender. Hence (1) to pawn; (2) to leave in lodging for debt; (3) to hide from the police; and (4) on the turf, to be ill or out of the way.
1592. GREENE, A Quip for an Upstart Courtier, in Harleian Miscellany, v., 405. But the poore gentleman paies so deere for the LAVENDER IT IS LAID UP IN, that if it lie long at a broker’s house, he seems to buy his apparell twise.
1598. FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes. To lay to pawne, as we say, TO LAY IN LAVENDER.
c. 1593. Six Old Plays (on which Shakespeare founded his Measure for Measure, etc., 1779, i.), 186. Sander. The ostler will not let me have him, you owe tenpence for his meate, and sixpence for stuffing my mistriss saddle. Fer. Here, villaine, goe pay him strait. Sander. Shall I give them another pecke of LAVENDER? Fer. Out, slave, and bring them presently to the dore.
1599. JONSON, Every Man out of his Humour, iii. 3. And a black sattin suit of his own to go before her in; which suit (for the more sweet’ning) now LIES IN LAVENDER.
1605. CHAPMAN, JONSON, etc., Eastward Hoe, v. 1 (DODSLEY, Old Plays, IV. 279). Good faith, rather than thou shouldst pawn a rag more, I’ll LAY my ladyship IN LAVENDER, if I knew where.
1628. EARLE, Microcosmographie, Char. 2d. He takes on against the pope without mercy, and has a jest still IN LAVENDER for Bellarmine.
1655. J. COTGRAVE, English Treasury of Wit and Language, p. 34 [NARES].
| A breaker is a city pestilence, | |
| A moth that cats up gowns, doublets, and hose, | |
| One that with bills loads smocks and shirts together, | |
| To Hymen close adultery, and upon them | |
| Strews LAVENDER so strongly that the owners | |
| Dare never smell them after. |
c. 1673. BRATHWAITE, A Strappado for the Devil, p. 154. ‘Upon a Poet’s Palfrey LYING IN LAVENDER, for the discharge of his Provender’ [Title of Epigram].
1684. R. HEAD, Proteus Redivivus, 255. These men, who have LAID UP their estates in LAVENDER, that they may the more freely follow their Recreations.
1686. Twelve Ingenious Characters [NARES]. Hither all sorts of garments resort in pilgrimage, whilst he playing the pimp, lodges the tabby petticoat and russet breeches together in the same bed of LAVENDER.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. LAYD UP IN LAVENDER, when any Cloaths or other Moveables are pawn’d or dipt for present Money; also Rods in Pickle, of Revenge in reserve, till an opportunity offers to show it.
1725. A New Canting Dictionary, s.v.
1772. E. COLES, English-Latin Dictionary, s.v. … TO LAY IN LAVENDER, pignori opponere.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. LAVENDER.
1811. GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.
1822. SCOTT, The Fortunes of Nigel, xxii. ‘The Marshalsea!… What of the Marshalsea?’ ‘Why, sir,’ said the man, ‘the poor gentleman is LAID UP there IN LAVENDER.’
1830. W. T. MONCRIEFF, The Heart of London, ii. 1. You have had a decent swing of it the last twelvemonth, while your pals have been LAID UP IN LAVENDER.
