verb. (colloquial).—To pay; to restore; to give: hence PARTER = a paymaster, good or bad. Cf. ‘a fool and his money are soon parted’ (TUSSER, 1573, and HOWELL, 1617).

1

  1670.  Old Ballad, ‘Seaman’s Adieu.’ Some … Have PARTED with their ready rino.

2

  1880.  G. R. SIMS, Three Brass Balls, Pledge xix. The top floor rarely ‘PARTED’ before Monday morning.

3

  1888.  J. RUNCIMAN, The Chequers, 106. If I could get the mater to PART.

4

  1892.  Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday, 2 April, 107, 2. ‘Hand over the other tenner.’ Miss Mudge PARTED cheerfully.

5

  1896.  FARJEON, The Betrayal of John Fordham, III. 281. But it wos no go; them as gathered round wouldn’t PART.

6

  PARTS BELOW (PARTS MORE DEAR, OF SHAME, or CARNAL, or OTHER PARTS).—1.  The female pudendum: see MONOSYLLABLE; and (2) the penis and testes: see PRICK: also OTHER PARTS = the paps; PARTS BEHIND = the buttocks.

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  1620–50.  Percy Folio Manuscript, f. 480 [FARMER, Merry Songs and Ballads (1897), iii. 31], ‘Panders, Come Awaye.’ Yett, for her PARTS BELOW, theres not a woman ffairer to the showe.

8

  1656.  The Muses Recreation [HOTTEN], 33.

        Whose past-board forehead, eyes of ferret,
Breast of brown paper, neck of caret;
And OTHER PARTS, not evident.

9

  c. 1683.  Roxburghe Ballads, i. 66–7, ‘Constant, Faire, and Fine Betty.’

        Her skinne white as snow,
  her brest soft as doune,
All her PARTS BELOW
  they are all firme and sound.

10

  1731–5.  POPE, Moral Essays, II. 67.

        A very heathen in the CARNAL PART,
Yet still a sad good Christian at her heart.

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