or placket-hole, subs. (old).—(1) A petticoat-slit or pocket-hole; (2) a woman: cf. PETTICOAT; (3) the female pudendum (also PLACKET-BOX): see MONOSYLLABLE; and (4) a petticoat. Whence PLACKET-RACKET = the penis: see PRICK; TO SEEK A PLACKET = to whore; PLACKET-STUNG = infected (RAY). Occasionally PLACKET = shift.
1594. SHAKESPEARE, Love’s Labour’s Lost, iii. 1.
| Liege of all loiterers and malcontents, | |
| Dread prince of PLACKETS, king of codpieces. |
1595. Locrine, iii. 3. My first wife was a loving quiet wench; but this, I think, would weary the devil…. O codpiece, thou hast done thy master! this it is to be meddling with warm PLACKETS.
1604. SHAKESPEARE, Winter’s Tale, iv. 3. Clo. Is there no manners left among maids? will they wear their PLACKETS where they should bear their faces? Ibid. (1605), King Lear, iii. 4. Keep thy foot out of brothels, thy hands out of PLACKETS.
c. 1608. BEAUMONT and FLETCHER, Loves Cure, or the Martial Maid Women Pleas’d, i. 2. That a cod-piece were far fitter here than a pinn’d PLACKET. Ibid. (1619), The Humourous Lieutenant, iv. 3. Was that brave heart made to pant for a PLACKET?
1623. WEBSTER, The Duchess of Malfi, iv. 2. A snuffling knave, that while he shows the tombs, will have his hand in a wench’s PLACKET.
1653. URQUHART, Rabelais, I. xi. One would call it her pillicock … another her touch-trap … Another again her PLACKET-RACKET.
1654. GAYTON, Festivious Notes on … Don Quixote, 170.
| Just like a plow-boy tir’d of a broune jacket, | |
| And breeches round, long leathern point, no PLACKET. |
1665. Select Collections of Epigrams [HALLIWELL].
| Deliro, playing at a game of racket, | |
| Far put his hand into Florinda’s PLACKET; | |
| Keep hold, said shee, nor any further go, | |
| Said he, just so, the PLACKET well will do. |
d. 1674. HERRICK, Works [1897], ii. 160.
| If the Maides a spinning goe, | |
| Burne the flax, and fire their tow: | |
| Scorch their PLACKETS, but beware | |
| That ye singe no maiden-haire. |
