or plate-fleet, family plate, subs. (common).—1. Generic for money: formerly a piece of silver: also (HALLIWELL) = ‘illegal silver money’: see RHINO. Hence to MELT THE PLATE = to spend lavishly; WHEN THE PLATE-FLEET COMES IN = money in plenty.—B. E. (c. 1696); GROSE (1785).
1586. MARLOWE, The Jew of Malta [DODSLEY, Old Plays (REED), viii. 335]. He’s worth three hundred PLATES.
1608. SHAKESPEARE, Antony and Cleopatra, v. 2.
| In his livery | |
| Walk’d crowns and crownets; realms and islands were | |
| As PLATES dropt from his pocket. |
1624. BEAUMONT and FLETCHER, Rule a Wife and Have a Wife, ii. 2.
| ’Tis such a trouble to be married, too. | |
| And have a thousand things of great importance, | |
| Jewels and PLATES, and fooleries molest me. |
1740. SMOLLETT, Gil Blas, VII. vii. I left the first [Phenicia] busy in MELTING THE PLATE of a little merchant goldsmith, who, out of vanity, would have an actress for his mistress.
2. (rhyming slang).—In pl. = the feet: originally PLATES OF MEAT: see CREEPERS. Whence TO PLATE IT = to walk. Also (American thieves’) PLATES OF MEAT = a street.
1886–96. MARSHALL, ‘Pomes’ from the Pink ’Un [‘Some Object Lessons’], 108. He is rocky on his PLATES, For he has forced them into ‘sevens.’ Ibid. (‘Nobbled), 114. A cove we call Feet, sir, on account of the size of his PLATES.
1887. G. R. SIMS, Dagonet Ditties, in Referee, 7 Nov., p. 7, c. 3, ‘Tottie.’
| As she walked along the street | |
| With her little ‘PLATES OF MEAT.’ |
OLD PLATES, subs. phr. (stock exchange).—The shares of the London and River Plate Bank. NEW PLATES = shares of the English Bank of the River Plate: see STOCK EXCHANGE.
TO BE IN FOR THE PLATE AND WIN THE HEAT, verb. phr. (old).—To get pox or clap.—GROSE (1785).
TO FOUL A PLATE, verb. phr. (old).—To dine or sup.—GROSE (1785).
