subs. (venery).—Copulation: see GREENS and RIDE. Hence, FOUL PLAY = adultery; FAIR PLAY = fornication; PLAYFELLOW = a lover, mistress, husband, or wife; PLAYTHING = (1) a mistress, and (2) the penis (as in the proverb, ‘A fool’s BAUBLE (q.v.) is a lady’s PLAYTHING’: cf. TOY); LOVE’S PLAYGROUND = (1) the female pudendum, and (2) a bed: see MONOSYLLABLE and KIP. As verb. = (1) to wanton (BAILEY), and (2) to copulate: also TO PLAY WITH; TO PLAY THE WOMAN (THE WANTON, THE FOOL, or THE ACE AGAINST THE JACK) = to grant the favour; TO PLAY THE GOAT = to fornicate hard; TO PLAY OFF (or WITH ONESELF) = to masturbate: see FRIG; PLAYSOME (BAILEY) = wanton. See BEAST, WILY-BEGUILED, TAIL, &c.
1383. CHAUCER, The Canturbury Tales, ‘The Miller’s Tale,’ l. 87.
| That on a day this hende Nicholas | |
| Fil with this yonge wyf to rage and PLEYE. | |
| Ibid., ‘The Shipmannes Tale,’ 13,352. | |
| Let us laugh and PLAY; | |
| Ye shal my joly body han to wedde: | |
| By God I n’ill not pay you but a-bedde. |
1393. GOWER, Confessio Amantis, i.
| She bygan to PLAIE and rage, | |
| As who saith, I am well enough. |
c. 1520. The Booke of Mayd Emlyn [HAZLITT, Remains of the Early Popular Poetry of England, IV. 94].
| To ease her louer | |
| She toke another, | |
| That lustely coude do … | |
| With her lusty PLAYE. |
d. 1529. SKELTON, The Tunnynge of Elynoure Rummynge, 219.
| Ich am not cast away, | |
| That can my husband say, | |
| Whan we kys and PLAY | |
| In lust and in lykyng. | |
| Ibid. [DYCE, Works, i. 24, 37]. | |
| For your jentyll husband sorowfull am I;… | |
| he is not the first hath had a loss … | |
| warke more secretly … | |
| PLAYE FAYRE, madam … | |
| Or ells with gret shame your game wylbe sene. |
d. 1549. A. BORDE, A Mery Jest of the Mylner of Abyngton [HAZLITT, Remains of the Early Popular Poetry of England, III. 109].
| Of her he had his will ynough, | |
| And PLAIDE them togyther. | |
| When the clarke had done his will, | |
| By the damosell he lay full stil. |
1603. SHAKESPEARE, Measure for Measure, i. 4.
| He hath got his friend with child … | |
| I would not. Though ’tis my familiar sin | |
| With maids to seem the lapwing, and to jest, | |
| Tongue far from heart,—PLAY WITH all virgins so. | |
| Ibid. (1608), Pericles, i. 1 [GOWER]. | |
| The beauty of this sinful dame, | |
| Made many princes thither frame, | |
| To seek her as a bed-fellow, | |
| In marriage-pleasures PLAY-FELLOW. |
1612. WEBSTER, The White Devil, iv. 4.
| I do suspect my mother PLAYED FOUL PLAY | |
| When she conceiv’d thee. |
1749. SMOLLETT, Gil Blas [ROUTLEDGE], 93. The favours which my goddess winked at my snatching … fell short of the only perfect issue…. Said I … this lady … thinks it beneath her quality TO PLAY THE VERY WOMAN at the first interview. Ibid., 190. Though noblemen of the first rank attach themselves to pretty PLAYTHINGS like yourself, it is highly unbecoming in you to forget your proper distance.
d. 1796. BURNS, The Merry Muses of Caledonia, ‘They Took Me to the Holy Band.’
| They took me to the holy band, | |
| For PLAYING wi’ [= away from] my wife, sir. |
PHRASES:—TO PLAY ARTFUL = to feign simplicity, to keep a card or two up one’s sleeve; TO PLAY BOOTS (THE DEVIL, THE MISCHIEF, NED, &c.) = to thrust, to spoil, to ruin; TO PLAY OFF = (1) to simulate, and (2) to expose to merriment, and (3) to make an end; TO PLAY ON (or UPON) = to trifle with; TO PLAY UP = (1) to do one’s best, and (2) to be troublesome; TO PLAY UP TO = to take one’s cue from another; PLAYED UP (or OUT) = used up, or ruined; TO PLAY WITH ONE’S BEARD = to deceive; TO PLAY IT LOW = to take advantage; TO PLAY LIGHT = (1) to take it easy, and (2) to keep one’s temper; TO PLAY FOR = to deal with generally; TO PLAY DARK = to conceal one’s character or motive; TO PLAY THE WHOLE GAME = to cheat; TO PLAY LEAST IN SIGHT = to hide; TO PLAY TO THE GAS (theatrical) = to play to small audiences (see quot. 1899); TO PLAY TO THE GALLERY (theatrical)—to rant, to gag, to use the coarsest and cheapest means; TO PLAY IT OFF = to cheat; TO PLAY THE SOVEREIGN = to flatter an inferior; TO MAKE GOOD PLAY = to work to advantage, or with execution; TO COME INTO PLAY = to take one’s turn, or share; TO PLAY FAIR (or FALSE) = to act or deal honestly (or the reverse); TO PLAY ONE’S CARDS WELL = to advance one’s interests; TO PLAY INTO ONE’S HANDS = to advantage; TO KEEP (or HOLD) IN PLAY = to retain control, keep things going, or to engage; TO PLAY THE GIDDY GOAT = to behave like a fool; TO PLAY WITH = to trifle; TO PLAY UPON ADVANTAGE = to cheat; TO PLAY IN AND OUT = to trifle; PLAYED OUT = exhausted, ruined, done for; TO PLAY A GOOD KNIFE AND FORK (see KNIFE, and add quot. 1749); TO PLAY THE GAME = to do honestly at whatever cost; TO PLAY DIDDLE-DIDDLE = to trick, to cajole; TO PLAY THE DUCK = (1) to go contrary, or against the grain: as ducks are plucked, and (2) to prove a coward; TO PLAY OFF ONE’S DUST = to drink. Other proverbial sayings are: ‘She’s like a cat, she’ll PLAY with her tail,’ of a wanton; ‘The PLAY won’t pay the candles’ (or ‘the acting is not worth the lights’) = the end is not worth the means or risk; ‘He’ll PLAY a small game rather than stand out,’ of a meddler or busybody. Also see BEAR; BEARD; BOB-FOOL; BOOTY; DEUCE; DEVIL; DICKENS; DUCKS; FAST; FATHERS-AND-MOTHERS; FIDDLE; GOOSEBERRY; HARRY; HELL; HOB; HOOKY; IN-AND-IN; IN-AND-OUT; KNIFE; LOVE; MISCHIEF; POSSUM; SECOND FIDDLE; SCHOOLMASTER; TAIL; UGLY; UPTAILS-ALL; VELVET; WAG; WAGTAIL.
1383. CHAUCER, The Canterbury Tales, ‘The Shipmannes Tail,’ l. 13,163.
| Til we be ded, or else that we PLAY | |
| A pilgrimage. |
1400. York Plays [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, The New English, i. 194. There are the new phrases … spille sport, PLAY FAIR, &c.].
1525. TYNDALE, Works [Parker Society], ii. 35. As soon as he hath PLAYED OUT all his lusts … he cometh again with his old profession.
1530. SKELTON, The Garlande of Laurell [DYCE, Works, ii. 203].
| And what blunderar is yonder that PLAYTH DIDIL DIDDIL? | |
| He fyndith fals mesuris out of his fonde fiddill. |
1544. ASCHAM, Toxophilus [ARBER], 97. Men PLAY WITH laws.
1566. EDWARDS, Damon and Pithias [NARES]. Yet have I PLAY’D WITH HIS BEARD, in knitting this knot I promist friendship, but … I meant it not.
1596. SHAKESPEARE, Hamlet, iii. 2. Though you can fret me you cannot PLAY UPON me.
1598. SHAKESPEARE, 1 Henry IV., v. 4. Art thou alive? Or is it fantasy that PLAYS UPON our eyesight? I prithee, speak. Ibid., ii. 4. They call drinking deep, dyeing scarlet; and when you breathe in your watering, they cry ‘hem!’ and bid you PLAY IT OFF.
1600. JONSON, Cynthia’s Revels, iv. 1. If she hath PLAYED LOOSE with me, I’ll cut her throat.
1609. JONSON, The Case is Altered, iv. 5.
| Is’t not enough | |
| That you have PLAY’D UPON me all this while. | |
| But still to mock me, still to jest at me? |
1610. BEAUMONT and FLETCHER, The Maids Tragedy, iv. 1. Do not PLAY WITH mine anger.
1653. URQUHART, Rabelais, I. xlii. By God! whoever of our party shall offer TO PLAY THE DUCK … I give myself to the devil if I do not make a monk of him.
1705. VANBRUGH, The Confederacy, iii. Flip. Brass, the game is in our hands if we can but PLAY THE CARDS.
1749. SMOLLETT, Gil Blas [ROUTLEDGE] (1866), 14. Domingo, after PLAYING A GOOD KNIFE AND FORK, and getting gloriously muddled, took himself off to the stable. Ibid., 143. Ortiz … was determined TO PLAY UP TO my mistress. Ibid., 108. The little fellow … was but just COMING INTO PLAY. Ibid. (1812), iii. 83. ‘What dost thou think of my lodging and œconomy?’ ‘Thou must have certainly PLAYED THY CARDS well at Madrid, to be so well furnished.
1778. SHERIDAN, The Rivals, ii. 1. You rely upon the mildness of my temper … you PLAY UPON the meekness of my disposition. Ibid., ii. 2. You PLAY FALSE with us, madam—I saw you give the baronet a letter.
1842. MACAULAY, Horatius, xxix.
| Hew down the bridge, Sir Consul, | |
| With all the speed ye may; | |
| I, with two more to help me, | |
| Will HOLD the foe IN PLAY. |
1868–9. BROWNING, The Ring and the Book, vi.
| Why PLAY instead INTO THE DEVIL’S HANDS | |
| By dealing so ambiguously. |
1870. BRET HARTE, Further Language from Truthful James.
| Is our civilization a failure? | |
| Or is the Caucasian PLAYED OUT? |
1882. Fortnightly Review, 88. After all there is some refreshing sense of the primæval about this PLAYED-OUT country.
1888. W. E. HENLEY and R. L. STEVENSON, Deacon Brodie, i. You PLAY FALSE, you hound!
1888. MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, ‘’Arry at a Political Pic-nic.’ Bin PLAYING some dark LITTLE GAME?
1892. ZANGWILL, The Old Maid’s Club, in Idler, Feb., 62. I think it’s PLAYING IT TOO LOW upon a chap, the way you fellows are going on. It’s taking a mean advantage of my position.
1895. R. POCOCK, The Rules of the Game, I. ii. You can ride on the waggon if you’re too PLAYED OUT for a saddle-horse.
1898. NEWBOLT, Admirals All, 21.
| This is the word that year by year, | |
| While in her place the school is set, | |
| Every one of her sons must hear; | |
| And none that hears it dare forget. | |
| This they all with joyful mind | |
| Bear through life like a torch of flame, | |
| And falling fling to the host behind: | |
| ‘PLAY UP! PLAY UP! and PLAY THE GAME.’ |
1899. Daily Mail, 16 March, 7, 1. PLAYING TO THE GAS is used in the general sense in reference to small audiences, but strictly it means that an audience was only large enough to render receipts sufficient to pay the bill for the evening’s lighting.
