or ribold, ribaud, subs. (old colloquial: long recognised).—A profligate, male or female; spec. (a) a harlot, and (b) a PONCE (q.v.) or MUTTON-MONGER (q.v.). Whence RIBALDRY (RIBAUDRY, or RIBBLE-RABBLE) = (1) indecency, ‘profligate talk’ (GROSE), and (2) the mob, the scum of society; RIBAUDOUR = a retailer of SMUT (q.v.); RIBALDIST (RIBAUDROUS, or RIBAUDRED) = whorish, whoreson, filthy and the like; RIBBLE-ROW = (1) a list of the rabble: whence (2) an inventory.

1

  1360.  CHAUCER, The Romaunt of the Rose, 5673. Many a RIBAUDE is mery and baude.

2

  1362.  LANGLAND, Piers Plowman (C), vii. 435.

        On fastingdais by-fore none · ich fedde me with ale,
Out of reson, a-mong RYBAUDES · here RYBAUDRYE to huyre.
    Ibid. (A), vii. 66.
        Ionete of the stuyues,
And Robert the RIBAUDOUR.

3

  1376.  [RIBTON-TURNER, A History of Vagrants and Vagrancy, 52]. In the last year of this reign we find the Commons petitioning the King “that RIBALDS and Sturdy Beggars may be banished out of every town.”

4

  1491.  The Destruction of Troy [E.E.T.S.], 7650.

        Ephistafus hym presit with his proude wordes,
As a RIBOLD with reueray to his Roide speche.

5

  1573.  BARET, An Alvearie, or Triple Dictionarie in English, Latin, and French [NARES]. A RIBAUDROUS and filthie tongue, os incestum, obscænum, impurum, et impudicum.

6

  1599.  JOSEPH HALL, Satires, ix. Rhymed in rules of stewish RIBALDRY.

7

  1608.  SHAKESPEARE, Antony and Cleopatra, iii. 8.

                    Yon RIBAUDRED nag of Egypt—
Whom leprosy o’ertake!

8

  1611.  COTGRAVE, Dictionarie, s.v. RIBAULD. A rogue, ruffian, rascale, scoundrele, valet, filthie fellow; also a RIBAULD fornicator, whore-munger, bawdie-house haunter. s.v. RIBAULDE. A whore, queane, punke, gill flurt, common hackney, doxie, mort. [See also, s.v. RIBAUDAILLE, RIBAUDINE, ROYAKS, RIBAULDS, RIBAULDES, &c.]

9

  1641.  MILTON, Animadversions upon the Remonstrant’s Defence, etc. As for the proverb, the Bishops foot hath been in it, it were more fit for a Scurra in Trivio, or som RIBALD upon an Ale-bench.

10

  1630.  TAYLOR (‘The Water Poet’), Workes, A RIBBLE-RABBLE of Gossips [Title].

11

  1670.  COTTON [Scarronides, or, Virgil Travestie (1734), 119].

          This witch a RIBBLE-ROW rehearses
Of scurvy names in scurvy verses.

12

  1705.  WARD, Hudibras Redivivus, I. vii. 6. Such uncouth, wretched RIBBLE-RABBLE.

13

  1841–6.  BROWNING, Bells and Pomegranates, ‘Pied Piper.’ Insulted by a lazy RIBALD.

14