subs. (colloquial).—1. A meal; a feast.
1827. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends, II. 51 (The Merchant of Venice).
| After giving one SPREAD, | |
| With fiddling and masques, at the Saracen’s Head. |
1848. GASKELL, Mary Barton, ix. We had such a SPREAD for breakfast as th’ Queen herself might ha’ sitten down to.
1873. GREENWOOD, In Strange Company, 19. Next day I was present at a ‘SPREAD’ at the Mission Hall of a much more gratifying description.
1897. MARSHALL, Pomes, 11, ’E didn’t even give me an invite To ’is New Year’s SPREAD.
2. (old).—Butter (GROSE and VAUX): cf. SCRAPE.
3. (old).—An umbrella (GROSE).
4. (common).—A lady’s shawl (HOTTEN).
5. (old cant).—A saddle (TUFTS, 1798).
6. (stock exchange).—An option; a STRADDLE (q.v.).
Verb. (venery).—To open up (of women), or to lay out (of men) for SERVICE (q.v.).
1692. DRYDEN, Juvenal, vi. 85.
| Many a fair Nymph has in a Cave been SPREAD, | |
| And much good Love, without a Feather-Bed. | |
| Ibid., 416. | |
| What care our Drunken Dames to whom they SPREAD? |
TO SPREAD ONESELF, verb. phr. (American).—To push, to come out strong, TO SWAGGER (q.v.).
1847. ROBB, Streaks of Squatter Life, 79. Hoss [Allen] mounted the balcony of the hotel, and rolling up his sleeves, ‘SPREAD HIMSELF’ for an unusually brilliant effort.
1848. HAMMOND, Wild Northern Scenes, 266. We despatched Cullen to prepare a dinner. He had promised … TO SPREAD HIMSELF in the preparation of this meal.
1876. S. L. CLEMENS (‘Mark Twain’), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, iv. 46. A grievous misfortune for the school, for on great occasions, before company, the Superintendent (as Tom expressed it) had always made this boy come out and ‘SPREAD HIMSELF.’
1887. F. FRANCIS, Jun., Saddle and Moccasin, xviii. 306. For the benefit of the ‘tender-foot,’ he ‘SPREAD HIMSELF.’
