subs. (venery).—The penis: also STAFF OF LIFE and STAFF OF LOVE: see PRICK. Hence STAFF-BREAKER (or CLIMBER) = a woman.
1653. URQUHART, Rabelais, I. xi. One of them would call it her fiddle-diddle, her STAFF OF LOVE … her Cyprian sceptre.
1686. EARL OF DORSET, A Faithful Catalogue of our Most Eminent Ninnies [ROCHESTER, Roscommon, Works (1718), II. 33]. Well has his STAFF a double use supplied.
PHRASES. TO PUT DOWN (or SET UP) ONE’S STAFF = to rest; to take up residence (RAY); TO KEEP STAFF IN HAND = to retain possession; TO PART WITH ONE’S STAFF = to get rid of one’s substance; TO ARGUE FROM STAFF TO CORNER = to raise a question other than that under ‘discussion,’ to draw a red herring across the trail; TO HAVE THE BETTER (or WORSE) END OF THE STAFF = to get the best (or worst) of a matter: see STICK.
1564. UDALL, The Apophthegmes of Erasmus, 340. A rief thyng it is to see feloes enough of the selfsame suite, which as often as thei see theim selfes TO HAUE THE WORSE ENDE OF THE STAFFE in their cause, doen make their recourse wholly vnto furious brallyng.
1625–30. The Court and Times of Charles the First, II. 94. And so now ours seem TO HAVE THE BETTER END OF THE STAFF.
d. 1655. T. ADAMS, Works [NICHOLS, Puritan Divines, 1861–2], i. 185. If Cleanthes open his shop he shall have customers; many a traveller there SETS DOWN HIS STAFF.
d. 1663. BRAMHALL, Works [Ang. Cath. Lib.], ii. 94. This is an argument FROM THE STAFF TO THE CORNER. I speak of a succession of Holy Orders, and he of a succession of opinions.
1753. RICHARDSON, The History of Sir Charles Grandison, ii. 122. Miss Byron, I have had THE BETTER END OF THE STAFF, I believe?
1766. H. BROOKE, The Fool of Quality, i. 370. There are few men now at liberty near so wealthy as this gentleman who has done us the honour TO SET UP HIS STAFF of rest in our house.
1772. R. GRAVES, The Spiritual Quixote (1808), VIII. x. As the evening now came on, and the two Pilgrims were much fatigued with their early rising and long walk, they thought it best TO SET UP THEIR STAFF at the public-house where they had preached.
1782. WALPOLE, Letters, iv. 326. I did not think a wife was the stall where he would SET UP HIS STAFF.
