subs. (venery).—1. An erectio penis: also STANDING-WARE; likewise as verb. Thus TO MAKE STANDING ROOM FOR ONE = to receive a man: hence UNDERSTANDINGS = a woman’s conquests. See HORN. Also (proverbial) ‘STAND always, as the girl said’; cf. NILNISISTANDO. STAND also = a mouth whore.
d. 1529. DUNBAR, Works, ‘Twa Marrit Wemen,’ s.v.
c. 1593. NASHE, The Choise of Valentines, 131.
| ‘Unhappie me,’ quoth shee, ‘and wilt’ not STAND? | |
| Com, lett me rubb and chafe it with my hand!’ |
1598. FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. A conscienza vitta … with a stiffe STANDING pricke. Ibid. Priapismo … the STANDING of a man’s yard.
1601. MUNDAY and CHETTLE, The Death of Robert Earl of Huntingdon, v. 1 [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1874, viii. 309].
| Except you use that trick to conjure down | |
| The STANDING spirit of my lord the king, | |
| That your good mother there, the Abbess, uses | |
| To conjure down the spirit of the monk. |
1606. CHAPMAN, The Gentleman Usher, ii. 1.
| Perhaps some tender lady will squat here, | |
| And if some STANDING rush should chance to prick her. |
1616. DRUMMOND OF HAWTHORNDEN, [CHALMERS, English Poets, V. 666].
| I wish you not a hundred arms nor hands, | |
| But hundred things like those | |
| With which Priapus in our garden STANDS. |
1686. ROCHESTER, ‘The Happy Night’ [Works (1718), I. 36].
| Then binds his Wounds up with a busy Hand, | |
| And with that Balm enables him to STAND. |
1705. WARD, Hudibras Redivivus, I. ix. 6. Till she had burnt with Claps and Poxes, More STANDING WARE than Sampson’s Foxes. Ibid., T[om] B[rown]’s Last Letter. Stroke with warm Hand … To make what’s pendant STAND erected.
1774. BRIDGES, A Burlesque Translation of Homer, 132.
| Knowing a touch of her soft hand | |
| Against a host will make him STAND. | |
| Ibid., 196. | |
| But she … in sweaty palm, | |
| There held it fast and made it STAND, | |
| And spend its venom in her hand. |
1786. CAPT. C. MORRIS, Lyra Urbanica (1840), ‘Billy’s too Young to Drive Us.’ Here’s Britannia! And may he never stand at her head, Who never could STAND at her tail.
c. 1796. BURNS, The Merry Muses, ‘Here’s his Health in Water.’
| He followed me baith out an’ in, | |
| Wi’ a stiff STANIN’ pillie. | |
| Ibid., ‘Act Sederunt’ (1793). | |
| STANIN’ pricks are fau’tors a’. |
2. (old cant).—See quot. 1548. Also STANDING.
1548. LATIMER, Sermons and Remains (Parker Society). [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, The New English, i. 515. There are hanger-on, a STANDING (thieves’ station)].
3. (various).—A cheap-jack’s, coster’s, or street-vendor’s PITCH (q.v.). Also (colloquially) A SHOP (q.v.); A SHOW (q.v.).
1902. LYNCH, High Stakes, xxiii. The lady … came … with the best of home and foreign recommendations, began business at her present “STAND,” and has flourished mightily.
4. (theatrical touring).—A visit; a RUN (q.v.).
1900. Free Lance, 6 Oct., 20, 1. This year I’m going with Grady—north and south—right through the big two week STANDS.
5. (American).—Situation: e.g., ‘The Astor House is a good STAND for a hotel’ (BARTLETT).
Verb. (colloquial).—To endure, put up with, forbear.
1383. CHAUCER, The Canterbury Tales, ‘The Miller’s Tale,’ 644. But STONDE he moste unto his owene harm.
1705. WARD, Hudibras Redivivus, I. ix. 13. After she has STOOD the thrust To satisfy her Master’s Lust.
PHRASES.—STAND is frequently colloquial. Thus TO STAND READY AT THE DOOR = to be handy for use; TO STAND TO A CHILD = to act as sponsor; TO STAND BUFF (or BLUFF) = to swear to, to outface, to take the consequences; NOT A FOOT (or LEG) TO STAND ON = at the end of one’s resources, or one’s repute; TO STAND IN = (1) to take side (or lot) with, to share, and (2) to cost; TO STAND ON ONE’S HIND LEGS = to show temper, to take in bad part; TO STAND ON ONE’S HEAD (EARS, &c.) = to be in good spirits; TO STAND UP TO THE RACK = to take rough and smooth; TO STAND UP TO = to put oneself in fighting attitude (BEE): whence a STAND-UP FIGHT = a bout where the contestants manfully face each other; TO STAND UP WITH = (1) to dance, and (2) to act as bridesmaid or groomsman; TO STAND HOLES (see quot. 1847). Also see PAD; PATTER; RACKET; SAM; TREAT; VELVET.
[?]. Towneley Mysteries (Camden Society), 310. [They] have NO FETE TO STANDE.
1628. EARLE, Microcosmographie [ARBER, 32], 10, ‘A Church Papist.’ He hates her in tyres what she STANDS HIM IN religion.
c. 1680. BUTLER, Hudibras’s Epitaph.
| And for the good old cause STOOD BUFF, | |
| ’Gainst many a bitter kick and cuff. |
1698. VANBRUGH, The Provoked Wife, i. 1. Wou’d my Courage come up to a fourth part of my Ill Nature, I’d STAND BUFF to her Relations, and thrust her out of Doors. Ibid., v. 2. The Marriage-Knot … may STAND BUFF a long long time.
1701. COLLIER, Marcus Antoninus (1726), 219. To STAND BUFF against Danger and Death.
1732. FIELDING, The Miser, Sc. ii. Frederick. I must even STAND BUFF, and outface him.
1777. SHERIDAN, The School for Scandal, ii. 3. Ha! ha! ha! that he should have STOOD BLUFF to an old bachelor so long, and sink into a husband at last!
1812. AUSTEN, Mansfield Park, xii. If you want to dance, Fanny, I will STAND UP WITH you.
1827. SCOTT, Diary [LOCKHART (1839), ix. 146]. It is best to STAND BUFF to him.
1835. CROCKETT, Tour to the North and Down East, 137. I … begun a new campaign [at Washington]. I had hard work; but I STOOD UP TO THE RACK, fodder or no fodder.
1844. W. T. THOMPSON, Major Jones’s Courtship, 54. It was the hottest night’s work ever old Wolf undertuck, and it tuck a mighty chance of hollerin to make him STAND UP TO HIS RACK as well as he did.
1847. HALLIWELL, A Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words, etc., s.v. STAND-HOLES. “I’LL STAND HOLES,” I will hold to my bargain; sometimes thus limited, “I’LL STAND HOLES till next Wednesday.” It seems borrowed from the game kit-cat, or bandy wicket, at which if a player indicate an intention of running indiscreetly in the opinion of another, the latter will fix him to his position by roaring out “STAND HOLES.”
1848. THACKERAY, Vanity Fair, xxxiv. He STOOD UP TO the Banbury man for three minutes, and polished him off in four rounds easy.
1853. J. WINTHROP, History of New England, i. 55. Every bushel of wheat meal STOOD US IN fourteen shillings.
1872. O. W. HOLMES, The Poet at the Breakfast-Table, i. His face marked with strong manly furrows, records of hard thinking, and square STAND-UP FIGHTS with life.
1887. J. W. HORSLEY, Jottings from Jail. If I lend you these I shall want to STAND IN; but I said I can’t stand you at that; I will grease your dukes if you like.
