Lour (Loure or Lowre), subs. (old).—Money. Fr. louer = to hire: ‘It was
granted him in lower of his servyse’ (Merlin, E. E. T. S. i. 59).
1568. Colkelbie Sow, 1. 148 [Bann. MSS.]. A lass that luvis bot for
lour.
1573. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 65. Lowre, money.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Markall, p. 39 (H. Club’s Repr. 1874).
Lower, money.
1622. Fletcher, Beggar’s Bush, ii. 1. A very tyrant I, an arrant
tyrant, If e’er I come to reign (therefore look to ’t!) Except you
do provide me hum enough, and lour to bowze with!
1632. Dekker, English Villanies, sig. M. What are they, but drunken
Beggers? All that they beg being either lowre or Bowse.
1670. Cotton, Scoffer Scofft, in Wks. (1725), p. 280. But ere this
life I’ll longer lead, I’ll stroll for lower, or beg my bread.
1671. Richard Head, The English Rogue. Bing out, bien morts and
toure. The bien cove hath the loure.
1724. E. Coles, Eng. Dict., s.v.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v. lour, money.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Cloy. To cloy the lour, to
steal money.
1834. W. H. Ainsworth, Rookwood, p. 315 (ed. 1864). ‘Well, say no
more about it, Sir Luke,’ said Jem, fawningly; ‘I knows I owes you
my life, and I thank you for it. Take back the lowre. He should not
have shown it me—it was that as did all the mischief.’
1889. Richardson, Police, 321, s.v. Bad money, gammy lower.
Louse. To care not a louse, verb. phr. (old).—To be utterly
indifferent.
1719. Durfey, Pills etc., iv. 38. For any Ale-house We care not a
louse.
Not worth a louse, adj. phr. (common).—Utterly worthless.
1617. Greene, Metamorph. [Grosart (1881–6), ix. 97]. Lest thy ...
Logike prooue not worth a lowse.
1786. Burns, Address to the De’il. Is instant made no worth a
louse, Just at the bit.
Louse-bag, subs. (old).—A black bag worn to the hair or wig.—Grose
(1785).
Louse-house, subs. (old).—The round-house or cage.—Grose (1785).
Louse-ladder, subs. (old).—‘A stitch fallen in a stocking’; a
Jacob’s-ladder (q.v.).—Grose (1785).
Louseland, subs. (old).—See quot. 1690. Cf. Itchland.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Louseland, Scotland.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Louse-trap, subs. (common).—See quots. Ital. galletto (= little cock).
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Louseland.... A Scotch
louse-trap, a comb.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed.). Louse-trap (S.) a
small-toothed or fine comb.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Louse-walk, subs. (common).—A back-hair parting.—Grose.
Lousy, adj. (painters’).—1. Paint which from keeping has become full of
skin.