1690. Crowne, English Friar, iv. He forgot he was a lousey friar.
Lout, subs. (old: now recognised).—1. See quots.
1577–82. Breton, Floorish vpon Fancie [Grosart (1879), I. a. 4, 1,
12]. He that thinkes to be a lorde, first day, Will misse a lorde,
and prooue a loute straight way.
1583. Greene, Mamillia [Grosart (1881–6), ii. 6]. Then may I well
be dubbed a dolt, which dare take in hand to decipher the
substaunce of loue, that am but a lout.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Lout, a heavy idle Fellow.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Lout, a clumsey stupid fellow.
2. (Rugby school).—Anyone of the poorer classes: not necessarily an
awkward, lubberly individual.
Love, subs. (common).—No score: love-all = no points on either side.
Fr. cherche; baiser le cul de la vieille = to make no score.
1780. Gentlemen’s Mag., l. 322. We are not told how, or by what
means six love comes to mean six to nothing.
1791. Gent. Mag., lxi. 16. At the game of whist, when one of the
parties reckons six, for instance, or any other number, and the
other none, why is it usual to say six love?
1821. Lamb, Elia (New Year’s Eve). I play over again for love, as
the gamesters phrase it, games for which I once paid so dear.
1868. Chambers’s Encyclopædia, s.v. Whist. We will suppose
ourselves to be A, the score to be love-all, and D to have turned
up the four of hearts.
1883. Field, 27 Oct. ... won the game by two sets to love.
1885. Times, 1 April, p. 6, col. 5. Both had an innings [at
racquets], but did not score, and consequently the game was called
13 to love.
Cupboard-love, phr. (colloquial).—Interested love.
c. 1688. Poor Robin. A cupboard love is seldom true, A love sincere
is found in few.
Loveage, subs. (common).—Tap-lashes; alls (q.v.); ullage (q.v.).
Love-apples, subs. (venery).—The testes. For synonyms see Cods.
Love-child (or Love-brat), subs. (common).—A bastard.
[?]. Old Chap book [Nares]. Now by this four we plainly see, Four
love brats will be laid to thee: And she that draws the same shall
wed Two rich husbands, and both well bred.
1849. Kingsley, Alton Locke, xxviii. Unless we all repent of ...
love-children.
1864. Dickens, Our Mutual Friend, i. xvi. ‘A love-child,’ returned
Betty Higden, dropping her voice; ‘parents never known; found in
the street.’
Love-dart (or dart of love), subs. (venery).—The penis. For synonyms
see Creamstick and Prick.
Love-flesh, subs. phr. (colloquial).—The pudenda.—Whitman.
Love-juice, subs. (venery).—The sexual secretion. For synonyms see
Cream.
Love-Ladder, subs. phr. (old).—A laced petticoat.
1667. Head, Proteus Redivivus (1684), xii. They will make their
husbands pawn their consciences, as well as their credits, ... for
another story of lace more upon their petty-coats; as if women
thought men’s fancies did not climb fast enough, without such a
lecherous love-ladder.
Love-lane, (venery).—The female pudendum. Hence A turn (or an
ejectment) in love-lane = an act of coition. For synonyms see Greens
and Ride.
Love-liquor, subs. (venery).—The semen. For synonyms see Cream.
Lovelock (or Lock), subs. (old).—A falling curl by the ear: fashionable
more or less from the time of Elizabeth to Charles I.; worn on the left
side, and hanging by the shoulder, sometimes even to the girdle. Also
heart-breakers (q.v.).
1592. Lyly, Mydas, iii. 2. How, sir, will you be trimmed? will you
have your beard like a spade or a bodkin? ... your love-lockes
wreathed with a silken twist, or shaggie to fall on your shoulders?
1592. Greene, Quip for an Upstart Courtier, D2, b. Will you be
Frenchified, with a love-lock down to your shoulders, wherein you
may hang your mistres’ favour?
1592. Nashe, Pierce Penilesse [Grosart (1885), ii. 28]. Yet cannot
his stabbing dagger, nor his nittie loue-locke, keep him out of the
legend of fantastical cox-combs.
1594. Barnefield, Affectionate Shepherd [Nares]. Why should the
sweet love-locke hang dangling downe, Kissing thy girdle-stead with
falling pride?
1600. Shakspeare, Much Ado About Nothing, iii. 3. And one Deformed
is one of them: I know him, he wears a lock.
1615. Beaumont and Fletcher, Cupid’s Revenge, ii. He lay in gloves
all night, and this morning I Brought him a new periwig, with a
lock at it.
1633. Prynne, Histriomastix, 209. And more especially in long,
unshorne, womanish, frizled, love-provoking haire, and lovelockes,
growne now too much in fashion with comly pages, youthes, and lewd,
effeminate, ruffianly persons.
1640. Shirley, Coronation, i. And who knows but he May lose his
ribband by it, in his lock Dear as his saint?
1649. Davenant, Love & Honour, ii. 1. A lock for the left side, so
rarely hung with ribbanding of various colours.
1663. Butler, Hudibras, 1. i. 253. Like Samson’s heart-breakers it
grew In time to make a nation rue.
1821. Blackwood’s Mag., x. 267. Pretty little fantastic chignons
and love-locks.
1836. Michael Scott, Tom Cringle’s Log, ii. The outlandishness of
the fashion was not offensive, when I came to take into the account
the beauty of the plaiting, and of the long raven love-locks that
hung down behind each of his small transparent ears.
1868. Brewer, Phrase and Fable, s.v. Love lock. When men indulge in
a curl in front of their ears, the love-lock is called a
bell-rope—i.e., a rope to pull the belles after them.
Lovely, adj. (colloquial).—Attractive; alluring.
1653. Walton, Complete Angler, 85. This trout looks lovely.
Love-pot, subs. (old).—A drunkard. For synonyms see Lushington.
Lover’s-Knot. To tie the true lover’s knot, verb. phr. (venery).—To
copulate. For synonyms see Greens and Ride.
Love’s Channel (-Harbour, -Paradise, -Fountain, or -Pavillion), subs.
(venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms see Monosyllable.
1598. John Marston, Pigmalion. Until his eye discended so far downe
That it descried loves pavillion, Where Cupid doth enjoy his onely
crowne, And Venus hath her chiefest mention.
d. 1639. Carew [Anderson, Poets, 689]. Thou shalt steer and guide
... into love’s channel.
c. 1727. Old Ballad [B. M. Cat 11621, l/1. 46]. Each night when
sport’s over, and love’s fountain’s dry, She, weary with stitching
contented does lie.
Love’s picklock, subs. (venery).—The penis. For synonyms see Creamstick
and Prick.
Lovey (or Lovey-dovey), subs. (common).—A term of endearment.
1763. Foote, Mayor of Garratt, i. I go, lovy.
1796. Holman, Abroad & at Home, i. 1. If I am ever so little a
while away from you, my darling, it appears a long, tedious age.
How does my lovey do? Do look tender—’tis so becoming to you; and
besides, if you don’t, you know you break my heart.
1837. C. Dickens, Pickwick Papers, p. 385 (ed. 1857). ‘Who else is
a goin’, lovey?’ said Mrs. Cluppins in an insinuating manner.
1841. Punch, i. 226. ‘The Prince’s Title.’ Lovey-dovey has been
spoken of; but it is not likely that His Royal Highness will assume
the style and dignity of lovey-dovey for a considerable period.
Low. To lie low, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To keep quiet; to bide one’s
time.
Low in the lay, phr. (thieves’).—In straits; hard-up (q.v.).
1830. Lytton, Paul Clifford, ‘Song.’ As, just at present, I’m low
in the lay, I’ll borrow a ‘quid’ if you please.
Low-countries, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms see
Monosyllable.
Low-down, adj. (colloquial).—Vulgar.
1883. Eggleston, The Graysons, xviii. Her archaic speech was
perhaps a shade better than the low-down language of Broad Run.
Lowdowner, subs. (American).—See quots.
1871. De Vere, Americanisms, 45. So low a person ... he appears as
Conch or lowdowner in North Carolina.
1883. Stevenson, The Silverado Squatters, 151. They are at least
known by a generic byword, as poor whites or low-downers.
Lower, verb. (common).—To drink. For synonyms see Lush.
Lower regions, subs. phr. (colloquial).—Hell. Fr. le pacquelin du
raboin.
Lowing-cheat (or -chete), subs. (old).—See quot.
1573. Harman, Caveat (1814), 65. A lowting chete, a cowe.
Lowing-lay (or -RIG), subs. phr. (old).—Stealing oxen or cows.—Grose
(1823); Matsell (1859).
Lowlands, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms see
Monosyllable.
Low-lived, adj. (colloquial).—Mean; shabby; vulgar.
1766. Goldsmith, Vicar of W., xiii. She shall choose better company
than such low-lived fellows as he.
Low-man, subs. (Cambridge University).—A Junior Optimé as compared to a
Senior Optimé or a Wrangler.
Low-men, subs. (gaming).—False dice; so loaded as to show low numbers.
For synonyms see Fulhams. Also low-runners.
1594. Nashe, Unf. Traveller, in Wks. (Grosart, v. 27). The dice of
late are growen as melancholy as a dog, high men and low men both
prosper alike.
1596. Shakspeare, Merry Wives, i. 3. Let vultures gripe thy guts!
for gourd and fullam holds, And high and low beguiles the rich and
poor.
1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes, Pise. False dice, high men or low
men.
1605. London Prodigal, Supp. to Sh. ii. 456. Item, to my son Mat
Flowerdale I bequeath two bale of false dice, videlicet, high men
and low men, fulloms, stop-cater-traies, and other bones of
function.
1615. Harrington, Epigrams, i. 79. Then play thou for a pound or
for a pin, High men or low men still are foisted in.
1647. Cartwright, The Ordinary [Dodsley, Old Plays, x. 238]. Your
high And low men are but trifles; your pois’d dye, That’s ballasted
with quicksilver or gold, Is gross to this.
1674. Cotton, Compl. Gamester, p. 9. This [cheating] they do by
false dice, as high-fullams, 4, 5, 6; low-fullams, 1, 2, 3. Ibid.
Bristle-dice are fitted for their purpose, by sticking a
hog’s-bristle so in the corners, or otherwise in the dice, that
they shall run high or low as they please; this bristle must be
strong and short, by which means, the bristle bending, it will not
lie on that side, but will be tript over.
1714. Lucas, Gamesters, 27. The high ones would run 4, 5, and 6;
the low fulhams 1, 2, and 3.
1822. Scott, Fort. of Nigel, xxiii. Men talk of high and low dice.
Low-pad, subs. (old).—See quot. 1690.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Low-pad, a foot-pad.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Low-pad.
1834. Ainsworth, Rookwood (1864), p. 180. High-pads and low-pads.
Lowre. See Lour.
Low-water (or -tide). To be in low-water (or at low-tide), verb. phr.
(colloquial).—To be in difficulties, or penniless.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Low-tide, when there’s no Money
in a Man’s Pocket.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1837. Dickens, Oliver Twist, viii. I’m at low-water mark, only one
bob and a magpie.
1885. Chamb. Journal, 21 Feb., p. 125. Or who, having been ‘put
away’, and done their time, found themselves in low water upon
their return to the outer world.
1886. Miss Braddon, Mohawks, ch. iv. Then came talk of ways and
means. His lordship was in low water financially.