Now rare. Forms: 6 iacques, 6–7 iaxe, iakes, iaques, 7 jacks, 7–8 jaques, 7– jakes (also 6 iake, 8 jack). Plural, 6 iaxes, 7 jakeses, jaqueses, 8 jakes’s; also in same form as sing. [Origin unascertained; it has been suggested to be from the proper name Jaques, Jakes; or from Jakke, ‘Jack,’ quasi Jakkes, ‘Jack’s.’
(‘Gakehouse’ in 1438 Tintinhull Churchw. Acc. (Som. Rec. Soc.), p. 179, is an editorial misreading of ‘Bakehouse.’)]
1. A privy.
153[?]. in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. III. III. 84. The Iaques was very well doon.
1538. Inv., in J. W. Clark, Barnwell, Introd. p. xxiv. The jakes of the dorter.
1549. Bale, Journ. Leland, Pref. B j. A great nombre of them whych purchased those superstycyouse mansyons, reserued of those Lybrarie bokes, some to serue theyr iakes, some to scoure theyr candlestyckes.
1552. Huloet, Siege, iacques, bogard, or draught, latrina.
1570. Levins, Manip., 12/13. Iake, forica.
1596. Harington, Metam. Ajax, Pref. (1814), 14. Because I will write of a Jakes.
1620. Naworth Househ. Bk., 145. To a tyller for tylling the jacks, vjd.
1634. Documents agst. Prynne (Camden), 12. They … dragged his carckesse throughe the cittye, and cast it into the common jakes.
1649. R. Hodges, Plain. Direct., 12. Let the hous bee made a jakes for Mr. Jaques.
1657. Manchester Crt. Leet Rec. (1887), IV. 202. Noe close stoole, Jackes, Carrion or garbage be cast vpon the Ackers Middinge.
1701. C. Wolley, Jrnl. New York (1860), 26. The more unhealthful it may prove, by reason of Jaques, Dunghills and other excrementitious stagnations.
1727. P. Walker, Life of Peden, in Biogr. Presb. (1827), I. 144. He [Arius] went … into a common Jack and purg’d out all his Inwards.
1788. V. Knox, Winter Even., I. II. xv. 211. His book is a nasty book, and fit only for the jakes.
1855. Kingsley, Westw. Ho! II. i. 29. As well make the fox a knight for being the first that ever jumped down a jakes to escape the hounds.
b. transf. and fig.
1579. Tomson, Calvin’s Serm. Tim., 967/1. What vermine, I pray you, is there of Monkes, and Priestes, and all that Cleargie? And that filthie and stinking iaxe hath filled the world so full.
1637. Gillespie, Eng.-Pop. Cerem., Ep. B iij. Cast forth as things accursed into the Iakes of eternall detestation.
1660. Life & Death Mrs. Rump, 2. Hell … that stinking poysonous place called the Ile of Jaqueses.
1701. De Foe, True-born Eng., 194. We have been Europe’s Sink, the Jakes where she Voids all her Offal Out-cast Progeny.
1753. Smollett, Ct. Fathom (1784), 13/1. Who eagerly explore the jakes of Rabelais, for amusement.
1829. Bentham, Petit. Justice, 173. The jakes, of late so notorious by the name of the Secondary’s Office in the city of London.
2. Excrement; filth. s. w. dial.
1847–78. Halliw., Jakes … applied in Devon to any kind of filth or litter.
1880. in East & West Corn. Glossaries.
1886. in Elworthy, W. Somerset Word-book.
3. attrib. and Comb., as jakes door, jakes-like adj.; † jakes-barreller, † jakes-farmer, jakes-man, a man employed to clean out privies; so † jakes-farming; † jakes-house = jakes.
1596. Nashe, Saffron Walden, 155. Like a *iakes barreller and a Gorbolone.
1557–8. Louth Rec. (1891), 110. One locke to the *Jakes dore.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Privadero, a *iakes farmer.
a. 1618. Sylvester, Tobacco Battered, 267. Iakes-farmers, Fidlers, Ostlers, Oysterers.
1639. Horn & Robotham, Gate Lang. Unl., lviii. § 624. The common draught-house … which the jakes-farmer … makes cleane.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 890. A doonghill God,… a god of the *iakeshouse.
1606. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iv. I. David, 1251. Flames from his eies, from’s mouth coms *Iakes-like fumes.
1630. Davenant, Cruel Brother, Wks. (1673), 475/2. On that branch appears a Hang-man, Then, a *Jakes-man, then, a Tinker.
