Also 5 chape, iappe, 6 iaip, 7–9 Sc. jaip. [See JAPE v.]
† 1. A trick, a device to deceive or cheat. Obs. since c. 1515, but used by Scott.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 864. & ȝe ar iolyf gentylmen your iapes ar ille. Ibid., C. 57. Did not Ionas in Iude suche Iape sum-whyle?
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 12. Ȝif þei maken wyues and oþer wymmen hure sustris bi lettris of fraternite or oþere iapes.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 705. With feyned flaterye and Iapes He made the person and the peple his Apes.
1496. Dives & Paup. (W. de W.), I. lvii. 99/1. The fende sholde dysceyue hym by Illusions & by Iapes.
1501. Douglas, Pal. Hon., I. lxviii. Sair I dred me for some vther iaip.
1820. Scott, Monast., x. Subjecting yourself … to the japes and mockeries of evil spirits.
† b. Something used to deceive; a means of deception; a deception, fraud. Obs. rare.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, III. 890. Iason for all þo Iapes hade nere his ioy lost, Hade his licour ben to laite.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, II. v. [iv.] 65. Turnand quhelis thai set in, by and by, Vnder the feit of this ilk bisnyng iaip [the wooden horse].
c. 1600. Burel, Pilgr., in Watson, Coll. Poems (1706), II. 22 (Jam.). To haue an hole he had grit hast, Yit in the wood thair wes nane wast, To harberie that iaip.
† c. With reference to sexual intercourse. Obs.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 272. & en-gendered on hem Ieauntez with her Iapez ille.
a. 1600[?]. J. T., Grim the Collier (1662), Prol. Heard you not never how an actor’s wife … Coming in’s [the devil’s] way did chance to get a jape.
2. A device to amuse; a merry or idle tale; a jest, joke, gibe. Obs. generally before 1600 (not used by Spenser, Shaks., or their contemporaries, and recorded in 17th c. Dicts. as an ‘Old Word’); revived in 19th c. in literary use by Lamb, Barham, etc. See note to the vb.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 21911 (Fairf.). To here how rouland faȝt & oliuere or of oþer iapis to roun.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XX. 144. Þanne lowgh lyf … and helde holynesse a iape and hendenesse a wastour.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pard. Prol. & T., 66. I preche so as ye han herd bifoore, And telle an hundred false Iapes moore.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), v. 17. Þai broght him furth … and made dance before þam and make iapes.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 257/1. Iape, nuga, frivolum, scur(r)ilitas.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. ccxxv. 252. He set all at noughte, & made of it a scoffe or a iape.
c. 1510. More, Picus, Wks. 14. The sayinges of wisemen thei repute for Iapes and very fables.
1611. R. Bradley, Paneg. Verses, in Coryat’s Crudities. A crue of Apes Sporting themselves with their conceited Iapes About a Pedler that lay snorting by.
1678. Phillips (ed. 4), App., Jape (old word), a jest, jeer or sport.
1819. W. Tennant, Papistry Storm’d (1827), 20. All hail, sweet son o’ Nox! Father o’ daffin, jaips, and jokes!
1830. Lamb, Album Verses, To Louisa M——, v. The scoff, the banter, and the jape, And antics of my gamesome Ape.
1840. Barham, Ingol. Leg., ‘Leech of Folkstone.’ The bystanders well-pleased with the jape put upon him.
1882. Besant, All Sorts, viii. (1884), 70. The coy giggle of the young lady to whom he has imparted his latest merry jape.
† 3. A trifle, toy, trinket, plaything. Obs.
1436. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 172. The grete galees of Venees … Be wel laden wyth … Apes and iapes, and marmusettes taylede, Nifles, trifles, that litelle have availede.
1488. in Tytler, Hist. Scot. (1864), II. 391. Item twa tuthpikis of gold, with a chenye,… ane hert of gold, with uther small Iapis.
1526. Skelton, Magnyf., 1148. Fol. In faythe I wolde thou had a marmosete. Fan. Cockes harte I loue suche iapes.
1570. Satir. Poems Reform., xiii. 134. God wait gif ȝe be Iaips to hald in stoir, Or bony byrdis to keip in to ane Cage.
4. Comb., as † jape-worthy a. Obs., ridiculous.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., V. pr. iii. 122 (Camb. MS.). What difference is ther bytwixe the prescience and thilke Iape-worthi dyuynenge of tyresye the dyuynor.
