[Prob. a. AF. estale, estal (only in Bozon, 13th c.), applied to a pigeon used to entice a hawk into the net; that this word is not an adoption from English is rendered probable by the occurrence of the extended form estalon in continental Fr. with the same sense (Cotgrave, 1611; Godefroy gives earlier instances spelt estolon, etelon). Of Teut. origin; cf. OE. stælhrán decoy reindeer, stællo (Northumbrian) catching (of fish), prob. from the root of steall place (STALL sb.1) stęllan to place; for the sense cf. the rendering of stale by ‘stacionaria’ in the Promptorium, and G. stellvogel decoy-bird.
It has been usual to regard the stæl- in stælhrán as identical with the combining form of stalu theft (as in stælʓiest predatory guest, stælhere plundering army); but the difference of meaning renders this unlikely; and the current identification of ONorthumb. stællo with stalu seems inadmissible on grounds both of form and sense.]
1. A decoy-bird; a living bird used to entice other birds of its own species, or birds of prey, into a snare or net. Also, a stuffed bird or figure of a bird used for the same purpose. Obs. (? exc. dial.)
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 472/1. Stale, of fowlynge or byrdys takynge, stacionaria.
a. 1542. Surrey, Song, ‘Eche beast can chose,’ in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 220. As a faucon free … Which … for no stale doth care.
1552. Huloet, Stale that fowlers vse, incitabulum, mentita auis.
1579–80. North, Plutarch, Sylla (1595), 515. Like vnto the fowlers, that by their stales draw other birdes into their nets.
1608. [Tofte], Ariosto’s Sat., IV. (1611), 52. A wife that’s more then faire is like a stale, Or chanting whistle which brings birds to thrall.
1621. Markham, Fowling, 31. You shal stake downe here and there a liue Stale, being either a Mallard, or a Widgon, or a Tayle.
1624. Quarles, Job Militant, V. med. xxv. As the treacherous Fowler … doth first deuise To make a Bird his stale, at whose false Call, Others may chance into the selfesame Thrall.
1675. Worlidge, Syst. Agric. (ed. 2), 322. Stale, a living Fowl, put in any place to allure other Fowl, where they may be taken.
1681. Flavel, Meth. Grace, xxxv. 588. ’Tis the living bird that makes the best stale to draw others into the net.
1768. Pennant, Brit. Zool., II. 365. The birds, enticed by a stale or stuffed bird, come under the nets.
1888. Fenn, Dick o’ the Fens, 53. If my live birds aren’t all drownded and my stales spoiled.
attrib. 1725. Bradley’s Fam. Dict., s.v. Day-net, When you have placed … your Gigs and Stales, go to the further End of your long Drawing-lines and Stale-lines, and [etc.].
b. in figurative context.
1579. Stubbes, Discov. Gaping Gulf, B 4 b. Her daughter Margerit was the stale to lure … them that otherwise flewe hyghe … and could not be gotten.
1584. Stafford, in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1913), Jan., 44, note. I am more than half afraid that he [Sidney] is made but a stale to take a bird withal.
1614. Jackson, Creed, III. ix. 97. Bellarmines distinctions … may hence be described to be but meere stales to catch guls.
1645. F. Thorpe, in Hull Lett. (1886), 120. But five yeares experience hath taught English men another lesson than to be Catcht twice with one Stale.
† 2. transf. and fig. A deceptive means of allurement; a person or thing held out as a lure or bait to entrap a person. Obs.
c. 1529. Skelton, E. Rummyng, 324. It was a stale to take the devyl in a brake.
1530. Tindale, Pract. Prelates, B ij. The chefest stale wherwith the cardinall caught the kynges grace.
1577. Holinshed, Hist. Eng., I. 79/2. The Britaynes woulde oftentimes … lay their Cattell … in places conueniente, to bee as a stale to the Romaynes, and when the Romaynes should make to them to fetch the same away … they would fall vpon them.
1610. Shaks., Temp., IV. i. 187. The trumpery in my house, goe bring it hither For stale to catch these theeues.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., I. 66. Beautifull boyes, who serve as stales to procure them customers.
1670. Eachard, Cont. Clergy, 88. Six-pence or a shilling to put into the Box, for a stale to decoy in the rest of the Parish.
1692. [J. Wilson], Vindic. Carol., xxvi. 132. Which yet they made use of but as a Stale to the Faction.
† 3. A person who acts as a decoy; esp. the accomplice of a thief or sharper. Obs.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 119. Theyr mynystres be false bretherne or false systerne, stales of ye deuyll.
1579. Gosson, Sch. Abuse (Arb.), 36. Every Vawter in one blinde Tauerne or other, is Tenant at will,… and playes the stale to vtter their victualls.
1591. Greene, Conny Catching, I. Wks. (Grosart), X. 38. He that faceth the man, the Stale.
1610. Rowlands, M. Mark-all, G 2. [He] was faine to liue among the wicked,… a stale for a foyst.
1622. J. Taylor (Water P.), Water-Cormorant, D 2 b. He … Can play the Foist, the Nip, the Stale.
1633. Marmion, Fine Companion, III. iv. This is Captain Whibble, the Towne stale, For all cheating imployments.
† 4. More fully common stale: a prostitute of the lowest class, employed as a decoy by thieves. Often (? associated with STALE a.) used gen. as a term of contempt for an unchaste woman. Obs.
1593. Tell-Trothe’s N. Y. Gift (1876), 35. Can women want wit to frustrate a common stale.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, II. ii. 26. Spare not to tell him, that hee hath wronged his Honor in marrying the renowned Claudio … to a contaminated stale. Ibid., IV. i. 66. I stand dishonour’d that haue gone about, To linke my deare friend to a common stale.
1605. Daniel, Queen’s Arcadia, II. i. But to be leaft for such a one as she, The stale of all, what will folke thinke of me?
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon. (1642), 265. Detesting as he said the insatiable impudency of a prostitute Stale.
fig. 1641. Milton, Reform., I. 10. The Bishops … suffer’d themselvs to be the common stales to countenance with their prostituted Gravities every Politick Fetch that was then on foot.
† 5. A person or thing made use of as a means or tool for inducing some result, as a pretext for some action, or as a cover for sinister designs. Cf. STALKING-HORSE. Obs.
1580. Grindal, in Strype, Life (1710), 252. That of the two nominated, one should be an unfit Man, and as it were a Stale, to bring the Office to the other.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., III. iii. 200. Had he none else to make a stale but me?
1598–9. B. Jonson, Case Altered, V. iii. Was this your drift? to vse Fernezes name? Was he your fittest stale?
1606. Hieron, Truth’s Purch., ii. 45. Not to be (as it were) a stale, vnder the shadow whereof we may the more boldly giue our selues ouer to vngodlinesse.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, IV. iii. § 19. 239. Eurydice … meaning nothing lesse than to let her husband serue as a Stale, keeping the throne warme, till another were growne old enough to sit in it.
1620–6. Quarles, Feast for Worms, 158. Lawyers arise, make not your righteous Lawes, A stale for Bribes.
1624. [Scott], 2nd Pt. Vox Populi, 14. Spaine hath … vsed their alliance and friendshippe but as a stale or stalking-horse ouer their backes to shoote at others.
c. 1640. Suckling, Brennoralt, II. i. Her health, is a stale, And helps us to make us drinke on.
1652. Peyton, Catastr. Ho. Stuarts (1731), 11. Giving it out for a Stale, that the Earl, with others, would have killed him.
1711. Puckle, Club (1817), 20. A pretence of kindness is the universal stale to all base projects.
1774. Ann. Reg., Hist. Europe, 20/1. Those people were only used as a stale for ambition and rapacity.
† 6. A lover or mistress whose devotion is turned into ridicule for the amusement of a rival or rivals.
Some examples suggest allusion to some unknown sense relating to deer.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 96. I perceiue Lucilla (said he) that I was made thy stale, and Philautus thy laughing stocke.
1588. T. Hughes, Arthur, I. ii. 3. Was I then chose and wedded for his stale?
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., I. i. 101. [A neglected wife says:] But, too vnruly Deere, he breakes the pale And feedes from home; poore I am but his stale.
1611. Middleton & Dekker, Roaring Girl, IV. ii. 154. Did I for this lose all my friends … to be made A stale to a common whore?
a. 1616. Beaum. & Fl., Little Fr. Lawyer, III. i. This comes of rutting; Are we made stales to one another?
1635. Rutter, Sheph. Holyday, V. ii. G 1 b. She would say, You have another mistresse, go to her, I wil not be her stale.
