subs. (old).—1. An antic; a gull. Hence GOD’S-APE = a natural fool; TO PLAY THE APE = (1) to mimic; and (2) to play the fool; TO PUT AN APE INTO ONE’S HOOD (CAP, or HAND) = to befool, to dupe: also TO MAKE ONE HIS APE. As adj. (or APISH) = foolish: hence APE-DRUNK = maudlin; APE-WARE = counterfeit ware.
c. 1230. The Ancren Riwle, 248. Ne mei he buten scheawe þe uorð sumhwat of his APEWARE.
1370. WYCLIF, Works (1879), 412. Many sich APE resouns han men herd aȝenus crist.
1383. CHAUCER, The Canterbury Tales, ‘Prioresses Prol.’ Aha, felowes, beth ware of swiche a jape, The monk PUT IN THE MANNES HODE AN APE. Ibid., Miller’s Tale, 203. Thus she maketh Absolon hir APE.
c. 1508. Colyn Blowbol’s Testament, 280. Such as wilbe as DRONGEN as an APE.
1509. BARCLAY, Ship of Fooles (1570), 33.
| Some are APE DRONKE, full of lawghter and of toyes, | |
| Some mery dronke. |
1513. DOUGLAS, Æneis, IV., Prol. 21. Ȝour trew seruandis silly GODDIS APIS.
1532. MORE, Confutation of Barnes, viii. Thys felowes folishe APISHNESSE and al hys asseheded exclamacions.
1579. TOMSON, Calvin’s Sermons, Timothy, 343. 1. He PLAYETH THE APE, and counterfeteth what God hath ordeined for our salvation.
1596. SPENSER, The Fairie Queene, III. ix. 31.
| Two eies him needeth for to watch and wake, | |
| Whom lovers will deceive. Thus was THE APE | |
| By their faire handling PUT INTO MALBECCOES CAPE. |
1600. SHAKESPEARE, Much Ado about Nothing, v. 1. Boys, APES, braggarts, Jacks, milksops. Ibid. (1611), Cymbeline, iv. 2. 194. Jollity for APES and grief for boys.
1634. WITHALS, Dictionary. It is hard MAKING A HORNE OF AN APES TAYLE.
1648. Petition of Eastern Association, 23. Themselves may … PLAY THE APES in Pulpits.
1741. RICHARDSON, Pamela, I. 154. That she should instigate the titled APE her husband to write to me.
1884. W. E. HENLEY and R. L. STEVENSON, Deacon Brodie, II. 3. He was my APE, my tool.
2. (old).—An endearment (MALONE): cf. MONKEY.
1595. SHAKESPEARE, Romeo and Juliet, ii. 1. 16. The APE is dead, and I must conjure him.
3. (stock exchange).—In pl. = Atlantic and North-western First Mortgage Bonds.
1887. G. D. ATKIN, House Scraps, 72.
| If anything tickles our fancy, | |
| We buy them ‘Brums,’ ‘Caleys,’ or ‘APES.’ |
TO LEAD APES IN HELL, verb. phr. (old).—To die unmarried: of both sexes. Hence APE-LEADER = an old maid, or bachelor (GROSE).
1579. J. LYLY, Euphues (ARBER), 87. Rather thou shouldest leade a lyfe to thine owne lyking in earthe, than … LEADE APES IN HELL.
1577. STANYHURST, Description of Ireland, ii. He seemed to stande in no better steede than TO LEAD APES IN HELL.
1596. SHAKESPEARE, Taming of the Shrew, ii. 1. 34. She is your treasure … I must … for your love to her, LEAD APES IN HELL.
1598. FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Mâmmola, an old maide or sillie virgin that will LEAD APES IN HELL.
1605. The London Prodigal, i. 1.
| ’Tis an old proverb, and you know it well, | |
| That women dying maids, LEAD APES IN HELL. |
1611. CHAPMAN, Mayday, v. 2. I am beholding to her; she was loth to have me LEAD APES IN HELL.
1648. BRATHWAITE, Bessy Bell, iii.
| TO LEAD APES IN HELL, it will not do well, | |
| ’Tis an Enemy to Procreation. |
1652. R. BROME, A Joviall Crew, ii. 372. I will rather hazard my being one of the Devil’s APE-LEADERS, then to marry while he is melancholly.
1708–10. SWIFT, Polite Conversation, i. Col. Faith, you’ll never LEAD APES IN HELL. Nev. No, no, I’ll be sworn Miss has not an inch of Nun’s Flesh about her.
d. 1710. R. DUKE, Poems, ‘A Song’ (CHALMERS, English Poets, 1810, ix., 233].
| Compar’d to all the plagues in marriage dwell, | |
| It were preferment to LEAD APES IN HELL. |
1717. CENTLIVRE, A Bold Stroke for a Wife, ii. 1. Poor girl; she must certainly LEAD APES, as the saying is.
c. 1727. RAMSAY, And I’ll awa’ to Bonny Tweed-side [Works, ii. 245].
| And let us to Edinburgh go; | |
| Where she that’s bonny | |
| May catch a Johny, | |
| And never LEAD APES BELOW. |
1763. DODSLEY, Poems, vi. 216.
| Poor Gratia in her twentieth year, | |
| Foreseeing future woe, | |
| Chose to ATTEND a monkey here | |
| Before AN APE BELOW. |
c. 1800. DIBDEN, Song, ‘Tack and Tack.’
| At length cried she, ‘I’ll marry; what should I tarry for? | |
| I may LEAD APES IN HELL for ever.’ |
1830. T. P. THOMPSON, Exercises, Political and Others (1842), I. 198. Joining with other old women, in LEADING their APES IN TARTARUS.
TO SAY AN APE’S PATERNOSTER, verb. phr. (old).—To chatter with cold. Fr. dire des patenôtres de singe.
1611. COTGRAVE, Dictionarie, s.v. Grelotter. To shake, tremble, didder, quake for cold; SAY AN APE’S PATER-NOSTER.
1653. URQUHART, Rabelais, I. xi. He would flay the Fox, SAY THE APE’S PATERNOSTER.
PHRASES. ‘The APE claspeth her young so long that at last she killeth them’; ‘An APE is an APE, a varlet’s a varlet, Though they be clad in silk or scarlet’; ‘The higher the APE goes, the more he shows his tail.’
