subs. phr. (old).—1.  A harlot’s convenience. Hence (2) a kept-gallant (see SQUIRE, BULLY, and FANCY-MAN); (3) a WITTOL (q.v.); and (4) a PIMP (q.v.). Also PIPPIN-SQUIRE, SQUIRE OF THE BODY, APPLE-JOHN, APPLE-MONGER, APRON-MAN, and APRON-SQUIRE. APPLE-WIFE = bawd. In quot. 1636 APRON-SQUIRE = groomsman.

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  c. 1500.  COPLAND, The Hye-way to the Spyttel-hous [HAZLITT, Remains of the Early Popular Poetry of England, IV. 60], 832.

        APPLESQUYERS, entycers, and ravysshers:
  These to our place haue dayly herbegers.

2

  [?].  MS. Bodleiana, 30. Such stuffe the divell did not tast, only one little hellhound, a cronie of myne, and one of St. George’s APPLE-SQUIRES.

3

  1573.  BULLIEN, Dialogue, 8. His little lackey, a proper yong APPLE SQUIRE, called Pandarus, whiche carrieth the keye of his chamber with hym.

4

  1593.  NASHE, Christ’s Teares, 83 b. They will … play the Brokers, Baudes, APRON-SQUIRES, Pandars, or anything.

5

  1598.  JONSON, Every Man in his Humour, iv. 10. And you, young APPLE SQUIRE, and old cuckold maker. Ibid. (1599), Every Man out of his Humour, iv. 6. Shift. As I am APPLE-JOHN, I am to go before the cockatrice you saw this morning. Ibid., ‘Characters—Shift. His chief exercises are … SQUIRING a cockatrice, and making privy searches for imparters. Ibid. (1614), Bartholomew Fair, i. i. Lit. A fool-John, she calls me; do you mark that, gentlemen?… Quar. She may call you an APPLE-JOHN, if you use this.

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  1598.  FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Guatáro.

7

  1599.  JOSEPH HALL, Satires, I. 2.

        Each bush, each bank, and each base APPLE-SQUIRE
Can serve to sate their beastly lewd desire.

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  1599.  Warning Faire Women, ii. 1158. Trusty Roger, her base APPLE-SQUIRE.

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  1611.  COTGRAVE, Dictionarie, s.v. Mis en cuilleur de pommes. Turned into the habit of an APPLESQUIRE.

10

  1622.  MARMION, Holland’s Leaguer, iv. 3.

            Is your niece a leaguer, a suttler,
Or laundress to this fort?…
You are an APPLE-SQUIRE, a rat, and a ferret.

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  1630.  TAYLOR (‘The Water Poet’), Workes, ‘A Discovery by Sea,’ II. 21.

        Are whoremasters decai’d, are bawds all dead,
Are panders, pimps, and APPLE-SQUIRES all fled?
    Ibid. (Workes, 1630).
Lord, who would take him for a PIPPIN SQUIRE,
That’s so bedaub’d with lace and rich attire?

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  1636.  DAVENANT, The Platonic Lovers, iv.

        A dozen APRON SQUIRES t’uncloath the husband,
Then saw him in a sheet, and lay him on his pillow,
Tamely to expect the bride two hours before she came.

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  1637.  NABBES, Microcosmus [DODSLEY, Old Plays (REED), ix. 133]. Together with my lady’s my fortune fell, and of her gentleman-usher I became her APPLE-SQUIRE, to hold the door, and keep centinel at taverns.

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  1675.  COTTON, Burlesque upon Burlesque: or, The Scoffer Scofft, 218.

        And even of stocks and stones enquire
Of Atys, her small APPLE-SQUIRE.

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  1738.  HERRICK, Poor Robin … Little truth will be found amongst … pimps, pandars, and APPLE-SQUIRES; only the pimp pretends to something more of truth than the other, for if he promise to help you to a whore, he will be sure that she shall not be an honest woman.

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