Baggage

subs. (once literary; now American).—1.  Luggage, portable property; BELONGINGS (q.v.): spec. (still in use) = the equipment of an army. Hence BAG-AND-BAGGAGE (q.v.). Whence (American) BAGGAGE-CHECK = (1) a luggage-ticket, (2) a cloak-room ticket; BAGGAGE-MAN (or MASTER) = a guard in charge of luggage; BAGGAGE-ROOM = a parcels office or cloak-room; BAGGAGE-SMASHER = (1) a porter, and (2) a station thief. (See quot. 1861.)

  c. 1430.  Political, Religious, and Love Poems [E.E.T.S.], 18. To gete hem BAGAGE, put hem sylffe in prees.

  c. 1450.  CHAUCER [?], Dreme (Works (Bell), 101].

  1530.  PALSGRAVE, Langue Francoyse, 196. 2. BAGGAGE, Bagniage.

  1578.  T. N. [tr. Conq. W. India]. Indians … to serve and to cary BAGGAGE.

  1703.  H. MAUNDRELL, A Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem (1732), 11. Arriv’d, with all our BAGGAGE, on the other side of the River.

  1740.  SMOLLETT, Gil Blas (1812), VII. xi. I sole study being … to escape with my household goods, I mean my BAGGAGE.

  1749.  FIELDING, Tom Jones, VII. xi. The portmanteau … being put up into the BAGGAGE-CART.

  1766.  GOLDSMITH, The Vicar of Wakefield, xx. Mrs. Arnold politely offered to send … for my son’s BAGGAGE.

  1791.  BOSWELL, Johnson (1831), III. 13. Intrusted to a fellow to be delivered to our BAGGAGE-MAN.

  1848.  THACKERAY, Vanity Fair, vii. Mounting the Baronet’s BAGGAGE on the roof of the coach.

  1854.  B. TAYLOR, The Lands of the Saracens, 18. We were told to get our BAGGAGE in order and embark for Quarantine.

  18[?].  Supreme Court Reports, 1. 52. A passenger having lost her BAGGAGE CHECK.

  1861.  New York Tribune, 23 Nov. Gamblers,… robbers, BAGGAGE-smashers, and all the worst classes of the city.

  1871.  DE VERE, Americanisms, 358. The BAGGAGE-SMASHER … handles his burdens with appalling recklessness, and responsibility there is none.

  1880.  New Virginians, I. 37. Called BAGGAGE-SMASHERS.

  1883.  Pall Mall Gazette, 14 June. The Saratoga trunks are hurled recklessly by the ‘BAGGAGE SMASHERS’ on to the deck.

  1883.  AGNES CRANE, The New Southern Railroad to Colorado and California [The Leisure Hour, xxxii. 282, col. 1]. Engineer and fireman stuck pluckily to their posts to the last, shutting off steam, and only escaped death by jumping from the tender when it broke away. The BAGGAGE-MASTERS leapt from their wide doors, and the passengers in the smoking and ordinary cars, who felt the shock before those in the sleeper were aware of the mishap, followed their example.

  1883.  Longman’s Magazine, July, 285. The wretched little booking-office, and the BAGGAGE-ROOM.

  1883.  PEMBER [Harper’s Magazine, Dec., 110. 1]. Keep a sharp look out on your BAGGAGE.

  1888.  Texas Siftings, 3 Nov. The BAGGAGE-SMASHER is indeed a terror.

  2.  (old colloquial).—Generic for trash: e.g., encumbrances, rubbish, dirt, pus. Whence (spec. post-Reformation) = the rites and accessories of Catholic ritual: cf. sense 3. As adj. = trumpery (also BAGGAGELY), corrupt, vile.

  1538.  BALE, A Comedy concerning Three Laws, 1716. And shall thys BAGGAGE put by the word of God?

  1545.  ASCHAM, Toxophilus [ARBER], 83. A boke … wherein he … settes oute much rifraffe, pelfery, trumpery, BAGGAGE, and beggerie ware.

  1548.  UDALL, Paraphrase of Erasmus, Preface, 10. The trashe and BAGGUAGE stuffe … this man hath sifted out.

  1549.  J. OLD, Erasmus, Paraphrases, Eph., Prol. Ciiij. This popyshe BAGGAGE of dumme ceremonies.

  c. 1562.  W. ELDERTON, Lenten Stuff [HALLIWELL].

  1566.  KNOX, The History of the Reformation in Scotland [Works (1846), I. 191]. Pilgremage, pardonis, and otheris sic BAGGAGE.

  1573.  TUSSER, Hundreth Good Pointes of Husbandrie (1878), 35. No storing of pasture with BAGGEDLIE tit.

  1576.  T. NEWTON, tr. Lemnius’s The Touchstone of Complexions, 110. Affected wyth this BAGGAGE Phlegme and distilling Humour. Ibid., 118. Naughty BAGGAGE and hurtfull Phlegme.

  1576.  GASCOIGNE, The Steele Glas, 79. When brewers put no BAGAGE in their beere.

  1579.  W. FULKE, Heskins’ Parliament Repealed, 240. To read such beastly BAGGAGE.

  1580.  T. NORTH, Plutarch (1676), 458. Hyccara, a BAGGAGE Village of the barbarous People. Ibid. (1580), 1003. This BAGGAGE fellow Burrus.

  1583.  GOLDING, Calvin on Deuteronomy, xcix. 613. The things … are BAGGAGELY trifles. Ibid. (1587), De Mornay, xviii. Dust, Coales, Ashes and such other BAGGAGE.

  1592.  WYRLEY, Armorie, 147. His BADGAGE mind to craft was whole disposd.

  1603.  H. CROSSE, Vertues Common-wealth (1878), 117. The very scum, rascallitie, and BAGGAGE of the people.

  1610.  P. BARROUGH, The Method of Physick, V. vi. The abscession being alreadie come to suppuration … if the matter or any other BAGGAGE therein contained, be not discussed, etc.

  1640.  J. DYKE, The Worthy Communicant, 203. Thistles, nettles, and such like BAGGAGE trash.

  1692.  J. HACKET, Life of Archbishop Williams, ii. 128. For four cellars of wine, syder, ale, beer, with wood, hay, corn, and the like, stored up for a year or two, he gave not account of sixpence, but spent it upon BAGGAGE, and loose franions. Ibid., p. 123. Booth himself confest, in the hearing of those witnesses, that Pregion had nothing to do with that BAGGAGE woman.

  1757.  SMOLLETT, The Reprisal (1777), I. viii. 160. I never burden my brain with unnecessary BAGGAGE.

  3.  (old).—A good-for-nothing: man or woman: spec. = strumpet (B. E.: cf. Fr. bagasse, Sp. bagaza. Port. bagasa, It. bagascia = harlot). Also (4) a familiar address to a woman, esp. a young woman: usually qualified by cunning, saucy, pretty, little, sly, etc. (GROSE): cf. PUSS, ROGUE, WENCH, DRAB, etc. As adj. = worthless (see sense 2), vile; BAGGAGERY = the rabble, the scum of society. HEAVY BAGGAGE = (GROSE and BEE) women and children.

  1582.  STANYHURST, Æneis [ARBER], 101. Whilst the sun is shyning the BAGAGE close lodgeth in housroofs.

  d. 1586.  SIDNEY, Arcadia, II. [Century]. A certain spark of noble indignation did rise in her not to suffer such a BAGGAGE to win away anything of hers.

  1589.  NASHE, Martin’s Months Minde, 26. Men of the best sorte (an vnfit match for these of the basest BAGGAGERIE).

  1593.  G. HARVEY, Pierce’s Supererogation [GROSART, Works, II. 273]. Bibbing Nash, BAGGAGE Nash, swaddish Nash, rogish Nash, Nash the bellweather of the scribling flocke.

  1593.  SHAKESPEARE, Taming of the Shrew, Induct. i. 3. Y’are a BAGGAGE, the Slies are no Rogues. Ibid. (1593), Comedy of Errors, iii. 1. Thou BAGGAGE; let me in. Ibid. (1595), Romeo and Juliet, iii. 5. Out, you green-sickness carrion! out you BAGGAGE … Hang thee young BAGGAGE! disobedient wretch. Ibid. (1596), Merry Wives of Windsor, iv. 2. Out of my door, you witch, you hag, you BAGGAGE…! out, out. Ibid. (1609), Pericles, iv. 2. The poor Transylvanian is dead that lay with the little BAGGAGE. Ibid., iv. 6. We should have both lord and lown if the peevish BAGGAGE would but give way to customers.

  1594.  J. LYLY, Mother Bombie, v. 3. The BAGGAGE begins to blush.

  1594.  CAREW, Huarte’s Examination of Men’s Wits (1616), 209. They might soundly sleepe on his eyes, although by Nature he were a BAGGAGE.

  1599.  CHAPMAN, An Humorous Day’s Mirth [SHEPHERD, (1874), 34. 2]. Enter the Maid. … Ja. Must you control us, you proud BAGGAGE you?

  1601.  HOLLAND, Pliny, I. III. Catamites and shamefull BAGGAGES that king Alexander the Great left there.

  1601.  R. JOHNSON, Relations of the Most Famous Kingdoms, etc., 81. Every common soldier carrying with him his she-BAGGAGE.

  1605.  JONSON, Eastward Ho, iii. 2. Now, out upon thee, BAGGAGE!

  1611.  COTGRAVE, Dictionarie, s.v. Bagasse: f. A BAGGAGE, Queane, Iyll, Punke, Flirt.

  1613.  WEBSTER, The Devil’s Law-case, iv. 2. Contil. Where is our solicitor With the waiting woman? Ari. Room for the bag and BAGGAGE.

  1625.  SHIRLEY, Love Tricks, i. 1. You are a BAGGAGE and not worthy of a man. Ibid. (1626), The Maid’s Revenge, iv. 2. That BAGGAGE Ambitious girl, Berinthia.

  1636.  DAVENANT, The Wits, iii. 3. Eld. Pal. A concealed retirement, which her wisdom safely chose To hide her loose love. Thwack. Give me a BAGGAGE that has brains! Ibid. (Revised at Revival, 1673), ii. 1. The BAGGAGES About you are able to earn their own living … Too easily; the more’s the shame.

  1678.  COTTON, Virgil Travestie (1770), 69.

  1687.  CONGREVE, The Old Batchelor, i. 3. I believe the BAGGAGE loves me. Ibid. (1694), Double Dealer, iv. 3. You fib, you BAGGAGE, you do understand. Ibid. (1695), Love for Love, v. 2. Odd, you’re cunning, a wary BAGGAGE!

  1693.  W. ROBERTSON, Phraseologia Generalis, 197. A BAGGAGE, or Souldier’s Punk, Scortum Castrense.

  d. 1704.  T. BROWN, Aristænetus’s Letters, in Works, i. 16. A silly raw BAGGAGE that is so far from knowing how to perform her Part in the Chorus of Love.

  c. 1709.  WARD, Terræ Filius, ii. 20. Being a Docible Young BAGGAGE, she had pick’d up as much fashionable gentility … as if she had been Bred at a Boarding-School.

  1712.  STEELE, Spectator, 450. 5. That Wife dying, I took another, but both proved to be idle BAGGAGES.

  1732.  FIELDING, The Miser, i. 9. Here’s a BAGGAGE of a daughter, who refuses the most advantageous match that ever was offered.

  1749.  SMOLLETT, Gil Blas (1812), VII. vii. Ah, BAGGAGE, how many cavaliers wilt thou charm, if thou turnest actress! Ibid. (1751), Peregrine Pickle, xxxvii. Adsooks! you BAGGAGE … you shouldn’t want a smock nor a petticoat neither, if you could have a kindness for a true-hearted sailor.

  1766.  GOLDSMITH, The Vicar of Wakefield, xxviii. Tell them they are two arrant little BAGGAGES.

  1796.  J. G. HOLMAN, Abroad and at Home, ii. 5. Don’t hurry me, you young BAGGAGE … who are you with that pretty face?

  1809.  MALKIN, Gil Blas [ROUTLEDGE], 37. Mark my spirit, I carried off the little BAGGAGE.

  1822.  IRVING, Bracebridge Hall, iii. 24. She has an orphan niece, a pretty, soft-hearted BAGGAGE.

  1850.  H. B. STOWE, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, xii. He only swore the gal was a BAGGAGE, and that he was devilish unlucky.

  1851.  THACKERAY, English Humourists, ii. She was a disreputable, daring, laughing, painted French BAGGAGE, that comic muse.

  1863.  ALEX. SMITH, Dreamthorp, 12. And Beauty, who is something of a coquette … goes off in a huff. Let the BAGGAGE go!