TO SEND ONE TO, or TO BE IN COVENTRY, verbal phr. (colloquial).—To exclude from social intercourse, or notice; to be in disgrace. [Variously but indecisively explained:—(1) From Coventry Gaol, as a place of imprisonment for Royalists during the Parliamentary war. (2) From the fact that in Coventry, as elsewhere, the privilege of trading was anciently confined to certain privileged persons. (3) As a corruption of PUT or SENT INTO QUARANTINE, the transition from ‘Coventry’ formerly pronounced and written Cointrie—(‘his breech of Cointrie blewe.’ DRAYTON’S Dowsabell: 1593)—being easy and natural, in which connection, see quot., 1821. The expression appears first in Grose, but ‘Quarantine’ used analogically is found in Swift.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
1821. CROKER, in Croker Papers, vol. I., p. 203. I found MacMahon IN A KIND OF COVENTRY, and was warned not to continue my acquaintance with him.
1838. BULWER-LYTTON, Alice, bk. IV., ch. iii. ‘If any one dares to buy it, we’ll SEND HIM TO COVENTRY.’
1869. SPENCER, The Study of Sociology, ch. x., p. 244 (9 ed.). The skilful artizan, who in a given period can do more than his fellows, but who dares not do it because he would be SENT TO COVENTRY by them.
1872. Post, 21 June. Another representation on behalf of Lieutenant Tribe, of the 9th Lancers, now for some months past IN COVENTRY, will be made in the course of a few days to the Minister for War and to his Royal Highness Commanding-in-Chief.
