subs. (old).—A fetter: specifically DARBY AND JOAN = fetters coupling two persons. See DARBIES.

1

  HOMELY JOAN, subs. phr. (old).—A coarse, ordinary looking woman.—B. E. (1690).

2

  JOAN IN THE DARK IS AS GOOD AS MY LADY, phr. (old).—A variant of ‘When you cannot kiss the mistress kiss the maid’, or ‘When candles are out all cats are grey.’—B. E. (1690); A New Canting Dictionary (1725).

3

  1678.  COTTON, Virgil Travestie, in Works (1725), Bk iv. p. 81.

        The Cave so darksome was, that I do
Think JOAN had been AS GOOD AS DIDO.

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