subs. (common).—1. A quiet easy-going person; a simpleton; a JUGGINS (q.v.).
1669. The Nicker Nicked, in Harleian Miscellany (ed. PARK), ii., 109. When a young gentleman or apprentice comes into this school of virtue, unskilled in the quibbles and devices there practised, they call him a LAMB; then a rook (who is properly the wolf) follows him close, and … gets all his money, and then they smile and say, ‘The LAMB is bitten.’
1672. LACY, The Old Troop, v. 1. 1 Sister. Why then, it seems, we religious LAMBS may play with one another, without sinning?
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, iii. 216. Made him come three times like a LAMB.
2. (common).—Ironically used of a rough, cruel, or merciless person; specifically applied to Nottingham roughs, and hence to bludgeon men at elections. The ‘head-money’ given is called MINT-SAUCE (q.v.).
ENGLISH SYNONYMS. Barker; basher; blood-tub; bouncer; bounder; boy of the Holy Ground; bruiser; dead duck; hoodlum; larrikin: mug; plug-ugly; rabbit (or dead rabbit); ramper; roarer (or roaring-boy); rough; roustabout; rouster; rowdy; rustler; short-ear. See also generally FURIOSO and LOAFER.
FRENCH SYNONYMS. Un kroumir (popular); un lascar (common); un mangeur de nez (thieves’); un matador; un ostrogoth.
GERMAN SYNONYMS. Troll (or Tallerwatsch).
1849. MACAULAY, The History of England, ch. v. As they had been levied for the purpose of waging war on an infidel nation, they bore on their flag a Christian emblem, the Paschal LAMB. In allusion to this device, and with a bitterly ironical meaning, these men, the rudest and most ferocious in the English army, were called Kirke’s LAMBS.
1891. Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, 23 Jan. Merryman had pitched on a nice level bit of turf. It was a noisy crowd—that goes without saying—for where the Nottingnam LAMBS are you can hardly expect much peace and quietness.
3. (colloquial).—A term of endearment.
1595. SHAKESPEARE, Romeo and Juliet, i. 3. What, LAMB! what, ladybird!
1621. BURTON, The Anatomy of Melancholy (ed. 1893), iii. 183. Pleasant names may be invented, bird, mouse, LAMB, puss.
1690. DAVENANT, Love and Honour, v. 1. We must make haste! Farewell, LAMB!
4. (common).—An elderly person dressed or got-up young.
5. See PET LAMB.
6. (military).—See KIRKE’S LAMBS.
Verb. (old).—To beat. Also LAM, LAMBASTE, LAMBACK and LAMBEAKE. Cf. LAMMING.
c. 1609. J. HEALEY, The Discovery of a New World, 115. Whilest the men are faine to beare off with eares, head, and shoulders. Happy may they call that daie whereon they are not LAMBEAKED before night.
1591. NASHE, A Wonderfull Strange and Miraculous Astrologicall Prognostication [GROSART (1885), ii. 159]. Tall fellowes … armed with good cudgels, shall so LAMBEAKE these stubborne huswiues, that the wind shall turne into another quarter.
1592. G. HARVEY, Four Letters [GROSART (1885), i. 183]. One, which should massacre Martin’s wit, or should be LAMBACKD himself.
1600. DEKKER, The Shoemaker’s Holiday, in Works (1873), i. 68. Oh if they had staid I would have so LAMB’D them with flouts.
1601. MUNDAY and CHETTLE, The Death of Robert Earle of Huntingdon, sign. K. 1. [NARES].
| First, with this hand, wound thus about here haire, | |
| And with this dagger lustilie LAMBACKT, | |
| I would, y faith. |
1613. BEAUMONT and FLETCHER, The Honest Man’s Fortune, v. 2. If I had been acquainted with LAMMING in my youth … I should do better.
1637. DAVENANT, Britannia Triumphans [PATERSON, ii. 82].
| Knight. Whine not, my love, his fury straight will waste him, | |
| Stand off a while, and see how I’ll LAMMBASTE him. |
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. LAMBASTE, to beat soundly.
1710. MISSON, Travels over England, p. 306. A fellow whom he LAMBED most horribly.
1725. A New Canting Dictionary, s.v.
1731. COFFEY, The Devil to Pay, Sc. 5. Job. Come, hussy, leave Fooling, and come to your Spinning, or else I’ll LAMB you.
1733. FIELDING, Don Quixote, ii. 6. Sirrah, I am able to beat a dozen of you.—If I don’t LAMB thee!
1748. T. DYCHE, A New General English Dictionary (5 ed.). LAMB (v.) to thresh or beat severely.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. LAMB or LAMBASTE, to beat.
1811. GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.
1812. H. and J. SMITH, Rejected Addresses, xx. I would pummel and LAM her well.
1851. How Mike Hooter Came Very Near ‘Wolloping’ Arch Coony, in Polly Peablossom’s Wedding and Other Tales, p. 147. Ef he seed er feller he thought he could LAMM without no danger, he wouldn’t make no bones, but he’d just go up to the chap and make faces at him.
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v. LAMBO. To beat with a club.
1864. B. HEMYNG, Eton School Days, xxvi. 291. The partial thrashing which he had himself received only made him the more anxious for revenue on Ravenous. ‘LAM into him!’ said Lascelles.
1872. S. L. CLEMENS (‘Mark Twain’), Roughing It. He could LAMM any galoot of his inches in America.
1882. T. A. GUTHRIE (‘F. Anstey’), Vice-Versâ, iv. ‘Let him undress now, and we can LAM it into him afterwards with slippers.’
1887. W. E. HENLEY, Villon’s Good-Night. Paste ’em, and larrup ’em, and LAMM!
1889. Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, 18 Jan. Still the little ’uns LAMMED into each other.
TO SKIN THE LAMB. See SKIN.
