subs. (old cant).—A horse. Hence PRAD-COVE = a horse-dealer; PRAD-NAPPER = a horse-thief; THE PRAD-LAY = the theft of bridles, saddle-bags, and the like; PRAD-HOLDER = a bridle.—HALL (1714); GROSE (1785).
ENGLISH SYNONYMS.—Bit of blood; Charing-cross (rhyming slang); crock; crocodile; daisy-kicker (or -cutter: also = an ostler); gee; gee-gee; ginger; grogham; jade; jib (or jibber); high-stepper; knacker; long-faced ’un; lunk-head; macaroni; mount; muddler; nag (naggie or naggon); ning-nang; pinto; prancer; roarer; screw; scrub; star-gazer; tit; undergraduate; weaver; whistler; wind-sucker; wobbler.
FRENCH SYNONYMS.—Bique; canard (tram drivers’); canasson (= gee-gee); carcan; carne (= screw); gail; galier; gaillon; gayet; maître d’école (horse-breakers’); parisien (= screw); rase-tapis (= high-stepper); trottin.
1819. T. MOORE, Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress, 8. Long before daylight, gigs, rattlers, and PRADS.
1821. P. EGAN, Life in London, II. iv. I am going to Tattersall’s, to purchase a PRAD.
1837. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends, ‘Grey Dolphin,’ I. 93. It would never do to go to the wars on a ricketty PRAD.
1841. LEMAN REDE, Sixteen-String Jack, ‘The High-pad’s Frolic.’ Coaches and PRADS, lasses and lads.
1846. DICKENS, Dombey and Son, xlvi. How can a cove stand talking in the street with his master’s PRAD a wanting to be took to be rubbed down?
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, iii. 143. Veal’s was the best circus I was at; there they had six PRADS and two ponies.
1854. W. H. AINSWORTH, James the Second, I. ii. It may be, young squire, you’ll have to go forth afoot, instead of on your PRAD.
1893. P. H. EMERSON, Signor Lippo, xvi. We moved to some new stables, where there was stalls for eight PRADS, four each side, besides a loose box.
1895. H. B. MARRIOTT-WATSON, The King’s Treasure, in The New Review, July, 9. Creech … swerved out of line and ran his mare full face upon the struggling PRADS.
