or rakehell, rakehellonian, rakeshame, subs. (old: now recognised).—A disreputable person; a blackguard, esp. a whoremonger; ‘one so bad as to be found only by raking hell, or one so reckless as to rake hell’ (Century): also ‘RAKE HELL and skin the devil, and you’ll not find such another.’—HARMAN (1573); COTGRAVE (1611, s.v. garnement); B. E. (c. 1696); GROSE (1785). Also, as verb. = to live dissolutely. Whence RAKISH (RAKING, RAKEHELLY, RAKELY, or RAKESHAMED) = dissolute (B. E., c. 1696); RAKERY (or RAKISHNESS) = blackguardism; RAKE-JAKES = a blackguard. [RAKE = abbrev. of RAKEHELL.]
1360. Alliterative Poems [E.E.T.S.] [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, The New English, i. 64. There is the Swedish RAKEL … to be written RAKE-HELL in more modern times].
1542. UDALL, The Apophthegmes of Erasmus [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, The New English, i. 487. The old adjective rakel (promptus) from a mistaken analogy, gives birth to the phrase TO RAKE HELL].
1557. SURREY, How each thing, save the Lover in Spring, reviveth to Pleasure. The RAKEHELL life, that ’longs to love’s disport.
1573. HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors (1814), ii. All these rowsey, ragged rabblement of RAKEHELLES.
1596. SPENSER, The Fairie Queene, V. xi. 44.
| And farre away, amid their RAKEHELL bands, | |
| They spide a lady left all succourlesse. | |
| Ibid., The Shepheardes Calender, Ded. | |
| I scorne and spue out the RAKEHELLYE route of ragged rymers. |
1605. JONSON, CHAPMAN, &c., Eastward Hoe, i. 1. I turn not a drunken whore-hunting RAKE-HELL like thyself.
1635. The Life of Long Meg of Westminster, iii. Away, you foule RAKE-SHAM’D whore, quoth he, If thou pratest to mee, Ile lay thee at my foote.
d. 1704. T. BROWN, Dialogues of the Dead [Works, ii. 313]. I have been a Man of the Town … and admitted into the Family of the RAKEHELLONIANS.
1699. FARQUHAR, The Constant Couple, i. 1. Whipped from behind the counter to the side-box, forswears merchandise,—where he must live by cheating,—and usurps gentility, where he may die by RAKING. Ibid. (1703), The Inconstant, iii. 1. A wild, foppish, extravagant RAKE-HELL.
1709. STEELE, Tatler, 14. We have … RAKES in the habit of Roman senators, and grave politicians in the dress of RAKES. Ibid., 336. These RAKES are your idle Ladies of Fashion, who, having nothing to do, employ themselves in tumbling over my Ware. Ibid., No. 20. I could not but be solicitous to know of her, how she had disposed of that RAKEHELL Punch.
1711. SWIFT, The Journal to Stella, 5 April, xx. ’Tis his own fault, that will RAKE and drink, when he is but just crawled out of his grave. Ibid. (1709), A Project for the Advancement of Religion and the Reformation of Manners. A RAKE-HELL of the Town … is rewarded with a Lady of great Fortune to repair his own.
1713. SHADWELL, The Humours of the Army, i. Our RAKELLY young Fellows, live as much by their Wits as ever.
1740. SHENSTONE, Epilogue to Cleone.
| When women hid their necks, and veil’d their faces, | |
| Nor romp’d, nor RAK’D, nor star’d at public places. |
1742–4. R. NORTH, The Life of Lord Guildford, II. 300. He … instructed his lordship in all the RAKERY and intrigues of the lewd town.
1749. SMOLLETT, Gil Blas (1812), III. v. You are too forward, and have the air of a libertine; I am afraid you are no better than a downright RAKE.
1809. BYRON, English Bards and Scotch Reviewers.
| And every brother RAKE will smile to see | |
| That miracle, a moralist in me. |
1831. LAMB, Hercules Pacificatus in Englishman’s Magazine.
| A crew of RAKE-HELLS in terrorem | |
| Spread wide, and carried all before ’em. |
1859. TENNYSON, Merlin and Vivien, l. 125. Nor will she RAKE: there is no baseness in her.
1866. G. ELIOT, Felix Holt, ii. The stupid RAKISHNESS of the original heir.
1890. Globe, 7 Feb., 6, 3. The functions of his RAKE-HELLY associates are reduced to insignificance.
2. (common).—A comb: also GARDEN-RAKE.
COLLOQUIALISMS are:—TO RAKE AND SCRAPE = to pinch, to save, to play the miser; TO RAKE IN THE PIECES = to make money in plenty; TO RAKE THE POT = to take the stakes: see POT; TO RAKE OUT = to possess a woman; TO CARRY HEAVY RAKES = to put on SIDE (q.v.); to overbear; TO RAKE DOWN = to scold, to drub: also as subs. RAKEDOWN = a scolding, a beating; BETTER WITH A RAKE THAN A FORK = (RAY) ‘more apt to pull in and scrape up, than to give out and communicate’: also vice versa; LEAN AS A RAKE = as lean as may be.
1383. CHAUCER, The Canterbury Tales, Prologue, 289. AS LENE was his hors AS IS A RAKE.
d. 1529. SKELTON, Phyllyp Sparowe, 913.
| His bones crake, | |
| LEANE AS A RAKE. |
1582. STANYHURST, Æneis [ARBER], 89. A meigre LEANE RAKE with a long berd.
1611. COTGRAVE, Dictionarie, s.v. Maigre. Maigres comme pies. AS LEANE AS RAKES (we say).
1614. Terence in English [NARES]. C. Woe is me for you, CARRIE YOU SUCH HEAVIE RAKES, I pray you? M. Such is my desert.
c. 1732. GAY, Works (1784), II. 115, ‘A New Song of New Similies,’ l. 15. LEAN AS A RAKE with sighs and care.
