subs. (old).—1. A gull: see BUFFLE and CABBAGE-HEAD. Hence (proverbial) ‘Westward for SMELTS!’ (old colloquial) = on the spree (i.e., in search of conies, male or female).
1600. The Weakest goeth to the Wall, iii. 4. Bun. Now mine Hoste rob pot, emptie kan, Beere sucker, Gudgen SMELT, I should say, haue the women paide ye?
1600. JONSON, Cynthia’s Revels, ii. 1. Cup. What’s he, Mercury? Mer. A notable SMELT.
1607. DEKKER and WEBSTER, Westward Ho! iv. 2. To see how plain-dealing women can pull down men!—Moll, you’ll help us to catch SMELTS, too? Ibid., ii. 3. Mist. Honey. But, wenches, with what pulleys shall we slide, with some cleanly excuse, out of our hushands’ suspicion; being gone WESTWARD FOR SMELTS all night?
1608. The Great Frost of January, 1608 [ARBER, English Garner, i. 85]. Let your news be as country folk bring fruit to your markets—the bad and good together. Say, have none ‘gone WESTWARD FOR SMELTS,’ as our proverbial phrase is?
1635. FLETCHER, Love’s Pilgrimage, v. 2. Talk what you will, this is a very SMELT.
2. (old cant).—Half-a-guinea (B. E. and GROSE).
1822. SCOTT, The Fortunes of Nigel, xxiii. You see … that noble Master Grahame, whom you call Green, has got the decuses and the SMELTS.
