subs. (old colloquial).—1. The people living in a street.
1594. SHAKESPEARE, Love’s Labour’s Lost, iv. 3. 281. The STREET should see as she walk’d overhead.
1620. MIDDLETON, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, v. 2.
| Yel. All the whole STREET will hate us, and the world | |
| Point me out cruel. |
2. (colloquial).—A capacity, a method; a LINE (q.v.); e.g., ‘That’s not in my STREET’ = ‘I am not concerned’ or ‘That’s not my way of doing,’ etc.; IN THE SAME STREET = (1) on (or under) the same conditions; and (2) equal with.
1362. CHAUCER, I. an A. B. C., 69.
| Than makest thou his pees with his sovereyn, | |
| And bringest him out of the crooked STRETE. |
1900. KENNARD, The Right Sort, xx. Though not IN THE SAME STREET with King Olaf, it won’t do to estimate Singing Bird’s chance too lightly.
THE STREET, subs. phr. (old).—A centre of trade or exchange; spec. (American) Wall Street; cf. HOUSE, LANE, etc.
1593. PETER MARTYR OF ANGLERIA [tr. R. EDEN, The First Three English Books on America (ARBER), 186]. Common places whyther marchauntes resort as to the burse or STREATE.
See GRUB STREET; KEY; QUEER STREET; SPIN.
