etc., subs. (old colloquial and literary).—1. A mistress, pour le bon motif; and (2) see quots. Also variants: SWEET, SWEETING, SWEETKINS, SWEET-LIPS, etc. Also SWEETKIN, adj. = delicate, dainty; and SWEET ON = in love with; partial to.
d. 1549. A. BORDE, A Mery Jest of the Mylner of Abyngton [HAZLITT, Remains of the Early Popular Poetry of England, III. 112].
| ‘Now I pray you, my hinde lemman free, | |
| A gowne cloath then buie you mee … | |
| By Jesu,’ he saide, ‘my SWEETING, | |
| I have but three shylling.’ |
1552. HULOET, Abecdarium, s.v. Darlynge, a wanton terme used in veneriall speach, as be these: honycombe, pyggisnye, SWETEHERT, true love.
c. 1593. NASHE, The Choise of Valentines, 89.
| For shelter onelie, SWEETE HEART, came I hither,… | |
| Since, but thy self, true louer I haue none … | |
| With that … She wanton faints, and falle’s vpon hir bedd. |
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew. TO BE SWEET ON, cant, to coakse, wheedle, entice or allure.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. SWEET-HEART … a girl’s lover or a man’s mistress. Ibid., s.v. SWEETNERS … TO BE SWEET UPON; to coax, wheedle, court or allure. He seemed SWEET UPON that wench; he seemed to court that girl.
1823. BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Dictionary of the Turf, etc., s.v. SWEET (TO BE)—to talk kind, conciliating to the other sex.
1865. DICKENS, Our Mutual Friend, IV. xv. The Missis is SWEET enough upon you, Master, to sell herself up, slap, to get you out of trouble.
1895. OPPENHEIM, The Peer and the Woman, II. ii. I don’t know that we should have stopped so long only Brown’s rather SWEET on the place.
SWEETHEART AND BAG-PUDDING! phr. (old: RAY).—Said of a girl got with child.
1608. JOHN DAY, Humour out of Breath, ii. 1. 25. Pa. Farewell, SWEET HEART. [Exit.] Boy. God a mercy, BAGPUDDING.
