or treadle, subs. (conventional).—The act of kind, properly of birds: as verb (or TO CHUCK A TREAD) = to copulate: see RIDE. TREADING = copulation; TREAD-FOWL = a cock-bird; and TREDDLE = a whore (‘a cant term’—HALLIWELL).
1383. CHAUCER, The Canterbury Tales, ‘The Monk’s Tale,’ Prologue, 57. Thow woldest han been a TREDEFOWEL aright.
1594. SHAKESPEARE, Love’s Labour’s Lost, v. 2. 915.
| When shepherds pipe on oaten straws, | |
| And merry larks are ploughmen’s clocks, | |
| When turtles TREAD, and rooks, and daws, | |
| And maidens bleach their summer smocks. |
1594. J. LYLY, Mother Bombie, i. 3. Shee will choose with her eye, and like with her heart, before she consent with her tongue; shee will fall too where shee likes best; and thus the chicke scarce out of the shel, cackles as though shee had beene TRODEN with an hundredth cockes.
1612. CHAPMAN, The Widow’s Tears, i. 2. Ars. Did not one of the countess’s serving men tell us … that he had already possess’d her sheets. To. No indeed, mistress, ’twas her blankets. Thar. Out, you young hedge-sparrow, learn to TREAD afore you be fledg’d!
1638. FORD, The Fancies Chaste and Noble, iii. 3. Whore, bitch-fox, TREDDLE!
1692. DRYDEN, Juvenal, vi. And TREADS the nasty puddle of his spouse.
1694. MOTTEUX, Rabelais, V. ii. Kept, billed, and TROD their females like men, but somewhat oftener.
PHRASES.—TO TREAD ON ONE’S TOES = to vex, offend, or injure; TO TREAD ONE’S SHOES STRAIGHT = to go carefully, act discreetly, exercise caution.
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, I. 318. I’ve heard the old man say … how he had to TREAD HIS SHOES STRAIGHT about what books he showed publicly.
1868–9. BROWNING, The Ring and the Book, i. 130.
| Yet presently found he could not turn about | |
| Nor take a step i’ the case and fail to TREAD | |
| On someone’s toe. |
