lowre. He should not have shown it me—it was that as did all the mischief.'
1889. Richardson, Police, 321, s.v. Bad money, gammy lower.
Louse. To care not a louse, verb. phr. (old).—To be utterly indifferent.
1719. Durfey, Pills etc., iv. 38. For any Ale-house We care not a louse.
Not worth a louse, adj. phr. (common);—Utterly worthless.
1617. Greene, Metamorph. [Grosart (1881-6), ix. 97]. Lest thy . . . Logike prooue not worth a lowse.
1786. Burns, Address to the De'il. Is instant made no worth a louse, Just at the bit.
Louse-bag, subs. (old).—A black bag worn to the hair or wig.—Grose (1785).
Louse-house, subs. (old).—The round-house or cage.—Grose (1785).
Louse-ladder, subs. (old).—'A stitch fallen in a stocking'; a Jacob's-ladder (q.v.).—Grose (1785).
Louseland, subs. (old).—See quot. 1690. Cf. Itchland.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Louseland, Scotland.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Louse-trap, subs. (common).—See quots. Ital. galletto (= little cock).
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Louseland . . . A Scotch louse-trap, a comb.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed.). Louse-trap (S.) a small-toothed or fine comb.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Louse-walk, subs. (common).—A back-hair parting.—Grose.
Lousy, adj. (painters').—1. Paint which from keeping has become full of skin.
2. (old).—Filthy; contemptible.
1690. Crowne, English Friar, iv. He forgot he was a lousey friar.
Lout, subs. (old: now recognised).—1. See quots.
1577-82. Breton, Floorish vpon Fancie [Grosart (1879), I. a. 4, 1, 12]. He that thinkes to be a lorde, first day, Will misse a lorde, and prooue a loute straight way.
1583. Greene, Mamillia [Grosart (1881-6), ii. 6]. Then may I well be dubbed a dolt, which dare take in hand to decipher the substaunce of loue, that am but a lout.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Lout, a heavy idle Fellow.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Lout, a clumsey stupid fellow.
2. (Rugby school).—Anyone of the poorer classes: not necessarily an awkward, lubberly individual.
Love, subs. (common).—No score: love-all = no points on either side. Fr. cherche; baiser le cul de la vieille = to make no score.
1780. Gentlemen's Mag., l. 322. We are not told how, or by what means six love comes to mean six to nothing.
1791. Gent. Mag., lxi. 16. At the game of whist, when one of the parties reckons six, for instance, or any other number, and the other none, why is it usual to say six love?
1821. Lamb, Elia (New Year's Eve). I play over again for love, as the gamesters phrase it, games for which I once paid so dear.
1868. Chambers's Encyclopædia, s.v. Whist. We will suppose ourselves to be A, the score to be love-all, and D to have turned up the four of hearts.
