Red-lattice (or -lettice), subs. phr. (old).—An ale-house sign. Hence red-lattice phrases = pothouse talk: also green lattice; red-grate = tavern or brothel, or both combined.—B. E. and Grose.
1596. Shakspeare, Merry Wives, ii. 2. Vour cat-a-mountain looks, your red-lattice phrases, and your bold beating oaths. Ibid. (1598), 2 Henry IV., ii. 1. He called me even now, my lord, through a red lattice.
1596. Jonson, Ev. Man in his Humour, iii. 3. I dwell, sir, at the sign of the Water Tankard, hard by the Green Lattice: I have paid Scot and lot there any time this eighteen years.
1602. Marston, Auton. and Mellida, v. No, I am not sir Jeffery Balurdo: I am not as well known by my wit, as an alehouse by a red lattice.
c. 1607. Wilkins, Mis. of Inf. Marr [Dodsley, Old Plays (Reed), v. 44]. Be mild in a tavern! 'tis treason to the red-lattice, enemy to the sign post, and slave to humour.
1622. Massinger, Virgin Martyr, iii. 3. Spun. I see then a tavern and a bawdy-house have faces much alike; the one hath red grates next the door, the other hath peeping-holes within-doors.
Redraw, subs. (back slang).—A
warder; a JIGGER-DUBBER (q.v.).
1875. Greenwood, Low-life Deeps. Shying a lump of wet oakum at the red-raw.
Redshanks, subs. (old).—See
quots.—Grose.
c. 1540. Eldar [Pinkerton. Hist. Scot., ii. 396]. Both summer and winter . . . going always barelegged and bare-*footed . . . therefore . . . as we use and delight, so to go always, the tender delicate gentlemen of Scotland call us Redshanks.
1542. Boorde, Works [E. E. T. S.] [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 495. We see redshank (applied to the Irish)].
1565. Stapleton, Bede, B iii., c 4. A priest . . . called Columban cam from Ireland into Britany to preche the woorde of God to the Redshankes [Picti] as dwelt in the south quarters.
1577. Holinshed, Hist. Scotland, 318. In the battle of Bannockburn were three thousande of the Irish Scots, otherwise called Kateranes or Redshanks.
d. 1599. Spenser, State of Ireland. He [Robert Bruce, 1306-30] sent over his brother Edward with a power of Scots and redshanks unto Ireland, where they got footing.
1610. England's Eliza, Mirr. M. 804 [Nares]. When the redshankes on the borders by.
1630. Taylor, Works [Nares]. High-land-men, who for the most part speake nothing but Irish; and in former time were . . . called the red-shankes.
1730. Burt, Letters, i. 74 [Note]. In the lowlands of Scotland, the rough footed Highlanders were called Red-*shanks from the colour of the red-deer hair.
1809. Scott, Lady of Lake, lx. [Note]. The ancient buskin was made of the undress'd deer hide . . . which procured the Highlanders the well-known epithet of Red-shanks.
3. (Old Cant).—A turkey. [Properly the pool-snipe.]
1707. Old Song, 'Rum Mort's Praise of Her Faithless Maunder' [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 36]. Red-*shanks then I could not lack.
c. 1725. Old Song, 'Retoure my dear dell [New Canting Dict.]. On red-*shanks and tibs thou shalt every day dine.
4. (Old Cant).—A duck or drake.—Harman and B. E.
Red-tape, subs. phr. (common).—1.
Official routine; formality.
Hence, as adj. = formal: also
RED-TAPERY or RED-TAPEISM =
official routine; RED-TAPIST =
(1) a government clerk; and (2)
a precisian. Cf. Blue-tape.
1775. Lord Minto. Letter, 31 Aug. [N. & Q., 6 S, viii. 349]. Howe gets the command. The ships are in great forwardness. I can't say so much for the army. Your old friend sticks to rules, tape and pack thread.
