Shady Spring, subs. phr. (venery).—The female pudendum: see Monosyllable.
1772. Bridges, Homer Burlesque, 62. Not that for Greece she car'd a ft, But hated Paris in her heart, Because he'd seen her shady spring, And did not think it was the thing.
Shaft. To make a shaft or
a bolt of it, verb. phr. (old).—To
take a risk for what it is
worth; to venture.
1596. Shakspeare, Merry Wives, iii. 4, 24. I'll make a shaft or a bolt on't: 'slid, 'tis but venturing.
1617. Howell, Letters, 1, iii. 24. The Prince is preparing for his journey; I shall to it again closely when he is gone, or make a shaft or a bolt on it.
Shaft of Cupid (or Delight),
subs. phr. (venery).—The penis:
see Prick.
1719. Durfey, Pills, iv. 72. It is a shaft of Cupid's cut, 'Twill serve to Rove, to Prick, to Butt.
1782. Stevens, Songs Comic and Satirycal, 'The Picture.' For Cupid's Pantheon, the Shaft of Delight must spring from the masculine base.
Shaftsbury, subs. (B.E. c. 1696).
'A gallon-pot full of wine, with
a Cock.'
Shag, subs. (venery).—1. The act
of kind; (2) = a performer
(q.v.): e.g., 'He's but a bad
shag' = 'He's no able woman's
man' (Grose). As verb. = (1)
to copulate : see Greens and
Ride; and (2) to frig (q.v.).
To shag back, verb. phr. (hunting).—To hesitate; to hang back; to refuse a fence.
As wet as a shag, phr. (provincial).—As wet as may be. [shag = cormorant].
Shag- (or shake-) bag (or rag),
subs. phr. (old).—1. 'A poor
shabby fellow' (B. E.); 'a man
of no spirit: a term borrowed
from the cock-pit' (Grose):
originally as in quot. 1611. Also
as adj. = mean; beggarly. See
Rag.
1588. Marlowe, Jew of Malta. Act iv. Bara. Was ever Jew tormented as I am? To have a shag-rag knave to come, &c.
1611. Cotgrave, Dict, s.v. Guerluset, somewhat like our shag rag, a byword for a beggerlie souldier.
1611. Chapman, May-day, Act 11. 281 (Plays, 1874). If I thought 'twould ever come to that, I'd hire some shag-rag or other for half a zequine to cut's throat.
1612. Chapman, Widow's Tears, Act v., 338 (Plays, 1874). To send a man abroad under guard of one of your silliest shack-rags; that he may beat the knave, and run's way?
1615. Exch. Ware at the Second Hand [Halliwell]. A scurrie shag-ragge gentleman.
1616. Scot, Certain Pieces, &c. For . . . honestie is fellow shakerag with simplicitie.
1630. Taylor, Urania, 7. The shak-rag shag-haird crue.
1641. Brome, Jovial Crew, iii. Do you talk shake-rag? heart! yond's more of 'em; I shall be beggar-mawl'd if I stay.
1665. R. Head, English Rogue. I. ix., 71 (1874). From what Dunghil didst thou pick up this shakerag, this squire of the body?
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, i. 269. He was a shake-rag like fellow.
2. (cockers': also colloquial).—A fighting-cock; and so, by implication, a 'hen of the game' (q.v.).
1700. Congreve, Way of the World, N. 11. Wit. Come Knight . . . will you go to a cock-match? Sir Wil. With a wench, Tony? Is she a shake-bag, sirrah?
