1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Stall-up. To stall a person up . . . is to surround him in a crowd, or in the open street, force his arms up, and keep them in that position while others of the gang rifle his pockets at pleasure, the cove being unable to help or defend himself; this is what the newspapers denominate hustling, practised where the general anxiety to push forward, or to obtain a view, forms a pretext for jostling.
1827. Lytton, Pelham, lxxxiii. Plant your stumps, Master Guinea Pig; you are going to stall off the Daw's baby in prime twig.
1884. Greenwood, Seven Years Penal Servitude. I said to my pal, 'Chuck me a stall and I'll have that.' What did I mean? Why, keep close to me and cover what I'm doing.
1885. Daily Tel., 12 Nov. Lovely drew out, and stalling off the challenge of the ungenerous Duke of Richmond won by two lengths.
To stall one's mug, verb. phr. (old).—To be off.
To stall a debt, verb. phr. (old).—To forbear it.
See Stall.
Stale Bear (or Bull), subs. phr.
(Stock Exchange).—A Bear (or
Bull) q.v. who has long been
short of (or has long held) stock.
Stale-drunk, adj. phr. (common).—A
man is said to be stale-drunk
when again in liquor
before complete recovery from a
previous bout: see Screwed
(Grose).
Stalk (The), subs. (Punch and
Judy).—The gallows: see Nubbing
Cheat.
To stalk a judy (the streets, &c.), verb. phr. (venery).—To run a woman down; to quest for meat (q.v.); to grouse (q.v.).
Stall, verb. (Old Cant).—1. To
install; to initiate (Harman,
Dekker, B. E.).
1567. Harman, Caveat. When an upright man mete any beggar, whether he be sturdy or impotent, he will demand of him whether ever he was 'stalled to the roge,' or no. If he say he was, he will know of whom, and his name yt stalled him. And if he be not learnedly able to shew him the whole circumstance thereof, he will spoyle him of his money, either of his best garment, if it be worth any money, and haue him to the bowsing-ken; which is, to some typling house next adjoyninge, and layth there to gage the best thing that he hath for twenty pence or two shillings; this man obeyeth for feare of beatinge. Then dooth this upright man call for a gage of bowse, which is a quarte potte of drink, and powres the same vpon his peld pate, adding these words,—I, G. P., do stalle thee, W. T., to the Roge, and that from henceforth it shall be lawfull for thee to cant, that is, to aske or begge for thi liuing in al places.
2. (theatrical).—To take a part.
3. (common).—To lodge, or put up at a public house.
See Stale.
Stallion, subs. (old).—A whore-*monger
(B. E.): spec. (Grose)
'a man kept by an old lady for
secret purposes.'
1605. Chapman, All Fools, iii. 1. Thou play'st the stallion ever where thou comest; . . . no man's bed secure; No woman's unattempted by thee.
1622. Marmion, Holland's Leaguer, i. iv. Their [women's] unjust desires would ask the labours of some ten stallions.
1678. Cotton, Virgil Travestie (1770), 32. And if thou stay'st that Rogue Pygmalion Intends to use thee like a Stallion.
1686. Dorset, Faithful Catalogue [Rochester, Roscommon, &c., II. 44]. Ne'er was a truer stallion to his cost.
1686. Rochester, Works (1718), 'Lais Junior,' I. 75. Disabling sluts and stallions every hour. Ibid., I. 167, 'Rochester's Farewell.' Of numerous stallions let her not despair.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, v. vii. Don't you stallionise it sometimes? Ibid., Pantag. Prognos, v. Smockers, stallions and belly-bumpers.
