1594. 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, Widow's Tears, i. 4. Cers. Did not one of the countess's serving gentlemen tell us . . . that he had already possessed her sheets? To. No . . . 'twas her blankets. Cers. Out, you young hedge-sparrow, learn to tread afore you be fledge!
1638. Ford, Fancies, 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. Mayhew, Lond. Lab., 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, Ring and Book, i. 130. He could not turn about . . . Nor take a step . . . and fail to tread On some one's toes.
See Black-ox; Boards.
Treader, subs. (common).—A
shoe.
Treason, subs. (venery).—Adultery:
also fleshly treason.
1607. Dekker, Westward Hoe, v. 3. Those [diamonds] are they your husband . . . would have given to a niece of mine . . . to have committed fleshly treason with her.
Treasure, subs. (venery).—The
female pudendum: see Monosyllable.
1675. Cotton, Scoffer Scoft (1770), 261. Come, Ladies, blanch you to your Skins . . . And whilst your Judge with leering Eyes . . . I'll be so civil and so wise .. . To turn my back . . . And whilst your Treasure you display Turn my Calves-head another way.
d. 1796. Burns, Merry Muses, 'O saw ye my Maggy' (c. 1800), 61. My Maggy has a treasure, A hidden mine of pleasure.
Treasury (The), subs. (theatrical).—The
weekly payment.
Treat, subs. (old colloquial).—1.
An entertainment or party; in
modern usage spec. of children
and schools. Hence (common) =
something paid for by an elder or
superior, or given as a token of
good will and affection: e.g. a
drink, a dinner, a theatre-ticket,
an entertainment, or the like.
Also (2) a turn in a round of
drinks: 'It's my treat.' As verb
(or to stand treat) = to bear
the expense of refreshments, an
outing, or an entertainment. Also
'It does me a treat' = 'That's
O.K.; real jam, and no error.'
See Treating.
1660. Pepys, Diary, i. 195. My wife and I by water to Captain Lambert's, where we took great pleasure in their turret-garden . . . and afterwards had a very handsome treate and good musique that she made upon the harpsicord.
1672. Wycherley, Love in a Wood, i. 1. Did you ever know a woman refuse a treat? no more than a lawyer a fee. Ibid. Fetch us a treat, as you call it.
1695. Prior, Prol. spoken in Westminster School. Our generous scenes are for pure love repeated, And if you are not pleased at least you're treated. Ibid., Orphan, 'Prologue.' Our gen'rous Scenes for Friendship we repeat; And if we don't Delight, at least we Treat.
1706. Fifteen Comforts of Matrimony. Fine treats and balls she is invited to, And he, good man, consents that she shall go.
d. 1745. Swift, Stella, vii. I dined with Mr. Addison and Dick Stuart, Lord Mountjoy's brother: a treat of Addison's.
1748. Smollet, Rod. Random, xlvii. I desired her, however, to sit, and treated her with a dish of tea. Ibid. (1749), Gil Blas (1812), ii. ix. Thy uncle, the mercer, treated yesterday, and regaled us with a pastoral feast.
