1892. G. M. Fenn, The New Mistress, xxii. Please, teacher, mother leathers the boys if they don't get home in time for dinner.
1892. Anstey, Voces Populi, 'The Travelling Menagerie,' p. 61. Bain't she a leatherin' of 'un too!
To go to leather, verb. phr. (American).—See quot.
1882. Dodge, Ranch Life in the Far West. After a few jumps, however, the average man grasps hold of the horn of the saddle—the delightful onlookers meanwhile earnestly advising him not to go to leather—and is contented to get through the affair in any shape, provided he can escape without being thrown off.
To lose leather, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To be saddle-galled.—Grose (1785).
Leathers, subs. (common).—A postboy.
1849. Thackeray, Pendennis, ch. xx. 'Come along; jump in, old boy—go it, leathers!' and in this way Pen found himself in Mr. Spavin's postchaise.
Leatherhead, subs. (old).—1. A
swindler. For synonyms see Rook.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
1884. Phillips Woolley, Trottings of a Tenderfoot. Now the Senator is only a leatherhead who made his pile by such and such a swindle.
2. (old: American).—A policeman or watchman.
1882. McCabe, New York, xxiii. 369. During the British occupation of the city, in the war of Independence, military patrols kept the streets at night . . . . After the close of the war a patrol of civilians was appointed. . . . They wore a leather hat with a wide brim, something like a fireman's hat, and this won for them the name of leatherheads.
1888. New York Mercury, 21 July. Here the old police or leatherheads tried to restrain them, but in vain. Hostilities took place, several of the police were killed and several mortally wounded.
Leather-hunting. See Leather,
subs., sense 4.
Leathering, subs. (common).—A
thrashing.
Leather-lane, subs. (venery).—The
female pudendum. For synonyms
see Monosyllable.
Adj. (old).—Paltry; bad.—Grose (1823); De Vaux(1823).
Leathern-convenience, subs. (old).—A
stage-coach; a carriage.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
1703. Ward, London Spy, vii. p. 144. Our Leathern Conveniency being bound in the Braces to its Good Behaviour had no more Sway than a Funeral Herse.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1782. Centlivre, Bold Stroke for a Wife, v. 1. Col. F. Ah! thou wicked one. Now I consider thy face, I remember thou didst come up in the leathern conveniency With me.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Leather . . . leathern conveniency, term used by quakers for a stage coach.
1801. C. K. Sharpe, in Correspondence (1888), i. 102. I left Oxford with Stapleton in his mama's leathern conveniency.
1824. Scott, St. Ronan's Well, xx. At the duly appointed hour, creaked forth the leathern convenience, in which, carefull screened by the curtain . . . sat Nabob Touchwood, in the costume of an Indian merchant.
Leatherneck, subs. (nautical).—A
soldier. For synonyms see mud-crusher
and fly-slicer.
Leathernly, adj. (old).—Clumsily;
sordidly; poorly.
1594. Nashe, Unf. Traveller [Grosart (1883-4), v. 71]. So filthily acted, so leathernly set forth.
