1842. Punch's Almanack, Aug. Each baited with a joey.
1851-61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab., ii. 218. The chance hands are sometimes engaged for half a day, and, I was told, jump at a bob and a joey (1s. 4d.), or at a bob.
1865. H. Kingsley, The Hillyars and the Burtons, xlii. A young man as has owed me a joey ever since the last blessed Greenwich fair.
1869. Whyte-Melville, M. or N., p. 66. 'Done for another joey,' replied Buster, with the premature acuteness of youth foraging for itself in the streets of London.
1883. Antiquary, April, p. 168, col. 2. The fourpenny piece was coined for the first time, after a lapse of two centuries, in the reign of William iv., and it owed its existence to the pressing instance of Joey Hume, after whom it obtained the name of joey.
1889. Pall Mall Gazette, 9 Oct., p. 5, col. 3. The docker's wife was worth her joey, which it may be explained is 'East-end' for fourpence.
1892. S. Watson, Wops the Waif, p. 13. A bob, a tanner, a joey, and a brown.
2. (common).—See Joe Miller.
3. (American university).—A watercloset. For synonyms see Mr. Jones.
4. (nautical).—A marine: see Joseph.
5. (American).—A lobster too small for sale; i.e. one under ten inches long.
6. (old).—A gold coin. (Portu. and Braz.) = 8 to 9 dollars. Also Double-joe.
1825. Neal, Bro. Jonathan, II. xxiii. Joes to coppers that she speaks to me.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, Preface v. The old house is full of shooting-jackets, shot belts, and double-joes.
7. (old).—A companion; a sweetheart.
d. 1529. Skelton, Against the Scottes, in Wks (Dyce), i. 185. Kynge Jamy, . . . my jo.
1659. Brome, The English Moor, in Wks. (1873), i. 3. Clap him, and stroke him: Ha, my joe.
1635. Glapthorne, The Hollander, in Wks. (1874), i. 151. The Twibil Knights (confusion to them, my Jo!) had made me drunk.
1727. Ramsay, Bonny Tweed-side, in Wks. (1848), ii. 244. I'll make it my care To secure myself a Jo.
d. 1796. Burns, 'John Anderson, my Jo' [Title].
Verb. (theatrical).—To deride; to get at (q.v.); to take liberties with the text, 'business', or audience.
1865. Kingsley, The Hillyards and the Burtons, liii. Gertie adduced the fate of the children who had called after—or, as she expressed, joed—the prophet Elisha.
1866. Pall Mall Gazette, 23 Jan., p. 244. There they was joeying away in style, making the people laugh until the house shook again.
Not for Joe.—See Joseph.
Joe Manton, subs. (old).—A name given to fowling-pieces made by Joseph Manton, a celebrated London gunsmith. Also Manton.
Joe Miller, subs. phr. (common).—A
stale joke; a dull tale; a chesnut
(q.v.). [From a collection
entitled Joe Miller's Jest book
published circa 1750, the term
having been used to pass off not
only the original stock but thousands
of jokes manufactured long
after]. Hence Joe-Millerism
(subs.) and Joe-Millerize (verb.).
1789. Geo. Parker, Life's Painter, 96. The Narrator should not laugh immoderately, and what he delivers, should not be found in every common jest book, or a Joe Miller, page 14.
