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 Law, subs. (old sporting: now recognised).—A time allowance: hence a preliminary notice; a chance of escape.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

1811. Lex. Bal., s.v.

1847. Shirley Brooks, The Wig-*wam, i. Min. Ow—ow—don't—don't! Give us ten yards' law—ow—[He runs off].

1855. Philol. Trans, p. 279. In making a running match one boy is said to give as many yards' law as he allows his competitor to be in advance.

1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Law. Give the cove law, give the fellow a chance to escape.

1883. Hawley Smart, Hard Times, xxii. 'Calvert's very late; but I suppose we must give him a few minutes' more law!'

To stab the law, verb. phr. (American).—To rail against authority.

1888. Nevada City Journal, Feb. These speakers were as violent as ever, and gave no evidence of having relinquished their favorite plan of stabbing the law.

Lawful Blanket (or Jam), subs. phr. (common).—A wife. For synonyms see Dutch.—Lex. Bal. (1811); Grose (1823).

1887. Henley, Villon's Good-Night. Gay grass-widows and lawful jam.

Lawful Pictures, subs. phr. (old).—Money. See King's Pictures.

1607. The Puritan, iii. 4. At this instant I have no lawful picture about me.

Lawk! (or Lawks!) intj. (colloquial).—An exclamation of surprise.

1836. Dickens, Pickwick, xxxix. Lawk, Mr. Weller how you do frighten me.

d.1845. Hood, Lost Heir [Century]. Lawk, help me, I don't know where to look.

1860. G. Eliot, Mill on the Floss, Bk. 1. ch. vii. 'Lawks! what have you been a-doing? I niver see such a fright.'

1886. Baring-Gould, Golden Feather, p. 27 (S.P.C.K.). 'Going to remain here?' he asked. 'Lawk, no! only come over with the 'oss,' replied Joe Marriage.

1886. Pioneer (N.Y.), Oct. 'Lawks!' exclaimed Mrs. Partington.

Lawful time, subs. (Winchester College).—Recess; playtime.

Lawn, subs. (colloquial).—A handkerchief.—Grose (1823).

The lawn, subs. (racing).—The lawn on the course at Ascot: cf. House; Lane, etc.

Lawrie (or Laurie), subs. (old Scots').—A fox.

1567-83. Sempill, Tulchene Bishop, line 8. Ane lewrand laurie lickerous.

Lawyer. High (or Highway) Lawyer, subs. phr. (thieves').—A mounted robber or highwayman. See also Scripper, Oke, Martin, and Stooping.

1592. Greene, Groats worth of Wit (ed. Dyce), Int. p. xxix. The legerdemains of high lawyers.

1608. Dekker, Belman of London [Grosart (1885), iii. 151]. The thiefe that commits the robbery, and is cheife clerke to Saint Nicholas, is called the High Lawyer.

Lay, subs. (old).—1. A pursuit; a scheme; a device; a lurk.

Also in combination, Kinchin-lay, (q.v.); avoirdupois-lay (q.v.); ken-crack-lay = house-breaking; fancy-lay = pugilism.

English synonyms. Dodge; game; huff; job; knack; lay-out; line; lurk; lug; move; outfit; racket; shake; show; swim.

French synonyms. La balle (thieves': also secret); un truc (popular: any kind of small trade: