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 1383. Chaucer, Summoner's Tale, i. 367. Beth ware, therefore, with lordes how ye pleye, Syngeth Placebo—and I shal if I kan.

1481. Caxton, Reynard the Fox (1880), xxvii. 65. Ther ben many that play placebo.

1508. Skelton, Phyl Sparowe, 466. At this placebo We may not well forgo The countrynge of the coe.

1544. Knox, Godly Letter [Maitland, Reformation, 88]. Nowe they haue bene at the skoole of Placebo, and ther they haue lerned amongst ladyes daunse as the deuill lyst to pype.

1591. Sir J. Harrington, Pref. to Ariosto's Orlando Furioso. Of which comedie when some (to sing placebo) aduised that it should be forbidden, because it was somewhat too plaine, yet he would haue it allowed.

1625. Bacon, Ess. xxvi. And in stead of giuing Free Counsell sing him a Song of placebo.

1819. Scott, Bride of Lammermoor, i. I made my bow in requital of the compliment, which was probably thrown in by way of placebo.

18[?]. American Jour. Psychol. [Century]. Physicians appeal to the imagination in desperate cases with bread pills and placebos.

1890. Microcosm (New York), Mar. Delight at the temporary effects of such a placebo hypodermically administered.

1892. Fennell, Stanford Dict., s.v. placebo Lat. placere = to please: the opening antiphon of the vespers for the office of the dead in the Latin church, named from the first word of the Vulgate version, Placebo Domino in regione vivorum, 'I will walk before (please) the Lord in the land of the living' hence phrases to sing placebo, to play placebo = 'to be complacent,' 'to be obsequious'; also an useless medicine intended merely to gratify and conciliate a patient.

Placer, verb. (American).—To live in concubinage; to live tally (q.v.); to dab it up (q.v.).

Placket (or Placket-hole), subs. (old).—(1) A petticoat-slit or pocket-hole; (2) a woman: cf. petticoat; (3) the female pudendum (also placket-box): see Monosyllable; and (4) a petticoat. Whence placket-racket = the penis: see Prick; to seek a placket = to whore; placket-stung = infected (Ray). Occasionally placket = shift.

1594. Shakspeare, Love's Lab., iii. 1. Liege of all loiterers and malcontents, Dread prince of plackets, King of codpieces.

1594. Tylney, Locrine, iii. 3. My first wife was a loving quiet wench; but this, I think, would weary the devil O Codpiece, thou hast done thy master; this it is to be meddling with warm plackets.

1604. Shakspeare, Winter's Tale, iv. 3. Is there no manners left among maids? will they wear their plackets where they should bear their faces?

1605. Shakspeare, Lear, iii. 4. Keep thy foot out of brothels, thy hands out of plackets.

c. 1608. Beaumont and Fletcher, Love's Cure, i. 2. That a cod-piece were far fitter here than a pinn'd placket. Ibid. (1619), Humourous Lieut., iv. 3. Was that brave heart made to pant for a placket?

1623. Webster, Duchess of Malfi, iv. 2. A snuffling knave, that while he shows the tombs, will have his hand in a wench's placket.

1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, i. xi. One would call it her pillicock another her touch-trap Another again her placket-racket.

1654. Gayton, Pest. Notes, 170. Just like a plow-boy tir'd of a broune jacket, And breeches round, long leathern point, no placket.

1665. Sel. Coll. Epigrams [Halliwell]. Deliro playing at a game of racket Far put his hand into Florinda's placket; Keep hold, said shee, nor any further go, Said he, just so, the placket well will do.