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 d. 1674. Herrick, Works [1897], ii. 160. If the maides a spinning goe, Burn the flax, and fire their toe, Scorch their plackets, But beware that ye singe no maiden-haire.

Plaguy (or Plaguily), adj. and adv. (colloquial).—Troublesome; annoying; 'deuced'; very.

1580. Sir P. Sidney, Arcadia, iii. Most wicked woman, that hast so plaguily a corrupted mind as thou must most wickedly infect others.

16[?]. Sir Eglamour [Child, Ballads, viii. 197]. The dragon he had a plaguy hide, Which could both sword and spear abide.

1601. Webster, Cure for Cuckold, ii. 3. What plaguy boys are bred now-a-days.

1602. Shakspeare, Troilus, ii. 3, 187. He is so plaguy proud that the death-tokens of it cry 'No recovery.'

c. 1608. Fletcher, Humourous Lieutenant, ii. 2. I am hurt plaguily. Ibid. (1617), Mad Lover, v. 4. Oh, 'twas a plaguy thump, charg'd with a vengeance.

1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 55. He looked plaguy sour at me.

1711. Swift, To Stella, xxxi. He was plaguily afraid and humbled.

1768. Goldsmith, Good Natured Man, ii. You're so plaguy shy that one would think you had changed sexes.

1843-4. Haliburton, Attache, xix. 'Squire,' said Slick, 'I'd a plaguy sight sooner see Ascot than anything else in England.

Plain, adj. (colloquial).—Watered; neat (q.V.).

Plain as a pikestaff (or packstaffe), phr. (colloquial).—Beyond argument: also pack-staff {adj.) = plain. Also plain as the nose on your face.

1546. Becon [Parker Soc., Early Works, 276]. He is no dissembler, his heart and tongue goeth together, He is as plain as a packstaff.

1598. J. Hall, Virgid., iii., Prol., 1. 4. Not riddle-like obscuring their intent, But pack-staffe plaine, uttering what things they meant.

1599. Marston, Scourge of Villanie, i. [Halliwell, Works, iii. 249]. His honestie Shall be as bare as his anatomie, To which he bound his wife. O, packstaffe rimes! Why not, when court of stars shall see these crimes?

1641. Bernard, Terence in Eng., 89. You make a doubt, where all is plain as a pike staffe.

d. 1656. Hall, Satires, vii. Prol. Not riddle-like, obscuring their intent, But pack-staffe plaine, uttering what thing they ment.

d. 1657. J. Bradford, Works [Parker Soc., 1853, ii. 319]. To make all as plain as a pack-staff.

1695. Congreve, Love for Love, iv. 'As witness my hand' in great letters. Why, 'tis as plain as the nose on one's face.

1749. Smollett, Gil Bias [Routledge], 409. Continual intercourse gave me an opportunity of prying into the duke's inmost soul, a masked battery to all mankind beside, but plain as a pikestaff to me.

Plain-statement, subs. phr. (tailors').—1. An indifferent meal; common-doings (q.v.); and (2) a simple straight-forward piece of work.

Plank, subs. (political).—See Platform.

Verb, (common).—To deposit: as money; to pay: also to plank up (or down).

1843-4. Haliburton, Attache [Bartlett]. I've had to plank down handsome Ibid. 'Why,' says he, 'shell out and plank down a pile of dollars.'

1856. Southern Sketches, 163. Come, plank up the tin.

1886-96. Marshall, 'Pomes' from the Pink 'Un ('The Merry Stumer'), 8. He planked down a stumer bob.

Plant, subs. (thieves').—(1) Plunder; (2) a swindle or robbery; (3) a decoy; and (4) a place of hiding. Whence as verb. = (1) to conceal; (2) to select a person