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 1881. Black, Beautiful Wretch, xix. 'She might as well try to leave off her affectations as her clothes. She couldn't go about without any.' 'She goes about with precious little,' said Mr. Tom.

Precisian, subs. (old: now recognised).—A stickler: spec. (17th century) = a Puritan (q.v.) in depreciation: also as adj. = punctillious, rigidly exact.—B. E. (c.1696).

1596. Jonson, Ev. Man in his Humour, iii. 2. He's no precisian, that I'm certain of.

1607. Dekker, Westward Hoe, i. 2. We have the finest schoolmaster, a kind of Precisian, and yet an honest knave too.

1615. Harington, Epigrams, i. 20· The man, affrighted at this apparition, Upon recovery grew a great precisian.

1612. Drayton, Polyolbion, vi. 301. These men like our precisians be, Who for some Cross or Saint they in the window see Will pluck down all the Church.

1614. Time's Whistle [E. E. T. S.], 10. Hypocriticall precisians, By vulgar phrase entitled Puritanes.

1619. Fletcher, Custom of the Country, iv. 1. He was of Italy, and that country breeds not Precisians that way, but hot libertines.

1625. Massinger, New Way, i. 1. Verity, you brach, The devil turn'd precisian.

1628. Earle, Micro-cosmog, 2. His fashion and demure Habit gets him in with some Town-precisian, and maks him a Guest on Fryday nights.

d.1655. Rev. T. Adams, Works, ii. 465. If a man be a Herod within and a John without, a wicked politician in a ruff of precisian set, God can distinguish him.

1694. Gildon, Mis. Let. and Essays, Pref. I hope too the graver gentlemen, the precisians will not be scandaliz'd at my zeal for the promotion of poetry.

1821. Scott, Kenilworth, ii. Tony married a pure precisian as bitter a precisian as ever eat flesh in Lent, and a cat-and-dog life she led.

1822. Byron, Vision of Judgment, cv. As Wellborn says—'the devil turn'd precisian.'

1864. Alford, Queen's English, 78. This pronunciation in the mouth of an affected precisian is offensive.

1888. Stevenson, Inland Voyage, Epilogue. He is no precisian in attire.

Preeze, verb. (provincial).—To urinate; to piss (q.v.).

Premises, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum; cf. Lodger and Lodgings to let: see Monosyllable.

Presbyteress, subs. (old colloquial).—See quot.

d.1563. Bale, English Votaries, i. Marianus sayth she was a presbyteresse, or a priestes leman.

Presbyterian, adj. (old).—An epithet of ridicule or contempt.

16[?]. Broadside Ballad [Title]. A Presbyterian trick.

1706. Ward, Hudibras Redivivus, v. 26. But, Lord, I pray thee, by the bye, Look down and cast a jealous Eye Upon our cunning Elder Brethren, Call'd by the name of Presbyterian.

1772. Bridges, Burlesque Homer, 117. For the right Presbyterian breed Always coin pray'rs in time of need.

1847. Halliwell, Archaic Words and Phrases, s.v. Presbyterian-trick. A dishonest bargain; a knavish trick.

Prescott, subs. (rhyming).—A waistcoat: also Charley Prescott.

Present, subs. (colloquial).—1. A white spot on the finger nail: supposed to augur good fortune.

2. (common).—A baby.

1749. Smollett, Gil Blas [Routledge], 13. Three months after marriage as I had no particular wish for the present my wife was likely to make me, I joined issue with some desperate blades.