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 1600. Holland, Livy, xxxvi. v. 921. To deale roundly and simply with no side, but to go between the bark and the tree.

1642. Rogers, Naaman, 303. So audacious as to go betweene barke and tree, breeding suspitions betweene man and wife.

1804. Edgeworth, Mod. Griselda [Works (1832), v. 299]. An instigator of quarrels between man and wife, or, according to the plebeian but expressive apophthegm, one who would come between the bark and the tree.

1857. Hughes, Tom Brown's Schooldays, i. vii. 'What a pull,' said he, 'that it's lie-in-bed, for I shall be as lame as a tree, I think.'

Adj. (old).—Three: e.g., Treewins = threepence; tree-*moon = three months' imprisonment, etc. (Grose): see Tray.

Tree of Knowledge, subs. phr. (Charterhouse: almost obsolete).—The tree under which books, etc., are piled in the interval between morning school and dinner.

Treer, subs. (Durham School: obsolete).—A boy who avoids organised sports, but plays a private game with one or two friends. [Presumably because played at the trees by the side of the ground.]

Trek, verb. (common).—To go away, run off, bunk (q.v.): of South African origin, properly = to yoke oxen to a waggon.

Tremble, subs. (common).—Involuntary shaking; spec. when caused by excessive cold, fear, drinking, etc. Also, all of a tremble = agitated, excited, shivery-shaky.

1849. Bronté, Shirley, xx. Mrs. Gill came 'all of a tremble,' as she said herself.

1882. Blackmore, Christowell, xli. The housekeeper to set a good example, ordered back her trembles and came out.

Trembler, subs. (old).—In pl. = the extreme Protestant section of early Reformation days: cf. Quaker.

1705. Ward, Hudibras Redivivus, i. x. 21. As thus I strol'd along the street, Such gangs and parcels did I meet Of these quaint primitive dissemblers, In old queen Bess's days call'd Tremblers; For their sham shaking, and their shivering.

See Knee-trembler.

Trench, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum: see Monosyllable.

1772. Bridges, Burlesque Homer, 35. The smooth rimm'd trenches Of sooty, sweaty, negro wenches. Ibid., 361. I'll give him seven wenches With fists so hard they've kept their trenches From being storm'd.

Trencher, subs. (old).—1. A square wooden platter: in general use before plates, and till lately at Winchester. Whence, trenchering = eating; trencher-buffon = a droll or butt whose place has been taken by the 'professional diner-out'; trencher-chaplain = a domestic chaplain; trencher-fly (friend, man, or mate) = a hanger-on, smell-feast, parasite, or sponger: whence to lick the trencher = to sponge, to lickspittle; trencher knight (or knight of the trencher) = a serving man, or waiter at table: hence trencher-cloak = a cloak worn by servants and apprentices; trencher-man = (1) a hearty feeder (Grose), one who 'plays a good knife and fork,' (2) = a cook, and (3) see supra; trencher-law = the regulation of diet; trencher