Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (orig. US, also cradle emptier, cradle pirate) one who pursues lovers who are younger than themselves, thus v. rob a cradle.

1904		Ward Co. Indep. (ND) 23 Mar. 1/3: Brauns is accused of being a cradle robber.
1908		Custer Co. Republican (NE) 12 Nov. 7/6: There’ll be a lot of debutantes there. What do you want to go, you cradle robber?
1914		Sport (Adelaide) 13 Nov. 5/5: Les. B. has been robbing cradles again as he was seen nursing I.C. [...] at the back of the shop.
1915		Hawaiian Gaz. (Honolulu, HI) 26 Nov. 4/5: Levy retorted that Bohnstein was a cradle robber and a number of other uncomplimentary things.
1920		S. Lewis Main Street (1921) 389: Darned if this bunch of cradle-robbers didn’t get hold of some young kids.
1926		J. Tully Jarnegan (1928) 252: You’re the guy that raped Daisy Carol [...] you lousy cradle robber.
1935		Afro-American (Baltimore, MD) 18 May 5/1: Because of his new romance, they are calling what man-about-town ‘Cradle Emptier’?
1935		E. Freeman ‘The Whirling Hub’ in Afro-American (Baltimore, MD) 2 Mar. 15/1: By the way, Art is a cradle pirate too.
1939		Howsley Argot: Dict. of Und. Sl.
1966		Trimble 5000 Adult Sex Words and Phrases.
1974		J. Lahr Hot to Trot 99: I’m no cradle robber.
2006		G. Iles Turning Angel 93: Fucking cradle-robber. Pervert.

2. (US) one who exploits children for their labour (or poss. sex).

1916

Day Book (Chicago) 7 Jan. 10/1: As a cradle-robber Heinman tops the record for Illinois. He works 403 girls betweedn 14 and 16 years of age.

3. (US) a child-molester; thus cradle-robbing adj.

1979

Maledicta III:2 221: No gay, not even my expert who described himself as frankly a baby-snatching, cradle-robbing, DOM (dirty old man) would use or necessarily know all these words.

(orig. US) an older person, in modern use usu. a woman but also of gay men, who prefers affairs with people substantially younger than they are; thus cradle-snatching n.

1907		J. Corbin Cave Man 314: Some men are never too old. What is that they call them – cradle snatchers?
1913		J. London Valley of the Moon (1914) 56: ‘Cradle-snatcher’ was the final sting that sent the angry blood into Saxon’s cheeks.
1914		Sport (Adelaide) 17 July 4/2: When Knocker wants a tart he goes around to cradles looking for one. Look out, Knocker, that you don’t be had up for cradle snatching .
1926		Maines & Grant Wise-crack Dict. 6/1: Cradle snatcher – Person who prefers a younger companion.
1929		Nottingham Eve. Post 12 July 3/2: The spinster who has selected a very young man as her husband has been called a ‘cradle-snatcher’.
1939		Portsmouth Eve. News 6 May 8/2: ‘They call me cradle snatcher,’ said Susan bitterly. ‘They’re spoiling my life with their horrible tongues and sneers. What does it matter if Jimmy is a few years younger than I am?’.
1941		K. Tennant Battlers 92: Had you taxed him with wanting to make an impression, the busker would have replied with cold scorn that he was no ‘cradle-snatcher’, and that he liked a girl with a bit of life.
1954		(con. 1920s–30s) J.O. Killens Youngblood (1956) 432: I ain’t in the cradle-snatching business yet. Mama ain’t that hard up awhile.
1957		F. Kohner Gidget (2001) 32: Olé Cradlesnatcher!
1959		D. Hewett Bobbin Up (1961) 58: Hope you know what you’re doin’. Not cradle-snatchin’ are you?
1966		Trimble 5000 Adult Sex Words and Phrases.
1979		F. Norman Too Many Crooks Spoil the Caper 148: ‘Cradle snatcher,’ snarled Glenys.
1990		R.G. Barratt ‘A Week’s a Long Time’ in What Do You Reckon (1997) [ebook] I don’t mind cradle-snatching to a certain extent but [...] I was old enough to be this girl’s uncle.
1993		T. Winton Lockie Leonard: Scumbuster (1995) 83: He was a cradle-snatcher. He had the hots for a kid in primary school.
2003		K. Cage Gayle 63/2: cradle snatcher n. someone who dates a man much younger than himself (also: cradle snatching) [American Gayspeak].
2012		(con. 1980s) I. Welsh Skagboys 167: Cradle-snatching Sick Boy [...] wi that perr wee Maria lassie in tow. She’s a bit young fir him.
2015		I. Welsh Decent Ride 30: Fae the wine bars tae the bingo halls, cradle-snatchin (turn ay phrase, legal limits, like) tae amublance-chasin.

(UK Und.) a gibbet.

c.1850

Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict. n.p.: Cradle-vanneck a gibbet. [Ibid.] n.p.: Cradle-vannecked gibbetted in irons.