latitat, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

latitat n.

[Lat. latitare, to lie concealed; thus legal jargon latitat, ‘a writ which supposed the defendant to lie concealed and which summoned him to answer in the King’s Bench’ (OED)]

an attorney, a lawyer.

1771		Foote Maid of Bath in Works (1799) II 207: I will send for Luke Latitat and Codicil, and make a handsome bequest to the hospital.
1781		Hicky’s Bengal Gaz. 9-16 June n.p.: Seeing of it surrounded by an enumerable [sic] number of hungry Latitats.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1794		Sporting Mag. Dec. V 159/1: The baker [...] went immediately to his attorney. [...] Mr. Latitat, who was very fond of plucking geese [...] assured Mr. Dough that he would immediately send his next door neighboure a piece of parchment.
1804		Sporting Mag. Jan. XXIII 219/2: A Baker and an Attorney lately having a dispute, Mr. Dough sent word to Mr. Latitat [etc.].
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1834		‘Jack Downing’ Andrew Jackson 69: ’ll teach you tu despise the people and play the lattitat among the rustics.
1843		R.S. Surtees Handley Cross (1854) 364: This little podgy cock on the cob is Latitat the lawyer.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.
1882		Dly Dispatch (Richmond, VA) 1 Nov. 3/3: A ‘latitat’ is an attorney.
1895		C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 44: Latitat, an attorney.