Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a display of china and plate.

1806–7		J. Beresford Miseries of Human Life (1826) 216: Every dish...being served up on the kitchen table, with a set-out of crockery from the same apartment.
1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 156: Set out, [...] ’tis also applied to a sideboard, decked out, or a dinner table, set out.
1830		P. Hawker Diary (1893) II 2 Feb. 14: He and his punt came home looking like a set-out of glass, and himself half-frozen.
1858		‘Shadow’ Midnight Scenes 25: The usual ‘set-out’ at the bar — bottles, jugs, and decanters.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor I 368/1: The lady...wanted me to go and buy expressly for her a green and white chamber service all complete [...] and all this here grand set-out she wanted for a couple of old washed-out light waistcoats.

2. a table full of dishes of food.

1809		B.H. Malkin (trans.) Adventures of Gil Blas (1822) I 304: There was a grand set-out, and mirth, the best relish, was not wanting to the banquet.
1816		Austen Emma III 88: ‘There shall be cold meat in the house.’ ‘Well—as you please; only don’t have a great set out.’.
1822		C. Dibdin Yngr Larks of Logic, Tom and Jerry II v: We’ll have as pretty a set-out of any of the quality folks.
1823		see sense 2.
1899		Union Times (Columbia, SC) 14 Apr. 3/3: My, but there was a set-out in the kitchen — the table was plum loaded.

3. a person’s horse or horses and carriage.

1819		P. Egan Key to the Picture of the Fancy going to a Fight 13: [A] good set-out is important at all times [...] that can move with celerity along the road.
1821		‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London I 605: His bang-up set-out of blood and bone, giving the go-by to a heavy drag laden with eight brawney bull-faced blades, smoking their way down behind a skeleton of a horse.
1856		G.J. Whyte-Melville Kate Coventry (1865) 33: As we pulled up in front of the Castle Hotel... ‘’Ere’s a spicy set-out, Bill,’ said one.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor II 46/2: The whole set-out... pony included, Cost £50 when new.

4. a person’s clothes or way of dressing.

1821		Egan Life in London (1869) 118: His set-out altogether was of so fascinating a description that he had no competitor in the ranks of fashion.
1836–7		Dickens Pickwick Papers (1999) 33: ‘P.C.,’ said the stranger, – ‘queer set-out – old fellow’s likeness, and P.C. – What does P.C. stand for – Peculiar coat, eh?’.

5. a group of people.

1854

Dickens Hard Times 8: She must just hate and detest the whole set-out of us.

6. a disturbance, a fuss.

1894		H. Nevinson ‘Sissero’s Return’ in P.J. Keating Working Class Stories of the 1890s (1971) 65: You may be sure there was a fine set-out when it got known as Sissero and Ginger ’ad started keepin’ company.
1933		D.L. Sayers Murder must Advertise 166: Coo! that was a set-out, that was.

7. (US tramp) a meal given to a tramp.

1949

Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).

8. see set-up n.¹ (2)