squire, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

squire n.

[SE squire, a title orig. used to denote an esquire, a young man of good birth, attendant upon a knight, but by 17C referring mainly to a country gentleman]

1. a fool [one who is foolish enough to serve another].

1610		Jonson Alchemist Prologue: No clime breeds better matter, for your whore, / Bawd, squire, imposter, many persons more, / Whose manners, now called humours, feed the stage.
1683		Whores Rhetorick 76: Such squires will be credulous enough to believe this circumspection is all but necessary.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: The Squire, a Sir Timothy Treat-all; also, a Sap-pate. . . . A fat Squire, a rich Fool.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].

2. a general title used ironically in a number of contexts, e.g. apple squire under apple n.¹; see also phrs. below.

1602		Middleton Blurt, Master Constable C3: I am Frisco, Squire to a bawdy house.
1608		Dekker Honest Whore Pt 2 (1630) V ii: hip.: Oh, an Apple-squire. bots.: Yes, sir, that degree of scuruy Squiers, and that I am maintained by the best part that is commonly in a woman.
1617		Middleton & Rowley A Fair Quarrel IV iv: When thou art dead, may twenty whores follow thee, that thou mayst go a squire to thy grave.
1632		Massinger Emperour of the East I ii: Marry there I am calde The Squire of Dames, or seruant of the sex.
c.1638		J. Shirley Constant Maid V iii: [Knights who] lose their spurs In women’s petticoats, and turn squires again To whores.
1739		Ipswich Jrnl 9 June 1/3: John Jeremiah Temple, who also goes by the Name of Squire Stward and Squire Shaw, was committed [...] upon a strong Suspicion of Felony.
c.1790		‘Peter Pindar’ ‘The Rights of Kings’ Works (1794) III 58: Dear as sham-fights to that same ’Squire of Coals.
1830		J. Galt Lawrie Todd I Pt II 120: I ain’t special ’bout pedigrees; but my wife [...] wont have nobody call me but squire.
1900		R.H. Savage Brought to Bay 105: It was no light-minded squire of dames who sat alone in the smoking-room, rolling his Syrian cigarettes.

3. a general term of address, no particular rank or intimacy indicatedcit. 1935 means ‘yourself’.

1828		J.F. Cooper Notions I 102: The New-Englandman is too kind in all his habits to call any man stranger. His usual address is ‘friend’, or sometimes he contemplates a stranger of a gentlemanly appearance, with the title of ‘squire’ .
1838		T. Haliburton Clockmaker II 286: Mornin’, squire, said he.
1850		G. Seaworthy Bertie 80: ‘Good morning, squire!’ replied we in chorus.
1862		‘Artemus Ward’ Artemus Ward, His Book 55: ‘It is a middlin fine day Square,’ I obsarved.
1882		G.W. Peck Peck’s Sunshine 240: Hold on, squire!
1929		‘Henry Green’ Living (1978) 321: ‘Why squire’ Mr Tarver said.
1935		M. Harrison Spring in Tartarus 23: Well, Merrion, how’s tricks? How’s the squire?
1959		C. MacInnes Absolute Beginners 68: Hail, squire [...] Long time no see.
1966		C. Wood Fill the Stage With Happy Hours (1967) Act III: Mine’s a light ale pale ale, Squire, thank you.
1973		Clement & La Frenais ‘Prisoner and Escort’ Porridge [TV script] I’ll give it serious consideration, squire.
1977		(con. 1941) R. Beilby Gunner 27: What would you like, squire? A leg-break or full toss?
1981		C. Hope Separate Development 72: Suits me, squire. Waiting goes on the meter, see.
1997		P. Theroux Kowloon Tong 34: You’d better get used to it, squire.
2006		P. Shannon Davey Darling 88: Right you are then, squire.
2023		M. Herron Secret Hours 24: [‘This] is therefore outside your jurisdiction, squire’.

4. (UK Und.) a successful criminal.

1822		Life and Trial of James Mackcoull 18: The squire’s a good little fellow.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 84/2: ’Twas a shocking dirty domicile for a ‘squire’ to live in.

5. (US) a magistrate, thus squire-shop, a magistrate’s court.

1835		W. Otter History of My own Times 38: [W]e went straight to a squire-shop and got myself bound [as an apprentice] for four years [ibid.] 96: [T]he constable as usual in those cases had the Squire brought to the town, and they told him that they had got this big Irishman; the Squire asked me if I was the man, I told him yes I was one of them, he asked if I was prepared with security for my appearance in court.
1838		‘Uncle Sam’s Peculiarities’ Bentley’s Misc. IV 587: I went before one of the rascally squires in New York, who [...] ordered some of his people to put a belt round me and tie me to the wall.
1855		A. Doten Journals 1849-1903 (1973) I 1 July 227: [T]he constable soon came in and arrested the belligerent parties and took them to the squire’s office, where they were secured.
1862		D. DeQuille ‘Letter from Dan De Quille’ in Cedar Falls Gaz. 7 Feb. in Curtis & Berkove Before the Big Bonanza (2015) 181: ‘[Y]ou’re to be our next Square [sic],—you know what that is I reckon? [...] We’re all dry, Squire,—all very dry. You’ll have to treat—it’s the Squire’s treat.
1893		D. DeQuille ‘Peter Crow among the Witches’ in Californian Illus. Mag. 3 Apr. in Berkove Fighting Horse (1990) 157: De squire say—‘De pris’ner is discharged’.
1934		J. O’Hara Appointment in Samarra 192: ‘He’ll arrest you and the ’squire’ll send you to reformatory till you’re eighteen years old yet.’.

In derivatives

squirish (adj.)

foolish.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Squirish, foolish.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
c.1750–1882		B.M. Carew Life and Adventures.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

In phrases

squire of Alsatia (n.) [Alsatia n.; best known as the title of Thomas Shadwell’s play, first staged in 1688]

1. a gentleman who has been drawn to the criminal world and there found himself fleeced, robbed and generally rendered destitute by its denizens.

1688		T. Shadwell [play title] The Squire of Alsatia.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Squire of Alsatia, a Man of Fortune, drawn in, cheated, and ruin’d by a pack of poor, lowsy, spunging, bold Fellows that liv’d (formerly) in White-Fryers.

2. an overly generous man.

c.1698

B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Squire of Alsatia [...] a Sir Timothy Treat-all.

3. a rich fool.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Squire of Alsatia [...] a Sap-pate.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Squire of Alsatia. A weak profligate spendthrift; one who pays the whole reckoning, or treats the company, called standing squire.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1880		London Dly News 27 Apr. 2/2: Genuine old-fashioned inns [where] many a ‘Squire of Alsatia’ took his ease, his tabacco, and strong waters.

squire of the body (n.) [mocking the SE esquire or the ‘country squire’ + SE body; cf. knight of the... n. and its combs]

a pimp, or a term of abuse.

1608		Dekker Honest Whore Pt 2 (1630) V ii: I liue (like those that keepe Bowling-alleyes) by the sinnes of the people, in being a Squire of the body.
1650		H. Nevile Newes from the New Exchange 6: You have had many a one by that excellent Squire of the Body young Lenthall.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 71: Prithee, Sweet-heart, from what Dunghil didst thou pick up this Shakerag, this Squire of the body? This thing drest up in sippets? This Scarecrow, what shall I call him?
1719		in D’Urfey Pills to Purge Melancholy III 67: Knights of the garter, two were Call’d, / Knights of the Shoe-string, two install’d / [...] / But oh! the Squire of the Body was / A better place than both.
1731		News from the New-Exchange (2 edn) [as 1650].

squire of the company (n.)

one who treats the rest of the company.

1785

Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

squire of the cross (n.) [cross n.¹ (2)]

(UK Und.) a thief.

1830

Lytton Paul Clifford II 108: Gentlemen of the Road, the Street, the Theatre and the Shop! Prigs, Toby-men, and Squires of the Cross!

squire of the gimlet (n.) [SE gimlet, used as a corkscrew]

a publican, a tapster.

1937–84

Partridge DSUE (1984) 1140/1: ca. 1670–1800.

squire of the gusset (n.)

see brother of the gusset under brother (of the)... n.

squire of the pad (n.) [pad n.¹ (1)]

a highwayman.

1667		R. L’Estrange (trans.) Visions of Quevedo 318: We were in the other world intitled to the Order of the Squires of the Pad; and borrow’d now and then a small sum upon the Kings High-way.
1700		T. Brown Amusements Serious and Comical in Works (1744) III 60: Sometimes they [i.e. gamblers] are squires of the pad, and now and then borrow a little money upon the King’s high-way.
1718		M. Prior Thief and the Cordelier in Works (1959) I 459: There the Squire of the Pad, and the Knight of the Post, Find their Pains no more balk’d and their Hopes no more crost.

squire of the petticoat (n.) (also petticoat-peer, petticoat squire) [metonymic use of SE petticoat = women]

a pimp; as a term of abuse.

a.1661		‘A Quarrel betwixt Tower-hill & Tyburn’ Rump Poems and Songs (1662) I 342: The next among these Petticoat-Peers / Is Harry Martin, take him thither.
a.1661		‘City Ballad’ Rump Poems and Songs (1662) II 41: The late Petticoat Squire / From his shop mounted higher / To the Sword.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues V 179/1: petticoat-pensioner (squire or knight of the petticoat) = a male keep.

squire of the placket (n.) [placket n.]

a pimp.

1662		‘M.W.’ Marriage Broaker I i: He is one who makes provision for the belly; Squire of the Placket.
1937–84		Partridge DSUE (1984) 1140/1: ca. 1630–1800.

stand squire (v.)

to treat the company.

1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: The squire of the company; one who pays the whole reckoning, or treats the company, called standing squire.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.