John Audley, phr. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

John Audley phr.

[‘Ex. the actor-manager John Richardson (d.1837), who used to ask “Is John Audley here?” whenever another “house” was waiting, though tradition (Hotten, 1864) has it that John Audley or Orderly taught him the wheeze’ (DSUE)]

1. (UK Und., also Peter Audley) quietly.

1741

Canting Academy, or the Pedlar’s-French Dict. 117: To hold your Tongue Peter or John Audley.

2. stop doing that.

1893

P.H. Emerson Signor Lippo 12: They all burst out laughing, and one said, ‘John Audley,’ that means ‘Leave off’.

3. quickly, be quick.

c.1921

T. Norman Penny Showman 60: John Audley, by the way, is a slang word for be quick, and by doing it John Audley, it enabled us to get the audiences in and out a great deal oftener.