Venus’s game n.
1. prostitution.
The Comical Hist. of Don Quixote Pt 2 II ii: The Girls of Venus Game, / That venture Health and Fame, / In practising Feats, / With Colds and Heats, / Make Lovers go Blind and Lame. | ||
Tea-table Misc. (1733) IV 412: You girls of Venus game, That venture health and fame [...] Make lovers grow blind and lame. |
2. sexual intercourse.
‘Sally Mac Gee’ in A. Carpenter Verse in Eng. in 18C Ireland (1998) 513: You sporting young girls, give ear to my ditty / [...] / I’m a buxon young girl, just come from the city, / I love for to play at young Venus’s game. | ||
‘The Coughing Old Man’ in Luke Caffrey’s Gost 2: The very first night that he came to bed to me, / I longed for a trial at Venus’s game. |