cattle n.
1. a collective n. for prostitutes, thus punning drive cattle, to work as a pimp [note SE cattle, horses, which are, like prostitutes, ‘ridden’].
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Edward I Dyce (1861) 382: Thou has cugelled two as good lessons into my jacket as every churchman did at so short warning: the one is, not to be busy with another man’s cattle. | |
| Scornful Lady III i: These women are a proud kind of cattle. | |
| Pandora Act I: I shall not spoyle your Market, but leave you those cheap Cattel, at your own price. | |
| Woman Turn’d Bully V ii: Some well-meaning Punck, on my life, following her Calling. It is easier to see a Court-Lady in her natural Complexion, than Fleet-street and the Temple without this kinde of Cattle. | |
| London Spy I 9: He accounts them rare Cattle, if they Calve once in a Year. | |
| Lives of Most Noted Highway-men, etc. I 240: The impairing of his Health [...] did not alienate his Inclination from keeping Company with such Cattle, who ruin both Body and Soul. | |
| Narrative of Street-Robberies 28: Kit Rawlins took more delight in the Company of these Cattle. | |
| Nocturnal Revels I 57: ‘I know of no such rotten [i.e. diseased] cattle as you talk of’. | |
| Correct List of the Sporting Ladies [broadsheet] Mother Ash---h [...] has a noble stud of young cattle [who] give great satisfaction to all who ride well. | |
| New Dict. Cant (1795). | |
| ‘Landlady Casey’ in I (1975) 153: Come men and cattle, / Come all to Mrs. Casey! | |
| [caption on a print] Cattle Not Insurable [whores being rowed out to a man-o’-war]. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Wkly Rake (NY) 10 Sept. n.p.: the rake wants to know[I]f he is as fond of English cattle as ever. Take care, like all cattle they are very horny . | |
| Life in Boston & N.Y. (Boston, MA) 10 Aug. n.p.: That interesting youth, who is reported to have become very intimate with such cattle. | |
| Life in Boston & N.Y. (Boston, MA) 11 Oct. n.p.: Lewis is ‘driving cattle’ again. He had a big drove at the fair. | |
| Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 26 Sept. 14/2: It is said that the parties who fired the house [i.e. a brothel] [...] will use dynamite the next trip if it is occupied again by the same kind of cattle. | |
| Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 46: cattle Women. | |
| Empty Wigs (t/s) 209: [B]eckoning her to spin round for a fuller gleg, commenting as though the cattle couldn’t understand. The cattle could understand but didn’t mind. |
2. people, sometimes contemptible.
| School of Abuse (1868) 27: We haue infinite Poets, and Pipers, and suche peeuishe cattel among vs in Englande. | |
| As You Like It III ii: Boys and women are, for the most part cattle of this colour. | |
| ‘Odes of Importance’ Works (1794) I 89: Now do, marm, find out some other place to give your cattle the cowskin. [Ibid.] II 163: We must go there too, and hear McNeil and Chalmers, and them sort o’ cattle. [Ibid.] III 208: If all your cattle will such a hubbub keep, I know. | |
| Handley Cross (1854) 523: ‘Girls are queer cattle,’ observed Bowker. | |
| Hillyars and Burtons (1870) 18: Curious cattle, these convicts! | |
| Wanderings of a Vagabond 140: We had determined to [...] try our fortune among its law-makers, office-holders, political adventurers, lobbyists, and such-like cattle. | |
| ‘Moll Jarvis’ in Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues II 59/2: Queer cattle is women to deal with? Lord bless ye, yer honour, they are! | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Bulletin (Sydney) 15 Aug. 18/3: ‘Judges,’ says our exchange, ‘are curious cattle.’ Does this mean that the Judge this time has made a bull? | |
| (H.E. Hamblen) On Many Seas 313: And it is such cattle that represent themselves as Yankee sailors. | |
| Boy’s Own Paper 23 Mar. 388: I don’t doubt you’ll find the cattle doing a lively business with red, blue and yellow tickets for the next few days. | |
| Bulletin (Sydney) 21 July 10/2: Motoring was looked on in those days as the freakish pastime of mechanics, inventors and such like weird cattle. | |
| ‘Terms Of Disparagement’ in DN IV:iii 196: cattle, a term of contempt. ‘The cattle had a regular stampede on the carnival grounds last night. | |
| Mr Standfast (1930) 722: ‘She will be a happy mysie,’ he said, ‘but you will need to be very clever with her, for women are queer cattle and you and I don’t know their ways.’. | |
| Chicago May (1929) 186: Even the ‘stars,’ who are not underworld women, despise such cattle. | |
| Rough Stuff 146: Those kind of ‘cattle’ don’t know what kindness is. | |
| Shilling for Candles 19: All right for song writers and that sort of cattle, but rough on a film, very rough. |
SE in slang uses
In phrases
in air travel, economy/standard seating.
![[Can]](/static/img/flags/can.png "Canada") | Imperfectionists 226: ‘Emergency exits are practically first-class [...] and all for the price of cattle class’. |
In compounds
(Aus.) a cattle farmer.
| Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 86: [H]e was buttonholed by none other than this dapper cattle cocky from Alice Springs. |
see separate entries.
(US) a cattle thief.
| Wolfville 61: The ornery an’ ongrateful part is that the Princess sends one of her own peonies scoutin’ ’round in the hills to bring in this band of cattle-eaters onto us. |
(UK Und.) a gaoler.
| New and Improved Flash Dict. n.p.: Cattle graziers goal-keepers [sic]. |
see cow-puncher n.
(Aus.) any form of organized swindle.
 | Settlers and Convicts 294: A Cattle-racket. The term at the head of this chapter was originally applied in New South Wales to the agitation of society which took place when some wholesale system of plunder in cattle was brought to light. It is now commonly applied to any circumstance of this sort, whether greater or less, and whether springing from a felonious intent or accidental. |
see under stiff n.1
(US black) a Cadillac.
| ‘Jiver’s Bible’ in Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive. | |
| , | | DAS. |