Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. used in a variety of phrs., all denigrating suburban life and poss. near-SE, e.g. aunt of the suburbs, a prostitute; house in the suburbs, a brothel; minion of the suburbs, a male prostitute; thus suburban adj., e.g. suburban roarer, a pimp or male ‘heavy’ in a brothel.

1583		P. Stubbes Anatomie of Abuses 48: In the Feeldes and Suburbes of the Cities, they haue Gardens [...] wherein they maie (and doubtlesse doe) many of them plaie the filthie persons.
1592		Greene Disputation Betweene a Hee and a Shee Conny-Catcher (1923) 39: The Suburbes should haue a great misse of vs, and Shordish wold complaine to dame Anne [...] if we of the sisterhood should not vphold her iollitie.
1608		Dekker Lanthorne and Candle-Light Ch. 9: The Infernal Promoter beeing wearied by riding up and downe the Country, was glad when he had gotten the Citty ouer his head, but the Citty being not able to hold him within the freedome, because he was a Forreiner, the gates were sette wide open for him to passe through, and into the Suburbes hee went. And what saw hee there? More Ale-houses than there are Tauernes in all Spayne & France. Are they so dry in the Suburbs? Yes, pockily dry. What saw he besides? Hee saw the dores of notorious Carted Bawdes, (like Hell-gates) stand night and day wide open, with a paire of Harlots in Taffata gownes (like two painted posts) garnishing out those dores.
1611		Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girle Prologue: One is she / That roars at midnight in deep tavern bowls, / That beats the watch, and constables controls; / Another roars i’ th’ daytime, swears, stabs, gives braves, / Yet sells her soul to the lust of fools and slaves / Both these are suburb roarers.
1612		N. Field Woman is a Weathercock IV ii: Thou, a soldier! A captain of the suburbs, a poor foist.
1632		Massinger Emperour of the East I ii: Minion of the suburbs, And now and then admitted to Court, And honor’d with the stile of Squire of Dames.
1635		R. Brome Sparagus Garden V xiii: The Stockes were fitter for him: the most corrupted fellow about the Suburbs.
1642		H. Peacham Art of Living in London (1962) 247: These over-hot and crafty daughters of the sun, your silken and gold-laced harlots every where, especially in the suburbs.
c.1642		T. Killigrew Parson’s Wedding (1664) III i: Follow her, like one of my Aunts of the Suburbs.
1654		Webster Appius and Virginia III i: Muttons mutton now [...] the sinners i’th’ Suburbs had almost tane the name quite away from’t, ’twas so cheap and common.
1668		‘The Citizen’s Reply to the Whores’ Petition and Prentices’ Answer’ in Ebsworth Bagford Ballads (1878) II 511: You are the Citties Pest-house, Suburbs sinks.
1675		Fumblers-Hall 5: Come you brave Artists of the Horned trade / [...] / The Suburbs are so full you well may rally.
1699		N. Ward London Spy XI 253: The baskets [...] began now to be handed about from the City-Bubble to the Subburbs-Jilts.
1702		Farquhar Twin-Rivals I i: This confounded hump of mine [...] presses me down here in the dirt and diseases of Covent Garden, the low suburbs of pleasure.
1734		C. Johnson Hist. of Highwaymen &c 353: Is it not a Pity to see them (poor Souls!) who were wont to shine like so many Constellations in the Firmament of the Suburbs.
1818		Byron Beppo lxiii: A fifth’s look’s vulgar, dowdyish, and suburban.
1822		R. Nares Gloss. (1888) II 848: suburbs. The general resort of disorderly persons in fortified towns, and in London also.
1888–94		‘Walter’ My Secret Life (1966) VI 1273: At London I at first took fancy again for women in the suburbs, punks who would let me have them for half a crown.

2. attrib. use of sense 1; thus suburb-garden, a house in which one installs a mistress; suburb-humour, unpleasant humour, usu. at another’s expense; suburb justice, corrupt justice, easily amenable to bribes; suburb sinner, a prostitute; suburb tricks, sexual amusements.

1598		Jonson Every Man In his Humour I ii: It will do well for a suburb humour.
1610		Jonson Alchemist I i: Since, by my means, translated suburb-Captain.
1625		Massinger Unnatural Combat IV ii: There is a kinde of a vaulting house not farre off, Where I us’d to spend my afternoones, among Suburb shee-gamesters.
1633		S. Marmion Fine Companion in Dramatic Works (1875) 164: There’s a wench has her suburb tricks about her .
1635		R. Brome Sparagus Garden I i: Some Suburbe Justice, that sits o’ the skirts o’ the City and lives by’t.
1664		C. Cotton Virgil Travestie (1765) Bk IV 132: Or else some dirty suburb-drab, Has help’d the Rascal to a Clap.
1673		T. Shadwell Epsom Wells III i: Oh how I abhor [...] The glittering Court, the fraudulent Gown, / The Suburb debauches.
1719		in D’Urfey Pills to Purge Melancholy I 211: Whilst she we call a Town Madam; / Is infected still with foul Suburb stinks.