Green’s Dictionary of Slang

round me houses n.

trousers.

1858		A. Mayhew Paved with Gold 169: Phil, intimating that, as soon as he had put on his trousers, he would black Bill’s eyes, roared out, ‘Wait till I’ve togged my “round-the-houses,” and then I’ll cook your “mince-pies”’ for you.’.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1895		Mirror of Life 25 Mar. 11/3: A good fellow is this introducer, who, we would go bail, would rather have had the price of the rig-out in the kick of his working ‘roundmies’.
1893		P.H. Emerson Signor Lippo 55: One day he walked straight into this kitchen clobbered in a pair of rounds, tight to his legs.
1898		Binstead & Wells Pink ’Un and Pelican 153: A snip who was after a chap for the price of a couple o’ pair of ‘round-my-houses.’.
1900		Illus. Police News 8 Sept. 3/3: Defendant. This gent keeps a regular round the houses shop.
1906		E. Dyson Fact’ry ’Ands 164: No man that wore ’ome-made round-th’-’ouses ever done wonders in this world.
1909		J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era 192/1: Pair o’ round-mys (Low Life). Trousers.
1917		W. Muir Observations of Orderly 226: ‘Round the houses,’ for example, being both a rhyme to and synonym for ‘trousis.’.
1924		Mail (Adelaide) 16 Feb. 1/4: A few of the ways that clothes are referred to:— Trousers— Round the houses.
1930		(con. 1910–20s) D. Mackenzie Hell’s Kitchen 120: Round-me-houses ... trousers.
1935		Thieves Slang ms list from District Police Training Centre, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwicks 9: Round me houses: Trousers.
1938		(con. 1900s) in J.B. Booth Sporting Times 88: But a pair of his round the houses hung / At the Anna Maria to air.
1942		Damon Runyon in Star (Marion, OH) 31 July 6/8: In the original ‘round the houses’ was trousers.
a.1945		L. Payne private coll. n.p.: Trousers(es) Round the Houses.
1955		Index Jrnl (Greenwood, SC) 29 Nov. 5/4: Trousers — round the houses.
1969		S.T. Kendall Up the Frog 20: ’E ’itches up his round the ’ouses.
1979		R. Barker Fletcher’s Book of Rhy. Sl. 25: He would put on [...] his Dicky Dirt, and his round the houses.
1980		Barltrop & Wolveridge Muvver Tongue 19: Trousers : round the houses.
2002		K. Lucas ‘All my life I’ve wanted to be a Barrow Boy’ in Obfuscation News Apr. Issue 20 🌐 ‘What I want made’, he told Tom, ‘is a true Costermongers Flute, similar to that worn by Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. Corduroy Round the Houses, a Velvet Billy Goat, a scarf choker and the crowning glory, a flat cap.’.