Green’s Dictionary of Slang

oats and chaff n.

[rhy. sl.; Northern pron.]

a footpath.

1857		‘Ducange Anglicus’ Vulgar Tongue.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1927		Shields Dly News 2 Dec. 2/7: I walked along the ‘oats and chaff’ (footpath).