Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a thief; thus adj. lime-twig, lime-fingered thieving.

c.1499		Skelton Bowge of Courte line 509: Lyghte lyme-fynger, he toke none other wage.
1584		Three Ladies of London II: To catch it, and snatch it, we have the braue skill. Our fingers are lime-twigges, and Barbers we be, To catch sheetes from hedges most pleasant to see.
1596		J. Harington Metamorphosis of Ajax E4: A certaine Gentleman that had his fingers made of lime twigges, stole a peece of plate.
1604		Marston Malcontent V ii: Go thou, the duke’s lime-twig! I’ll make the duke turn thee out of thine office.
1606		Returne from Pernassus n.p.: [L]et vs run through all the lewd formes of lime-twig purloyning villanyes, let vs proue Cony catchers Baudes, or any thing.
1614		Jonson Bartholomew Fair IV iii: How now, lime-twig? Hast thou touched?
1639		J. Clarke Paraemiologia 270: Light finger’d [...] His fingers are lime-twigs.
1641		Harper in Bentley’s Misc. (1837) Feb. 180: Every finger of theirs is a lime-twigge with which they catch dotterels.
1641		Brothers of the Blade 4: I with my madona Mrs. Luce Limetwigge came out at the back doore.
1651		W. Cartwright Ordinary a Comedy 87: Some moneys will call back my Fathers LLands / Out of his lime-twig fingers.
1659		London Chaunticleres 24: These Ale-suckers too are a going to liquor some prize, that their lime-twig fingers have seized upon.
1670		J. Ray Proverbs 175: His fingers are lime-twigs. Spoken of a thievish person.

2. (UK Und.) in pl., playing cards, as used by a confidence trickster or card-cheat; thus fig., any snare.

1592		Greene Blacke Bookes Messenger 3: The Cards to be called, the Limetwigs.
1608		Dekker Belman of London F2: The wine the Strap, and the cardes the Limetwigs.
1640		Fletcher Night-Walker IV i: My Master stayes, I doubt his lime-twigges catch not.
1699		‘A New Ballad upon a Wedding’ in Playford Pills to Purge Melancholy I 84: She glides as if there were no ground, / And slily draws her Nets around, / Her Lime-twigs are her Kisses.

3. a procuress.

1604

Webster Malcontent n.p.: Go, go, thou art a weake pandresse, now I see / [...] /Go thou the Dukes lime-twig, Ile make the Duke turne thee out of thine office.

4. used attrib., delusive, cunning; seductive.

1606		The returne from Pernassus n.p.: [L]et vs run through all the lewd formes of lime-twig purloyning villanyes.
1669		Hero & Leander 56: No Lime-twig words, or subtle sly Dog-tricks / To chase, to circumvent her, or to catch'er.
1682		E. Hickeringill Scandalum Magnatum 52: Their Cobweb-Canons, and their Lime-twig-Laws, / Thou valuest no more than rotten Straws.