1851-61. Mayhew, London Lab., iii. 143. Veal's was the best circus I was at; there they had six prads and two ponies.
1854. Ainsworth, James the Second, 1. ii. It may be, young squire, you'll have to go forth afoot, instead of on your prad.
1893. Emerson, Signor Lippo, xvi. We moved to some new stables, where there was stalls for eight prads, four each side, besides a loose box.
1895. Marriott-Watson, New Review, July, 9. Creech . . . swerved out of line and ran his mare full face upon the struggling prads.
Prairie. On the prairie, phr.
(Western American).—See quot.
1848. Ruxton, Far West, 127. Presented to them on the prairie, or "gift-free."
Prairie-dew, subs. phr. (American).—Whiskey:
cf. Mountain-dew
(Scots').
1848. Durivage, Stray Subjects, 81. Jest fetch on your prary dew for the hull lot, and d the expense.
Prairie-oyster (or -cocktail),
subs. phr. (American).—A raw
yolk dropped into spirits, flavoured
with Worcester or cayenne,
and gulped.
1898. Sporting Times, 19 Feb., i. 5. "Take anything?" "Yes, I'll have a prairie oyster." "Hedge! hedge!" cried the young 'un, "I don't mean lunch . . . have a drink?"
Prairie-schooner, subs. phr.
(American).—An emigrant waggon.
1887. Stevens, Around the World [S. J. & C.]. Meeting prairie-schooners will now be a daily incident of my Eastward journey.
1888. Daily Inter-Ocean, 14 April. The old prairie-schooner . . . is now mainly a thing of the past.
Prairie State, verb. phr. (American).—Illinois.
Pram, subs. (vulgar).—A perambulator.
1891. Notes & Queries, 7 S. xi. 104. May we not hope that the odious and meaningless vulgarism of pram, for perambulator, will be exploded from popular use.
Prancer, subs. (Old Cant).—1. A
horse: see Prad; and (2) a horse-thief.
Hence prancer's-nab =
a horse's head: as a seal to a
counterfeit pass; the sign of
the prancer = The Nag's
Head.—Rowlands (1610); B.E.
(c.1696); Hall (1714); Grose
(1785).
1567. Harman, Caveat (1869), 85. A bene mort hereby at the sign op the prauncer.
1591. Greene, Second Part Conny-catching [Grosart, Works, x. 76]. They . . . take an especiall and perfect view where Prancers or horses be.
1622. Fletcher, Beggar's Bush, v. 2. Higgen hath prigged the prancers in his day.
1712. The Twenty Craftsmen [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 37]. The fifteenth a prancer, whose courage is small, If they catch him horse-coursing, he's nooz'd once for all.
1749. Oath of Canting Crew [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 51]. Prig of cackler, prig of prancer.
1834. Ainsworth, 'The Game of High Toby' [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 115. His matchless cherry-black prancer riding.
1843. Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit, xix. 203. My four long-tailed prancers, never harnessed under ten pound ten!
1852. Judson, Mysteries of New York, iv. I prigged two prancers and sold 'em.
3. (old).—A dancer: also as verb. = to dance. Also pranker.
1621. Burton, Anat. Melan., iii. ii. If she be a noted reveller, a gadder, a singer, a pranker or dancer, then take heed of her.
4. (military).—A cavalry officer.
