Brewer's: An Abbey-lubber

An idle, well-fed dependent or loafer.

“It came into a common proverbe to call him an Abbay-lubber, that was idle, wel fed, a long, lewd, lither loiterer, that might worke and would not.” —The Burnynge of Paules Church, 1563.

It is used also of religions in contempt; see Dryden's Spanish Friar.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Related Content