| 释义 |
green cloth, greencloth
1. In full, Board of Green Cloth: A department of the Royal Household, consisting of the Lord Steward and his subordinates, which has control of various matters of expenditure, and legal and judicial authority within the sovereign's court-royal, ‘with power to correct all offenders, and to maintain the peace of the verge or jurisdiction of the court-royal, which extends every way two hundred yards from the gate of the palace’ (Wharton Law Lex.). (So called from the green-covered table at which its business was originally transacted.)
1536in Gentl. Mag. (1813) May 427 Thomas Hatterlyf and Edwarde Weldon, clerks of the greenclothe. 1539Househ. Ord. (1790) 228 Calling unto them the Cofferer, Clerke of the Greencloth, and one of the Clerkes-Comptrollers. 1604Bacon Sp. conc. Purveyors in Resuscit. (1657) 7 As to the Court, of the Green-Cloth, ordained, for the Provision, of your Majesties most Honourable Houshold, we hold it Ancient, we hold it Reverent. 1658Osborn Q. Eliz. (1673) 428 The Green cloth (a Court only intending Provision and Carriages). 1692Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) II. 571 Mr. Isack, secretary of the green cloth, is dead. Ibid. III. 489 Mr. comptroller has complained to the green cloth against Mr. Story for keeping musick and revelling in his house on the fast day. 1711Swift Jrnl. to Stella 11 Aug., Wks. 1824 II. 329, I dined to-day at the green cloth. 1719D'Urfey Pills II. 103 The Queen..with good store of Dishes for the Greencloth does provide, To treat all Strangers heartily. 1806Cumberland Mem. (1807) I. 209, I put his [Lord Halifax's] Green Cloth upon a liberal, but regulated establishment. 1895Whitaker's Alm. 92 Lord Steward's Department. Board of Green Cloth, Buckingham Palace. 1897Daily News 2 Feb. 7/4 The Board of Green Cloth..pointed out that complimentary orders did not entitle the trade to the use of the Royal arms.
b. attrib.
1616Bacon Advice to Sir G. Villiers Wks. 1826 VI. 448 For the green-cloth law, take it in the largest sense, I have no opinion of it, farther than it is regulated by the just rules of the common laws of England.
†2. A kind of linen. Obs.
1769De Foe's Tour Gt. Brit. IV. 181 Here is a Manufacture of Linen, as there is upon all the Coast of Fife, and especially for Green-cloth, as it is called.
3. colloq. The green baize covering of a billiard or gaming table; hence, the table itself.
1871Legrand Camb. Freshm. 127 [They] strolled into Green's to pass a social hour over the board of green cloth at the game of pool. 1881J. Grant Cameronians I. ii. 28 Trying..his fortune at ‘the board of green cloth’. 1891Review of Rev. July 24 Gambling on the green cloth. |