abbey-lubbern.

1528 Rede me & be nott Wrothe sig. g vi^v Ye but thorowe falce lorchers, And vnthryfty abbey lobbers, To povre folcke lytell they a forde.

a1538 T. Starkey Dial. Pole & Lupset (1989) 87 The nuryschyng also of a grete sorte of idul abbey lubburys, wych are apte to no thyng but as the byschoppys & abbotys be only to ete & drynke.

1589 T. Nashe Anat. Absurditie sig. Aii Those exiled Abbie-lubbers, from whose idle pens, proceeded those worne out impressions of the feyned no where acts, of Arthur of the rounde table.

1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Archimarmitonerastique, an Abbey-lubber, or Arch-frequenter of the Cloyster beefe-pot, or beefe-boyler.

1655 T. Moffett & C. Bennet Healths Improvem. xxx. 275 Maximinus the Emperour, who (like our old Abby-lubbers) did eat till he sweat.

1693 W. Robertson Phraseologia Generalis (new ed.) 446 A porridge-belly Friar, an abbey lubber.

?1706 E. Hickeringill Priest-craft: 2nd Pt. iv. 45 The Dissolutions of Monasteries,..that fed Abby-Lubbers and wanton Nuns.

1759 R. Rolt Lives Princ. Reformers i. 3 It is well known how before the reformation both church and common-wealth groaned under the heavy burden of the abbey Lubbers.

1847 Sharpe's London Mag. 30 Jan. 210/1 Abbey-lubbers, away! And yield up your spoils to the gallant and gay.

1891 Atlantic Monthly Apr. 448/1 Friar Bungy... was a perfect abbey-lubber, enormously fat, nearly six feet in height, and with an incredible circumference of paunch.

1922 H. C. Rowland Hirondelle xx. 166 Have you had a good nap up there in the belfry, you half-lined abbey-lubber?

2004 Times Lit. Suppl. 27 Aug. 8/4 The widespread English belief that the medieval romances had been written by abbey-lubbers, lazy monks.

1570 B. Googe tr. T. Kirchmeyer Popish Kingdome ii. f. 23 So abby lubber lyke they liue, and Lordes they called bee.