Robin Goodfellown.

1528 W. Tyndale Obed. Christen Man f. cxlv The Pope is kynne to Robyn goodfellow which swepeth the howse, washeth the disshes and purgeth all by nyghte. But when daye cometh ther is no thinge founde cleane.

1531 W. Tyndale Expos. Fyrste Epist. St. Jhon Prol. sig. Aiiij^v The scripture..is become a maze unto them, in whiche they wandre as in a myst, or (as we saye) led of Robin Goodfelowe, that they can not come to the right way, no thoughe they turne their Cappes.

1570 B. Googe tr. T. Kirchmeyer Popish Kingdome iii. f. 33 Masse driues out Robyn good fellow, and bugs that walke by night.

1600 W. Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream ii. i. 34 That shrewde and knauish sprite, Call'd Robin goodfellow . View more context for this quotation

1600 E. Guilpin in Eng. Parnassus 223 Let us esteeme Opinion as she is;..The Proteus Robin Good-fellow of change.

1601 W. Cornwallis Disc. Seneca sig. H2 But warres best vse, is the same that Nurses make of Robin Goodfellow, to terrifie.

1622 N. Breton Strange Newes in Wks. (1879) II. 10/2 In the old time when Hobgoblin and Robin good Fellow made country wenches keepe their houses cleane ouernight.

1701 G. Farquhar Sir Harry Wildair i. 1 The English came in like Robin Goodfellow, cried Boh! and made 'em be quiet.

1784 L. MacNally Robin Hood iii. i. 42 I heard a noise—no; it was the wind. Robin Goodfellow and his brother fairies have been often seen here!

a1802 J. Strutt Queenhoo-hall (1808) I. ii. 68 Many of the old dames of the village..said, the stranger was the wandering fairy Robin Goodfellow, or some such merry sprite.

1853 Freemasons' Q. Mag. 31 Dec. 617 Puck, or Robin Goodfellow, is a domestic sprite, allied to the Kobold.

1902 H. Johnston Uganda Protectorate II. xiv. 514 Traits in the character of the Congo Dwarfs of the present day recall irresistibly the tricks of Puck, of Robin Goodfellow, of the gnomes and fairies of German and Celtic tradition.

1984 T. C. Boyle Budding Prospects (1985) iv. iv. 300 He seemed to be grinning—Cheshire Cat, Robin Goodfellow—grinning as if in contemplation of some killing, suprahuman jest.

1994 Observer 27 Feb. (Review section) 21/2 Simpson capers like Robin Goodfellow, stripping off the fig-leaves with mocking exuberance.

1588 J. Harvey Discoursiue Probl. conc. Prophesies 73 Some of them would be noted for terrible Elphes, and Goblines: som other of them can be contented to insinuate themselues, like Robin goodfellows, and frier Tuckes.

1594 T. Nashe Terrors of Night sig. B2^v Their Robbin-good-fellowes, Elfes, Fairies, Hobgoblins of our latter age,..did most of their merry prankes in the Night.

1621 R. Burton Anat. Melancholy i. ii. i. ii. 65 A bigger kind there is of them, called with vs Hobgoblins, and Robin good fellowes, that would in those superstitious times, grinde Corne for a messe of milke.

1635 T. Heywood Hierarchie Blessed Angells ix. 574 These..Make fearefull noise in Buttries and in Dairies; Robin good-fellowes some, some call them Fairies.

1737 W. Oldys Brit. Librarian (1738) iv. 220 These Spirits, Hags, Fairies, Imps, Incubi, Robin Goodfellows.., and all the rest of this Black Brood of Bull-beggars, have much vanish'd and very little appear'd.

1822 Retrosp. Rev. 5 i. v. 98 These were the merry devils, the Robin Goodfellows, that played practical jokes, and made fun for the recreation of the witches and their own amusement.

1856 G. W. Thornbury Shakespere's Eng. I. v. 209 The pages were little Pucks, smart Robin Goodfellows, that served a thousand purposes.

1902 Econ. Rev. 12 451 The agricultural producer could now scarcely do without co-operation, which works for him, like a Robin Goodfellow, in innumerable ways.

1958 F. Scarfe tr. J. Lacouture & S. Lacouture Egypt in Transition 29 The Egyptian is certainly fond of life, however poorly he lives it... Good fellowship is the key to this nation of Robin Goodfellows.

1994 G. Anderson Sage, Saint, & Sophist vii. 129 An impressive, apparently well-educated wild rustic.., taken for a Robin Goodfellow by the locals.

1680 W. de Britaine Humane Prudence xv. 49 If not to practice the Law, yet to gain so much knowledge therein, as to defend your..estate from the Robbing-good-Fellows of it.

1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum Cheeselypp worme, otherwyse called Robyn-goodfelowe his lowse, tylus.

1948 I. J. Brown No Idle Words 24 Hob or Robin Goodfellow means either hobgoblin or wood-louse.]