SPREAD, butter.
SPRING THE PLANT. See [Plant].
SQUARE, all fair, upright, and honest practices, are called the square, in opposition to the cross. Any thing you have bought, or acquired honestly, is termed a square article; and any transaction which is fairly and equitably conducted, is said to be a square concern. A tradesman or other person who is considered by the world to be an honest man, and who is unacquainted with family people, and their system of operations, is by the latter emphatically styled a square cove, whereas an old thief who has acquired an independence, and now confines himself to square practices, is still called by his old palls a flash cove, who has tyed up prigging. See [Cross] and [Flat]. In making a bargain or contract, any overture considered to be really fair and reasonable, is declared to be a square thing, or to be upon the square. To be upon the square with any person, is to have mutually settled all accompts between you both up to that moment. To threaten another that you will be upon the square with him some time, signifies that you’ll be even with him for some supposed injury, &c.
SQUARE-COVE. See [Square].
SQUARE-CRIB, a respectable house, of good repute, whose inmates, their mode of life and connexions, are all perfectly on the square. See [Cross-crib].
SQUEEZE, the neck.
STAG, to turn stag was formerly synonymous with turning nose, or snitching, but the phrase is now exploded.
STAG, to stag any object or person, is to look at, observe, or take notice of them.
STAINES, a man who is in pecuniary distress is said to be at Staines, or at the Bush, alluding to the Bush inn at that town. See [Bush’d].
STAKE, a booty acquired by robbery, or a sum of money won at play, is called a stake, and if considerable, a prime stake, or a heavy stake. A person alluding to any thing difficult to be procured, or which he obtains as a great favour, and is therefore comparatively invaluable, would say, I consider it a stake to get it at all; a valuable or acceptable acquisition of any kind, is emphatically called a stake, meaning a great prize.