1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes. Melrusio, the fish we call a hadock, or a cod. Ibid. Metter la faua nel bacello, to put the beane into the cod.
1834. H. Ainsworth, Rookwood, bk. III., ch. xiii. ‘What’s here?’ cried he, searching the attorney’s pockets … ‘a haddock, stuffed with nothing, I’m thinking.’ [[245]]
2. in. pl. (Stock Exchange).—North of Scotland Ordinary Stock.
Haddums (or Had ’em).—See quots.
1690. B. E., Cant. Crew. The Spark has been at Haddums. He is Clapt, or Poxt.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. He has been at Had’em and come home by Clapham, said of one who has caught the venereal disease.
Hag, subs. (old: now recognised).—1. A witch. Whence (2) an ugly old woman; a she-monster. Also (3) a nightmare. At Charterhouse, a female of any description; at Winchester, a matron. Hence, Hag-ridden = troubled with nightmare. Hag-born = witch-born. Hag-seed (Shakspeare, Tempest) = spawned of a witch. Hag-faced = foul-featured. In another sense, Hags = spots of firm ground in a moss or bog.
d. 1529. Skelton, Duke of Albany, Lyke a Scottish hag.
1606. Wily Beguiled (Dodsley, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, ix., 277). Like to some hellish hag or some damned fiend.