1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. House-tailers, Upholsterers.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
Housewife (or Huswife, or Hussy), subs. (colloquial).—1. Primarily, a house-keeper. Hence (a) a domestic servant; (b) a wanton or a gad-about wench; and (c) a comic endearment. Hence, too, housewifery, subs., and housewife’s tricks = the habit of wantonness, the practice of men.
1508. Gawain and Gologras, ‘Ballade,’ (Pinkerton, Scottish Poems, 1792, iii.). A gude husy-wife ay rinning in the toun.
1589. Puttenham, English Poesie, 1589, ii., 16 (ed. Arber, p. 148). Half lost for lack of a good huswife’s looking to.
1600. Look about You, sc. 28 (Dodsley, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, vii., 476). Huswife, I’ll have you whipped for slandering me.
1602. Shakspeare, Twelfth Night, i., 2. I hope to see some housewife take thee between her legs and spin it off.
1659. Lady Alimony, iii., 3 (Dodsley, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875, xiv., 331). And if the hussy challenge more, Charm the maundering gossip with your roar. Idem. iii., 6. (p. 340). If I make not these haxters as hateful to our hussies as ever they were to us, their husbands, set me up for a Jack-a-Lent.
1672. Ray, Proverbs, s.v., Cat. Cats eat what hussies spare. [[367]]
1673. Wycherly, Gentleman Dancing Master, iv., 1. What, hussy, would you not do as he’d have you?