"Plain bays for Jenny's"?

[Landau, James]

Joel Berson quoted:

"Several fine Ladies who used to wear French Silks, French Hoops of four
Yards Wide, Tete de Mouton Heads (or Bob Wigs) and with Sattin Smock
Petticoats &c are turned Methodists, and Followers of Mr.
Whitefield, whose Doctrine of the New Birth has so prevail'd over them,
that they now wear plain Stuff Gowns, no Hoops, common Night-Mobs and
plain Bays for Jenny's."

Note the parallel structure in the lists:
French Silks <---> plain Stuff
French Hoops <---> no Hoops
Tete de Mouton Heads (Bob Wigs) <---> common Night-Mobs
Sattin Smock Petticoats <---> plain Bays for Jenny's

It would seem therefore that a Jenny is a garment worn under the skirt
of a woman's gown.  Sagehen's suggestion of a pinafore or apron fits.

Just to be annoying:  a "jenny" is a female mule, and a "mule" is a type
of slipper (according to MWCD10, "mule" for "slipper" antedates
"jenny").  Also there are bay mules.

It should be noted that the writer seems to be exaggerating when
referring to "Hoops of four Yards Wide".  Even by Ninteenth Century
standards that is preposterous---how many houses have hallways twelve
feet wide?

"Tete de Mouton Heads" is redundant---it translates as "head of sheep
heads".

    - Jim Landau


 

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org