"Plain bays for Jenny's"?

[Joel S. Berson]

At 4/7/2007 12:07 PM, Jim Landau wrote:
>Further sources of ambiguity in the original quote: it does not say
>"Sattin Petticoats" but rather "Sattin Smock Petticoats" which is a
>garment I hope Sagehen can identify, since it is beyond my imagination.

But not beyond someone else's writing!  I find that OED2 has under
"snock (n)" -- which may be either "A woman's undergarment; a shift
or chemise. Now arch. or dial. (common down to 18th cent.)." or "A
loose garment worn by artists over their other clothes to keep them
clean; a woman's or child's loose dress or blouse resembling a
smock-frock in shape." -- there is:

"1627 Lismore Papers (1886) II. 222, 2 smock petticoats of worsted
for my mother and my wife."

No definition in OED2.

Joel

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