"clean conveyance" - not in OED?

Joel S. Berson Berson at ATT.NET
Sun Nov 10 23:55:34 UTC 2013


Convey -- to manage artfully.  A juggler may have a "clean
conveyance"  (Johnson).

I don't have a good definition or quotation.  Presumably using
"conveyance, n." sense 11.b., "Cunning management or contrivance;
underhand dealing, jugglery, sleight of hand."; see also sense 4.

A manuscript I'm reading says "clean" means with the aid of an
assistant, but I'm skeptical of this explanation.  Its author cites
for "conveyance" Butterworth, _Magic on the Early English Stage_, chapter 3.

Joel

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