Note E125 — 21.

The farmer who "looks to thrive" must "have an eye," not only to his barn, but also to the cruel habits or tricks of his servants; otherwise he may find his cattle maimed or otherwise injured, and his poultry made "to plaie tapple vp taile," a cant expression, meaning to tumble head over heels. Cf. the Scotch phrase, "coup your creels." Cotgrave, s.v. Laisser and Houseau, has an exactly parallel expression: "Il a laissé ses houseaux, he hath tipped up the heeles, or is ready to doe it; he hath got him to his last bed; he is even as good as gone; he is no better then a dead man." The Catholicon Anglicum also gives "Top ouer tayle, precipitanter: to cast tope ouer tayle, precipitari."