cock and henadj.n.
/ˌkɒk (ə)n(d) ˈhɛn/, U.S. /ˌkɑk (ə)n(d) ˈhɛn/ A. adj. (attributive).
Esp. of a club or society: admitting, composed of, or otherwise involving both men and women. Now historical.
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the world > life > sex and gender > [adjective] > suitable for either sex or gender
mixed1644
bisexous1646
cock and hen1785
ambosexual1788
transsexual1907
heterosexual1912
unisexual1932
bi-gendered1961
gender-neutral1963
unisex1966
pangender1978
1785 F. Grose Classical Dict. Vulgar Tongue Hen, a woman. A cock and hen club; a club composed of men and women.
1828 How to live in London 13 A young fellow..introduced him to one of the ‘cock and hen’ houses near Drury Lane theatre.
1899 Rev. of Reviews 19 60/2 The cock and hen societies include 133,425 women, while the exclusively hen societies number 29,993, making a total of 163,418 women co-operators in the societies approved by the Minister of the Interior.
1922 C. Sidgwick Victorian vii. 56 ‘Do you like a club better than a hotel?’ ‘Yes. I do.’ ‘Then you'd better join a cock and hen one as quick as you can.’
1925 W. Deeping Sorrell & Son xxiii. 214 The Halcyon Club..was a cock and hen affair, but more hen than cock.
1952 R. Sherbrooke-Walker Khaki & Blue iii. 25 It seemed strange at first to be in a ‘cock and hen’ mess.
2006 V. Gatrell City of Laughter iii. 95 Francis Place later remembered some fourteen..cock and hen clubs along the river.
B. n. British colloquial.
1. The number ten. Frequently as a nickname for this number in the game of bingo, darts, etc.
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1928 Daily Mail (Hull) 8 Feb. 5/2 Bannon held a ‘top straight’. Gerstein at this time had three tens in his hand and he asked Abrahams for ‘a cock and hen’, meaning a ten.
1979 L. Rees & D. Lanning On Darts (1980) 19 Let's try here to give you an ABC of darts... Cock and Hen ten; cockney slang.
2010 M. Toseland & S. Toseland 365 Family Games & Pastimes (2012) 118 Below is a list of just some of the Bingo caller's lingo... 10. Downing Street—Cock and hen—Uncle Ben.
2. A ten-pound note; ten pounds.
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society > trade and finance > money > medium of exchange or currency > paper money > English banknotes > [noun] > ten-pound note
ten1642
ten-pounder1755
tenner1845
cock and hen1934
1934 A. Bracey Public Enemies Gloss. 335 Cock and hen, ten pounds.
1962 R. Cook Crust on its Uppers vi. 57 He'd..live on the odd cock-and-hen between being in the nick.
2018 @scoobydotaxi 21 Nov. in twitter.com (O.E.D. Archive) Some poncy ginger beard person..that drinks organic piss water at a cock and hen a pint.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.1785