pantofle
(ˈpæntəf(ə)l, pænˈtɒf(ə)l, -ˈtuːf(ə)l)
Forms: 5 Sc. pantufle, (-uiffil), 6 -uffle, 6–7 -afle, -aphel, -of(f)el, -ophle, -ophel, 6– pantofle, -offle, 7–9 pantoufle, 9 -oofle. Also β. 6 pantocle, -acle; pantapple, 7 pantaple, 6–8 pantable, (6 pantiple, 7 -ible, -oble).
[a. F. pantoufle (1489 in Hatz.-Darm.) = Cat. plantofa, Sp. pantuflo, Pg. pantufo, It. pantofola, -ufola; also Ger., Du. pantoffel (from It.), Flem. pattoffel. Ulterior origin unknown; see Diez and Littré. The English stress on the first syllable facilitated the corruptions pantaple, pantocle, pantable, assimilated to words in -ple, -cle, -ble. The stress on second syllable follows Fr. and Ger.]
A slipper; formerly applied very variously, app., at one time or another, to every sort of in-door slippers or loose shoes; esp. to the high-heeled cork-soled chopins; also to out-door overshoes or goloshes; and to all manner of Oriental and non-European slippers, sandals, and the like. (In Scottish use from 15th c.; in common Eng. use from c 1570 to c 1650–60; after that chiefly an alien or historical word.)
| 1494 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. I. 224 Item, to Home the cordinare, for schone, brodykinnis and pantuiffillis tane fra him be Jame Dog. 1497 Ibid. 334 Item, for ane par of Franch pantuflis..viijs. 1565 Cooper Thesaurus, Baxeæ,..a kynde of slippers, or pantofles. 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. (1586) 101 Of his [beech's] barke, are made Pantoffels, and Slippers. 1579 Gosson Sch. Abuse (Arb.) 30 The litle crackhalter that carrieth his maisters pantouffles. 1579–80 North Plutarch (1895) IV. 22 A payer of pantophles. 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie i. xv. (Arb.) 49 The actors..did walke vpon those high corked shoes or pantofles, which now they call in Spaine and Italy Shoppini. 1607 R. C[arew] tr. Estienne's World of Wonders 203 The Pope would not entertaine him, except he would..kisse his pantoufle. c 1618 Fletcher Queen of Corinth i. ii, [He] takes his oath Upon her Pantoffles. 1624 Burton Anat. Mel. iii. ii. i. i. (ed. 2) 356 She..whipped him [Cupid] besides on the bare buttocks with her pantophle. 1636 Massinger Bashf. Lover v. i, Pray you, let me be your page; I can swear already, Upon your pantofle. 1679 Oldham Sat. Jesuits Wks. (1686) 44 Spurns to Hell For jearing Holy Toe, and Pantofle. a 1715 Burnet Own Time (1823) III. iv. 77 [The pope] would give me a private audience abed, to save me the ceremony of the pantoufle. 1767 Sterne Tr. Shandy IX. xxi, Nothing..but trunk-hose and pantofles. 1820 Scott Abbot v, I have been too long the vassal of a pantoufle, and the slave of a silver whistle. a 1845 Barham Ingol. Leg., Ld. Thoulouse vi, Pantoufles with bows Each as big as a rose. 1852 Thackeray Esmond i. iii, Great gold clocks to her stockings, and white pantofles with red heels. 1887 A. Forbes Insulinde i. 9 Indian-looking pantoffles,..with no upper heels, but very high wooden ones. |
(β) Corrupt forms. (pantable was exceedingly common from 1580 to c 1650.)
| a 1568 R. Ascham Scholem. i. (Arb.) 84 As it is free..to chose..whether a man lust to weare Shoo or Pantocle. 1571 Damon & Pithias in Dodsley O.P. I. 215 Even here with a pantacle I wyll you disgrace. 1573–80 Baret Alv. P 72 A Pantapple, vide Shooe. a 1586 Sidney Arcadia i. (1629) 49 Chafing and swearing by the pantable of Pallace and such other oathes as his rusticall braverie could imagine. 1591 Percivall Sp. Dict., Cal{cced}ado de alcorques, in pantoples, Crepidatus. 1596 Lanc. Wills III. 2 A payre of pantables and ij payre of slippers. 1602 Marston Ant. & Mel. ii. Wks. 1856 I. 19 By my ladies pantable, I feare I shall live to heare [etc.]. 1676 D'Urfey Mad. Fickle v. iii, Out of my doors, by Jacobs Pantible—a Relique of Renown'd memory. 1688 R. Holme Armoury ii. 112/2 The Lady Slipper so called from the resemblance the fore-part of the flower hath to a Slipper, or Pantable. 1883 J. Payne 1001 Nights VI. 291 Except he bring her..another crown and girdle and pantable of gold. |
b. Phrase. to stand (be, etc.) upon (one's) pantofles, i.e. on one's dignity; so the high pantofle, etc.
| 1573 G. Harvey Letter-bk. (Camden) 14 He was now altogither set on his merri pinnes and walkd on his stateli pantocles. 1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 47 For the most part they stand so on their pantuffles. 1591 R. Turnbull Exp. Epist. James 171 b, To stand too much vpon our pantiples. 1591 Greene 2nd Pt. Conny-catch. Wks. (Grosart) X. 119 Then are they vpon their pantophles, because there is nothing found about them. 1594 Carew Huarte's Exam. Wits xiii. (1596) 224 A Caualiero, who stood much on the pantophles of his gentilitie. 1665 R. Brathwait Comment Two Tales 22 This sets the Carpenter upon his Pantofles. 1685 Bunyan Pharisee & Publ. Wks. (1845) 140 Thou standest upon thy points and pantables, thou wilt not bate God on all of what thy righteousness is worth. c 1740 A. Allen MS. Dict. s.v. Pantoble, Pantofle, or Pantoufle, Slippers with high Soles. These, as well as high Heels, making People appear taller,..gave birth to our Proverb, to stand upon ones Pantables, is to stand upon high Terms, carry his head Loftily. 1755 H. Walpole Lett. (1846) III. 156, I could not possibly to-day step out of my high historical pantoufles to tell it you. |
† c. Comb. pantofle-shoe [F. fer à pantoufle, or pantoufle]= panton-shoe (for a horse). Obs.
| 1696 Hope tr. Solleysel's Parfait Mareschal i. xl. 131, I have called this shoe the Panton or Pantable shoe to distinguish it from those of any other fashion or shape. 1717 Dict. Rusticum (ed. 2), Pantons or Pantable-shoes, a sort of Horse-shoes that serve for narrow and low Heels. 1722 W. Gibson Farrier's New Guide xciv. (ed. 3) 256 The Cure is..to shoe him with Lunets or Half-moon Shoes, or with those Pantofle Shoes describ'd by Solleysell. |