to give one law
Preserved but no longer current.
A sporting term "law,'* meaning the chance of saving oneself. Thus a hare or a stag is allowed "law" — i e. a certain start before any hound is permitted to attack it; and a tradesman allowed "law" is one to whom tune is given to "find his legs.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to give one law” mean?
A sporting term "law,'* meaning the chance of saving oneself. Thus a hare or a stag is allowed "law" — i e. a certain start before any hound is permitted to attack it; and a tradesman allowed "law" is one to whom tune is given to "find his legs.
Is “to give one law” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.