house lamb

English edit

house lamb (countable and uncountable, plural house lambs)

(countable) A lamb raised for slaughter wholly inside a building.
(uncountable) The meat of such a lamb.
- 1860, Charles Dickens, Captain Murderer:
  On his marriage morning, he always caused both sides of the way to church to be planted with curious flowers; and when his bride said, 'Dear Captain Murderer, I ever saw flowers like these before: what are they called?' he answered, 'They are called Garnish for house-lamb,' and laughed at his ferocious practical joke in a horrid manner, disquieting the minds of the noble bridal company, with a very sharp show of teeth, then displayed for the first time.