"Up the dancers"

Posted by R. Berg on December 14, 2001

In Reply to: "Up the dancers" posted by David Campbell on December 12, 2001

: Anybody know anything about "Up the dancers" meaning "up the stairs" or "to bed"

The Oxford Engl. Dict. says "dancers" is slang for "stairs"--only in plural--and doesn't explain why. The supporting quotations all refer to going upstairs, never down.
1671: Track up the dancers, go up the stayres.
1812 (a dictionary entry only)
1829: Come, track up the dancers, and dowse the glim.
1858: Come, my Hebe, track the dancers, that is, go up the stairs.