gooseberry lay

Noun

 * 1)  The stealing of linen hanging on a line.
 * , Dashiell Hammett, early manuscript of The Maltese Falcon, quoted in 2020, Study Guide to The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (Influence Publishers, ISBN 9781645420774):
 * “How long have you been off the gooseberry lay, son?”
 * “How long have you been off the gooseberry lay, son?”