According to Partridge "A shirker: 1914-18. ('Sapper' in The Lieutenant, 1915.) Ex 'lounge lizards' disporting themselves at Maidenhead." And lounge-lizard: "A sleek adventurer frequenting lounges in the expectation of women, their money and caresses: US s. (1923), anglicized by 1925; by 1935 coll. (Krapp's prophecy as to its lack of viability has been proved false.)" Marvellous.

I remember "lounge lizard" in twenties synonym for current
"couch potato" which I think is less effective.

And there is more than one meaning to 'Maidenhead'.
Remember Mark Twains Elizabethan essay. "Nay, Mary, 'twere
never thee, many a mousie squeak will tickle thy tender
.......ere you give birth to a blast like that."

The version I saw long ago must have had some additions not
in the version I just found. No "maidenhead" here. But
such as it is here it is:
http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:bgesCwZoCbgJ:home.kqnet.pt/timoteo/page24.html+Mark+Twain+1601&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

When I tried it again the URL didn't work. You can try searching for "Mark Twain 1601" if you wish.

I think the Maidenhead here referred to is the town near Slough in Berkshire.

Most such don't last long.

Depending on how close to the Slough it is, there might not be all that much interest.

Let's not all despond over it.

Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough!
It isn't fit for humans now,
There isn't grass to graze a cow.
Swarm over, Death!

Thanks, dixbie. Up to now I hadn't known how to pronounce it!

Thanks. I didn't know this poem by John Betjeman. Later on:

But spare the bald young clerks who add
The profits of the stinking cad;
It's not their fault that they are mad,
They've tasted Hell.

It's not their fault they do not know
The birdsong from the radio,
It's not their fault they often go
To Maidenhead.

http://www-cdr.stanford.edu/intuition/Slough.html

how to pronounce it

slehth?

From the Oxford Dictionary of English Placenames, A D Mills: Slough: "Slo. 1195. The slough of or miry place. OE slóh." Maidenhead: "Maidenhee. 1202. Landing place of the maidens. OE mægden + hýþ." Not to be confused with Heathrow nearby.

'lounge lizards'

Aaah..,*this is why we call such men, slimy!