Kick. World English Historical Dictionary

Kick. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Bibliographic Record Farmer’s Slang & Its Analogues. 1890–1909, rev. 2022. Kick subs. (old).—1.  The fashion.

1   c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. KICK, a High KICK, the top of the Fashion; also singularity therein.

2   1725.  A New Canting Dictionary, s.v.

3   1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. KICK. It is all THE KICK, it is the present mode.

4   d. 1814.  DIBDIN [quoted in Century]. ’Tis THE KICK, I say, old ’un, so I brought it down.

5   1833.  NEAL, The Down-Easters, v. p. 64. What do ye pay for sech a pair o’ boots as them in Eurup? Newest fashion there—all THE KICK I spose, hey?

6   c. 1836.  COLMAN, Song.        I marched the lobby, twirled my stick,   Diddle, daddle, deedle; The girls all cried, ‘He’s quite THE KICK,’   Oh, Jemmy linkum feedle.

7   2.  (old).—A sixpence: of compound sums only, e.g., ‘three and a kick’ = 3s. 6d. For synonyms, see BENDER.

8   1725.  A New Canting Dictionary, s.v.

9   1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.

10   1821.  W. T. MONCRIEFF, Tom and Jerry, iii., 3. ‘What’s to pay landlord?’… ‘Fourteen bob and a KICK your honor.’

11   1834.  W. H. AINSWORTH, Rookwood, III. xiii. ‘Two coach-wheels [crowns], half a bull [half a crown], three hogs [shillings], and a KICK.’

12   1860.  Punch, xxxix., p. 97. Moshesh is a brick; This cost but ten and a KICK.

13   1864.  W. S. HAYWARD, The Soiled Dove, p. 263. ‘Six bob and a KICK, if so be as the holes are mended.’

14   1871.  Echo, 15 May. ‘What do you mean by telling me that you will take it away for a KICK?’ ‘Wot do I mean? why wot I say; I’ll do the job for sixpence, and me and my mate ’ull sweep up any mess we makes as well.’

15   1871.  Figaro, March. Let persons addicted to the use of slang, in whose dialect two-and-a-KICK means half-a-crown, remark, if they please, that they would twelve times rather have a KICK than a half-penny.

16   3.  (common).—A moment; a JIFFY (q.v.).

17   4.  (thieves’).—See quot. 1859. For synonyms, see POGE.

18   1859.  G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v. KICK. ‘The Moll stubbled her skin in her KICK,’ the woman held her purse in her pocket.

19   1869.  GREENWOOD, A Night in a Workhouse. I rifled his KICK of his shiners so fine.

20   5.  (American).—A grudge.

21   1887.  F. FRANCIS, Jun., Saddle and Mocassin, xviii. 308. I haven’t got any KICK against Don Juan.

22   6.  (trade).—The hollow in the butt of a bottle.

23   1851–61.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, II. 511. Some bottles has great KICKS at their bottoms.

24   1864.  Scotsman, 29 June. … fraudulently manufactured bottles, which by reason of an oblong cavity in the bottom (called in London a KICK) contain from 10 to 20 per cent less than the due quantity.

25   1864.  W. S. HAYWARD, Left Her Home, p. 65. The bottle fell on the ‘KICK,’ and, being made of strong glass, it rolled a little way, but did not break.

26   7.  In pl. (old).—Breeches; trousers. Also KICKSTERS and KICKSIES: cf. HAMS.

27   ENGLISH SYNONYMS.  Arse-rug; bum-bags; bell-bottoms; bum-curtain; bags; calf-clingers; CANVASSEENS (q.v.); continuations; don’t-name-’ems; ducks; gam-cases; hams; inexpressibles; ineffables; inimitables; kicks; kickseys; moles; mustn’t-mention-’ems; PEG-TOPS (q.v.); pants; rice-bags; sit-upons; SKILTS (q.v.); SLACKS (q.v.); strides; trolly-wags; trucks; TRUNKS (q.v.); unhintables; unmentionables; unutterables; unwhisperables; WHISTLING BREECHES (q.v.).

28   FRENCH SYNONYMS.  Un benard (popular); la braillande or braillarde (thieves’); les calinettes (common); la cotte (= blue canvass working trousers); la culbute or le culbutant (thieves’); un fourreau (thieves’ = sheath); le fusil à deux coups (popular = the double-barrel); les grimpants (popular); les inexpressibles (from the English); les haut-de-tire (thieves’); le montant.

29   PORTUGUESE SYNONYM.  Os trózes.

30   c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. KICKS, breeches.

31   1714.  Memoirs of John Hall (4 ed.), p. 12. KICKSEY, Breeches.

32   1725.  A New Canting Dictionary, s.v. Tip us your KICKS, we’ll have them as well as your Lour.

33   1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.

34   1811.  GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.

35   1819.  T. MOORE, Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress, p. 13. That bedizen’d old Georgy’s bang-up togs and KICKS!

36   1821.  W. T. MONCRIEFF, Tom and Jerry, p. 6. Reg. Stick it into him for a new pair of KICKSES, by-and-by.

37   1834.  W. H. AINSWORTH, Rookwood, iii. 5. Jist twig his swell KICKSEYS and pipes; if they ain’t the thing, I’m done.

38   1859.  G. A. SALA, Gaslight and Daylight, xxx. ‘There’s togs, too,’ he pursued, looking with proper pride at his own attire, ‘the sooner you peels off them cloth KICKSIES the better.’

39   1859.  G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon. Kersey-mere KICKSIES, any colour, built very slap with the artful dodge, from three caroon.

40   c. 1867.  Broadside Ballad, ‘The Chickaleary Bloke.’        Now kool my downy KICKSIES—the style for me,   Built upon a plan werry naughty.

41   1883.  Daily Telegraph, 7 Aug., p. 6, col. 1. What he termed ‘the saucy cut of his KICKSIES,’ and which, rendered into intelligible English, signified the smart style of his trousers.

42   1885.  ‘CORIN,’ The Truth about the Stage, vii. 129. A drama in which the comic characters were Whitechapel Costers, who wore ‘slap-up KICKSIES, with a double fakement down each side and artful buttons at bottom.’

43   1892.  MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, 76. He’d a apron, Charlie, and KICKSIES as must ha’ been cut by his wife.

44   1892.  HUME NISBET, The Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 31. ‘A good thing Cinderella’s grand ball was a little before your time, Stringy, or she’d been out of it with these KICKSEYS,’ remarked Tony Peters gravely.

45   8.  (common).—A sudden and strong objection; unexpected resistance.

46   Verb. (common).—1.  To borrow or beg; TO BREAK SHINS (q.v.). For synonyms, see SHINS. Specifically to ask for drink money.

47   1858.  A. MAYHEW, Paved with Gold, p. 254. Ned Purchase suggested that they might as well try and KICK him for some coppers.

48   2.  (colloquial).—To protest; to resist; to resent.

49   1611.  Bible, Authorised Version, 1 Sam. II. 29. Wherefore KICK ye at my sacrifice?

50   1847.  TENNYSON, The Princess, iv. 393.        You hold the woman is the better man: A rampant heresy, such as if it spread Would make all women KICK against their Lords.

51   1871.  Daily News, 29 Dec. The love of pleasure he’s been encouraged in won’t make him KICK against useful information.

52   1888.  Detroit Free Press, 13 Oct. There are 10,000 baby carriages in Chicago. They obstruct the travel of 200,000 people. I KICK.

53   1889.  Nation, xlviii. 137. In a late number you maintain strongly that it is the duty of persons suffering from overcharges, insolence and other forms of oppression, to KICK.

54   1889.  Bird o’ Freedom, 7 Aug., p. 6. When it comes to editors waking up and tackling hard-worked foremen by the neck, then I KICK.

55   1891.  Morning Advertiser, 6 April. The men certainly KICKED against this increase.

56   1892.  MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, p. 25. KICK at my lingo.

57   3.  (common).—To recoil: of fire-arms generally.

58   1871.  Observer, 24 Dec. Much calculated, when fired, to develop a quality known as KICKING.

59   4.  (American).—To jilt; TO GIVE THE MITTEN (q.v.).

60   5.  (American).—To die: an abbreviation of TO KICK THE BUCKET (q.v.).

61   6.  (old).—See quot. For synonyms, see AMPUTATE and SKEDADDLE. Also KICK IT.

62   1725.  A New Canting Dictionary, s.v. KICK’D. The Rum Cull KICK’D away, i.e., The Rogue made his escape.

63   KICK IN THE GUTS, subs. phr. (old).—A dram of spirits.—GROSE (1785).

64   TO GET MORE KICKS THAN HA’ PENCE, verb. phr. (colloquial).—See MONKEY’S ALLOWANCE.

65   1861.  A. TROLLOPE, Framley Parsonage, xix. In all this matter I have harassed myself greatly to oblige you, and in return I have GOT MORE KICKS THAN HALFPENCE.

66   1824.  SCOTT, St. Ronan’s Well, xxxiv. ‘Which is like monkey’s allowance, I suppose,’ said the traveller, ‘MORE KICKS THAN HALFPENCE.’

67   1856.  C. KINGSLEY, Letter to Thomas Hughes, May [3rd abridged ed. 1879]. You fellows worked like bricks, spent money, and got midshipman’s half-pay (nothing a day and find yourself), and monkey’s allowance (MORE KICKS THAN HALFPENCE).

68   TO KICK OVER THE TRACES, verb. phr. (colloquial).—(1) TO GO THE PACE (q.v.); and (2) to resist authority.

69   1861.  H. KINGSLEY, Ravenshoe, xlii. ‘I’ll go about with the rogue. He is inclined to KICK OVER THE TRACES, but I’ll whip him in a little.’

70   1892.  MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, p. 10. It’s a sort of KICK-OVER-THE-TRACES, a thing as all females enjoy.

71   TO KICK UP A BREEZE (or DUST, ROW, DIVERSION, LARK, SHINDY, etc.) verb. phr. (common).—To create a disturbance; TO RAISE CAIN (q.v.); TO PAINT THE TOWN RED (q.v.).

72   1759.  SMOLLETT, Letter to Wilkes, quoted in D. Hannay’s Smollett (1887), p. 132. If the affair cannot be compromised we intend to KICK UP A DUST, and die hard.

73   1764.  O’HARA, Midas, I. ii.        Nor doubt I, with my voice, guitar, and person, Among the nymphs to KICK UP SOME DIVERSION.

74   1770.  COLMAN, The Oxonian in Town, I. ii. Ten to one but there’s a riot—we’ll KICK UP A DUST, I warrant you.

75   1771.  G. A. STEVENS, Songs, Comic and Satyrical, ‘Love and Wine’s Partnership.’        The Patron of Vines saw ’twould go for the wench,   Unless that A DUST he could KICK UP.

76   d. 1796.  BURNS, The Rights of Women. Would swagger, swear, get drunk, KICK UP A RIOT.

77   1812.  COMBE, Dr. Syntax, Picturesque, C. xxii.        I wish to know, Sir, what you mean, By KICKING UP, Sir, such A SCENE!

78   1819.  T. MOORE, Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress, p. 5. Something may happen to KICK UP A BREEZE.

79   1844.  Puck, p. 14. The ROWS that they might KICK UP.

80   1871.  Louisville Courier, 19 March. The ill-treatment of Mr. Sumner will not be borne patiently by his friends and the New England States; it is sure to KICK UP A ROW in the Republican party.

81   1878.  PAYN, By Proxy, ii. He means that you are much too excited to be sane; that you are apt to KICK UP A ROW about nothing at all.

82   TO KICK THE WIND, verb. phr. (old).—See quot. For synonyms, see ALOFT.

83   1598.  FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Dar de’ calci a Rouaio, to be hang’d, TO KICKE THE WINDE.

84   TO GET THE KICK OUT (or DIRTY KICK OUT).—To be summarily dismissed, discharged, or ‘kicked out.’

85   TO KICK THE BUCKET, verb. phr. (common).—To die. For synonyms, see ALOFT. Also KICK and TO KICK STIFF.—[TAYLOR: The allusion is to the way in which a slaughtered pig is hung up—viz., by passing the ends of a bent piece of wood behind the tendons of the hind legs, and so suspending it to a hook in a beam above. This piece of wood is locally termed a BUCKET, and so by a coarse metaphor the phrase came to signify to die. Another says: To commit suicide by hanging; from a method planned and carried out by an ostler at an inn on the Great North Road. Standing on a bucket, he tied himself up to a beam in the stable, he then KICKED THE BUCKET.] In West Indies KICKERABOO: see also KICK THE WIND.

86   1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. KICKS. He KICKED THE BUCKET one day, he died one day.

87   1796.  WOLCOT (‘Peter Pindar’), Tristia (in Wks. 1812), v. 242. Pitt KICKED THE BUCKET.

88   1796.  M. G. LEWIS, The Castle Spectre, Epilogue.        I drew my knife, and in his bosom stuck it; He fell, you clapp’d—and then he KICK’D THE BUCKET!

89   1812.  COLMAN, Poetical Vagaries, p. 55.          Near thee doth a BUCKET dangle. Chieftain! leave me not to drown;   Save a Maid without a smicket! If the BUCKET come not down,   Soon shall I be doom’d to KICK IT.

90   1836.  M. SCOTT, Tom Cringle’s Log, xvi. Dat I believe him will eat till him KICKERIBOO of sorefat (surfeit, I presumed).

91   1838.  C. SELBY, Jacques Strop, i. 1. A narrow escape of KICKING THE BUCKET, was it not—eh, you rascal?

92   1849.  C. KINGSLEY, Alton Locke, ii. Fine him a pot roared one, for talking about KICKING THE BUCKET.

93   1853.  Diogenes, ii. It is inferrible (on account of her great dislike to the detective officer) that she, as well as Lady Dedlock, KICKED THE BUCKET.

94   1858.  Notes and Queries, 1 S. ix. 107. (q.v.).

95   1859.  G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.

96   1868.  GREENWOOD, The Purgatory of Peter the Cruel, i., 19. Tony Warren, with tears in his honest eyes, endeavouring to pour rum down the body’s throat, while in kindliest tones he begged of it to look up, or at least make some sign that he had not quite KICKED THE BUCKET.

97   1871.  London Figaro, 28 Jan. Yes! I’m going to KICK THE BUCKET.

98   1888.  J. RUNCIMAN, The Chequers, 48. The Ramper fawned on me, and asked me if I had heard of ‘that pore bloke wot KICKED THE BUCKET upstairs.’

99   1890.  GRANT ALLEN, The Tents of Shem, x. I’ve very little doubt Sir Arthur, selfish pig though he is, will do the right thing in the end before he KICKS THE BUCKET.

100   1892.  HUME NISBET, Bail Up! p. 105. Four on them sickened all at once in the camp we had struck, and after they had KICKED IT, my two mates went with me.

101   1892.  Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday, 27 Feb., p. 67, col. 2. But a miserly aunt KICKS THE BUCKET at last And leaves you the fortune which she has amassed.

102   TO KICK DOWN THE LADDER, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To treat with contumely one’s means of advancement.

103   1848.  THACKERAY, The Book of Snobs, viii. She has struggled, so violently for polite reputation that she has won it; pitilessly KICKING DOWN THE LADDER, as she advanced, degree by degree.

104   TO KICK THE CLOUDS (or WIND), verb. phr. (thieves’).—See quot. For synonyms, see LADDER.

105   1811.  GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. TO KICK THE BUCKET. TO KICK THE CLOUDS before the hotel door, i.e., to be hanged.

106   TO KICK AT WAIST, verb. phr. (tailors’).—To misfit at the waist.

107   TO KICK FOR THE BOOT, verb. phr. (tailors’).—To ask for money.

108   TO KICK FOR TRADE, verb. phr. (tailors’).—To ask work.

109   TO HAVE THE KICK, verb. phr. (athletic).—To be lucky; to have COCUM (q.v.).—[From football].

110   TO KICK THE STUFFING OUT OF ONE, verb. phr. (American).—To maltreat; to take a rise, or the wind out of; to get the better of.

111   TO KICK (or COOL) ONE’S HEELS.—1.  See HEELS.

112   2.  verb. phr. (old).—See quot. For synonyms, see ALOFT.

113   1598.  FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Fare il pane, to dye, TO KICK VP ONES HEELES.

114   TO KICK THE EYE OUT OF A MOSQUITO, verb. phr. (Australian).—A superlative expression of capacity.

115   1888.  BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, xi. He could KICK THE EYE OUT OF A MOSQUITO.

116   A KICK IN ONE’S GALLOP, subs. phr. (old).—A whim; a strange fancy.

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