1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. He is quite the go, he is quite varment, he is prime, he is bang up.
1821. Egan, Tom and Jerry [ed. 1891], p. 35. Tom was the go among the goes.
1835. Haliburton ('Sam Slick'), The Clockmaker, 3 S., ch. xiv. Whatever is the go in Europe will soon be the cheese here.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, I., 251. It was rather the go With Pilgrims and Saints in the Second Crusade.
1846. Punch, vol. X., p. 163. From lowly Queen's quadrangle, Where muffins are the go.
1880. G. R. Sims, Ballads of Babylon (Beauty and Beast). And all day long there's a big crowd stops To look at the lady who's all the go.
4. (colloquial).—Life; spirit; energy; enterprise; impetus: e.g., plenty of go = full of spirit and dash. Fr.: avoir du chien.
1825. The English Spy, i., 178. She's only fit to carry a dean or a bishop. No go in her.
1865. Macdonald, Alec Forbes of How-glen, II., 269. All night Tibbie Dyster had lain awake in her lonely cottage, listening to the quiet heavy go of the water.
1882. Daily Telegraph, 9 Oct. Mr. Grossmith's music is bright and tripping, full of humour and go, as, under such circumstances, music should be!
1883. Illustrated London News, 10 March, p. 242, c. 3. There was any amount of dash and go in their rowing.
1887. Paton, Down the Islands. Barbadian may therefore be said to mean a man with go and grit, energy and vim.
1889. Sportsman, 19 Jan. It all lent a certain zest and go to the proceedings.
1890. Pall Mall Gaz., 21 Feb., p. 7, c. 1. There was so much heartiness and go (so to speak) in the work that it reminded me of what I had read about peasant proprietors labouring in Switzerland and elsewhere under a Home Rule Government.
5. (colloquial).—A turn; an attempt; a chance. Cf., No go.
To have a go at, verb. phr. = to make essay of anything: as a man in a fight, a shot at billiards, and (specifically) a woman.
1836. C. Dickens, Pickwick Papers (about 1827), p. 377 (ed. 1857). Wot do you think o' that for a go?
1877. Five Years' Penal Servitude, ch. III., p. 221. I've twelve this go. I did a lagging of seven, and was at the Gib. three out of it.
1878. Jas. Payn, By Proxy, ch. iii. 'I would practise that in the seclusion of my own apartments,' observed Pennicuick; 'and after a few goes at it, I'll bet a guinea I'd shake the right stick out first.'
1888. Haggard, Mr. Meeson's Will, ch. x. You have had seven goes and I have only had six.
6. (American).—A success. To make a go of it = to bring things to a satisfactory termination.
1888. Harper's Mag., vol. LXXVII., p. 689. Determination to make the venture a go.
7. (gaming). The last card at cribbage, or the last piece at dominoes. When a player is unable to follow the lead, he calls a go!
8. (old.)—A dandy (q.v. for synonyms); a very heavy swell indeed, one in the extreme of fashion.
1821. Egan, Tom and Jerry [people's ed.], p. 35. In the parks, Tom was the go among the goes.
Verb (American political).—1. To vote; to be in favour of. Cf., Go for.
2. (colloquial).—To succeed; to achieve. Cf., Go down.
1866. Public Opinion, 13 Jan., p. 51, c. 1. His London-street railway scheme didn't go.
