1647. Beaumont and Fletcher, Women Pleased, ii., 6. The hob-nail thy husband's as fitly out o' th' way now.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Hobnail, a country clodhopper, from the shoes of country farmers and ploughmen being commonly stuck full of hobnails, and even often clouted, or tipped with iron.
Hobnailed, adj. (colloquial).—Boorish;
clumsy; coarse; ill-done.
1599. Jonson, Every Man out of his Humour. Sog. A wretched hobnailed chuff.
Hobson's-choice, subs. (common).—That
or none: i.e., there is no
alternative. [Popularly derived
from the name of a Cambridge
livery stable keeper, whose
rule was that each customer
must take the horse next the
door, or have no horse at all.
That old Hobson existed is clear
from Milton's epitaph, but Bellenden
Ker (Archæology of
Popular Phrases) affirms the
story to be a Cambridge hoax,
and maintains the proverb to be
identical in sound and sense as the
Low Saxon, Op soens schie ho
eysche = when he had a kiss he
wanted something else.]
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Hobson's Choice, that or None.
1710. Ward, England's Reformation, ch. iv. 'Tis Hobson's Choice, take that or none.
1712. Steele, Spectator, No. 509, p. 191. I shall conclude this discourse with an explanation of a proverb [Hobson's choice], which by vulgar error is taken and used when a man is reduced to an extremity, whereas the propriety of the maxim is to use it when you would say there is plenty, but you must make such a choice as not to hurt another who is to come after you. Ibid He [Hobson] kept a stable of forty good cattle, always ready and fit for travelling; but when a man came for a horse he was led into the stable, where there was great choice, but was obliged to take the horse which stood nearest to the stable-door; so that every customer was alike well served, according to his chance, and every horse ridden with the same justice.
1717. Cibber, Non-Juror, i. Can any woman think herself happy that's obliged to marry only with a Hobson's choice?
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1820. Reynolds [Peter Corcoran], The Fancy. Black men now are Hobson's choice.
1851. F. E. Smedley, Lewis Arundel, ch. liii. 'When shall we go?' inquired Laura. 'Why, it's a case of Hobson's choice,' returned Leicester.
1854. Notes and Queries, 21 Jan., p. 51. It was clear a choice had been given to him, but it was a Hobson's choice.
Hock, subs. (American).—1. The
last card in the dealer's box at
faro. [From soda (q.v.) to
hock = from beginning to end.
2. In. pl. (common).—The feet. Curby hocks = clumsy feet. For synonyms, see Creepers. [From the stable.]
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Hocks . . . you have left the marks of your dirty hocks on my clean stairs.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
Old hock, subs. phr. (common).—Stale beer; swipes (q.v.). See Hockey.
In hock, adv. phr. (general).—Laid by the heels; fleeced; bested (q.v.).; and (thieves'), in prison.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum. 'If the cove should be caught in the hock he won't snickle,' if the fellow should be caught in the act, he would not tell.
Hock-dockies, subs. (old).—Shoes.
For synonyms, see Trotter-*cases.
1789 Geo. Parker, Life's Painter, p. 173. Shoes. Hockey-dockeys.
