1851-61. MAYHEW, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, ii., 137. He slipped from her and HOOKED IT.
1852. DICKENS, Bleak House, ch. xlvi. ' HOOK IT! Nobody wants you here,' he ses. 'You HOOK IT. You go and tramp,' he ses.
1856. BRADLEY [Cuthbert Bede], Tales of College Life, p. 36. HOOK IT! old 'un, HOOK IT!
1861. H. KINGSLEY, Ravenshoe, ch. xli. They all begins to get a bit noisy and want to fight, and so I HOOKED IT.
1891. Licensed Vict. Gaz., 16 Jan., p. 43, col. 3. If you lot don't HOOK IT, I'll stave in your blooming cocoa-nuts.
1891. Sportsman. 2 Apr., p. 2, col. 1. Plainly the worthy magistrate laid it down that a wife may HOOK IT when and how she pleases.
1892. ANSTEY, Model Music Hall, 129-30. Take your 'OOK while you can. Even now the outraged populace approaches.
1892. MILLIKEN, 'Arry Ballads, p. 58. I went jest for a lark, and wos quietly SLINGING MY 'OOK.
1892. KIPLING, Barrack-Room Ballads, 'Loot.' Before you SLING YOUR 'OOK, at the 'ousetops take a look.
1892. Globe, 19 Oct., p. 3. Again from some neighbouring roof comes back the weird responsive cry, HOOK IT! HOOK IT.
1892. HERBERT CAMPBELL, Broadside Ballad, 'Then Up Comes I with My little Lot.' And the houses shook and the copper TOOK HIS 'OOK, and down come all the tiles.
TO DROP (GO, or POP) OFF THE
HOOKS, verb. phr. (common).—1.
To die. For synonyms, see
ALOFT.
1837. BARHAM, Ingoldsby Legends, 'Black Mousquetaire.' I fear by his looks, Our friend, Francis Xavier, has POPP'D OFF THE HOOKS!
1842. Punch's Almanack, Dec. 15. Death wandered by the sea And struck by Walton's looks Broke Isaac's line of life And TOOK HIM OFF THE HOOKS.
1872. M. E. BRADDON, Dead Sea Fruit, ch, iv. 'S'pose the odds are against Jerningham GOING OFF THE HOOKS between this and the first spring-meeting, so as to give a party a chance with Mrs. J. herself,' speculates young Belgravia, dreamily.
1880. GREENWOOD, Odd People in Odd Places, p. 37. I thought, to be sure, I was GOING OFF THE HOOKS, and it was no use talking about it.
1890. GRANT ALLEN, Tents of Shem, ch. xii. The old man has POPPED OFF THE HOOKS this afternoon at Aix.
2. (colloquial).—To get married.
1876. M. E. BRADDON, Joshua Haggard, ch. x. Some of the young chaps will be wanting her to get married. These here pretty ones GO OFF THE HOOKS so soon.
TO HOOK ON TO, verb. phr.
(colloquial).—To attach oneself
to; TO BUTTONHOLE (q.v.); to
follow up.
1892. MILLIKEN, 'Arry Ballads, p. 4. It's nuts to 'OOK ON to a swell.
ON ONE'S OWN HOOK, adv.
phr. (colloquial).—On one's own
account, risk, or responsibility; for
one's own sake; dependent on
one's own resources or exertions.
1847. ROBB, Squatter Life, p. 23. The signal was given, and in poured the subscribers to the dinner, with their guest, and in poured John ON HIS OWN HOOK.
1849. THACKERAY, Pendennis, ch. lxix. Do we come out as Liberal Conservative, or as Government man, or on OUR OWN HOOK?
1861. WHYTE MELVILLE, Good for Nothing, ch. xxvii. I worked ON MY OWN HOOK, after that, and I rather think I paid my expenses.
1869. GREENWOOD, Seven Curses of London, p. 409. To steal ON YOUR OWN HOOK as a bookmaker.
1889. Answers, p. 52, c. 3. Finally Edison went to work on HIS OWN HOOK
1893. EMERSON, Signor Lippo, ch. viii. We used to have to part company and go in twos and threes then ON OUR OWN HOOK.
