To flog a willing horse, verb. phr. (common).—To urge on one who is already putting forth his best energies.
Flogger, subs. (old).—1. A whip;
cf., Flog. Grose gives the
word as Cant. Fr., un bouis.
1789. Geo. Parker, Life's Painter, p. 173, s.v.
2. (theatrical).—A mop (i.e., a bunch of slips of cloth on a handle) used in the painting room to whisk the charcoal dust from a sketch.
Flogging, ppl. adj. (old).—Careful;
penurious.
Flogging-cove, subs. phr.
(prison)—1. An official who administers
the cat (q.v.).
1690. B. E., New Dict. of the Canting Crew. Flogging cove, c. the Beadle, or Whipper in Bridewell, or any such place.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Flogging-cove, the beadle, or whipper, in Bridewell.
2. See Flogging Cully.
Flogging Cully, subs. phr.
(venery ).—A man addicted,
whether from necessity or choice,
to flagellation; a whipster
(q.v.).
1690. B. E., New Dict. of the Canting Crew. Flogging, c. a Naked Woman's whipping (with rods) an Old (usually) and (sometimes) a young Lecher.
Flogging Stake, subs. phr. (old).—A
whipping post.
1690. B. E., New Dict. of the Canting Crew, s.v.
1785. Grose, Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
Flogster, subs. (old).—One
addicted to flogging. Specifically
(naval), a nickname applied to
the Duke of Clarence (afterwards
William IV).
Floor, verb. (colloquial).—1. To
knock down. Hence to vanquish
in argument; to make an end of;
to defeat; to confound. See
Floored and Dead-beat.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue. Floor the pig, knock down the officer.
1821. Haggart, Life, p. 15. That moment the farmer let fly at the drover, which floored him.
1857. G. A. Lawrence, Guy Livingstone, ch. xxi. 'When I saw him so floored as not to be able to come to time, I knew there had been some hard hitting going on thereabouts, so I kept clear.'
1821. Egan, Tom and Jerry, p. 10. Then (apostrophising 'Maga') floor me not. Ibid., p. 60, The Corinthian, being no novice in these matters, floored two or three in a twinkling.
1835. Coleridge, Table Talk (published posthumously). The other day I was what you may called floored by a Jew.
1836. C. Dickens, Pickwick Papers p. 425 (Ed. 1857). Even Mr. Bob Sawyer . . . was floored.
1862. Mrs. H. Wood, The Channings, ch. v. 'So if the master is directing his suspicions to the seniors, he'll get floored.'
1870. L. Oliphant, Piccadilly, Pt. V., p. 196. 'Whenever the mammas object to asking her on account of that horrid Lady Wylde,' I floor all opposition by saying, 'Oh, Lady Jane Helter will bring her.'
1888. Sportsman, 28 Nov. Pope, who was the fresher, started at a terrific pace and drove his man all over the ring, ending by flooring him.
To floor the odds. (betting men's).—Said of a low-priced horse that pulls off the event in face of the betting.
1882. Daily Telegraph, 16 Nov. The odds were, nevertheless, floored from an unexpected quarter.
