1731. Hearne, Diary, 13 Ap. The Royal Society sinks every day in its credit . . . try its new statues for election of foreigners and natives, by posting up their names . . . for ten weeks together, and . . . with much difficulty electing them.
1860. Chambers', xiii. 22. But there is no occasion for us to say, with the Americans, that a man is well posted up on a subject, while we can say that he is well informed on it.
1861. Blackwood, April, 429. We hear often enough in passable London Society of a man who is well posted up on any special subject, or on the general topics of the day.
1861. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, lv. We are now posted up well enough in the six weeks which preceded the arrival of the mysterious Archer.
1863. Reade, Hard Cash, 1. 191. He will say to himself, 'She can—post me, I think these people call it—this afternoon for not cashing her cheque, and she can turn me and my bank into the street to-morrow.'
1864. Spectator, 455. The reader is posted carefully in the latest news about uncial fragments and Biblical MSS.
1882. Harper's Monthly, June. The fiery young midshipman posted him in the streets of Baltimore.
1884. W. C. Russell, Jack's Courtship, xviii. Where I could have kept myself posted in all the latest news about the Hawkes' movements.
1885. D. Telegraph, 13 Nov. Nor may the merest schoolboy be posted up in the dates.
4. (old).—To pay: cf. Cole, Pony, and Tip.—Grose (1785); Vaux (1819).
1789. Parker, Happy Pair [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 68]. With spunk let's post our neddies.
1854. Martin and Aytoun, Bon Gualtier Ballads. 'The Knyghte and the Taylzeour's Daughter.' Once for all, my rum 'un, I expect you'll post the tin.
1885. D. Telegraph, 7 Sep. He must to-day post the final deposit.
1891. Lic. Vict. Gaz., 3 Ap. 'Done! Post the money.'
5. (nautical).—To raise to the rank of post-captain.
1818. Austin, Persuasion, xxiii. Tell me . . . when I . . . was posted into the Laconia, if I had then written to you, would you have answered my letter?
1833. Marryat, Peter Simple, lv. Whispers were afloat which . . . prevented him from being posted.
From pillar to post, phr. (old).—Hither and thither; with aimless effort or action. [Lit. from the same to the same—pillar = Lat. columna = post].—B. E. (c.1696); Grose (1785).
1340. Ayenbite of Inwyt [Oliphant, New English, i. 30. A good man becomes a post in God's temple; this explains our phrase, 'from pillar to post'].
1509. Barclay, Eclogues [Percy Soc.], xxii., lvii. From post unto pillar tosseth.
1531-47. Copland, Spyttel Hous [Hazlitt, Pop. Poet, iv. 56]. And auentreth, tyll them haue all lost, And turmoyleth alway fro pyler to post.
1537-50. Vox Populi, Vox Dei [Hazlitt, Early Pop. Poet., iii. 274]. That from piller vnto post The powr man he was tost.
1582. Stanihurst, Æneid, iv. 296. From thee poast toe piler with thoght his rackt wyt he tosseth.
1607. Marston, What You Will, iv. 1. Come you; you prate: yfaith He tosseth you from post to piller.
c.1611. Shakspeare and Fletcher, Two Noble Kinsmen, iii. 5. And, dainty duke, whose doughty dismal fame From Dis to Dædalus, from post to pillar, Is blown abroad.
d.1624. Breton, Character of Elizabeth, 5. In the tyme of her sister Queene Marie's raigne, how was she handled? tost from pillar to post, imprisoned, sought to be put to death.
1678. Cotton, Scarronides, 62. Our guards from pillar banged to post, He kicked about till they were lost.
1749. Smollett, Gil Blas [Routledge], 86. He threw his arms about the old man's neck; and these two . . . began sending him backwards and forwards . . . After they had tossed him about from pillar to post they suffered him to depart.
