1594. Shakspeare, 2 Hen. VI., iii. 1. The ancient proverb will be well effected: 'A staff is quickly found to beat a dog.' Ibid. (1598), 2 Hen. IV., i. 2. And yet he will not stick to say his face is a face-royal.
1611. Beaumont and Fletcher, Knight of B. Pestle, ii. 1. And this it was she swore, never to marry But such as one whose mighty arm could carry (As meaning me, for I am such a one) Her bodily away through stick and stone.
1648-55. Fuller, Church Hist., vi. 268. This quaternion of subscribers have stick'n the point dead with me that all antient English monks were Benedictines.
16[?]. Pepys, Diary, iv. 141. To serve him I should, I think, stick at nothing.
1743. Fielding, Jon. Wild, 1. xiii. It was his constant maxim, that he was a pitiful fellow who would stick at a little rapping for his friend.
d.1796. Burns, To William Simpson, Postsc. Folk thought them ruined stick-an'-stone.
1824. Ferrier, Inheritance, i. 95. She married a Highland drover or lacks-*man, I can't tell which, and they went all to sticks and staves.
1837. Barham, Ingolds. Leg., 'Lay of St. Aloys.' Lastly, as to the Pagan who played such a trick, First assuming the tonsure, then cutting his stick. Ibid., 'St. Odille.' Many ladies in Strasburg were beautiful, still They were beat all to sticks by the lovely Odille.
1840. Dickens, Old Curiosity Shop, xl. And now that the nag has got his wind again . . . I'm afraid I must cut my stick.
1841. Punch, 1. 136. If we were speaking of an ordinary man, and not a monarch, we should have rendered by the familiar phrase of cut his stick.
1843. Thackeray, Lyra Hibernica, 'Battle of Limerick.' The best use Tommy made Of his famous battle blade Was to cut his own stick from the Shannon shore. Ibid. (1862), Philip, xl. Heard him abuse you to Ringwood. Ringwood stuck up for you . . . spoke up like a man—like a man who sticks up for a fellow who is down.
1846. Stokes, Discoveries in Australia, ii. xiii. 502. It was only the previous night that he had been stuck up with a pistol at his head.
1651-61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab., 11. 18. The pawnbrokers have been so often stuck with inferior instruments that it is difficult to pledge even a really good violin. Ibid., 111. 142. Some of the young fellows stick in their parts. They get the stage fever and knocking in the knees.
1855. Howitt, Two Years in Victoria, ii. 187. Unless the mail came well armed, a very few men could stick it up without any trouble or danger.
1855. Kingsley, Westward Ho, v. Silence, or my allegory will go to noggin-staves. Ibid. (1857), Two Years Ago, i. In a few minutes Tom came in. "Here's a good riddance!. . ." "What?" "Cut his stick, and walked his chalks, and is off to London."
d.1859. De Quincey, Roman Meals. All which remained for a decayed poet was respectfully to cut his stick, and retire.
1860-3. Motley, Un. Netherlands, 11. 87. One third of the money sent by the Queen for the soldiers stuck in his fingers.
1867. Week in Wall Street, 47. As soon as the whole class of small speculators perceived they had been stuck, they all shut their mouths; no one confessing the ownership of a share.
1872. Besant and Rice, Ready Money Mortiboy, xlii. "You won't pay her any more attentions, for you shall come out of this place in quick sticks," said Mrs. Bowker.
1877. Horsley, Jottings from Jail. Now don't stick me up; meet me at six to-night.
c. 1880. C. Sheard, Music Hall Song, 'I'm a Millionaire.' Though some stick it up, now I'll pay money down.
1881. Grant, Bush Life in Queensland. Why, they stuck up Wilson's Station there, and murdered the man and woman in the kitchen; they then planted inside the house, and waited until Wilson came home at night with his stockman.
1882. Anstey, Vice Versa, vii. 'Why, you are sticking up for him now!' said Tom . . . astonished at this apparent change of front.
1885. Leisure Hour, Mar., 192. Having attacked, or, in Australian phrase, stuck up the station, and made prisoners of all the inmates.
