1885. Field, 3 Oct. Two gentlemen, fishing at Aldermaston, stuck to it all day.
1886. Graphic, 10 Ap., 399. An actor who forgets his words is said to stick or be corpsed.
1887. G. L. Apperson, All the Year Round, 30 July, 68, 1. In times gone by, it was by no means an uncommon occurrence [in Australia] for a coach to be stuck up by a band of bushrangers. . . . But a coach is now seldom interfered with, and to stick up is applied to less daring attempts to rob.
1888. Boldrewood, Squatter's Dream, 47. Well, then, I'll cut my stick; you won't want the pair of us. Ibid., 204. A note to settle our little account in quick sticks.
1890. Whiteing, John St., xxvii. Her tiny chum sometimes comes home at night, cross as two sticks, and resists every attempt to cheer her.
1899. Hyne, Further Adv. Captain Kettle, vi. When it comes to sticking up the cable station you'll see him do the work of any ten like us.
1903. D. Tel., 11 Feb., 7, 1. I said, "Are you going to stick me up for this money?" He gave an indefinite sort of the shoulders, and returned no answer.
Sticker, subs. (common).—1.
A pointed question, an apt and
startling comment or rejoinder,
an embarrassing situation; a
stumper (q.v.).
2. (anglers').—A gaff.
3. (common).—A plodder.
4. (colloquial).—A lingering guest.
1712. Arbuthnot, John Bull [Arber, Eng. Garner, vi.], s.v.
Stick-in-the-mud, subs. phr. (colloquial).—A
fogey; a slowcoach.
1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, ii. 4. Tom. Good night, old stick-in-the-mud.
1855. Haliburton, Human Nature, 132. "Well, arter all this palaver," said old Stick-in-the-mud, "what are you arter?"
1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, x. This rusty-coloured one is that respectable old stick-in-the-mud, Nicias.
1880. Punch, 10 Jan., 6. Shut up, old Stick in the Mud, and let's join the ladies.
6. (tradesmen's: Am.).—An article which won't sell; a shop-keeper (q.v.).
7. (American tramps').—See quot.
1900. Flynt, Tramps, 131. This is also true of the office-beggar, or sticker as he calls himself.
8. (common).—A knife.
1899. Whiteing, John St., iv. There warn't no time to square up to 'im when I see the sticker in his 'and.
Stick flams, subs. phr. (Old Cant).—A
pair of gloves (B. E. and
Grose).
Sticking, subs. (common.)—In pl.
= Coarse, bruised, inferior meat:
spec, the portions damaged by the
butcher's knife. See Clods and
Stickings.
Sticking-place (or -point), subs.
phr. (old colloquial).—The point
of election: usually in phrase 'to
come to the sticking-point.'
1606. Shakspeare, Macbeth, i. 7, 60. But screw your courage to the sticking place, and we'll not fall.
1833. Disraeli, Alroy, i. 2. On-*sight of thee would nerve me to the stick ing point.
Stick-in-the-ribs, subs. phr.
(common).—Thick soup; glue
(q.v.).
Stickit-minister, subs. phr.
(Scots').—A disqualified candidate
for holy orders: spec, a
sucking-parson, who, breaking
down at his first sermon, never
attempts another.
