2. (common).—The head; to drop on one's tibby = to take unawares.
c.1866. Vance, Chickaleary Cove. For to get me on the hop, or on my tibby drop, You must wake up very early in the mornin'.
Tichborne's Own, subs. phr.
(military).—The 6th Dragoon
Guards (Carabineers): c. 1871-4,
at the time of the Tichborne trial,
Sir Roger Tichborne having
(1849) served in the regiment.
Tick (or Ticket), subs. (old).—A
word regarded as slang to-day (or
verging thereon) that can boast
of considerable (and, indeed,
honourable) antiquity: an abbreviation
of ticket = a tradesman's
bill, formerly written on
slips of paper or cards. Hence
tick (or ticket) = credit, a debt;
as verb = to buy or take on trust,
to run a score; to tick up (or
to have the run of the
ticket) = to put to account, to
run in debt (Fr. avoir l'ardoise =
to slate); What's the ticket?
= What's the price (Fr. quelle est
le marché du bœuf gras?)—(B. E.
and Grose).
1609. Dekker, Gul's Hornbook, vi. 145. No matter whether in landing you have money or no; you may swim in twentie of their boates over the river upon ticket.
1615. Shirley, Works, iii. 56 [Stephens, Characters, 239]. [He] plaies upon ticket.
1633. Marmion, Fine Companion, v. 2. Yon courtier is mad to take up silks and velvets On ticket for his mistresse, and your citizen Is mad to trust him.
1638. Randolph, Hey for Honesty, ii. 6. I am resolved to build no more sconces, but to pay my old tickets.
1648. Fuller, Holy State, 114. Though much indebted to his own back and belly, and unable to pay them, yet he hath credit himself, and confidently runs on ticket with himself.
1661. Prideaux [Dean of Norwich], Letter, May. The Mermaid Tavern is lately broke, and our Christ Church men bear the blame of it, our ticks, as the noise of the town will have, amounting to 1500l.
1663. Butler, Hudibras, 1. iii. I'll . . . once more, for that carcass vile, Fight upon tick.
1668. Sedley, Mulberry Garden. I confess my tick is not good, and I never desire to game for more than I have about me.
1668. Dryden, Evening's Love, iii. Play on tick, and lose the Indies, I'll discharge it all to-morrow.
1683. Oldham, Poems, 174. Reduc'd to want, he in due time fell sick, Was fain to die, and be interr'd on tick.
c.1700. Diary of Ab. de la Pryme [Surtees], 110. Every one runs upon tick and thou that had no credit a year ago has credit enough now.
d.1704. Brown, Works, ii. 266. Some pretty nymphs . . . but are sometimes forced to tick half a sice a-piece for their watering.
1713. Arbuthnot, John Bull, iii. 8. Paying ready money that the maids might not run tick at the market. Ibid. The money went to the lawyers; counsel won't tick.
d.1729. Steele; Correspondence, ii. 477. I shall contrive to have a quarter before-hand, and never let family tick more for victuals, cloaths, or rent.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. River Tick. Standing debts, which only discharge themselves at the end of three years by leaving the Lake of Credit, and meandering through the haunts of 100 creditors. Oxf. Univ. Cant.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas [Routledge], 169. Scarcely a day passed but he sinned on tick, and suffered by attorney.
1862. Thackeray, Philip, xxxviii. Then the bills came down upon me. I tell you there are some of my college ticks ain't paid now.
1880. Punch's Almanack, 3. Quarter-day, too, no more chance of tick.
1899. Whiteing, John Street, xviii They're extremely nice people, and give one no end of tick.
