1901. Sporting Times, 17 Aug., i. 5. During my late Oxford days, I got put up to at least twenty different ways of getting TICK.
To TICK AND TOY, verb. phr. (old).—To dally, to wanton.
1550. Latimer, Serm. before Ed. VI. Stand not ticking and toying at the branches . . . but strike at the root.
1579. Gosson, School of Abuse [Halliwell]. Such ticking, such toying, such smiling, such winking, and such manning them home when the sports are ended.
1614. England's Helicon [Nares]. Unto her repaire . . . Sit and tick and toy till set be the sunne.
Ticker, subs. (common).—1. A watch (Grose): also tick. Fr. tocante.
1789. Parker, Varieg. Charac. You know you'll buy a dozen or two of wipes, dobbin cants, or a farm, or a tick with any rascal.
1829. Maginn, Vidocq's Slang Song [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 107]. When his ticker I set a-going, With his onions, chain, and key.
1830. Egan, Finish Life, 217. I have lost my ticker; and all my toggery has been boned.
1838. Dickens, Oliver Twist, xviii. 'And always put this in your pipe, Nolly,' said the Dodger. 'If you don't take fogles and tickers . . . some other cove will.'
1877. Five Years' Penal Servitude, iv. 270. He listened to the tempter, 'filched the ticker,' and was nailed almost immediately.
1887. Henley, Villon's Straight Tip. It's up the spout and Charley-wag, With wipes and tickers and what not.
1897. Marshall, Pomes, 71. He fished the ticker out From her giddy little satchel right away.
1900. Kipling, Stalky & Co., 268. He'd . . . pledged the Government to all sorts of action. 'Pledged the States' ticker, eh?' said M'Turk, with a nod to me.
2. (Stock Exchange and Post Office).—An automatic tape-machine.
3. (American University).—An ignoramus who talks for talking's sake.
4. (veterinary).—A crib-biting horse (Lawrence, Horses[1802], 218).
Ticket, subs. (old).—1. An account; a score: now tick (q.v.).
2. (old).—A pass; a license: also tickrum (B. E. and Grose): cf. approximation to Fr. etiquette. Hence (3) a visiting card: whence (from 2 and 3) the ticket=the correct thing; that's the ticket=that's the thing, that's all right: also 'that's the ticket for soup'='You've got it—be off!'
[1611. Coryat, Crudities, 1. 57. The porter . . . gave me a little ticket under his hand as a kind of warrant for mine entertainement in mine Inne.]
1782. Burney, Cecilia, 1. iii. A ticket is only a visiting card with a name upon it; but we call them tickets now.
1783-5. Cowper, Task, iii. Well dressed, well bred, Well equipaged, is ticket good enough To pass us readily through every door.
1854-5. Thackeray, Newcomes, vii. She's very handsome and she's very finely dressed, only somehow she's not—she's not the ticket, you see. Ibid. (1862), Philip, xiii. Poor dear Mrs Jones . . . still calls on the ladies of your family, and slips her husband's ticket upon the hall table.
1862. Trollope, Orley Farm, lxvii. That's about the ticket in this country.
1862. Bradley, Tales of College Life, 19. That's the ticket; that will just land me in time for gates.
1884. Clemens, Huck. Finn. Deed, that ain't the ticket, Miss Mary Jane,' I says, 'by no manner of means.'
4. (American political).—(a) A printed list of candidates in an election; (b) the candidates; and (c) a policy; A platform (q.v.). Whence straight ticket
