1897. Marshall, Pomes. 7. 'Strewth! I'll have a drink, And wish all pals a prosperous New Year.
Stride, subs. (theatrical).—In pl.
= trousers: see Kicks.
To stride a pot, verb. phr. (common).—To piss (of women): hence as good as ever strode a pot = as good as ever pissed (q.v.).
TO TAKE IN ONE'S STRIDE, verb. phr. (common).—To do easily, and without an effort, as a hunter or a steeple-fencer takes a fence.
Stride-wide, subs. phr. (Old
Cant).—Ale. [Halliwell:
'mentioned in Harrison's England,
202'.]
Strike, subs. (common).—A
sovereign; 20s. (Grose).
2. (American political).—See quot 1890. Whence striker = a blackmailer.
1883. Nation, 6 Sep., 200. If he can elect such a ticket even in Virginia alone he will take the field after election as a striker, and will offer his electoral votes to whichever candidate will give the highest terms.
1890. Century Diet., s.v. Strike, n. 13. Any unscrupulous attempt to extort money or to obtain other personal advantage by initiating an attack with the intention of being bought off, as by introducing a bill into a legislature hostile 'to some moneyed interest, with the hope of being paid to let the matter drop.'
Verb. (old).—Generic for getting money: to steal (Harman, B. E.); to beg, to borrow (e.g. 'to STRIKE (or SPRING, q.v.) a man for a quid'); to get into debt (cf. TO STRIKE A LIGHT = to run up an alehouse score): see quot. c. 1696. Hence striking = a robbery, swindle, or imposition; and striker = a robber with violence.
1591. Greene, Art of Cony Catching [Nares]. The cutting a pocket, or picking a purse, is called striking.
1598. Shakspeare, 1 Hen. IV., ii. 1. 82. I am joined with no foot-land rakers, no long-staff sixpenny strikers.
1628. Earle, Microcos, Appen. 254. 'Now we have well bousd, let us struck some chete.'
1655. Shirley, Gent. of Venice [Nares]. I must borrow money, And that some call a striking.
c. 1696. B. E., Diet. Cant. Crew, s.v. Strike . . . Strike all the Cheats, c. Rob all you meet. Strike the Cull, c. Beg of that Gentleman. Strike the Cly, c. get that Fellow's Money from him. He has struck the Quidds, c. he has got the Cole from him. He strikes every Body, c. he borrows Money every where, he runs in every one's Debt.
2. (venery).—To copulate: see Ride. Hence striker = a wencher.
1620. Burton, Anat. Melan., III. 111. iv. 1. Gave her a familiar touch with his wand, which she mistaking for her lover, said Ah, Landre, a good Knight should strike before, and not behind.
1639. Massinger, Un. Combat, iv. 2. That, if the sign deceive me not, in time, Will prove a notable striker, like his father.
Strike me blind! intj. (common).—An oath.
Strike me luck (or lucky), phr. (old).—Originally used in clenching a bargain: the hands were struck together, and the buyer left a luck-penny in the hands of the seller. Hence an oath or ejaculation (Bee).
1616. Beaumont and Fletcher, Scornful Lady, ii. Come strike me luck with earnest and draw the writings. There's a God's-penny for thee.
1664. Butler, Hudibras, 11. i. 540. But if that's all you stand upon, Here, strike me luck, it shall be done.
To make a strike, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To achieve, succeed, or be lucky: at ninepins: to knock all the pins down with one ball.
