1848. Longstreet, Georgia Scenes, 192. 'What do the doctors give for the fever and ague?' 'Oh, they give abundance o' truck.'
1884. Clemens, Huck. Finn. No use to take truck and leave money.
1899. Whiteing, John Street, xxvi. Fust time in 'er life . . . she's ever 'ad any truck with any of them sort.
2. (common).—In pl. = trousers: see Kicks.
3. (nautical).—A hat: see Golgotha.
Truckle-bed, subs. phr. (old).—In
saying, 'To stumble at the
truckle- (or trundle-) bed' =
(Ray) 'to mistake the chambermaid's
bed for his wife's.' [Formerly
a low bed on small wheels
or castors was trundled under a
'standing-bed' in the daytime,
and drawn out at night for a
servant to sleep on.]
1660-9. Pepys, Diary, iii. 269. My wife and I in the high bed in our chamber, and Willet in the trundle-bed, which she desired to lie in, by us.
True, adj. (old colloquial).—Honest:
usually in contrast with
'thievish,' or true man v. thief.
Also (proverbial) true as true
(as the gospel, God in
heaven, as i stand here, etc.)
= as true as may be.
d. 1400. Chaucer, Good Women, 464. For why a trewe man, withouten drede Hath nat to parten with a theves dede.
1513-25. Skelton, Poems [Dyce], ii. 321. Trewe as the gospell.
1592. Marlowe, Edward II. [Dodsley, Old Plays (Reed), ii. 362]. We will not wrong thee so, To make away a true man for a thief.
1593. Shakspeare, Venus and Adonis, 724. Rich preys make true men thieves. Ibid. (1594), Love's Lab. Lost, iv. 3. 187. Whither away so fast? A true man, or a thief, that gallops thus? Ibid. (1598), 1 Henry IV., ii. 1. 98. The thieves have bound the true men. Ibid., iii. 3. Now, as I am a true woman, holland of eight shillings an ell. Ibid. (1608), Ant. and Cleop., ii. 6. En. There is never a fair woman has a true face. M. No slander. They steal hearts.
1610. Mirr. for Mag., 277. The true man we let hang some whiles, to save a thief.
True-blue, adj. and subs. (old
colloquial).—1. Unmistakable,
honest, staunch, dependable: as
subs., a thoroughly reliable, good
fellow, a stalwart: also blue
(q.v.). [Blue is regarded as the
colour or emblem of constancy,
but whether in reference to the
blue of sky or sea (both proverbially
deceitful) or the fastness
of some dye (e.g. Coventry blue)
is unknown.] Hence spec. (2)
in 17th century = the Scotch
Presbyterians or Whigs: the
Covenanters had adopted blue
as against the Royal red; in
later times staunchly Liberal or
Tory, according to the choice
made of blue as a party-colour by
either, but mostly Conservative.
[c. 1500. Balade agst. Women Unconst. [Stow, Chaucer (1561), 340]. To newe thinges your lust is euer kene In stede of blew, thus may ye were al grene.]
d.1635. Randolph [?], Hey for Honesty, ii. 3. Be merry, true blue, be merry: thou art one of my friends too.
1663. Butler, Hudibras, i. i. 191. For his Religion . . . 'Twas Presbyterian true blue.
1674. Fairfax, Bulk and Selv., 171. It being true blew Gotham or Hobbes ingrain'd, one of the two.
1705. Hickeringill, Priest-cr., ii. viii. 86. The old Beau is True-Blew . . . the Highflown Principles.
1762. Gent. Mag., 442. Honest, true blues, a staunch, firm, chosen band.
1785. Burns, Author's Earn. Cry, xiii. Dempster, a true blue Scot, I'se warrant.
1818. Scott, Heart Mid. (1873), 75. A tough true-blue Presbyterian called Deans.
