b. 1796. Wolcot [P. Pindar], Rights of Kings, Ode xii. To Thrones, with due decorum, make a leg.
1852. Dickens, Bleak House, liii. p. 443. 'Mr. Bucket, my Lady.' Mr. Bucket makes a leg, and comes forward.
To leg it, verb, phr. (common).—1. To run away. Cf. Leg-bail and To give legs.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
1878. Besant and Rice, By Celia's Arbour, xlviii. Whatever the werdict, you up and leg it, and then bring in an alibi.
2. See Make a leg.
To break a leg, verb. phr. (venery).—See quot. 1737.
1684. R. Head, Proteus Redivivus, 153. Though she hath broken her leg, she is sound enough for a Drawer, newly out of his time, who, having credit for wine, his house is furnish't with the money that did set his wife's Broken Leg.
1737. Ray, Proverbs (3rd ed.), p. 200. She hath broken her leg above the knee, i.e. had a bastard.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Leg.
To cut one's leg, verb. phr. (old).—To get drunk. For synonyms see Drinks and Screwed.
1767. Ray, Proverbs [Bohn (1893), 63]. s.v.
To lift (or lay) a leg on (or over), verb. phr. (venery).—To possess a woman. Hence, to lift one's leg or to play at lift-leg = to copulate (of both sexes); leg-lifter = whoremaster; and leg-lifting = fornication. For synonyms see Greens and Ride.
1719. Durfey, Pills to Purge etc., v. No snarling rebel shall e'er lay leg o'er me.
17[?]. Old Song [quoted by Burns], 'Duncan Davidson'. She fee'd a lad to lift her leg.
c.1787. Burns, Holy Willie's Prayer. I'll ne'er lift a lawless leg Again upon her.
2. (old).—To piss.
1595. Shakspeare, Two Gentlemen, iv. 2. Launec. When didst thou see me heave up my leg and make water on a gentle woman's farthingale?
1606. Return from Parnassus [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), ix. 116]. What, Monsieur Kinsayder, lifting up your leg, and pissing against the world.
1887. Henley, Villon's Good-Night. At you I merely lift my gam, I drink your health against the wall!
3. (old).—To walk.
1791. Burns, Tam O'Shanter. Weel mounted on his grey mare, Meg, A better never lifted leg.
To get a leg in, verb. phr. (common).—To obtain one's confidence.
1891. N. Gould, Double Event, p. 207. He felt exceedingly comfortable now they had got a leg in.
A leg (or leg up), subs. phr. (colloquial).—Help.
1836. Dickens, Pickwick, ch. xvi. Your servant will give you a leg up.
1871. Figaro, 9 Oct. There are authors who require a leg-up before starting, and who do well to explain, and argue, and appeal, and declare beforehand what very clever authors they are.
1876. Hindley, Cheap Jack, 171. All the . . . cheap Johnny coves . . . promised to come . . . just to give you a leg up.
To have a bone in one's leg (or arm, or throat), verb. phr. (colloquial).—To be incapable of action: a playful refusal.
1542. Nicholas Udall, Erasmus's Apophthegmes (1877, Reprint of Ed. 1652), p. 375. He refused to speake, allegeing that he had a bone in his throte, and he could not speake.
1738. Swift, Polite Conversation (Conv. iii.). Nev. Miss, come, be kind for once, and order me a dish of coffee. Miss. Pray go yourself; let us wear out the oldest first; besides, I can't go, for I have a bone in my leg.
