1593. Tell-trothes N. Y. Gift, 39. That babie which lodges in womens eies.
1607. Beaumont & Fletcher, Woman Hater, iii. 1. I cannot think I shall become a coxcomb, To ha' my hair curl'd by an idle finger. . . . Mine eyes looked babies in.
1613. Drayton, Polyolbion, Song xi. While in their chrystal eyes he doth for cupids look.
1618. Beaumont and Fletcher, Loyal Subject, iii. 2. Can ye look babies, sister, in the young gallants' eyes, and twirl their bandstrings? Ibid. ii. 6. Viol. Will he play with me too? Alin. Look babies in your eyes, my pretty sweet one; There's a fine sport!
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., III. ii. v1. v. (1651) 576. They may kiss and coll, lye and look babies in one another's eyes.
1624. Massinger, Renegado, ii. 5. When a young lady wrings you by the hand,—thus; Or with an amorous touch presses your foot; Looks babies in your eyes, plays with your locks, etc.
1636. Davenant, Platonic Lovers, ii. 1. You may beget reflections in each others eyes.
1657. Poole, English Parnassus, 420. [Among the phrases expressing the ways of lovers, is set down], 'Looking of babies in each other's eyes.'
1672. Marvell, Reher. Transp., i. 66. Only to speculate his own baby in their eyes.
1682. Mrs. Behn, City Heiress, iii. 1. Sigh'd and lookt babies in his gloating eyes.
1690. Wilson, Belphegor, ii. 3. What would I care for a man should court my little finger, look babies in my eyes. . . . That was not the fashion of my time. Men were men then.
1692. Gentlemen's Journal, July, p. 9. Ten thousand Cupids wanton in her eyes.
1802. Moore (Little), Poems, 'Impromptu.' Thus in our looks some propagation lies, For we make babies in each other's eyes.
To look big. See Big.
To look blue. See Blue.
To look botty. See Botty.
To look down one's nose, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To look glum; to have the blues (q.v.).
To look lively, verb. phr. (common).—To be drunk. For synonyms see Drinks and Screwed.
To look for a needle in a bottle of hay (or in a haystack), verb. phr. (colloquial).—To seek what it is impossible to find. [Bottle = a quantity of hay or grass, tied or bundled up. Fr. botte].
1592. Greene, Upstart Courtier (1871), 4. b. He . . . gropeth in the dark to find a needle in a bottle of hay.
c.1845. Hood, Lost Heir, ii. A child as is lost about London streets . . . is a needle in a bottle of hay.
c.1880. W. M. Baker, New Timothy, 200. How in the world will we manage to find you afterwards? After we get into the thick of the bush, it'll be like lookin' for a needle in the biggest sort of a haystack.
To look pricks, verb. phr. (venery).—To look lecherously; to leer an invitation to coition: cf. Pintle-keek.
To look sharp, verb. phr. (colloquial).—1. To exercise great vigilance; to be extremely careful.
1711. Steele, Spectator, No. 132. The captain . . . ordered his man to look sharp that none but one of the ladies should have the place he had taken fronting the coach-box.
2. (colloquial).—To be quick; to make haste.
1840. Dickens, Old Curiosity Shop, xxxix. Kit told this gentleman to look sharp, and he said he would not only look sharp, but he actually did, and presently came running back.
To look through a glass, verb. phr. (common).—To get drunk. For synonyms see Drinks and Screwed.
