To look towards one, verb. phr. (common).—To drink one's health.
1847-8. Thackeray, Vanity Fair, liii. The ladies drank to his 'ealth, and Mr. Moss, in the most polite manner, looked towards him.
1890. Farjeon, Felix, 1. i. 26. 'You know where the bottle is, and per'aps Mr. Wigg will jine you.' 'Mrs. Middlemore,' said Constable Wigg, 'you're a lady after my own heart. . . . Here's looking towards you.'
1892. Henley and Stevenson, Deacon Brodie. Tableau III. Sc. 1, p. 31. Deacon, I looks towards you.
To look up, verb. phr. (colloquial).—1. To show a tendency to improvement; to recover.
1850. Aytoun, Dreepdaily Burghs, 6. 'Suppose I were to start as a Peelite?' 'Something may be said in favour of that view, but on the whole, I should rather say not. That party may not look up for some little time, and then the currency is a stumbling block in the way.'
2. (colloquial).—To pay a visit.
1836. Dickens, Pickwick, xlix. He used to go back for a week, just to look up his old friends.
1859. Punch, xxxvi. 177. 1. When you hung out in Soho, old cock, one could often look you up.
Look-in, subs. (colloquial).—A
chance of success.
1870. Bell's Life, 12 Feb. If Fawcett imagines he has got a look-in, young Mullins will fight him for all the money he can get together in the London district.
1883. Daily Telegraph, August 7, p. 6, col. 2. Four had been examined, and he had expressed his belief that neither of them had a look in as regarded the prizes.
1884. Referee, 23 March, p. 1, col. 4. Easter fought with great gameness, but he never had a look-in from the commencement.
1888. Sporting Life, 28 Nov. This athlete is stated to have run through the distance from the 15 yards mark in 10 min. 2-2/5 sec., which did not give much of a look-in to the scratch man.
1891. Licensed Vict. Gaz., 20 Mar. He will have a good look-in at Epsom if he goes for the City and Suburban.
1891. Lic. Vict. Gaz., 17 April, p. 247, c. 1. It was not until the 15th round that Terry had a look-in—in a rapid exchange of counters, he got home a terrific blow on Forster's Roman nose, which smashed the nasal bone.
1892. Milliken, 'Arry Ballads, p. 28. They didn't get arf a look-in 'long o' me.
Looking-glass, subs. (old).—See
quot. 1690. For synonyms see It.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Looking-glass, a Chamber-pot.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
To look on, verb. phr. (turf).—Said of a horse not meant to do its best.
To look nine ways for sundays, verb. phr. (nautical).—To squint. Fr. vendre des guignes.
Loon (Loun or Lown), subs. (old:
now recognised).—A lout; a varlet;
a rogue.
c.1500. Babees Book [E. E. T. S.], 291. And take it backe with manlike cheere, not like a Rusticke lowne.
15[?]. Old Ballad (quoted in Othello, ii. 3, 1608), 'King Stephen.' With that he called the tailor lown.
1602. Dekker, Honest Wh., Pt. II, in Wks. (1873), ii. 167. The sturdy begger, and the lazy lowne, Gets here hard hands, or laced correction.
1606. Shakspeare, Macbeth, v. 3. ii. The devil damn thee black, thou cream-faced loon.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Loonslatt . . . A false loon, a true Scotchman, or Knave of any Nation.
1697. Vanbrugh, Provoked Wife, iii. 2. Then away John Thompson ran, And, egad! he ran with speed, But before he had run his length The false loon had done the deed.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
