[f. KICK v.1]
I. 1. An act of kicking; a blow or knock with the foot. In Football, the act of striking the ball with the foot. Free kick: see quot. 1892. Drop-, penalty-, place-kick: see these words.
1530. Palsgr., 236/1. Kicke of an horse, ruade.
1599. Marston, Sco. Villanie, III. xi. 225. Robrus sprauling kicks, Fabius caper, Harries tossing tricks.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 11, ¶ 3. A Tall Man with a Hat and Feather, who gives his first Minister, who stands just before him, an huge Kick.
1759. Johnson, Idler, No. 55, ¶ 10. I lost my patience, and gave him a kick.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., II. v. 65. This imp … has always had a relishing fancy for the kicks and cuffs.
1892. Outdoor Games & Recr., 538. Laws of Assoc. Football, A Free Kick is a kick at the ball in any way the kicker pleases, when it is lying on the ground, none of the kicker’s opponents being allowed within six yards of the ball.
1893. Rugby Union Football Handbk., 33. All free-kicks may be place-kicks, drop-kicks, or punts…. If taken by drop or punt the catcher must take the kick.
fig. 1627–77. Feltham, Resolves, I. xi. 16. For we can never throughly try him, but in the kick of malignant Chance.
1833. Lytton, in Hansard, XV. 1234. His [Irish] policy was wittily described … as a ‘quick alternation of kicks and kindness.’
b. In phr. More kicks than halfpence: more harshness than kindness: cf. MONKEY sb.
1824. Scott, St. Ronan’s, xxxiv. ‘Which is like monkey’s allowance, I suppose,’ said the traveller, ‘more kicks than halfpence.’
1853. Darwin, in Life, II. 39. Though I shall get more kicks than halfpennies, I will, life serving, attempt my work.
1887. T. A. Trollope, What I remember, I. i. 22. A life, in which the kicks might be more superabundant than the half-pence.
c. Ability or disposition to kick.
1885. W. J. Fitzpatrick, Life T. N. Burke, I. 14. If … the horse had any kick in him, a sensation scene took place.
1898. F. T. Bullen, Cruise ‘Cachalot,’ xxv. 323. He had not a kick in him.
d. fig. Opposition, objection, repugnance.
1887. F. Francis, Jr. Saddle & Mocassin, xviii. 308. I haven’t got any kick against Don Juan.
1893. Westm. Gaz., 3 March, 9/1. There is a strong kick among the few sportsmen here at this wholesale murder.
e. The kick (in phr. to get or give the kick): Discharge, dismissal, ‘the bag,’ ‘the sack.’ slang.
1844. Jamie, Muse, 100 (E. D. D.). She was soon to get the kick.
1885. Fraser, Poems, 50 (E. D. D.). Should a brither be sick, They’ll no gie him the kick.
2. transf. a. The recoil of a gun when discharged.
1826. J. F. Cooper, Mohicans (1829), I. vii. 95. The kick of the rifle disconcerts your aim.
1846. Greener, Sc. Gunnery, 294. It is … only when the ‘Kick,’ as it is called, becomes painful, that it is essential to avoid or lessen it.
b. A jerk, jolt; jerking motion.
1835. Ure, Philos. Manuf., 187. The back of the trough being curved, permits the cloth to turn upwards before each successive kick.
1897. Mary Kingsley, W. Africa, 337. She [our noble craft] had a cataclysmic kick in her.
1898. R. Kipling, Fleet in Being, 11–2. The twin-screws gave us more kick than was pleasant.
3. One who kicks. Usually with adj.: A (good or bad) kicker, esp. in football.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, I. v. He’s cock of the school … and the best kick and charger in Rugby.
1893. Assoc. Football Handbk., 57. Very safe with his hands and a fine kick.
II. Slang senses of which the relationship is obscure.
4. The kick: the fashion, the newest style.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v., A high Kick, the top of the Fashion.
1731. Gentl. Mag., I. 56/2. About the latter end of Queen Anne’s reign, a Rev. gentleman wrote a treatise call’d, A farewel to French kicks.… The author of it dissuades his countrymen from the use of French fashions.
1787. G. Colman, Inkle & Yarico, III. i. I march’d the lobby, twirled my stick … The girls all cry’d ‘He’s quite the kick.’
1804. Europ. Mag., XLV. June, 413/2. This [head-dress] obtained the name of Nancy Dawson’s new kick.
1894. Mrs. Lynn Linton, One too Many, I. viii. 190. Mrs. West naturally wanted ‘the last new kick.’
5. A sixpence.
1725. in New Cant. Dict.
1728. [De Foe], Street-Robberies Consider’d, 32. Kick, Sixpence.
1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dict., Kick, a sixpence, when speaking of compound sums only, as, three and a kick, is three and sixpence, &c.
1834. H. Ainsworth, Rookwood, III. xiii. (1878), 260. Half a bull, three hogs, and a kick.
1871. Echo, 15 May (Farmer). ‘What do you mean by telling me that you will take it away for a kick?’… ‘I’ll do the job for sixpence.’
6. pl. Breeches, trousers. ? Obs. Cf. KICKSEYS.
a. 1700. in B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v., Tip us your Kicks, we’ll have them as well as your Lour.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, 13. Old Georgy’s bang-up togs and kicks.
7. A pocket.
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, I. 52/1. I having some ready in my kick, grabbed the chance, and stepped home with my swag.
1869. Greenwood, Night in Workhouse (Farmer). I rifled his kick of his shiners so fine.
