Also 4 logge, 4–8 lugg(e. [Prob. of Scandinavian origin; cf. Sw. lugga to pull a person’s hair, f. lugg forelock, also nap of cloth.
Normally an ON. *lugg might be cogn. w. a vb. *lǫggva:—OTeut. *lauwan, represented only by MDu. lauwen, gelauwen to snatch at, seize.]
1. trans. To pull, give a pull to, to pull by (the ear, hair, etc.); to tease, worry, bait (a bear, bull, etc.). Obs. exc. dial.
In South Yorkshire and the adjacent counties the most common use is in the sense ‘to pull the hair of (a person).’
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 149. Be the chyn and be the cheke Sche luggeth him riht as hir liste.
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, II. 173. This lorell that ladde this loby awey … was ffelliche ylauȝte and luggid fful ylle.
1533. J. Heywood, Pardoner & Friar (1830), B iij. Leue thy railynge … Or by Iys Ish lug the by the swete eares.
1621–3. Middleton & Rowley, Changeling, II. i. 8. Like a common Garden-bull, I do but take breath to be lugg’d again.
1647. Trapp, Comm. Matt. x. 6. These also [sc. swine] when lugged … will hie to their home.
1678. R. L’Estrange, Seneca’s Mor. (1702), 242. He was Lugg’d and Tumbled by the Rabble.
1682. Otway, Venice Pres., III. i. Wks. 1727, II. 298. I’ll have my Footmen lug you, you Cur.
1693. Dryden, Persius Sat., i. 277. To see a Strumpet tear A Cynick’s Beard, and lug him by the Hair.
c. 1720. Pope, Lett. to Earl Burlington, Wks. 1737, VI. 20. Mr. Lintott lugg’d the reins, stopt short, and broke out, ‘Well Sir, how far have you gone?’
1775. Francis, Lett. (1901), I. 231. Some with Pincers pulling out their own Beards, and Lugging their Ears.
1805. W. Taylor, in Ann. Rev., III. 64. The dog … still fawns on the master who is lugging his ears.
1833. Marryat, P. Simple, xxviii. So saying, he lugged me by the ear, upon which I knocked him down for his trouble.
2. intr. To pull, tug. Of a horse: To press heavily on (the bit or reins).
a. 1375. Lay Folks Mass Bk., App. iv. 350. Wiþ his teth anon He logged þat al in synder gon lasch.
a. 1550. Christis Kirke Gr., vii. Lord, than how they luggit!
1598. Hakluyt’s Voy. (1599), I. 601. This huge and monstrous galliasse, wherein were contained three hundred slaues to lug at the oares.
1876. Browning, Pacchiarotto, xxi. A whip awaits shirkers and shufflers Who slacken their pace, sick of lugging At what don’t advance for their tugging.
1894. Crocker, Educ. Horse, 57. A colt thoroughly bitted with this bridle will never lug on the reins. Ibid., 133. A horse that lugs on the bit.
† b. To take a pull at (liquor, the breast). Also trans. To pull at (the breast). Obs.
1577. Harrison, England, II. xviii. (1877), I. 295. How our maltbugs lug at this liquor.
a. 1591. H. Smith, Serm. (1622), 467. When we have lugged the brest almost drie.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 969. That he might cease to be troublesome to his mother, and not lie alwaies lugging at her brests.
1617. J. Moore, Twofold Cord Consolat., ii. 43. The brests of the world, (which we alwayes would be lugging).
c. To move about, along, heavily and slowly; to drag. rare, now only techn.
In South Yorkshire, etc., a comb is said to ‘lug’ when it meets with resistance in passing through the hair.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 443. As þat lyftande lome [sc. the Ark] luged aboute.
1690. Dryden, Don Sebastian, IV. i. My flagging Soul flyes under her own pitch, Like Fowl in air too damp, and lugs along, As if she were a body in a body.
1841. Savage, Dict. Printing, 446. When balls stick together in distributing they are said to lug.
1888. Jacobi, Printers’ Vocab., 78. When rollers are tacky or stick together they are said to lug.
3. trans. To pull along with violent effort; to drag, tug (something heavy). Also with advs. (cf. 5). † To lug forth, absol. (nonce-use) = to lug out (5 b).
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 11029. Þe Mirmydons,… Lepyn to þere lord, lugget hym away. Ibid., 12323. The lady þat the lede lugget of þe toure.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, s.v. Cœnum, Ineluctabile cœnum, out of whiche one can not lugge his legges.
1577. Hanmer, Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1619), 114. They lugged me foorth and carried me away.
1682. Dryden, Epil. to King & Queen, 31. Think on your souls; but by your lugging forth, It seems you know how little they are worth.
1684. Earl Roscommon, Ess. Transl. Verse (1709), 180. There Sweat, there Strain, there lug the laborious Oar.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. xiii. I lugged this Money home to my Cave, and laid it up.
1728. Morgan, Algiers, II. iv. 291. The Turkish Admiral … caused his Janizaries … to lug along all the heavy Artillery, in Slings, on their Shoulders.
1782. Charl. A. Burney, Jrnl., 15 Jan., in Mad. D’Arblay’s Early Diary. Mr. Seward came up … lugging a chair into the middle of the room for me.
1835. W. Irving, Tour Prairies, 332. She lugged from the fire a huge iron pot.
1898. A. Balfour, To Arms, viii. 90. I was lugged headlong up a steep stair.
b. colloq. with a hyperbolical suggestion of ponderousness in the object.
1652. Culpepper, Eng. Physic., 260. It is … more convenient … than to lug a Galli-pot along with him.
1717. Pope, Lett. to Lady M. W. Montagu, Oct. in M. W. M.’s Lett. (1887), I. 306. Allow me … to lug an old busto behind you, and I shall be proud beyond expression.
1747. H. Walpole, Lett. H. Mann (1834), II. 196. The Countess used to lug a half-length picture … behind her postchaise.
1871. L. Stephen, Playgr. Eur., i. (1894), 8. Boswell … succeeded in lugging him [Johnson] into the wilds of the Highlands.
1874. Helps, Soc. Press., vii. 91. And how can you expect that a man who is being lugged forward [etc.].
1896. Newnham-Davis, Three Men, etc., 14. His wife lugged it [a marble god] down here with her yesterday.
4. fig. To introduce in a forced manner, or irrelevantly; = DRAG v. 2.
1721. Amherst, Terræ Fil. (1754), App. 320. There is scarcely an enormity in the university, which you have not luggd-in.
1774. Mad. D’Arblay, Lett. to Mr. Crisp, April, in Early Diary. In Raphael’s School of Athens … I like his picture of the … Dwarf, which for fun and spite he lugg’d by head and shoulders into that fine composition.
1901. Scotsman, 1 March, 5/3. Counsel for the other side had lugged in every thing he could to prejudice the case.
5. Lug out. a. trans. See prec. senses and out.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 6663. Weghis of his aune Luggit hym out to þe laund.
1722. De Foe, Col. Jack (1840), 12. The major lugged out the goods.
1840. Thackeray, Catherine, vi. Mr. Brock lugged out five guineas. Ibid. (1840), Paris Sk.-bk. (1869), 178. The little fellow was obliged to lug out his sword.
1889. J. K. Jerome, Three Men in Boat, 23. You land and lug out the tent.
fig. 1755. Barnaby Bright’s New Jrnl., 3. I thought of … lugging out my florid style, which I keep by me for Holidays.
1891. Speaker, 2 May, 532/2. The Quarterly reviewer also lugs out again that ‘very ancient and fish-like’ fallacy which distinguishes between duties and rights.
B. absol. or intr. To draw one’s sword; to pull out money or a purse. Now only arch. † Also fig., To launch out in talk.
1684. Dryden, Prol. to ‘Disappointment,’ 62. They caterwaul,… Call sons of whores, and strike, but ne’er lug out.
1700. Step to the Bath (ed. 2), 4. They call’d for a Bill, which was presently brought; out I lugg’d, and was going to Discharge, but [etc.].
1748. Smollett, Rod. Rand. (1760), I. iv. 17. My poor uncle … was obliged to lug out in his own defence.
1787. Minor, IV. v. 214. I lugged out in the most feeling manner on my sad situation.
1826. Scott, Woodst., xxv. Put up both of you, or I shall lug out as thirdsman.
1854. W. Collins, Hide & Seek, I. ix. 287. If the patrons of art don’t lug out handsomely to get … that picture —.
1889. Doyle, Micah Clarke, 75. I … might have had more, had that young fool not lugged out at me.
† 6. intr. ? To draw swords (= lug out, 5 b); or ? to tussle. Obs.
1605. 1st Pt. Ieronimo, III. ii. 121. Lug with him, boy; honors in bloud best swim.
