Now dial. Forms: α. 1 þryccan, 4–5 thricche, þrich(e. β. 3 þrucche, 6, 8 thruch, 6– thrutch. Pa. t. and pple. 1 þryhte, þryht, 4 þryȝt, 4–5 thricchet, thrucchit; 5 thright. [OE. þrycc(e)an = OHG. drucchen (MHG., G. drücken) to press, :—WGerm. *þrukkjan, nominal vb. f. *þrukki-, whence OHG. druck (MHG. druc, G. druck) pressure.]
1. trans. To press, squeeze, crush; to crowd, throng; fig. to oppress.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., iv. Sittað manfulle on heahsetlum, and haliʓe under heora fotum þrycað.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 17. Þat dotz bot þrych my hert þrange. Ibid., B. 135. He fande … A þral þryȝt in þe þrong unþryuandely cloþed.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 13461. Mony holes in the howses … Ouergrowen with … thornes, Euyn thestur and thicke thricchet of wode.
c. 1440. Anc. Cookery, § 438, in Househ. Ord. (1790), 471. When hit is sothen, thricche oute the water.
1546. Coverdale, Treat. Lord’s Supp., Transl. Pref. A iij. Thrutchyng vp into a corner yt parte whiche no place can conteyne.
c. 1746. J. Collier (Tim Bobbin), View Lanc. Dial., 1. Yet I’m war thrutcht, between two arran Rogues.
1888. Sheffield Gloss., Thrutch, to thrust, to squeeze.
b. spec. To press (cheese).
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. viii. 335/1. Thruch them in the Cheese-Fate.
1818. Wilbraham, Cheshire Gloss., 29. Squeezing or pressing the cheese is called thrutching it.
2. To thrust, push.
c. 1205. Lay., 19483. He wænde mid his crucche us adun þrucche.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 705. He … dyed Delfully þurȝ hondez þryȝt.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1443. For þre at þe fyrst þrast he þryȝt to þe erþe.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 6732. He … wan to the knight, And xxx in the throng thrucchit to dethe.
a. 1500[?]. Chester Pl., x. 406. When they their spears throughe him thright.
1889. Cheshire Gloss., s.v., I’st be thrutched off here.
3. intr. To push or press into a place; to jostle.
[a. 1000. Guthlac (Exeter Bk.), 285. We þas wic maʓun fotum afyllan, folc in ðriceð meara þreatum and monfarum.]
c. 1837. in Stephens, Mem. R. Dunford (1899), 75. ‘Thrutch him up’ shouted some … malcontents at a … vestry meeting [at Middleton, Lancs.]…. ‘Thrutch away, gentlemen,’ replied the young Rector, jumping on to an oak chest.
1848. T. Blezard, Westmoreld. Songs, 35 (E.D.D.). At last we thrutch’d into th’ Ship Inn.
Hence Thrutching vbl. sb. (in quot. squeezing, wringing); also concr. (in pl.): see quot. 1885. Thrutcher Lancash.: see quot. 1901.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1522. All his wongys were wete for weping of teres,… with thricching of hondys.
c. 1746. J. Collier (Tim Bobbin), View Lanc. Dial., Wks. (1862), 68. I stown a lyte Wetur-podditch, an some Thrutchings.
1885. Cheshire Gloss., Thrutchings, whey which is thrutched or squeezed out whilst the cheese is under pressure.
1901. F. E. Taylor, Folk-Sp. S. Lancs. (E.D.D.), Thrutcher, specially applied to the pushers of a rush-cart, and to the boys who push the corves in a coal-pit.
