Obs. [In use from c. 1530 to 1630, very common from c. 1550 to 1600. Origin obscure: it does not seem to be connected in sense with TRICK sb. or v. On the other hand its two senses correspond closely to senses 2 and 3 of TRIG a. The latter was at that time only northern; midland and southern speakers may have associated it with the known sb. and vb. trick, and adopted it in this form. Often alliteratively coupled with trim.]
A. adj. 1. Smart, adroit, clever, nimble, ‘neat.’ rare. Cf. TRIG a. 2.
(Quot. 1545 may belong to sense 2.)
1542. [implied in TRICKLY adv.]
1545. Ascham, Toxoph. (Arb.), 28. Two bowes … whereof the one is quicke of cast, tricke and trimme both for pleasure and profyte: the other is a lugge slowe of cast, folowing the string.
a. 1550[?]. Schole Ho. Women, 100, in Hazl., E. P. P., IV. 109. So trick a way they haue to kisse With open mouth and rowling eyes.
15[?]. Six Ballads w. Burdens (Percy Soc.), 8. Say-well in wordes is proper and trycke.
1589. Warner, Alb. Eng., VI. xxx. (1612), 147. Trimmest fidling on the trickest kit.
1593. Lodge, Phillis, etc. (Hunter. Cl.), 7. Sweet chaines of honny speech, Deliuered by a trick Herculean tongue Able to tice all eares.
2. Trim, neat, handsome, in form or feature; smart, ‘fine,’ ornate in dress. Cf. TRIG a. 3, 3 b.
c. 1530. Redforde, Play Wit & Sc. (1848), 1. See That all thynges be cleane and trycke abowte ye.
1533. J. Heywood, Play of Weather, Plays (1905), 123. As dearly my youth I might have sold As the trickest and fairest of you all.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 70. A tricke waggon, on the which sat a ladie richely appareled.
a. 1553. C. Bansley, Treat., xxiv. (Percy Soc.), 7. Lustye wylfull wyll wyll … cause the tryckeste of you all, to synge a carefull songe.
1570. Levins, Manip., 120/40. Trick, nitidus, concinnus.
1581. A. Hall, Iliad, II. 39. Bryseis his tricke and gallant trull.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, III. (1629), 390. A neighbour mine … That maried had a tricke and bonny lasse.
1630. W. Freake, Doctrines Jesuits, 43. Gay Gownes … wherewith hee can make her both tricke and trimme.
B. adv. 1. Cleverly, ‘neatly,’ ‘finely.’
1564–78. Bulleyn, Dial. agst. Pest. (1888), 94. He plaieth tricke vpon the Gitterne.
1584. Peele, Arraignm. Paris, I. i. But tell me, wench [Flora], hast done’t so trick indeed? [i.e., deck’d the earth with parti-colour’d flowers].
2. Neatly, smartly, elegantly, ‘trigly.’
1594. Greene & Lodge, Looking-Glasse, G.’s Wks. (Rtldg.), 122/2. Unless you coy it trick and trim.
1615. Brathwait, Strappado (1878), 190. A sumptuous graue, Which garnisht is without full tricke and trim.
a. 1658. Cleveland, Myrtle-Grove, 50. Her gamesome Hair … in wild Rings ran trick about the air.
