Bark

subs. (common).—1.  A native of Ireland: hence BARKSHIRE = Ireland.

  1869.  Notes and Queries, 4 S., iii., 406. In Lancashire an Irishman is vulgarly called a BARK.

  1876.  C. HINDLEY, ed. The Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack, 191. Mike, when asked by some of his countrymen why he called Fairbanks a ‘BARK,’ i.e., an Irishman, said, ‘If I had not put the ‘Bark’ on him he would have put it on me, so I had the first pull.’

  1893.  EMERSON, Lippo, xviii. Thin bad scran to her. Is the ’onerable Mrs. Putney in town? The BARK again consulted his book.

  1891.  F. W. CAREW, No. 747. being the Autobiography of a Gipsy, 413. I slung my ’ook and joined some travellin’ BARKS. Ibid., 434. It ain’t no manner o’ use goin’ to the hexpense of bringin’ a fust-class cracksman hall the way from Start to BARKSHIRE.

  2.  (old).—The skin. Hence, as verb = to abrade (scrape, or rub off) the skin; to bruise.

  c. 1758.  RAMSAY, Poems (1844), 88.

  1843.  DICKENS, Martin Chuzzlewit, xx. To the great detriment of what is called by fancy gentlemen the BARK upon his shins, which were most unmercifully bumped against the hard leather and the iron buckles.

  1853.  REV. E. BRADLEY (‘Cuthbert Bede’), The Further Adventures of Mr. Verdant Green, 31. That’ll TAKE THE BARK FROM your nozzle, and distil the Dutch pink for you, won’t it?

  1856.  T. HUGHES, Tom Brown’s School-days, II. iv. 227. Down they came slithering to the ground, BARKING their arms and faces.

  1859.  Macmillan’s Magazine, Nov., 18. The knuckles of his right hand were BARKED.

  1872.  S. L. CLEMENS (‘Mark Twain’), Roughing It, 16. It BARKED the Secretary’s elbow.

  1876.  Family Herald, 2 Dec., 80, 1. With the BARK all off his shins from a blow with a hockey stick.

  1884.  Harper’s Magazine, Jan. 305. 2. A BARKED shin.

  3.  (old).—A cough: spec. when persistent and hacking: persons thus troubled are said to ‘have been to Barking Creek’ (or Barkshire) (GROSE). Also as verb = to cough incessantly. BARKER, one with a CHURCHYARD COUGH (q.v.) or NOTICE TO QUIT (q.v.).

  1813.  Examiner, Feb. 75. 1. The play went on, amidst croaking, squeaking, BARKING.

  4.  See BARKER.

  PHRASES.  TO BARK AGAINST (or AT) THE MOON (see BARKER); TO TAKE THE BARK OFF = to reduce in value, to rub the gilt off; THE WORD WITH THE BARK ON IT = without circumlocution, no mincing matters, the STRAIGHT-TIP (q.v.); BETWEEN THE BARK AND THE WOOD (or TREE) (of a well-adjusted bargain where neither party has the advantage (HALLIWELL); TO BARK THROUGH THE FENCE = to take advantage of adventitious shelter or protection to say or do that which would otherwise entail unpleasant consequences; TO BARK UP THE WRONG TREE = to blunder, to mistake one’s object or the right course to pursue, ‘to get the wrong sow by the ear’; TO GO BETWEEN BARK AND TREE = to meddle: spec. in family matters; THE BARK IS WORSE THAN THE BITE (of one who threatens but fails to do as he vows).

  1562.  HEYWOOD, Proverbs and Epigrams, 67. It were a foly for mee, To put my hande BETWEENE THE BARKE AND TREE … Betweene you.

  1600.  HOLLAND, Livy, xxxvi. v. 921. To deale roundly and simply with no side, but to go BETWEEN THE BARK AND THE TREE.

  1630.  TAYLOR (‘The Water Poet’), Workes, ‘The World Runnes on Wheeles.’ I haue but all this while BARK’D AT THE MOONE, throwne feathers against the winde, built vpon the sands, wash’d a Blackmore, and laboured in vaine.

  1642.  ROGERS, Naaman the Syrian, 303. So audacious as to go BETWEENE BARKE AND TREE, breeding suspitions … betweene man and wife.

  1804.  EDGEWORTH, The Modern Griselda [Works (1832), V. 299]. An instigator of quarrels between man and wife, or according to the plebeian but expressive apophthegm, one who would come BETWEEN THE BARK AND THE TREE.

  1835.  Richmond Enquirer, 8 Sept. ‘You didn’t really go to old Bullion,’ said a politician to an office-seeker, ‘Why, he has no influence there, I can tell you. You BARKED UP THE WRONG TREE there, my friend, and you deserve to fail.

  1835.  CROCKETT, Tour to the North and Down East, 205. [When] some people … try to hunt [office] for themselves,… and seem to be BARKING UP THE WRONG SAPLING, I want to … put ’em on the right trail.

  1849.  DICKENS, David Copperfield, p. 310. I rode my gallant grey so close to the wheel, that I grazed his near foreleg against it and TOOK THE BARK OFF, as his owner told me, to the tune of three pun’ sivin.

  1855.  HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), Nature and Human Nature, 124. If you think to run a rig on me, you have made a mistake in the child, and BARKED UP THE WRONG TREE.

  1872.  S. L. CLEMENS (‘Mark Twain’), Roughing It, XV. If ever another man gives a whistle to a child of mine, and I get my hand on him, I will hang him higher than Haman! That is THE WORD WITH THE BARK ON IT.

  1888.  Detroit Free Press, Oct. We ain’t rich or pretty, but we are good, and the Professor is BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE.