verb. (colloquial).—1. To knock down. Hence to vanquish in argument; to make an end of; to defeat; to confound. See FLOORED and DEAD-BEAT.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. FLOOR the pig, knock down the officer.
1821. D. HAGGART, Life, p. 15. That moment the farmer let fly at the drover, which FLOORED him.
1857. G. A. LAWRENCE, Guy Livingstone, ch. xxi. ‘When I saw him so FLOORED as not to be able to come to time, I knew there had been some hard hitting going on thereabouts, so I kept clear.’
1821. P. EGAN, Tom and Jerry, p. 10. Then (apostrophising ‘Maga’) FLOOR me not. Ibid., p. 60, The Corinthian, being no novice in these matters, FLOORED two or three in a twinkling.
1835. COLERIDGE, Table Talk (published posthumously). The other day I was what you may called FLOORED by a jew.
1836. DICKENS, Pickwick Papers, p. 425 (Ed. 1857). Even Mr. Bob Sawyer … was FLOORED.
1862. E. WOOD, The Channings, I. v. So if the master is directing his suspicions to the seniors, he’ll get FLOORED.
1870. L. OLIPHANT, Piccadilly, pt. v., p. 196. ‘Whenever the mammas object to asking her on account of that horrid Lady Wylde,’ I FLOOR all opposition by saying, ‘Oh, Lady Jane Helter will bring her.’
1888. The Sportsman, 28 Nov. Pope, who was the fresher, started at a terrific pace and drove his man all over the ring, ending by FLOORING him.
TO FLOOR THE ODDS. (betting men’s).—Said of a low-priced horse that pulls off the event in face of the betting.
1882. Daily Telegraph, 16 Nov. The odds were, nevertheless, FLOORED from an unexpected quarter.
1889. Echo, 24 Jan. As the odds betted on Miss Jessie II. were easily FLOORED by Marsden.
2. (drunkards’).—To finish; to get outside of. E.g., ‘I FLOORED three half-pints and a nip before breakfast.’
1857. Punch, 31 Jan., p. 49, ‘Dear Bill, This Stone-jug.’
| Is still the same snug, free-and-easy old hole, | |
| Where Macheath met his blowens, and Wild FLOOR’D his bowl. |
1861. T. HUGHES, Tom Brown at Oxford. I have a few bottles of old wine left: we may as well FLOOR them.
3. (university).—To pluck; to PLOUGH (q.v.).
TO FLOOR A PAPER, LESSON, EXAMINATION, EXAMINER, etc., verb. phr. (university).—To answer every question; to master; to prove oneself superior to the occasion.
1852. BRISTED, Five Years in an English University, p. 12. Somehow I nearly FLOORED the paper.
1861. T. HUGHES, Tom Brown at Oxford. I’ve FLOORED my Little Go.
TO FLOOR ONE’S LICKS, verb. phr. (common).—To surpass one’s self; to CUT-AROUND (q.v.).
1844. Puck, p. 14. Now slowly rising, raised his pewter and FLOORED his licks.
TO HAVE, HOLD, or TAKE THE FLOOR, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To rise to address a public meeting; in Ireland, to stand up to dance; and, in America, ‘to be in possession of the House.’
1882. J. D. MCCABE, New York by Sunlight and Gaslight, xxi., p. 342. A member making a bid below or an offer above the one which HAS THE FLOOR.
1888. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. After a half hour’s recess Mr. Glover TOOK THE FLOOR.
1889. Pall Mall Gazette, 11 Nov., p. 6, col. 1. The Duke of Rutland, however, who ‘TOOK THE FLOOR’ nonpolitically at the end of the evening, was really ‘felicitous’ in his few remarks.
