subs. (old).—A toady. Fr. un lèche-bottes. For synonyms, see SNIDE. Also as verb.
1629. DAVENANT, Albovine, iii.
| LICK her SPITTLE | |
| From the ground. This disguis’d humility | |
| Is both the swift, and safest way to pride. |
1729. SWIFT, A Libel on Dr. Delany and Lord Carteret.
| His (Pope’s) heart too great, though fortune little, | |
| To LICK a rascal statesman’s SPITTLE. |
1855. THACKERAY, The Newcomes, xvii. Averring that they were a parcel of sneaks, a set of LICKSPITTLES, and using epithets still more vulgar.
1856. C. BRONTË, The Professor, v. You mean, whining LICKSPITTLE!
1857. THACKERAY, A Shabby Genteel Story, iii. We call him tuft-hunter, LICKSPITTLE, sneak, unmanly.
1887. D. HANNAY, Life of Smollett, p. 96. No surgeon was ever quite such a fool, coward, ignorant LICK-SPITTLE as Mackshane.
