Lift

subs. (old).—1.  A thief. Also LIFTER.

  1592.  GREENE, A Quip for an Upstart Courtier, in Works, xi. 243. A receiver for LIFTS, and a dishonorable supporter of cut purses.

  1600.  Sir John Oldcastle, ii. 2. I’se poor Irishman; I’se a LEAFTER.

  1602.  SHAKESPEARE, Troilus and Cressida, i. 2. Is he so young a man and so old a LIFTER.

  1608.  DEKKER, The Belman of London, in Works (GROSART), III. 146. He that first stealeth the parcell is called the LIFT.

  1608.  Penniles Parliament, in Harleian Miscellany (ed. PARK), I., 182. To the great impoverishing of all nimmers, LIFTERS, and cut-purses.

  1669.  The Nicker Nicked, in Harleian Miscellany (ed. PARK), II., 108, s.v.

  1781.  G. PARKER, A View of Society, II. 138, s.v.

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.

  2.  (thieves’).—A theft; plunder; SWAG (q.v.). Also LIFTING.

  1592.  GREENE, A Disputation [GROSART (1881–6), x. 227]. We practise … among merchaunt taylors … getting much gains by LIFTING.

  1848.  E. Z. C. JUDSON (‘Ned Buntline’), The Mysteries and Miseries of New York, ch. IV. When I hear of the boys milking a large LIFT, I always envy them.

  3.  (colloquial).—Assistance in general: as, a LIFT in a vehicle; a LIFT in life. Also LIFTING.

  1711.  SWIFT, Journal to Hella, 5 April, Letter 20. I … then took a coach and got a LIFT back for nothing.

  1759.  STERNE, Tristram Shandy, I. vii. Whose distress, and silence under it, call out the louder for a friendly LIFT.

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. LIFT. To give one a LIFT, to assist; a good hand at a dead LIFT, a good hand on an emergency.

  1796.  J. G. HOLMAN, Abroad and at Home, i. 1. Young T. Yes, Sir Simon, so they tell me; but for all that, don’t damn Trade; for I don’t think as how you’d a’ been a Gentleman and a Knight, if the money you got by the warehouse had not given you a bit of a LIFT.

  1836.  DICKENS, Pickwick Papers, xxxv. p. 307. There was a constant succession of Christian names in smock frocks and white coats, who were invited to have a LIFT by the guard, and who knew every horse and hostler on the road and off it.

  1856.  T. HUGHES, Tom Brown’s School-days, pt. I. v. You know my old aunt, Miss East, she lives somewhere down your way in Berkshire. She wrote to me that you were coming to-day, and asked me to give you a LIFT.

  1873.  Notes and Queries, 4 S. xii. 16 Aug. p. 128. As she was toiling along the high-road to Oxford, she was overtaken by a student of the University on horseback. He offered her a LIFT, which she accepted.

  1888.  BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, xl. Grateful to Maddie for giving him this LIFT.

  1892.  SYDNEY WATSON, Wops the Waif, p. 9. Glad of the LIFT Tickle stood on the edge of a broad ledge at the side of the pavement.

  4.  (football).—A kick.

  Verb. (old).—1.  To steal; TO CONVEY (q.v.); specifically to steal cattle and horses.

  1591.  GREENE, The Second Part of Conny-catching [GROSART, vol. x. p. 118]. Some base roges that LIFT when they come into Alehouses quart potts, platters, clokes, swords, or any such paltrie trash, which commonly is called pilfering or petulacerie.

  1600.  JONSON, Cynthia’s Revels, i. 1. One other peculiar virtue you possess in LIFTING, or leiger-du-main.

  1817.  SCOTT, Rob Roy, xxvi. Live by stealing, reiving, LIFTING cows.

  1848.  E. Z. C. JUDSON (‘Ned Buntline’), The Mysteries and Miseries of New York, iii. ch. 7, p. 47. Well, old gal, wot’s the swag! Wot ’ave you LIFTED.

  1863.  Fun, iv. 34. Mosstroopers bold did horses LIFT at some fierce Baron’s order.

  1883.  G. A. SALA, in Illustrated London News, Nov. 24, p. 499, col. 1. ‘Paley’s Natural Theology’ is, from beginning to end, based on the lines of the Dutchman, whose very language has, in many instances, been coolly LIFTED by the English Church dignitary.

  1890.  Pall Mall Gazette, 19 April, p. 6, col. 1. The pushing and struggling of all this miscellaneous mass at bushy parts of the road, where it got mixed up with the eighty head of cattle which Mr. Stanley had LIFTED.

  1892.  KIPLING, Barrack-Room Ballads, ‘The Lament of the Border Cattle Thief.’

  2.  (printers’).—To transfer.

  1891.  Answers, 28 March. One of the first journalistic duties I ever had to perform was that of replying to the ‘Correspondents’ on a new weekly newspaper attached to a daily, from which nearly all the matter was LIFTED.

  3.  (American thieves’).—See quot.

  1859.  G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v. LIFT. ‘LIFT the poor cove, he is almost lenten,’ help the poor fellow, he is almost starved.

  4.  (sporting).—To break (in a walking race) into an unfair pace.

  TO LIFT ONE’S HAND (ELBOW, LITTLE FINGER, etc.), verb. phr. (common).—To drink. Also see LEG, ante. For synonyms, see DRINKS.—GROSE (1823).

  TO LIFT HAIR, verb. phr. (American).—To scalp.

  1848.  RUXTON, Life in the Far West, 23. LIFT as much HAIR as they could.

  1868.  Congressional Report, 17 Aug. The Arrapahoes were not after stealing cattle but after LIFTING HAIR.

  ON THE LIFT, adv. phr. (American).—On the move; ready to depart.