TO LOOK A GIFT-HORSE IN THE MOUTH, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To criticize a present or favour. [From ascertaining the age of horses by looking at their teeth.]
1663. BUTLER, Hudibras, I. i. 489.
| He ne’er consider’d it, as loth | |
| TO LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH. |
TO LOOK ALIVE, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To bestir oneself; to be on the alert. Also, TO LOOK SLIMY.
TO LOOK AS IF BUTTER WOULD NOT MELT IN ONE’S MOUTH.—See BUTTER.
TO LOOK AT THE MAKER’S NAME, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To drain (a glass) to the bottom; ‘to bite one’s name in the POT’ (q.v.).
TO LOOK BABIES (or FOR CUPIDS) IN THE EYES, verb. phr. (old colloquial).—To look closely and amorously into the eyes for the reflected figures.
1593. Tell-Trothes New-yeares Gift, 39. That BABIE which lodges IN womens and mens EIES.
1607. BEAUMONT and FLETCHER, The Woman-Hater, iii. 1.
| Gond. I cannot think, I shall become a coxcombe, | |
| To ha’my hair curl’d, by an idle finger, | |
| My cheeks turn Tabers, and be plaid upon, | |
| Mine EYES LOOKT BABIES IN. |
1613. DRAYTON, Poly-Olbion, Song xi. Whilst in their crystal eyes he doth FOR CUPIDS LOOK.
1618. BEAUMONT and FLETCHER, The Loyal Subject, iii. 2.
| The. … Can ye LOOK BABIES, Sisters, | |
| IN THE young Gallants EYES, and twirl their Band-strings? | |
| Ibid., ii. 6. | |
| Viol. Will he play with me too? | |
| Alin. LOOK BABIES IN YOUR EYES, my prettie sweet one: | |
| There’s a fine sport. |
1621. BURTON, The Anatomy of Melancholy, III. ii. VI. v. (1651) 576. They may kiss and coll, lye and LOOK BABIES IN one another’s EYES.
1624. MASSINGER, The Renegado, ii. 5.
| When a young Lady wrings you by the Hand,—thus; | |
| Or with an amorous Touch presses your Foot | |
| LOOKS BABIES IN YOUR EYES, plays with your Locks, etc. |
1636. DAVENANT, The Platonic Lovers, ii. 1. You may Beget REFLECTIONS IN EACH OTHERS’ EYES.
1657. J. POOLE, The English Parnassus, 420. [Among the phrases expressing the ways of lovers, is set down], ‘LOOKING OF BABIES IN EACH OTHER’S EYES.’
1672. MARVELL, The Rehearsal Transposed, i. 66. Only to speculate his own BABY IN THEIR EYES.
1682. BEHN, The City-heiress, iii. 1. Sigh’d, and LOOKT BABIES IN HIS GLOATING EYES.
1690. J. WILSON, Belphegor, ii. 3. What would I care for a man should court my little finger, LOOK BABIES IN MY EYES.… That was not the fashion of my time. Men were men then.
1684. CREECH, The idylliums of Theocritus, p. 102. And Thousand CUPIDS wanton IN HER EYES.
1802. T. Moore Poems, 19, ‘Impromptu.’
| Thus in our looks some propagation lies, | |
| For we MAKE BABIES IN each other’s EYES. |
TO LOOK BIG. See BIG.
TO LOOK BLUE. See BLUE.
TO LOOK BOTTY, See BOTTY.
TO LOOK DOWN ONE’S NOSE, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To look glum; to have the BLUES (q.v.).
TO LOOK FOR A NEEDLE IN A BOTTLE OF HAY (or IN A HAYSTACK), verb. phr. (colloquial).—To seek what it is impossible to find. [BOTTLE = a quantity of hay or grass, tied or bundled up. Fr. botte.]
1592. GREENE, A Quip for an Upstart Courtier (1871), 4. b. He … gropeth in the dark TO FIND A NEEDLE IN A BOTTLE OF HAY.
c. 1845. HOOD, The Lost Heir, ii. A child as is lost about London streets … IS A NEEDLE IN A BOTTLE OF HAY.
1870. W. M. BAKER, The New Timothy, 200. How in the world will we manage to find you afterwards? After we get into the thick of the bresh it’ll be like LOOKIN’ FOR A NEEDLE IN the biggest sort of A HAYSTACK.
TO LOOK PRICKS, verb. phr. (venery).—To look lecherously; to leer an invitation to coition: cf. PINTLE-KEEK.
TO LOOK SHARP, verb. phr. (colloquial).—1. To exercise great vigilance; to be extremely careful.
1711. STEELE, Spectator, No. 132. The captain … ordered his man TO LOOK SHARP that none but one of the ladies should have the place he had taken fronting the coach-box.
2. (colloquial).—To be quick; to make haste.
1840. DICKENS, The Old Curiosity Shop, xxxix. Kit told this gentleman TO LOOK SHARP, and he said he would not only LOOK SHARP, but he actually did, and presently came running back.
TO LOOK TOWARDS ONE, verb. phr. (common).—To drink one’s health.
1847–8. THACKERAY, Vanity Fair, liii. The ladies drank to his ’ealth, and Mr. Moss, in the most polite manner, LOOKED TOWARDS him.
1890. FARJEON, The Mystery of M. Felix, iii. 26. ‘You know where the bottle is, and per’aps Mr. Wigg will jine you.’ ‘Mrs. Middlemore,’ said Constable Wigg, ‘you’re a lady after my own heart, and I’m glad I’m alive. Here’s LOOKING TOWARDS you.’
1892. W. E. HENLEY and R. L. STEVENSON, Deacon Brodie, Tableau III. Sc. 1, p. 31. Deacon, I LOOKS TOWARDS you.
TO LOOK UP, verb. phr. (colloquial).—1. To show a tendency to improvement; to recover.
1847. AYTOUN, How I Stood for the Dreepdaily Burghs, 6. ‘Suppose I were to start as a Peelite?’ ‘Something may be said in favour of that view, but on the whole, I should rather say not. That party may not LOOK UP for some little time, and then the currency is a stumbling block in the way.’
2. (colloquial).—To pay a visit.
1836. DICKENS, Pickwick Papers, xlix. He used to go back for a week, just TO LOOK UP his old friends.
1859. Punch, xxxvi. 177. 1. When you hung out in Soho, old cock, one could often LOOK YOU UP.
