Pull

subs. (old and still colloquial).—1.  A drink; a GO (q.v.): as verb. = to drink; TO LUSH (q.v.). PULLER-ON = an appetiser: of liquids only: cf. DRAWER-ON.

  1436.  Political Songs [‘Master of the Rolls,’ ii. 169]. [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, The New English, i. 249. The verb PULLE takes the sense of bibere.]

  1469.  Coventry Mysteries [HALLIWELL], 142. I PULLE oo draught.

  1600.  DEKKER, The Shoemaker’s Holiday, ii. 3 [Works (1873), i. 22]. O heele give a villanous PULL at a can of double-beere.

  1748.  SMOLLETT, Roderick Random, lvi. The vessel being produced, I bade him decant his bottle into it … and said, “Pledge you.” He stared … “What! all at one PULL, measter Randan?”

  1760.  FOOTE, The Minor, i. Mrs. Cole. I won’t trouble you for the glass; my hands do so tremble and shake, I shall but spill the good creature. Load. Well PULLED.

  1772.  BRIDGES, A Burlesque Translation of Homer, 246.

  1820.  REYNOLDS (‘Peter Corcoran’), The Fancy. ‘King Tims the First,’ sc. ii. We’ll PULL a little Deady.

  1825.  SCOTT, The Talisman, xxvi. Wash it down with a brimming flagon, man, or thou wilt choke upon it.—Why, so—well PULLED!

  1836.  DICKENS, Pickwick Papers, lii. Taking a long and hearty PULL at the rum-and-water.

  1857.  A. TROLLOPE, The Three Clerks, xlv. A deep PULL at the pewter.

  1868.  WHYTE-MELVILLE, The White Rose, II. ii. The other hiccoughed, and sucked in a long PULL of his hot coffee.

  1888.  H. W. EDWARDS, Tom’s Strategy, in The Century Magazine, xxxviii. 88. After a long PULL at the pitcher of persimmon beer.

  1891.  J. NEWMAN, Scamping Tricks, 49. I … went straight away and had a PULL of rum.

  2.  (colloquial).—An advantage; a hold; power: e.g., TO HAVE A PULL OVER ONE = to have at an advantage, in one’s power, or under one’s thumb.—GROSE (1785); VAUX (1819).

  c. 1500.  H. MEDWALL, Nature: a Goodly Interlude of Nature, sig. C ii.

  1783.  BURGOYNE, The Lord of the Manor, iii. 1. You’ll have quite the PULL of me in employment.

  1821.  P. EGAN, Life in London, II. ii. [The watchmen,] besides having THE PULL in their favour, in opening the charge, and colouring it as they think proper….

  1855.  THACKERAY, The Newcomes, xli. They know … who naturally have the PULL over them.

  1856.  T. HUGHES, Tom Brown’s School-days, I. vii. What a PULL, said he, that it’s lie-in-bed, for I shall be as lame as a tree, I think.

  1868.  WHYTE-MELVILLE, The White Rose, II. 24. It’s a great PULL not having married young.

  1885.  Daily Telegraph, 21 Dec. The PULL in the weights alone enabled Ivanhoe to win by a length.

  1886–96.  MARSHALL, ‘Pomes’ from the Pink ’Un [‘Her Sunday Clothes’], 105. She’d also a PULL o’er those well-dressed elves.

  1883.  BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, xxiii. We had twice the PULL now, because so many strangers, that couldn’t possibly be known to the police, were straggling over all the roads.

  1892.  Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday, 19 March, 91, 2. I had all the advantage of having a better case than he. I had that PULL on him.

  1892.  A. C. GUNTER, Miss Dividends, xi. Don’t this give the Church a PULL upon the daddy!

  3.  (old).—See quot.

  1819.  J. H. VAUX, Memoirs, s.v. PULL … A person speaking of any intricate affair, or feat of ingenuity, which he cannot comprehend, will say, There is some PULL at the bottom of it, that I’m not fly to.

  4.  (common).—An attempt to extort something from another; a GO (q.v.).

  1749.  SMOLLETT, Gil Blas [ROUTLEDGE], 74. Relations and strangers were all for having a PULL at him.

  5.  (colloquial).—Rowing exercise: also as verb. = to row.

  1841.  HOOK, Fathers and Sons, xvii. To PULL Lady Cramly and her daughters down the river.

  Verb. 1.  See subs. 1.

  2.  (cricketers’).—To strike a ball from the ‘off’ to the ‘leg’ side of the wicket. TO TAKE A PULL = to drive a straight ball.

  3.  (thieves’).—To arrest; to raid: see NAB and COP. Whence PULLED UP = brought before a magistrate.—GROSE (1785).

  c. 1811.  Broadside Ballad, ‘A Leary Mot’ [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896), 77]. He had twice been PULL’D, and nearly lagg’d, but got off by going to sea.

  1819.  J. H. VAUX, Memoirs, s.v. PULL … To PULL a man, or have him PULLED, is to cause his apprehension for some offence; and it is then said that MR. PULLEN is concerned.

  1836.  DICKENS, Sketches by Boz, 82. The loquacious little gentleman … finding that he had already paid more than he ought, avowed his unalterable determination to PULL UP the cabman in the morning.

  1871.  Figaro, 15 April. The police PULLED every Keno establishment in the city. PULLING is the slang for seizing the instruments, and arresting the players and proprietors.

  4.  (racing).—To slow a horse, while seeming to ride one’s best.

  1868.  OUIDA, Under Two Flags, x. They … had broken down like any … jockey bribed to PULL at a suburban selling-race.

  1889.  Evening Standard, 25 June. [Sir Chas. Russell’s speech in Durham-Chetwynd case.] Sir G. Chetwynd never did anything so gross and vulgar as that [tell the jockey to PULL horses], and that if horses were PULLED, that was not the way in which in any class of turf society instructions were given.

  1890.  The Saturday Review, 1 Feb., 134, 1. They all bet, and when they lose of course it is the fault of the jockey, or of the trainer, or of the owner, who gave instructions to have his horse PULLED.

  1891.  N. GOULD, The Double Event, 102. Wells had PULLED horses when no one but a thorough judge could have seen the game.

  5.  (old).—To steal; to cheat.

  1383.  CHAUCER, The Canterbury Tales, Prologue, 654. Ful prively a finch [= novice] eke coude he PULL.

  1625.  JONSON, The Staple of News, ii. 1.

  1821.  D. HAGGART, Life, 63. I PULLED a scout, and passed it to Graham.

  1851–61.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, I. 460. We lived by thieving and I do still—by PULLING flesh.

  THE LONG PULL, subs. phr. (licensed victuallers’).—See quot.

  1901.  Daily Telegraph, 24 Dec., 3, 4. The attempt to abolish the LONG PULL made by the Birmingham brewers has ended in failure…. The result was seen in decreased profits. Customers left their houses and patronised others where over-measure was given.

  COLLOQUIALISMS are:—TO PULL DOWN, 1. (thieves’: see quot. 1857); (2) to destroy, to depress, to endanger chances; TO PULL IN THE PIECES = to make money: Fr. faire son beurre; TO PULL IT (or FOOT) = to decamp: see AMPUTATE and SKEDADDLE; TO PULL THROUGH = to succeed, to get out of a difficulty; TO PULL TOGETHER = to co-operate; TO PULL UP = (1) to take to task, to arrest, to stop; (2) to exert oneself, to make a special effort; TO PULL FACES = to grimace; TO PULL A LONG FACE = to look BLUE (q.v.); TO PULL OFF = to succeed; TO GET THERE (q.v.); TO PULL ONESELF TOGETHER = to rouse oneself; to rally; TO PULL (or DRAW) IN ONE’S HORNS = to retract; to cool down (GROSE, 1785); TO PULL DOWN A SIDE = to spoil all; TO PULL BY THE SLEEVE = to remind; TO PULL OUT (American) = (1) to CHUCK (q.v.); 2 (athletic) = to strive to the utmost, TO EXTEND (q.v.), usually by means of a friendly pacemaker; 3 (common) = to run away; 4 (tailors’) = to hurry, to get on with work in hand; TO PULL UP A JACK (see quot. 1819); TO PULL A KITE = to be serious, to LOOK STRAIGHT (q.v.); TO PULL ONE’S (or DRAW) THE LEG = to impose upon, to BAMBOOZLE (q.v.), TO CHAFF (q.v.); TO PULL ABOUT = (1) to masturbate: see FRIG, and (2) to essay a woman, TO MESS ABOUT (q.v.), to PADDLE (q.v.); TO PULL OVER = to catch, to arrest: a general verb of action, see NAB; TO PULL ABOUT ONE’S EARS = to ruin, to chastise. See BACON; BAKER; CAP; CROW; DEAD HORSE; DEVIL; FOOT; HORNS; LONGBOW; STAKES; STRING; VEST; WIRES; WOOL.

  1589.  PUTTENHAM, Art of English Poesie, 34. Nothing PULLETH DOWNE a mans heart so much as aduersitie and lacke.

  1596.  SPENSER, The Fairie Queene, v. ii. 41 [TWYRHITT, 252]. He PULLETH DOWNE, He setteth up on hy.

  1610.  SHAKESPEARE, Coriolanus, iii. 2.

  1616–25.  The Court and Times of James the First [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, The New English, ii. 70. As to the verbs we see PULL IN HIS HORNS].

  1625.  MASSINGER, Duke of Florence, iv. 2. If I hold your cards I shall PULL DOWN THE SIDE; I am not good at the game.

  1640.  HOWELL, Dodona’s Grove, or the Vocall Forrest, 104. In Political affairs, as well as Mechanical, it is farre easier TO PULL DOWN then build up.

  1749.  FIELDING, Tom Jones, xii. xiii. As the vulgar phrase is, [he] immediately DREW IN HIS HORNS.

  17[?].  T. G. FESSENDEN, The Country Lovers.

  1818.  SCOTT, The Heart of Mid-lothian, iv. 51. Jeanie Deans is no the lass to PU’ him BY THE SLEEVE, or put him in mind of what he wishes to forget.

  1819.  J. H. VAUX, Memoirs, s.v. PULL or PULL UP, to accost; stop. Ibid. TO PULL UP A JACK, is to stop a post-chaise on the highway.

  1825.  MACAULAY, Gladstone on Church and State The world is full of institutions which, though they never ought to have been set up, yet, having been set up, ought not to be rudely PULLED DOWN.

  1849.  Punch’s Almanack, ‘The Fortune Teller’s Almanack.’ You are going too fast, and intimates that you ought to ‘PULL UP.’

  1853.  DICKENS, Bleak House, xxxvii. I shall be all right! I shall PULL THROUGH, my dear.

  1855.  BROWNING, Fra Lippo Lippi. The Prior and the learned PULLED A FACE.

  1857.  T. HUGHES, Tom Brown’s School-days, I. v. The Slogger PULLS UP at last … fairly blown.

  1857.  SNOWDEN, Magistrates Assistant (3rd ed.), 446. To steal from shop doors—TO PULL DOWN.

  1851.  W. ANDERSON, Rhymes, Reveries, and Reminiscences, 196, ‘Our Aunty Meg.’

  1868.  Trip through Virginia [DE VERE]. Driver, when will you PULL UP? I don’t PULL UP at no tavern till I gets home.

  1870.  Figaro, 9 Nov. These sweepstakes, in which the commissioners are always to PULL OFF the money, may help to lessen the figures in the Parliamentary estimates.

  1871.  Globe, 12 May. Colonel Corbett was about to speak, but he was PULLED UP by the Speaker.

  1877.  W. H. THOMSON, Five Years’ Penal Servitude, iii. 232. He occasionally took what required a little ‘screw’ in the morning to counteract and enable him to PULL HIMSELF TOGETHER before going his rounds with the doctor.

  1882.  Daily Telegraph, 9 Nov. Before the train PULLS UP at the next station.

  1882.  The Field, 28 Jan. All equal to the work put in their hands, and helped to PULL THE AUTHOR THROUGH. Ibid. (1886), 27 Feb. The Middlesex men now PULLED THEMSELVES TOGETHER.

  1887.  F. FRANCIS, Jun., Saddle and Moccasin, viii. 146. For a minute or two they stood looking at one another, and then Doc ‘PULLED OUT.’

  1888.  Cornhill Magazine, Oct., ‘Phantom Picquet.’ I am very hopeful of your regiment arriving in time to PULL us THROUGH.

  1888.  Missouri Republican, 24 Feb. He knows that if he keeps his money in the show business any longer he will lose it all, and so be has PULLED OUT.

  1888.  W. B. CHURCHWARD, ‘Blackbirding’ in the South Pacific, 216. Then I shall be able to PULL THE LEG of that chap Mike. He is always about here trying to do me.

  1891.  Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, 3 April. The chief bank official … told him pretty plainly that he must now PULL UP, and arrangements made in regard to certain over-due acceptances.

  1896.  CRANE, Maggie, a Girl of the Streets, xiv. ‘She was PULLING M’LEG. That’s the whole amount of it,’ he said, suddenly.

  1899.  R. WHITEING, No. 5 John Street, xxix. I am working up a little affair of my own just now … but I’m not sure I shall be able TO PULL IT OFF.

  1901.  Troddles, 38. He certainly didn’t perceive that Wilks was PULLING HIS LEG, and he stammered out expressions of gratitude.