subs. (common).—Generic for hard eatables:—(1) = a cheese made from skim-milk, and said to be ‘used in making pins to fasten gates’ (Hampshire); (2) a kind of hard sweetmeat; (3) school bread as distinguished from ‘baker’s-bread’ (Derby School); (4) a hard kind of soap: see quot. 18..; &c., &c.
1857. C. KINGSLEY, Two Years Ago, xv. Promising them ROCK and bull’s-eyes.
1885. W. L. CARPENTER, Soap and Candles, 254. Calcium stearate and oleate are formed…. These … when mixed together, constitute an insoluble soap, technically called ‘ROCK.’
1888. Harper’s Magazine, lxxvi. 625. Pieces of peppermint ROCK … prized by youthful gourmands.
5. (common).—A rock pigeon.
1885. The Field, 4 April. Being a bit slow in firing, a fast ROCK escaped him.
6. (American).—In pl. = money. Hence POCKETFUL OF ROCKS = flush; ON THE ROCKS = STRANDED (q.v.).
1846. D. CORCORAN, Pickings from the Picayune, 143. Spare my feelings, squire, and don’t ask me to tell any more. Here I am in town without a ROCK in my pocket, without a skirt to my coat or a crown to my hat.
1847. ROBB, Streaks of Squatter Life, 165. You know if I had a POCKET FULL OF ROCKS you should share them.
7. (American).—A pebble; a stone (at Winchester = a medium-sized stone): as verb. = to throw stones.
18[?]. Jonesborough (Tenn.) Whig [BARTLETT]. They commenced ROCKING the Clay Club House in June, on more occasions than one, and on one occasion threw a ROCK in at the window.
1840. LONGSTREET, Georgia Scenes, 193. Old brother Smith came to my house from Bethany meeting in a mighty bad way with a cold and cough,… so I put a hot ROCK to his feet.
1872. O. W. HOLMES, The Poet at the Breakfast-Table, xii. The boys would follow after him, crying, ‘ROCK him! ROCK him! He’s got a long-tailed coat on.’
1883. BRET HARTE, The Society upon the Stanislaus.
| Nor should the individual who happens to be meant | |
| Reply by heaving ROCKS at him, to any great extent. |
8. (common).—A cause of difficulty, defeat, or annoyance: as an over-trump at cards, an obstacle suddenly placed in one’s way, and so forth.
1601. SHAKESPEARE, Henry VIII., i. 1, 113.
| Lo, where comes that ROCK, | |
| That I advise your shunning. | |
| [Enter CARDINAL WOLSEY.] |
d. 1654. SELDEN, Table Talk, 57. Every Church govern’d itself, or else we must fall upon that old foolish ROCK, that St. Peter and his Successours govern’d all.
THE ROCK, subs. phr. (common).—Gibraltar.
TO DO BY ROCK OF EYE AND RULE OF THUMB, verb. phr. (tailors’).—To substitute guesswork for exact measurement.
