Experimenting; playing tricks or experiments in fun or in mischief.
1820. A man who goes into the woods, as one of those veterans observed to me, “has a heap of little fixens to study out, and a great deal of projecking to do, as well as hard work.—James Hall, ‘Letters from the West,’ p. 290 (Lond.). (Italics in the original.)
1845. He was at once convinced that the boys had been “projectin’” with him.—W. T. Thompson, ‘Chronicles of Pineville,’ p. 28 (Phila.).
1845. You see what comes of your projectin’ about town, when you ought to be gwine home.—Id., p. 107.
1845. I’ll blow ’em all to everlastin’ thunderation, if they come a projectin’ about me!—Id., p. 181.
1848. “Will you have black or green tea?” ses he. I didn’t know whether he was projectin with me or not, so ses I, “I want a cup of tea, jest plain tea, without no fancy colerin about it.”—W. T. Thompson, ‘Major Jones’s Sketches of Travel,’ p. 62 (Phila.).
1848. ’Bout this time a Miss Nancy sort of a fellow, what’s sum relation to the Governor, comes projectin about among the gipseys, falls in love with the Bohemian gall, and wants her to have him.—Id., p. 101.
1856. Nex mornin’ airly I goes down to the mash [marsh], an’ while proguein’ round I got a shot at some black ducks, and knocked over a couple on ’em.—Knick. Mag., xlviii. 433 (Oct.).
