> as lemmas

1809 T. Donaldson Poems 135 Ere I get a pick, In comes young Nannie wi' a lick.

1835 Gent's. Vade Mecum (Philadelphia) 14 Feb. 3/4 When you come to put in the scientific licks, I squat.

1837 T. C. Haliburton Clockmaker 1st Ser. (ed. 2) xv That are colt can beat him for a lick of a quarter of a mile.

1843 J. S. Robb Streaks Squatter Life 106 He was puttin' in the biggest kind a licks in the way of courtin'.

1847 W. T. Porter Quarter Race Kentucky 104 He went up the opposite bank at the same lick, and disappeared.

1851 J. B. Lamar et al. Polly Peablossom's Wedding & Other Tales 111 I saw comin' my gray mule, puttin' in her best licks, and a few yards behind her was a grizzly.

1861 W. C. Bryant Songs from Dixie's Land 26 At length I went to mining, put in my biggest licks.

1868 Putnam's Mag. June 715/1 The father..did an occasional ‘lick of work’ for some well-to-do neighbor.

1882 M. E. Braddon Mt. Royal II. iv. 79 I..made up my mind to stay in America, till I'd done some big licks in the sporting line.

1883 J. Hay Bread-winners xii. 185 There won't be a lick of work done in town the rest of the week.

1889 P. H. Emerson Eng. Idyls 26 Down the river..came sailing the..whery..ay! going at full lick too.

1889 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms 82 It'll be a short life and a merry one, though, dad, if we go on big licks like this.

1892 Dial. Notes 1 230 To mend one's licks, to quicken one's steps. ‘When the dog got after me, I mended my licks.’

1898 F. T. Bullen Cruise ‘Cachalot’ xviii. 218 The recipient, thoroughly roused by this, started off at a great lick.

1905 Dial. Notes 3 86 You'll have to hit a different lick, if you expect to accomplish anything.

1906 H. D. Pittman Belle of Bluegrass Country xv. 224 I'll have to take care of the whole gang, and never get a lick of work out of one of them.

1932 W. Faulkner Light in August i. 7 She's hitting that lick like she's been at it for a right smart while.

1934 J. Masefield Taking of Gry 43 ‘They're [ships] going a good lick, sir,’ I said.

1938 Amer. Speech 13 6/1 Lick n., an easy job. ‘None of these jobs is a lick.’

1944 J. H. Fullarton Troop Target i. v. 46 ‘Go for the lick of your life down the lane,’ commanded Rangi.

1946 F. Sargeson That Summer 84 With all of us going for lick of our lives, there'd only be time for a wisecrack now and then.

1948 D. Ballantyne Cunninghams ii. xviii. 249 Clive ran..full lick into the sea.

1949 Marshfield (Wisconsin) News-Herald 19 July 4/1 The power lobby got in its licks through a subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee passing on the bill for funds for the Department of Interior.

1951 L. MacNeice tr. J. W. von Goethe Faust i. 33 Lord, these strapping wenches they go a lick!

1966 Sunday Mail Mag. (Brisbane) 3 Apr. 6/3 A section of the miners agreed that the happiest solution to the sorry affair would be to lynch Mr. Chapple. The little Cornishman got wind of this thinking and, treating it seriously..went for the lick of his life.

1974 ‘P. Ruell’ Death takes Low Road x. 127 Caroline contrived to be first down the gangway and set off along the quay at a good lick.