1809 Naval Chron. 21 84 The court..sentenced him to 200 lashes round the fleet, as an admonition against ‘skylarking.’

1829 F. Marryat Naval Officer I. iv. 120 Fond of displaying my newly-acquired gymnastics, called by the sailors ‘sky-larking’.

1898 J. G. Cotton Minchin Old Harrow Days ii. 94 The greater part of this skylarking was pure fun, but alongside of, and under cover of it, many practices were indulged in that were neither manly nor innocent.

1917 Pop. Mech. Feb. 193 Blocking Broadway traffic just for the fun of skylarking—a dazzling, daring wire-walking performance which caused 5,000 persons in City Hall Park to crane their necks and gasp.

1945 Life 11 June 91/3 Their greatest asset is a talent for endless happy skylarking.

2009 I. Thomson Dead Yard v. 72 He began to rail against the native propensity..for idleness and skylarking.

1826 W. N. Glascock Naval Sketch-bk. I. 118 Sky-larking Dick..sneaks over and says, ‘Bob, I say Bob-bo, did you never hear nothing just now?’

1844 United Service Mag. July 384 They were rather a skylarking, randomish, set of blades.

1889 F. E. Gretton Memory's Harkback 221 To the wonderment of the citizens, the skylarking barrister drops down upon them as the Simeonite Vicar of St. Peter's.

1950 Life 3 Apr. 73 Keep that skylarking confidence.

1980 ‘F. W. Dixon’ Flickering Torch Myst. x. 84 They might be just a couple of skylarking kids.

2001 Chicago Tribune 27 Aug. ii. 4/6 The Trinity women, dressed in their tartan miniskirts and bringing a spontaneous, skylarking mood to their traditional Irish step dancing.