1823. Bee, Dict. of the Turf, s.v. Kicksees.
Kickshaw, subs. (old: now recognised).—A trifle; anything fanciful or
unsubstantial; something fantastical or with no particular name.
[Skeat: a curious corruption of Fr. quelque-chose (pronounced
kick-chose) literally, something; hence a trifle or small delicacy].
1598. Shakspeare, 2 Henry IV, v. 1. 29. A joint of mutton, and any
pretty little tiny kickshaws, tell William, cook.
1601. Shakspeare, Twelfth Night, i. 3. Sir And. ... I delight in
masques and revels sometimes altogether. Sir To. Art thou good at
these kickshawes, knight?
1611. Cotgrave, Dictionarie, s.v. Fricandeaux, short, skinlesse,
and dainty puddings, or quelkchoses, made of good flesh and herbs
chopped together, etc.
b. 1625. Fletcher, Elder Brother, iii. 2. New kickshaws and
delicate made things.
1630. John Taylor, The Great Eater of Kent, p. 12. All is welcome;
whether it be sawsedge, mackeroone, kickshaw, or tantadlin.
1646. Featley, Dippers Dipt, p. 199. I made bold to set on the
board kickchoses, and variety of strange fruits.
1753. Adventurer, No. 25. She has no taste for nicknacks, and
kickshaws, and whim-whams.
1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, xxi. I have given up ... roastbeef
and pudding for woodcocks and kickshaws.
1830. Marryat, King’s Own, xxxiv. I seldom touch anything but the
joint. I hate your kickshaws.
1881. Besant and Rice, Sweet Nelly, in Ten Years’ Tenant etc., vol.
i. p. 188. Falbalas for your frocks, quilted petticoats, gold
kickshaws, china, pet negro boys.
Kick-shoe, subs. (old).—A dancer; a caperer; a buffoon.
Kicksies. See Kicks.
Kicksy, adj. (old).—Troublesome; disagreeable.
Kicksy-wicksy, subs. (old).—A term of contempt for a woman.
1598. Shakspeare, All’s Well etc. ii. 3. He wears his honour in a
box, unseen, That hugs his kicksy-wicksey here at home.
1658. Brome, Covent Garden Weeded, p. 17. This kicksy-winsy
giddi-brain will spoil all.
Adj. (old).—Fantastic; restless.
Kick-up, subs. (common).—A row. Also Rowdiness.
b. 1794. Wolcot (‘Peter Pindar’), Odes of Condolence, in Wks.
(1794), iii. 259. There’d be a pretty kick-up—what a squall.
1850. Smedley, Frank Fairleigh, p. 132. ‘I tell you what,’ said
Lawless, ‘the row and bother, and the whole kick-up altogether, has
made me alarmingly hungry.’
1864. Dickens, Our Mutual Friend, iii. xiii. Not at all caring for
... the precious kick-up and row that will come off.
1892. Milliken, ’Arry Ballads, p. 69. As to colour, and kick-up,
our party was well to the front.
Kid, subs. (old).—1. A child. Hence, to kid = to lie in: also = to get
with child; kidded or with kid = pregnant; kid-leather and
kid-stretcher (q.v.). Also Kiddy.
English synonyms. Brat; encumbrance; get; imp; infantry (collectively);
kinchin; limb; lullaby cheat; monkey; papoose; youngster.
French synonyms. Un or une gosse (general: also gossemar); un gluant
(thieves’: a sticker); un loupiau or loupiot (popular); un marmousin
(popular = little monkey); un mignard (an endearment); un mion
(thieves’); un momaque (thieves’); un momard or momignard (popular); un
môme (popular); un morbaque (pop. a disagreeable child); un moucheron
(popular); un moufflet (popular); un mounin (thieves’).
Italian synonyms. Fantasima; fiacco (= weak); cifo; cifon; pivastro;
pivo; smerlo.
1599. Middleton etc., Old Law, iii. 2. I am old, you say; Yes,
parlous old, kids, and you mark me well!
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
1690. D’Urfey, Collin’s Walk, iv. And at her back a kid that cry’d
Still as she pinch’d it, fast was ty’d.
1694. Dryden, Love Triumphant, Epilogue, 19. What if he taught our
sex more cautious carriage, And not to be too coming before
marriage; For fear of my misfortune in the play, A kid brought home
upon the wedding-day?
1714. Memoirs of John Hall (4th ed.) p. 12. kid, A child.
1719. Durfey, Pills to Purge, i. 321. And thus he to an old Midwife
hied, To bring the poor kid to light, Sir.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary, (5th ed.) Kid (S.) ... also a nickname
for a child or young person.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v. Kid. The blowen has napped the kid, the girl
is with child.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, 5. That kid, Master Nap.
1840. Thackeray, Comic Almanack, p. 237. ‘Cox’s Diary’. Carry you,
and your kids, and your traps etc.
1856. Reade, Never too Late to Mend, xxiii. A fig for being
drowned, if the kid is drowned.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
1865. Kingsley, The Hillyars and the Burtons, xxx. Why, that six
shillings as you men are asking for, is six shillings off the kids’
victuals.
1868. Cassell’s Mag., 4 Jan., p. 213. If you’d have been as full of
her when she was a kid, and not have left her to us so much, it
might have been sumfink to brag about.
1870. London Figaro, 19 Oct. ‘After the Fire.’ In this room, sir,
said my gallant conductor, lived a bricklayer with his wife and two
kids. He made that hole in the wall, and got ’em safe through—the
whole caboose on ’em; and a jolly good job he did.
1871. London Figaro, 13 May, p. 4, col. 2. ‘Yer see I knowed ’er,
sir, right from a kid, Loved ’er right from a boy.’
1882. Jas. Payn, Thicker than Water, i. He thinks how his Missis
and the kids would enjoy the spectacle, and is half-inclined to
fetch them.
1883. Daily Telegraph, March 27, p. 2, col 1. They were afraid of
being ridiculed and laughed at by their companions for sinking
their manhood and going as kids to a dame school.
1889. Time, Aug., p. 151. A reminiscence of my father, the which,
now I’m not a kid, I see the value of.
1892. Kipling, Barrack-room Ballads, ‘Fuzzy-Wuzzy’. Then ’ere’s to
you Fuzzy-Wuzzy, and the Missus and the kid.