1847. Porter, Quarter Race, p. 128. When he returned we were
running a twenty-five knot lick. Ibid. p. 104. He went up the
opposite bank at the same lick, and disappeared. Ibid. p. 94. I
struck a lick back to the log and looked over.
1848. Jones, Sketches of Travel, 189. He could not swim a lick.
1851. Hooper, Widow Rugby’s Husband, etc. 62. I can’t swim a
lick—how deep is it.
1863. Bryant, Comic Songs [quoted by Bartlett]. At length I went to
mining, put in my biggest licks, Went down upon the boulders just
like a thousand bricks.
1873. Americans at Home, i. 276. Molly war the most enticin’,
gizzard-ticklin’, heart-distressin’ feline creatur that ever made a
fellar get owdacious; and I seed Tom Seller cavertin’ round her,
and puttin’ in the biggest kind a licks in the way of courtin’.
1882. Miss Braddon, Mount Royal, xiii. Then I coiled up, and made
up my mind to stay in America, till I’d done some big licks in the
sporting line.
1888. Rolf Boldrewood, Robbery Under Arms, xii. It’ll be a short
life and a merry one, though, dad, if we go on big licks like this.
1892. Milliken, ’Arry Ballads, 36. Stage licks.