1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
To lick into shape, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To fashion; to train.
[From the popular idea that the bear’s young are born shapeless and are
licked into shape by the dam].
1663. Butler, Hudibras, i. 3, 1308. A bear’s ... most ugly and
unnatural ... until the dam has licked it into shape and form.
1870. Figaro, 6 July. My essay on ‘The Busy Bee’ Wants licking into
fashion.
To lick spittle, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To fawn upon. Hence,
lickspittle, subs. = a parasite or talebearer.
A lick and a promise, subs. phr. (common).—A piece of sloveliness.
To lick the eye, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To be well-pleased.
A lick and a smell, subs. phr. (common).—A dog’s portion (q.v.).
To lick the trencher, verb. phr. (old).—To play the parasite.
1608. Withal, Dictionarie, 263. A fellow that can licke his lordes
or his ladies trencher in one smooth tale or merrie lye, and picke
their purses in another.
To lick one’s dish, verb. phr. (old).—To drink.—Ray (1767).
Lick-box (-dish, -fingers, -pan, -pot, -sauce, or -trencher), subs.
(old).—See quot. 1598; a general epithet of abuse.
1571. Golding, Calvin on Ps. (To Reader), p. 9. Not onely
licktrenchers but claw backs, which curry favour with great men by
their false appeachings.
1575. Gammer Gurton’s Needle, v. 2. Thou lier lickdish, didst not
say the neele wold be gitton?
1594. Lochrine, iii. 3. You slop-sauce, lickfingers, will you not
hear?
1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Leccapiatti, a licke-dish, a
scullion in a kitching, a slouen. Ibid. s.v. Leccapignatte, a
lick-pot, scullion ... a slouenly greasie fellow.
1602. Decker, Satiro-mastix, in Works (1873), i. 234. Art hardy,
noble Huon? art Magnanimious, licke-trencher?
1631. Chettle, Hoffman, 1. ii. Liar, liar, lick-dish.
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, ii. ch. xxx. Agamemnon is a lick-box.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
b. 1794. Wolcot [‘P. Pindar’], Ode upon Ode, in Works (Dublin
1795), vol. i. p. 321. A cobbler, baker, chang’d to a musician,
Butlers, lick-trenchers! my reader roars.
1853. Lytton, My Novel, Bk. vi. ch. xxiii. He had a passion for
independence, which, though pushed to excess, was not without
grandeur. No lick-platter, no parasite, no toad-eater, no literary
beggar, no hunter after patronage and subscriptions.
Licker, subs. (common).—Anything monstrous, excessive, or unusual; a
whopper (q.v.); a thumper (q.v.); a spanker (q.v.).
Lickety-split, adv.. (American).—Headlong; violently; full chisel
(q.v.).
1869. H. B. Stowe, Old Town Folks, 358. If they didn’t whip up and
go lickity-split down that ’ere hill.
Licking, subs. (common).—A thrashing. For synonyms see Tanning.
1820. Combe, Syntax, Consolation, C. III. In vulgar terms, he’d had
his licking, Not with Ma’am’s cuffs, but by her kicking.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, ii. 320. What still at your
tricking? I see you won’t rest until you’ve got a good licking.
1838. C. Selby, Hunting a Turtle, I owes you a licking, so I’ll pay
you.
1871. Figaro, 22 April, ‘Public School’ etc. Various punishments
that, in schoolboy language, are called ‘woppings,’ lickings, and
‘spankings,’ may be received by the sufferers with a grim John
Bullish resolve to endure the pain with a martyr’s fortitude.
1882. F. Anstey, Vice-Versâ, v. If I hear of her favouring you more
than any other fellows, I’ll give you the very best licking you
ever had in your life. So look out!
1889. Polytechnic Magazine, 24 Oct. 264. The Wanderers journeyed
down to Tottenham, to play the above club, half anticipating a
licking.
Lick-penny, subs. and adj. (old).—An extortioner.
d. 1450. Lydgate, London lick-penny (Title).
1825. Scott, St. Ronan’s Well, xxviii. Law is a lick-penny Mr.
Tyrell—no counsellor like the pound in purse.
Lick-spigot, subs. (old).—1. A tapster.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe [Grosart (1885), v. 300]. Let the
cunningest licke-spiggot swelt his heart out.
1703. Ward, London Spy, Pt. xv. p. 346. He that Salutes the old
licks-piggot with other Title than that of Mr. Church-Warden, runs
the hazard of paying double Taxes.