1839. Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard [1889], p. 13. Blueskin ... turning
... beheld a young female, whose features were partially concealed
by a loo, or half mask, standing beside him.
Verb. (common).—To vanquish. [From the game of loo].
Looby, subs. (old: now recognised).—A fool; an idle dullard. For
synonyms see Buffle and Cabbage-head.
1362. Piers Ploughman, A. i. 6. Great loubies and long, that loth
were to swinke.
1399. Richard the Redeless, ii. 170. This lorell that ladde this
loby awey.
1529. S. Fish, A Supplicacyon for the Beggers, p. 13 (Arber’s ed.).
Set those sturdy lobies abrode in the world to get ... theire
liuing with their laboure in the swete of theire faces.
1609. Dekker, Gul’s Horne-Booke [Grosart (1886), ii. 207]. And how
to munch so like loobies, that the wisest Solon in the world, shall
not be able to take them for any other.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Looby, a lazy dull Fellow.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
d. 1731. Ned Ward, Works, ii. 20. ‘Reflections on a country
corporation.’ Honest men precious as Rubies; Their May’rs
successively are Boobies; And Aldermen great brawny loobies.
1754. Connoisseur, No. 22. The country squire seldom fails of
seeing his son as dull and awkward a looby as himself.
1775. Sheridan, Rivals, ii. 1. I must leave you—I own I am somewhat
flurried—and that confounded looby has perceived it.
1776. Foote, Bankrupt, ii. How the loobies must look.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, ii. Now, you looby, said the lawyer.
1845. Disraeli, Sybil, Bk. IV. xi. ‘I went once and stayed a week
at Lady Jenny Spinner’s to gain her looby of a son and his eighty
thousand a year.’
Look. To look a gift-horse in the mouth, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To
criticize a present or favour. [From ascertaining the age of horses by
looking at their teeth].
1663. S. Butler, Hudibras, I. i. 490. He ne’er consider’d it, as
loth to look a gift-horse in the mouth.
To look alive, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To bestir oneself; to be on the
alert. Also, to look slimy.
To look as if butter would not melt in one’s mouth.—See Butter.
To look at the maker’s name, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To drain (a
glass) to the bottom; ‘to bite one’s name in the pot’ (q.v.).
To look babies (or for cupids) in the eyes, verb. phr. (old
colloquial).—To look closely and amorously into the eyes for the
reflected figures.
1593. Tell-trothes N.Y. Gift, 39. That babie which lodges in womens
eies.
1607. Beaumont & Fletcher, Woman Hater, iii. 1. I cannot think I
shall become a coxcomb, To ha’ my hair curl’d by an idle finger....
Mine eyes looked babies in.
1613. Drayton, Polyolbion, Song xi. While in their chrystal eyes he
doth for cupids look.
1618. Beaumont and Fletcher, Loyal Subject, iii. 2. Can ye look
babies, sister, in the young gallants’ eyes, and twirl their
bandstrings? Ibid. ii. 6. Viol. Will he play with me too? Alin.
Look babies in your eyes, my pretty sweet one; There’s a fine
sport!
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., iii. ii. vi. v. (1651) 576. They may kiss
and coll, lye and look babies in one another’s eyes.
1624. Massinger, Renegado, ii. 5. When a young lady wrings you by
the hand,—thus; Or with an amorous touch presses your foot; Looks
babies in your eyes, plays with your locks, etc.
1636. Davenant, Platonic Lovers, ii. 1. You may beget reflections
in each others eyes.
1657. Poole, English Parnassus, 420. [Among the phrases expressing
the ways of lovers, is set down], ‘Looking of babies in each
other’s eyes.’
1672. Marvell, Reher. Transp., i. 66. Only to speculate his own
baby in their eyes.
1682. Mrs. Behn, City Heiress, iii. 1. Sigh’d and lookt babies in
his gloating eyes.
1690. Wilson, Belphegor, ii. 3. What would I care for a man should
court my little finger, look babies in my eyes.... That was not the
fashion of my time. Men were men then.
1692. Gentlemen’s Journal, July, p. 9. Ten thousand Cupids wanton
in her eyes.
1802. Moore (Little), Poems, ‘Impromptu.’ Thus in our looks some
propagation lies, For we make babies in each other’s eyes.
To look big. See Big.
To look blue. See Blue.
To look botty. See Botty.
To look down one’s nose, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To look glum; to have
the blues (q.v.).
To look lively, verb. phr. (common).—To be drunk. For synonyms see
Drinks and Screwed.
To look for a needle in a bottle of hay (or in a haystack), verb. phr.
(colloquial).—To seek what it is impossible to find. [Bottle = a
quantity of hay or grass, tied or bundled up. Fr. botte].
1592. Greene, Upstart Courtier (1871), 4. b. He ... gropeth in the
dark to find a needle in a bottle of hay.
c. 1845. Hood, Lost Heir, ii. A child as is lost about London
streets ... is a needle in a bottle of hay.
c. 1880. W. M. Baker, New Timothy, 200. How in the world will we
manage to find you afterwards? After we get into the thick of the
bush, it’ll be like lookin’ for a needle in the biggest sort of a
haystack.
To look pricks, verb. phr. (venery).—To look lecherously; to leer an
invitation to coition: cf. Pintle-keek.
To look sharp, verb. phr. (colloquial).—1. To exercise great vigilance;
to be extremely careful.
1711. Steele, Spectator, No. 132. The captain ... ordered his man
to look sharp that none but one of the ladies should have the place
he had taken fronting the coach-box.