1642. Symmons, Vindication, 175. Tho’ perhaps they have been pilled
and milk’d a few years longer by these new-states-men it will be
confessed that the old government [that of the king] was far the
better and more easie.
To give down milk, verb. phr. (old).—To pay.
1655. R. Lestrange, The Reign of King Charles, p. 187. The City was
sullen, would not give down their milk, and pleaded want of trade
and poverty.
To milk the pigeon, verb. phr. (common).—To attempt impossibilities:
cf. Pigeon’s milk.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
To milk the street, verb. phr. (American).—To hold stock so well in
hand as to make it fluctuate as you will.
1870. Medbery, Men and Mysteries of Wall St., 336. There is a
distinction between the cliques and brokers.... Great operators rob
the brokers by destroying their customers. To use the slang of the
financial quarter, they milk the street.
1876. New York Tribune [Bartlett]. The majority of stocks are still
blocked, and the market, so far as possible, worked entirely upon
the milking process.
To milk over the fence, verb. phr. (common).—See quot.
1871. Milk Journal, Sept. Stealing milk from neighbours’ cows is
... known as milking over the fence.
No milk in the cocoa-nut, adj. phr. (common).—Silly or crazed. For
synonyms see Apartments to let.
Bristol-milk. See Bristol.
Milk-and-molasses, subs. (American).—See quot.
1833. Neal, Down Easters, vii. p. 96. The people of this country
are of two colours, black and white ... or half-and-half sometimes
at the south, where they are called milk-and-molasses.
Milk-and-water, subs. (old).—1. A stuff under this strange designation
appears in 16th century inventories, but we have no guide as to what
determined its title.—Draper’s Dict.
1555. Inventory of Richard Gurnell, a Kendal clothier, xj. Yards of
mylke and watter, 18s.
1571. Inventory of John Wilkenson, of Newcastle, j. Piece of mylk
and watter.