1836. Dickens, Pickwick, ch. xliii. Near him, leaning listlessly
against the wall, stood a strong-built countryman, flicking with a
worn-out hunting whip the top-boot that adorned his right foot.
1852. Dickens, Bleak House, ch. xxvii. Who ... receives this
compliment by flicking Mr. George in the face with a head of
greens.
1854. Our Cruise in the Undine, p. 103. It appeared to us that one
of the most frequent, and therefore we supposed the principal
stroke aimed at (in a Heidelberg duel), was to strike your sword
low down, perhaps four inches from the handle, upon your
adversary’s bandaged arm, so that the end of the weapon (the only
part that is sharpened) should Flick itself against your opponent’s
face.
1863. Hon. Mrs. Norton, Lost and Saved, p. 29. Drivers shouting,
swearing, and flicking at the horses.
Flicker, subs. (Old Cant).—A drinking glass.
1690. B. E., New Dict. of the Canting Crew. Flicker, c., a
drinking-glass; Flicker snapt, c., the glass is broken; Nim the
flicker, c., steal the glass; Rum flicker, c., a large glass or
rummer; Queer flicker, c., a green or ordinary glass.
French Synonyms.—Une lampe (masons’); un guindal (popular); un godet
(very old); une gobette (thieves’); un gobeson (thieves’).
Verb. 1. To drink.—Matsell.
2. (old).—To laugh wantonly; also to kiss, or lewdly fondle a
woman.—Palsgrave. For synonyms, see Firkytoodle.
1690. B. E., New Dict. of the Canting Crew, s.v. Flicker, to grin
or flout.
Also Flicking = (1) drinking, and (2) wanton laughter.
Let her flicker, phr. (American).—Said of any doubtful issue: ‘let the
matter take its chance.’
Flicket-a-Flacket, adv. (old).—Onomatopoetic for a noise of flapping
and flicking.
1719. Durfey, Pills, etc., ii., 20. Their bellies went
flicket-a-flacket.
Flier or Flyer, subs. (racing and yachting).—1. A horse or boat of
great speed; also (American railway) a fast train; hence, by
implication, anything of excellence. Cf., Dasher, Daisy, etc. Also
adj., = keen for.
1865. Braddon, Henry Dunbar, ch. xxii. The mare’s in splendid
condition; well, you saw her take her trial gallop the other
morning, and you must know she’s a flier, so I won’t talk about
her.
1884. Hawley Smart, From Post to Finish, p. 156. Atalanta might be
a flyer, but an artist like Pycroft, with a clever colt like
Newsmonger under him, was quite likely to outride whatever boy Mr.
Pipes might now be able to pick up.
1888. St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 2 Mar. In spite of the strike
passenger trains, what are known as the flyers, are running with
reasonable regularity.
1890. Bird o’ Freedom, 19 Mar., p. 1, col. 1. Clearly the G.O.M. is
no flier over this course.
1891. Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, 20 Mar. Although he may
doubtless be made a good deal better he may turn out to be no
flier.
1891. Bury and Hillier, Cycling, p. 6. A moderate rider, not being
an athlete or a flier ... can ... get over in an hour seven or
eight miles of ground on a tricycle.
1891. Anti-Jacobin, 23 May, p. 400. When Dangerous,
Plenipotentiary, Bay Middleton, and other flyers ran.
1891. Morning Advertiser, 28 Mar. In any event, he was never a
flyer at breakfast. But late at night, and when, perhaps, he
tumbled across something equivalent to woodcock, tripe and onions,
or a hot lobster, say, why then, take my word for it, he made up
for previous abstinence.
1891. National Observer, 1 Aug. It remains to be seen whether large
yachts constructed on the same principle will be equally
invincible: that is, if the flyers we have are one and all to
disappear.