1885. Fortnightly Review, xxxviii., p. 578. A ‘defaulter’ has been
declared or hammered, as it is technically termed.
1888. Echo, 28 Dec. If any unfortunate member be hammered to-day or
to-morrow it will in all probability be a bear.
1890. Daily Telegraph, 1 Nov. This being the third day after the
general settlement, a defaulter who had been unable to provide cash
was hammered, and private arrangements are reported in other
quarters without resort to this extreme measure.
1891. Pall Mall Gazette, 25 July, p. 1, c. 3. But what is an
‘outside broker?’ some (possibly lady) reader may ask. Well, he may
be, and often is, a regular, who has been hammered for failing to
meet his ‘differences.’
1891. Tit Bits, 15 Aug. I need not go into the circumstances which
led to my being expelled from that honourable body, or hammered as
it is familiarly called, owing to the taps with a hammer which the
head porter gives before he officially proclaims the name of a
defaulter.
Down as a hammer, adv. phr. (common).—1. Wide-awake; knowing (q.v.);
fly (q.v.).
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, p. 45. To be down to anything is pretty much
the same as being up to it, and down as a hammer is, of course, the
intensivum of the phrase.
2. (colloquial).—Instant; peremptory; merciless. Cf., Like a thousand
of bricks. Also To be down on ... like a hammer.
At (or under) the hammer, adv. phr. (auctioneers’).—For sale at
auction.
That’s the hammer, verb. phr. (colloquial).—An expression of approval
or assent.
To be hammers to one, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To know what one means.
To hammer out (or into), verb. phr. (colloquial).—To be at pains to
deceive; to reiterate; to force to hear.
1596. Ben Jonson, Every Man in his Humour, iii., 3. Now am I, for
some five and fifty reasons, hammering, hammering revenge.
1719. Durfey, Pills, etc., iii., 23. If any Scholar be in doubt,
And cannot well bring this matter about; The Blacksmith can hammer
it out.
1888. J. McCarthy and Mrs. Campbell-Praed, The Ladies’ Gallery, ch.
i. I think the chaps that are always hammering on about repentance
and atonement and forgiveness of sin have got hold of the wrong
end.
Hammer-and-Tongs, adv. phr. (common).—Very violently; ding-dong.
1781. G. Parker, View of Society, II., 108. His master and mistress
were at it hammer and tongs.
1833. Marryat, Peter Simple, ch. xxxv. Our ships were soon hard at
it, hammer and tongs.
1837. Marryat, Snarleyow. Ods bobs! Hammer and Tongs! long as I’ve
been to sea.
1861. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, ch. lx. Mr. Malone fell upon them
hammer and tongs
1862. M. E. Braddon, Lady Audley’s Secret, ch. iv. ‘I always said
the old buffer would marry,’ he muttered, after about half an
hour’s reverie. ‘Alicia and my lady, the stepmother, will go at it
hammer and tongs.’
1884. Jas. Payn, Talk of the Town, ch. xx. Both parties went at it
hammer and tongs, and hit one another anywhere and with anything.
Hammer-headed, adj. (common).—1. Oafish; stupid.
1600. Nashe, Summers Last Will (Grosart), vi., 169. A number of
rude Vulcans, vnweldy speakers, hammer-headed clownes.