4. (American).—To succeed. Especially in you can’t come it, i.e., you
cannot succeed: an expression of disbelief in the ability of another.
Probably a survival of old English usage. Cf., Come over.
Come it Strong, verbal phr. (popular).—To exaggerate; to ‘lay it on
thick’; to carry to extremes. For synonyms, see Longbow. Cf., Come it.
1836. C. Dickens, Pickwick Papers, p. 356 (ed. 1857). ‘Vell, sir,’
rejoined Sam, after a short pause, ‘I think I see your drift; and
if I do see your drift, it’s my ’pinion that you’re a comin’ it a
great deal too strong, as the mail-coachman said to the snow-storm,
ven it overtook him.’
1837. Barham, I. L. (Lay of St. Gengulphus), ed. 1862, p. 157. He
here shook his head,—Right little he said, But he thought she was
coming it rather too strong.
1846. W. M. Thackeray, Yellowplush. ‘Mr. Deuceace at Paris.’ Now,
though master was a scoundrill and no mistake, he was a gentleman
and a man of good breeding; and miss came a little too strong
(pardon the vulgarity of the expression), with her hardor and
attachmint for one of his taste.
1869. Bret Harte, The Heathen Chinee. In his sleeves, which were
long, He had twenty-four packs. Which was coming it strong.
Come John, or Lord, Audley.—See John Audley.
Come off, verbal phr. (colloquial).—To happen; to occur; to result
from.—See also Come, sense 1.
1609. Jonson, Case is Altered, IV., iii. His muse sometimes cannot
curvet, nor prognosticate, and come off as it should; no matter,
I’ll hammer out a paraphrase for thee myself.
1857. Dickens, The Detective Police, in Reprinted Pieces, p. 239.
In consequence of which appointment the party came off, which we
are about to describe.
1870. Wilkie Collins, Man and Wife, in Cassell’s Mag., p. 292, col.
1. ‘The betting’s at five to four, my dear. And the race comes off
in a month from this.’
1872. Civilian, 10 Aug. Unfortunately, the event, to use the
language of the turf, did not come off, and considerable
disappointment was manifested.
1883. Graphic, August 11, p. 138, col. 2. Batting is his forte,
though he does not always come off.
Come off the Grass, or the Tall Grass! phr. (American).—‘None of your
airs!’ ‘Don’t put it on so!’ ‘Don’t tell any more lies!’ The French
say, As-tu fini tes manières or magnes? ne fais donc pas ta Sophie; and
ne fais donc pas ton fendart.
Come out, verbal phr. (common).—1. To make an appearance; to display
oneself; to express oneself vigorously; to make an impression
(especially in sense 2). Sometimes in an intensified form to come out
strong. cf., Come it strong.
[The first quot. is doubtful, but it looks like an anticipation.]
1637. Sl. Rutherford, Letters, No. 167, vol. I., p. 390 (ed. 1862,
2 vols.). Christ ... who hath given you eyes to discern the devil
coming out in his whites.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, II., 14. The more he [Clive] worked, the
more he was discontented with his performance, somehow; but J. J.
was coming out very strong; J. J. was going to be a stunner.
1865. G. F. Berkeley, Life, etc. II., 135. Our inclination to quiz
him [Lord Wm. Lennox] on the subject increased when in later years
he came out strong in magazines and reviews, as a sporting writer.
1865. Cornhill Magazine, IV., 218. ‘A county ball.’ The native
comes out strong in waistcoats—his array in that respect being
gorgeous.
1870. Good Words, April. ‘The Hand Nailer.’ In the nailing
communities, as elsewhere, woman manages somehow to come out
extensively on Sundays.
18(?). Aytoun, The Dreepdaily Burghs, p. 2. Let me confess it. I had of
late come out rather too strong. When a man has made money easily, he
is somewhat prone to launch into expense.
2. (common).—To turn out; to result; e.g., How did it come out? Cf.,
Come off.