Adv. (colloquial).—1. Dispirited; hard-up; in disgrace. Found in
various combinations: e.g., down in the mouth, or dumps = dejected;
down on one’s luck = reduced in circumstances; down at heel = shabby;
down on one’s back-seam = out of luck; down to bed-rock (American) =
penniless, etc., etc.
1608–11. Bishop Hall, Epistles, i., 6. The Roman orator was down in
the mouth; finding himself thus cheated by the money-changer.
1693. Congreve, Old Batchelor, Act iv., Sc. 9. Sir J. Witt. Now am
I slap-dash down in the mouth, and have not one word to say!
1751. Smollett, Peregrine Pickle, ch. xlix. He ... told the
physician that he was like the root of the tongue, as being
cursedly down in the mouth.
1836. C. Dickens, Pickwick Papers, p. 6, (ed. 1857). I see—never
ruined—accidents will happen—best regulated families—never say
die—down upon your luck—pull him up.
1840. Comic Almanack, p. 208. Let’s not be down upon our luck Nor
out of heart at our condition.
1846. Thackeray, Vanity Fair, vol. II., ch. xxix. They say, that
when Mrs. Crawley was particularly down on her luck, she gave
concerts and lessons in music here and there.
1851. H. Mayhew, Lon. Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. I., p. 58. If the
hucksters know that the person calling the raffle is down, and that
it is necessity that has made him call it, they will not allow the
property put up to be thrown for.
1861. Marian Evans (G. Eliot), Silas Marner, ch. viii. Well, here’s
my turning, said Bryce, not surprised to perceive that Godfrey was
rather down; so I’ll bid you good-day.
1864. Edmund Yates, Broken to Harness, ch. x. What won’t do? asked
Prescott, with flaming face, Why, this Kate Mellon business, Jim.
It’s on hot and strong, I know. You’ve been down in the mouth all
the time she was away.
1880. A. Trollope, The Duke’s Children, ch. xlvii. I’m sorry you’re
so down in the mouth. Why don’t you try again?
1880. Jas. Greenwood, Veteran of Vauxhall in ‘Odd People in Odd
Places,’ p. 40. Then I got down at heel, as the saying is; and when
a man is reduced to one bare suit of black, and that one so shaky
with long wear that it wants as tender handling as an invalid, he
hasn’t got much of a chance to get on well as a waiter.
2. (old).—Acquainted with; ‘fly’ (q.v.); up to (q.v.). Also in
combination: down to, down on, and down as a hammer.
1610. Jonson, Alchemist, IV., iv. Thou art so down upon the least
disaster! How would’st thou ha’ done, if I had not help’t thee out?
1825. The English Spy, vi., p. 162. Dick’s a trump, and no
telegraph—up to every frisk, and down to every move of the domini,
thoroughbred and no want of courage.
1839. W. H. Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard, p. 138, [ed. 1840.] Awake! to
be sure I am, my flash cove, replied Sheppard, I’m down as a
hammer.
1850. F. E. Smedley, Frank Fairleigh, ch. iv. You’re about right
there, Mr. Lawless, you’re down to every move, I see, as usual.
1865. G. F. Berkeley, Life, etc., II., 103. Crib. I said ... I’m
down on it all; the monkey never bit your dog.