Also 5–6 luk(e, 6–7 lucke. [a. LG. (Du., OFris.) luk, a shortened form of geluk (MDu. gelucke = MHG. gelücke, mod.G. glück). Parallel adoptions of the LG. word are Icel. lukka (14th c.), MSw. lukka, lykka (mod.Sw. lycka), Da. lykke. Probably it came into English as a gambling term; the LG. dialects were a frequent source of such terms in 15–16 centuries.
The ultimate etymology of MHG. gelücke (:—OHG. *gilucchi:—OTeut. type *galukkjo-m) is obscure. So far as meaning is concerned nothing could be more plausible than Paul’s view (Beitr. VII. 133 note) that the word is connected with G. gelingen (OHG. gilingan) to succeed, turn out well or ill, as G. druck pressure with dringen to press, schluck gulp with schlingen to swallow, ruck wrench with ringen to wrench. But morphologically this assumption seems quite inadmissible, and most scholars deny the existence of etymological affinity in any of these instances. Formally, the word might be cognate with LOUK v.1 or v.2, or with G. locken to entice (OHG. lockôn) and the synonymous OHG. lucchen; but no probable hypothesis seems to have been formed to connect the meaning of the sb. with that of any of these vbs.]
1. Fortune good or ill; the fortuitous happening of events favorable or unfavorable to the interests of a person; a person’s condition with regard to the favorable or unfavorable character of some fortuitous event, or of the majority of the fortuitous events in which he has an interest. Often with adj., as bad, hard, evil luck, GOOD-LUCK, ILL-LUCK. Also, the imagined tendency of chance (esp. in matters of gambling) to produce events continuously favorable or continuously unfavorable; the friendly or hostile disposition ascribed to chance at a particular time.
1481, a. 1529. [see GOOD LUCK].
1530. Palsgr., 241/1. Lucke, happe, hevr.
a. 1547. Surrey, in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 220. And if to light on you my luck so good shall be, I shall be glad to fede on that that would haue fed on me.
1563. B. Googe, Eglogs, vii. (Arb.), 61. Let vs here what lucke you haue had in loue.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 39. It was his hard lucke & curssed chaunce,… to finde [etc.].
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., III. ii. 93. I haue but leane lucke in the match.
1602. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass., II. v. 823. It hath beene my luck alwayes to beat the bush, while another kild the Hare.
1653. Walton, Angler, ii. 60. Wel Scholer, you must indure worse luck sometime, or you will never make a good Angler.
1738. Swift, Pol. Conversat., 18. Yes; Tom sings well; but his Luck’s naught.
1791. Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, xv. I hope we shall have better luck next time.
1856. Whyte-Melville, Kate Cov., xvii. The Arch-croupier below, they say, arranges these matters for beginners; but the luck turns at last.
1882. ‘Ouida,’ Maremma, I. ii. 41. ‘He has got his deserts,’ said Jaconda…. ‘Luck always changes.’
1883. Howells, Woman’s Reason, II. xx. 178. He bade him … get fire to light the beacon. Giffen refused. ‘No, sir; better not have any of my luck about it.’
† b. A piece of (good or bad) luck. Obs.
1530. Palsgr., 580/2. I have a shreude chaunce or a shreude tourne, or I have an yvell lucke, il me meschiet.
1603. Drayton, Bar. Wars, IV. xxxiv. Those evill Lucks, in numbers many are, That to thy footsteps do themselves apply.
c. In generalized sense: Chance regarded as a cause or bestower of success and failure. Sometimes personified.
1534–5. More, Dauy the Dycer, Wks. 1433. Long was I, lady Lucke, your seruing man.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 83. One refuge yet remaineth, that is patiently to suffer what so euer lucke allotteth.
1630. Davenant, Cruel Bro., I. i. B 2. Report is then become a Bawde to Luck; Whom Fortune doth enrich, Fame doth flatter.
1899. Maj. A. Griffiths, in Fortn. Rev., LXV. 397. Luck, in the great game of war, is undoubtedly lord of all.
1902. A. E. W. Mason, Four Feathers, iii. 23. I told you luck might look my way. Well, she has. I go out to Egypt on General Graham’s Staff.
d. Predicatively, It is good or bad luck = ‘it is a good or bad omen’ (to do so-and-so).
Mod. You should never put boots on the table: it’s bad luck.
2. Good fortune; success, prosperity or advantage coming by chance rather than as the consequence of merit or effort. Phr. To have the luck = to be so fortunate as (to be or do something). † To have no luck to: to be unfortunate in.
14[?]. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866), 38. Wher-for lucke and good hansselle my hert y sende you.
a. 1480[?]. Promp. Parv. (Winchester MS.), 316/2. Luk, lucrum. [So Camb. MS. and ed. Pynson; Harl. MS. reads (prob. correctly) Lukre or wynnynge, lucrum.]
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 46. That neidfull war thai wantit thair nothing, At thair lyking, with greit larges and luke [rhyme instruct].
1583. Hollyband, Campo di Fior, 145. No man can have lucke alwayes at playe.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., V. i. 439. If we haue vnearned lucke, Now to scape the Serpents tongue.
a. 1656. Hales, Gold. Rem. (1688), 348. Only Plutarch, whatever the matter is has no luck to the latin, and therefore I would advise you either to read him in French or in English.
1661. Boyle, Style of Script. (1675), 36. A hint, which … I have since had the luck to improve sufficiently.
1784. Cowper, Tiroc., 329. How he was flogged, or had the luck to escape.
1835. W. Irving, Tour Prairies, 164. One of the rangers, however, had little luck to boast of, his horse having taken fright … thrown his rider, and escaped.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., I. xxviii. 374. I have been off with a party … on a hunt inland. We had no great luck.
1866. Geo. Eliot, F. Holt (1868), 20. Like most energetic natures, he had a strong faith in his luck.
1874. Green, Short Hist., vii. § 1. 350. Catherine Parr, had the luck to outlive the King.
1883. Stevenson, Silverado Sq., With Children of Israel, i. The luck had failed, the mines had petered out.
1891. N. Gould, Double Event, 8. At cards, Captain Drayton seemed to have the ‘devil’s own luck.’
† b. (One’s) luck of: (one’s) good fortune in obtaining. Obs.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), I. 104. A man, whose luck of fame was derived from all the circumstances which he himself reckoned unfortunate.
c. A piece of luck or good-fortune. ? Sc.
1856. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., II. 289. It was a luck for me yesterday … that I had these live things to look after.
¶ d. occas. In appellations of objects on which the prosperity of a family, etc., is supposed to depend.
This use originates with ‘The Luck of Eden Hall,’ which is an oriental glass goblet (of the 15th c. or earlier) in the possession of the Musgraves of Eden, Cumberland, so called from a superstition embodied in the words, ‘If this glass will break or fall, Farewell the luck of Eden-hall.’
a. 1800. Ballad, in Lysons, Britannia, IV. Cumb. (1816), p. ccix. God prosper long from being broke The Luck of Eden-hall.
1842. Longf. (title), The Luck of Edenhall [transl. from Uhland].
1870. B. Harte (title), The Luck of Roaring Camp.
1901. E. F. Benson, Luck of Vails, 16. When the Luck of the Vails is lost, Fear not fire nor rain nor frost.
3. Phrases. Bad luck to (a person or thing)!: a vulgar form of imprecation, expressive of ill-will, disgust or disappointment. Down on (occas. in) one’s luck: in ill-luck, in misfortune (slang). For luck: in order to bring good luck (expressing the purpose of some superstitious action). In luck: fortunate, enjoying good luck. Out of luck: having bad luck, in misfortune. † To strike (a person) luck: see STRIKE v. To try one’s luck: see TRY v. † Upon luck’s head: on chance (obs. Sc.). Worse luck = unfortunately, ‘more’s the pity’ (colloq.). For run, stroke of luck, see the sbs.
1637. Rutherford, Lett., I. xli. (1675), 87. I would believe in the Dark upon Luck’s head, and take my hazard of Christ’s goodwill.
1789. Wolcot (P. Pindar), Sir J. Banks & Emp. of Mor., 17. Quite out of breath, and out of luck.
1849. Thackeray, Pendennis, lxi. The Chevalier was … to use his own picturesque expression … ‘down on his luck.’
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, I. viii. By Jove, Flashey, your young friend’s in luck.
1861. Miss Yonge, Yng. Stepm., xvii. 234. He … should see enough of him when Mr. Hope came, worse luck.
1867. F. Francis, Angling, vi. (1880), 233. Like a dissipated house-fly out of luck.
1876. C. M. Davies, Unorth. Lond., 185. A clever rogue momentarily down on his luck.
1882. R. Burton, Athenæum, No. 2880. 11/3. The miner down in his luck.
1883. Stevenson, Treas. Isl., III. xv. There are some of Flint’s hands aboard; worse luck for the rest of us.
1884. Jessopp, in 19th Cent., March, 402. Labour is scarce and he is down in his luck.
1894. G. S. Layard, Tennyson & Pre-Raphaelite Illustr., iv. 45. Oriana ties her kerchief round the wings of her lover’s helmet, whilst he strings his bow for luck against her foot.
1900. Blackw. Mag., July, 99/1. I was in luck when I tumbled amongst them.
1902. A. E. W. Mason, Four Feathers, xxiii. 227. I, worse luck, was not one of them.
† b. Luck in a bag. A name for some (? swindling) contrivance resembling a LUCKY-BAG, in which the prizes were few. Hence, A rare piece of good luck, an unlikely or unexpected stroke of luck.
1649. Lightfoot, Battle w. Wasps Nest, Wks. 1825, I. 405. It was luck in a bag then, that he that is so direct in all his gospel from end to end, as never to change one story out of its proper time and place, should do it here to serve Mr. Heming’s turn so pat.
1701. Walk to Smith-field, in G. Daniel, Merrie Eng., xx. (1874), 273. The spectators were shuffled together like little boxes in a sharper’s Luck-in-a-bag.
1711. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 8 Sept. You have luck indeed; and luck in a bag. What a devil is that eight shilling tea-kettle? copper, or tin japanned? It is like your Irish politeness, raffling for tea-kettles.
† 4. A sign of future (good or ill) luck; an omen.
[1548. Elyot, Dict., Omen, the lucke of some thynge to come, gathered of some woorde or saiyng before spoken.]
1570. Levins, Manip., 184/2. Lucke, fortuna, omen.
c. 1600. A. Home, in Bellenden’s Livy, V. (1822), 479. The quhilk voice being herd abroad,… the senate did think the samin to be the luck and presage of sum thing to come.
5. attrib. and Comb.: luck-money = next; luck-penny, a piece of money given or kept ‘for luck’; a certain sum that local custom prescribes to be returned by the seller to the buyer, esp. in the sale of live-stock; † luck-sign, an augury; † luck-stroken a., ? having received the luck-penny.
1877. N. & Q., 5th Ser. VII. 488. In all agricultural dealings connected with cattle or corn it is customary when receiving payments to return a small sum to the customer, which is termed *‘luck money.’
1898. Daily News, 17 Aug., 2/7. The butchers assert that luck money was customarily granted in Lincoln until the auction system was started.
1788. Burns, Lett. to Mrs. Dunlop, 2 Aug. I am, indeed, seriously angry with you at the quantum of your *luckpenny.
1823. Scott, Fam. Lett., 8 Jan. (1894), II. xix. 162. Builders … have drain’d my purse, otherwise the luck penny should have been better worth your acceptance.
1824. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. I. 262. All the savings of a month, the hoarded halfpence, the new farthings, the very luck-penny, go off in fumo on that night.
1890. Times, 25 Feb., 10/1. The defendant bought a hunter for £100 from the plaintiff and received back £5 ‘luck penny.’
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xxxiii. 621. He tooke a *Lucksigne at the sight of a Lyonnesse [Fr. Il prend augure d’vne Lyonne].
1597. Bp. Hall, Sat., II. v. 17. Go take possession of the church-porch-doore, And ring thy bels; *luck stroken in thy fist, The parsonage is thine or ere thou wist.
