† A. sb. ? A stitch drawn right through the stuff; hence fig. in reference to thoroughness of action: cf. B. Obs. rare.
a. 1569. Kingesmyll, Man’s Est., xv. (1580), 124. Now there fore to knitte vppe the knot, and to make a through stitch.
1663. Cowley, Cutter Colman St., II. viii. When I do a business, I’m for through-stich; I’m through pac’d.
B. adv. Right through, through to the end; thoroughly, completely; almost always in phr. to go thorough-stitch (with), to perform something thoroughly, carry it out completely and effectually, go through with: ‘a tailor’s expression for finishing any thing once begun’ (Egan, Slang Dict., 1823).
1579. Gosson, Sch. Abuse, Apol. (Arb.), 68. Philippe of Macedon tooke vpon him to reason with a new Musition … and was not able to go thorowe stitche.
1596. Nashe, Saffron Walden, 37. That wee might haue made round worke, and gone thorough stitch.
1634. Ford, Perkin Warbeck, II. iii. He that threads his needle with the sharp eyes of industry shall in good time go throughstitch with the new suit of preferment.
1685. Evelyn, Diary, 22 May. The … Cheif Justice Jefferies … went thorough stitch in that tribunal.
1694. R. L’Estrange, Fables, cxxxiii. (1714), 150. ’Tis Perseverance alone that can carry us Thorough-Stitch.
1723. Mandeville, Fab. Bees (1725), I. 216. A Man of Honour enters into a Conspiracy with others to murder a King; he is obliged to go thorough Stich with it.
1824. Blackw. Mag., XV. 147/2. We have gone too far to retreat,… we must e’en go thoroughstitch.
1904. Eng. Dial. Dict., s.v. Thorough, She’s means to do the place up thorough-stitch.
C. adj. Thoroughgoing, out-and-out. ? Obs.
c. 1685. in Verney Memoirs (1907), II. 396. A thorough-stitch enemy to the crown.
1786. A. Gib, Sacr. Contempl., 402. It may not suit with his courage or his prudence to be thorough-stitch with it.
1825. Hazlitt, Spirit of Age, 335. He … must make thorough-stitch work of it.
1828. J. Wilson, in Blackw. Mag., 785. The new God really seems to have no thoroughstitch advocate in the London press.
Hence † Thorough-stitched, through-stitched a. = C.
1682. Mrs. Behn, City Heiress, 35. You are resolv’d to make a through-stitcht Robbery on’t.
1799. T. Twining, in Recreat. & Stud. (1882), 233. What a painstaking, thorough-paced, thorough-stitched man you are when you set about anything!
