colloq. or slang. [app. abbreviation of TICKET sb.1 7 in the phrase on the ticket. Chronology forbids derivation from TICK v.1 3 or sb.3 3, which has sometimes been conjectured.]

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  1.  Phrases. On or upon († the) tick, on credit, on trust (cf. on ticket, TICKET sb.1 7); to go on tick (also go tick), run on, upon († in) tick, to buy on credit, run into debt.

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1642.  Brit. Mus. Add. MS., 37999 lf. 66. They would haue … run on tick with Piggin for inke and songs, rather than haue lost the show of your presence.

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1668.  Dryden, Evening’s Love, III. i. Play on tick, and lose the Indies, I’ll discharge it all tomorrow.

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1672.  Wycherley, Love in Wood, III. i. A poor wretch that goes on tick for the paper he writes his lampoons on!

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1849.  Thackeray, Pendennis, ii. When he had no funds he went on tick.

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1861.  Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxf., i. ‘Going tick’ for everything which could by possibility be booked.

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1892.  Stevenson, Across the Plains, ii. 100. This villainous habit of living upon tick.

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  2.  Hence, Credit; trust; reputation of solvency and probity.

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1668.  Sedley, Mulb. Gard., II. ii. I confess my Tick is not good, and I never desire to Game for more than I have about me.

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1718.  Ramsay, Christ’s Kirk Gr., III. xiv. Wasted was baith cash and tick.

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1788.  Trifler, No. 2. 26. If you can cure him, Dr. Bolus, you shall have the best cheese in my shop, and tick for another.

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1894.  Blackmore, Perlycross, 105. Giving tick unlimited, or even remission of all charges.

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  3.  A debit account; a score, account, reckoning.

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1681.  Prideaux, Lett., 27 May (Camden), 83. The Marmayd Tavern is lately broke, and we Christ Church men bear ye blame of it, our ticks, as ye noise of ye town will have it, amounteing to 1500yl.

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1712.  Arbuthnot, John Bull, III. vii. Paying ready Money, that the Maids might not run a Tick at the Market.

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1755.  Connoisseur, No. 92. He … had a long tick at the tavern.

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1840.  J. T. Hewlett, P. Priggins, xiv. Oh, never mind paying; I’ve got a tick here.

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1862.  Thackeray, Philip, xxxviii. There are some of my college ticks ain’t paid now…. Tailors’ ticks, tavern ticks, livery-stable ticks.

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