Lark

subs. (colloquial).—1.  See quot. 1811. [A corruption of M. E. lak, laik, from A. S. lác = game, sport; cogn. with Icl. leikr = game; Sw. lek; Dan. leg; Goth, laiks.] Cf. LARKING, subs., sense 1.

  1811.  GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. LARK. A piece of merriment. People playing together jocosely.

  1819.  T. MOORE, Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress, 37.

  1821.  W. T. MONCRIEFF, Tom and Jerry, p. 46.

  1829.  BUCKSTONE, Billy Taylor, i., 1. First W. We’ve had a LARK ourselves.

  1836.  DICKENS, Pickwick Papers, p. 5. ‘Here’s a LARK!’ shouted half a dozen hackney coachmen.

  1838.  T. H. BAYLY, The Spitalfields Weaver. Sim. Don’t offer me money, I warn you of that; no, no, when we’re out on a LARK, if you wish to treat me, well and good, but no money given.

  1856.  WHYTE-MELVILLE, Kate Coventry, i. I like Cousin John’s constant good-humour, and the pains he takes to give me a day’s amusement whenever he can, or what he calls ‘have Cousin Kate out for a LARK.’

  1870.  The Saturday Review, 21 May. But it is time that all vulgar habits of outrage and LARK should be put a stop to, and, however inclined grown up men may be to look indulgently on mere boyish follies, we must have these offenders treated as a gang of ‘snobs’ would be who should smash busts in the Crystal Palace.

  1877.  Scribner’s Monthly, Aug., p. 469. He dusted ’em reg’lar, an’ wound ’em up an’ set ’em goin’ accordin’ to rules; but he never tried no LARKS on ’em.

  1882.  Punch, vol. LXXXII., p. 69, col. 1. A fine young London gentleman, quite up to any LARK.

  1884.  W. E. HENLEY and R. L. STEVENSON, Deacon Brodie [‘Three Plays,’ p. 61]. Fen LARKS. No lotten shirking, mind.

  1888.  J. RUNCIMAN, The Chequers, 121. I was only having a LARK.

  1893.  Chambers’s Journal, 25 Feb., p. 128. Somebody’s been having a LARK with you, old lady.

  2.  (old).—A boat.—Lexicon Balatronicum (1811); GROSE (1823); MATSELL (1859).

  Verb. (common).—1.  To sport; to tease; to SPREE (q.v.).

  1836.  R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends, ‘The Lay of St. Cuthbert,’ ii. 200. Don’t ‘LARK’ with the watch, or annoy the police!

  1847.  THACKERAY, Vanity Fair, II. xxxi. Payne was a staid English maid and personal attendant upon Mrs. Osborne, to whom the courier, as in duty bound, paid court, and whom Georgy used to LARK dreadfully with accounts of German robbers and ghosts.

  2.  (old).—See LARKING, sense 1.

  3.  (old).—See LARKING, sense 2.

  4.  (American thieves’).—A boy who steals newspapers from doorsteps.