BY A LONG CHALK, phr. (colloquial).—By far; in a large measure.
1837. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends, ‘A Lay of St. Romwold’ (ed. 1862), 447. Still Sir Alured’s steed was ‘BY LONG CHALKS’ the best.
1838–40. HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), The Clockmaker, p. 26 (ed. 1826). ‘Yes,’ says he, ‘your factories down East beat all natur; they go ahead on the English a LONG CHALK.’
1844. C. SELBY, London by Night, ii. 2. Jack. Yes, and I opine which will come off second best BY LONG CHALKS.
1848. RUXTON, Life in the Far West, 2. Not a hundred years ago BY A LONG CHALK.
1856. C. BRONTË, The Professor, iii. ‘You are not as fine a fellow as your plebeian brother BY A LONG CHALK.’
1883. GRENVILLE MURRAY, People I Have Met, 133. The finest thing in the world; or … ‘the best thing out BY MANY CHALKS.’
1888. BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, v. ‘Isn’t it as easy to carry on for a few years more as it was twenty years ago?’ ‘Not BY A LONG CHALK.’
1892. HUME NISBET, The Bushranger’s Sweetheart, 209. ‘Oh, everyone to their taste, of course; she’s not mine BY A LONG CHALK.’
