subs. (colloquial).—1. Money; means; resources: also POCKET-BOOK and POCKET-LINING. Hence, TO BE IN POCKET = to profit; TO BE OUT OF POCKET = to lose; POCKETS TO LET = penniless, BROKE (q.v.); TO PUT ONE’S HAND IN ONE’S POCKET = (1) to give money (as in charity), and (2) to spend; TO HAVE (or CARRY) IN ONE’S POCKET = to control; TO PICK POCKETS = to steal from the person (hence PICK-POCKET = a thief from the person: cf. PICK-PURSE); POCKET-PIECE = (1) a show coin, whence (2) anything meretricious or unreal: see RHINO.
1598. SHAKESPEARE, 1 Henry IV., iii. 3. I’ll be sworn my POCKET was PICKED. Ibid. (1603), Measure for Measure, iii. 2. Is there none … to be had now for PUTTING THE HAND IN THE POCKET and extracting it clutched? Ibid. (1604) Winter’s Tale, iv. 3. Ant. [PICKING HIS POCKET]. Softly, good sir!
1693. CONGREVE, The Old Batchelor, ii. 1. Sir Jo. But, agad, I’m a little OUT OF POCKET at present. Sharp. Pshaw, you can’t want a hundred pound. Your word is sufficient anywhere.
1709. DAMPIER, Voyages, II. i. 93. For tho there were Fowls to be bought at every house where I lay, yet my POCKET would not reach them.
1738. The Lady’s Decoy; or, Man-Midwife’s Defence, 4.
| My money is spent; | |
| Can I be content | |
| With POCKETS depriv’d of their LINING? |
1749. SMOLLETT, Gil Blas [ROUTLEDGE], 191. As long as his POCKETS were LINED his reception was warm: empty purses meet with fastened doors. Ibid., 216. Not only did we LINE OUR POCKETS with ducats, &c.
1821. W. T. MONCRIEFF, Tom and Jerry, ii. 5. Tom. Clean’d out! both sides; look here—POCKETS TO LET!—… and we have stood the nonsense in prime style.
1836. DICKENS, Pickwick Papers (1857), 380. This is rayther a change for the worse, Mr. Trotter, as the gen’l’m’n said, wen he got two doubtful shillin’s and sixpenn’orth o’ POCKET-PIECES for a good half-crown.
1846. Punch, x. 272. It is the work of one moiety of the world to put off certain POCKET-PIECES as though they were sterling coin. Ibid., 268. Cannot see the brassy POCKET-PIECE under the thin wash of a ‘Gentleman exterior.’
1856. The Quarterly Review, CXLV. 315. They … have more than once again glutted our markets, and been punished in POCKET.
1857. A. TROLLOPE, Barchester Towers [Century]. Dr. Proudie had interest with the government, and the man CARRIED, as it were, Dr. Proudie IN HIS POCKET.
1885. Queen, 26 Sept. It is entirely a question of position, POCKET, and inclination.
Adj. (colloquial).—Small: e.g., POCKET-HERCULES = a sturdy dwarf; POCKET-VOLUME = a portable book; POCKET-VENUS (or -PIECE) = a diminutive whore or mistress; POCKET-PARLIAMENT = a town-council, or debating society; POCKET-HELL = a Tartarus of one’s own, a Tophet on a minor scale; and so forth.
Verb. (colloquial).—1. To endure; to submit: as to ridicule, insult, or wrong. Hence, TO POCKET ONE’S HORNS = to play the wittol; TO PUT ONE’S PRIDE IN ONE’S POCKET = to suppress one’s pride; TO CARRY ONE’S PASSIONS IN ONE’S POCKET = to smother one’s feelings; TO POCKET AN AFFRONT = to submit and say nothing.—RAY (1670); B. E. (c. 1696); GROSE (1785).
1592. G. HARVEY, Foure Letters [GROSART, Works, i. 166]. Patience hath trained mee to POCKET-VP more hainous indignities.
1596. SHAKESPEARE, King John, iii. 1. Well, ruffian, I must POCKET-UP these wrongs.
1600. JONSON, Cynthia’s Revels, iv. When they come in swaggering company, and will POCKET up anything, may they not properly be said to be white-livered?
1607. HEYWOOD, A Woman Killed with Kindness, ii. 3. My master shall not POCKET up this wrong.
1623. MABBE, The Spanish Rogue [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, ii. 85. We are paid in our own coyne;… wrongs are POCKETED].
1659. JOHN DAY, The Blind Beggar of Bednal Green, i. 2.
| Yet the worst boy that feeds on Glosters beef | |
| Holds it high scorn to POCKET UP the lye. |
1700. FARQUHAR, The Constant Couple, iii. 1. What! Wear the livery of my king, and POCKET an affront.
1749. SMOLLETT, Gil Blas [ROUTLEDGE], 235. Take my advice … and POCKET the affront.
1759. GOLDSMITH, The Citizen of the World, xix. If I calmly POCKET the abuse, I am laughed at.
1772. BRIDGES, A Burlesque Translation of Homer, 72.
| Like the bold blust’ring Dickey Hunt | |
| He POCKETED the whole AFFRONT. |
1869. Gentleman’s Magazine, July, 195. The member had sense enough to POCKET the rebuke, and sat down quietly to enjoy the remaining convivial hours.
2. (common).—To embezzle or steal.
1851. SPENCER, Social Statics, 463. They seized the goods of traders, sold them, and POCKETED a large part of the proceeds.
1885. Daily Telegraph, 9 Nov. She appears to have been POCKETING money from her employer.
3. (colloquial).—To win.
IF NOT PLEASED PUT HAND IN POCKET AND PLEASE YOURSELF, phr. (old).—A retort on grumblers.—RAY (1760).
HE PLAYS AS FAIR AS IF HE’D PICKED YOUR POCKET, phr. (old).—Said of rooking gamblers.
