subs. (old).—1. A crowd; an assembly of any kind: e.g., (thieves’) = a band of thieves; (prisons’) = a gang associated in penal labour; (general) = a knot or party of people, at a theatre, a church, a race-meeting, &c. Fr., abadie, tigne, vade, trépe. (It., treppo; O. Fr., treper = to press, to trample.)
1672. WYCHERLEY, Love in a Wood, ii. 1. I will not stay THE PUSH. They come! they cone! oh, the fellows come!
1718. C. HIGGIN, True Discovery, 13. He is a … thieves’ watchman, that lies scouting … when and where there is a PUSH, alias an accidental crowd of people.
1754. POULTER, The Discoveries of John Poulter, 30. In order to be out of the PUSH or throng.
1819. J. H. VAUX, Memoirs, s.v. PUSH … When any particular scene of crowding is alluded to, they say, the PUSH … at the spell doors; the PUSH at the stooping-match.
1830. W. T. MONCRIEFF, The Heart of London, ii. 1. He’s as quiet as a dummy hunter in a PUSH by Houndsditch.
1848. E. Z. C. JUDSON (‘Ned Buntline’), The Mysteries and Miseries of New York, II. ii. This is one ver grand PUSH.
1885. DAVITT, Leaves from a Prison Diary, I. x. Most of them [pseudo-aristocratic impostors] had succeeded in obtaining admission to the stocking-knitting party, which, in consequence, became known among the rest of the prisoners as ‘the upper-ten PUSH.’
2. (thieves’).—A robbery; a swindle: also as in sense 1. Thus, ‘I’m in this PUSH!’ = ‘I mean to share’—an intimation from one magsman to another that he means to STAND IN (q.v.).
1772. BRIDGES, A Burlesque Translation of Homer, 248.
| Tho’ now-a-days so bold a PUSH | |
| Would make an honest Hebrew blush. |
3. (colloquial).—Enterprise; energy: also PUSHERY = forwardness.
1788. BURNEY, Diary, iv. 45. I actually asked for this dab of preferment. It is the first piece of PUSHERY I ever was guilty of.
Verb. (venery).—To copulate: see GREENS and RIDE: also TO STAND THE PUSH; TO DO A RANDOM PUSH; and TO PLAY AT PUSH-PIN (PUSH-PIKE or PUT-PIN). Whence PUSHING-SCHOOL = a brothel: see NANNY-SHOP.—B. E. (c. 1696); GROSE (1785).
1560. RYCHARDES, Misogonus [HALLIWELL].
| That can lay downe maidens bedds, | |
| And that can hold ther sickly heds: | |
| That can play at PUT PIN, | |
| Blowe poynte, and near lin [tire]. |
1623. MASSINGER, The Duke of Milan, iii. 2.
| This wanton, at dead midnight, | |
| Was found at the exercise behind the arras, | |
| With the ’foresaid signoir … she would never tell | |
| Who PLAY’D AT PUSHPIN with her. |
1656. Men Miracles, 15.
| To see the sonne you would admire, | |
| Goe PLAY AT PUSH-PIN with his sire. |
1707. WARD, Hudibras Redivivus, II. vii. 10. When at PUSH-A-PIKE WE PLAY With beauty, who shall win the day?
1750. ROBERTSON OF STRUAN, Poems, 96. PUSH on, PUSH on, ye happy pair!
1772. BRIDGES, A Burlesque Translation of Homer, 337.
| They star’d like honest Johnny Wade, | |
| When he one evening with the maid | |
| A game at PUSHPIN had begun, | |
| And madam came before he’d done. |
COLLOQUIALISMS.—TO GET (or GIVE) THE PUSH (or THE ORDER OF THE PUSH) = to be discharged (or to reject), to be sent (or send) about one’s business; PUT TO THE PUSH (or AT A PUSH) = subjected to trial, in a difficulty or dilemma (B. E., c. 1696); TO PUSH ONE’S BARROW = to move on; AT PUSH OF PIKE = at defiance (B. E., c. 1696). See also FACE.
c. 1870. Music Hall Song, ‘I’ll say no More to Mary Ann.’ The girl that stole my heart has GIVEN me THE PUSH.
1886–96. MARSHALL, ‘Pomes’ from the Pink ’Un [‘A Meeting on the “Met”’], 126. He felt like people do who GAIN THE ORDER OF THE PUSH.
1890. G. R. SIMS, in Referee, 20 April, ‘The Rondeau of the Knock.’
| No more with jaunty air | |
| He’ll HAVE THE ‘PUSH.’ |
1893. P. H. EMERSON, Signor Lippo, xx. She was always taking on new ones, for you GOT THE PUSH in a year or two, arter you got too big.
