subs. (venery).—1. A whore, and (2) an act of coition. 3. (common).—a standard of value, usually in the phrase NO GREAT SHAKES = anything of small account. 4. (American) = a show. Also FAIR SHAKES = a tolerable bargain or chance.
1819. T. MOORE, Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress, 41. Though NO GREAT SHAKES at learned chat.
1820. BYRON, Letter [to Murray], 28 Sept. I had my hands full, and my head too just then, so it can be NO GREAT SHAKES.
1834. W. H. AINSWORTH, Rookwood, III. ii. I’ll give you a chant composed upon Dick Turpin, the highwayman. It’s NO GREAT SHAKES, to be sure, but it’s the best I have.
1847. W. T. THOMPSON, Chronicles of Pineville, 34. Give Bill Sweeny a FAIR SHAKE, and he can whoop blue blazes out of ye.
1848. DURIVAGE, Stray Subjects, 56. The Museum … he didn’t consider ANY very ‘GREAT SHAKES.’
1855. C. KINGSLEY, Westward Ho! xxx. NO GREAT SHAKES of a man to look to, nether.
c. 1859. Newspaper Cutting [“S”], 200. “A SHAKE. Hope no offence; none so meant, mum. A SHAKE’S a party as is married and as isn’t, if you understand me, mum. ‘In keeping,’ some calls it.”
1865. GASKELL, Wives and Daughters, xxi. After all, a senior wangler was NO GREAT SHAKES. Any man might be one if he liked.
1888. BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, xxix. We didn’t set up to be ANY GREAT SHAKES ourselves, Jim and I.
1891. J. NEWMAN, Scamping Tricks, 47. Here comes the SHAKE.
1898. BINSTEAD, A Pink ’Un and a Pelican, 24. He was NO GREAT SHAKES as a scholar, but he understood racing and human nature.
2. (various).—In pl. = generic for unsteadiness: specifically delirium tremens.
c. 1859. Western Gazetteer [BARTLETT]. The springs fail once in a while since the SHAKES of 1812.
1884. Cornhill Magazine, June, 616. Until she is pulled up by an attack of delirium tremens, or, as she and her neighbours style it, a fit of THE SHAKES.
1898. Man of the World, 7 Dec., 5, 3. When John has a real attack of THE SHAKES, we fasten the churn handle to him, and he brings the butter inside of fifteen minutes.
1900. HUME NISBET, In Sheep’s Clothing, IV. iv. All had experienced the ‘SHAKES,’ and so were able to sympathize.
5. (common).—A fad. Also in combination: as the MILKSHAKE, the VEGETARIAN-SHAKE, &c. SHOOK ON = in love with.
1888. BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, xxiv. He was awful SHOOK ON Madg; but she wouldn’t look at him. Ibid., xxxvi. I’m regular SHOOK ON the polka. Ibid., xl. A steady-going he’s a little—you understand—well, SHOOK ON me.
6. (colloquial).—Generic for quick action: e.g., A GREAT SHAKE = a quick pace; IN A BRACE (or COUPLE) OF SHAKES (or IN THE SHAKE OF A LAMB’S TAIL) = instantly.
[?]. Huntlyng of the Hare, 96. Thei wente a nobull SCHAKKE.
1837. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends (The Babes in the Wood). I’ll be back in a COUPLE OF SHAKES.
1841. Punch, i. 135. A couple of agues, caught, to speak vulgarly, ‘IN A BRACE OF SHAKES.’
1854. MARTIN and AYTOUN, Bon Gaultier Ballads, ‘Jupiter and the Indian Ale.’
| Quick—invent some other drink; | |
| Or, IN A BRACE OF SHAKES, thou standest | |
| On Cocytus’ sulphury brink! |
1866. C. READE, The Cloister and the Hearth, xciii. Now Dragon could kill a wolf in a BRACE OF SHAKES.
Verb. (venery).—1. See quots., and (2) to masturbate.
[?]. Nominale MSS., Lascivus. Anglice a SCHAKERE.
1847. HALLIWELL, A Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words, etc., s.v. SHAKE … (5) Futuo. This seems to be the ancient form of shag, given by Grose.
2. (old).—To steal: e.g., TO SHAKE A SWELL = to rob a gentleman; TO SHAKE A CHEST OF SLOP = to steal a chest of tea; TO BE SHOOK OF A SKIN = to be robbed of a purse; HAVE YOU SHOOK? = Have you stolen anything, &c. (GROSE and VAUX).
1859. H. KINGSLEY, Recollections of Geoffry Hamlyn, xix. I … got from bad to worse till I SHOOK a nag, and got bowled out and lagged.
1885. Chambers’s Journal, 21 March, 190. Each man on the best stock-horse he could beg, borrow, or SHAKE.
1888. BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, xxiv. Some well-bred horse you chaps have been SHAKING lately. Ibid., xxxiv. I’ve two minds to SHAKE him and leave you my horse and a share of the gold to boot.
3. (common).—To shake hands; generally SHAKE!
1825. T. JONES, The True Bottom’d Boxer [The Universal Songster, ii. 96]. Spring’s the boy for … SHAKING a flipper.
1891. J. NEWMAN, Scamping Tricks, 59. SHAKE. That’s right. As we understand each other, I will now tell you how things ended.
1892. CLARENCE H. PEARSON, The Prayer-Cure in the Pines, in Lippincott’s Magazine, Oct., p. 501.
| “I’d cure thet kid, ef it bust the plan | |
| Of the whole durned universe.” “SHAKE!” says Dan. |
1900. R. H. SAVAGE, Brought to Bay, ii. ‘SHAKE, honest Injun!’ solemnly said the Texan, putting out a bronzed hand.
4. (common).—To throw dice, or (printers’) ‘quads’; to gamble (GROSE): see JEFF; and TO SHAKE AN ELBOW (q.v., adding to the latter the following earlier and later quotations).
1613. WEBSTER, The Devil’s Law-case, ii. 1. Ari. SHAKING YOUR ELBOW at the table-board. Rom. And resorting to your whore in hired velvet.
1891. Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, 3 April. SHAKING HIS ELBOW at baccarat nearly every night.
5. (common).—To turn one’s back on; to desert.
PHRASES AND COLLOQUIALISMS.—MORE THAN ONE CAN SHAKE A STICK AT = past counting; NOTHING WORTH SHAKING A STICK AT = worthless; TO SHAKE A FOOT (TOE, or LEG) = to dance; TO SHAKE A LOOSE LEG (see LEG); TO SHAKE TOGETHER = to get on well or smoothly; TO SHAKE UP = to upbraid; TO SHAKE A FALL = to wrestle; TO SHAKE A TART = to possess a woman; TO SHAKE UP = (1) to scold, and (2) to masturbate; TO SHAKE A CLOTH IN THE WIND = to be hanged (GROSE); TO SHAKE DOWN = (1) (see SHAKE-DOWN), and (2) to accommode oneself to, to settle down; TO SHAKE THE GHOST INTO ONE = to frighten; TO SHAKE THE BULLET (or RED RAG) = (1) see BULLET and RED, and (2) to threaten to discharge (tailors’); TO SHAKE UP = to get (American); ‘You may go and SHAKE YOUR EARS’ = advice to one who has lost his money (RAY).
1602. SHAKESPEARE, Twelfth Night, ii. 1. Go, SHAKE YOUR EARS.
1610. HOLLAND, Camden, 628. For, when Mabel the said Bernards onely sonne, did SHAKE UP in some hard and sharpe termes a young Gentleman.
1826. J. C. NEAL, Charcoal Sketches, ‘Peter Brush.’ I’ve … got more black eyes and bloody noses than you could SHAKE A STICK AT.
1835. CROCKETT, Tour to the North and Down East, 87. There was nothing to treat a friend to that was worth SHAKING A STICK AT.
1830. BUCKSTONE, The Wreck Ashore, ii. 1. Gaf. Dance? I havn’t SHAKEN A TOE these twenty years.
1854. W. COLLINS, Hide and Seek, ii. 1. I can’t SHAKE UP along with the rest of you, nohow; I’m used to hard lines and a wild country.
1861. T. HUGHES, Tom Brown at Oxford, I. xi. The rest of the men had SHAKEN well TOGETHER.
1834. SEBA SMITH, Jack Downing’s Letters, i. 30. [New York is] an everlastin’ great concern, and you may well suppose there’s about as many [people in it] as you could SHAKE A STICK AT.
1855. THACKERAY, Lyra Hibernica, ‘Mr. Malony’s Account of the Ball.’
| And I’d like to hear the pipers blow, | |
| And SHAKE A FUT with Fanny there! |
1880. Scribner’s Magazine, March, 655. I’ve heard my father play it at Arrah, and SHOOK A FOOT myself with the lads on the green.
1892. G. M. FENN, The New Mistress, i. “I’m very, very glad to know you, my dear,” she said warmly, “and I hope you’ll come and see me often as soon as you get SHAKEN DOWN.”
1892. T. A. GUTHRIE (‘F. Anstey’), Voces Populi, ‘At the Military Exhibition,’ 72. Ain’t you shot enough? SHAKE A LEG, can’t yer Jim?
