TO CAST (or MAKE) SHEEP’S-EYES (or LAMB’S-EYES), verb. phr. (common).—To ogle; to leer (GROSE): formerly to look modestly and with diffidence but always with longing or affection. Fr. ginginer; lancer son prospectus.
1500–13. SKELTON, Works (DYCE), I. 141. When ye kyst a SHEPYS IE.
1590. GREENE, Francesco’s Fortunes [in Wks. viii., 191]. That CASTING A SHEEPES EYE at hir, away he goes; and euer since he lies by himselfe & pines away.
1600. T. HEYWOOD, The First Part of King Edward IV., iii. 2 [PEARSON, Works (1874), i. 51]. Go to, Nell: no more SHEEP’S EYES: ye may be caught, I tell ye: these be liquorish lads.
1611. COTGRAVE, Dictionarie. Affectionate winke, a SHEEPESEYE.
1614. JONSON, Bartholomew Fair, v. 3.
| Who chances to come by, but fair Hero in a sculler; | |
| And seeing Leander’s naked leg and goodly calf, | |
| CAST at him from the boat A SHEEP’S EYE and a half. |
1632. MASSINGER, The Maid of Honour, iv. 5.
| His brother, nor his favourite, Fulgentio, | |
| Could get a SHEEP’S-EYE from you, I being present. |
1651. CARTWRIGHT, The Ordinary [NARES].
| If I do look on any woman; nay, | |
| If I do cast a SHEEP’S EYE upon any. |
1673. WYCHERLEY, The Gentleman Dancing-Master, iv. 1. I saw her just now give him the languishing Eye, as they call it, that is, the Whitings Eye, of old called THE SHEEPS EYE.
1675. COTTON, Burlesque upon Burlesque: or, The Scoffer Scofft [Works (1725), 192]. Observing what SHEEPS-EYES he cast.
1708–10. SWIFT, Polite Conversation, i. Pray, Miss, how do you like Mr. Spruce? I swear I have often seen him cast a SHEEP’S EYE out of a Calf’s Head at you.
1714. Spectator, 22 Nov., No. 623. The steward was observed to cast A SHEEP’S EYE upon her, and married her within a month after the death of his wife.
1748. SMOLLETT, Roderick Random, xvi. There was a young lady in the room … and she threw so many SHEEP’S EYES at a certain person whom I shall not name.
1766. Old Song, ‘The Butcher’ [The Rattle], 3.
| Brisk Dolly, the cookmaid, the sweetest of damsels, | |
| To market for dinner came tripping close by, | |
| At whom the young Butcher soon cast A SHEEP’S EYE. |
1837. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends, ‘The Knight and the Lady,’ II. 334. Her Charms will excuse one for casting SHEEP’S EYES at her!
1864. G. A. LAWRENCE, Guy Livingstone, vii. He would stand for some time casting LAMB’S-EYES at the object of his affections—to the amorous audacity of the full-grown SHEEP he never soared.
1892. Tit-Bits, 19 March, 425, 1. Sowerbutt had a silent regard for Ethel,… on more than one occasion … furtively casting SHEEP’S EYES at my darling.
