To shuck corn is to pull it from the stalk. Hence to shuck also means to disrobe, to make a clearance, &c.
1823. A large party of distant neighbours assembled to effect a corn shucking, something like an English hawkey, or harvest home. All, gentle and simple, here work hard till eleven at night. Corn shucking means plucking the ears of Indian corn from the stalk, and then housing it in cribs, purposely made to keep it in, for winter use.—W. Faux, ‘Memorable Days in America,’ p. 211 (Lond.).
1834. The farmers occasionally employed the mountaineers to lend a hand at harvest, shuck corn, raise log-houses, or do any sudden job of this kind, for which they gave corn, bacon, or whiskey, according to the necessities of their assistants, meting it out, more by the generosity of the giver than any thing like regular pay.—H. J. Nott, ‘Novellettes of a Traveller,’ ii. 144 (N.Y.).
1848. I shucked out of my old clothes, and got into my new ones, and sich a alteration I don’t reckon you ever seed afore.—W. T. Thompson, ‘Major Jones’s Sketches of Travel,’ p. 117 (Phila.).
1848. After shuckin out the passengers and baggage, they tuck to the steambote.—Id., p. 178.
1851. Arch he hopped down off’n his ole hoss, an’ commenced shuckin’ his self fur er fight.—‘Polly Peablossom’s Wedding,’ &c., p. 151.
1856. The cussed fever and ague had jist shucked his meat clean off, till he looked like a skinned coon.—Yale Lit. Mag., xxi. 144 (Feb.).
