Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus./UK) to thrash, to beat; to criticise.

1889–90		Barrère & Leland Dict. of Sl., Jargon and Cant.
1895		Mirror of Life 31 Aug. 11/1: Lowes, who has a good memory for things that have been said, says we combed him down rather unmercifully.
1999		G. Seal Lingo 45: The many other terms for fighting give an idea of the importance of this activity in larrikin life. bump, comb down, dish, dong, tob, spike, sort out, stonker, rip into, do, go the knuckle on, weigh into, wipe and quilt.

see separate entries.

1. to thrash, to beat severely; sometimes ext. by ‘with a joint/three-legged stool’.

1593		Shakespeare Taming of the Shrew I i: Her care should be To combe your noddle with a three-legg’d stool.
1671		‘A Furious Scold’ in Ebsworth Westminster Drolleries (1875) 38: She flew in my face, and call’d me fool, And comb’d my head with a three-legg’d stool.
1706		Fifteen Comforts of Cuckoldom (2004) 73: Fearing Combing with a Three-Legg’d Stool; I fairly went to Sleep again.
1723		Swift ‘Joan Cudgels Ned’ in Chalmers Eng. Poets XI (1810) 432/1: Joan cudgels Ned, yet Ned’s a bully [...] And every day she combs his head.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: To comb one’s head; to clapperclaw, or scold any one: a woman who lectures her husband, is said to comb his head. She combed his head with a joint stool; she threw a stool at him.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1837		Blackburn Standard 19 Apr. 3/4: Ellean Walton weas summoned [...] for assault [...] She seemed just the woman ‘to comb your noddle with a three-legged stool’.
1839		Crim.-Con. Gaz. 21 Dec. 311/1: I saw Jack Everard [...] with a dashing piece of the town [...] [W] ere your wife to see you, she would very soon comb your hair.
1843		Satirist & Sporting Chron. (Sydney) 4 Mar. 3/3: If [he] does not leave off kissing the Publicans’ wives, Pale Sherry will comb his hair with a three-legg’d stool.
1848		‘Epistle from Joe Muggins’s Dog’ in Era (London) 16 July 3/2: ’That’s my dog,’ says master, ‘You needn’t be afeared of he.’ ‘Afeared,’ says the old ooman, ‘I’ve got a cat as would comb his hair the wrong way’.
1855		Squatter Sovereign (Atchison, KS) 20 Feb. 4/1: It is presumed that Lucy will comb George’s hair, but whether with a three-legged stool or otherwise remains to be seen.
1856		Westmorland Gaz. 1 Mar. 5/6: He bore evident marks [...] from the appearance of his face she had tried, like the scold in the play, to comb his noddle with a three-legged stool’.
1865		Notts. Guardian 13 Jan. 3/3: He saw them fighting, and [...] the plaintiff’s wife had ‘the best of it,’ for she ‘combed’ defendant’s wig in good style.
1869		A.K. McClure Three Thousand Miles through the Rocky Mountains 170: She occasionally combs the head of the Prophet with a three-legged stool, raises Hail Columbia in the very sanctuary of the holies, and smashes a chair over the piano.
1872		St Cloud Jrnl (MN) 4 Jan. 1/8: My dear boy, she would comb your hair with a three-legged stool.
1884		San Antonio Light (TX) 9 Dec. 1/3: Lancken followed Limberger to a barrel-house saloon and combed his hair with a chair.
1887		C.A. Wilkinson Reminscences of [...] King Ernest of Hanover 231: She would have shaken up his stiffness, and perhaps have ‘Combed his noddle with a three-legged stool,’ if necessary.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

2. to tell off, to scold, to reprimand.

1785		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Comb, to comb one’s head; to clapperclaw, or scold anyone; a woman who lectures her husband is said to comb his head.
1831		Bell’s Life in London 10 Apr. 1/1: The Artist’s spouse [...] has all the appearnce of a bitter shrew, ready ‘to comb his noddle with a three-legged stool’.
1837		W. Kidd London and all its Dangers 12: The Magistrate of Hatton Garden has lately had his ‘hair combed’ by the Home Secretary for his brutal conduct.
1853		Dickens Bleak House (1991) 383: If you had only settled down, and married Joe Pouch’s widow when he died in North America, she’d have combed your hair for you.
1866		‘George Eliot’ Felix Holt III 157: But you see, these riots – it’s been a nasty business. I shall have my hair combed at the sessions for a year to come.
1886		Stephens & Yardley Little Jack Sheppard 17: 🎵 If we treated him the proper way his wool we’d gaily comb.
1915		J. Buchan Thirty-Nine Steps (1930) 45: I’ve got to be at the Masonic hall at eight o’ clock, or my agent will comb my hair.
1928		in DARE.
1953		N. Wiener Ex-Prodigy 184: [A] certain latent enmity of tone in some of the English reviews in such a way as to comb a Yankee’s hair the wrong way.

3. (US) to pistol-whip.

1931		O. Strange Law O’ The Lariat 164: Where the hell’s that no ’count nigger? [...] If he don’t rustle his pots an’ pans right speedy, I’ll shore comb his wool.
1944		R.F. Adams Western Words (1968).

see under cat n.³