Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) lit. or fig., to attack powerfully.

1847		Somerset Herald 13 July 1/1: When I was right sleepy, then she’d pick her chance to come them big licks.
1858		St Cloud Democrat (MN) 16 Sept. 2/2: Caruthers made a speech [...] gave some big licks to the Douglasites. Got some big licks back.

2. to act energetically, e.g. of a rock ’n’ roll performance.

1998

I. Welsh Filth 22: The Michael Shenker Band giving it big licks.

(Aus.) to enthuse over, to like very much.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn).

1. to make a great effort.

1854		T. Haliburton Americans at Home I 276: I seed Tom Seller cavertin’ round her, and puttin’ in the biggest kind a licks in the way of courtin’4 Mar.
1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. (2nd edn) 168: ‘To put in big licks,’ a curious and common phrase meaning that great exertions are being made.
1863		Bryant Comic Songs in Bartlett Dict. Americanisms (1877) 353: At length I went to mining, put in my biggest licks, Went down upon the boulders just like a thousand bricks.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. [as cit. 1860].
1876		Grange Advance (Red Wing, MN) 19 Apr. 2/2: [of horses] Then the General put in the big licks and gave it to the Judge.
1875		State Jrnl (Jefferson City, MO) 30 Apr. 7/2: The Jefferson Wagon Company is putting in some big licks [...] in the way of manufacturing.
1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 4 Mar. 6/1: [of journalistic coverage] ‘Say—hic—boys—put in—hic—tne big licks, now’.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 11 July 14/2: The Yankee amateurs are going in big licks for record-reducing amongst themselves.
1888		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Robbery Under Arms (2006) 114: It’ll be a short life and a merry one, though, dad, if we go on big licks like this.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 26 May 8/3: Practically all the Australian theatres are available for a scoop, and the Yank is going in ‘big licks’ in this branch of business as in all others, and invokes a ‘trust’ to dish up drama.
1902		Bulletin (Sydney) 26 July 12/2: Philp Govt. is really going in big licks this time for raising funds. Price of a game of billiards on the Parliamentary billiard-table has been raised to threepence, and already the revenue begins to feel the effects of the new tributary of small silver.
1912		Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Oct. 48/2: Two days later the President telephoned to Rice and Joseph to come and help him carry the packages home. Carrie had gone in big licks.

2. to advocate, to praise.

1869		Wkly Arizona Miner (Prescott, AZ) 2 Oct. 2/4: The Los Angeles Star put in big licks for the desert or 32nd parallel route.
1890		Music Hall & Theatre Rev. 23 Aug. 6/2: The ‘Terriers’ have gone in big licks for the Fete and Gala at the Greyhound, Dulwich.