sock n.2
1. a blow.
Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Tip, Tip the Culls a Sock, for they are sawcy, Knock down the Men for resisting. | ||
Life and Character of Moll King 12: My Blos has nailed me of mine [handkerchief]; but I shall catch her at Maddox’s Gin-Ken [...] and if she has morric’d it, Knocks and Socks, Thumps and Pumps, shall attend the Froe-File Buttocking B---h. | ||
, , | Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Zoc, or soc, a blow. | |
Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785]. | ||
Story Omnibus (1966) 217: He got away [...] and shook me up with a sock on the jaw. | ‘Corkscrew’||
Mystery Mile (1982) 330: I ain’t ’ad ’arf a sock on the ’ead. | ||
Texas Stories (1995) 64: He jest wanted a sock — an’ ain’t that jest what I given him? | ‘A Place to Lie Down’ in||
Magic Comic 16 Sept. n.p.: Watch out, bad lad! You’re in for socks. | ||
Amboy Dukes 36: He didn’t even get a sock in. | ||
USA Confidential 8: She tried to take a sock at Mortimer. | ||
I Love You Honey, But the Season’s Over 101: Dempsey took a sock at a fitter who told her that her hips were too big. | ||
Dead Butler Caper 93: How would you like a sock on the jaw, what? |
2. attrib. use of sense 1, pertaining to fighting.
Fight Stories Jan. 🌐 Then he developed a sock appeal that [...] made him the champion of the Great Lakes. | ‘Sinbad the Sailor’ in
3. a shock.
Gem 6 Feb. 26: That battery up there has been givin’ us socks! | ||
Marvel 1 Mar. 6: I thought if I could borrow the stuff and we made up as fruity Zanitis we might give Dimcox socks. | ||
N.Z. Truth 14 Nov. 6/5: Our girls don’t mind a bit if we give ’em socks. |
4. (US) a thrill, excitement, a ‘kick’.
On Broadway 3 Sept. [synd. col.] Lots of those books by foreign correspondents have been robbed of their sock by the Soviet-Nazi nuptials. | ||
Widow Barony 47: The ‘Granada’ number came off with a certain rather pleasant dignity—but no sock. But when she got to ‘Rum Boogie’—wow! |
5. in show business, a success.
Hollywood Girl 30: You can see it’s got a lot of good commercial things in it. Part of My Man which was a big sock. | ||
Pal Joey 65: I was a sock the last 2 rooms I worked. | ||
My Friend Irma I i: Are you kidding? When I got a sock, a smasheroo like this on my hands? |
6. (US) marijuana, a marijuana cigarette.
Web of the City (1983) 37: Rusty picked up the dark cigarette [...] ‘Pyeew . . . how much?’ Fish held up one finger [...] A buck or no sock. |
7. (Aus. juv.) a cane.
Dingo! 34: My mind was filled with fear of the cane — the sock we called it. |
In phrases
to beat (someone).
, , | Sl. Dict. 240: ‘Give him sock,’ i.e., thrash him well. | |
Liza of Lambeth (1966) 103: Your missus – she says she’s goin’ ter give me socks if she catches me. | ||
Sporting Times 24 Mar. 1/1: Now that our troops have given the Dutch socks, might not the War Office give them boots? | ||
Magnet 10 Sept. 13: By George, I’ll give ’em socks! | ||
The Great Push 107: Come on! Come out of it! We’ll give the swine socks! | ||
Marvel 3 Mar. 5: Lam him! Give him socks! |
(Irish) to commit oneself, to do something enthusiastically.
Rules of Revelation 180: For an athletic fella he had shocking rhythm but that didn’t stop him giving it socks on the dance floor. |