would I had Kemp’s shoes to throw after you, phr.

would I had Kemp’s shoes to throw after you phr.

[William Kemp (fl. 1600), who had played the original Dogberry in the first performance of Much Ado About Nothing. In 1600 he was thrown out of Shakespeare’s troupe at the Globe, and to restore his image and win some needed publicity, he danced his way from London to Norwich in nine days. The account he then printed and circulated was entitled Kemp’s Nine Days Wonder]

a phr. used to wish someone good luck.

1599		Jonson Every Man Out of his Humour in Works (1875) II 157: carlo: I warrant you: would I had one of Kemp’s shoes to throw after you. puntarvolo: Good fortune will close the eyes of our jest, fear not; and we shall frolick.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Would I had Kemp’s shoes to throw after you. Ben Jonson. Perhaps Kemp was a man remarkable for his good luck or fortune; throwing an old shoe, or shoes, after any one going on an important business, being by the vulgar deemed lucky.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.