Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to amaze, to impress.

1836

‘The Blowen’s Man’ Frisky Vocalist 21: So now, my friends, I will conclude, / I’m sure I’ve drawn it mild.

2. to restrain oneself, usu. in speech.

1826		Universal Songster III 2/1: When with love I’m quite beguiled / And I wish to draw it mild; / Then each vulgar fear to trounce, / Then I call for cherry bounce .
1837		Thackeray Ravenswing (1887) 62: Dress quiet, sir: draw it mild.
1848		Paul Pry 25 Dec. n.p.: Paul Advises [...] Mr. E. P—l to draw it mild against the identical same ‘widdy’ as the above, as he stands no chance.
1859		Bell’s Life in Sydney 25 June 3/3: Mr Dick [...] said that Mr Huberts had ‘drawn it remarkably mild.’ ‘He had,’ quoth Mr Dick, ‘put the case in a very mild light’.
1859		Adelaide Obs. (SA) 24 Sept. 2/6: Our friend of to-day sees a kid, not a child. / And he never g-ts steady, he draws the thing mild.
1869		Sportsman (London) 6 Feb. 4/1: Notes on News [...] [T]he A B C ia not at all ‘drawing it mild’ when it ‘plumes itself’ on leading the ‘great leader of journalism’.
1872		‘Mark Twain’ Innocents at Home 334: I’m on an awful strain [...] on account of having to cramp down and draw everything so mild.
1876		J. Greenwood Low-Life Deeps 163: [It is] a common belief amongst omnibus conductors that so long as, to use a phrase of their own, they ‘draw it mild’ [...] their known peculiarites are winked at.
1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 15 Apr. 2/1: Who will wash Beecher’s shirts when the Chinese have gone? Draw it mild on Bridget, you shiftless old man.
1883		Isle of Man Times 17 Nov. 8/5: Sir,—I would advise Mr James Cowin [...] to ‘draw it mild’. I don’t think he can afford to call people foul names.
1892		‘Conrad’ in ‘F. Anstey’ Mr Punch’s Model Music Hall 171: You should have drawn it milder.
c.1905		J. Furphy Rigby’s Romance (1921) Ch. xvii: 🌐 Might draw it a bit milder [...] Ain’t hardly fair to allow that any of our (adj.) posterity was ever hanged.
1906		S. Ford Shorty McCabe 130: ‘By Jove!’ says Pinckney, real sassy like. ‘That’s drawin’ it mild,’ says I. ‘Would you like the loan of a few able-bodied cuss-words?’.
1929		J.B. Priestley Good Companions 447: My word, I could tell her some tales if I wanted to – make her hair curl even though she has knocked about a bit – but of course I draw it mild.
1943		Aberdeen jrnl 24 Aug. 2/2: Invitations to draw it mild, even to chuck it, are certain to be forthcoming.

3. to hold down one's charges; cite 1838 refers to turnpike fees.

1837		‘Jack Muggins’ in Rum Ti Tum! in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) III 172: He soon pick’[t] out one [i.e. a donkey] pretty fairish, / And the vender with him drew it mild.
1838		R.S. Surtees Jorrocks Jaunts (1874) 238: My covey, if you don’t draw it a little milder, I’ll send my ’osses [...] through my friend Sir William Jolliffe’s fields to the other side of your shop.