lift n.
1. (UK Und.) a thief of parcels or packages; ‘he that stealeth or prowleth any plate, jewels, bolts of satin, velvet or such parcels from any place ...’ (Greene, 2nd part of Coney-Catching, 1591); a shoplifter or pickpocket.
Second Part of Conny-Catching in Grosart (1881–3) X 118: The Lift is he that stealeth or prowleth any Plate, Juells, bolts of Satten, Veluet or such parcels from any place, by a fluight conueyance vnder his cloke, or so secretly that it may not be espyed. | ||
Belman of London G3: He that first stealeth the parcell, is called The Lift. | ||
Martin Mark-all 53: He likewise ordered that all high lawyers, padders, Lifts, Foists, Cheaters or Cony-catchers, shal not presume to purchase any landes or reuenues. | ||
Astrologaster 10: Leauing not a Pick-pockets, Gilts, Lifts, Decoyes, or Dyvers Hose vnsurueyed. | ||
Works (1869) I 71: To Sharkes, Stales, Nims, Lifts, Foysts, Cheats, Stands, Decoyes / T’a Cut-purse, and a pocket picking Hound. | ‘Travels of Twelve-pence’ in||
Canting Academy (2nd edn) 28: A whole gang of rogues, distinguished by Files, Lifts, Gilts, Budges, Runners, Heavers, &c. | ||
Regulator 19: A Lift, alias Shop-Lifter. | ||
Discoveries (1774) 29: To caution all Shopkeepers and Salesmen against Shoplifters of both Sexes [...] There shall be generally three Persons together, called in Cant Prigger Lifts or Files. | ||
(con. 1710–25) Tyburn Chronicle II in (1999) xxvii: A Lift A Shop-lifter, one that steals Goods in a Shop under Pretence of buying them. | ||
Thieving Detected 49: It is customary for a good Lift to get in the course of four or five hours, half a dozen cards of lace, two or three whole pieces of linen, cambrick or muslin, ten or twelve roles of ribbon, jewellery goods a great number. | ||
, , | Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue. | |
Lex. Balatronicum. | ||
Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue. | ||
Criminal Sl. (rev. edn). |
2. theft, burglary, shop lifting.
Quip for an Upstart Courtier in Hindley Old Book Collector’s Misc. (1871) 28: Such young youths [...] fall then to privy lifts and cozenages. | ||
Bartholomew Fair IV iv: Whit, bid Val Cutting continue the vapours for a lift, Whit, for a lift. | ||
Gypsies Metamorphosed 10: For the Linnens we still vsd the lifte and with the hedge (our Trades increase) made shifte. | ||
Triumph of Wit 182: The Upright Man, who being chosen for his Strength, Archness, and Policy in bringing them off at a dead Lift, is stiled their Chief. | ||
Thieving Detected 48: The Lift or Hoist. Shoplifting, of all the other branches of thieving, is he most pernicious and destructive to tradesmen. | ||
New Dict. Cant (1795) n.p.: lift, or hoist shop-lifting, or robbing a shop. | ||
‘Tom the Drover’ No. 30 Papers of Francis Place (1819) n.p.: Suk’ May, she’s a saucy blowen, [...] / At the knuckle, or the lift none so clever. | ||
Dict. Sl. and Cant. | ||
Flash Dict. | ||
Modern Flash Dict. | ||
Mysteries and Miseries of N.Y. I 40: When I hear of the boys making a large lift, I always envy them. | ||
Southern Journal Monticelo, Missip. 13 Mar. 1: Whenever a sly attempt was made to give the book a lift. | ‘The Snapping Turtle’ in||
Greenock Advertiser 28 June 4/2: When a ‘bludjeter’ and the ‘picking-up Moll’ have succeeded in making a good ‘lift’ they immediately leave the town. | ||
(con. 1840s–50s) London Labour and London Poor III 386/2: She went on the lift in London (shopping and stealing from the counter). | ||
Memoirs of the US Secret Service 95: He made a big ‘lift’ at the Wolfboro’, N.H., Bank. | ||
Leaves from a Prison Diary I 24: Such recent burglaries or clever ‘lifts’ as may have excited unuual interest in the public press. | ||
Beef, Iron and Wine (1917) 162: It’s a dirty shame after I done swell lifts for years and bulled the swellest bulls outta the Chief’s office, to get picked up by a flatfoot in harness. | ‘Canada Kid’ in||
Criminal Sl. (rev. edn). | ||
DAUL 125/2: Lift, n. 1. Pocket picking. [...] 2. Truck robbery [...] 3. Shoplifting. 4. Armed robbery. | et al.
3. a punch.
Sporting Times 4 Oct. 7/1: A picture [...] to show where the Mahdi stood when Gordon gave him a lift under the eye . | ||
Bulletin (Sydney) 1 Aug. 9/1: You could mark the merry manner in which they handed about the ginger-beer bottle with the rum in it, and the initiated could mark how ‘Hemmy’ got a ‘lift under the ear’ for taking too excessive a ‘suck’ at the same ambrosial flask. | ||
Yarn of Bucko Mate 220: He proposed to argue the point with me, but I gave him a Western Ocean lift under the ear. | ||
Such is Life 223: That Martin wants a lift under the ear. |
4. an improvement in (financial) circumstances; a raise in salary.
Mirror of Life 10/3: [H]e was stone-motherless broke,' and wanted to get a lift. | ||
Torchy 36: ‘Get a lift every quarter, though, I suppose?’ says I. ‘I’m getting the same salary I began with.’. |
5. (orig. US) the effects of intoxication from alcohol or drugs.
Popular Detective May 🌐 Worrying about your ‘lift’? [...] There’s a doc who’s a pal of mine. If you feel like breaking the habit [...] but he could help you get off it. | ‘The Kiss and Tell Murders’||
Monkey On My Back (1954) 185: He got a ‘lift’ from the morphine. It made everything ‘rosy’ and peaceful. | ||
Address: Kings Cross 75: The ‘lift’ carried me right through the night’s work, making me feel gayer, more witty and more charming than ever before. | ||
Huncke’s Journal (1998) 35: I was feeling nervous and it occurred to me that possibly I’d get a lift. | ‘Frisky’ in||
Baltimore Sun (MD) 15 Apr. T29/2: It’s really the kind of shit that I hate — big lift, big crash, all quick. |
6. (US) a task, a responsibility.
Giuliani 273: Lutsenko’s advice was to get the American government to open up an investigation of its own [...] It was a huge lift. |
7. see lift pill
8. see lifter n. (2)
In compounds
(US drugs) an amphetamine pill.
A Case of Need 173: She waved her hand impatiently. ‘Speed. Lifts. Jets. Bennies.’. | ||
Underground Dict. (1972) 120: Lift pill...Amphetamine; an upper. |
SE in slang uses
In phrases
1. to subject to judicial hanging.
Jemmy Twitcher’s Jests 57: ‘Have a little patience,’ said the post-boy, (pointing to Mr Tallis [the hangman]), ‘there’s one behind who will give you a lift’. | (ed.)
2. to give someone a short, swift kick.
Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era. |