pick-
in Comb. Mostly the stem or imperative of pick v.1 with an object, forming ns.
pick-a-bud dial., the bullfinch; pick-and-gad a. (see quot.); pick-and-shovel a., that uses a pick and shovel; also fig.; pickbrain a. poet., that picks one's brains; pick-cheese dial., the great and blue tits; the fruit or cheese of the mallow; † pick-fault n., a fault-finder; adj. fault-finding; † pick-harness, one who strips the slain of their armour; † pick-mote, one who draws attention to trivial faults in others; † pick-penny, one who greedily collects or steals money; † pick-point, some obsolete game for children; pick-proof a., secure against picking; pick-shelf, a pilferer of provisions; † pick-straw, a trifler: cf. to pick straw s.v. straw n.; pick-thong dial., a kind of apple. Also † pick-free a., safe from picking or plundering. See also pick-a-tree, picklock, pickpocket, pickthank, etc.
| 1852 P. Parley's Ann. 182 The bullfinch has got a very bad character, and gardeners have a great dislike to what they call the ‘*Pick-a-bud’. |
| 1883 Encycl. Brit. XVI. 444/2 The so-called ‘*pick and gad’ work consists in breaking away the easy ground with the point of the pick, wedging off pieces with the gad, [etc.]. |
| 1895 F. Remington Pony Tracks 193 They are all cavalry..and are not hindered by..*pick-and-shovel work. 1907 Westm. Gaz. 11 Mar. 9/3 You don't look much like pick-and-shovel men. 1911 Chambers's Jrnl. Mar. 167/2 The ordinary pick-and-shovel man earns..one shilling and eightpence per day. 1930 Blunden De Bello Germanico 42 Taking pick-and-shovel troops forward. 1953 Sun (Baltimore) 24 Nov. 40/1 Chief Magistrate Sherr yesterday called the search for motorists who have ignored a series of tickets a ‘pick and shovel job’, in contrast to the ‘machine age system’ he saw in action during a trip to New York city. 1977 H. Greene FSO-1 vii. 63 He had a love for the pick-and-shovel people, the working stiffs behind the men..who wielded power. |
| 1934 Dylan Thomas 18 Poems 25 My *pickbrain masters morsing on the stone Despair of blood, faith in the maiden's slime. |
| a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia, *Pick-cheese, the tit-mouse. 1848 Zoologist VI. 2186 Parus major and cæruleus are both known by the name of ‘pick-cheese’. 1863 Atkinson Stanton Grange (1864) 229 They was mostlings thae blue-caps or pick-cheeses. 1895 Emerson Birds 64 Tree-mallows or ‘pick-cheese trees’, as they are locally called. |
| 1546 T. Phaer Bk. Childr. (1553) A ij, I neuer intended nor yet doo entende to satisfie y⊇ mindes of any suche *pikefautes. 1565 T. Stapleton Fortr. Faith 120 The Manichees, busy pickefault heretikes of that age. |
| a 1652 Brome Court Beggar Epil., You wil secure their Purses cut-free, and their pockts *pick-free. |
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xx. 261 Alle other in bataille ben yholde bribours, Pilours and *pykehernois [1393 C. xxiii. 263 pyke-herneys]. c 1460 Towneley Myst. ii. 37 How! pike-harnes, how! com heder belife! |
| 1549 Latimer 3rd Serm. bef. Edw. VI (Arb.) 80 Kinges haue clawe backes and docter *pyke mote and his fellowe aboute them. |
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 397/1 *Pyke⁓peny, cupidinarius. 1664 H. More Myst. Iniq. ix. 143 [The Pope] sending out..his hungry Pick-peny's throughout the whole Pastorage of the Empire. |
| 1801 Strutt Sp. & Past. iv. iv. §16 *Pick-point, Venter-point, Blow-point, and Gregory, occur in a description of the children's games in the sixteenth century. |
| 1950 Sun (Baltimore) 4 Mar. 2/7 A new electric ‘*pickproof’ motor car lock..is being manufactured. 1976 National Observer (U.S.) 29 May 9/2 Eastside tailor seeks design for pick-proof man's hip pocket. |
| 1861 L. L. Noble Icebergs 295 The ship's cat..an incorrigible thief and *pick-shelf, and bent on making the most of us while we last. |
| 1580 G. Harvey Let. Spenser Wks. (Grosart) I. 72, I know what peace and quietnes hath done with some melancholy *pickstrawes in the world. |
| 1871 T. Hardy Desperate Remedies I. viii. 274 We are only just grinden down the early *pick-thongs. |