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 good eating; grunting-peck = pork; off one's peck = without appetite, 'off one's feed.'—Harman (1567); Head (1665); B. E. (c. 1696); Dyche (1748); Grose (1785).

1610 Rowlands, Martin Mark-all [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 8]. A gere peck in thy gan. Ibid. [Hunt. Club Rept. (1874), 40]. Peckage meat or Scroofe scraps.

1611. Middleton and Dekker, Roaring Girl, v. i. A gage of ben Rombouse Is benar than a Caster, Peck, pennam, lap, or popler.

1621. Jonson, Metam. Gipsies. With the convoy, cheats [goods] and peckage, Out of clutch of Harman Beckage.

1641. Broke, Jovial Crew [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 23]. Here safe in our Skipper let's cly off our peck.

1706. Centlivre, Basset Table. Prologue, Free from poor housekeeping; where peck is under locks, Free from cold kitchens, and no Christmas-box.

1821. Egan, Life in London, vii. The peck and booze are lying about in such lots that it would supply numerous poor families.

1836. Smith, The Thieves' Chaunt [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 121]. Oh! grunting peck in its eating Is a richly soft and savoury thing.

1843. Moncrieff, The Scamps of London, i. 2. Hurrah:—the peck. Ibid. iii. 1. I don't care how soon after this walk I bite my name in for a peck.

1884. Daily Telegraph, 30 July, 2, 1. A pint of cocoa, five slices of thick bread and butter, and a bloater! Or a fair peck without the relish—a pint of cocoa or coffee, and as much bread and butter as you can eat, for the same money!

1892. Milliken, 'Arry Ballads, 71. Gives yer the primest of pecks.

2. See Racing-peck.

Verb. (Old Cant: now colloquial).—1. To eat.

c. 1536. Copland, Spyttel-hous [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 2]. Thou shalt pek my jere In thy gan.

1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 39. (H. Club's Repr. 1874.) Pecke is taken to eate and byte: as the Buffa peckes me by the stampes, the dogge bites me by the shinnes.

1665. Head, English Rogue, 1. iv. 36 (1874). The night we spent in Boozing, pecking rumly.

1703. Levellers [Harl. Misc. (Park), v. 454]. So they all fell heartily to pecking till they had consumed the whole provision.

1821. Egan, Life in London, vii. Jerry Complained that he could not peck as he wished.

1867. Dickens, No Thoroughfare, i. But if you wish to board me and to lodge me, take me. I can peck as well as most men.

2. (colloquial).—To pitch; to throw.

1856. Hughes. Tom Brown's Schooldays, ii. iv. I've been longing for some good honest pecking this half hour.

Peck-alley, subs. phr. (common).—The throat; gutter-alley (q.v.).

Pecker, subs. (common).—1. The appetite. Hence, a good (or rare) pecker = a hearty eater. [Cf. peck.]

2.(common).—Courage; spirits; good cheer: e.g. Keep your pecker up = 'be of good heart.'

1853. Bradley, Verdant Green, i. 114. Keep up your pecker, old fellow and don't be down in the mouth.

1861. Punch, xl. 205. The times were bad, and Gladstone looked sad, And puzzled to keep up his pecker.

1866. London Miscellany, 3 Mar. 57. You'll be better for something cheering, sir, said he, just to keep your pecker up.

1869. Standard, 31 Aug. When a crew is taking very hard and rapid work, some slight stimulant is absolutely necessary; it keeps up the pecker, and gives the digestion a timely fillip.

18[?]. Gilbert, The Haughty Actor. Dispirited because our friend Depressed his moral pecker.