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 1624. Fletcher, Rule a Wife, iii. 5. Thou art the stock of men, and I admire thee.

1630. Jonson, New Inn, i. 1. And therefore might indifferently be made the courting-stock for all to practise on.

1766. Brooke, Fool of Quality, iii. Such a stock of a child, such a statue! Why he has no kind of feeling either of body or mind.

1778. Sheridan, Rivals, iii. 1. What a phlegmatic sot it is! Why, sirrah, you'r an anchorite!—a vile insensible stock.

1837. Browning, Strafford, iii. 3. Friend, I've seen you with St. John—O stockishness! Wear such a ruff, and never call to mind St. John's head in a charger.

Stock and block, subs. and adv. phr. (colloquial).—The whole; completely (Grose). Also lock-stock-and-barrel, and (American) stock-and-flute: cf. Stick-and-stone, Root-and-branch, &c.

1725. Bailey, Erasmus, 181. Before I came home I lost all, stock and block [orig. sors et usura = capital and interest].

1861. New York Tribune, Oct. In other words, Tammany Hall is sold out stock and fluke to Fernando Wood.

Phrases.—To take stock in = to have faith in; to take stock of = to scrutinize, to size up (q.v.); on the stocks = in hand, in preparation.

d.1704. Brown, Works, iv. 42. I am told Mr. Dryden has something of this nature new upon the stocks.

1865. Dickens, Mutual Friend, ii. In taking stock of his familiarity, worn clothes, piece by piece, she took stock of a formidable knife in a sheath at his waist.

1889. Harper's Mag., Oct., 'Lit. Notices.' Captain Polly gives the right hand of fellowship to two boys, in whom nobody else is willing to take stock, and her faith in them saves them.

See Broad; Water.

Stock-blind, adj. (colloquial).—Quite blind; blind as a stock or block: cf. stone-blind.

1675. Wycherley, Country Wife, ii. 1. True lovers are blind, stock-blind.

Stockdollager. See Sockdolager.

Stock drawers, subs. phr. (old).—Stockings (B. E. and Grose).

Stock Exchange Terms. [The following list is imperfect, but it contains the better known and older colloquialisms. The Stock Exchange, admittedly a 'close' corporation, is, in fact, so close that not only was direct official information refused, but also an appeal to be put into communication with some member interested in Stock Exchange colloquialisms was declined. Perhaps, however, subscribers will be good enough to help to a supplementary list as an Appendix.]—Ales = Messrs. S. Allsopp and Sons shares; Apes = The Atlantic and North Eastern Railway first mortgage bonds; Ayrshires = Glasgow and South-Western Railway stock; Baby Wee-Wees = Buenos Ayres Water Works shares; Bays = Hudson Bay Company shares; Berthas = London Brighton and South Coast Railway stock; Berwicks = North Eastern Railway Ordinary stock; Bones = (1) North British 4 per cent. 1st Preference shares: see Bonettas, and (2) Wickens, Pease and Company shares; Bonettas = North British 4 per cent. 2nd Preference shares; Bottles = Barrett's Brewery and Bottling Company shares; Brums = London and North Western Railway stock (formerly London and Birmingham Railway); Bulgarian Atrocities = Varna and Ruts