skylarkn.
/ˈskʌɪlɑːk/, U.S. /ˈskaɪˌlɑrk/ 1. Any of several Eurasian larks of the genus Alauda; esp. the widespread A. arvensis, noted for its continuous warbling song, delivered in hovering flight high in the air.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > birds > order Passeriformes (singing) > non-arboreal (larks, etc.) > [noun] > family Alaudidae > genus Alauda > alauda arvensis (lark)
laverockeOE
larka1325
tiry-tiry-leerer1599
skylark1672
field lark1678
Our Lady's hen1701
1672–80 Country Lovers 1/2 To hear the Sky-Lark Sing, and the Lapwing call her young.
1675 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 10 324 The Sky-lark.
1713 J. Ray Synopsis Methodica Avium et Piscium 69 The common Field Lark, or Sky-Lark.
a1771 T. Gray Ode in W. Mason Mem. Life & Writings (1775) 236 The Sky-Lark warbles high His trembling thrilling extacy.
1802 G. Montagu Ornithol. Dict. (at cited word) It has been asserted that the Sky Lark never perches.
1832 Ld. Tennyson Miller's Daughter v, in Poems (new ed.) 35 Some wild skylark's matin song.
1876 S. Smiles Life Sc. Naturalist vii. 128 After the Skylark and Blackbird have heralded the coming day.
1966 Guardian 23 Mar. 3/2 The dawn chorus project which we carried out last spring produced the interesting result that skylarks apparently don't like singing in the rain.
2008 R. Beard Becoming Drusilla (2009) xiv. 296 Then we're back in the right direction, claret-stalked nettles at every gatepost, skylarks in the air.
2. North American. Usually with distinguishing word. Sprague's pipit, Anthus spragueii, of the North American prairies, which sings high in the sky; also called sky pipit, Missouri pipit, and prairie lark. Sometimes also: the horned lark or shore lark, Eremophila alpestris.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > birds > order Passeriformes (singing) > non-arboreal (larks, etc.) > [noun] > family Motacillidae > genus Anthus > anthus spraguei
skylark1785
Missouri skylark1858
sky pipit1884
1730 M. Catesby Nat. Hist. Carolina I. ii. Pl. 32 The Lark. In size and shape this resembles our Sky-Lark... They frequent the Sand-Hills upon the Sea-shore of Carolina.]
1785 T. Jefferson Notes Virginia 127 (table) Alauda alpestris. Alauda guttere flavo. Lark. Sky lark.
1858 S. F. Baird Birds (U.S. War Dept.: Rep. Explor. Route Pacific IX) ii. 234 (heading) in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (33rd Congr., 2nd Sess.: House of Representatives Executive Doc. 91) Neocorys Spraguei, Sclater. Missouri Skylark.
1920 Auk 37 305 Sprague's Skylark. One to ten seen or heard daily in June, 1903.
1956 Bull. Mass. Audubon Soc. 40 84 Horned Lark..Skylark..It resembles the European Skylark in singing on the wing.
2014 J. Sandrock & J. C. Prior Sci. Nomencl. Birds Upper Midwest 17 Anthus..spragueii... Common name: Sprague's Pipit. Other name: prairie skylark.
3. A generic name for: a pleasure boat. Chiefly in any more for the Skylark?: a cry used to advertise pleasure cruises at seaside resorts. Also used allusively (often ironically) as a general invitation to something pleasurable.The cry originated with Frederick Collins (1832–1912), known as Captain Collins, who operated several boats called ‘Skylark’ in Brighton from the 1860s.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > [phrase] > open invitation for conveyance
any more for the Skylark?1892
1892 Bow Bells 16 Sept. 283/1 Any more for the Skylark? Splendid day for a sail!
1931 M. Allingham Look to Lady x. 107 What a good job there's no more for the Skylark... I love riding in other people's motor-cars.
1977 E. Dewhurst Curtain Fall v. 46 You hoping for a lift, Miss Rhoda?.. Come along, then, ducky. Any more for the Skylark?
1992 N. Wallington Firefighter (1993) vi. 69 ‘Any more for the skylark?’ called out Norman as he started to climb up the ladder past those coming down.
2009 D. J. Taylor Ask Alice xx. 239 The conductor...looked ironically at the pierrot costume and said, ‘Any more for the Skylark?’
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
skylarkv.
/ˈskʌɪlɑːk/, U.S. /ˈskaɪˌlɑrk/ 1. intransitive. To frolic or play, to fool around; to play tricks or practical jokes. In early use esp.: to indulge in rough boisterous play. Occasionally transitive with it.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > frolicking or romping > frolic [verb (intransitive)]
floxec1200
ragea1275
to dance antics1545
rig1570
to keep (also play) reaks1573
wanton1582
wantonize1592
frolic1593
wantonize1611
hoit1613
mird?c1625
to play about1638
freak1663
romp1665
rump1680
ramp1735
jinket1742
skylark1771
to cut up1775
rollick1786
hoity-toity1790
fun1802
lark1813
gammock1832
haze1848
marlock1863
train1877
horse1901
mollock1932
spadger1939
grab-ass1957
1771 Proc. Old Bailey 20 Feb. 125/1 Q. Did you not tell him you had been sky-larking?.. What does sky-larking mean? Fynes. Playing till it sometimes turns out fighting.
1793 Whole Proc. King's Comm. Peace (City of London & County of Middlesex) 490/2 I was coming up Red Lyon-street and this little boy and another were sky larking, throwing turnip tops about, and they heaved one at me.
1809 Naval Chron. 21 84 John Brown..was tried on a charge of murder, by kicking R. Nelson so violently in the belly, when ‘skylarking,’ that he died in consequence of the blow.
1822 W. Irving Bracebridge Hall v. 46 Listening to a lady amateur skylark it up and down through the finest bravura of Rossini or Mozart.
1834 F. Marryat Jacob Faithful III. ix. 159 Every evening the hands were turned up to skylark, that is, to play and amuse themselves.
1872 W. Black Strange Adventures Phaeton II. vii. 143 The chief administrator of justice..was up here skylarking in a phaeton.
1911 F. T. Hill On Trail Grant & Lee x. 67 At every street corner volunteers skylarked and paraded in all sorts of impossible uniforms.
1958 Life 19 May 73/1 Before shows they spend their time skylarking about town like a band of touring schoolgirls.
2009 Canberra Times (Nexis) 8 Nov. a43 Several boys skylarked, pretending to shoot each other.
2. transitive. To trick, cheat (a person); to deceive playfully.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > trickery, playing jokes > trick, hoax [verb (transitive)]
jape1362
bejape1377
play1562
jugglea1592
dally1595
trick1595
bore1602
jadea1616
to fool off1631
top1663
whiska1669
hocus1675
to put a sham upon1677
sham1677
fun?1685
to put upon ——1687
rig1732
humbug1750
hum1751
to run a rig1764
hocus-pocus1774
cram1794
hoax1796
kid1811
string1819
to play off1821
skylark1823
frisk1825
stuff1844
lark1848
kiddy1851
soap1857
to play it (on)1864
spoof1889
to slip (something) over (on)1912
cod1941
to pull a person's chain1975
game1996
1823 W. Scott St. Ronan's Well I. v. 118 ‘I'll fly a cheque on Micklewham.’—‘See it be better than your last, for I won't be sky-larked again.’
1871 Shamrock Dec. 23/2 ‘You're skylarking me, Mister Scoffshort,’ says he again, looking awful wicked—‘and if you are, damme’.
2003 J. Gavron Bk. of Israel 60 We were only skylarking him.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > upward movement > leaping, springing, or jumping > cause to jump [verb (transitive)] > leap, spring, or jump over > in a frolicsome manner
skylark1825
1825 in W. Hone Every-day Bk. (1826) I. 292 I begin skylarking the gates and setting into wind to follow the foxhounds.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1672v.1771