1821. Egan, Tom and Jerry [ed. 1891], p. 35. Tom was the go among the goes.
1835. Haliburton (‘Sam Slick’), The Clockmaker, 3 S., ch. xiv. Whatever is the go in Europe will soon be the cheese here.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, I., 251. It was rather the go With Pilgrims and Saints in the Second Crusade.
1846. Punch, vol. X., p. 163. From lowly Queen’s quadrangle, Where muffins are the go.
1880. G. R. Sims, Ballads of Babylon (Beauty and Beast). And all day long there’s a big crowd stops To look at the lady who’s all the go.
4. (colloquial).—Life; spirit; energy; enterprise; impetus: e.g., plenty of go = full of spirit and dash. Fr.: avoir du chien.
1825. The English Spy, i., 178. She’s only fit to carry a dean or a bishop. No go in her.
1865. Macdonald, Alec Forbes of How-glen, II., 269. All night Tibbie Dyster had lain awake in her lonely cottage, listening to the quiet heavy go of the water.
1882. Daily Telegraph, 9 Oct. Mr. Grossmith’s music is bright and tripping, full of humour and go, as, under such circumstances, music should be!
1883. Illustrated London News, 10 March, p. 242, c. 3. There was any amount of dash and go in their rowing.