1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair. Who forthwith comitted my little hot furie to the stockes, where we will leave him to coole his heeles, whilst we take a further view of the faire.
1673. Wycherley, Gentleman Dancing Master, iv., 1. They ne’er think of the poor watchful chambermaid, who sits knocking her heels in the cold, for want of better exercise, in some melancholy lobby or entry.
1752. Fielding, Amelia. In this parlour Amelia cooled her heels, as the phrase is, near a quarter of an hour.
1830. Lytton, Paul Clifford [Ed. 1854], p. 22. He expected all who kicked their heels at his house would behave decent and polite to young Mr. Dot.
1833. Marryat, Peter Simple, ch. xiii. Tell him that I’ll trouble him to forget to go to sleep again as he did last time, and leave me here kicking my heels contrary to the rules of the service. [[297]]
1879. Sala, Paris Herself Again, i. We cooled our heels during the ordinary an intolerable half hour.
1888. Lynch, Mountain Mystery, ch. xlvi. That young gentleman, who had been cooling his heels for what seemed like half the night.
To lay by the heels, verb. phr. (common).—To confine; to fetter; to jail.
1601. Shakspeare, Henry VIII., v., 4. If the king blame me for it, I’ll lay ye all By the heels, and suddenly.
1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, iii. Sir, if you be not quiet the quicklier, I’ll have you clapp’d fairly by the heels, for disturbing the Fair.