1639–61. Rump Songs. ‘Bum-fodder.’ That’s a thing would please the Butchers and Cooks, To see this stinking Rump quite off the hooks.
1665. Pepys, Diary, 26 May. In the evening by water to the Duke of Albemarle, whom I found mightily off the hooks, that the ships are not gone out of the River; which vexed me to see.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Hooks. Off the hooks, in an ill Mood, or out of Humour.
d. 1704. L’Estrange [quoted in Ency. Dict.]. Easily put off the hooks, and monstrous hard to be pleased again.
1719. Durfey, Pills, etc., iii., 22. Another that’s in the Blacksmith’s Books, And only to him for remedy looks, Is when a Man is quite off the hooks.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1825. Scott, St. Ronan’s Well, ch. xxx. Everybody that has meddled in this St. Ronan’s business is a little off the hooks—… in plain words, a little crazy.
Hook and Snivey (or Hookum Snivey), subs. phr. (old).—1. An imposture; specifically, the getting of food on false pretences.
1781. G. Parker, View of Society, ii., 79. ‘Hook and Snivey, with Nix the Buffer’ [Title].
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. Hook and Snivey with Nix the Buffer. This rig consists in feeding a man and a dog for nothing.… Three men, one of whom pretends to be sick and unable to eat, go to a public house; the two well men make a bargain with the landlord for their dinner, and when he is out of sight feed their pretended sick companion and dog gratis.