1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, i., 1. A sober-drawn exhortation of six hours, whose better part was the hum-ha-hum.
1620. Massinger, Fatal Dowry, iv., 1. Do you stand Humming and hahing now?
d. 1680. Butler, Remains (1759), ii., 103. He hums and hahs.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Hum and Haw, to Hesitate in Speech; also to delay, or difficultly to be brought to Consent.
1706. Mrs. Centlivre, Love at a Venture, iv., 2, Wks. (1872), i., 304. That was the first excuse that came at my tongue’s end—and you know there is no humming and hawing with my old master, sir.
1729. Swift, Intelligencer, No. 14, p. 165 (2nd Ed.). If any person … shall presume to exceed six minutes in a story, to hum or haw, use hyphens between his words, or digressions.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1861. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, ch. vi. Lord Ascot hummed and hawed, and told him to tell his father he had been a good boy.
To make things hum, verb. phr. (American).—To force the pace; to keep moving.
1888. San Francisco Weekly Exam., 23 Feb. Ever since he has taken the newspaper reins in San Francisco he has made things hum.