TRY, TRYING
ADJECTIVES
► AFFLICTIVE tending to inflict continued pain or distress; distressing, painful; trying, troublesome to someone → 1576
► YFONDED tried, attempted, tested, tempted → 1175 obs.
ADVERBS
► ABOUTWARD orig. striving, trying, contriving, tending towards; later being about to, going → c1400 obs.
► CUT-AND-TRY by trial and error → 1969 Amer. dial.
NOUNS
► BASH an attempt; a try → 1996 Aust. sl. (Bk.)
► BIRL ► BURL a try or attempt; a test → 1917 Aust. & NZ colloq.
► CRACK a try, that may or may not succeed → 2006 US sl. (Bk.)
► DAB a try; a crack → 1861 US sl.
► DART a try, a ‘go’; a last-minute effort → L19 Aust. sl.
► DEVER duty, best endeavour or try → 19C Eng. dial.
► FAND ► FOND the act of trying; trial, proof, experience → c1250 obs.
► FONDING a trying to do or find out something; an attempt, an experiment → a1000 obs.
► HACK an attempt, a try → 1836 Amer.
► SECOND BOUNCE a second try, a re-run → 1990 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► TAKE a try or attempt → colloq.
► WALLOP a try → 1910s sl.
► WHOP a try or chance → 1980s sl.
PHRASES
► GIVE IT A WHIRL! give it a try or go → 1999 Aust. sl. (Bk.)
► LIKE A STEER, I CAN TRY I can try, no matter how fruitless the effort → 1945 US Western usage (Bk.)
VERBS
► AFFORCE to endeavour, attempt, or try → c1487 obs.
► AFOND to try, to attempt → 1488 obs.
► BREAK ONE’S BALLS to exert oneself to the limit of endurance; to work or try one’s hardest → 1966 US sl.
► BUSK to try, to make an attempt → c1450 obs.
► CUN to have experience of; to test, to try, to make trial of → a1000 obs.
► DEVER to try, to attempt, to endeavour → 1879 Eng. dial.
► DO ONE’S BUSINESS to take pains, to try one’s hardest, to do one’s best → a1393 obs.
► DROP BACK AND PUNT to try a new strategy after a setback; to try again → 1970 US sl.
► EXPERIMENTATE to try something as an experiment → 1670 obs.
► FAND ► FOND to attempt, to try → a1225 obs.
► GIVE IT A BURL to make an attempt, to try → 1933 Aust. & NZ colloq.
► HANDSEL ► HANSEL to use for the first time; to be the first to test, try, prove, taste → 1605
► HAUSE ► HAWSE to prepare; to attempt, to try; to offer → 1851 Eng. dial.
► HAVE A BUCK AT to try; to make an attempt → 1981 Aust. colloq. (Bk.)
► HAVE A DAB IN to have a ‘go’; to try → L19 sl.
► HAVE A DASH AT to make an attempt; to try → 1923 Aust. sl.
► MAKE to attempt; to try; to offer → 1905 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► OFFER to attempt, to try; to make an effort or start; to show intention or promise of → 1790 Sc. & Eng. & Amer. dial.
► PERFORCE to try, strive, or endeavour to do the utmost; to do one’s best → 1490 obs.
► PUNT to give something a try → 2012 Brit. sl. (Bk.)
► SHOOT ONE’S BEST SHOT to do the best one can; to try one’s hardest → 1960s sl., orig. US
► SIFT to search; to try → 1611 obs.
► TAKE A POKE AT to have a try, to attempt → 1930s sl.
► TAKE A PUNT to have a try at something → 1940s sl., orig. Aust.
► TAKE A SHOT ► TAKE A SHOT AT to try, to make an attempt → 1878
► TAKE ONE’S BEST SHOT to do the best one can; to try one’s hardest → 1960s sl., orig. US
► TEMPT to attempt, to try → 19C Eng. dial.
► TOKE to try too hard → 1970 US students’ sl.
Lexicophilia 