a shrewd blow, or assault

When the bottom of the grill firebox burned through, everybody ran over and stomped embers too keep the picnic shelter from catching fire.

But between the drinks and subtle things / The holes in my apologies, you know / I’m trying hard to take it back

I regret to say John has never had that pleasure yet; but if the Honourable Herbert D'Aulnoy should darken my doors again, I should feel it my duty to communicate certain facts about him to Sir Richard Mayne and Mr. Pollaky, and to ensure his conviction for bigamy, trigamy, quadrigamy, or perhaps octogamy, at the Old Bailey.