- peddler
- early 13c., from peoddere, peddere, of unknown origin. Pedlar, preferred spelling in U.K., is attested from late 14c. It has the appearance of an agent noun, but no verb is attested in M.E. Perhaps a dim. of ped "panier, basket," also of unknown origin, but this is only attested from late 14c.
- peddle
- "to retail," 1837, colloquial back formation from peddler.
- huckster
- c.1200, M.Du. hokester "peddler," from hoken "to peddle" (see hawk (v.)) + agent suffix -ster (which was fem. in Eng., but not in Low Ger.). Derogatory sense is 16c.; specific sense of "advertising salesman" is from 1946 novel by Frederick Wakeman.
- hawk (v.)
- 1542 (hawker is attested from 1510), from M.L.G. höken "to peddle, carry on the back, squat," from P.Gmc. *khuk-. Despite the etymological connection with stooping under a burden on one's back, a hawker is technically distinguished from a peddler by use of a horse and cart or a van.
- push (v.)
- c.1300, from O.Fr. poulser, from L. pulsare "to beat, strike, push," frequentative of pellere (pp. pulsus) "to push, drive, beat" (see pulse (1)). The noun is first recorded 1570. Meaning "approach a certain age" is from 1937. Meaning "promote" (1714) led to pusher "peddler of illegal drugs," first recorded 1935 in prison slang (earlier it meant "prostitute," 1923). Pushy "forward, aggressive" first recorded 1936. To push (someone) around is from 1923. Phrase push comes to shove is from 1958; to push (one's) luck is from 1911. To push the envelope in figurative sense is late 1980s. Push-up, the exercise, is from 1906; to push up daisies "be dead and buried" is from c.1860. Push-button (n.) is from 1898; adj. sense "characterized by the use of push-buttons" is from 1946.