Chapter Plebeians to Pluck of P by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

debt; but now all persons likely to be objected to, either by tradesmen or examiners, know it beforehand, and keep away. They are virtually plucked, but not really so.
   A case of pluck. An instance of one who has been plucked: as “Tom Jones is a case of pluck,” i.e. is a plucked man.
   A man of pluck. Of courage or spirit. The pluck is the heart, liver, and whatever else is “plucked” away from the chest of a sheep or hog. We also use the expressions bold heart, lily-livered, a man of another kidney, bowels of mercy, a vein of fun, it raised his bile, etc. (See Liver.)