Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also beat it off, beat it out) to travel or leave in a hurry.

[1621		Jonson Gypsies Metamorphosed 4: Therefore, till [...] he be able to beate it on the hard hoofe, to the ben bowse, or the stauling Ken, [...] ’tis thought fitt he marche in the Infants equipage].
1904		Number 1500 Life In Sing Sing 261: As I had plenty of the darb I blew away and beat it back to Chic.
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 108: I told ’em to beat it.
1905		J. Havez [perf. Maidie Scott] ‘Everybody Works But Father’ 🎵 Mother said, ‘Now beat it dear, with all you’re [sic] might and main’ / And Father beat it right back to the fire-side again.
1908		B. Fisher A. Mutt in Blackbeard Compilation (1977) 35: Beany predicts that Mutt will blow his bail and ‘beat it’.
1914		R. Lardner You Know Me Al (1984) 100: I and Allen have got to beat it out of the house and stay out of the way.
1919		W.H. Downing Digger Dialects 10: beat it — Hurry away.
1920		F.S. Fitzgerald ‘May Day’ in Bodley Head Scott Fitzgerald V (1963) 170: He’d better beat it off.
1921		N. Putnam West Broadway 69: ‘Why didn’t you beat it?’.
1930		E. Waugh Vile Bodies 156: You can beat it.
1932		(con. WWI) L. Mann Flesh in Armour 74: The airman [...] beat it straight back for the shelter of the oncoming cloud.
1942		‘Western Desert Madness’ in C.H. Ward-Jackson Airman’s Song Book (1945) 144: The Pongoes running madly, I bet they’re beating it still!
1950		W. Sansom ‘Impatience’ in Lehman Penguin New Writing No. 40 31: ‘Beat it off away now,’ said the Dropper. ‘Blow’.
1953		W. Brown Monkey On My Back (1954) 14: Give me five bucks and let me beat it.
1961		R.S. Close With Hooves of Brass 160: ‘All the same, it’s time to beat it for the sawdust heap, Missus’.
1963		in T.I. Rubin Sweet Daddy 18: I [...] beat it out as soon as I could.
1969		C. Himes Blind Man with a Pistol (1971) 108: Come on, let’s beat it [...] Time’s wasting.
1970		San Diego Sailor 9: I [...] beat it to Dago and joined the Navy.
1997		G. Sikes 8 Ball Chicks (1998) 54: You all beat it out of here while we smoke cigarettes.
2005		P. Howard Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress 37: The bigger kid beats it.
2006		C. Hiaasen Nature Girl 266: I tole you to beat it!
2012		J. Díaz This Is How You Lose Her 16: Why don’t you beat it, pancho?
2017		A. Parks Bloody January 62: ‘[Y]ou can beat it before I call Murray’.
2019		A. Killilea Boyo-wulf at https://boyowulf.home.blog 20 Mar. 🌐 [A] young fella bating around the gaff, sent from the lord himself [...] to help the locals.

2. (also beat it off!) as imper. beat it!; also ext. as beat it while the beating’s/going’s good.

1910		‘O. Henry’ ‘What You Want’ in Strictly Business (1915) 306: ‘Beat it,’ said he [...] ‘Run along, now.’.
1917		F. Packard Adventures of Jimmie Dale (1918) I ii: There’s nothing to interest you around here! [...] Go on, now—beat it!
1924		D. Hammett ‘Nightmare Town’ in Nightmare Town (2001) 32: Get the girl — beat it — now!
1931		C.B. Yorke ‘Snowbound’ in Gangster Stories Oct. n.p.: ‘I’m taking orders from no dick [...] not even a private flattie! Beat it!’.
1934		H. Roth Call It Sleep (1977) 369: Beat it den, beat it, lousy! Beat, beat it! Beat it!
1942		Whizzbang Comics 65: Beat it, Snotty.
1950		W. Sansom ‘Impatience’ in Lehmann Penguin New Writing No. 40 31: Beat it off away now [...] blow.
1957		Kerouac On The Road (1972) 81: I picked up her red pumps and hurled them at the bathroom door and told her to get out, ‘Go on beat it!’.
1963		‘Geoffrey Tolhurst’ Flat 4 King’s Cross (1966) 84: Instantly, a woman detached herself from the shadow of a shop doorway, and said, roughly, ‘Beat it, sister’.
1964		H. Selby Jr Last Exit to Brooklyn 99: OK sister, beat it.
1979		E. Torres After Hours 65: Beat it, Floyd.
1988		D. Woodrell Muscle for the Wing 215: Beat it! [...] Find a place to hide.
2018		(con. 1963) L. Berney November Road 222: ‘Beat it, pal,’ the house dick said.
2020		A. Parks Bobby March Will Live Forever 174: ‘Beat it, McCoy,’ she said [...] ‘Just get out my sight’.