sky, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

sky v.

[SE sky]

1. in lit./fig.senses of ‘above’ or ‘upwards’.

(a) to toss into the air.

1802		implied in sky a copper
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. 233: sky to toss up towards the sky. Terms used in tossing with halfpence; ‘It’s all right, Jim skyed the browns,’ i.e., threw them up.
1874		F.C. Burnand My Time 172: I saw it [a cap] sky’d up into the air, when, in its line of descent [...] it comfortably fell and settles itself, in rakish fashion over the crown of the head of the Royal Founder’s statue.
1881		Bulletin (Sydney) 8 Jan. 4/3: A leading Government official […] in a paroxysm of enthusiasm […] ‘skied’ his hat, shouted ‘hurrah!’ – and champagne for his official subordinates.
1895		C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 74: Skied, thrown upwards, as in tossing coppers.
1898		Binstead & Wells Pink ’Un and Pelican 215: He skied his tile in the most approved fashion and was literally beaming with good-nature as he shook his jockey by the hand.

(b) to spend all one’s funds, esp. in a carefree, spendthrift manner.

1886–96

Marshall Pomes 40: With all the takings safely skyed [F&H].

1864		Hotten Sl. Dict. 233: Artists say that a picture is skyed when it is hung on the upper line at the Exhibition of the Royal Academy.
1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 27 Mar. 4/4: The only picture really ‘skied,’ […] is that ugly, repulsive French ‘Jezebel’ – a hideous mass of nude flesh – a subject for the shambles.
1890		Globe (London) 7 May 6 i: It was skied at the Royal Academy last year [F&H].
1926		Wood & Goddard Dict. Amer. Sl.

(d) (US campus) to jump high.

1976		P. Conroy Great Santini (1977) 309: Did you see me sky tonight, Mr. D.? I was jumpin’ so high I felt like I was part nigger.
1981		W.D. Myers Hoops 99: [W]e had started out with a run so we could really sky.
1984		Eble Campus Sl. Sept. 7: sky – jump high: Michael Jordan can really sky.
1991		Eble Campus Sl. Mar.
2008		W.D. Myers Game 126: [H]is boxing out making up for his not being able to really sky too tough.
2011		W.D. Myers Cruisers: Checkmate 76: [He] was strong and did a lot of pushing but he couldn’t really sky.

(e) (US black) to wear or have on one’s head.

1989

G. Tate ‘Adeva’ Flyboy in the Buttermilk (1992) 113: Adeva ain’t no fake; she’s skying a mean Cameo haircut.

2. (also sky out, sky up) in senses of departure.

(a) to leave.

1935		G. Ingram Cockney Cavalcade 206: I know what I’d do if it was me – I’d ‘sky’!
1952		T.A.G. Hungerford Ridge and River (1966) 25: That bird must’ve panicked some – skied the flaming issue.
1978		J. Webb Fields of Fire (1980) 73: Hey, Lieutenant. Looks like you’ll be skying out on us, huh?
1982		(con. 1970) J.M. Del Vecchio 13th Valley (1983) 82: I won’t never supposed to come [to Vietnam] [...] I think I’m gonna sky.
1990		(con. c.1970) G. Hasford Phantom Blooper 24: The gooks know that something is going down and until we sky out we’re wide open to get hit.
2004		Simon & Burns ‘Time After Time’ Wire ser. 3 ep. 1 [TV script] When we jump out [...] there’ll be designated runner who’s gonna sky up just so’s we get to chase his ass.

(b) (US prison) to escape.

2001

(con. 1975–6) E. Little Steel Toes 19: Give it up, dog, jist do your time. Quit trying to sky.

3. to be intoxicated by a drug.

2012

C. Stella Rough Riders 84: They cranked up before I got home [...] They were skying when I walked in.

In phrases

sky a copper (v.)

1. to toss a coin.

1802		M. & R. Lovell Edgeworth Essays on Irish Bulls 129: ‘Billy,’ says I, ‘will you sky a copper?’.
1812		Spirit of Irish Wit 102: To sky de coppers means to toss up halfpence.
1835		D. Crockett Col. Crockett’s Tour to North and Down East 88: Didge said he was like skying a copper – head or tail – but you had to guess which.
1843		R.S. Surtees Handley Cross (1854) 125: Sky ye a copper who opens it! [...] Eads or tails?
1848		Bartlett Dict. Americanisms.
1882		Sydney Sl. Dict. (2 edn) 7: Pieman - In ‘skying the copper,’ the one who calls.
1941		(con. late 19C) L.D. Baldwin The Keelboat Age on Western Waters 97: He was a good old hoss and split everything with his friends and even skyed a copper to see who’d get his last chaw o’ ’baccy; It’d shore be harder’n rowin’ up Salt River to find a cleverer parcel o’ fellers ’n them keelers.

2. to make a noise, to make a nuisance of oneself.

1909

J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era 225/2: Skying a copper (Peoples’, 1830 on). Making a disturbance – upsetting the apple-cart.

sky off (v.)

(US black) to depart, to exit.

1983

R. Klein Jailhouse Jargon and Street Sl. [unpub. ms.].

sky out (v.)

see sense 2 above.

sky the wipe (v.) (also sky the rag, ...one’s/the towel) [orig. boxing jargon; wipe n. (3)/rag n.¹ (2e)/SE towel]

(Aus.) to surrender.

1895		Mirror of Life 28 Dec. 3/2: Mickey, seeing that he could not get fair play, ‘skied’ the towel.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 10 Feb. 24/2: At the close of the ninth round the tatter was aimed heavenwards on his account, which is our new patent way of saying that Fitz. skied the rag, full up to the brim of standing before an opponent who was all legs and wings.
1901		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 3 Apr. 2/2: Nelson received the major portion of the punishment, which caused him to sky the wipe.
1901		W.A. Sun. Times (Perth) 15 Dec. 1/1: It is up to the outmanouevred Morgans to ‘sky the towel.’ The crumpled-top ‘politician’ has been too often allowed to take his ten seconds.
1910		Sun. Times (Perth) 8 May 2nd sect. 9/1: They Say [...] That That the latter’s seconds skied the wipe in time to avoid an inquest.
1911		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 74: They were to have battled twenty rounds, but after ten rounds of terrific fighting Mr. Josephs was forced to sky the wipe and admit defeat.
1914		Bulletin (Sydney) 9 July 10/2: When he saw the I.W.W. members actually pouring in he struck his flag, or skied his towel, or whatever it is that a Napoleon does when he finds a ton of sawdust on his plate.
1915		C.J. Dennis ‘The Stoush O’Day’ Songs of a Sentimental Bloke 27: Dear Doreen, the sweetest tart I’ve known / Passed me the jolt that made me sky the rag.
1924		G.H. Lawson Dict. of Aus. Words And Terms 🌐 SKY THE WIPE — Surrender; to cry enough.
1925		(con. WWI) Fraser & Gibbons Soldier and Sailor Words 261: Sky The Towel: To give in.
1933		Bulletin (Sydney) 14 June 27/2: It is generally understood that a boxer must consider himself beaten when his seconds ‘sky the wipe’.
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 239/1: sky the wipe – to throw in the sponge.
1957		D. Niland Call Me When the Cross Turns Over (1958) 117: Been skying the towel all his life.
1963		R. McGregor-Hastie Compleat Migrant 89: If the Separationists manage to get all the dinkum Aussies skying the wipe [...] there’s no limit to the expansion of the theory.