coat, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

coat n.

[fig. use of SE coat as something one wears]

1. constr. with the, an arrest.

1949

H.C. Bosman Cold Stone Jug (1981) II 23: I have been twice warned for the coat.

2. (S. Afr. prison) a life sentence [note the blue coat orig. worn by prisoners].

1974

H. Levin Bandiet 123: The nine-to-never indeterminate sentence (known as a ‘coat’ after the blue coat originally worn by habituals).

3. (US und.) $100, in context of a bribe of payoff to the police.

1989

L. Block Out on the Cutting Edge 48: A coat, in police parlance, is a hundred dollars. A hat is twenty-five. A pound is five. The terms took hold years ago, when [...] British currency pegged higher.

SE in slang uses

In compounds

coat game (n.)

(US Und.) theft.

1949

Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).

coat of mail (n.)

see armour n. (1)

coat party (n.)

(US prison) throwing a coat over a prisoner’s head prior to beating him up.

2000

Other Side of the Wall: Prisoner’s Dict. July 🌐 Coat Party: Throwing a coat over a youth’s head and shoulders (so he can’t see) and beating him with fists and feet. This is usually done for non-payment of a debt.

coat puller (n.)

(Aus. prison) an escapee.

1990

Tupper & Wortley Aus. Prison Sl. Gloss. 🌐 Coat puller. Escapee.

coat-tugger (n.) (also tugger)

(Aus.) a racecourse tout; also attrib.; thus n. + vi./vtr. coat-tug, coat-tugging .

1983		J. Byrell (con. 1959) Up the Cross 117: Whenever the Flea ran short of on-course moolah he used to indulge in a bit of coat-tugging.
1996		J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers xxi: coat-tugger: a person found on racecourses who illegally offers tips for money. A tout. Note: Not to be misconstrued as a distant cousin known as the ‘lapel-tugger’ who would not wait for prospective clients to approach and instead would indicate that he was privy to ‘inside oil’ by signalling said ‘mark’ with a little tug on his own coat lapel.
1996		J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers xxiv: ‘We all know about your reputation as a tugger [...]’ the male wal had said with a smirk.
1996		J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers : ‘I fair dinkum fell for the old coat-tug trick. I must be the worst idiot mug in the world I reckon.’.
1996		J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 255: [He] was [...] trying to coat-tug and flog his sometimes watery version of oil.
1996		J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 240: [H]e was coat-tugged by a stranger who politely craved his indulgence before calling him to one side.
1996		J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers xxii: So when the word got around the traps and tracks about his being obliged to take on coat-tugging, a very strange and hitherto unheard-of, almost inconceivable thing happened.

In phrases

coil someone’s coat (v.)

to beat someone.

1530

Palsgrave Lesclarcissement de la Langue Francoyse n.p.: Verbes: I coyle ones kote, I beate hym, je bastonne.

dust someone’s coat (v.)

see dust someone’s jacket under dust v.¹

from coat-off to stagger-home

(Aus.) the length of the working day.

1926

L. Esson Bride of Gospel Place 109: Smithy: Talk about a sweater. It was head-down from coat-off to stagger-home.

give (someone) the coat (v.) [play on SE brush off, i.e. a garment and brush off v. (1)]

(Aus.) to dismiss, to reject.

1996

(con. 1964-65) B. Thorpe Sex and Thugs and Rock ’n’ Roll 137: ‘Natalie gave him the coat [...] Brushed him and told him to piss off’.

on the coat (adj.)

(Aus./N.Z. prison) ostracised, ‘sent to Coventry’.

1984		B. Ellem Doing Time 114: Child tamperers usually get together, mainly because the other prisoners have got a dirty on them, they put them on the coat sort of thing, so they usually end up together.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 214: Put on the coat = shunned, ostracised, gets nothing. Other inmates don’t talk to you.

tug someone’s/the coat (v.)

see pull someone’s coat under pull v.