Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a sharp blow.

1821		D. Haggart Autobiog. 55: I hit him a clip on the ear.
1830		Marryat King’s Own II 92: The master fires first, and hits the cat a clip on the neck.
1848		Glasgow Herald 25 Dec. 4/7: He gets another clip across the jaws from Chips.
1848		Bartlett Dict. Americanisms.
1852		G.C. Mundy Our Antipodes I 384: A clip on the head that at home would not do a chap a morsel of harm.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 41/1: And if he don’t leave go with one clip, then he must have two, and so on until he does leave go.
1873		J. Mair Hbk of Phrases 100: Clip, a blow.
1884		(con. c.1840) ‘Mark Twain’ Huckleberry Finn 278: She fetched first one and then another of them a clip and sent them howling.
1899		C. Rook Hooligan Nights 25: The accerabat jumps up and catches me a clip over the jaw.
1901		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 18 Sept. 2/6: Casey tried to force things, but got a clipper on the jaw.
1906		Marvel 23 June 615: Think yourself lucky, my bloke, that you ain’t got a clip on the ear’ole!
1912		P.C. Wren Dew & Mildew 351: ‘Wan’ a clip ’n the yeerole?’.
1917		Wodehouse ‘The Making of Mac’s’ Man with Two Left Feet 123: You be a credit to us, or I’ll fetch you a clip when you come home.
1921		D.L. Sayers Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1977) 160: Fentiman gave old Barton [...] such a clip under the ear this morning that he had to go and see a dentist.
1930		‘Leslie Charteris’ Enter the Saint 126: Toddle along and give him another clip over the ear.
1935		Dan Burley Plaindealer. (Kansas City) 22 Mar. 3: [Louis] exchanges clips with Charley Retzlaff on March 29.
1941		J.M. Cain Mildred Pierce (1985) 444: Now if you don’t want a clip on the ear, you’ll call me sir.
1952		Lait & Mortimer USA Confidential 201: [They] won’t itemize your check, and if you insist you’re asking for a clip on the jaw.
1965		L. Dunne Goodbye to The Hill (1966) 9: Usually he was in an awful temper [...] and he’d give you a clip in the ear if you got in his way.
1967		(con. 1920s) J. Thompson South of Heaven (1994) 55: He knocked me cold with a hard clip to the button.
1977		(con. 1940–50s) Nicholson & Smith Spend, Spend, Spend (1978) 37: Before you knew where you were you’d get a clip across the ear.
1984		P. Barker Blow Your House Down 5: She was going the right way for a clip round the ear, but she couldn’t stop.
1997		(con. 1950s) J. Byrne Slab Boys [film script] 77: You’re not too big for a clip round the ear, so watch it!
2000		Guardian Editor 7 Jan. 12: ‘Hit the pillow!’ he insists – De Niro empties a clip and the screen fills with down.