Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also shut it up) to stop talking; usu. as shut up! excl. (1)

[1748		L. Pilkington Memoirs (1928) I 67: Shut up your mouth, for all day, Letty].
1844		‘Jonathan Slick’ High Life in N.Y. II 203: The nigger he snorted right out a lafin when he saw me, but I made him shet up.
1850		W.K. Northall Life and Recollections of Yankee Hill 126: She out with a hot dumplin’, and let me have it in t’other, which made me shut it up a darn’d sight quicker than I ever did afore.
1851		‘Wars Yure Hoss?’ in T.A. Burke Polly Peablossom’s Wedding 42: Dad darm mi hide, ef yu don’t shut up, dad, I’ll never git tu the hoss.
1854		Bell’s Life in Sydney 15 Apr. 3/2: They were told to ‘shut up’ by a person in authority.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor III 7/1: Now, you that have dogs, do make ’em shut up.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 142/1: I woint shut up, an’ thau kant maik mi naiythir. I’ll see th’ tu blazes fust afore I shut up.
1867		H.L. Williams Ticket-of-Leave Man 18: Now, do oblige me by shutting up, that’s a good thing.
1878		F.H. Hart Sazerac Lying Club 146: She [...] told him if he didn’t ‘shut up this minnit,’ she would faint.
1884		(con. c.1840) ‘Mark Twain’ Huckleberry Finn 185: Some men [...] tried to get him to shut up, but he wouldn’t.
1898		‘R. Andom’ Martha and I 218: He slapped Billy Winks in the face [...] and told him to shut up.
1899		B. Tarkington Gentleman from Indiana 125: ‘Hain’t that fool shet up yit?’ snarled the aged Mr. Bodeffer.
1900		Boy’s Own Paper 22 Dec. 178: Jake [...] tried to interrupt him, but was promptly ordered to shut up by the acting judge.
1910		H.G. Wells Hist. of Mr Polly (1946) 229: You shut up about me, and I’ll shut up about myself.
1911		G. Bronson-Howard Enemy to Society 214: Hilary shuts up like a clam every time the name of Janissary is mentioned.
1915		Worker (Brisbane) 18 Mar. 3/3: I Am Not Going to Shut Up! I am going to talk on.
1948		(con. 1944) N. Mailer Naked and Dead 10: For Chrissake, Jack, how about shutting up.
1957		C. Himes Imabelle 50: Don’t you tell my mama to shut up.
1958		F. Norman Bang To Rights 27: The screw tells him again to shut up.
1965		C. Himes Rage in Harlem (1969) 52: [as 1957].
1966		T. Keyes All Night Stand 49: There was no more arguing. It was not accepted, but they shut up.
1984		A. Sayle Train to Hell 80: When he shut up I didn’t tell him a joke.
1999		Hip-Hop Connection Aug. 21: He only got done for nicking some Airfix models when he was eight so he can just shut up.
2000		Indep. Rev. 7 Feb. 8: Couldn’t you just shut up?
2010		EzineMark.com 23 Feb. 🌐 You simply need to shut up and listen.

2. to bring to an end, to reduce to a state of incapacity, to kill.

1817		M. Edgeworth Love and Law I ii: What I’m dreading beyant all is, if ould Matthew M’Bride [...] should come this day to take out of my hands the two hundred pounds I’ve got of his – Oh, then I might shut up!
1856		H.B. Stowe Dred I 324: This is the Lord’s ground here; so shut up your swearing.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor III 61/1: Gray killed Porsini and his Punch; regular shut him up.
1877		B. Jowett (trans.) Plato III 6 n.p.: A mere child in argument, and unable to foresee that the next ‘move’ [...] will shut him up [F&H].
1889		B. Mitford Fire Trumpet II 225: If he’s wise he’ll shut up fighting.
1901		W.S. Walker In the Blood 213: Billy, ’e looked queer, an’ shut up ’is larfin’.
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 96: You have them kids shut up that row.
1952		J. Jones From Here to Eternity (1998) 761: Now shut up with that crap. And lets hit the sack.
1977		G.F. Newman Villain’s Tale 19: The alternative would have been shutting up and finding another location.

3. (also shut) to stop someone else talking, or making a noise.

1830		I. Pocock Omnibus I i: You must shut up that great dog [...] Because, if he barks in the night, you know, I shan’t get a wink of sleep.
1854		Thackeray Newcomes I 343: Carry him to bed, and shut him up.
1865		Dundee Advertiser 18 July 2/2: The Conservative candidate [...] was fairly ‘shut up’ by the clamour.
1889		S. Bailey Ups and Downs of a Crook’s Life 63: That shut him up, and he walked away.
1899		E.W. Hornung Amateur Cracksman (1992) 59: ‘They would in you,’ I retorted, and my tu quoque shut him up.
1927		(con. 1917) J. Stevens Mattock 147: He got Madam Rose shut up, the Busons’ll keep quiet, and it’s up to you to hush the clapper of that fat madam.
1927		C. Coe Me – Gangster 58: Scare that newsboy pink and shut him up.
1939		L. Short Raiders of the Rimrock 115: Better shut that dog up.
1940		E. O’Neill Long Day’s Journey into Night Act III: That shut him up quick.
1949		‘Hal Ellson’ Duke 33: This bruisy guy is shut.
1951		S. Lewis World So Wide 47: Edith, you better shut me up! I haven’t gassed this long for a year.
1968		P. Terson Apprentices (1970) I i: That shuts them up.
1978		P. Theroux Picture Palace 83: Orlando smiled at him, his bright devastating smile that shut people up.
1984		A. Sayle Train to Hell 103: That shut him up.
1999		Guardian Weekend 25 Sept. 26: That shut him up. I laughed last, longest.