Green’s Dictionary of Slang

cheeky, talkative, loudmouthed.

1837		N.Y. Times 30 Aug. 2/6: A new word. — A youth named Thompson tried yesterday for an assault, stated as a reason that the complainant was rather lippy, ie., full of lip.
1865		H.L. Williams Joaquin 132: You’re as lippy as a Tomb’s shyster who’s fingered a knuck’s fee.
1902		Ade Breaking Into Society (1904) 166: She was very Lippy, and talked back to her folks and made Sassy cracks at the Old Ladies.
1907		J. London Road 127: Here and there I have encountered: Buck Kid, Blind Kid, Midget Kid, [...] and Lippy Kid (who was insolent, depend upon it).
1914		Truth (Melbourne) 10 Jan. 7/1: Pinchbeck, canting wowsers and the lippy brigade of parsons with the usual donkey-drench of morality talk and milk.
1920		S. Lewis Main Street (1921) 282: Say, you know how lippy Bjornstam is?
c.1930		(ref. to mid-19C) N. Kimball Amer. Madam (1981) 39: He would rap out heads [...] harder, if he felt we needed a blow for being lippy.
1946		R.L. Bellem ‘Latin Blood’ in Speed Detective Aug. 🌐 Okay, be lippy. I still say you’re all going to the gow.
1957		R. Prather Always Leave ’Em Dying 32: Don’t get lippy.
1960		C. Cooper Jr Scene (1996) 121: Davis knocked him down [...] ‘I’ll teach this lippy sonofabitch!’.
1972		D. Jenkins Semi-Tough 43: You’re a lippy son of a bitch but you’re a good-looking son of a bitch.
1988		J. Healy Grass Arena (1990) 115: I’ve been told – I have no memory of it – that a few times, all through drink, I’ve got a bit lippy with him.
1998		I. Welsh Filth 62: One of them is that lippy fucker Conrad Donaldson Q.C.
2003		N. Griffiths Stump 169: Don’t get lippy, Ally. Simple fuckin yes or no would’ve done.
2012		(con. 1980s) I. Welsh Skagboys 279: This poxy little boozer. A very lippy auld chap just took it ower. Doesnae want a fruit machine.
2012		J. Fagan Panopticon (2013) 112: Dinnae get lippy, Anais.
2016		Guardian 3 Sept. 🌐 I expect you the lippy know alls here to sort the lot by the time we’re back, OK?
2017		T. Spicer Good Girl Stripped Bare 70: ‘I was getting a bit lippy, wasn’t I, luv? [...] I got jealous ’cause he was fuckin’ me best friend’.