Green’s Dictionary of Slang

see separate entry.

see separate entries.

to drink, esp. a large amount.

1970		A. Sillitoe Start in Life (1979) 59: ‘Be careful’, my mother said. ‘Don’t put too much back.’.
1997		C. McPherson The Weir 66: Your man does put it back in the bottle.
2020		(con. 1991-94) W. Boyle City of Margins 18: Donnie raises his shot glass [...] ‘Chin-chin,’ he says, tapping their glasses and then putting back the shot.

see separate entries.

(US Und.) a violent, potentially homicidal criminal.

1914

Jackson & Hellyer Vocab. Criminal Sl.

(S.Afr.) to drive fast.

1981		L. & P. Robertson-Hotz in Bloody Horse Jan.–Feb. 32: Now we’d better put foot; we’ve only got a couple of hours before they discover we’ve escaped [DSAE].
1991		informant in DSAE (1996).

see take to the tall timber(s) under tall timber n.

see separate entries.

see under it n.¹

1. (also put one across) to beat, to get the better of.

1901		A. Binstead More Gal’s Gossip 101: To the girl who cannot ‘put it across’ a jostling opponent, the sales are about as much use as a penny palm fan in Perdition.
1912		Ade Knocking the Neighbors 121: He put things Across because when he tucked the Ball under his Arm and began to dig for the Goal of his Immediate Ambition all the Friends of Public Weal were scared Blue and retired behind the Ropes.
1926		N.Z. Truth 4 Feb. 5/4: The man might have had a ‘snitcher’ on him and he was trying to ‘put it across him’.
1927		Nichols & Tully Twenty Below Act II: You drew ’em both together to put it across me.
1934		Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld) 1 Mar. 10/5: Any bloke who can pu it across a pair of bagmen deserves it.
1941		F. Sargeson ‘That Summer’ in Coll. Stories (1965) 221: He beat me up that bad, she said [...] I ran away right into a cop, and he stopped me and I said a man had tried to put one across me.
1946		G. Gibson Enemy Coast Ahead (1955) 31: We were proud of ourselves, we boys of A Flight, because we were always putting it across B both in flying and drunken parties.
1957		‘Neville Shute’ On the Beach 252: You’re telling me the bloody rabbit’s going to put it across us, after all?
1968		G. Slatter Pagan Game (1969) 208: Get into his ribs. Hold him down. Don’t let him put it across you.
1980		L. Mantell Murder and Chips 100: Put it across me, he did.

2. (also put a dirty one across) to hoax, to trick, to defraud.

1914		Bulletin (Sydney) 6 Aug. 10/2: In Paris they call the type of man who puts it across a trusting and affectionate female a ‘rasta,’ and it is regarded as a term of detested obloquy.
1925		N. Lucas Autobiog. of a Thief 234: I’m going to “put it across” the judge – hand out the ‘sob-stuff’.
1934		Film Fun 8 Sept. 24: ‘Ha, ha!’ he sang out. ‘Put it across you that time, Ollie.’.
1953		W. Brown Run, Chico, Run (1959) 31: No hijo de puta like him puts nothing across on Loco, See?
1953		I. Hamilton Till Human Voices Wake Us 89: A bully, something sly, a chap who’d put a dirty one on to you.
1967		B. Crump Odd Spot of Bother 66: He was very strict about only putting it across people who could afford it.
1975		F.A. Cleary A Pocketful of Years 116: I might have known he’d put a dirty one across this Mrs Kingi.
1980		P.D. James Innocent Blood (1981) 178: It’s my probation officer [...] I can’t put anything across on him.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 165: put one across/around/over/past To deceive somebody. ANZ.

3. to punish.

1925		(con. WWI) Fraser & Gibbons Soldier and Sailor Words 232: Put It Across (or Over), To: To punish someone.
1936		T. ‘O’Reilly Tiger of the Legion 199: [M]y superiors always seemed to shirk ‘putting it across me’ too much, for fear of some sort of supernatural reprisals.
1937–84		Partridge DSUE (1984) 940: [...] from ca. 1914.
1949		Wodehouse Mating Season 169: I sit on the Bench [...] and put it across the criminal classes when they start getting above themselves.
1954		Wodehouse Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit 107: Remember how he enabled me to put it across Roderick Spode.

to circulate information.

1977

D. Powis Signs of Crime 198: Put it around Let it be known.

see under it n.¹

see under it n.¹

see separate entry.

1. to defeat, to surpass.

1899		Ade Fables in Sl. (1902) 163: In a certain Athletic Club which rented two rooms over a Tin-Shop there was one Boy who could put it All Over the other Members.
1903		‘Hugh McHugh’ Out for the Coin 15: Uncle Peter put it all over old Bill Gray whenever they bumped.
1910		Wodehouse Gentleman of Leisure Ch. vii: Dis feller an’ me started in scrapping last week, an’ I puts it all over him, so he had it in for me.
1914		S. Lewis Our Mr Wrenn (1936) 64: Gee! I wish they could have seen me put it all over Pete to-night!
1919		E. Dyson ‘In Hospital’ in ‘Hello, Soldier!’ 23: Well, I mind the days in the Port when we / Puts it over Hugh coz we don’t agree / With his tone ’n’ style.
1927		(con. 1900s) S. Lewis Elmer Gantry 176: Golly! I could put it all over that poor boob.
1927		Smith’s Wkly (Sydney) 20 Aug. 11/2: Eventually the model ‘S.M. Herald’ leader will read like this [...] Put it all over Dud the Chair ’e did, fair the doos.
1929		M. Levin Reporter 63: Oh, he could put it over all of them, all!
2012		(con. 1943) G.S. Manson Coorparoo Blues [ebook] ‘I was puttin’ it over mugs like you before you were even swimmin’ in your old man’s bag’.

2. to cheat or confuse.

1911		C.E. Mulford Bar-20 Days 144: He put it over on me, an’ I’m the one that’s got to shoot him up.
1923		A. Christie Murder on the Links (1960) 186: That is where, as the Americans say, she ‘put it over’ on Hercule Poirot!
1930		‘Leslie Charteris’ Enter the Saint 47: If he put it over on the Snake, he might put it over on anybody.
1930		E. Glyn Flirt & Flapper 15: Flapper: We put it over whenever we can get away with it.
1941		K. Tennant Battlers 19: You can put it over a lot of ignorant mugs of bagmen that you’re some sort of society woman, but you can’t put it over me.
1955		D. Niland Shiralee 29: Nobody was going to put it over him.
1974		D. Ireland Burn 77: She’s put it over you, I can see that.

3. (Aus.) to be a success at something, e.g. singing.

1959

G. Hamilton Summer Glare 166: Gee, she can put it over, can’t she? [...] What an eyefull she is too.

(UK Und.) to divide up spoils.

1865

Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 68/2: This was a regular ‘meet’ for the ‘cop’ and those who were ‘ryebuck’ with him,and when anything ‘came off,’ it as here they were to meet and ‘put it round’.

1. to beat up, to put under pressure, e.g. of the police.

1929		W.R. Burnett Little Caesar (1932) 67: As long as they don’t nab him and put it to him.
1976		N. Thornburg Cutter and Bone (2001) 169: I really put it to the fairy.
1999		J. Ridley Love Is a Racket 389: Wesker gets picked up, right, and this Duntphy puts it to him.

2. to double-cross.

2011

J.J. DeCeglie Drawing Dead [ebook] You may be the most willingly goddamned sexy girl I’ve ever come across, but I’ll hack you in half if you put it to me Evie.

3. see under it n.¹

(US campus) to accelerate an automobile.

1970

Current Sl. IV:2.

see under it n.¹

1. (Aus./US Und.) to distribute counterfeit money.

1671		‘L.B.’ New Academy of Complements 204: The first was a Coyner that stampt in a Mould, / The second a Voucher to put off his gold.
1745		Proceedings Old Bailey 4 Dec. 17/2: I went with him to the Noah’s-Ark, and he put off one Shilling; and we went to the Coach and Horses, and there he put off another.
1753		J. Poulter Discoveries (1774) 41: Ringing of Neds and Sixes. Putting off bad Guineas and Thirty-six Shilling Pieces.
1800		Caledonian Mercury 21 Sept. 2/1: Edward Havard was tried for putting off twenty-four pieces of metal resembling the current coin of the realm.
1822		Egan Life and Adventures of Samuel Hayward 31: His departure was accompanied with a gentle hint that he had been putting off his queer soft too long.
1825		N.-Y. American 9 Dec. 2/3: Oh! says he, I’ll keep this money; you’ll find no difficulty in putting ours off; I’ve just shoved off two of them; they’ll go anywhere.
1867		H.L Williams Ticket-of-Leave Man 21: You could surely pick up a flat to put off the paper.
1883		J. Greenwood Tag, Rag & Co. 26: He has ‘put off’ as many as fifteen shilling ‘sours’ on a Saturday night among the poor fish stallkeepers in Whitecross Street.
1891		F.W. Carew Autobiog. of a Gipsey 17: There were very few sections of the statutes relating to the ‘making, counterfeiting, tendering, uttering, or putting off, of false or counterfeit coin’ [...] that my great-grandfather had not infringed.
1902		Bulletin (Sydney) 16 Aug. 31/1: [N]umbers of (valueless) £10 notes of the defunct Provincial and Suburban Bank are now being ‘put off’ in Melbourne by some smart forgers.

2. (Aus.) to lay off from work, to dismiss.

1938		X. Herbert Capricornia (1939) 363: Feller’t put off for boozin’ heavy on the job.
1939		J. Campbell Babe is Wise 313: There was just a chance o’ Mac being put off, or he thought there was—got the wind up, you know, coz other firms was chucking ’em out right an’ left.

3. (Aus.) to kill, to murder.

1993		Smith & Noble Neddy (1998) 180: ‘What about you, mate?’ he said. ‘How many have you killed? A dozen?’ ‘What is this, a game of twenty questions or what?’ ‘I have put plenty off, so I know what I’m doing.’.
1993		M.B. ‘Chopper’ Read How to Shoot Friends 36: Flannery was put off by a Melbourne hitman.

see separate entries.

see put it across

see under one n.¹

1. to lead an active social or sexual life.

1970		Galton & Simpson ‘Cuckoo in the Nest’ Steptoe and Son [TV script] How many more little bastards have you got spread around the world? [...] you certainly used to put yourself about a bit, didn’t you?
1989		M. Amis London Fields 334: The girls were all after him, or at least they weren’t getting out of his way. And Keith was really putting himself about.
2001		K. Sampson Outlaws (ms.) 12: He’s always been half a one for putting himself about a bit.

2. to go into action.

1974

G.F. Newman You Flash Bastard 50: Bernard Hart, scrambled back into the jewellery store. The hole in the wall was fairly small, and he was the only one who made it out before the detectives put themselves about.

to pretend, to hoax.

1931

D. Runyon ‘A Nice Price’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 199: He puts himself away with her as a Russian nobleman.

see get outside (of) under outside adv.

see pump v.

see third degree v.

see separate entries.

1. to drink.

1841		‘A Week’s Matrimony’ Dublin Comic Songster 293: Ten goes of max put out of sight.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 129/2: We’ve put moor’n that out o’ syght afoar neow, an feel’d nun t’ wurse fur it.

2. to eat.

1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 323: – O, by God, says Ned, you should have seen Bloom before that son of his that died was born. I met him one day in the south city markets buying a tin of Neave’s food six weeks before the wife was delivered. [...] – I wonder did he ever put it out of sight, says Joe.

1. to knock over with a gunshot.

1859		H. Kingsley Recollections of G. Hamlyn (1891) 366: ‘I wouldn’t have lost that pistol for five pounds,’ he said; [...] ‘I’ve put over a parrot at twenty yards with it.’.
1910		F.P. Dunne Mr Dooley Says 163: He’d just about managed to put wan over that stopped another wolf.

2. (US) to outwit.

1930

E. Glyn Flirt and Flapper 110: Flapper: If you don’t put over on the other fellow — he’ll put it over on you.

3. to render successful.

1926		H.C. Witwer Roughly Speaking 12: It was a sensational account of an elopment and would have put Tom over, if it hadn’t turned out to be all moist.
1939		Goodman & Kolodin Kingdom of Swing 109: Radio was just beginning to be a strong factor in putting a band over .
1942		W.R. Burnett Quick Brown Fox 102: ‘Got everything, that story. Color, romance, action, plenty of shooting [...] and you put it over’.
1974		E. Wilson Show Business Laid Bare 278: Theo was victorious. That is to say, Edith was victorious. She had put him over.

to cost; often as how much did that put you back?

1909		J.W. Carr in ‘Word-List From Northwest Arkansas’ in DN III:v 402: put one back, v. phr. To cost one. ‘How much did that put you back?’ ‘Six dollars.’.
1999		J. Baker Walking With Ghosts (2000) 70: He’s very fond of it. Put him back nearly three hundred notes.

1. (orig. Aus.) to inform against.

1928		R. Fisher Walls Of Jericho 31: He put me in some time back, see?
1959		D. Niland Big Smoke 147: I dunno what you want to put me in for.
1963		‘Nino Culotta’ Gone Fishin’ 158: He thinks you put him in to the Inspector. You’d better go and square off.
1974		G.F. Newman You Flash Bastard 33: Must be silly as a fucking goat [...] Even using his own name. I wonder if some team put him in there. Could be he’s just a chancer.

2. to ruin someone’s reputation, to talk maliciously behind someone’s back.

1953		T.A.G. Hungerford Riverslake 41: Who told you about putting the Pole in?
1959		C. MacInnes Absolute Beginners 138: ‘I’d like to put him in!’ cried Ron.

3. to incriminate.

1957		D. Niland Call Me When the Cross Turns Over (1958) 129: It’ll put me in and I’ll get the bullet.
1980		J. McClure Spike Island (1981) 457: All I want from you is a statement putting the bobby in it.
1991		D. Simon Homicide (1993) 228: He’s trying to put you in for those murders.

4. to involve, to share with.

2011

J.J. Connolly Viva La Madness 350: I don’t think Sonny will want to put you in it ... not without some persuasion.

(US) to inform, to explain.

1808		B. Bradshaw Hist. of Billy Bradshaw 11: Tip me ten quids, and I shall directly put you upon the spirit of the affair.
1888		J. Runciman Chequers 9: ’Twas your pal as put me on, mind.
1895		J. London ‘’Frisco Kid’s Story’ in High School Aegis X (15 Feb.) 2–3: If I spots’m I’ll put yer on.
1899–1900		C.L. Cullen Tales of the Ex-Tanks 139: I’ll just put you on to how that second scene ought to be done.
1900		J. London ‘Jack London in Boston’ in Boston Eve. Post 26 May 32: Going to throw your feet for Java? I’ll put you on.

(US black) to abandon someone.

1948

Z.N. Hurston Seraph on the Suwanee (1995) 916: ‘Don’t you holler!’ Jim growled. ‘Putting me on the linger like you did! I ought to take my belt to you and run your backside crazy.’.

(US/Aus.) to play a trick on someone, to overcome.

1848		‘Major Jones’ Sketches of Travel 25: Every now and then they’re ketchin up some green feller, and puttin him throo, as they call it.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 24 Jan. 14/1: For the information of our Northern brethren […] we have an amateur in Sydney […] and we have an idea that only pros. of the very first water would be able to ‘put him through.’.
1908		Sporting Times 11 July 1/4: Guv’nor, I’ve got the office to put yer through it, but as I see yer’ve got a lady with yer, I’ll let it go for to-day.

to beat up.

1895

Derby Mercury 9 Jan. 8/3: We was going round to kid (impose upon) him that we had put them through it (assaulted them).

(US black) to stop what one is doing.

1958		E. Gilbert Vice Trap 46: You can put that stuff [i.e. marijuana] down, man.
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 251: put (something) down 1. Give up something. 2. Let something go.

to accuse, to find evidence against.

1935		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Judgement Day in Studs Lonigan (1936) 578: Don’t let them put anything over on you, Shorty.
1937		E. Anderson Thieves Like Us (1999) 196: They can’t put nothing on you, Keechie.
1938		G. Greene Brighton Rock (1943) 112: They can’t put anything on me.
1951		M. Spillane Long Wait (1954) 50: A lot of people try to put it on Servo, but he’s clean.
1970		S. Naipaul Fireflies 33: So don’t try putting anything on me, you hear.

1. (US black) to present (something or someone) to someone.

1960		‘Lord Buckley’ Hiparama of the Classics 10: I’m gonna put a Cat on you, who was the Sweetest, grooviest [...] Cat that ever Stomped on this Sweet Green Sphere.
1964		R. Abrahams Deep Down In The Jungle 48: ‘I’ma put something on your ass.’ You know, just passing speech.
1965		B. Jackson Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 86: I tried to put the square on them but they looked at me and laughed.
1972		C. Fuller Jr ‘Love Song for Wing’ in King Black Short Story Anthol. (1972) 142: He sure put a thing on you, chile!
2008		‘Grandmaster Flash’ Adventures 9: When dad saw me in the living room, it was enough for him to put a whuppin’ on my butt and put my hand to the radiator.

2. to hit.

1971

R. Woodley Dealer 142: ‘I guess the guard just taunted him and taunted him until—well, B.J. don’t taunt too tough. I understand he put a little somethin on the guard’.

to get ready to fight.

1890		Dead Bird (Sydney) 22 Mar. 6/3: ‘Well, d — me, [...] I’ll thump it out of you,’ ‘You will, eh? Put them up,’ and at it they go; a regular ding-dong.
1892		Albert Chevalier ‘Our Little Nipper’ 🎵 ’E gits me on at skittles and ’e flukes, And when ’e wants to ’e can use ’is ‘dooks,’ You see ’im put ’em up, well there, it’s great.
[1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 21 July 24/4: Smiler Hales [...] takes a lively interest in boxing [...] and when he was in a bad temper would ask a man in training to ‘have ’em on,’ and would beseech him to ‘hit me – dam it, hit me hard!’].
1905		Sporting Times 25 Mar. 3/4: ‘Mopping the floor’ with the two ruffians who assailed him earlier in the year already stands to his credit, as the act of a cool, brave man, who will not hesitate to ‘put ’em up’ when occasion offers.
1910		Sporting Times 1 Jan. 10/1: He was a good athlete all round, and even when I first knew him—boy as he was—could ‘put ’em up’ above a bit.
1927		(con. 1835–40) P. Herring Bold Bendigo 137: Tom and me are footing it to Sheffield, taking on any cove as likes to put ’em up for our bread and cheese.
1939		Rover 18 Feb. 16: ‘Put ’em up!’ snarled a voice.

put this (usu. tavern bill) on credit.

1823

‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc.

see separate entries.

to kill, to murder.

1918		‘Minnie May’ in J.J. Niles Singing Soldiers (1927) 35: Now Abner didn’t mind dat gal rompin’ aroun’ / But when she played ’im double, he put ’er under de groun’.
1968		J. Alard He who Shoots Last 2: He musta put some under.
1975		(con. 1900s) G. Swarthout Shootist 119: Anytime you’d like to put ’em under, and clean up this town, yourself included, Council’ll pay for the lead and four first-class wakes.
1991		B. McCarthy Vice Cop 231: ‘Told me I have to find out what the crap was going on or they were gonna put me under’.

see separate entries.

an excl. used in the hope of silencing a nagging or critical person.

1923

T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 67: (IS: Watching the windy kibitzer as he deals in the pinochle game telling a long story before each deal) Aw!! Put on a new record.

shake hands! esp. in the context of sealing a deal or affirming a friendship.

1872		‘Mark Twain’ Innocents at Home 333: ‘Put it there!’ – extending a brawny paw, which closed over the minister’s small hand, and gave it a shake.
1890		Paddy Melon ‘Jack & Jim’ Sporting Times 4 Jan. 3: He met his chum right heartily with, ‘Old man, put it there’.
1894		Truth (Sydney) 15 Apr. 4/8: Put it there, Mr Rayle Straddler!
1903		A.H. Lewis Boss 186: ‘Put it there!’ he cried, extending his hand.
1915		C.J. Dennis ‘Uncle Jim’ in Chisholm (1951) 30: ‘Per country life ain’t cigarettes and beer.’ / ‘I’m game,’ I sez. Sez Uncle, ‘Put it ’ere!’.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 303: - Na bacleis, says the citizen, letting on to be modest. There was a time I was as good as the next fellow anyhow. – Put it there, citizen, says Joe. You were and a bloody sight better.
1925		N. Lucas Autobiog. of a Thief 198: Youse is a regular guy [...] Put her right here, if she weighs a ton.
1936		(con. 1920s) Dos Passos Big Money in USA (1966) 1011: Put it there, buddy.
1950		S. Murphy Stone Mad (1966) 162: Then handshakes all round ... ‘Put it there oul’ stock ... Take care of yourself ... See you in the morning.
1968		A. Buzo Norm and Ahmed (1973) 26: norm: Put ’er there, mate. (He offers his hand).
1975		T. Berger Sneaky People (1980) 112: Let’s shake on it. Put ’er there, partner.
1979		H. Leonard A Life (1981) Act I: Me old flower, put it there.
1999		Guardian G2 24 Aug. 4: Hey Carl, put it there pal.
2000		P. Howard Miseducation of Ross O’Carroll-Kelly (2004) 85: He’s like, ‘Put it there, bud.’.

(US teen) an excl. used to intensify a statement.

2002

Teen Lingo: The Source for Youth Ministry 🌐 put that on Asking for or verifying authenticity. Like to ask ‘you swear!’ or ‘I swear by my mom’s grave.’.