Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. rich, well-off.

1610		Jonson Alchemist I I i: A gentleman newly warm in his land, sir.
1621		Middleton Anything for a Quiet Life I i: cham.: Believe it, I am a poor Commoner. cres.: Come, you are warm, and blest with a fair Wife.
1639		Beaumont & Fletcher Wit Without Money II i: Such a warme match.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Warm, well lined or flush in the Pocket.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1766		Colman & Garrick Clandestine Marriage III ii: My brother Heidelberg was a warm man, a very warm man; and died worth a plumb at least.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1791		‘Brother Rook’ Willy Wood & Greedy Grizzle 3: [He] then a conceiv’d a careful wife / [...] /Nor car’d he whether old or young / [...] / Nor heeded tho’ his wedded chum (If warm in purse) were deaf and dumb.
1809		B.H. Malkin (trans.) Adventures of Gil Blas (1822) I 257: This warm old gentleman has the moderation to lend me money at twenty per cent.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1830		B.M. Carew Gypsey of the Glen II i: I know you Scotchmen like the goldfinches. Ah, her father is pretty warm, I can tell you.
1844		C. Selby London By Night I ii: Well, as Mr. Fairleigh is what the world calls ‘warm,’ his newly found friends are about to appropriate a portion of his capital.
1853		Dickens ‘Slang’ in Household Words 24 Sept. 75/2: To express that he is rich, we say that he is warm, comfortable, [...] or is worth a plum.
1865		R.S. Surtees Facey Romford’s Hounds 239: Deuced warm fellow that — has his five thousand a year.
1867		J. Greenwood Unsentimental Journeys 43: Bless you, old Tommy’s a warm man — never drinks nothing but brandy-and-water!
1873		Sl. Dict.
1890		‘’Arry on the ’Oliday Season’ in Punch 16 Aug. 74/1: Rads may rail at ‘the clarses’ like ginger, but all on us likes to be ‘warm.’.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 93: Warm, rich, plenty of money.
1900		Sporting Times 12 May 2/1: In company with (I suppose) as ‘warm’ a lot of blue-blooded ‘Corinthians’ as went racing.
1908		‘Hugh McHugh’ Go To It 25: You’re a warm young guy / When you start to buy.

2. sexually unrestrained.

1690		‘Teague’ Teagueland Jests II 163: The Frenchman presently grew warm, and began to caress his Landlady.
1732		Harlot’s Progress 47: By them a learned Subject form, / The Duty of Woman, when she’s warm; / How far with Nature’s Dictates they / May act.
1779		Thrale Thraliana i Mar.-Apr. 374: [N]o other Principles [than religion] will restrain a Woman of a warm Constitution & high health from making Cuckolds of Creatures who neglect their Charms.
1839		Crim.-Con. Gaz. 25 May 137/1: The pretty fair haired barmaid to keep herself padlocked as she is in very warm company.
1857		Venus’ Miscellany (NY) 23 May n.p.: Suction split, a deep ravine near Cream Lake in the Kingdom of Easy Belly, a warm country in Eth-i-o-pia.
1869		Man about Town 23 Oct. 52/3: But at breakfast [i.e. in a country house], unless the night have been a ‘warm’ one, [...] one is alive, washed, combed, clothed, and in one’s right mind.
1879		London Life 14 June 5/1: I must own that some modern songs are warm, such as ‘I have lost my key’.
1904		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 14 Dec. 2/3: [cartoon caption] Johnnie : I've heard she’s pretty warm. Gussie : Warm! She’s that hot a fellow wants smoked glasses to look at her.
1914		Sport (Adelaide) 22 May 3/7: Dicksie was warm with E.C. Tuesday night and Saturday with Lilyveil. Turn it up, Dick .

3. slightly drunk.

1734		C. Johnson Hist. of Highwaymen &c. 308: Being naturally pretty amorous, and at that Time in particular warm with his Favourite Liquor, he made his Address to her.
1747		H. Simms Life of Henry Simms/Alias Young Gentleman Harry 34: I generally drank both at and after my Meals pretty freely, I soon grew warm.
1777		Thrale Thraliana i June 80: Graham was got warm with Wine and Kindness.
1812		Spirit of Irish Wit 112: A pert youngster [...] rather warm with wine.
1956		R. Service ‘The Homicide’ in Rhymes for Reality (1965) 220: They say she speeded wanton wild / When she was warm with wine; / And so she killed a little child.

4. infected with a venereal disease.

1740		‘The Cruel Mother in Law’ in Amorous Miller’s Garland 6: Did you hear of that great Whore, / That lately hath bought Tanfield Tower, [...] But now she’s really grown so warm [...] So to the Doctor she did go / For to be Fluxt for ought I know.
1855		Life in Boston & N.Y. (Boston, MA) 14 Apr. n.p.: Have a care, bub. Maggy is one of a kind who needs no fire to keep her warm [...] She might leave you some striking proofs of her attachment.

5. sharp-tempered.

1753		Foote Taste in Works (1799) I 9: Dear Sir, you are so warm, we shall be blown.
1772		Foote Nabob in Works (1799) II 290: You seem warm; no misunderstanding, I hope.
1781		C. Macklin Man of the World Act III: I am afraid we shall hai a warm squabble.
1793		Sporting Mag. Mar. I 351/1: A certain gentleman, who is a very good sportsman, but a warm one, when he sees the company pressing too close upon his hounds [etc.].
1802		Sporting Mag. June XX 138/2: Milo was impeded by the obstruction of an impudent carman; he gives and receives ill-language, gets warm [...] strips and fights.
1812		Spirit of Irish Wit 242: Several warm gentlemen of the army were made to believe [...] that Mr Evans had affronted the whole limitary body.
1815		H.H. Brackenridge Modern Chivalry (1937) Pt II Vol. IV 690: The attorney general [...] was very warm on the occasion, and disposed to prosecute them.
1822		(con. early 17C) W. Scott Fortunes of Nigel III 58: ‘It is you who mistake,’ answered Nigel, who began to grow warm.
1843		Bellew Memoirs of a Griffin II 97: ‘Why, you are warm, colonel [...] may i ask when you took so keenly to politics?’.
1854		F. Smedley Harry Coverdale’s Courtship 82: My father was so carried away by the subject as to become injudiciously warm.
1862		W. Cheadle Journal (1931) 16 Dec. 95: In the evening had rather a warm discussion with Milton about furs, he wanting to take all [...] & not allow me to have any made for myself!
1876		G. Lander Little Gerty III i: mrs. g.: I, for one, will never tolerate the presence of that odious old creature! (With a look of profound contempt at Patty.) mick: That’s warm — scorchin hot, bedad.
1878		Derbyshire Times 27 Feb. 3/4: A warm discussion then took place, Mr Turnbull threatening to summon the board.
1887		Bulletin (Sydney) 15 Oct. 8/4: The discussion grew decidedly warm, and at one time it seemed as if the dogs were likely to be sooled onto the sexton.
1895		Coburg Leader (Vic.) 3 Aug. 1/6: Dilley gets very warm over ‘Burns.’ Take a drop of McGuinesses’ best and it will keep you cool.
1899		A. Binstead Houndsditch Day by Day 66: Old Ben Barnett was just about as warm as the hinges on the front door of the bad place.
1900		Ade More Fables in Sl. (1960) 119: He was quite Important and fairly Warm.
1967		P. Thomas Down These Mean Streets (1970) 33: Poppa’s English sounded different when he got warm.

6. enthusiastic, zealous.

1771		Foote Maid of Bath in Works (1799) II 228: I can’t think [...] what the deuce makes thee so warm in this business.
1781		S. Johnson in Boswell Life (1906) II 340: The language is warm indeed.
1832		Satirist (London) 11 Mar. 85/3: Why is the Chronicle so warm for the niggers ?—Because the Editor is a Black.
1894		Coburg Leader (Vic.) 17 Nov. 2/7: The umpires in the Pots v. Hurst match were as warm as one of Cornwell’s kilns when on full fire. This is hot, boys, very hot.
1907		D. Stewart Shadows of the Night in Illus. Police News 3 Aug. 12/3: ‘My! You are a warm ’un!’.
1910		D. Stewart Tragedy of the White House in Illus. Police News 20 Aug. 12/3: ‘[He] did a burst (broke into a house) last night; but the coppers are pretty warm arter him’.
1953		‘Curt Cannon’ ‘Now Die In It’ in I Like ’Em Tough (1958) 54: Didn’t know you were still warm for her form, pal.

7. fast or powerful.

1805		J. Davis Post Captain (1813) 12: Our cannonades are warm pieces, and they throw a shot pretty far.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 24 Jan. 14/1: In the Steeplechase on New Year’s Day he cut out the work at so warm a pace that each of his four opponents came to grass, leaving the plucky son of Horatio to waltz in by himself.
1903		Monroe City Democrat (MO) 21 May 8/3: A rubber tired [sic] blue cloth trimmed run about that is one of the warmest things that ever hit the pike .

8. suggestive, esp. of speech.

1814		Austen Mansfield Park (1926) 141: I do not know the play; but as Maria says, if there is anything a little too warm [...] it can easily be left out.
1841		Punch 24 July I 18: punch: — What’s the garter of a peer to the garters of Lady Adeliza. reader: — You are getting warm, mr. punch: — very warm.
1868		H.L. Williams Black-Eyed Beauty 12: Oh such a roar of laughter as went up. ‘Some pantelettes!’ yelled a boy. ‘Ain’t it warm, down there!’ cried a man in a window.
1878		‘’Arry on Himself’ in Punch 21 Dec. in P. Marks (2006) 6: Like my high jinks, like my egg – ’ot, mixed stiff, rayther spicy and warm.
1888–94		‘Walter’ My Secret Life (1966) II 302: My conversation got warm, then baudy, the girls got warm and then laughed at my smut.
1894		Truth (Sydney) 19 Feb. 1/8: Here’s a pretty ‘warm’ advertisiement clipped from the ‘Evenooze’: Gentleman visiting Sydney requires lady housekeeper for a short time [etc.].
1890		‘’Arry on [...] the Glorious Twelfth’ in Punch 30 Aug. 97/2: Big dry-salter in Thames Street, bit warm / In his langwidge occasional.
1901		D. Cotsford Society Snapshots 234: The first act was cool enough [...] but, afterwards, it got warmer and warmer, and at the end of the Bath-room act, the stalls rose en masse, and left the theatre [...] It was an act of gross — impropriety, besides being an abominable libel on the Peerage.
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 81: The songs were too warm for this country.
1914		Bulletin (Sydney) 27 Aug. 11: She: ‘Say, what do men mean when they whistle at what is said?’ / He: ‘Oh, well – er – it sometimes means that the conversation is rather warm.’.
1928		R. Carr Rampant Age 178: Jeesy, you ought to read it! Pretty warm in a couple of places.
1959		P. Hansford-Johnson Unspeakable Skipton (1961) 27: Old Cosmo said your book was pretty warm.

9. unpleasant, uncomfortable.

1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 101/1: Thinking that the matter would get warm, I [...] remarked that no doubt it was a joke on Mrs. Dunn’s part.
1873		J. O’Connor Wanderings of a Vagabond 411: I’ll make Lexington a pretty warm place for Mr. Bowles when I get back!
1887		‘’Arry on His Critics’ in Punch 17 Dec. 280/1: [It] makes it tremenjously warm / For William the Woodchopper.
1888		St Paul Dly Globe (MN) 14 Oct. 19/2: The owner of the dog swears she will make things warm for him in the sweet by-and-by.
1890		Bulletin (Sydney) 19 July 5/1: How these real protectors of the peace must and do stick together – not slinking away from a row, but rushing headlong to the assistance of the pal who is being jumped upon – is known only to those who have studied night-life in the neighbourhood of the New Cut, the Elephant and Castle, and such warm haunts of the ‘wrong ’uns.’.
1896		Pink & LeBrunn [perf. Marie Lloyd] ‘Chance Your Luck’ 🎵 And you know, as on you roam that for coming so late home / Your wife will make things warm for you.
1917		F. Packard Adventures of Jimmie Dale (1918) 16: Things are a little too warm, aren’t they, Jimmie? Let’s let them cool for a year.
1918		R.H. Knyvett ‘Over There’ with the Australians 168: I had eight batteries on the wire, and we gave that ‘minnie’ position a pretty warm time.
1927		D. Hammett ‘$106,000 Blood Money’ Story Omnibus (1966) 330: For a warm couple of seconds bullets spattered all around us.
1933		(con. WWI) F. Richards Old Soldiers Never Die (1964) 111: They were having a very warm time of it.
1953		P. Closterman (trans.) Big Show 42: The whole Luftwaffe was in the air today! Things were going to get warm.

10. (orig. UK Und.) under suspicion; of a place, dangerous for criminal activity; thus warmish adj.

1845		J. Lindridge Sixteen-String Jack 174: London’s getting a precious sight too warm for you all three.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 24/1: As it was some hours before the Diligence would start from Calais, and the city rather ‘warm,’ we agreed to walk out as far as St. Pierre, a village a short distance from Calais.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 93: Warm, [...] dangerous.
1905		Sporting Times 15 Apr. 2/3: Although old Daddy Mills had been a warmish patsy all his life, he had always contrived to steer clear of the police.
1910		Sun. Times (Perth) 6 Feb. 2nd sect. 2/6: According to the ‘Collie Miner,’' the Foundation Handicap [...] was a pretty ‘warm’ affair. [An] extravagantly absurd quote against one of a field of three [...] at once prompted the stewards to ‘think things’.
1936		J. Curtis Gilt Kid 11: Others had suggested Tottenham Court Road, but, wanting a few days freedom, he had scorned that as being too warm.
1953		T. Runyon In For Life 90: The joy-popping brigade found itself more than a little warm.
1955		B. Hill Boss of Britain’s Underworld 62: We did not sell the gear for a day or two, since it was warm.
2011		J.J. Connolly Viva La Madness 73: London [...] got warm, so he decamped over to the Dam,.

11. of a situation or place, exciting, active.

1837		Marryat Snarleyyow 84: ‘I thought as how this work would be too warm for him,’ observed Bill Spurey.
1845		W.T. Porter Big Bear of Arkansas (1847) 109: I can’t very well leave the game now – it’s getting right warm!
1873		W.H. Thomes Slaver’s Adventures 208: It means [...] they are hoisting out the launch, and that we are to have some warm work.
1883		‘Mark Twain’ Life on the Mississippi (1914) 246: Shells were screaming and bursting all around. Mighty warm times.
1896		Ade Artie (1963) 94: What do you think of it as far as you’ve got? Warm town, eh?
1903		Buchan Daily Tel. (WV) 3 Jan. 1/5: The municipal election at Keystone Thursday was, in slang terms a ‘warm baby.’.
1906		Sun. Times (Perth) 25 Feb. 4/8: We were warm ’uns in the old days when the Settlement was young, / We were hot stuff in the happy, careless days.
1919		J. Buchan Mr Standfast (1930) 502: I told him that I had half thought of Barrow, but decided to try Glasgow, since the Clyde seemed to be a warm corner.
1924		P. Marks Plastic Age 237: Don’t leave now. [...] Why, hell, man, the game ’s just getting warm.
2000		J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 112: ‘Is it warm up this way, Trevor,’ I ask. ‘It’s all action, everyone wants a slice.’.

12. of an object, usu. a picture, sexy, suggestive.

c.1850		Peeping Tom (London) 1 4/3: the monk by Lewis [...] [S]uppressed on account of its luscious pictures of the licentiousness and debauchery of the Black-coated Gentry Some of its scenes are a little warm, it is true.
1857		Paul Pry (London) 15 Aug. n.p.: PARISIAN BELLES. SCENES from FAST LIFE in the FRENCH CAPITAL.— These Stereoscopic Slides of the voluptuous Women of Paris, taken from superb Models, are now to be obtained singly or in sets. [...] N.B. A Catalogue, descriptive of these warm Gems, sent on receipt of Six stamps, and a stamped envelope.
1890		Bulletin (Sydney) 19 July 5/2: The ancients saw in woman’s form / No cause for giggles lewd, / Nor slyly whispered, ‘Aint it warm, / This study from the nude?’.
1895		Coburg Leader (Vic.) 22 June 1/5: What about the pair of sterling stainless, Alick. Are they warm?

13. of a bill, large, poss. exorbitant.

1884

H. Smart Post to Finish III 276: ‘Rather warm for the fraternity [i.e. bookmakers]’ remarked Farrington [...] ‘Yes, Captain, it’s a scorcher, that’s what it is.’.

14. (US) able, competent.

1899		W.J. Kountz Billy Baxter’s Letters 41: Say, Jim, if you ever happen to be hunting around for a real true old sport, don’t overlook General Hemingway [...] When it comes to warm propositions he is certainly the bell cow.
1902		‘Hugh McHugh’ It’s Up to You 101: Jim Nelson thinks that when it comes to poker he’s about the warmest little bundle of nerves that ever tapped a Jack.
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 10 Jan. 2/3: Joe Hayward will continue in charge of this warm team [i.e. of racehorses].
1912		E. Pugh City Of The World 55: That means I am pretty warm.
1932		D.L. Sayers Have His Carcase 154: I always thought he was a pretty warm man, for a duke.

15. of a woman, sexy, provocative; ext. as warm baby, warm dame, etc.; occas. of a man, see cite 1910.

[1748		E. Moore Foundling I i: Mercy on us! that a well-built fellow, with common sense, should take pains to unman himself, to tempt a warm girl of two-and-twenty to come to bed to him!] .
[1748		Spy on Mother Midnight II 7: [H]ow many Maidenheads might I take, and to how many warm Widows might I afford Comfort, without one Grain of'Scandal?].
1890		Music Hall & Theatre Rev. 11 Jan. 5/2: E. Mitchell informed the company that his wife is a warm ’un.
1893		‘Bob Sterling’ Town-Bull 46: ‘He is kind and good to me, but Aunt Belle, you know, how warm I am. He has seen his best days’.
1896		Lytton & LeBrunn [perf. Marie Lloyd] The Chili Widow 🎵 He was ready and willing a kindness to perform / But perhaps the Three Star Brandy had made her sufficiently warm.
1901		‘Hugh McHugh’ Down the Line 58: You certainly picked out a warm proposition when you put your arms around Lizzie B.
1904		St Paul Globe (MN) 7 Aug. 27/2: When Juliet was dancing in what they called ‘de cakewalk — look-ee! ain’t she warm’.
c.1908		Harrington & Powell [perf. Marie Lloyd] The Directoire Girl 🎵 I at the races, shone, with my directoire on / They said that I was warmer than the weather.
1910		H. Green ‘At the Actors’ Boarding House’ in Galena Eve. Times (KS) 10 June 4/3: [of a man] Was she doin’ her act around the hotel? She’s there with some warm stuff.
1925		Odum & Johnson Negro and His Songs (1964) 176: Baby, you sho lookin’ warm.
1930		(con. 1900s–10s) Dos Passos 42nd Parallel in USA (1966) 215: She’s a warm baby and she’s dancing in the Red Mill.
1935		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Judgement Day in Studs Lonigan (1936) 666: Nothing could be sweeter than a warm dame like her.
1938		N. Lindsay Age Of Consent 184: Pretty slick of old Mudgy getting a warm bit of stuff like that.
1947		(con. 1944) J.H. Burns Gallery (1948) 137: If you want to give us a good laugh, why don’t you bring one of your Warm Sisters with you and make a gruesome twosome?
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 249: warm baby A passionate young woman.
1958		H. Ellison Web of the City (1983) 119: He’d had her pegged as warm drawers from the outset.
1959		E. De Roo Go, Man, Go! 55: Need an engraved invitation? I’m warm for you.
1966		Trimble 5000 Adult Sex Words and Phrases.
2002		‘Valley Girls’ on Paranoiafanzine 🌐 And I’ll even show you how to be a maximum warm babe like us how to get a totally viscious dude to notice you.

16. (Aus.) intimate; thus warmish adj.

1911		Alaska Citizen 28 Aug. 7/2: Things were getting too warm to keep much longer without fermenting. In fact their letters began to burn holes in the mail sacks.
1934		Wodehouse Right Ho, Jeeves 95: It involved some rather warmish medieval dialogue, I recall, racy of the days when they called a spade a spade.

17. (US black) human, affectionate, the opposite of cool adj. (1)

1992

J. Mowry Way Past Cool 172: Well, it be a warm thing for you dudes to be doin, wouldn’t it? An, yo. You really wanna help them kids.

18. (Aus.) a solid blow.

1901

Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 25 Sept. 1/5: Charlie showed what sort of a left he is possessed of, getting three or four real warm ’uns on Riley’s face.