Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. over-priced, exorbitant, excessive, exaggerated.

1856		Knickerbocker (N.Y.) XLVII 362: He’s too steep in his price, anyway [DA].
1863		‘Edmund Kirke’ Life in Dixie’s Land 67: That struck me as ‘rather steep’ for ‘common doin’s’; particularly as we had furnished the food.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 16 May 6/1: Mr. Theodore Watts […] was many years ago editor of the Argus, which he is understood to have left in consequence of his theological opinions being somewhat too ‘steep’ for his proprietary. He once started a leader by saying that the politics of somebody were ‘like unto the grace of God, which passeth all understanding.’.
1892		‘The Patriotic’ in ‘F. Anstey’ Mr Punch’s Model Music Hall 16: The price we’re asked to pay is pretty steep.
1903		A. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise 42: Although the well-worn growl at the Roman’s prices has been swollen into a roar by [...] men who never paid a bill there, no doubt exists that his tariff was a bit steep.
1916		J. Buchan Greenmantle (1930) 266: Turkey would pay for the lot to Germany: probably had already paid the bill: but she would pay double for the things not on the way-bills, and pay to this fellow and his friends. This struck me as rather steep even for Oriental methods of doing business.
1928		M.C. Sharpe Chicago May (1929) 71: As I had been cautioned not to go too steep, for fear of suspicion, I limited myself to eighteen hundred dollars’ worth of purchases.
1933		W.R. Burnett Dark Hazard (1934) 271: ‘I’ll give you two hundred dollars for him.’ [...] ‘Don’t go too steep now, Herman.’.
1947		S.J. Perelman ‘No Dearth of Mirth’ Keep It Crisp 83: ‘Isn’t that a bit steep?’ ‘Not for people of discrimination, those who can afford the finer things.’.
1952		(con. 1920s) ‘Harry Grey’ Hoods (1953) 99: That’s pretty steep. [...] I understand Combination members pay only three grand for the same services.
1965		J. Orton Loot Act I: The repair bill will be steep.
1973		G.V. Higgins Digger’s Game (1981) 63: I think fourteen hundred’s a little steep.
1994		I. Welsh ‘The Granton Star Cause’ Acid House 126: One pound, sixty-five pence [...] – Eh? Bit steep.
2005		P. Howard Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress 26: Five-and-a-half grandingtons? It’s a bit, er, steep, isn’t it?

2. extreme, beyond the limit; esp. in phr. a bit steep.

1841		R.W. Emerson ‘Intellect’ Essays 1st Series No. XI (1983) 421: Perhaps if we should meet Shakspeare we should not be conscious of any steep inferiority.
1857		T.H. Gladstone Englishman in Kansas 121: We’ve stood them a mighty steep time, but they ain’t agoin’ to carry on that powerful any longer.
1887		‘’Arry on His Critics’ in Punch 17 Dec. 280/1: I shall paternize it with much pleasure, it’s steep, but it’s puffect good form.
1890		Bulletin (Sydney) 5 July 7/4: Smart, but too ‘steep.’ Why not send us something more level-headed.
1907		P. Fitzpatrick Jock of the Bushveld 22: Tell us what did happen, Bob. What’s the truth of it? It seemed a bit steep as I heard it.
1913		A. Lunn Harrovians 40: It got a bit steep. You couldn’t go into a room without finding some fag smoking.
1919		J. Buchan Mr Standfast (1930) 478: In a corner of Letchford’s paper, the Critic, I found a letter which was one of the steepest pieces of invective I had ever met with.
1930		‘Leslie Charteris’ Enter the Saint 31: I want something steep in corpse-revivers.
1947		J. Symons Man Called Jones (1949) 164: Well, I must say it does seem a bit steep, even to me.
1982		G. Newbold Big Huey 254: steep (adj) Crass, presumptuous, unethical, excessive, uncalled-for.
1998		J. Hoskison Inside 15: Fuck me — bit steep, innit? You kill someone?
2000		Indep. Rev. 19 May 4: It’s a bit steep when you consider that he has actually been a member of the same august body since 1978.