Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (orig. US black) to deal efficiently with matters in hand.

[1919		Van Loan ‘The Squirrel’ in Score by Innings (2004) 337: He’s a nut [...] but he’s quiet, and he ’tends to business].
1952		(con. 1920s) ‘Harry Grey’ Hoods (1953) 162: The Boss is up early in the morning taking care of business.
1960		C. Cooper Jr Syndicate (1998) 5: Right now, I want you to take care of business.
1968		N. Heard Howard Street 110: Hustlers ain’t got no nights off [...] Every day and every night is takin’ care of business.
1968		H. Sebold Adolescence 251: If you’re really into something, naturally you T.C.B. — take care of business.
1972		Milner & Milner Black Players 40: Hustlers often speak of taking care of business, which is frequently abbreviated as TCB. This can mean anything from selling some marijuana to having to slap a woman who is ‘out of line,’ and is a recognition that the ‘illegitimate’ world involves necessary ‘business,’ just like the ‘legit’ world which excludes them.
1975		J. Roe The Same Old Grind 117: ‘That’s just Thorpe taking care of busines. He’s got three ladies to hustle for’.
1987		T. Wolfe Bonfire of the Vanities 3: Chuck come up to Harlem and gonna take care a business.
1997		‘Q’ Deadmeat 84: Get a grip, stop taking plug, and start TCB.
1999		Indep. on Sun. Rev. 22 Aug. 15: I’ll come up there and take care of business myself, personally. You understand?
2001		K. Sampson Outlaws (ms.) 28: I targeted these sleepy little places where there was a population centre an that, but no cunt seemed to be taking care of business.
2002		‘Touré’ Portable Promised Land (ms.) 157: We Words (My Favorite Things) [...] TLC. TCB. CPT. PHD. OPP. BMOC. HNIC.
2006		in D. Seabrook Jack of Jumps (2007) 81: Fancy having to waste time on a toerag [...] when you could be taking care of real business.
2010		K. Richards Life 439: He’s still taking care of biz at my house in Connecticut.

2. to have sexual intercourse.

1962		J. Blake letter 3 June in Joint (1972) 181: I took a fabulously beautiful spade stud to the party [...] He was a great success at the gala and wound up taking care of the biz with some predatory gray chick in the john.
1968		J. Colebrook Cross of Lassitude 45: ‘What you doin’?’ ‘T.c.b.,’ murmurs Beppo. [...] ‘Taking care of business’ [...] The two bodies are thrashing about in the bed.
1972		J. Hudson ‘Hustling Ethic’ in Kochman Rappin’ and Stylin’ Out 420: [T]rick broads desire [that a pimp be] a competent and satisfying sex partner [...] ‘After turning tricks with those jive Johns, I need a dude who can take care of business when I want to have some fun’.
1986–7		Maledicta IX 143: Here is some of the argot of the British lads and lassies on the game, the private language of TCB (taking care of business).