Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an act of theft.

1872		Daily Gazette 1 Apr. n.p.: Of all the swindles and steals that have ever been proposed or carried out in our State, this is the largest and boldest [DA].
1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 26 Aug. 2/2: The New York and Brooklyn politicians [...] were led across the Brooklyn Bridge [...] to prove to the public that the work Is progressing, and to make the ‘steal’ easy for the ‘ring’ .
1901		J. Flynt World of Graft 14: It is the opinion of the known grafters that the big ‘steals’ in Chicago are perpetrated by men who are officially recognized as respectable members of the community.
1911		G. Bronson-Howard Enemy to Society 293: Some kind of a franchise steal was on and th’ reformers needed them papers to keep th’ mayor from signing some bill.
1942		R.L. Bellem ‘Daughter of Murder’ Dan Turner – Hollywood Detective Dec. 🌐 Cut me in for a slice of your take and maybe I’ll let you get away with the steal.
1943		Ted Yates ‘I’ve Been Around’ 24 Sept. [synd. col.] [in sense of ‘scene-stealing’] Hattie McDaniel does ‘a steal’ in the latest James Cagney flicker.
1953		R. Chandler Long Good-Bye 297: But the rich gambler don’t make the big racket, pal. The big steal is in dimes and quarters and half-dollars and once in a while a buck or even a five spot.
1968		J. Barlow Burden of Proof 109: Very nice motor, Henry. A good steal.

2. (orig. US) a bargain; esp. in phr. it’s a steal, often + at... (a sum of money).

1930		R. Whitfield Green Ice (1988) 136: I’ll give you the story [...] But you can’t use it until there’s a break. When that happens, if you play with me now, I’ll give you everything. It’ll be a steal.
1944		J. Archibald ‘Downed on the Farm’ in Ten Detective Aces Nov. 🌐 Two bucks and a half, and it is a steal.
1955		(con. 1944) H. Robbins A Stone for Danny Fisher 251: ‘I just spent a week casin’ this set-up,’ I protested. ‘For fifteen grand it’s a steal.’.
1966		‘Tom Pendleton’ Iron Orchard (1967) 380: It’s a lousy steal.
1971		J. Simon Sign of Fool 52: Ritchie came over on a three-wheeled Harley and told me it was a virtual steal. He’d bought it for seventy-five dollars.
1996		K. Lette Mad Cows 233: Adoption. One nine-month-old. One prev. owner. A steal. Take tyke out for a test perambulation.
2000		Guardian Rev. 1 Jan. 14: Only £7 to get in. A steal and a must.
2012		Village Voice 3 Mar. 🌐 That said, that $12 million was a steal compared to the original asking price of $18 million.
2013		K. Sampson Killing Pool 163: We’ll cokme in here [...] and toast out success with a bottle of Cheval Blanc they offer in here at a pert £1,800. ‘A steal,’ he said [...] laughing voraciously.
2015		S. King Finders Keepers (2016) 33: It was old, but looked sturdy. Morrie considered it a steal.
2023		(con. 1962) J. Ellroy Enchanters 81: It’s [i.e. a nude Marilyn Monroe photo] at steal at fifty bucks per.