Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to show off, to flaunt oneself; thus showing out n.

1793		Sporting Mag. July II 221/1: In the general hurry and confusion of ‘shewing out,’ the irregular action and short turns of the horse [...] is frequently forgotten.
1841		Ladies’ Repository (N.Y.) I Dec. 368: T_______ came forward before the assembled multitude with almost an audacious air, deliberately made his best bow, and so far from being abashed, became quite graceful, in the gratified opportunity, as it seemed, of showing out.
1859		Taliaferro Fisher’s R. 176: He [...] buckled up to the ’squire, like a little dog does to a big one when he wants to show out [DARE].
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 4 Apr. 8/2: Arrived at Charity Point, no time was cut to waste, both men showing out almost immediately, and drawing up for a start.
1889		Mary E. Wilkins Far-away Melody (1890) 258: See that old lady trailing her best black silk by. [...] Ain’t it ridiculous how she keeps on showing out? [DA].
1932		Stribling Store 125: The little idiot says he doesn’t believe in God [...] I think [...] he does it to show-out [DARE].
1940		AmSp XV 220: If a Westerner is vexed with someone who is ‘showing out’ (bragging), he is capable of saying quite a few things.
1954		Harder Collection n.p.: Show out. . . To move around in such a way that people will take notice. . . A loud, self-assertive person [DARE].
c.1960		Wilson Coll. csKY. n.p.: Show out... To show off, often with the added idea of letting the cat out of the bag, revealing too much [DARE].
1970		‘Metropolitan Police Sl.’ in P. Laurie Scotland Yard (1972) 327: show out, to: to give oneself away, or purposely to allow to be recognized as a policeman.
1974		G.F. Newman You Flash Bastard 34: Might come to sweet-FA. That looks like happening. Well we might even have to stick someone into him and get him to show out.
1977		S. Berkoff East in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 48: So what if sly old Sylv had led me on a touch by showing out to all the lads.
1980		J.L. Gwaltney Drylongso xvii: showing out – youthful exhibitionism.
1980		T. Lewis GBH 45: A girl from a current affairs programme pretended not to know who I was and showed out in the hope of getting God knows what.
1988		NWA ‘Fuck Tha Police’ 🎵 Black police showin out for the white cop.
1992		R.C. Cruz Straight Outta Compton 21: Flip started showing out. ‘Streevus mone on the revus cone!’ he yelled.
1993		Eble Campus Sl. Apr. 6: you done showed out – expression of admiration, approval. X: ‘After our fight I drove off in his car.’ Y: ‘Girl, you done showed out.’.
2000		J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 68: Is it my ego or my dick or is she showing out just a bit?
2001		Jay-Z ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ 🎵 Like to show out in public, throw tantrums on the floor.
2008		Three 6 Mafia ‘I Told ‘Em’ 🎵 You show out, try to buck, make ‘em think you tough.
2013		Juicy J ‘Show Out’ 🎵 Every time I go out, you know I gotta show out.

2. to make a sign; thus as n. a sign of recognition.

1935		Thieves Slang ms list from District Police Training Centre, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwicks 10: Show out: Signal .
1955		B. Hill Boss of Britain’s Underworld 161: There was no big hush [...] or anything like that. The only show-out would have been the eyes.
1959		J. Gosling Ghost Squad 39: When you entered the rendezvous and saw your man you waited for the ‘show-out’ — a brief nod — before you joined him.
1979		(con. 1920s) J. White ‘Campbell Bunk’ in History Workshop 26: A rich vein of slang which harked back to an older London street culture [...] Words which were not current in ordinary working-class speech [...] show out (make a sign) .

3. to complain, to make a fuss.

1955

B. Hill Boss of Britain’s Underworld 95: Me and my mob were now making so much money that some of the other villains were getting a big jealous. They showed out more than enough when they had a few drinks.