shape v.
(Irish) to show off, to display oneself; thus shaper n., one who poses.
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | ‘’Arry on [...] the Glorious Twelfth’ Punch 30 Aug. 97/2: My rig-out was a picter [...] I shaped spiffin, in mustard-and-mud-colour checks. | |
| Mirror of Life 16 Mar. 10/3: We have before remarked how Mr. Gunn shapes—often more pro-ish than the pro. | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | (con. 1880–90s) I Knock at the Door 55: Yah, sneered Connor, you’re shapin’. Just because your father’s dead you think you’re big in your black suit. | |
| Traveller’s Samples 25: You were shaping! You’re always showing off. | |
| An Only Child (1970) 96: They said I was mad or that I was ‘shaping’ (the Cork word for swanking). | |
| Down by the Glenside n.p.: My mother bought me a white shirt and a red tie [...] so John the Sur’s grandson certainly ‘shaped’ [BS]. | |
| Deadmeat 253: Froggy wasn’t shaping. He would throw licks first and ask questions later. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Black Mass 31: As a teenager, he was seen as a ‘shaper,’ a wanna-be who looked good in a baseball hat . | |
| Everyday Eng. and Sl. 🌐 Throwing Shapes (v): what a shaper does. [Ibid.] Shaper (n): young guy who takes up a lot of space when he struts around. |
In phrases
(US black) to speak impudently.
| Cross of Lassitude 75: Don’t shape your mouth, girl. |
1. (also shape up against, ...to) to ready oneself, e.g. for a fight, to start work.
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Geelong Advertiser (Vic.) 25 June 2/4: Her Majesty’s good English is in great danger of going out of use at the gold fields [...] For example, a thief is dubbed a ‘fossicker,’ a bad hole a ‘schisser,’ and a man taking off his coat to work is said to be ‘shaping.’ . | |
| Eureka Stockade 9: By this time two covies [...] had stripped to their middle, and were ‘shaping’ for a round or two [OED]. | |
| Bell’s Life in Sydney 18 Aug. 3/2: Rosanna [...] ‘shaped’ to tho convulsed Chinaman, and in a style and with a vigour that would hava astonished even Tom Sayers, delivered a terrific right hander on his sinister shoulder. | |
| Athletic World 31 May 99/2: Bassano [...] without the least attempt at shaping, hit him sharply on the nose [OED]. | |
| Bulletin (Sydney) 2 Aug. 17/2: Every man has a natural style of ‘shaping,’ and if the first time he ‘puts up his hands,’ the right hand and foot come to the front, that is the style in which Nature has intended him to ‘put a head’ on his opponent. | |
| Portsmouth Eve. News (Hants.) 6 Apr. 3/3: When Long picked deceased up and struck at him deceased did not ‘shape up’ to him. | |
| Bulletin (Sydney) 6 Oct. 24/1: The success of Otto Cribb has caused brother Arthur to take to the bruising game; he’ll shape up against ‘Rollo’ at the Golden Gate [...] next week. Rollo’s [...] a tough ’un who’ll want licking. | |
| Bulletin (Sydney) 12 Dec. 28/4: ‘Put ’em up, yer cur!’ he said, shaping up. | |
| Working Bullocks 78: The two men shaped up before each other. | |
| (con. 1880–90s) I Knock at the Door 55: Yah, sneered Connor, you’re shapin’. | |
| Poor Man’s Orange 5: Cancer wasn’t a thing you could shape up to, and knock silly. | |
![[NZ]](/static/img/flags/nz.png "New Zealand") | Shiner Slattery 149: The conjurer was shaping up to the Shiner. | |
| Villain’s Tale 36: There were some professionals sparring and shaping up with would-be champions. | |
 | (con. 1932-3) Bodyline Autopsy 268: Mitchell removed his glasses and shaped up to the giant. |
2. (also shape itself/oneself) of a situation or person, to develop or turn out.
| Army Letters (1903) 278: As things are shaping I do not much think I shall try [DA]. | |
| Knocking About in N.Z. 5: She, in colonial phraseology, ‘shaped’ so well, that before a year was over she had married a gentleman holding a respectable position. | |
| Robbery Under Arms (2006) 365: A Month’s loafing in the Hollow. Nothing doing and nothing to think of [...]. Then things began to shape themselves. | |
| ‘The Flag of Their Country’ in Complete Stalky & Co. (1987) 214: They shape well – extremely well they shape. | |
| Susan Lenox II 3: We’ll see how you shape up. | |
| Gem 16 Sept. 13: I want to see how this kid will shape at footer. | |
| Sagebrusher 90: We’re waiting [...] until things kind of shapes up [DA]. | |
| Hopalong Cassidy Returns 116: Trouble is shapin’ up like land on us. | |
| Squeaker (1950) 19: How’s that man Tillman shaping? | |
| Shearer’s Colt 151: ‘How’s the show shaping?’ said Her Ladyship. | |
| Men in Battle 198: It’s plain as mud; everything’s shaping up that way. It’s in the bag. | |
| Whizzbang Comics 32: Think it’s shaping all right? | |
| Dover Exp. (Kent) 22 May 2/3: That was only an idea — it might be quite daft — but it was the sort of thing the suggested committee would shape up to. | |
| High Window 123: I was a bit rough when you came in, but you shape up pretty good. | |
| Caught (2001) 58: How’s she shaping? | |
| Come in Spinner (1960) 271: ‘How’s he shaping?’ ‘Top-notch. Got a head on him.’. | |
| Best that Ever Did It (1957) 99: When the case is over, if we want to be friends, then we’ll both see how it shapes up. | |
| Mr Love and Justice (1964) 13: On probation, naturally. We all want to see how you shape up. | |
| Sir, You Bastard 193: We’ll see how you shape up. | |
| Stand (1990) 107: Yeah, it was shaping up to be a wonderful day. | |
| Auf Wiedersehen Pet Two 120: Things seem to be shaping up all right for once. | |
| Powder 45: The album was shaping up. | |
| Our Town 260: Their next rally—Fort Wayne, ‘on the Coon’s birthday’—was shaping up to be even worse. |
3. (also shape oneself) of a person, to improve one’s behaviour, activities, attitude etc.
| Tales of the Ex-Tanks 69: I wanted ’em all to see how I shaped up back here in the old parish. | |
| Chocolates for Breakfast 23: Shape up, sweetie. | |
| Teachers (1962) 104: You’d better shape yourselves, I can tell you. | |
| Flesh Peddlers (1964) 278: I want to see how you shape up in the next couple of weeks. | |
| Serial 102: You’re the heavy in all this, Harvey, and you’re the one that’s got to shape up. | |
| Auf Wiedersehen Pet Two 169: Come on, lads. Shape up, eh? | |
![[Scot]](/static/img/flags/sco.png "Scotland") | Trainspotting 191: You’d better shape up, pal, ah’m tellin ye. | |
| A Few Kind Words and a Loaded Gun 38: Now you better fucking well shape up and start telling the truth, boy. |
4. to prepare oneself to commit a crime.
| Sharpe of the Flying Squad 17: Half a dozen unfortunately large men who seized Moisher and company before they could even ‘shape up’ to take a wallet. | |
| et al. DAUL 190/2: Shape up. 1. To appear; to be on hand for action, especially of criminal character. |
5. to achieve a successful outcome.
| Sharpe of the Flying Squad 239: Fred, I haven’t even shaped up once. | |
| et al. DAUL 190/2: Shape up. [...] 3. To be satisfactory, as the method or object of a crime. |
6. to seem, to appear.
| High Window 199: But it shapes up like suicide. | |
| Rumble on the Docks (1955) 230: He don’t shape up in any way like the guy I saw. | |
| Spook who Sat by the Door (1972) 5: How do we shape up on TV, Dick? |
(orig. milit.) to do properly what one is supposed to be doing or to simply go away (rather than keep doing it badly).
| ‘Army Speech’ AS XXXI:2 108: Shape up or ship out! (start soldiering or be sent to a combat zone). | |
| Rev. and Herald 19 Sept. 24/2: We ought to tell them to ‘shape up or ship out’. | |
| Wash. Times 21 Oct. 🌐 Backers say the Defense plan reflects the real world and would encourage poor performers to shape up or ship out. |