shape, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

shape v.

(Irish) to show off, to display oneself; thus shaper n., one who poses.

1890		‘’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.
1939		(con. 1880–90s) S. O’Casey 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.
1951		F. O’Connor Traveller’s Samples 25: You were shaping! You’re always showing off.
1961		F. O’Connor An Only Child (1970) 96: They said I was mad or that I was ‘shaping’ (the Cork word for swanking).
1992		Sean O’Callaghan 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].
1997		‘Q’ Deadmeat 253: Froggy wasn’t shaping. He would throw licks first and ask questions later.
2000		Lehr & O’Neill Black Mass 31: As a teenager, he was seen as a ‘shaper,’ a wanna-be who looked good in a baseball hat .
2001		G. Coughlan 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

shape one’s mouth (v.)

(US black) to speak impudently.

1968

J. Colebrook Cross of Lassitude 75: Don’t shape your mouth, girl.

shape (up) (v.)

1. (also shape up against, ...to) to ready oneself, e.g. for a fight, to start work.

1852		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.’ .
1855		R. Carboni Eureka Stockade 9: By this time two covies [...] had stripped to their middle, and were ‘shaping’ for a round or two [OED].
1860		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.
1878		Athletic World 31 May 99/2: Bassano [...] without the least attempt at shaping, hit him sharply on the nose [OED].
1890		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.
1894		Portsmouth Eve. News (Hants.) 6 Apr. 3/3: When Long picked deceased up and struck at him deceased did not ‘shape up’ to him.
1900		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.
1912		Bulletin (Sydney) 12 Dec. 28/4: ‘Put ’em up, yer cur!’ he said, shaping up.
1926		K.S. Prichard Working Bullocks 78: The two men shaped up before each other.
1939		(con. 1880–90s) S. O’Casey I Knock at the Door 55: Yah, sneered Connor, you’re shapin’.
1949		R. Park Poor Man’s Orange 5: Cancer wasn’t a thing you could shape up to, and knock silly.
1964		J.A. Lee Shiner Slattery 149: The conjurer was shaping up to the Shiner.
1977		G.F. Newman Villain’s Tale 36: There were some professionals sparring and shaping up with would-be champions.

2. (also shape itself/oneself) of a situation or person, to develop or turn out.

1865		O.W. Norton Army Letters (1903) 278: As things are shaping I do not much think I shall try [DA].
1871		C. Money 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.
1888		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ 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.
1899		Kipling ‘The Flag of Their Country’ in Complete Stalky & Co. (1987) 214: They shape well – extremely well they shape.
1908		D.G. Phillips Susan Lenox II 3: We’ll see how you shape up.
1911		Gem 16 Sept. 13: I want to see how this kid will shape at footer.
1919		E. Hough Sagebrusher 90: We’re waiting [...] until things kind of shapes up [DA].
1924		C.E. Mulford Hopalong Cassidy Returns 116: Trouble is shapin’ up like land on us.
1927		E. Wallace Squeaker (1950) 19: How’s that man Tillman shaping?
1936		‘Banjo’ Paterson Shearer’s Colt 151: ‘How’s the show shaping?’ said Her Ladyship.
1939		A. Bessie Men in Battle 198: It’s plain as mud; everything’s shaping up that way. It’s in the bag.
1942		Whizzbang Comics 32: Think it’s shaping all right?
1942		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.
1942		R. Chandler High Window 123: I was a bit rough when you came in, but you shape up pretty good.
1943		‘Henry Green’ Caught (2001) 58: How’s she shaping?
1951		Cusack & James Come in Spinner (1960) 271: ‘How’s he shaping?’ ‘Top-notch. Got a head on him.’.
1955		‘Ed Lacy’ 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.
1960		C. MacInnes Mr Love and Justice (1964) 13: On probation, naturally. We all want to see how you shape up.
1970		G.F. Newman Sir, You Bastard 193: We’ll see how you shape up.
1978		S. King Stand (1990) 107: Yeah, it was shaping up to be a wonderful day.
1986		F. Taylor Auf Wiedersehen Pet Two 120: Things seem to be shaping up all right for once.
1999		K. Sampson Powder 45: The album was shaping up.
2006		C. Carr 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.

1899–1900		C.L. Cullen Tales of the Ex-Tanks 69: I wanted ’em all to see how I shaped up back here in the old parish.
1957		P. Moore Chocolates for Breakfast 23: Shape up, sweetie.
1960		G.W. Target Teachers (1962) 104: You’d better shape yourselves, I can tell you.
1962		S. Longstreet Flesh Peddlers (1964) 278: I want to see how you shape up in the next couple of weeks.
1977		C. McFadden Serial 102: You’re the heavy in all this, Harvey, and you’re the one that’s got to shape up.
1986		F. Taylor Auf Wiedersehen Pet Two 169: Come on, lads. Shape up, eh?
1993		I. Welsh Trainspotting 191: You’d better shape up, pal, ah’m tellin ye.
2004		N. ‘Razor’ Smith 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.

1938		F.D. Sharpe 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.
1950		Goldin 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.

1938		F.D. Sharpe Sharpe of the Flying Squad 239: Fred, I haven’t even shaped up once.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 190/2: Shape up. [...] 3. To be satisfactory, as the method or object of a crime.

6. to seem, to appear.

1942		R. Chandler High Window 199: But it shapes up like suicide.
1953		F. Paley Rumble on the Docks (1955) 230: He don’t shape up in any way like the guy I saw.
1969		S. Greenlee Spook who Sat by the Door (1972) 5: How do we shape up on TV, Dick?

shape up or ship out (v.) [see ship out under ship v.¹]

(orig. milit.) to do properly what one is supposed to be doing or to simply go away (rather than keep doing it badly).

1956		‘Army Speech’ AS XXXI:2 108: Shape up or ship out! (start soldiering or be sent to a combat zone).
1968		Rev. and Herald 19 Sept. 24/2: We ought to tell them to ‘shape up or ship out’.
2003		Wash. Times 21 Oct. 🌐 Backers say the Defense plan reflects the real world and would encourage poor performers to shape up or ship out.