pash, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

pash n.

[SE passion]

1. an infatuation, usu. between junior and senior pupils of girls’ schools or between a schoolgirl and a female teacher.

1919		‘Bartimeus’ ‘The Wooing of Mouldy Jakes’ in Awfully Big Adventure 29: Don’t work up a ‘pash’ over him till you know more about him.
1926		N.Y. Times 20 June in Katz Gay/Lesbian Almanac (1983) 426: This book of stories [...] touches upon a peculiarly poignant situtation in ‘The Pash,’ which is the variety of impassioned attachments of a young girl for an older woman that American college girls know as a ‘crush’.
1927		Smith’s Wkly 20 Aug. 11/2: Cross out the. incorrect: word or phrase In the following -sentences: [...] ‘Henry VIII had a crush (pash) on a sheilah (cliner)’.
1935		A. Christie Three Act Tragedy (1964) 33: I had rather a pash on Robin.
1944		A. Kapelner Lonely Boy Blues (1965) 52: I must confess that my secret pash is King George.
1959		I. & P. Opie Lore and Lang. of Schoolchildren (1977) 349: It is fashionable to have a ‘crush’ on or a ‘pash’ for somebody. ‘He’s my pash’, i.e. the one they are passionate about.
1966		C. Wood Fill the Stage With Happy Hours (1967) Act III: He’s got a pash. He’s got his first crush.
1975		J. McClure Snake 155: ‘This kiddie mixes two things, you see, this pash for his mum and this fear his dad will cut off his – y’know.’ ‘Tondo?’ ‘Hell, the words Mickey teaches you!’.
1988		(ref. to 1920s-40s) S. Humphries Secret World of Sex 200: Love for an older girl [...] referred to as a ‘crush’, a ‘pash’ or a ‘rave’.
1999		J. Poller Reach 21: I become convinced that Phil is telling Iseult of my gawky schoolboy’s pash.

2. passion.

1914		N.Y. World Mag. 1 Nov. 5/6: There wasn’t much ‘pash’ about it .
1924		P. Marks Plastic Age 57: If he danced, they laughed at him [...] urged him to go faster, insisted that he get some ‘pash’ into it.
1936		Mencken Amer. Lang. (4th edn) 561: Winchell [...] is also the father of Chicagorilla, Joosh (for Jewish), pash (for passion) and shafts (for legs).
1942		R.L. Bellem ‘Daughter of Murder’ Dan Turner – Hollywood Detective Dec. 🌐 Her dainty tiddley-winks surged on my shirt-front in a hell of a thrilling manner, even though it was anger rather than pash that made them turbulent.
1947		D. Burley N.Y. Amsterdam News 15 Mar. 21: Let me splash some pash on a chick that’s rash with her top stud’s trash.
1960		G.W. Target Teachers (1962) 141: It was part of something bigger, not just a whiff of pash.
1966		Trimble 5000 Adult Sex Words and Phrases.
2000		Observer Rev. 28 May 3: Laurence grew up in Streatham, developing an early pash on aristocratic dynnasties such as the Mitfords and the Sitwells.

3. a lover.

1920		Bulletin (Sydney) 19 Feb. 44/1: When you’re with your ‘pash,’ however, send her [i.e. a chaperone] home to bed .
1933		W.R. Burnett Dark Hazard (1934) 111: Here comes my pash. Look at him hurrying, afraid he’ll miss something.
1960		Mad mag. June 32: I think yore reel rong to pick on my secret pash, Orvil.

4. (Aus.) a session of sexual fondling.

1962		W.R. Bennett Target Turin 74: Get a load of the pash-session! Somebody’s on a good wicket there.
1979		Lette & Carey Puberty Blues 23: He’d lead you outside for a pash on the front fence.
1992		I. Rankin Strip Jack 91: Maybe he’s whisked her off to Tenerife for a bit of pash under the sun.
2001		OnLine Dict. of Playground Sl. 🌐 pash v. A kiss, a long passionate kiss.
2007		S. Maloney Sucked In 260: On the way home, we’d sneak a quick pash in the back of the cab and I’d find out what sort of kisser she was.
2011		D. Telegraph (Sydney) 21 Dec. 🌐 Sam Armytage’s pash embarrassment [...] more than just a snuggle buddy.

In derivatives

pashy (adj.)

(US) of a person or object that inspires passion.

1928		W. Winchell Your Broadway & Mine 20 Nov. [synd. col.] ‘The Technique of the Love Affair’ [i.e. a book] is saturated with a most pashy poif-yume .
1929		W. Winchell On Broadway 19 Sept. [synd. col.] Ahearn was John Gilbert’s bodyguard when the pashy cinema favorite was Doing Broadway.

In compounds

pash note (n.)

a love letter.

1929

W. Winchell On Broadway 3 Aug. [synd. col.] [heading] Pash Note.

pash-off (n.) (also pash-on)

(Aus.) a session of kissing, heavy petting.

1990		Dinkum Dict. Of Aus. Eng. 58: Pash-on. A prolonged heavy kissing, petting, groping session.
1996		Sydney Star Observer 15 Feb. 22/1: And I’d like to reiterate my volunteering to work the same-sex pash-off entry requirement booth at the party.

pashpie (n.)

(US teen) a beloved member of the opposite sex.

1954

Hepster’s Dict. 8: Pashpie – Dream boy or girl who is most sexy.

pash show (n.) (Aus.)

1. a film that includes candid sex scenes.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 857/2: since ca. 1950.

2. (also pasho session) enthusiastic love-making.

1984		Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 857/2: since ca. 1950.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 153: pash on/pash up Vigorous kissing and cuddling, with the passion or pasho session not necessarily extending to sexual intercourse. ANZ mid C20.
2015		P. Doyle (con. 1969-1973) Big Whatever 27: Then Cathy and this guy had this huge pash session.