step v.
1. to leave.
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | ‘Slang’ in Household Words 24 Sept. 75/2: To go or run away is [...] to slope, to step it, to mizzle, to paddle. | |
| (con. 1840s–50s) London Labour and London Poor III 198/1: My father kept me under lock and key, and after I had been with him about three months more I ‘step it’ again. | |
| , , | | Sl. Dict. |
![[Scot]](/static/img/flags/sco.png "Scotland") | Dundee Courier (Scot.) 25 Feb. 6/6: Then we stepped it, for fear we’d been ‘copped’. | |
| No. 5 John Street 92: ‘Was you knocked about much when you was a young ’un?’ ‘Pretty tidy, only I alwiz stepped it when it got too ’ot.’. | |
| Spoilers 8: Step it, then. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Hysterical Hist. of Aus. 31: Step lively, son, and be the first white man to set foot on the soil of sunny New South Wales. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | ‘Shoe-shine on 63rd’ in Kochman Rappin’ and Stylin’ Out 212: I’m going to step now and make this little run. | |
| Detroit Free Press (MI) 6 July 17/1: Sometimes we’ll say, ‘I’m fixin’ to book’ or ‘I’m fixin’ to step’ which means, ‘I’m going to leave’. | |
| Spidertown (1994) 44: Jus’ be chill on Dawson. Be a eyeball on Avenue St. John. Do yuh thing an’ step. I don’t wan’chu gettin’ shroomed. | |
| (con. 1981) East of Acre Lane 64: We ’ave to step so we’ll sight you later. | |
 | Darius & Twig 7: Before my father stepped [...] she had withdrawn inside and hidden away from the world. |
2. (US campus/black) to dance; thus stepping n. and adj., dancing.
| in Ghost Walks (1988) 371: All the darky dances with new frills were given by the light stepping sons of Africans. | |
| Rampant Age 120: ‘Wanta shtep it, shister?’ Paul compromised, repeating his chosen phrase until it came easily. ‘May I have the next dance?’. | |
| Stevedore I iii: I went stepping wid Phyllis on Wednesday. | |
| Ball opf Fire [film script] We’ll be stepping. me and this smooch. I mean the dish. | |
| (ref. to 1968) Cut ’n’ Mix 92: At the Ram Jam in Brixton, the crowds ‘stepped’ to Sir Coxone’s sound. | |
| Street Talk 2 51: We’re goin’ steppin’ tonight. | |
| (con. 1960s) Guardian Weekend 2 Apr. 25: We stepped forward and did a little moonstomp together, showing off our stolen steps. |
3. (also step it off) to exist.
| Boy’s Own Paper 1 Dec. 131: Well, if you’re not the meanest old chump that ever stepped! | |
| Forty Modern Fables 70: She could not Step it Off within Twenty Seconds of Mazie’s regular Gait. |
4. (US) to move fast.
| Hopsville Kentuckian (KY) 30 Nov. 3/2: He touched the self-starter and off shot the car — / ‘They’ll step some to catch us,’ remarked Lochinvar. | |
| ‘Ride for Mr. Two-By-Four’ 10-Story Detective Sept. 🌐 The car was a low-slung, two-tone blue job, with a New York license tag. And it could step. |
5. (also step into someone) to start a fight (with someone).
| Panic in Needle Park (1971) 131: One of Little Tony’s men is going to step into him one of these days and then that’ll be that. | |
| Online Sl. Dict. 🌐 step v [...] 2. to fight. (‘You want to step?’). |
6. (orig. US black) to work as a prostitute [? stepney, a white-slaver’s current top woman; more simply her ‘street-walking’].
| Runnin’ Down Some Lines 255: step 1. Engage in prostitution. | |
| Dirty South 2: At night you see their whores stepping for trade. |
7. to carry on with one’s life.
| Street Players 187: In the morning everybody keeps right on steppin’. | |
| Portable Promised Land (ms.) 158: We Words (My Favorite Things) [...] Never slippin. Set trippin. Steady mobbin. Keep steppin. |
In phrases
see step out v. (3)
(US) to arrest.
| Boston News-Letter 5 Nov. 2/1–2: Did ye ever hear of such a piece of Impudence! The former part of our Account came out on Monday, but before Tuesday-night he was march’d off, or in other terms Step’d aside. |
(US black) to do what is necessary to survive in a harsh world; thus afast-stepping adj.
| Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 67: Now you get a fast-steppin’ whore / and before you know it your pockets will be lined with suckers’ gold. | |
| Runnin’ Down Some Lines 117: Somebody be steppin’ fast dey like a pimp, on their J.O.B., righteously takin’ care o’ business in d’ streets. Pimpin’ hard, gettin’ over. |
to move fast.
| Aus. Sl. Dict. 81: Step It, to go quickly, to run away. |
see separate entries.
see separate entries.
see separate entry.
1. to challenge.
| Carlito’s Way 7: I always carried a piece from then on. You step up, I'm gonna knock you down. | |
| ‘Ain’t No Half Steppin’’ 🎵 Trying to step to me, must be on a mission. | |
| (con. 1982) Monster (1994) 196: I stepped to him and caught him asleep. | |
| Sl. Gloss. 🌐 step to: to demand for a fight. | |
| Fortress of Solitude 431: The Brothers began stepping up on him [...] They’d growl animalistically. | |
| ‘Late Editions’ Wire ser. 5 ep. 9 [TV script] Marloe step to any motherfucker [...] My name is my name. | |
| Didn’t Nobody Give a Shit 67: This kind of [...] shit-talking made up 99 percent of the jibba-jabba anyone ever stepped to her with in Ithaca. |
2. to make sexual advances towards.
| Source Nov. 137: Referring to all the women that step to him every thirty seconds asking for hugs. | |
| Love Is a Racket 311: More men stepped to Mona just to get knocked back. |
3. (US) to put oneself forward.
| ‘Medium Rare’ Oz ser. 4 ep. 9 [TV script] Maybe you should step up. | |
| ‘One Arrest’ Wire ser. 1 ep. 7 [TV script] Why d’you step up on this? | |
| Lush Life 9: Hey, two seconds ago you stepped up like a man. Stay with that . |
4. (UK black teen) to approach aggressively, e.g. to rob.
| Attack the Block [film script] 80: MOSES Listen, yeah? We didn’t even know you lived in the block, is it? If we knew you, we wouldn’t have stepped to you. SAM What, it would have been okay to mug me if I didn’t live here? Is that how it works? |
5. (US prison) to make contact with, to approach amicably.
| Riker’s 66: ‘Yeah, we got you. You’re taken care of. They going to step to you.’ All right, homey. |
(UK black/gang) to enter and/or attack a rival gang’s territory.
| (ed.) ‘Drill Slang Glossary’ at Forensic Linguistic Databank 🌐 Stepping on toes - trespassing on or attacking enemy territory. |
1. (drugs) to move from selling drugs retail to distributing larger quantities wholesale; cite 2011 refers to selling a higher value drug (cocaine rather than cannabis), but still retail.
| Portable Promised Land (ms.) 157: We Words (My Favorite Things) [...] Souped up. Straight up. Step up. Big up. | |
| Attack the Block [film script] 28: DENNIS He got a job! BIGGZ Is it? JEROME He got recruited innit! PEST Hi-Hatz is gonna step you up! |
2. (US) to pay, esp. in response to a salesman’s pitch.
| Nick’s Trip 13: I made the yellow pages deadline, listing myself as ‘Nicholas J. Stefanos, Investigator,’ even stepping up for the boldfaced type. |
3. to advance one’s status, e.g. within a hierarchy.
| Last Kind Words 135: ‘He doesn’t have the heart for it.’ ‘I think he might be stepping up’. |