come down, v.² — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

come down v.²

1. (orig. US black) to occur, to turn out, to develop, to transpire, to happen.

1934		C.S. Johnson Shadow of the Plantation 169: ‘I want to remind you also how necessary it is to keep up insurances so that you won’t be a burden on other people when you come down to die’.
1961		Rigney & Smith Real Bohemia 166: I had no idea what was coming down until she split the pad and reappeared with two harness bulls.
1977		C. McFadden Serial 38: And look what came down.
1987		T. Wolfe Bonfire of the Vanities 152: We’re gonna occupy the high ground when it all comes down.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 6: Glori girl! what came down here?
2007		q. in Wenner & Seymour Gonzo 83: When he’s got citizens around him, he’ll shoot his gun off and talk loud, but when the shit comes down, he’s out of there.

2. (US prison) to go to prison.

1969

B. Jackson Thief’s Primer 56: come down: come to prison.

3. (US) to talk or behave; usu. in comb., e.g. she comes down all crazy.

1962		(con. 1953–7) L. Yablonsky Violent Gang (1967) 73: If the Villains or Scorpions showed they would call Jerry, ‘and he’ll come “down” hard with the seniors’.
1996		W.D. Myers Slam! 113: He knew the game was getting away and [...] he was still going to come down lame.

come down fonky (v.) [fonky adj.²]

to belittle, to insult, to talk to severely, to criticize harshly.

1980

E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 233: come down fonky; come down hard (on one) Confront or assault.

come down front (v.) [image of a congregant approaching the front of the church to confess their sins]

(US black) to confess, to tell the truth, to speak openly; usu. as imper. come down front!

a.1955

‘Good-Doing Wheeler’ in D. Wepman et al. Life (1976) 78: I’ve come down front ’cause there’s something I want.

come down hard (v.)

(orig. US black) to attack, whether physically or verbally.

1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 102: The action implied in the phrases to stomp, to jam, to come down hard, gets reinforced or played out through some overt physical act.
1993		T. Jones Pugilist at Rest 25: He was a slick dude in a nine-hundred-dollar suit. He came down on me hard, like a used-car salesman.

come down on (v.)

see separate entry.

come down stair-/curtain-rods (v.)

see under stair n.

come down the pike (v.)

see under pike n.²

come down with the derbies (v.)

see under darby n.¹