Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a female brothel-keeper.

1848

‘Ned Buntline’ Mysteries and Miseries of N.Y. V 45: ‘Certainly,’ replied the ‘she boss’ opening the door, readily; ‘what can I do for you, gentlemen?’.

(US black) a very attractive woman.

2000

Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 she-bro Definition: a fine lookin sister. Example: Daaaamn, lookit dat she-bro.

a lesbian.

1684

C. Cotton Erotopolis 148: She-Centaurs shall they be [...] for in these places it is, the young Shepherdesses first learn the Art of Horsemanship and Horse-play, first riding one another.

a lady’s maid.

1877		Five Years’ Penal Servitude 244: She were a she-flunkey, lady’s maid, once.
1891		F.W. Carew Autobiog. of a Gipsey 415: The she-flunkey’d told him that whenever any of the quality ’appened to look in [...] plenty of fizz was brought in on a gold salver.

a transvestite or trans-sexual.

1946		J. Adams From Gags to Riches 304: One spot was noted for its boys-will-be-girls shows [...] Some of the better comedians [...] visited the ‘she-hes’ at their round-table sessions to get first-hand information on their swish characterizations.
1958		W. Talsman Gaudy Image (1966) 10: That one? He’s a she-he!
1987		R. Campbell Alice in La-La Land (1999) 95: Savoda had given up being a he-she and was a more or less respectable she-he, living the part in life and not just for parties.

see hobby horse n. (2)

a house in which a wife rules her husband.

1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Hen house, a house where the woman rules, called also a she house and hen frigate.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

a prostitute of a brothel.

1592

Nashe Pierce Pennilesse 69: Make a priuie search in Southwarke, and tell mee how many Shee-Inmates you finde: nay, goe where you will in the Suburbes, and bring me two Virgins that haue vowd Chastity, and Ile builde a Nunnery.

a shilling (5p).

1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.

see separate entry.

1. an effeminate (thus presumed to be cowardly) man; a male homosexual.

1832		Satirist (London1 July 213/3: Not a female on board that did not share in his smiles, and for the best of all reasons that he had nothing else to share with them [...] the indignant fair one [...] was sure he was a ‘she man’.
1916		‘Anzac’ On the Anzac Trail 206: the ‘men’ are all wearing khaki now ; those ‘she-men’ who aren’t don’t count they are just white-livered, cold-footed, rubber-spined swine!
1918		Stars & Stripes 15 Feb. n.p.: I [i.e. a wrist-watch] was also worn by lounge lizards [...] the little lads who tried to sport monocles and endeavored in vain to grow mustaches and to cultivate un-American accents. I was the mark of the woman and the she-man.
2000		R.E. Dunn ‘Seniors’ on Nifty Erotic Stories Archive 🌐 Actually a Ken doll naked sprayed in gold and glued to a block of wood. This anatomically correct ‘Oscar’ was overly correct banishing a massive golden cock and balls. A hand written plaque read, ‘For the best performance in the role of a She-Man’.

2. a masculine female.

1939

Edinburgh Eve. News 20 May 7/6: [T]here is nothing to be ashamed of being a member of the fairer and weaker sex. Well then, why not let’s have a bit more of the feminine touch, and forget about this she-man stuff!

see medico n.

1. a madam.

a.1674		‘The Thief-Ketcher’s Song’ Head Canting Academy (1674) 145: The sixteenth a She-napper, whose Trade’s so deep.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

2. a female pimp or procuress.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: She-napper also a Cock (he) or Hen (she) Bawd, a Procuress and Debaucher of young Virgins; a Maiden-head-jobber.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

3. a female thief-taker.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: She-napper a woman thief-catcher.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

(Aus.) Australia-brewed beer.

1851		Britannia & Trades’ Advocate (Hobart, Tas.) 2 June 3/1: There is a Colonial beer manufactured at New Norfolk,' by Mr. Mann, which as a table beverage is far superior to the Hobart Town beer, more familiarly denominated ‘she-oak’.
1860		Age (Melbourne) 22 June 5/1: The debate on the ‘beer resolutions’ [was] instructive, edifying, and amusing [...] Who could have expected [...] to hear ‘stringy-bark’ or ‘she-oak’ lauded by the lips of legislators.
1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 14 Feb. 2/1: The Speaker’s chair is totally wrong, […] and the whole scene, with the Clerk of the House leaning over writing, must have existed in the dreams of the draughtsman after copious drafts of ‘she-oak.’.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 6 Jun. 22/2: ‘Fill ’em again’ we’re nearly broke – / No chateau margaux have we here – / But even with despised ‘sheoak’ / We drink – the Club too’s on the bier. / Our toast is this – no heel-taps there – / ‘While time and Jews leave us to rub / Along this weary world of care, / Let’s ne’er forget the Celtic Club.’.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Feb. 13/2: The corps contains many men who have ‘roughed it’ in the Domain, and gathered bush experience in Fitzroy Gardens. And it contains one, anyhow, whose bushiness consists chiefly in his business dealings with the rum shrub and the sheoak.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 28 Apr. 3/2: The old man’s full of she-oak – tight as any blessed drum; / The ‘doctor’s’ boilin’ stinkin’ beef, and drinkin’ hell-fire rum; / So Sam and I must keep the deck till morning.
1900–10		Stephens & O’Brien Materials for a Dict. of Aus. Sl. [unpub. ms.].
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 238/2: she-oak (shearers’ delight) – Australian beer.
1972		B. Wannan Folklore of the Aus. Pub 128: She-oak: an old-time bushman’s term for beer.

see separate entries.

an exceptional woman.

1888

‘’Arry at a Radical Reception’ in Punch 12 May 219/2: Sich lots of she-spankers, my pippin, large order in satin and plush.

a prostitute.

1654

Mercurius Fumigosus 16 13–20 Sept. 146: The City Knockers the last Night going the rounds, at Hide-park Corner met with a Regiment of Shee-Troopers.

a woman who actively pursues men (or women) for sex.

1947

B. Schulberg Harder They Fall (1971) 192: I hear she’s the biggest she-wolf in town.