Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (orig. US) a problem, a responsibility; usu. as that’s their lookout.

1818		M.L. Weems Drunkard’s Looking Glass (1929) 94: ‘That’s none of your look out,’ replied Collier, very roughly.
1824		J. Hogg Justified Sinner 103: ‘I canna help that, my lord: that’s her lookout’.
1833		J. Neal Down-Easters I 104: Let ’em lump it if they don’t like it, an’ squirm their hides off; that’s none o’ your look out – is it?
1841		Dickens Old Curiosity Shop (1999) 149: That’s a bad look-out.
1856		C. Reade It Is Never Too Late to Mend 1 25: That is a bad look-out.
1866		Wild Boys of London I 75/2: ‘But, but,’ he began, ‘I’ve lost fifty already.’ ‘That’s your look out,’ said the policeman, rather unfeeling.
1874		J. Greenwood Wilds of London (1881) 215: ‘Suppose a poor fellow [...] is unable to break more than four or five bushels, say?’ ‘That’s his look-out.’.
1888		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Robbery Under Arms (1922) 118: They’d done their duty in catching me [...] What came afterwards wasn’t their look-out.
1899		K. Munroe Forward, March 217: That’s their lookout, not mine.
1906		E. Dyson Fact’ry ’Ands 161: If people ’angs round other people’s ’ouses of nights it’s their own look-out if the police gets spoke to.
1916		J. Buchan Greenmantle (1930) 377: If Hussin were going to be hunted across Erzerum it was a bad look-out for us, for I hadn’t the foggiest notion where we were or where we were going to.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 95: A poor lookout for Corny, Mr Power added.
1929		J.B. Priestley Good Companions 17: They’ll ’a’ to manage somehow, though it’ll be a bad lookout for ’em, I can see that.
1939		K. Tennant Foveaux 307: If I have a row with Tommy, it’s my own look-out.
1948		C. Day Lewis Otterbury Incident 110: Sticky look-out for young Ted, eh? Disgrace on the dear old family name.
1954		J. Phelan Tramp at Anchor 183: Few days’ bread and water might do you good — that’s your look-out.
1960		N. Hilliard Maori Girl 141: That’s your lookout.
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 108: That’s your lookout.
1984		P. Barker Blow Your House Down 20: If Brenda had got into a muddle with money that was her look-out.
1999		Guardian G2 26 July 8: If you’re on the fiddle that’s your look-out.
2001		N. Griffiths Sheepshagger 33: Haven’t even got enough time to do what I should be doing, let alone stop some other cunt from causing chaos. That’s not my fuckin look out, mun.

2. an eye.

1836		F. Chamier Ben Brace (3 edn) 2: My larboard bow ‘lookout’ gets a little dim with draning a glass or two.
1841		Bell’s Life in London 22 Apr. 4/4: Mason dashed to his man with increasing desperation and planted his left heavily on his look-out.