Green’s Dictionary of Slang

see under copper n.

see under blues n.¹

see under uncle n.

(US black) used to respond to the greeting: ‘how are you’, ‘how are things’, etc.

1961

C. Cooper Jr Weed (1998) 161: ‘How’s everything, Ned?’ ‘I’m not cryin, baby.’.

(US) to present oneself as unhappy.

1955

B. Appel Tough Guy [ebook] Al Capone was finished business with Georgie and why he was putting on the crying towel Christ only knew.

(later use Aus./Irish) to give in, to surrender, to cry ‘quits’.

1523–4		Skelton ‘How the Douty Duke of Albany’ in Henderson Complete Poems (1948) 406: Give it up, and cry creke, / Like an hoddipeake!
c.1538		Thersytes (1550) A iii: I would make the knaves to crye creke Or elles with my clubbe their brayns I will breake.
1540		D. Lyndsay Satyre of Thrie Estaits (1604) 147: Thought ze cry lyke ane Ke all day. Heir fal the bairns cry keck like ane Kaerd.
1542		Udall (trans.) Erasmus’ Apophthegms (1564) Bk II 306: Cesar [...] had made the Tigurines crye creake.
1567		R. Edwards Damon and Pithias (1571) Fi: In faith Dutting Duttell, you wyll crye creake.
1578		Lyly Euphues (1916) 92: Curio be as hot as toast, yet Euphues is as cold as a clock; though he be a cock of the game, yet Euphues is content to be craven and cry creak.
1639		J. Clarke Paraemiologia 54: To turn tayle and cry creake.
1890		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Colonial Reformer II 133: At a moment’s notice they are off at full speed, which they keep up without ‘crying crack’.
1895		‘Banjo’ Paterson ‘The Open Steeplechase’ in Man from Snowy River (1902) 72: Let us mend the pace a little and we’ll see who cries a crack.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 293: And one time he led him the rounds of Dublin and, by the holy farmer, he never cried crack till he brought him home as drunk as a boiled owl and he said he did it to teach him the evils of alcohol.
1939		Joyce Finnegans Wake (1959) 86: They were on that sea by the plain of Ir nine hundred and ninety nine years and they never cried crack or ceased from regular paddlewicking .

to give up, to surrender.

1862		Paisley Herald 7 June 4/1: The Running for the Derby [...] Before coming into the distance Brighton had to cry a go.
1872		Hants. Advertiser 27 Jan. 7/1: He was obliged to cry ‘a go’, thus ending one of the best runs witnessed for many a year.
1880		E.J. Milliken ‘Cad’s Calendar’ Punch Almanack n.p.: Got three quid; have cried a go with Fan, / Game to spend my money like a man.
1885		Shields Dly Gaz. 27 July 4/3: In the eighteenth lap, Weber took up the running but at about three miles a splendid spurt from Cripps caused Chambers to cry a go.
1893		Era (London) 9 Dec. 9/5: There is one old favourite there now who, I suppose, will never cry a go whilst he can still play his part.
1900		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘One of the Lucky Ones’ Sporting Times 20 Oct. 1/4: Ada came to the conclusion that the next should be the last, / For she felt that it was time to cry a go.
1912		Nottingham Eve. Post 24 Sept. 7/4: Lowry [...] visiting the jaw several times with both hands, compelled Gent to cry a go after just over a minute’s boxing.

to shout a warning.

1592		Shakespeare Henry VI Pt 1 I iii: Winchester Goose!, I cry a rope! a rope! Now beat them hence.
1663		S. Butler Hudibras Pt I canto 1 line 546: He understood [...] What Member ’tis of whom they talk when they cry Rope, and Walk Knave, walk.

(W.I.) to make a good deal of fuss (and even cry) about an unimportant matter; to shed ‘crocodile tears’.

1996

Allsopp Dict. Carib. Eng. Usage.

see holler calf-rope under holler v.

(UK Und.) to be whipped at the cart’s tail.

1714		A. Smith Lives of Most Noted Highway-men, etc. I 141: Whipt at th Cart’s Arse, which they call Shove the Tumbler or Crying Carrots.
1734		C. Johnson Hist. of Highwaymen &c. n.p: He came off with crying carrots and turnips, a term which rogues use for whipping at the cart’s arse [F&H].
[1839		Someset County Gaz. 14 Sept. 4/4: Friends, you must not expect that i shall bawl to you, like fellows who cry carrots and turnips in the street].

(W.I.) to express oneself in a dramatic fashion.

1995

Francis-Jackson Official Dancehall Dict. 12: Cry-champagne to express one’s emotions dramatically.

to be hanged; cite 1836 refers to a suicide.

c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions n.p.: Cockles to Cry Cockles, to be hanged perhaps from the noise made whilst strangleing.
1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn).
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1836		‘The Blue Devils Now’ in New Cockalorum Songster in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks II 14: She bolted the door then twisted her nob, / Then stretched and cried ‘cockles’ when she finished the job.
1889		Shepton Mallet Jrnl 15 Mar. 8/4: A hanged man is said to ‘Cry cockles’ from the gurgling sound made in strangulation.

see under hot beef! excl.

(Aus.) to name or order a drink.

1919

E. Dyson ‘Hello, Soldier!’ in ‘Hello, Soldier!’ 85: ‘Cri, it jumbo.’ ‘Have a beer.’ / ‘Wot-o, Anzac; you’re a dear.’.

1. to confess.

1949

N. Algren Man with the Golden Arm 289: The punk is cryin’ off, Dealer.

2. to inform.

1956

N. Algren Walk on the Wild Side 195: To save one’s own skin by crying off on a sister — no God worth the name would overlook as lousy a trick as that.

to act as an undertaker’s tout.

c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions n.p.: Pork. To cry pork; to give intelligence to the undertaker of a funeral; metaphor from a Raven, whose note sounds like the word Pork. Ravens are said to smell carrion at a distance.
1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn).
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1788].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum 69: pork To inform the coroner of the whereabouts of a corpse.

to boast about one’s good fortune.

1634		F. Lenton Innes of Court Anagrammatist (Nares) n.p.: They boast Of dainty cates, and afterwards cry roast [F&H].
1659		J. Gauden Tears, Sighs, etc. of the Church of England Bk IV 682: He might have swallowed those holy (but now desecrated) morsells in secret, and not have proclaimed on the house-top to all the world, the rost-meat he hath gotten.
1673		M. Stevenson Norfolk Drollery 18: Farewell! a pretty story faith; if I / No better fare, I need not Roast-meat cry.
1680		School of Venus (2004) 15: Mr Roger can farewell and not cry roast meat, neither does he betray you .
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: You cannot fare well, but you must cry Rost-meat, you can’t meet with good Chear, but you must tell Tales.
1749		Fielding Tom Jones (1959) 85: To trumpet forth the praises of such a person, would, in the vulgar phrase, be crying Roast-meat.
1764		K. O’Hara Midas III i: Lay snug – far’d well – ne’er cried roast meat.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1802		Cobbett’s Wkly Political Register 18 Sept. 13/1: The coward should never cry, roast-meat.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1813		C. Lamb Character of the Boys in Johnson Christ’s Hospital (1896) 44: The foolish beast, not able to fare well but he must cry roast meat [...] would needs proclaim his good fortune to the world below.
1823		Bell’s Life in London 5 Oct. 4/1: They are grown too wise, like the fox in the proverb, to cry out ‘roast meat’.
1867		Kentish Mercury 28 Sept. 3/6: To cry ‘Roast-Meat’ — this phrase means to boast of good cheer.
1894		G.F. Northall Folk-Phrases of Four Counties 27: To cry roast meat. (1) to make known one’s good luck. (2) to boast of women’s favours.

I beg for mercy!

1738

Swift Polite Conversation 14: Cry Map sticks, Madam; no Offence I hope.