Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to establish a relationship with, to marry, to get married; thus rehitch, to remarry, unhitch, to divorce.

1850		‘Ned Buntline’ G’hals of N.Y. 12: Dick and ’Lize ought to hitch, for Mrs. Granger and I understand one another, and get along very well.
1858		‘Joe Bowers’ in Lingenfelter et al. Songs of the Amer. West (1968) 96: Joe Bowers, before we hitch for life, / You’d orter have a little home to keep your little wife.
1860		J.G. Holland Miss Gilbert’s Career (1870) 146: Have you hitched on anywhere yet? [...] I mean have you got a girl?
1880		Cimarron News and Press 8 Apr. 1/5: Ef yer on the marry [...] jist squeal an’ we’ll hitch.
1884		Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday 31 May 35/2: Ef yer [...] want a pard that’ll stick to to ye till ye pass in yer checks, just squeal , an’ we’ll hitch.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Jan. 6/4: The ‘Dook’ had an idea, in 1838, that he was a fit and proper person to hitch on to our Gracious Queen.
1886		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 16 Jan. 7/1: ‘If ’e takes a shine to hany good-lookin’ young lady in 'is department, and if the good-lookin’ young lady lakes a shine to ’im [...] why they can ’itch up together without nobody bein’ none the wiser .
1890		Sporting Times 5 Apr. 1/2: If I ever marry again I shall try and hitch with a typewriter—it would be such a treat for once in a way to get a woman who is used to being dictated to!
1903		H. Hapgood Autobiog. of a Thief 103: I want you to hitch up with me, and lead an honest life.
1907		Sun. Times (Perth) 11 Aug. 1/1: The unhitching which transpired in Melbourne has seen proper publicity [but] what didn’t come out would have disrupted four families.
1910		H. Hapgood Types From City Streets 38: I’d like to see the gal wat could hitch up ter me.
1912		Mansfield (OH) News 7 Dec. 10/3: Another idea of the league is to put a straw boss in every other state for the purpose of hitching up with mutts as dippy as himself.
1912		T.A. Dorgan Daffydils 23 Dec. [synd. cartoon strip] Jack and Flossie had just been hitched.
1915		Truth (Wellington) 22 May 7: Freddie [...] blew along to St. Barnabas’ Church, Mt. Eden, in company with Ethel Harriet and was hitched up.
1921		D.L. Sayers Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1977) 211: It’ll be the devil and all if the Rushworth girl gets hitched up to Penberthy.
1928		C. McKay Home to Harlem 273: She would be nice-speaking like you’ sweet brown, good enough foh you to hitch up with.
1934		Wodehouse Right Ho, Jeeves 224: Why not chuck the whole idea of hitching up with me?
1947		W.D. Overholser Buckaroo’s Code (1948) 125: Reckon that Abernethy hombre and Sandra are getting hitched.
c.1950		K. Howard Small Time Crooks 20: Guess there ain’t a dame like that in all ’Frisco, an’ she’s hitchin’ on with Micky Donovan.
1953		R. Chandler Long Good-Bye 16: Your correspondent is all fluttery at the news that Terry and Sylvia Lennox have rehitched at Las Vegas.
1958		T. Capote Breakfast at Tiffany’s 77: A person ought to be able to marry men or women or – listen, if you came to me and said you wanted to hitch up with Man o’ War, I’d respect your feeling.
1960		E. De Roo Big Rumble 142: We’re gettin’ hitched up tomorrow.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Mama Black Widow 131: Ah’m still beggin yu tu hitch up wif Lockjaw.
1971		Wodehouse Much Obliged, Jeeves 15: Having gone and got hitched up with a popsy.
1981		J. Ellroy Brown’s Requiem 192: Loopers who get hitched up have a knack for picking loyal women.
1997		N. Barlay Curvy Lovebox 80: I feel sorry for Stell havin’ to hitch up with the king of screwheads.
2001		A. Sillitoe Birthday 99: As for Brian, he only hitched up with difficult women.

2. to join two people in marriage; thus hitcher up, the person who performs the marriage; hitching, a marriage.

1899		‘Tom Bluegum’ Backblocks’ Parson 176: You’ll stop an’ hitch us up fust?
1901		Bulletin (Sydney) 31 Aug. 31/2: [H]e brought abroad with him Albeda, the wanton little ‘monca’ from the wine-house on the quay. / All had been ship-shape and proper, however; the lady having insisted prettily on being hitched-up by the padre before she’d entrust her plump little self to the captain’s keeping. / ‘Pretty as paint, ain’t she, Burke?’ [...] Burke [...] took stock of the girl and assented.
1903		Bulletin (Sydney) 24 Sept. 34/1: The ‘hitcher-up’ gave a handshake to the bride and bridegroom, and wished them every success, and the woman of the strained smile did likewise.
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 24 Jan. 4/5: Dresses, bridesmaids and other accessories of the hitching are all duly chronicled.
1989		Viz June/July 27: Some of the boilers I’ve hitched up you just wouldn’t believe.