sleep n.
1. (UK/US/Aus.) a short term in prison [the UK/US versions are somewhat longer, about twelve months, than the Aus., which is three months].
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | My Life in Prison 63: A year sentence is known as a ‘sleep’. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | World of Living Dead (1969) 84: Eighteen months! Why, that’s only a sleep compared to some. | |
| Milk and Honey Route 199: Bit or jolt – A term in prison. A long stretch is the opposite of a short term or sleep. | |
| Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 212: sleep A one year prison sentence. | |
| ‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xl 4/5: sleep: A small prison sentence. | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Lowspeak 129: Sleep – 1. (US) a sentence of one year. 2. (UK) a sentence of three years. | |
| Aus. Prison Sl. Gloss. 🌐 Sleep. A short sentence. |
2. (US black campus) constr. with the, a college lecture.
| Jive and Sl. |
SE in slang uses
In derivatives
1. (US) sleep.
 | Topeka Dly Herald (KS) 17 July 4/3: [headline] ‘On the Trail to Sleepsville’. | |
| Star Trib. (Minneapolis, MN) 10 Sept. 9/2: As paving blocks on the road to Sleepville, insomnia victims try [...] a long brisk walk. | |
| Eve. News (Harrisburg, PA) 6 June 29/8: Sleepville is another vewry important place which demands ten hours of sleep every night. | |
| L.A. Times 5 Sept. 38/4: [advert] JWR Knows What Children Like to Wear En Route to Sleepville. | |
| Plain Speaker (Hazelton, PA) 27 Feb. 19/3: [cartoon caption] ‘I want the scene vacated! Your mother and i are headed for Sleepville!’. | |
| Journal 12 Oct. at Blurty.com 🌐 Well, I got more shit to do up before I go off to sleepville. Patty’s already in there snoring it up and the cat’s going nuts with her new catnip filled toy I picked up earlier. | |
| Twitter 5 Oct. 🌐 Definitely going to Sleepville soon as I get on this plane. ZZZ. |
2. (US) a state of unconsciousness following a knock-out blow.
| Pittsburgh Press (PA) 13 Oct. n.p.: A new style caveman bounced to fame [...] champion to the middies in the ring / He send them all to Sleepville with a bing. | |
| Dly Indep. Jrnl (San Rafael, CA) 1 Aug. 15/2: Leo took just one minute and 30 seconds to put George to sleepville as the noisy crowd went wild. |
In compounds
a hat on which the nap has worn off.
| , , | | Sl. Dict. 235: sleepless-hats those of a napless character, better known as wide-awakes. |
| Aus. Sl. Dict. 75: Sleepless Hats, wide-awakes. |
(Aus.) a sneak-thief.
| Popular Dict. Aus. Sl. |
In phrases
1. to knock unconscious.
| Mirror of Life 5 Oct. 10/1: [headline] Bert Smith Put to ‘Sleep’ in One Round. |
2. (US und., also rock to sleep) to murder, kill.
| ‘His Last Day’ in Coll. Stories (1990) 300: He’d hoisted many a guy and had beat some tough raps. He had even put a few guys to sleep with a spade in their face, too. | |
| Round the Clock at Volari’s 93: ‘[T]he boys fell out; some of ‘em ran off with the dough; and maybe somebody else got rocked to sleep, if you know what I mean’. |