Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(a) unfashionable.

1660		Pepys Diary 7 Oct. n.p.: To White Hall on foot, calling at my father’s to change my long black cloak for a short one (long cloaks being now quite out).
1893		A. Bierce letter 14 Feb. in Pope Letters of Ambrose Bierce (1922) 24: Suppose hats were to ‘go out’.
1936		M. Mitchell Gone with Wind 227: He had seen no pantalets on the streets, so he imagined they were ‘out’.
1961		Mad mag. Mar. 23: He’s got one of the outest collections [...] in the business.
1966		T. Keyes All Night Stand 22: Gin and orange is out this year [...] It’s port and lemon for fashionable little mods.
1977		C. McFadden Serial 9: [It] was in good taste when they bought it but was out, as opposed to ‘far out’ now.
1983		S. King Christine 2: He was out with the high school intellectuals (a pretty ‘out’ group themselves in a burg like Libertyville).
1990		Beano Comic Library No. 190 4: No Spain’s out – too common!
2001		(con. 1964–8) J. Ellroy Cold Six Thousand 100: She said the Twist was out. She said the go-go beat was in.

(b) of a lover, unwanted; of a couple, on bad terms.

1891		Kipling ‘The Betrothed’ in Writings (1900) 227: Things are running crossways, and Maggie and I are out.
1930		J. Held Jr ‘Merely Margy’ [comic strip] A wealthy Russian duke has my woman all hot and bothered. Looks like we’re out.

(c) (orig. US) banned, prohibited.

1933		W.R. Burnett Dark Hazard (1934) 154: No foolishness with women! That was out.
1938		R. Chandler ‘The King in Yellow’ in Spanish Blood (1946) 49: ‘Wrap it up!’ he snapped. ‘Can it. Put it on ice. Take it away and bury it. The show’s out. Scram, now—scram!’.
1952		Lait & Mortimer USA Confidential 145: Even the colored lithographs of pretty Chinese girls in the raw which used to adorn most of the shop windows are out.
1967		M. Braly On the Yard (2002) 249: ‘He wanted me to move into his cell.’ ‘That’s out.’.

(d) (orig. US) unfeasible, undesirable; usu. in phr. that’s out, I won’t accept that.

1932		E.C. Segar ‘Popeye’ Thimble Theatre Ser. 2 n.p.: That’s out! We refuses to fight against cowards.
1940		W.R. Burnett High Sierra in Four Novels (1984) 398: ‘You boys have quite a time on them conventions, I hear,’ said Marie. Preiser laughed [...] ‘That’s out, as far as I’m concerned.’.
1952		J. Jones From Here to Eternity (1998) 708: But as for that – why its just out. I never go back to a man once he’s let me down.
1976		P. Theroux Family Arsenal 146: I do think it’s a bit out for you to want to chase me away.
1988		R. Doyle Commitments 7: Tha’ shite’s ou’. Thank Jaysis. – What’s in then? Outspan asked him.
1999		Indep. on Sun. 18 July 7: I could go on and on but sandwiches are out!
2015		‘Elvis Costello’ Unfaithful Music 59: We were [...] forbidden to choose ‘Saint John’ or ‘Saint Paul,’ [as a confirmation name] because they knew what we had in mind. ‘Saint Ringo’ was right out.
2000		M. Dibdin Thanksgiving 36: Knives and razors are out for me. I have this thing about blood.

(a) (US und.) of a prostitute, initiated into the profession.

1842

Whip & Satirist of NY & Brooklyn (NY) 3 Dec. n.p.: ‘That’s a nice little piece in the room there, ain’t she? [...] Only been out a week’.

(b) (recently) released from prison.

1848		Bell’s Life in Sydney 26 Feb. 1/4: When did you get out Benney? I gave you up, my lad.
1857		in Punch ‘Dear Bill, This Stone-Jug’ 31 Jan. n.p.: But soon in his eye nothing green would remain, / He knows what’s o’clock when he comes out again.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 73/1: He’s only oot twa days frae doing a ‘sixty’.
1888		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Robbery Under Arms (1922) 410: I’m glad to see you out again.
1896		A. Morrison Child of the Jago (1982) 114: He had only been out a few weeks from that six moon.
1900		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘In-and-out Running’, Sporting Times 17 Feb. 1/4: At the present time, he’s still in limbo, while she’s / Just out.
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 61: Pretty Sammy’s out.
1916		J. Lait ‘One Touch of Art’ in Beef, Iron and Wine (1917) 211: ‘I’ve been at liberty for years.’ ‘I’ve only been out a few weeks.’.
1925		E. Jervis 25 Years in Six Prisons 22: He has been ‘out’ for years.
1936		D. Stivens Tramp and Other Stories 144: Aren’t you pleased to be out—to be going home?
1941		K. Tennant Battlers 120: ‘He’s got to feed us. In or out. It don’t matter to us.’ ‘Why, the best tucker I ever ate.’.
1953		K. Tennant Joyful Condemned 38: Terry went in over fourteen years ago, and she’s due out pretty soon.
1957		C. Hiward ‘Enough Rope for Two’ in Best of Manhunt (2019) [ebook] ‘Heard you were out, Joe-boy [...] Thought I better look you up before you left town’.
1959		A. Sillitoe ‘Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner’ in Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner (1960) 35: He might take up running in a sort of professional way when he gets out.
1962		R. Hauser Homosexual Society 58: I don’t mind telling you that I have a bloody good time in prison, and when I’m out I wouldn’t dream of looking at a man.
1973		E. Bunker No Beast So Fierce 31: Over the years he’d been incarcerated when I was out, and vice versa.
1983		N. Heard House of Slammers 16: He certainly wanted out. Not just to get out, either.
1984		B. Ellem Doing Time 111: Once you get out you’ve got to battle to get money and get on your feet .
1994		N. McCall Makes Me Wanna Holler (1995) 268: Hey, Nate, how’s it goin’? I heard you were out!
2000		T. Blacker Kill Your Darlings 89: On the out, when he decided to retire from his former way of life, he took to doing these performances.
2001		(con. 1975–6) E. Little Steel Toes 103: I just got out [...] and want to score.
2006		D. Winslow Winter of Frankie Machine (2007) 78: The L.A. boss knew that Bap was out, that he was going to want his old territory back.

(c) refusing to partake in or uninterested in a given plan or scheme or game, e.g. of cards.

1926		D. Hammett ‘Assistant Murderer’ in Nightmare Town (2001) 144: If you tell me what you know, we’ll get it straightened out, never fear. If you don’t — I’m out!
1948		H. McCoy Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye in Four Novels (1983) 165: Answer the question. Are you in or out?
1957		H. Simmons Corner Boy 97: If you’re in, I’m out.
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 108: You in or you out?
2000		J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 81: Was Jimmy right about you wanting to be out soon?
2013		T. Robinson Hard Bounce [ebook] ‘He’s out. He doesn’t have our backs on this’.
2020		S.A. Crosby Blacktop Wasteland 64: ‘You in or you out? I mean if you don’t want $80,000 I can always get somebody else’.

(d) (gay) openly homosexual [i.e. no longer in the closet under closet n.].

1933		I’m No Angel [film script] mae west: I like a sophisticated man to take me out. cary grant: I’m not really sophisticated. mae west: You’re not really out yet, either.
1978		L. Kramer Faggots 136: I am attempting to ascertain if we would be bringing him out or if he is already out.
1988		(ref. to 1960) in Walking After Midnight (1989) 87: It was unusual for somebody to be fully ‘out’ and leading a gay lifestyle to be that butch.
1993		(con. 1950s) Kennedy & Davies Boots of Leather (2014) 217: ‘I’d just been out a short time. And I went with this girl that had been out for a while., She wasn’t a new one [i.e. lesbian].
2001		K. Sampson Outlaws (ms.) 136: He’s so fucking Out his teeth are chattering — he’s extremely gay and one of them that wants you to know it.
2011		Observer Mag. 20 Feb. 29/1: I still wasn’t out [...] then someone saw me leaving Revenge, a gay club.

(e) ejected from a group.

1942		C. Himes ‘Lunching at the Ritzmore’ in Coll. Stories (1990) 16: Negroes are out in this country. They can’t get no work and they can’t go nowhere.
1959		E. De Roo Go, Man, Go! 102: I got nothing to drive, so I’m out. The oath says you got to have a wagon or plans to get one. That no longer fits me. I’m disqualified and out.
1962		R. Hauser Homosexual Society 90: They pick a quarrel and you’re ‘out’.
2000		G. Pelecanos Shame the Devil 256: Burke had your father’s leg busted up pretty bad, and then Pete was out.

(a) tipsy.

1630		J. Taylor ‘A Brood of Cormorants’ in Works (1869) III 5: For though he be as drunke as any Rat, / He hath but catcht a Foxe, or whipt the Cat. / Or some say hee’s bewitcht, or scratcht, or blinde, / [...] / Or seene the Lyons, or his nose is dirty, / Or hee’s pot-shaken, or out, two and thirty].
1844		J.W. Kaye Peregrine Pultuney I 44: Half a bottle of bad sherry, and his share of the punch, [...] had rather dimmed his reminiscent faculties and [...] he found himself a little ‘out’.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1941		C.R. Bond 22 Nov. in A Flying Tiger’s Diary (1984) 47: I found Ed Conanat really ‘out,’ and he was shooting his pistol into the sky [...] Smith, equally magotty, was with him.

(b) dead.

1898		Binstead & Wells A Pink ’Un and a Pelican 277: He is out [...] may I die if he ain’t!
1932		R. Fisher Conjure-Man Dies 7: Guess he’s out.
1947		W.D. Overholser Buckaroo’s Code (1948) 72: The gun boss was in no shape to make trouble. He was lying flat on his back, out cold.

(c) (orig. US) knocked out, unconscious.

1898		B.J. Angle in W.A. Morgan ‘House’ on Sport I. 45: A competitor stopped by a blow on the mark is as much ‘out’ as though rendered helpless by a hit on the point [OED].
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 88: The Swede was down and out.
1916		Sun. Times (Perth) 30 July 1s/1: You’re floored with a tap, Jack, / You’re down and you’re out!
1920		Marvel 24 Apr. 18: He’s out, father!
1934		R. Sale ‘A Nose for News’ in Goulart (1967) 199: I let him have a short sweet haymaker [...] He went down – and out.
1944		H. Brown A Walk in Sun 54: Tyne and Private Phelps picked up Private Smith. [...] ‘He’s out,’ Phelps said.
1954		Oh Boy! No. 17 15: He’s out!
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 91: She was out cold.
1979		E. Torres After Hours 123: He’s staggerin’, but he ain’t out.
1988		J. Healy Grass Arena (1990) 118: Out cold, he’d be fleeced.
1997		C. Newland Scholar 277: He brought a knee to the policeman’s face, sending him crashing to the floor, out cold.
2000		Indep. on Sun. Rev. 23 Jan. 6: I was out, though. I was out.

(d) (US black) crazy.

1992

D. Burke Street Talk 2 50: You’re out!