Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (UK Und., also hoys) constr. with the, the act of shoplifting or breaking into houses; also used of those who specialize in the crime.

1703		Hell Upon Earth 3: As for the Male Students which come here, some are very dext’rous for the Hoist; that is, two, three or more idle Sparks going together, one of them leans his Head against a Wall, [...] and another standing upon his Back, he climbs into a Window, and throws what he lays Hands on [...] out to his Confederates; then jumping out, away the successful Villains trudge.
1777		J. Fielding Thieving Detected 48: The Lift or Hoist. Shoplifting, of all the other branches of thieving, is the most pernicious and destructive to tradesmen.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 246: The game of shop-lifting is called the hoist; a person expert at this practice is said to be a good hoist.
1821		D. Haggart Autobiog. 38: We were principally engaged upon the hoys and coreing. [Ibid.] 58: He was a rum cove at the hoys.
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.
1914		Jackson & Hellyer Vocab. Criminal Sl. 44: hoist [...] the profession of shoplifting.
1932		Sun. Mail (Brisbane) 13 Nov. 2/7: Few of these occupiers of the lowlier ranks in the underworld social scale run any great risk in their operations. But the ‘Hoist’ shows more daring. [...] [T]hese gentlemen, who confine their activities principally to lifting suit lengths from tailors’ shops, are in a class by themselves.
1949		A. Hynd We Are the Public Enemies 104: He went to Boley [...] got drunk, pulled a hoist and murdered a man in the process.
1953		B. Behan Scarperer (1966) 62: Since you did that bit of a hoist down on the Point.
1970		G.F. Newman Sir, You Bastard 195: No little hoist from Woolworth’s?
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 88/1: hoist n. a hold-up, a robbery, a burglary.

2. (UK Und.) a shoplifter or burglar.

c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions n.p.: Hoist. To go upon the hoist; to get into windows left open by the Assistance of a Confederate, who leans his head against the wall, making his back an ascent.
1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn) n.p.: To go upon the hoist; to get into windows accidentally left open: this is done by the assistance of a confederate, called the hoist, who leans his head against the wall, making his back a kind of step or ascent.
1812		see sense 1.
1941		V. Davis Phenomena in Crime 196: Ninety-nine per cent of the losses are inflicted by the female ‘hoists’.

3. the profits from a robbery.

1935

A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks 38/1: Fat hoist, a big haul.

4. (US) a hold-up or hijacking.

1931		Sat. Rev. (US) 18 July 978: Crooks [...] speak of [...] a hold-up as a ‘hoist,’ which must come from hoisting the hands at the point of a gat.
1935		N. Algren Somebody in Boots 254: Ah aint told yo’ half of what ah done since that butcher shop hoist.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).

5. (also hyste) any form of robbery.

1937		‘Boxcar Bertha’ Sister of the Road (1975) 158: He did a bit in the pen for a hoist (theft).
1952		(con. 1948) G. Mandel Flee the Angry Strangers 138: He got ninety days for kindness and a month for likin laughs and not a day for makin the hyste.
1968		J. Alard He who Shoots Last 140: Dey buckles me and da pinch is not just fer da hoist. Dey charges me wif packin’ a gun.
1970		T. Parker Frying-Pan 43: A big hoist from one of those organisations that carry money about for banks.