cover, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

cover n.

1. (UK Und., also cover guy, cover-up man) a confederate who screens the operations of a thief or pickpocket; thus at the cover, working as a screen.

1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 233: To stand in such a situation as to obscure your Pall, who is committing a robbery, from the view of by-standers or persons passing, is called covering him. Any body whose dress or stature renders him particularly eligible for this purpose, is said to be a good cover.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1857		N.Y. Morning Express 5 Nov. 3/9: [Pickpockets] generally go in gangs of three of four, three acting as ‘covers’ from the gaze of outsiders, while one extracts the contents of a lady’s or gentleman’s pockets.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 20: Cover, one who covers the pickpockets in the act of stealing.
1929		S. Ornitz Haunch Paunch and Jowl 20: I am the cover guy. In other words, I distract the owner and screen the thief.
1933		Ersine Und. and Prison Sl.
1936		Sunshine Advocate (Vic.) 11 Sept. 6/3: Pickpockets are known to their associates are whizzers [...] The men who work with them are ‘covers’.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 60: cover up man A pickpocket confederate.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 50/2: Cover. 1. A hideaway; protection. 2. Body-shielding by pickpocket’s aide, usually with outspread newspaper, hanging on a subway strap so as to obscure view, etc.
1950		P. Hoskins No Hiding Place! 189/1: At the Cover. One of a gang of pickpockets who covers up the movements of the actual thief.

2. (US Und.) an overcoat.

1890		Sporting Times 25 Jan. 5/5: He took off his overcoat. Then he darted across the road, and anon he returned without that ‘cover,’ but with two of the very best.
1928		M.C. Sharpe Chicago May (1929) 64: I was mad, hopped on him, told him he had a nerve to steal from my friends, after the way I had befriended him, and ordered him to return the cover (overcoat).

3. (US black/Und.) ‘protection’ as supplied by police to criminals.

1950		see sense 1.
1968		‘Sl. of Watts’ in Current Sl. III:2 18: Cover, n. Protection from police through bribery or other arrangement.

SE in slang uses

In phrases

pull someone’s covers (v.) (also blow someone’s cover) [the image of pulling back the bedclothes]

(US black) to reveal some hidden characteristic or activities, usu. in another but occas. in oneself.

1968		‘Sl. of Watts’ in Current Sl. III:2 39: Pull someone’s covers, v. To expose someone’s reputation or activities.
1992		Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 33: Pull His Covers also Pulling Covers When someone’s true identity or characteristics are revealed. ‘He pulled Bob’s covers when he told everyone that Bob is a snitch.’.
1994		Stone & Zenner Critical Essays on Israeli Social Issues 34: At the end of this chapter, he finds out that this man had recognized him, but had not blown his cover.
2002		J. Lerner You Got Nothing Coming 81: It’s all good, O.G. I ain’t fittin’ to pull yo covers. Everybody in Vegas jail be knowin’ they put the cold-ass killers in with the J-Cats.
2007		P. Briggs Blood Bound 122: We’d become acquainted after I’d recognized him and almost blown his cover.

pull the covers (off) (v.)

(US prison) to expose a fellow prisoner’s sexual preferences.

1971–2		C. Shafer ‘Catheads [...] and Cho-Cho Sticks’ in Abernethy Bounty of Texas (1990) 212: pull the covers off, v. – to reveal someone’s true nature.
1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 160: pull the covers to expose a fellow homosexual to his straight friends, boss, etc.
1981		Maledicta V:1+2 (Summer + Winter) 265: An inmate pulls the covers off another person by exposing his sexual preference.