Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to explain, to impart information.

1946		Mezzrow & Wolfe Really the Blues 218: Hey rough, give it up tough, you’ve had it long enough.
1991		L. Bing Do or Die (1992) 81: Baby Track pauses and, once again, Quacker nudges him. ‘Give it up, Cuz.’.
2001		A. Schulman 23rd Precinct 60: ‘We’ve spent hours trying to crack some of our homicide perps. You use every technique to get them to give it up’ .
2023		(con. 1962) J. Ellroy Enchanters 8: Red went Give it up or you fly.

2. to hand over, usu. money, but also drugs etc.

1948		D. Burley N.Y. Amsterdam News 17 Jan. 21: Greasy gold in [...] greasy pockets and purses....Gold shining bright from rubbing in tight pockets when they give it up!
1974		V.E. Smith Jones Men 41: He [...] puts the pistol on Hammer and Reggie, told ’em to give it up, said he had to have some dope.
1997		Lil’ Rob ‘Jump in the Ride’ 🎵 Crazy Life [album] I know it’s something that your hating / But us vatos aren’t faking / So give it up before it’s too late / Cuz you’ll get sprayed if you don’t cooperate.
1999		Noreaga ‘Flagrant Cops’ 🎵 I heard a knock on the window said ‘Don’t move’ / [...] / Heard a nigga say ‘Don’t move and give it up’.
2011		S. Kelman Pigeon English 119: Give it up you old bastard or I’ll stick you.

3. (orig. US) to accede to seduction or forced intercourse.

1960		L. Bruce ‘Father Flotsky’s Triumph’ [recording] He’s giving it up for me!
1967		P. Thomas Down These Mean Streets (1970) 226: Dulcien gave it up ’cause she wanted to. I didn’t snatch it; she got as much kicks as I did.
1973		D. Goines Street Players 198: Be ready to give it up, baby.
1985		O. Hawkins Chili 13: Dearest Alice [...] kissing with eyes clinched, giving it all up.
1991		L. Bing Do or Die (1992) 18: A rape is takin’ from her unwillingly. Like she didn’t really want to give it up to y’all.
2000		N. Barlay Crumple Zone 32: Deys’ all bints, only whore bints give it up easy an’ bitch bints dey don’t.
2001		(con. 1990s) in J. Miller One of the Guys 87: ‘If you don’tuse condoms we ain’t giving it up’.
2003		A.N. LeBlanc Random Family 54: Other girls gave it up for a pair of sneakers.
2006		Tharunka (Sydney) 6 Oct. 7/2: These fuck-bags were encouraging women who wanted to live to ‘give it up’ to a man in a timely manner.
2007		J. Stahl ‘Pure’ in Love Without 163: I was this close to giving it up to Norbert, my biker boyfriend.
2012		J. Díaz This Is How You Lose Her 184: She gave it up to some thug with no job, no education, no nothing.
[2012		J. Díaz This Is How You Lose Her 151: Only Puerto Rican girl on the earth who wouldn’t give up the ass].
2015		410 ‘Kick Down Doors’ 🎵 18 but she lookin’ 30 / Lookin’ niff that’s hella certy / Yeah, I rate tings dat give it up.
2017		T. Spicer Good Girl Stripped Bare 63: Giving it up for love is good; giving it up for money is bad.
2023		Rayman & Blau Riker’s 67: [T]hey jump you and make you shake out. Fight or just give it up.

4. to surrender oneself to pleasure (non-sexual).

1968

‘Hy Lit’ Hy Lit’s Unbelievable Dict. of Hip Words 18: give it up – Let your hair down and shake loose; let yourself go [...] let it all fall out.

5. to applaud; usu. in phr. let’s give it up for...

1998		Source Oct. 24: I’ve got to give it up to your music review section.
1999		‘Master Pimp’ Pimp’s Rap 166: The rapper’s in the house. Give it up for the Rapper one more time.
2008		‘Grandmaster Flash’ Adventures 89: ‘Right about now, I want y’all to give it up for the finest DJ in the South Bronx . . . He's one of your own . . . so show some love’.
2010		L. Berney Gutshot Straight [ebook] Give it up to the French though.
2012		L. Jose ‘Underhooks’ in Crime Factory: Hard Labour [ebook] Take a load off while they take their clothes off — give it up for Samara and Lisbeth!

6. (US black) to show gang hand signals.

1995

L. Stavsky et al. A2Z.