Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Richard n.

1. (US Und.) a hunchback [the hunchbacked King Richard III].

Show quotations
[US]Ladies’ Repository (N.Y.) Oct. VIII:37 317/1: Richard, a deformed man, generally a hunchback.
[US] ‘Humphrey Dickens’ in Bob Smith’s Clown Song and Joke Bk 13: What an excellent ‘Richard,’ I’d make.

2. (US Und., also Mr Richard) a detective [play on dick n.5 (2)].

Show quotations
[US]Jackson & Hellyer Vocab. Criminal Sl. 70: richard [...] A detective. Derived from the process of nicknaming, but in reverse of the usual custom. Thus from the term ‘detective’, ‘dick’ was suggested and hence ‘Richard’ was derived.
[Can] ‘Thieves’ Sl.’ Toronto Star 19 Jan. 2/5: DETECTIVE Bull, dick, Mr Richard.
[US]Ersine Und. and Prison Sl.
[US]R. Starnes Grant’s Tomb 117: [I] found two plainclothes cops and the hotel richard.

In phrases

have the Richard (v.) (also have the dick) [theatrical rhy. sl.; Richard III = bird n.2 (4)]

(Aus.) to be finished or exhausted, to be irreparably damaged.

Show quotations
[Aus] ‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxv 6/1: had the richard: Tired, weary, same as frigged.
[Aus]F.J. Hardy Outcasts of Foolgarah (1975) 95: ‘This strike’s just about had the dick,’ Chilla said, returning from his diplomatic mission.
Smoke Signal (Palm Island) May 2: The D.LP. were almost put out of business... They’ve had the richard [AND].
[Aus]Hepworth & Hindle Boozing out in Melbourne Pubs 44: What he didn’t know [...] was that actually she had shot through to London with another feller [...] He was going to discover at the end of the three months that he’d had the richard.
[Aus]R. Beckett Dinkum Aussie Dict. 28: Had the claw: Something or someone is buggered. Normally used in reference to a piece of machinery which will no longer work as in, ‘Sorry, mate, but your washing machine’s had the bloody claw.’ Pieces of machinery can also be deemed to have had the ‘sword’, ‘Richard’ or ‘Dick’.
[US]Medicine Online ‘Aussiespeak’ 🌐 When something is broken or out of order, we say: Its all screwed up..../ had the dick, had the gong, had the Richard, had the ridgy didge (although that is what we call the fridge!), had the sword.
[Aus](con. 1945–6) P. Doyle Devil’s Jump (2008) 223: The old feller [...] carelessly chucked the spark plug into the darkness [...] and said, ‘It’s had the dick’.
Aus. Motorcycle Resources 🌐 Raining too hard? Bike’s had the richard? Why not settle back with a good book from Pitstop, Australia’s largest motoring bookshop.