mind, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

mind v.

(UK Und.)

1. to protect, to act as a bodyguard.

1906		G.R. Sims Mysteries of Modern London 43: One or two are pugilists who go to race-meetings to look after or ‘mind’ bookmakers who carry large sums of ready money.
1939		V. Davis Gentlemen of the Broad Arrows 130: He had probably bribed them [...] to ‘mind’ him from sudden attack.
1941		V. Davis Phenomena in Crime 41: Joe’s job was to ‘mind’ the [...] van, in other words to keep a strict watch out for police machines.
1959		H. Salisbury Shook-Up Generation (1961) 17: ‘Minding our turf’ is the main preoccupation of the Cobras.
1959		J. Gosling Ghost Squad 76: That gear from Bermondsey [...] is being minded by a little geezer who’s got a garage at Camberwell Green.
1978		F. Norman Dead Butler Caper 31: He had minded some of the biggest tearaways in the British Isles.
1985		R.G. Barrett You Wouldn’t Be Dead for Quids (1989) 9: Cash [...] had to be minded and collected.
1992		R.G. Barrett White Shoes 11: Do you want to come up and mind me and Crystal for five days? Some told me [...] you’re not bad at bashing up drunks.

2. to bribe regularly.

1970

‘Metropolitan Police Sl.’ in P. Laurie Scotland Yard (1972) 325: mind, to: to bribe on a regular basis.

mind one’s own pigeon (v.) [corruption of SE pidgin, concern, affair]

(Aus./N.Z.) to mind one’s own business.

1943		Le Courrier Australien (Sydney) 3 Dec. 5/1: ‘Ce n’est par pour ton oiseau’ strongly reminds us of ‘Mind your own pigeon’ and the famous ‘Flypaper for stickybeaks’.
1945		Baker Aus. Lang. 90: Here is a group of examples which fall midway between bush and city idiom and should be included in this section: [...] to mind one’s own pigeon (or pidgin), to mind one’s own business.

mind one’s own tune (v.)

to guard one’s behaviour or speech.

1968

P. Terson Apprentices (1970) I iv: Just stick your snout in that thermos and mind your tune.

mind the store (v.) (also watch the store)

(US) to take care of someone or something.

1957		J. Blish Fallen Star 75: The cabin door opened and the Commodore came out [...] ‘Who’s minding the store?’ I asked him. ‘Hanchett. We’re on autopilot and he’s watching the instruments. If anything goes wrong he’ll call me’ .
1968		‘Hy Lit’ Hy Lit’s Unbelievable Dict. of Hip Words 7: bustin’ concrete – Takin’ care of business; watching the store.
1978		S. Longstreet Straw Boss (1979) 280: And you’re minding the store?
1986		Chapman NDAS 278/2: mind the store v phr To attend to routine business; carry on.
2001		I. Rankin Falls 10: Who’s left to mind the store?

mind your own fish (v.)

see under fish n.¹

mind your eye! (excl.)

see under eye n.