trouble n.
1. (US) a day of public festivity.
Sketches Social Life India 66: A day of rest comes in between each day of pleasure, or ‘trouble’ as the Yankees more rightly call it [DA]. |
2. (US) any interruption of ordinary work.
Harvard Episodes 313: There is always more or less, what is technically known as ‘trouble’ in Claverly [Hall] and its vicinity on Class Day afternoon [DA]. |
3. (Aus.) a criminal conviction.
Aus. Lang. (1945) 117: A conviction’s known as trouble, / And a gaol is called a jug. | ‘Great Aus. Slanguage’ in Baker
4. (N.Z. prison) ascetic anhydride.
Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 193/2: trouble n. ascetic anhydride (AA), a substance added to a Class B drug to turn it into Class A, e.g. morphine into heroin . |
In phrases
1. a euph. phr. for suffering a variety of legal penalties, being arrested, imprisoned, fined etc.
(con. 1840s–50s) London Labour and London Poor I 257/1: The first conclusion arrived at by their mates is that they have ‘got into trouble’ (prison). | ||
Fast and Loose III 141: ‘I have far more to lose, and it would be worse for everyone if I got into trouble.’ ‘What are you talking about trouble for? The thing is as easy as a glove.’. | ||
Fowlers End (2001) 21: What a bastard ’e was, that Booligan! Every girl ’e got into trouble. [...] ’E got me into trouble. | ||
Vinnie Got Blown Away 31: ‘Ricky you’re still getting into trouble arent’ you?’ ‘Eh? What you mean trouble?’ ‘You know what I mean.’ ‘Mean sort of I go away now and then like?’ ‘And before that you steal things.’. |
2. (also get in trouble) of a woman, to get pregnant (cf. in trouble ).
Mysteries and Miseries 12: She told us that she got into trouble when young, and was obliged to run away from home to hide her disgrace. | [Arthur Pember]||
Coll. Works (1975) 242: When I got into trouble, I didn’t know what to do and asked him for the money for an abortion. | ‘Miss Lonelyhearts’ in||
Capricornia (1939) 114: It’s no fault of mine she’s got into trouble. | ||
Sexus (1969) 110: Why she can’t even look at a man without getting into trouble. She’s a walking abortion ... | ||
Black on Black 35: LIL You’re using those things I gave you, aren’t you? BABY SISTER (offhandedly) Of course. You think I want to get into trouble? | ‘Baby Sister’ [screenplay] in||
Muvver Tongue 76: An unmarried girl who ‘got into trouble’ had created a disaster for herself. | ||
(con. 1970) Dazzling Dark (1996) II i: Don’t think I’m marrying any ol’ flah bag who’s after getting herself in trouble. | Danti-Dan in McGuinness
of a man, to get a woman pregnant.
‘Send Round the Hat’ in Roderick (1972) 475: A girl I knowed turned Carflick to marry a chap that had got her into trouble. | ||
Redheap (1965) 80: ‘It was [...] a renunciation of the adventure of youth, which is to get some wench into what is still, I believe, called ‘trouble’’ . | ||
Short Stories (1937) 280: I got Elouise in trouble. | ‘Seventeen’ in||
They Die with Their Boots Clean 63: You mustn’t form a trade union. You mustn’t get girls into trouble. | ||
Growing Up in the Black Belt 227: ‘I was going with a boy and he got me in trouble last year’. | ||
Sat. Night and Sun. Morning 65: He’s got a young woman into trouble. | ||
Down These Mean Streets (1970) 84: He moved away because he got some girl in trouble. | ||
Come Monday Morning 198: They’re afraid you’d get me in trouble. |
1. serving a sentence in prison.
Cardinal Wolsey (Singer) 382: [The phrase] be in trouble [is used of a man imprisoned] [F&H]. |
2. of a woman, pregnant and unmarried; thus antonym out of trouble referring to abortion.
Nether Side of NY 142: In order that I may show how few in fact are the abortionists who profess to be such, while many of them are not, I mention in addition [...] Dr. Selden, 241 Bleecker street, who proclaims himself the best physician for ladies in trouble. | ||
(con. 1880–1924) Anecdota Erótica 13: Dr. H. said, being asked, that many young girls came to him to be helped out of trouble. | ||
Big Smoke 155: One day she asked me what it was worth to help Biddy — that’s the piece — out of her trouble. | ||
(con. 1950s) Spend, Spend, Spend (1978) 49: I didn’t know then that I was already in trouble! [...] I just thought I was getting fat. |
In exclamations
(Aus.) a dismissive excl., ‘don’t worry about me’, ‘I don’t care’; also his troubles, her troubles, etc.
Bulletin (Sydney) 11 Jul. 18/4: This was bigamy – but, her troubles! The second husband got a divorce, and of course the third marriage was invalid. With a light heart, and confident in her own resources, she ‘slung’ her third husband in his turn, and married a fourth time. | ||
Truth (Sydney) 14 Jan. 6/7: My troubles if he broke his bleeding neck. | ||
Fact’ry ’Ands 151: ‘Iv it gets know here they’ll bounce yeh on ther pavement.’ ‘My trubs!’ [Ibid.] 194: ‘She’s in er bar up town. Er sixpenny bar.’ ‘My troubs!’ answered the packer. | ||
Bulletin (Sydney) 22 Sept. 36/1: Saltbush William, doing in a buffalo cheque at Boorooloola the other day, was asked what he was going to do after it was cut out. ‘My troubles!’ said Bill. ‘Let the future take care of itself.’ Bill is a true type of straight-haired native all right. | ||
Benno and Some of the Push 162: ‘Our trubs!’ answered Thripny, with terrible scorn. | ‘The Rivals’ in||
I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 236/1: my troubles! – exclamation like our ‘I couldn’t care less.’. | ||
Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 139: my troubles/worries! Exclamations of concern. ANZ. |