Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to let down; thus crossed adj.

1718		M. Prior Thief and the Cordelier in Works (1959) I 459: There the ’Squire of the Pad, and the Knight of the Post, Find their Pains no more balk’d and their Hopes no more crost.
1838		Dickens Oliver Twist (1966) 200: If you’re crossed by him in this job you have on hand, you’ll prevent his ever telling tales afterwards, by shooting him through the head.
1930		W.R. Burnett Iron Man 81: Mike crossed them all by getting banged up in a motor-car accident.
1953		F. Paley Rumble on the Docks (1955) 174: He was a man of his word and never crossed anyone.
1994		N. McCall Makes Me Wanna Holler (1995) 128: For some strange reason, he crossed me.
1999		‘Master Pimp’ Pimp’s Rap 37: Don’t never give a bitch an even break but don’t never cross a good woman.

2. (also cross out) to deceive or mislead; to cheat; thus crossed adj.; crossing n.

1821		‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London II 90: ‘What brought you here [prison]?’ ‘Driven in by the Philistines, [...] caught like a harmless dove by the Greeks—clean’d out. — By the cog, I was obliged to fly to this pigeon house, in order to avoid being cut up by my creditors; and, up to a little of the Newmarket logic, I am now crossing and justling, though it is doubtful at present who will win the race’.
1825		T. Jones ‘The True Bottom’d Boxer’ in Egan Bk of Sports (1832) 74/1: No crossing for him, true courage and bottom all.
1912		Van Loan ‘A Rain Check’ in Ten-Thousand-Dollar Arm 314: How do I know you ain’t going to cross me?
1920		R. Lardner Big Town 188: If Mercer was crossing me, I’d give Ella and Kate their $400 like they had win it, and say nothing.
1931		M. Harris ‘Facing the Mob’ in Gangland Stories Feb. 🌐 I just put Claffey over the jumps for crossing us.
1948		J. Archibald ‘Klump a la Carte’ Popular Det. July 🌐 Eddie crossed me by hocking one of the baubles behind my back.
1955		B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 144: Johnny was [...] a guy who never let you down unless you crossed him.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 106: Seven years later she would [...] happily cross me into prison.
1977		(con. 1960s) D. Goines Black Gangster (1991) 214: They put their faith in me . . . then ended up being crossed.
1983		J. Sullivan ‘May the Force be with You’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] Cursing the day you crossed me?
1998		Source Oct. 156: He got shot in the eyes, everywhere. That’s what happens when you cross people.
2006		Prison Slang Mommyblogger mydogharriet.blogspot.com 26 Sept. 🌐 She might cry and say you crossed her out, but like I said, dont be copping deuces.
2009		L. McIlvanney All the Colours 102: ‘He’d let them down in some way, maybe crossed them’.

3. to betray; thus crossed adj., betrayed; crosser n., an informer.

1800		Sporting Mag. Mar. XV 56: ‘What would he get out of trying anything funny?’ ‘[...] Only the money. And to keep from being crossed.’.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor III 216/2: He will always be avenged if he’s crossed.
1880		Henley & Stevenson Deacon Brodie III tab.V iv: What made you cross the fight and play booty with your own man?
1927		D. Hammett ‘The Big Knockover’ Story Omnibus (1966) 295: You’re a thief among thieves, and those who don’t double-cross get crossed.
1929		C. Coe Hooch! 238: I ain’t a crosser [...] I didn’t even cross Flenger.
1937		P. Ernst ‘The Chair Cheater’ in Phantom Detective Jan. 🌐 ‘You’d be nuts to try and cross me.’ The steward [...] moistened his lips. ‘I wouldn’t double-cross you anyway.’.
1949		N. Algren Man with the Golden Arm 321: The day he crosses me in court [...] Bednar’s gonna cross him the day after.
1952		H. McCoy Corruption City 67: You think this guy’s going to cross us or not?
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 168: Do I look like the kind of rat square that would cross a pal?
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 21: You cross me, I’m dead.
1988		D. Woodrell Muscle for the Wing 206: Oh, man, I didn’t cross you.
1996		(con. 1949) G. Pelecanos Big Blowdown (1999) 287: And Joe . . . You ever think of crossing me . . . [...] well, Joe, you’re going to die.
2000		Guardian G2 7 Feb. 22: If somebody crossed me I could probably be quite evil.
2011		‘Jack Tunney’ Split Decision [ebook] I knew his finger danced on the trigger, waiting to teach me a lesson about crossing him.
2015		G. Disher Heat [ebook] ‘Police were waiting for me,’ he said, ‘and there was no painting on the wall.’ [...] ‘I didn’t cross you’.

4. to oppose; thus crossed adj.

[1606		P. Holland (trans.) Suetonius’s Historie of Twelve Caesars (1899) 1 22: Howbeit hee could not carie it [i.e. a proposed law], by reason that the faction of the Nobles crossed him].
1945		(con. 1923) R. Westerby Mad in Pursuit 59: You can’t tell him anything. He won’t be crossed. He’s a terrible obstinate man.
1965		(con. 1940s) Malcolm X Autobiog. (1968) 235: Never cross a man not afraid to die.
1975		‘P.B. Yuill’ Hazell and the Three-card Trick (1977) 106: We’d better tell Uncle Sidney that Mr Hazell is a dodgy bloke to be crossin’.
1982		G.V. Higgins Patriot Game (1985) 18: He is, as I’m sure you have noticed, big. Doesn’t do to cross him.
1995		Coolio ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ 🎵 I ain’t never crossed a man that didn’t deserve it.