Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) fast, quickly.

1986		J. Ellroy Suicide Hill 244: ‘[I]f I give you money you'll just get coked and be broke again quicksville’.
2001		(con. 1964–8) J. Ellroy Cold Six Thousand 155: A new jig crossed ‘J.’ Pete made him quicksville.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 32: I promised him two g’s for a PI’s ducat, quicksville.

see fast buck n.

see separate entry.

(Aus. und.) a thief who prefers quantity to quality and works spontaneously rather than spending time on planning .

2005

P. Temple Broken Shore (2007) ‘ [ebook] Ray’s a quickpick [...] Rips off the punters if he can.’ ‘A quickpick?’ ‘Drivethrough, a hitchhiker. One size fits all’.

see under quid n.

(Aus.) absolute nonsense.

2001

Sydney Morning Herald (Aus.) 6 Jan. n.p.: So here’s a tentative guide to Sydney teenspeak: [...] Quickshit (complete bull or rubbish).

1. (drugs) LSD when combined with another drug.

1982		in AS LVII:4 290: When LSD is mixed with other drugs [...] [s]uch mixtures are today called, variously, [...] sky river, quicksilver, and many, many more.
2000		J. Baker Chinese Girl (2001) 12: The names themselves began to make you free. Paradise white, Quicksilver, Rainbows, Satan’s secret, Blowcaine.

2. isobutyl nitrite.

2001

ONDCP Street Terms 17: Quicksilver — Isobutyl nitrite; inhalants.

(US campus) rubber-soled sneakers; popular for those who need to make a speedy exit.

1975		G. Underwood ‘Razorback Sl.’ in AS L:1/2 54: quick starts ‘rubber soled canvas shoes’.
1996		Eble Sl. and Sociability 63: ‘Athletic shoes’ are called kicks, skips, or quick starts because of the physical activity associated with them.

(US) diarrhoea, usu. prefixed by a geog. name, e.g. ‘Virginia’, or ‘Tennessee’.

1863		letter quoted in Wiley Life of Billy Yank (1952) 139: Have a slight attack of Helena Quickastep [...] I have been taking quinine, pain-killer, and whiskey.
1900		E.H. Babbitt ‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:i 53: quickstep, n. Diarrhoea.

see separate entry.

see fast worker under fast adj.¹

1. in private, surreptitiously.

1865

Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 90/1: I then ‘officed’ that I wanted to speak on the ‘quick’ to him.

2. of goods, stolen, obtained by theft.

1989

J. Morton Lowspeak 118: On the quick – to obtain by stealing.

see separate entries.

(US) very fast.

1998

J. Lansdale Rumble Tumble 201: One of the men in the back [...] produced a handgun quick as bunny fucks and fired it.

1. bright, intelligent, quick to act.

1808		M.L. Weems Letters II 377: I trust that all your Aids will be quick on the trigger [DA].
1957		H. Simmons Corner Boy 167: You always was quick on the trigger, Slim.
1999		C. Dexter Remorseful Day (2000) 2: You’re quick on the buzzer.
2000		Indep. Rev. 2 Feb. 7: I have never met one quite as quick on the draw as Ruby Wax.

2. impetuous.

1887		in Overland Monthly (CA) July 65: Set down, Dick. Don’t ye be so quick on the trigger.
1935		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Judgement Day in Studs Lonigan (1936) 672: Maybe I was too quick on the draw in some of the things I said.
1939		J.L. Dove ‘Fighting Ben’ in Mss. from the Federal Writers’ Project 🌐 He was ‘quick on the trigger,’ he said. He meant that he often resorted to the use of his fist, rather than arbitration, in the settlement of an argument.
1957		‘Nino Culotta’ They’re a Weird Mob (1958) 160: Redheads are too quick on the trigger [...]. Bite yer ’ead orf.
1960		E. De Roo Big Rumble 135: Like [...] Kemo says, we got to protect ourselves. He just said it a little quick on the draw.
1964		B. Jackson Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 79: Derringer Youngblood, the jet-black nigger, / strong as a jackass and quick on the trigger.

3. suffering from premature ejaculation.

c.1935		‘The Rubber Salesman’ [comic strip] in B. Adelman Tijuana Bibles (1997) 50: Come on kiddo, it’ll only take a few seconds. I’m quick on the trigger.
2020		S.A. Crosby Blacktop Wasteland 59: Reggie couldn’t get it up and Ronnie was quick on the draw.

see under zipper n.