steer, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

steer v.

(orig. US Und.) to decoy someone into a place, activity or situation; also to work at such a job (see cit. 1903).

1884		H.G. Carleton Thompson Street Poker Club 16: Mr Rube Jackson had succeeded in steering the Reverend Dr Jeff Cooppuller against the game.
1886		T. Byrnes Professional Criminals of America 🌐 Sharp as was Oscar Wilde when he reaped a harvest of American dollars with his curls, sun-flowers, and knee-breeches, he could not refrain from investing in a speculation against which he was ‘steered’ by the notorious Hungry Joe.
1896		St Paul Dly Globe (MN) 12 Apr. 4/1: The town was full of ‘big mitt joints’ to which strangers were steered by runners.
1903		A. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise 185: The dirty hound gets his stuff by steerin’ five or six of these here ‘massage’ shops.
1905		F. Hutchison Philosophy of Johnny the Gent 18: did ever they steer you in to look at one o’ them legit actors that's supposed to be the real goods?
1913		G.J. Kneeland Commercialized Prostitution in N.Y. City 14: Out-of-town visitors are not infrequently ‘steered’ by hotel porters and clerks.
1928		M.C. Sharpe Chicago May (1929) 28: Dora also helped me in this enterprise by steering the gink away from the place and allowing me to escape.
1938		M. Rand ‘Clip-Joint Chisellers’ in Ten Story Gang Aug. 🌐 Marge and Dot were two of a score of come-alongs that steered and decoyed for the spot.
1944		W.R. Burnett Nobody Lives Forever 4: He’d been high up in the ranks of con men [...] he was very handy at steering a sucker .
1949		N. Algren Man with the Golden Arm 9: I been steerin’ for Schwiefka all day.
1958		C. Himes Real Cool Killers (1969) 58: If Ready has killed some trick he was steering to Reba’s the chair’s too good for him.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 89: Why are you steering for this craps joint?
1981		E. Bunker Little Boy Blue (1995) 217: I want to school Wedo so he could steer the suckers out to us.
1999		E. Bunker Mr Blue 110: You don’t need to play. All we want you to do is steer.
2000		P. Beatty Tuff 69: A return to drug dealing, this time him doing more than steering customers.
2010		Codella and Bennett Alphaville (2011) 223: That guy is steering, that one is getting ready to re-up for them [...] and that one is selling.
2023		Rayman & Blau Riker’s 324: He says, ‘Hey, you want that shit? [i.e. crack cocaine] Go down to the corner. That’s where they sell that shit.’ They arrested him for steering.

In compounds

steer joint (n.) (also steering joint) [joint n. (3b)]

(orig. US) a nightclub to which patrons are directed by a cab-driver, doorman etc, who is paid by the establishment.

1928		J. O’Connor Broadway Racketeers 159: He was clipped in a Steer Joint.
1930		D. Ahearn Confessions of a Gunman 116: There are joints known as steering joints. It is more like a speakeasy, with a band there. They work with what is known as cab drivers.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 224: steer joint A brothel which employs procurers.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 209/2: Steer-joint. Any gambling establishment, night club, brothel, or the like, that uses steerers to attract persons.
1961		J. Scarne Complete Guide to Gambling 692: Steer game – crooked game into which marks are steered. Steer joint – a crooked gambling house.
1993		(con. 1930s) I.L. Allen City in Sl. (1995) 73: Such places, also known as cab joints or steer joints, sometimes paid cab drivers, known as steerers or cappers, to bring them victims.

In phrases

steer against the joint (v.)

(US und.) to lure a victim into a club or casino where they will be cheated and robbed.

1878

Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 27 Apr. 6/3: When a man is ‘steered against the joint’ [...] and gets beaten, as is very apt to be the case, he hunts up what is known as a special [policeman].