Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a drink of alcohol.

1891

J. Newman Scamping Tricks 84: I would have given just then some one else’s gold-mines for a strong lay-up of something neat [F&H].

2. a term in jail.

1933

‘George Orwell’ Down and Out in Complete Works I (1986) 190: It seemed his whole life was this — a round of mooching, drunks and lay-ups.

3. (UK Und.) a hideout.

1941

V. Davis Phenomena in Crime 33: A gentleman having the ‘open Sesame’ key to all the underworld ‘lay ups’.

4. (US, orig. campus) something easy.

1997		Eble Campus Sl. Apr.
2021		T. Swerdlow Straight Dope [ebook] No, trust me, dude, this is a layup. He’s going to start throwing money at us.