shrimp, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

shrimp n.

1. in senses of diminutive size.

(a) a small, weak, insignificant person.

c.1386		Chaucer Monk’s Prologue line 66: Religioun hath take up al the corn Of tredyng, and we borel men ben shrimpes!
1582		Stanyhurst Of Virgil his Æneis III: On a suddeyn we behold a windbeaten hard shrimp, With lanck wan visadge, with rags iags patcherye clowted.
1592		Shakespeare Henry VI Pt 1 II iii: This is a child, a silly dwarf: It cannot be this weak and writhled shrimp Should strike such terror to his enemies.
1593		G. Harvey Pierce’s Supererogation 62: A shrimpe in Witt, a periwinkle in Art, a dandiprat in Industrie.
1602		J. Cooke How A Man May Choose A Good Wife From A Bad Act II: When didst thou see the starueling School-maister? That Rat, that Shrimp, that Spindle-shank.
1615		Merrie Dialogue Between Band, Cuffe, and Ruffe B1: Alas poore shrimpe, thou art nothing in my hands.
1772		Garrick Irish Widow Act Ii: whit.: Why, your wife is five feet ten! kec.: Without her shoes. I hate your little shrimps.
1786		Burns The Jolly Beggars in Works (1842) 12: Despise that shrimp, that wither’d imp.
1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (3rd edn).
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1840		R. Barham ‘Aunt Fanny’ Ingoldsby Legends (1842) 142: All for a ‘Shrimp’ not as high as my hat.
1859, 1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1863		G.A. Sala Strange Adventures of Captain Dangerous 162: ‘Why you little half-boiled Shrimp,’ I bawled out.
1863		Criminal Life (NY) 19 Dec. n.p.: Begone ye shrimps and policy players.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1865		‘It’s Really Quite Insulting’ in Bob Smith’s Clown Song and Joke Bk 33: My mother took me by the nose, / Says she – ‘you shrimp, just hark ye.’.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1884		Helena Wkly Herald (MT) 15 May 1/5: Giantesses have the habit of falling love with a little shrimp of a man.
1888		Referee 11 Nov. n.p.: Other nippers – little shrimps of boys [F&H].
1894		G. du Maurier Trilby 257: Could she possibly care for a shrimp like himself?
1901		‘Hugh McHugh’ John Henry 91: I’ll bet he’s an old shrimp with billy-goat whiskers.
1905		‘Hugh McHugh’ You Can Search Me 12: I’m a plain case of shrimp!
1914		‘Bartimeus’ ‘That which Remained’ in Naval Occasions 89: P. M. O., I wish you’d have a look at that shrimp; he’s knocking himself up in this heat. He swears he’s all right, but he looks fit for nothing but hospital.
1916		T. Burke Limehouse Nights 207: What the Heaven d’you think a shrimp like you can do?
1917		O.O. McIntyre New York Day by Day 6 Aug. [synd. col.] I could have knocked the block off the little shrimp any time.
1922		S. Lewis Babbitt (1974) 51: How’re you, you poor shrimp?
1925		Dos Passos Manhattan Transfer 180: That’s what he is, a little shriveled up shrimp.
1932		(con. 1910s) J.T. Farrell Young Lonigan in Studs Lonigan (1936) 81: Studs [...] looked surprised at the shrimp, as if to say, You’re goofy.
1934		Wodehouse Right Ho, Jeeves 119: I have another well-laid plan for encompassing that young shrimp.
1939		B. Appel Power-House 15: Trouble with this bunch, we got too many shrimps.
1946		D. Stivens Courtship of Uncle Henry 37: [He] was a little dried-up shrimp of a man so he wasn’t cramped for room.
1947		N. Algren Neon Wilderness (1986) 124: He saw himself then, a sallow-faced shrimp with spectacles.
1953		J. Thompson Alcoholics (1993) 5: He had made Doc look like a [...] shrimp.
1958		T. Capote Breakfast at Tiffany’s 33: I find out she’s some jock’s regular, she’s living with the shrimp.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Mama Black Widow 52: This crazy shrimp has bugged me all afternoon.
1978		P. Theroux Picture Palace 135: What happens if your farmer happens to be a little shrimp with eyeglasses and beautiful hands?
1981		S. Berkoff Decadence in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 30: It made me feel like a shrimp and you know I’m quite well endowed.
1982		G.V. Higgins Patriot Game (1985) 26: Little shrimp of a guy he is.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.

(b) (US gay) a small penis.

1899		Crissie 15: ‘I met something on tour [...] that would put your little shrimp to the blush’.
1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 180: shrimp 1. a small penis.

1960		E. De Roo Big Rumble 15: He’s a big boy now even if he is a shrimp.
1987		‘Joe Bob Briggs’ Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-In 21: You take the six shrimps in Time Bandits. They’re so shrimpy that they’re actual midgets [...] average height three foot ten.

(d) a baby.

1999

Indep. on Sun. Real Life 7 Nov. 4: The Shrimp looks so peaceful, sucking air and blowing bubbles.

2. a prostitute [the association of prostitution/women with fish n.¹].

1637

N. Whiting Albino and Bellama 52: Vat tough me vil not lye vit pimpes, And pend me’s coyne on light-teale shrimpes.

3. (also shrimpie) a term of address, used affectionately or derisively.

1898		F. Dumont Dumont’s Joke Book 42: Little impudent boys are ‘shrimps’.
1935		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Judgement Day in Studs Lonigan (1936) 577: Yes, you, shrimp!
1953		L. Uris Battle Cry (1964) 17: Sit down and be quiet, shrimp.
1957		D. Alexander ‘Bad Word’ in Best of Manhunt (2019) [ebook] The woman said, ‘You dare reach for that dollar, Shrimpie, and I’ll holler copper!’.