Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US und.) a lookout.

1947

L.J. Valentine Night Stick 106: The gamblers’ watchouts knew every Confidential Squad member, and could spot a detective a block away.

(Irish) one who hangs around at mealtimes in the hope of being offered a meal.

1910		P.W. Joyce Eng. As We Speak It In Ireland.
1997		Share Slanguage.

1. a male homosexual voyeur.

1970		J.P. Stanley ‘Homosexual Sl.’ in AS XLV:1/2 53: The most popular compound formation involves some nouns plus queen [...] toe queen, felch queen, body queen, watch queen.
1988		H. Max Gay (S)language.

2. (N.Z. gay) a lookout in a public lavatory where men are soliciting for sex.

2010

W. Ings ‘Trolling the Beat to Working the Soob’ in Int’l Jrnl Lexicog. 23:1 65: If he acted as a look out but did not take part in sex, he might be called a watch queen.

(N.Z. prison) to lack a television in one’s cell.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 201/1: watch four corners v. to be in one’s cell without a television [...] watch four walls to be in one’s cell without a television.

to look out, to be careful; esp. in imper. watch it! used as a warning or a threat.

1886		‘’Arry’s Spring Thoughts’ in Punch 17 Apr. 185: But if them as should Boss us don’t watch it, us snide uns ’ull all go to pot.
1910		Marvel 15 Oct. 12: I’ll watch it’ he gasped.
1943		R. Llewellyn None But the Lonely Heart 282: ‘Watch it,’ yells Knocker.
1953		J. Thompson Savage Night (1991) 4: I was going to have to watch it.
1964		H. Selby Jr Last Exit to Brooklyn 176: So watch it buddy, you’re not fuckin with a nobody.
1977		(con. 1941) R. Beilby Gunner 101: Watch it or I’ll have your stripes.
1988		Beano Special No. 4 n.p.: Oi! Watch it, Moosh! Not so rough!
1991		Reeves & Mortimer Vic Reeves Big Night Out n.p.: His catchphrase is ‘Watch it, missis, it’s sticky!’.
2000		C. Cook Robbers (2001) 58: Better watch it. Things to do, things to do.
2017		theculturetrip.com ‘Guide to London Slang 10 Jan. 🌐 Watch – be careful; dont mess with me.

to take care, to take note, to be warned; usu. as watch your ass.

1967		L. Bruce Essential Lenny Bruce 83: If you’re Filipino, watch your ass, because Norm’s in!
1978		P. Hamill Dirty Laundry 65: ‘All right,’ he growled. ‘Watch your ass.’ [...] ‘Watch yours,’ I said.
1983		S. King Christine 131: Watch your ass, Arnie [...] My dad says he’s a crook.
1993		J. Mowry Six Out Seven (1994) 392: You gots to start watchin your ass more better.
2000		F. Kellerman Stalker (2001) 159: Just watch your ass, okay?
2013		T. Robinson Hard Bounce [ebook] ‘[A]ll you can tell me is to watch my ass with this guy’.

to take care of oneself.

1994		N. McCall Makes Me Wanna Holler (1995) 175: I couldn’t afford to have my head tucked so high in the clouds that I couldn’t watch my back.
2000		J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 4: You still gotta watch your back twenty-four-seven.
2007		Guardian 25 Aug. 🌐 You need to watch your back and who you talk to if you don’t know they’re a true Nogzy soldie.
2010		A. Steinberg Running the Books 12: I found myself having to watch my back for trouble from an emotionally stunted prison guard.

to take care; esp. as an imper. when the implication is of a threat from the speaker.

1955		B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 112: Now ya watch yerself now.
1986		R. Campbell In La-La Land We Trust (1999) 38: I’d better watch myself or they’ll hang me from the lamppost right there and then.
2000		G. Pelecanos Shame the Devil 76: You watch yourself if you’re going to be hanging around Kennedy [...] I’ve seen some really bad shit go down on that strip.

to mind one’s manners, to talk politely; also as imper.

1953		R. Chandler Long Good-Bye 67: ‘A hoodlum with sentiment,’ I said. ‘That slays me.’ ‘Watch your lip, cheapie. Watch your lip.’.
1958		‘Ed Lacy’ Room to Swing 127: Watch your fat tongue, heavy.
1959		W. Hall Long and the Short and the Tall Act I: bamforth: All Corps are bastards, we all know that. / macleish: Watch your mouth!
1973		D. Ponicsan Cinderella Liberty 11: Watch your mouth.
1977		G.F. Newman A Prisoner’s Tale 157: Watch your lip. Just do as you’re told.
1984		P. Barker Blow Your House Down 4: She was going to have to watch her tongue.
1995		R. Campbell Wizard of La-La Land (1999) 163: I wish you’d watch your mouth.
1996		(con. 1970) G. Moxley Danti-Dan in McGuinness Dazzling Dark (1996) I iv: Watch your fucking lip, I’m warning you.
2000		N. Barlay Crumple Zone 20: Watch your mouth or you die.
2001		(con. late 1940s) V. Foot Sixteen Shillings And Tuppence Ha’penny 103: I’ll have ter watch me mouf wiv yer, Benjie, won’t I?

1. (N.Z. prison) to perform some act while by oneself and lacking alternative amusement, e.g. a television.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 201/1: watch Sky (TV) v. 1 to be in solitary confinement, in the pound, on OPs, or anywhere one is without a television 2 to take drugs, to have a session.

2. (N.Z. prison) to take drugs .

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 201/1: watch Sky (TV) v. 2 to take drugs, to have a session.

1. to look after or protect someone else.

1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 152: Whites had to start watching white backs.
2002		(con. 1998–2000) J. Lerner You Got Nothing Coming 137: I already put it on the wire that you’re hitting the yard so my dawgs can watch your back. [Ibid.] 177: The Inferno dawgs have all paused, ready to [...] take my back should Stanger go postal.

2. to take care of someone else.

1996		(con. 1933) G. Pelecanos Big Blowdown (1999) 20: Thanks for watchin’ my back, Joey.
2000		Sun. Times Mag. 12 Mar. 30: My baby sister who looks out for me, watches my back.
2010		L. Berney Gutshot Straight [ebook] ‘We were pretty tight. He watched my back, I wantched his’.

to keep a close watch on someone’s actions.

1718		J. Wild Answer to a Late Insolent Libel n.p.: But, says he, I’ll be reveng’d of these smock-fac’d young Dogs. I’ll Watch their Waters, and secure ’em, and send ’em to the Compter.
1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn).
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.

to be excessively drunk.

2008

posting at flyertalk.com 14 Jan. 🌐 Don’t just sit at the bar, drink too much and watch the ant races, get up and Meet & Greet.

(US) to indulge in sexual by-play; thus submarine watching n.

1942		Joyce & Wyche ‘Class Gifts’ in The Northern Light (N. Attleboro High School, MA) 60: Much of your time is spent watching the submarine races.
1959		in Midwest Folklore (U. Indiana) 198: Our favorite expression [...] was that we were going to ‘watch the submarine races’.
1964		in Current Sl. (1967) I:4 5/1: Submarine watching, n. Parking.
1967–8		Baker et al. CUSS 219: Watch submarines To neck.
1969		in Current Sl. IV:3–4 (1970) 26: Watch midnight submarine races, v. To have sex relations in an out-of-the-way place.
1970		(con. 1950s) H. Junker ‘The Fifties’ in Eisen Age of Rock 2 (1970) 102: In that case, if he didn’t get shot down (stood up), he might suggest catching a flick [...] Let’s go watch the submarines race.
1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 145: watch submarine races (kwn SF, early-mid ’60s, teen sl) to park near the beach.
1996		(con. 1940s-50s) J.R. Stilgoe Alongshore 267: Perhaps the last pre-beer, pre-drugs, pre-sex, movement, the era of submarine watching dating .
2010		(con. 1940s-50s) R. Keyes Unmentionables n.p.: Submarine watching, meaning heavy sex play in parked cars involving a gullible girl who as invited by a wily boy to ‘watch the submarines race’ in some isolated setting.

(US) see me go!

1932		(con. 1910s) J.T. Farrell Young Lonigan in Studs Lonigan (1936) 126: When she got to know him, well you just watch his dust.
1954		(con. 1940s) T.A.G. Hungerford Sowers of the Wind 15: ‘You’re not going out whoring tonight?’ ‘Watch my dust!’.
1959		H. Ellison ‘No Game for Children’ in Gentleman Junkie (1961) 83: Watch my dust, sweetheart.

(W.I.) watch your manners!

1996

Allsopp Dict. Carib. Eng. Usage.