poppa, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

poppa n.

also popper

[SE papa]

1. (orig. US) a father.

1897		Daily Tel. 15 Feb. in Ware (1909) 199/2: But even those who have never seen or read the American play can guess how an old Kansas millionaire, vulgar, bombastic, dictatorial, and good-hearted, the typical Yankee ‘poppa’, came to New York with his ‘gals’.
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 235: He ate at her camp, talked to her popper.
1909		Gem 23 Jan. 6: My popper’s foreman of the ranch.
1925		Odum & Johnson Negro and His Songs (1964) 162: Now my mommer’s daid, an’ my sweet ole popper, too.
1938		D. Runyon ‘Big Shoulders’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 585: It shows her that her poppa does not love her at all.
1944		J. Cary Horse’s Mouth (1948) 344: Hold up [...] Poppa’s coming.
1959		C. MacInnes Absolute Beginners 29: My half-brother Vern, who Mum had [...] seven years before she tied up with my poppa.
1967		P. Thomas Down These Mean Streets (1970) 3: My thoughts were boiling. Poppa ain’t ever gonna hit me again.
1978		L. Kramer Faggots 232: Poppa parlayed a few baseball bats into the Number Three sporting-goods company.

2. a boyfriend.

1927		W. Edge Main Stem 132: I had no desire to become this girl’s poppa.
1938		Pittsburgh Courier (PA) 4 June 11/1: Lorrain Willis had better get an alarm clock for her over-sleeping poppa.

3. a term of address between men.

1944		D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive 16: I dig that beg act, poppa.
1952		(con. 1948) G. Mandel Flee the Angry Strangers 71: I’m after a blood-and-flesh one, poppa.
1997–2001		Online Sl. Dict. 🌐 poppa n 1. a close male friend. (‘Hey Poppa, how goes it?’).

4. (US gay) a fellow lesbian.

1972

B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 70: any gay woman [...] poppa (les sl).

5. see pop n.³

In compounds

poppa guy (n.)

see pappy guy under pappy adj.

poppa large (n.) [large adj. (1)]

(US black teen/East coast) an important, influential figure.

2003

M. Fagre ‘Deconstructing Micah’ Journal 11 Mar. on Meeky the Geek Blogspot 🌐 Look at the lights, what a night on the town / I’m Poppa Large, big shot on the east coast.

poppa-stoppa (n.) (also poppa-loppa)(US black)

1. a man; also as intimate term of address.

1941		D. Burley N.Y. Amsterdam News 7 June. 13: An’ I’ll tell you this, Poppa Stoppa: them pitsols is gonna be like bloomers at my bending dukes.
1944		D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive 45: All right, Poppa-Stoppa: all-reet, all-root, all-rut!
1952		R. Ellison Invisible Man 420: What brand you drinking tonight, Poppa-Stopper?

2. an older man who still possesses his faculties and strength [i.e. his ability to ‘stop’ an opponent].

1944

D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive 76: Elderly man—Poppa Stoppa.

3. a euphemistic reverse of motherfucker n. (1) [i.e. ‘stopper’ used like ‘plug’].

1964		R.S. Gold Jazz Lex. 233: poppa-stoppa, poppa-stopper, poppa-loppa n. [from common practice of insulting someone by characterising him as incestuous] [...] One who commits sexual acts with (one’s) father.
1977		Maledicta 1 (Summer) 11: There is also a whole lesser spectrum of obviously burlesque and mocking synonyms for the same thing, such as granny-jazzer, mammy-jammer, momma-hopper, and poppa-lopper. These are used to raise a laugh, not to start a fight.