Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. full, complete, entire, esp. of time, e.g. a solid month.

1838		‘Paul Pry’ Oddities of London Life I 36: ‘Is it true (asked Mr. Conant) that you did find a silver spoon among the dust?’ Joe—I’ll take my solid oath on it.
1867		J. Greenwood Unsentimental Journeys 195: Covent Garden is a ‘solid’ seven miles from Mr. Tibbits’s abode.
1889		C. Deveureux Venus in India I 76: As I keep a pretty little piece of brown meat, and have my regular greens twice a week, I might not be able to do as good a turn now, as I did then, but I had that woman eight solid times, sir.
1915		Wodehouse Psmith Journalist (1993) 182: Bat at that time had a solid reputation as a man of his hands.
1939		Cab Calloway ‘For the Last Time I Cried Over You’ 🎵 Solid M-O, man, but that’s the last time for that jive.
1952		(con. 1948) G. Mandel Flee the Angry Strangers 370: He come by nuts in his head. Like-he got the solid horrors.
1970		A. Young Snakes (1971) 74: I need to get in a solid night of practicin with the guys.

2. trusted; usu. as solid with.

1878		B. Hogan Life and Adventures of Ben Hogan 62: This, of course, made him ‘solid’ with the crowd, and he very soon became known.
1880		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 16 Oct. 12/4: [He] paid promptly for two or three weeks to make himself ‘solid,’ and then began to ‘hang it up’.
1887		Bulletin (Sydney) 15 Oct. 9/1: Moral: This being a Democratic country, always get solid with the titled bugs of the earth, that thy days may be long in the land, &c.
1897		E.W. Townsend Chimmie Fadden 50: How t’ hell was I t’ know dat I have t’ be jollying and chasing de Duchesse all de time after I was once solid wid her.
1906		A. Adams ‘Around the Spade Wagon’ Cattle Brands 🌐 He asked me as a personal favor to apologize to the lady, admitting that he was none too solid with her himself.
1912		M. Nicholson Hoosier Chronicle 183: I advise you to make yourself solid with her [DA].
1912		T.A. Dorgan Silk Hat Harry’s Divorce Suit 6 Dec. [synd. cartoon strip] I’ll bring some roses home to keep solid.
1920		H.C. Witwer Kid Scanlon 280: The Kid had got Professor Parducci to fix him up with a few love charms and owls’ ears by which he was gonna make himself solid with Miss Vincent.
1932		P.G. Cressey Taxi-Dance Hall 205: I knew she wouldn’t, because I was solid with the captain (district police captain).
1947		I. Shulman Amboy Dukes 7: He would be considered one of the boys, solid with the right guys.
1953		W. Fisher Waiters 155: You’re solid now, pardner.

3. (orig. jazz) trustworthy, dependable, exciting, outstanding.

1886		Lantern (N.O.) 22 Sept. 4: Deserted by their supposed, solid girls.
1889		Music Hall & Theatre Rev. 6 Apr. 124/1: [D]ear old Walker [...] a right solid sportsman.
1900		P.G. McLean ‘A Long Shot’ Variety Stage Eng. Plays 🌐 I told him to give me a name that would sound like something — and make me solid with the lady.
1908		Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Dec. 15/4: Strike me pink, I was solid when a member of the push; / In a scrap I was as willing as a lion off a gridiron. / I’m growin’ old and seedy – I’m broke up like a kite.
1919		H.C. Witwer Smile A Minute 330: He gives the perfume to Jeanne and makes himself solid for life.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 99: And how is Dick, the solid man?
1936		(ref. to 1920s) L. Duncan Over the Wall 144: The only thing is, she’s a junker – but she’s solid.
1941		Cab Calloway ‘Are You All Reet’ 🎵 There’s one thing we want to know, / Are we solid; do we send you, Joe?
1947		Argus *Melbourne) 15 Nov. 7s/1: That’s really plenty, slick — or should I say super solid.
1957		H. Simmons Corner Boy 91: He also had an org going. His org was solid. He had handpicked his men.
1967		M. Braly On the Yard (2002) 161: Studs who used to be solid regulars are out there giving up their own mothers.
1977		E. Bunker Animal Factory 75: ‘Inmate’ is . . . an insult. ‘Convict’ is the term that solid dudes prefer.
1981		A. Weller Day of the Dog 15: I reckon ya solid, Doug. Ya wanna go with me?
1984		B. Ellem Doing Time 197: solid: trustworthy and staunch.
1990		Tupper & Wortley Aus. Prison Sl. Gloss. 🌐 Solid. Good, dependable, trustworthy, staunch. A valued characteristic according to the prison code.
1997		E. Little Another Day in Paradise 237: I think about trying to explain that Ben is solid.
1999		D. Looser ‘Boob Jargon’ in NZEJ 13 35: solid adj. Faithful, reliable.
2000		N. Barlay Crumple Zone 80: He’s solid, my spar.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 172/2: solid adj. faithful, reliable, stoic, dependable [etc].
2004		T. Winton ‘Boner McPharlin’s Moll’ in Turning (2005) 272: I’m solid, he said. Solid as a brick shithouse.
2010		K. Richards Life 333: Freddie was one of the best men I ever met [...] I can’t think of another bloke that was solid all the way.
2013		D. Whish-Wilson Zero at the Bone [ebook] She said Justin was solid considering his childhood in foster care and borstal.
2017		S.M. Jones August Snow [ebook] ‘My gut tells me he’s solid’.

4. as solid on, solid for, devoted to.

1881		‘Bill Nye’ Bill Nye and Boomerang 15: Damon and Pythias [...] were so solid on each other. They thought more of one another than anybody.
1907		Times Dispatch (Richmond, VA) 10 Mar. 53/4: ‘Hundred ’n ten thousand [...] An’ every sould of them solid for you, Boss’.

5. definite.

1895		J. London ‘’Frisco Kid’s Story’ in High School Aegis X (15 Feb.) 2–3: Wot! A quarter. Dat’s very kind in yer, mister. Now I’se solid fer me bed an’ a bowl of Java.
1933		C. Himes ‘Prison Mass’ in Coll. Stories (1990) 163: His thoughts circled to the woman who had ‘tricked’ him into prison before. That had been a solid frame, he reflected.
1949		R. Chandler Little Sister 252: Steelgrave is Weepy Moyer. That’s solid, isn’t it?
1959		Murtagh & Harris Who Live In Shadow (1960) 54: Hell, like here’s a solid fact.
1967		M. Braly On the Yard (2002) 213: I’m going to give you a pass, but don’t come in here with a solid beef because you’ll wear out that isolation unit.
1981		A. Weller Day of the Dog 40: Before I ’ad one solid girl, but she changed now.
1993		M. Myers et al. Wayne’s World II [film script] I talked to Rip’s people and I’ve locked him in for a solid twenty.

6. (US) secure, free of problems.

1889		Dead Bird (Sydney) 3 Aug. 2/3: As he knew the girl’s father was solid [he] meant to marry her and stand on velvet.
1925		Wodehouse Carry on, Jeeves 92: As regarded the future he was pretty solid, owing to the fact that he had a moneyed aunt.
1936		D. Burley in Chicago Defender 7 Mar. 11: St Louis must be a ‘solid’ place to live for a bachelor.
1942		R. Chandler High Window 36: Don’t worry about my job, Jack. I’m solid.

7. (Aus./N.Z.) severe, difficult, unfair, unreasonable.

1913		Sport (Adelaide) 26 July 10/3: Teddie N. says things are getting pretty solid at Mrs P.’s when he has to get his own meals.
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 239/1: solid – out of line or unreasonable.