Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also set going) to drive someone into a temper, to make someone lose control through teasing.

1902		‘Hugh McHugh’ It’s Up to You 118: Say, he had us going! When that boy wades out among the technicalities of the game something has to give way.
1914		Bulletin (Sydney) 13 Aug. 52/1: ‘’Ey, ’Arris, give th’ old pot a rest, f’r Gossake!’ [...] ‘Not me! I got ’im fairly goin’ now!’.
1927		F.M. Thrasher Gang 63: ‘[T]he ‘cops were always picking us [i.e. gang boys] up and we liked to get them going’.
1935		L. Hughes Mulatto in Three Negro Plays (1969) Act I: Don’t ever show black folks they got you going, though.
1945		‘Henry Green’ Loving (1978) 125: Here [...] let’s see if we can set old Kate goin’.
1974		G.F. Newman You Flash Bastard 223: Sneed’s tone was mocking, but his expression dead-pan, and briefly got DS Feast going.
1983		J. Sullivan ‘Wanted’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] You had me going there for a minute, know what I mean?
1998		G. Burn Happy Like Murderers 98: I took my time on purpose – that was the thing to get him going.
2001		I. Welsh Glue 72: Eh thinks the likes ay us are nowt. That goat me gaun.
2007		Indep. 16 May 30/2: What really gets me going [...] is when I see an organization that’s not maximising its investment opportunities.

2. to excite someone sexually.

1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 146: Mignon [...] made goo-goos at Mr. Sinclair. Even in such a short time she had him going.
1910		‘O. Henry’ ‘Past One at Rooney’s’ in Strictly Business (1915) 266: You’ve got me goin’. You’re the girl I’ve been lookin’ for. Will you keep company with me, Ruby?
1927		(con. 1900s) S. Lewis Elmer Gantry 13: A man so deft at ‘handing a girl a swell spiel and getting her going’.
1937		E. Anderson Thieves Like Us (1999) 72: I think you got him going, Lula.
1965		L. Dunne Goodbye to The Hill (1966) 55: There was one girl there that I thought was a real smasher, and once again it was the tight sweater across big breasts that got me going.
1989		M. Amis London Fields 109: With people like Keith, a pin-up was enough to get him going.
1997		(con. 1960s) A. Frewin London Blues 85: He’s never been interested in black girls [...] It’s only white pussy that gets him going.

3. to excite someone (other than sexually).

1899		Ade Fables in Sl. (1902) 71: He had them Going, and there wasn’t a Thing to it.
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 109: Sure, I got him goin’, yunno, ’cause I cud show the letters tuh his family.
1920		S. Lewis Main Street 326: She kidded him along, and got him going.
1934		Wodehouse Right Ho, Jeeves 94: ‘Oh, Mr Wooster!’ she said again, and from the tone of her voice, I could see that I had got her going.
1945		‘Henry Green’ Loving (1978) 188: You’ve got me goin’ now.
1965		G. Melly Owning Up (1974) 45: ‘For Christ’s sake, cock,’ he shouted, ‘we’ve just got the audience going a bit.’.
1978		H. Selby Jr Requiem for a Dream (1987) 23: Really had ya goin, didnt I?
1995		(con. 1860s) P. Ackroyd Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem 152: That always got them going.
1997		L. Davies Candy 22: He got me going with dreams of solid cash.
2010		(con. 1973) C. Stella Johnny Porno 239: I got him going pretty pretty good with this car. Told him the guy wants to buy it gets wood from the idea.

4. to worry or unnerve someone.

1908		H. Green Maison De Shine 85: ‘We got him goin,’ said Gertie gleefully.
1914		R. Lardner You Know Me Al (1984) 31: For a minute they had me going.
1922		S. Lewis Babbitt (1974) 139: Gee, you certainly did have that poor Dago going, W.A. He couldn’t make you out at all!
1940		R. Chandler Farewell, My Lovely (1949) 218: You had me going for a minute. You sure give yourself a pep talk.
1945		(con. 1937) R. Westerby Mad in Pursuit 159: What’s it like, eh? I mean the first time? Got me goin’, this ’as.

5. of a rumour or piece of gossip, to persuade someone of its veracity.

1908		‘O. Henry’ ‘The Clarion Call’ in Voice of the City (1915) 196: I’ve got him going. He believes me now.
1959		J. Thompson Getaway in Four Novels (1983) 74: One of their stunts even had Rudy going for a while.

6. (US) to stimulate, to drive someone to act.

1908

C. Fowler letter 5 Oct. in Tomlinson Rocky Mountain Sailor (1998) 334: There were bushes in mid-stream, logs, stumps, rocks, shallow water and all sorts of things to watch for. It was up to me to discover all these things in time to avoid them and I'll tell you it had me going some .

7. to start someone talking, usu. in an angry or neurotic manner.

1984		P. Barker Blow Your House Down 117: But of course she managed to get me going in the end.
2001		J. Stahl Plainclothes Naked (2002) 203: And don’t get her going on British hygiene .