Green’s Dictionary of Slang

sack v.

1. in senses of taking or placing ‘in a sack’.

(a) to rob, to steal, to take possession of, to pocket.

New Flash Song [broadside ballad] We took from him all we could sack, / With a silver hilted sword, and gold lac’d hat.
[UK]‘T.B. Junr.’ Pettyfogger Dramatized I iii: You’ll have a fine opportunity to ruin him, and sack the plunder! [Ibid.] II ii: I sack’d all the deeds, and here they are. [...] Be a share of the sin at your door; for you are the receivers of stolen goods!
[UK]W. Perry London Guide London Guide 199: [He] had been one of those concerned in the affair [...] and is supposed to have sacked all the money.
[UK]‘A Flat Enlightened’ Life in the West II 58: [T]hey have already sacked all their money; they can get no more from them.
[UK]W.N. Glascock Land Sharks and Sea Gulls II 103: It stands to reason as him as lays the plan ought, in course, to sack the most of the swag.
[US]‘Ned Buntline’ Mysteries and Miseries of N.Y. I 38: Hoppy consented only on condition of their helping him first to sack the ‘gospel-shop’.
[US]H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 62: Let’s sack the joint!
[US]B. Jackson Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 101: The safes that I’ve cracked and the jewelry I’ve sacked / I laid the swag at her feet.

(b) to put in one’s pocket.

[Aus]Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang.
[UK]‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 154: Sack it — to appropriate things to oneself, to put them into the pocket or sac.
[UK]‘Knowing Bill’ in Rake’s Budget in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) III 87: If they fork out a bob to pay, / The browns I allus sacks.
[UK]Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open 123: Sack, to, to take up.
[UK](con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor I 200/2: They made it all right; paid something, as I’ve heard, and sacked the profits.

(c) (US Und.) to sort out, to arrange.

[US]H. McCoy Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye in Four Novels (1983) 259: ‘We’re in,’ I said. ‘This thing’s sacked.’.
[US]Goldin et al. DAUL 184/1: Sack. [...] 2. To prearrange and predetermine. ‘The jury is spiked (bribed) and the rapper (complainant) is squared (appeased). A turn-out is all sacked for you, Guzzler.’.

2. in senses of dismissal.

(a) to dismiss someone from a job, thus sacking, dismissal.

[UK]Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 44/2: He was again unlucky, having, after repeated watchings, been ‘bowled-out’ in a guilty amour with his master’s son’s wife, and of course sacked.
[UK]Five Years’ Penal Servitude 277: After asking two or three questions Jemmy ‘sacked’ Garibaldi and sent him to prison clothes-mending.
[UK]‘Walter’ My Secret Life (1966) III 484: ‘They will sack us both,’ said Betty. Kitty began to cry.
[Aus]H. Lawson ‘Visit of Condolence’ in Roderick (1972) 34: He didn’t have cheek enough to arsk the boss for a rise, lest he’d be sacked.
[UK]A. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise 55: Phil, remind me to sack him [i.e. a valet].
[UK]Wodehouse ‘At Geisenheimer’s’ in Man with Two Left Feet 119: The boss’ll sack you just one minute after I tell him.
[Aus]K.S. Prichard Coonardoo 255: Hugh’d sack me, if he didn’t think I was up to the job.
[UK]G. Kersh Night and the City 52: And the cheque you got when they sacked you from your job.
[NZ]F. Sargeson ‘A Pair of Socks’ in A Man And His Wife (1944) 65: In the end Bill got fed up so he sacked us both.
[Aus]D. Niland Shiralee 44: The first two, boss sacked ’em.
[WI]V.S. Naipaul A House For Mr Biswas 358: Let them sack me like hell. Think I care? I want them to sack me.
[UK]Sun. Times Mag. 12 Oct. 26: He was sacked because they wanted someone younger and flasher.
[UK](con. 1950s–60s) in G. Tremlett Little Legs 179: He sacked his manager and got greedy.
[Aus]R.G. Barrett Between the Devlin 32: He’d never sacked anyone in his life.
[UK]G. Burn Happy Like Murderers 166: He was sacked from his job as a tyrefitter.
[UK]Observer Screen 16 Jan. 6: They have to go into work, because if they don’t they get sacked.
[Aus]P. Temple Broken Shore (2007) [ebook] Sacked three weeks ago. [...] Someone leaked information and the whole thing went-pear-shaped. They blamed me.
[Scot]L. McIlvanney All the Colours 304: They’d been cold to me at first [...] but since my sacking they’d begun to nod when we passed on the stairs.
[US]J. Ellroy Hilliker Curse 13: Rita sacked his lazy ass, circa ’50.
[Aus]C. Hammer Opal Country 45: ‘Used to be his offsider [...] Then he sacked him’.
[UK]J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 765: ‘Let go? Ha!... Sacked! I was sacked. Sacked. I wasn’t let go. I was sacked! Let go!’.

(b) (also sack off) to reject or dismiss something or someone.

[UK](con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor III 145/2: The old man threatens to sack lover. He goes into cottage and brings out lover’s bundle, and throws it to lover.
[UK]Magnet 10 Sept. 2: The Remove had chosen to sack him.
[US] ‘Rejected By Eliza Jane’ in T.W. Talley Negro Folk Rhymes 134: Perhaps you’ll sack ‘Ole Sour Bill’ / An’ git choked on ‘Sugar Cain’.
[UK]K. Sampson Powder 442: They’d be heroes if they could pull it off, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if they had to sack it.
[UK]Observer 9 Jan. 6: He was sacked from the programme.
[UK]N. Griffiths Stump 95: Tempted to sack the whole friggin thing off.
[Scot]I. Welsh Dead Man’s Trousers 77: [of drug use] I’m trying to sack those bastards [i.e Ambien] myself, so it’s a bit naughty passing them on.
Twitter 28 Aug. 🌐 I’m sacking off writing to work in a bar again now .

(c) to expel from school or university.

[US]B.H. Hall College Words (rev. edn) 399: sack. To expel.
[UK]T. Hughes Tom Brown’s School-Days (1896) 108: I shouldn’t like to see any of you getting sacked.
[UK]Sporting Times 20 Mar. 3/4: His domestic rebellion [...] led to his being sacked from Harrow.
[UK]Boy’s Own Paper 5 Nov. 86: It’ll be awfully rough on my people if I’m sacked.
[UK]Magnet 22 Feb. 11: I’d like to see him sacked from the school.
[UK]Gem 23 Sept. 20: Keep it dark. I was your friend once. Don’t get me sacked from this school.
[UK](con. 1912) B. Marshall George Brown’s Schooldays 94: Either he’ll lace your arses off or you’ll both be sacked.
[UK]R. Cook Crust on its Uppers 19: Sacked from the most super public school in the country.
[UK]J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 157: Mein Opa, Marcus Phimister, the Heretic’s Boy, was sacked from Eton after two terms.

(d) to end a relationship with, esp. in an abrupt, brutal manner.

[US]Life in Boston & N.Y. (Boston, MA) 11 Oct. n.p.: Miss N., how much do you think you made when you sacked that Irish brake tender and took up with Buckdart A—n.
[US]P. Munro Sl. U. 162: sack to break up with, dump, treat (someone of the opposite sex) badly.
[UK](con. 1979–80) A. Wheatle Brixton Rock (2004) 7: If me hear that you’re palavering with any gal again, I will sack you so quick.
[UK]A. Wheatle Dirty South 98: I’m going to sack him after Christmas.
Twitter 10 Nov. 🌐 A guy I went on a couple of dates with in 2014 then sacked off when he sent me a video of him wanking [etc].

(e) (US campus) to humiliate someone.

[US]Eble Campus Sl. Fall 4: sack – to embarrass, to make someone look foolish: John was sacked by Betty.

(f) (Aus. prison) to ostracize.

[Aus]Tupper & Wortley Aus. Prison Sl. Gloss. 🌐 Sacked. Sent to Coventry; ostracized.

3. (US Und.) to tie someone up with the cord round their limbs and throat; they are then placed in a sack and when they struggle to get free they will asphyxiate themselves.

[US]D. Runyon ‘Sense of Humor’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 275: A guy from St. Louis [...] is doing most of the sacking for Frankie Ferocious.
[US]C. Hamilton Men of the Und. 205: Sometimes they ‘sacked’ a victim, drugging him first, then tying him in a gunny sack with a noose drawn loosely around his neck and tied to his ankles.

4. to allot a sleeping place.

[UK](con. WW2) T. Jones Heart of Oak [ebook] Sack him in my mess. It’s his first ship.

In phrases

sack (down) (v.) (also sack in)

to go to bed, to sleep.

[US]B. Stiles Serenade to the Big Bird 113: Sam casually announced that I was staying home. ‘Oates is going,’ he said. ‘You can sack.’.
[US]‘Weldon Hill’ Onionhead (1958) 101: Hey, you s’pose to sack in with Red in the after cabin’.
[UK]A. Sinclair My Friend Judas (1963) 19: I [...] took a swig of milk from the bottle, turned off the Brube, and sacked down. I was pooped, all muzzy.
[US]R.E. Alter Carny Kill (1993) 10: ‘Got a place to sack,’ he asked.
[US](con. 1970) J.M. Del Vecchio 13th Valley (1983) 471: ‘I’m sackin,’ he whispered.
sack in (v.)

1. (US) to go to bed, to sleep.

[US]M. Spillane Long Wait (1954) 9: I’m tired and dirty and I want to get sacked in for the night.
[US]J.P. Donleavy Ginger Man (1958) 35: When I’m gone from the ould sod, sacked in with some lovely French doll.
[US](con. 1943) A. Myrer Big War 223: Come on, Al. Let’s sack in.
[US](con. 1920s) J. Thompson South of Heaven (1994) 155: He went to his own bunk and sacked in.
[US]N. Thornburg Cutter and Bone (2001) 79: Listen, pal, before I sack in [...] why don’t you tell us.

2. to lie in, to stay in bed.

[US](con. WWII) R. Leckie Marines! 41: He’s still sackin’ in.
sack off (v.)

see sense 2b above.

sack out (v.)

to fall asleep, to go to bed.

Vocational Trends 7 82: Butch is sacked out. He stayed up late last night beating his gums with the gang.
[US](con. 1950) E. Frankel Band of Brothers 31: Gonna sack out, Skipper. Anything you want me to do first?
[Aus]P. Pinney Restless Men 69: ‘Musgrove bloody Park!’ Specs growled. ‘Hot as a bodgie fiver! Every vag and winedot in Brisbane sacks out there.’.
[US]E. Shepard Doom Pussy 40: Some shucked their uniforms [...] and shaved before sacking out.
[US]E. Torres Carlito’s Way 115: I took it easy for a few days — sacked out a lot, watched television.
[UK]M. Amis London Fields 14: When Keith left I sacked out immediately. Not that I had much say in the matter. Twenty-two hours later I opened my eyes.
[Can](con. 1920s) O.D. Brooks Legs 63: We better all sack out if we expect to get an early start in the morning.
[US]E. Weiner Drop Dead, My Lovely (2005) 230: Stephanie [...] got comfy, and sacked out.
[Aus]P. Temple Broken Shore (2007) [ebook] They would all be in the shed, the dogs sacked out [...] round the old potbelly stove.
sack out with (v.)

(US) to have sexual intercourse.

‘Sheldon Lord’ Strange Kind of Love 96: [T]hat’s a lot of time to watch two women sexing around on a linen sheet. I’'s even longer when [. . .] you've sacked out with both of them--although not both at the same time.
sack up (v.)

1. (US) to go to bed.

[US]J.W. Bishop ‘Amer. Army Speech’ in AS XXI:4 Dec. 251: Sack. Bed. To sack up or hit the sack is to go to bed. Sack time is sleep.
[US]W. Guthrie Seeds of Man (1995) 224: I guess that they’re sacked up asleep.
[US](con. 1920s) J. Thompson South of Heaven (1994) 73: Guess I’ll go sack up.
[US]J. Thompson ‘Sunrise at Midnight’ in Fireworks (1988) 165: What he was sacked up with was two other guys – [...] they’d been having a party.

2. (US) to be quiet.

[UK]Observer (London) 9 Nov. 22/2: Vets need to sack up. We will bash each other for no fucking reason.

SE in slang uses

In phrases

sack ’em up (man) (n.) [the corpse is placed in a sack before its delivery to a hospital]

a resurrectionist or grave-robber.

[Ire]Saunders’s News-Letter (Dublin) 24 Mar. 2/4: [A] woman, named Hickey, happened to passing on Ormond quay yesterday evening, where one number of boys, who were whipping tops on the flagway, made use of the obnoxious words, ‘sack-em-up’ on which she was attacked a number of persons.
[Ire]Dublin Morn. Register 27 Dec. 3/3: ‘[Y]ou’re a parcel rascally Sack-’em-ups, and ’'ll be bound you have the body of some poor dead cratur in the coach—shame upon you, for surgeons, that you wouldn’t let the dead rest on a blessed Christmas night!’.
[UK]Devizes & Wilts Gaz. 9 Apr. 4/2: Mr. C[harles]. had a very animated looking bust of a man which occasionally uses in illusions in ventriloquism. The box was opened, when the figure, acting on a spring, started up" [...] Terror, [...] was seen in the face every one that remained, for the greater part had rnn awuy, and thus Mr. Charles convinced them he was no ‘Sack’em-up’.
[Ire]Waterford Mail 13 Mar. 4/5: The box was opened and the skeleton of a child found in it. This was confirmation [...] that the old woman was not only a ‘sack ’em up’ herself, but the mother [...] of a family of ressurectionists.
[Ire]W. Carleton Misfortunes of Barney Branagan (1850) 237: He also entertained a terror of the sack-’em-ups [...] created by the exaggerating tongue of rumour, which gave awful accounts of men who were kidnapped, smothered, and sold to the surgeons for large sums of money.
[Ire]‘Zozimus’ (Michael J. Moran) poem [internet] Oh Stony, Stony / Don't let the Sack-'Em-Ups get me / Send round the hat / And buy me a grave.
[US]J.V. Huntington Rosemary 24: A coarse bag and naked body is the wonted style of the resurrectionist, or ‘sack-em-up’ — to use an expressive old country term.
[Ire]Shamrock (Dublin) 11 Jan. 254/2: It was, indeed, the very height of the period of bodysnatchers, sack-em-ups and resurrection-men.
[UK]London Jrnl 21 Dec. 394/1: Lanty, did you ever hear of a resurrectionist—a sack-em-up?
[Ire]W. Carleton Works I 474: A mere sack-’em-up, who disinters the dead, and sells their remains for money.
[Ire]J. Moore Ball [bk title] The Sack-’Em-Up Men.
[US](con. 1880s) W.B. Blanton Medicine in Virginia in the Nineteenth Century 70: This latter was the Potter’s Field in the eighties when old Billy, veteran sack-em-up man, and his promising assistant, Chris Baker, were in their heyday.
[Ire]G.A. Little Malachi Horan Remembers 25: There were in those days men who went by the name of ‘sack-em-ups’ – what you would call resurrection men. They used to rob graveyards and sell the bodies to the doctors.
[Ire](con. 19C) E. O’Brien Conscience and Conflict 58: With the Act came the end of the body-snatching era — the ‘sack-em-up’ man was no more.
sack up (v.)

1. (US campus) to survive a challenging situation [? one places it in a fig. SE sack].

[US]‘Tom Pendleton’ Iron Orchard (1967) 276: We’re gonna sack up this oil business, sweetheart. I can make deals for these people. A percentage are bound to hit.
[US]Da Bomb 🌐 24: Sack Up: To come through in a difficult situation.

2. (drugs) to divide up and place bulk drugs into separate bags prior to sale.

[US]W. Shaw Westsiders 75: Bailin’ through the party with a pound of bud / All sacked up in straight dimes and dubs.

In exclamations

sack it!

be quiet!

[Scot](con. 1980s) I. Welsh Skagboys 49: —Sack it, ya fat cunt, Begbie says —she’s mine, but, eh, Lesley?
[Scot]I. Welsh Decent Ride 455: fuckin sack it, barksdale., ah’m tellin ye!