Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a flight, an escape.

1857		‘Ducange Anglicus’ Vulgar Tongue 16: read and write v. Flight. He took to read-and-write.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1873		Sl. Dict.

2. a fight.

1884		Sporting Times 6 Dec. 1/1: Went to read and write. Got lump of lead like Parish oven. North and south knocked on one side. I suppose smashed .
1932		‘P.P.’ Rhy. Sl.
1935		Thieves Slang ms list from District Police Training Centre, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwicks 9: Read and write: A good fight.
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks.
1938		L. Ortzen Down Donkey Row 24: It only cost a pound to start that read and write.
1944		Maurer & Baker ‘“Aus.” Rhyming Argot’ in AS XIX:3.
1969		S.T. Kendall Up the Frog.
1971		J. Jones Rhy. Cockney Sl.
2001		M. Coles Bible in Cockney 10: Don’t get confused with ‘read and write’ which means ‘fight’.