Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. prison; thus v. to imprison (see cite 1907).

1592		Greene Quip for an Upstart Courtier G: That reprobate is the vserers executioner to bring suche gentlemen to limbo, as he hath overthrowne with his base brocage.
c.1626		Dick of Devonshire in Bullen II (1883) IV ii: Reverend sir, y’are welcome: Too few such visitants, nay none at all, Have I seen in this damnable Limbo.
c.1637		R. Brome Damoiselle III i: Had I rak’d Limbo, as I did the Compter, / I were not better fitted with a Copesmate.
1655		Mercurius Fumigosus 44 28 Mar.–4 Apr. 347: The Carrier hath imployed Cerberus to ceize on the Surplisse-man, and had like to have carried him to Limbo, had not his honesty, and some Friends interposed.
1664		Etherege Comical Revenge V iv: sir fred: No consideration; dispatch, or to limbo. whead: Was there ever such a dilemma? I shall rot in prison.
1764		Bloody Register I 125: Having satisfied the law, and got out of Limbo, he altered his course of life.
1772		Bridges Burlesque Homer (3rd edn) 439: Keep me in limbo till you try / If I don’t scorn to tell a lye.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1790		‘The Spendthrift cast in Limbo’ in A Garland of New Songs (22) 5: They will be the first that will clap you in jail, / Take care that you keep out of Limbo.
1809		B.H. Malkin (trans.) Adventures of Gil Blas (1822) I 245: I took up my quarters in limbo.
1815		‘British Sailor’ Sailor’s Vocal Repository 4: I [...] took her uncle out of Limbo for debt .
1821		W.T. Moncrieff Tom and Jerry III v: Never desert an old pal in limbo, Bob.
1827		Commercial Advertiser (N.Y.) 1 Feb. 2/3: After being all night in limbo, they resolved to cap, but were not able to muster the Tatlers.
1834		‘The Rake’s Register’ in Bang-Up Songster 24: She [...] left me all her debts to pay, / So I was clap’d in limbo!
1842		‘The Man About Town’ Nobby Songster 22: When I came out of limbo, my tin had quite run out.
1842		Whip & Satirist of NY & Brooklyn (NY) 16 July n.p.: the whip wants to know Who that young man was that got put in limbo [...] Don’t go fighting again Joe!
1848		‘Ned Buntline’ Mysteries and Miseries of N.Y. I 115: ‘Limbo.’ A prison.
1851		G. Thompson Jack Harold 60: I’ve oft-times been in limbo.
1856		Melbourne Punch 20 Nov. 3/3: ‘Proposals for a New Slang Dictionary’ [...] QUOD,—Noun. Chokey, limbo .
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 157/2: [They] secured to themselves sleeping partners on the first night of their ‘bloke’s’ incarceration in ‘limbo’.
1867		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 12 Oct. n.p.: A gun, who, believing it lawful to steal that which had been stolen, got himelf in ‘limbo’.
1877		Five Years’ Penal Servitude 263: Before that happened he had never been in ‘limbo’.
1886		A.F. Pinkerton Dyke Darrel 93: We have two of your friends in limbo.
1890		‘’Arry’s Visit to the Moon’ in Punch Christmas Number in P. Marks (2006) 166: Limbo sounds precious like quod.
1895		C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 45: Limbo, a prison.
1899		J. Flynt Tramping with Tramps 144: He got into limbo, and had to wear the famous ‘zebra’ – the penitentiary dress.
1900		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘In-and-out Running’ Sporting Times 17 Feb. 1/4: At the present time, he’s still in limbo, while she’s / Just out.
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 13 Mar. 1/1: The movements of a Fremantle advertisement canvasser will land him in limbo.
1907		Sun. Times (Perth) 17 Nov. 1/1: The demons are hereby invited to unmercifully limbo the lot.
1914		Truth (Melbourne) 3 Jan. 11/5: At this stage [...] Constable Davies blew up [...] laid hold of Mick and lugged him off to limbo.
1924		G. Henderson Keys to Crookdom 408: In limbo. In jail.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 28: in limbo In prison.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 126/1: Limbo. 1. Penal confinement; a prison.

2. pawn.

1693		Congreve Old Batchelor ii 1: I let him have all my ready money, to redeem his great sword from limbo [F&H].
1732		Progress of a Rake 49: Then go thou prettiest Coat in Town, / And lay in Limbo with my Gown.
1754		B.Martin Eng. Dict. (2nd edn) s.v.

3. (drugs) marijuana from Colombia.

1993–2002

‘420 Dictionary’ at 420TIMES.COM 🌐.

4. (US prison) time in jail before trial.

2000

Other Side of the Wall: Prisoner’s Dict. July 🌐 Limbo: Time in jail before trial.