p, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

p n.

[abbr.]

1640		H. Mill Nights Search I 76: We are undone: for P: hath seiz’d upon us With violence, to take our teeth quite from us.
1669		‘A medly of Wooers’ in Antidote against Melancholy 92: There came a Frenchman that finely could Dance, / He’s proper in every Joynt, / It seems once he had scaped the P: / So well he can cut the cross-point.
1842		‘The Steam Tool’ Nancy Dawson’s Cabinet of Songs 14: He would kiss and cuddle them all with glee, / Until they gave him the woeful P.

2. the penis [note also prick n. (1)].

c.1864

‘Gutta Percha Things’ in Rakish Rhymer (1917) 16: So of Gutta Percha he got a lump; / Stuck it on to his Belly instead of a P [...] ‘Put out the candle,’ says Miss C., / For I’ve made up my mind to taste your P.’.

3. a ponce, a pimp.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 845: [...] C.20.

4. in drug uses.

(a) peyote.

1969		R.R. Lingeman Drugs from A to Z (1970) 201: P peyote.
2001		ONDCP Street Terms 16: P — Peyote; PCP.

(b) heroin, lit. ‘pure’.

1971		D. Goines Dopefiend (1991) 33: The strong P, ‘pure’ that Porky had given her.
1974		V.E. Smith Jones Men 8: You selling P, if you wanna deal, Bennie Lee.

1979		H. Feldman et al. Angel Dust 74: Phencyclidine is available today under a wide array of street names: T, P, tish or titch.
2001		ONDCP Street Terms 16: P — Peyote; PCP.
2017		G. Gilmore Headland [ebook] ‘Whatever you need, mate. Charlie, crack, pills, smack, G, P, ice or black’.

5. a promise (to deliver something).

1997

N. Barlay Curvy Lovebox 60: Gi’s a P on twenny [i.e. grams of cocaine].

6. the price.

1997		N. Barlay Curvy Lovebox 161: You paid the P.
2001		N. Barlay Hooky Gear 223: Maybe £50 is the real tag. Or the fences P.

7. money, thus stack p’s, to accumulate money [paper n. (1)].

2005		Lethal Bizzle ‘Do It’ 🎵 It was never about making the Ps.
2005		Observer Rev. 14 Aug. 7/3: Ps noun pl – money: ‘That’s why I make more Ps than you.’.
2008		A. Wheatle Dirty South 2: Mum was taking out her P’s to pay for my crisps.
2011		G. Knight Hood Rat 142: Gradually he got respect fromthe Olders because he made them P.
2014		K. Koke ‘Letter Home’ 🎵 I'm still making p’s up in jail / [...] / Shottin' fiends in my cell.
2018		Headie One ‘Know Better’ 🎵 My strap got grease, still stack them P’s.
2020		G. Krauze Who They Was 6: I show him the handbag [...] and Tyrell says is there any p’s in there? [ibid] 12: I’m always hungry, even though I’ve got p’s stacked, but I always want mopre.

8. rejection, dismissal [push n. (3)].

2000

N. Barlay Crumple Zone 56: She ain’t gonna do nuffink cos she’ll get the P innit [...] the P. The Push.

9. (US black) a parent.

2000		Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 p Definition: parents if on the phone trying to keep thangs on tha downlow. Example: Nigga don’t be callin me and talking bout tis shit...my p’s is home!!
2001		N. Barlay Hooky Gear 225: Then a P&D duo, Dad & Son, come in for a full English.

10. (UK black/gang) probation, parole.

2018-20

T. Thorne (ed.) ‘Drill Slang Glossary’ at Forensic Linguistic Databank 🌐 P - parole, probation.

11. see pea n.¹ (2a)