Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (Aus.) a cat o’ nine tails.

1829

Australian (Sydney) 12 May 4/1: [T]he boatswain’s mate stood ready with ‘the tickle,’ called cat-o’-nine-tails, [...] the grating was already secured in a perpendicular position to the ring-bolts, and the sailor pinioned by the wrists to the grating.

2. (UK Und., also tickler) a robbery or other crime, esp. a successful and lucrative one.

1908		‘The Great Bond Robbery’ in Roberts et al. Old Sleuth’s Freaky Female Detectives (1990) 67/1: He must come down handsome when it’s a ‘tickler’ [...] I intend to get every dollar of that little ‘lift.’.
1938		F.D. Sharpe Sharpe of the Flying Squad 333: tickle (a) : A successful deal.
1941		V. Davis Phenomena in Crime 34: Gangland went en fête when Nobby had a ‘tickle.’.
1956		‘Charles Raven’ Und. Nights 11: With a bit of luck Sapphire might have the tickle of a lifetime, and, at the very least, a couple of grand.
1961		(con. 1920s) J. Sparks Burglar to the Nobility 15: Knowing that if it was a nice tickle there would definitely be a bag of oats for him [i.e. a horse].
1968		J. Barlow Burden of Proof 5: It was indeed business, a very profitable tickle.
1979		F. Norman Too Many Crooks Spoil the Caper 24: Louie say anything about a nice little tickle he might have coming up?
1989		(con. 1950s–60s) in G. Tremlett Little Legs 37: Look, I’ve had a little tickle.
1998		M. Newall ‘Sir Gawayne and the Grene Knight’ in Indep. Weekend Rev. 26 Dec. 1: I’ve got a litte tyckle going off with some tomfoolery.
2000		J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 100: Much as I don’t like working with these reprobates we could all have a right tickle here.
2015		I. Welsh Decent Ride 35: If somebodyt offers ye a wee tickle n it looks tasty, then aye.

3. a success in gambling, thus tickle for, to win, to obtain.

1950		P. Hoskins No Hiding Place! 192/1: Tickle for. Obtain or win.
1977		D. Powis Signs of Crime 204: Tickle [...] a medium-sized betting success: ‘A nice little tickle!’.
1989		J. Morton Lowspeak 138: Tickle – money obtained in a slightly louche way e.g. a successful theft, con trick, win on the horses.

4. (Aus., also tickle-up) a physical beating.

1992		M. Coleman Fatty 163: ‘He was telling Gilly about one of the Manly moves so that he could give Crusher Cleal a tickle on the weekend’.
2006		B. Matthews Intractable [ebook] I was bloody and sore after copping a bit of a tickle-up for my troubles.