curl, v.¹ — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

curl v.¹

[? the curlicues and flourishes that adorn the handwriting of a good calligrapher. Good students would be assumed to write well as part of their overall excellence]

(US campus) to do well in class, esp. to recite faultlessly; thus curler, a first-rate student.

1856		B.H. Hall College Words (rev. edn) 146: In the university of Virginia, to make a perfect recitation; to overwhelm a Professor with student learning.
1900		E.H. Babbitt ‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:i 31: curl, v. i. To pass a perfect recitation or examination.

SE in slang uses

In phrases

curl one off (v.) (also curl one out) [note curl n.¹ (2)]

to defecate.

1997		Roger’s Profanisaurus in Viz 87 Dec. n.p.: curl one off v. To carefully deliver a stool. – curler n. A lump of excrement so delivered. Also crimp off a length naval slang.
1999		Surfer 40 n.p.: My bro and I laughed ’cause our friend Darren had to curl one off and the nearest outhouse was way the hell up the steps.
2003		N. Griffiths Stump 156: Kept thinkin the cunt was gunner creep up on me when I was curlin one out, like.

curl someone’s hair (v.)

1. to cause pain.

1845

Sharpe’s London Mag. 20 Dec. 116/2: ‘He is booked for fity [i.e. lashes] before breakfast tomorrow’ [...] ‘They’ll curl his hair for him, puir fellow’ .

2. (orig. US) to scold severely.

1909		W.M. Raine Brand Blotters (1912) 38: I’ll curl his hair for him onct [sic] I meet up with him again.
1911		D. Belasco Girl of the Golden West n.p.: ‘You jest send ’im to me,’ commanded the Girl. ‘I’ll curl his hair for him!’.
1968		P. Terson Apprentices (1970) II iii: If I’d had my choice I’d have curled your Dad’s hair.

curl someone up (v.)

(US) to kill someone.

1897		A.H. Lewis Wolfville 239: The old hold-up is on the mule an’ goin’ hell-bent when I curls him up.
1936		R.F. Adams Cowboy Lingo 171: When one killed another, he [...] ‘curled him up.’.

curl-the-mo (adj.)

see separate entry.

curl up (v.)

(US) to die.

1942

W.R. Burnett Quick Brown Fox 139: ‘She’s got some money in her own name; and she’ll have plenty when the Colonel curls up’.

curl v.1

SE in slang uses

In phrases

curl v.¹