Green’s Dictionary of Slang

strike-me-dead n.²

1. bread.

1923		Northern Whig 12 Sept. 8/6: Bread was cheerfully referred to as ‘strike me dead,’ beer as ‘cheer, boys, cheer,’ money as ‘bread and honey [and] work as ‘Jimmy Burke’.
1925		(con. WWI) Fraser & Gibbons Soldier and Sailor Words 272: Strike Me Dead: Bread.
1938		G. Kersh Night and the City 27: Coppers! That’s wot we pays ’em for — to take the bleedn strike-me-dead out of yer children’s mouf.
1941		G. Kersh They Die with Their Boots Clean 129: ‘Gemme a you ’n’ a strike,’ meaing a Cup of You-and-Me and a Slice of Strike-Me-Dead, or bread ’n’ butter.
1941		A. Gurney Bluey & Curley 10 June [synd. cartoon strip] Tell his reverence there’s loop the loop, snags and mud balls, strike me dead, slip in the gutter and Chinese comfort fund. The cook said there’s soup, sausages and potatoes, bread and butter and rice.
1957		G. Kersh Fowlers End (2001) 268: No titfer to my loaf-o’-bread, / No strike-me-dead to eat, / No place to go for an Uncle Ned, / Or boots to my plates-o’-meat.
1960, 1975		Wentworth & Flexner DAS.

2. red.

1934

Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld) 1 Mar. 10/4: That flash young jackaroo comes here [...] wearing strike-me-dead socks.