Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) derog. term for an African-American.

2019

N. Walker Cherry 107: ‘Cripes! Foolin around on him with a gosh-dang porch ape, son’.

(US) a burglar; thus porch-climbing.

1891		Emporia Dly Repub. (KS) 28 Apr. 3/2: A thief who robs houses in the early evening is called a ‘porch climber’.
1897		Herald (L.A.) 8 Jan. 3/4: The porch climber has not been idle [...] on Wednesday evening he got into a house [...] where he got away with a fine ladies gold watch.
1898		Bexhill-on-Sea Observer 5 Mar. 6/6: Burgling Bill: ‘Say, dere ain’t no use tacklin’ dat house, we done picked out for to-night.’Porch Cliber: ‘Wot’s gone wrong, now?’.
1900		Ade More Fables in Sl. (1960) 190: The chinaman did not know he was an Author, but supposed him to be a retired Porch-Climber.
1902		Jennings & Dly Record (LA) 17 July 1/5: They did not confine their operations to porch-climbing. Highway robbery, burglary..
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 85: A famous porchclimber now doing his bit away out in San-Quentin.
1905		Sporting Times 4 Mar. 1/5: Wanted General servant; good wages; no night-walker or window-climber need apply.
1908		Commoner (Lincoln, NE) 27 Mar. 13/3: realizing that Grafting George was in a higher class, Porch Climbing Bill humbly took a retired seat.
1910		J. Sullivan ‘Criminal Sl.’ in Amer. Law Rev. LII (1918) 890: A second-story worker who breaks and enters dwelling houses is called a ‘houseman,’ ‘porch climber’ and ‘flat worker.’.
1915		S. Ford Shorty McCabe on the Job 136: A couple of porch-climbin’ jobs had been pulled off in the neighborhood recent.
1916		J. Lait ‘Charlie the Wolf’ in Beef, Iron and Wine (1917) 61: Their old crony, the four-time penitentiary graduate, porch-climber, raconteur, and drink-buyer.
1917		Introduction to Ben Hecht ‘A Doting Burglar’ in All-Story 6 Oct. 🌐 The sublime profession of crib-cracking and porch-climbing, wielders of ‘soup’ and jimmy, [etc.].
1920		A. Baer Speeches of Fuller Durham 8 Aug. [synd. col.] Gents, it does my heart good to be among such a distinguished bunch of porch pilgrims and second-storey tourists.
1924		Morell Twenty-Fifth Man in Hamilton Men of the Und. 250: Wife murderers, rapers, porch climbers, common thieves.
1932		Sun. Mail (Brisbane) 13 Nov. 20/7: Mounting the next rung of the ladder we come to the ‘Porch-climber’ The distinction between him and the ordinary burglar is that the former robs from houses without forcing an entrance.
1938		R. Chandler ‘Red Wind’ in Red Wind (1946) 55: He was a two-bit porch-climber with a few small terms on him.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1952		C. Hamilton Men of the Und. 324: Porch climber, A burglar who robs the second-story of a house, usually while the family is at supper.
1963		B. Hecht Gaily, Gaily 55: I knew chiefly the rakish fraternity of mouthpieces who battled for the exoneration of the common man in distress; for addled porch climbers, wife beaters, door-mat thieves, duelists over pinochle tables; for butterfingered safeblowers and shop-lifters.
1990		Tupper & Wortley Aus. Prison Sl. Gloss. 🌐 Window climber. A burglar.
2020		C. Hiaasen Squeeze Me 215: A flurry of upper cuts that flattened the hapless porch pirate.

(US) a derog. term for a black person.

1981		Eble Campus Sl. Mar. 5: porch monkey – a Black. Derogatory.
1992		Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 55: Porch Monkey A black person.
2001		(con. 1975–6) E. Little Steel Toes 10: I want you to talk to those porch monkeys, see if ya can get George to act right.
2004		J. Ellroy ‘Jungletown Jihad’ in Destination: Morgue! (2004) 350: We bopped outside. Porch monkeys perused us.
2019		D. Winslow Border [ebook] ‘I am home, porch monkey! This is Calle 18 turf!’ [...] The black kids threw a few more insults but backed off.
2021		S.A. Crosby Razorblade Tears 99: ‘You better call some of your gangster buddies, BG [...] You gonna need all them porch monkeys to back you up’.