Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a prostitute, esp. one who works in a brothel.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: A Case fro, c. a Whore that Plies in a Bawdy-house.
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) 204: [...] A case froe, i.e., a whore that plies in a bawdy-house.
1725		New Canting Dict. n.p.: a case-vrow, a Whore that plies in a Bawdy-House.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. 1725].
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: A Case Vrow, a prostitute attached to a particular bawdy house.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

(UK Und.) a brothel.

1937		E. Raymond Marsh 315: ‘He wouldn’t ’a’ been born at all if they’d managed all right in the brothel.’ [...] ‘Born in a case-house, he was.’.
1960		F. Norman Daily Mail 18 May in Norman’s London (1969) 94: The birds and geezers that run shpielers, rubadubs, and casehouses.

a brothel-owner.

1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 17/1: This night she came to the ball in company with a ‘case’ keeper, named Betty Bignell.
1934		J. Franklyn This Gutter Life 127: ‘Arrah, he’s the dirtiest bastard of a case-keeper in London!’ ‘A case-keeper?’ repeated Gwenda, looking puzzled. Cora explained in a more sudbdued tone: ‘A knocking-shop, you know.’.

(UK Und.) the inspection of a property with the intention of robbing it.

1923

J. Manchon Le Slang.

(UK Und.) to break into a house.

1839		H. Brandon Dict. of the Flash or Cant Lang. 162/1: To Crack a Case – burglary.
1846		Swell’s Night Guide 59: Billy’s not pluck to fake the grand duck. He’d crap his kicksies if he had to unscrew a drum, or crack a case.
1857		‘Ducange Anglicus’ Vulgar Tongue 38: He cracked a case last night and fenced the swag.
1869		J. Greenwood Seven Curses of London 87: To commit burglary – crack a case, or break a drum.
1882		Sydney Sl. Dict. 10/1: Jim cracked a case last night and fenced the swag for ten cooter. He told me as Nell Starlight had flimped a thimble from a lushy bloak who had been to the ball, and fenced it at Mother S–’s for a finnip. Jim committed a burglary last night and sold the property for ten pounds. He told me that Nell Starlight had hustled a tipsy man who had been to the hall and stolen his watch, and sold it at Mother S–’s for a five-pound note.
1909		J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era.
1935		R.T. Hopkins Life and Death at the Old Bailey 63: The following crook’s words and phrases date from the days of the old Old Bailey: [...] burglary – to crack a case.

see under down adv.¹

1. (also have a case, live caseo) to have a semi-permanent relationship with.

1900		‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:i 26: Case, n. [...] In phrase ‘to have a case,’ to be strongly infatuated.
1912		R.W. Brown ‘Word-List From Western Indiana’ in DN III:viii 577: have a case, v. To be in love. ‘I think Joe and Edith have a case’.
1956		‘Charles Raven’ Und. Nights 45: They picked up a couple of judies who were attracted by their soldierly bearing, and lived caseo with them.
1959		F. Norman Fings II i: I moves in on the West End – I meets Lil, and we go case.

2. (also come case, go case-o, have a case going) to have sexual intercourse with.

1935		Thieves Slang ms list from District Police Training Centre, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwicks 5: Go caso: Got to a brothel or with a prosrtitute.
1958		(con. 1940s) B. Behan Borstal Boy 226: Throw ’im out of college for going case-o with a judy.
1958		F. Norman Bang To Rights 134: Although she made it obvious that she wanted me to, I didn’t go case with her that night.
1962		F. Norman Guntz 194: Do you want to come case with me?
1982		J. Sullivan ‘No Greater Love’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] You’re not going case-o with the wife of a convict are you?
1989		J. Morton Lowspeak 36: Have a case going – to be sleeping with a girl.

to work as a genteel prostitute, from a flat, rather than walking the streets.

1938		G. Kersh Night and the City 169: He only married her for her money, and she got it going caso.
1966		Trimble 5000 Adult Sex Words and Phrases.

see under case v.¹