Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also sock it in, sock it into) to hit hard, lit. or fig., e.g. to charge someone a high price.

1857		Mensalia Mar. 140: ‘Have you any more examinations — hard ones?’ ‘Yes, — and one will Sock it to me, too’.
1864		E.K. Wightman letter 11 May in Longacre From Antietam to Fort Fisher (1985) 176: Sock it to em, my hardies. [Ibid.] 21/24 July 203: Our motto should be that emphatic though vulgar one of rank and file, ‘sock it to em’.
1873		S.W. Payne Behind the Bars 145: If their liquor don’t set just right, then they sock it to us freed niggers till we can’t stand.
1883		‘Mark Twain’ Life on the Mississippi (1914) 390: A rich man won’t have anything but your very best; and you can just pile it on, too—pile it on and sock it to him.
1889		Dead Bird (Sydney) 26 Oct. 7/3: He couldn’t find much fault [with the painting] but he was afraid if he didn’t the artist would take him for a softy and [...] ‘sock it to him’.
1891		J.A. Riis How the Other Half Lives 224: The sheeny cum along an’ the saw was there, an’ we socked it to him.
1903		S.F. Call 22 Nov. 8/2: ‘Sock it to him!’ ‘Hit him where he lives!’.
1905		Sun. Times (Perth) 19 Mar. 1/1: The Sydneyites socked it into him for an act of gross discourtesy.
1916		C.J. Dennis ‘The Singing Soldiers’ in Moods of Ginger Mick 62: ‘Strike!’ sez ’e. ‘It sounds like skitin’; but they’re singin’ while they’re fightin’; / An’ they socks it into Abdul to the toon o’ “Nancy Lee”.’.
1924		G.H. Lawson Dict. of Aus. Words And Terms 🌐 SOCK IT IN—To administer severe punishment.
1939		J. Steinbeck Grapes of Wrath (1951) 57: Get ’em rolling. Get ’em out in a jalopy. Sock it to ’em!
1946		A. Marshall ‘Singing of the Sun’ in Tell Us About the Turkey, Jo 59: The screams . . . the shouting . . . ‘Sock it into ’em’.
1947		B. Schulberg Harder They Fall (1971) 116: You’ve got to really sock it to them out there.
1954		J. Thompson Swell-Looking Babe 72: I don’t like to [...] wait for old Uncle Whiskers to sock it to me.
1968		‘Hy Lit’ Hy Lit’s Unbelievable Dict. of Hip Words 3: Some jive cat really socked it to you.
1972		‘Soulful Spider’ ‘Pimp in a Clothing Store’ in Milner & Milner (1972) 286: Young man walked in, Jack, in black on black with a gray tie. Mack hat hanging down, pimp shades sockin’ it to you from the cue view.
1981		J. Wambaugh Glitter Dome (1982) 58: Tiffany Charles was a sucker for [...] big sweaty animals that socked it to you and no bullshitting around.
1991		L. Bing Do or Die (1992) 184: The system is really trying to sock it to these kids.
2001		S. King Dreamcatcher 29: I kind of socked it to him. He took off like his ass was on fire.
2010		R. Stooker Income Investing Secrets 102: Their management expenses are less than mutual funds, but they can sock it to you with their upfront loads and deferred sales charges.

2. to reprimand.

1886		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 15 May 14/3: Umpire Young is working his school discipline in upon the ball players [...] he socked it to Barkley, Carroll and Ramsey April 26.
1899–1900		C.L. Cullen Tales of the Ex-Tanks 119: The Sergeant socked it to the cop for being a pinhead, a lightweight, and an in-and-outer.

3. in fig. use of to ‘hit’, to play an instrument.

1899–1900

C.L. Cullen Tales of the Ex-Tanks 64: The Howlingest Thing that ever struck this community will sock it to the harpsichord [...] to-night.

4. an excl. of exhortation.

1916		L. Pound ‘Word-List From Nebraska’ in DN IV:iv 281: ‘Sock it to him’ Give it to him hard.
1956		‘Cordwainer Bird’ Bohemia of Arthur Archer’ in Pulling a Train’ (2012) [ebook] Sock it to her Artie! Dance, Artie! Go, go, go, go!
1967		Aretha Franklin ‘Respect’ 🎵 Sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me.
1971		H.E. Roberts Third Ear n.p.: sock it to me (him, etc.) an expression urging another to ultimate effort; e.g. Encouraging one’s dancing partner with ‘sock it to me, baby’.
1999		J. Stahl Perv (2001) 252: Doobie-doobie-sock-it-to-me!
2011		G. Stilton Haunted Castle 90: Way to go, Chintzina! Sock it to ’em!

5. to cuddle, to embrace.

1956

H. Ellison ‘Made in Heaven’ in Deadly Streets (1983) 183: I danced close to Torchy, sockin’ it to him.

6. to shock, to surprise; thus excl. sock it to me! amaze me! surprise me!

1958		H. Whittington Web of Murder (2000) 53: I had socked it to him hard and he sat back looking as though I had struck him.
1969		N. Cohn Awopbop. (1970) 90: That’s a groove, that’s nice, baby, ooh, mammy-o, lay it down, sock it to me.
1971		T. Rhone Smile Orange I i: Sock it to me sweetness!
2000		Guardian Guide 5–11 Feb. 81: Carla socks it to Peter, with the shock revelation that Reese may not even be his son.

7. to explain.

1969

Current Sl. III:3 10: Sock it to . . . v. To speak, to tell.

8. (orig. US black, also sock it into) to have sexual intercourse.

1968		J. Colebrook Cross of Lassitude 103: The oblique and penetrating language of the life. [...] ‘Listen Baby he’s [i.e. a lesbian] only tryin’ to cop. He satisfies her, he’ll sock it to her, but later on she’ll get him when she can.’.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 28: I was frantic to sock ‘it’ into every young girl weak enough to go for it.
1970		San Diego Sailor 36: [...] the first time he socked it all the way into me.
1978		R. Price Ladies’ Man (1985) 61: How would she like it if she came home and caught me socking it to some inflatable love doll?
1989		P. Benchley Lush 116: Nowadays, guys did it to guys, girls did it to girls [...] deacons socked it to choir boys.