Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) used to express a perceived successful riposte.

[1842		Flash (NY) 29 Jan. n.p.: ‘Bad luck to yewr sowl! ye blackguard baste! cried she. ‘Whore, back in yer teeth!’].
1937		A.E. Duckett ‘Truckin ’round Brooklyn’ in N.Y. Age 3 Apr. 7/2: [headline] back atchoo.
1999		D. Lehane Prayers for Rain 30: ‘I don’t sleep with him anymore.’ ‘Well I don’t sleep with her anymore.’ ‘Congratulations.’ ‘Back at you’.

(Aus.) to turn up, to attend an event.

1902

Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 8 Jan. 1/5: [This] fact (the getting away with the oof, not the time made) will probably greatly annoy the industrious fielder when he eventually backs in for his cut.

(US) cowardice; the act of withdrawal.

1829		Western Souvenir (1830) 314: There’s no back out in none of my breed [DA].
1838		J.C. Neal Charcoal Sketches (1865) 169: ‘No back-out in him,’ mumbled Sniggs.
1845		D. Corcoran Pickings from N.O. Picayune (1847) 134: I is always ready [...] there’s no back out in me.
1853		N.Y. Clipper 4 June 3/1: As things had gone so far, there was no ‘back out’ in either one, so the fight commenced.
1888		Boston Weekly Globe 28 Mar. in Farmer Americanisms (1889) 28: Mr. Barker’s back-out has not much surprised me.

see separate entries.

see separate entry.

(Aus.) to butt in; to ask for more.

1924

(con. WWI) A.G. Pretty Gloss. of Sl. [...] in the A.I.F. 1921–1924 (rev. t/s) n.p.: back in one’s cart. Interfere, to ask for more.

(US) to surpass.

1932		(con. 1910s) J.T. Farrell Young Lonigan in Studs Lonigan (1936) 54: ‘As a Romeo, he’s got Studs backed off the boards,’ Bill said.
1961		H.C. Woodbridge ‘Miscellany’ in AS XXXVI:3 227: back off the boards, v. To beat.

( Aus. prison) to gang up against.

1982

G. Newbold Big Huey 168: In our gang we all used to back on Barclay because we’d all talked it over and decided to stick together.

to defecate.

1999		Roger’s Profanisaurus 3 in Viz 98 Oct. 3: back one outv. The act of reverse parking your breakfast, usually involving much looking over the shoulder, sweating and grunting.
2001		P. Meditzy ‘A Day In The Life Of...’ 29 Apr. 🌐 It’s funny, as soon as the ‘pace car’ (leading shite) is away the rest comes roaring out of the pits behind it. As a rule I generally ‘back one out’ twice a day.

(W.I.) to masturbate.

1995

Francis-Jackson Official Dancehall Dict. 8: Back-yuh fist male masturbation.

1. to retreat [horseracing jargon back out, to bring a horse backwards out of a stall].

1858		‘Sweet Betsey from Pike’ in Lingenfelter et al. Songs of the Amer. West (1968) 43: Ike became jealous – obtained a divorce; / Sweet Betsey [...] said with a shout, ‘Good bye you big lummox, I’m glad you’ve backed out!’.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1924		G.H. Lawson Dict. of Aus. Words And Terms 🌐 BACK OUT — To retreat from a difficulty.
1953		F. Paley Rumble on the Docks (1955) 87: ‘You think they backed out?’ said Sully.

2. (UK Black) to draw a gun [the carrying of the gun in the small of one’s back].

2016		1011 ‘Next Up?’ 🎵 Back out my ting and make man swim.
2017		1011 ‘No Hook’ 🎵 They see Horrid1 and they panic / He backed out the mash try slap it.

(US) to challenge, to face down.

1835		A.B. Longstreet Georgia Scenes (1848) 28: I didn’t care about trading, but you cut such high shines that I thought I’d like to back you out, and I’ve done it.
1911		DN III 357: Back out, To dare or challenge.

see under play n.

(Aus.) to interfere, to butt in.

1955

N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 229/2: back the barber – to butt into, interfere.

(Aus.) to interfere, to butt in.

1915

C.J. Dennis Songs of a Sentimental Bloke gloss. 🌐 Back the Barrer – To intervene without invitation.

(US) to chatter, to gossip.

1958

McCulloch Woods Words n.p.: Backin’ the breeze— A man so gabby he makes the wind blow backwards.

see separate entries.

(US) to retract a statement, to back down from a position; thus take back water, to back down, to accept defeat.

1844		N.O. Picayune (LA) 17 Mar. 1: Day before yesterday Boston waked up under a coverlid of snow, dropped from the clouds over-night. This makes business back water.
1856		Nevada Journal 12 Dec. 1: Green was a large, powerful man, but had no grit, and Shortez offered to fight him for the money but Green backed water.
1905		‘Central Connecticut Word-List’ in DN III:i 2: back water, v. Withdraw.
1915		T. Burke Nights in Town 305: ’Ullo, ’ullo, ’ullo! Back water there, some of yer.
1931		W.R. Burnett Silver Eagle 45: ‘I’ll invite him over. I told him to drop in on me some night.’ ‘Do it, Bob,’ cried Louise. ‘Invite him over right now.’ Joyce looked at his watch. ‘It’s ten o’clock.’ ‘He’s backing water,’ cried Burne.
1947		C.J. Lovell ‘The Background of Mark Twain’s Vocabulary’ in AS XXII:2 89: back water, v. To retreat, or withdraw.
1948		Z.N. Hurston Seraph on the Suwanee (1995) 721: She would not, however, let on that she was backing water.