Green’s Dictionary of Slang

see fist city under fist n.

(US Und.) a gambler who cheats at cards.

1937

‘Boxcar Bertha’ Sister of the Road (1975) 308: the gambler — crooked gambler. The most common is the ‘duke player,’ the person who cheats at cards or checkers.

to make a complete mess of something.

1966		H.S. Thompson Hell’s Angels (1967) 43: The editors make no claims to infallibility, and now and then they will blow the whole duke.
1971		T. Thackrey Thief 191: If I’d figured you were going to be such a horse’s can about it, maybe I would have blown the duke for you last night.
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 32: He says you done blown the whole duke.

(Aus.) to shake hands.

1968

J. Alard He Who Shoots Last 80: ‘Claim the dook, Soldier, where have you been all these years?’ [...] Father vigorously shook hands.

(US Und.) to read an opponent’s cards by some form of fraud.

1914

Jackson & Hellyer Vocab. Criminal Sl. 30: ‘Cropping his duke’ is reading an opponent’s hand by trickery in a card game.

1. of a male homosexual, to have anal intercourse.

1972

E. Folb Urban Black Argot 139: Get Some Duke / Duke Shoot to have anal intercourse, particularly with another male.

2. to have sexual intercourse.

1980

E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 240: get some duke [...] to engage in sexual intercourse.

3. (US black/prison) of a man, to have sexual intercourse with a man who, at least while in prison, is posing (and poss. dressing) as a woman.

1980

E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 163: Get some duke is to have intercourse with a female impersonator.

1. to hand over money.

1879		‘Autobiog. of a Thief’ in Macmillan’s Mag. (London) XL 502: I went to him, and asked him if he was not going to grease my duke (put money into my hand).
1882		Dly Globe (St Paul, MN) 11 June 3/6: The chap who struck oil must have greased his ‘right duke’.

2. to give a bribe.

1879		‘Autobiog. of a Thief’ Macmillan’s Mag. (London) XL 504: Some of the mob knew him and had greased his duke.
1887		‘Dagonet’ ‘A Plank Bed Ballad ’ in Referee 12 Feb. n.p.: I ought to have greased to have kept out of stir / The dukes of the narks and the coppers.

(Aus.) to fool, to take advantage of by trickery.

1983

R. Aven-Bray Ridgey-Didge Oz Jack Lang 31: hot duke, to con.

to (prepare to) fight.

1874		Dublin U. Mag. 34 238/1: But I soon stopped the scrapping fake, for I put up my dukes, / And gave some toppers.
1879		‘Autobiog. of a Thief’ Macmillan’s Mag. (London) XL 501: I first met a sparring bloke (pugilist), who [...] showed me the way to put my dukes up.
1889		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 16 Nov. 2/2: Gilmore [...] is blunt and straightforward. He can put up his dukes if necessary.
1891		F.W. Carew Autobiog. of a Gipsey 99: You’m fond enough of seein’ other chaps fight, but you’m afeard to put up your dukes yourself.
1899		C. Rook Hooligan Nights 128: ’E couldn’t ’ardly put up ’is dukes be that time.
1904		R.C. Lehmann Conversational Hints 186: The Proser put up his dukes, and let fly with both of them, one after another, at Dullard’s conk.
1907		W.M. Raine Bucky O’Connor (1910) 72: I’m going to teach you how to put up your dukes.
1913		H.W. Nevinson Essays in Rebellion 157: ‘Then put up your dukes or take that on your silly jaw,’ cried Albert, preparing to strike.
1939		P. Barry Here Come the Clowns [play script] CLANCY springs up. clancy: Put up your dukes!
1949		H. Miller Sexus (1969) 157: Put up your dukes! Give me a crack, why don’t you?
1956		Kerouac letter 16 Jan. in Charters I (1995) 542: Come on Whalen, put up yr. dukes and fight.
1965		A. Gibson I Always Wanted to be Somebody 10: He would say, ‘Put up your dukes,’ and I had to get ready to defend myself or I would take an even worse beating. He would box with me for an hour at a time.
1993		T. Jones Pugilist at Rest 135: My father put up his dukes and threw a few punches in the air.
2003		R.D. Sherlock Drifting to Glory 93: Alex knew we were kidding, but acted like he didn’t, and said, ‘Oh yeah, well put up your dukes, and I’ll fight ya one at a time!’.

(US Und.) to work as a palm-reader.

1914

Jackson & Hellyer Vocab. Criminal Sl. 29: ‘Reading the dukes’ is fortune-telling by palmistry.

see duke v.¹ (1)

(US Und.) to reveal one’s intentions.

1914		Jackson & Hellyer Vocab. Criminal Sl. 30: ‘Tipping your duke’ is betraying your intention.
1939		Oakland Trib. (CA) 26 July 13/1: He tipped his duke yesterday when he announced that Jim Pinkerton [...] was lost to the team.
1958		L.A. Times 22 Nov. part 2 6/2: So far, Coach Ewbank hasn’t tipped his duke, but the feeling here is that Shaw [...] will draw the starting call .