put in, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

put in v.

1. of time, to expend, to serve, usu. referring to a job.

1863		C.B. Gibson Life among Convicts II 105: A man with a sentence of twelve years, no matter how exemplary his conduct, must put in nine years [OED].
1889		‘Mark Twain’ Connecticut Yankee Ch. xliii: I couldn’t do anything with the letters after I had written them. But it put in the time.
1915		Bulletin (Sydney) 15 July n.p.: The Reader: ‘[...] It says at the bottom, “No cards.” Wot’s that mean?’ / The Sage: ‘Oh, well, I s’pose he’s got some other way of puttin’ in his evenin’s.’.
1920		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘The Strenuous Week-End’ Sporting Times 31 Jan. 1/3: You’ve been putting in one of those hefty week-ends, / If you’d gone on a ‘jag’ or a ‘raz.’ / You’d have done better far than by mixing the blends / Of golf, tennis, club ‘soccer,’ and jazz.
1941		F. Sargeson ‘That Summer’ in Coll. Stories (1965) 181: I asked her what she was doing to put in the evening.
1957		‘Nino Culotta’ They’re a Weird Mob (1958) 148: Yer c’n put in the day doin’ somethin’ else.
1989		M. Amis London Fields 8: He’s down there in his garage, putting in the hours.
2000		T. Udo Vatican Bloodbath 45: If you’re going to have a woman prime minister you might as well have one who’s put in a few years on her back.

2. in senses of SE put in a word.

(a) (US) to introduce.

1899

W.J. Kountz Billy Baxter’s Letters 🌐 Bud gave us a lot of con talk about his mother’s cousin standing fifteen balls in the New York Four, and how that made him a non-resident member, and if we did just as he said, he would put us in right.

(b) (usu. Aus./US) to get someone into trouble, esp. to inform on (to the police).

1849		Sam Sly 14 Apr. 3/1: He advises Mr. Uc—ll not to say he was not the person who put Mr. W—ll—in H—th—r in about the jemmy.
1928		R. Fisher Walls Of Jericho 304: put one in To report to some enemy or authority in order to have one punished.
1955		D. Niland Shiralee 14: Put me in with your old man. Tell him to come after me with his cleaver.
1967		K. Tennant Tell Morning This 21: The noted propensities of the brush for putting you in.
1974		G.F. Newman You Flash Bastard 105: ‘Your friend’s made a statement putting you in.’ ‘Really? Well I can’t see why he would.’.
1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 89/1: put in to betray [...] eg ‘He put in word that Perkins had been seen twice in the pub during office hours.’.
1997		Simon & Burns Corner (1998) 51: Fran still couldn’t believe her son — who had put her in.
2000		Guardian G2 2 Mar. 7: I’m putting the bastard right in [...] I’ve made a statement.
2016		D. Whish-Wilson Old Scores [ebook] There was always a chance a neighbourhood-watch dobber or someone with an eye on the hundred-thousand bounty would put him in.

1914		Sport (Adelaide) 7 Mar. 5/1: They Say [...] That Alf. S. and Jocker T. [...] were putting in on Doss K. and Nellie C.
1914		Sport (Adelaide) 20 Mar. 4/3: All the girls in Wallaroo are in love with Jack, the mug from West Aus.. Buck up, Jack, and put in .

(d) to give information.

1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks n.p.: Put me in, tell me all about it.
1977		G.F. Newman A Prisoner’s Tale 75: Put us in, you got one plotted up.

(e) to put someone forward for a job.

1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 89/1: put in to [...] propose; [...] ‘He put in Perkins for the thankless job of secretary.’.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].

3. (US gang) to initiate into a gang.

2001

(con. 1990s) in J. Miller One of the Guys 75: If you hang around with [gang members] before you’re put in it [...] they test you with things.