step out, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

step out v.

1. (US) to die or disappear; thus stepped out adj., dead.

1844		Yale Literary Mag. IX 381: Of the other pieces [...] which have been sent us, some will be found in the present number [...] and the remainder have ‘stept out’ [DA].
1851		‘Last Bloody Duel Fought in Ohio’ in T.A. Burke Polly Peablossom’s Wedding 177: Ay, dead! – stepped out! – dddead as Tecumseh!
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Oct. 12/1: Knowing the ‘old ’un’ would have to ‘step out’ soon, this practical youth put in his spare time working at a gorgeous coffin.
1902		A.D. McFaul Ike Glidden 277: That is why he stepped out when he did [DA].

2. (orig. US black) to go to a party, dance or some form of entertainment; note attrib. use in cit. 1997.

1907		‘Mark Twain’ Captain Stormfield 44: I thought what a figure I should cut stepping out amongst the redeemed in such a rig [DA].
1923		H.C. Witwer Fighting Blood 106: All my life I had wanted to have two suits of clothes – one for every day and one for when I’m stepping out.
1936		K. Mackenzie Living Rough 133: I know a swell speakeasy [...] how about stepping out Saturday night?
1941		J.M. Cain Mildred Pierce (1985) 343: Then it’s a date. That’s what we’ll do. We’ll step out.
1954		R. Mais Brother Man (1966) 76: Get into your glad-rags, gal, we steppin’ out tonight.
1957		D. Niland Call Me When the Cross Turns Over (1958) 106: Listen, matey, how about you and me stepping out tomorrow night? There’s a good picture on at the Majestic.
1997		N. Barlay Curvy Lovebox 133: Don’t look any better in your steppin’ out garms.

3. (US, also step around) to escort or go out with someone socially; usu. as step out with.

1927		F.M. Thrasher Gang 222: Tom went to see his best beloved, Art attended a show alone, and I stepped out with a girl .
1930		M. West Babe Gordon (1934) 136: Who’s steppin’ around?
1937		R. Westerby Wide Boys Never Work (1938) 150: You and me can step out sometimes, I s’pose, can’t we?
1945		A. Kober Parm Me 33: I bet you been stepping out with some girls.
1953		‘John Monahan’ [W.R. Burnett] Big Stan 26: ‘When do we step out, Blondie. I like you’.
1964		B. Jackson Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 98: You can pick up on me ’most any old day / when me and my new old lady step out to play.
1989		M. Amis London Fields 281: Are you free any night this week? I thought we might step out together.
1999		Observer Mag. 3 Oct. 24: Martin started stepping out with Shirlie.

4. (US) to present oneself, to appear as.

1971

B. Short Black and White Baby 99: Arthur Lee Simpkins [...], who later stepped out as a single performer [...] made quite a career for himself on the West Coast.

5. (US) to take work with someone other than one’s primary employer.

2002

R. Gordon Can’t Be Satisfied 343: [O]nly Muddy was signed to Chess, so [the band] were free to step out.

In phrases

step out on (v.)

(orig. US black) to cuckold, to commit adultery.

1952		J. Jones From Here to Eternity (1998) 197: I can even see a married woman steppin out on her old man. But I dont like to see any woman, specially if she’s married, just layin for any guy comes along. [Ibid.] 378: We hadnt been married two months before I knew he was steppin out on me.
1958		H. Whittington Web of Murder (2000) 8: If she’ll step out on her husband with you, she’ll step out on you later.
1969		U. Hannerz Soulside 95: ‘It’s hard if you ain’t got no money and your man steps out on you, it’s real hard’.
1975		J. Wambaugh Choirboys (1976) 49: Guy tried to shove a Pepsi bottle in his wife’s giz after he caught her stepping out on him.
2006		advicechick.com 8 Nov. 🌐 Bitches like you make me sick. You’ve got a good man, yet you want to step out on him.

step (someone) out (v.) [the challenging phr. ‘do you want to step outside?’]

(N.Z./US) to challenge someone to a fight; to fight.

1970		G. Scott-Heron Vulture (1996) 84: Very few people stepped out with him, and he was paid his due respect as a man.
1977		E. Torres Q&A 127: ‘I’m ready to step out, here and now. You want it with guns right here? You wanna go in the kitchen with the knives?’.
1982		G. Newbold Big Huey 152: The other was stepped out by a friend of the inmate whose hut had been broken into, and dealt a bloody battering in the weight room.
1999		D. Looser ‘Boob Jargon’ in NZEJ 13 36: step out v. To challenge to a fight.

In exclamations

step out on the green! (also come on the green!) [the image of ‘going outside’ to some supposed turf]

(US black) a challenge to someone to have a fight.

1944		P. Kendall Dict. Service Sl. n.p.: come on the Green! . . . challenge to fight.
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 256: step out on the green Challenge to a fight.