Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) to punch.

1909		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 83: Mickey McDonough, standing outside the Sharkey Club, was mitted by two bruisers last night who wore tin ears and scars by the score.
1955		R. Graziano Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) 187: I mitted ’em high over my head and the cell block was full of cheers.

2. (also mit, mitt someone some skin) to shake hands, or to press something into someone’s hand, e.g., a bribe.

1908		B. Fisher A. Mutt in Blackbeard Compilation (1977) 82: This wonderful photograph [...] shows Mr. Mutt in the act of being mitted in person by the Czar, upon his triumphant entry into Russia.
1915		G. Bronson-Howard God’s Man 280: He mitts me and says thank God he’s got one pal.
1925		Wodehouse Carry on, Jeeves 158: I turned to mitt the female, and stood there with my hand out, gaping.
1927		Clark & Eubank Lockstep and Corridor 174: Mitt — put hush-money into an officer’s hand.
1930		J. Lait Gangster Girl 70: ‘Tommy, pleased to mitt you!’ And they mitted.
1933		Ersine Und. and Prison Sl. 53: mit, v. 1. to shake hands. 2. to congratulate.
1938		Pittsburgh Courier (PA) 6 Aug. 11/1: I mitted him a deuce of blips.
1941		D. Burley N.Y. Amsterdam News 1 Feb. 16: Mitt me some skin [...] its rutcheous!!!
1940		Pittsburgh Courier (PA) 10 Feb. 7/1: I laid a couple of gasses on the ducat queen, picked on the pulp, mitted it to the slammer stooge and stached my frame a rester and laid my glims on the routine.
1962		Ragen & Finston World’s Toughest Prison 808: mitt – To greet or shake hands with.

3. (US) to pick up.

1911

T.A. Dorgan ‘Daffydills’ in El Paso Herald (TX) 1 Aug. 10: The dramatic editor was scampering across the parchment that the press agents had sent it. The first one he mitted read like this [etc].

4. (US Und.) to handcuff, to arrest.

1915

G. Bronson-Howard God’s Man 128: A big green harness-bull sees the shooting [...] and, jest my luck, mitts me.

5. to wave to.

1930		W.R. Burnett Iron Man 73: Joe Savella, thinking the applause was for him, got up and mitted the crowd again.
1937		J. Curtis There Ain’t No Justice 66: He looked around for Dot, Arthur and Sammy. Dot waved her hand, her diamonds sparkling. Tommy mitted them.
1947		B. Schulberg Harder They Fall (1971) 187: Red threw his arms round George [...] and mitted the crowd happily.

6. (US black) to experience, to undergo.

1938

Jackson Sun (TN) 25 Aug. 4/6: When you dig this jive, and is really brought to your deuce of benders, and has mitted many Harlem brights, you’ll be some scribe and hep to any kick of spiel.

7. (US black) to place, to set down.

1938

Pittsburgh Courier (PA) 6 Aug. 11/1: After staching in this burg, St Louis, and mitting my personals in the house of many nods, I was cutting down the midway brought to my deuce of benders because ole sol was tipping his mitt on a deuce of sides of the midway.

8. (US black) to send, i.e. a letter.

1938

Pittsburgh Courier (PA) 30 July 11/1: I am really brought to my deuce of benders that so many brights have cut [illeg.] since I laste mitted you a scribe.