Green’s Dictionary of Slang

see under ben n.²

see separate entries.

see separate entry.

(Aus.) to treat the assembled company.

1892		H. Nisbet Bushranger’s Sweetheart 58: I used to see her at some of the public-houses [...] ‘standing her hand’ liberally to all who happened to be in the bar.
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 240/1: stand your hand – pay for a round of drinks.

1. to pay for, to pick up a bill.

1828		‘A Flat Enlightened’ Life in the West I 292: [A] disgraceful debauch with near a dozen of these fellows, for which he ‘stood sam’.
1832		Satirist (London) 22 Jan. 29/2: Henry De Roos [...] ‘stood Sammy’ [...] on the occasion.
1833		‘The City Youth’ in Out-and-Outer in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) IV 139: Oh, he toddles by their [i.e. whores] sides, and stands the Sam for gin.
1834		(con. 1737–9) W.H. Ainsworth Rookwood (1857) 261: I must insist upon standing Sam upon the present occasion.
1839		Bell’s Life in London 10 Feb. 2/1: I saw, my raw one, we’ll stand sammy — / For with doorknockers to make free, / Is very pretty pastime dammee!
1841		‘F.L.G’ Swell’s Night Guide K3: Stand Sammy, to treat.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1857		Lancaster Gaz. 24 Oct. 5/6: When desirous of knowing who was to pay for anything, it was ‘who’s going to stand sam?
1858		Bell’s Life in Sydney 21 Aug. 3/2: She extended the rights of hospitality so extensively as voluntarily to relinquish her couch to her visitors [...] with the proviso that her guests would stand Sam for a pot of heavy.
1858		Times 3 Apr. in Franklyn (1960) 175: If a man is requested to pay a tavern bill, he is asked if he will ‘stand Sam’.
1866		Wild Boys of London I 127/2: We’ll go to the Vic to-night. I’ll stand sam, and we can have some fried fish afterwards.
1869		Bell’s Life in Sydney 22 May 3/3: T’other evening, Mick, Pat, Jack and I were in Johnny Notion’s pub, and after we had all ‘stood’ Sam, it came to Jack’s turn.
1871		Gympie Times (Qld) 11 jan. 3/6: If a man is requested to pay a tavern bill he is asked if he will ‘stand Sam’.
1876		C. Hindley Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack 123: He had perforce to stand ‘Sam’ for the lot.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 15 Aug. 22/1: The friars grew fat (while laymen stood / What now, in slang men call ‘Sam’) / Upon the strength of doing good / With prayer as well as Balsam.
1887		‘’Arry on Law and Order’ in Punch 26 Nov. 249/2: I do ’ate a blood-sucking screw / Who sponges and never stands Sam, and whose motto’s ‘all cop and no blue’.
1890		‘Morris the Mohel’ ‘Houndsditch Day By Day’ Sporting Times 11 Jan. 3: If he found a mug at Croydon that week he’d shtand Sam for her to go all the plessed vay to ’Olland and pack, to pe geuristered?
1895		Truth (Sydney) 28 Apr. 3/4: Champage flowed like water. The Pastoralists’ Ambassadors ‘stood Sam’.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 23 June 20/2: He is truly an independent party, being heavily gilded and well able to afford the gargantuan feasts for which he at intervals ‘stands Sam’ to the giggling members who ‘pull his leg.’.
1907		Sun. Times (Perth) 30 June 1/1: As her brother is waiting to deal out stoush Lothario will have to ‘stand Sam’.

2. to buy a drink or round of drinks.

1821		W.T. Moncrieff Tom and Jerry III v: Landlady, serve them with a glass of tape, all round; and I’ll stand Sammy.
1859, 1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1887		W.E. Henley ‘Villon’s Good-Night’ in Farmer Musa Pedestris (1896) 174: Likewise you molls that flash your bubs / For swells to spot and stand you sam.

see under huff v.

to pay the bill (for something) for everyone else; cite 1857 implies making money.

1821		W. Scott Kenilworth II 140: Are you to stand shot to all this good liquor?
1850		G. Seaworthy Bertie 42: I’ll al’ays do the fair thing, and stan’ shot till we git to Edentown.
1857		Bell’s Life in Victoria (Melbourne) 4 July 4/3: So, pals, here you’ll find as I’m fly, / For the lay as’ll best stand the shot.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 4 Apr. 1/3: Let the exhibition have its consequences, and let the lesson be taken to heart that if there must be war taxation there is a class which has professed to like war – even unprincipled and unnecessary war – and which has advertised its capacity for standing the pecuniary shot.

see sense 2 above.

see separate entry.

see separate entries.

see separate entry.

to accomplish something with the minimum of effort, to endure any challenging situation, often used of serving a jail sentence.

1859		Calif. Police Gazette 17 Apr. 1/1: ‘Yes, but never mind, boys, ten years is nothing; – we can stand on our heads for that time,’ said Diver.
1877		Five Years’ Penal Servitude 221: What’s yer dose? [...] Five, oh, you can do that little lot on yer ’ed easy.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 26 Sept. 9/3: ‘Is that what you call a flogging? I could stand that on my head.’ [Ibid.] 7 Nov. 20/1: ‘Six months in quod will do you good!’ / Her fingers to her nose she laid – / Quite young, but cheeky, werry, she; / ‘I’ll do it on my nob,’ she said, / As from the ‘beak’ she walked so free.
1886		N.Y. Times 27 July 3/6: That’s [i.e. a six-month sentence] nothing. I can stand on my head that long.
1886		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ in Sporting Times 27 Mar. 1/3: ‘A fortnight! [...] / I’ll do that on my bloominger head!’.
1890		Bulletin (Sydney) 5 July 13/2: A Sydney judge [...] the other day ground out a homily to a young lady in the dock on the error of her ways, and finished off by sentencing her to 18 months with hard labour. ‘Why,’ returned the fair one, ‘I can do that on my head like a sanguinary toff!’.
1894		Truth (Sydney) 29 July 4/5: I’ll do this stretch upon my head.
1896		Mirror of Life 5 Sept. 3/1: Buttons did not reply, ‘I can do that bit on my head,’ but paid both [fines].
1905		Marvel III:55 10: We’d cheerfully do that little bit on our heads.
1907		Sun. Times (Perth) 13 Jan. 1/1: As all the boys are broke, they intend doing the time on their heads.
1912		A.H. Lewis Apaches of N.Y. 67: Gangster: ‘It’s only thirteen months, Kid. You won’t mind it.’ Pioggi: ‘Mind it! I could do it standing on me head!’.
1912		Leamington Spa Courier 20 Sept. 7/1: He is in the habit of remarking that he can do seven days ‘on his head,’ and ‘sleep a month away’.
1927		(con. 1908) H. Asbury Gangs of N.Y. 295: ‘What’s eleven months?’ he sneered. ‘I could do that standin’ on me head!’.
1931–4		D. Clemmer Prison Community (1940) 331/2: do a bit standing up, vph. To serve a prison term without bad effect.
1939		Wodehouse Uncle Fred in the Springtime 187: ‘And you think you can do it?’ ‘On my head, Uncle Alaric. It’s in the bag’.
1952		(con. 1920s) ‘Harry Grey’ Hoods (1953) 345: Twelve months [...] we can do standing on our heads.
1955		B. Hill Boss of Britain’s Underworld 27: I did my nine months standing on my head.
1959		J. Gosling Ghost Squad 180: I’ll take the carpet for ’er and do it on me ’ead.
1960		J.R. Ackerley We Think The World Of You (1971) 17: ‘I could do that on me ’ead,’ said he.
1972		E. Grogan Ringolevio 70: The judge [...] gave the kid two years [...] ‘I’ll do that standin’ on my head,’ he cracked.
1978		R. Daley Prince of the City 125: ‘I could do a year standing on one hand. A year is nothing’.
1982		G. Newbold Big Huey 43: ‘Ten years is a long time to be in jail. You’ll be sorry.’ ‘No I won’t. I’ll do it standing on my head.’.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 132: Short time, homey! he jollied himself. Do it standing on yer head stackin’ BBs.
1991		B. Stewart Broken Arse I ii: egg: That’s a long time, Pakeha. henry: The name’s Henry. Seven years. I’ll do it on my head. With ease.
2000		J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 228: Could you do a twelve? Do it standing on me head.
2004		N. ‘Razor’ Smith A Few Kind Words and a Loaded Gun 124: Three years’ detention [...] Do it on me fuckin’ ’ead.
2008		D.R. Pollock ‘Blessed’ in Knockemstiff 178: ‘Shoot, he’ll be out in three months [...] That bag biter can do that standing on his head.

see under ace n.

see under fag n.²

(US Und.) to bear a close resemblance to someone.

1940

D. Maurer Big Con 308: To stand a rap for (someone). To resemble someone closely.

see sit there with one’s finger up one’s ass under ass n.

see under bitch n.¹

to swear, to be adamant.

1777

Sheridan School For Scandal II iii: Ha! ha! ha! that he should have stood bluff to an old bachelor so long, and sink into a husband at last.

to be resolute in adversity, to bear the brunt.

c.1680		S. Butler Hudibras’ Epitaph n.p.: And for the good old cause stood buff / ’Gainst many a bitter kick and cuff.
1697		Vanbrugh Provoked Wife I i: Would my courage came up to a fourth part of my ill-nature, I’d stand buff to her relations, and thrust her out of doors.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Stand Buff, to stand Tightly or Resolutely to any thing.
1700		T. Brown Amusements Serious and Comical in Works (1744) III 35: [They] discover their modesties by standing buff at a bawdy song, or naked obscene figure.
1725		New Canting Dict. n.p.: He stands Buff, is a Phrase used of an obstinate harden’d Rogue, who will confess nothing; or to one who in a Robbery will not be daunted at Resistance, or Opposition, or leave his Com-rogues in the Lurch.
1728		T. Walker The Quaker’s Opera II i: At St. Martins, St Gile’s, we shall have Burial still, / And here the Bowman Prig stands Buff, / And the Pimps have miss’d their Will.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. n.p.: to stand buff is a Phrase used of an obstinate hardened Rogue, who in a Robbery will not be daunted at Resistance or Opposition, or leave his Comrogues in the Lurch, or a hardened Rogue who will confess Nothing.
1737		Fielding Miser ii 2: [...] I must even stand buff, and outface him [F&H].
1748		Dyche & Pardon New General Eng. Dict. (5th edn).
1761		G. Colman Jealous Wife V ii: Stick close to my advice, and you may stand buff to a tigress.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1822		(con. early 17C) W. Scott Fortunes of Nigel II 23: Stand buff against the reproach of thine over-tender conscience.

see under chickee! excl.

to keep guard, to keep a lookout.

1998

K. Sampson Awaydays 13: Elvis and I stand dixie at the door while Kev the Man empties the fruit machine with snide ten-bobs.

(US) to humiliate.

1997

(con. 1970s) G. Pelecanos King Suckerman (1998) 72: Dewey was pissed, being stood down [...] by the black kid.

to hold back.

1843

W.L. Rede Our Village III iv: Here, missus! don’t stand for the shiners, Poll, there’s plenty more in the locker.

see under frisk n.¹

(UK Und.) a phr. used of a man on trial who is facing the likely prospect of a maximum sentence.

1950

P. Tempest Lag’s Lex. 217: ‘He’s standing on the top step.’ Said of a man standing trial; this means there is every prospect of his being given the maximum sentence.

see under tit n.³

(US prison) to keep a lookout.

1947		Dispatch (Moline, IL) 7 Aug. 10/3: ‘What were you doing when the boys broke into the house?’ ‘I was standing jiggers’.
1953		T. Runyon In For Life 90: I was standing jiggers for a friend who was smoking in the toilet.
1971–2		C. Shafer ‘Catheads [...] and Cho-Cho Sticks’ in Abernethy Bounty of Texas (1990) 207: holding jiggers, v. – to act as a lookout.
1982		Rapid City Jrnl (SD) 17 Jan. 31/1: At the end of one tier of cellblocks a con stood jigger.
1988		Federal Reporter 845 768: Mr. Miller said that he was going to go out and stand jiggers.

(UK Und.) of a member of a pickpocket team, to stand to one side, ready to be passed whatever has been stolen.

1740		Ordinary of Newgate Account of the Behaviour, Confession, and Dying Words of [...] Mary Young in Rawlings Criminal Biogs. of the 18th Cent. (1992) 121–36: Their Business that evening was to go upon Cheving the Froe, (that is, Cutting off Women’s Pockets;) in order to do this they attended the Theatres after the Play was over; she was appointed (as being a young Novice in the Art) to stand Miss Slang all upon the Safe, (that is, to stand safe at a Distance as if not one of the Gang, in order to receive the Things stolen.).
1764		Bloody Register III 168: [as cit. 1740].

1. to have another man’s illegitimate child fathered upon one’s wife; one is obliged by the parish to maintain it.

1611		R. Cotgrave Dict. of Fr. and Eng. Tongues.
1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (3rd edn).
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

2. (US) to act as a surrogate father and, for money, impregnate another man’s wife.

1859

Matsell Vocabulum.

3. to adopt a child.

1936

N. Bell Crocus in DSUE (1984).

see separate entries.

see separate entry.

to take or pay for one’s share of anything, to do one’s share; in fig. use, to take responsibility.

1862		Leeds Mercury 9 Apr. 4/1: The prisoner also remarked [...] that he was ‘game’, and he would stand his corner like a man.
1875		Bradford Obs. 6 Nov. 7/2: We want an honest man [...] In helpfiul works of charity to ‘stand his corner’.
1890		Aberdeen Press 21 Apr. 4/2: The letter [...] from a working man who honestly desired to ‘stand his corner’ in regard to the expenses of his country.
1891		Denbighshire Free Press 24 Jan. 6/5: I hope to share a bortle of champagne with him [...] and Mr Sayers can provide the remaining bottles, We all know he can [...] stand his corner.
1908		Wharfedale & Airedale Obs. 20 Mar. 7/5: He had expressed himself willing to stand his corner.
1917		Todmorden & District News 12 Oct. 4/6: He was one of the most cheerful men of the platoon, and always willing to stand his corner.
1926		Yorks. Eve. Post 9 Jan. 4/4: He’s a decent sort of chap [...] would go home troubled in mind if he hadn’t stood his corner ina round of rinks.
1929		N. Jacob Man Who Found Himself (1952) 71: It was the accepted thing [...] to order whiskies and sodas, to ‘stand your corner’ and ‘push the boat out’ readily and generously.
1930		Kent & Surrey Courier 30 May 4/4: Salesman [...] unable to resist the temptation to ‘borrow’ money from his employers in order to ‘stand his corner’.
1941		Burnley Exp. 29 Mar. 3/3: Recently-wedded Warden J. Cole ‘stood his corner’ to his fellow wardens.

see dance upon nothing under dance v.

see do something standing on one’s head

see under joint n.

to act in an independent manner.

1578		Lyly Euphues (1916) 28: For the most part they stand on their pantofles. [Ibid.] 105: Stand thou on thy pantofles and she will vail bonnet. Lie thou aloof and she will seize on the lure.
1583		P. Stubbes Anatomie of Abuses 55: They stand uppon their Pantoufles, and hoyse vp their sayles on highe.

see under velvet n.

see separate entry.

see separate entries.

see under pad n.¹

to stay as one is, to refuse to move, to refuse to speak or betray someone.

1869		Montana Post (Virginia City, MT) 2 Apr. 1/1: General Pat E. Connor is the prominent candidate for Governor of Utah. We adopt the Major’s policy in an Indian muss — ‘Stand Pat and holler “how” ’.
[1870		Dly Nat. Republican (Wash., DC) 11 Feb. 4/3: Accordingly the lieutenant proceeded to the place indicated, where a nice little game was going on, and ‘taking a hand,’ stood ‘pat,’ with a ‘flush of five clubs’.
1887		G. Devol Forty Years a Gambler 23: I backed up against the side of the boat, and told them to call for cards, as I ‘stood pat’.
1897		A.H. Lewis Wolfville 176: This Colonel of mine [...] don’t round-up no music of his own; but stands pat.
1899		Ade Fables in Sl. (1902) 74: They stood pat, and merely said it was an Elegant Sermon.
1901		‘Hugh McHugh’ John Henry 9: I figured it out this way and stood pat.
1903		A. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise 7: She had no literary ambition beyond that which inspired her to stand pat on a bunch of the most stilted and ridiculous mediaeval blank verse.
1911		G. Bronson-Howard Enemy to Society 291: The bunch of us oughta be able to swear Trompey into Matteawan if we stand ‘pat’; but if we start tryin’ to unload hardware and seein’ coppers through th’ smoke, we’re gone.
1916		P. Kyne Cappy Ricks 285: Stand pat!
1922		M.E. Smith Adventures of a Boomer Op. 13: He still stood pat so far as transportation was concerned.
1928		Louis Armstrong ‘St. James Infirmary’ 🎵 When I die, want you to dress me in straight-leg shoes, / Box back coat and a stetson hat, / Put a 20 dollar gold piece on my watch chain, / So the boys’ll know that I died standing pat.
1933		‘Goat’ Laven Rough Stuff 112: I knew that he was a square guy and would stand pat, and what I had to do was to get rid of this slum. [Ibid.] 170: They wanted him to talk, and he stood pat.
1940		D. Maurer Big Con 125: The mark stood pat.
1950		Zanesville (OH) Signal 16 July sect. I 5/1: The Spaniard stood pat until England cooled off on the caper.
1964		B. Jackson Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 108: You knife your jib whilst I’ll crack my whip, / now you stand pat and I’m gonna show you some speed.
1974		D. Ireland Burn 40: I’m gunna sit pat [...] Just sit it out, that’s what I’m doing.
1978		Maledicta II:1+2 (Summer/Winter) 120: The result has been too much [...] false modesty about words that simply look as if they might be sexual: cock [linnet] = ‘minute’, not to mention expressions such as old cock (buddy, mate), standing peter (we say ‘standing pat’), peter that (‘shut up’), or even pissing down with rain (‘raining cats and dogs’).
1984		W. Murray Tip on a Dead Crab 105: Only Harrison stood pat.
1989		H. Rawson Dict. of Invective (1991) 286: to stand pat; to sweeten the pot; and wheeler dealer.

(Can. prison) to be on the alert.

1978

R. Caron Go-Boy! 316: stand point – to be on the alert.

to be likened to.

1825

C.M. Westmacott Eng. Spy I 178: Dick – he’s my friend, a cawker to be sure, but must not stand Sam to an Oxford raff, or a Yorkshire Johnny Raw.

(US) to knock down, to defeat.

1940		O. Strange Sudden Takes the Trail 11: Some o’ the Bar O boys, an’ by the look of ’em they’re aimin’ to stand the town on its ear, as usual.
1957		R. Prather Always Leave ’Em Dying 156: Wait a shake. Give me two minutes and I’ll stand you on your heads.

see do something standing on one’s head

see under squire n.

to tolerate, to permit, to accept.

1955		B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 108: I’m going to talk to everybody who’ll stand still for me.
1963		M. Spillane Return of the Hood 18: Maybe he can cover for the shooting [...] but this he won’t hold still for.
1966		J. Mills Panic in Needle Park (1971) 131: How he’s doing that I couldn’t tell you, but there’s got to be something wrong about it. Got to be. Little Tony just isn’t that kind of guy, to stand still for something like that.
1976		N. Thornburg Cutter and Bone (2001) 261: Churches don’t like it, I hear — carnival on the sabbath — but I guess they holdin’ still for it.
1977		(con. 1960s) D. Goines Black Gangster (1991) 101: We ain’t got to stand still for that shit.

see also under relevant n.

(UK Und.) to be tried in a court.

c.1780		‘On Newgate Steps Jack Chance was Found’ [song] He stood the patter but that’s no matter: / He gammoned the twelve and he worked on the water.
1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 257: patter’d tried in a court of justice; a man who has undergone this ordeal, is said to have stood the patter.
1818		W. Perry London Guide 178: I shall not tell his name outright [...] because he has stood the patter.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue [as cit. 1812].

see under tit n.³

to have an erection.

1999		B. Zilbergeld New Male Sexuality 92: They are immediately excited and their penises immediately stand to attention and are ready for action.
1999–2001		J.K. Bailey PlanetQuake 🌐 The thing is, whenever we start our kissing marathons Mr. Happy awakens and stands up. After we are done kissing, she has a tendency to want to hug tightly...which is cool but Mr. Happy is still at attention.
2005		Thompson & Swann Lessons in Seduction 11: Her sexy French accent [...] never failed to make his cock stand to attention.

to stand one’s ground, in lit. or fig. use.

1672		J. Phillips Maronides (1678) VI 39: Pull courage up without brown studying / And boldly stand to thy pan-pudding.
1690		Pagan Prince 71: And so, noble Tritons, every one to his command; stand to your Panpudding.
1696		Motteux (trans.) Gargantua and Pantagruel (1927) II Bk IV 470: How bravely did they stand to their Pan-puddings!
1719		A. Boyer Dictionnaire royal II n.p.: To stand to one's Pan-pudding, (to stand it out to the utmost ) Tour bon, tenir ferme.
1895		Coventry Herald 19 Apr. 6: The expression for showing firmness, ‘to stand to one’s pan-pudding’.

see separate entries.

believe me! trust me!

1910		Mills & Scott [perf. Albert Whelan] ‘Fall In and Follow me’ 🎵 All together, stand on me, boys. / I know the way to go, I promise you a spree.
1918		T. Burke Nights in London 125: He said: ‘Like to help your old uncle?’ I said: ‘Stand on me’.
1958		F. Norman Bang To Rights 28: [This] happens more than enough times, stand on me.
1962		F. Norman Guntz 81: Everyone knows better than you do about everything stand on me.
1970		G.F. Newman Sir, You Bastard 32: You’ll be all right, stand on me.
1988		A. Payne ‘The Last Video Show’ in Minder [TV script] 44: Stand on me, I’ve never met the man.
2002		D. Shaw ‘Dead Beard’ at www.asstr.org 🌐 You need a Roller or a Jag or a BMW, you give Harry boy a bell and I’ll fix you up chicken and rice, stand on me.
2005		Guardian 22 Aug. 5: The old... [...] Stand on me – Pledge of honesty.