go for, v.¹ — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

go for v.¹

1. to find sexually or otherwise attractive or appealing.

1871		Aus. Town and Country Jrnl 3 June 21: I heard a Miss, who is educated and accomplished, say in speaking of a young man, that she intended to ’go for him’ .
1875		M. Thompson Hoosier Mosaics 15: Berry Young stepped in and jist went for ’er like mad.
1929		W. Winchell On Broadway 11 Sept. [synd. col.] She ‘went’ for a Canuck, who had a way with him.
1930		D. Ahearn Confessions of a Gunman 214: His wife was going for any Tom, Dick and Harry.
1949		R. Park Poor Man’s Orange 184: ‘God,’ gasped Harry, ‘I could go for you!’ He was amazed at the effect the kiss had had on him.
1959		E. De Roo Go, Man, Go! 75: OK, Flash, since you really go for one another, I’ll fade out of the picture.
1966		(con. 1940s) L. Bennett ‘Praises’ in Jamaica Labrish 99: Hear him – ‘Ah dat way bout yuh Hons / Ah hopes yuh goes fo’ me’.
1972		‘A Pimp Toast’ in Milner & Milner (1972) 291: Oh, I was so motherfuckin’ mad, / me, a pimp, goin’ for shit like that.
1980		M. Thelwell Harder They Come 153: Now — is three kinda man de women dem go for.
1984		(con. WW2) T. Jones Heart of Oak [ebook] Well, matey, at least you’ll be all right where crumpet’s concerned. They go for the navy blokes.
1999		K. Sampson Powder 368: Girls, as a rule, didn’t go for him – but he generally did OK in the States.
2002		D. Shaw ‘Dead Beard’ at www.asstr.org 🌐 Lingers Longer had gone for Dionne in a big way, even made her love and kisses Longer in a church wedding.
2010		K. Richards Life 208: John [Lennon] had this honesty in his eyes that made you go for him.

2. to accept, to believe, to be deceived.

1930		in Amer. Mercury Dec. 457: We rib the sap that it’s McCoy and he goes for it [HDAS].
1943		R. Chandler Lady in the Lake (1952) 74: I’ve seen a lot of crazy people, but I don’t go for that worth a peanut shell.
1957		H. Simmons Corner Boy 193: He must have really thought she was a hick chick to think she’d go for that front line he handed her.
1968		N. Heard Howard Street 221: Awright, I’ll go for that. Hip.
1973		G.V. Higgins Digger’s Game (1981) 82: I didn’t go for it, Greek.
1981		A.K. Shulman On the Stroll 8: Now all he needed was for the chick to go for it.
1999		E. Bunker Mr Blue 110: I wanted to see these con games because it seemed awfully weak. I wanted to see someone go for it.
2001		K. Sampson Outlaws (ms.) 153: All’s I needed to know is that Bernie will back us up and he has — he’s gone for me — and that is fucking everything.

SE in slang uses

In phrases

go for an oatie (v.) [? the arctic explorer Captain Lawrence Oates (1880–1912), whose last words were allegedly his announcement that he was leaving the communal tent to relieve himself]

(N.Z.) to go to the lavatory.

2003

McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 88: go for an oatie Toilet visit for purpose of defecation. Could be inspired by porridge for brekky or by Captain Oates, whose last words to his tent mates in 1912 were reportedly that he was going outside and ‘may be some time’.

go for blows (v.)

(US black) to be wholly committed, to act seriously.

1971

R.D. Pharr S.R.O. (1998) 380: And nobody was playing in that kitchen that night, Sid; we was going for blows.

go for broke

see separate entries.

go for it

see separate entries.

go for v.1

SE in slang uses

In phrases

go for v.¹