Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (orig. US, also kick things off) to begin, to start, to set in motion.

1857		Life in Boston & N.Y. (Boston, MA) 11 Apr. n.p.: The first couple [...] were enaged for the Vesuvia [i.e. a dance] , which they kicked off in a style that would [...] make blush the inmates of the Louisiana Ball room in New orleans.
1914		C. Holme Lonely Plough (1931) 79: Hod thy gab, an’ let yan o’ t’aald yans kick off!
1924		G.H. Lawson Dict. of Aus. Words And Terms 🌐 KICK OFF—To commence.
1937		E. Anderson Thieves Like Us (1999) 61: The Vault kicks off either at nine or maybe before.
1946		Sun (Sydney) 29 Sept. 15/1: When Aussie kicked off the Choom Government was too lousy to mint enough coins for themselves let alone send a boatload out for the cons to play swy with.
1953		L. Durst Jives of Dr. Hepcat (1989) 6: Mr. ——, I don’t want to kick off on the wrong side of the street but I know you are well policed on the type of slave I put down.
1969		S. Greenlee Spook who Sat by the Door (1972) 5: All right, team, let’s have a run-down [...] Tom, kick it off.
1977		E. Bunker Animal Factory 58: Some shit is likely to kick off down there.
1983		J. Byrell (con. 1959) Up the Cross 13: Whiffy Maloney’s latest bout of strike kicked off that night.
1989		M. Amis London Fields 256: In the old days you kicked off by threatening someone’s family.
1989		M. Walker How to Kiss a Crocodile 101: Well, let’s kick off the day with a heart starter.
1990		(con. early 1950s) J. Ellroy L.A. Confidential 197: Parker kicked things off.
1996		J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 301: ‘So, if it’s all right with you I’d like to kick off with how I not only go to be an SP but also how I got to be a punter’.
1999		N. Cohn Yes We Have No 72: A movement that had kicked off with Flower Power.
2001		(con. 1990s) in J. Miller One of the Guys 103: ‘Why would you grow up to be on this side and I’m on this side/ So that’s how it [i.e. choosing a gang] be kicking off’.
2004		P. Howard PS, I Scored the Bridesmaids 71: I didn’t think it would all kick off so quickly.
2004		(con. 1960s-70s) T. Taylor Top Fellas 57/1: The concert kicked off at 9 a.m.
2010		K. Richards Life 125: The Station Hotel, Richmond [...] everything really kicked off from there.
2014		T. Black Artefacts of the Dead [ebook] They ranted, shouted, screamed, poured recriminations in every direction [...] ‘All kicking off, is it?’ said DS McCormack.
2014		E. McNamara ‘Redline’ in ThugLit Jan. [ebook] [T]he signal that Little Luca was back and it was about to kick off.
2020		G. Krauze What They Was 233: He knows Dario [...] so it’s not gonna kick off.

2. of a club or bar, to open.

1979

E. Torres After Hours 22: They kick off when the regular joints close.