Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an individual who does the work on behalf of the person who is publicly credited.

1890		Daily Tel. 8 Feb: The sculptor’s ghost is conjured up from the vasty deep of byegone lawsuits [F&H].
1899		W.K.R. Bedford Outcomes Old Oxford 34: Whether his diction had improved by practice, or whether he employed a ‘ghost’ [...] it would be impossible to say.
1908		E.G. Murphy ‘Them was the Days’ in Jarrahland Jingles 170: To London cold and foggy. An’ there I ’ires an inky ghost To put me pap in writin,’ An’ get the Cockney push on toast, Wot swaller saltbush skitin’.
1909		‘The Lang. of Crooks’ in Wash. Post 20 June 4/1: [paraphrasing J. Sullivan] A law ghost is a barrister who makes a specialty of preparing defenses for criminals, but who seldom appears in the Courts.
1921		D.L. Sayers Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1977) 7: All my criminological investigations are done for me by a ‘ghost’ at three pounds a week, while I get the headlines.
1930		D. Ahearn Confessions of a Gunman 14: ‘Let him write it. That’s his business.’ But an ordinary ‘ghost’ would scarcely do.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 80/2: Ghost. An attorney, expert in criminal law, who does not himself try criminal cases, but advises other trial lawyers.
1969		L. Schecter Jocks 223: ‘As far as bribes in fighting are concerned,’ Graziano’s ghost wrote [etc].
1991		J.B. Holway Josh & Satch 5: Paige told his ghost that his catcher had only to hold up his mitt, and Satch would hit it.

2. (US) a paymaster or cashier.

1926		P. White ‘Stage Terms’ in AS I:8 437: Ghost — The company treasurer.
1939		Howsley Argot: Dict. of Und. Sl.

3. (US drugs) an opium smoker.

1925		H. Leverage ‘Dict. Und.’ in Flynn’s mag. cited in Partridge DU (1949).
1953		Anslinger & Tompkins Traffic In Narcotics 308: ghost. An opium smoker.

4. (US Und.) a beggar who simulates the symptoms of tuberculosis in order to excite sympathy.

1937

‘Boxcar Bertha’ Sister of the Road (1975) 301: ghosts (Those who simulate pallor, haggardness, or coughing to imitate a tubercular patient).

5. (US und.) a ‘front man’ who plays a public role to disguise corrupt employers or associates.

1931

W.R. Burnett Silver Eagle 140: ‘Molina didn’t have anything to do with this deal. A man named Huntingdon bought my restaurants [...]’ Hafey [...] smiled. ‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘I know all about Huntingdon. He’s Molina’s ghost’.

6. ( US, also phantom) a fictitious name created for fraudulent purposes.

1955		B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 51: The short-gang gimmick (hire sixteen men for the work of twenty-two and pad the payroll with ghosts). [Ibid.] 134: Eighteen men pressured to do the work of twenty-two and the pay of four ‘phantoms’.
1955		Helfand Report 100: Our investigation disclosed that in some instances phantoms who were carried on the payroll were actually bookmakers, policy operators and racketeers .

7. (Aus.) a creditor, i.e. one who gives the debtor an unpleasant shock.

1967		‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxv 6/1: ghost: A creditor. One who hunts for repayment. Usually publicans and bookies.
1983		R. Aven-Bray Ridgey-Didge Oz Jack Lang 29: Ghost One to whom money is owed.

8. (drugs) LSD.

1969		R.R. Lingeman Drugs from A to Z (1970).
2001		ONDCP Street Terms 10: Ghost — LSD. [Ibid.] 21: The Ghost — LSD.

9. (US black) a white person.

1971

(con. 1930s–50s) D. Wells Night People 117: Ghost. A white person.

10. (US campus) an absentee, someone who has opted out of normal social life.

1976		N.Y. Times 14 Nov. 12:7: The category of long-term absentee, defined as any youngster absent from school for 20 consecutive school days. [...] These are your ghosts.
1989		P. Munro Sl. U. 91: Ever since he met his new girlfriend, John has been a total ghost.
2021		S.A. Crosby Razorblade Tears 36: ‘She ain’t been to work [...] She’s a ghost, man’.

11. (N.Z. prison) a prison officer who appears without warning in his pursuit of inmates breaking prison rules.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 78/1: ghost n. a watchful, over-inquisitive prison officer with the tendency to ‘appear out of nowhere’ to catch inmates performing an illegal activity .

12. (US police) in a police buy-and-bust operation, a plainclothes officer who shadows the officer attempting to buy drugs.

2022

A. Kirzman Giuliani 79: Their precinct commander [. . .] dispatched the three to perform buy-and-bust stings. Moran played the customer, while his two partners worked as backup ‘ghosts’ .