rest, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

rest n.

[note theatrical euph. resting, out of work]

1. (Aus.) a year’s imprisonment; thus resting, in prison.

1882		Sydney Sl. Dict. 9/2: Dick went pulling down sawney for grub last week, when a cop pinched him. He’s gone in the country for a rest. Dick went stealing bacon from shop-doors for food last week, when a policeman arrested him. He’s gone to jail for one year.
1945		Baker Aus. Lang. 141: Here is a brief glossary of jail sentences: lag, three months. snooze. three months [...] rest, twelve months. all the year round. twelve months.
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 238/1: resting – in jail.

2. (US campus) one’s home.

1997–2000

Da Bomb 🌐 23: Rest: Another word for home.

SE in slang uses

In compounds

rest home (n.)

(N.Z. prison) the solitary confinement cells.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 153/1: rest home = pound, the sense 1.

In phrases

at rest (adj.)

tipsy, drunk.

1933

‘William Juniper’ True Drunkard’s Delight 225: Our tippler may be [...] at rest.

give someone/something a rest (v.)

(orig. Aus.) to leave someone or something alone; to abandon an obsession or interest.

1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 7 Mar. 5/4: [letter] This is what you shy at us. Whisper – go back to the lap-board, and give poetry a rest.
1893		H. Lawson ‘Coming Across’ in Roderick (1972) 185: For the Lord’s sake give her a rest!
1896		Coburg Leader (Vic.) 11 Jan. 4/1: Who is the young skite that rides his father’s bike? Give it a rest Garnet.
1902		Bulletin (Sydney) 13 Dec. 16/4: That’s all right, Scotty! [...] You can give the Arab business a rest! – it’s played-out.
1911		Army & Navy Gaz. 10 June 20/3: [advert] Does the ball you are playing ‘slither’ about on the fierce green? If so, give it a rest, and try an ‘Aero’.
1972		Hartlepool & Northern Dly Mail 8 May 4/8: Let british trade unions give politics a rest.

In exclamations

give it a rest! (also give us a rest!)

shut up! stop talking!

1865		V.C. Giles Rags and Hope in Lasswell (1961) 99: Oh, close your bread-trap, and give us a rest.
1877		Arizona Sentinel (AZ) 22 Sept. 1/3: O, worse than Balaam’s braying ass, [...] Turn off your foul escaping gas — Give us a rest.
1883		‘Mark Twain’ Life on the Mississippi (1914) 24: When he was going to start on the next verse one of them said it was the tune the old cow died on; and another one said. ‘Oh, give us a rest.’.
1899–1900		C.L. Cullen Tales of the Ex-Tanks 234: ‘Give us a rest, Seven,’ said the Chief Ex-Tank peremptorily.
1906		Gadfly (Adelaide) 12 Dec. 844/3: ‘Fer Gor sake, give it er rest!’ snorted a customer.
1910		Sun. Times (Perth) 30 Jan. 3rd sect. 1/8: Bill Anderson’s panto press-agent appears to spend half his time sending out typewritten yarns about the enormous salaries paid to the artists engaged by B.A. Give us a rest.
1917		G. De S. Wentworth-James Man Market 36: It’s such a mistake to let a certain set of ideas get hold of one – give them a rest!
1924		Edinburgh Eve. News 8 Feb. 4/1: Give Us a Rest! They were at it again last night.
1937		R. Westerby Wide Boys Never Work (1938) 55: Give it a rest, mister. You’re talking a lot of tripe.
1941		K. Tennant Battlers 172: ‘Oh! shut up, Angus.’ One of the men looked up for a minute. ‘Give it a rest.’.
1959		W. Hall Long and the Short and the Tall Act I: You heard. I said, give it a rest.
1965		E. Bond Saved Scene iv: Give it a rest, Pam.
1977		(con. 1949) J.G. Dunne True Confessions (1979) 258: Give it a rest, Corinne.
1988		(con. 1940s) C. Bram Hold Tight (1990) 187: It’s getting on my nerves. Give it a rest.
1994		F. Mac Anna Ship Inspector 152: ‘Will ye give it a rest,’ Hatchet said.
2005		L. Redhead Rubdown [ebook] Suzy snorted [...] ‘You’re playing right along with her little game.’ ‘Give it a rest, Suze’.
2005		K. Huff A Steady Rain I i: Can’t you ever give it an effing rest?!