walk n.
1. in senses of a regular ‘beat’.
(a) the area walked by a street prostitute.
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Pierce Egan’s Life in London 17 Oct. 6/2: St. John's-street-road, which is now her favourite walk. | |
| New Swell’s Night Guide to the Bowers of Venus frontispiece: Introducing Houses, West-End ‘Walks,’ Chanting Slums, Flash Cribs, and Dossing Kens. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Queens’ Vernacular 111: While starting on the beat [game, turf, walk] the inexperienced, up-and-coming choirboys, cowboys [...] wait to be approached. |
(b) (US prison) the regular patrol route of a prison warder.
| Prison Sl. 8: Walk The route a prison guard uses as he periodically checks the area to which he is assigned. |
2. a release from a charge.
| Manchild in the Promised Land (1969) 17: Turk had gotten a walk because his sheet wasn’t too bad. | |
| Cop Team 80: The judge summarily released the prisoners [...] he gave them what is known in police parlance as ‘a walk.’. | |
| Wiseguy (2001) 190: If Werner helped with the investigation, he could be guaranteed a walk or probation. | |
| (con. early 1950s) L.A. Confidential 27: No cuffs, a walk on the charge if he won. | |
| (con. 1960s) Blood’s a Rover 17: Wayne Senior and the PD worked to get Wayne a walk on the dope fiends. Mr Hoover was amenable. | |
| The Force [ebook] ‘What if i could get you a walk?’. | |
| (con. 1962) Enchanters 364: ‘You and Norm get a walk on any stunts you might have pulled recently’. |
3. (US campus) a release from a class.
| College Sl. Dict. 🌐 walk [UT at Austin] when a professor decides not to have class, sometimes used to describe cutting. |
In phrases
(US) to ignore, to abandon.
| Blood Posse 213: Either you give them a walk or our relationship is over. |
to be stolen.
| (con. 1960s) London Blues 83: Amongst the many angles Charlie occupies himself with is the odd bit of merchandise that has fallen off the back of a lorry, been lost in transit, gone for a walk, developed legs, become ownerless, lost its collar, appeared on his doorstep, was found adrift in the canal, or was given to him to mind by a geezer who never came back. | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | Salesman 327: Some dough from a big enough job went for a fuckin’ walk a while back. The word’s out it was me knocked it off. |
1. to leave, to be dismissed; usu. as imper. take a walk! go away!
| Sketches New and Old 248: The first time he opened his mouth and was just going to spread himself his breath took a walk. | |
| St Louis Globe-Democrat 19 Jan. n.p.: The bar-keeper gets ‘riled’ [...] and then adds ‘take a walk,’ ‘skirmish,’ ‘mosey,’ ‘walk off on your eyebrow’. | |
| (con. c.1840) Life on the Mississippi (2004) 11: Another one said ‘O, give us a rest;’ and another one told him to take a walk. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | ‘The Man Who Forgot’ in Roderick (1972) 159: You can call up at the store and get your cheque [...] and then take a walk. | |
| in N.Y. Press 9 Dec. in Stallman (1966) 112: Ah, what’s eatin’ yeh? Take a walk! | |
| More Ex-Tank Tales 104: He [...] told me to take a quick walk. Which I did. | |
| ‘Squaring the Circle’ in Voice of the City (1915) 130: ‘Take a walk for yourself,’ said the policeman. | |
| ‘We’re Bound for San Diego’ in et al. Songs of the Amer. West (1968) 549: The cops will smash them with a sap and tell ’em, ‘take a walk.’. | |
| Hooch! 114: She can take a walk. | |
| ‘Butch Minds the Baby’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 347: He takes the walk when he sees us coming. | |
| Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye in Four Novels (1983) 275: Before I take my walk, I want what’s mine. | |
| Junkie (1966) 15: The law. Let’s take a walk. | |
| Cast the First Stone 31: Be a good girl, huh? Take a walk and don’t bother me no more. | |
![[SA]](/static/img/flags/sa.png "South Africa") | Blame me on Hist. 57: ‘Don’t get hot running, friend,’ he said, removing his jacket. ‘Take a walk, bricade.’. | |
| Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 179: If there’s any schoolgirls in the house will they kindly take a walk, / ’cause I’m a drunk sonofabitch and I’m full a bad talk. | |
| Family Arsenal 141: ‘Take a walk!’ cried Murf. | |
| IV Dress Gray (1979) 486: ‘How come you’re taking a walk?’ ‘I made up my mind to resign quite a while ago.’. | |
| Christine 172: Break it up right now! You kids take a walk! Take a walk, dammit! | |
| Stormy Weather 56: Take a long fucking walk. | |
| (con. 1986) Sweet Forever 151: ‘Take a walk,’ said someone else. | |
| ‘The Pager’ Wire ser. 1 ep. 5 [TV script] It’s time for him to take a walk. | |
| IOL Cape Western News (SA) 14 Feb. 🌐 Take a walk, fat boy, a l-o-n-g walk. |
2. to escape criminal proceedings.
| Enemy to Society 294: They had th’ statements he’d nailed [...], they’d publish th’ whole story in th’ papers less’n they let Steve take a walk and let that be th’ blow-off! | |
| In La-La Land We Trust (1999) 122: Somebody’s got enough clout to hush up a double homicide and let a drunken actor take a walk. |
3. to run off.
| Law O’ The Lariat 212: Yu see, that hole yu put me into ain’t none too well ventilated [...] an’ so I took a walk. | |
| et al. CUSS 208: Take a walk Miss class. | |
| Sweet La-La Land (1999) 102: How do you know I won’t take a walk, stiff you for the fare? |
(US prison) to be moved from one’s cell to the execution chamber.
| ‘Chatter of Guns’ in Sat. Eve. Post 13 Apr.; list extracted in AS VI:2 (1930) 134: take a walk up back, v.phr. Be removed to the death house. | |
| [ | | Twenty Thousand Years in Sing Sing 14: This section, referred to as the ‘dance hall’ by the condemned, is connected by a corridor ‘in-back’ (the pet name for the execution chamber)]. |
| ‘Try It My Way’ in Best of Manhunt (2019) [ebook] ‘I watched a dozen of them take the walk. Ask me how scared they were’. | |
| Blind Ambition 144: ‘Put him down. He’ll either take a walk or vote with us’. |