Green’s Dictionary of Slang

dusty adj.1

[17C SE dusty, worthless, distasteful; ult. dust, rubbish, garbage]

1. (US) tough, dangerous.

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[US]Matsell Vocabulum 29: Two fly-cops and a beak tumbled to us, and Bill thought as how it was rather dusty, and so, shady was the word, two detectives and a magistrate came upon us suddenly; Bill said it was rather dangerous, and so we got out of sight.
[US]H.L. Williams Black-Eyed Beauty 30: [He] had fallen in with a rough crowd up town around Mackerelville, and when he liked he could be the ‘dusty boy, you just bet high’.
[US]Trumble Sl. Dict. (1890).
[Aus]‘Lela’ in Maitland Mercury (Aus./NSW) 31 Mar. 2: The arch gonnoff is dusty, you’d better wish.
[Aus]Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 26: Dusty, bad, dangerous.

2. of a person, uncouth, unattractive; of a thing, bad; usu. in negative formations; thus not so dusty

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[UK] ‘Tear Duff Billy’ in Ri-tum Ti-tum Songster 16: I think you’ll own / That ere varn’t none so dusty.
[UK] ‘The Gentleman in Black’ in Bentley’s Misc. IV 613: None so dusty that, I think.
[Aus]‘A. Pendragon’ Queen of the South 44: Why don’t you take up with preaching? [...] You don’t talk so dusty.
[UK]A. Mayhew Paved with Gold 117: Fourteenpence! [...] None so dusty, neither!
, , [UK]Hotten Sl. Dict.
[UK] ‘’Arry on Politics’ in Punch 11 May 205/1: I say we’re the new ’Arry-stockracy! Not arf a dusty one, hay?
[UK] ‘’Arry in Venice’ in Punch 27 May 88/3: Modern Venice, in minichure, Charlie, ain’t really so dusty, you bet.
[Aus]G. Boothby On the Wallaby 198: We attended a horse sale, and secured four medium horses. [...] Our companion was graciously pleased to say that they were ‘none too dusty’.
[UK]E. Pugh Harry The Cockney 153: ‘They don’t seem so dusty,’ he would observe, presently. ‘All right to look at, of course,’ I might reply. ‘But you never know till they open their mouths.’.
[UK]G. Ingram Cockney Cavalcade 168: That won’t be so dusty, then.
[UK]M. Harrison Reported Safe Arrival 19: I done a two-stretch. ’Tworn’t so dusty. Considerin’...
[Aus]D. Cusack Caddie 248: Shows I’m not too dusty, eh? Haven’t lost my sex appeal.
[US]E. Mphahlele Down Second Avenue 109: Abdool I don’t want any dusty nonsense!
[UK]Observer Rev. 14 Aug. 7/3: Dusty adj, meaning not right, foul: ‘She’s dusty ...I can’t believe she did that!’.

3. (US) tetchy, irritable, out of sorts.

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[US]P. Munro Sl. U. 74: Christin is dusty today; I wonder why.

In compounds

dusty pup (n.)

(Aus.) an unpleasant person, a synon. for ‘dirty dog’.

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[Aus]N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 63: You’re safely set for a first-class dirty night at sea, and no dusty pup has any right to do a mount on you.

In phrases

not so dusty (adj.)

a phr. meaning surprisingly good, not as bad as expected or advertised.

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[UK]‘A Grand Turn-Out’ in Randy Songster in Spedding & Watt (eds) I 188: Jack’s none so dusty [...] Dick’s closed his daylights, though.
[Aus]Bell’s Life in Sydney 11 Apr. 1/4: If, on the two former days' racing already chronicled in our columns, wo were enabled to show that the sports were ‘not so dusty,’ it is to be regretted that in placing on record the third day's racing, we with truth aud sorrow must add they were most particularly so.
[UK]H. Smart Post to Finish I 64: I’m not so dusty, and if it wasn’t for my disgusting weight I’d pretty soon let ’em see at Newmarket what I can do.
[UK]Kipling ‘His Private Honour’ in Many Inventions [TBD]: They’re none so dusty now, are they?
[Aus]Truth (Sydney) 27 Jan. 2/5: The ’am sandwiches wasn’t so dusty.
[NZ]Truth (London) 10 June 35/1: ‘As for the ’at, I couldn’t get that knowin’ tip of ’is no’ow’, Strill I didn’t look so dusty, orl the same’.
[Aus]‘Dads Wayback’ in Sun. Times (Sydney) 10 May 1/6: ‘You’ve got fine, vigorous hair, sir.’ ‘Not too dusty fer an old cove’.
[UK]A.N. Lyons Arthur’s 179: Them sandwiches was not ’arf so dusty. There was all kinds.
[Aus]Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 29 Apr. 3/2: She tops me /. Five bob over of me fare, / (Which in these ’ere rotten times, Sir, / Ain’t so dusty, I deckare).
[Scot]‘Ian Hay’ First Hundred Thousand (1918) 298: That’s not so dusty for a start.
[UK]J. Buchan Greenmantle (1930) 152: ‘It’s about as safe and easy as to go through the German lines with a walking-stick.’ ‘Come, that’s not so dusty,’ said Sandy, and began cheerfully on the muffins.
[UK]J.B. Priestley Good Companions 36: D’you know what I made in tips? Guess. Eight-and-threepence. Eight-shillings-and-threepence. Not so dusty.
[UK]W.S. Maugham Bread-Winner Act II: judy: It would be awful fun. Wouldn’t it, Pat? patrick: Not so dusty.
[UK]F. Norman Too Many Crooks Spoil the Caper 55: ‘Wotcha, Ed, ’ow’s it all goin’ on then?’ ‘Not so dusty, Lofty,’ I replied.
[Ire]J. Morrow Confessions of Proinsias O’Toole 140: ‘How’s things going?’ ‘Not so duckin’ fusty, if yer interested – but I’ll manage.’.

SE in slang uses

In compounds

dusty bob (n.)

1. a chimney sweep; a coalman (cf. dusty n.1 ).

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[UK]Annals of Sporting 1 Feb. 115: Almack’s and All-max men were in abundance — the west contributing its Corinthians, and the east its Dusty Bobs.
[UK] ‘All England Now are Slanging It’ Universal Songster 39/2: While dusty Bob and Afric Sal don’t stand upon gentility, / But swear they’re down and leary coves.
[UK]Egan Anecdotes of the Turf, the Chase etc. 183: One of the ‘dusty Bob’ fraternity, with his tinkler in his hand.
[UK]Morn. Post (London) 30 Jan. 4/3: Ned Spivey, a coalheaver —in point of dress and appearance the prototype of ‘Dusty Bob’, and wearing what is called [...] a ‘fantailed-shallow’.
[UK]Kendal Mercury 19 Sept. 4/1: ‘Letters from the Lakes’ by Dusty Bob — to Sally Black, Sinder Halley, Kings X, Lundun.
[UK]A. Smith Street Life in London (1969) 51: The dresses for [...] Dusty Bob, are generally bought in Petticoat Lane.
[Scot]Eve. Teleg. (Dundee) 8 July 2/2: Dusty Bob [...] was always a favourite character of George [Cruikshank].

2. see dusty n.1 (1)