Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. smart, spirited; thus the spicy n.

1821–6		‘Bill Truck’ Man o’ War’s Man (1843) 108: This spicy Rowland for his Oliver set the poor supercargo all in a blaze.
1838		C. Selby Jacques Strop II i: Ain’t that the spicy, eh?
1838		‘Alfred Crowquill’ Seymour’s Humourous Sketches (1866) 134: A cadger sweeping a crossing fell out with a dustman. Wasn’t there some spicy jaw betwixt them!
1849		Sam Sly 12 May 4/1: We advise Thomas Thom—n [...] not to come it so very spicy with his kid gloves and gold (query) chain. Are they paid for yet?
1850		Manchester Spy (NH) 7 Sept. n.p.: It is a long time since he has seen a spicy sheet.
1852		‘The Cadger’s Ball’ in Farmer Musa Pedestris (1896) 147: Oh, what a spicy flare-up, tear-up, / Festival Terpsichory.
1854		Delhi Sketch Bk 1 Mar. 31/2: I noted down several of their devotional expressions [...] Bosh, Jolly, Larky, Muff, Spoony, Spicy, Nobby, Stunning, Clipping, &c.
1861		Bell’s Life in Sydney 6 Apr. Mar. 3/2: Samuel Johnson, Esq., a ‘popular and spicy’ looking swell.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor (1968) I 388: In public houses there’s talk and fun, and people’s more inclined for a raffle, or anything spicy that offers.
1862		Cork Examiner 28 Mar. 4/3: We trust we may be often entertained by as spicy a set-to .
1878		‘’Arry on Politics’ in Punch 11 May 205/1: For I tell yer they’re [i.e. newspapers] pilled up that spicy, they touch up a fellow to rights.
1882		‘’Arry on a Jury’ in Punch 15 Apr. 177/1: And, thinks I, this will be ‘tuppence coloured,’ and spicey as all round my hat.
1890		Ade ‘College Widow’ in Verses and Jingles (1911) 7: I heard from you quite often I liked your letters, / They were spicy and chuck full of college news.
1894		Truth (Sydney) 6 May. 5/7: You seem to have used what you yourself called ‘spicy language’.
1904		Kipling ‘The Comprehension of Private Copper’ in Traffics and Discoveries 170: ’Ere! Let’s look. ’Aven’t seen a proper spicy paper for a year.
1915		J. Buchan Thirty-Nine Steps (1930) 14: He [...] wished he could have attended the inquest, for he reckoned it would be about as spicy as to read one’s own obituary notice.
1920		F.S. Fitzgerald ‘May Day’ in Bodley Head Scott Fitzgerald V (1963) 193: They exchanged a few spicy epigrams with the sleepy-eyed doorman.
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 36: Australians have dreamed up one of their most spicy sets of slanguage to be used at or concerning the races.

2. smart-looking, neat, thus spiciness, attractive looks, neatness.

1842		Whip & Satirist of NY & Brooklyn (NY) 7 May n.p.: [W]here he and a Spicy gent was visiting.
1846		Swell’s Night Guide 76: ‘Slashing!’ said Bet; ‘and he’s a spicy looking cove, too; he’s got a nobby nut and whiskers.
1849		Bell’s Life in Sydney 24 Mar. 3/1: The spiciest articles [i.e. boots] were handed to him by the youthful prentice; but none would suit .
1849		Sam Sly 6 Jan. 4/1: [U]p rattled one of Wilson’s ‘Favourite’ omnibuses. The appearance of the vehicle was quite unique; there was a spiciness about it which was really attractive.
1854		Delhi Sketch Bk 1 Sept. 102/1: Then there was my row with the Cornet / His spicy new jacket I’d torn it.
1856		G.J. Whyte-Melville Kate Coventry (1865) 33: As we pulled up in front of the Castle Hotel I was proud to hear the admiration our tout ensemble elicited [...] ‘’Ere’s a spicy set-out, Bill,’ said one.
c.1865		C. Thatcher ‘The New Chum Swell’ in Seal Lingo (1999) 10: His dress was spicy as could be, / His fingers hung with rings.
1877		‘’Arry on His ’Oliday’ in Punch 13 Oct. 161/1: The toffs may look thunder and tommy on me and my spicey rig out.
1882		Cremorne I 17: Does yer know that spicey clothes shop, / Peter Robinsons by name.
1888		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Robbery Under Arms (1922) 86: Butchers riding out on their spicy nags.
1901		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 23 Jan. 3/6: This ere gel were very spicey, / Likewise she was most demure.
1997–2002		Hope College ‘Dict. of New Terms’ 🌐 You’re looking spicy today. Going somewhere special?

3. in non-sexual sense, exciting.

1846		‘Epistle from Joe Muggins’s Dog’ in Era (London) 27 Dec. 3/4: I turned tail and cut it, having heard something spicy at Mostyn’s place.
1853		Life in Boston & N.Y. (Boston, MA) 8 Oct. n.p.: Some spicy developments must result, as both are armed to the teeth with instances of each other’s depravity.
1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 4 Nov. 3/1: [I]f anybody knows how to give a clean yet spicy show Tony [Pastor] does.
1894		Mirror of Life 20 Jan. 2/3: ‘The Mirror of Life is [...] a bright, spicey paper’.

4. (also spiced) titillating, sexually provocative; thus spicy on, provocative towards [may have started out as a genuine euph. but invariably carries slightly ludicrous ‘dirty old man’ overtones].

1843		Satirist & Sporting Chron. (Sydney) 25 Mar. 3/2: He gives some spicy parties, but is ashamed to have any of his junior donkies at them.
1845		J. Lindridge Sixteen-String Jack 338: There’s a spicy bit of muslin.
1848		Satirist & Blade (Boston, MA) 19 Feb. n.p.: We shall give a rich and spicy sketch of the Shepherd and his flock in the next number.
1849		Sam Sly 6 Jan. 4/1: He advises Miss B—ons, of the Albert Saloon, not to be so spicy on married men.
1855		Broadway Belle (NY) 1 Jan. n.p.: [advert] The gorgeous Bridal Chambers of the different establishments, and sundy spicy adventures , which have [...] taken place therein [...] related with a racy freedom and [...] voluptuous description.
1856		C. Reade It Is Never Too Late to Mend II 251: Oh! what it is very spicy, is it? Come hand it over.
1866		Sportsman 6 Sept. 2/1: Notes on News [...] From the columns devoted to the advertising unclean books and ‘spicy’ photographs we cull the two following exquisite announcements [etc].
1874		J. Greenwood Wilds of London (1881) 100: Ladies more splendid than Queens of Sheba, spicy meats, spicy songs.
1882		Bristol Magpie 7 Sept. 17/1: ‘Variety is the spice of life,’ but there’s such a thing as a variety show being too spicy.
1886		Lantern (New Orleans, LA) 13 Oct. 2: A spicy bit of gossip.
1887		Bulletin (Sydney) 5 Nov. 12/3: Be the evidence never so ‘spicey’ / Too utterly giddy and vicey – / It’s a thousand to one, / When the lawyers have done, / The judge will ejaculate ‘nisi!’.
1890		Dead Bird (Sydney) 6 Sept. 5/3: It's a very queer thing when some spicy affair / Interferes with their godly arrangements!
1890		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 8 Feb. 7/1: [headline] A JOLLY MINSTREL A Story of Largely Misplaced Affections [...] A VERY SPICY AND JUICY STORY.
1895		Morris & LeBrunn [perf. G.W. Anson] ‘Captain Puffiy Puff’ 🎵 I can tell you the little spicey stories as they come from France.
1903		A. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise 105: The playful old doctor [...] unloaded a little highly-spiced chaff on the barmaid.
a.1904		Cliffe & Moore [perf. Marie Lloyd] The Coster’s Wedding 🎵 And all the market blokes, they cracked some spicy jokes.
1905		Sun. Times (Perth) 22 Jan. 1/1: Nowadays all the spicy sexual sensations come from the northern seaport.
1908		Sporting Times 28 Mar. 9/2: Offers me £10,000 per week to appear at his house, and do what he calls ‘some spicy patter’ for fifteen minutes.
1914		Joyce ‘A Little Cloud’ Dubliners (1956) 75: Of course you do find spicy bits in Paris. Go to one of the students’ balls, for instance. That’s lively, if you like, when the cocottes begin to let themselves loose.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 314: Hanging over the bloody paper with Alf looking for spicy bits instead of attending to the general public.
1931		Ade Old-Time Saloon 32: They were supposed to be spicy but, later on, they wouldn’t have caused a tremor.
1941		K. Tennant Battlers 150: Sid always brought down the spicy bits of news.
1944		E. Wilson 13 Mar. [synd. col.] ‘The crowds did like her spicy numbers. Not many angels walk into night clubs’.
1961		C. Himes Pinktoes (1989) 218: All the spicy history of the known world was represented on that great night.
1997		(con. 1960s) A. Frewin London Blues 97: There was this French geezer up in Camden Town [...] who used to publish little pocket-size magazines with titles like Spicy Ladies, Parisian Nights.
2005		H. Mantel Beyond Black 72: Spicy lesbo chicks.